Tag Archives: Movies

May 25 2026

The State Of Star Wars At 49

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the epic sci-fi franchise, Star Wars. Celebrating the occasion was the weekend release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars film in seven years. On the surface, this release should be a cause for celebration and a build-up for next year’s 50th anniversary but the film’s mixed reaction is a symptom of the state of the Star Wars franchise at this moment.

There is nothing wrong with The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s a fine film that is exciting and fun, but given that we have not had a Star Wars film since 2019, one would think that this event would have yielded more excitement from fans. There are many reasons for this and it largely has to do with how Star Wars has fallen out of favor in recent years thanks to lackluster high-profile TV shows that diluted the brand and of course, the backlash against most of the Disney-era Star Wars films. But despite its merits, one nagging issue with The Mandalorian and Grogu is that it doesn’t feel epic. Sure, it has a solid storyline and terrific action scenes and character moments, especially with Grogu himself as he learns to survive on his own and helps rescue his father. But the relatively low-stakes story of the film could have been told in a new season of The Mandalorian. The fate of the galaxy was not in question, the overall storyline of the main characters, Grogu aside, did not advance significantly, and the same went for the worldbuilding. Again it has to be repeated that The Mandalorian and Grogu is an enjoyable film that is better than some of the recent Star Wars films, it just lacks an epic scale.

The Star Wars films are renowned for their topnotch production values and sweeping storylines that touch on mysticism or intriguing worldbuilding. Sure, this has to be well executed or you lose your audience (see the last couple of Star Wars films), but this is epic nature is why people would go out of their way to go to cinemas and spend lots of money to get immersed in an experience that is can’t be replicated at home. Just as important, the plot has to not just engage audiences but build towards an epic story with high stakes. Supposedly, The Mandalorian and Grogu was to be part of a larger storyline that would have continued in other related Star Wars films that would have culminated in a film where the separate characters confronted Grand Admiral Thrawn, but there is little evidence of a larger story in the debut film of the Mandalorian. Except for a plot line about the Mandalorian hired to track down ex-imperial officers, which is resolved fairly early in the film before it becomes a personal story about the armored bounty hunter and his son in a space version of Lone Wolf and Cub. But whether or not other Star Wars films will deal with this Thrawn plot is in question and depends on the performance of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Trying to use the TV show, The Mandalorian, as a vehicle to explore a larger storyline was what damaged the TV show in the long run. The show worked best when it did not deal with larger galactic situations such as the founding of the New Republic or the return of the Galactic Empire. Part of the problem was that the overarching storyline was not very interesting as seen in Ashoka and the fact that the dull manner in how the New Republic is presented. The show faltered in its third season when the main character and his son Grogu seemed to take a back seat to other characters and their stories that dealt with wider scale situations. The film corrects this by focusing on the Mandalorian and his son, and by doing so it went back to a more personal story for the duo. But this is is not what Star Wars needs at this time.

To recapture imaginations and more importantly improved box office results, Star Wars films have to aim high and tell a compelling story with several characters and intertwined plots. The more personal and intimate storylines seem to work best with TV shows such as the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Andor, and Skeleton Crew. The next Star Wars film to come out will be next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter, but it’s not known if it will tell that kind of story, but there is sense of excitement for it, and if it turns out well, it should be a fitting film to release in time of the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. But for now, we have a worthwhile film to help celebrate the 49th anniversary of Star Wars as a build up or placeholder for something more epic and befitting of Star Wars.

Apr 25 2026

Top Ten Space Films

Given all the recent and renewed attention to space travel thanks to the Artemis II mission and the popular film Project Hail Mary, let’s list the top ten best space exploration films to date. Keep in mind, this list will focus on films with more realistic space travel and exploring instead of fantastical fare like Star Wars, Star Trek or Alien that are more oriented towards action/adventure or horror. Feel free to drop a comment with your ideas, and now…

10. Europa Report

This film is unique in that it is a found-footage tale about a doomed human mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. The premise was well presented and underlined the film’s tension with the format of using a series of video diaries from the astronauts chronicling their voyage to Europa in search of life and what they find. This was a great example of a found-footage film done correctly with some solid performances and editing that heightened the film’s tension.

9. Ad Astra

Brad Pitt turns in a great performance in a sci-fi version of Heart of Darkness as McBride, a jaded astronaut who must journey to the edge of our solar system to find out what is causing devastating surges of cosmic rays and what happened to his father (Tommy Lee Jones). Along the way, as he makes stops in colonies on the Moon and Mars, he questions his lost emotional connections with his former wife and his estranged relationship with his father in this more grounded look at future space travel.

