#and this star wars film is pretty dope

[rising-above-stars]

I love celebrating star wars day editing a star wars film with star wars fans and talking about star wars lego

as someone who has never seen a star wars related piece of media

[legostarwarsgame]

TT Games Delivers: A Bold and Hilarious LEGO Star Wars Experience

Yo, it’s been a hot minute, TT Games! I’m finally checking out a game I thought would never drop. They went all out on this epic reimagining of all nine Star Wars flicks, and if you’re looking to buy Xbox games, this one is definitely worth the wait. TT Games took their sweet time to make sure it was on point—way bigger and bolder than anything they’ve dropped before. The verdict? It’s a sick, beautifully crafted, laugh-out-loud, kinda tricky but maybe a bit too packed journey through some of the best movie moments, all in that classic LEGO vibe we’ve been missing hardcore.

Revamping Iconic Locations: TT Games' Attention to Detail in LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga

Yo, TT Games is totally flexin' with The Skywalker Saga. If you're looking to buy PS5 games, this one's a must-have. This game is a whole vibe with nine films to recreate, and they didn’t just pick the best bits; they nailed every epic moment and iconic line. You can’t even hate on the scale—they went all out, and it’s like, way more epic than what we’ve seen from them before. First thing you'll peep is their new fully explorable worlds. Every planet and moon is brought to life in full 3D—no more of that old-school LEGO view. It’s like you’re chillin’ right behind the character, diving deep into the LEGO Star Wars universe. There’s a ton of space to explore and, if you’re a LEGO game stan, heaps of collectibles to snag on repeat playthroughs. Some spots are a total vibe, like Tatooine with its endless sand. But the Death Star, Starkiller Base, Ach-To, Exogol, and Kef Bir are next-level cool. Ach-To, in particular, is lit with actual villagers and townsfolk, not just Luke Skywalker being a moody milk-drinker. TT Games really brought life to these spots, turning them from bland to grand. They’re all about those details and little moments, making the game a whole lot more dope.

Navigating Onboarding in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

So, no gold bricks this time around—now it’s all about those blue bricks if you want to rack up 10 billion studs. You’ll score these by collecting characters, completing level challenges, finishing up side quests, solving puzzles, and helping out locals on various planets. I wrapped up the main story with just two million studs, so yeah, I’ve got a mountain of blue bricks left to chase. But LEGO games are all about replaying, so I’m not stressing. Do or do not, right? Now, let’s talk about the UI. It’s had a major glow-up from what you’re used to in older LEGO games. I gotta say, it was a bit of a hassle at first. With so much content jam-packed into The Skywalker Saga, finding a single character or ship can get overwhelming. They’ve split everything into categories like Hero, Jedi, Dark Side, Astromech Droid, Protocol Droid, etc. It’s cool that there’s so much to explore, but it can be a bit much when you’re just starting out. There isn’t much of a smooth onboarding process—you kinda have to figure things out as you go. Thankfully, there are some rad help guides and a super sassy ‘help droid’ at every location. He’s pretty over it but can totally help you out if you get stuck.

Epic Time Sink for Platinum in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

There’s this kinda weird moment in The Rise of Skywalker that’s not just about the story or character choices. There’s a part where Rey pilots a Skimmer over to the Death Star wreckage across the water, and it’s kinda odd. Water’s never been a big deal in LEGO games, and here, we’re steering the Skimmer with zero HUD, no water effects, and basically just silence. It’s over in seconds and feels kinda pointless—might’ve been better as a follow-up to the previous cutscene. It’s a small thing, but it really stuck out. The game does have its quirks. Some fans might grumble about how fast it zooms through each film. Since these games are aimed at a wide audience, they’re still pretty easy to blaze through, and you might be shocked at how quickly you can wrap up all nine movies on your first run. But that’s not really a complaint when there’s a massive collectathon waiting for you. Exploring every planet for every brick, stud, and character is gonna eat up a lot of your time, so get ready and buckle up. I’m hyped to dive into this for the next few weeks (or months?) chasing that Platinum trophy. No rush, though.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Kathleen Kennedy and the Last Crusade

Tons of movie trailers dropped over the past few weeks and i haven’t had the time to really get into them like i wanted. Obviously, that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer hit different. Coming of Bumblebee, i was a little sus about the inclusion of the Maximals but that teaser looked pretty solid. I’m an Arcee shill so seeing her, finally, properly, on the big screen was dope. This one might be the third good Transformers adaption (the first Transformers film and Bumblebee are the other two) and I'm all in. The second Super Mario Bros. trailer left me conflicted. Illumination nailed the feel of that world perfectly but i cringe every time Chris Pratt opens his mouth. That man is not Mario and it’s absurd to me that he refused to actually do the voice. Probably because he couldn’t. Because Chris Pratt can only play Chris Pratt. Mans entire range is just Andy Dwyer. I have no idea what to make of that Dungeons and Dragons film, mostly because i am old enough to remember that DnD has never had a good adaption to cinema. Seriously, you’d think such an elaborate, detailed, world where you can create your own characters would be a straight up goldmine for theatrical content but when have these films ever worked? John Wick 4 is everything. These films are what they are but, goddamn, are they entertaining, and not in a “turn your brain off” kind of way. There is real death to that world and it just draws you in. Then there is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Yeah, let’s talk abut Indy 5...

Full transparency, I'm not that big a fan of Indian Jones. I like the last two films (yes, i unironically enjoyed Crystal Skull mostly because of my undying love for Cate Blanchett) but i can take of leave the first two. The Indy franchise is not a massive cultural milestone for me but i respect the work Harrison Ford put into it. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg said to one anther, “What if Han Solo but Doc Savage instead?” and it worked. I get the allure i just don’t care about “adventure” movies as a whole. Never took to the genre but i get why other people would, which makes what’s happening to Indiana Jones such a polarizing situation. I’ve spoken about this before, ad nauseam, because I'm a Star Wars shill and Kathleen Kennedy has absolutely decimated my dear Galaxy Far, Far, Away. What does this have to do with Indy? Kennedy is going even hard on it. She’s using her position as President of Lucasfilm to absolute erase Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. from his ow f*cking franchise. To steal a phrase from Overlord DVD, this sh*t is an egregious act of cultural vandalism and it’s all because Kennedy has a massive ego and an even larger chip on her shoulder. She’s the reason Spielberg left the production, something he’s never done on an Indy film before. Like, the first four of these movies were a Lucas-Spielberg situation but DoD is not. It’s a James Mangold film, which would be dope on it’s own because that guy is a strong storyteller and even better filmmaker, but he’s been handicapped by Kennedy’s political ideals.

Rumors abound about this train wreck of a film’s production. I heard sh*t like Ford basically just did voice work and they’re going to deepfake his face on a younger actor. Someone reported he bailed on the production nearly and refused to come to set after a shoulder injury do to poor stunt prep. he story is said to be a Hodge-podge of ideas rather than a coherent narrative with a “choose your own adventure style” series of endings. There have been six filmed, test audiences have seen three, i think, and they all end with Indiana being erased from his own franchise (literally removed from his own history), replaced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character. She picks up the hat, which is the only thing that didn’t ghost out of existence, and is shown replacing Indy in a highlight real of his most famous scenes. The implication being that Bridge IS Indiana Jones, not Henry Jones, jr. Kathleen Kennedy literally retconned Indiana Jones out of the Indiana Jones franchise. Why the f*ck would she do this? Well, you remember that chip i mentioned earlier? Yeah, that’s why. Kennedy absolutely hates the Lucasfilm that George built. She feels like she deserves more credit for it’s creation that the actual creator and has taken every opportunity to dismantle that man’s legacy. It’s nuts to see. Kennedy has convinced herself that she was some integral creative who contributed to the process, unrecognized for decades, but in reality, she was little more than a assistant tasked with getting coffee. Like, her delusion is that strong, especially when it’s patently oblivious she doesn’t have a creative bone in her body nor does she understand any of these franchise.

I wrote a whole rant about this before but this chick pushed her agenda under the guise of “The force is female.” Bro, it’s ALWAYS been female. Ahsoka. Mara-Jade. F*cking Leia. Women have always played an integral part in the Star Wars narrative. They didn’t Kennedy to “champion” them, especially not in the way she went about it. Rey Palpatine, in retrospect, is Kennedy’s self insert, clashing against everything Lucas built before, ultimately destroying and usurping the title of “Skywalker” for her own. The Sequel Trilogy is Kennedy’s Mein Kampf and she has been full steam ahead ever since Lucas made the poor, poor, decision to trust this dizzy chick with his legacy. She’s sabotaged anything Favloni has tried to do, mandating changes to Kenobi that altered the entire narrative and gave Robert Rodriguez the sire song that absolutely derailed The Book of Boba Fett. Mando released and sh*t on everything Kennedy has created up to that point and she need revenge. This is what we got. Also, a starship pilot named Geode that is a literal rock. Kathleen Kennedy hates that she isn’t held in the same esteem as Lucas and Spielberg. It chaps her ass even more that newcomers like Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, are getting more love that she is. She abhors the feeling that she’s less than these men so, instead of actually creating something that can stand with the content on-hand, she’s decided to burn it all down. Kennedy has been steadily tanking the entire Lucasfilm IP catalog for years but it might be coming to an end. Chapek, and if reports are to believed, Iger, have finally decided to ax this chick but in order to do that, one last sacrifice must be made to have evidence for the shareholders: Indiana Jones 5.

Indy is going to die so that Lucasfilm can live. All of these rumors, all of these distressing reports, everything concerning thing i have ever heard about this ridiculous clusterf*ck of an Indian Jones production, has been verified by this trailer. It’s very Henry Jones jr. centric, which feels like a cover for the fact that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is even in this thing. Seriously, outside of a quick allusion to that chick being his god-daughter in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene, she’s not really in the teaser at all. No, what we get is all the greatest hits of the Indiana Jones franchise: Dope chase, great action, couple of fist fights, and some generic supernatural events that don’t give too much away about the extent of that mystical nonsense. Ford is out here doing his thing and we even have a few nostalgic bait-y cameos of older franchise favorite characters. I will give credit where it’s due, that trailer is dope as f*ck. It really did peak my interest. But that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s supposed to get you excited so you don’t see the subversion, others might call is a bait-and-switch lie, coming. This trailer is so heavy on Indiana Jones because it doesn't want you to know that the film ends with Indy being removed from his own franchise in favor of this new character no one knows about. Its wild because all six of the rumored endings, end this way. All of them. Kathleen Kennedy literally erased one of the most culturally iconic characters, from the second most iconic Lucasfilm franchise, because no one supported her stealing credit for something she had no creative input toward, damn near forty years ago when Lucas dreamed it all up.

