A Look Back at The Mandalorian - Season 3

 

It's not every day I review a TV series because a movie is coming out, but with The Mandalorian & Grogu coming out next week it only makes to review season 3...or the final season? I don't know. It seems like from what I've read the fourth season is in limbo. Anyways! The movie will be out soon, so let's review the show.

The Mandalorian is a space western that's part of the Star Wars franchise that's produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., Fairview Entertainment, and Golem Creations with Disney Media Distribution handling distribution. Jon Favreau created the show and much like the previous two seasons this one consist of eight episodes.

The story is, after removing his helmet from the last season Din is no longer considered a true Mandalorian. Now he seeks to redeem himself while at the same time help Bo-Katan unite the scattered Mandalorian people and retake their home planet. Meanwhile, an old enemy is creating a new army to take control of the galaxy.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

It's the storytelling. The good aspects were seeing more of the Mandalorian lore, myths, culture, and the different factions. We get a deep dive into "The Way" and its history. This was a great bit of world building. Then we have all of that coming together in the finale which was awesome. Then of course you get that usual bond between Din and Grogu's bond. Continuing to just how much these two are a father and son duo. So...where's the issue? Well it comes from the fact the storyline is more focused on Bo-Katan and her uniting the different Mandalorian factions. Which would've been a bad thing had Din and Grogu didn't feel like side characters in their own show. Sure we get more of an expanding universe but the show is built around Din and Grogu's whole "lone wolf and cub" dynamic. What also didn't help was we didn't get much of the main villain and their plan until the last two episodes. Not very good when your season is only eight episodes.

• Positives

Let's start with the production. There's loads of great special effects. The visuals are great and well made, practical effects look even better and you can tell a lot of work was put into them. And lastly, costume and props are also done perfectly.

Then there's Pedro Pascal and the Din suit actors Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder. Pascal continues to do good work as the voice, providing those great emotional moments. Meanwhile Brendan Wayne gives Din some great body language, and then there's Crowder who does great work with all of the acting and stunt work.

The last aspect I'll praise is the action. While the writing was a bit rusty this time around at least there was some great action to keep us hooked. Without giving too much away, the action provides just the right amount of excitement. One of my favorites is the battle on Nevarro in the episode "The Pirate". It's got awesome dog fights and blaster shooting. I loved it.

So yeah, out of all of the seasons this one is the weakest. I didn't find it bad, but it wasn't exactly anything spectacular.

My final rating is, Okay.

So that's all for now. Come back on Saturday, May 16th, for my review of Guy Ritchie's newest film, In the Grey. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

The Punisher: One Last Kill Review

 

It's no big deal but man does it feel weird posting on a Wednesday. Having said that, let's get into some Punisher.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is a TV special based on the Marvel Comics' character The Punisher. It's not only part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but the franchise's third "Special Presentation" after the previous ones being Werewolf by Night & The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It's produced by Marvel Television and was distributed on Disney+. Reinaldo Marcus Green directed the special and wrote the screenplay along with Jon Bernthal.

The story is, Frank Castle has killed the last group of people who were involved in the killing of his family. Now he's trying to find a life without the Punisher. But when someone with their own personal vendetta has arrives and tell Frank they've placed a bounty on his head, Frank must once again reach deep inside himself and become the Punisher once again.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

The only aspect that was a mixed bag was the writing. Now seeing Frank struggling with personal demons such as seeing hallucinations of his dead family and even thinking about suicide were actually interesting to watch. Seeing a hero (or anti-hero in this case) at a low point and rise again will also be fun to watch especially if done right. Although at the same time when the special was finally over I couldn't help but feel like this was a pilot or a proof of concept for maybe a movie. The reason for that feeling is because the villain of this special survives/escapes thus she cause more trouble later on. I get what they were going for. Frank choosing protective vigilante over pure vengeance. Sure it avoids a neatly everything's wrapped up, but like I said previously it also felt like it's building towards something bigger. Whether that was Green and Bernthal's intentions I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.

• Positives

One positive is the pacing. Now the special isn't long to begin with. It only clocks in at 44 minutes. But those 44 minutes go by pretty nicely while giving us plenty of entertainment.

Then we have Jon Bernthal's performance. If you've been watching Bernthal's Punisher since Season 2 of Daredevil, or Bernthal's work on things such as The Walking Dead, Fury, both Accountant movies, etc. Then you know how talented he is. But the guy still should be praised for his work. He's so at showing both the vulnerable and intense side of the Punisher. He had this great moment at the gravesite of Frank's family and it's such a great moment, and it was made great thanks in part to Bernthal's acting.