8. Silent Running

The strong environmental messages in this film can be over-the-top but still relevant in the pensive and quietly somber story of Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern). Charged with taking care of Earth’s last remaining natural biomes in a massive spaceship, Lowell goes rogue after he is ordered to destroy the biomes and return to Earth. With a team of silent drones named Huey, Dewey and Louie, Lowell sets off on a lonely and emotional quest in the spaceship to preserve what is left of nature.

7. 2001: A Space Odyssey

This will be an unpopular opinion, but the film is quite dull and slow moving despite all the praise it receives for being so visionary. That may be true, as the film boasts then-revolutionary special effects that hold up nearly 60 years later and many iconic moments such as the murderous AI and a trippy sequence as astronaut David Bowman approaches an alien monolith. However, the film has a deliberately slow pace and dull characters. Nonetheless, for its impact on films it belongs on this list.

6. The Martian

Based on Andy Weir’s book, Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney, an astronaut left stranded on Mars after his fellow astronauts believed him to be dead. By himself and with limited resources, Watney has to use his ingenuity to find a way to survive on the red planet and make contact with Earth. The use of real science to emphasize the difficulty of surviving on Mars and the logistics needed to rescue him were one of The Martian’s best highlights, though it could have used less of an annoying disco soundtrack and some missplaced humor.

5. Apollo 13

The true story of the heroic efforts to return the crew of the Apollo 13 lunar mission back to Earth was one of director Ron Howard’s most riveting and exciting films. Apollo 13 was buoyed by strong performances from Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton and Ed Harris and brilliant directing by Howard. The director also cleverly used a technique of filming on a plane flying in a parabolic pattern to realistically create zero gravity in scenes onboard the space capsule, which was a great highlight.

4. Sunshine

Director Danny Boyle helmed this great sci-fi thriller about the desperate voyage of the Icarus II to our dying sun in order to restart it. Sunshine would have rated higher on the list if not for a bizarre left turn in the film’s third act but the ending was one of the most spiritual and awe-inspiring moments ever filmed for a sci-fi film. What made Sunshine stand out was its focus on the logistics of space travel, the increasing tension with the main characters who made the ultimate sacrifice to save our world, inspired imagery and terrific performances from the likes of Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and Chris Evans.

3. Project Hail Mary

Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! The most recent entry is one of the best space films ever made. Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, the film tells the story of Dr. Grace (Ryan Gosling), a former scientist turned science teacher sent on a mission to the solar system Tau Ceti to find out why the Earth’s sun and nearby stars are dying. Once there, Grace meets an alien he names Rocky and the two form a collaboration that turns into a genuine friendship as they try to find a way to save their worlds. This is Gosling’s best role and the film is bursting with real heart and emotion through the interactions with Rocky thanks to inspired direcing by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

2. Gravity

Gravity is an intense and at time terrifying look at the dangers of space travel that is grounded and heightened by a exemplary special effects and editing. Director Alfonso Cuarón deservedly won an Academy Award for directing this classic story of the sole survivor of a space shuttle mission trying to stay alive in near-Earth orbit after her ship is destroyed by space debris. Using continuous shots, silence and riveting music, Gravity paints a too-accurate and unnerving look at how perilous space travel is for those who choose to work in the inhospitable environment. Sandra Bullock truly excelled in one of her best performances as Dr Ryan Stone whose survival instincts propel her to stay alive during the harrowing ordeal.

1. Interstellar

Director Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece that uses real science to present a captivating sci-fi story about a father, Joseph Cooper (Mathhew McConaughey), who sets off on a last-ditch effort onboard the spaceship Endurance to save humanity by finding a new habitable world. The film utilized actual science to accurately depict a black hole, silent space, time dilation and intiguing sci-fi concepts such as temporal paradoxes and wormholes. More importantly, unlike some other sci-fi films that get carried away with cold concepts, eye-popping effects and forget to dwell on emotion, Interstellar keeps its focus on its characters, especially Cooper, and the emotional impact space travel has on them, which can be both terrifying and wondrous.

Honorable Mentions:

2010; The Black Hole; Capsule; Contact; Destination Moon; First Man; Love; A Million Miles Away; The Midnight Sky; Moon; The Right Stuff; Robinson Crusoe on Mars; Solaris; Space Cowboys; Spaceman; WALL-E

José Soto

Mar 22 2026

The Emotional Journey Of Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary is the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s book of the same name and stars Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, a science teacher and former molecular biologist recruited by an international space agency to journey to the star system of Tau Ceti to investigate a strange phenomena. What he finds at his destination or rather who he encounters forms the emotional core of this uplifting sci-fi film.

Grace’s story on Earth is told through flashbacks where we learn that the sun is slowly starting to dim because of these interstellar microorganisms called astrophage. They form a line to the planet Venus because the planet’s atmosphere of dense carbon dioxide allows them to breed, but they are slowly consuming the sun’s energy and in 30 years, the Earth will suffer a catastrophic global cooling that threatens life. Grace, who discovers that the astrophage are alive, learns that all the nearby stars are undergoing the same situation except for Tau Ceti and he is recruited to join the crew of the spaceship, Hail Mary, on a one-way voyage to investigate why the star is still intact.

