Last month, I finally finished Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I started watching in 2021 and kept watching on & off throughout 2022 and 2023. No matter what your opinion is, I think it’s worth noting that Star Wars: The Clone Wars has shaped Star Wars lore since its release. Part of the reason it took me so long to finish the show is that certain arcs didn’t excite me all that much, so I felt it was difficult to keep myself on track. However, once I got through season #3, I felt the show took a turn in a direction that I was more interested in. I wanted to focus on some of my favorite story arcs within Clone Wars.

Obi-Wan aka “Ben” going undercover with Cad Bane – Season #4

In season #4, Obi-Wan fakes his death to go undercover to find out more about a plot to kidnap the Chancellor. As part of his undercover work, he’s forced to try out to make the team of assassins who go after Palpatine. Dooku puts the assassins through several challenges. I thought this was entertaining to watch since it was more action-based. Plus, I think it gives Obi-Wan a little grit since this isn’t something you would think Obi-Wan would do.

Mandalore – Rise & Fall – Seasons #2 – #7

For those who are fans of The Mandalorian, there is a lot of story that comes from The Clone Wars. This includes Bo-Katan’s character arc, why Bo-Katan wants the Darksaber, and Obi-Wan’s connection to Mandalore. I loved watching all of the episodes featuring Mandalore as I thought they were really interesting.

I thought seeing Maul coming into it and taking Mandalore was not what I expected. It was one of the few things within The Clone Wars that weren’t spoiled to me before watching. I have always been a Darth Maul fan, so the fact that he was brought back and served such a big role in the later seasons was so satisfying to watch.

Taking Back Onderon – Season #5

Onderon is the planet Saw Guerra is from, and this whole arc helps shape his character. Saw helps lead a resistance troop to take back the planet, as the Jedi have agreed not to help. Ahsoka is also key in this arc as well. The first time I saw Saw Guerra was in Rogue One, so it was cool to see Saw appear in other Star Wars content.

Ahsoka’s Whole Arc – Season #5 – #7

I will be honest, Ahsoka had to grow on me. I wasn’t originally a big fan of hers when I was watching the earlier seasons. With that being said, Ahsoka is now one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Ahsoka picks up a lot of Anakin’s discontent with the order. In season #5, Ahsoka is framed for a terrorist attack. The Jedi (except for Anakin) are so quick to believe Ahsoka is guilty, which is rather odd to me, considering all that she has done for them. She’s even been kicked out of the order while she is on trial. Anakin quickly figures out who is responsible and invites Ahsoka back, only for her to leave the order for good.

I was so happy that Ahsoka left the order. Why would she return when they clearly abandoned her when she needed them the most? I think this arc helps shape the flaws of the Jedi Order and demonstrates how the Jedi aren’t always the “good guys”.

Ahsoka meets Anakin again when Ahsoka and Bo-Katan return to Mandalore to dethrone Maul. Anakin is quick to greet Ahsoka, while Obi-Wan is a little cold towards her. It was disappointing to see that interaction, but if anything, it helps to confirm that Ahsoka made the right choice in leaving. Ahsoka and Maul have a lot of interesting dialogue because they both have one thing in common: they were both abandoned and treated disrespectfully.

Finally, the last few episodes show where Ahsoka was during Order 66. I love the way this was done. Ahsoka feels the change in The Force when Windu is killed by Sidious. She goes to Rex, and that’s when the clones turn on her. The whole scene when Ahsoka takes out her lightsabers, which were gifted to her by Anakin, and defends herself against all the blaster bolts, was awesome. Ahsoka ends up freeing Rex from the brainwashing, and they escape together. I found myself getting a little teary-eyed towards the end, seeing Ahsoka having to survive on her own. Ahsoka arguably has the best character arc in the whole show.

If you have ever struggled to watch Clone Wars like I have, there are several guides online that show the pivotal episodes to watch. I’m so glad that I watched the show, and now I feel like I need some Ahsoka merchandise in my life.

Initially, when it was announced that there would be a Dungeons & Dragons movie, fans, including myself, were skeptical. Movies based on board games or video games aren’t well-received or don’t do the source material justice. As trailers and clips were released, I felt much more at ease toward Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. There’s a clip of the group trying to cast “Speak With Dead,” and it’s hilarious. I watched the clip on repeat leading up to the movie’s release. One of my coworkers bought matinee tickets to see this film, as we talk about DnD a lot at work. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was so funny and captured the joy and chaos of a DnD campaign.

