The King's Man

Origin story for The Kingsman organization. Ralph Fiennes is the protagonist, former war hero turned pacifist who encounters a series of tragedies. These life events put him on the path of combatting evil and ultimately forming Kingsman. Almost a straight forward spy thriller, but enough oddities to toss around 'spoof' and 'farce'. But these don't really stick either. The intrigue here is supposed to be in the character development of Fiennes, but I found it to be a flat side story that didn't provide enough intrigue to carry the plot along. Without it, the spy thriller portion is formulaic.

3 stars (out of 5)

Lupin (serial)

In 2 parts - 5 episodes each. Omar Sy is outstanding as Assane Diop, a gentleman burgler who fancies himself the modern version of the fictional character Arsène Lupin. And by all accounts, he is. Diop has one purpose in life... to clear the name of his father who was framed for stealing a multimillion dollar diamond necklace from his employer. Most of the action happens in the present, 25 years after the original theft, but timely flashbacks give us enticing history about many of the characters. In every way, this is a classic action-heist that holds all the pieces together and is entertaining from start to finish. If you are a heist fan, put this on your must see list. 

5 stars (out of 5)

Star Trek: Discovery (serial)

Seasons 1-3

Don't know why this has taken so long for me to get to, but really a pretty good series that is well in line with the "discovery and exploration" vibe that I liked about ToS and TNG. Obviously some technology timeline issues, but really an interesting series. The protagonist is Michael Burnham, foster sister to Spock, and the action take place a decade before ToS. Burnham is not a captain, and yet is in the middle of every galaxy changing event - from war with the Klingons to super-sentient life hating AI to faster than warp travel to time travel. All while staying true to the prime directive and core values of Starfleet. Two things that I find worth noting: 1) I am much more cognizant of the colonial underpinnings of Starfleet and how even in its best self, the true believers in colonial power for good are blinded to the oppression that comes with it, and 2) The title music is definitely a rip-off of the Game of Thrones title music. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Reacher (serial)

Season 1

This is exactly what you want from a serial adaptation of a Jack Reacher story. Action, every motivation and decision is straight and to the point. In fact, if I hadn't been watching Star Trek simultaneously, I might not have noticed, but Reacher is very Vulcan. This season follows Lee Child's The Killing Floor. What I particularly miss in the screen version is that we don't get to see Reachers thought process, except for the occasional oration of that to another character. But if you are a Reacher fan, you kind of already know that process anyway and it is almost as fun reciting that inner dialogue yourself. It's not great filmmaking, but neither are the books great literature. Both are beach / late night entertainment. 

3 stars (out of 5)

Hawkeye (serial)

A little series that continues the Kingpin lineage (see Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, etc.). Hawkeye gets an unwanted protégé (Kate Bishop) as he tries to clean up some loose ends from a blip-inspired past he would like to forget. The fact that we get to spend time with the Track Suit Gang again (the Washington Generals of crime) makes the whole series worthwhile. 

3 stars (out of 5)