After he arrives and is awoken from cryosleep, Grace finds out his crewmates died during the voyage and that an alien spaceship is approaching the Hail Mary. The spacecraft is piloted by a non-humanoid, possibly silicate-based, being that Grace nicknames Rocky (voiced and animated by James Ortiz) because of his rock-like appearance. After some back and forth in learning to communicate with each other, Rocky informs Grace that he is also the sole survivor of a mission from his world 40 Eridani, which is also infested with the astrophage. Together, the two beings work to find out why Tau Ceti is not dimming, how they could save their worlds, and along the way, the two also form a close friendship.

Putting aside the stunning special effects and that Project Hail Mary is unafraid to dwell on actual science, the most engaging aspect of the film is the relationship between the two beings. It is inspiring to see these two go through herculean efforts to learn to communicate, learn about their cultures, and form an unlikely friendship. The two were lonely in their quests and had to find some kind of emotional connection to help drive their efforts to save their worlds.

Of course, what sells this friendship is Ryan Gosling’s emotional performance and his interactions with Rocky. Gosling should be applauded in one of his strongest performances for engaging audiences as a flawed but likeable and lonely man who is able to connect with the strange alien. What’s amazing is that Rocky was largely brought to life with a puppet instead of CG, and this is why we are able to emotionally connect with him. For a strange, five-legged rock creature, Rocky feels not just alive but as a genuine sentient being that we come to care about. This was best seen at certain points in the film when the two made personal sacrifices to save each other.

One thing to note is that though Project Hail Mary is very emotionally intense at times, it is still very uplifting and showcases the best of humanity. Sure, Grace has his doubts and fears like the rest of us, but he is able to convey a sense of goodness that wins out in the end. In addition to the heartwarming relationship, the film is a visual wonder that explores the beauty of space, and the wonder of Earth. It’s just a bit regrettable that we did not get to see much of Rocky’s world or his spaceship, but that would have probably made this long film even longer!

Project Hail Mary is an emotional triumph that puts the heart into space exploration and first contact. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and screenwriter Drew Goddard have put together an engaging sci-fi wonder that must be celebrated for engaging audiences and instilling a sense of awe, warmth, and friendship across the stars.

Mar 1 2026

RIP Warner Bros.

In the end, the tech bros bullied their way to get their toys. After months of threats and whining, Paramount made an offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery that was so high that made the previous bidder for the entertainment giant, Netflix, back away. The result? Most certainly, Warner Bros. will essentially cease to exist as it is merged into Paramount.

Paramount already stated that HBO, the premium cable service and its app HBO Max will be merged into its anemic Paramount+ streaming platform and the company will initiate billions of dollars in cuts to Warner Bros. which translates to lost jobs that would have been largely secure if the Netflix acquisition went through. Netflix promised to continue releasing Warner Bros. films in theaters and would have treated HBO and Warner Bros. as a prestige arm of Netflix, but now that is off the table.

Given the result of the last major merger of two entertainment companies, Disney and 20th Century Fox, turned out to be that Fox for all intents and purposes vanished, this development does not bode well for Warner Bros. Then again looking at Paramount’s meager film releases lately (they don’t even have any Star Trek films scheduled to be released this year during the franchise’s 60th anniversary), which has been small and nothing to rave about, perhaps buffering their release schedule with Warner Bros. product may be an improvement. Just keep in mind that ever since Skydance acquired Paramount last year, there has been very little for the company to rave about and they are in significant debt, and will have much more when they complete their purchase. This will likely mean far less offerings from our favorite genre franchises.

This development is very alarming given the closeness the owners of Paramount have with Donald Trump and his administration and their willingness to essentially become a media arm of the administration by hampering critics of the administration. Anyone thinking the bigwigs at Paramount won’t interfere with the creatives will be in for a rude awakening. Yes, Paramount owns Star Trek and the franchise has been derided by the right wing for being “too woke”, which is laughable since Star Trek has always been more progressive than believed and pushed barriers ever since the pilot episode. But it is believed that once the contract for Alex Kurtzman, the top creative behind the current Star Trek franchise, expires this year, Star Trek will undergo a massive rebooting and who knows what will direction it will take under the current owners.

Getting back to Warner Bros., obviously its properties like DC, Looney Tunes, Mad Max, Dune, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones will now belong to Paramount, cue the Star Trek/DC tie-in comics and Spongebob meets Bugs Bunny cartoons. Now, if Paramount had a brain and left its owners’ agendas at the door, it would leave the franchises alone to to do their own thing. Let’s see if this happens.

