Expectations were high heading into the third and final season of “The Bad Batch”. Creator and showrunner Dave Filoni along with the wizards at LucasFilm Animation had set the bar high after two strong seasons. To no surprise Season 3 didn’t disappoint. That doesn’t mean we aren’t left with questions. In fact, I could write a lengthy essay focused solely on the many things left to ponder following the show’s final episode. But to be honest, that’s a big part of the fun when it comes to Star Wars.

Set shortly after the events of the feature film “Revenge of the Sith”, the Bad Batch set out to take a deeper look at the clone soldiers who were created solely to fight for Emperor Palpatine and his fledgling Empire. The series explores what happened to the clones once Palpatine deemed them to be expendable and took his cloning experiments to more sinister depths. And it’s all brought to life through the eyes of Clone Force 99, a small squad of defective yet genetically altered clones, each with their own unique combat specialties.

Clone Force 99, or the “Bad Batch” as they were affectionately known, found themselves on the the run from the Empire after rescuing and taking in Omega, a young unaltered clone from the top-secret laboratory deep inside Mount Tantiss. Omega proved to be an invaluable piece to the well-hidden experiments happening under the direction of Palpatine’s chief scientist Royce Hemlock. On their journey, the Bad Batch and Omega experienced their share of danger and loss which all helped set the table for the third season.

Taking place in the wake of the sinister Order 66, the Bad Batch’s story has offered all kinds of connecting tissue that helps bring the post-prequel trilogy story together. Season three goes even further, not only filling in gaps from the past but reaching ahead to the sequel trilogy. But at its core, the story revolves around the growing connection between Omega and her brothers/father figures. Every episode feeds on their relationships and the writers do an incredible job nurturing it as the season progresses.

Once again, the animation is spectacular throughout. And with a couple of exceptions, the episodic storytelling is terrific. But you can’t talk about The Bad Batch, especially Season 3, and not mention the extraordinary voice work. A special industry award should be made just for Dee Bradley Baker. He voices every Bad Butch member, imbuing Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair with their own unique personalities and qualities. And if that wasn’t enough, he also voices nearly every other clone in the series, much as he did in ”The Clone Wars”. It’s truly mind-boggling talent.

But also good is Michelle Ang as the voice of Omega. Throughout the series Ang chronicles Omega’s journey through various stages of her life. She brings such warmth and sincerity while capturing the qualities that make Omega such a joy. Season 3 sees Omega’s early naïveté replaced by a maturity forged from her ever-changing and often perilous circumstances. At the same time, Ang’s performance brings out the empathy in Omega which proves to be a crucial part of the character.

In addition to the main cast, Season 3 brings back a number of Star Wars favorites. They include Tarkin (once again voiced by the superb Stephen Stanton), the notorious bounty hunter Cad Bane (Corey Burton), the cool and calculated Fennec Shand (the indomitable Ming-Na Wen) and the mysterious yet deadly Asajj Ventress (a returning Nika Futterman). This is just a sample-size of the many heroes, villains, and in-betweens who pop up and add heft to Season 3.

Helmed by the directing trio of Saul Ruiz, Nate Villanueva, and Steward Lee, “The Bad Batch” Season 3 does an exceptional job bringing this highly entertaining and unexpectedly moving Star Wars story to a close. LucasFilm Animation once again raises the bar in visual storytelling while Dave Filoni and his team of creators continue to expand the galaxy far, far away in exciting new ways. Star Wars remains in capable hands. And for fans who love the franchise’s ever-growing mythos, “The Bad Batch” is a satisfying three-season entry full of warmth, thrills, and plenty of surprises. “The Bad Batch” is streaming exclusively on Disney+.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Moritz Mohr goes for the jugular in “Boy Kills World”, an action-driven fever dream that marks his directorial debut. Mohr conceived the idea with Arend Remmers and pitched it to Sam Raimi who subsequently signed on to produce. After navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, production finally began will Bill Skarsgård cast as its lead. After premiering at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it’s finally set to hit theaters.