[smokeybrand]

Kathleen Kennedy and the Last Crusade

Tons of movie trailers dropped over the past few weeks and i haven’t had the time to really get into them like i wanted. Obviously, that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer hit different. Coming of Bumblebee, i was a little sus about the inclusion of the Maximals but that teaser looked pretty solid. I’m an Arcee shill so seeing her, finally, properly, on the big screen was dope. This one might be the third good Transformers adaption (the first Transformers film and Bumblebee are the other two) and I'm all in. The second Super Mario Bros. trailer left me conflicted. Illumination nailed the feel of that world perfectly but i cringe every time Chris Pratt opens his mouth. That man is not Mario and it’s absurd to me that he refused to actually do the voice. Probably because he couldn’t. Because Chris Pratt can only play Chris Pratt. Mans entire range is just Andy Dwyer. I have no idea what to make of that Dungeons and Dragons film, mostly because i am old enough to remember that DnD has never had a good adaption to cinema. Seriously, you’d think such an elaborate, detailed, world where you can create your own characters would be a straight up goldmine for theatrical content but when have these films ever worked? John Wick 4 is everything. These films are what they are but, goddamn, are they entertaining, and not in a “turn your brain off” kind of way. There is real death to that world and it just draws you in. Then there is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Yeah, let’s talk abut Indy 5...

Full transparency, I'm not that big a fan of Indian Jones. I like the last two films (yes, i unironically enjoyed Crystal Skull mostly because of my undying love for Cate Blanchett) but i can take of leave the first two. The Indy franchise is not a massive cultural milestone for me but i respect the work Harrison Ford put into it. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg said to one anther, “What if Han Solo but Doc Savage instead?” and it worked. I get the allure i just don’t care about “adventure” movies as a whole. Never took to the genre but i get why other people would, which makes what’s happening to Indiana Jones such a polarizing situation. I’ve spoken about this before, ad nauseam, because I'm a Star Wars shill and Kathleen Kennedy has absolutely decimated my dear Galaxy Far, Far, Away. What does this have to do with Indy? Kennedy is going even hard on it. She’s using her position as President of Lucasfilm to absolute erase Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. from his ow f*cking franchise. To steal a phrase from Overlord DVD, this sh*t is an egregious act of cultural vandalism and it’s all because Kennedy has a massive ego and an even larger chip on her shoulder. She’s the reason Spielberg left the production, something he’s never done on an Indy film before. Like, the first four of these movies were a Lucas-Spielberg situation but DoD is not. It’s a James Mangold film, which would be dope on it’s own because that guy is a strong storyteller and even better filmmaker, but he’s been handicapped by Kennedy’s political ideals.

Rumors abound about this train wreck of a film’s production. I heard sh*t like Ford basically just did voice work and they’re going to deepfake his face on a younger actor. Someone reported he bailed on the production nearly and refused to come to set after a shoulder injury do to poor stunt prep. he story is said to be a Hodge-podge of ideas rather than a coherent narrative with a “choose your own adventure style” series of endings. There have been six filmed, test audiences have seen three, i think, and they all end with Indiana being erased from his own franchise (literally removed from his own history), replaced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character. She picks up the hat, which is the only thing that didn’t ghost out of existence, and is shown replacing Indy in a highlight real of his most famous scenes. The implication being that Bridge IS Indiana Jones, not Henry Jones, jr. Kathleen Kennedy literally retconned Indiana Jones out of the Indiana Jones franchise. Why the f*ck would she do this? Well, you remember that chip i mentioned earlier? Yeah, that’s why. Kennedy absolutely hates the Lucasfilm that George built. She feels like she deserves more credit for it’s creation that the actual creator and has taken every opportunity to dismantle that man’s legacy. It’s nuts to see. Kennedy has convinced herself that she was some integral creative who contributed to the process, unrecognized for decades, but in reality, she was little more than a assistant tasked with getting coffee. Like, her delusion is that strong, especially when it’s patently oblivious she doesn’t have a creative bone in her body nor does she understand any of these franchise.

I wrote a whole rant about this before but this chick pushed her agenda under the guise of “The force is female.” Bro, it’s ALWAYS been female. Ahsoka. Mara-Jade. F*cking Leia. Women have always played an integral part in the Star Wars narrative. They didn’t Kennedy to “champion” them, especially not in the way she went about it. Rey Palpatine, in retrospect, is Kennedy’s self insert, clashing against everything Lucas built before, ultimately destroying and usurping the title of “Skywalker” for her own. The Sequel Trilogy is Kennedy’s Mein Kampf and she has been full steam ahead ever since Lucas made the poor, poor, decision to trust this dizzy chick with his legacy. She’s sabotaged anything Favloni has tried to do, mandating changes to Kenobi that altered the entire narrative and gave Robert Rodriguez the sire song that absolutely derailed The Book of Boba Fett. Mando released and sh*t on everything Kennedy has created up to that point and she need revenge. This is what we got. Also, a starship pilot named Geode that is a literal rock. Kathleen Kennedy hates that she isn’t held in the same esteem as Lucas and Spielberg. It chaps her ass even more that newcomers like Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, are getting more love that she is. She abhors the feeling that she’s less than these men so, instead of actually creating something that can stand with the content on-hand, she’s decided to burn it all down. Kennedy has been steadily tanking the entire Lucasfilm IP catalog for years but it might be coming to an end. Chapek, and if reports are to believed, Iger, have finally decided to ax this chick but in order to do that, one last sacrifice must be made to have evidence for the shareholders: Indiana Jones 5.

Indy is going to die so that Lucasfilm can live. All of these rumors, all of these distressing reports, everything concerning thing i have ever heard about this ridiculous clusterf*ck of an Indian Jones production, has been verified by this trailer. It’s very Henry Jones jr. centric, which feels like a cover for the fact that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is even in this thing. Seriously, outside of a quick allusion to that chick being his god-daughter in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene, she’s not really in the teaser at all. No, what we get is all the greatest hits of the Indiana Jones franchise: Dope chase, great action, couple of fist fights, and some generic supernatural events that don’t give too much away about the extent of that mystical nonsense. Ford is out here doing his thing and we even have a few nostalgic bait-y cameos of older franchise favorite characters. I will give credit where it’s due, that trailer is dope as f*ck. It really did peak my interest. But that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s supposed to get you excited so you don’t see the subversion, others might call is a bait-and-switch lie, coming. This trailer is so heavy on Indiana Jones because it doesn't want you to know that the film ends with Indy being removed from his own franchise in favor of this new character no one knows about. Its wild because all six of the rumored endings, end this way. All of them. Kathleen Kennedy literally erased one of the most culturally iconic characters, from the second most iconic Lucasfilm franchise, because no one supported her stealing credit for something she had no creative input toward, damn near forty years ago when Lucas dreamed it all up.

[grigori77]

Celebrating International Women’s Day this year, I thought I’d just give a shout-out to some more of the awesome ladies who I can’t stop thinking about.  Both fictional and real, new and longterm, these woman live rent free in my head and I think they’re just fantastic.

BOBBIE DRAPER, the tough-as-hell Mars Navy marine corps gunnery sergeant who DOMINATES my favourite literary sci-fi series, The Expanse, from author duo James S.A. Corey.  Essentially EMBODIES badassery for me. Wonderfully played by the phenomenal Frankie Adams in the TV series adaptation.

CHRISTINA HODSON, rising star screenwriter.  After breaking onto the scene with her game-changing script for Bumblebee (the film that FINALLY brought the live-action Transformers movies some genuine quality), she’s now helping craft some of the best new stuff for the DCEU (Birds of Prey & the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, The Flash, Batgirl), and she’s still just GETTING STARTED ...

CAITLYN KIRAMMAN & VI, from Netflix’ Arcane.  (Voiced by Katie Leung and Hailee Steinfeld)  This show is just BURSTING with phenomenally well-written characters, but the two characters I am BY FAR the most invested in are these two.  Along with ...

JINX, also from Netflix’ Arcane.  (Voice by Ella Purnell)  Vi’s sister, and one of the most spectacularly chaotic characters I’ve ever come across.

LUPITA NYONG’O, one of the most exciting and incredible “new” actors I’ve come across in quite some time, I’ve been watching her developing career with great interest these past ten years.  Thee days best known for Jordan Peele’s Us and the MCU’s Black Panther, but she’s also amazing in 12 Years A Slave (which won her a best supporting actress Oscar), Star Wars, Little Monsters and, currently, The 355.

JESSICA CHASTAIN, Lupita’s co-star in The 355, but she’s also already been on my radar for a while thanks to the likes of It Chapter 2, Zero Dark Thirty, Ava, Miss Sloane, Molly’s Game, The Martian and Take Shelter.

FERRO MALJINN, one of the rich ensemble of main protagonists from The First Law trilogy by one of my very favourite authors of all time, Joe Abercrombie.  A spiky, moody, foul-mouthed and thoroughly vicious little fighter who remains unrepentantly immune to character development throughout the entire trilogy, and I love her for it.

NADJA OF ANTIPAXOS, from the FX’s What We Do In the Shadows.  (Played by Natasia Demetriou)  One of the lead quartet of vampires in the show, and the only person in the show capable of stealing scenes from Matt Berry’s irrepressible Laszlo ...

ZOE KRAVITZ, one of my favourite actors out there right now.  Currently setting the world alight as THE BEST SELINA KYLE/CATWOMAN EVER, but I’ve been a fan since she was in X-Men: First Class, and she’s also great in High Fidelity, the Divergent series, Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dope and, most recently, Kimi.

HARLEY QUINN, one of my very favourite ever agents of chaos.  At her very best brought to life by Margot Robbie in the DCEU, particularly in Birds of Prey and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.  Irreverent, irrepressible, irresponsible and irresistable ...

LADY SHIVA, the deadliest woman in the world according to the DC Universe, and one of the only people that Batman genuinely fears.  Sadly, she has yet to be truly realised in live action, but if she ever is I think it’s a crime if she’s not played by Michelle Yeoh ...

GRACE, from Terminator: Dark Fate.  (Played by Mackenzie Davies)  A cybernatically-enhance supersoldier sent back from the future to protect the latest target of a dark machine-driven future, fully capable of wiping out a Terminator in hand-to-hand combat and the only person I’ve ever seen stand up to Sarah Connor ...

SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO, an incredible actress you’ve probably since in a whole bunch of pretty heavyweight stuff, although for a while now she’s been the living embodiment of take-no-shit boss lady maximum intimidation as Krisjen Avasarala, the deliciously foul-mouthed UN secretary general in the TV adaptation of The Expanse.

