Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe

 What's going on kiddies? We're back with the day of June 22^nd is the birthday of actor/writer/producer Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead, Moontrap, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Tornado!, Escape from L.A., Ellen, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Bubba Ho-Tep and Burn Notice). From the humble Super 8 beginnings to three novels, this actor boy has been a Three Stooges fan as a lad and got the acting bug roughly about the same time. Today's movie gives us a glimpse into Burn Notice character, Sam Axe and what brought about his mustering out of rank and military clearance. This is Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe.

 

Ash and the Mandalorian side-by-side

 

 

 

 

 

 As our film opens, Sam (Bruce Campbell, in case you missed that.) is in his dress uniform and being brought before a military hearing for his conduct of his last "fact finding" mission in Columbia 3 years prior to the series. The fact this hearing is even happening means everything went pear shaped or SNAFU. Admiral Lawrence (John Diehl of Stripes, Miami Vice, Fail Safe, Lost Souls, The Zeros, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park III, The Shield, Land of Plenty, Point Pleasant, Gary's Walk and Gabe the Cupid Dog) wants Sam to walk him through all these events that lead up to the flaming dumpster fire of a mission.

 

What do you mean "sidekicks"?

 

 

 

 

 

As Sam re-accounts his actions bringing him to his mission, he was doing a bit of reconnaissance... or spot the submarine with a rather dishy blonde, Donna (Chandra West of Universal Soldier II: Brother in Arms, Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business, NYPD Blue, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, The Gates, Z and Spiral). The downside to this lover connection? She happens to be the wife of his superior officer, Admiral Maitland (Alex Fernandez of F.E.A.R. 3, Driver: San Francisco, NCIS, Dallas, Killer Women, Devious Maids, True Detective, Stevie D, Lucifer and Christmas Crime Story). Talk about not taking in your surroundings.

 

Can't help you, Sam. I'm just a cameo.

 

 

 

 

 

A near miss with Maitland, Sam leans on his buddy, Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan of Bait, The Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows, Touching Evil, Hitch, Crossing Jordan, Burn Notice, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Sicario, Shut Eye and Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) back between missions in Afghanistan, takes in Axe's blunder and gives him the advice to lay low and avoid the whole mess.

  No sooner does Sam leave the bar hopping, he is picked up by the SP (Shore Patrol) and delivered to Maitland. Rather than hanging Sam from a yard arm, Axe is given a mission to Columbia to observe the accounts of a rebel movement, Espada Adriente (Flaming Sword, gringos) and work with army liaison Comandante Veracruz (Pedro Pascal of The Good Wife, Lights Out, The Adjustment Bureau, Sweet Little Lies, Red Widow, Game of Thrones, Graceland, The Mentalist and The Mandalorian) then report back their findings. As time passes, Sam feels this is no milk run and uncovers the Colombian army under Veracruz seems to be heavily involved in cocaine trafficking. Ho boy. 

 

Okay, kid. Look. I just like Boba Fett more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting with a relief aid worker, Amanda Maples(Kiele Sanchez of Married to the Kellys, Related, Lost, Football Wives, Samantha Who?, Insanitarium, A Perfect Getaway, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, The Glades, The Purge: Anarchy and Kingdom) and only doctor in the region, Ben Delaney (RonReaco Lee of Man of Your Dreams, Madea Goes to Jail, Worst Week, In the Motherhood, The Good Guys, Let's Stay Together, Complications, We Are Family, The Quad and Running Out of Time), along with seemingly lost orphan Beatriz (Ilza Ponko of La Teacher de Ingles, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Burn Notice, Lynch, The Darkness, Hands of Stone, La Piloto, Ruta Madre and La Reina Soy Yo). The Colombian army is coming down on Sam's head and all the people he may have interacted with. Armed with peasants, farmers and locals, Axe is feeling the hurt and running out of ideas and gas. All must be made silent.  Kinda getting the vibe they have mass burial sites at the ready for such an occasion.

Beatriz wants to fight along side Sam but he wants her to do something to give them an edge instead. Sam has to get the good guys on his side against Veracruz, who is claiming anything he chooses to discredit Sam and then go mop them up. 

 

With directorial by Jeffery Donovan, he and Matt Nix (writer and creator of Burn Notice) got Bruce's speech patterns and dropped a bit of dialogue that worked well with him. A few spoilers is Bruce getting the use of a chainsaw and yes Deadites, we do get a groovy in there. A few goofs I noticed and only because I am a military brat, I give you the following: Naval officers wear white shoes not black ones with dress uniform and he wasn't wearing his SEAL trident.

