Review – Project Hail Mary

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Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller, written by Drew Goddard based on the novel by Andy Weir, starring Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Sandra Hüller & Lionel Boyce

In previous decades of cinema the release of a film like Project Hail Mary would be a true cultural event: a film on everybody’s mind weeks before the premiere, dominating pop culture conversation for months after leaving theatres, providing high school science teacher a perfect excuse for an class excursion to the movies. A science-fiction drama with a great sense of humour, deftly juggling compelling and richly portrayed characters, a tense, dramatic crisis and an intelligent script. Author Andy Weir has made his mark writing science-fiction that is “fifteen minutes into the future” – so the technology and science is recognisable and almost completely accurate, allowing just enough liberty to be able to engage with the fantastical. This is the kind of film that genre fans would deeply appreciate and be able to talk about it with their more pop-minded friends. It is a true gift, from what can be a cynical industry, that a major studio has put major chips down on a project like this.

Amaze, amaze, amaze!

In the not-too-distant future an inexplicable phenomenon is destroying the sun. The world’s major powers invest authority in Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) to coordinate efforts to understand and resolve the crisis. Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling), a disgraced doctoral candidate turned high school science teacher (the fun type), is recruited by Stratt into an impossible plan…the titular Hail Mary.

Discussion of the film is difficult because while it is structured largely as a disaster film – every answer leads to a new problem, and every solution meets a complication – the plot is unveiled like a mystery. Gosling’s character awakens with no memory – his gradual recovery plays out in the form of flashbacks spliced between his present experience “doing the science stuff.” In a number of cases these flashbacks play out as a major reveal of information that changes the audiences understanding of the situation and characters. Thus any discussion of plot risks “spoiling” some of these moments.The film is not, at heart, a mystery so it does not detract from the viewers experience to be ahead of the reveals in most cases. Does that mean that the flashback structure is actually a complicated and perhaps unnecessary conceit? Possibly. It allows the film to begin on mission, while the exposition is doled out gradually as it makes sense for the characters growth. It can, however, serve as a distraction that pulls the viewer out of the tension of the main mission.
Much like 2015’s The Martian (another Weir adaptation) the film chugs along at its best when science is happening – the meticulously crafted sequences where discoveries are made, new particles are discovered and understood, new technologies are employed and creative solution must be found to unexpected problems. It is smart storytelling without being impenetrable to the layperson nor condescending to the science-minded.
Gosling’s performance is another confirmation of his status as a star in the vein of Tom Hanks – funny, charming, fallible, pitiable; he plays a highly qualified man with remarkably low-status. Playing against him in flashbacks is a stellar Sandra Hüller, whose deadpan troubleshooter comes across as exactly the kind of person that should be in charge when facing the apocalypse. Gosling shares some brief moments of connection with his handler played by Lionel Boyce (The Bear), and has a single inspiring conversation with a Chinese astronaut played by Ken Leung. Gosling really does shoulder this film, and spends a significant amount of time as the only person on screen, but the lack of depth given to any other human makes the world feel oddly empty.

Gosling’s true co-star, as hinted in the film’s trailers, is the Extra Terrestrial he encounters – one who has been dispatched on the same mission by his own world. Dubbed ‘Rocky’ by Goslings scientist, the companion is a remarkable creation brought to life through the combined efforts of Arslan Elver’s team of animators at Framestore, Neal Scanlon and his creature shop, and on-set puppeteer James Ortiz, who provided a voice so good that filmmakers Lord & Miller decided against stunt casting for the final cut. The fully realised character is a masterwork, and a strong argument for a puppetry performance Oscar category. He is funny and a genuine delight on screen, embodying the movie magic that allows the audience to accept the emotional bond that grows between Rocky and Ryland.

Though consistently engaging, the film is over three hours long, and it may not have hurt the narrative to trim some of the runtime, particularly in the last twenty minutes, which plays like a series of multiple endings. Despite these few hiccups, Project Hail Mary comes pretty close to being a perfect film – in that it succeeds in being the exact film that Lord & Miller set out to make. That, in itself, was always a long shot.

A Hail Mary.

