David R. Walker

Archive for May, 2026

Star Wars:

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Martin Scorsese, Shirley Henderson, Jonny Coyne, Steve Blum, Hemky Madera

Running Time: 2 hours and 12 minutes

Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Iron Man and Cowboy and Aliens director Jon Favreau bravely enters the Star Wars Universe with panache and skill in his new film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu starring a fantastic Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, a bounty hunter in a galaxy far far away.   

The bounty hunter along with his cute side kick Grogu, who is like a miniature Yoda are sent on a mission by Colonel Ward wonderfully played by Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl) to retrieve the nephew of the nefarious gangster Jabba the hut, Rotta the hut, voiced by The Bear star Jeremy Allen White. Sigourney Weaver in her fabled career has done every sci fi franchise including Avatar and Aliens so she is the perfect choice to appear in this Star Wars. Weaver is the queen of science fiction.

As the Mandalorian and Grogu travel across the galaxy to strange planets and bizarre circumstances they come across Rotta who is being held on an urban planet, with a production design reminiscent of Blade Runner.

Rotta is meant to be returned to the Hutt family but when the Mandalorian disobeys that order and sets him free, he gets embroiled in a series of monster clashes on the swampy home planet of Jabba the Hut and soon faces near death, devastation and despair.

Grogu as diminutive as he is, gets some help from some fellow creatures as they go back to rescue The Mandalorian from an intergalactic double cross.

Warning this film is deep sci-fi and will only appeal to fans of the Star Wars films. Despite the films lengths and that some scenes could have been edited, what elevates Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is the brilliant original musical score by Swedish film composer Ludwig Goransson who has won three Oscars for best original score for Sinners, Oppenheimer and Black Panther.

If you love film music, Goransson is the master of propelling a narrative forward just using amazing orchestral sounds.

The second thing that makes this Star Wars film so riveting is the superb visual effects, despite the lack of human faces in the film. Most of the film is made up of monsters and robots except for Sigourney Weaver and a very dead pan Pedro Pascal in the unmasking scene in the swamp of the snake dragon.

While the acting and storyline is not fundamental in this genre, what this film really delivers in terms of deep sci fi is stunning visual effects, perfect world building and entertaining action sequences on various diversified planets involving X-Wing fighters, occasional storm troopers and numerous swamp creatures.

Highly recommended for Star Wars fans only, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu gets a film rating of 7.5 out of 10 and is worth seeing.

This film cements Pedro Pascal‘s status as a contemporary Hollywood leading man, a Chilean actor who has catapulted to fame since he first appeared in HBO’s sensational series Game of Thrones.

Mortal Kombat II

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Karl Urban, Martyn Ford, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica MacNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Hiroyuki Sanada, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, Ludi Lin, Max Haung, Lewis Tan

Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes

Film Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Australian director Simon McQuoid returns as director to the sequel of the 2021 film Mortal Kombat with the new film simply titled Mortal Kombat II but this time he employs lots of laughs and sufficient martial arts, blood and gore to make this film entertaining although downright crazy at times.

Thankfully for the casting of New Zealand actor Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok, Star Trek: Beyond, Riddick) as the washed up 1990’s martial arts star Johnny Cage complete with black sunglasses and attitude that makes this film enjoyable. Karl Urban, channelling some of his bad ass character from the hit TV show The Boys currently streaming on Amazon Prime, he makes this film believable and hilarious combined with Josh Lawson as the one eyed Kano.

Mortal Kombat II is a combination of Australian humour and dazzling martial arts complete with a mostly Asian cast including Ludi Lin (Aquaman) who reprises his role as Liu Kang and Golden Globe winning Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada (Bullet Train) who reappears as the vengeful Scorpion aka Hanzo Hasashi.

Female power is represented in the form of Jessica MacNamee who returns as Sonja Blade and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana complete with killer fans, who lives by the mantra that everything is a weapon.

