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

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

Alita: Battle Angel - 3/5

There are lots of great part in this film, but it fumbles the ending. The action is a spectacle, giving the audience the roller coaster ride they were promised in the trailers. Christoph Waltz is great in everything and his performance here is no exception; his chemistry with Rosa Salazar carries the emotional core of the film. It has plenty of sci-fi weirdness, and if that aspect isn’t working for you it’s likely going to feel like it just keeps dragging on and on. For everyone else, though, it’s a fun action sci-fi that mostly makes sense.

Closest Comparison: It’s equal parts Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, with a dash of Rollerball and Real Steel thrown into the mix.

Setting: Sci-fi
Plot: Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction
Tone: Action