As far as film goofs of continuity, I couldn't help but notice Sam had his sidearm the whole time, including being kidnapped prior. Overall, the Campbell fans and Burn Notice fans will appreciate this TV movie. I think Matt Nix might have been a Get Smart fan as the opening sequence was similar to the hallway walk through.

Happy 63^rd birthday, El Jefe!

 

Soooo...no beer then?

 

The Mandalorian Season 2

 

Welcome back oh Readers of said Rotten. I thought we would take a small break from Indie Horror and Indie Action and go the franchise that many new and old fans are enjoying this particular creation of Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made, Zathura, Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Cowboys & Aliens) as Disney carries on the galaxy far, far away.

This is The Mandalorian Season 2.

Well, this is another fine mess you have gotten us in, Mando.

 

 

 

 

 

Catching back with the Mando (Pedro Pascal of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sisters, The Good Wife, Lights Out, The Adjustment Bureau, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Sweet Little Lies, Red Widow, Game of Thrones and Graceland) as he is now a clan or tribe of two. His mission is to watch over the child and bring him to his own people. To do this, he will have to find fellow Mandalorians and his best best is hitting the Outer Rim systems. With hunters chasing the Razorcrest down, plus Remnants of the Empire in full swing, the sky is getting crowded.

Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito of Miami Vice, Sweet Lorraine, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, New York Undercover, Big City Blues, Homicide: Life on the Street, The $treet, Girls Club, Chupacabra Terror, South Beach, Breaking Bad and Payday 2) current commander of the former Imperial sector has need of the child as he has exhibited a high degree of natural force control. Most likely another means to an end.

Beskar's chafing my ass, Phil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mando can't always be the lone gunfighter. He has made quite a few enemies but thankfully he also has allies.  Greef Karga (Carl Weathers of Rocky, Rocky II, Death Hunt, Fortune Dane, Predator, Action Jackson, Tour of Duty, Street Justice, In the Heat of the Night, Happy Gilmore, Assault on Devil's Island, Brothers and Magnum P.I.) running the township of Nevarro, alongside former Rebel ground trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano of Blood and Bone, Haywire, Almost Human, In the Blood, Heist, Deadpool, Daughter of the Wolf, Mandness in the Method and The Mandalorian) With the shadow of the Empire's end and the light of the New Republic being formed, the galaxy is quite busy.

This season pushes the conventional story telling bringing in new threats, new character and reprise characters you have encountered before. Guaranteed to offer something you may have or not seen before.

 

Mon Calmari's tough on drunk spacing.

 

 

 

 

 

Following a trail of bread crumbs, Mando is trying his level best to watch over the child, contact those that could instruct the boy in the Force and handle bounties as always. Going from being a manhunter to being a guardian is a shift in his character's dynamic and he wears it well, in spite of being out of his element.

What makes this series highly enjoyable, is the simplistic writing but complex characters. Almost every facet of it feels like the proverbial Spaghetti Western. The lone gunslinger helping the helpless, facing bandits, back shooters and existing government men. All the while, it incorporates the Star Wars legacy of stories yet to come. From effects, costumes and vehicle set and planetary set designs, you cannot help but feel you have sat through a Star Wars mini-movie. Heroes, villains and everyone caught in-between, this is the Star Wars continuation that you look forward to.

As a child of the original era, I can say I have thoroughly enjoyed these two seasons and really look forward to seeing the next adventures to come. 

 

I'm still adorable, right?

 

The Mandalorian

Good day my readers and welcome back. So with the pandemic I have been asked to do a few outbreak/plague/zombie movie reviews and...no. I will maybe partake in a little of that click bait later but as of now, I would rather talk about a decent series instead. With Disney behaving like Skynet consolidating multiple companies under the Conglomerate of the Mouse, it leaves us wondering how will the Disney Star Wars hold up. Well I enjoyed Rogue One, The latter sequels have a varied effect (we won't be going into that right this minute) and the Solo prequel was...a film. So instead of that, the flavor of the last 5 months has to be the lone hunter roaming the planetary systems...catching bounties. This is The Mandalorian.

Better than Boba, baby!

