Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1 (Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni, 2021)

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Science Fiction, Action, Adventure

I was super excited when The Bad Batch was announced as I loved the introduction to this troop in Clone Wars. This new series did not disappoint. The animation is stellar, the storylines work, the characters are all interesting and each has their own quirks. While this isn't as good as Rebels or The Mandalorian, it is still really engaging. Introducing a child, Omega, was a fun twist and I can't wait to see how she fits into the bigger picture of the Star Wars universe.

The recent Star Wars shows have done a wonderful job at weaving together to make a cohesive universe. It's fun to be reminded of other storylines, events, and even see characters from other shows (Rebels, Clone Wars, The Mandalorian) show up in The Bad Batch.

Season 1 Rating: DSQ=10, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

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Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King, 2021)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Biopic, Civil Rights, Black Panthers, Fred Hampton, Race, 1960s

This is an important film about people and events that this country doesn't talk about, that I never learned about in school. Everyone needs to know who Fred Hampton was, who Bill O'Neal was, and what the FBI did. The film is edited so well--switching back and forth between the empowered Black Panthers, led by Fred Hampton, and the terrified and guilt-ridden informer, Bill O'Neal. It is disturbing and makes the viewer feel awful and angry. Masterful performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield. I hope people watch this and learn. Very apt timing, unfortunately, as history seems to always repeat itself again and again.

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