On a personal note…

My son and I discovered and enjoyed the audiobook together, and were both eagerly anticipating this release. Bringing a friend of his with us on opening night, he proceeded to talk non-stop throughout the whole movie, explaining excitedly to his friend everything that was happening, everything that was being left out from the book, everything that was coming up…

Then came a sequence where Gosling’s character, standing on the hull of his ship before an alien world, “has a moment” when his view shifts to a breathtaking display of light and colour that brought tears to my eyes

and after a little moment of silence, I heard my son whisper “Wow…that’s so beautiful…”

In Cinemas – 16 July, 2026

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It’s New Release Day…and fortunately your trip to the movies this week is made so much easier because there’s one release that no other films wanted to compete with!

The Odyssey – There are so few filmmakers working at blockbuster scale these days, it is a precious treat to receive a genuine historical epic from modern cinemas greatest champion, Christopher Nolan. Drawn directly from the ancient work of the Greek poet Homer, The Odyssey chronicle’s the journey of Odysseus – king of the Greek nation of Ithaca – following the end of the Trojan War. While the last effort at a ancient Greek epic (2004’s Troy) attempted to relay the legendary siege in a completely grounded narrative – free from any interference by gods or monsters – Nolan has fully embraced the ancient traditions that tie history with mythology. Matt Damon stars alongside a jaw-dropping cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Samantha Morton, Bennie Safdie, John Bernthal, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, James Remar, Charlize Theron and, look, this could go on for pages. The Odyssey is proof that, in fact, they can and do still “make them like this”, and will undoubtedly highlight what can be achieved when tailoring a film for the BIG screen. If you’ve got the option, catch it in IMAX, but don’t let this one through to your streaming list.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – Review

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Directed by Aaron Hovath & Michael Jelenic, Written by Matthew Fogel, Starring the voice talent of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anna Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Benny Safdie, Keegan Michael Key, Glen Powell, Brie Larson and Donal Glover.

If the 1993 Super Mario Bros. demonstrates an old mentality whereby filmmakers were embarrassed by source material such as comics or video games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) proved that the successful approach was actually slavish devotion to the source material. That film prioritised putting on screen the most iconic elements of the game, whether they made much story-sense or not. The film subsequently made all the money. The sequel has the exact same philosophy at heart: “Give the kids what they want.” And the kids clearly love it.

It’s a theme park ride, just like Martin Scorcese has said. Whether it is one that audiences beyond young Nintendo gamers will find appealing will, as ever, be a matter of taste. Universal’s Illumination Studio have so polished their style of computer animation and arguably perfected the craft of character design so that everything moves beautifully and smoothly, and is bright and colourful and every frame is generally packed with details that make it hard to be bored. Scenes are dependent on the constant barrage gags – not necessarily jokes spoken by characters, but brief sequences of action that involve overcoming an obstacle. It is not unfair to describe this sequel (along with the Minions franchise, and honestly everything all the way back to Ice Age) as a collection of micro-length, Looney Tunes style episodes, strung together by the pursuit of a goal that allows the characters to wander through as many fantastical set-pieces as can fit into 90 minutes.

There’s simply nothing notable to highlight about the film. Every performer is enthusiastic and appropriately emotive for their part, though it seems reasonable to question the need to ask Donald Glover to make a few cute noises as the non-speaking Yoshi. The inclusion of adjacent Nintendo character Fox McCloud (voiced by Glen Powell) brings a potential heroic rival to Mario, but the film very quickly shuts down any hint of that. The fact that shortly after the release of the film Nintendo announced a new Star Fox game makes it very hard not to view the writing of the whole film with a level of cynicism – very much like the whole show is a very expensive ad for the Switch…which, of course, is exactly what it is.

Kids do not have a problem with that; the film is loud and has characters and power-ups and vehicles and worlds that they recognise, and the fact that it’s barely memorable does nothing to diminish the fact that it was enjoyable to watch. It’s inoffensive, so parents can easily tolerate it playing in the background while they finish taxes. It demands very little of viewers…save that they commit to seeing the inevitable sequel, and in the meantime make sure you keep playing the game.