CLEO CAZO/RATCATCHER 2, from The Suicide Squad.  (Played by Daniela Melchior)  My biggest takeaway from the movie was this adorable reluctant “hero” with the ability to control rats, who burrowed effortlessly into my heart last summer ...

GRANNY WEATHERWAX, one of the best and most enduring creators of the late master of fantasy literature, Terry Pratchett.  One of the indomitable Lancre Witches, the level-headed people-shepherds who ply their dilligent trade in Pratchett’s legendary Discworld, she’s one of the most stoic and immovably forthright characters in literature.  Whenever I find myself baffled by a moral quandary, I’ll simply asks myself:  “What would Granny Weatherwax do?”

LEIA ORGANA/SKYWALKER, the undeniable QUEEN of the Star Wars Universe, brought to splendid, empowering and truly immortal life by the indomitable Carrie Fisher.  Forget all those other Disney princesses, this is the only one I’ve ever needed ...

[apriki]

Every Argument About Star Wars Since 2015

We Need to Talk About Kylo

Kylo Ren never did a thing wrong in his life

Kylo Ren is a poster boy for the alt-right

Kylo’s narrative is about abuse

Kylo’s narrative is about how society offers constant concessions for straight white men

Kylo Ren is going to be redeemed

I will murder my own cat if Kylo Ren gets redeemed

His name is Ben Solo and you will use it

Why are you calling him Ben Solo like it's a pet name

Adam Driver is beautiful

Adam Driver is like one of the gargoyles from the Hunchback of Notre Dame 

Han and Leia were bad parents

Han and Leia were amazing parents. Did you ever consider that Ben Solo had bad vibes? Or was simply unpleasant to be around?

Kylo overreacted to his uncle trying to murder him

Kylo’s choices were his own and he joined the space fascists so fuck you

I hate the mask

Kylo Ren is Aldi brand Darth Vader 

Kylo Ren was made for fanboys

Kylo Ren was made for fangirls

The crossguard lightsaber is stupid

Kylo Ren is the villain and you can’t like the villain 

Have you watched Star Wars?

Kylo killed Han Solo so he can’t be redeemed

Well Vader killed Obi Wan and he was redeemed

Yeah but I was emotionally attached to Han Solo so fuck you

Adam Driver is 6′3′

Ship Wars

Poe and Finn belong together

Finn and Rose belong together

Finn and the new girl belong together

Finn and Rey belong together

Rey is a lesbian

Poe is gay

Rose hitting Finn over the head was abuse 

Kylo and Hux are in love 

Keri Russell’s character was shoehorned in to stop Poe and Finn’s love story 

Trio, Trio, Trio

Rey/Finn/Kylo is the true sequel trio

Rey/Finn/Poe is the true sequel trio

Poe was meant to be killed off 

Kylo/Hux/Phasma is the true sequel trio

Just... Reylo

Reylo is abusive

Reylo can’t be abusive because they’re not in an established relationship

Kylo violated Rey’s mind in the interrogation scene

Rey violated Kylo’s mind right back

Lucasfilm isn’t brave enough to do Reylo

Lucasfilm isn’t stupid enough to do Reylo

Reylo are brother and sister

Reylo are cousins

Reylo is twilight fanfiction

Reylo is phantom of the opera fanfiction

Rian Johnson has a Reylo Agenda

Women who like Reylo are endorsing violent toxic relationships

Women who like Reylo were right all along

Reylo is the best Star Wars love story

I’ll end a friendship over Reylo

DNRey

Rey is a Skywalker

Rey is a Solo

Rey is a Kenobi

Rey is nobody

Rey is a Knight of Ren

Sheev Palps fucks

Rey’s father is Darth Maul

Rey’s father is Jar Jar Binks 

Rey’s mother is Keri Russell

Rey’s mother is the lady from Rogue One

Rey’s mother is Daenerys Targaryen from Solo

Any brunette white woman in Star Wars is Rey’s mother

There are only brunette white women in Star Wars

Rey is a miracle messiah baby like Anakin

Don’t be stupid, girls can’t have magic powers out of nowhere

But think of the Children!

Rey is positive representation for young girls

Why does she just have to be representation for girls

Reylo is bad representation for young girls

Everything in Star Wars has to have a moral core because it is made for children

Rey is a Mary Sue

If Luke can magically destroy the death star in a one in a million shot with little to no training, Rey can use a fucking lightsaber

The Jar Jar Saga

Don’t talk about the fucking prequels

Anakin murdered a bunch of kids but he’s still better than Kylo Ren 

Anakin force choked his wife you ghoul

The Franchise Awakens

The Force Awakens was good fun

The Force Awakens was nostalgia pandering bullshit

The Last Brain Cell

The Last Jedi is the greatest blockbuster in the last twenty years

The Last Jedi was SJW pandering bullshit

The Canto Bight storyline was an important anticapitalist plot that showed how no one can be neutral in war

The Canto Bight storyline was a waste of time 

Space Monaco pretty

You can’t have an anticapitalist storyline in a Disney film

The kid with the broom is the future of Star Wars

I don’t get the purpose of the kid with the broom

Is the kid with the broom a Skywalker now?

ForceSkype is stupid

ForceSkype is abusive. Kylo didn’t ask if he could force connect to Rey’s mind

Poe was right

Admiral Holdo was right

Leia can’t fucking fly in space

You can’t say that Leia cannot theoretically fly in space

Old Man Luke is Not My Luke

Old Man Luke is a logical progression of Original Luke and you’re just angry about it because you’re getting old too

Rose is the best new addition to Star Wars

Rose is the worst new addition to Star Wars 

Why did they change Rey’s space buns?

Are you seriously complaining about Rey’s space buns

I hate the porgs

The Rise of Skywalker

D̸͓͕͔̠̿̈̿̕͝Ö̵̟̰͖́Ṉ̴̾'̷̣͙̇̍̍̚T̸̬͑̓ ̸͙̤̳͕̆̄̎͘T̴̨̖̥̚͝͝ͅA̵̛̲̩͘ͅL̵̨̲̫̲̚K̷̛͚͔̐̌̕ ̸̣͚̈́̐T̸̫̠͕̞̝͗̓̿͝O̸͈̱̮̦̹̍͘ ̵͉̣̤͆͛́Ḿ̶̢̡̡͓͈̅̅́̉Ë̶͎͇̱̌̓̑̆ ̷̹̙̾Ă̶̠B̷��̡̫̩̋Ȍ̴̦̦̪͈̓̋Ȕ̶̬̤͎̹̎̅T̸̢͖͉̬̬͗̄̑̈́͝ ̸̨͓̜̝͒ͅR̵̡̯̖̲͍̾͗͛͆Į̴͇̺͍̰̓Ş̶̢͓̦̂̉̎É̴̪͙͉̩͒̈̄͐ͅ ̷͈̹͐̏͊̕͘O̷̡͕̜͕̒̚͠ͅF̸̡͇̣͇̖̔̿͗ ̴͚͚͓̗̍ͅŠ̶͍͚̬͈̾̚̕͝Ḳ̴̐͛Y̵̛̠͉̼̻̿͂̈́̈W̴͕̄͘A̴͈̹͉̞͉͐L̶̲̓̒́̅͝K̷͈̒Ḙ̸̛̪̎̓̀̊R̶̯̆̍̈́

Droids?

Why did C-3PO have a red arm

I can’t believe they shelved R2D2 for BB-8 so they could sell toys

Do droids have rights?

Droids are sentient and represent a slave class in the Star Wars universe

Droids have free will and are choosing to help humans

How does everyone understand droid beeps?

How Does Everyone Speak Wookie?

Is Wookie the lingua franca of the galaxy

Like Boats Beating Back Into the Past

Force Awakens was too nostalgic

The Last Jedi wasn’t nostalgic at all and it ruined what I loved about Star Wars when I was a bébé

The Rise of Skywalker was too nostalgic

Star Wars shouldn’t be nostalgic

Star Wars needs to be nostalgic but not too much but just enough

The sequels are about the original trio

The sequels shouldn’t be about the original trio

Cassian Andor should Call Me

Rogue One was amazing

Rogue One was terrible

Rogue One is the only good Star Wars movie

That Vader scene was dope

Yeah, the Vader scene was pretty dope

Why is there only one woman in Rogue One

Why do Star Wars movies always look radically different from their trailers?

Is That Ansel Elgort?

Fuck Solo

Darth Maul, though

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian will save Star Wars

i hate Disney+

But... Baby Yoda... Capitalism won again

I don’t think it’s always Pedro Pascal under the mask

I’ve devised a system of body language interpretation to figure out when it is Pedro Pascal under the mask

Baby Yoda is a balm for my soul

If the Mandalorian is a Western, Baby Yoda is a native child that has been stolen

Don’t call it Baby Yoda. We do not know its species and Yoda died decades ago

Baby Yoda

Everyone Ruined Star Wars

Rian Johnson ruined Star Wars

JJ Abrams ruined Star Wars

Chris Terrio ruined Star Wars

Kathleen Kennedy ruined Star Wars

The Disney machine ruined Star Wars

George Lucas ruined Star Wars

Star Wars ruined the internet

Star Wars ruined pop culture

Maybe Star Wars was always bad?

[mediawhorefics]

Which cinematic universe would you like to live in?

that's a really really good question. probably somewhere like middle earth? i mean, hanging out in the shire sounds pretty dope. or maybe in you've got mail where it's almost always autumn and i have a bookstore and young rich tom hanks is in love with me. no, wait!! something like indiana jones/the mummy, where i can wear cool 1920s/1930s outfit and go on quests and solve fun puzzle with good hearted himbos and maybe have sexual tension with a hot female villain (ideally not a nazi that'd ruin the fantasy). or maybe in a universe like amelie where things just seem a little quieter and quirkier than normal and everything is colour-coordinated in very satisfying ways....

NO WAIT. WAIT. oh my god, i'm literally the dumbest bitch alive..... it's star wars????? why did i even type all that other nonsense ??? it is 100% star wars. i want to be in star wars so bad. gimme a rundown ship that's seen better days but i love it to death because it's home, a laser sword, psychic powers, and a hot pilot (I'm not fussed about their gender) STAT.

film asks

[popwasabi]

Why I don’t give a fuck about canon

Recently, after randomly coming across some dope pictures of Transformer toys on Instagram that gave me a strong case of nostalgia, I was inspired to revisit an old childhood favorite in “Beast Wars.”

