Tag Archives: Disney

The Acolyte (Star Wars: The Acolyte) – Revenge/Justice – TV Review

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TL;DR – We move from intrigue to a very narrow path, but one that still has me interested.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Warning – depicts scenes that may cause distress.

Mae squares off with Torbin.

The Acolyte Review –

If the last episode was an Amuse-bouche to get us ready for this world, then this week is, it is time to serve us up with an entrée, well, narratively speaking, at least. We are done speculating, and it is time to dive all into this world where the Jedi are hiding something.  

So to set the scene, Sol (Lee Jung-Jae), after securing Osha (Amandla Stenberg) and proving she was innocent because only Luke can be in two places at once. He takes his Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) and new knight Yord (Charlie Barnett) to the planet Olega, where Mae (Amandla Stenberg) has attacked another Jedi Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman). This time, she was unsuccessful in the kill, the first time, but where there is a will, there is a poison. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Acolyte (Star Wars: The Acolyte) – Lost/Found – TV Review

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TL;DR – Overall, this episode did what it needed to do: it made me interested in what was to come.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Mae battles Indara.

The Acolyte Review –

Well, it is back into the world of Star Wars on the small screen and a world that has been quite a bit hit-and-miss from time to time. For every Andor, we have gotten missteps like the Book of Boba Fett, and it is hard to see where things will land with the constantly shifting tentpoles of the Star Wars Universe. With that in mind, we dive into a new show that has the benefit of being slightly detached from what has come before but maybe not as detached as it needed to be.  

So to set the scene, there was peace across the galaxy one hundred years before the rise of The Empire. But that peace was being held up in part by the Jedi Order, the training ground for all users of the Force. But some people trained themselves away from the Jedi Order in secret, one of which was an assassin on a mission of revenge. We find ourselves starting this journey on the planet of Ueda, which may shape the future of the galaxy or at least the Jedi Order. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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X-Men ’97 – Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 3 & Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – It perfectly sticks the landing, balancing emotion, narrative, and a cameo or 10 to create an episode that had an impact.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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

End Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Bastion's eyes.

X-Men ’97 Review –

When I first started this series, I had this concern that maybe this new series would dent the old memories, or what if I was living in the world of rose-tinted glasses? The X-Men are the one side of the Marvel Universe that I have been the most connected to over the years, and the original X-Men: The Animated Series was the critical catalyst to that. This first season had its highs and lows, but I still wondered if it could stick the landing, so I needn’t have been concerned.    

So to set the scene, after Bastion (Theo James) lets loose his sentinels in Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1 leading to Magneto (Matthew Waterson) declares war on humanity. The X-Men joined together under newly returned Professor-X (Ross Marquand) to try and stop him in Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 2 while also attacking Bastion. But as Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) was despatched by her own son Cable (Chris Potter) and Magneto decided to rip every atom of adamantium off Wolverine’s (Cal Dodd) bones, all looked lost. But never count the X-Men out, even in the face of complete failure. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode and series as a whole, so there may be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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X-Men ’97 – Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is a solid opening to the final arc of the season.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

X-Men opening logos with Rouge and Storm.

X-Men ’97 Review –

Over the last week, I have finally had the chance to dive into the heart of X-Men ’97. I did come into it a bit wearily because X-Men: The Animated Series was my first introduction to all things X-Men and Marvel. There was this concern that maybe this new series would dent those old memories, or what if I was living in the world of rose-tinted glasses? So far, it has been mostly fantastic, but the truth is in the landing, and we look at the first part of that today.  

So to set the scene, in last week’s episode, we discovered that Mister Sinister (Christopher Britton) is not the main villain pulling the strings because Bastion (Theo James) has returned. But as the X-Men still try to pick up the pieces after the Genosha genocide and discovering who Cable (Chris Potter) is. But there is no time for that because there is a more significant threat moving, a threat that might be closer to home than anyone knows. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there may be [SPOILERS] ahead.  

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Prophecy Comes True & Full Season – TV Review

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TL;DR – Some staging issues aside, I am glad to see that Percy Jackson stuck the landing as it brought season 1 to a close.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Percy approaches the tree.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

Well, we have come to the end of the first and hopefully not the last season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and what a season it has been. But the critical question we must always ask in the final episode of a season-long story is: Did they stick the landing? Which is slightly more difficult with the God of the Skies is your enemy. 

