At five hundred pieces, this Mattel Masters of the Universe puzzle of He-Man and Battle Cat may not be much of a challenge for some, but it’s a beautiful piece when completed. Over the course of two nights at roughly two and a half hours a night, I put this puzzle together with minor assistance from my kids. In total they probably helped me out for about two hours.
The puzzle features He-Man astride Battle Cat in front of a dark yellow and brown background. He-Man has on his Battle Armor and is holding his battle axe.
I really enjoyed putting this puzzle together. The biggest challenge was obviously the background, but the finished puzzle is so great looking that it’s worth the challenge. The puzzle’s size is 19″ x 14.25″ and it comes with a mini poster.
Thanks for checking out this review. Have you tackled any puzzles lately? Tell me about them in the comments section!
Every once in awhile my laptop takes me to bizarre corners of the internet. Sometimes those forays into wilder parts of the web prove to be fruitful, but most of the time I regret ever leaving the beaten path. For example, I recently discovered 1988’s Robo Vampire. Based on the film’s movie poster, it looks like Robocop has hopped over to Hong Kong to battle vampires and helicopters. Based on the actual movie, though, I’m not sure what the heck happened.
Just FYI, there are gonna be spoilers for this train wreck.
What kinda passes for a plot in this movie is that a narcotics agent named Tom Wilde is attacked and killed by vampires and drug lords during a drug raid. His body is scooped up by the agency that he works for and after a few alterations, he is transformed into a Robo Warrior that can apparently take out vampires but can’t handle powerful artillery. Tom is also supposed to be on a rescue mission to save another agent, but instead, he appears to wander around aimlessly through city streets, on the beach, in a sparse forest, and pretty much wherever else he wants to go while a hired man is also sent to find the kidnapped agent.
Drug lord guy.
A vicious drug lord has hired a wizard (yes, a wizard) who controls vampires (yes, vampires) to battle the narcs and believes that one vampire in particular (his name is Peter, Peter the Vampire) with a gorilla mask and a vengeful ghost girlfriend with a see-thru top can stop Robo Warrior Tom. Peter leads a squad of bunny hopping vampires that blow smoke on their victims and shoot firecrackers at anybody that gets in their way.
Peter, Peter the Vampire, and some random lady that shows up near the end of the film.
While Robo Warrior Tom is wandering around and fighting vampires, the secondary group successfully makes their way to the kidnapped agent (I believe her name was Sophie). They save Sophie, make friends with a criminal that tries to kill them (and give him a gun to boot), and are never seen again.
The kidnapped agent lady who I believe is called Sophie.
The final battle is between Robo Warrior Tom, Peter, Peter the Vampire, See-Thru Top Ghost Girl, bunny hoppers, and the wizard. Ghost Girl, ticked off that the wizard made Peter a vampire, battles the wizard. She gets so angry that she rips her top off. Exposing herself as she does, the wizard smears something all over her chest and she apparently dies…..until she appears out of nowhere and rakes the wizard’s eyes out, killing him. Robo Warrior Tom decimates the vampires and the screen turns a maroonish color with “The End” across it.
President of the Top Freedom For Ghosts Society.
This film is bad. It is apparently two films spliced together to flesh out the runtime. 1984’s Paa Lohgan was the source of all of the hostage rescue footage in Robo Vampire. It’s actually the better of the two films although there are a ton of plotholes in the story. The music is surprisingly well done in my opinion, but everything else is terrible. I do recommend watching it just to see how truly terrible it is, but you probably won’t want to watch it again.
The wizard guy.
If you’re in the mood for a truly terrible film, check out Robo Vampire. It’s currently available for free on the Tubi app. Watch it if you dare!
Thanks for checking out this post. Please leave some comments about this film, as I’m dying to know what everyone else thinks about it.
“Close your eyes for a second….and sleep forever.”
On its surface, 1982’s The Slumber Party Massacre is just one more entry in a long line of standard 1980’s slasher films that feature plenty of sexually active teens winding up on the business end of a murder weapon. There are plenty of attractive young ladies in skimpy outfits, pointless nude scenes, and poor choice making skills as well as an insane killer on the loose. When you look a bit deeper, however, you’ll quickly find out that this sleepover is different.
L to R: Andree Honore, Debra Deliso, and Michele Michaels.