As it was written following closer to the Expanded Universe (Star Wars Novels) we have a tale of a capable hunter (Pedro Pascal of Good vs Evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Without a Trace, The Good Wife, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Red Widow and The Mentalist) from the Mandalorian tribes as the planetary system of Mandalore was long since attacked and unified under the Empire during a military campaign simply known as The Purge. Yeah I may have read a few Star War books. Our hunter is hot on pursuit claiming bounties left and right as a true Mandalorian does, the art of the hunt is very much part of his culture, as is wearing and brandishing weapons a part of his religion. They reveal themselves to no one as the helmet and armor is their identity. They can chose to reveal their name but it is rare the trust outside of the clan is warranted.

It's a living...

Head of the Bounty Hunter's Guild,Greef Karga (Carl Weathers of Rocky, Force 10 from Navarone, Rocky II, Death Hunt, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Predator, Action Jackson, Street Justice and In the Heat of the Night) is doling out bounty contracts left and right but pickings are slim. Not everyone in the galaxy like paying Guild costs but a private customer wants a job done and done right. The contract has been open to anyone thinking they can do the job so Mando has quite a bit of competition to deal with. Meeting with the Ugnaught tinkerer/farmer/ Blurrg rancher Kuiil (Nick Nolte of Rich Man, Poor Man, 48 Hrs.,Under Fire, Farewell to the King, Another 48 Hrs., The Prince of Tides, Blue Chips, Mulholland Falls, Nightwatch, Affliction, Hulk and The Beautiful Country) , Kuiil begins to warn Mando how many strangers are on this rock of a moon he has claimed for his own. Including one of those damn IG (Assassination Droid or Combat Model) that operate on pure logic and no emotional or behavioral protocols. Nevertheless IG-11(voiced by writer/director/actor Taika Waititi of Thor Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit and What We Do in the Shadows) find the asset to find out it is an infant. A species of slow gestation period and this puts Mando on the spot.

The commission puts our gunslinger in a moral quagmire. On one hand, he is honor bound to fulfill his contract. With the other is the contract is an abduction and handing it over to the Remnants of the Empire as his client. So what is a well-armed, well-trained fella to do?

The prophecy spoke of this one. He who will save the franchise.

Mando feels a certain responsibility for this young charge and cannot believe how much the little one's bounty has gone up. With "fellow" hunters, cut throats, raiders and the like are gunning for this child, Mando has to keep a clear head, watch his alliances and hope his skills last.

On the run, he encounters a former Heavy gunner Cara Dune (Gina Carano of Blood and Bone, Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Almost Human, In the Blood, Heist, Extraction, Deadpool, Kickboxer: Vengeance and Scorched Earth) a woman wearing her heart on her sleeve and haunted by her demons and loss of friends in the war. Survivor's guilt for a warrior without a war.

What this show is ultimately is Space Spaghetti Western. A lone gunslinger with his own code and honor. Ruffians, back shooters and cowboy trash hate him because he is one of the best at what he does. Clients are thrilled how effective and thorough he is for each job and his liaison for the Guild loves how much money this man rakes in for him.

Thinking of his own childhood and how everything went pear shaped for Mando, he worries for the child and genuinely has feelings for him.

For those paying attention, our conflicted gunfighter has a rapport with the master armorer (Emily Swallow of Southland, The Good Wife, Monday Mornings, The Mentalist, Adoptable, Timeless and Castlevania) while she makes him the finest armor of Beskar Steel (strongest steel of Mandalore), she asks him of his hunts and if they have been successful. There is a distance between them but you almost feel as though she still considers him a young charge and not the seasoned hunter he is.

For the more keen eyed Stars Wars buff, you damn right we got Easter eggs. I will give only one spoiler though. Salicious Crumb (Jabba the Hutt's little puppet friend that attacked C-3PO in Return of the Jedi), one of his species is roasting on a spit. Damn near choked on my drink.

With director/producer Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made, The Big Empty, Dinner for Five, Iron Man Iron Man 2, Cowboys &Aliens) along side writer Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Resistance and Star Wars: The Clone Wars) basically reworking episodes of Westerns worthy of Gunsmoke and the Virginian, the lawlessness of the galaxy is shown, mercy is in rare amounts and people tend to not stick their neck out, even for a worthy cause. But like the morals of the first three films, there will always be dreamers, warriors and adventurers in the strangest of settings, looking for a cause or an out of their own lives and fight for what's right.

Plenty of references to the original trilogy so nothing gone wrong there and saddle up cowboys, Season 2 has to be a go. They would be damn fools to let this potential goldmine sail away. Between Cosplayers already building this armor, Halloween costumes at the ready, action figures of the series and yes more than a fair share of Baby Yoda prototypes in the mix, this should do well for itself and gives us old fart Star Wars fans hope that good writing will prevail.

E-Webs are damn fun.