Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds: In my youth, after my first flight on an airplane I had always thought of being a pilot. When asked what alternative career I would have pursued other than law, I always respond that I would have wanted to be a pilot. That interest in airplanes also transferred into an affinity for making model airplanes, and also going to air shows (mostly to see the jets). Going to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto Air Show each Labour Day weekend has been a ritual for decades. I am most impressed by the US air demonstration teams of the Navy (the Blue Angels) and the Air Force (the Thunderbirds). The Navy flies F-18s, and the Air Force the F-16. When I saw that Netflix was releasing a documentary on the Air Force Thunderbirds I was eager to seek it out.
What they have done is put together a story about the 2023 Thunderbird season, with the pilots, family and crew involved. Half of the team changes each year as the pilots are assigned for a two-year engagement. In 2023, they have a leader (call sign Astro) entering into his second season. One of the major milestones for the team collectively each year is to become certified from the top brass. It involves training for the coming show, and demonstrating that it can be performed safely for all members. The Thunderbirds put on approximately 60 shows a season. It is a grueling and intense time for all involved. Astro’s wife points out that when her husband approached her about doing this assignment (being the leader of the team) that historically there has been a 10% chance at dying while with the team. The last fatality was in 2018 when a pilot blacked out doing a high g-force manoever. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this, and not just for seeing the jets perform in their tight formations (when the wings can be within 18 inches of each other) but also the human stories. The certification process is difficult, and we see one of the pilots struggling with the final air burst demonstration. These are elite pilots, who have flown combat missions, and thousands of hours and are the best of the best. Yet air demonstration is not what they trained for at all. So there is a steep learning curve with plenty of pressure and knowing that your life, and those of your team are at stake. For me it gives me a much greater appreciation for the skill involved in this most difficult but glamourous job. The training, the stresses on the human body, the coordination of effort and the magnificence of the machines involved is astounding. Seek it out, as it is worth your time.
Andor Season 2: I have mentioned in previous posts that a friend had suggested that I check out Andor. And despite my last review stating that I wouldn’t rush out to see Rogue One again, I did anyway! I have the blu-ray dvd and just watched it after the conclusion of the first season. I will preface my remarks in that I have been utterly disappointed in the Star Wars offerings since Disney has taken over from George Lucas. From Solo, to Boba Fett, to Obi Wan and others nothing has come close to living up to the Star Wars creativity and wonder. This includes the sequels of the main story (episodes VII, VIII and IX) and The Mandalorian which started out decently and faded. I also noted that Andor is a significant investment in time. Both seasons are 12 episodes and those are close to an hour each, so you are in for 24 hours of viewing. This is the conclusion to the series. So I was more than a little skeptical about what lay ahead. What I can report is that Season 2 gets better and better, and from the episodes regarding Ghorman it becomes more compelling. The intrigue is on a number of levels. From the Imperial side, there is leadership (Ben Mendelsohn being at the top as Krennic), the middle management with Dedra Meero and Syril Karn and then the emerging Rebellion side which has the same power structure. Cassian Andor is a soldier among many with his love interest and friends.
It is all coming together really well. It is well written and well acted. There is weight to the situation and the intensity rises. Aspects of Rogue One, where were simply introduced without background make more sense, like the battle droids. But it has so many aspects that start to come together, and for me it likely will require another viewing to fully appreciate it. Not sure I am prepared to invest even more time, but like Alison was saying to me, she is taking a slow approach to this series and not binging it to more fully enjoy it and savour it. I am understanding that approach more. Sure, some episodes are stronger than others, but there are some really strong episodes. Who would have expected Senator Mon Mothma to be so important, from a minor character in A New Hope and later Return of the Jedi. She and Luthen Rael (played by Stellen Skarsgard) are laying the foundation for resistence to an oppressive Imperial regime. All of that ties well into the manifesto from the young rebel Karis Nemik (played by Alex Lawther) in the first season, in the mission on “Aldhani”. In summary, this for me is the best effort from Disney for Star Wars. They aren’t just putting out mindless content that leverages off the work of Lucas and known characters, but rather created a fulsome overview in the elements leading up to Rogue One and A New Hope. It is fair to say that Rogue One is viewed differently after seeing this series. Well done Disney, giving credit where credit is due.