The film’s plot is pretty simple. Our leading lady, Trish (Michele Michaels), has the house to herself for the evening and decides to invite over a few friends. She also plans on inviting the new girl in school, Valerie (Robin Stille), but Trish’s friend Diane (Gina Mari), says a few derogatory things about her and Valerie declines Trish’s offer. On the radio at the beginning of the film, the news reports that a mass murderer has recently escaped from prison and might be in the area. After killing a couple of people at the local high school, the murderer, Russ Thorne (Michael Villella), makes his way to Trish’s house and starts picking off the girls one by one.
L to R: Deliso, Michaels, Honore, & Gina Mari.
Sounds pretty standard for slasher films, right? Well, The Slumber Party Massacre is anything but standard. The movie was written by feminist Rita Mae Brown, directed by Amy Holden Jones, and edited by Wendy Greene Bricmont (with Sean Foley). In the film, traditionally male roles are given to female actors including a telephone worker (Jean Vargas), a brave coach (Pamela Royance), and a carpenter (Pamela Canzano). On top of that, the damsels in distress fight back, especially the final five ladies.
The few males in the film prove to be defenseless against the murderer. Two boys (Joseph Alan Johnson and David Millbern) sneak up on the girls, watch them getting dressed, and then try to scare them. When the murderer arrives, the boys attempt to save the day and fail. Mr. Contant (Rigg Kennedy), the only real male rival to the murderer, is offed early in the evening. It’s up to the girls, including Valerie, her little sister, Courtney (Jennifer Meyers), and Coach Jana (Royance), to finish the job.
L to R: Joseph Alan Johnson (Neil) & David Millbern (Jeff).
Despite the women-taking-charge message, the film falls into all of the standard trappings of 80’s slasher films. In the opening moments of the film, Trish is shown topless. Later on, there’s a basketball game that features plenty of lingering shots on the legs and backsides of the girls. Then comes the obligatory shower scene that features long pauses focused on the rears of some of the young women. It’s a bit excessive, especially considering the fact that this film was directed by a woman, but it’s not unusual for these types of films. There are a couple of other skin-baring moments in the film as well. Some of the young ladies make poor decisions, the boys split up, and loud noises distract some of the characters from hearing the deaths of the killer’s victims. There’s even a bratty younger sister that gets in the way…..a lot.
That being said, these ladies really do take charge in this film. Instead of running from the killer, some of the ladies take a stand against him. The most impressive one in my opinion is Kim who, while our heroine cowers in the corner, takes charge of the situation and starts throwing things at the killer. Her efforts prove fruitless, but she buys Trish some time to escape. Coach Jana, Valerie, and Courtney also face off with the killer. I won’t spoil what happens when these ladies battle Russ Thorne.
Brinke Stevens.
The movie is pretty good, but it does have a few shortfalls. For starters, the killer’s weapon of choice is a power drill with a long bit. The weapon is awkward, entirely too noisy, and easily dispatched by a machete late in the film. I also didn’t care for Russ Thorne’s motives for killing: He loves the beautiful girls. He’s obviously deranged, but I would have preferred to not even know what reasons he had for killing these young ladies. There were also quite a few continuity goofs in the film. I’ll let you watch the movie and see how many of them you can spot.
Deliso & Michaels.
The film’s standout performances were by Michaels and Deliso. Deliso was my favorite actress in the entire film and I want to see more of her work. She’s currently a professor at USC among other things. Brinke Stevens has a small role in the film as Linda. It was her biggest early role, and we all know that she would go on to become a scream queen in her own right.
Villella & Stevens.
I do recommend checking out The Slumber Party Massacre. It’s a bit exploitative but the feminist overtones drown out the skimpy clothes and the flesh. Thanks for reading my post. I’ll be posting again real soon.
Today I’m taking a look at a classic game that I completely forgot about until my sister purchased the re-released version of it for myself and my son. I have fond memories of playing the original 1977 version of the Star Wars: Escape From Death Star board game. I was very young whenever the first Star Wars film was released, but when I was old enough to understand the rules, I played this game frequently. With a new edition of the game in hand, my son has quickly fallen in love with it as well.
