Search

Search only in certain items:

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
1977 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
May The Force Be With You: The Beginning
A New Hope- man this movie is a classic. A real classic. Everything about this movie is great. The plot, the action, the sci-fi, the death-star, Dark Vader and of course R2-D2. Its only downfall is that its slow at some points. But other than thats its a excellent movie.

The plot: The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the companionable droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy.

The film has been reissued multiple times with Lucas's support—most significantly with its 20th-anniversary theatrical "Special Edition"—incorporating many changes including modified computer-generated effects, altered dialogue, re-edited shots, remixed soundtracks and added scenes. This is also its downfall, cause its not the oringal film, its the speical edition.

AFI 100 Years... series:

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (1998) – #15

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills (2001) – #27

AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains (2003): Han Solo – #14 Hero

Obi-Wan Kenobi – #37 Hero

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes (2004):
"May the Force be with you." – #8

AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (2005) – #1

AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers (2006) – #39

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) (2007) – #13

AFI's 10 Top 10 (2008) – #2 Sci-Fi Film

Like i said before its a excellent sci-fi action adventure movie.

May The Force Be With You.
  
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
1977 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The beginning of an era that will last a life time (3 more)
Character
Special Effects
Movie Score that is highly recognizable
Han Shot First!!!
Star Wars...the movie no one believed would become anywhere close to the success it is today. Not even George Lucas believed it would be as big as it is, but that's the beauty of it.

Star Wars wasn't just the beginning of a new fandom, it was also the beginning of a new era for film itself. Skywalker Sound revolutionized special sound effects and and the CGI used in Star Wars (during it's original release) made directors like Steven Spielberg realise they can bring their dreams to life, such as the film Jurassic Park which then revolutionized film even further.

Introducing new and original characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and so many more! The film introduced the strong female role model in what is actually a kid's film. Carrie Fisher portrayed Princess Leia and there has never been anyone quite as brilliant as her since, because at only 19 years old during the first film, she became an icon and one of the strongest woman on screen.

All 3 of the main cast went on to take on great roles. Mark Hamill is probably most famous for his voice over work in cartoon shows such as Batman the Animated series where he has become the most famous voice for The Joker, taking on the role multiple times including in the Batman Arkham video games. Harrison Ford went on to star in many famous roles in big blockbuster films such as Indiana Jones, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner and many more. Carrie Fisher went on to star in When Harry Met Sally, Drop Dead Fred, and Scream 3.

The villain of the film quickly became one of the most badass and recognizable villains to ever appear on the big screen...Darth Vader! He was menacing, manipulative, and powerful.

The visuals of this film were incredible for the time, from the space battles to the lightsabers. Not to mention that a lot of the space ships, and the death star trench are all models with actual (mini) explosions.

Star Wars is so popular these days that it has been parodied and praised by countless other films, TV shows, sketches, art, porn and almost anything you can think of.

It even has a holiday after it 'May the 4th be with you' (May the force be with you), now known simply as May the 4th. Along with conventions and celebrations, Star Wars has become more of a way of life for a lot of people and not just a fandom.
  
40x40

Dieter Polcher (0 KP) Apr 22, 2017

May the Force Be With You

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
There are automatically problems with concluding films in a series, a definite set of things need to be achieved and that doesn't always mean the film can have the same impact as its predecessors. I don't know if this is quite where my struggles with the film came from but it probably didn't help.

I enjoy Star Wars but I wouldn't classify myself as a fan, I like the originals, I've really enjoyed the latest instalments, but I'd happily never watch the prequels again. Rewatching The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi was a joy, I don't remember them being that good, so it was sad to get yet another conclusion this year that didn't leave me with good feelings.

We obviously get the same set of actors doing the usual thing, I wasn't particularly wowed by any of the performances. Adam Driver certainly came across better to me, partly because I finally saw a film of his this year where I felt like he could act, and also because he genuinely had a sound performance through the film.