When watching “Boy Kills World” you’ll have no trouble identifying the long list of inspirations that have their place in the film’s DNA. Kung-fu cinema, video games, anime, and graphic novels are just some of the influences behind Mohr’s go-for-broke vision. Its story is primarily a revenge tale, written for the screen by Remmers and Tyler Burton Smith. But both the visual and narrative style turns it into a delightfully bonkers and blood-drenched extravaganza that you’d swear was plucked straight from the pages of a comic book.

Set in a near-future dystopia, a chiseled Skarsgård plays the story’s deaf-mute protagonist who’s known only as Boy. We learn through a smattering of flashbacks that Boy’s family was murdered right in front of him by a totalitarian dictator named Hilda van der Koy (Famke Janssen). Though just a child, Boy managed to escape but remained emotionally scarred and thirsty for revenge. We’re told how he sought the help of a Shaman (Yayan Ruhian) who for years has been training him to become the “ultimate warrior”.

As Boy’s rigorous and often agonizing training continues, Hilda and her power-mad family rule the unnamed city with a brutal iron fist. Nowhere is this more evident than in their annual event called “The Culling”. It’s essentially televised mass murderer as the fascist family gathers twelve citizens from the poor side of town and make examples out of them in front of a live studio audience. While gathering victims for the new year’s show, Boy witnesses acts of unspeakable violence by Hilda’s inept husband Glen (Sharlto Copley). He decides that enough is enough and sets off on his revenge-fueled campaign.

Skarsgård’s performance is an electric mix of physicality and expression, but he isn’t alone in depicting Boy. Acclaimed voice actor H. Jon Benjamin plays Boy’s inner voice who’s constantly letting us know what’s going in his mind. Benjamin makes for a great compliment to Skarsgård and Mohr is able to fuse them both into one fascinating and fun lead character.

Meanwhile the film features an assembly of colorful supporting characters energized by a wonderful ensemble cast. In addition to Janssen, Ruhian, and Copley we also get Michelle Dockery as Hilda’s wicked sister Melanie and Brett Gelman as her unreliable brother Gideon. Young Quinn Copeland frequently pops up as Mina, the ghost of Boy’s murdered little sister. And Isaiah Mustafa and Andrew Koji are a lot of fun as the two-man self-identified “Resistance”. But tops on the list is the fiercely intense Jessica Rothe playing the family’s top enforcer. It’s a dramatically different kind of role for Rothe and she kills it.

“Boy Kills World” is a wild and zany mashup that can be outrageously funny one second and ferociously ultraviolent the next. While the humor is a welcomed ingredient, its the action that drives the movie. Choreographer David Szatarski unleashes some truly spectacular fight sequences. They’re savage, bloody, and stylishly in tune with the film’s spirited tone. There’s not a lot of depth to the story but there are some surprising twists. And Skarsgård gives us a rooting interest that we’re happy to follow to the very end. “Boy Kills World” opens in theaters this Friday.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

In 1974, Robert Clouse had just directed the highly revered Bruce Lee martial arts classic, “Enter the Dragon”. That film was an enormous box office success, earning a total of $400 million worldwide (which is over $2 BILLION today when adjusted for inflation). “Enter the Dragon” also starred a young Black martial artist named Jim Kelly. Clouse was so impressed with the charismatic Kelly that he cast him in his next movie, “Black Belt Jones”.

Checking off many blaxploitation boxes, “Black Belt Jones” offers up much of what you would expect from a wild genre mash-up of action, comedy, crime thriller, and of course kung-fu. It features much of what made blaxploitation films popular during their time. But it’s also hampered by their weaknesses which in this case are hard to look past despite the fun.

Kelly plays the titular Black Belt Jones, an expert martial artist thrust into a conflict between an old friend and the Mafia. Jones’ mentor, Wesley “Papa” Byrd (played by the great Scatman Crothers) runs Black Byrd Karate School. It’s located on a small patch of land in the middle of the city that the Mafia is desperate to get their hands on.

