The Wipeout Run at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown on March 28, 2015, will have participants contending with numerous big ball-themed obstacles.
Photo courtesy of Wipeout Run 5k
If you've ever wanted to take a crack at the crazy obstacle courses on ABC's Wipeout, you'll soon be able to experience the next best thing: Wipeout Run 5k, coming to Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown on March 28, 2015.
The event, which is similar to the Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge that was held recently in Austin and other cities, will have its first official stop in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on March 21. The event has eight other scheduled stops around the United States in 2015 and a number of dates at cities, including Austin, to be determined.
The big difference between the Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge and the Wipeout Run is that Endemol North America, which produces the TV series, has given its official approval for the tie-in, allowing organizers to use obstacles like the show's patented Big Balls, Sweeper Arms and Wrecking Balls.
As you could imagine, with the potential for pratfalls all over the course, the event is not really aimed at dedicated runners. Instead, it is an untimed event open to anyone 18 and over who's willing to get the snot knocked out them by the various obstacles.
Registration for the event is now open, starting at $59 through Jan. 9. If you think this might be your thing at all, it's best to sign up early, as prices increase every month or so, ending up at $89 on race day.
The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
At one point in the 2010s, Disney planned to release a different Star Wars movie every year, with an “Episode” film (like The Rise of Skywalker) alternating with anthology movies like Rogue One. But when 2018’s Solo underperformed, those plans changed, and the pandemic made any Star Wars movie less appealing, with Lucasfilm shifting heavily toward TV shows like The Mandalorian.
The popularity of that show in particular has led to the return of Star Wars to the theaters in the form of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film follows the bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) and his Force-sensitive adopted child as they travel around the universe, hunting down the remaining members of the Galactic Empire (the film, like the series, is set in the years following The Return of the Jedi).
The main thrust of the film has the duo, at the behest of Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) of the New Republic, trying to track down Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), the son of the late Jabba the Hutt, who’s supposedly been kidnapped. The discovery of the ultra-buff Rotta sets them down a different path than they thought, one that puts Mando and Grogu in the crosshairs of Rotta’s twin cousins.
Directed by Jon Favreau and written by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor, the film is perfectly fine if you consider it to be an extended Mandalorian episode, but at no point does it rise to the level of a great movie experience.
The film, like the show, is defined by the Mandalorian’s unflappable nature and strict code, as well as Grogu’s mischievousness and unquenchable appetite. Right from the start, the Mandalorian has a “take no prisoners” approach, laying waste to all comers in a PG-13 sort of way. Grogu is mostly along for the ride, occasionally breaking out the Force to help out, but mostly serving as the comic sidekick. Their relationship keeps the film watchable, but only just barely.
The biggest issue, one which was starting to affect the Disney+ show as well, is that the story never seems to go anywhere despite the fact that its two main characters are constantly on the move. No matter how big or ferocious the opponent they face, the overall stakes are so low as to almost be nonexistent. If Favreau and Filoni (who has a small part in the film) are trying to build toward some larger story, it doesn’t come through on screen.
The film’s action fits in well with sequences that have been put forth in previous Star Wars films, but to call them “cinematic” would be stretching things. There are all manner of monstrous creatures that the duo comes across in their adventures, but only a few of them are memorable. The most interesting sequence features a snake/dragon hybrid that Mando fights in a watery pit that is reminiscent of the trash compactor scene in the original Star Wars. Much of the rest of the film blends together in a mish-mash of uninteresting opponents.
For a live action film, there are precious few actors who actually show their faces. The Mandalorian removes his helmet exactly once, making it clear that Pascal is merely providing the voice for the character. White affects a tough voice for Rotta that may be canon, but frankly sounds ridiculous coming from the character’s body and in no way resembles White’s actual voice, which negates his casting altogether. Weaver is close to a non-factor in her small role, but Martin Scorsese is kind of fun voicing a four-armed fry cook/informant.
The cachet of Star Wars and the fun of The Mandalorian series may be enough for many to enjoy the inoffensive lark that is The Mandalorian and Grogu. But the film does not come close to reaching the heights of the best Star Wars movies, and does nothing to indicate what to expect from the valuable intellectual property going forward.
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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu opens in theaters on May 22.
