#Commander J.J. Adams

[chernobog13]

The United Planets Cruiser C-57D gains an eager, efficient, and non-sleeping navigator as it departs Altair lV on its long journey back to Earth.

[danielpoussart]

Disney's upcoming movie releases

Disney is releasing many movies in cinemas and on the Disney+ streaming service. Family-friendly prequels and live-action remakes of cherished cartoon masterpieces are also included. The business adjusted its release calendar for future movies from its different studios this week. To view every title coming out in 2019, scroll down!

The Little Mermaid will be remade in live-action by Disney and released in theaters the following year. The movie, which stars Halle Bailey (The Color Purple, Grown-ish), tells the tale of Ariel, a mermaid princess who strikes a bargain with a sea witch to transform into a human so she may experience life on land and fall in love.

Jonah Hauer-King plays Prince Eric in the movie, while Melissa McCarthy, who starred in Bridesmaids, plays Ursula. Oscar winner Javier Bardem plays King Triton, Daveed Diggs plays Sebastian in Hamilton, Jacob Tremblay plays Flounder in Room, and Awkwafina, the breakthrough star of Crazy Rich Asians, plays Scuttle.

Based on the adored animation classic, Aladdin will soon be a live-action film. Guy Ritchie is the director, Mena Massoud plays Aladdin, and Naomi Scott plays Jasmine. In this rough retelling of the Arabian Nights, Aladdin encounters Princess Jasmine and discovers a magic lamp (Naomi Scott). He only fully sees his value once she unintentionally releases a giant genie.

Both fresh recordings of the songs and a fantastic score by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken are featured in the movie. It also has many DVD extras, such as an entertaining interactive 3D tour inside the Genie's lamp and a virtual trip on a magic carpet.

Disney transports you deep into the African wilderness with The Lion King, their 32nd animated film. It relates to the tale of Simba, a brave little cub who will grow up to rule the jungle. One of the all-time top-grossing animated movies is this one. It has music by Elton John and Hans Zimmer and a cast of believable animal characters.

The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, and Beyonce Knowles-Carter as the voice actors. The successful animated feature Finding Nemo was followed up with Finding Dory. In a quest to find her family, she reunites everyone's favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres).

Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote and directed the first, is in charge of this. Thomas Newman, a composer for movies including Skyfall, The Help, and WALL-E, also contributed music to the movie. This tale of a fish in and out of water is full of emotional weight and recognizable characters, even though the plot doesn't attempt to rival Finding Nemo in terms of brains. Disney Pixar is a resounding winner.

Captain Jack, a down-on-his-luck character, senses the winds of misfortune blowing his way in Disney's newest swashbuckling adventure forcefully. He must now travel a dangerous sea in search of the fabled Trident of Poseidon, assisted by a clever and attractive astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy. As the swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp makes a comeback. His new castmates include Captain Barbossa, played by Geoffrey Rush, and the villainous Captain Salazar, played by Javier Bardem.

The first trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX, the ninth and final movie in the Skywalker saga, has been made available by Disney. The movie recounts the Resistance's struggle against the Galactic Empire and the malevolent First Order under the command of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Domhnall Gleeson, Billy Dee Williams, and Naomi Ackie, a debutant, appear in the movie. J.J. Abrams, who also authored the script, is directing it.

One of the most well-liked attractions in Disney history is The Haunted Mansion. It is a classic and has been around for over 50 years. In 2023, a movie adaptation of the attraction is scheduled to debut, starring LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Jared Leto, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others.

The narrative centers on Gabbie (Dawson), a single mother who moves into a mansion in New Orleans and learns about the building's extensive history of hauntings. She asks a priest, a historian, and tour guides to help exorcise her house.

[fancoloredglasses]

Forbidden Planet (A Tempest-uous movie)

(Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes)

[All images are in the public domain so, for once, I don’t need to worry about being sued]

As I have previously mentioned, I was terrified of monster movies growing up. This movie was no exception. Yes, it’s sci-fi, but so is Alien, and I had issues with that as well! The idea of an invisible monster sneaking in and killing the crew...yeah, it was a bit much when my mother decided to watch it when I was six.

Now I’m all grown up and can appreciate the film for what it is: a fairly decent adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

This is also a great example of how good Leslie Nielson could be in a serious role. Most people these days remember him for his comedic work, but prior to the 80s he was a well-regarded dramatic actor.

This was also one of the first sci-fi films that wasn’t broken down into 15-minute chucks for the serials like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.

If you would like to watch the film, it’s available on Internet Archive.

We open on a flying saucer known designated C-57D (because in the far future they couldn’t be bothered to name their vessels like the primitives in the 24th century (the setting for Star Trek)) on a mission to a planet known as Altair IV.

The commander of C-57D is Commander John “J.J.” Adams (played by Nielson) I have to say I like the duty uniforms of the crew. They look a lot more...well, uniform than those used by the backwater Starfleet, though the tech looks like it’s out of the 1950s (gee, I wonder why...)

A quick search of the internet lists C-57D at 130 ft in diameter and a crew of 18 (meaning he doesn’t need that microphone to make announcements to the crew; they’re all on the bridge) Keep these figures in mind; they may be important later.

C-57D drops out of light speed in the Altair system...too close to the star! This may be a short movie. Fortunately, the crew adjusts course and orbits the fourth planet.

Adams then spews exposition briefs the crew that they’re investigating the fate of a vessel knows as the Bellerophon (oh sure, the Bellerophon gets an actual name, but the protagonists’ vessel just gets a designation!), that disappeared 20 years ago while surveying Altair IV (and it took them 20 years to mount a search and rescue mission?)

As C-57D approaches Altair IV, the radio operator receives a transmission from the surface. The voice on the other end, Dr. Edward Morbius, who tries to dissuade C-57D from landing. Morbius attempts to say the situation is too dangerous (but he doesn’t want to leave?) Adams decides to take his chances, and puts the crew on alert.

(I will say, the visual effects for the 1950s is better-looking than a lot of CGI in the 21st century)

Upon landing, the crew sets up a security perimeter. Suddenly, they see a vehicle approaching at what could only be describes as a reckless speed. The vehicle comes to a halt and the driver disembarks.

Meet Robbie the Robot. As ridiculous as he looks, he looks a lot better than the robot from the Jupiter 2 (and he’s made appearances in film and TV as late as 2014!

(Thanks to The Big Bang Theory wiki)

Robbie drives Adams and two of his officers (Lt. Farman and “Doc” Ostrow) at a much saner speed to meet...

...Dr. Morbius (played by Walter Pidgeon, who would go on to play Admiral Nelson on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), who invites them in for lunch (hopefully not in the Hannibal Lecter sense)

After lunch, Morbius demonstrates all of Robbie’s capabilities, then orders Robbie to kill Adams!

Robbie instead short circuits until the order is cancelled, thus showing that Robbie is incapable of harming a human. Morbius boasts that he created Robbie, despite the fact that he’s a linguist and had no previous experience in robotics. He then demonstrates that his house has defensive shutters that he can lower almost instantly.

With that, he assures the crew of C-57D that he has no need of assistance and they can be on their merry way. Adams is happy to depart...as soon as he talks with the rest of the Bellerophon’s crew. Morpheus admits that some strange force killed the rest of the crew, except himself and his wife (who fell ill and died 2 months after everyone else). He can’t explain why they were spared, but the force hadn’t made its presence known for almost 19 years. Gee, that’s not suspicious at all...

[Quick note: Walter Pidgeon is called upon to do a LOT of exposition as Morbius. Unlike a lot of “info-dump” heavy films, he does a fairly decent job of not putting the audience to sleep delivering the background]

Then Morbius’s daughter Altaira, or “Alta” for short (played by Anne Francis, as those who’ve seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show will tell you) enters and charms the officers (to be fair, they’ve been cooped up on C-57D for over a year with no women on board), especially Farman.

Morbius asks when C-57D is departing. Unfortunately, Adams needs to contact Earth for orders and to do that he’d need to cannibalize the ship to build a transmitter (disabling it for at least 2 weeks to tear down and rebuild the ship) Morbius offers to have Robbie fabricate what Adams needs (he’s in an awful hurry to get rid of C-57D...) Robbie drives the officers back to the ship.

Later, as the crew removes the power core from the ship and Robbie brings lead shielding to assist in building the transmitter...

...the crew has a bit of fun at the ship’s cook’s expense.

As the crew finishes building the transmitter, the ship’s cook wants Robbie to help him with something...

...recreational. Robbie says he can replicate it easily.

Meanwhile, Farman is attempting to put the moves on Alta, who has no clue what he’s up to. Fortunately for him, she’s not interested (if completely clueless) in having him teach her how to kiss. Fortunately, Adams shows up and sends him back to the ship. He then tries to teach Alta about the birds and the bees (and who to avoid to keep from being stung), starting with wearing something that leaves a bit more to the imagination

Alta leaves in a huff and runs back home to complain to Morbius about how Adams interrupted her kissing lessons. Morbius then excuses himself, leaving Alta to ask Robbie to make a dress that leaves pretty much everything to the imagination.

That night at C-57D, something invisible sneaks past the sentries and sabotages the ship. Adams is furious the next morning, blaming the sentries and the crewman asleep next to the section that was sabotaged. Adams and Doc takes a rover to Morbius’s house (leaving Farman at the ship, far away from Alta)

(interesting that at least the officers have warm weather uniforms)

At Morbius’s place, Robbie informs the officers that Morbius is not to be disturbed, so they wait in the living room for him. Adams notices Alta swimming outside and goes to check her out investigate.

“C’mon in!”

“I didn’t bring my bathing suit.”

“What’s a bathing suit?”

The flirting over with, Alta gets out of the pond and dresses in...

...something closer to what Adams would prefer.

I’d say he likes it!

When Adams returns, Morbius still hasn’t emerged, so he and Doc decide to press the issue and enter...

(thanks to 1956clips)

Morbius then takes the officers into the bowels of the Krell civilization.

Including a machine that translates Morbius’s thoughts into reality, which he’s been using to help him learn more about the Krell and make his life on Altair IV more comfortable (such as building Robbie) He then allows Adams and Doc to sample the machine.

Morbius warns that anything beyond the basic functions of the machine could be fatal. He has conditioned himself to use some of the higher functions through trial and error (and lots of recovery time between)

Morbius them leads them to a transport that takes them to...

