I’ll admit the Warcraft movie looks pretty good. I hope it changes the stigma of pretty much all games-made-into-movies from the past. I doubt this will be as good as The Force Awakens, but that’s probably because I’m a much bigger fan of Star Wars than I am of Warcraft (and I seriously doubt it will make $900 million). If you haven’t seen the latest TV spot (during Tom Brady’s satisfying loss) you can click play below. Enjoy.
I used to watch the Oscars like I watch the Super Bowl. In fact I used to play the Oscar game (i.e. predict the winners of all the categories) and I was pretty good at it, however since 8 Mile won best song, I haven’t watched the Oscars. I think the Academy plays favorites, or they are in the pockets of the production studios that win top prize. I don’t know why certain movies/actors are chosen, but whether its favoritism or kickbacks, The Academy lacks objectivity. This is exactly what drives me crazy about the “call to boycott” the Oscars by Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee and why I don’t watch the Oscars anymore.
I will be surprised if race has anything to do with the alleged “lack of diversity” in the Oscar nominations. I mean, God forbid its because the movies weren’t Oscar worthy. Smith and Lee are basically asking The Academy to play favorites, as if the nominations are not already fixed. If she wants Will Smith to win an Oscar then he needs to be in a movie that is actually good enough to warrant a nod (and Concussion looked boring, and didn’t seem to get that great of a response). How dare The Academy expect actors to do their job well!!
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, Hollywood is already full of arrogant, self-entitled fools. All those actors and actresses out there trying to “make a better world” are just trying to build publicity and get their 15 minutes. I would be surprised if any of them really give a damn about “free health care” and “equal rights”. “Humanitarianism” is just a PR buzz-word; besides most of them are too belligerent from their recent drug-and-alcohol-induced fugue to take seriously anyway. The lack of black Oscar nominations is probably item 4,657 on the list of racial injustices, maybe Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee should focus their righteous efforts on something that will actually have an impact on humanity.
I hope Kanye West wasn’t invited to the Oscars, although it might be pathetically hilarious if Jada Pinkett Smith pulls a “Kanye West” …
“And the Oscar goes to …”
“Hold on, Imma let you finish but Will Smith deserves this Oscar more!”
/end Soapbox
I have been working on this post (whether its written or in my head) since I saw The Force Awakens December 24th. The thing I struggled with the most was giving this post a proper title that not only reflected how I felt about the film but also what this post is going to be about (other than simply my nerdy review). I settled on “My Inner Child Awakens” because not only is it a play on the film’s title but it’s how I felt watching the movie.
If you have talked to me in person or followed any of my Twitter or Facebook posts then you already know what I thought of the movie. I was, literally, trembling before the movie started and I was trembling for hours after. I really liked it. It may be my second favorite movie of the seven (because Empire will always be my first). 
I think I also had to tone down the pride a notch or two since I was correct on one of my story arc predictions (which I can talk about in a bit – I want to save the spoilers until later in the post). I found the picture to the right on Facebook and I had to include it in this post. It accurately reflects how I felt walking out of The Force Awakens.
I realize The Force Awakens didn’t appeal to everyone’s inner child, and I certainly appreciate their opinion. I am in the minority that enjoyed all three prequel movies so it’s nice to be among the majority for episode seven. The box office numbers have certainly proved that The Force Awakens was a huge success not only among the avid fanatics (like myself) but also among the middle-of-the-road fans and the regular moviegoers. I’ve had several friends waiting for me to see the film because they wanted to know what I thought about it as a big fan of the franchise. This is when I will get into spoilers so if, for some unearthly reason, you haven’t seen the movie yet I wouldn’t keep reading. I also want to warn you that this is one of my more lengthy posts so I hope you don’t file this under TL;DR.
This should be declared “Star Wars Week”. If someone hasn’t done that already, then I’m declaring it despite the fact that I do not have the clout nor the viral influence to make it official. So, with that said, lets get on with it.
The obvious reason I would make such a declaration is the release of the seventh installment of the most beloved Star Wars franchise. I am beyond excited for the movie’s launch and I don’t even have a ticket to see it yet. I’m just excited for the continuation of the story and the characters that I have loved since I was a child. All the hype, however, does have me a little worried. I hope folks are not expecting this movie to be a cinematic masterpiece, especially those folks that are not big Star Wars fans like the rest of us.