Jeremy Slater’s screenplay for Mortal Kombat II needed some more context and backstory as the multiple characters in this martial arts action fantasy jump between worlds which distorts an already confusing narrative. Fortunately Slater saves the script with some really funny one-liners uttered by Karl Urban and Josh Lawson in the raw Australian humour which is so hilarious.

Mortal Kombat II is loads of fun and definitely a fun popcorn film but it is not as good as the first film due to a confusing narrative and a plethora of characters that just appear to be cardboard cut outs hoping to inspire fans to dress up as their cosplay alter egos at the next Comic Con.

This fantasy martial arts action film is filled with fascinating visual effects coupled with enough gore to make the fights worthy of bloodlust but then pivots into a surreal scene stealing moment featuring Johnny Cage fighting a group of strange Mad Max like characters in a bid to win them over to the human side of Mortal Kombat. Weird and bizarre.

This sequel will make its production budget back and will be a big hit with gamers and those fans of the first film and the 1995 original. Mortal Kombat II should do well at the box office in the Asian markets and of course in Australia & New Zealand thanks to the antipodean cast.

Mortal Kombat II gets a film rating of 6.5 out of 10 and is big on humour, special effects and action but weak on a comprehensive storyline which makes the characters unbelievable and hollow. Recommended for those that love the niche genre of fantasy martial arts.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Director: David Frankel

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, B. J. Novak

Running time: 1 hour 59 minutes

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

It’s an amazing accomplishment to pull off a sequel twenty years after the original film.

Not only does director David Frankel do that with The Devil Wears Prada 2 but he assembles the same brilliant cast as the original. The Devil Wears Prada 2 reunites triple Oscar winner Meryl Streep (Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, The Iron Lady) as the demanding Miranda Priestly along with co-stars Oscar winner Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) and Oscar nominees Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) in this highly anticipated and lavish sequel.

The 2026 version is more like succession with scarves as Miranda Priestley editor in chief at the fashion magazine Runway is primed for a mega-promotion but when something unexpected happens to the owner of the global media company that owns the fashion magazine, Priestley’s position at Runway is in jeopardy.

In steps veteran journalist Andy Sachs expertly played by Hathaway who reunites with Nigel played by Tucci and the trio soon confront a shifting media landscape as the fashion world has evolved into the age of Instagram.

Priestley is unflappable in the midst of change, ably supported by her violinist husband Stuart played by Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, My Week with Marilyn) as she navigates a hostile takeover from tech billionaire Benji Barnes played by Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive, On The Basis of Sex).

What makes this sassy sequel work is the onscreen chemistry of the four main actors and of course the fashion. As Andi and Miranda Priestley head to Milan fashion week, they encounter an unlikely foe. With stunning visuals of Milan and Lake Como in Italy, the second half of The Devil Wears Prada 2 is absolutely magnificent ably assisted by a witty script by Aline Brosh McKenna who naturally gives Meryl Streep the best lines in the film.

Despite a frenetic beginning in New York and the Hamptons, the narrative steadies and then we have the Italian section which is sublime complete with that Meryl Streep moment. Dressed beautifully, she strolls slowly past a collection of designer shops including Prada and Dolce & Gabbana as she contemplates her next corporate manoeuvre with grace and poise.

Some of the best scenes are between Streep and Hathaway. It is so refreshing to see Anne Hathaway back on the big screen in a major role.

The best part about this sequel is that all the characters seem richer and more sophisticated. That twenty years has made all the difference even though the digital world has eclipsed print media.

Fashionistas look out for cameos by Gianni’s sister Donatella Versace, Victoria Secret model Karolina Kurkova and the uber cool Naomi Campbell. The best secret is in Milan where a surprise performer appears at the Milan fashion show much to Miranda Priestley’s horror. It’s not only the devil that can wear Prada.

With gorgeous city shots of New York and Milan, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is as good as the original, updating itself to a more glamourous high powered film for a more complex decade, whereby female empowerment is encouraged and celebrated. The men are just extras.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 gets a film rating of 8 out of 10 and is highly recommended viewing if you love fashion and Meryl Streep.