Edgin Darvis (played by Chris Pine) is a bard who tragically loses his wife when she’s murdered by the disciples of a Red Wizard. Edgin wants to bring his wife back and begin a new life with his daughter, Kira. Edgin teams up with a Barbarian named Holga Kilgore (played by Michelle Rodriguez), Sorcerer Simon Aumar (played by Justice Smith), and Rogue Forge Fitzwilliam (played by Hugh Grant) to steal the “Tablet of Reawakening,” a magical item that can bring someone back to life. Unfortunately, Edgin and Holga are captured while the rest of their group escapes. Once Edgin and Holga escape prison, they return to find Kira being manipulated by Forge, who has betrayed them. Edgin and Holga recruit an army to go after Forge and convince Kira that Edgin had good intentions all along.

The cast of this film was an A+ for sure. They all seemed to have great chemistry together, especially Edgin and Holga. They were lifelong friends as Holga helped raise Kira when her mom was killed. Edgin and Holga are a good pair as they both have their expertise in different things, which is very fitting to DnD characters. Simon’s backstory reminds me of Vex’halia from Critical Role, as they both have difficulties with their families. Doric (played by Sophia Lillis) has elements that remind me of Keyleth from Critical Role, as Doric’s goal is to prevent Forge from destroying the forest. Each character has their own fleshed-out back story, which is so important in character creation in Dungeons & Dragons.

This movie is so chaotic, which makes it even funnier. I mentioned the “Speak With Dead” clip, but there are so many other hilarious moments. One other scene that pops into my head is when Xenk Yendar (played by Regé-Jean Page) is explaining a complex puzzle, and Simon steps on the bridge before Xenk explains how to cross the bridge, and the bridge collapses. The whole group is looking at him, and Simon is at a loss for words. There have been times when, in my campaign, we don’t listen to what the NPC (non-playable character) is telling us, and completely mess up a puzzle and cause a trap to go off. Oops. I’m not sure who the writers were on this film, but they must have some role-playing experience because this film truly feels like a DnD campaign brought to life.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was such a great film. I found myself laughing along the way and becoming attached to the characters. I’d love to see a sequel featuring the cast in another mystical adventure.

I was so excited to watch Andor. Rogue One is one of the best Star Wars movies, and I liked how the characters have their moments to shine. When Cassian was first introduced, he seemed broken by the Rebellion. He has been forced to do things for the greater good, which has had a personal cost for him. His character stood out to me. I was elated to hear he would star in his own show. After finishing Andor, this feels less like a Star Wars series and more of a heist/espionage slow-building show that just happens to exist in the Star Wars universe.

Five years before the Battle of Yavin, Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) is looking for his missing sister. He is gathering evidence of her whereabouts when he’s interrupted. He kills two officers in self-defense before fleeing the scene. The Empire becomes involved thanks to Syril Karn (played by Kyle Soller), who wants to solve the murders and tracks Cassian. Cassian, in the meantime, is trying to sell Imperial Navigation technology for credits. Cassian’s ally, Bix (played by Adria Arjona), sets him up with Luthen Rael (played by Stellan Skarsgård) to make the deal. Luthen convinces Cassian to help his team with a heist that will help to devastate the Empire. Cassian, throughout the show, gets involved in various schemes that will help deal blows to the Empire from behind the scenes.

The cast for Andor is so good! It feels like no time has passed since Diego Luna played Cassian in Rogue One. Sometimes, when a lot of time passes between these releases, it can feel a little jarring. However, Diego clearly steps back in as Cassian. Andy Serkis has a small presence in the show, which I don’t want to go into any more detail about because of spoilers. Stellan Skarsgård acts as a mentor of sorts to Cassian, along with all the secrecy in planning his movements. He’s willing to make those hard choices, which I can see is where Cassian learned this from. The cast is impeccable, which makes the show that much better.

The episodes have a nice mix of the lore and the action. There is a lot of story-building in Andor, which I personally enjoy because it establishes Andor’s place in the franchise. The heist episodes are a blast to watch because the plan that’s been built over time starts to come together. I think the prison break episode was a highlight of the series because of how Cassian always seems to be at the center of the spark that leads to a battle.

I was reading a critique online, and someone had classified Andor as boring. I can kind of understand where this person is coming from. Star Wars is infamous for the light saber duels and intergalactic space battles. However, there’s so much more that happens in the shadows for those instances to occur. Andor is telling that story. For the rebellion to thrive, they need to bankrupt the Empire and steal its technology to even have a chance at taking the Empire head-on. The sacrifices that Cassian will eventually make set up the original trilogy. Andor might not be your cup of tea, but I think we can agree on the importance of telling that story.

