Alan Cerny

The opening shot of Steven Spielberg’s astounding Disclosure Day is as relevant as it is unexpected. We begin at a wrestling match, where Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is nervously waiting for contact with some agents from a secretive pseudo-government agency. Kellner has stolen some data from them, and the organization led by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) desperately wants it back.

I intentionally went into Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu without revisiting the shows. Both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett help expand the story of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal in voice and close-ups, Brendan Wayne in action) and his “young” ward/foster child Grogu. But if this didn’t work as a movie without referencing hours of streaming shows, then Lucasfilm would have a serious problem. Fact is, Star Wars isn’t what it once was.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is spectacular. This Disney+ show feels like the answer to a few complaints from much of the Star Wars fandom, to find the “grim and gritty” aspects of the franchise, but while Maul: Shadow Lord is darker than other entries, it feels like a piece of the saga very much, both in tone and in story. It’s action-packed and wears its influences on its sleeve, but viewers may be surprised at those influences this time around.