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2010s, 2019, Action, Adventure, C+, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

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Director(s)J. J. Abrams
Principal CastDaisy Ridley as Rey
Adam Driver as Ben/Kylo Ren
John Boyega as Finn
Oscar Isaac as Poe
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
Carrie Fisher as Leia
Mark Hamil as Luke
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
Billy Dee Williams as Lando
Release Date2019
Language(s)English
Running Time142 minutes

NOTE – Like all reviews I do this – this is spoiler free, but given how big the movie is, I felt like mentioning it again.

So for those of you who have been following my Star Wars journey so far, you must’ve noticed that I was really loving a lot of the movies. Much to the surprise of a lot of my friends, I was actually a really big fan of The Last Jedi, and eagerly awaited Episode IX – honestly excited to see how J.J. Abrams would take and conclude the different thematic threads and character arcs. Unfortunately, I was left far from impressed. Despite being gorgeous to watch and having more than a few amazing iconic scenes, The Rise of Skywalker, feels hollow and emotionally vacant. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the movie – I’ll certainly go watch it again – but it was disappointing to say the least.

I have a lot I don’t like so I’m going to start with some positives – because there are quite a few and I don’t want them to get overshadowed. John William’s delivers some of my favorite renditions of tracks in this film. If I didn’t have Spotify, I’d be inclined to buy the score. In particular, “The Old Death Star”, sent chills down my spine as soon as it started playing. The echoes of Vader’s “Imperial March” feel even more captivating and alluring here. The film is also visually stunning. There were multiple moments that had me giddy with excitement and getting to see the absolute vastness of the Force was a joy to behold. The power of the characters felt palpable (pun intended) and I genuinely appreciated how badass space wizards could actually be. Great set design helped heighten battles and made them feel that much more metaphysical and grandiose. I had goosebumps more than one time and know that the spectacle is going to delight more than a fair share of people. If you like space ship fights, this movie has some jaw dropping ones in terms of scale and design. There are multiple shots in this movie that you could print out and frame and subsequently get lost looking at.

Even when I wasn’t invested in the plot and felt betrayed by how the story unraveled – I was always at least partially invested because character moments felt genuine. Adam Driver has been my favorite part of the Sequel Trilogy and I’d watch this movie again just to see his portrayal of Kylo. It’s astounding just how many different emotions he can put on display – and his constant journey and inner struggle between the light and the dark felt real and emotionally resonant. Every time he was on the screen I cared. It probably helps that his character arc is the only one I genuinely enjoyed – so kudos for that. Daisy Ridley is phenomenal as Rey and makes the new Jedi’s inner conflict feel as justified as the plot will let it. Even though I really didn’t like the way the story took her arc, I appreciated passion and effort put in to make it believable. My review would be remiss if I didn’t mention just how much I loved the inclusion of older cast members. Billy Dee Williams is infectious as Lando and constantly had me smiling when he showed up. Ian McDiarmid’s is over the top, campy, and perfectly evil as always. Palpatine still oozes with the same familiar dark charisma and the inclusion of of some fan favorite dialogue made his scenes that much more enjoyable. Who doesn’t love the Emperor, am I right?

Plot wise – the story picks up well after the Battle of Crait. Palpatine is back , Kylo is attempting to shore up his control of the First Order and the galaxy as a whole, and Rey is off training. From the first scene – the movie feels rushed and constantly jumps all over the place. This is especially noticeable in the first half of the movie – but pacing is whack. It’s almost like a four hour movie was packed into the 2 and a half hour run time. We constantly travel from planet to planet – from one chase scene to another brush with danger. While it all looks visually stunning, there’s an noticeable lack of tension because there’s never enough time to really get settled in or invested in what’s going on. Huge emotional moments get undercut as a result which takes a lot of the impact of the movie away. Furthermore, the movie plays out a lot like a video game with a lot of fetch quests., which is a shame, because some of the items the main crew look for seem like they could’ve been more interesting if they were mentioned or alluded to in previous films or developed more in this one. Their inclusions are also made less relevant because each “item” only seems to lead to another so it diminishes their significance.

Most of these plot issues stem from the identity crisis the film seems to have. It simultaneously tries to pick up story threads from The Force Awakens, retcon a lot of the interesting elements from The Last Jedi, and pander to a Star Wars fan base that has made its vocal disdain for the Sequel Trilogy known online. Unfortunately, there’s not nearly enough time to make each of these decisions cohesive – we go from fan service to a serious moment and then back , creating a whiplash in expectation and tone. I’m someone who loves fan service, but it just felt overdone and undeserved in a lot of scenarios and dropped me out of the movie more than once. Based on the exposition thrown at us in the earlier portions of the movie, it’s clear to see that J.J and Rian had different visions for character arcs and how the themes of the Skywalker franchise should be explored. It just made me wish one or the other had made all the films so that we could’ve received a wholly consistent trilogy instead of one that tried to do everything. Maybe that way we wouldn’t have had so many strange character interactions, deus ex machina like moments, strange reversals of previous plot threads, and confusing explanations for previous events.

For me – the biggest disappointment (that I can talk about at least) is how flat the movie feels thematically. A lot of the more interesting and nuanced themes from The Last Jedi, are completely discarded and replaced with generic beats and moments from Return of The Jedi. It makes the movie feel cheap because it doesn’t expand or try to take the story to a new philosophical height. Instead, it seems to revel in pandering to an audience that just wants to see a generic battle of good vs evil – which is fine, if not a little disheartening. Say what you want about the Prequel Trilogy- at least it expanded the philosophical discourse of Star Wars in diverse ways. It stumbled in a lot of ways, but it opened up the venue to a lot of , I was almost certain that the movie would play around with the concepts of fate, destiny, the dark side and the light side and what those ideas really mean but instead it seemed to just want to travel down the well-trodden path from the Original Trilogy. That’s not to say there’s no innovation – there were certainly interesting moments and ideas that made the Force seem more mystical and built on its vague nature. The problem is just those moments are few and far between and often times are underdeveloped or straight up undercut.

