"Best Worst Movie" Movie Review

 
    “Best Worst Movie” was a documentary that caught my attention when I first heard of it.  I am not a huge fan of documentaries for the most part but this film was definitely on my radar.  Maybe it was something to do with my love for cinema, good or bad.  I find all of it fascinating and sometimes the best stories involve why a movie turned out so bad or weird or both in this case.
    This film chronicles of lives of the individuals involved in the making of the cult favorite “Troll 2”.  “Troll 2” is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made.  The film had different effects on everyone involved.  Some see the silver linings of being in the film, others feel it destroyed their careers, while others have more pressing personal matters.
    The documentary succeeds largely because the story is so odd and engulfing and feels more like a scripted movie in the vain of many Christopher Guest movies as opposed to a documentary.  Few documentary films touch your heart and make you laugh within the span of a few minutes.  Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.
    The film was directed by Michael Stephenson, the child star of “Troll 2”.  Instead of focusing the film on himself, the film focuses primarily on George Hardy.  George is a fascinating subject because he is just the right mix of odd and charming to keep the film interesting.  George continued on as a dentist after his appearance in “Troll 2” but clearly loved being “a movie star” and loved the attention he got from it despite not being able to quit his day job.
    We get to see what life is like to be an actor in a cult hit from the highs and lows.  It’s interesting to see how George in particular deals with starring in “Troll 2”.  He absolutely adores having fans and people knowing he is an actor.  He soaks the spotlight up at theater showings of “Troll 2” yet at conventions where the fan base is a little more diverse, he is very insecure.  The most eye opening scene of the film is when George is doing a signing at a horror convention and no one wants his autograph.  He looks around at all the washed up actors and has beens and laughs to himself but that is when the reality of his situation hits him, he was a never was.  George starts to get boarderline hostile and defensive, calling the attendants of the convention “freaks” as a way to justify their lack of interest in the actor of “Troll 2”.  George leaves the convention and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.  He wanted so bad to be adored and while loyal “Troll 2” fans love him, he is never going to be what he felt like he should have been.
    Michael Stephenson managed to do what few documentary filmmakers can and showcase what life is like for his subjects with heart and humor.  In that respect, Michael Stephenson reminds me a great deal of Michael Moore.  He knew his film should entertain first and then educate.  That is the point of this film after all.  “Troll 2” turned more into a comedy of errors than a masterpiece, yet there are still film buffs who adore it because it entertains us, no matter what the reason is.  This is a film that transcends the subject matter that is “Troll 2”, this is a film that embodies the love of cinema as a whole.

Grade: A

“Speed Racer” Movie Review

    A live action "Speed Racer" had been in development for over a decade by the time the Wachowski siblings brought the Mach 5 to life in 2008.  The film was considered a failure at the box office and failed to make it's budget back domestically.  The film was also met with widespread negative reviews from critics.  Did the film deserve the dump the public and critics took on it?

    "Speed Racer" is about a young man (whose name is Speed Racer) who decides to follow in his brother's footsteps as a professional racer after his death.  Racer ends up racing in a cross country race to take down a powerful and corrupt executive.  Needless to say, things do not go smoothly.

    As started in the introduction, a "Speed Racer" film had been in development for over a decade before this film saw the light of day.  The film is an adaptation of the late 60s Japanese hit “Mach GoGoGo” and the anime it had inspired.  An adaptation of “Speed Racer” almost happened in 1995 with Johnny Depp as Speed Racer and Henry Rollins as Racer X (Rollins was ironically also considered for the part of Racer X in this version as well).  Years later, Vince Vaughn tried to get the project off the ground and was set to play Racer X but that project fell through.

    “Speed Racer” stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, and John Goodman.  Hirsch doesn’t do a bad job in the title role but lacks charisma.  For such a silly film to work, you need an actor with charm.  Matthew Fox also doesn’t add much which is disappointing since he was excellent in “Lost”.  I am usually not the biggest fan of Christina Ricci but she brings a lot of spunk and energy to the project.  I feel like Ricci feels at home in the world of “Speed Racer”.  John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are also wonderful as Speed’s parents.  Goodman and Sarandon are definitely highlights of the film.

    If the title isn’t an indication, the film and it’s premise are incredibly silly.  It isn’t meant to be taken seriously.  It’s high concept and relies heavily on visual story telling.

    For a movie requiring such over the top visuals, the visual style of the Wachowski siblings was just what the movie needed.  They have proven their flair at innovative filmmaking with “The Matrix” and those talents come in handy here.

    The movie wasn’t a masterpiece nor did it have a compelling story to tell.  At the end of the day, it was made to be a big silly popcorn film and in that sense, I think it did it’s job.  That’s just my two cents though.

Grade: B-

“Halloween” (2018) Movie Review

    This Halloween, Michael Myers comes home for the first time...again, for the last time...again...or not...depends on how much Michael Myers slays at the box office I guess.  So, I just want to start by saying I am not the biggest horror movie fan in the world.  That being said, I do have respect for a great deal of horror films and their cultural significance outside of the silver screen.  One of the most iconic horror figures is the boogeyman himself, Michael Myers.  The character has appeared in countless films and is recognized by even non movie fans.  John Carpenter practically created the modern slasher when he unleashed “Halloween” on the world.