Alan Moore once spoke in an interview of the notion “give the audience what they want”, saying quite emphatically that whether they realise or not, “It’s not the job of the artist to give the audience what the audience wants. If the audience knew what they needed, then they wouldn’t be the audience…they’d be the artists.” Films can be an experience that enriches the soul. The Super Mario Bros.Movie is like the fondant of an expertly designed novelty cake: colourful and shaped in an appealing way, but even though its made of sugar it is somehow bland and even kids get tired of chewing it very quickly.

Now Showing – 9 July, 2026

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Is today your ‘movie day’? Here’s what you can check out at the cinemas this week!

Moana – The Disney Live Action Adaptation Engine™ is still rolling, ‘updating’ the last officially crowned “Disney Princess” for her tenth anniversary. Directed by Thomas Kail (who oversaw the pretty spectacular Hamilton stage-film) the film is promising a Gus Van Sant’s Psycho level retread. Not only that but Dwayne Johnson himself live-prises his role as demi-god Maui, while Jemaine Clement once again voices Tamatoa. Relative newcomer Catherine Laga’aia takes the mantle of Moana, with welcome support from the legendary Rena Owen (Once Were Warriros) as Gramma Tala. Both the pig and the chicken are featured!

First Light – First-time Aussie Writer/Director James J. Robinson sees his debut come to screens this week. A co-production between Australia and The Philippines, the film features a Filipino cast portraying the members of a remote Luzon convent. Robinson has said that the project was both a way of connecting with his own Filipino heritage, as well as exploring issues surrounding his Catholic upbringing. The story of middle aged Sister Yolanda, who begins to struggle with her faith following a tragic occurrence, will likely resonate with those who have wrestled with their own doubt, faced the disappointing reality of institutions and lived in the shadow of colonialism.

Evil Dead Burn – This franchise is the gift that keeps on giving! While others wrangle with the disappointment of blockbuster debuts that can never be matched in sequels, the Evil Dead series have largely maintained a consistent level of quality because every one of them knows what to prioritise: Buckets and buckets of blood. The reigns have been handed to Sébastien Vaniček along with co-writer Florent Bernard and minimal supervision from OG Producer Rob Tapert and director Sam Raimi. Pitched as a “family reunion from hell”, this looks to be in keeping with the black humour and visceral thrills of previous installments. Groovy!

The Invite – Olivia Wilde helms this remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs (2020), from a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. Something of a French Bedroom Farce, Wilde stars alongside Seth Rogen as a strained married couple who host their upstairs neighbours (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) for dinner. Not being adequately prepared to host, and unable to stop bickering is embarrassing enough, but as the evening progresses and everyone becomes far more candid, the cringe-humour escalates.

The Mandalorian and Grogu – Review

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Directed by Jon Favreau from a story and screenplay by Favreua, Dave Filoni & Noah Kloor, starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Steve Blum, Sigourney Weaver with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee & Martin Scorcese.

The Mandaloiran and Grogu is at its best when the filmmakers are reveling in the pulpy, adventure serial roots that were the initial inspiration for this whole Star Wars thing in the first place – those moments when the Lone Wolf and Cub of the galaxy far, far away, overcome strange and unfamiliar worlds and monsters mostly by their wits, space magic and a jetpack.

and maybe a little help from the Babus

To be sure, the bulk of the latest Star Wars film is fun in the popcorn cinema sense: gunfights, explosions, chases, creatures, spaceships. Where the film struggles to fully enthrall are the elements that call attention to characters and history that has come before in the franchise. “Lore” is the word. The film does not collapse under the weight of these elements, remaining consistently entertaining, but when the cinematic language is nudging, asking “You remember this guy? Huh?” it may lose audience members who have not consumed the entire canon to date.

For the most part the film is accessible to people who have not seen the series of which it is a continuation. The title characters are broadly drawn, and barely need dialogue to make themselves known: The stoic, hard-edged mercenary with a deep tenderness for his ward, an unwaveringly loyal and gifted infant. Together they hunt villains to the lawful order of the universe. The details barely matter; a plot involving twin giant slug crime-lords offering up a wanted war-criminal in exchange for the rescue of their nephew also barely matters. It is a mechanism to propel the duo forward to the next set piece – some of which are not quite as engaging as others. There are sweet, quieter character moments that can genuinely tug at the heart, though those loaded with dialogue can make the eyes glaze over a little.