REPORT CARD

TLDRThe Rise of Skywalker is a beautiful mess of jumbled ideas and inconsistent thematic threads. While there were a lot of gorgeous shots and character actions I loved, I had my fair share of moments where I felt apathetic to the pretty visuals on the screen. It’s just sad that what could’ve been the best movie in the franchise turned out to be so topsy turvy. If you like Star Wars you owe it to yourself to watch the film. People who loved The Last Jedi might feel let down with the story choices made. However, on the flip side, if you didn’t like the last movie – you might end up liking this even more than me – it’s packed to the brim with fan service and goes over the story beats we all loved from the Original Trilogy. No matter what , you should watch the movie. At the very least it’s a visual and auditory treat.
Rating7.7/10
GradeC+

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2010s, 2017, A, Action, Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode VIII- The Last Jedi

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Director(s)Rian Johnson
Principal CastDaisy Ridley as Rey
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
John Boyega as Finn
Oscar Isaac as Poe
Carrie Fisher as Leia
Mark Hamil as Luke
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose
Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo
Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux
Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke
Release Date2017
Language(s)English
Running Time152 minutes

Wow. All I can say is wow. I was semi-excited for this movie because of how Episode VII ended and set up respective story threads and character arcs. However, I was also kind of nervous. The last movie, even though I really enjoyed it, felt safe for a lot of the film and I was worried that this film would similarly pull a lot of punches and just be a rehash of Episode V. Thankfully, I was wrong. By the end of this movie, I was more than satisfied with the way previous plot threads were handled and forwarded. Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi innovates and changes the Star Wars formula in ways that I genuinely enjoyed while retaining the magic that has made me fall in love with the franchise.

The film immediately picks up after the end of the last one which I appreciated. One of my biggest issues with a lot of the Star Wars movies is the time gaps between them. I never have a great grasp of what has changed which makes power differences and character motivations feel unearned. It’s a problem I had with the transition between Episodes V- VI and Episodes II-III (yes I know the Clone Wars exist and I’ll be watching them but the problem is still there and noticeable). Because this film bypasses those issues, I wasn’t left asking why or what happened and could just focus on the subsequent plot and character development.

One glaring issue with the last film, is it’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker. He’s missing from a galactic conflict and unresponsive to the plight of the innocents being destroyed by the First Order. When I saw the opening crawl in Episode VII, I could hardly believe it. Luke was a beacon of optimism in the original trilogy and I genuinely enjoyed the way his character developed from a headstrong, passionate, ready to charge in hero to someone more calm and wise in his solutions to problems. In particular, what stood out to me the most was his hope and control of emotions. He gives in to his rage and fear in Episode VI, but manages to control those impulses in favor of the heroic and ethical approach. That stuck with me. So how could such a hero, who saved the galaxy purely through spirit and resilience be away from the situation at play? That’s the question I couldn’t stop asking during the run time of the last movie. Johnson’s answer and direction for Luke, answers those questions in spades, and genuinely surprised me. There’s a satisfying explanation for his motivations and his withdrawal from the conflict. More importantly, there’s a beautiful discussion about the dangers and merits to legends of heroism. Luke is forced to confront his legendary status and this isn’t something I’ve gotten to experience in heroic movies. Yes – legends are great in how they inspire- but looking at how they can debilitate their sources is something I’ve never really bothered to consider and I enjoyed the way the discourse is presented. Mark Hamill’s performance as Luke is breath-taking and I can’t stop thinking about how amazing he was. He’s grumpy, irritated, distraught, hopeful, lost, wise, and everything in between. He’s asked to do so much by this plot and never fails to deliver. I was completely enamored by his presence on the screen and I think that this movie would be an absolute failure if he couldn’t sell the gravitas of his decisions and subsequent character arc. He makes the movie and gives it the emotional weight necessary to elevate it from good to great. If someone had told me Luke still had a dynamic and emotionally resonant character arc left in him, I wouldn’t have believed them, but that’s what I got in this film.

Luke’s not the only character that gets some love in this movie. Finn, Poe, and Kylo all get development in this movie and I love how their character arcs progressed. Finn’s biggest issue in the last movie is how how much he wants to run away. He’s forced to confront that issue and decide his place in the conflict. His ultimate decision in the third act becomes more meaningful as such. Kylo is still emotionally distraught and watching his inner conflict is satisfying. It’s believable and makes his actions and decisions that much more interesting to follow. Poe’s changes are my favorite by far and I loved watching his journey from a guns-blazing hero to someone more tempered. It reminded me of Luke’s journey from Episode V to VI but felt more developed and earned.

The story also continues a lot of the thematic elements I loved from the prequel trilogy- namely the idea that the Sith is “evil” and the Jedi are “good.” Moral grayness is the name of the game and the film explores this through a variety of different character interactions and plot lines. I loved what I got and wish the film had gone further with its deconstruction of those ideas. The primary theme of the film is failure and how we can learn and develop from it. Characters literally come out and tell the audience as much. It’s not a novel lesson, but it’s not something that’s usually explored as much. I mean, no one really loves to focus on their losses. This movie forces the characters to confront their issues and learn or be eliminated. It’s powerful and the lessons some of the group learn are harsh.

This movie shines as a audio and visual treat. There are some gorgeous action scenes that feel larger than life because of the tension and themes that go behind them. The emotional intensity driving these moments kept me engaged and once the action started in the third act, I couldn’t stop staring at the screen in appreciation of the spectacle I was witnessing. John William’s score in this movie is similarly amazing. I paused more than once to find out the name of a track in the background. If you followed my review of Episode VII, this is one of the elements of the movie that I was somewhat disappointed by, so when I heard the riveting score in this film I was genuinely happy.