    My girlfriend and I were looking forward to seeing this new take on “Halloween” ever since is was released.  It’s been awhile since a classic horror franchise has graced the cinemas.  We were ready to get into the Halloween spirit with this film.

    “Halloween” (2018) ignores the previous sequels and acts as a direct sequel to the very first “Halloween” movie released in 1978.  In this film, Michael Myers has been locked away for forty years and Laurie has spent the last forty years of her life getting ready for his return.  Needless to say, Myers ends up escaping during a prison transfer and carnage erupts.

    Now, my biggest problem with this movie on a personal level is the fact they ignored all the previous sequels.  I liked the idea in “Halloween II” that it turned out Laurie was Michael Myers sister.  It tied the characters and their fates together and helped make Laurie seem to be on Myers level and made their struggle almost seem destined.  To remove this story aspect was a mistake especially since family was such an important theme in this movie.

    In my opinion, you can’t have a movie that sells itself so much on the nostalgia of the “Halloween” series while completely overlooking it’s sequels which is part of the reason the first film became such a cult classic.  What makes matters worse is that “Halloween H2O” already served to retcon some of the sequels so this film is essentially a retcon of a retcon.

    Speaking of “Halloween H20”, this film basically felt like a bit of a rehash of that film.  Michael Myers returns decades later to torment Laurie and her family.  The scream queen herself, Jamie Lee Curtis, once again reprises her role as Laurie Strode and makes the most of her role.  I don’t know, maybe it was just me, but she didn’t actually seem to be in the film very long.  I was a bit disappointed by that fact.

    I don’t want you to think the whole movie was a disappointment though.  There were a lot of elements that were added that helped the story along.  Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees played investigators in the Michael Myers case and they helped reintroduce Michael Myers into the universe.  They were both very good in their roles.  Having Nick Castle return as Michael Myers was also a nice touch.

    The cinematography in the film was top notch.  It was one of the better filmed movies I have seen recently.  The lighting and the camera locations and movement really emphasized the mask of Michael Myers and his sheer size.  They did fantastic work.

    One interesting thing the movie tried to explore but fell short of was trying to explore the difference between a man and a monster.  I feel like the filmmakers fell short of that however when they started to give Michael Myers superhuman levels of power (which to be fair is a franchise staple so they are off the hook for that).  I wasn’t a big fan of the twist involving Dr. Sartain either.  By the time the revelation is made of what he had done, the film quickly moves past it and ignores it.  It just seemed pointless and silly.

    Now I know another sequel will be made because this movie made a ton at the box office but I am wondering, how do you make a decent sequel without undermining the importance of this film being forty years later and offering up some resolution?  That was a problem “Halloween Resurrection” dealt with and we see how well that did.

    In the end, the film offered a nostalgic slice of horror without fully embracing it’s heritage.  It was a decent movie and it is currently being embraced by audiences.  I just feel like it just missed the mark.

Grade: C

“Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” Movie Review

    The excitement leading up to the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was beyond compare.  The original Star Wars trilogy were among the most popular films of all time.  I seriously doubt any film could have matched what fans had hoped for in terms of Episode I.  Still, on release day, we all did our best to be among the first people to see the movie.  I remember I didn't end up seeing it with my family for about a week or two after it came out because it was so popular that the theaters were literally selling out of seats.  Then we finally got seats to see it and I remember how excited me and my brothers were.  It was special for us.  My brothers were all very different people but the one thing we all loved was Star Wars.

    “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” depicts the Jedi trying to negotiate a deal between the Trade federation and the people of Naboo.  Little do they know, there is a darker power behind these events.  The evil Sith reveal their existence once again and plunge the galaxy into chaos.

    Liam Neeson led the cast as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.  Ewan McGregor portrays a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role previously played by Alec Guinness.  Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker, a child destined to become Darth Vader.  Natalie Portman is also featured as the Queen of Naboo.  Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz all reprise their roles from the original trilogy.

    Upon it's release, the film ended up disappointing most fans and getting mixed to negative marks from critics.  The movie felt very different to the original trilogy despite it's familiar settings.  This is in large part to it's shift in using computer generated images over practical effects.  This is perhaps most obvious with one of the most hated characters in the franchise.  Regardless of how you feel about the character, Jar Jar Binks was revolutionary as he was the first all cgi character in a motion picture.  Unfortunately, Jar Jar Binks was an extremely annoying character.

    The film has also been panned by many who claim it was boring.  The film shifted the focus from a galactic civil war to the political turmoil that led up to that conflict.  From a story point, it would be very difficult to ignore the politics that leads up to war.  The film may have been flawed at inception but people often leave out the many good qualities of the movie when discussing this film.

    I enjoyed the actors a lot.  Liam Neeson and Ewan McGreogor felt like they belonged in their Jedi robes.  Ray Park made for a menacing Darth Maul.  I even thought Jake Lloyd did a good job.  A lot of people made fun of Jake Lloyd's performance in the film to the point he quit acting and suffered a breakdown.  I thought Lloyd did a remarkable job and I thought he was much better than Hayden Christensen turned out to be.

