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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).
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Scream 3 (2000) in Movies

Nov 7, 2020 (Updated Nov 7, 2020)  
Scream 3 (2000)
Scream 3 (2000)
2000 | Horror
The third entry in the Scream franchise is a mixed bag to say the least. It takes everything that made the first two so enjoyable, and throws more of it at the audience, but unfortunately it just doesn't land as well as one would hope.

Scream is known for being a meta commentary on the general ins and outs of the horror genre, but I would argue that it goes a little overboard this time around. A big part of the plot revolves around a huge retcon, changing the established backstory set up in the first movie. Cue a somewhat forced cameo from fan favourite character Randy to explain the rules of a trilogy to the surviving leads (and poke fun at this plot development) but it fails to distract from the fact that this narrative is a complete mess.
The killers motives and patterns are unclear and constantly change, and the eventual twist and identify reveal of this movies Ghostface is hugely underwhelming, and is just re treading ground that has already been explored in the previous Scream films. Also, that voice changing plot device is just dumb.

In response to the public outcry of media violence following the Columbine shootings, there is a lot less gore this time around which also hurts the overall experience. It loses its shock factor that was particularly prevalent in the original, and gives the film a sort of blunt edge, and instead focuses on the hit and miss comedy aspect.

All this being said, Scream 3 is still enjoyable when it needs to be. The returning trio of Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette is essential to that particular element. These characters have been fleshed out well over these movies, and seeing them together on screen is always a treat. Everyone else is largely forgettable, but the film manages to shoehorn in cameos from Jay and Silent Bob, and Carrie Fisher, which just adds to surrealism of it all.

Not Wes Craven's finest hour by a long shot, but still an enjoyable enough slasher, and still a part of a hugely important horror series.
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) in Movies

Jul 10, 2020 (Updated Jul 10, 2020)  
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
1992 | Action
8
6.8 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Perfect Trio : Mel, Danny and Joe
Lethal Weapon 3- i love the chemistry between Mel, Danny and Joe. Its the perfect trio, their bounce off of each other. The comedy is excellent. The one liners are good. The action is good, the plot is good.

The plot: Veteran police detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is only days away from retiring when he and his tough partner, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), are roped into an important internal affairs case. Working with the beautiful, no-nonsense Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) and aided by the shifty informant Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), Murtaugh and Riggs begin to close in on a black-market weapons operation involving corrupt cop and arms dealer Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson).

Director Richard Donner is an animal-rights and pro-choice activist, and placed many posters and stickers for these causes in the film. Of note are the T-shirt worn by one of Murtaugh's daughters (the actress's idea), an 18-wheeler with an anti-fur slogan on the side, and a sticker on a locker in the police station.

Director Richard Donner demanded some big changes on the script which included changing the original character of Lorna (who had a different name in earlier drafts) into a woman and turning her into Riggs's girlfriend. He also re-worked the script to be less story-oriented and not focus on the main villains but instead on the relationship between Riggs and Murtaugh. He also toned down action scenes from the script and brought back Leo Getz into the story. All of his scenes were written in afterwards. In the original script Leo had left L.A. for New York. Boam had some disagreements with changes that Donner made but he was not against them. Boam was fired after he wrote his first two drafts of the script. One of the reasons for this was because Donner wasn't interested in the script and he disagreed with some parts of Boam's original draft.

Carrie Fisher was an uncredited script doctor on the film.

Several versions of a Lethal Weapon video game were released in conjunction with this sequel's release, appearing on the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64 platforms. Also released was a Lethal Weapon 3 pinball game.

Its a funny entertaining movie, on to the last one in the franchise. I've loved the franchise so far and hopefully the 4th one is good.
  
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
1980 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
May The Force Be With You: The Middle
Empire Strikes Back- i heard that this movie is peoples, all time greatest/best sequel and the best movie out of the oringal trilogy. To me, no. Episode 4 and 6 are better. Their are excellent sences like.. the battle at Hoth, when Han gets Frozen and the battle between Dark Vader and Luke. The rest of the movie is slow and boring.

The plot: The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).

To me their are better movie sequels than this one like.. "Back To The Future Part II", "Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers", "The Dark Knight", "Captain America: The Winter Soilder", "Toy Story 2", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and "Aliens". All of these sequels are 10x better than Empire Strikes Back.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Nominated

AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated

AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
Darth Vader – No. 3 Villain

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
"I am your father." – Nominated
"Do, or do not. There is no try." – Nominated

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th
Anniversary Edition) – Nominated.

Darth Vader was ranked as the third-greatest film villain of all time in the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the 100 greatest heroes and villains, and Wizard magazine selected the ending of The Empire Strikes Back as the greatest cliffhanger of all time.