The performances are a little harder to quantify in this kind of picture. Pedro Pascal as ‘Mando’ has a compelling voice, and radiates pathos and menace with a look in the few moments when his face is shown. However the film credits an additional two performers for the role – Lateef Crowder as the stunt performer and Brendan Wayne as the ‘suit performer’. Grogu (Baby Yoda) is brought to life by a team of practical creature builders, puppeteers, digital effects animators and sound designers, and is arguably more compelling than his adoptive father. Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) lends vocal talent to the role of Rotta the Hutt, though the creature itself is a fully digital performance and the voice is modulated so as to be unrecognisable as the one time Boss. Most other characters appear for brief interactions only, with Weaver’s peacekeeper Colonel Ward assigning missions and handling exposition, but Martin Scorcese (yes…that one) drawing genuine smiles as a nervy alien informant.

“A theme park ride, buddy…it’s a theme park ride!”

The Mandalorian and Grogu is, ultimately, disposable. Like those Serials of yesteryear, which were never intended to be watched repeatedly, this film is a fun story that sits in the progression of a larger one, but won’t particularly reward a revisit.

On a personal note…

I am a bit of a recovering Star Wars tragic and I recently introduced my young son to the original films, on which he reflected “Good, but I wouldn’t watch it again.”

He did, however, come with me to watch this film, and immediately insisted that we watch the series together.

Now Showing – 2 July, 2026

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You’ve woken to find a rare day to yourself and though ‘I’m going to go to the movies. I wonder what’s on?’ Wonder no more, for here is what you’ll find on Aussie screens this week!

Animal Farm – Many will have fond (?) memories of watching the 1954 animated adaptation of the George Orwell novella in English class – which was pretty faithful so it was not necessary to read the book. This animated feature, directed by Andy Serkis (yes, that’s Gollum), should probably come with the credit “Inspired by” moreso than “based on” with some significant liberties taken and original characters inserted into the Russian-Cummunist allegory. The cast includes Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Kieran Culkin, Steve Buscemi and Kathleen Turner. Expect the humor to be more pronounced, far less dog mauling and an attempt at a happy ending.

100 Nights of Hero – This fairy tales for grown-ups was actually released overseas last year, but you can find it playing some of the arthouse/independent cinemas. Adapted from Isabel Greenbergs book (which is her retelling of One Thousand and One Nights) by director Julia Jackman, the plot follows Cherry (Maika Monroe of Longlegs), a young wife who has been abandoned for 100 nights by her odious husband (Nicolas Galtzine) as a test of her faithfulness. Her maid, Hero (Emma Corrin) offer comfort though the stories she tells, and the women form a transformative bond. A rumination on gender politics, this won’t appeal to everyone, but it looks gorgeous.

Heel – Another delayed release, this UK film from Polish director Jan Komasa (Warsaw 44) is a black-as-they-come comedy, about a couple who abduct and imprison a teenage delinquent in the hopes of rehabilitating him. Stephen Graham (Adolescence) and Andrea Riseborough (Mandy) bring real life and vibrancy to the screen as the unhinged couple, while Anson Boon (1917) is a hoot as the antisocial Tommy. If the film’s working, you’ll be chuckling while you’re feeling offended.

The Birthday Trip – In a similar vein, three young couples book a weekend farm stay only to wind up at each others throats in this offering from Australian filmmaker James Robert Woods. His first feature, this satire on social class is all about simmering tensions bursting out in uncomfortable hilarity as the planned birthday celebration falls apart. A lot rides on the chemistry and performances of the cast, some of whom may be familiar faces from Australian TV. Keep your eyes open as this film does the rounds in the coming year.

The Bride!

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Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Benning, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard

A recurring complaint in criticism is the lack of originality in cinemas. Whatever one’s overall feeling about Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!, the uniqueness of the film is not in question.