I don’t have any inside knowledge, nor do I know J.J. Abrams or Kathleen Kennedy personally, but I’m still pretty sure neither one of them are trying to release the next Gone With the Wind or Titanic. Abrams just wants to tell the next chapter in the story. I think it would be pretty naive to expect this movie to be considered for a “Best Picture” Oscar. I’m certainly not expecting it (I am, however, expecting perhaps some technical Oscar nominations). I am also expecting it to have some pretty huge box office numbers (but that should be obvious to anybody).
In the end, folks, remember, it’s just Star Wars so keep your expectations realistic. It’s going to be science fiction, it’s going to have something that will appeal to children, there will probably be plots within plots. It’s not a biopic, it’s not based on true events, it’s not going to adhere to the laws of Physics, its fantasy. In other words, don’t read what the critics say, just go see it for yourself and remember, it’s just a movie (although for most of us, it’s much more than “just a movie” 🙂 )
We are three months away from the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Millions of Star Wars fans are waiting with bated breath for the epic release of the first film in the franchise that doesn’t include George Lucas (whether you love him or hate him). Of course the thought on everyone’s mind is “will it be good or will it suck”. Obviously everyone immediately thinks about the prequels and how easily those movies are shredded and belittled. The difference this time is we have J. J. Abrams telling the story.
Personally I don’t think it’s going to matter what the critics think. Star Wars is “critic-proof”. Yes, I just said the one phrase that all movie critics hate (pundits and amateurs). All the Star Wars movies are more than just a movie. Every movie is adding lore to a subculture that has existed for almost 40 years. It’s a subculture that thrived before Facebook, Twitter, even e-mail could influence our opinion before we saw it for ourselves. Social media has become so integral in our world that people are now going to movies with their opinions already mired by trolls and haters.
I have faith in J. J. Abrams. I thought he did well with the two Star Trek movies and I’m even starting to develop a little confidence in Disney (after all they also own most of the Marvel movies as well). Granted Abrams has had a few projects fail (ex: Revolution, Alcatraz) but he has had quite a few big successes (i.e. Alias, Lost, Fringe, and the aforementioned Star Trek movies). I’m excited. Really excited. Abrams has the right amount of geek in him to satisfy our hopes. We will know soon.
/MTFBWY
I know that is a surprising title coming from me, but hopefully that is what grabbed your attention. Let’s recap. There are 6 movies now. Episode VII is pretty much wrapped up. VIII and IX are in the works. The Rogue One movie cast has been announced. We have Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Droid Tales animated series. There are rumors, still circulating, of Boba Fett and Han Solo spin off movies. Then, of course, there are the plethora of video games. We have been inundated with Star Wars since Disney took over, which is pretty much what Disney does. We know that it won’t end as long as people keep tweeting about it, posting on Facebook about it and buying memorabilia (guilty!) So is it too much Star Wars?
Right now any Trekkie reading this is vehemently screaming “YES” (complete with Daniel Bryan arm gesture). In fact there are probably quite a few Star Wars “fans” that also agree probably since The Phantom Menace. Personally, I’m not there yet. I am very excited for The Force Awakens. I’m actually even a little excited for Rogue One (especially since the great Alan Tudyk will be in it). I’m on the fence about the whole Boba Fett/Han Solo spin-offs but we’ll see how that plays out.
Then there is the Star Wars parks that Disney also announced because, again, that’s what Disney does, build parks. Therein lies the real conundrum. The rational side of me is thinking, a Star Wars theme park probably isn’t necessary. The idea is cool as hell, but economically it seems like a bad business venture. Of course there is every ounce of my inner child screaming “I wanna go! I wanna go!” so if the park(s) is/are actually built, and it doesn’t cost a small fortune, I definitely hope to arrange at least one visit, you know, for the kids!
So for now I guess I’m not feeling all that overwhelmed. Actually I’m rather enjoying all the love that Star Wars is getting right now. For years we have endured so many Star Trek movies and television series, while Star Wars sat silently in the background, that its about time the best science-fiction drama gets some deserved time in the lime light. So go watch tribble mating rituals on your holodecks while getting wasted on Romulan ale if you don’t like it! 🙂
/MTFBWY
P.S. By the way, Star Wars Rebels … really good! You should watch it!
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