Movies Archives - Page 21 of 31

Rise of Skywalker Trailer Reaction

On October 28, 2019

Now that I have had some time to digest this new trailer (and watch it about 8 more times), I’ve come up with a few thoughts. Some conclusions I’ve made based on what I’ve gleaned from the trailer; others are based on some of the other things I’ve read on the Internet. Everyone is posting their theories and trailer break downs, but this is my Rise of Skywalker trailer reaction.

If you haven’t watched the new trailer yet, or again (and again), then go do that now (or again).

I think this trailer is much different than the other two; it’s far more nebulous. There were major plot points I extrapolated, correctly, based on each trailer. In The Force Awakens, it was Kylo Ren’s heritage. In The Last Jedi it was the reason for Luke’s cantankerous behavior and hermit lifestyle. This trailer, however, leaves very few clues. Although, the fact that Kylo Ren was the crux for both of those major plot points makes me wonder what will be his final role?

Is That The Mortis Dagger??

Altar of Mortis

At about 1:50 into the trailer we see Rey and Kylo Ren destroy a statue. The scene doesn’t really indicate if they are working together or if that statue is collateral damage. Regardless, what’s important is what Rey is holding in her left hand? It appears to be a dagger which begs the question, is that the Mortis Dagger??

If you watch The Clone Wars then think back to Season 3, episodes 15, 16 and 17. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka leave for a mission and suddenly find themselves on the planet Mortis. On this planet lives The Father, the Daughter and the Son. All three seem to be incarnations of the Force and all three are immortal. The Son, which is the incarnation of the Dark Side, has become too consumed with his power. The Father helps Obi-Wan and Ahsoka acquire the Mortis Dagger which removes immortality and can therefore be used to defeat The Son.

I’m going to stop there 1) because you should go watch those episodes, if you haven’t yet and 2) I think you know where I’m going with this. Episode IX director, J. J. Abrams, has said that the Rise of Skywalker will “unite all three trilogies”. Granted, The Clone Wars is not a movie but an animated series, however it is part of the Skywalker Saga. Using the Mortis Dagger to destroy the Emperor not only makes sense but would be another one of those brilliant tie-ins. I’m really digging this idea and I really hope the Internet and I are correct.

There is not a lot to glean from this trailer, other than the possible modus operandi of permanently killing Palpatine. Therefore I’m going to move on to other reactions and thoughts I had about this final trailer.

The Final Skywalker Trailer

By Biggs

On October 21, 2019

In Movies, Star Wars

A bittersweet event. The last trailer before the release of Rise of Skywalker and the final trailer for the Skywalker saga, released on Carrie Fisher’s birthday. Here it is!

HOLY KENOBI OMGBBQ!!!

We were regaled with this trailer for the first time during Monday Night Football. Fortunately you didn’t have to watch the game, just half time. Much to Tom Brady’s chagrin, that is the only reason anybody tuned into the game because nobody likes watching the Patriots.

By no means is this the last Star Wars trailer, there are at least three more coming in 2022, 2024, 2026. Potentially more if the rumor mills are correct about Rian Johnson still working on a movie (or two, or three). It is the last trailer we will see for a couple of years (but we have some live action series to keep the geek fires burning).

A trailer analysis will come later.

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Star Wars: From A Sith Perspective

By Biggs

On August 31, 2019

In Biggs On, Star Wars

My wife is not into Star Wars; it’s essentially just myself and my daughter (for now, she’s only 5). However sometimes my wife and I have discussions about canon. It’s almost better that she doesn’t know as much as I do because she brings a new perspective. One that is less mired by 40 years of expanded universe novels and Disney influence. Therefore she is a great source of inspiration for new topics and our recent discussion was Star Wars from a Sith perspective.

This topic is the result of a longer discussion about future Star Wars Celebration events. The theme for SWC usually has some kind of movie or milestone to celebrate, hence “celebration”. The final movie in the Skywalker saga has finished filming and is now in post-production. So now what?

Where Are We Going From Here?

There are 20+ Marvel films so we know Disney doesn’t like letting go. Disney has announced a new trilogy but we won’t see the first film until 2022. This is a smart move, we don’t want Star Wars to suffer from the Marvel “super hero burnout”. However, we are getting more Star Wars in the form of live action and animated TV series.

Be that as it may, our conversation has nothing to do with anything in production or announced. Our discussion is completely hypothetical but a really cool concept.

