A Review: The Mandalorian
I’m still unsure about The Mandalorian (2019 – ). The best thing people are saying about it is, ‘It’s not offensive!’ This is important to understand. People are judging it against the curve of Disney’s Star Wars movies, the way they judged The Force Awakens (2015) against the sour taste that the Prequels had left. But what if that curve wasn’t there? How would it stand up? I just don’t know. Well, it’s not offensive. The Galaxy I like the feeling of the setting. Set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983) – you know, that movie where we thought the Empire was overthrown and the…
Star Trekking: Part 3 of 3
Writing prequels can’t be easy. You have to fit into established canon where people know the outcome(s), yet introduce something new, and keep the storytelling compelling. One of my favourite prequels is Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which takes place right before the events of Spartacus: Blood and Sand (aka season 1). In Blood and Sand, lanistas’ Batiatus (John Hannah) and Solonius (Craig Walsh-Wrightson) are mortal enemies. In Gods of the Arena, the opening scene is of Batiatus and Solonius together as close friends at gladiatorial games. What? Immediately, we have questions. How did these two fall out? Even if we’re not aware of the existing canon, we meet two…