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Movie Review – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

On December 16, 2017

Star Wars The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill

My Rating: [rating=5]

Simply put, I think The Last Jedi is marvelous! I am really confused as to why audiences are not responding well, but that is typical for the middle movie of a trilogy. I admit that this movie is quite different from any other Star Wars movie. It’s dark, with some light humor (often delivered by Oscar Isaac). It has some pretty intense moments; apparently I was, unknowingly, squeezing my wife’s hand throughout most of the film.

It was so awesome to see Mark Hamill reprise his most iconic role and he was spectacular! Luke’s demeanor is exactly as I expected considering what happened to Ben Solo. Daisy Ridley is still amazing as Rey and Adam Driver’s performance is equally as amazing! We also see new ways in which the Force is used, including a dramatic moment when Leia uses the Force.

Carrie Fisher’s Swan Song

I’ll admit that there were a few scenes that were difficult to watch when Leia was the focus. There is a great moment where Luke and R2 share a nostalgic moment that clearly pays homage to “A New Hope”. It’s also a great tribute to Princess Leia.

The last thing Luke says to Leia, in the movie, is perfect (and eerily fitting). Carrie Fisher’s death was unexpected and sudden but this movie is an unexpected tribute to her. Shortly into the credits a line was added (obviously in post-production) in which the film was dedicated to “our beloved princess”.

Star Wars The Last Jedi Opening Night

The last time I saw a Star Wars movie on Opening Night was Revenge of the Sith. When you have a toddler, arranging the night to be toddler-free often becomes difficult. I was very excited to finally see an opening night release and I was rewarded with a couple collectibles.

The AMC theater we went to were selling limited edition, opening night, metal popcorn tins (see picture). Naturally, I had to buy all three as souvenirs to commemorate the occasion.

I cannot wait to see it again, hopefully before its Blu-ray release. There are also quite a few “theory-inducing” plot twists that I will discuss at a later date. More people need to see it before I talk about those. If you can get to a matinee, that seems to be the best option to avoid large crowds. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

Ready Player One Trailer

By Biggs

On December 11, 2017

In Gaming, Geek Canon, Movies

First things first, here is the newest Ready Player One Trailer. Watch It! NOW!

Ok, so now that I have your heart beating wildly, lets consider what we just saw. If you haven’t read the book then SHAME ON YOU! It’s good. You need to go read it before March! I saw some references in there that I was a little skeptical on because this movie is supposed to be an homage to the 80’s. It was not only the inspiration for the “OASIS” but for the book in-and-of-itself. The references to the things I grew up loving is one of the things I love about the book.

Why Is Tracer There??

So, as I said, this book is supposed to be an homage to the 80’s so I was a little confused to see Tracer, from Overwatch. If you missed it, here is a screenshot I grabbed for you:

Now, I might be wrong, but I don’t think Tracer was around in the 80’s but perhaps this is Ernest Cline paying respect to Blizzard. However, to be fair, The Iron Giant was from the late 90’s and is mentioned in the book. Honestly, I am going to err on the side of caution and say I’m pretty excited for the movie. Far more excited than I was when the first trailer came out; and I know Ernest Cline has been involved with the production of the film. I should “hope” that he will veto anything that doesn’t meet the spirit and nostalgia of the book.

/cheers

“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick

Setting Expectations for The Last Jedi

By Biggs

On December 10, 2017

In Movies, Star Wars

We are less than a week away from the release of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. It is time for the obligatory Star Wars movie post about setting expectations for The Last Jedi. In addition to the same expectations I spoke about regarding The Force Awakens, there are a few other factors we should also consider. I do this because even as an avid fan, it’s important to set a reasonable bar before going to see the movie. After all, we don’t want it end up like the Justice League movie.

The Force Awakens Box Office Numbers

If you have forgotten, let me remind you. The Force Awakens demolished the domestic box office numbers after making nearly a billion dollars. It’s the most money any movie has ever made in MPAA history. While I would love to see history repeat itself two years later, let’s be realistic. The Force Awakens was so highly anticipated, and so well done, its unprecedented box office numbers are not surprising. This is probably the biggest obstacle The Last Jedi would need to overcome and I’m not sure it’s going to be possible.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Rian Johnson will do a great job. I think he has approached this project with the same joy and enthusiasm we have to see it. However, Disney has inundated us with Star Wars. It’s what Disney does and it’s a blessing and a curse. Star Wars is now in our homes is nearly every way imaginable. There is a new movie nearly every year until 2020 so it has become less of a rare treat. This is another tough obstacle that Rian Johnson will need to overcome.

Story/Plot Expectations

I already talked about the theories regarding Luke and his ominous line about the Jedi ending. The trailer left little for us to glean and a lot for us to ponder. Rian Johnson cut together the perfect bits of dialog and juxtaposed the perfect scenes to spark an amazing array of fan theories. Personally I doubt we are going to see Rey going to the dark side to become Kylo Ren’s apprentice. I do believe that this movie will be divided into two acts. Act 1 will be Rey training with Luke in which we will find out just how extraordinarily powerful Rey will become. Act 2 will be the all out war between the Resistance and the First Order.

Will Luke die? I don’t think so. I find it difficult to believe they would kill two major characters in back-to-back movies. Although, what if Luke has already died and he is just the Force incarnate? Let that bake your noodle for a little bit. The trailers do not reveal a lot about the film so anything is possible but that sets up some pretty exciting expectations. I have my tickets for the 15th, how about you?