Even though James Gunn and Peter Safran, the current heads of DC Studios, will remain in their positions, according to Paramount, do not expect this arrangement to last. Given Gunn’s outspoken views against Trump and the fact that his film Superman blatantly criticized the policies of the Trump administration, expect some major pushback from Paramount with future DC projects. What could very well happen is that once his contract expires, Gunn will bail and if Disney moved fast they would snatch him up immediately and groom him to take over Marvel Studios once Kevin Feige retires. Even if Disney does not hire Gunn, he will be a hot commodity who will be sought after by the few remaining film studios.

Of course, the merger of two major film studios would violate anti-trust laws, and there was precedent for this when Disney brought Fox in 2017. That event could have been considered a one-off situation, but this one happening less than ten years after the Disney purchase. This could lead to more mergers and in the end audiences and consumers lose out. Don’t be surprised if we get news soon about more mergers. Sure there are laws against this but since when did that impeded the current corporate-friendly government?

No matter anyone’s beliefs, this development is disturbing because the lessening of competition will lead to less choice and increased prices for consumers. Naturally, the only way to counter this is though money, the only thing the corporations listen to. For now, let’s take a moment of silence to commemorate Warner Bros. and HBO for their decades of quality films and TV shows.

Feb 1 2026

The Unexpected Surprise Of Wonder Man

Wonder Man is the latest Disney+ Tv show based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and it is so unlike the typical MCU project, which can be either a pleasant surprise for some or disappointing for fans expecting your typical superhero fare. No matter how a viewer may judge the show, it has to be admitted that it is different.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams a down-on-his-luck actor in Hollywood looking for his big break and learns that an ‘80s sci-fi action film, Wonder Man, is being remade by the renowned eccentric director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Simon is eager to be cast in the title role because it was a favorite film of his when he was young. What needs to be mentioned is that he learned about the role from Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), the disgraced actor who was jailed for portraying the terrorist, the Mandarin, in Iron Man 3.

The two actors form an unlikely bromance as the elder actor mentors the younger one about being a true thespian and how to navigate the Hollywood filmmaking landscape. Unfortunately, Trevor was forced to initiate the friendship with Simon because he was arrested by the Department of Damage Control (DODC) for escaping jail and was promised his freedom if he entrapped Simon. The DODC suspects Simon of harboring superpowers and wants to jail him for being dangerous and to meet quotas. Meanwhile, Simon, who actually has superpowers, is desperate to keep his powers a secret from everyone because superpowered people are banned from acting in Hollywood and obviously his acting career would be over if the world learned his secret.

That is basically it about Wonder Man. Anyone expecting superhero escapades and world-ending threats will be sorely disappointed. There are not even any pesky villains or any deep connections to the MCU aside from Trevor and the DODC. So, the TV show can be enjoyed and understood by non-MCU fans. Anyone with an open mind will find out that Wonder Man is an enjoyable and slightly humorous look at the plight of modern actors. In many ways, the TV show is Marvel Studios’ version of Entourage or The Studio but not as comedic, but that’s fine. The emotions are in the right place and anyone can’t help but feel for Simon as he navigates his life and the quirky people he meets. We get enough details about Simon to relate to him, which was best seen in the episode “Pacoima” where Simon visited his mother (Shola Adewusi) for her birthday and had to defend his acting career, especially with his older brother Eric (Demetrus Grosse). Highlighting that episode was the classic sitcom trope of the main character’s buddy, in this case Trevor, tagging along for the family gathering.

What helps Wonder Man tremendously is the terrific and genuine chemistry between Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley. The two have great rapport with each other and the friendship between them feels very authentic and natural. Kudos, of course, go to both actors, and Kingsley turns in one of his best performances and this MCU vehicle is the best one to showcase Trevor. It would be a crime if we never saw the duo again since they light up every scene they are in.

The future for Wonder Man is unknown at this time, since Marvel Studios has reduced their offerings in light of recent disappointments. Unlike other MCU TV shows, this one was released with all eight episodes simultaneously, which implied that Disney did not have confidence in the TV show. But anyone dismissing it for that reason would be mistaken since it is one of the better MCU TV shows that tried something different that worked thanks to the talent in front and behind the cameras. This is a case where being different worked for Marvel Studios. As long as the talent is there, they should do more of this.

Wonder Man is under the Marvel Spotlight label, which implies it was just a limted series. But even if a second limited series never comes to fruition, Simon and Trevor deserve to be seen again whether dealing with Hollywood politics or L.A. living or just shooting the breeze in a movie theater as they discuss film and TV shows. Besides, without giving anything away about the final episode, anyone who enjoyed Wonder Man should know what else happened to Simon and Trevor.

José Soto