The new edition of the game was released in 2018 and it plays exactly like the original game. The premise is simple: Move Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and Luke from the trash compactor in the Death Star to the Millennium Falcon and then make the jump to Hyperspace to make it to the Rebel Base. That sounds easy enough, but just like in the film, you have to complete a couple of tasks before you can escape.
You begin in the Trash Compactor and have to navigate both of your tokens over the board by spinning the R2-D2 spinner. You can move forward, backward, or sideways (when moving sideways is possible) and have to collect the Death Star Blueprints and disable the Tractor Beam. Along the way you will encounter blue Force Card circles where you have to draw a card that determines what happens next. Sometimes the Force is with you and other times you can be penalized. Pick the right cards and you can quickly move across the board. Choose a negative card and you just might end up in the Detention Block!
After you successfully disable the Tractor Beam and have the blueprints for the Death Star in hand, you have to make your way to the Millennium Falcon. Once you arrive there, you spin on each turn and try to get to the Rebel Base. You have two options to choose from when it comes to reaching the base. You can take the easy route and move across blank spaces or choose spaces that have TIE Fighters on them. If you choose to face off against the TIE Fighters, you have to spin to see if you win or lose the dogfight. If you win each time, you can successfully reach the Rebel Base in one turn. Lose and you might give your opponent to catch up with you.
The gameplay can be swift or slow depending upon which Force Cards are drawn and how well players can maneuver across the board. You can also easily lose a big lead or catch up from way behind, so no clear winner can be determined early in the game. This makes strategy and luck two key components to succeeding at this game.
You can actually purchase the original vintage version of this game on the web for an average of around twenty bucks. The major selling point for the new version is the addition of a Retro Collection Grand Moff Tarkin action figure. The figure looks cool and I love the “worn” look of the cardback.
I do recommend checking out this game, especially if you have kids in your house. Not only is this game fun, it’s unpredictable nature levels the playing field for all ages. If you grew up with the original game like I did, it’s fun to introduce a new generation to this classic game.
Thanks for reading my post. Another one will be coming soon!
KISS has been around for over forty years as of this writing. Over the New Year holiday, they performed live in Dubai at Atlantis in what they dubbed the KISS 2020 Goodbye Concert. In true KISS fashion, they went over the top with the pyrotechnics and managed to break two Guinness World Records in the process. They are now the proud owners of the records for Highest Flame Projection and Most Flame Projections Launched Simultaneously, both in a live concert. With that in mind, I thought that now would be a good time to take a look at the band’s 2014 compilation album, KISS 40 Years: Decades of Decibels.
KISS releasing compilation albums and greatest hits packages is nothing new, but this particular compilation rises above the pack with not only its unique track listing, but with its selection of songs in general. To start, the album features one track from every album, both studio and live, ever released by the band. It also features tracks from the Instant Live albums, other compilations, and one previously unreleased song called Reputation. The Japanese release of the album also features a live version of Hell Or Hallelujah.
What I love most about this compilation is the fact that gives both longtime fans and newcomers something to listen to by providing primarily live versions of their biggest hits and deeper studio cuts that a casual listener might not recognize. Let’s be honest, how many casual fans can say that they know and/or remember the songs “Nothin’ To Lose,” “Jungle,” and “You Matter To Me” prior to hearing them on this compilation? Fans of the original lineup or the No Makeup era might not be familiar with some of KISS’ later tunes like “Hell Or Hallelujah” and “Modern Day Delilah.”
All of the band’s past and present members are recognized on the album, from the original four of Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss, to later members such as Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer. Even oft forgotten guitarist Mark St. John, who only appeared on the Animalize album (1984) and only appeared at two full live concerts, is given a nod with Heaven’s On Fire.
My favorite tracks on the album include live versions of Crazy, Crazy Nights, Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, and Rock And Roll All Nite, a demo of God Of Thunder featuring Paul Stanley on vocals, and multiple tracks from the band produced throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, a time mostly forgotten on other KISS compilations.
Of course, being a massive fan of KISS, I own most of the albums that these tracks are on, the only exceptions being the Instant Live release and Sonic Boom Over Europe. That being said, it’s great to just grab this album, toss it in the old CD player (or stream the digital download from my phone), and rock out to it without having to worry about switching out albums. I could listen to the other compilations and greatest hits albums that I own, but they aren’t as loaded as this album is in my opinion.