After local mob leader Don Steffano (Andre Philippe) gets wind that the city government is planning on building a huge civic center in the area, he begins gobbling up all the property in the neighborhood. He’s able to get everything but the karate school. So the Don sends a local drug dealer named Pinky (Malik Carter) to strong-arm Papa into selling his land. But when Pinky accidentally kills Papa, Black Belt Jones is forced to get involved.

Adding an extra wrinkle is Sydney Frazier (Gloria Hendry), Papa’s estranged daughter who comes into town determined to pay back those who killed her father. Hendry adds some spice to the story, portraying a young woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself. She and Kelly have some fun chemistry together. At least until Clouse overplays it by throwing together a hopelessly corny cat-and-mouse game on the beach. It’s meant to be romantic but instead is comically mawkish.

“Black Belt Jones” has some big laughs, often at unexpected moments. And while the screenplay doesn’t always help him, Jim Kelly is a fun and often charismatic lead. But the hokiness is hard to overlook, and even the most forgiving eye will have a hard time looking past the movie’s obvious limitations. Genre fans like myself will find something to enjoy. But there are plenty of better films for those wanting to dip their toes into the world of blaxploitation.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

From the earliest moments of “Brief History of a Family” first-time feature filmmaker Jianjie Lin has his audience in the palm of his hand. And he keeps us in his hand, along with our instincts and expectations, until late into the film where he loosens his grip and suddenly has us second guessing nearly everything we thought we knew. That’s just one part of the genius of this smart and crafty movie.

“Brief History of a Family” is a strikingly assured debut for Lin who writes and directs this absorbing thriller set in China following the 2016 rescission of the government’s one-child policy. The setting adds a sociopolitical layer to the story that mostly exists in the background yet looms over much of the story. But Lin’s interests go well beyond that. This becomes evident once he begins digging into the complex dynamics of an upper middle-class family following the arrival of an enigmatic young guest into their lives.

From the first moment we first see 15-year-old Yan Shuo (Xilun Sun) he’s a mystery. He’s quiet and reserved; a bit of an outcast. At school he gets beaned in the head with a ball by the more athletic Wei (Muran Lin). Feeling guilty, Wei invites Yan Shuo to his house to play video games. A little later, Wei’s parents ask Yan Shuo to stay for dinner. This sets in motion a story with all the markings of a family infiltration thriller. But are things really what they seem to be?

It takes no time for Lin to raise our suspicions and have us questioning Yan Shuo. Who is he? What are his intentions? Is he being truthful with this family? Xilun Sun’s performance adds to the mystery. He’s unreadable and impenetrable which prompts us to suspect him more. Wei and his parents attempt to learn more about him by asking about his family. But all they get are cryptic responses about his deceased mother and hard-drinking father. It’s enough to earn their sympathies and Yan Shuo becomes a regular at their home.

The subtle thriller elements become more pronounced the deeper Yan Shuo penetrates the family’s encapsulated lives. He wins the affections of Wei’s mother, Mrs. Tu (Ke-Yu Guo) by simply showing interest in her, listening to her stories, and helping in the kitchen. He wins over the stern Mr. Tu (Feng Zu) with his admiration of Bach and his academic drive. And he wins over Wei by keeping his parents off his back. As it all plays out, deep secrets and buried tensions surface. Feelings of disillusionment and disappointment as well as sorrow and regret shed more light on the family and where the story is going.

As the story percolates Lin’s visual creativity and technique is essential in creating tension and unease. Everything from his precise framing to his use of light and shadows to the sleek modernist architecture – it all helps Lin guide his audience to certain conclusions. There is a thematic correlation with some of the imagery. Other instances reveal a cunning filmmaker using imagery like a carrot on a stick. It’s a testament to Lin’s vision and DP Jiahao Zhang’s ability to realize it through his camera.