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

Justice League Bombing and I’m not Surprised

By Biggs

On November 24, 2017

In DC, Geek Canon, Movies

I don’t know what DC is thinking. Releasing the Justice League movie right before a major holiday. I cannot imagine too many people decide to go see a movie the weekend before the largest travel week of the year. While I do find it mildly disappointing its doing so terrible in theaters, I also find it not terribly surprising. Justice League bombing has a few flaws with the movie, other than Ben Affleck, and I haven’t seen the movie yet.

It’s Isn’t Just Ben Affleck

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Ben Affleck as Batman. I have made many DC comic nerds heads implode with my constant trolling of “Batffleck”. However, in this case I do not think its all because Ben Affleck is a terrible Batman. Keep in mind that I have not seen this movie yet, and I probably won’t pay to see it in theaters. The reason is for the same reasons I’m about to get into.

I freely admit that I wanted the movie to do well in theaters. I enjoy the fact that comic book movies are the only movies that seem to be doing great in theaters. What was once considered lame when I was growing up is now some of the most successful franchises.

Depictions Failing Expectations

So far Wonder Woman is the only successful member of the Justice League. Gal Gadot is nailing the role as the Amazonian warrior, but the success ends there. I don’t understand why Ezra Miller was cast as Barry Allen/The Flash after the success Grant Gustin is having in The CW’s series. I don’t think I can watch the Grant Gustin impostor and no feel disappointment.

I know all the women are swooning over Jason Momoa as Aquaman, but he doesn’t fit all the depictions of Aquaman. He was never some sex symbol. He is often depicted as a blond imbecile, and perhaps that is why he was changed for the film. Maybe it’s because I’m a guy but it just isn’t working for me. I think Ryan Hansen would have made a better Aquaman.

I think the Cyborg adaptation looks pretty good but I would have liked a stand alone film first. Perhaps we all would have benefited from individual movies for the other members. It is working for Wonder Woman and The Avengers. Clearly DC is rushing these characters because Marvel is far more successful. Sadly, I will most likely wait until Justice League is on Netflix before I watch it.

“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick

‘The Last Jedi’ Second Official Trailer

By Biggs

On October 9, 2017

In Movies, Star Wars

We have all been waiting, very impatiently, for several weeks now for the next official Episode VIII: The Last Jedi trailer. Then, in late September, the Internet and Star Wars fans everywhere exploded with a tweet from Mark Hamill that alludes to the next trailer. It’s hard to tell if he meant to tell us or if he, inadvertently, let something slip. We don’t know if Disney’s original intention was to release the trailer during tonight’s Monday Night Football but you can’t say something like that and then take it back. The Internet won’t let you. If Disney’s intention was to postpone it, then we heartily thank you Mark Hamill!!

So here it is; in all its fantastic glory!

My hands are shaking. My heart is beating out of my chest. I’m pretty sure I was holding my breath for the entire 2 minutes of that trailer. Now lets go watch it again!

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

Despecialized Movies for the Specialized Fans

By Biggs

On July 31, 2017

In Biggs On, Movies, Star Wars

If you are living under a rock then you are probably unaware of the fact that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: A New Hope. The movie that created an unstoppable franchise and an endless universe. Perhaps the anniversary is why I am seeing a lot of talk about the “despecialized movies”. If you are unfamiliar with the “despecialized editions“, they are a version of the original trilogy before the Special Edition re-release in 1997. Obviously these were not created in an official capacity; it was Petr “Harmy” Harmáček, an English teacher in the Czech Republic that created them using a series of fan edits. He alleged that the altering of the movies for the Special Edition was “an act of cultural vandalism“. Whatever.

Troglodytes Unite!

On Star Wars Day (May 4th) I celebrated in typical fashion by watching the original trilogy. I was asked on three occasions if I was watching the “despecialized” movies. My reply was simply “I own the Blu-ray editions”. Apparently that drew some sneers which was confusing. I own a big screen television with surround sound, of course I will watch the Blu-ray versions because that will provide the best viewing quality. It’s baffling that 20 years after the release of the Special Editions and people still whine about the changes to the films. The digital enhancements of the movies are necessary to accommodate the advancing technology.

The feeling of nostalgia is a product of the story, the music and the characters. As someone who embraces home theater technology, I want to watch the movies that also embraces that technology. I’m not so old-fashioned that I will seek out hacked together fan edits that some troglodyte English professor created. The color adjustments alone are pivotal (i.e. correcting magenta tones), especially if you are watching the movies on bigger screens. Darkening the tones of some scenes creates a more ominous scene thus adding to the drama.

I Don’t Support All the Changes

Most of the technical changes I fully support because I believe it adds cinematic value to the movies. However, I don’t fully support all of the changes; I’m just not butt-hurt by them. The one that everyone keeps going nuts about is the infamous “Han Shot First” controversy and I agree changing this scene is ridiculous. George Lucas’ reasons make sense but the man is labeled as a “scoundrel”. A scoundrel doesn’t politely wait for the other guy to shoot first. However, this little change does not ruin the special editions for me.

There are really only two other changes that slightly bother me and it’s actually on the DVD release of the movies, and they occur at the end of Return of the Jedi. I did not like that they removed the Ewok Celebration song and replaced it with the Victory Celebration track. I understand why it was done. The music wouldn’t match the victory montage but I still prefer the Ewok track. Second, why did they remove Sebastian Shaw as the Anakin Force Ghost and replace him with Hayden Christensen? I prefer the image of the man who found his way back to the light, as opposed to the man who lost his way.

Everything else is just too petty and minute for me to care let alone allocate approximately 25 gig of hard drive space to store them. I’ll stick to the ones that are professional edited and produced. I just don’t agree at the despecialized movies are special enough for me.

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

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Movie Review – Star Wars: The Last Jedi