My Best and Worst Films of 2020

Due to the coronavirus, I only saw 6 films in theaters this year. I decided to just list them as my 3 favorites and 3 least favorites. (I decided not to add the handful of films I watched on streaming to these lists, but I didn’t think any of them would’ve done much to fill out my lists.)

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Favorites:

3. Wonder Woman 1984– A solid concept that is torpedoed by poor execution and some nonsensical story beats. It’s only the likability of the main character that keeps you invested. A rushed and messy third act prevents the movie from redeeming its many missteps.

2. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn– Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, plus some colorful characters and brutal action sequences, make this a fun ride. But, an uninteresting plot and supporting characters that never get properly fleshed-out make it so that the film falls flat anytime Harley isn’t present.

1. Bad Boys for Life– Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are able to recapture the chemistry that worked so well in the beginning of this franchise. They bring their humorous banter, and some solid acting, while the film adds plenty of action. The plot just never quite clicks, and they seemed to be trying too hard to set up a Fast and the Furious-inspired franchise.

Least Favorites:

3. Tenet– Essentially a take on the James Bond formula, but without the inspired action sequences, memorable villains, charismatic lead or exotic locales. The time travel element takes a back seat for too long, and once we get it, it ultimately collapses under the weight of its overcomplicated mechanics.

2. The New Mutants– Mediocre characters, a predictable plot and a bad mashup of a superhero origin tale and a horror movie add up to a forgettable film. Thanks to tons of behind the scenes drama, we’ll never know if this ever had a chance of being any good.

1. Bill & Ted Face the Music– Bill & Ted’s latest adventure is still endearing, even if the jokes miss the mark most of the time. But, the half of the film where their daughters team up with historical figures is pretty lifeless. And the big payoff is a convoluted mess.

Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984

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A generally enjoyable film that is ultimately somewhat of a mess, and is mostly held together by Gail Gadot’s strong performance as a vulnerable Wonder Woman. On paper, the plot is fine. But the execution takes some nonsensical turns, and it all ends with a messy finale. Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord quickly loses all the rationale for his evil plot, and his true motivations come to light too late in the game to truly understand him. Kristen Wiig’s story arc as the villainous Cheetah works much better, even if it’s a touch rushed. Gadot continues to impress as Diana Prince, and faces emotional and physical challenges that put her to the test. However, the chemistry she had with Steve Trevor in the first film just isn’t here, and isn’t helped by the convoluted way that he returns. There’s some nice action sequences, but they’re surprisingly short, and too many of them rely on some new physics-bending abilities of the magic lasso. There’s also a bit of campiness throughout the film that seems a little out of place, and the things get kind of sappy. There is a brief mid-credits scene that’s cute, but irrelevant.

**1/2 out of *****

TV Review: The Mandalorian (Season 2)

***This review contains some spoilers***

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“The Mandalorian” returns for its second season, building on the lore and characters from season one, while dipping into the larger Star Wars universe to bring in some fan-favorite characters. While the story suffers from multiple side-quests early on, the streamlined narrative in the second half of the season delivers a fun, and sometimes emotional, adventure. (And sets up two or three spinoff shows.)

            The plot starts off right where we left off at the end of season one, and other than a slight deviation, takes us on the anticipated “Find a Jedi” quest. Initially, for every episode that sees that story take a step forward, we get a follow up episode where to show seems to be dragging its feet. Pretty much the first four episodes consist of Mando having to take up an adventure to help somebody else out so that he can advance in his mission. While there’s some great action to be seen, it feels more like the show is stalling as opposed to a natural progression to the story. Thanks, characters new and old keep you emotionally invested.

            As expected, the heart of the show is Mando and The Child (who finally gets a name.) Surprisingly, their interactions are pretty meh at first, but eventually we get to see the connection that has made this show what it is. We get a few other returning characters as well, some like Greef Carga don’t get a ton to do, while characters like Cara Dune actually get the building blocks for some major story arcs. (Although it was clear before the Disney announcements that the show was setting up potential spinoffs.) However, it’s the scene-stealing Moff Gideon that makes the biggest impact. He commands the screen every time he appears, and we finally get some hints of his master plan.

            The series doesn’t add any new characters this season that are particularly memorable, but it does inject a few established characters from elsewhere in Star Wars lore. While Cobb Vanth, (introduced in a few Star Wars novels) makes a memorable first impression, it’s characters from the animated shows that have the biggest impact. Both Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano make their live-action debuts, and they don’t disappoint. And while they don’t explain how he’s alive, Boba Fett is back, and they do a good job of reconciling the inconstancies of his status in Mandalorian culture.

            The special effects are fantastic, even better than the first season. The production design is incredible, and all the tech and locations look great. And as expected, the score is just a thing of beauty.

            The second season of “The Mandalorian” keeps the emotional core and lore from the first season, while bringing in some hardcore fan service. While a third season has been announced, a few twists in the season finale opens things up for a completely different direction.

**** out of *****