3.5 Razors – Page 239 – RazorFine Review

Star Wars – The Phantom Menace

Alan Rapp / April 1, 2020 / Home Video

Title: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
IMDb: link

Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute.

Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo.

While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict…

Now that the “Skywalker Saga” is complete, it seems like a reasonable time to go back and look through the various Star Wars films. Unlike some, I come not to condemn The Phantom Menace. Despite its flaws, the film has genuinely great moments, strong new characters, and vivid new worlds all while doing more world building than any Star Wars property other than the original Star Wars. Does it measure up to Lucas’ original? No, certainly not. But it’s far from the weakest Star Wars film.

Set at the end of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace introduces us to the young boy who would grow into the most terrifying creature in the galaxy. Jake Lloyd is cast as the boyish slave Anakin Skywalker. Lloyd is your average kid actor and the failures of Anakin here have more to do with the choice to make him far younger than necessary than Lloyd’s performance. We’re also introduced to Queen Padme Amidala (Queen Amidala ) of Naboo, a young ruler struggling with the occupation of her planet by the Trade Federation, and Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) who arrives on Naboo with his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

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Danger Man – The Actor

Alan Rapp / March 26, 2020 / Television Reviews

Title: Danger Man – The Actor
wiki: link

Throwback Thursday takes us back into the Cold War spycraft of Danger Man. When officials suspect a radio program in Hong Kong is somehow providing sensitive information to the Chinese, John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) is sent undercover as an out-of-work actor. After staging a skirmish and ingratiating himself to one of the actors (Gary Cockrell) on the radio program, Drake goes to work both looking for a spy and struggling with how the information is being transmitted under everyone’s nose. With limited time, Drake has to both discover who involved in the show is passing the information, and how they are doing it, and then break the code. Given the limited time the episode has to play out the story, Drake making it on to the show and deciphering the code (after a montage suggesting a long struggle) both turn out to be far easier than one would suspect. Eventually the spy finds what he’s looking for and manages to hide his own message in the radio program’s script.

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Prodigal Son – Stranger Beside You

Alan Rapp / March 25, 2020 / Television Reviews

Title: Prodigal Son – Stranger Beside You
IMDb: link

More than the murder of the week, which involves the dead husband of a mommy blogger (Heather Lind), “Stranger Beside You” is notable for revealing the truth about Eve Blanchard (Molly Griggs) and her connection to the Whitly family. The episode identifies the woman in the box as Eve’s sister (Anna Eilinsfeld), concluding that she is both dead and the 24th victim of Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen). The reveal would have more impact if it hadn’t been proceeded by Eve’s creepy fascination with the box last week, but it does clear the air between her and Malcolm and open the door for more investigation into her sister’s murder (which the show has hinted forebodes bad consequences for poor Malcolm Bright).

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The Flash – The Exorcism of Nash Wells

Alan Rapp / March 19, 2020 / Television Reviews

Title: The Flash – The Exorcism of Nash Wells
wiki: link

Discovering all the versions of Harrison Wells from the collapsed Multiverse are living inside Nash (Tom Cavanagh), Team Flash races to stop Eobard Thawne from taking control of Nash’s body permanently and regaining his speed powers. With much of the episode taking place within Nash’s mind, the episode offers the opportunity to explore his past including his relationship with the Maya (Briana Tedesco) from his Earth while also teasing the return of the series most memorable villain. Unfortunately, the storyline falls back on the show’s tired trope of Barry (Grant Gustin), now with limited speed thanks to the destruction of the Speed Force, acting like a jerk for about half the episode before coming around and being the swell guy his friends and family know him to be.

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Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II

Alan Rapp / March 19, 2020 / Television Reviews

Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II
wiki: link

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. “Episode XVII” offers the return of the Scotsman (John DiMaggio) who seeks out Jack (Phil LaMarr) after his wife (Ruth Williamson) is kidnapped by a robotic demon cult that wants to make soup out of her (okay, maybe not the best thought out premise of the series). Pride and tradition prevent the Scotsman from asking his clansmen for help, who Jack gets to meet at one point in the episode, but the samurai takes little convincing before agreeing to the quest.

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