    There is also no denying how great the action scenes were.  The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul remains one of the best of the franchise.  Set to John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates”, it is one of the most iconic themes of recent history.

    I am not going to lie and pretend their wasn't some serious issues with this film, but it was also the first Star Wars movie we got in what felt like forever, so that is something to be happy for.  I will also fondly remember this as a time I got to bond with my oldest brother.  He has since passed away but that bonding time spent over Star Wars can never be replaced.

Grade: B

“Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” Movie Review

    “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” was released three years after Episode I and I remember there was a lot of hope that Attack of the Clones would be a return to form for the Star Wars saga.  The internet was becoming easier to access and more popular after Episode I so it was easier to keep track of the sequel.  I remember one of the first pieces of information they released was the title...which I hated.  Attack of the Clones started off on the wrong foot but I still didn’t know what to expect.
    Set ten years after The Phantom Menace, the film saw Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker investigating an assassination attempt on Padme’s life.  During the investigation, the Jedi discover a new threat in the form of Count Dooku all while  love blossoms between Anakin and Padme.  The film ends with galaxy divided and the Clone Wars beginning.
    Before I get into how I feel about this movie, I should note that George Lucas once again directed this film.  Cast members Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz all return to the franchise.  Samuel L. Jackson, who had a cameo in The Phantom Menace, returns in an expanded role.  New additions to the cast include Hayden Christensen who takes over the role of Anakin Skywalker from Jake Lloyd in order to show ten years passed and Christopher Lee who plays the menacing Count Dooku.

    Now on to my feelings on the film, I will start with the positives.  The fight scenes were terrific.  The end battle scene which serves as the first battle of the Clone Wars is stellar.  It is shot in such a way that almost puts you into the battle.  You also feel the vulnerability of the Jedi more so than ever before.

    Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spot on performance and helps elevate this movie from being as bad as it could have been.  Lucas struck gold in casting McGregor because he remains a silver lining within the prequel films.  John Williams also once again delivered a moving score with great new musical pieces.  I also enjoyed the origin of Boba Fett.
    Now on to things I thought could have been improved upon in the film.  I know I said that I liked Boba Fett’s origin, but I did not love how they tied it into the formation of the Clone Troopers.  Boba Fett feels a little less special knowing he is basically a more skilled stormtrooper.
    The film feels fake overall.  While the cgi is undoubtedly  incredible for it’s time, it still doesn’t feel organic.  The perfect example of this is the lightsaber duel between Yoda and Count Dooku.  The lightsaber fight was fun but it was an example of spectacle over logic.  If Yoda can move like that and do all the flipy stuff he does, why does he even need to walk around with a cane?  It’s like no one told George Lucas that just because something can be done, doesn’t mean it should be done.
    The real nail in the coffin however comes in the form of the forced romance angle between Anakin and Padme.  Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman have zero chemistry together and are given a weak script with terrible dialogue to work with.  What makes matters even worse is the fact that the movie relies on this romance to work to tell it’s story.
    Attack of the Clones improves on some elements over it’s predecessor but ultimately fails in it’s main goal.  It is not the worst film ever, but it may be the worst in the Star Wars Skywalker saga.

Grade: C

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" Movie Review

    The Star Wars prequel trilogy up until Episode III may not have been what fans were hoping for, but regardless of what they thought of the previous two prequels, audiences were still eager to see how the prequel trilogy would end and link up to the original trilogy.  This was, after all, likely (at the time) the last time we would be able to experience a Star Wars movie on the big screen and we all were hoping George Lucas would manage to stick the landing.

    “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” tells the story of how Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side to become Darth Vader in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. After becoming Darth Vader, the Government is turned into a dictatorship and the Rebellion is born as a result.

    Among the returning cast are Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, James Earl Jones, and Frank Oz.  George Lucas once again directs and John Williams provides another good score.

    First of all, this movie was a vast improvement overall compared to the other two prequels.  It felt more like a Star Wars movie and it told the story we had been waiting to see, the fall of Anakin Skywalker.  Showing the “birth” of Darth Vader was a bit graphic and landed the series it’s first PG-13 rating.  I remember there were parents who wouldn’t let their kids watch the movie as a result.

    The film had a lot of great action sequences.  From the epic opening space battle to the last emotional lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Vader, the movie delivers in regards to eye candy.  The movie also features great performances from Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid as the opposing forces and influences of Anakin.
    The film’s connection to the original trilogy is both a blessing and curse.  It is great seeing fan favorites like Chewbecca but it also crams in a lot to make it connect. It would have been nice to see things like the Jedi purge play out a little more.
    The film has some pacing issues but is still overall fun.  It would have been nice to see more than the first and last battle of the Clone Wars but I guess George Lucas figured the animated show could fill in the gaps.  General Grevious was a very promising character in animated form but was a useless side villain in the film.

    Hayden Christensen was a problem with this film just as he was for Episode II.  Christensen is more than capable of a good performance so it’s sad these films have tarnished his image.  I think maybe he either didn’t mesh well with George Lucas or the all cgi locations just took him out of his element.  Hayden Christensen did improve in this chapter but he was still the weakest link of the main cast.
    “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” doesn’t reach the levels of perfection the original trilogy is known for, but it is miles ahead of the rest of the prequel films.  It’s a fun ride with a few elements that don’t completely work.

