Weekly Streaming Recap: Week of 1/14/2022

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 3 (Disney+): Choices are definitely being made on this show. Whether they are good or not can certainly be debated, but it has to be commended that this show is consistently taking chances. Not many Star Wars shows would introduce a group of street punks driving multicolored dieselpunk-inspired speeders, but here we are. It is pretty apparent where this narrative train is headed, and Boba Fett is on a collision course with Crimson Dawn. Whether or not that will be satisfying is up for debate, at this point it is not looking good though.

Peacemaker Episodes 1-3 (HBOMax): Peacemaker marks the first of HBOMax’s series spinoffs from movies that were announced before the movie was released. Because the show was announced before even the first trailer for The Suicide Squad came out, it was hard for some to get excited for the show. It seemed like greenlighting projects by algorithm, especially when this was done alongside a Gotham Central show spun out of The Batman (yet to be released) and a prequel show about the Bene Gesserit spun out of Dune. Fortunately, Peacemaker has exceeded all expectations and is a delight to watch. The relationship between the titular character and the various agents of A.R.G.U.S. is delightful and the way his relationship with his father is the catalyst for his personality and modus operandi is an interesting take on a little-known character. If there are any gripes to be had with the show it’s that the CGI gets a little iffy at times and the characterization around Vigilante is a little unique. Gunn’s take on characters and making them a shade goofy works for some but not so much with Vigilante, considering he is DC’s answer to Frank Castle/The Punisher.

The Tender Bar (Amazon Prime): Ben Affleck marks himself as a latecomer to the Best Supporting Actor race with The Tender Bar. It is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who finds a father-figure in a bartender that has been done before, but the performance by Affleck makes it worth a watch.

You May Have Missed:

Bio-Dome (HBOMax): If someone has not seen Bio-Dome, it should be shown to them. It is one of the worst movies ever made and it is leaving HBOMax at the end of the month. This movie stars Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin as stoners who end up sealed in a biosphere as part of a science experiment.

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal (Comixology Unlimited): This volume collects the first five issues of the 2014 run on Ms. Marvel from G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. It outlines the origin of Kamala Khan in the Marvel Universe. This origin is unique because not only does Kamala Khan take over the mantle of Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers, but it also introduces her entire supporting cast of characters and everything about the character needed to enjoy the run and does it well. In all likelihood when Marvel Studios adapts the character to the screen later this year there will be some departures from what the source material developed, but this will still be a good primer to get audiences excited for the show.