Movie(s) From A Sith Perspective

I love the idea of a movie (or movies) told from a Sith perspective! All of the Star Wars movies are told from the protagonist perspective. However, not everyone sides with the Jedi; the Sith are equally as cool. It isn’t just the “goths” and “emos” that are drawn to the dark side, millions of fans of various personalities enjoy the Sith. The Dark Side always seems to have the cooler characters (ex: Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress, Darth Revan) and the cooler lightsabers (ex: Darth Maul, Kylo Ren, etc). So wouldn’t it be cool if Disney/Lucasfilm developed a film (or series of films) which told a story from the Dark Side?

We are told that the new series of films will take place around the time of Knights of the Old Republic. We don’t know yet if this will follow the story as told in the video game, but it certainly has all of us fans in a tizzy. These films could be told from Darth Malek’s or Kreia’s perspective, adding a more sinister and dark appeal to the films. Honestly, I don’t think this is the approach Disney, or the directors, will take. A game as popular as KotOR, you don’t want to change things up too much.

I think a movie about the rise and fall of Darth Revan would be amazing, if it’s done right. Only the future, and Disney, knows what’s in store for the franchise. In the meantime, it looks like the closest we will get to an antagonist lead is The Mandalorian, which looks incredible.

/MTFBWY

You don’t know the power of the dark side.

Movie Review: Avengers Endgame

By Biggs

On April 28, 2019

In Geek Canon, Geek Culture, Marvel, Movies, Reviews

Avengers: Endgame

Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

My Rating: [rating=5]

Despite the looming “Superhero Burnout“, this movie is crushing it at the box office. It is already breaking the same records The Force Awakens broke four years ago. I fully expect this film to continue to break records set by Star Wars, including top grossing movie of all time in the domestic box office. Honestly, I’m glad it’s a Marvel movie too.

In the spirit of the #DontSpoilTheEndgame trend, this is a SPOILER FREE movie review, however if you have not seen Infinity War yet, then consider this your **spoiler alert**!! It is impossible to talk about this movie without talking about the events of the previous film.

Half of the living things in the universe, including half the Avengers, are gone; wiped out with a single snap. Thanos has vanished to bask in the balance he has created. Meanwhile the remaining Avengers are trying to piece the world back together and move on. However “moving on” will not be something they are willing to do, especially when Scott Lang shows up with an idea.

Biggs’ Review

This is a pretty amazing movie, though I do have one particular complaint, which I will get to shortly. This movie has quite a few epic moments, one of which I know many fans have been waiting for since Age of Ultron. I will not say what that is so as to remain spoiler free but I think you will know it when you see it, and deem it “worthy”. This movie is quite the finale for the Avengers Initiative. One of my favorite parts happens during and end credit montage. This is not a spoiler. The signatures of Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner are shown as if to signify the signing of their magnum opus. This is such a fitting tribute.

Is This The Best Movie I’ve Seen?

No, not by a long shot. In all fairness I almost gave this movie 4 stars. There is a particular plot mechanic that is rarely done well and Bruce Banner’s rationale is pretty insufficient, in my opinion. There is also a “passing of the torch” moment which does not particularly coincide with canon (at least from what I’ve read); however, it is still pretty cool. Be that as it may, the way in which they wrap up the story’s of a few of the character’s is brilliant and well done … and emotional. After the movie ended, my first instinct was not to see it again; at least not right away. The main reason being the 3 hour run time. Actually I feel more inclined to watch all the other movies again!

This movie is a magnum opus and truly a fitting end of the past 11 years and 21 movies. The feeling I had leaving this movie will probably be much the same feeling I will have leaving The Rise of Skywalker. A sense of emotional finality; these are characters that not just defined our lives, but a generation. Watching these events come to an end feels akin to a graduation or major life milestone. The events and the people of the years prior make up the journey we all had to take. Sometimes the end is hard because we endured so much to get here, but we grew along the way. We form bonds and relationships with people, real or fictional. It’s the journey that’s worth celebrating at the end but it’s also what makes it difficult. After all, part of the journey is the end.