My last praise goes to the action. It doesn't come until the last moments but holy shit is it awesome. Once Frank goes full Punisher mode it's a no holds barred experience. Guys are getting shot, sliced opened, and stabbed left and right. We're giving some pretty graphic kills. If you like brutal action and violence, then this special has you covered.

While I did have a slight issue with the story, I still found Punisher: One Last Kill to be worth watching.

My final rating is, Good.

That's gonna do it for now. Come back tomorrow, May 14th, for my review of season three of The Mandalorian. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Scary Movie (2026) - Scary Movie 4 Review

 

Well folks this road is coming close to its end.

Scary Movie 4 is a parody film, the fourth film in the franchise, and spoofs movies such as Saw, The Village, The Grudge, War of the Worlds (2005), Brokeback Mountain, and Million Dollar Baby. Production was done by Brad Grey Pictures with Dimension Films being the distributor. Craig Mazin and Pat Proft returned to write the screenplay along with Jim Abrahams. Another returning name is David Zucker who once again directs.

The story is, aliens have come to invaded Earth to wipe out humanity. Cindy Campbell learns that the death of a young boy and the invasion are somehow connected. She needs to quickly put the pieces together and put a stop to all of the madness.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

Before I get into my thoughts I want to say this. Some of these I'm gonna keep brief because there things I've said many times before with this film series. One of those being the humor. Now for the most part I was absolutely laughing. Despite being the fourth movie there are still plenty of jokes, lines, and gags that are really funny. I was laughing my ass with the President and the scene with the kids and how every time he was talking to them he made their panic even more. That was a great scene. But then you get some slap stick with people hitting things or getting hit by objects that can be funny but sometimes those moments did get tiring.

• Positives

One new praise I'll give is how this movie looks. Out of all of the Scary Movies I've reviewed so far this one is the most polished, and yes I know Scary Movie (2026) will beat this one I'm just saying as far as the old movies go this was has the best production. Sometimes the shots almost match the shots from the movie the filmmakers are making fun of. And I say almost cause this movie was still working with a budget. But regardless Scary Movie 4 has pretty good look to it.

Alright now we head to some familiar territory starting with the pacing. Much like the previous three films Scary Movie 4 doesn't over stay its welcome. Scenes go along perfectly without feeling like they're wasting anybody's time.

The last thing I'll quickly praise is once again Anna Faris. Much like she's done before, Faris does amazing at the material. And this time around she's playing off her old co-star Regina Hall returning as Brenda. Who also has some great hilarious moments, which makes me all the more happy she came back for this and was given a much bigger role than she had in the previous film.

So yeah. Scary Movie 4 is worth checking out. Which is a sigh of relief because this was around the time when parody movies were losing steam.

My final rating is, Okay.

Well that's gonna do it. All that's left now is Scary Movie 5. But before that come back on Wednesday, yes, Wednesday, May 13th, for my review of the Marvel TV special, The Punisher: One Last Kill. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Mortal Kombat II Review

 

We had to wait five years but the sequel is finally here. Hopefully we won't have a Mortal Kombat: Annihilation on our hands.

Mortal Kombat II is a martial arts fantasy film that's not only based on the iconic fighting video game series Mortal Kombat, but acts as both the sequel to the 2021 film and the fourth live-action film in the franchise. New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, Broken Road Productions, and Fireside Films handled production while Warner Bros. Pictures were the distributor. Simon McQuoid returns to direct, but the writer this time around is Jeremy Slater.

The story is, the tournament has begun but so has the fight to save Earthrealm. Our chosen warriors of Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs, Liu Kang, Cole Young, and new recruit Johnny Cage must band together and fight to save their home. It won't be easy when someone is struggling with self doubt and the forces of evil are plotting to everything they can to conquer. Who will be left standing and what will be the fate of Earthrealm?

Initial Reaction

I was looking forward to this simply because I love Mortal Kombat. So if there's a new movie out whether it's animated or live-action, then I'm gonna be there to review it.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The mix bag stems from the writing. Plot wise it's a Mortal Kombat video game. It's simple. We've got invading forces, tournament of death, and fatalities. Everything you'd expect. Where it's uneven comes from character. The only two who truly get any story arcs worth mentioning are Johnny Cage and Kitana. Johnny goes through a true hero's journey from being a cynical washed up action star to rediscovering his fighting spirit. While Kitana has a pretty soiled story of wanting revenge for her father's death and reclaiming what she's lost. These two are definitely more of the standouts. Meanwhile everyone else is very tournament focused. They're just there to move the plot, fight, and help out either Johnny, Kitana, or both. Sure some will have their moments but nothing really deep. Which is especially funny for Cole Young. Dude got propped up as a huge main character in the first movie and here, nothing. Absolutely nothing 😆.