Grade: B+

“Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” Movie Review

    I was first introduced to “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” (originally just titled “Star Wars” upon his release) around 1994 when the toy line was reintroduced.  The toys looked nothing like the characters in retrospect but they captured my imagination.  I wanted to see the movies which inspired the awesome looking action figures.  Unfortunately, this was back when you had to go to the video store to rent a movie so it took some time for me to watch “Star Wars” but when I did, wow, was I hooked.

    It’s no secret that as a kid, I loved everything Star Wars.  It seems so silly looking back but I remember asking my mom so many questions after watching the movie.  What happened to Darth Vader?  Will he be back?  Where was Yoda?  He had a figure and I just assumed he was in the saga from the beginning.  I remember my mom telling me to wait until I saw the next movie.  I remember rewatching the original trilogy so many times as a kid.  So much of my young life wasted on a movie series.

    That is the power of Star Wars though.  It boils down the hero’s journey into a fun science fiction fantasy.  By all intensive purposes, the movie shouldn’t have worked.  The movie was plagued with production issues.  Lucas would also be forced to create most of the film’s special effects in house (thus giving birth to Industrial Light and Magic).  It has an odd script with seemingly bizarre dialogue and most of the cast and crew were convinced the film would be a flop if it even saw the light of day.  There are numerous sites and videos that will say the film was saved in the editing, one could almost make that case about any film.

    The film is simple, a simple farm boy aspiring for a life less ordinary is thrust into a situation where he must rescue a Princess and finds out he might be the key to stopping the Death Star which is a weapon of mass destruction capable of destroying planets.

    The film starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and the voice of James Earl Jones.  All of these actors play such iconic characters that it is almost impossible to imagine anyone but them being capable of doing anywhere near as good of job as they did.  They just meshed so well together and had an incredible chemistry that you can’t fake.

    The film would go on to become one of the biggest blockbusters of all time and one of the most successfully merchandised movies in existence today.  Money doesn’t equal quality but it also doesn’t exclude quality either.

    The film had so much going for it.  It had an innovative style, making what was essentially a movie serial into a large budget movie.  It may be hard to imagine by today’s standards, but George Lucas also got in trouble for refusing to put opening credits in his movie, opting instead to tell a story with the now infamous opening crawl.  Up until then, most movies had some form of opening credits.

    The special effects were extremely innovative and still stand the test of time some forty years later.  Thankfully George Lucas wasn’t about to sacrifice his vision.  The movie also is famous for having the most iconic movie scores of all time by the great John Williams.  No other movie has featured so many iconic musical themes.

    Now, I think this should go without saying, but if you can’t sink your teeth into science fiction films, regardless of the quality, this isn’t a film for you.  If you are interested in that genre though, there is little you can find fault with in regards to this film.  It is about as perfect as a movie can get and I don’t say that lightly.

Grade: A+

“Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” Movie Review

    I could not wait to watch “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” as a kid.  I had just seen the original Star Wars film and could not wait to watch the sequel.  I was eager to see what adventures Luke Skywalker and the gang would get into next.  My anticipation was through the roof.
    Now, The Empire Strikes Back is famous now for being one of the few sequels to be considered superior over the original.  It often makes critics top ten lists and fans loved the film.  That wasn’t necessarily the case when the film first premiered though.  The Empire Strikes Back was first met with mixed reviews from critics who didn’t like the dark tone the series was heading into.
    The film sees a regrouped Imperial navy and army hammering the Rebellion until it has to flee it’s current base on Hoth.  The group separates as Luke goes to train on Dagobah with Yoda while Han, Leia and the rest of the gang hide in Cloud City with Lando Calrissian.  Things don’t end well for out heroes and the film ends on a huge cliffhanger.
    Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones all return from the previous film.  Billy Dee Williams joins the cast as the sly and charming Lando Calrissian.  Williams had auditioned for the role of Han Solo in the first film.  Frank Oz also joins the cast as the lovable and wise Jedi Master Yoda.
    George Lucas stepped aside and let Irvin Kershner direct Empire for him.  The film, like A New Hope, featured remarkable, state of the art, special effects that still hold up today.  The battle of Hoth remains breathtaking and exciting.  The score was also remarkably strong and on par with the first movie.
    The film is most famous for it’s grand revelation that remains one of the most famous and shocking twists of all time.  It’s often lampooned now and referenced but at the time, it was a literal jaw dropper no one saw coming.
    The film also introduced one of the greatest (and weirdest) love triangles ever put on film.  Everything about the film was daring though.  To end the film on such a moral low and showing that the good guys don’t always win was not something a popcorn film had done before.  The Empire Strikes Back changed cinema and changed the Star Wars saga in it’s second outing.