“Beast Wars,” in case you never watched or heard of it as a kid, is the continuation of the Transformer’s story set in the future as descendants of the Auotobots and Decepticons, the Maximals and Predacons, respectively, accidentally travel to prehistoric Earth to continue a centuries long battle between the two opposing factions.

There’s a lot of to digest there, so I’m not going to go into extreme detail over the plot, but the cast features colorful characters such as Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rattrap, Dinobot and Megatron to name a few. They all have interesting and distinct personalities and generally play well off each other. It was a big part of my childhood and I collected an ungodly amount of their toys back in the day.

(This was my first ever Beast Wars toy and I think it’s beautiful.)

My rewatch though was…a mixed bag to say the least. The graphics have not aged well. The adventure of the week setup of the plot was repetitive and lacked real character development at times. There were characters that were added in last minute to the show clearly to promote a new action figure over the story on numerous occasions. Though I found the humor to still be pretty good, the action was stale and just lacked high stakes most of the time, save for a few episodes.

I was not shocked it didn’t land terribly well on my rewatch but you know what did? “Beast Machines!”

“Beast Machines” was the follow-up to Beast Wars that had the Maximals fighting on Cybertron where Megatron has taken control of the whole planet using a virus that changes Transformers into mindless drones to do his bidding. The remaining Maximals manage to survive however after Optimus discovers The Oracle which reformats them into animal robot hybrids that are both mechanical and biological. This sets them on a quest to stop Megatron and bring biological and mechanical balance to Cybertron once and for all.

The series is much more narrative based than the previous as it follows a steady trajectory to its epic conclusion. The animation is much sharper, and the soundtrack is fun as hell to listen to still. The pacing is much faster as the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Maximals and all the old characters from the previous grow in interesting ways and develop into more organic people (literally in some ways). Optimus is a more hardcore and emotionally damaged leader and Megatron goes from being something of a punchline in the previous series to a far more menacing and calculating nemesis. The story touches on themes of balance, authoritarianism, PTSD, love and reunion to name a few and for a kids’ show it is, dare I say…more than meets the eye.

I absolutely loved it as a kid and I might actually love it even more as an adult, so it was shocking for me, to say the least, when I read further into the history of the show, that a lot of fans straight up rejected it back in the day.

Common complaints I came across were they didn’t like how characters, such as Ratrap especially, “changed.” They didn’t like the new bio/mechanical Maximals and couldn’t believe that Cybertron was once an organic world.

Their big reason (in just about every forum and video I saw about it)? It didn’t adhere to “canon.”

Now, I’ll start this by saying there is no objective way to critique or even not critique a story. People can like or hate something for a variety of reasons that don’t follow a strict logical pattern. Gods know I have a few questionable/divisive favorites in my catalogue that I have written about here that are based on abstract ideas and personal experiences.

(The Matrix Reloaded is still great btw)

But I will say, if you judge a mega franchise’s latest entry on how well it is supported by established canon it is, in my opinion, a flawed way to critique a work of fiction.

Canon, sometimes referred to as “lore” by fans, is most often applied and used to describe the long running back stories of franchises that stretch beyond just the main books, movies or series, or even the original narrative of the plot. Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and to a certain extent Harry Potter, all fall into this camp of series with so many interconnected parts, with more than one main character featured in each, that fans follow along this canon like ancient monks studying scripture and history books.

And they can be just as fanatical and over zealous about it.

(I wish they were more fanatical about proper hygiene or at least deodorant...)

My problem with the ways fans often view canon is that their conceptions of what a new story should be is based entirely on the past rather than what is happening right now with the story and what themes the writer is trying express with it this time. 

They base their impressions of the story on external continuity more than the internal continuity.

Yea, the changes in a series like “Beast Machines” are jarring to say the least. Cybertron was formally an organic world like Earth? Rattrap doesn’t have confidence in himself and actually at one point sells out his comrades? Transformers can be biological now? It’s a lot to take in but when watching the story play out it’s not like these elements aren’t explained through the text of the new story.

Cybertron lost balance between its robot inhabitants and its biological life forms and its why it’s out of balance now, and Megatron is the logical progression of that inbalance. Rattrap is struggling to understand his new form, half his friends on the Maximals have been turned into drones, and the remaining team out loud say they don’t have confidence in him. He has PTSD from both the events of this story and the Beast Wars and feels insecure because of how others view him and that’s perfectly logical to not just the story but also the canon. If a fan is willing to give a story a chance they will see that the canon hasn’t actually been destroyed in much of any way and the logical progression is actually there if they simply listen to what’s going on.

(Seriously, it’s not that deep.)

Fans need to stop confusing a character achieving a franchise long arc with being “suddenly different.” In this way, criticisms of canon in new entries in long running series reveal that fans really just lack imagination to connect the dots. It would be like complaining that Luke Skywalker can’t become paranoid and make a grave mistake in judgment because people never change, nevermind the character already has changed a lot from his origins in “A New Hope” to where he was in “Return of the Jedi.”

(Oh wait, people did do that…)

But that’s not to say you have to like the new direction either. You can understand these changes and still be like “well, it’s not for me. I don’t care for a PSTD angle or a new origin for Cybertron,” but that’s whole lot different than saying the new series “rapes your childhood” or “Bastardizes the canon.” All the old canon you hold nostalgia for still exists. My love for “Beast Machines” is not harmed by the existence of newer Transformers properties that don’t meet what I look for in the series.

Too often, fans take changes to established “lore” very personally because it doesn’t fit their expectations or have the same nostalgic feelings they had before. When new entries in mega franchises occur fans often try to judge it by how much it is like what they watched before, rather what makes it different and what it is saying now. Again, you don’t have to like new directions in tone or character but consistency to established work DOES NOT equal good storytelling.

I have not been immune to this myself in the past, of course. Back in the day I wrote a 2500-plus word diatribe on “The Amazing Spider-man 2” that mostly went after how it changed the character I grew up with in a bad way and butchered the established back story I knew him by.

You know what other story doesn’t follow canon very well though? “Spider-man: Homecoming.”

(Now, hear me out...)

Spider-man in the MCU is generally agreed upon to be a good thing by fans. Both movies were big hits both critically and financially and fans often go as far as to say Tom Holland is the “definitive” Peter Parker. 

But Holland’s Spider-man differs quite a bit from the comic-book webslinger. This Spider-man does not have a spidey sense. His best friend is not Harry Osbourne but in fact a retcon of a Mile Morales character. His father figure is Tony Stark, something that never happened in the comics, instead of Uncle Ben, which no matter what way you spin it is arguably his most important relationship in the series.

His character is a reverse of traditional Peter Parker too. Where comics Peter is a reluctant hero, who if anything hates being Spider-man and the burden of his responsibility, “Homecoming” Spider-man actively seeks out responsibility and in many ways enjoys his role as the famous webslinger. In fact, his whole arc is about him earning a spot as an Avenger. He wants to be THE hero and be worthy of it. It’s completely different from what we know of Spider-man.

(He just wants Tony sempai to notice him uWu)

Now I know some fans actually do complain about this Spidey from a “canon” standpoint, but most don’t. So why did this Spider-man get a pass for many but not “The Amazing” one? Quite simply it’s because stories, as cheesy as it sounds, are about feelings and stories like “Homecoming” tell a good story that effectively make those feelings connect with the audience.

We root for this Peter Parker and his journey to becoming an Avenger and successor to Iron Man because the story is told well, the emotions feel earned, and frankly both films are fun and enjoyable.

It’s easy to complain about canon for many nerds because it’s something tangible that they can point to and make a big stink about when they don’t understand why a movie isn’t reaching them. I don’t doubt that many neckbeards genuinely hate a film like “The Last Jedi” (Hell, I’m not a big fan myself) but when those same nerds enjoy something like “The Mandalorian,” a series that has its own loose relationship with canon and establishing new rules in the series, it tells me it’s not about the “lore” to them.

(Easy, fanboys...)

I have come to understand, in my growth as a nerd, that my problems with a lot of movies and TV shows in my favorite series rarely, if ever, have anything to do with the story not meeting some arbitrary guidelines regarding canon. It has more to with the story simply not connecting with me emotionally. The story isn’t drawing me in and keeping me on its narrative path. I’m not feeling the same magic that someone else might feel enjoying it because either a) it doesn’t feel earned to me or b) it just stylistically isn’t for me.

To paraphrase a line from another mega franchise, also owned by Disney, the canon is more like guidelines than actual rules.

(Didn’t expect to see ol’ Barbosa in this write up, did ye?)

It can show you where a story comes from but it isn’t law that you strictly adhere to it. Of course, when writing a new work in a popular series you should consider what came before it but I would like writer’s the freedom to try something new and most importantly fans to be open to it. You don’t have to like it but the idea that new entries in a story MUST remain strict to the canon is bull shit. Not even the original Star Wars trilogy adhered to its own canon perfectly, as clearly the writers were in fact making it up to a certain extent as they were going along.

(hmmmm...)

And that’s ok, because some of those changes were great! Made the story better and made the conclusion stronger.

Again, you don’t have to like every new entry that tries something bold or confrontational in your favorite franchise but if writers strictly followed canon to the T we wouldn’t have things like “Homecoming,” we wouldn’t have “The Mandalorian,” and we certainly wouldn’t have my favorite Transformers series “Beast Machines.”

Canon shouldn’t be a trap for writers and it shouldn’t be a litmus test for fans digesting it. There are so many better ways to judge a story than whether or not it fits neatly into established lore. A good story is a good story, regardless of whether or not it’s supported by something as static as canon.

“Beast Machines” has its flaws here and there, but canon isn’t one of them, at least not for me. Again, if you feel that the lore is important, that’s fine, you don’t have to ignore it but I would ask you to look beyond what came before when critiquing a new story.

Otherwise, you might miss something special that comes next…

Now then... 

[animeandfilmotaku]

Akira Kurosawa film recommendations if you play Ghost of Tsushima (or for people who watch the playthroughs like me)

O.K you are here because you stumbled on the name of Kurosawa Mode, which you can play like a 50’s Samurai film with Japanese dub and cool visuals and you are wondering Who The F is he?

So in short, Akira Kurosawa is one of the influential Japanese Cinema directors (known as the Golden Age which was between the end of 40’s-60’s). known for his chiaroscuro cinematography and its awesome action sequences which changed the face of Samurai Cinema (チャンバラ/Chanbara) which itself is a subgenere of Jidaigeki (Which is Japanese period films), so yes he is awesome. However I think you can get lost at this which is why I made the primer, based on what is shown in Ghost of Tsushima and my options.