Sold in the marketing as both adaptation of the 1818 novel Frankenstein (indeed, Gyllenhaal shares her screenwriting credit with author Mary Shelly) and remake of 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (oft lauded as the greatest of all the “Universal Monster Movies”), in truth the film is neither. It is very much its own, unique, wild, almost indefinable monster. ‘Inspired by’ may be a more apt, if less marketable description of this: a historic, gothic-horror, crime, romance, road-trip, feminist, black dramedy musical.

Jessie Buckley stars as the title character – a woman brought back from the dead in 1936 at the behest of Christian Bale’s “Frank”, the original Frankenstein monster now pining for a companion who is like himself. This woman is also possessed (periodically) by the spirit of Mary Shelly herself, who narrates aspects of the film, and can influence others in her vicinity when the needs arises. Returned without memories of her own, this Bride sets out with Frank to build a life but must repeatedly contend with misogyny and abuse at the hands of men. As her (and Shelly’s) anger grows the couple hit the road on a Bonnie-and-Clyde type crime spree. Any effort to recap or summarise the story will, frankly, make it seem incomprehensible, and ultimately the film is less concerned with narrative than with atmosphere, attitude and vibe.

The Bride! is a melting pot of inspirations and ideas in which the connective tissue to the original sources can be found, but ultimately do not infuse the Big Ideas of the film, apart from the obvious “mad scientist brings corpse back to life through psuedo-science alchemy”. Gyllenhaal very clearly comments on the cultural landscape regarding abuse of women, and has found in Shelly’s work a launching pad for something of a cinematic primal scream. While these ideas and the attitude of the film along with some pretty great production design (the title character looks perfect in her ‘imperfections’) are all definitely interesting, they never really coalesce into a clear narrative. Put more simply, the movie certainly feels as though Gyllenhaal wants to “say something”, but any message gets lost in the chaos.

That chaos can be a great deal of fun. Buckley unhinges herself in the best possible way and is a magnetic presence on screen. Bale may once again be the MVP, committing completely and utterly to the pitiful and simultaneously monstrous…well, Monster, while continually directing his and the audiences attention to the object of his affections, The Bride. There is a gleeful sense of freedom in following the couple on their escalating crime spree which revels in crime-genre staples (the couple indulges in champagne, caviar and fur-coats) and when the musical numbers hit, once getting past the initial question “where did this come from?” they are energetic and fun.
With the exception of Benning’s absurdly/incredibly named Dr. Cornelia Euphronious who is a delight in her mad scientist role, and Jeannie Berlin as her live-in maid who has an amusingly cantakerous relationship with her employer (and perhaps partner?), none of the other characters are given room in the film to develop. While much time is given to soaking in the central pair’s “life to the full” montage, story beats that are supposed to be driving the narrative go unexplored and underexplained, leaving a sense that the film is just leaping from scene to scene. The conceit of Shelly as a possessing spirit/force and narrator/manipulator might have been intended to account for the “random” moments, but itself is poorly defined and creates confusion as to exactly who and what is driving the story and making decisions.

If this hits with an cult crowd in the years to come, more power to it. The appeal of a given film can be any number of factors, like aesthetics, music and even collections of moments that might not gel as a whole, but each make their own cumulative impact. The Bride! owes more to arthouse sensibilities than anything else, and while it might not be an enduring classic, it is insane and wonderful that a film like this came to screens in the year 2026.


On a personal note…

As I departed the cinema that night, the attendant asked me “How was it?”

After a beat to think, my answer was “…It’s my kind of weird.”

The Cinéquarium – 24 June 2026

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If you’ve woken up and your screen fell on the ground and randomly opened to this page and you’ve got some space in the day and were thinking ‘Maybe I could catch a movie’…this is what’s new this week (in Australia at least).