What appears to be the main theme for our cast is that a lot of them get screwed over. Rose in particular, someone online did the maths, 1 minute and 16 seconds of screen time in a 2 hour and 22-minute film. Her first appearance is so dismissive that it was very clear we weren't going to be seeing her. I'd have felt much better if they hologrammed her from somewhere else in the galaxy being hero own hero and left it at that, or then brought her in at the last minute to Captain Marvel that shit. It felt like a fear of offending the trolls, which is a little redundant considering they were going to go off regardless about something.

Finn and Poe, the ultimate bromance. Every time they appeared onscreen there was the rom-com moment where they'd run into each other's arms and kiss... we were robbed each and every time. With news going around about LGBT representation in RoS we could hope though... but what we got was a token kiss from two extras that didn't feel like it was anything more than ticking the box. R2D2 and C3P0 had a better gay storyline than that kiss did.

Finn didn't exactly get a great life in Rise Of Skywalker, as I sit here thinking about his role the only bit I can recall off the top of my head is that he spent a lot of time trying to tell Rey something yet never managed it. Every time it happened I had an uncomfortable feeling and really didn't want it to be what I thought it was. There are other things that Finn did that I can remember, but for the main thing to be this completely irrelevant piece of story to be number one is a complete joke.

Trying to decipher what happened with the Leia footage has my mind-boggling. They used unused footage from the previous movies and shoe-horned it into the story depending on what they had and could make out of it. With all the technology we have I'm honestly surprised how bad it looked. There's always something slightly off about footage that's doctored like this, Leia didn't look like she was in the same colour palette as the rest of the film in several scenes, and you get back of the headshots to fill the interactions with Rey. I dislike that in most films because actual actor or not it always looks like it's something they've had to re-shoot without the original actor. There's also one scene where we see a young Leia and Luke training, Luke looks quite convincing but Leia's recreation is terrible. Being that there's no dialogue in this bit I'm not sure why they couldn't dig into the archives for something more suitable.

When it comes to effects in the rest of the film it's obviously the usual quality you'd expect, I did suffer a couple of times where scenes were very busy with movement and it set off my motion sickness, those bits might have been dubious but I'd honestly not be able to tell you!

Rise Of Skywalker might have been more aptly named Rise Of The Machines (to steal from another franchise). BB-8 is always adorable, and D-0 was a fun little addition. C3P0 really had some great airtime though, some moments made me laugh, some made me cry, along with Kylo he probably faired the best overall.

As the beginning of the film started so slowly I was concerned about what was in store. Trundling along with nothing seemingly happening I was bored and desperate for something to perk up the pace. Those moments did happen, but with no real flow. It was very much start and stop for a lot of the time, no build-up to the action, no real anticipation so the satisfaction of the scenes were very short-lived.

This year has been the culmination to a lot of movie history and yet again I'm not a fan of it. I don't think that Rise Of Skywalker lived up to The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, even having watched them all in the same week I wasn't engaged by the final instalment because of the slow beginning.

I can forgive films a lot of things if I enjoy them but the list here was far too extensive to be able to do that. With pacing problems, the box-ticking, and so many characters being let down I've finally come down off the fence and sadly I'm on the disappointed side of it.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/star-wars-rise-of-skywalker-movie-review.html
  
Star Wars, Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes
Star Wars, Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes
Jason Aaron, John Cassaday | 2015 | Comics & Graphic Novels
10
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stellar start
Note: this review is transposted from my personal review blog, and so was originally written several years ago. I figured if I reposted it here, someone might actually read it….
Okay, cards on the table: I loved the Dark Horse Star Wars comics. Almost all of them, especially anything featuring the team-up of Ostrander and Duursema. So I was very much saddened to see that company lose the Star Wars license. Not surprised, following the purchase by Disney, as that mega-company also owns Marvel. I figured it was only a matter of time, and that turned out to be the case. So I was saddened, just as I was saddened by the relegation of a bunch of my favorite stories to the status of Legends. But the one thing I never expected was that Marvel would drop the ball. I mean, it’s bleedin’ Marvel! If there’s anything they understand, it’s comic books. Now, having read the first arc of their eponymous Star Wars series, I can confidently state that my faith was well-founded.

