"Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle" Movie Review

    Around the time “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was set to come out, it seemed like the whole country was caught up in Star Wars fever.  It seems strange to say especially now if you didn’t grow up during the time, but it was like Star Wars brought people together in a way never before seen.  Everyone wanted to show their love and excitement for the new prequel and a lot of comedians did so by releasing loving parodies of the original trilogy.  One such filmmaker, Steve Oedekerk, did so with a short film entitled “Thumb Wars” (also known as “Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle”).  The short film aired on UPN a day before the release of the Star Wars prequel and I fell in love with it.

    I discovered this little gem by accident one day while flipping through the tv channels when I was a teenager.  This was a 20-30 minute special which spoofed the first Star Wars movie.  This film was family friendly and features somewhat juvenile humor.  The film literally features thumbs with faces scanned onto them as parody versions of the original Star Wars characters.  The short film is dumb humor but it’s the type of humor I adore.

    “Thumb Wars” paved the way for other spoofs featuring thumbs.  It was also the predecessor to the comedic film “Kung Pow! Enter the Fist”.  The work of Oedekerk tends to get panned by critics but it also tends to develop cult followings.  Even these ‘thumb universe’ short films have a loyal following.  Comedy is very subjective, so it remains one of the hardest subject matters to do a fair review of.  I mean, there are times I have to be in the mood to watch a comedy even if it’s one I love.

    I tend to gravitate towards abstract humor and comedy that appears dumb, but actually has more wit to it than it seems to on the surface.  That is why Mel Brooks has always been one of my favorite comedy writers.  He was a master at writing silly dialogue that actually had a lot of thought and references to literature and history put into it.

    Now, “Thumb Wars” isn’t on the level of a “History of the World: Part I” but it is silly and irrelevant and you know what, I am okay with that because it made me laugh.  “Thumb Wars” was made for a whole family to enjoy so the humor needed to be accessible to everyone.

    I am going to give this short film a grade, which I was on the fence about at first.  I figured maybe I couldn’t give the movie a ‘fair’ grade because it's impossible to grade a comedy fairly.  Then I thought about it and realized that all films are subjectively good or bad.  I have already put myself out there as a judge of cinema (aka cinema snob).  Look, even though I know this film is beyond silly, it still makes me laugh.  So maybe my grade will be unfair to some, but this short deserves a little more love so I am going to give it some.

Grade: B+

“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

“The Mummy” (1999) Movie Review

    Back in 1999, as the world went crazy with excitement awaiting the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” and worried about the possible end of the world thanks to the dreaded Y2K bug, a little remake of the Universal Monster classic “The Mummy” was released to little excitement and what seemed like a release date that could kill it up against the new Star Wars film.  They couldn’t have picked a better time to drop the film though.  Sure, it’s box office pailed in comparison to Star Wars, but Episode I’s massive box office actually helped “The Mummy”.  You see, many people simply couldn’t get tickets to see Episode I so they went to “The Mummy” instead.  Selling out theaters was good for both films as it turned out.

    Looking back, the people who ended up being stuck seeing “The Mummy” instead probably lucked out.  “The Mummy” was a fun and charming film and it made the Universal Studio monsters feel relevant once more.  “The Mummy” was once again a cool property.

    One of the most cleaver aspects of the remake was changing the film from a pure horror film to an adventure film in the vain of Indiana Jones with some horror aspects sprinkled in.  This gave the film a fresh feeling while still telling the same story as the original.  Setting the film in the 20s also set the film apart from other action fare and gave it a unique feel.

    The cast was led by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz and the two share a quirky and awkwardly cute chemistry.  Fraser plays Rick O’Connell who is essentially the Indiana Jones of this film.  Fraser looks imposing yet has a goofy charm and has good comedic timing.  Weisz plays Evelyn as the sweet book worm who  longs for a more adventurous life.  Arnold Vosloo also makes for a great villain as the mummy Imhotep.

    “The Mummy” is a rare remake where one could make a valid argument that it is better then the original film.  It is rare for any film to balance multiple genres without overdoing one or the other.  “The Mummy” achieves such a balance.

Grade: A-