Displaying items by tag: Jon Favreau

THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU

US, 2026, 132 minutes, Colour.

Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, voices of: Jeremy Allen White, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Shirley Henderson, Martin Scorsese.

Directed by Jon Favreau.

It is 50 years since Star Wars surprised the world, delighted audiences, created a whole new perspective on Galaxy fantasies, some wonderful sequels, characters, laser action, the Force, and John Williams majestic score. The 21^st century, some films, but the more recent emphasis has been the television series, the Mandalorian.

One of the creators of The Mandalorian was actor-director, Jon Favreau. Instead of the fourth in the series, he has opted for the big screen. For audiences who have enjoyed the series, familiar characters and material, action, and an opportunity to see it in a cinema atmosphere.

For audiences not familiar with the series, who hark back to the old days of the trilogies, it is something of a surprise. No opening with the galaxy far far away. No John Williams score. And, there is a rather more serious tone compared with the past, 3 CPO and R2D2, a range of strange characters and creatures, Jabba the Hut, Yoda, and we got to know Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi.

The Mandalorian is played by Pedro Pascal, seen in so many films and television series in recent years. But, he wears armour, is masked. This is something of a barrier to communicating his personality, having to rely on his voice and body language and action (and, in fact, it is Brendan Wayne, John Wayne’s grandson, who is actually in the armour). So no strong personal connection as we used to have with Han Solo.

But, there is Grogu, a diminutive Yoda-like creature, American-cute, but also able to participate in all the action (after he learns to press the right buttons).

But, there is plenty of action, the somewhat brutal introduction to the Mandalorian as a mercenary and his elimination of enemies and the Startroopers. He is employed by Colonel Ward, played by Sigourney Weaver. He has a mission to find the son of Jabba the Hut which leads to a kind of gladiatorial arena fight against monstrous creatures and robots. And, in space, attacks, fights, explosions…

For 21^st-century audiences and series fans, a continuation of what they know. For older 20^th century audiences, not quite what they might have been expecting.

1. 50 years after the beginning of the Star Wars franchise? Through many films, through the Mandalorioan and television series? Continued popularity?
2. The Star Wars Galaxy, the Empire, the Republic, the storm troopers, rebellion, mercenaries and battles? The weaponry, the starships?
3. The continuation of the Mandala and television series? The changes from the original, the different opening, no John Williams score, the more serious tone, the intermittent light touches with Grogu and the small creatures?
4. The hero, armour and masked, the less personalised character, the removal of his mask in the middle of the film, some sense of his humanity?
5. The situation, the Mandalorian and his missions, reputation, for hire, seeing him in action, the fights, the enemy, the board meeting, the pressure of the leader, the subservience of the members, his shooting one of them? The attack by the Mandalorian, the pursuit, the deaths? His return?
6. The importance of Grogu, the foundling, small, American cuteness, Yoda influence? Companion, presence, participating in the action, limited, liked by the audience?
7. Colonel Ward, her control, the mission? The tradition of Jabba the Hut, his son, the twins and their hostility?
8. The Mandalorian and, his mission, wanting the son, the hostility, the situation, the twins, the sinister role of Lord January, his betrayals?
9. The gladiator sequence, creatures, the fights, the Mandalorian and his surrender, the response of the crowds, of Lord Janu?
10. The rescue of the son, the small creatures and their technical skills, chatter, activities?
11. The final flight, the dangers, the attack, explosions, survival?
12. The return, Colonel Ward, her attitudes, to the final mission, Jabba the Hut;s son, final decisions?
13. And the continuity of the story, the characters, the series?

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

US, 2024, 128 minutes, Colour.

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew McFadyen, Jon Favreau, Marina Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, Tyler Mane, Blake Lively, Nathan Fillion, Matthew McConnaughey.

Directed by Shawn Levy.

 Probably best to say at the outset, Deadpool & Wolverine is beyond review. Within two weeks of its opening around the world, its box office is almost $1 billion. Which means that worldwide, it has been instantly seen by millions. With much more to follow.

It does raise an interesting 2024 question concerning the two films which have been most successful, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine. What they have in common is the animation/cartoon style. And they appeal to a wide audience. However, Inside Out 2 is appealing to deeper human feelings, to sensitivity and empathy. Deadpool & Wolverine is appealing to an emotional bonanza, excitement extravaganza, no holds barred, limitless imagination, potential cosmic destruction, violent visual conflict between good and evil, and superheroes to the rescue. And, not exactly modestly, Deadpool considers himself as a world saviour, a ‘Marvel Jesus’, booking his place in future Christ-figure studies.

There were a lot of writers for this film, including Ryan Reynolds, and it is full of disposable, throwaway quips, some of them very funny, references to the ups and downs of the Marvel film franchise, Disney, a collapsed Fox logo, to Hugh Jackman and his divorce, but there for the attentive satirical ear.

And the film presupposes favourable response to Deadpool in the Ryan Reynolds style (and a later Reynolds variation appears, over nice with the pet dog, Dogpool). Wade Wilson with his mixed history and burnt face, is eager to be in Avengers story, but put on hold. However, as always with American films, there is a bureaucratic British villain, Matthew McFadyen (now widely-known because of his presence in Succession). There is a bureau for saving timelines, there is a threat to the universe, Deadpool is there to combat but the only person he wants to work with is Wolverine. (And a bevy of jokes about a range of alternate Wolverines, visualised comically, all Hugh Jackman-aggressive). Probably this is the moment in a review to mention what one might call hyper-frequent coarse language.

There are also constant references to the previous Deadpool films as well as to the many X-Men films which fans will enjoy (and quite some entertaining references during the final credits). A surprise for the early viewers of the film but now everybody knows, a lot of cameos from previous superheroes like Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Electra, and especially Chris Evans as Captain America and a French-accented Channing Tatum. Even Ryan Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, appears as Lady Deadpool!

While it is acknowledged with specific reference to Furiosa, a large part of the early film is an extravagant variation on the Mad Max movies. Then we discover a new villain, Cassandra (Emma Corrin), a bald half sister of Patrick Stewart’s Charles (though he and, up till now, we, never knew about her). And she has super destructive powers. Which leads to quite a lot of mayhem, extravagantly high body count, the confrontation with a legion of Deadpool variations and their slaughter – but the power of regeneration and the possibility of it all over again.

So, it looks as though this is the entertainment to cheer worldwide audiences in the Groupe of so many war tensions, civil wars and invasions, terrorism of 2024. As they say, the audiences have been lapping it up – but, those with more restrained sensibilities, might find it more than they can gulp or swallow.