Book of Boba Fett - 1/5

Nothing in this show works. Boba Fett is emasculated, the side characters are a joke, the action scenes are unwatchably inane, and the plot manages to both make no sense and also go nowhere. It’s hard to make a character as cool as Boba Fett look weak and incompetent but this show does it constantly. Don’t expect to understand what’s at stake or what the character motivations are, because they’re constantly being thrown out with no forethought or reasoning. No matter how much you like Star Wars or how little you like to use your brain while watching shows, this one will still have you scratching your head at some point.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Mandalorian, but worse.

Setting: Sci-Fi
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Fantasy

Spider-Man: No Way Home - 4/5

This movie is attempting to be a love-letter to Spider-Man fans and MCU fans alike, and in many ways it succeeds. There’s much better character development here than in the previous two Spider-Man movies, and the main cast rises to the challenge with superb acting. The fight scenes are much better than Far From Home, both in conception and execution. That being said, the first half hour is pretty painful in its attempts at humor and there are a few throw-away lines that are cringey attempts at being ‘woke’. At this point in the MCU every film is carrying a lot of baggage, and how this one hits any given audience member will only vary more and more, this film very much included.

Closest comparison: It’s like Spider-Man: Far From Home by way of Doctor Strange (2016).

Setting: Super Hero
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Comedy

The Mandalorian (Season 2, Disney+) - 2/5

The second season of The Mandalorian keeps introducing great characters, moments, and setpieces like the first season, it sprinkles in painfully terrible characters, dialogue, and character choices. The action is often good, though sometimes absolutely terrible, and Amy Sedaris, Sasha Banks, Katee Sackhoff, and even occasionally Rosario Dawson are painfully grating every instant they are on screen. Boba Fett gets many outstanding moments that fans will appreciate, though he gets Worf’ed in another pointless and irritating scene. Overall it’s like nice dinner of filet mignon and lobster tail with a diarrhea gravy; the wonderful things in this show get completely ruined by the vomit-inducing parts. If you can ignore the bad and enjoy the good, or just have selective memory, then it’s worth a watch.

Closest comparison: This is the Shanghai Nights of the Star Wars saga.

Setting: Sci-Fi
Plot: Western
Tone: Adventure

Rudy - 5/5

This is THE ‘kid’s got heart’ movie. It’s a straightforward, down-to-earth story of overcoming odds and pursuing a dream, beautifully executed with tangible stakes and devil-may-mock attitude shining in the face of the haters. It confidently executes a by-the-numbers plot, unashamedly reveling in its sincerity and putting in the legwork to make the ending feel earned. There’s no substitute; this film simply does this type of story better than any other.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Pursuit of Happyness by way of Remember the Titans.

Setting: Sports Drama
Plot: Overcoming Adversity
Tone: Inspirational Drama

The Mandalorian (Disney+) - 4/5

This show is the best Star Wars to come out since Return of the Jedi (1983). It starts off strong, then dips to its worst episode in episode 4, then climbs back up to finish strong in the final two episodes. Not only are the stakes small enough to care about but the job-a-week format keeps the plot moving to new and exciting places, both physically and metaphorically. The music is outstanding, not relying on any of the previously established themes, and the cast is mostly character actors that settle comfortably into a flushed-out world.

Closest comparison: It’s like a mix of Have Gun Will Travel (1957) and Lone Wolf and Cub (1970) with all the trappings of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Setting: Sci-fi
Plot: Western
Tone: Adventure

Spider-Man: Far from Home - 3/5

Sure, there’s fun action and it’s great to see Mysterio on the big screen. Unfortunately, the editing is so choppy that the scenes feel like they’re jumping around. There’s not really anything new in the plot, but instead it’s just another Spider-Man story. I don’t know how they made such interesting content as boring as they did, but somehow they managed it. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not up to the Marvel standard.

Closest comparison: It’s somewhere between Thor (2011) and The Incredible Hulk (2008).

Setting: Road Trip
Plot: Superhero
Tone: Standard Action

Iron Man 3 - 3/5

This movie has some of my favorite moments in all of the Iron Man movies, but huge plot holes and convoluted retrospective character motivations unravel what could have been an amazing movie. The creators definitely seem to be having a lot more fun with this one over previous installments, sometimes getting caught up in their own enjoyment and forgetting to tie everything together at the end. This movie’s biggest strength is how it contrasts Tony Stark with Iron Man. This movie’s biggest flaw is introducing plot points, characters, and very powerful abilities, then forgetting about them. And this movie’s biggest sin is creating a central bait-and-switch, but making the switch far less interesting than the bait.

Closest comparison: It’s the troubled third child in the Iron Man series.

Setting: Geopolitical thriller
Plot: Underdog adventure
Tone: Action

Iron Man 2 - 3/5

This movie does social sparring very well. Most of the time when characters are talking they are continually vying for social dominance, thrusting and parrying not so much with words as with emotions. Mickey Rourke is fantastic as Whiplash, and while his fight scenes are spectacular they always end in more of a fizzle than a crescendo. The biggest flaw with this movie is giving Tony Stark little to do except aimlessly act out, though Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal is pitch perfect as always. Sam Rockwell also captures all of the subtlety of being an off-brand Tony Stark, but in true reflection his character also has little to do, aimlessly wandering around the plot like a lost, sassy child.

Closest comparison: It’s the gentle sequel to Iron Man (2008)

Setting: Super hero
Plot: Super hero
Tone: Action

Iron Man (2008) - 4/5

Not only is this a solid character piece and action movie, but it also laid the foundation for the next 20 Marvel movies, even overcoming the problematic Incredible Hulk that was released a month later. It showcases great action and character moments with witty dialogue that has held up very well over time. The plot with the villain is slightly more convoluted than it needs to be, and the villain himself was only good, not great. That coupled with a lack of depth beyond the scope of the film itself are all that keeps this out of the 5/5 spot.

Closest comparison: For some odd reason it works out to feel like Behind Enemy Lines by way of Mission Impossible (1996).

Setting: War
Plot: Action
Tone: Super hero

The Jungle Book (2016) - 2/5

Not worth your time. All of the actors phoned in their lines (except Ben Kingsley) and the tone of the writing was all over the place. Just see Zootopia a second time instead. Or better yet, just watch the 1994 live action Jungle Book.