I know it seems like I’ve gushed a lot over this movie, but I did have a few issues with it. There’s a subplot in the movie that feels kind of out of place. If you’ve watched the movie and seen other reviews online, you know what plot I’m talking about. While I agree that the sub-plot was long and overdrawn, I don’t think it was useless. I enjoyed the way it played with and subverted our expectations while adding to the political commentary and ideas of a moral gray zone. I do think that the section could have been cut down and thought that it did mess up the pacing of the movie. Better editing could have reduced this effect and helped the scene feel less cumbersome to get through.

I lauded the character growth in this movie, especially in relation to failure and development in response. However, because each character is learning a different lesson, sometimes when those lessons are presented one after another it creates a jarring thematic experience. For example, a character learns about the value of patience and then another character immediately acts haphazardly as a martyr. It makes sense for both characters to do what they do (at least in my opinion), but because both arcs are presented with each other it comes off as a thematic whiplash. There’s also an attempt to shoe-horn another theme in the third act, that I thought felt out of place and less resonant.

Speaking of tonal inconsistency, the movie has a lot of humorous moments that follow serious moments. I didn’t mind this in some sections because the comedic moments never felt too serious. However, there are definitely sections that would have benefited greatly from the exclusion of any humorous moments to really drive home the gravity of what was going on.

REPORT CARD

TLDRI loved The Last Jedi. It has some tonal and plot flaws that could have been solved with better editing, but is by and large entertaining and thought provoking. The way the movie tackles heroism, the dichotomy between the dark side and light side, and the method by which we should treat the past gives Star Wars a cerebral feeling I haven’t felt in a while. Characters old and new are forced to grow and adapt and I’m excited to see where they end up by the end of the story.
Rating9.4/10
GradeA

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2010s, 2015, A, Action, Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode VII- The Force Awakens

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Director(s)J. J. Abrams
Principal CastDaisy Ridley as Rey
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
John Boyega as Finn
Oscar Isaac as Poe
Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher as Leia
Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata
Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux
Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke
Release Date2015
Language(s)English
Running Time135 minutes

After the way the original and prequel trilogy wrapped up the tragedy of Darth Vader, I was left wondering what kind of story was left to be told in this latest trilogy. How has the political climate changed since the ending of Episode VI? Are my favorite characters still okay? While J. J. Abrams directorial debut in the Star Wars universe draws a heavy amount of plot lines and inspiration from Episode IV, it also manages to inject enough flair, passion, and intrigue to capture the hearts of new fans while giving older fans a fun romp through some familiar ground.

Like I mentioned above , the story follows a lot of the same beats from Episode IV. There’s a rebel force fighting a big fascist authoritarian government. The odds are stacked against them. There’s even a hidden technological McGuffin like before. What makes the story different is how it changes these elements to further the political dialogue the previous trilogies started. The First Order reminded me a lot of a Russia post USSR- trying to achieve the strengths of the Empire it used to be. The rebel force is a proxy group – indirectly supported by a Republic that doesn’t want to get too involved. It’s incredibly fitting with the political climate we’re in right now, and as someone who reads the news a lot, I enjoyed the way the confrontation was handled. For those of you not that interested in the politics, rest assured, it’s not in your face and never impeded on the more entertaining elements of the movie.

Speaking of the entertaining elements – I loved the new characters and how much energy and fun they bring into the franchise. Daisy Ridley is great as Rey and I can’t wait to see how her arc continues. She can portray desperate and sullen just as well as independent and assertive and it all feels authentic. You can feel John Boyega’s energy seep through Finn’s actions and I hope he gets more to do in the next movie. His character introduces some much needed introspection into the horrors of actual war. We see bodies hitting the floor in other movies, but watching his emotional rejection of the violence and his decision to defect is great and I love his arc through the movie. However, my favorite new introduction is Kylo Ren. Adam Driver does a phenomenal job at showing the angst and emotional conflict at the heart of Kylo’s motivations and his actions in the movie definitely help drive those ideas home. The older characters, much to my surprise, don’t feel that prominent in the film. I wish they were more incorporated – but I genuinely enjoyed Harrison Ford’s return as Han. I didn’t really like the character in Episode VI and was really happy that he came off as his older self with some wear and tear. His scenes with Leia also tugged at my heartstrings and I really enjoyed the way their arcs were revealed.

Now let’s get to the less than optimal sections of the movie. While the film is shot beautifully , there’s a certain special quality that I felt was missing. Upon closer inspection, I realized that, though John William’s score is great, it never quite hit the mark in this film. In every other movie in the franchise, I felt something when the music played in the background. There was at least a few moments that I could hum along to and really enjoyed. This movie didn’t really have that- the music is good but not memorable. While that’s normally fine, it’s weird to have that feeling in a Star Wars movie.

I said the movie follows a lot of the same movie beats- and as someone who doesn’t hate the idea of soft reboots – this was fine for me. If you’re not a fan of them, this movie might still have something for you because of the editing. Familiar scenes get a different feeling because of their position in the movie. For example, the Mos Eisley cantina scene from Episode IV features near the beginning of its respective film but the callback to the scene happens more towards the middle of the film. The chronological placements make the scenes dynamic enough because they’re imbued with a different narrative tension and overall feeling. However, in spite of all of this, the movie still feels too safe a lot of the times. I was entertained but left wanting more experimentation with the formula. I understand wanting to get a new generation of fans but at the very least thought there should have been more in the film for older fans to get latched on to.