FYI: if you lived in America or Canada, criterion channel has a Paid service akin to Netflix/Hulu of most Akira Kurosawa films and their translations are not bad,.

Personally if you cannot get your hands on the streaming, like me- Criterion DvDs are great and have fantastic commentaries (and sub translations) by the late Donald Ritche (An influential Japanese film scholar) to his films

The Hidden Fortress

If you love Star Wars watch this shit, and they did it in a everyday man perspective. And plus Toshiro Mifune as the Han Solo dude is not a bad idea

How is it related to Tsushima: So they do focus on the minor characters which you encounter with Jin,  like Kenji for comic relief or Yuna. Plus it has a pretty great female character which is Princess Yuki (There is another one later in Rashomon)

Yojimbo/ Sanjuro (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Sanjuro is cited by the game developers, as one of the influences, mostly the end scene of the strikes, I mean yes the blood spurt is delicious… but for real, I prefer Yojimbo as it is a fun character piece and personally one of my favourites from Kurosawa’s filmography -Yojimbo is  basically the definition of chaotic good and Toshiro Mifune’s expressions are such a mod which he complained that he is so done with people’s shit, one of my favourite translations is from the Criterion collection which he screamed that I will turn them into sushi, that was comedy gold.

Yes it influenced Lorne’s spaghetti western films (which unfortunately I do not watch its interoperation) for the cool dude walking in and the title music of Yojimbo is dope.

How is it rated to Tsushima: Ok the wandering samurai trope is used in his films which he solved the problems and pretty much related to Mifune’s character in general though it has a happier ending.

Seven Samurai

Basic bitch introduction to Kurosawa if you do film school and you will get to see how to do good character interactions, and Toshiro Mifune’s character is delightfully charismatic. And I think the moral ambiguity seeps in Tsushima mostly the oldest male character and the peasants. The ending itself is heartbreaking.

High and Low

An underrated Kurosawa, we know him for his Jidaigeki films, but he actually did noir and modern films, a thriller about a chauffeur’s son kidnapping, great visual storytelling and I particularly love the ambiguity of the last scene story wise. The tension is something we need to learn in writing. Plus it echoed a little bit of Parasite..

If I could link it to Tsushima: it is mostly a class divide and Mifune’s character struggling through the ambiguity echoed to Jin’s character development.

Dreams (Yume)

They have martin Scorsese as Van Gogh, sure.. Very hard to chew on-meaning wise but I love the aesthetics of mostly the Kitsune wedding and the Van Gogh sequence, Gosh so good.

Fun Fact: Kurosawa initially wanted to be a painter, but decided film-making was a way to go. I love his use of bright and impressionist style

Ran (Not bad but do not recommend for me personally )

Beautifully shot, the scale is almost David Lean porn style, but story’s pacing is eh.

Oh bonus, if you read King Lear- you know this shit, though he changed the daughters to sons but it would have been cool to having scheming females yo.

Tsushima-wise: if you want coloured period films, you got this- you can do essays of it (Please someone make one for me)

Thorne of Blood

If there is something Kurosawa is being awesome is making Shakespeare pretty dope, which he borrowed from Macbeth which Toshiro Mifune (Yes the films I loved are with him, for good reason perhaps…), if you think that scene when Jin is shot by arrows shot perfectly, this is great stuff (BTW Toshiro Mifune did the stunts by himself so he is indeed a BAMF) I think the opening scene of Tsushima gave me that vibe when I watched Jin being shot by the arrows. I think they pulled it from this film

Rashomon: 

Yes that film has a name in the dictionary, called the Rashomon effect, and it is just wild to see them use the unreliable narrator trope. It was a gorgeously shot film, and the editing was way on point. Watch the Woodcutter’s entrance, it is that great. and Toshiro Mifune being hot in a bandit’s role which he is pretty hot LMAO.

We did have an unreliable narrator on Jin’s childhood flashback, and the moral changes in society can been seen in Tsushima. And plus Norio’s quest kinda fits the monk character in Rashomon

Films I have yet to watch but  I should because it was recommended by many ahahahah

-Ikiru (Have to yet watch)

-Stray Dog (Have to yet watch)-Hot Toshiro Mifune looks floating on tumblr, I need to see.

-Drunken Angel: Again Toshiro Mifune being hot again…I need to watch it though

-Kagemusha (Heard it is amazing)

-The Bad Sleep Well (We have a Hamlet version)

-Dersu Uzala (His first foreign film, unfortunately hard to find)

-Red Beard (The last collar with Mifune and Kurosawa, sad but again yet to watch)

[aion-rsa]

Why Tom Holland Was Terrified of Playing a Bank Robber in Cherry

https://ift.tt/3aIcnLv

All of a sudden Tom Holland is everywhere. He’s got two movies out right now–the sci-fi thriller Chaos Walking and the drug/crime drama Cherry–and the latter is making its premiere on Apple TV+ this weekend after a limited run in theaters. He also recently wrapped production on the long-developing adaptation of the Uncharted video game franchise, and he’s currently working with director Jon Watts again on their third standalone Spider-Man adventure together, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In Cherry, based on the best-selling semi-autobiographical novel by Nico Walker, Holland stars as the title character, a young Cleveland man who joins the Army after his girlfriend (Ciara Bravo) announces she is going away to college. He returns home from Iraq with PTSD, develops an opioid addiction, and eventually turns to bank robbery to support his habit.

The often harrowing film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, making it the first motion picture directed by the Cleveland-born brothers since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Cherry marks Holland’s fourth collaboration with the Russos, following Endgame, Captain America: Civil War (2016), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018), but his first time working with them without a superhero costume.

Cherry is also one of two recent movies, the other being last year’s grim The Devil All The Time, in which the British actor steps away from his generally sunny, innocent demeanor to take on a darker, more tormented character. We touched on that, working with the Russos, researching the world of addiction, and more–including little nuggets on No Way Home and Uncharted–when we hopped on Zoom recently with the young Mr. Holland.

Den of Geek: What did you respond to in the character of Cherry, as well as the script? What was your emotional and visceral response to his story?

Tom Holland: I think my initial response was that I was terrified of the idea of playing this character. It’s the type of role I’ve definitely never done before, and I was a little sort of apprehensive and questioned whether I could do it. Knowing that the Russo brothers were going to be there to support me through the job is what kind of tipped me over the edge into saying yes. But my initial response was, “I don’t think I’m the right person for this job because I don’t know if I can do that.”

You probably had a level of trust established with the Russos from working on the three Marvel pictures you did together. Did that make you feel comfortable right away?

Yeah. Absolutely. Still, I had that element of awe when it came to the Russos because they were the directors of the Avengers films, and I was still very much the new kid on the block when I was making those films. It was really nice for me to get to know them both on a more personal level and, obviously, that level of trust grew as the film progressed. It grew and it grew and it grew, and it’s now to the point where Joe and Anthony could ring me up, and I would be on set for them in a heartbeat. The trust between the three of us definitely grew.

How is their style of directing different on this? Was there more of a personal rapport because of the fact that they’re not dealing with the same kind of visual effects as in the Marvel movies or servicing 50 different characters?

I felt a little spoiled to be honest, because I was getting their utmost attention. But I mean, their direction style didn’t change in the way that they spoke to people, in the way that they addressed people, in the way that they treated people on set. But the style in which they would use the camera or the way they would get you to portray or work in a certain scene is very different because, obviously, it’s a very different type of film.

But from a logistical standpoint of how they made the film, they were basically the same two guys, just having fun. It’s nice to see two people who are so in love with cinema just having a good old play and figuring it out as they go along.

Was it interesting and maybe refreshing for you to do a film where you’re not in the Spider-Man suit for so much of the movie, and you’re not acting against a green screen?

Absolutely. Working on green screen and blue screens and wearing a spandex Spider-Man suit is amazing, and it’s awesome and I love it, but there’s something freeing about everything on set is what is in the shot, what is in the story. I don’t have to imagine anything, because everything is a tangible asset and is right there in front of me. It’s a different process, and I love both equally. But it was nice to kind of have a change of pace and dive into something a little bit smaller.

How was it working with Ciara on her first feature film? Was it easy to establish the rapport with her?

We were so lucky with Ciara. I remember when I watched her audition tape, when the boys had cast her, and they sent it to me just to say, “By the way, this is the girl who’s going to play Emily,” for the first time in my career, I was so intimidated. She just has this gravitas that she brought to the character in her take that was so amazing.

I was really excited to work with her and I was really happy when I found out that her and I were very similar and had a lot in common. We became very, very good friends, which was so valuable for us, because this film was such a difficult film to make, physically and emotionally. The fact that we got along so well meant that we could help each other through the process. She was like my emotional support person, and I was hers, and it was great. We were a little team.

Do you take a role like this, or something like The Devil All the Time, knowing that these are going to not just challenge you as an actor, but show a whole different side of you to an audience that maybe only knows you as Spider-Man?

I love playing Spider-Man, and I think it comes with its own set of challenges. I think sometimes people overlook that superhero films do require performance, a character arc, building up a backstory, an objective of where you want to go. It’s just these films are very different. They’re very different in style, but they’re not very different in the way that you make them. The process of making a film is pretty similar. They just spend less money, and it’s less blue screen. But, yeah. I enjoyed the sort of creative freedom of making a film a little bit darker.

Read more

TV

Marvel’s WandaVision and What’s Next for the MCU

By Jim Dandy

TV

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Season 2 Is Unlikely, Anthony Mackie Confirms

By Alec Bojalad

Did you get to meet and talk with Nico Walker? I know you did meet with some people with addiction problems, as well as some veterans.

I’ve never actually met with Nico. We were supposed to meet a few weeks ago, but for some reason, our schedules kind of got a bit jumbled up, and we couldn’t get together. But I hope to meet him. He’s obviously the one person that I’m really nervous about watching the film, because we took a portion of his life, and we turned it into this piece of art, and I hope it’s something that he likes.

But we did loads of research when it came to speaking to veterans and people suffering from PTSD and substance abuse, and it was so valuable in the making of this film, because I couldn’t have made this an authentic experience for the audience without having that information from those people. I’m very grateful that the men and women I spoke to were very open to talk about the things that they’d been through, which were sometimes very harrowing.

What did you learn that maybe you hadn’t known before and were able to apply to the part?

Wow. I could go on and on. I think one of the biggest things for me that helped drive a lot of the motivation in the scene was that once you’re hooked on heroin, all you can think about is getting more heroin. It was a really good kind of catalyst to tell these stories authentically. I think that was one of the most valuable things I took away from my research.

What was the most physically challenging aspect of the shoot?