OK, I know a lot of the scenery is mostly matte paintings, but there are REALLY cool-looking, and even over 60 years later hold up compared to modern effects. Hollywood could learn a lot from some of the old techniques!

With the exposition about the Krell out of the way, Adams and Doc return to set up security measures to prevent further intruders...

...including an electrified force fence.

Just before turning in for the night, the cook convinces Farman to let him out so he can meet Robbie...

...and get his hooch. How the hell is he gonna get it all back to C-57D undetected?! While the cook is pondering that very question...

...there’s a short in the fence.

...or us there? Suddenly, there’s a scream from inside the ship and the crew is down to 17!

Now, I know what you might be thinking, but Morbius has an alibi.

He’s been arguing with Adams and Doc about whether the government should be involved in his research. When Adams receives the news about the death of the engineer, he and Doc rush back as Morbius has a haunted look on his face, hinting that the exact same thing happened to the crew of the Bellerophon.

The next morning, Doc makes a cast from the footprints left behind. Whatever it is, it’s HUGE! Adams then brings the cook in (since he was outside the perimeter while the murder happened), who managed to give Robbie an alibi as well (since they drank a good portion of that hooch at the time)

After the crew buries the engineer...

Morbius warns that if the crew remains, they will be attacked again and it will be worse.

The next evening, the crew of C-57D prepare for an assault.

(Thanks to Tales From SYL Ranch DARKROOM)

OK, first off, this was the scene that sent my 6 year-old self screaming to my room.

Second, as timeless as the set pieces are, the monster effects are DEFINITELY dated.

Also, that brings the crew count down to 14, with Farman among the dead.

Additionally, it’s interesting that the monster disappeared when Morbius woke up...

Adams and Doc discuss the monster, saying nothing should’ve been able to stand up to the energy being thrown at it, Adams suddenly has the urge to talk Morbius into joining them on C-57D (whether they want to or not) and for either himself or Doc to access the higher functions of the Krell device. Adams leaves orders for the crew to take off if the monster attacks again, no matter what, and return to Earth.

Adams and Doc arrive to discover...

...Robbie’s not allowed to let them in. Then Alta arrives and cancels Robbie’s orders, allowing the pair in. Adams explains why he and Doc are here (as Doc rushes into the bowels of the Krell compound against orders). Alta urges Adams to leave, but he refuses without her and her father.

Suddenly, Adams realizes Doc has gone missing.

And we’re down to 13 as the machine was too much for Doc’s brain to handle. Doc’s dying words mentioned that the machine produced something called “Monsters from the Id.”

Morbius then enters, condemning Doc’s decision to use the machine. With that...

...Alta decides to leave with Adams, much to her father’s disapproval.

(Thanks to GlobalWahrman)

So Morbius’s mind is the invisible monster...and it’s coming this way!

Morbius lowers the defensive shutters, saying he pities Adams, since the monster’s obviously coming for him. Then Adams says that the monster appeared (so to speak) once Alta rejected Morbius, so it’s likely coming for her...

...and those shutters won’t stop it for long! Morbius tells Robbie to kill the monster.

Yeah, that’s not gonna work.

The trio retreat to the Krell lab as the monster tears through the shutters.

After sealing the doors, Adams finally manages to convince Morbius that his subconscious is coming to kill his daughter. Fortunately, they’re behind 3 layers of Krell metal that can withstand blaster fire without even getting warm.

...oh shit.

The Id Monster melts its way through the door. Morbius throws himself in its path...

...and with his death, the Id Monster dies as well.

With his dying breath, Morbius instructs Adams on how to start the self-destruct mechanism for the planet’s reactors that will destroy the planet in 24 hours, preventing anyone else from repeating the Krells’ (and his) mistake.

With the ship clear of the blast zone, the surviving crew of C-57D and the survivors of Altair IV make their way back to Earth as the credits roll.

[brn1029]

On this date in our music…..

That our, ofcourse, would be Classic Rock, with the exception of Mantovani….

March 29th

2007 - Bono

U2 singer Bono accepted an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin. Fellow band members The Edge and Adam Clayton joined the frontman's wife and four children at the British ambassador David Reddaway's official residence. The rock star and campaigner, 46, was not entitled to be called "Sir" because he is not a British citizen. The U2 singer's new title is Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).

2005 - Neil Young

Neil Young was treated for a brain aneurysm at a hospital in New York. Doctors expected the 59 year old to make a full recovery. The aneurysm was discovered when Young's vision became blurred after the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month.

1999 - David Bowie

The David Bowie Internet Radio Network broadcast its first show for Rolling Stone Radio. The show was Bowie's favourite songs with Bowie introducing each track.

1996 - Phil Spector

Two former members of the 1950s group, The Teddy Bears filed suit in Los Angeles, California, against producer Phil Spector and several labels. Carol Connors and Marshall Lieb alleged they had not received royalties from re-issues of their 1958 No.1 hit 'To Know Him Is To Love Him'.

1986 - Falco

Austrian singer Falco started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Rock Me Amadeus', also a No.1 in the UK. Falco became the first German speaking artist to achieve a No.1 on the US charts.

1980 - Mantovani

Mantovani, (Annunzio Paolo Mantovan), Orchestra leader died aged 74. Born in Italy his family moved to England in 1912, where he studied at Trinity College of Music in London. He recorded over 50 albums for Decca records, including Song from Moulin Rouge and Cara Mia, both reached No. 1 in the UK. In the United States, between 1955 and 1972, he released over 40 albums with 27 reaching the Top 40 and 11 the Top Ten. His biggest success was with the album Film Encores, which made it to No. 1 in 1957.

1979 - Bob Dylan

After attending a Dire Straits show during their residency at the Roxy in Los Angeles, Bob Dylan asked Mark Knopfler and drummer Pick Withers to play on the sessions for his next album. Slow Train Coming was the album, recorded in Muscle Shoals in May of 1979, with Jerry Wexler producing. Dylan had first heard Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler when his assistant Arthur Rosato played him the single 'Sultans of Swing'.

1978 - David Bowie

David Bowie kicked off his Low / Heroes 77-date World Tour at San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

1975 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin saw all six of their albums in the US Top 100 chart in the same week, alongside their latest album Physical Graffiti at No.1. Physical Graffiti has now been certified 16 times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales in excess of 16 million copies.

1973 - Dr Hook And The Medicine Show

Dr Hook And The Medicine Show got their picture on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine after their hit, 'The Cover of Rolling Stone' reached No. 6 on the US singles chart. According to members of the group, they really did buy five copies for their mothers, just like the song said.

1969 - John Lennon

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Black Sabbath, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Curved Air, J.J. Jackson's Dilemma, Shy Limbs, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Sunflower Brass Band and Toe Fat all appeared at the London Free Easter Festival in Bethnal Green, London, England.

1967 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios The Beatles finished recording ‘Good Morning Good Morning’. They then started work on a new song ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’, (originally titled ‘Bad Finger Boogie’), recording 10 takes of the rhythm track, then Ringo overdub a double-tracked lead vocal.

1966 - Mick Jagger

Rolling Stone Mick Jagger was injured during a gig in Marseilles, Southern France after a fan threw a chair at the stage. Jagger required eight stitches in the cut.

[brian-in-finance]

Belfast-born Kenneth Branagh, one of the world's most acclaimed filmmakers and actors, will be honored at the US-Ireland Alliance’s Oscar Wilde Awards on March 24, 2022, at Bad Robot, the Santa Monica production company of J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath.

Other honorees include Academy Award winning writer-director-producer Adam McKay and Irish actor Dónall Ó Héalai, who will receive the “Wilde Card”, an award presented to up-and-coming talent. Irish performers Loah & Bantum, and True Tides will perform.

BELFAST, written and directed by Branagh, is a poignant story of love, laughter and loss in one boy’s childhood amid the social tumult of the late 1960’s. The film stars Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds and introduces 10-year-old Jude Hill. Released in the US on November 12th, the film grossed an estimated $1.8 million at the box office in the first weekend. It has been awarded multiple international and regional film festival awards, including 11 British Independent Film Awards nominations.

Trina Vargo, founder of the US-Ireland Alliance noted that, “Ken’s BELFAST is a beautifully written, semi-autobiographical screenplay that is a look at the city through the eyes of his 9-year-old self. Set in 1969, it shows the idyllic joy of his childhood, overtaken by the violence that marked the beginning of what came to be known as The Troubles. The film also serves as cautionary tale amidst the current uncertainties that Brexit has imposed upon the people of Northern Ireland, people who remember the Troubles and who want such violence left firmly in the past.”

Branagh directs and will return in the role of Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s brilliant mystery DEATH ON THE NILE, the follow-up to his 2017 film MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The 20th Century Studios feature is scheduled for release in 2022.

Additionally, Branagh will soon be seen starring as Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the upcoming Sky Atlantic limited series THIS SCEPTRED ISLE. Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the series tells the story of the events surrounding the Prime Minister, the UK government, and the country in the face of the first wave of the global pandemic.

Branagh starred in Christopher Nolan’s latest feature TENET, alongside John David Washington and Robert Pattinson for Warner Brothers. He also recently directed Disney’s ARTEMIS FOWL, based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer.

Most notably, Branagh played the crucial role of Commander Bolton in Christopher Nolan’s epic film DUNKIRK. The film received a total of 8 Academy Award® nominations. He also played Sir Laurence Olivier in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, opposite Michelle Williams and directed by Simon Curtis. The role earned Branagh an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nomination. This marked Branagh’s fifth career Academy Award® nomination, making him one of the first actors to receive five nominations in five separate categories (Actor, Supporting Actor, Director, Screenplay, and Short).

Branagh is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He succeeded Lord Attenborough as President of RADA in the summer of 2015. In 2012 he received a Knighthood for his services to drama and the community in Northern Ireland. And this year Belfast awarded him with their Freedom of the City.

Presenting Sponsors of the Oscar Wilde Awards are Hackman Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based, privately-held, real estate investment and operating company, along with its affiliate and studio operating and service company, The MBS Group. Hackman Capital Partners’ unrivaled portfolio of studio assets includes more than 12 best-in-class studio campuses with over 100 sound stages, including Ardmore and Troy Studios in Ireland.