This brings me to my biggest problem with the movie- the lack of explanation of what happened between the end of Episode VI to the start of this story. Yes, this is a problem I’ve had for other movies, but it feels like a bigger issue in this one. We’re left with a feeling of peace and finality after the end of the original trilogy so the abrupt change back to the “status quo” is jarring. The intro sequence doesn’t do enough to make this transition less jarring, so fans of the older trilogies might feel like the past movies had no “impact” in a traditional sense. Watching the machination of the First Order or having some scenes with Leia and other members of the resistance would have done wonders in connecting the stories to make it feel like a cohesive piece. I know there are books that explain the gap, but I didn’t need books to get into the other movies, so I don’t think their existence absolves this film of its duty to at least present part of that information.

REPORT CARD

TLDRWhile The Force Awakens doesn’t revolutionize the Star Wars movies, it’s a great introduction into the galaxy far far away and I think a lot of people can find a lot of fun moments in it. I wish there was more of an effort to explain the events that culminated into the political quagmire we witness, but I still had a blast in spite of that.This movie is a great soft-reboot that sets up a lot of interesting political and ethical threads that can be explored more in the future films. I’m excited to see what’s coming next.
Rating9.2/10
GradeA

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2000s, 2005, Action, Adventure, B+, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode III – Revenge Of the Sith

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Director(s)George Lucas
Principal CastHayden Christensen as Anakin
Natalie Portman as Padme
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu
Frank Oz as Yoda
Release Date2005
Language(s)English
Running Time140 minutes

This movie is my favorite Star Wars movie out of the original trilogy and the prequels. Does it have its flaws? Yes. Is it a cinematic masterpiece in the same vein as Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back? No – there are some acting issues, strange lines, and wonky visuals. In spite of that, this is, in my opinion, the best movie. George Lucas’s brilliance and vision for the tragedy of Darth Vader comes to full fruition in this emotionally intense tragedy and it’s genuinely beautiful and devastating.

The plot picks up some time after the end of end of Episode II- Palpatine has been kidnapped by General Grievous and we jump into Anakin and Obi-Wan trying to rescue him. The moment the film starts the action kicks off. We go from a great chase scene, to a frantic air battle involving my favorite little droid, into an series of epic battles. This film redeems the disappointing battles of the last movie and then some. The action is on point and features some of the best moments from the entire franchise. There are FOUR amazing light saber/force fights that are really fun to watch ( even if some of them are shorter than I wanted). I couldn’t believe my mind that we got to see this many duels. Two of these fights are so spectacular that I literally had to pause and go re-watch scenes because of how amazing the choreography and intensity felt. Even R2-D2 gets to fight MULTIPLE TIMES in the film and it shows a real sense of creativity and fun.

Acting in this film is also leaps and bounds better than the previous two installments in the prequel trilogy. Ewan McGregor gives Obi-Wan Kenobi some much needed emotional weight and makes Anakin’s decisions feel that much more painful. Hayden Christensen still has some wonky expressions as Anakin but shines through when it comes at depicting his darker more broken side. Natalie Portman really stepped it up as Padme and gave the pivotal romance between her and Anakin a much needed sense of depth. I could believe in the feelings and intensity between them more so than before and it made the unfolding tragedy that much more meaningful. Ian McDiarmid steals the show everytime he’s on screen as Palpatine and is wonderful to watch. I love how evil he really is and his emotional manipulation skills are on full display here. It’s a masterclass in portraying pure evil and I absolutely adored him.

Presentation also feels a lot nicer in this film. The digital effects are a lot better and don’t feel as dated. There’s a closeup of Grievous that looks absolutely stunning and I kind of want it as a screensaver – the point being that some of the animation looks stunning. It makes the action feel more fluid and hits feel like they have more heft and weight behind them. Lighting, set design, and selection of color palette amplify the epic nature of scenes. The score and mixing also feel on point and help amplify the adrenaline and devastation. The third act and final battle is monumental and feels otherworldly because everything just melds together. There’s so much care put into this film and you can tell how important this climax is.

Anakin’s character arc is satisfyingly concluded and presented . It’s crazy to think about how much heavy lifting the film had to do given the lackluster job the latter two films had done at developing his descent into the dark side. Somehow the movie manages to take those threads, develop them, and be entertaining in its poetic tale. I love that Lucas decided to really embrace doing dark/twisted things in this film. There’s no holding back and when the dominoes start to feel the film feels like a doomsday scenario. There’s a real sense of tragedy and it serves as the emotional weight of the first six episodes. This movie is not only amazing in it’s own right – it retroactively makes the prequels more beautiful because the tragedy of Darth Vader is finally complete. It also makes the original trilogy more believable and emotionally charged because we understand Darth Vader. Certain lines from Episode VI already feel like they hit harder because of how this movie progresses. Somehow managing to make amazing movies even better – I think that’s a feat only a masterclass film can have.

This movie made me cry. There are gut wrenching scenes and the third act just hits you with a slew of them. The implication of certain moments tinges previous events with a feeling of melancholy and tragedy. But the ending is absolutely brilliant and rekindles a sense of hope – leading perfectly back into Episode IV.

REPORT CARD

TLDRRevenge of the Sith was well worth it and proves that George Lucas is a visionary genius. The prequels might have started off rough and had a series of issues, but the end destination made everything worth it. Amazing action, great acting, and a poetic tragedy befitting one of the greatest characters of all time- this film was a home run.Rating this movie was hard for me. There are glaring flaws and I’m aware of them. I just think the movie does so much in spite of that and contains so many phenomenal scenes, moments, and ideas that I can’t help but not mind the issues. For me this movie is everything I wanted and more. It’s a unicorn. If you want to experience the beautiful tale of a tragic anti-hero – you owe it to yourself to watch Star Wars Episodes I – VI. I’m stoked to watch the other movies and get into The Clone Wars.For me this is a personal 10/10.
Rating8.8/10
GradeB+

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2000s, 2002, Action, Adventure, C+, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode II – Attack of the Clones

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Director(s)George Lucas
Principal CastHayden Christensen as Anakin
Natalie Portman as Padme
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Christopher Lee as Count Dooku
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu
Frank Oz as Yoda
Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett
Release Date2002
Language(s)English
Running Time142 minutes

After the ending of The Phantom Menace, I was really curious to see how Anakin’s character arc and relationship with the Jedi order would develop. The way that the ending of Episode I positioned Anakin in relation to where he is at the start of Episode IV was staggering and I didn’t know how the movie would forward his corruption. While George Lucas’s sequel, Attack of the Clones, is flat and awkward , it’s poetic undertones and emotional contours are commendable and moving.