The line "No, I am your father" is often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father." The line was selected as one of the 400 nominees for the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of the greatest American film quotes.

I think Empire Strikes Back, even though its good. Its overrated and hyped up, to the point were its not just not as good as people say it is.

Like i said its good, but not excellent.
  
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
The Galaxy like you've never seen it before
Crafting sequels is never easy, but creating a fitting sequel to 2015’s biggest movie and one of the world’s biggest franchises is no easy feat. Not only do you have to make a film that moves the game on from The Force Awakens, but one that also meets the incredibly high expectations of fans across the globe.

Who took on this ridiculous job I hear you cry? Well Looper’s Rian Johnson takes over directorial duties from J.J. Abrams and the result is The Last Jedi. But is this a fitting sequel or a lacklustre affair?

Following on from the events of 2015’s The Force Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) prepares to do battle with not only the First Order, but Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) too.

The Last Jedi opens with a beautifully choreographed battle between good and evil as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), assisted by the adorable BB-8, tries to take on the evil First Order. This stunningly directed sequence sets up The Last Jedi perfectly – this is one hell of a good-looking film.

Practical effects are the order of the day here, something some other franchises seem to have forgotten about, and the movie is all the better for having them there. From large scale model ships to the more intricate fauna, The Last Jedi seeps with attention to detail – no stone has been left unturned in creating a living, breathing world. So, it’s all the more disappointing to be sucked out of the spectacle with some occasionally very shoddy CGI.

Apart from a couple of lapses that are geared more towards the film’s finale, The Last Jedi is probably the best-looking Star Wars film out there. From the blood-red lair of Supreme Leader Snoke to the salt-encrusted planet of the film’s gorgeous finale, every frame gives you something to look at. Rian Johnson carefully focusses the cameras on our main characters, using intense close-ups to bleed every single drop of emotion from them. Speaking of which, the entire cast is absolutely mesmerising.

Daisy Ridley deserves recognition for being utterly brilliant in this instalment. I had my reservations about her ability to cope with the toll this franchise would take on the actress but she has proved me wrong, and then some. John Boyega is excellent and Laura Dern’s addition to the galaxy is wonderful. The problem is the cast is just so huge, it’s impossible to mention everyone. Oh, Adam Driver’s performance really has to be seen to be believed and Kylo Ren is definitely moving up the ranks of the Star Wars villain hierarchy. His take on the character in The Last Jedi is exceptional.

If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song
Special mention must go however, to Carrie Fisher. Rian Johnson has stated that none of Fisher’s scenes were changed or moved after the actresses’ untimely death last year, but her time on screen really does take on new, and emotional, meaning here. Princess Leia is as much a Star Wars staple as Chewie, Luke or Han and the galaxy certainly won’t shine brighter without her presence. Nevertheless, this was a fitting tribute to the actress and a wonderful body of work to have her name attached to.

The script is like nothing Star Wars has ever seen before. Riddled with more twists and turns than spaghetti junction, it’s almost entirely unpredictable and that’s something you really don’t see come around very often. In any other franchise it would be exhausting, but here it’s exhilarating and incredibly well written.

At 152 minutes, The Last Jedi is a long film, the longest in the franchise in fact and there’s no getting away from that. The middle act in which some of our heroes traverse a vast casino planet are a little off pace and it does have a whiff of George Lucas’ less than stellar prequels about it, but the rest of the film moves at breakneck speed.

Overall, Rian Johnson has taken risks here and the majority of them pay off with fantastic results; Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a worthy sequel to an ever-growing brand and one that outdoes its predecessor by some margin. If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song because while still feeling like a Star Wars movie in many ways, it’s so different it’ll have you picking your jaw up off the floor more than once. My only question is: why isn’t Rian Johnson directing Episode IX?

https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/12/14/star-wars-the-last-jedi-review-the-galaxy-like-youve-never-seen-it-before/
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 19, 2019)  
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Action/Adventure
Lego and Star Wars have followed up their previous successful collaborations with Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and it is a delight to play.

The game combines, humor, action and creativity as it allows gamers to play as several characters from the hit film and also explore adventures set before the events of the film.

Of course being a Lego game this is not a strict rehash of the plot for the film as while many of the locales and events from the film are present, the trademark Lego humor is evident throughout and allows for a fun spin on the story.

With a new Multi-Builds system, players can decide if they want a more challenging build option in game or simply have fun and explore the game at their leisure. This is great for younger gamers as well as older ones looking for more of a challenge.

While locales such as Starkiller Base and Jakku are featured, there are other locales that arise and allow players to fill in some of the plot aspects in the years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens”. One such mission details how Han and Chewbacca were able to secure the deadly Rathtars as well as missions involving Poe Damron, Crimson Corsair, Lor San Tekka and more.