Remember… art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. — Oscar Wilde

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Emperor Palpatine

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

There are villains. There are memes about villains. There are villains who are memes. And then, high above all of them, sitting on a lofty throne all his own, is Emperor Sheev Palpatine, a character so insanely incredible that it’s frankly quite baffling that even George Lucas at his worst still couldn’t make him awful… No, that was good old J.J. Abrams. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Palpatine is pretty much the archetype for the evil emperor in modern fiction, a mysterious evil sorcerer in dark robes who commands the main villain from afar and contains power beyond anything thought possible. But what’s interesting to note is that Palpatine really has three distinct eras to him: the original trilogy, where he was basically an outside context last minute threat who only had a presence in the third act of Return of the Jedi; the prequel trilogy, which is his best showing and where the Sheev we’ve all come to known and love really got to spread his wings and fly; and finally, the sequel era, the worst showing of Palpatine hands down, where he is randomly slapped into a film with no foreshadowing or buildup to pander to nostalgia.

So let’s take a look at our old pal Sheevy and see what makes him one of the greatest villains of all time, and one of the worst.

Motivation/Goals: Palpatine is motivated by one thing, and one thing only:

He spends the entire prequel trilogy building this up, working behind the scenes and manipulating both sides of the Clone Wars to his advantage so he can be given more and more political power. This works out beautifully for him, allowing him to dispose of his pawns like Dooku, take over the senate, seize absolute power, amass an army of clones, and of course execute Order 66. But most importantly, he is able to manipulate the frustrated and hurting Anakin to his side, mostly because the Jedi are a bunch of bumbling, archaic morons who put so much restrictions and belittle him so much that this creepy, predatory man is able to feed into his insecurities and send him tumbling to the Dark Side.

In the original trilogy, Palpatine is pretty content with letting Vader handle the affairs of the Empire, at least until Luke shows up and the Rebels become a substantial threat. Once the time comes, he has Luke and Vader get together and puts them up against each other, thinking the outcome is either that he gets a new apprentice/keeps his old one in check, or corrupts Luke somehow into killing his father and joining him as the new Sith. He didn’t count on Vader turning, but ah well.

The thing is that throughout these six films he remains remarkably consistent in his goals. He wants power, and if he can’t keep that power he’s going to make sure as many people suffer on his way down as possible. He’s almost cartoonishly evil in the best way possible!

And then came the sequels.

His motivations in the sequels are, quite frankly, impossible to discern, because they seem to change every scene. If he’s behind Snoke and the First Order, it’s easy to guess that he probably wanted Rey dead, right? Because that’s sure the vibe Snoke gave in The Last Jedi. But no, after it seeming like he wants her dead for most of The Rise of Skywalker, as soon as she shows up his plan is suddenly for her to kill him so he can transfer into his body. And then he changes that a short time later to “I am going to suck the life out of Rey and Ben so this shitty clone body can be great.” It’s like they’re cramming three or four different Palpatine plots into the twenty-five minutes of screentime Palpatine has in this film, and there is just absolutely no thematic cohesion anywhere. It’s just a mess.

Performance: If there is one thing that is always consistent with Palpatine, it is that Ian McDiarmid is absolutely fantastic as him. This man is able to take the most cliché, generic evil overlord archetype imaginable and transform every single line of dialogue he spouts into a meme, and even when he’s the absolute worst version of this character possible and strapped to a giant Sith dialysis machine on some Sith planet where he makes Snoke clones and verbally berates Adam Driver, he still finds time to be hilariously awesome.

Final Fate: Palpatine seriously underestimated Anakin, and ended up chucked down into the Death Star, where he died. He certainly didn’t have a poorly-explained clone backup of himself anywhere that would rise up decades later to completely override any victories the heroes ever had by ensuring that the entire lineage of the Skywalkers was destroyed and then usurped by his own spawn.

Best Scene: In a scene that justifies the entire existence of the prequels, shows off McDiarmid’s acting chops as he pulls off some actual subtlety as Palpatine, delivers some great background lore, and helps make Revenge of the Sith as awesome as it is… well, have you heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?

Best Quote: Look, I could put just about anything he says in Revenge of the Sith here. I could put just about anything he says here. This man is an absolute meme machine who spits out only the finest quotable soundbites you will ever here. But look, I’m tired of not singling out great lines, so let me give you the one I quote the most. It’s one of his greatest quotes, and yet it is unbelievably simple. Two words and a ridiculously hammy inflection is all this man needs to be a meme:

Final Thoughts & Score: Sheev Palpatine is a man of extremes. Every aspect of him is so large that when he does something, he does it with the full force of his entire character. Revenge of the Sith will eternally be his best showing in the entire franchise, because he just spends the entirety of his screentime being the most insanely impressive scheming, manipulative bastard imaginable while somehow managing to cram in time for a sick spin through the air or a monologue about his former master at the space opera house. He manages to singlehandedly redeem the prequels if only by existing in them, and he helps elevates Revenge of the Sith into being the only one of those films that is generally accepted as being legitimately awesome. And while he is absent for much of the original trilogy, seeing as he wasn’t exactly conceived of right off the bat, he manages to make the most of his appearance in Return of the Jedi by being just as delightfully malevolent as ever, goading Luke and Vader into a duel and shooting lightning from his fingertips.

There are few villains who are just this completely basic and cliché that could ever hope to be great, but thanks to McDiarmid’s portrayal, he has gone on to be one of the single most iconic villains of all time, and one of the most iconic characters of all time. The guy is practically a living meme, from his name to his actions in the prequels, and he has certainly inspired many an evil overlord after him. For a character so seemingly unoriginal, it can be hard to believe he probably deserves an 11/10, but he most definitely does. He’s just become a staple of the franchise, to the point where some people feel it just ain’t Star Wars without him…

...Including, unfortunately, J.J. Abrams and a few other writers. Palpatine managed to be shoehorned into the prequels by being a surprise twist villain for The Rise of Skywalker (and as we’ve all seen from their recent animated movies, out-of-nowhere twist villains are great!), and it is without a doubt the most stupid and embarrassing showing one could possibly imagine for a character of this caliber. His motivations seem to change every time he opens his mouth, a lot of his dialogue is just uninspired, and while he does get a somewhat striking design here it’s hampered by the fact that his entire existence and role are really unexplained in the film and he feels like he was slapped in for the sake of being there. 

There’s also the fact that his mere existence and the fact he ends up being responsible for Ben Solo’s death means he completely overrides the entire franchise, comes out on top with his granddaughter usurping the Skywalker name, and succeeds entirely at wiping out the Skywalker lineage. This entire nine film series was just buildup to Palpatine ultimately winning, and just when things couldn’t get worse, Disney decided to take away the one thing that made this Palpatine hilarious – the idea that, with his hideous scarred face, he was able to bang a woman and conceive a child – and completely toss it out the window by saying this Palpatine was actually a clone. Not in the movie, of course, because that would make way too much sense, no; it was confirmed on Twitter.

I think it goes without saying Clone Palpatine gets a 1/10. And this is through no fault of McDiarmid; he’s still genuinely great in the role, even if the role is stupid, his character’s actions are stupid, and just everything about the character’s existence is stupid. He’s certainly not phoning it in at all, and ignoring everything else about the film Clone Palpatine is at least somewhat amusing on his own. There’s also the fact that this Palpatine most definitely has an incredibly striking design and looks really cool, despite the unbelievable lameness of what he actually is:

But how he is utilized within the franchise and what he ultimately accomplishes and represents is too much for me to actually forgive in the context of Psycho Analysis. When the most redemptive thing I can say about Clone Palpatine is that his actor is at least trying and his design is cool despite the awful writing and story relevance, that is not the sign of a great character. That is the sign of a great actor desperately trying to salvage a trainwreck.

But it’s like I said earlier; Palpatine is a man of extremes. If he’s gonna be a great villain, then by god is he going to be one of the greatest villains of all time. And if he’s going to be a crappy villain? Well then he’s gonna sit among the worst ever. I kind of respect that about good ol’ Sheev; he just can’t do anything in half measures. I guess as a Sith he really does deal in absolutes, be it absolutely amazing or absolutely awful.

UPDATE: I stand by all my criticisms of Sheev Clonepatine, but dammit, there’s just too many hilarious memes, and I can’t really hate Ian McDiarmid’s performance. Yes, I’ve come around quick, but I guess it is true: when Palpatine succeeds, he succeeds epically and hilariously, and when he fails, he fails epically and hilariously. His role in the story and the stupidity of him being here at all is a 1/10 for sure, but I think he’s just hilarious enough to edge into the “So bad it’s good” category of 3/10 alongside his bouncing baby boy Snoke. 

Just remember: No matter what Disney tries to tell you, Palpatine fucks.

[oldschoolsciencefiction]

Happy birthday to the late, great Frankie Thomas who played the title role on “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet”.

Thomas was part of that somewhat transitional “adolescence” of science fiction that took place in the middle of the 20th century. Coming after such legendary characters as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, coming before cultural icons like Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker, Tom Corbett inhabits the same cultural space as Captain Video of the TV show of the same name, Commander Buzz Corry of “Space Patrol” and, perhaps, Commander J.J. Adams of “Forbidden Planet”.

The movie serial sci fi heroes were in a past that World War II made feel quite a bit longer ago than the calendar indicated. The science fiction titans who would arrive by police box and starship and x-wing fighter lay in the future. Characters like Frankie Thomas’ Tom Corbett were popular but ephemeral, the product of a mainstream culture that viewed speculative fiction as much more disposable than our present one in which geek culture has become ascendant.

We never would have gotten here without those little remembered but nonetheless influential characters like Tom Corbett.

Frankie Thomas, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 85 and was buried in his space cadet uniform, was born today in 1921.

[sleemo]

Stardust

[ Translated from Spanish to English by @sleemo and @nightblossoms-and-spinebarrels ]

Two years after ‘The Force Awakens’, the Imperial March plays again. The galactic saga returns to the big screen with ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, a movie that promises to be quite unique. Director Rian Johnson and his protagonists tell us what this new stellar adventure will have for us, at least as far as Kathleen Kennedy allows them.

— Cinemanía | December 2017 - Janire Zurbano

“I don’t want Disney princesses, I want Leia,” said the little Rey in costume who was standing in front of me in one of the booths for Funko Pop figures in D23. Now that the success of the saga is measured in mind-blowing figures, the Disney convention has become a coming and going of Gamoras, Méridas and Thors, carrying bags full of Funkos. 