Grade: A+

“Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi” Movie Review

    I don’t know if there will ever be a movie trilogy as fondly loved as the original Star Wars trilogy.  From the beginning to end, it felt like each movie could hold their own as individual films yet also were pieces in a bigger puzzle.  Return of the Jedi served as the final piece in that puzzle.
    After a successful rescue of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker sets off in a final attempt to seek out the good in his father while Solo and Leia lead an effort to destroy the Empire once and for all.  Along the way, revelations are made that will change the lives of our main characters forever.
    It’s no secret that Return of the Jedi is viewed by many as the weakest chapter in the original trilogy.  Many fans say that the inclusion of the Ewoks hurt the film for them.  Many claimed the Ewoks were only put into the movie to sell toys.  Well, I don’t disagree with this but I would argue that George Lucas planned every character with an eye on toys and merchandising.  What Star Wars character doesn’t have a toy in some form?  I personally liked the Ewoks and thought they enhanced the narrative.
    Return of the Jedi is my favorite chapter partly because it caps off the stellar saga so perfectly.  Nothing feels left out and every character has some sort of resolution.  It was also one of the most emotional chapters in the Star Wars saga.
    The film features the returning cast of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guinness, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Frank Oz.  The film introduces Ian McDiarmid as the puppeteer of Darth Vader and the Empire, the Sith Master Emperor Palpatine.  All the original stars are given their moments to shine and McDiarmid makes for a deliously evil manipulator.
    It should be noted that the movie was greatly enhanced with Harrison Ford’s involvement which was at one point in doubt (hence the ending of The Empire Strikes Back).  Luckily a solid script, some convincing, and a butt load of money led him to once again reprise the role of Han Solo.
    This film is the one perhaps hurt most by the special edition treatment.  George Lucas inserted a silly song into the Jabba’s Palace scene and a few other pointless additions that were more distracting than helpful.  Perhaps the most controversial change was replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker’s force ghost.  It feels out of place.
    Interestingly, there were a lot of changes to the original story of Return of the Jedi before filming began.  At one point, the film was to end with Luke placing the Darth Vader mask onto his own head and declaring that he was now Darth Vader.  Harrison Ford also continued his lobbying to have Han Solo die at the end.
    The film is one of my all time favorites and it boils down to the emotional battle between Luke and Darth Vader.  It’s a touching story of a son not only trying to save the soul of his dark and twisted father.  It’s the story of never giving up on someone no matter how bleak things seem.  Ultimately, it’s among the best stories of hope ever put to film.

Grade: A+

“Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” Movie Review

    After the release of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, we Star Wars fans just accepted the fact that the franchise had officially ended.  We knew that there would always be cartoons, books, video games,  and comics but we accepted that live action Star Wars movies were now a thing of the past.  There would be no more chapters to add to the Skywalker saga and perhaps it was better that way.  No one wanted another prequel situation, where Lucas promised for more than a decade he would make more films but didn’t.  The Star Wars saga was now one with the force.

     Unbeknownst to almost everyone, George Lucas was working on a sequel trilogy and had even started to get his cast in line.  One key cast member was Mark Hamill who would once again play Luke Skywalker but would take on a more Obi-Wan Kenobi role training a young Jedi Padawan named Kira.  This obviously changed by the time the movie started filming for a number of reasons but Lucas supposedly even had a finished script.  Then Disney came along throwing around crazy money.  George Lucas had been considering retiring and when Disney got wind of this, the mouse house offered Lucas a little over four billion dollars for Lucasfilms.  George Lucas accepted the offer and the transition began with Lucas and Disney agreeing to apoint Kathleen Kennedy as the new head of Lucasfilms.  Disney also received George Lucas’ script for Episode VII in the deal which they wasted no time in throwing away.

    Disney didn’t trust George Lucas after the prequels received generally negative feedback.  They wanted to make a film for the fans.  They wanted to sell nostalgia.  In a nut shell, they wanted to remake “A New Hope” but wrap it up like a sequel and hope no one noticed.  Well, plenty of people did and it wasn’t exactly like it was a fact they were hiding.  They even hired lifetime Star Wars nerd J.J. Abrams to direct the movie.  No one really knew what a Disney Star Wars movie would be like.  We were all a little scared but also incredibly excited to see what Force Awakens had in store for us.

    The movie is set thirty years after “Return of the Jedi” and sees the galaxy has once again fell into turmoil.  The Empire was destroyed but in it’s ashes, the First Order arose.  The First Order is basically just the Empire with a different name, they even have the same stormtroopers and tie fighters and guns and so on (not much has changed).  They are led by Kylo Ren who is a Darth Vader fan boy with a secret of his own.  Kylo Ren is definitely one of the highlights of the film.  His unhinged emo and spoiled brat personality seems very different from Darth Vader’s calm and reserved demeanor.

    “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” largely ignores the legacy material which came before it.  So any event that happened in a book or comic became non-canon.  This was a wise decision in my book because so much has happened in the books that would be hard to go over in a single movie.  They did borrow fairly heavily from the legends though.

    The film stars Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and a non speaking cameo from Mark Hamill.  I like the new characters and Ridley, Boyega, and Driver are among the three best standouts.  Harrison Ford is a delight as Han Solo, one of his greatest characters.

    The film sets up a lot of interesting questions, or as Abrams describes them, mystery boxes.  The only problem with these mystery boxes is that it passes the buck onto the next filmmaker so the success of that movie is tied into the success of this movie.  John Williams once again scores this Star Wars film but it isn’t the best in the saga.

    The new characters act as stand ins for the original characters.  Rey is essentially the Luke for this trilogy.  Han is the new Obi-Wan,  Maz is the new Yoda, Poe is the new Han, Finn is the Leia of this franchise, BB-8 is the new C-3PO and R2-D2, and Ren is the new Vader.