Andor was well worth the wait. I can’t wait for season #2, which will link Cassian’s back story to the events leading into Rogue One.

My mom kept telling me about this new show she started watching. She mentioned she was a few episodes into The Night Agent and how she thought I would like it. I grew up watching 24, so any show that features politics, action, and some conspiracy being highlighted will probably be a show that I like. After starting The Night Watch, I finished all ten episodes in less than two days, and it was well worth the time spent. The Night Watch was action-packed, entertaining, and full of surprises.

Peter Sutherland (played by Gabriel Basso) is an FBI agent who’s in the shadow of his father. Peter’s father was accused of selling US secrets to foreign agents and, once discovered, was killed in a car accident. Peter is constantly trying to fight off the stigma that he’s like his father. Peter takes a job as a man who answers the Night Call phone in which agents can call in if they are in danger. Peter receives a call from Rose Larkin (played by Luciane Buchanan), who’s trying to escape an assassin who killed her aunt and uncle. Peter helps save Rose and reunites with her a few hours later. They’re forced to go on the run when they figure out that Rose’s aunt and uncle were secret agents who discovered a mole within the White House who is planning an assassination attempt on a foreign leader. Without knowing who to trust, Peter and Rose can only rely on each other to stop this attack.

The cast of The Night Watch is stellar. It’s easy to focus on both Peter and Rose. Their chemistry together was believable, and they had a good partnership together. Besides Peter and Rose, there’s Chelsea Arrington (played by Fola Evans-Akingbola), who is a Secret Service Agent guarding the Vice President’s Daughter, Maddie Redfield (played by Sarah Desjardins). Chelsea develops a personal bond with Maddie, and when Maddie is kidnapped, Chelsea ends up bumping into Peter and Rose. They figure out their missions are aligned and they team up together. Chelsea plays a big role in stopping the attack in the last episode. Another standout is Chief of Staff Diane Farr (played by Hong Chau), who is Peter’s ally and who originally recruited him. Diane is navigating all the political turmoil with several key players in the President’s cabinet. The Night Watch has so many different side stories and plots that all end up coming together in the end. It’s interesting to watch.

I think what makes The Night Watch a standout is the reveals throughout the show as to who is responsible. Without including spoilers, there’s one episode in particular that had me in awe at who was revealed to be involved. When Peter realizes this, you can see in his facial features how shocked he is. In any show with this type of concept, if the show doesn’t have twists, it can be underwhelming, to say the least.

The last episode of The Night Watch was jam-packed. All the characters who have different motives are at Camp David when this attack is supposed to occur. The episode is incredibly fast-paced as these characters know different pieces of information about the attack, but aren’t able to coordinate with each other. It was satisfying to see the conclusion of how everything plays out.

The Night Watch was so good! I almost want to start the season over and rewatch it. I’m curious to see if The Night Watch will get a second season. I would hope that if the show did get a second season, I hope it’s as good as season #1.

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors. His films are interesting to watch and often so complex that they require multiple rewatches. If I had to pick, I think Memento would be my favorite. I loved the concept of how the events of the film unfolded. I heard about Tenet, but Tenet was released before people felt comfortable going back to the theater in person. With Tenet being available to watch on HBO Max, I figured it was time to sit down and watch it. I thought Tenet was an interesting film, but I don’t think I fully followed everything that happened.

Tenet opens with a siege on an Opera House. The “Protagonist” (played by John David Washington) leads this mission, and while the mission is a success, he’s captured and tortured. The Protagonist takes a suicide pill, which was fake. The Protagonist is recruited by an organization called Tenet. Part of his training is to learn about introverted bullets or bullets moving backward in time. The fear is that if this is something that can be done with bullets, can other, more dangerous weapons be manipulated in this way? The Protagonist investigates where these bullets came from and learns about arms dealer Andrei Sator (played by Kenneth Branagh), who is linked to creating these bullets. To help get closer to him, The Protagonist meets his estranged wife, Kat Barton (played by Elizabeth Debicki). The Protagonist, Kat, and Neil (played by Robert Pattinson) team up to take down Andrei and ensure he isn’t able to keep up with this level of technology.

Christopher Nolan’s films have an ensemble cast that helps bring the story to life. John David Washington should be cast in all things. I think he truly leads this film, and it’s clearly his story. The action scenes he films are realistic and extremely detailed, especially because there are moments where he’s inverted and fighting himself. Robert Pattinson was great in this. It’s nice to see him getting more recognition. Kenneth Branagh always plays a good villain. The cast is certainly a highlight of the film.