What really makes the game shine aside from the diversity and fun of playing it is hearing several of the stars from the film voicing their Lego characters. Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and several more all contribute to give the game a new level of realism and enjoy ability.

Boasting an impressive lineup of over 200 characters many of whom can be customized and over 80 vehicles would be impressive enough but for $9.99 a DLC program is available that will offer several new characters, vehicles, missions and more.

Graphically the game is very impressive as the detail level of the characters and sets is great fun to behold as is the great sound quality of the game.

This is key as combat modes ranging from Arena battles and space flight are one of the best parts of the game and really look and sound amazing as well as being great fun to play.

The game is ideal for Star Wars or Lego fans and has plenty of stuff to keep gamers of all ages hooked. I cannot wait to see what they developers come up with next as Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not to be missed.

http://sknr.net/2016/07/11/lego-star-wars-force-awakens/
  
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rose relegated to the background, where she belongs. (0 more)
A Sequel to Force Awakens
It's no secret, I hate the Last Jedi. Now, at this point it's completely null and void, and I am thrilled. Yes, I threw shade at Rose, because I thought that them pushing her into the background was hilarious, and the correct thing to do with the vanilla-boring character. No hate towards Kelly Marie Tran, you can't fault her for her character being lame AF.
I debated on whether to write a spoiler filled review, or a non-spoiler review. I decided upon a non-spoiler review.
The first half of the film did have a ton of planet-hopping and moved very quickly. I think it was this way to sort of show the main trio working together. You know, since TLJ did nothing to develop their relationships to one another.
It was a mistake to keep Carrie Fisher in the film. The scenes with her felt forced and fake. She did serve some sort of purpose, but I feel like it would have made more sense had she been dead.
Finally, what we'd all been waiting for happened, Rey's family was finally revealed. It was a little anti-climactic, and predictable. The entire film was fairly predictable, but was that a bad thing? In my book, no, I like being right about my theories. I liked the ending, and thought that certain characters endings made sense.
I didn't think the cameos were all that much fan service, they could have thrown in a lot more... Like, who was piloting the Ghost (see Star Wars Rebels)? Was it Hera or Jaden Syndulla? I loved, loved everyone they included in the very specific group cameo.
Overall, it was a satisfactory ending. I'm going to have to read more about the Knights of Ren when the collected volume comes out.
I saw articles b-tching about the additional force powers and force-sensitive people, this hasn't been a secret. Force-sensitive beings: Chirrut Îmwe (Rogue One), Finn (suggested in TFA and TROS trailers), Maz Katana, Bendu (Rebels). Beings with additional force powers: The Child from the Mandalorian (healing and suggested telekinesis), Ezra Bridger from Rebels (speaks and has strong connections to animals), and Karr from the Force Collector (sees the past from touching artefacts). I'm now ready to see more of the Star Wars universe, without the Skywalker family being the focus. Knights of the Old Republic plz.
  
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
"Satisfying Enough" Conclusion
I am a fan of the STAR WARS films. Ever since I first went to a place A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY I have enjoyed the adventures of the ragtag group of rebels taking on the evil Galactic Empire. Like most folks, I was blown away by the first STAR WARS film, LOVED the sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, thought the concluding film in the original trilogy, RETURN OF THE JEDI was "good enough", hated the prequels and have been cautiously optimistic when both THE FORCE AWAKENS and ROGUE ONE were good films. Finally, of course, I was disappointed (like everyone else) with THE LAST JEDI and SOLO. So...I was going to go to THE RISE OF SKYWALKER no matter what anyone else says.

And...I was satisfied.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is an above average, "good enough" conclusion to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars, bringing enough action, energy, adventure and character moments - and character cameos - to satisfy my appetite for all things Star Wars.

Directed by returning Director J.J. Abrams, ROS picks up events after the events of THE LAST JEDI. Rey is training to be a Jedi and Poe, Finn, Leia and Chewie are fighting Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film starts out rapidly - perhaps too rapidly - as multiple events take place with action pieces and fast pacing that does leave you slightly breathless - it also feels just a bit rushed, as if J.J. is trying to pack 10 lbs. of movie into a 5 lb bag. By gosh, he was not going to accused of delivering a film that was not "fast-paced".

The performances of the leads are strong - Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe) all know their characters by now and they are able to play in them well. Joined by the expected CGI and costumed droids and aliens (C3PO, R2D2, BB8 and good ol' Chewie), I was happily entertained to see them all together on screen - along with "veterans" like Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and General (not Princess) Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The filmmakers put a loving tribute to her in this film that is effective (though I could see where they had to use a body double in places), but it is still well done. And, of course, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos to make any StarWars afficianado happy.