The most physically demanding portion of the film was dope life, when I was losing all the weight, and I was skinny, and I was having to starve myself. And robbing the banks was tiring, because I was so weak from being so skinny and frail, I guess. So that would easily be the more physically demanding aspect of the film.

Apple TV+

You also play this character as he ages over 15 years. Is it fair to say this is the first time you’ve actually played a character who’s aged over that kind of span of time?

Absolutely. On The Lost City of Z, a James Gray film I did, there was quite a large progression in age, but I was no way the lead of that film. A lot of my stuff sort of happened off camera. Obviously in Cherry, you are with this character from the beginning to the end. That meant that I had to do a lot of the growing on screen, and it was difficult. It was tricky, because trying to play older, to me, felt very fake. That’s where I was so lucky to have my amazing makeup artist, Rachael Speke. She did a wonderful job of aging me up throughout the course of the film.

It was difficult, and I just had to trust the Russos and that they knew what they wanted and they were happy with what they were getting. But it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to do.

Is that something that you would like to apply to other characters? As you continue to play Spider-Man, would you like to see him age a little more noticeably, if it’s appropriate?

Yeah. Peter Parker is a character that everyone knows and loves. It would be really interesting to sort of find a side to him that people haven’t seen before. Whether or not we do that, I don’t know.

What can you say about Spider-Man: No Way Home in terms of how it expands the MCU and how it evolves Peter’s character?

Well, there’s not really much I can say, obviously. What I can say is that I’m having the time of my life making it. It’s so fun being back with Jacob [Batalon] and Zendaya, and [director] Jon Watts. The film is incredibly ambitious, and I’m delighted to say that we’re succeeding in making it. It’s going really well. We watched a fight scene that we had shot a few weeks ago, and I’ve never seen a fight scene quite like it in the MCU. I’m really excited for audiences to see that.

You also just recently wrapped Uncharted. What do you think people will see in that if they’re not fans of the video game?

Well, an interesting idea and one that I really think lends itself to our film, is that when you watch a video game film–if you’re a fan of the games–I often wonder, “Why would you watch the film?” Because it’s less immersive. You can go and be that character. Why would I just want to watch that character?

But what we’ve got is we’re telling the prequel story of how the character, Nathan Drake, became this worldwide known character. For the fans that love the games, they’re getting an aspect of the story that they’ve never seen before. And the people that haven’t played the games are getting a really nice introduction to a character. It kind of works for everyone.

It’s a really fun film, and the action is amazing, easily some of the coolest action I’ve done so far. I had a lovely chat with Tom Rothman, the chairman of Sony, he saw the film, and he’s over the moon with it. If the boss man is happy, then everyone is happy. We’re really good.

Cherry premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 12.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Why Tom Holland Was Terrified of Playing a Bank Robber in Cherry appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3exlZMQ

[stacksandkicks]

KICKS: NEW #ADIDAS X #STARWARS "CHEWBACCA" RIVALRY HI DETAILED #SNEAKER IMAGES.

KICKS: NEW #ADIDAS X #STARWARS “CHEWBACCA” RIVALRY HI DETAILED #SNEAKER IMAGES.

Adidas continues to drop some pretty dope themed kicks over the years and this has to be one of the best paying homage to one of the greatest characters in sci-fi film. The “Chewbacca” rivalry kicks will hit select retailers on the 24th of May and are a collection piece to have retail is set at $150.00 dollars. CC:SD X Adidas x Star Wars Tags: #stacksandkickslifestyle #blogger #blog #adidas

[proserpineisback]

TROS

If the only problem with TROS was the death of Ben and the rest of the movie was a masterpiece, then maybe I could forgive them. But the serious problem here is that the ENTIRE FILM is an absurdity on its own. You kinda feel like gathering all the facts across the trilogy and distribute them proportionally in each of the films so it all feels cohesive. But that couldn´t be done because Lucasfilm obviously didn´t map this project as a trilogy which it´s absolutely embarrassing. It wouldn´t have costed much for the board writers to sit for a week and write ONE STORY and divide them in three acts just like every writer does when making a book or an independent film or a short film or a documentary, Jesus there are so many people out there writing way better stuff than this with almost nothing of a budget. Having to use different directors is no excuse. The team behind the Mandalorian proves that, they obviously work as a team and so far they seem to treat the Star Wars legacy with respect taking old facts and carefully placing them where they´re needed.

Now, what pisses me off the most about this film is definitely the irrationality of Rey´s arc. The Rey who stood in front of Palpatine and told him “You want me to hate you but I won´t, not even you” is the same Rey who spent THE WHOLE MOVIE attacking Kylo over and over again out of nothing. I´ve spent this whole year wondering why they were fighting in the rain, only to find out that it was for nothing other than Rey´s sudden rage. Wondering why was Kylo flying his TIE towards her and why was she backflipping over it, only to find out it was for nothing too, were they trying to kill each other? Just after Kylo told her that he didn´t want to kill her? Did the conversations in TLJ were all for nothing and they´re back to zero? It´s like all JJ wanted was to retcon TLJ and have cool shots, which they are. The fights are very well choreographed and performed, and they´re visually beautiful and majestically scored, but that doesn´t take away the fact that plot-wise they´re absolutely pointless. When Kylo starts to talk about her past, she again attacks him in a way that for someone who believes in the good side and the Jedi and the light and repulses everything that has to do with the dark side, seems pretty infuriated and aggressive. If she was pissed off about everything the First Order did during the Allegiance comics, it would have made sense for her to mention it at least, because as it was presented it all seems pretty illogical and only for show. Again, they make her look as a person who it´s not enough informed about anything and can´t use her words to stop being one. She didn´t even think in taking advantage of Kylo´s second offering of joining him to defeat Palpatine, then if she didn´t want the throne and was so worried about Kylo becoming emperor, she just could have TALKED and tried to bring him back to the light. But that didn´t even crossed her mind, she just wanted him dead until she actually killed him and didn´t want him dead anymore just because she felt Leia dying, and I can´t believe Chris Terrio has repeated the same also pointless fight between Batman and Superman where Batman remembers his mother and suddenly decides to not kill Superman after beating him badly. I absolutely hated that movie and I was hoping he wouldn´t bring any of it into this. Saddly, I was wrong.

You can´t just link Rey to Palpatine out of nothing. You either connect her to him from the very beginning throwing hints of it or you don´t link her with anyone from the past at all. And you can´t just bring Palpatine with absolutely no excuse, it makes it obvious no one planned to have him behind it all from the start. The concept of Rey Nobody settled by Rian Johnson was a good idea so all kids around the world could relate to her, giving an important message that you don´t need to come from something important to be someone. But if the idea here was to prove that someone who comes from the dark side can choose to be light side, then DEVELOP it through the entire trilogy.

Bringing new supporting characters in the last two films has resulted in a crowded mess when everyone gets to say a line with no purpose, wasting the film´s time. When they presented Rey, Kylo, Finn and Poe as the main characters in TFA, it was understood that the story would be told through their eyes. Then why the hell bring new characters to do the job that they could do. It just makes Finn and Poe look like a pair of extras with nothing relevant to do, just being a burden to Rey when she clearly could have done everything on her own. It would have be them two going to the core worlds and convincing the people to join the cause, so they can truly be heroes in this story. Instead of having everyone joining at last minute because they think Lando is dope and decided that somehow they´re not scared anymore even now that a massive imperial fleet has appeared out of nowhere. And why having so many ships to fight the final battle when they´re gonna waste it by not showing too much of it. I mean it´s called Star Wars for a reason, but somehow they´ve wasted more time having Rey and Kylo fight than investing in the action on air. If all those fights between the two of them had place in TLJ and the talking force bonds had place in TROS, then maybe it would make a bit more sense and the story would seem to have a proportional pace in each film and a better structure. Instead, this movie seems like rushing scramble of events awkwardly mixed with all the trivia they could find from the Star Wars lore while spitting in your face absurd facts about the characters you have known for 5 years and having to believe each of them.

I wouldn´t have problems with Hux being the spy if he was suspect from the beginning. You can´t make a character to be a cold blood mass murderer and devoted to the First Order to the point of fanaticism and then turn him into a softy who reveals he is the spy and traitor of the very thing he loved, in a stupidly parodic way, and who can also be gotten rid off quite easily. And all without any character development whatsoever. I mean, fanfics make a better job with Hux as a villain.

Why create the knights of Ren if you´re gonna have them like silent dogs and get them easily killed when they´re also force users? I mean, I´m not saying that Ben is not powerful enough to finish them but apparently in the comics HE AND LUKE have fought them before and they made it out alive. It would have been a lot more interesting to have the KOR since TFA and make one of them suspect so he can be the one to bring Palpatine back to life in TROS. It would have been better to have Ben and Rey fighting them in TLJ throne room instead of the shitty praetorian guards that are killed in one second in episode III.

Why presenting new characters in Resistance Reborn if we´re not going to see them not even on the background during the resistance base scenes? It´s such a lucrative and deceitful game to have books, comics, etc. and not include them in the films in any way. I can picture them saying to the writers “Yeah, do whatever you want”.

And finally, why create such a good concept like “dyad in the force” if you´re gonna have just one of them fighting against Palpatine while the other one is in a hole. It obviously should have been them BOTH fighting Palpatine and defeating him since when they´re together they have the balance of the force. I mean, I thought that was what Star Wars was all about. It should have been all the generations of Jedi helping them BOTH since Ben Solo had already gone back to the light. Why create such a compelling complex character if they were going to make him have the exact same fate that Darth Vader had. It´s so frustrating the lack of imagination for a conclusion, it makes you cringe. The ultimate message here is that the Skywalker family was cursed and they all deserved to die.

I applaud the astonishly good performances of the actors, the realism they brought makes it all more believable and painful so we don´t forget this film actually happened. The entire movie pains me so much because I´ve grown to love Star Wars and I´ve had deep love for each of the films, yes even the prequels. I´ve defended every movie from the haters and I never thought it would come the day that I would say the saga has been completely destroyed.

[legostarwarsgame]

Play as Iconic Characters and Relive Legendary Moments in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

If you want to experience their amazing work firsthand, you should definitely buy Xbox games featuring their titles. They even dropped their own IPs with LEGO City and Dimensions. But none of this would’ve happened without their 2005 gem, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. This game was a hilarious spin on the Star Wars prequels, mixing action, puzzles, and platforming into a colorful LEGO experience that laid the groundwork for all future LEGO games. Fast forward to today, and TT Games is back in the Star Wars galaxy with their most ambitious LEGO project ever: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Covering all nine mainline films and promising endless content, is this game a fresh and fun twist on the LEGO formula, or is it a total flop? LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga lets you relive the epic saga across all nine films. You’ll watch the Republic fall and the Empire rise in Episodes I-III, take down the Empire in Episodes IV-VI, and finally shut down the Dark Side in Episodes VII-IX. You can play as iconic characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey, Finn, and BB-8, among others. It’s a blast to journey through the galaxy with your favorite characters and relive the most legendary moments from all the films.