“Before, the fans used to tell me how they met their wives because of Star Wars and now they show me the toys they’ve bought for their children,” Mark Hamill tells us. We met with the director and part of the cast of Star Wars: The Last Jedi after the hangover of D23. “I appreciate all this as I never would have been able to at 20. People ask me: ‘Doesn’t it bother you to be remembered for a single movie role?’ I never expected to be remembered for anything. And now someone has a doll with my face!”, adds the actor.

In all honesty, the merchandise for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has given us more clues about the future of the saga than any trailer or official photo of this new release. In February, a toy box made all the galactic alarms go off by showing an image of Rey with what looked like a padawan’s hairstyle. She just needed to say: “I am your Jedi apprentice”. “I cannot talk about that,” laughs Daisy Ridley.

Everything is kept under wraps in the mysterious universe commanded by Kathleen Kennedy, as the cast well knows. “At the beginning of rehearsals, we didn’t know the plot. I remember being with Mark, making conjectures all the time,” says Ridley. “We could not take the script outside Pinewood Studios,” recalls John Boyega. The newcomers also did not get any special treatment. “That room in Pinewood was like a cave,” says Kelly Marie Tran, to which Benicio del Toro adds with laughter: “I read the script with a timer.” It is not surprising that the Puerto Rican actor speaks cautiously about the film: “Star Wars was the first science fiction film that I felt was mine. I don’t want to be the first to ruin something for the fans.” Without Funkos to dissect and now that Kennedy can’t hear us, let's put them to the test.

New King of the Galaxy

It’s been two years since J. J. Abrams expanded the universe created by George Lucas, this time for Disney. The Force Awakens revived the essence of the original trilogy, far from that attempt to renew the prequels. Many specifically criticized that it was a copy of A New Hope. However, what struck Mark Hamill was something else: “Twice a week, for 50 weeks, I was tortured. They called it physical training. I even did a diet of ‘If it tastes good, don’t eat it’. I lost 20 kilos! Then I discovered that I only appeared for a few seconds at the end looking like a grumpy neighbor.”

Now, to Hamill's good fortune, Abrams has handed over the controls of the Millennium Falcon to Rian Johnson. “I remember asking J.J. if it felt like when, in a divorce, your children go to live with the new cool guy. He told me that it was fine with him but I know he thought: ‘I’m going to miss them,’” says Boyega. The creator of Lost will return to lead Episode IX, but before that Johnson will have to prove if The Last Jedi, which promises shocking revelations, is as “unique” as the cast assures. For now, it will be the longest film in the series, with two and a half hours. But will it be up to the much acclaimed The Empire Strikes Back?

“No comparisons,” Hamill says: “This movie is different from the others in Star Wars thanks to Rian. If it had not been for him, I would have dreaded coming back... I wasn’t sure I wanted to be part of the new trilogy. I thought Harrison Ford wouldn’t come back, he was my savior. But then he accepted and I felt trapped. Since I was the only one who wasn’t here, I would’ve been the most hated.”

The Return of the Jedi

“The Last Jedi starts right where we left The Force Awakens,” Ridley tells us, something unheard of in the saga. We will reunite with Rey the scavenger delivering the lightsaber to Luke Skywalker in Ach-To, after having spent the previous film on his trail. “I don’t remember what Luke says when he takes the saber, but he should have said, ‘That came with one hand, did you bring it too?’, jokes Hamill. 

“Rey must accept that she has power and begin to show her potential,” explains Johnson. She and Darth Vader's son will be the focus of the film, although for now nobody dares to say whether the last Jedi master will train the young woman in the art of the Force. It is as if every time a journalist mentioned the word “Jedi”, a fairy died. “Jedi training? That remains to be seen,” says Ridley sounding mysterious, and adds: “In The Force Awakens, Rey was out of control, but now she will learn from Luke and from herself. She will experience growth.”

Her friend, John Boyega, insists on the novelty of the project: “Rian has done something very different. We wanted Finn to have an identity, like Han Solo or Leia. He supported Rey and the Resistance in Episode VII, but now he must decide if he is willing to fight a battle that is not his. His relationship with Rey and now with Rose Tico [Kelly Marie Tran] will push him into action.” The stormtrooper who deserted the First Order will thus find a new ally in this Resistance mechanic. According to Tran, she is “a nobody” that will star in “several fun moments” with Finn.

And what awaits us in the Dark Side? “Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is as important as Rey in this new film,” says Johnson. After killing dad Han Solo, the pupil of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) will threaten the Galaxy again, with a new ship like that of his grandfather Anakin. Another who will be back, to Finn's disgrace, will be his former superior in the First Order, Captain Phasma. “I cannot confirm if her face will be seen, but we will learn more about her and she will leave an impression,” says Gwendoline Christie.

DJ, the hacker who Benicio del Toro gives life to, is one of the great mysteries of the film. Will he brandish a lightsaber? “No”, says Del Toro. And does he look like some other character in the saga? “He has elements of Boba Fett, maybe Jabba the Hutt,” the actor replies. According to Boyega (official spokesperson of the Galaxy), DJ resides in the casino planet of Canto Bight, where Finn and Rose Tico will go looking for him because “they need a codebreaker and he is the best”. 

“The interesting thing was being able to propose things to Rian and that he was open to my suggestions, even if they changed the story,” Del Toro assures us. Another fundamental issue for the Puerto Rican is the diversity that exists in the saga: “I saw that Oscar Isaac joined Episode VII, and that Diego Luna appeared in Rogue One, and I thought: ‘They already have two Latinos, I don’t think they need three’, but they called me. It's also great that there are women in leading roles.”

The Girls Are Warriors

And speaking of women... Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), princess-turned-general, marked a before and after between the heroines of the cinema of the 70s, a legacy that the saga has continued to reinforce. “They told me that a child wanted to run like Rey because, apparently, she is running the way she should,” Ridley recalls, adding: “The reaction of many parents made me realize what Rey means to them. They told me: ‘My daughter has something to wear now that isn’t sexualized.’” The actress is aware of how much Star Wars does for the empowerment of women, although she believes that “as long as we keep talking about it, there will be work to be done. If there was equality, we wouldn’t be repeating that Wonder Woman is starring and directed by women.”

For Gwendoline Christie, this "feminist” aspect of the saga is fundamental: “We live in a patriarchal society, so being able to play the leader of an army is a luxury. Kathleen Kennedy showed me the results that appear when you google ‘female heroines’: many women with barely any clothes.” 

The actress still remembers the impact Princess Leia had on her: “I was six years old and seeing that Leia was smart, funny and did not look like other female characters made me question how women are portrayed in movies. I hope Captain Phasma will also help change the concept of femininity.” In addition to Rey, Captain Phasma and Rose Tico, Episode VIII will feature Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern), Vice Admiral of the Resistance.

Goodbye Princess Goodbye

Among all the star warriors of Star Wars, General Leia continues to shine more than any other. Outside of the screens, with no Skywalker brawls involved, the cast makes for much closer family: “Mark is the father. Adam is the serious one, but he has a great sense of humor. Oscar is the charmer, John is the fun one, Carrie is the hilarious one, Benicio the cool, and I'm the one who always sings,” sums up Ridley. 

Therefore, the premiere of this film is a bittersweet experience after the death of Fisher in December 2017. For the British actress, “it is strange to be together again without her”. Little did Johnson imagine that he would direct Carrie Fisher’s last film: “We have a beautiful and very powerful performance from her. We have not changed it.”

The one who gets most excited when talking about the actress is her ‘brother’ Mark Hamill: “I keep missing her. I keep talking about her in the present. Selfishly, I’m so angry. She should be here to share Episode VIII and shoot Episode IX.” The Last Jedi is the farewell to an actress who, 40 years later, continues to make us want to be Leia princesses, not ‘Disney princesses’. The Galaxy will not shine the same without her.

[uomo-accattivante]

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens, director J.J. Abrams sought to prop up and revitalize the most popular film franchise in movie history, to preserve its qualities in amber for a new generation. The Force Awakens was very concerned about what you, the moviegoer and fan, thinks about Star Wars. It wants to please you. It wants to be comfort food. And it’s very, very good at that.

But with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson wants to burn Star Wars to the ground. Not because he harbors ill will toward it, but because he loves it. He loves it so much that he wants to cleanse the garden and allow something fresh and new to grow. The Last Jedi is not concerned about what you, the moviegoer and fan, thinks about Star Wars. It wants to challenge you and make you question what Star Wars is and what it can be.

(This post contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.)

An Answer to the Ellipsis

Star Wars: The Force Awakens concludes with one helluva cliffhanger. The Force-sensitive Rey arrives on the planet Ahch-To, tracks down the elusive Jedi master Luke Skywalker, and offers him his long-lost lightsaber. Luke’s face flashes with a dozen different emotions. You can practically feel the words crawling up his throat. And then the film ends, to be continued in two years. It’s a grand moment. An epic moment. A perfect finale for a film built out of questions and mysteries, a film about legacies and the shadows they leave behind.

And when we return to that scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke Skwalker accepts the lightsaber from Rey, examines it for a hot second, and casually tosses it over his shoulder. From its opening scenes, The Last Jedi makes it very clear where it stands – everything you thought this movie was going to be is incorrect. The symbols you hold dear, the symbols that J.J. Abrams held so dear in your stead, are being deliberately stripped of their power. If that shakes you, if that upsets you…well, that’s just Rian Johnson preparing you for what’s next. Abrams left him with an ellipsis, a “to be continued” that felt like a specific path. And Johnson takes a hard left turn in his land speeder, breaks through a fence, and goes off track into the wilderness.

Star Wars has gone off the rails. Either you’re going to be on board for the bumpy ride to a new place or you’re not. But the intentions are made early and they’re made perfectly clear.

Legends Bleed

Mark Hamill famously disagreed with Johnson on the direction of Luke Skywalker when he first read the screenplay for The Last Jedi, and it’s clear why. Luke, the farm boy who became a war hero who became a warrior knight who became his father’s savior, has fallen into disgrace. While The Force Awakens featured a Han Solo falling back into his old scoundrel ways (a position of comfort for those worried about a watered-down take on a character who was at his best when he wasn’t playing nice), The Last Jedi features a Luke Skywalker that is unlike anything we’ve seen before – a broken shell of a man who believes that everything he fought for and achieved was for naught. By telling young Rey that none of this matters, he’s also telling the audience the same thing. The stuff you love? The details that have reshaped pop culture and created a geek language that everyone speaks? Yeah, they’re wonky. Or rather, they’re broken. Your faith was flawed.