Supergirl – James Gunn’s Superman (2025) was a surprisingly solid hit last year, so there’s a bit riding on this – the first real follow up in the “DC Universe” franchise – from Dumb Money (2023) director Craig Gillespie. Kara Zor-El (or Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock of House of the Dragon) heads out for an intergalactic birthday bender with the scene-stealing secret weapon of the previous film: Krypto the superdog. The super-powered party-gal ends up facing off against assorted alien jerks that get on her nerves, including a rebranded Jason Momoa as perhaps DC Comics most ridiculous superhero-adjacent character, Lobo (which is not at all pejorative and is honestly perfect casting). With a screenplay by Ana Nogueira (her first major film project) and overseen by Gunn as the creative head of the franchise, expect this one to be a fairly good time for the university aged crowd.

Minions & Monsters – Hitting just before the school holidays is the next installment in the Despicable Me franchise, focusing on the titular jaundiced, gibbering, goggle-adorned, helpfully inept and ever-loyal cash-machines. Set in 1920’s Hollywood the Minions find themselves making a monster movie, only to unleash an all too real terror into the world. With voice talent including Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Cristoph Waltz, Allison Janney, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Phil LaMarr, Trey Parker in a rare non South Park role and apparently George Lucas (…!), regular series director Pierre Coffin (also the voice of the Minions) and Patrick Delage are on hand to bring this one to the box office. The kids are guaran-damn-teed to find it hilarious.

Jackass: Best and Last – It’s astonishing how endearing a group of friends that became rich and famous by repeatedly attacking one another’s testicles have become. The progenitor of pretty much all prank shows whether live, televised or streamed, Jackass was a generational touchstone when it first came to screens, then dumbfounded critics when their cinematic efforts proved to be not only profitable with juvenile audiences, but actually possessed of artistic merit (exemplified in Jackass: Forever). The boys are promising that this will be the last time they will do exceptionally stupid and dangerous stunts for entertainment, and director Jeff Tremaine has undoubtedly covered the entire ordeal in excruciating detail, but expect a touch of melancholy and rumination on the realities of growing old, and the loss of the ability to withstand a cattle prod to the rectum.

Dear You – For those of the indie/arthouse/international film crowd, this Chinese family drama comes from filmmaker Hongchun Lan (who co-wrote the screenplay) and features a cast of largely first time performers. Something of a culturally significant project, the dialogue is entirely in a regional dialect, Teochew (rather than more globally accessible Mandarin or Cantonese), as the unfolding narrative ponders how ex-patriots remain connected to the places that they may have fled. Facing financial ruin, a young man sets out to find his grandfather, who had for some time sent letters with support money for the family (Qiaopi) after fleeing to Thailand to escape military conscription. Unburdened by famous faces, these are the kind of films that can be deeply transportive experiences.

The Mandalorian – Chapter 13 “The Jedi”

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…Grogu?

Huh.

Ok then.

Oh…’spoilers’, I guess.

So we’re well into the second season of “The revitalisation of the Star Wars franchise”, and while there’s much about this episode that I can be invested in, I have to admit to a slight sense of anxiety that The Mandalorian is starting to tread into the dreaded territory of “continuity”. Of course I get that Star Wars is a grand and sweeping mythos, and that much of the love of fans for the franchise is tied up in how connected the ongoing saga has become over the course of film, television, books and comics. The idea that something I watched or read twenty years ago might pay off in the story as I engage with it now is a wondrous, almost magical tie to the earliest experience of the franchise. But, as I said before, I’m tired of Star Wars being bound – shackled – by the obsessive need to tie everything together. It means, in an entire universe full of worlds and characters, we end telling the story of like, three people. It takes the magic out of it all.

To whit: in this episode, Mando seeks out and meets a character that featured significantly in The Clone Wars, and has strong ties to the central figures of the series. Asokha Tano (wonderfully played by Rosario Dawson) has set herself against a despotic military governor. When Mando comes to the compound looking for the Jedi, he first meets Morgan Elsbeth, who attempts to hire him to take out Tano. Like many of these set-ups in the series, this is little more than the means to connect the characters, to once again give an opportunity for Mando to ply his skills and code in the service of those who can’t defend themselves.

By this point, if you’re sticking with the series, it’s because you appreciate the things it does well. Mercenary escapades that are tense, thrilling and still have a slight edge – because the only fixtures of the series are the titular Mandalorian and The Child, there is a genuine question as to whether guest characters will make it through the conflict.