We join our cadre of heroes as they attempt a daring assault on the Empire’s largest weapons factory, the entire planet of Cymoon I. Posing as a trade delegation from Jabba the Hutt arriving to negotiate renewed supply lines in the wake of the destruction of the Death Star, our heroes slip through security and set about rigging the automated factory’s reactor to blow sky-high. Everything is going to plan, until Darth Vader shows up to negotiate for the Empire….

I mentioned that this was amazing, right? The writing and art sync perfectly to sell you on the fact that you’re watching the continuing adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han. Luke is still a brash hotshot, still feeling his way with regards to the Force, and can be kind of whiny when he’s confronted with just how far he has to go. Han is just as sardonic and impulsive as ever, though the backstory they’re teasing for him may help ground him a bit. We’ll see how that one turns out. Leia is clearly in charge, driven to achieve justice for Alderaan and her family, and even Chewbacca knows to follow her orders. It’ll be interesting to see where they take her character in future arcs.

One potential point of annoyance for some readers is going to be how closely this series and the Star Wars: Darth Vader series that runs concurrently are tied. Events from one series are offhandedly referenced in the other with no explanation, and have major repercussions at times. For example, Vader fails to apprehend our Rebel heroes in this book, is chastised by the Emperor and hires Boba Fett in the Darth Vader book, and then Fett shows up in this book to try and capture Luke. Complicating matters further is the fact that there’s a particular order you need to read these in to get the whole story, and even then you’ll get ahead of yourself unless you stop in the middle of an issue at times. I wasn’t that annoyed by it, but I’d checked out the timeline first and knew what I was doing. (In case you were wondering, the proper order is Star Wars #1-3, Darth Vader #1, Star Wars #4, Darth Vader #2-4, and then #5-6 of both series happen simultaneously, both culminating in the same scene from slightly different perspectives.) This is set in the first year following the destruction of the Death Star, maybe a couple months at most.

CONTENT: Some violence. Minor profanity. Mild flirtation, and a few scantily-clad females in Jabba’s Palace.

Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/review-star-wars-skywalker-strikes-by-jason-aaron-john-cassaday/
  
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Finally it's over
When the Star Wars films first came out again I was super excited, especially as The Force Awakens and Rogue One were quite good. But after the total letdowns that were Last Jedi and Solo, I've completely lost interest in all things Star Wars and am really quite bored of it all. I went into Rise of Skywalker not feeling particularly interested, and I came out feeling pretty much the same.

Overall this looks good which shouldn't be a surprise ,although there are some dodgy CGI moments with Luke and Leia. There are some great nods to the original episodes and some returning characters too, which are a refreshing sight as I really think putting Carrie Fisher in this was a bad idea. Leia has no purpose whatsoever and looks out of place, and you can really see how badly they've cobbled her part together. The droids prove very welcome in every scene they're in, which is good as without them I wouldn't have been able to cope. The majority of returning characters in this suffer a lot: Finn, Poe, Rose, Chewie etc, they barely have anything to do. Whilst Kylo Ren has a decent storyline and character arc, and I loved his development the most (despite that terrible ending), this film is basically the Rey show. And 3 films in, I'm pretty sick of it. The reveal of Rey's heritage is laughable, and the ending for her is just so ridiculous. I found her a very irritating character and I'm just so bored of the back and forth between her and Kylo.

The plot itself is basic and seems very similar to every other Star Wars film that has come before it. There are a lot of unexplainable character actions, and some moments where you're surprised (pleasantly) about what has happened only to find out not very long later that it isn't what you thought. Bummer.

I was going to rate this lower, but I appreciate my general negativity towards Star Wars at the moment may have impacted on my review. Still I didn't particularly enjoy this and i really don't think it's a fitting final part. I'm so glad this is the last Star Wars film we'll see (for now).
  