Luke’s hopelessness is especially affecting because the film is clearly on his side. This is not a movie where a plucky young Jedi-to-be shows up at the old master’s doorstep and teaches him how to hope again. This is a movie where a flawed old man with a lifetime of victories and regrets informs the decisions of a new generation of young heroes who need to find a new way to hope. Clearly, the old ways didn’t work because darkness rises again and there are still tyrannical man-babies trying to be the next Darth Vader. There’s a flaw in the system, buried too deep for most to see, and the only solution is to burn it all down.

The Last Jedi chooses to make this literal, as Luke Skywalker, wild and enraged, moves to burn down the ancient tree housing the ancient Jedi texts. But he doesn’t get to do it. Instead, the ghost of Yoda, the wizened master who trained him decades earlier, arrives, summons a lightning bolt, and does the job for him. This Yoda (once again depicted with a physical puppet after years of being a CGI creation) is very much the character we first met in The Empire Strikes Back – eccentric and wise and silly and profound in equal measure, the kind of old weirdo who has found grace and power in just letting go.

Johnson is clearly not a fan of the militarized, commanding Yoda of the prequels and the animated Clone Wars TV show. This Yoda cackles as he burns down what remains of the Jedi religion, the court jester whose mischief always carries greater meaning. This Yoda knows what Luke knows – the order to which he dedicated his long life is gone, and trying to recapture it is a fool’s errand. Why resurrect an archaic institution that cannot serve a new generation when you can let that new generation build something new for itself? Even Luke, a noble man who believed in the hidden goodness of Darth Vader, gave into his darkest feelings and considered murdering young Ben Solo in his sleep. The old ways failed Luke. They failed Ben. They will fail the Resistance. Luke knows this through anger and regret. Yoda knows this through wisdom and perspective.

It’s important that Johnson lets Yoda burn it all down and not Luke – the passing of the torch is not just the result of the failure of an old man who learned things the hard way, but it comes with the blessing of the wisest character in Star Wars canon. Luke knows that the Jedi must end, that they do not monopolize the Force, and that evil has flourished on their watch. But where Luke saw despair, Yoda sees a chance for renewal. Where J.J. Abrams saw a warm and comforting blanket that makes you feel really good, Rian Johnson sees that stagnation is the death of all things. Stagnation leads to Empires and First Orders. Hitting the reset button, breaking the machine, leads to revolutions. And after 40 years of circling similar ideas, Star Wars could use a revolution.

That revolution feels especially well-timed, as fans discuss whether or not “Luke would have done that.” Geeky debates will always exist (they’re the reason Star Wars thrives today), but maybe we should hone in on what The Last Jedi is telling us. Maybe it’s dangerous to worship our heroes to the point of idolatry, to convince ourselves that they can never do wrong, never make mistakes, and never let their hubris create monsters that threaten a new generation. Johnson sends Luke out on a high note, allowing him one more showdown with his former pupil in a fight that is pacifistic resistance at its most grand and extreme, but it’s the final gasp of the hero we once knew. Long live Luke Skywalker…but never forget that he erred. That he done fucked up.

Breaking Expectations

It’s easy to imagine Rian Johnson watching The Force Awakens and being thrilled. It’s a thrilling movie. It does that. It’s also easy to imagine Rian Johnson watching The Force Awakens and noting, “This Supreme Leader Snoke guy kinda sucks. I should do something about that.”

Despite being positioned as the Big Bad of the new trilogy, the overlord pulling the strings, Supreme Leader Snoke barely leaves an impression during his appearances in both Star Wars movies. His generic flavor of Almighty Galaxy-Destroying Jerk is something we’ve seen several times in Star Wars and countless times elsewhere. He’s dull. He’s especially dull when compared to the angsty, flawed, and powerfully human Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, played with such intensity and raw pain by Adam Driver.

But The Last Jedi knows our expectations. It knows that we think Snoke will remain a threat through the next movie and that Ben will find redemption. It focuses on Ben’s internal conflict as it showcases Snoke’s incredible power. As the son of Han Solo grows more sympathetic, his leader grows more godlike, revealing a command of the Force that allows him to flick enemies and allies alike around his throne room like gnats. The Last Jedi makes Kylo Ren more vulnerable as it makes Supreme Leader Snoke more unstoppable.

So yes, the death of Snoke is a disarming twist and a beautifully staged one – Snoke’s command of the Force bites him in the ass when he reads Ben’s feelings and intentions but cannot understand where they’re pointed. One little Force push from Ben Solo and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber is activated, cutting the Supreme Leader in half and ending his reign of terror an entire movie earlier than anyone expected. It’s shocking. It’s hilarious. It’s bound to anger fans who have spent the past two years attempting to discern the identity of Snoke. Quite frankly, The Last Jedi doesn’t care about Snoke and it reacts accordingly – your Snoke theory never mattered because Snoke never mattered.

Part of this reflects Johnson’s interest in Ben Solo and his lack of interest in Snoke (can you blame him?), but it’s also a perfect reflection of the grander ideas at work in The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker loomed large, but in the end, he was just a bitter old man with a chip on his shoulder. Snoke loomed large, but in the end, he was just an vicious old bastard whose backstory is unimportant and who gets stabbed in the back by his angsty student. In a universe where everything is connected, where we’ve been trained to expect greater meanings and profound truths, this is a punch to the gut. Not everything is connected. The mightiest can fall. And at some point, they probably should.

Snoke probably mattered once upon a time, to someone. But he’s gone now. Luke Skywalker mattered to the galaxy, but his time is over. The future has been yanked from the hands of past masters and the universe will be reshaped by Kylo Ren and Rey, who are both fighting for the same thing from opposite directions: the chance to build a future beyond the command of a generation that failed. Johnson’s decision to bring us even closer to Ben Solo, even allowing him to fight alongside Rey in an incredible lightsaber fight, before doubling down on him being irredeemable may be the best choice in a movie filled with audacious choices. Just because Darth Vader was redeemed doesn’t mean his nephew is going down the same path. And yeah, the motivations of this new villain make a certain amount of sense, don’t they? That should trouble you as much as it troubles Rey.

(As a side note, the sudden demise of Snoke feels akin to General Hux’s transformation into bumbling comedic relief. Some may take issue with him being reduced to a punching bag, but it once again feels like Johnson taking an ill-defined character from The Force Awakens and running wild with him, giving him something to do. The same goes for Maz Kanata, who is funnier and wilder in her brief cameo here than she was in The Force Awakens.)

Save the Things You Love

If the death of Snoke was The Last Jedi bursting a bubble, the revelation about Rey’s parents is…an even bigger bursting of an even bigger bubble. The Last Jedi is a movie about disappointment – your heroes are broken, your allies failed you, and your mystery parents, whose identity has been driving your entire existence so far, aren’t Skywalkers or Solos or Kenobis. They’re just some schmoes who sold you off and left you to rot on a backwater planet. If your last name is Skywalker, you’re destined for greatness. It’s a given. But what does it mean if your name is Rey? Just Rey?

The Last Jedi is full of nobodies brushing shoulders with somebodies. Rey discovers that her parents were drunks, simple traders who didn’t care about her, even as she trains under the legendary Luke Skywalker. Poe Dameron must grapple with the fact that he’s taking orders from General Leia Organa, a woman who has suffered and bled and fought for the Galaxy for 30 years, and therefore knows what’s right more often than him. And poor Rose must come to terms with the fact that Finn, a “hero” of the Resistance, is prepared to desert the moment things get tough. The new men and women of Star Wars (with the notable exception of Kylo Ren) are profoundly ordinary. Or rather, they’re profoundly ordinary people forced to live up to the extraordinary people around them, even as those extraordinary people often let them down.

I imagine we’ll see Star Wars fans upset about Rey not being a secret Skywalker or a Kenobi or a clone of Emperor Palpatine or the reincarnated Anakin Skywalker (the internet is a bad place), but Rey’s origin as just a person is more powerful than even the most shocking twist. Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker emerged from a nothing planet as nobodies and rose to the occasion, stumbling into destinies they could never have imagined. To tie every character of significance to them and their circle of allies and enemies would be to rob them of their power. The beauty of Star Wars, since its earliest days, has been the depiction of heroes coming from every corner and every walk of life. A farm boy. A princess. A smuggler. They have no business saving the galaxy, but damn it, they have to! Who else will?

And now we have an orphaned scavenger abandoned by her completely un-noteworthy parents, a conflicted deserter from a vicious military regime, and a skilled pilot with a lot to learn about leadership. The next generation of Star Warsheroes are born from disappointment, the disappointment of having to live in the shadow of heroes and the disappointment of having to fight the war that those heroes failed to actually win all those years ago. No one should have to do this. No young person should have to go to war. Why should these kids, with no connection to the previous generation beyond being unfortunate enough to exist in the same galaxy as Luke, Han, and Leia, suffer for the sins of the Skywalker family?

They shouldn’t, but this is the hand that was dealt to them. And they’re going to fight because that’s what heroes do, no matter where they come from. Secret parentage that supplies an easily digestible explanation for your superpowers is for chumps…and Jedi masters who spend their final days in self-imposed exile.

A Long Time Ago…

Think back to the original Star Wars, the 1977 film, back before it was subtitled “A New Hope” and before it inspired an entire multimedia franchise. Look at the man who made it: George Lucas, a young hotshot, a proper artist, whose previous brush with science fiction resulted in the grim THX 1138. That film wears its politics, and its anger and frustration, on its sleeve. And while Star Wars is an infinitely more accessible film, it’s still the work of the same man and he’s still speaking the same language. A “fun” movie about a team of freedom fighters battling an oppressive, fascist regime is inherently political. Lucas knew this more than anyone and he even kept it alive in the much-derided prequels, which ended up being an entire trilogy of films about the failure of democracy in the face of a tyrannical despot.

When Lucas conceived Star Wars, it was as fresh and radical as anything else made in the American New Wave of the ’70s. But by Return of the Jedi, the ragtag Rebel alliance felt safer and the Force more of a superpower than a mystical way of life. An already simple premise was made simpler, an undesirable turn after The Empire Strikes Back doubled down on Lucas’ original concepts. It’s telling that The Force Awakens feels like a cinematic adaptation of our nostalgic feelings about Star Wars instead of a Star Wars movie as conceived by George Lucas.

