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The first half of Comandante may seem both familiar and a bit slow. As others have noted, the movie initially feels like an Italian version of Das Boot. And it does spend a fair bit of time setting up the personal background of the titular submarine Commander.

But all the preparation is more than justified in the second half of the movie, which brings to life the true story of an Italian sub commander who sank a freighter, then put his own boat and crew at great risk in an effort to rescue survivors.

Of course, Comandante isn't just about that particular incident. It's really about the larger question of whether we can keep hold of our humanity even when the world tells us to abandon it. When we're told it's okay to turn a blind eye to death and suffering... because 'war.' As if the word alone was justification enough.

This is a fine film - exciting, historically detailed, visually elegant - but also uplifting and dramatically powerful. Strongly recommended.

Two ageing actors sitting in the garden gabbing about old times, about careers, about personal aspirations and about friendship. Is this the recipe for a great viewing experience? In this case, very much so - on three counts.

1. The obvious reason to watch Mind Meld is for the Star Trek anecdotes. These include some truly amazing glimpses behind the screen, into the day to day work of creating a TV show in 1960s Hollywood. The yarns are often hilarious, but they also work to deepen one's admiration for (at the time) relatively unknown actors giving their all to a show that many would see as lightweight or silly.

2. The second reason to watch Mind Meld is to learn a bit about the personal lives of two of the world's most recognizable celebrities. To see them as they see themselves, and to see life as it looks to individuals like them, who have, as Nimoy says, "made it." To hear them talk honestly about love, life, and death, and their ongoing search for meaning and fulfillment.

3. But the HUGE bonus is seeing two old friends letting down their guard in front of a camera, opening up to each other (and us) about their dreams, their ordinary human trials... and ultimately expressing their huge affection for each other.

I can't think of another documentary at once so simple, yet so moving. Even if you care nothing about Star Trek, or these particular actors, Mind Meld remains a unique snapshot of two ordinary people, looking back from middle age. Unless you're made of neutronium, you *will* experience tears of both laughter and joy - possibly at the same time.

This new version of Red Sonja is what might once have been called a 'B' movie. It's not shot for IMAX, and it doesn't have any big-name stars. But it's a pretty darn good movie in every way that counts.

1. Matilda Lutz (Zone 414) does a great job of portraying the eponymous heroine. Smart decision, getting a lady who can act, as opposed to some physically magnificent mannequin. Lutz is feisty, wiry and quick enough to be believable in the fight scenes.

Also excellent is Robert Sheehan (Umbrella Academy) as the villain. He plays someone you really want to hate, but also sympathize with in some ways. That's a lot more depth than you'd find in most big-budget badguys.

2. The script is rather good. There are a few clunky lines, but overall the dialog is full of pleasant surprises. Several of the one-liners made me laugh in spite of myself. Sonja's exchange with the armorer is a particularly hilarious send-up of sexist fantasy tropes. Also, it's odd that 'Vihur' (or more properly, 'wichur') means 'strong wind' or 'gale' in Polish - great name for a horse.

More importantly, many situations work out very differently than one might expect - especially the ending. The formula may be familiar, but the embellishments make it feel fresh.

3. Production does show some limitations of budget, but is actually quite impressive overall. The CG is imaginative, especially the cyclops. Outdoor vistas are beautiful.

One other point in favor of Red Sonja: the director is 'MJ Bassett' - the same one who directed another really worthwhile Robert E Howard adaptation 16 years ago - Solomon Kane. He clearly has a feel for this material.

Red Sonja is yet another one of those bottom-rated movies that entertained me from end to end. It reminded me strongly of the wonderful 1950s fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen - not lacking imperfections, yet visually appealing and generally great fun.

If you like fantasy-swashbucklers at all, and don't instantly dismiss lower-budget productions for their few rough edges, do ignore the nit-pickers and see Red Sonja ASAP.