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Just absolutely amazing how some people are still able to get out genious pieces of cinema in this day and age.

AbFab spy-thriller with a plot surpassing the best of Aghata Christie's Stories! Story structure builds heavily upon her work but surpasses it at many a point.

The only thing that actually angered me: this film has and explosion when a drone hits a car. I'm fine with a drone attack, but why did we need an explosion? Have the drone zero in on the target and go to black on impact. It went to slow motion. To keep up with the slow pace of the film or to have more time for the explosion? It felt so out of place. Like the studio mandating; "we need at least one explosion". And we actually see it twice in the film. This was just terrible and out of pace.

Despite having an elder James Bond actor in the film, this is not a Bond movie.

Just very good.

Presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, this film in its presentation emulates an old videotape. Cut-off titles and all. Clearly shot on digital video, I still appreciated the Betamax (not VHS) artifacts. But it finds Inspiration from many direct to VHS (mostly horror) films from the 80's. The "tales" (as in Tales from the Crypt, etc.) in the title promises multiple story segments and this promise is kept. But rarely did period pieces overlap so perfectly with their segments. Worst case: 3 or more short films added together by a narrator. Not here however.

At the same time, it's impossible to view this and not see this as being inspired by the Grindhouse format from Quintin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Both in "retro pulp" and violence terms.

Any criticism? Yep. For non-Americans the second segment is not that interesting. We found ourselves "sitting it out" this part on the strength of the first (imperfect) segment. Only to be rewarded by the third segment. International audiences will be unlikely to make it to the third segment. Thus my "Hizzle for Zhizzle" in the title of this comment. We are Dutch, so associate this subject matter at best with "Do The Right Thing" (and at worst with "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air".

Pedro Pascal "did some acting" and the other well known actor... from Forrest Gump... Tom Hanks... they are in this. Pascal did a descent job. A good one in fact.

This is a film you should see if you remember 1987. And like violence and stuff. Or if you enjoy well made pulp-films.

I got my fist copy of Star Wars on VHS around 1985. It's what got me into movies. Between 5,000 and 10,000 VHS tapes at one point. 10,000s of DVDs later. Not to mention actual film on spools running trough multiple projectors. Yes, Star Wars got me into movies and much more.

And no, I didn't read all of the recent Disney Star Wars comics. But I got the content off all the books from Splinter of the Mind's Eye onwards. And yes, I paid hundreds of Euro's for one action figure. So I'd say I'm somewhat of a fan.

Season 2, Episode 3 of Andor is by far the greatest piece of Star Wars I've ever seen. But in reality it is the combination of the first three episodes that brought me to this point.

Yet... The Star Wars Christmas Special may be closer to the original vision of Star Wars' creator than this piece of remarkable filmmaking. Me liking this... is part of the journey Star Wars put me on when I was just a child. It is a great work of art, taking place in a franchise I'm hugely invested in. So as a 50 year old white male, I'm perfectly happy with this. Overjoyed in fact. Best thing in years!

Will this make me forget Ahsoka from the last episodes of "season 7" of the Clone Wars? Heck, no! Will this make me forget how I felt after Luke's return in the last episode of season 2 of the Mandalorian? Heck, no! Will this ever make me feel like the fist time I watched the original Star Wars as a kid? Double-to-infinity heck no!

But this is absolutely great Star Wars! And just planely great filmmaking!