Pros

Let me the most obvious thing out of the way, that being the fights. Much like the first movie the fights are everything we want in a live-action MK film. They're fun and brutal. Hell we even get a couple of stage fatalities this time around. Then there's the pacing. Some moments might feel uneven, but for the most part the movie moves along quick nicely. The last thing I'll credit is Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. I'll admit when he was first announced as the character I wasn't all that excited. I mean sure he's awesome but I was expecting someone else. A matter of fact I was one of many people who wanted WWE Superstar The Miz to play the character. But I can now safely say Urban was great. He captured the character's charisma, ego, and humor. A lot of times Urban is the more stronger elements to the movie when there isn't any fighting going on.

Overall the sequel is much like its predecessor. It has its flaws but there's still some fun to be had.

My final rating is, Okay.

So that's gonna wrap everything up. Come back on Monday, May 11th, when I return to the Road to Scary Movie (2026) with my review of Scary Movie 4. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and to all of the good moms out there I hope tomorrow you all have a very Happy Mother's Day.

Road to Street Fighter (2026) - Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Review

NOTE!: THE VERISON I WATCHED IS THE UNCENSORED ENGLISH DUB. SO THAT'S THE VERISON I'M GIVING MY THOUGHTS ON!

 

Alright, we got yet another Road to and this time we're diving into Street Fighter. So let's get started on not the live-action like I thought I was gonna start with this road, but the much beloved Street Fighter II animated movie.

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is an anime adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game Street Fighter II. It also serves as the first fully animated film in the franchise. Production was done by Capcom Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sedic and Group TAC while companies like Capcom and 20th Century Fox were the distributors. The director was Gisaburō Sugii and he also wrote the screenplay with Kenichi Imai.

The story is, a criminal organization called Shadowlaw led by the evil M. Bison is planning world domination by abducting and brainwashing the world's greatest fighters turning them into his assassins. While agents Chun-Li and Guile are trying to stop them, Bison targets Ryu for his powers. It's a race to not only find Ryu but put an end to Shadowlaw.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

One gray area is the story. It's a very simple save the world plot, so you don't get that much emphasis on stuff like character. Well you'll get character if you're names are Ryu and Ken. However, this still plenty to be entertained by. Whether it's the fights or the overall animation quality, I can't say the movie's boring.

The other aspect is the voice acting. While some performers like for example Phil Matthews (and yes I am using pseudonyms) does an amazing job as M. Bison, who brings out perfect menace and over the top energy. Others are either just good or can feel a tad force. Now I don't want to be too hard on the dub's voices cause this was the 90's. Back during a time when American studios were still trying to find their footing before we got more polished works came along. But as far as earlier English dubs go this is one of the better ones.

• Positives

Now let's give a shout out to the more positive things. Like this.

Is this not an amazing shot? There's just so much plot going on here.

Alright awesome fan-service aside the movie does have spectacular animation. The animation especially during fight scenes are fluid, detailed, and dynamic. Scenes just Chun-Li vs. Vega and M. Bison vs. Ryu and Ken are great to watch especially when you pay attention to how much weight and impact we're put into those. The animation is incredible and still to this day still holds up.

There's also the music. The moment I heard that awesome guitar being played during the opening Ryu vs. Sagat scene I was hooked. Yes I'm well aware the dub replaced a lot of the original Japanese score, but I think the rock songs from Blind by Korn gave an aggressive tone with fits perfectly with the movie's violence. But we also have the original instrumental score from Corey Lerios and John D'Andrea provided cues that felt just as badsss as the rock songs.

Overall while it has flaws Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is a fun watch. If you're getting into the franchise then other than playing the games this is something you should check out. Whether it's the original Japanese version or the English dub, give this a watch.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, May 9th, for my review of Mortal Kombat II. Yep, I went from one fighting video game adaptation to other. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

And one more thing.

Beautiful, simply beautiful. Too bad Cammy didn't get a scene like this. 😔

 But seriously, I hope the rest of your day goes well.

Fan Film Mondays - The Jedi Hunter Review

 

Today's May the 4th Be with You! Now I could've reviewed a Star Wars movie or season three of The Mandalorian what with the upcoming movie (don't worry I'll still do that but at a later date). But I decided I wanted to celebrate with Fan Film Mondays!

But before we get into the review I do want to tell you my personal history with this one. Back when I was a kid I remember getting into Star Wars because of Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars and watching the old movies thanks to my Grandpa. I not only watched the movies and show but I also explored the internet to see other Star Wars related material. Don't worry little Michael didn't see anything naughty involving Twi'lek women, that came later in life 😏. But seriously I wanted to see more of Star Wars, and I got that not only in the form of the upcoming Revenge of the Sith, but by watching fan films. And this one was the very first Star Wars fan film I ever watched. But more importantly then that, it exposed me to the world of fan films. So in a way, you guys kind of this movie to thank for Fan Film Mondays.