Upgraded Space Combat: Full Control and Thrilling Gameplay

TT Games is leveling up their LEGO game way beyond just recreating all nine films and their locations. If you’re looking to buy PS5 games that show a significant upgrade in gameplay, you'll see that for years, LEGO game mechanics have been kinda stuck in the past—characters had the same four hearts for health, and combat was just button-mashing or random blaster shots. But LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is flipping the script, bringing a fresh, cinematic vibe to the LEGO formula while keeping it fun for all ages. Ranged combat now feels like a legit third-person shooter—you can aim down sights over your character's shoulder and take cover behind walls. The cover system might be a bit clingy, but the shooting feels way smoother, making blaster characters way more fun than before. Melee combat got a major glow-up too, with a slick combo system that rewards you for chaining moves together. The melee upgrade really shines in lightsaber duels, where the camera zooms in for epic fights that mix blocking, dodging, and attacking. They’re not Dark Souls-level bosses, but dueling General Grievous and Darth Sidious is still a blast. And space combat? It’s been seriously upgraded, giving you full control over your favorite Star Wars ships. It’s easy to pick up and play, offering a thrilling ride that fits right in with the rest of the game’s dope mechanics.

Class Abilities and Blasters: New Reasons to Explore Every Character

RPG vibes are totally in the mix with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, thanks to classes and upgrades. If you're looking to buy PS5 games that incorporate these features, you'll find that characters are now split into different classes, each with its own perks. Jedi and Dark Side users can use the Force to mess with stuff in the environment. Scoundrels can spot destructible objects with their senses. Heroes can rock armor pieces to blend in, while Villains can hack terminals for epic weapons. You can level up each class with Kyber Bricks to boost their skills. This class system is pretty rad and makes each of the 300+ characters feel unique. If you’re aiming to 100% LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, you’ll want to track down your fave characters in each class. Lightsabers are still awesome, but with the new class abilities and third-person shooter mechanics, there’s now a solid reason to grab a blaster too.

The Best LEGO Star Wars Game Yet

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a studio set out to craft a fun journey through Episodes I-III. Not only did they crush it, but they also kickstarted a franchise that just kept getting better. Fast forward to now, and as TT Games circles back to LEGO Star Wars, it’s clear they’ve leveled up big time. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a total game-changer, reimagining the LEGO series by covering all the main Star Wars films, filling the galaxy with awesome activities, and refreshing the gameplay for today’s generation. Sure, there are some hiccups—like a few gameplay mechanics that could use a tweak, the lack of online co-op, and voice acting that doesn’t quite hit the mark for such an iconic franchise. But these are minor bumps in what’s otherwise the best LEGO game ever, and a stunning tribute to George Lucas' vision. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga nails bringing that galaxy far, far away to life in a thrilling new way.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Float On

The discourse around the new Kenobi show is very interesting to me. I am a massive fan of Star Wars but i wouldn’t say it’s one of the pillars of my childhood. Those are definitely Spider-Man, Godzilla, and Transformers. Star Wars is more a support beam, along with the Alien franchise. That said, i enjoy it enough to have a pretty solid hyperfixation with the lore. All of it. Particular the Legends stuff. What i am not a fan of, is the vast majority of what Disney has farted out under Kathleen Kennedy. I enjoyed The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and came around to Solo, but the rest of the movies are dog sh*t. I respect the first season of Mando because it was the first great Disney Star Wars entry, absolutely loved the second with all the callbacks to prime can ( I shill hard for Ahsoka Tano, man), and pretty much abandoned Boba Fett early on. Those two episodes of Mando III which got forced in there were pretty dope, though. So, as you can tell, it’s been a mixed bag for me. That said, my beef with these entries are definitely not what the loudest of disgruntled Star Wars fans are screeching about.

My frustration with Disney Star Wars is how poorly this sh*t is written. There is an extreme level of disrespect that runs through the new Lucasfilm and that is directly Kennedy’s influence. She’s been trying to alter the entire canon over some perceived slight, like she doesn’t get the credit she deserves for the success of Star Wars. Ma was a glorified coffee runner when these films were created but wants to change that narrative while sticking it to Lucas for telling the truth about her role. Everything i find frustrating narrative, can be traced back to the sycophant writers, spineless directors, and dismissive attitude of Kennedy, herself. And then Favloni came through with Mando and blew everything she has ever made out of the f*cking water. Mando is so good because the narrative is f*cking solid, man. It feels complete. It feels grandiose. It feels like Star Wars. Through the first three episodes of Kenobi, i see those same bones and it weird more people aren’t on this show like i am. Now, to address the major issues I've seen the fandom grip about:

Baby Leia is great. I can totally see this girl growing up into the Leia Organa that we all know and love. The actress, Vivien Lyra Blair, is doing a great job and she’s surprisingly not annoying like most child actors. The physicality is a struggle for her but she’s nine years old. Cut the kid some goddamn slack, you degenerates. Not everyone can be Chloe Moretz or Anna Paquin.

Reva isn’t that bad but she ain’t great either. Kenobi needs this type of foil before actually completing the Hero Journey he’s on. This is a story about how Kenobi finds his faith, finds his way back to the force after literal years of abandoning it after murdering his little brother. Reva is the perfect stop-gap between Old Ben and a Punished Obi-Wan. I imagine we’ll see the change in his dueling posture in this series or some sh*t to align it closer with what we got in the original trilogy to signify his reconciliation with the past.

The broken canon can easily be fixed. I don’t care for the breaks, themselves, as much as others but with good writing and a proper understanding of the lore, this sh*t can be corrected with a one sentence reveal. The Grand Inquisitor is dead in Kenobi but alive and well in Rebels? His people have two stomachs and Dark Side wielders have survived much worse. Vader exists. That man got dismembered and burned alive. Maul cut got in half and lived for another twenty years or some sh*t. There really aren't any egregious transgressions that can't be corrected by the end of this show. Stop spazzing out about them until we know for sure if they f*cked everything up.

It makes sense Kenobi is about Kenobi’s journey back to the force and not just him being a bad ass on Tatooine. Think about where we left the character. Kenobi defeated his brother, dismembered him, watched him burn alive. The Jedi fell. All of his Masters are dead. He literally has to go into hiding. This dude has lost everything he holds dear and the only thing good in his life is Luke, some one he's not even allowed to interact with. Kenobi is a broken man here. He's not the reassured Master he is in A New Hope. Dude is pathetic. That's the point. Its absurd to me that  so many people have missed that point.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is really good. It's easily one of the best things Disney Star Wars has ever produced and people are letting it fall by the wayside because of outside issues. It's a lot like Secrets of Dumbledore that. I'm not here to defend Kennedy' mess or slight the responsibility she holds for marginalizing a once beautiful franchise but Kenobi is not The Last Jedi. It's not Rise of Skywalker. It's not The High Republic or The Acolyte. Does it have it's problems? Sure. But er are three episodes into a six episode narrative and this sh*t ain't coming out of Kennedy's Writer's Room. This is Feloni and Favreu. This is the team that brought us Mando and Clone Wars. Boba Fett left us all wanting, true, but Obi-Wan is much better than that. Give the thing a chance before casting it out as “woke” and “feminist” or whatever buzzwords we're losing to denigrate sh*t out of Kennedy's Lucasfilm. Not everything is trash just because she sits in the big chair.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Reviews: Force Sensitivities

I love Star Wars. I have since i was a kid. It just missed the Trinity of my Childhood, Spider-Man, Godzilla, and Transformers, by inches but i hold it in high regard. I’d say that it’s only a step behind the big three, along with the Alien franchise. I enjoy both franchises for a lot of the same reasons; Expansive lore, impeccable world building, and fantastic characters. I have a strong emotional connections to all things a galaxy far, far, away so the past few years have been difficult to witness. Under the “guidance” of Kathleen Kennedy, i watched my space wizards and cyborg warlocks, decline considerably. I saw all that creativity and inspired storytelling fall by the wayside in favor of identity politics and ego driven agenda.

Then, The Mandalorian dropped and everything changed. There’s been an infusion of quality, a resurgence of the creative, and one of the things to come out of this brand new inspiration is Star War: Visions. Visions is an anthology series of original stories, created by some of the top anime studios in Japan. That, alone, is enough to pique my interests. I love anime and the world Lucas created, lends itself to the medium almost effortlessly. It finally released yesterday and i was able to check out all of them, twice. Is this thing everything i dreamed of? Kind of? Sometimes?

The Duel

The first of the shorts presented and easily the most visually striking. This thing is a CG animation, usually kind of wonky but not so much with this short. I’m more a fan of traditional cell animation but Kamikaze Douga does a fantastic job with the new computer flavor. That expertise is put on full display with this Kurosawa inspired epic, an irony not lost on me. Old Kurosawa films like Yojimbo and Seven Samurai were direct inspirations for Star Wars so seeing it come full circle like this, is very rewarding. Overall, i liked this entry. It’s a great introduction for the anthology and delivers a strong viewing experience.

Tatooine Rhapsody

True to it’s anthology nature, the very next episode delivers something completely different than the last. This entry, made by Studio Colorado, is traditional animation with a heavy, heavy, influence from Leiji Matsumoto. One can definitely make the argument that this is what Interstella 9999 would look like if i had a Star Wars skin and i wouldn’t fight you about it. That’s kind of the art direction being leaned into with this short, that Captain Harlock/Galaxy Express 9999 look. I’m a sucker for that classic aesthetic so i kind of loved it. Didn’t care for the music but seeing a stylized Boba Fett was a real treat. This one is the most original of the anthology, so far from the overall Star Wars theme, and i think that hurts it some. As it’s own thing, though? Fantastic.

The Twins

This one is top tier for me and not just because it’s the first entry from Trigger. This one is good. It’s the first to really nail that more kinetic feel of the prequel lightsaber duels and, if you know anything about Studio Trigger, of course it would. These people gave us Kill la Kill and Brand New Animal. In fact, the overall look of this thing has shades of both Dead Leaves, Gurren Lagann and Promare all over it. It reminds me a great deal of the conflict between the Solo twins in legends. This thing is beautifully animated and tells it’s story with with skill. That said, it’s to one of my favorites. I love Trigger but this one, i think, doesn’t really live up to the Star Wars standard. Still, there is a lot of cool sh*t in here. Kyber powered Sith armor is something to behold, for sure.