With “Brief History of a Family” Jianjie Lin subtly yet effectively speaks to a variety of political, cultural, and domestic issues. At the same time, he plays around with genre in some unexpected and crafty ways. Better yet, his handling of the material, character work, tone management, and visual imagination show a filmmaking acuity usually found in the more seasoned and accomplished. It’s a big reason why Lin should be on everyone’s ‘to-watch’ list.

VERDICT – 4 STORY

It seems director David Ayer may have an affection for unapologetically silly, over-the-top, 80’s action throwbacks. That’s precisely what we get with his new feature “The Beekeeper”, a movie that never once attempts to hide what it is or what it’s going for. I doubt that any amount of glaring self-awareness will change things for those who enter the theater with their noses in the air or their minds made up. But for everyone else, there’s some fun to be had here.

That isn’t to say “The Beekeeper” is some new action classic or that it’s free of flaws. The story is a combination of the conventional and outlandish. And the dialogue only gets hokier as the story progresses (“I lost my virginity in that barn” is just one glowing example). Yet the movie gets by in large part thanks to its lead, Jason Statham. He remains one of the more magnetic action movie stars working today. Statham possesses a steely charisma and an ability to wink at the audience without ever breaking character. All of that on top of his amazing physicality.

Here Statham plays Adam Clay, a quiet and content man who tends honey bee hives for a kindly widow named Eloise (Phylicia Rashad). We learn that Eloise took Adam in and lets him rent a space in her barn. To repay her generosity, Adam helped Eloise maintain her farm following the death of her husband.

One day Eloise gets a warning on her computer that she has a virus. Not knowing what to do, she calls the phone number on her screen. It turns out to be a phishing scam posing as an anti-virus software company. Eloise is connected to a clown named Garnett (David Witts) who tricks her into using her passwords to open up her bank accounts. Through data mining, his team instantly empties her life savings. They even drain the funds out of a children’s charity she operates. Devastated, Eloise takes her own life.

Her death sets off Adam who turns out to have a pretty interesting background. He’s actually retired from a clandestine program known as Beekeepers. The secret off-the-grid organization sends out its Beekeeper whenever a situation gets too big for law enforcement or the government. Armed with his ‘particular set of skills’, Adam sets out to find and dole out payback on the scammers who took advantage of Eloise. The trail leads him to a state-of-the-art multi-million dollar call center which he promptly destroys.

Adam’s actions get the attention of a rich and privileged twenty-something named Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) who owns the call center and many others like it. Pampered and protected by his powerful mother (Jemma Redgrave), the snot-nosed Derek doesn’t like Adam interfering with his $9 million a month operation. So he sends Garnett and some heavily armed goons to deal with the problem. But Adam disposes of them and then sets out to cut the head off of the snake.

While all of that is going on there’s another side of the story involving Eloise’s semi-estranged daughter Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman), an FBI agent investigating Adam’s warpath. These cliché riddled scenes aren’t at all compelling and often resemble some cheap, stripped-down television crime drama. Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer tries to make Verona and her FBI colleagues resemble a functioning Bureau. But they come across as inept and always ten steps behind.

Some interesting faces pop up along the way, most notably Jeremy Irons (I’m not sure how they got him onboard). He plays a former CIA Director employed by Derek’s mother to cover her son’s tracks. Among his resources is Minnie Driver playing an agent still active in the CIA. Both do good with what they’re given. Hutcherson is less convincing. He nails the obnoxious bratty stuff. But no amount of privilege can make him a believable business mogul.

That leaves Statham who puts the movie on his back and carries it through. The action scenes are electric and lean into the actor’s strengths. They get a little hard to decipher in the final 15 minutes, but Statham is effortlessly entertaining and a natural on-screen tough guy. He can’t fully cover all of the film’s issues. But for the most part Statham helps the movie deliver exactly what it promises. And for his many fans, that’s all they’re looking for. “The Beekeeper” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Between 1990 and 1993 Finnish filmmaker Renny Harlin directed back-to-back action-packed blockbuster hits “Die Hard 2” and “Cliffhanger”. In between the two films he produced the critically acclaimed award-winning indie “Rambling Rose”. Needless to say Harlin’s star was rising. But then came his 1995 pirate swashbuckler “Cutthroat Island”. It was a movie hampered by a troubled production that included several delays, numerous rewrites, friction on the set, and a budget that skyrocketed.