The Jedi Hunter is a 2002 fan film that spoofs both Star Wars and The Crocodile Hunter. It was produced by Z-Team Productions, with John E. Hudgens directing and writing the story along with Lowell Cunningham and Denny Humbard.

The story is, Boba Fett invites us to join him as he travels in throughout space to hunter Jedi. It's a gonna be a wild ride so ya better strip in and let the best bounty hunter in the galaxy do what he does best.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

Now typically I don't go too hard when it comes to effects. It goes without saying but for the longest time fan films had to use what they got because there were no crowd funding sites. With The Jedi Hunter there are a lot of good effects, blasters and lightsabers are pretty good. But there are times when things are rough around the edges. The biggest example is whenever Boba Fett flies you can plainly see it's CGI. But once again, let me reiterate, I won't give Hudgens and co. too much grief because again, this was 2002 and Kickstarter wouldn't be a thing until 2009.

• Positives

First let me praise the concept. Making Boba Fett, a badass, ruthless bounty hunter and turning him into space Steve Irwin is pretty funny. Especially since they made a good call by having Boba have Irwin's iconic Australian accent. I don't know why but it's just funny hearing "Crikey!" come out of Boba Fett's mouth.

Speaking of funny I also want to give credit to the humor. There's a lot of funny moments throughout. Like the beginning having mock commercials, some good one-liners, or the fact that Boba's treating his Jedi killing in a very lighthearted manner despite some pretty brutal kills. And of course Boba Fett just being Steve Irwin. Of course if none of you ever heard of Steve Irwin then shame on you! Stop reading this review right now and go watch some Crocodile Hunter! In all seriousness, I think even if you haven't seen Irwin's work you'll still get a laugh over how hokey Boba Fett is acting.

The last thing I'll praise is the pacing. Now this isn't a very long fan film. It's only six minutes and that's not counting the end credits and post-credit scene, but counting those then it's only eight minutes. Either way, this is a breeze.

Guys, if you want to get into the world of Star Wars fan films, then The Jedi Hunter is one of many good starts. Especially if you're curious what fan films were like during the early 2000's.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed May the 4th. Come back on Thursday, May 7th, where I'll begin the Road to Street Fighter (2026). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Deep Water Review

 

First Thrash now this, is it gonna be shark season in 2026? Alright jokes aside, let's get to it.

Deep Water is a survival movie that's produced by Magenta Light Studios (who are also the distributor too), Arclight Films, Simmons/Hamilton Productions, Nostromo Pictures, Aristos Films, and DW Film Holdings. The screenplay was written by Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, and Damien Power, with Renny Harlin directing.

The story is, it was all suppose to be a simple flight for passengers going from Los Angeles to Shanghai, but it that all changed when their plane is damaged and the pilots are formed to make an emergency landing in the middle of the sea. Now they all must come together to get help and more importantly survive the sharks that were drawn to the wreckage.

Initial Reaction

My reason for wanting to see this is as simple as it gets. It looked like it might be a fun turn off your brain movie. And I am not above seeing a popcorn flick.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The mix bag stems from our characters. Other than Aaron Eckhart's character, I didn't really care for some. Some of them either learn into decent enough well others are just plain one-dimensional. Then there's the special effects. The plane crash sequence looks really good. Definitely some top notch work there. Some of the effects are the sharks are good, other times you can plainly tell there was some pretty obvious CGI. It also doesn't help there was times when you could tell a green screen was involved. The other mix aspect was the kills. If you were expecting Harlin to bring the same brutal shark attack action he brought to Deep Blue Sea, well then you're only gonna get that in a small dose. Some kills are brutal, others happen too quickly, and some happen off screen. The last thing I'll touch on is the story. Now it'll come as no surprise but this isn't gonna break any new ground. It's a very simple, formulaic story. But I think it provides enough thrills that you can forgive it, if only slightly.

Pros

The only two real praise I can give is to Aaron Eckhart's performance. No this isn't one of his greatest performances ever, but he brings enough stoic heroism to keep you interested. The other is Harlin's craftsmanship. The guy really knows how stage chaos and bring you some thrills, even when working with a small budget.

Overall while I'd wish Deep Water was more like Deep Blue Sea where it embraces its shlock factor more, this can be worth viewing as a rental or streaming.

My final rating is, Okay.

So that's gonna do it for now. Come back on Monday, May 4th, for a brand new Fan Film Mondays. And we'll be celebrating May The 4th Be With You by reviewing the very first fan film I ever saw. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.