I think the thing that I struggled with the most with Tenet is keeping up with the story. There are certain moments where both The Protagonist and Neil are inverted in time. I don’t think I can explain how The Protagonist and Neil saved the day because I still didn’t quite follow who was at what time. There was a lot that was happening, and I found it difficult to follow. While most of Christopher Nolan’s films have that quality, I found it tougher in Tenet to understand than in his other films.

I liked Tenet, and I’m glad I watched it. I don’t know if I would watch Tenet again. With that being said, I’m looking forward to Christopher Nolan’s next film, Oppenheimer, which is a biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the physicists on the Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released on July 21st, 2023.

Superhero fatigue has been talked about a lot recently. There seems to be no shortage of superhero TV shows, movies, etc. With that being said, some shows or movies take on the superhero genre in a new way. I had The Umbrella Academy on my radar for a while. The recent announcement of Nick Offerman and Megan Mullaly joining the cast in season #4, it piqued my interest in watching The Umbrella Academy from the beginning. The Umbrella Academy is addictive, eccentric, and offers a fresh take on the superhero genre.

The Umbrella Academy begins on October 1st, 1989, when forty-three women around the world give birth despite never showing any signs of being pregnant. Rich and egotistical Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of these children, who start displaying extraordinary powers. Reginald trains these children to be superheroes and announces them to the world as The Umbrella Academy. Flash forward to the present day, Reginald has passed away, and the heroes feel that something bad must have happened to him.

Each child within the Umbrella Academy has a number assigned to them besides their first name. Starting in chronological order, there’s Luther Hargreeves, aka. Number One (played by Tom Hopper), who shows signs of extraordinary strength. Diego Hargreeves aka. Number Two (played by David Castañeda), who can telekinetically move projectile objects to a specific target. Allison Hargreeves aka. Number Three (played by Emmy Raver-Lampman), who can control minds by saying “I heard a rumor”. Klaus Hargreeves aka. Number Four (played by Robert Sheehan), who can see and communicate with the dead. Five Hargreeves (played by Aiden Gallagher), who can transport through time. Ben Hargreeves (played by Justin H. Min), who can summon horrors from his body. Ben is deceased, and only Klaus can see him when season #1 begins. Finally, there’s Viktor Hargreeves (played by Elliot Page), who has been told his whole life that he’s ordinary and has no powers. When season #1 begins, Five transports back to The Umbrella Academy from the future and lets everyone know that in a few days, an apocalypse is going to happen, which will kill everyone on Earth. The members of the Umbrella Academy initially don’t believe what Five is telling them. However, they do eventually believe Five and agree to help figure out what causes the apocalypse.

One thing that I enjoy about The Umbrella Academy is how realistic it is. Each of the members of the Academy struggles with their powers and the negative connotations that come with them. Klaus is a drug addict who numbs himself, so he doesn’t have to see the dead. I think of how traumatizing that must be for him as he finds solace in being high to escape what he’s capable of. Ben tries to bring out the good in Klaus, which helps aid in Klaus’s character development. Luther sees himself as the leader, but doesn’t garner respect from the other Academy members. Allison uses her power on her daughter to try to prevent a toddler meltdown, but is discovered by her husband. Her husband is granted sole custody of her daughter. Five is trapped in a young body despite having knowledge of the future. Finally, Viktor was told he wasn’t good enough and constantly feels overshadowed by the others. It shows that each of these characters are good person, but is contemplating how their powers have shaped their lives.

For ensemble shows like these, these characters must have chemistry with each other. I think that’s what makes the first season so fun to watch. Each member of the Academy has a unique partnership with each other. For example, Diego and Klaus butt heads a lot because of their differing personalities. By the end of season #1, Diego starts to admire Klaus and sticks up for Klaus during a group meeting when he’s being interrupted by someone else. Luther and Allison have this “will they” or “won’t they” romance because of the crush they had when they were kids. Viktor is easily seen as the outsider, yet Allison tries her best to be the sister that he needs. In only ten episodes, I feel invested in these characters and what might happen to them.

I watched half of season #1 in one day because I felt compelled to watch each episode back-to-back. I’m on season #2 now, which transports the Umbrella Academy to the 1960’s before JFK’s assassination. I like the combination of the sci-fi elements of the show with the real-world history unfolding in season #2.