The movie picks up 10 years after the end of the last one and Anakin and Obi-Wan as they protect Padme from some unknown assassins. The movie continues the discussion on politics from Episode I and kept me interested in how it developed. Some of the discussion might seem dry to others, but I enjoyed the way that concepts like emergency powers were discussed and introduced. In particular, Ian McDiarmid’s performance as Palpatine breathes life into these scenes and watching his political maneuvering was a joy. The twists in the second and third act keep the ploys interesting and I’m excited to see how he continues his machinations.

Outside of McDiarmid there are only a few other note-worthy performances. Ewan McGregor’s is great as Obi-Wan and he manages to bring some personality to otherwise drab scenes. Frank Oz’s performance as Yoda also helps lighten up the mood because he’s funny again. Episode I Yoda is too serious and boring, so I’m happy that he’s a better balance of serious and fun. Everyone else comes off fairly similar to one another. I don’t blame them. It’s probably hard to give a lot of emotion in your words when you’re surrounded by a blue/green screen instead of a real environment.

I had a love/hate relationship regarding the romance between Padme and Anakin . Personally, I love cheesy dorky romance and am a huge romantic at heart. Even the cringy dialogue and “interesting” delivery of said dialogue couldn’t stop me from smiling at the romance between the parties. Christensen’s creeper faces as he stares at Padme had me laughing, but I didn’t think they were that bad given how strange the dialogue is. I wish there was more of a noticeable chemistry between the two. Outside of a few choice scenes on Naboo everything feels so rigid. Plot wise, I think the entire relationship would have benefited from a better initial set up. Padme never feels interested at the beginning of the movie (in fact she actively seems against a romance) and the transition towards her change in feelings is never explained. I would have loved to see her slowly lowering her barriers or showing more interest in him in their initial encounter. Anakin’s obsession with her makes sense (to me at least because I gave The Phantom Menace a lot of credit with the ‘angel’ comments). I just wish it came off cuter and less creepy. It’s hard to get into it, when it feels like he’s a stalker. I do appreciate why the romance exists and know it’s going to gut punch me in the next movie. I can just feel it.

Speaking of emotional gut punches – wow. I didn’t expect to cry while watching this movie. There’s a scene that happens in the second act that really tugs at your heartstrings. The impact of the scene was so profound that no amount of odd acting could stop my heart breaking. I’m a softie in general, but this just got me hard. The scene also highlights one of the issues I had with the film- it’s rating. I wish it was rated PG-13, because I think that some of the scenes needed a darker and more violent tone to really drive in the impact of certain scenes. There’s one moment in particular where a dark event plays out, but before it starts getting really intense we just cut away from it. It feels like it does a huge disservice to a major character arc.

Now it’s time for the bad. The dialogue in this movie is nothing to write home about and illustrates one of Lucas’s biggest problems- emotional dialogue. A lot of moments that could be resounding or interesting come off as plain and drab because they’re described in the most cliched or bland ways. Add on the monotony in acting and I can see why the movie can feel boring to people.

Additionally, the green/blue screens in this movie feel rough. I could tell that characters felt imposed on their backgrounds and this hasn’t ever really been a big problem for me in other movies. It feels unpolished . In addition, the problematic CGI in this movie comes up a lot more often way sooner. The light saber fight (the first part) in the third act is probably my least favorite on screen fight. The camera doesn’t highlight the choreography of the fighters and isn’t satisfying in its resolution either. It’s disappointing after how great the Darth Maul fight from Episode I was.

Finally, there are certain plot elements that are just so bad that I couldn’t ignore them no matter how much I tried. There’s a key element that’s introduced early on – literally characters talk about how this is something important to discover- and then it’s completely dropped. The implication of it is HUGE and is pivotal to the events of the entire movie and it is literally never mentioned again. There’s another action encounter that also makes a scene from Episode VI a lot less meaningful and I was kind of in shock when it happened.

REPORT CARD

TLDRAttack of the Clones is frustrating to say the least. It wants to do a lot and is certainly ambitious in its scope, but the elements don’t come together in a way that’s as entertaining as it should be. The film is filled with acting flaws, graphics issues, and corny dialogue. In spite of that, i think there’s a lot of beauty in its more emotional moments, fun political maneuverings, and some heart in the middle of its cliched cringey romance dialogue (I’ll admit I am a sucker for cheesy nonsense).
Rating7.5/10
GradeC+

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2010s, 2019, Adventure, Animation, C+, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Grade, Musical, Review, review-movie, Year

Review: Frozen 2

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Director(s)Chris Buck
Jennifer Lee
Principal CastKristen Bell as Anna
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Josh Gad as Olaf
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff/Sven
Release Date2019
Language(s)English
Running Time103 minutes

When I saw the first trailer for Frozen II drop I felt one part entranced by the visuals, one part curious on where the story could go, and two parts nervous that this movie would be a cash grab with no substance. Although Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee don’t reach the same heights as they did thematically, musically, or story wise in Frozen, there are still more than enough gorgeous and fun moments in their sequel to satisfy the fans and entertain kids.