Perhaps that’s why The Last Jedi is such a jarring experience, one that feels specifically built to make audiences work through their feelings about this universe. Rian Johnson is unabashedly political and unafraid to slaughter the sacred cows. The First Order isn’t just a group of guys whose costumes provide cool cosplay opportunities – they are fascists, evil and cold and frightening. The Resistance isn’t a team of plucky heroes – they are a band of fighters who are specifically cast with diverse men and women to reflect the fears and frustrations of millennials who feel trapped and afraid in a world where resistance often feels futile (and who really wouldn’t mind tearing apart a casino city operated by the 1%). The Force isn’t just a cool excuse for heroes to lift rocks – it is something mystical and mysterious that cannot be easily explained and comprehended, something that even Luke Skywalker has a complex relationship with at this point.

Even the Lando surrogate, the unnamed codebreaker played by Benicio del Toro, offers no easy answers as he betrays our heroes and doesn’t even reach for apology or redemption. Even the goofy humor that arrives early and often is a departure from the norm, a case of Johnson making the movie his own rather than following a style guide. The Last Jedifeels like a movie young George Lucas, passionate and bold, would have made. It feels like a proper Star Wars movie by refusing to feel like a Star Wars movie.

The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story want to please you. They want to hit familiar beats and remind you why you love Star Wars. They are so much fun. But The Last Jedi doesn’t want to remind you of anything. It doesn’t care about your relationship with Star Wars. The only relationship that matters here is Rian Johnson’s relationship with Star Wars, and for the first time in a long time, here is a Star Wars movie with a proper point of view, one delivered by a storyteller who is unafraid to shatter a universe he loves, to break down the heroes that mean so much to him. A wise and noble Luke is easy. A Luke with regrets? That’s hard. That’s tough to swallow. That’s what elevates The Last Jedi beyond a simple retread – it asks you to take these characters seriously in a way that other Star Wars films have not, to acknowledge them as something beyond a vessel for escapism. Star Wars can only matter in the long run if it’s given the room to grow. And right now, it feels like the sky is the limit. Right now, Star Wars feels…unsafe.

And that feels great.

###

I find this to be one of the better thought-provoking reviews out there of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” I, personally, am glad that Rian Johnson had the guts to make the movie he wanted to make and not be swayed by public opinion. Truly great movies are born out of a strong point of view, not by appeasing to crowdsourced ideas or demands from moviegoers. Not all viewers may like or agree with a filmmaker’s opinion, but then, there is no way that a film can be everything to everyone - and it shouldn’t be. I applaud Rian Johnson for the courage to make such an unapologetically bold film - it’s stunningly good.

[tkmedia]

Ohio State’s Ryan Day says NIL money should be spread out

By Adam Rittenberg, ESPN: Ohio State coach Ryan Day thinks that while college football’s highest-profile players will have immense earning opportunities through name, image and likeness deals, there should be consideration to sharing money among other players. Day, speaking Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium, was asked about Alabama coach Nick Saban’s recent comment that Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young could command seven figures in NIL agreements. Read the full story… —Recent News Feed Stories—- WSU’s leading receiver, Renard Bell, out for season with torn ACL - Panini and OneTeam bring group licensing to college trading card deals - One of Pac-12’s best OL, Cal’s Michael Saffell, medically retires - Witter: There’s only one logical outcome to RoloGate, so let’s get on with it - Trial by fire: New commissioners thrust into conference realignment chaos - CU partners with REVELxp to offer unique tailgating for Texas A&M game - Furness: WSU AD Pat Chun and Nick Rolovich at odds: Interim coach coming? - Report: Ex-Cal LB Mychal Kendricks sentenced to 1 day in jail - USC Trojans with four or more Summer Olympic appearances - New hoops HC Tommy Lloyd discusses first impressions of Wildcats - Former Ute Anissa Urtez hits Mexico’s first home run in Olympic history - Did Steve Sarkisian know about SEC talks before taking Texas job? - McCollough: Pac-12 can be a winner in this round of conference realignment - New Pac-12 commish: ‘We’d be foolish not to listen if schools call us’ - Report: Oklahoma-Texas move almost complete, in motion for six months - Buffs Training Camp Preview: Storylines Plentiful As CU Readies To Open Camp - Texas, Oklahoma no-show for Big 12 call to discuss reported SEC interest - Arizona hoops legend Jason Gardner returns as director of player relations - The Final Four rematch is on: UCLA and Gonzaga hoops in Las Vegas - Commissioner George Kliavkoff: Pac-12 considering use of forfeit for Covid-19 - Pac-12 realignment if Texas and Oklahoma do join the SEC - Zemek: Scenario George Kliavkoff, Pac-12 hoping for if Texas, OU go to SEC - Pac-12 announces 2021 Spring Academic Honor Roll recipients - Opinions fly on Nick Rolovich’s decision not to get vaccinated - College football teeters on total makeover and what it means for UW - WSU president appears to issue an ultimatum to Nick Rolovich - Ex-Wildcat J.J. Taylor projected as Patriots’ 2021 ‘breakout star’ by NFL.com - Former Colorado WR Jeremy Bloom introduces sponsorship for walk-ons - Did Texas A&M leak the story about Texas, Oklahoma going to SEC? - Report: Missouri, Texas A&M to vote against Texas, Oklahoma joining the SEC - Dodd: Texas, Oklahoma’s departure from Big 12 is inevitable - Mike Leach on 12-team CFP: ‘I personally would like to see 64’ - 247Sports’ top 50 college football players for the 2021 season - Top247 safety Tristan Dunn commits to the Sun Devils - How new NCAA transfer rules changed the way coaches recruit HS prospects - Report: Oregon’s Dana Altman receives extension through 2026-27 - Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff’s reaction to CFB realignment rumors - 3-star wide receiver Jaiven Plummer brings more speed to Cal’s 2022 class - Analysis: Sure, Texas & Oklahoma could move to SEC, but there are roadblocks - Washington State’s Nick Rolovich has chosen not to get a COVID-19 vaccination

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[chernobog13]

In this scene from Forbidden Planet (1956), Robby the Robot demonstrates his ability to disable the hand blasters of Lieutenant "Doc" Ostrow and Commander J.J. Adams of the United Planets Starcruiser C-57D.

[ryanmeft]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movies-at-Home Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi completely changes everything about the franchise, a fact which some will love and some will hate. One thing I feel confident in saying is that if you think the previous sentence is true, the odds of you being a middle-aged fanboy who still believes busy adults should be thinking more about the term “Midochlorians” are high. The reality of Rian Johnson’s entry into the once-iconic toy-generation engine is less dramatic: a few insignificant background details have been altered, once-thrilling space opera has been replaced by a plot revolving around running out of gas, and otherwise the movie is the same old Star Wars. Like The Force Awakens, it is still tied firmly to the original trilogy. Unlike The Force Awakens, it’s not very much fun.

I don’t honestly remember how part seven ended, and before you rush off to remind me, you should know I don’t remember because I’ve had better things to do since 2015. I don’t think it left off with the rebel fleet, led by the now departed Carrie Fisher as Leia, running out of oomph, but that’s where we start this entry. Actually, correction: we start with hotshot space pilot and bad Han Solo impersonator Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) lobbing grade school insults at Imperial Commander somebody-or-other (Domnhall Gleeson) to distract him from the fact that he wants to blow up their ships. I know people who were personally offended by the glib tone of this scene, but I didn’t mind, because quite frankly it was still more polite, mature and useful than trying to have a conversation about the franchise these days. He does blow up the ship he wants, loses 95% of the Rebel ships in the process, and wonders why they don’t declare him a hero.

If you somehow like Poe, don’t worry: the other characters eventually fawn all over him, because this movie has so many gaps of logic it is officially a registered Libertarian. Witness the scene in which Leia is temporarily unable to command. An officer prepares to announce her replacement. The camera pans around the room, lingering on familiar faces, right before the new commander is announced as…a supposedly legendary Admiral who we’ve never seen or heard of before this exact moment. Sure, she’s played by Laura Dern, and having Laura Dern in a movie is usually a good enough motivation for anything (see Downsizing for another example), but the film is riddled with such random and inexplicable introductions and asides. During the opening space battle, the cameras of longtime Johnson collaborator Steve Yedlin linger on the protracted heroic death of a woman whose importance is not explained, and who is later revealed to be a foil for terrible new character Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). Rose is also there to be Finn’s (Jon Boyega) pointless love interest. They have a mildly interesting subplot on a planet where the locals made their bones by double-dealing weapons to both sides, and Boyega once again proves he’s got the most interesting character of the three new stars, but his story is robbed of any pathos by a moment so ridiculously stupid that I’ll let you discover it for yourself. I never, ever question the logic of a movie about magic sword knights in space, but The Last Jedi is, in this regard, ambitious. 

Throughout all of this, the dialogue is so vapid and empty that it could only have been written by corporate committee. Compare it to the original Star Wars, which I re-watched afterwards for the first time in over a decade. The dialogue there was hokey and at times a bit workmanlike, with stilted delivery, and is mostly quotable through cultural accretion rather than any inherent quality. What it has is the sense it was written by a bunch of big kids who grew up on Flash Gordon and were having a ton of fun. The Last Jedi feels dictated by people whose primary interest was in appealing to as many demographics as possible, and as anyone experienced with spinning a good yarn knows, stories that are made for everyone are really made for no one.

Where the film comes alive is when Luke Skywalker is on screen, and I can honestly say I never expected to write those words. For all that he’s iconic, he was the dullest of the three main heroes in the old films. Here, he turns out to be the one and only part of the movie that feels like anyone really believed in it. Played again by the now obviously aged Mark Hamill, he resides in exile on a planet with only one island, inhabited by a frog-like race that seems to live to maintain it. Here are the remains of the first Jedi temple, a fact which could really be spun out into something fascinating if Disney were remotely interested in things that are fascinating. Luke has given up on the Jedi Order for reasons that are, if not really gripping, then more compelling than anything else the story offers, but like a true believer he still carefully guards the original religious texts. I wondered through most of the film how much better it would have been if the rest of it were this inspired. Unlike Harrison Ford’s obligatory, phoned-in final outing as Han Solo, appreciated somewhat by me at the time but which I have since recognized as pure fan service, Luke’s return feels like it adds something not just to this film but to the franchise.