The album also serves as a great timeline for the band’s sound over the years. You can hear the influence of newcomers such as Vincent and Kulick on the guitars and the massive sound that Eric Carr brought to the band when Peter Criss exited. You can also hear KISS’ style change from hard rock to glam to heavy metal and then back to their classic sound (with a short-lived romp with grunge thrown in for good measure) while listening to the album. It’s a great little trip through the career of one of the biggest bands of all time.
As a KISS completionist, I was going to buy this album regardless of what tracks were on it, but it’s nice to know that KISS put some thought into this collection instead of just slapping in the standard hits. I consider this album to be a great way to introduce new and/or casual fans to a bigger range of KISS’ music. Many other fans and critics disagree with my opinion of the album, but I proudly stand by my statement.
If you’re looking for a one-album collection of KISS tunes, I definitely recommend KISS 40. It has most of their biggest hits in live versions, deeper cuts and demos than other similar collections, and a great run of tracks from the 80’s and 90’s that don’t get as much attention as the classics.
Thanks for checking out my post. Let me know what you think of this album or any other KISS album in the comments!
Well on the way to establishing herself as a “scream queen,” Jamie Lee Curtis starred in 1980’s Prom Night, a Canadian slasher flick that also starred Leslie Nielsen (Forbidden Planet, The Naked Gun). With a lean budget, a fairly green cast and crew, and Paul Lynch directing it all, the film proved to be a financial hit despite being a cookie-cutter slasher film.
Just so you know, this review includes spoilers. The film is forty years old, so if you haven’t seen it yet, that’s on you!!!
The film opens with the tragic accidental death of Robin Hammond, twin sister of Alex, and younger sister to Kim. Robin dies when she falls out of a window after being scared and taunted by four youngsters. The leader of the youngsters, the demanding Wendy, makes the other three kids, Kelly, Jude, and Nick, swear to never tell anyone about their involvement and they quickly run away. Robin’s murder is pinned on a local sex offender, though it is never proven that he actually committed the crime.
Six years to the date of Robin’s death later, Kim, Alex, and all of the other kids at Alexander Hamilton High School are getting ready for the prom. Kim is dating Nick, fresh off of his breakup with Wendy, who is jealous of Kim and Nick’s relationship. Jude manages to get a date with Slick, a pudgy but very confident young man who asks her to the prom. Kelly is attending the prom with her steady boyfriend, Drew, who she is considering having sex with for the first time. While they are getting ready for school, all four of the kids involved in Robin’s death receive cryptic phone calls from a stranger stating that it is “my time to play.” The calls are all blown off as a lewd prank, but as the film continues, the foursome receive yearbook photos with shattered glass attached to each one. Plans for the prom go ahead and Wendy, wanting revenge against Nick and Kim, plans a scheme to embarrass both of them with the help of the school’s local sleezeball, Lou.
Unfortunately for Wendy, her plans (and the plans of Kelly, Jude, and Nick) are tossed out of the window (much like poor little Robin) thanks to a slasher who systematically eliminates each of them. The kills are fairly isolated to begin with, but Wendy manages to evade the killer long enough to have someone witness her murder and her scheme to embarrass Kim and Nick ends up in the death of Lou and his severed head rolling down the runway of the stage during the crowning of Kim and Nick as prom queen and king.
Director Paul Lynch does an excellent job of keeping viewers from guessing who the killer is for most of the film (although it starts to become obvious once the body count climbs). He intentionally has a number of characters “go missing” for different reasons. Kim’s mom has a mental breakdown. Her father, who happens to be the principal, also mysteriously disappears. Alex fades into the background at the prom and the sex offender who is suspected of Robin’s murder manages to escape from a psychiatric hospital, takes a nurse hostage, steals her car, and then kills her and dumps the body near the abandoned school where Robin died.
The film’s kills aren’t particularly elaborate, but that actually works in the film’s favor. The killer stumbles around, gets banged up pretty bad while attempting to murder some of the characters, and almost dies in a van explosion to boot. You quickly realize that this killer is A) not supernatural, B) definitely not a professional, and C) knows the school and its students very well. The big reveal at the end of the film is not a shocker, but I’m sure that many viewers can sympathize with the murderer to a degree.