The story picks up some time after the ending of the first movie and follows our makeshift family unit of Elsa, Anna , Olaf , Kristoff , and Sven. They’re domesticated and having fun, but Elsa has been hearing a call beckoning her to leave her homeland and find her true calling. If the story sounds weird that’s because it is. It feels lazily written and almost feels like a series of excuses meant to guide characters from one set piece to another. It’s frustrating because the movie is supposed to be dealing with Elsa and her powers and had a real potential to explore the lore in interesting and philosophical ways to help develop the themes from the previous movie. Instead, it focuses on hashing out these really basic character arcs that either feel like they were better resolved in the previous movie or they just feel out of place overall.

Thankfully, the set pieces in this movie are absolutely breath-taking. Elsa has a lot of amazing action moments that serve to demonstrate how mind-blowing her powers are. Even though I thought the plot was absurd, I was left stunned with how cool and gorgeous a lot of her moments ended up looking. The color palette is distinct and vibrant and makes these moments that much prettier. There are gorgeous autumn leaves and amazing snow effects. The water looks and feels alive and fluid. The lighting is immaculate and everything feels imbued with vitality. There are a few scenes where the background felt like it was actually straight ripped out from reality. It all comes together to create one of the most stunning movies I’ve ever seen. I already know I’m going to re-watch the movie to see some of these moments again. If nothing else, this movie knows how to look near perfect.

The music is also good, even though it doesn’t reach the heights of the first movie. The title song is incredible, however, and I loved how it was incorporated throughout the movie. Into the Unknown probably won’t get as many plays from me as Let It Go did, but it’s a great song and I know I won’t be able to get it out of my head for a bit. Menzel and Bell are also still great, and each of their characters had at least one musical solo scene that I enjoyed. This film more so than the last felt like it had a few too many songs. In particular, Kristoff’s song felt misplaced and actually ended up making me like his character less. I appreciate how funny the song is supposed to be and thought the editing and feel of it was great. However, it makes him feel like he’s less mature than we’re led to believe and also interrupts the action in an non-ideal way.

Thematically, the movie attempts to do cool things but just falls on its face. Certain ideas are explored on a surface level which is a shame because of how interesting they could have been. There’s a lot of discussion about growth, but we rarely get to see it explored because the characters don’t feel like they actually change that much. There’s also this really neat idea of water in relation to time that feels Taoist in nature but outside of a cool visuals and interesting thoughts never reaches the potentials of what it could have been.

REPORT CARD

TLDRFrozen II is gorgeous and breath taking, even if it feels like its lacking in substance. It never reaches the same heights of its predecessor, but is still entertaining and sure to give you some fun moments.Fans of the original should check this out, but be wary – the story leaves a lot to be desired and may be disappointing to some.
Rating7.5/10
GradeC+

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2010s, 2013, A, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Grade, Musical, Review, review-movie, Year

Review: Frozen

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Director(s)Chris Buck
Jennifer Lee
Principal CastKristen Bell as Anna
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Josh Gad as Olaf
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff/Sven
Santino Fontana as Hans
Alan Tudyk as Duke of Weselton
Release Date2013
Language(s)English
Running Time 102 minutes

So when this movie first came out, I was completely enamored by it. The visuals were gorgeous. I couldn’t stop singing the songs. I was absolutely into the Frozen craze. Given the news of Frozen 2, I thought it’d be fun to revisit the original – not only to get ready for the sequel but also to see if I really enjoyed the movie or was just caught up in the craze at the time. Happily, I can confirm it was the former. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s story has all the markings of a musical classic and reminded me of the power of Disney magic.

The story follows the royal princesses of Arendelle  , Anna and Elsaas they prepare and celebrate the latter’s coronation. However, everything goes wrong and it’s revealed to the kingdom that their newly anointed Queen has supernatural ice powers. Already, the basic premise of the plot has distinguished itself from so many other Disney movies. This time the “villian” is the Queen herself and because of that, the film gets to explore a lot of emotional ideas in beautiful ways.

The discourse on love and the extents of it is touching and gets explored in a lot of cute and emotionally satisfying ways. In particular, the relationship between Anna and Elsa is magnificent and serves as the emotional crux of most of the movie. Watching their interactions and growth is moving and there were genuinely moments that made me tear up. Bell and Menzel do a great job giving the sisters a real emotional depth to their dialogue that helped it hit emotional beats I didn’t expect.

Outside of them, Josh Gad is phenomenal as Olaf. The snowman is charming, funny, and a delight to watch. There are times where his character feels like he over explains some more emotional scenes that takes away from the subtlety of them. It’s not too annoying, but I feel like it made some of the more cathartic moments feel weaker. I enjoyed both of the male characters, Kristoff and Hans , and enjoyed how they served as foils for each other in meaningful ways. The only character I didn’t like that much was the Duke of Weselton. He feels too over the top and I wish he was more grounded. It would have made certain moments more believable and sinister, which is something I would personally have preferred. He’s not awful – I just see wasted potential.

The music is absolutely great and I love most of the tracks. I love how the songs are incorporated into the movie and how much emotional weight they bring. Obviously Let it Go is amazing, but there are just so many great tracks its hard to choose from. Even the more unnecessary songs (like the rock people one) was fun to listen to in the moment. I thought the musical scenes with Menzel and Bell were amazing. In particular, there’s a duet in the second act that’s absolutely mesmerizing from a thematic view but also sounds phenomenal. It’s dark, desperate, and emotionally complex. I absolutely had chills afterwards.

The animation is also gorgeous. The characters all look beautiful, but my favorite moments were when Elsa used her ice powers to fight. The action scene with her is probably my favorite moment in the entire movie. The camera and lighting make it all feel intense and the particle effects of her ice magic makes everything feel more visceral. I honestly forgot I was watching a musical for a few moments and let myself get absorbed into the intensity of the situation.

Honestly, my only major problem with the film is how absurd one plot element feels. I won’t spoil it, but literally two characters make a mention of how ridiculous this element is and no one does anything about it. It felt frustrating because obviously sensible individuals in this universe proved to understand the issue , but it just gets glossed over. Normally this wouldn’t be that big of an issue, but it serves as the main driver for a lot of the conflict in the third act so the issue feels even more apparent. I also think that there should have been more of a consequence for certain actions, but I’ll talk about that in the spoiler section.