Ultimately, the emotional stakes of the denouement fell a bit short for me (as the "big bad" in this didn't have the emotional heft of Darth Vader), but it was a "good enough" emotional ending buried in an above average "final space battle" to have me leave the film satisfied.

And...that's all you can ask for from the 9th film of a series...enough to keep you "satisfied".

Letter Grade: B+

8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director JJ Abrams was faced with a daunting task; bringing the 9 part Star Wars main story to a satisfying conclusion and appeasing certain toxic fans who have been very displeased with the last two cinematic outings for the franchise.

Thankfully Abrams has stuck the landing and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is an entertaining and satisfying conclusion with enough action and nostalgic moments to spare.

Picking up after the events of the last film; it is learned that threatening radio transmissions are going out across the galaxy in the voice of the late Emperor Palpatine. This deeply concerns Leia (Carrie Fisher) and her remaining Resistance as it combines with The First Order to create a larger possible threat than anyone could deal with.

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also very interested in the source of the signal as he does not want anything to stand in the way of his control of The First Order and will use whatever brutal means at his disposal to increase his power.

Naturally this sets Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), along with Chewbacca and C3PO on a daring mission to find clues to the source of the transmissions and stop what appears to be a devastating invasion which will make anything the First Order has pale in comparison.

Naturally there are plenty of amazing special effects, twists, turns, and surprises along the way as the film races to an epic confrontation.

The film hits the ground running with plenty of action at the start before settling into a longer narrative setup than some fans might like. Thankfully there are enough points of interest along the way to hold your attention before the action kicks up.
The film combines new and favorite locales and characters to create a satisfying finale to the Skywalker saga as the biggest questions from the new trilogy are answered and the few new ones I have after this will likely be heavily debated by fans or explored in a future book or comic and they are minor questions indeed.
The characters work well with one another and it is difficult to go into specifics without spoiling the film as there are plenty of surprises as I mentioned earlier. Suffice it to say that while it will not usurp the original “Star Wars” or “The Empire Strikes Back” amongst fans; it likely will be considered the most enjoyable of the new trilogy and best since “Rogue One” in the Disney era of the franchise.

The biggest remaining question is what is next for the film series as there have been rumors of a new film in 2022 with a new setting, cast, and possibly timeline. While audiences will have to wait and see what the cinematic future for the franchise is; they can be content with a very enjoyable new film.
4 stars out of 5
  
Clue (1985)
Clue (1985)
1985 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
The Multiple Endings (2 more)
The Cast
The Humor
All Time Favorites
Ive seen Clue about nine times now and it has become a tradition to watch Clue every October. I remember watching clue the first time and i laughed my ass off and i still do that. The humor is excellent, the cast is excellent, the multiple endings are excellent. Everything about Clue is excellent.

The plot: Based on the popular board game, this comedy begins at a dinner party hosted by Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), where he admits to blackmailing his visitors. These guests, who have been given aliases, are Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn) and Col. Mustard (Martin Mull). When Boddy turns up murdered, all are suspects, and together they try to figure out who is the killer.

The film was produced by Debra Hill and the story was by John Landis.

In keeping with the nature of the board game, the theatrical release included three possible endings, with different theaters receiving one of the three endings. In the film's home video release, all three endings were included.

The multiple-ending concept was developed by John Landis, who claimed in an interview to have invited playwright Tom Stoppard, writer and composer Stephen Sondheim, and actor Anthony Perkins to write the screenplay. The script was ultimately finished by director Jonathan Lynn.

A fourth ending was filmed, but Lynn removed it because as he later stated, "It really wasn't very good. I looked at it, and I thought, 'No, no, no, we've got to get rid of that.'" In the unused fourth ending, Wadsworth committed all of the murders. He was motivated by his desire for perfection. Having failed to be either the perfect husband or the perfect butler, he decided to be the perfect murderer instead. Wadsworth reports that he poisoned the champagne the guests had drunk earlier so they would soon die, leaving no witnesses. The police and the FBI arrive and Wadsworth is arrested. He breaks free and steals a police car, but his escape is thwarted when three police dogs lunge from the back seat. This ending is documented in Clue: The Storybook, a tie-in book released in conjunction with the film.

Carrie Fisher was originally contracted to portray Miss Scarlet, but withdrew to enter treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Jonathan Lynn's first choice for the role of Wadsworth was Leonard Rossiter, but he died before filming commenced. The second choice was Rowan Atkinson, but it was decided that he wasn't well known enough at the time, so Tim Curry was eventually cast.

Mrs. White's famous "Flames" speech was improvised by Madeline Kahn.

A documentary about the movie is being made, including interviews already filmed with the director, writer, and several cast members including Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Colleen Camp, and Lee Ving.

I love Clue, it is one of my all time favorite films. In my top ten best films of all time at number #3 and just excellent.

Happy Halloween everybody.