The Umbrella Academy is one of my new favorite shows. It feels different from other superhero content out there and is entertaining throughout. The first three seasons of The Umbrella Academy can be streamed on Netflix.

The first thing I heard about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was that the film was getting negative reviews. There’s been a lot of discussion online about superhero movie fatigue, which I feel contributed to the reviews this movie received. I went to see Ant-Man last weekend, and I liked it a lot. I felt that Ant-Man had a lot of build-up, considering that Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors) will be the next Marvel villain to become front and center.

Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) is enjoying his fame from battling Thanos. He’s written a book that he obnoxiously listens to in his car, much to his daughter, Cassie’s, chagrin. Cassie (played by Kathryn Newton) chastises her father for seemingly not caring about real-world events, especially since he’s an official Avenger. Cassie shows Scott, Hope van Dyne (played by Evangeline Lilly), Janet van Dyne (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas) how she invented a device to communicate in the Quantum Realm. Janet panics and shuts off the device, but not before they all get sucked into the Quantum Realm. Scott and Cassie are separated from Hope, Janet, and Hank. Despite their separation, they are told stories of “The Conqueror,” an individual who has overtaken numerous worlds in the Quantum Realm. Cassie is determined to help even though Scott is reluctant. They realize that The Conqueror needs to be stopped as his existence is a threat to the multiverse.

I liked that Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania tied the other Ant-Man films together. First, there’s the reveal of M.O.D.O.K. M.O.D.O.K. was created by The Conqueror, who is revealed to be Darren Cross (played by Corey Stoll) from the first Ant-Man movie. I know this isn’t comic-book accurate, but I liked this reveal. It tied up loose ends and helped connect the movies together. Also, I liked how Cassie and M.O.D.O.K faced off, considering that Darren went after her when she was younger, and now she’s able to defend herself.

I liked Kang as a villain. His motives are simple: he wants revenge for being exiled. He feels it’s his duty to protect the multiverse by killing millions of people. Jonathan Majors knocks it out of the park. He’s physically capable of holding his own in a fight, and he has the tech to be a fierce opponent. I think there’s much more potential to make Kang more lethal in future installments. This is hinted at in the post-credit scene, which, by the way, I love the tie into the second season of Loki. I wasn’t expecting that, so I was happy to see that connection.

While Ant-Man was getting negative reviews, I personally liked the movie! It was fun, it tied in with the other Ant-Man movies, and it was easy to follow. I’m looking forward to the other Marvel films that will be released this year and seeing Kang the Conqueror pop up throughout the franchise.

I love making lists. It keeps me organized, and I feel accomplished when I cross things off. One of my lists includes movies that I haven’t seen. This includes whole franchises or stand-alone films. One franchise on my list for a while is the Underworld franchise starring Kate Beckinsale. I know the Underworld series was about Vampires and Lycans, but that’s it. Watching Underworld for the first time, this movie has held up since it was released twenty years ago.

Underworld focuses on Selene (played by Kate Beckinsale), who leads a team to take down the Lycans, as she is led to believe that the Lycans are evil and killed her family. As Selene is tracking a group of Lycans, she’s surprised to see that they are targeting a human, which is unheard of. Selene feels that’s suspicious enough, so she finds Michael (played by Scott Speedman), the human that Selene feels is being targeted. Selene is correct, as Michael was attacked by Lucian (played by Michael Sheen). Selene is too late and sees that Michael has been bitten by Lucian. Selene is aware that something is going on, but she’s gaslit by her clan, who tells her there is nothing to fear. Selene turns her back on the clan to try to save Michael, along with uncovering why he’s being targeted, to begin with.

The first thing I noticed about watching Underworld for the first time is how awesome Selene is. She’s a female protagonist who is not dressed provocatively, and she can hold her own throughout the movie. It’s obvious that Selene is stunning because she’s a Vampire who doesn’t age, but they don’t dress her in a campy outfit; she wears all leather and black, and her look is functional. I think that’s interesting considering the time frame in which Underworld was originally released.

Besides Seline, I think the cast in Underworld helps make this a more memorable supernatural action film. Michael Sheen as Lucian was a perfect casting choice. Lucian has this sort of goth, animalistic look to him. Lucian is the type of villain who isn’t physical, but more manipulative, as he plays both sides of this war. Bill Nighy plays Viktor, one of Selene’s mentors, as she becomes a vampire. Viktor is a cold-hearted character, yet he has a soft spot for Selene, which is proven throughout the film.

It was fun to watch Underworld for the first time. I’m glad that I could cross another film off my list.