REPORT CARD

TLDRFrozen is fun, funny, and bursting with personality. The songs are top notch and the animation is gorgeous. Outside of a few story issues and some missed opportunities, this tale of two sisters trying to find their place in the world and in each others lives is sure to leave you smiling along.
Rating9.0/10
GradeA

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1990s, 1999, Action, Adventure, C+, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode I – The Phantom Menace

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Director(s)George Lucas
Principal CastJake Lloyd as Anakin
Natalie Portman as Padme
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks
Release Date1999
Language(s)English
Running Time133 minutes

Almost a decade and a half later I’ve finally returned to the movie that turned me off of Star Wars through my adolescence. The infamous Phantom Menace. But this time, I came prepared. Armed with the knowledge of the original trilogy, I felt like even if the movie was as bad as I thought it was going to be, I could maybe immerse myself in the fun and ambiance of the movie. Thankfully, it didn’t have to come to that. Though George Lucas’s direction is messy and dry at times, there’s something beautiful being attempted here and a few great scenes fans of the series can get behind.

Because the movie assumes the viewer has already seen the original trilogy, all the story elements take on a new meaning. We know how a lot of things will end, so the only thing left to find out is how. This is a place where the movie ends up doing well. From the Jedi Council, to the Gungans underwater city, to the screeching pauses in the Senate – we get to see a world in disarray. Capital is the name of the game and experienced players are getting to ready to pounce.

The movie also does a great job exploring the way subjects approach politics. Machiavellian ideologies are contrasted with liberal politics premised on faith and good will. There’s a political leader who literally changes their entire domestic policy based on resolving an incorrect cultural perception. There’s a real sense of frustration in seeing violence happen and watching bureaucracy grind to a screeching halt. The idea that groups would literally sell out other planets for profit hits a chord a little too close to him. Yes, at times it feels boring. There’s a lot of dialogue and its delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Despite that, the criticism still feels resoundingly poignant and I’m excited to see how its explored in Episodes 2 and 3.

The movie looks and sounds great when it wants to. The overabundance of CGI can feel daunting and there were moments that felt like they had been ripped out of PS2 cutscenes. However, this only became really distracting for me in the third act. Outside of that, a lot of the renders and effects look dazzling. The practical effects take a backseat, which is a shame, because they were some of my favorite parts of the original trilogy. There’s still a lot of beautiful effects to be had, but I can’t help but feel that better presentation would have made the movie hit its themes a lot harder. The podracing scene is a ton of fun and the last few moments felt really intense when John Williams score started blasting adrenaline through my veins. I wish that the music had been playing earlier on in the scene, because the shot composition of the race feels similar the whole time. Music would have helped shake up the pacing and make the entire race more dynamic. Thankfully, the light saber fight at the end involving Darth Maul more than makes up for it. Duel of the fates plays loudly and prominently in the background. Combined with great fight choreography, that fight is one I’ll definitely be replaying in my head for years to come.

Now let’s talk about the less than stellar stuff. It’s something that’s been talked about a lot so I won’t get too into it, but the acting in this movie is less than stellar. Most of the performances feel the same and it’s hard to get a true feel for the characters inner thoughts. This is something the original trilogy did really well and is probably what I disliked the most. Ian McDiarmid’s performance as Palpatine was a bright spot in the movie and I loved how he played off his deceptive nature.

The only other performance I wanted to spend time talking about was Jake Lloyd’s as Anakin Skywalker. Yes, the performance isn’t amazing. It feels childish and out of place with the severity of the events at play. However, getting an older or a more experienced actor wouldn’t make the underlying issue with Anakin easier to portray. Anakin is supposed to be a prodigy. The events and proclamations from the original trilogy and this movie are indicative that he’s a child genius. However, underlying all of this talent is an innocent emotional core. Anakin is a child – that’s why his innocence and desire to help others feels more believable. These traits are necessary for Anakin to exist as a tragic villian figure. How could someone so pure and powerful fall so hard?

Casting a much older actor would take away the belief in the childlike innocence of Anakin. Teenagers are symbolically susceptible given that they’re on the precipice of adulthood. A teenage Anakin would’ve made certain story decisions less meaningful and believable. However, expecting a child to convincingly retain their innocence while portraying a inquisitive prodigy is hard. That’s why Anakin is so interesting as a character – it’s almost like diametrically opposed characteristics are being forced to align with each other. But while this makes the character more interesting, it also makes him that much harder to portray.

REPORT CARD

TLDRThe Phantom Menace is a messy but has rare moments of greatness that are engaging. Yes , there’s a lot to nitpick, but if you take the film for what it is and just give yourself to the experience, there’s a great time to be had.
Rating7.7/10
GradeC+

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1980s, 1983, A, Action, Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

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Director(s)Richard Marquand
Principal CastMark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher as Leia
Billy Dee Williams as Lando
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
Kenny Baker as R2-D2
Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor
Frank Oz as Yoda
David Prowse/James Earl Jones as Darth Vader
Release Date1983
Language(s)English
Running Time132 minutes

Finally, the end of the original trilogy. A New Hope was amazing. The Empire Strikes Back was an absolute gem. So it’s reasonable to say my expectations for the conclusion were sky high. Thankfully, Richard Marquand’s Return of the Jedi, serves as a satisfying conclusion to this amazing journey. It didn’t do everything I wanted and felt uneven at times, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t absolutely enjoy the ride and conclusion.