The film is very straightforward and contains all of the stereotypical elements of a teen slasher film. It has the pure and popular lead character in Kim (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her jealous and wicked rival in Wendy (Eddie Benton). It has an accidental death that triggers revenge and a group of kids who want to admit their wrongdoing but are coaxed into silence by the group’s leader. There’s the school bully in Lou (David Mucci), who ends up getting murdered despite not being a part of the initial death. There’s also the innocent bystander, Slick (Sheldon Rybowski), who, along with Jude (Joy Thompson), lose their virginity and their lives in the same night. The main character falls in love with one of the participants in the accidental death, Nick (Casey Stevens), who really wants to admit his involvement, but doesn’t get the chance (although, in most slasher films, the character does admit their involvement and either lives or dies to save others). There’s a distraught mother (Antoinette Bower) and an emotionally tired father (Leslie Nielsen). There’s misdirection as to who the actual killer is as well. And, as in all of the “greatest” teen slasher films, there’s some gratuitous T&A. In this film, it’s in the form of a mooning by Vicki (Pita Oliver), Kim’s best friend, and a couple of scenes involving Kelly (Mary Beth Rubens).
This film is pretty good despite being a basic slasher flick. The cast did a great job and the kills, while not necessarily groundbreaking, were executed quite well. The decapitation aftermath featuring Lou’s head on the stage runway is one of the best parts of the film and a good example of practical effects looking better than CGI effects. The film also had a wildly popular disco soundtrack featuring songs that closely resembled contemporary tracks of the time but, due to costs, couldn’t be used in the film. The album was only released in Japan and has been hunted by fans of the movie for years.
While the film isn’t a trailblazer in any way, shape, or form, it’s still worth a look. It cemented Jamie Lee Curtis as a scream queen and was one of the last serious roles that Leslie Nielsen ever had. He would go on to have a very successful comedic career in cinema and on television. Most of the film’s other stars either had moderately successful careers in Canada on the stage or screen or they faded into obscurity. Antoinette Bower’s career lasted four decades and included multiple guest appearances on television in shows such as Hogan’s Heroes and Murder, She Wrote. Mary Beth Rubens appeared on numerous shows as well including Alfred Hitchcock Presents and F/X: The Series. She also appeared in films such as Firebird 2015 A.D. and The Michelle Apartments. Perhaps the most successful actor in the film outside of Curtis and Nielsen is Eddie Benton, who would go on to make numerous guest appearances in shows such as Highway to Heaven and T.J. Hooker and starred on Days Of Our Lives. Most notably, she starred as Dori for both seasons of Sledge Hammer!, a short-lived ABC series that I loved.
Be sure to check out Prom Night! There was a series of sequels released that had no real connection to this film. I haven’t watched any of them yet, but I’ll probably check out one or two of them. If I do, I’ll definitely blog about them.
Thanks for checking out my first post for 2021! I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year and hope that this year is a great one for us all!
Here’s a look at the ten images that received the most clicks this year. A few of them have consistently been in my Top Ten each year, but a few newer images cracked the list as well. Following the photo list is a brief look at my blog’s performance for the year. I want to thank each and every person that has visited my blog, commented, liked, shared, or clicked links or images in my posts. I hope to make even more posts in 2021 and I hope that all of you continue to follow my meanderings!
The most clicked image on my blog this year: the Batman logo. This was the first year that this particular photo cracked the Top Ten, and it went all the way to number one.
The second most clicked photo of 2020 is this wallpaper from Star Trek Continues. It has consistently been a Top Ten photo since I originally posted it five years ago!
The first newcomer to the Top Ten list is this photo of Ivy Doomkitty which was published last month!
Coming in at #4 on my list is this photo from five years ago of the women of Star Trek Continues. It has consistently been in my Top Ten since I originally posted it.
Screeching into fifth place is a surprising newcomer, a photo of an Arzon action figure from a Visionaries post I made in 2018!
Published earlier this month, this photo of Remi d’Arda landed in the sixth spot on my list. Her sister made the list as well.
In seventh place we have this pair of Chernabog reference photos from October of this year. Wilfred Jackson gives us two reference poses for the legendary Disney villain.
In eighth place is Noelle d’Arda as Supergirl. Her sister, Remi, and the Chernabog reference photos beat her by three and two points, respectively.
Also from earlier this year, this photo of Superman flew to the nine spot on my list.