    The film rehashes a lot of aspects from the original Star Wars but if you are going to steal and sell it as nostalgia, you can’t beat Star Wars.  The force really did awaken with this film.

Grade: A-

"Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi" Movie Review

    The Last Jedi had all the fixings to be the dark second chapter of the sequel trilogy.  The Empire Strikes Back to The Force Awaken’s A New Hope.  It was set to feature the return of fan favorite Luke Skywalker and fans were practically salivating with excitement.  So many questions were poised in The Force Awakens and while no one expected all of those questions to be answered, we were hungry for even hints.  Needless to say, when the movie finally hit and Rian Johnson decided to subvert expectations, the fan base was decidedly mixed and it has led to a huge ugly nerd war that still rages on to this day.

    Perhaps neither side is completely right or wrong.  The fans who applaud the movie have every right to do so.  The film is fun and a pleasing popcorn film.  The fans who dislike the film for not respecting the previous installments are correct as well.  I would argue that any sequel should respect the source material of previous films.  A Star Wars fan can not ignore the fact that Luke Skywalker’s character went from someone willing to risk everything to redeem his father to someone ready to murder his nephew over a vision of what may come to be.  Luke Skywalker wouldn’t do that.  Mark Hamill even expressed the same feeling during the development of this film.  The movie also took all the questions we had and basically said those answers don’t matter.
    The movie picks up almost directly after The Force Awakens and finds Rey trying to convince former Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to train her which he is very reluctant to do since he also trained Ben Solo who later became Kylo Ren.  The Resistance is on the run and things are looking dark for our heroes.
    Much of what makes the film so entertaining is it’s cast.  With Harrison Ford no longer in the new films, Mark Hamill takes up the role of the wise mentor.  Daisy Ridley once again delivers a strong performance as Rey, a young Force sensitive whose powers scare even herself.  This film is also noteable for being the  final film Carrie Fisher shot before passing way.
    While the cast is undeniably talented, the script leaves a lot to be desired.  I am not sure the reason for some of Johnson’s choices but I feel like he went for the easiest solutions to questions set up by J.J. Abrams.  Who is Snoke?  It’s too hard to explain how he is more powerful than Palpatine so let’s just not explain it and get rid of the character.  Rey was hinted at having parents of importance, well that would be hard to explain so let’s just say they were nobodies.  So many seemingly lazy script writing decisions beyond what he did with Luke.
    The Last Jedi is a good movie but just isn’t a great Star Wars film.  I feel like it’s the type of chapter that will be mainly glossed over in the future.  I just hope the next episode is a step in the right direction for a change.

Grade: C+

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” Movie Review

    From the very beginning of it's announcement, things started looking not so hot for "Solo: A Star Wars Story".  To say the movie was riddled with problems is an understatement.  Heck, just the idea of a young Han Solo film divided fans.  It seemed either fans loved the idea or felt Han Solo's past should remain a mystery.  I am of the school of thought that if there is a good story to tell, nothing should be off the table so I was personally open to a young Han Solo film, that is until of course all the drama with the production happened.
    When Kathleen Kennedy announced that the directing duo of Lord and Miller were directing this movie, I was excited.  The pair had just come of the successful Jump Street franchise as well as the hugely popular LEGO movie so they seemed like the perfect filmmakers to help lead Star Wars into a new era.  Rumor is that Lord and Miller even turned down a big money deal to direct a Flash movie at Warner Bros. to make this film for Lucasfilms.  Then news broke that the pair had been fired (which seems to be an ongoing pattern over at Lucasfilms) from the project after completing most of the film.  Ron Howard was hired to finish the film and reshoot it to more align with Kathleen Kennedy's "vision" of the film.  I had no idea what to expect from this film which seemed like a mixing pot of different creative directions.  Luckily, by some miracle, the film works.  I was actually pretty entertained throughout most of the movie.
    There were several rumors going around about Alden Ehrenreich needing an acting coach because he was doing such a poor job but if that were true, bravo to the acting coaches because he definitely did a better job than I thought he would.  While I didn’t think of Harrison Ford during his performance, I definitely felt a Han Solo vibe and that is what is important in a young Han Solo movie.
    As far as the supporting cast, the highlight was definitely Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian.  He brought the charm and swagger of Billy Dee Williams to his performance in a way few could.  Woody Harrelson was also a welcomed addition to the Star Wars family as a mentor to Han.  Emilie Clarke also co-stars as Han’s love interest.  Unfortunately, Clarke doesn’t add much to the movie but she also doesn’t take anything away either.
    My favorite aspect of the movie was the origin of Han and Chewbecca’s friendship.  The bond they share throughout the movie enhances the friendship they have  in the Star Wars saga films.  This movie could have been a Chewbecca origin film and I would have been happy.  Have I mentioned how awesome Chewbecca is yet?
    Now on to some gripes about the film.  First, the cinematography in the first ten minutes of the film  was terrible and you could hardly see what was going on.  I understand it was supposed to be dark, but the audience needs to see what is going on.  Also, while I liked the secret cameo, I am not sure the reason for his inclusion.  Do they plan to explore the character in a future film?  They will also need to explain his apparent rise from the dead somewhere down the line in a film (and not an animated show).
    The film turned out to be a flop of Lucasfilms part and lost the studio money which is a shame since it wasn’t a bad film.  It was definitely better than the last few Star Wars films.  I just hope they give the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie a shot down the line.  Too bad Han always has to shoot first.