The film picks up sometime after the end of The Empire Strikes Back and follows Luke and the gang as they try and rescue Han from Jabba’s palace. Personally, I wish the movie started off immediately after the ending of the last movie or sometime close to it. The scene’s ambiguous chronological placement makes things like power scaling and character development harder to appreciate or understand. This causes weird discrepancies later on because it feels like there should be more tension between certain characters or a wider variety of emotional responses. Thankfully, the latter portions of the third act are so emotionally cathartic and symbolically powerful that I could get over these issues.

Now that we got over the beginning rant, let’s get into the more interesting and fun stuff. A lot of the visual effects are amazing. Jabba looks a living creature and oozes a creepy and disgusting feeling. I felt revolted every time I saw him on the screen. The Rancor is terrifying to look at and despite having watched the visual wonder of the past two movies, I couldn’t believe how fluid the creatures movements look. Space battles still look great and evoke a sense of grandeur. However, some of the effects felt like they missed the mark. In particular, there’s a racing scene in the third act that has great choreography but looks dated, which is strange given how great the previous two films looked.

This movie nails characters for the most part. In particular, I loved Ian McDiarmid’s portrayal of the Emperor. From his speaking pattern to the way he held himself as he moved, he constantly felt malicious and evil. Yes, he mentions the “Dark Side” a lot, but because he feels so dark it feels aesthetically cool in spite of how sparse some of his dialogue options are. James Earl Jones sells the emotional weight of Darth Vader’s lines which serve as the undercurrent of so much of the weight of the entire movie. His scenes with Mark Hamill were my favorite because of the way they played off each other. I won’t spoil anything, but certain lines hit me in my feels hard. Frank Oz is also great as Yoda and made me desperately want more of him than what I actually got. The only character that I didn’t really like was Han, which is surprising, because I loved him in the previous films. Before, he always felt like a cool adventurous badass, but he feels “grayer” in this film and it doesn’t feel like it stems from a believable character arc.

This movie was also philosophically beautiful and expanded a lot on my want’s from the previous movie. I enjoyed the way that good and evil and their relative malleability were challenged and the resulting discourse made me feel a sense of hope. Unfortunately, there are a lot of missed opportunities that would have elevated that discourse to something more cinematic. The starting point of the film means that a lot of the despair of the past movie is kind of glossed over. As a result, certain character conclusions and reactions feel less deserved and more artificial than I would have liked. There’s also a lot of exposition scenes that are used to explain these gaps or hammer in plot points , which compounds this effect. I wish some of the bloated sections of the second act were taken out, and that the exposition/backstory was shown instead of told. It would’ve helped make the themes more cohesively tied to the narrative.

REPORT CARD

TLDRReturn of the Jedi is a satisfying conclusion to the original Star Wars trilogy and I’m genuinely surprised at how cohesive the entire story feels. This movie has a few bumpy spots and feels rushed at certain points , but is by and large emotionally cathartic and satisfying.I already know I’m going to watch the original trilogy again. The only question is how soon. Give it a shot if you haven’t.
Rating9.0/10
GradeA

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1980, 1980s, A+, Action, Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Grade, Review, review-movie, Science Fiction, Year

Review: Star Wars:Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

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Director(s)Irvin Kershner
Principal CastMark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher as Leia
Billy Dee Williams as Lando
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
Kenny Baker as R2-D2
Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor
Frank Oz as Yoda
David Prowse/James Earl Jones as Darth Vader
Date Released1980
Language(s)English
Running Time124 minutes

After watching this movie, I had to take a few moments to pick my jaw back up and compose myself long enough to write out just how much I loved each and every moment. Irvin Kershner’s sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, manages to improve and innovate on what its predecessor did in amazing ways. The story follows up with our motley crew of heroes as they’re on the run from the Galactic Empire. Except this time, things aren’t going to be nearly as easy.

Just like A New Hope, the practical and visual effects in this movie are off the charts. Spaceships look gorgeous and the chase scenes in this movie genuinely had me clamping down on my knuckles. I don’t know if it was just my love for what I was seeing or if there was an actual improvement, but the light sabers feel more “solid” in this movie which I appreciated a lot. It gave them the impact I thought they deserved. There’s also an pivotal character (I’ll avoid naming them for those rare people who have somehow avoided all spoilers) done exclusively through CGI/puppet work and the attention to detail with said character makes them feel almost even more well realized than some of the human characters. If that isn’t good special effects work I don’t know what is.

That isn’t a knock on any of the characters by the way. They all feel more realized and grounded in this movie. Whereas in the last movie, we had to watch our main group constantly stay on the run, this movie affords some time to help develop new interactions and milestones. It’s not that the arcs themselves are revolutionary. Rather, they’re just presented and executed so masterfully that I couldn’t stop getting giddy at watching them unfold- especially in regards to the Han and Leia scenes. The acting by our main cast is also stellar and makes these moments more engaging.

However, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention how much the Empire gets developed in the aptly titled Empire Strikes Back. Vader’s motivations and choices are interesting and paying attention to differentiation in his actions helped me infer quite a lot. I appreciate that he’s not a “big bad.” He’s brutal and cruel, yes, but there’s also an underlying nuance to him that makes him mesmerizing. I also enjoyed getting to explore more of the political side of the Empire and how communities respond to their presence in more direct ways. It makes the evil organization feel as grand as it really is and a far more menacing presence than the one that allowed a Death Star to blow up.

Despite knowing certain spoilers (most people would if they weren’t living under a rock the past 40 years), the impact of certain key moments are rewarding. There was a scene that made me tear up quite a lot and another where a character reaction made the movie feel more akin to horror than anything else. These aren’t feelings I felt in the previous film. Somehow, this movie managed to deliver these feelings in conjunction with the same sense of wonder and adventure from the past movie. The emotional resonance this movie creates is what makes it a true masterpiece.

REPORT CARD

TLDRThe Empire Strikes back might be one of the first times where I’ve thought a sequel was better than its predecessor. This film takes everything I loved about A New Hope and then decided to add more while fine tuning other elements.
Rating10/10
GradeA+

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