#ThankYouAvengers

“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

Movie Review: Captain Marvel

By Biggs

On March 18, 2019

In Geek Culture, Marvel, Movies, Reviews

Captain Marvel

Directed By: Anna Boden
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson

A Kree by the name of Vers (Brie Larson) crashes on Earth, circa 1995. She is hunting Skrull who are seeking technology the Kree do not want them to have. Assisting her on her mission is SHIELD agent Nick Fury. During her search she also has flashbacks that seem to be from a previous life. Are these flashbacks key to defeating the Skrull and/or helping her find out who she really is?

Biggs’ Review

I really enjoyed this movie. I can’t say if it’s the witty writing or the homage to the 90’s that I found truly entertaining. The flashbacks to Blockbuster Video and Alta Vista were especially memorable. This movie ties into all the other films so nicely (and not just the specific Avengers movies). It is also entertaining to see a young Nick Fury and a young, newly recruited, Phil Coulson in action. I hope Clark Gregg is comfortable with being typecast because he’s going to be Phil Coulson for the rest of his days.

In fact one of the fun things to do during this film is to spot the easter eggs, especially if you are a child of the 90s. However, it isn’t just the 1990 cultural references. There are also little bits of minutiae from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as the other MCU movies.

The SHIELD Inconsistency and Stan Lee

Perhaps the one issue I found to be inconsistent in the film is the use of the S.H.I.E.L.D. acronym. The events of this movie takes place in 1995, which is 13 years prior to Iron Man. When Coulson introduces himself in Iron Man he always recites the entire name of SHIELD. There are even jokes about “working on the name”. However throughout the entire Captain Marvel movie they always call themselves SHIELD. So either Coulson is being a smart ass in Iron Man or its a missed inconsistency. If anyone knows of another explanation which I have not yet found, please comment.

If you haven’t heard by now, Captain Marvel is the first Marvel movie to be released after Stan Lee’s death. Which means his cameo in this film is also the last cameo he will ever do (and its an excellent cameo, especially if you’ve seen Mallrats). To honor Stan Lee and his work, the Marvel Studios sequence at the beginning of the movie has been changed to be all of Stan Lee’s cameos. What a truly fantastic homage and I hope that is a permanent change (including the “Thank You Stan” at the end).

Female Empowerment

I am, by no means, a feminist. However, despite my presumed political leanings, I do support gender equality. Therefore I think this movie makes huge strides in support of gender equality. It is the first solo-female lead in the MCU universe. It is written exclusively by women. The soundtrack, which is very good, is composed by Pinar Toprak who is the first female to compose an MCU movie. In fact I really wanted my daughter to see this movie because its exclusively about a female super hero. The best part is, the movie never tries to make that point. There are no subtle undertones or subliminal messages and nothing is constantly shoved in your face. All of the female empowerment associated with this film is tucked away in the trivia. /end slightly political editorial.

Final comment: this is an excellent addition to the MCU collection of movies, definitely worth seeing in the theater, despite the lurking “super hero burn out”.

/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

Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon 3

By Biggs

On February 23, 2019

In Movies, Reviews

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Directed By: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Kit Harrington

My Rating:

If you have kids then you know that when they are young and they latch onto something, you’ll groan at the mention of its very name. If it weren’t for my daughter I probably never wouldn’t have watched any of the How to Train Your Dragon movies. When she latched on to these movies, I actually didn’t mind. The depth of the world is immersive and suddenly you find yourself talking about the lore and characters. Despite watching all the different series, several times at her request, I actually became a fan. So much so that I, too, wanted to see this movie.

A new threat has emerged, Grimmel the Grisly. He isn’t just after the dragons, he specifically hunts Nightfurys and he’s after the last of them. He has threatened all of Berk to get his hands on Toothless and, as the new chief, Hiccup must protect them. Finding the dragon’s hidden world is their only hope to survive Grimmel’s fixation.

Biggs Review

It’s a great conclusion to an epic series. It has some heartfelt moments and it wraps everything up neatly. One of the things I noticed is the “camera work”. I realize that’s a bit of an abstract observation since animated films can’t really have “camera angles” like a live action film. However, they seemed to try to create the illusion of live camera angles, even shaking the camera a bit in a couple of scenes. John Powell (also known for composing the sound track for Solo) continues his amazing work on the soundtrack; I never realized how much I enjoy the soundtrack.

This is one of those series where you hate to see it end but you knew it has to at some point. If you enjoy the other movies, and the series, then I think you need to see how it all wraps up. The story and character progression makes sense as well as the ending. Also, if you haven’t watched any of the series, you need to check them out.

“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

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