Tag Archives: Andor

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Jedha, Kyber, Erso – TV Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – A bittersweet symphony of hope and coming sadness.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Two X-Wings flank Cassian on the way back in to Yarvin.

Andor Review –

Well, we are here, it is the end of it all, yet we find ourselves in an interesting place. Unlike most series finales, Andor doesn’t need to stick the landing because the third act of Rogue One has already done that for them. This puts it in an interesting space where you can ask: how do you definitely end something that already has another ending? Well, that is what we will look at today.   

So, to set the scene, much like last week, we start our episode moments after Who Else Knows? ends. Cassian (Diego Luna) and Melshi (Duncan Pow) have made it to where Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) is hiding out. Unfortunately for them, the Empire is also tracking them, and Supervisor Heert (Jacob James Beswick) is but one floor away and closing in fast. Comms are down, so K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) can’t send a warning of the coming doom, as Stormtroopers start making their way down the hallway to the room where they are hiding. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

Continue reading →

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Who Else Knows?– TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – Tension starts to ratchet up now that the Empire knows what sort of information might just have leaked

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

A dead Stormtrooper lies on the ground.

Andor Review –

So far, each of the mini-arcs has been almost a mini-season in its own right. This week is the first time this season that it felt like I was watching a Part 2 of 3, which leans terribly on that feeling of growing dread that you sense in the back of your mind. When you feel a large wave or a fully stocked Stormtrooper platoon coming,  

So, to set the scene, we start in the moments after Make It Stop, as the Empire tries to work out how one of their highest value prisoners was murdered out from underneath them. Recriminations are coming, and indeed, the people on the ground might be taking more time shielding themselves from that than actually finding out who did it. Knowing time is not on her side, Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) makes a desperate last stab at getting the information out there, because it is do or die, and few people know this more than Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

Continue reading →

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Make It Stop – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – We see the beginning of the end through a beginning and an end.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.  

BBY 1.

Andor Review –

Well, after many years of production, through many highs and lows, today we start our final look at Andor. When I sat down to watch Kassa back in 2022, I didn’t think much of what felt like a useless prequel series for a prequel movie. Little did I know that I was sitting down to watch the start of some of, if not the best, work Star Wars had ever produced. Today, we begin our look through the final episodes of what has been a remarkable series up to this point.

So, to set the scene, it has been a year since The Empire eviscerated Ghorman, and things are still tense across the galaxy, especially on the capital planet Coruscant. They look for rebels near and far, but little do they know there might be some right under their noses. But when a beeping emergency transmission wakes up Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau), soon everything changes. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

Continue reading →

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Harvest  – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – A profoundly upsetting episode of harsh juxtapositions, but war is not meant to be rosy or simple.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Mon Mothma begins to disassociate.

Andor Review –

Well, I had held off watching this episode for a couple of days because I knew that it was going to have an impact. It was clear that both One Year Later & Sagrona Teema were building to something, and the three-episode release strategy helped secure that view. But sometimes, you have to take a deep breath and dive in, so let’s do that today.

So, to set the scene, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) managed to escape his capture by the skin of his teeth, and now it is time to connect with his resistance team before The Empire works out where the stolen tie fighter is. But time might not be on his side as things are coming to a head across the galaxy. On Mina-Rau, the Empire’s inspections have started to get close, and there is a good chance everyone will be rumbled. On Chandrilla, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) finally realises just what a sacrifice her daughter is undertaking. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

Continue reading →

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Sagrona Teema – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – This episode is all about the foreboding feeling that ebbs into every pore of your being.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Saluting the new bride to be.

Andor Review –

In the modern era, there are many different distribution models. While Netflix was famous for its binge dumping of a whole season at once, it still mostly follows that arrangement. It has become clearer that the binge model does not build engagement for shows, bar the odd exception. Andor has chosen a slightly hybrid model, in that they are releasing three episodes at a time, which I think will work because this very much feels like a part two of three episodes.

So, to set the scene, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is trapped on a jungle planet with a big problem. The pilot he was meant to be handing off this new tie fighter to has been killed by rebels that were dumped and left. Now, those rebels have started fighting amongst themselves. The only thing keeping Andor alive is the fact that he is the only pilot, but with tempers flared and rational thoughts cast aside, is that enough to keep him alive when even the planet could be the greater threat? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

Continue reading →

Andor (Star Wars: Andor): One Year Later – TV Review

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – A reintroduction to our world and characters and the layers of issues they face.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

a tie fighter.

Andor Review –

Things were not looking good for Star Wars on TV back in 2022, as the Mandalorian experiment seemed to be running out of steam, and a lot of their experiments were falling flat. So, I didn’t hold a lot of hope when it came time to watch a prequel to the very messy Rogue One. But goodness, if there was ever a time to be wrong, I am glad it was then. Andor was subversive, fascinating, and profoundly compelling, not something you expect to come out of the House of Mickey. Well, it is back for a second and final season, and I can’t wait to see what they cook up.     

So, to set the scene, it has been a year since the riots on Ferrix, and it is four years before the Battle of Yavin. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) has joined the Rebellion and is in the process of infiltrating Test Facility 73 on the planet of Sienar. All across The Empire, the Rebellion is slowly growing, one act of disobedience at a time. The Empire is trying to find ways of crushing any chance of this coalescing into a significant power, but freedom will always be the better choice. Now, from here

Continue reading →

Awards – My Top 10 TV Shows of 2022

Posted on by
Reply

Our previous end-of-year best lists mainly focused on films because there is too much TV to get even close to a definitive list. However, this year there were too many good shows out there not to engage with them.

So this year, we will look at all the shows we reviewed last year, SEE HERE, and pick our Top 10 of the 34 shows we reviewed. For a show to count, it needed to end its run or season in 2022.  

Continue reading →

Worldbuilding that Astounded us in 2022

Posted on by
2

One of the benefits of film is that it is a visual medium, which means that it can do in a frame what it might take a book several pages of description to pull off. We see this the most in its ability to build worlds in front of our eyes.

These worlds could be great space operas exploring galaxies, small period piece that looks back in time, or anything. But when every part of the film is used to tell a story, you know it is good.   

So without further ado, these films showed excellence in Worldbuilding 2022. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the movies in question.

And the Nominees are –

Continue reading →

The Films of 2022 That Emotionally Wrecked Us

Posted on by
3

As I have gotten older, I am not afraid of having a good old-fashioned ugly cry in the cinemas when the time calls for it, and hell, I probably got emotional just writing this list (Spoiler: I did). Sometimes they are tears of grief, sometimes, they are tears of joy, and even still, sometimes, they are tears of anger. 

Emotion is a core part of the cinema experience. If you can’t get us to respond emotionally to your characters and/or the situation, I am sorry you failed to make a great film.

So without further ado, these are the films of 2022 that emotionally wrecked us. Be warned that there will be significant spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

Continue reading →

Cinematography That Made You Go Wow in 2022!

Posted on by
2

Cinematography is an art form that can be as bold as a gong crashing after a moment of silence or as subtle as the tide coming in. It elevates a film to the heights of accolades or becomes frustrating when it misfires.

While at the heart of cinematography is the Director of Photography or Cinematographer, to get something from the script to the final shot takes a whole team of professionals, and it is their talent that we champion today.

So without further ado, these moments of cinematography took our breaths away in 2022. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

Continue reading →