Pee Wee As Himself: Periodically on X, formerly Twitter, there are random questions posed like “name a character played by a person that coudn’t be done by anyone else?”. For me other than Napoleon Dynamite actor Jon Heder, Paul Reubens comes to mind as the incomparable Pee Wee Herman. Reubens was a comedic actor, and he created this alter ego many years ago. The story of the creation, and the years leading up to that moment are outlined in this two-part documentary. Reubens died in July 2023, shortly after completing this documentary.
Reubens and his life had been tied to Pee Wee Herman for so long, and he (without telling the director and producers of the documentary) had been fighting illness, specifically acute myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer. He wanted to tell HIS story and to be seen, which I can respect. The first episode talks about his early days, and being at school. He had ultimately joined a group of comedic actors, who had performed improv and put on shows. I think the genesis of the idea about the man-child who is Pee Wee. Then once performed it took on a life of its own.
Reubens was gay, and his early days he was in a long term same-sex relationship that eventually ended. He decided to pour himself into his career. One thing about Reubens is that he wrote much of the material (along with SNL alumnus Phil Hartman) and had most of the decisions about casting and sets. He surrounded himself with quality people, although he was a perfectionist and a bit of a control freak. One can see that control even in speaking with the director on camera about the production of the documentary. Of course, episode two cannot avoid speaking about Reubens’ fall from grace when he was found and charged with public indecency at an adult movie theatre. Much of this was prompted by a prosecutor who was looking for re-election and wanted to make a public splash. Reubens suffered from this humiliation in addition to a charge later of having possession of child pornography which he vehemently denied and which the facts brought forward certainly seems to support.
I enjoyed this. I think it met Reubens’ goal of having the audience know his story. Pee Wee’s Playhouse was cutting edge, must-watch TV on Saturday mornings as a university student and ran from 1986 to 1990. It was funny. The first movie was excellent. Reubens latched on to not only an idea and concept, but to the entire world that his creation Pee Wee lived within. This iconic character will live as a remembrance of the genius that Paul Reubens and team brought to the world at that time. This is well worth watching.
Flow: This Latvian animated film has won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for animated film. The first ever Oscar award for Latvia. Both awards were displayed in the Latvian National Museum of Art where 15,000 people came to see them over ten days. This movie is on Crave now. Sometimes art, creativity and visuals come together so well that the plot is not as important in the grand scheme of things. For me, this is such a film. There is no dialogue at all in this movie. Basically, there is an adult black cat in a wilderness that very quickly has to deal with a catastrophic environmental event. The cat’s world is flooding, and quickly. Other animals around the cat are scrambling just like the cat is, including a pack of dogs of various breeds that were initially chasing the cat. In very much a Life of Pi kind of way, a boat out of the blue arrives. It is a lifeline to survival, and different creatures need to be able to life in tight spaces together. Along with it comes other animals, some friend and others not. The animals need to respond to what has occurred. No explanation is given, no political statement is made, like global warming. Instead the viewer is able to make up its own mind. Because there is no dialogue, the creatures need to be able to communicate their feelings and emotions with non-verbal cues. The animators have done an excellent job with the cat mannerisms, but who would have expected the same with the meerkat or the cappyberra? It is all good.
I enjoyed this. I had questions. None of them were answered. So I get to fill in my own blanks. Be sure to watch until the very end. This kept my attention, and I am glad that I watched it. I think too from an awards standpoint, an independent film like this winning is a very good thing for the industry. It doesn’t always have to be a Disney/Pixar film that wins Best Animated film.
Mondays With Robbie 