Grade: B+

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Movie Review

    “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was the first Star Wars spin-off film to be announced from Disney films.  The film is essentially an adaptation of the opening crawl from the first movie way back in 1977.  I didn’t know what to expect from this movie but I was feeling positive after “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”.  This film ended up turning out to be rather divisive among fans of the Star Wars saga.  Some fans hail it as one of the best Star Wars films ever while others view it as a misstep from Disney.
    The film is set right before the events depicted in the original Star Wars film (A New Hope) and revolves around the mission to steal the Death Star plans.  This movie allows the Star Wars franchise to fill in some plot holes like why it took the first Death Star so long to be built while the second Death Star could be built relatively quickly.  It is an interesting idea and exploring a time without the Jedi order is a fresh concept.
    The film was directed by Gareth Edwards fresh off of Warner Bros. "Godzilla" reboot.  The film was plagued with production issues and much of the movie ended up being reshot.  Tony Gilroy reportedly took over directing duties from Edwards after Lucasfilms was said to be unhappy with some of his work (although Edwards remained the only credited director).  The trailer for the film features many alternative scenes later re-filmed by Gilroy.
    The cast is made up of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Mads Mikkelsen, and Forest Whitaker.  They all do a fine job but the clear standout is actually Alan Tudyk as K-2SO.  How Tudyk hasn't become a bigger star is beyond me.  Cameos by Jimmy Smits and Anthony Daniels also helps it feel connected to the prequel and original trilogies.
    I couldn't talk about Rogue One without bringing up the computer animation they used to varying success.  Grand Moff Tarkin reappears in the film with Guy Henry taking over the role.  However, the late Peter Cushing's face was digitally inserted onto Henry's face to make it seem like Peter Cushing was still alive and reprising his role.  The Tarkin scenes worked well when played in the shadows but when he was in clearer view, it was distracting.  Same goes for the cameo by Princess Leia.  Ingvid Deila provided the physical stand in while Carrie Fisher's face was superimposed onto her body.  This scene in particular has a bit of an uncanny valley feel.  James Earl Jones also once again provides the voice of Darth Vader though his voice seems off in this film.  Darth Vader's scene at the end is definitely the highlight of the movie though.
    "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" feels like it was missing something.  It was a solid science fiction story but nothing really stood out besides the Vader scene.  As bad as they could be at times, even the prequels had some epic scenes.  This film just personally feels lacking and I can't help but side with those who feel like it was a misstep for Disney (although not a huge one either).

Grade: C+

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Movie Review

    I remember the micro series “Star Wars: Clone Wars” as being something incredible.  It was developed by Genndy Tartakovsky and done in a style similar to his “Samurai Jack” series.  So a computer animated feature film in the same vain as the micro series seemed like a win.  “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” came out in 2008 and the movie ended up getting lost in the slew of excellent films that summer.

    The film is set to the backdrop of the Clone Wars and features plenty of battle scenes.  After a tense battle at the beginning of the film, Yoda arrives and assigns Anakin Skywalker his first (and only) Jedi Padawan to train.  The young Jedi is named Ahsoka Tano.  Anakin is resistant to train the young girl but is sent on an assignment with her to rescue the son of Jabba the Hutt.  Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent on a mission to negotiate with the Hutts with the hopes that if Anakin and Ahsoka’s rescue attempt is successful, Jabba (a netural party in the Clone Wars) will side with the Republic against the Seperatist forces.
    The film essentially served as the pilot for the hit animated show “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.  That is a major flaw with the movie however because it feels very wide open, as if they didn’t want to end that story thread completely in case they wanted to revisit the Hutts one day in the show.

    Setting the movie (and later tv show) between Episode II and Episode III provided a lot of opportunities to showcase the conflicts and battles hinted at during the movies.  It also gives us as an audience more of an insight to how the war effected the characters, which is something capitalized more in the show than the actual movie.  Since this served as a pilot, it was also finding it’s footings.  At times it felt more comedic than the show later became.

    The show featured the return of Asajj Ventress from the previous “Clone Wars” micro series.  She was a fan favorite so including her was a smart decision.  The film was introduced fan favorite character Ahsoka Tano who wasn’t so loved when this film premiered.  Her character grew a lot over the show but her depiction in the movie left a lot to be desired.

    Dave Filoni based the character designs on supermarionation such as “Thunderbirds” from the 1960s.  I am not a huge fan of this animation design but it grew on me with time.  It works better with certain characters over others.

    “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” ultimately works better as an episode of a tv over a theatrical movie.  While I think the critics were a little hard on the movie, it’s hard to overlook the movie’s flaws.