The Village Bride

This one is the one for me. I f*cking LOVED this entry. I think it’s the nest of the lot for a lot of reasons. This thing feels the most like a Lucas or Filoni entry into the franchise. It delivers u to an alien world where we get to see the people interact with their surroundings. It delivers a personal conflict juxtaposed against a very real, very, worldly danger. It grounds us with great characters and does so with a beautifully rendered style. For me, The Village Bride is everything i want in a Star Wars story and i need to see more of these characters, more of this world, more of F, herself. She’s f*cking amazing! The Lady Jedi does some sh*t with her lightsaber that left me in awe. Kinema Citrus animated this one in the style of Katanagatari and it really works for this style of narrative.

The Ninth Jedi

This one is real special. It feels right at home in a Clone Wars narrative or something from the Old Republic. I adore the look of this one. Its one of my favorites, after The Village Bride and Lop and Ocho, but is far more action oriented than those to. This one focuses on lightsaber duels and delivers the best of the anthology, in my opinion. This f*cking thing goes hard to deliver that visceral, aggressive, fancifal style you see in the Prequel films  but completely stylized in this wonderfully fluid animation. The overall narrative is pretty simple but loaded with potential and i hope we get a continuation in the inevitable second season of Visions. Production IG really did their thing with this entry and i really hope it becomes something more.

T0-B1

If Astro Boy took place on Tatooine, you’d have T0-B1. This thing really leans into Tezuka’s style and is all the better for it.  I can’t say i really enjoyed the overall narrative but the look of this thing really stays with you. It’s incredibly distinct from everything in this anthology mostly because you don’t see the Tezuka style all too often nowadays but this entry definitely has more heart than most of it’s contemporaries. I was surprised by how much emotion was packed into this little cartoon and can definitely recommend it on the strength of that, alone. While not one of my favorites, i can definitely appreciate what Science SARU delivered.

The Elder

I didn’t like this one. The pacing was too slow and the characters were forgettable. I kind of hated the overall aesthetic and the narrative told was one we’ve seen from this universe a few times. That said, it has a dope ass lightsaber duel toward the end. That’s really the only good aspect of this short, in my opinion. Interestingly enough, this is the second entry from Trigger which makes it incredibly disappointing because they usually kill it. They did not kill it with this one. Not at all.

Lop and Ocho

This one was my second favorite of all nine shorts. It is the most “anime” of the lot and really leans into that genre with gusto. It also feels a lot like Star Wars as far as narrative is concerned. Similar to The Twins, this is a story of forced sensitive sibling, clashing over ideals, told through the crossing of their blades. It’s definitely interesting to watch, especially considering our heroine is an anthropomorphic bunny, something you don’t see too often in the Star Wars universe. I really enjoyed Lop and hopes she garners enough popularity to explore her character further in either a second season of Visions or an actual series dedicated to her personal journey. Geno Studio really impressed with this one.

Akakiri

This one might be the weakest of the lot, until you realize what you’re watching. All of these stories focused on Jedi and their perspective on the world but Science SARU went in a different direction. This is the story of how a Jedi falls. It’s an amazingly emotional watch once that revelation is delivered, putting everything before into perspective. It’s deftly told and works, for the most part, but i feel like this one needed an extra few minutes to develop fully. Still, as the booked to a rather excellent anthology, Akakiri does it’s job well.

The Verdict

This thing is pure Star Wars. It's everything that made Lucas' magnum opus fantastic. Some of these entries hit harder than others, my favorite being The Village Bride, but the overall content in this anthology is f*cking spectacular. I love the different animation styles and how these bite sized stories are told. Some of them take a great many liberties with he world rules whole others are fantastic homages to the genres that make up the Star Wars skeleton. Visions is work of love and passion. These shorts are made with care and not only revere the franchise which came before, but really lay the ground work for potential future exploration, which is what Star Wars has always been about. I still think Mando is the best thing to come out of Favreu's era, so far, but Visions is something very special and is a fantastic example of what can be coming next. If you love Star Wars, you'll love this show. If you left the fandom over Kennedy and her polarizing rhetoric, Visions is a great point to jump back in. Star Wars: Visions is f*cking exceptional and everyone should check it out if they can.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #427

Top Ten Saddest Deaths in Star Wars

In retrospect, I should have swapped last week's list and this one; it feels more appropriate to do a Star Wars Day thing just before May 4th, rather than the better part of a week later. But ah well.

Loads of people die in Star Wars. Off the top of my head, Empire Strikes Back – which is meant to be the dark one! – is the only film without a major character death. Daughter #1 once told me she preferred Harry Potter because not as many people die (she was only up to Goblet of Fire, bless her). So right from the start Star Wars is synonymous with characters kicking it.

So this week, to celebrate Star Wars Day last Monday, I'm honouring not the most notable, not the most epic, but the most sadder deaths a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. There’s plenty to choose from; SW is often at its best when it's being overly emotional. There are a lot of “Nooooo!”s in the franchise. But in selecting these ten bucket-kickings, I was a bit surprised by which purchased farms did not make my entirely arbitrary cut. Basically, when I sat and thought about what I felt or feel when that character carks it, just how sad did I feel? The answers may surprise you.

I wanted to do something else to tie (fighter) in to the whole May the Fourth be With You of it all (or, indeed, the Revenge of the Fifth, which is like the hipster Star Wars Day). But to be honest I'm still reeling after the cavalcade of disappointments and banal decisions that plagued Rise of Skywalker. In fact, I was going to write a piece about how all the problems in the Sequel Trilogy could be traced to decisions made in The Force Awakens, which is supposed to be the one everyone likes; but it just kept sounding whiney and sensationalist, which wasn’t my intention. I think my emotions are still running a bit too high on the subject, which obviously would make me a crap Jedi. I even thought of doing “Ten Things I Love about the Sequel Trilogy” but it ran the risk of being “the young cast” and then nine things that happen in The Last Jedi.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, people getting killed real good in a Star War. Oh, one final thing, before we commence the bloodbath: this is just the films. I've not seen nearly enough of the shows to include deaths from there too, even though The Mandalorian would definitely have featured here.

Right. Spoiler alert, natch. Don't fear the reaper.

K-2SO (Rogue One, 2016): the best droid in Star Wars dies a noble death, defending his friends, buying them enough time to complete their suicide mission, suffering multiple tragic blaster hits, proving his worth and his compassion. The Star Wars equivalent of Boromir defending the hobbits.

Han Solo (The Force Awakens, 2015): doomed from the moment he stepped onto the bridge, he risks everything to try one last time to bring his son back. Shockingly run through, his tender caress of Ben/Kylo’s cheek before his death plunge is heartbreaking.

Luke Skywalker (The Last Jedi, 2017): benefits from one hell of a twist and a superb Jedi power move, but Luke wistfully fading away beneath the image of twin suns, his legend restored and his heroism secure, after saving the Resistance and inspiring a new generation, is beautifully poetic. Pity the next film kinda made it redundant.

Padme Amidala (Revenge of the Sith, 2005): much is to be made of the failure of Star Wars’ obstetric medicine and the whole “dying of a broken heart” thing, but there is real tragedy in this superb woman – a leader, a warrior, a devoted wife – just expiring on a table having been thoroughly deceived and then abused by her husband. A darker death than the film is willing to address.

Yoda (Return of the Jedi, 1983): Yoda pretty much just dies of old age, fading into the Force before our eyes, a tired and sad-looking little figure. But even as his eyes drift closed and his voice becomes croaky, he’s still able to chastise Luke and offer tantalising hints to the future.

Owen & Beru Lars (A New Hope, 1977): they took Luke in and raised him like a son, despite the fact he was potentially dangerous. And then they’re unceremoniously killed, off-screen, and Luke barely mourns them! Tragic. But a dope pair of skeletons.

R4-P17 (Revenge of the Sith, 2005): many droids die in Star Wars, but R4’s gruesome demise – decapitated by buzz-droids during a space battle – sticks out as a nasty one. It’s made worse by Obi-Wan’s casual droid racism. He basically doesn’t care that she dies.

Aayla Secura (Revenge of the Sith, 2005): Secura is – in the films at least – essentially just a cool-looking nameless Jedi who crops up in crowd scenes and cutaways, and then dies during the “Order 66” montage. But her death is nasty. Shot in the back by the Clone Troopers she ostensibly commands is bad enough, but then her corpse is riddled with further blaster fire. Seriously grim.

Qui-Gon Jinn (The Phantom Menace, 1999): let’s face it, Qui-Gon’s fate seemed secured even before we all read the track listings on the back of the soundtrack CD. He fights valiantly against Darth Maul, but is run through, a shocked expression on his face. His sad, plaintive urgings of Obi-Wan to train Anakin have further tragic consequences.

That Ewok (Return of the Jedi, 1983): everyone bangs on about the Ewoks being silly or unrealistic or whatever, but I don’t wanna hear about it; they rock and they always will. Cute teddy bears who properly rip up the Empire? Here all day. But the moment when two of them are shot at, and one of them realises his friend isn’t getting up – will never get up­ – is really, really sad and a soft moment of quasi-naturalism among the laser fire. His friend’s resigned sinking into the earth is so touching. Kids will weep. Incidentally, Wookieepedia informs me that our deceased Ewok’s name is Nanta, and his bereaved mate is Romba. Never forget.

There we go, Star Wars’ cavalcade of tears. A litany of sadness to drown a fleet of weirdo Star Destroyers hidden in an ice planet, or whatever the hell was going on at the end of Rise of Skywalker. There are couple of Big Deaths here that I’m half-surprised I missed off; principally Leia’s sad expiration during Rise. But to be honest I was so annoyed by the film in general at that point, and the muddy nature of her death – complicated, I know, by Carrie Fisher’s tragic real-life unavailability – that it kinda rang a little hollow. I just didn’t feel it. Ditto for Ben Solo, whose death was even more stupid than his bizarre redemption. Sorry, this is turning into the sort of whiney post I was expressly trying to avoid.

Anyway, never mind. Star Wars is plenty sad already. And these are just the emotional deaths; there are all kind of cool and epic deaths, too, such as Admiral Holdo or Mace Windu or Boba Fett (falling in a hole, ha!). His dad, incidentally, nearly made the cut, because while his death is hilarious and stupid, the scene of Boba cradling Jango’s helmet (steady) is totes emosh.

That’s Star Wars, I guess: sad and silly all at the same time.