Where this episode walks the line between the show being it’s own thing and being interwoven with Star Wars mythology is in the interactions between The Child and Asokha Tano. A well-established Jedi refers to Yoda by name, and is able to communicate with The Child finally unveiling some of the cute little tykes shrouded past.

Also, he has a name. Doubt anyone’s going to use it, but anyway.

Why this works well is that it serves to strengthen the connection between Mando and The Child. It results in ultimately another quest that will force Mando to continue his journey, but that is the whole point of the series. If anyone wants to complain that the show repeats itself, they need to take aim at most television in existence.

A shout out goes to the fabulous Michael Bien guesting as a hired gun to the crooked governor. It’s a thankless role, but he gets one moment in which he brings the world-weary charm that he does so well.

As it stands, The Mandalorian is still the best thing connected to Star Wars in decades, and I’m not going anywhere as long as Jon Favreau is in the saddle.

In honour of David Prowse – I Am Your Father (2015)

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I Am Your Father

Year: 2015

Written and Directed by Toni Bestard & Marcos Cabota

I am young enough that while Star Wars is ever-present in my memory (I have no recollection of the first time I watched any of the original trilogy) I do not recall learning of the deaths of those legendary performers who lent so much class and prestige to what was supposedly trashy sci-fi nonsense – Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing. In my experience, Star Wars exists as this kind of tribute to the last performances of these great actors, but their passing wasn’t something I was ever aware of enough to mourn.

For more reasons than my fondness for those original movies, the news of the death of David Prowse is something I feel keenly.

Passing yesterday after struggling with illness, David Prowse leaves behind a legacy that few could hope to match in their lives.

He was the Green Cross Code Man, protecting British children and families by enforcing proper street safety:

He was the man who transformed Christopher Reeve from 98 pound (admittedly tall) weakling into Superman:

and appeared as Frankenstein’s Monster, villains in Dr. Who and the BBC adaptation of A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as…someone’s bodyguard.

Of course, I’m not going to steer clear of his most famous role: Darth Vader. While much of the iconic villain was contributed by James Earl Jones as the voice of the evil space wizard, it cannot be overstated how important was Prowse’s physcial performace as the character. His every step radiated threat and menace, and his stature intimidated my younger self even through the television screen.

In thinking how I could honour his passing, I figured I’d recommend a beautiful moment in the big man’s life, as captured by the touching 2015 Spanish documentary I Am Your Father.

Being encased in the Vader costume for three movies, one might think that the incredible moment when young Luke Skywalker looks at his fathers real face in his final moments would be almost a reward to the performer who has worked so hard for so many years. As any Star Wars fan will tell you, for that heart breaking scene where Luke meets Anakin, only to be forced to say goodbye in the same moment, it was not Prowse beneath that mask, but a newly recruited actor, Sebastian Shaw.

Spanish documentarian and filmmaker Toni Bestard was long bothered by this fact. He was unable to understand what possible reason there could have been for withholding such a powerful moment from a hard working actor.

So he made a documentary about it.

The joy of this brief feature is in meeting the gentle giant who brought to life this fearsome villain, and observing the grace with which he faced his difficult relationship with the original Star Wars films, the Lucasfilm company and their head man, George Lucas.

The film’s denoument involves a painstaking recreation of that unmasking scene from Return of the Jedi, filmed some 30 years after the films release, this time with Prowse finally able to perform the role of the loving father, saying goodbye with gratitude.

While entrenched in Star Wars fandom, the film rises above the usual geek trappings of rabid devotion to a property or repeating the cycle of talking about what we love the best about being a fan. Instead it grapples with the difficult reality of accepting that these films were made by people who sometimes couldn’t get along with each other, and sometimes did wrong by one another. It examines the effect on the life of a performer, who has only ever wanted to do his best in whatever role he is invited to play, and do the best he can for his family. It asks whether we as fans are content to consume and demand, or whether there may be an opportunity, from time to time, to give something back.

In saying farewell to this performer, I can think of no better tribute than to know what he went through for the sake of our entertainment.

God bless David.