Showing up for a second time on my list is the wonderful Ivy Doomkitty. She rounds out the Top Ten for 2020!
I had a record 123 posts this year. That’s twenty five more posts than last year, which was my previous record and is the third year in a row that my post count increased. I hope to keep that streak going! December of this year was also my biggest month for views with 863. That’s not a very big number for most folks, but for me it’s absolutely awesome! I hope to reach 1,000 views in at least one month in 2021! My most viewed post for this year was actually a post from 2018 about 3-2-1 Contact! That post has slowly built up an audience over the years. My most viewed post actually created in 2020 itself was a shocker, as my Wizards of Waverly Place post from October saw a huge jump in views throughout November and December and became my biggest post blogged this year.
This year saw me add a few new features to my blog. One last minute addition that has proven to be very popular was Dime Store Reads. Despite being only two days old, my The Predator post has proven to be very popular and has received many views and likes. Look for more Dime Store Reads in the near future. My Cosplay Break posts have also proven to be very popular and I’ll be doing more of them next year as well!
Photo by Vapor Photography
I truly do appreciate each and every one of you for checking out my blog. My views have steadily increased over the years and my content output directly correlates to the number of views that I receive. That means that with more posts come more views and I don’t want to disappoint any of you by backing off of my content production. Please share my posts, comment on them, and like them if you feel compelled to do so. Not only does it widen the reach of my posts, it fuels me to write more for all of you. I am considering taking the plunge and starting a legitimate pay blog where I won’t be limited on what I can do in my posts. I may pull the trigger on the idea in 2021.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. Despite some crazy things happening in my life this year, this has been my blog’s most successful year and I really appreciate all of the support that you have all given me. I’ll see you in 2021!
Welcome to the first entry in a new category that I’m testing out: Dime Store Reads. In this category I will be reviewing books that I purchase at stores such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Ollie’s, and other bargain outlets. None of the books that I review will cost more than five bucks unless they come in an omnibus edition. For each book I’ll give a brief review, the price that I paid, and the store in which I purchased the book.
The first book that I decided to review is actually a movie novelization of 2018’s The Predator. I saw the book on the bargain rack at Dollar General one day and after two trips to the store, I decided to nab it. For three bucks, I didn’t really care if it was a good book or not, I just needed something to fill the fifteen minute increments that I get for breaks during the work day. In that regard, the book did its job.
I haven’t actually seen the film that this book is based upon, but I am very familiar with the franchise. I saw the original Predator film way back in 1987 and its 1990 sequel as well as Predators (2010) and both of the Alien Vs. Predator films. This book’s tale doesn’t stray too far from all of the previous films’ formulas of a collection of heroes squaring off against a superior alien hunter or hunters.
In the story, U.S. Army Ranger Quinn McKenna has a run-in with a Predator in the jungle. He manages to acquire the creature’s helmet and forearm band and ships them both to his home. He believes that the government will cover up any and all information that he reveals and wants physical proof just in case the U.S. attempts to discredit him. Soon enough he ends up incarcerated and on his way to what he believes is a military prison. The Predator that McKenna encountered is being held at the military facility and just as McKenna and his newfound friends, a ragtag bunch of military mental patients, arrive, the creature breaks out. It goes on the hunt to get its stolen gear back, heading straight for McKenna’s autistic son.
An evolutionary biologist joins up with McKenna and his pals as they attempt to prevent the Predator from harming McKenna’s son. A second, larger Predator enters the fray, intent on recovering the lost mask and arm band and to eliminate the first Predator. Government agents, Predator pooches, and tons of action follows as McKenna and company battle two Predators.
The book is pretty good. It is very fast-paced and reads just like a pulp novel. McKenna’s buddies are all given brief backgrounds that provide just enough information for the reader to like them and, as is the case in any Predator movie or book, they get killed off with one heroic act after another. The book actually makes me want to see the film, but I have a feeling that the novel is actually a bit better than the movie. I’ll probably see the movie soon, and I’ll be sure to review it. The book was written by Christopher Golden and Mark Morris and based upon the screenplay by Shane Black and Fred Dekker. If you like sci-fi action, this book is for you.
I paid three dollars for this book at a local Dollar General. It was definitely worth the price.