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
This is perhaps the most difficult review I've ever written. I simply don't know where to begin. It might help to start with saying that, as a movie lover, Star Wars is my life blood. No movie has ever sparked my imagination the way the original film did. It's kind of cliché to say it, but the movie changed me. The 8 year old boy that walked out of the movie theater that day in 1977 was not the same one that walked in.

Over the years I would devour anything and everything Star Wars related that I could get my hands on. I followed the franchise across decades of films, and their various highs and lows. The same is true of The Last Jedi.

It's almost inconsequential to discuss the plot of the film. Like The Empire Strikes Back there is not just one story, one plot, being told. Yet all of them must come together in the end. This is where the highs and lows come into play. Every character is on a separate arc of growth and discovery. But there is one subplot that just does not work. At all. It feels out of place, and contains a message about cruelty that is so ham fisted and heavy handed, that when a character makes what is supposed to be a triumphant statement, I rolled my eyes and cringed.

The most important plot area of the movie centers around the return of Luke Skywalker. Mark Hamill gives the performance of his life. Never before has Luke been so layered, and so utterly badass. Watching him in this movie is like watching Heath Ledger as The Joker. He's so mesmerizing that every moment he's off screen, you're anxiously awaiting his return.

The action in the movie is breathtaking. An opening space battle is unlike we've ever had in a Star Wars movie, There are also two hand to hand combat scenes that are not only thrilling to watch, but are also important story moments that will leave you guessing as to their meanings until the end.

I can say this is NOT going to be a movie for everyone. It is not made to be the rousing crowd pleaser that The Force Awakens was. This film is filled with twists, turns, and more than one "I did NOT see that coming moment", and not all of those moments are going to please everyone. It takes Star Wars in directions you might not expect, and might not be happy with. But that is the nature of bold filmmaking. A director has to be true to his vision, take the risks he deems necessary, and let the chips fall where they may.

Now, since I said that there is one story arc of the movie that utterly fails, you might wonder how I can still give the movie a perfect rating. Simple...as a Star Wars fan, the highs of this movie took me SO high, that the lows of the film don't take me so low that they ruin the movie for me at all.

The film thrilled me, challenged the things that I believe make Star Wars what it is, and rewarded me with an original, visually dazzling movie that commands to be seen multiple times to pick up all the little things I didn't notice the last time.
  
40x40

Micah Ulibarri (79 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of STAR WARS Battlefront II in Video Games

Apr 3, 2018  
STAR WARS Battlefront II
STAR WARS Battlefront II
2017 | Shooter
Battlefront II had a lot to contend with this last year. Besides, Battlefront I being a very critically reviewed release, there was a large discussion created that could almost be referred to as a scandal concerning the loot crate system. I'm not here to talk about that. I want to review this game based on what we got.

First off, it's Star Wars. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and as such, I am always willing to buy in to anything no matter what the surrounding conversation may be. I did not buy the original game however due to it not containing a campaign or story mode. I'm usually not a big third person online shooter player so Battlefront I had nothing for me.


The story mode: I absolutely loved the story mode. The characters were originally introduced in the Battlefront: Inferno Squad novel so I was already invested in them. It involved following the continuing story of Iden Version through the end of Return of the Jedi, the 6th movie in the saga.


The plot was fun and engaging and involved not just the main character, but also scenarios in which you play as Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Kylo Ren. Thise were particularly fun because they change up the possible monotony of playing the same character, and also because they are beloved Star Wars characters.


There are also a number of different scenarios besides the basic run and gun you would expect from a third person shooter game. Sometimes there's a lightsaber involved. Also, and a particular favorite of mine: flight simulator in beloved spacecraft. The Millennium Falcon? Xwing? Bespin Cloud Car? You betcha.


The single player is what I bought the game for and I won't lie, that alone was worth my $60. I enjoyed it, it was properly challenging and it paid off even more when the additional chapters were added in December (free of charge).


The multiplayer wasn't as fun for me. I'm not very good against other players and I learned that quickly. I still jump on from time to time and play starfighters, but otherwise, my time with the game has been spent.


If it was just the single player I'd give it a 9. Total game is dropped due to me not enjoying the multiplayer so much.