So to set the scene, at the end of We Find Out The Truth, Sort Of  Percy (Walker Scobell) had a revelation about the whole situation and the oncoming war. For you see, there is someone even more ancient than the Greek Gods stirring, and Kronos (Nick Boraine) is not at all happy with the Gods that defeated him, cut him into tiny pieces, and threw him into Tartarus. I mean, fair point. However, before Percy has time to tell anyone about it or possibly return the Master bolt to Zeus (Lance Reddick), he, Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) are confronted by an angry Aries (Adam Copeland) out for blood. We will be looking at the episode and season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of – TV Review

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TL;DR – It is time for things to come together and for answers to be given … maybe …

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Hades' Palace

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

We are getting to the pointy end of the season, and we are about to dive into the penultimate episode of the season. It is the time when you have to stop holding your cards close to your chest and to use the metaphor from We Take a Zebra to Vegas, you have to go all in. Well, I am not sure we quite get that, but maybe something close.  

So, to set the scene, after being given a hint as to where there might be a portal to the underworld, our gang of Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) just have to get by Procrustes or as he likes to be known Crusty (Julian Richings), kin he may be to Percy, but danger is his game. But no matter what your obstacles are, walking into the underworld is no mean feat. We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: We Take a Zebra to Vegas – TV Review

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TL;DR – We’re in Vegas baby, so surely everything is going to go well, and nothing will derail their plans at all.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Grover pokes his head out of the top of the truck.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

Time is coming close to the end, and the quest does not have long to run, which makes things complicated when The Gang are stuck in the middle of America with everyone up to the FBI on the lookout for them, monsters on the hunt, and some pissed off gods. I mean, if there is time for a Hail Mary, this is it.

So to set the scene, since meeting Aries (Adam Copeland) in A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers, our gang of Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) have taken a lorry smuggling animal to Las Vegas, because if they have one chance to get their quest done in time they need to find Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda). I mean, one god in all of Las Vegas, how difficult could that be? We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is the episode where the quest, the gods, and the half-blood’s stories all coalesce together in a way that makes it the strongest episode so far.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Gateway Arch smoking.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

There is one thing that can make or break your show, movie, video game, or even radio play, and that is the casting. It is so important to find people who can embody the characters and bring them to life. Add in the added pressure of playing new interpretations of old characters, and you have a recipe for disaster. But as we see today, this might be Percy Jackson’s biggest strength.

So to set the scene, since feuding with the Chimera at the top of the Gateway Arch and maybe causing a bit of destruction to a national monument in I Plunge to My Death, our gang of Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) are forced to start hitchhiking as the cops are starting to get suspicious about them. But their day goes from bad to worse when Annabeth spots The Fates (Joyce Robbins, La Nien Harrison & Cindy Piper), and a gentleman (Adam Copeland) in a motorcycle rides up to them. We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: I Plunge to My Death – TV Review

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TL;DR – A more contained story that brings with it strengths and weaknesses.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

The Gateway Arch

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

When you have a ticking timebomb with regard to your quest, you need to start moving it. Indeed, our team has to make it across the continental USA in a couple of days, or all is lost. I just hope you don’t have a wave of upset monsters and feuding gods chasing after you.

So to set the scene, after tangling with the Medusa in We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium, the gang  Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri). Decide to hop on a train to make up some missed time. But things start looking dire when their train cabin is trashed while they are out to breakfast. Good thing there is a friendly lady (Suzanne Cryer) that can help … right … ? We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium – TV Review

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TL;DR – We get a slightly updated look at a tragic story.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Starting a quest.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

Well, we have been running through this story at a decent clip. I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher was all about introducing us to this world, and I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom set up Camp Half-Blood. But episode three is here, and it is time to go on a quest, I sure hope nothing untoward happens.

So to set the scene, after declaring that there is a quest, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) is sent to visit The Oracle (Jennifer Shirley), who reveals what is coming but also that a friend will betray him. Well, all Percy needs to do is pick the two people who will come with him on the quest and without thinking, he chooses Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri). Okay, a quest is starting, and they need to get to Los Angeles, but wait, why are they taking the bus and not a plane? We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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