Thanks for checking out my quick review. If you’ve read this book or watched the film that it is based upon, let me know if you enjoyed either of them. I’m thinking about reviewing all of the films in the Predator franchise. If you’d like my opinion of them, let me know in the comments!
Merry Christmas! Since most of you will probably be unwrapping presents tomorrow morning, I decided to post my review of the season finale of The Mandalorian a day early! Please be aware that there are a few MAJOR SPOILERS for this episode in this post following my general review. Don’t worry, though, as I’ll give you a warning before I hit any spoilers. Also, if you haven’t seen the last couple of episodes, there will be spoilers from those episodes mentioned as well. Those spoilers will be found in my general review.
Din Djarin is intent on finding Grogu and putting an end to Moff Gideon in Chapter 16, The Rescue. The episode finds the Mandalorian and his group of allies, Cara Dune, Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, Koska Reeves, and Bo-Katan, in hot pursuit of Moff Gideon. Capturing an Imperial Shuttle and taking Dr. Pershing as a prisoner, the group comes up with a daring plan to gain entry into Gideon’s cruiser and save Grogu. Do they make it? Watch The Rescue to find out!
The episode is light on plot and heavy on action. To be honest, though, there’s no real need for a lot of plot since it is essentially a desperate rescue mission. The action is well choreographed, especially the battle between Din and a key character and one of the surprise arrivals on the cruiser versus a ton of enemies. Many people claim that this episode reminded them of classic Star Wars and that it was the best episode of the season. In my opinion, Chapter 12, The Siege, was the episode that reminded me most of classic Star Wars and it was also my favorite episode of this season. I think a lot of people got caught up in the emotional ending and the surprises that showed up at the end of the episode. While I loved those surprises, they didn’t blow me away as much as they apparently blew away other folks.
In all, this was a very good episode with a nice surprise ending and mid-credits scene. That’s the end of my general review, get ready for SPOILERS BELOW!!!
Spoilers Below!!! Major Spoilers!!!
This episode was loaded with not one, not two, but three surprise appearances. It also featured a ton of CGI Dark Troopers. The CGI was fairly good, but the Dark Troopers moved choppily and were reminiscent of the lacking CGI Centurion Cylons in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. I was really impressed with the battle between Din and Moff Gideon. I also enjoyed the massive battle featuring a character that I’ll mention in just a little bit.
The Dark Troopers prove to be a formidable opponent for Din and become the final great threat to the Mandalorian and his allies. Luckily help arrives in the form of a lone X-Wing fighter (and, no, it isn’t Carson Teva). Of course, the X-Wing is a dead giveaway to the first surprise appearance but I kept telling myself that it couldn’t be THAT character. Then we see the ignition of a green lightsaber by a character in a very Return of the Jedi looking costume and it’s pretty obvious that Luke Skywalker has arrived on The Mandalorian. Luke tears through the Dark Troopers with ease, appearing to relish the destruction of each of the troopers. It’s a scene that is very reminiscent of Darth Vader’s glorious arrival at the end of Star Wars: Rogue One. After a tearjerking moment between Luke, Din, and Grogu, it doesn’t seem like the little guy will leave the Mando’s side….until the second surprise cameo happens: R2-D2!
The episode ends with Grogu agreeing to go with Luke and R2 to continue his Jedi training. It’s a heartfelt moment that really got to me. The credits roll and halfway through we are given the third, albeit brief, appearance by another classic character. Mirroring Luke’s arrival at Jabba’s palace in ROTJ, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand storm into the palace where we see Bib Fortuna, Jabba’s former aide, sitting atop a throne. He’s quickly dispatched by Boba Fett and Boba takes his place on the throne. We are then teased with The Book of Boba Fett, which will be a new series next year. There were also a few other familiar faces in Jabba’s old palace including some Gamorrean guards, Weequays, Rodians, and other alien races already seen in previous Star Wars films and stories.
The episode was one of the better ones of the second season. It does a fine job of tying the series into the fabric of the Star Wars films and other properties. It was nice to see Bib Fortuna, R2, and Luke in the episode as well. It will be interesting to see where season three goes now that Grogu is gone. We’ve got a year to figure out what’s going to happen!
Thanks for reading my post and I hope that all of you have a merry Christmas! I’ve got a few other reviews up my sleeve and I’ve already received a few books that I plan on covering in later posts. See you again real soon!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 