Grade: C-

“The Star Wars Holiday Special” Movie Review

    Growing up, I became obsessed with “Star Wars”.  I watched all the Star Wars content I could get my hands on and I loved every minute of it.  I was a super nerd.  I have since settled down a bit (although I am sure my girlfriend would disagree on that front), I still love me some Star Wars.  I watched all of the original trilogy at the time and thought I had watched all there was to offer on the Star Wars front.  Then I heard whispers of a Holiday Special.  Being a kid growing up in the 1990s, I didn’t have the internet to check.  There was no IMDb, no Wikipedia, all we had were whispers in the wind.  (I know we had books too, but even libraries are limited in their content.  So my search for “The Star Wars Holiday Special” began.

    The film is now easily accessible on sites like YouTube but for awhile, the only way to view it was bootleg VHS tapes and DVD.  I remember buying a bootleg VHS copy of the movie and being very excited only to discover the poor quality of the VHS tape.  Kids today will never understand how bad the VHS tape quality could be.

    “The Star Wars Holiday Special” has a reputation for being notoriously bad.  George Lucas hated the film and it has never been officially released.  You know it has to be on another level bad when George Lucas disowns it.  It should be noted that this special is noteworthy for being the first “sequel/spin-off” to the original “Star Wars” predating “The Empire Strikes Back”.  It also marked the debut of fan favorite character Boba Fett. He appeared in an animated short within the special.

    The film focuses on Chewbecca’s family.  Chewbecca has a wife (Malla), son (Lumpy), and father (Itchy) who still live on the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk.  Life Day is fast approaching so Han Solo and Chewbecca rush Chewie back home to reunite with his family and celebrate the holiday.  The film is excessively abstract and presents itself in a variety show format.  Surprisingly, almost all of the original cast makes an appearance in this special.  Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and James Earl Jones all reprise their roles.
    The film turned out to be as terrible as the whispers in the wind claimed it was.  First of all, most of the film focuses on Chewbecca’s family.  Who ever thought that a film with little dialogue and mainly howls was a good idea must have been a complete nut.  There is also a strange, borderline disgusting segment where Itchy gets very excited watching Diahann Carroll and it is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds.  New stars to the franchise include comedians Harvey Korman, Art Carney, and Bea Arthur all not fitting in well with their surroundings.  Did I mention Bea Arthur and Carrie Fisher sing in this film?  Yep, I guess the Life Day celebration consists of Carrie Fisher singing a word version of the iconic “Star Wars” theme.  It was that weird.

    The film is an interesting watch for a hardcore Star Wars fan but even they might not be able to stomach this film.  It’s just a good thing “The Empire Strikes Back” went in a very different direction.

Grade: F

“A Star Is Born” (2018) Movie Review

    There seems like a slew of decent movies have been hitting movie theaters lately.  Honestly, it was hard to pick what movie to watch for a guy like me who enjoys almost every genre.  Even narrowing it down between what me and my girlfriend would enjoy was difficult because even she wanted to see more than one of the movies in theaters.  So it basically came down to the showtimes and what our friends wanted to see.  So ultimately the movie we picked ended up being “A Star Is Born”.

    First thing I have to say, for the sake of honesty, we ended up missing the first roughly six to ten minutes of the film because of troubles at the theater.  We got there in time but the ticket printing machine gave us issues and wouldn’t print our tickets so that ended up taking some time.  Even after all that, we should have had plenty of time to see the movie and pick up concessions.  The concession line did not move however.  I am not even saying it was the theater’s workers fault.  They were working hard and I work retail and know how impossible some customers can be but it was still frustrating.

    So the movie started for us with Lady Gaga singing in the drag queen bar while Bradley Cooper’s character was scooping her out.  I may have missed something incredible or important so I just wanted to include that note.  That being said, it was a strong scene to start the movie on.

    So this remake tells the same story as the previous “A Star Is Born” films.  A famous country singer who’s star is falling due to his alcohol and drug problems discovers a young singer who he is falls in love with but things start getting bad as her fame grows.  The film showcases the pitfalls of fame and the hardships fame can bring.  The film does a good job showing how the spotlight can strip away your humanity.

    This film serves as Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut and it is a strong film to start with.  There are a lot of beautiful shots and scenes featuring both spectacularly large concert footage as well as very intimate and personal scenes.  That is an impressive success for a first time filmmaker.

    The movie relies on the strength of the performances of both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.  They are both very good in the movie and they both give stripped down and passionate performances.  They both also share good chemistry together.  You want them to work out.  The film also features Sam Elliott as Jack’s (Bradley Cooper) older brother.  Elliott gave a wonderful performance as well and helps elevate Cooper and makes him feel more organic.  The cast also features comedians like Dave Chappelle and Andrew Dice Clay in supporting roles.

    The biggest strength of the movie is it’s soundtrack.  Lady Gaga was naturally good but who knew Bradley Cooper could sing so well?  I was very impressed with his musical chops.  The movie also had some levity that  made the film feel more real.  The scenes in the drag queen bar were among the best parts of the movie.

    The film did have some faults in my opinion even though it was overall a very good movie.  Much of the main story elements felt a bit rushed and thus took some of the believability out of the movie.  The movie also felt, at times, more like a music video and less like a movie.

    “A Star Is Born” is a very good movie which is receiving incredible word of mouth success.  While it’s not completely unworthy of the success, I feel like the praise may be a little overblown as the music overshadows the actual movie.

Grade: B