It’s just too bad Johnson had to nearly foul it up by taking Rey’s story to the least interesting place possible. Rey is, if you recall, the new Force-wielding hero of the series, and she travels to the Skywalker Cosmic Bachelor Retreat to try and get Luke to train her. Their scenes together have zip, including a particularly funny moment, and for a while we think the movie will really go somewhere with Rey’s temptation toward darkness. It does not, because that would cut into merchandise sales. Instead, Rey heads off to confront Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his boss Supreme Commander Snoke (Andy Serkis), whose head looks like someone did something very painful to another part of their anatomy. Back in my review of The Force Awakens, I called Kylo and Rey the new additions with the most potential. I also said I could not give the series credit for future movies, and I have been proved right. Almost every bit of interest the two characters had has been flushed in favor of completely generic paths for their stories to take. The one revelation I thought added something new to Rey will doubtless be retconned for something duller when J.J. Abrams takes the reins back with the next installment. I think Daisy Ridley has a bright career ahead of her, and after seeing her in two Star Wars movies, let’s just hope it’s still ahead of her.

The new Star Wars series has schizophrenia. On the one hand, it wants to hew so closely to the original films that it refuses to break from them even in spin-offs. On the other, it seems determined to give fans what they have long desired by all but erasing George Lucas from the series he created. There is none of his life here, or his boyish, innocent wonder. There are no Mos Eisley cantinas, no strange alien jazz bands aboard floating slave ships, no underwater cities or rolling droid armies. There is nothing to match them, either. This latest entry neither moves the series forward nor captures the boundless magic of the past. No one could come in on The Last Jedi and ever think this was a series born from a crucible consisting of Kurosawa, Robin Hood and Joseph Campbell. In the quest to make it inoffensive to anyone not obsessed with continuity, it has finally been made lifeless. For all the complaining people still do about the prequels, they were at least films a human being wanted to make, done how he wanted to do them, with influences and ideas and innovations. The words “A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away” feel like farce now, applied as they are to a film with very little of the all-too-human emotions that generations of wide-eyed children invested them with.

Verdict: Average

Note: I don’t use stars but here are my possible verdicts. I suppose you could consider each one as adding a star.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

[dweemeister]

NOTE: The following contains full spoilers and the beginning (not the end) of a moral discourse that could not have been in my review to The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Walt Disney Pictures is about to win the 2017 box office by releasing only nine films (in order): Beauty and the Beast (March), Born in China (April), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (April), the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean (May), Cars 3 (June), Jagga Jasoos (July; a Bollywood film), Thor: Ragnarok (October), Coco (October), and now Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This will be a record low – unimaginable in previous decades where a major studio might release a few movies per month or one per week. As Disney moves to make fewer films every year – this is code for only producing larger-budget franchise blockbusters or live-action remakes of their animated classics and sacrificing Hollywood’s traditional bread-and-butter of low- and mid-budget movies – Star Wars may be the last cinematic experience that might be described as communal. In a fractured media landscape, individual tastes are being catered to, but there is less that unites society. Movies catering to major movie franchise fans and “arthouse/indie” cinephiles (permit me this generalization) are less likely to play in the same theaters, and neither groups are likely to give the movies that the other group likes a smidge of attention. Star Wars, by sheer popularity and its callbacks to classic Hollywood, bridges this divide.

The Last Jedi is the eighth episode in the saga, immediately following the events of The Force Awakens (2015). Rey (Daisy Ridley), along with Chwebacca (Joonas Suotamo; the retired Peter Mayhew served as consultant) and R2-D2 (Jimmy Vee), is on a lush island on Ahch-To (bless you!) hoping to be trained in the ways of the Force by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the First Order’s (a splinter of planetary systems from the dissolved Galactic Empire) decapitation of the New Republic’s government in the last film, the Resistance (distinct from the New Republic’s military; think of the Resistance as a Republic-sponsored insurgency/liberation paramilitary operating in First Order territory... thanks J.J. Abrams) is attempting to evacuate from the First Order fleet. General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher in her last screen role; none of her scenes were altered/rewritten in post-production) is in command, and underneath her are Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) and more familiar faces like Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). We are also introduced to a Resistance maintenance worker, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). Within the First Order, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is concocting a fiendish scheme as Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) wants Kylo to use Rey to kill Luke.

Other characters that appear are: droid BB-8 (puppeteers Dave Chapman and Brian Herring), protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels, who is now the only actor to have appeared in all Star Wars films with Kenny Baker’s passing), First Order General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), a codebreaker named DJ (Benicio del Toro), Resistance ally Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), and the First Order’s Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie).

The Last Jedi sometimes recalls the worst impulses of The Force Awakens, which was weakened by too closely adhering to the plot outline of A New Hope (1977). We see uncomfortably close parallels yet again in The Last Jedi: the visual similarities between the Battle of Hoth (The Empire Strikes Back’s opening) with the film’s climax on Crait, thematic callbacks to Return of the Jedi (1983) when Rey is dragged into Snoke’s throne room (dark side students betraying masters; the use of red here made me think I was watching a Vincente Minnelli musical for a moment), and small portions of Rey’s training with Luke (such as another trippy cave filled with dark side vibes; otherwise, the Rey-Luke scenes were fine). But The Last Jedi is more committed than its predecessor to developing its epic themes and attempting to critique/reconfigure Star Wars’ ethos of light and dark, good and evil. Both are honorable pursuits and depicted sufficiently, but terrible editing and a disorganized screenplay from director-writer Rian Johnson (2012′s Looper) takes too much focus away from The Last Jedi’s achievements.

Star Wars’ Manichaeism – outside the underrated Revenge of the Sith (2005) – has never been truly challenged within the cinematic saga. The best writing noting the nuances of morality has appeared in other Star Wars media: the Knights of the Old Republic video game series and, to a lesser extent, Dave Filoni’s animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. For a series whose roots come from two closely-related genres regarded for their moral complexities – samurai movies and American Westerns – this is mystifying.

But for The Last Jedi, there is an attempt to challenge, or at least an expansion of, this duality. It is in Luke that we see this reckoning with what he has unleashed. Years ago while still rebuilding the Jedi Order, the now-reclusive Skywalker detected that the young Kylo Ren – then in training under Luke – had been corrupted by Snoke. Luke contemplated killing his student, his nephew. A tragic misunderstanding ensued, resulting in Kylo Ren’s destruction of the Luke’s Jedi temple and the deaths of numerous Jedi apprentices. Regret has consumed Luke – here, regret is not an emotion associated with the dark side, but it prevents the personal balance and peace that Jedi seek. Luke believes himself culpable in the deaths of his students and that inner turmoil has disconnected him from the galaxy-at-large, severing his ties to others who care and would remind Luke that he can still learn and grow from his failure. Mark Hamill’s criticisms aside (legitimate as they are and as much as I agree with him), this is the most eloquently-written characterization in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Take the third line of the Jedi Code: “There is no passion, there is serenity.” Combined with the first line of the Code (“There is no emotion, there is peace,” – which I interpret not as emotional emptiness, but emotional balance), it is Luke’s unchecked repentance that shackles him, rather than achieving the serenity Jedi seek. Eventually, a veteran of the Clone Wars reminds Luke of these lessons as John Williams’ score recalls that veteran’s motif. As the Clone Wars raged, this veteran expressed concern that his fellow Jedi – through their participation in combat – were losing sight of peace, serenity. That Jedi is Yoda (Frank Oz; the Yoda puppet, reappearing here, is the best actor in the franchise), appearing as a Force ghost to Luke in a moment of catharsis for the latter. “The greatest teacher, failure is,” he intones. Luke’s regret over his failures – even years after the fact – can still be channeled and processed in constructive ways. He takes his old master’s words to heart. By the film’s end, he finds his peace and purpose in nonviolent sacrifice, amid a binary sunset.

As far as we know, the Skywalkers’ role in the Star Wars saga has concluded. It is now in the hands of the younger protagonists, especially Rey. Rey’s parentage has been the topic of cinematic speculation since The Force Awakens debuted. With Kylo Ren intimating that her parents were wasteful nobodies who died in anonymity – he may have been lying, but let’s assuming he wasn’t for now – Rey’s worst nightmare has come true. Not only will she ever reunite with her family, but, worst of all, they abandoned her. Of our next generation of protagonists, Rey remains the most compelling of them all (Daisy Ridley is also the strongest actress among the younger cohort); her strength of character forged in loneliness and hardship. But does The Last Jedi squander a chance to explain and depict the content and any vagaries in her moral character? With Snoke manipulating the Force to connect Rey and Kylo Ren, it is suggested that the latter may still be redeemed from the dark side of the Force. What about Rey? As we see in Luke who probably had only a little more Jedi training than Rey did – considering how The Last Jedi is structured, Luke’s training with Yoda feels like forever compared to Rey’s few days spent with Luke – there are vile strands to his personality. If fewer such elements reside in Rey’s mind and heart, why is that the case? It is through understanding one’s suffering and its sources that allows for goodness. All this should have been addressed in The Last Jedi rather than in the untitled ninth episode or not at all while there is still time to consider Rey’s character for all her resilience and fear (an emotion associated with the dark side of the Force).

Alas, it looks like The Last Jedi has opened up ethical and moral gaps that will have to be filled by other Star Wars media. This probably means terminal employment for the likes of Star Wars novel writers, Dave Filoni, and Electronic Arts – that sound you heard were the screams of distressed gamers and Bob Iger laughing while thinking about all the money he will make.

For all of The Last Jedi’s willingness to tinker with its central philosophical formulae, Rian Johnson, while writing the screenplays, seems almost intent to present things in the clumsiest, least appealing ways possible. Johnson’s screenplay has an A-plot (Rey with Luke, with a little Kylo Ren), a B-plot (Resistance shenanigans with Leia, Poe, and Holdo – for brevity’s sake, I will refrain from writing about the B-plot, but I fear that Poe is about to be appointed military leader of the female-powered Resistance, despite making wrong decision after wrong decision), and a C-plot (Finn and Rose; Boyega and Tran’s performances are fine, but deserved better writing). It is the C-plot, with Rose and Finn’s exploits on Canto Bight – a casino city for the galaxy’s ultrarich - that emphasizes that heroism is not exclusive to those wielding power or part of a given lineage. Rose, arguably the moral center of the film’s starkest political messages, is an unlikely hero who has much to say and much to do against the military-industrial complex that enslaves (whether officially or unofficially), spurring perpetual warfare. Yet considering the setpieces and the confusing nonsense surrounding the codebreaker they are seeking, that message is forgotten due to screenwriting shenanigans.