“Cutthroat Island” was a box office disaster and Harlin’s career took a hit as a result. To his credit, he has steadily worked since that unfortunate setback. Not on big budget or what you might call mainstream projects. But he’s still doing what he loves – making movies. His latest is “The Bricklayer”, an action thriller based on Paul Lindsay’s 2010 novel of the same name.

Written for the screen by Hanna Weg and Matt Johnson, “The Bricklayer” plays a lot like a prototypical spy flick but with an edge. It features secret agents, undercover missions, a rogue asset, a global conspiracy, and so on. But Harlin infuses his film with grittier action and much less spy movie gloss. It doesn’t cover the film’s noticeable blemishes, but it does make it reasonably entertaining for those with their expectations in the right place.

The film stars Aaron Eckhart, a talented veteran actor deserving of a lot better roles than he tends to get. Here he plays Steve Vail, a grizzled and understandably hardened CIA field agent who enjoys classical jazz and has a special affection for masonry. Despite being effective in the field, the disillusioned Vail has found himself persona non grata at the agency. That is until a certain event in Thessaloniki, Greece forces the CIA to come calling.

We learn that three international journalists have been murdered within a month, the latest being a German reporter who happens to be an outspoken critic of U.S. intelligence activities across the world. The murder gives rise to theories that the CIA is behind the killings. At CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, a young and devoted agent, Kate Bannon (Nina Dobrev) makes an alarming discovery when scouring over surveillance footage from Greece.

Kate identifies Victor Radek (Clifton Collins Jr.) among the images from a Thessaloniki metro station. Radek was a former covert CIA operative who went rogue before supposedly dying 18 months ago. His one-time handler and close friend was Steve Vail. Kate and her boss, Director O’Malley (Tim Blake Nelson) fly to Philadelphia and meet with Vail. Believing Radek is killing journalists and framing the CIA, O’Malley sends Vail and Kate on a non-sanctioned mission to track down and apprehend Vail’s old friend.

From there it almost appears that the story is going to lean on that well-worn dynamic between the gruff seasoned agent and the young inexperienced rookie. It’s certainly an element to the story and Eckhart and Dobrev sell it well. But thankfully it’s not something Harlin dwells on. Instead he whisks us away to a series of gorgeous Greek locales, introducing us to a number of key players along the way. Most are mere archetypes rather than well-rounded characters, yet they service the story well.

As for the story, it moves at a fairly rapid pace and holds your interest throughout. But all-in-all it’s a pretty conventional spy tale that’s helped along by a number of obvious conveniences. It’s also hampered by some glaringly corny dialogue (“I never do a job without my tools.” “Cryin’ is dyin’ kid.” Or “I was born on a Tuesday but not last Tuesday.”). Even more, the film’s central conflict doesn’t quite create a sense of peril nor does it raise the stakes to the degree needed for this kind of story.

As for the performances, Eckhart once again makes for a sturdy lead and Dobrev is a solid foil. Some of the supporting turns are a little shakier. I’m a huge Tim Blake Nelson fan, but his super-serious monotone delivery is borderline comical. As for Collins Jr., he makes for a serviceable but not especially interesting antagonist. He doesn’t quite bring gravitas or relay his character’s convictions in a compelling way.

Yet despite its flaws “The Bricklayer” remains a moderately fun spy film in large part due to Harlin’s propulsive direction and Eckhart’s vigorous lead performance. The action is exciting, highlighted by some well choreographed and intensely brutal fight sequences. And even though the script stumbles in spots, it’s entertaining enough and holds your attention. That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but it’s more than I can say for some of the more heralded films from the last year. “The Bricklayer” releases January 5th in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS