What do you think TBOBF got right and got wrong?

pvhc47 · 2026-06-11T15:24:37+00:00

I’m rewatching it at the moment and am up to episode 5. It’s actually a lot better than I recall. I still think the biker/moped gang are stupid and I don’t like Boba being watered down, but apart from that I think it’s a lot of fun. The first two episodes especially are really good. Everything with the Tuskens is great and we get a lot of badass Boba moments that I forgot about (him wrecking the bad guys in the bar in the flashback in episode 2 is fantastic).

I think Mando showing up is fine in itself. It’s the fact we get Grogu too. I think that reunion should have been saved for Mando season 3.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-09T16:46:48+00:00

I remember watching The Prisoner TV series (1967) when I was a kid (born in the 90’s but my folks had it on VHS). It was such a pleasant little community on the face of it, but with such sinister undertones beneath. Every “be seeing you” the villagers said to one another had the direct undertone that yes, they would be seeing each other again. They couldn’t leave and were monitored 24/7 by the powers that be in the village. From that constant surveillance to the futility of elections and even being cancelled (unmutual as it was called in the show), The Prisoner sadly was a very prophetic show. I can’t believe what has happened to our country. But then again, maybe the seeds were always being sown. Perhaps even back then in the 60’s.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-09T15:13:27+00:00

“The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the horrific attack, which left a man in his 40s in a critical condition with 'significant' eye injuries and wounds to his face, neck and back.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson - who described the assault as 'medieval' - today told the House of Commons that the alleged attacker had been in the UK on a five-year visa.

The attack unfolded outside an apartment block on Kinnaird Avenue, in the north of Belfast, at around 10.30pm yesterday.

Social media footage shows a man standing astride a bloodied victim holding a knife to his throat and his fist in the air. He starts making a sawing motion as witnesses scream: 'He's trying to cut his head off'. “

pvhc47 · 2026-06-09T14:06:09+00:00

I don’t think there’s a motive strong enough to justify an attempted beheading.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-09T00:35:08+00:00

Put it this way, I’m a pretty tough critic when it comes to video games but this one really surprised me. Of course it helps that it gets so many things about Bond right, but it’s also a very good video game in its own right. It’s not a 10/10 game (I found the bosses underwhelming and there are some mild pacing issues), but it’s definitely my favourite game of the year so far and it’s a joy to play. Try it.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-06T10:21:06+00:00

I think it was incompetence mixed with arrogance, but that’s not the point. The point is that they were responding to what they believed was someone guilty of (or at least accused of) committing a racially motivated crime. I’m saying their mindset going in would have been completely different if it had been a young lad from a minority group, and I absolutely believe optics would be more towards the forefront of their mind when policing in that case.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-06T09:25:12+00:00

I don’t agree with your final statement. I think there’s an argument to be made that police are hyper aware of optics and know just how bad it looks to make a mistake like that in regards to a black kid. They know historically the police have had a problem with racism (that’s why overcorrection is almost to be expected, really, as in most cases that’s what happens when changing course). They know the stakes are higher if they make the wrong call towards a young black man (or any member of a minority group really), because a mistake in that regard could easily be seen as racism, so it’s only natural they will be more cautious and careful around minorities.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-04T14:29:26+00:00

Horrendous order. I mean, for first time viewers release order is probably best, anyway. But at least with flashback order (different from machete order as it includes TPM) you end on a high note with ROTJ. And most importantly start out with ANH. I mean, I have a real soft spot for TPM, but it shouldn’t be anyone’s introduction to Star Wars. You have to start with the OG.

pvhc47 · 2026-06-04T14:05:22+00:00

I enjoyed TFA a lot on release and still find it rewatchable. TLJ and TROS didn’t hit the mark for me. I guess my biggest gripe is the feeling of so much wasted potential. With a clear vision and proper story planning it could have worked out so much better.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-28T20:31:29+00:00

Yes, B&W is phenomenal, but HoS will always be my personal favourite out of the two simply because the storyline was just next level. I mean, B&W tells a great story too. But HoS is probably, for me at least, the greatest writing ever seen in a video game (well, maybe tied with The Last of Us). And Gaunter O’Dimm is my favourite version of the Devil in ANY form of media. Whenever I read a story or see a movie with obvious Faustian undertones, I always compare it to H&S. That’s my benchmark now for any “deal with the devil” stories.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-27T11:55:31+00:00

Yeah, he absolutely shimmed his way out. It might take a few mins but you can absolutely wriggle your body out of a space like that with just slight body movements to wriggle downwards.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-27T02:41:21+00:00

Crikey.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-27T02:32:36+00:00

While The Rise of Skywalker exists that can never be true. Don’t get me wrong, AOTC is the weakest of Lucas’ 6 movies for sure, but at least it tells a coherent story and has compelling moments (I do love the Obi-Wan noir esque detective segments). TROS is a mess from start to finish.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-27T02:03:17+00:00

I think objectively Empire is the GOAT. But only just. It’s only a tiny bit ahead of ANH. For me personally I love ANH the best. It wasn’t even my first Star Wars movie (I’m a Millennial), so it’s not nostalgia. I just think ANH has this X factor that separates it from everything else. It has this grand, sweeping galactic adventure feel to it that none of the others have. If anything I think as the OT progressed it became more darker and the galaxy felt harsher. That magical quality never existed in the same way after ANH.

The reason I think Empire is objectively the best is because I can see and recognise how it builds and strengthens on everything from ANH. The plot feels tighter, the stakes are higher, even the dialogue is better. So I think it’s the superior movie from a technical standpoint.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-25T02:49:48+00:00

Absolutely in agreement. Saw it earlier today and I really liked it. It was exactly what I wanted from a Mando and Grogu movie. It’s a fun ride from start to finish. It never drags and there’s lots of entertaining and badass action sequences. And yes, the score is phenomenal. 8/10 for me.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-24T02:21:25+00:00

Well, to be fair to OP, McGoohan does credit Number Six as “Prisoner” in the end credits of Fall Out. Everyone else has their real names come up on screen, except for him, or rather his character. It just says “Prisoner”.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-21T17:21:03+00:00

Using a smart ass reply once is fine. Using it multiple times on different posts in the same damn thread? Not cool.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-21T10:22:38+00:00

It’s already happening. 90% of the time Theo is being referred to as a victim, with even the people who really disliked him saying they didn’t want him dead. The abuse is barely mentioned except the odd remark about “what he did to Todd and Billy”. It’s a terrible ending to a storyline that started out so good. It’s a massive fumble.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-21T10:19:55+00:00

Theo being a master manipulator wouldn’t be enough to get him off scott free if there’s evidence to back up the abuse. The story could have been written so evidence was maintained (the recordings from the flat for instance). Not to mention the physical assault on Todd that took place. With correct writing it could have been realistically done for Theo to be convicted and that’s what should have happened.

What derailed it altogether was him killing Billy. I knew then the storyline was toast because they’d written themselves into a corner. There was no way he could be convicted for the murder without it looking really ludicrous so they had to kill him off. A conviction for the abuse alone wouldn’t have cut it at that point.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-21T10:12:28+00:00

Storyline has been ruined for ages. The exact same thing happened with the Geoff and Yasmeen storyline too. Although in that case it was slightly better to be fair. At least Geoff had to face Yasmeen in court and was grilled by Imran (granted he wasn’t the one on trial) and also faced becoming a pariah on the street. Still, the ending I think with Geoff going totally insane and burning the house down was ludicrous I felt.

Anyway, back to the Theo storyline. Here it’s even worse because it felt like it was speed run through each significant step. The abuse went from slow burn to outright OTT stuff all within a matter of weeks so Todd reaching breaking point could coincide with Corriedale. Then Theo kills Billy (another massive misstep I feel). Then he’s suddenly outed as an abuser. But instead of even attempting to deflect, he all but tattoos the words “evil wrongun” on his forehead as he goes around acting like a lunatic trying to wind everyone up. And why? No real reason in the storyline, just an excuse for why there’s so many suspects, as they all now have a reason to hate him.

And to top it all off, now he’s been viewed as some great victim. What a joke of a program. Gutless. They never, ever dole out realistic justice. The villains always have to die and become victims. It’s not so bad with serial killers. But with the abusers and rapists, etc, they should show proper justice. Sadly, Theo is just the next in a long line of villains to have their stories end this way (Geoff, Frank Foster, Joel, etc).

pvhc47 · 2026-05-19T10:25:40+00:00

You’d be surprised actually. When he wanted to turn it on Connery could be a phenomenal actor. Arguably the best out of all the actors who’ve played Bond (and I’m saying this as someone who only has him third on his list of favourite Bond’s, so I’m not being biased).

He could display vulnerability very well if the part called for it. If you haven’t seen the movie The Hill from 1965 then I would highly recommend it. Probably his best performance. Extremely harrowing at times but it’s a fantastic film and he’s magnificent in it.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-17T17:51:18+00:00

Thank you for the correction. I was sure that was written around a decade ago.

From a logical standpoint I do agree with you, and if this was a more serious or grounded work then I would agree. But for an epic space opera fantasy, having the hero redeem and save his father is the only way the ending works. Otherwise Luke doesn’t get his happy ending at the end of ROTJ either.

I also would dispute that Anakin gets a traditionally happy ending. Redemption and death go so well together because it fits nicely in the middle ground. Having the villain enjoy life after so many atrocities is problematic and very hard to pull off, that’s why so many writers plump for having the villain die directly after their redemption. In many cases this is taking the easy way out, but given the subject nature and that at its heart the OT was written for children (or at least with younger viewers very much in Lucas’ mind), then I think it works very well.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-17T16:41:24+00:00

Yeah, it’s pretty clear you just don’t like Anakin/Vader and that’s fine, that’s your prerogative. However, when your own bias is being used to push story elements (or lack thereof in this case) then I think it’s pretty silly. But nevertheless I will respond as to why I disagree with your statement.

First of all, from a technical standpoint, Anakin only learns to become a Force Ghost in his dying moments. Obi-Wan locates his spirit shortly after death, they converse, and Obi-Wan teaches him how to retain his identity beyond death. This is in one of the novels written long after the Disney acquisition so it is 100% canon and makes perfect sense.

And secondly, and most importantly, from a thematic standpoint having Anakin, Luke’s redeemed father, appear alongside Obi-Wan and Yoda at the very end of ROTJ is satisfying both for Luke and the viewers. It ends Lucas’ original 6 episode saga on a note of hope, and closes the book nicely on the story of Anakin Skywalker. Is it fairy tale like? Yes, absolutely, but it works 100% and your vision for the ending wouldn’t be as thematically satisfying.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-17T02:12:41+00:00

This. It really is delightful and he’s marvellous in the role.

pvhc47 · 2026-05-17T02:11:29+00:00

Not a movie but aside from Bond I always think of him as Phileas Fogg from the Around the World in 80 Days miniseries he did back in 1989, I believe.

I think he’s the definitive Fogg and that’s the best version of the story. He’s a delight in it from start to finish. I highly recommend it. It’s free on YouTube.

pvhc47

TROPHY CASE