Expressly political filmmaking is difficult to achieve, and The Last Jedi founders completely here (this is not even mentioning the relationship, if any, between the Resistance and the New Republic). It is one thing to make a movie where I agree with its politics. It is another to present politics I agree with so slovenly –  the Canto Bight scenes are the worst so far in the sequel trilogy, despite featuring the most detailed worldbuilding yet.

On the technical fronts, Star Wars has embraced modern thriller techniques, as seen in Steve Yedlin’s cinematography and Bob Ducsay’s editing (Ducsay’s editing brilliance in the action is offset by his inability to balance and help move the storylines – there is an excellent 90-minute movie in the film’s sometimes-plodding 152 minutes). But for a film of contested dualities, no one’s work on The Last Jedi is as respectful as those thematic angles as composer John Williams. Now at eighty-five years old, it might be easy to criticize Williams’ score as unoriginal, too dependent on the motivic structure that has defined his cinematic composing career. Yes, The Last Jedi has fewer new musical ideas than the previous film. But there are more than enough motivic variations here to rise to the caliber of what is expected in a Star Wars score.

If you have never read a movie review on this blog before, you should know that sometimes I will dive deep into a film’s score. You have been warned.

Williams sets the pace of his scoring early, with the enormous orchestrations in “Main Title and Escape”. An outstanding opening action sequence contains densely layered woodwinds and brass and thrilling string runs (even the shortest string runs will thrill the heart; for example, listen closely to the strings at 4:10-4:11; in a theater, for me, at least, that is more exciting and appealing than a pounding drum line from, say, a Hans Zimmer imitator). The last piece of action, “The Battle of Crait” is as propulsive as any John Williams action composition can be. Dualities will appear and reappear throughout:

“The Supremacy” features Kylo Ren’s blaring horns (1:41) dueling with the Resistance’s militaristic violins (0:49) before both are silenced with Leia’s theme (2:04) in a moment of terror followed by shocking (if a little distracting) uplift. Say what you will about this scene, but when Leia’s theme crescendos to heights it never has before, it works.

In “Ahch-To Island”, “The Jedi Steps” idea from The Force Awakens (0:00)  – reflecting Rey’s journey to learn more about the Force – is countered with two ideas reflecting Luke’s seclusion on Ahch-To (2:55 and 3:33... a “Last Jedi” motif?). Rey’s theme will also conflict with the latter as the movie progresses.

“The Cave” mixes dissonance akin to The Empire Strikes Back’s cave scene before giving way to the most sonorous statement of Rey’s theme (usually consonant) heard yet.

Elsewhere, “Canto Bight” (the best new composition, managing to reference “Aquarela do Brasil” at 0:59... apparently, Williams inserted his title song to 1973′s The Long Goodbye somewhere in the Canto Bight scene – why not add some John Williams meta?) is as much fun as you will ever have with Latin jazz-inspired steel drums in a movie.

“Fun with Finn and Rose” introduces Rose’s theme – a stately woodwind motif that, though underdeveloped for now (although it is given action flourishes in “The Fathiers”) – which will probably be expanded in the last film as we learn more about her. Similarly, Kylo Ren’s theme was underdeveloped in The Force Awakens, as we knew little about his own complexities. In the moments after Luke’s passing, in “Peace and Purpose”, no longer is Kylo Ren’s theme standing by itself, with just a harsh brass line and nothing underlying it. At 1:08, it has become a march, resembling in texture to Anakin Skywalker’s march on the Jedi temple in Revenge of the Sith, and noting that it is not only Luke has found his purpose in the film’s closing minutes. The “Finale” begins with a Harry Potter-reminiscent celesta (imagine a music box if it resembled an upright piano) as we see a young boy Force pulling a broom towards him. Maybe it is a motif to be developed for another time, another character, another trilogy. But after the end credits, sit back, and enjoy the culmination of all John Williams offered to audiences here. So few composers can shift audience emotions with a simple transition like he can. Do not take it for granted, because we are listening to what is likely one of the last works in a remarkable career. May John Williams score the ninth episode.

The Last Jedi concludes without the heroes of the original trilogy going into the ninth episode. Fandom turmoil regarding the totality of The Last Jedi persists for a week-old film and, I suspect, will continue for at least another two years. But this eighth episode, under Rian Johnson’s direction, makes an earnest attempt to deconstruct and reimagine moreso than J.J. Abrams – the persona non grata to many Trekkies, and who will direct the concluding episode of the sequel trilogy – has demonstrated he is capable of. Johnson’s final product is imperfect. However, this is a good film displaying its reverence for the cinematic and the franchise’s past, but making clear its dissensions and departures.

The torch-passing is complete; past idols are gone. In a few years, we will see if Star Wars can plunge further into the unknown in ways not seen since creator George Lucas was last involved in the series. Even in failure, the Skywalker saga held the attention of audiences worldwide – a triumph of creativity for thousands of people whose names scroll past in a darkened theater long after almost the entire audience has left (or, if on unscrupulous television networks, unreadable in a tiny box to begin the next movie or to insert advertising).

I end with a thought that began my write-up to The Force Awakens. It is time for those most responsible for bringing Star Wars back to theaters to become artists first, fans second. I am pessimistic they can for various reasons. I hope to be proven wrong.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

Also in this series: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

[un-enfant-immature]

‘The Rise of Skywalker’ delivers a messy but satisfying finale to the new Star Wars trilogy

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is the ninth and final film in what Lucasfilm is calling The Skywalker Saga. It’s the end of the story — that’s both its greatest asset and its heaviest burden.

Certainly, if you’re hoping that a single movie can effectively wrap up every storyline, complete every character arc and answer every lingering question from the eight preceding films, you should abandon that hope now. Director J.J. Abrams is pitching this as the culmination of a nine-film epic, but how could any single movie live up to 40 years of theories and daydreams from millions of Star Wars fans?

(This review describes the general plot of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” but contains no major spoilers.)

Yes, you’ll see some returning faces from the original trilogy, including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, the late Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa (courtesy of unused footage from “The Force Awakens”) and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.

But their roles are pretty small. In fact, I’d argue that only Williams is used effectively. That’s okay, though — this isn’t their story anymore. They’re here to pass the torch.

Anthony Daniels is C-3PO, John Boyega is Finn and Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

So it’s the new characters who fully step into the spotlight this time around. More than anything, “The Rise of Skywalker” serves as one last chance for the new trilogy’s three main heroes — scavenger-turned-Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley), stormtrooper-turned-Resistance-fighter Finn (John Boyega) and ace pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) — to have an adventure together.

The film begins with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) having ascended to the role of Supreme Leader of the First Order (a.k.a. the new Empire). He lands on a mysterious planet to track down transmissions that appear to come from the long-dead Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid, clearly relishing his return to the role).

It’s quickly established that Palpatine somehow survived his death at the end of “Return of the Jedi,” and he’s been the secret mastermind behind the First Order all along. Now he’s assembled a giant fleet of even deadlier ships — and if Kylo wants to take command, all he has to do is kill Rey first.

This scene sets the template for the rest of the film, combining moody, gorgeous visuals with a breakneck pace, while delivering any and all exposition with the absolute minimum amount of detail.

The first half of “The Rise of Skywalker” turns into one long chase, as our heroes search for a mysterious artifact that may be crucial to defeating the Emperor, while Kylo and his Knights of Ren are close behind.

Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley is Rey and Anthony Daniels is C-3PO in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

It’s not hard to notice that many of these early plot developments seem designed to fill time, keeping our heroes busy before the grand finale. The film is both hurried and drawn out — constantly coming up with new destinations to visit, then rushing over as quickly as possible.

This didn’t bother me as much as I would have expected, largely because the plot brings us from one richly imagined world to another. They’re filled with some of the most delightfully bizarre aliens in the franchise, and they adds up to the most expansive tour of the Star Wars universe that I can recall.

As for the film’s second half, you can probably guess where the story will end — especially if you’ve watched “Return of the Jedi” recently. But even it doesn’t surprise you, you can still appreciate how Abrams has expanded on the older film’s scale and stakes.

When he revived the franchise in 2015 with “The Force Awakens,” Abrams seemed largely content to remix the original trilogy. With “The Rise of Skywalker,” on the other hand, he was apparently inspired to be more “daring,” and the film contains some of the most striking images of his career — a tiny skimmer struggling to stay afloat on an impossibly choppy ocean, a vast, ancient throne room filled with shadowy figures, a light saber duel amid the floating ruins of an old Death Star.

Daisy Ridley is Rey in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Sadly, Abrams the screenwriter (working with co-writer Chris Terrio) didn’t do quite as good a job. The dialogue is clunkier and more obvious than it was in the past two films, with jokes than rarely land as effectively.

There’s a slipshod quality to the plotting as well, with many major events seemingly to transpire for no reason except that they have to, because it’s the last movie. And while “The Last Jedi” tried to put the mystery of Rey’s parentage to rest, “The Rise of Skywalker” can’t quite move on. It takes up the question again, providing a final answer that’s reasonably satisfying on its own, but doesn’t quite justify the enormous build-up and back-and-forth over the course of three movies.

Ultimately, while I liked “The Rise of Skywalker” well enough, I also thought it was the weakest installment of the new trilogy. I’m particularly hard-pressed to recall any moments that affected me as deeply as the end of “The Last Jedi” — there’s nothing here that can match the quiet sadness of Luke’s reunion with Leia, or his lonely last stand against the First Order.

But even if “The Rise of Skywalker” isn’t the grand culmination that I’d been hoping for, it’s still a diverting adventure, not to mention a worthy farewell to Luke, Leia and all the others. When the forces of good and evil lined up for one final battle, I felt that old Star Wars thrill. And when I saw the last shot, I knew the story was ending where it was always supposed to end.

[oldschoolsciencefiction]

Happy birthday to the late, great Leslie Nielsen, remember by Old School Sci Fi fans as Commander J.J. Adams in “Forbidden Planet” (1956)