Movie Reviews

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars
  • IMDb: link

It is a period of civil war.  Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy….

Star Wars

It begins with a captured princess, a villain in black, a young farmboy with dreams for the stars, a hot-shot pilot and his furry companion, a mysterious old man, and two droids.  It ends with a huge space battle, heroic moments, and a ceremony celebrating what our eyes can hardly believe we just witnessed. This is Star Wars.

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The Force is Strong With This One

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  • IMDb: link

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George Lucas’ much-loved franchise has taken some hard criticism over the past few years with his “improvements” to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Add to that a less-than-rousing support for the first two movies in the prequel trilogy, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and you honestly had to wonder whether Lucas could deliver on this, the final Star Wars prequel.

We needn’t have worried. Aside from a couple of painful scenes between Padme (Natalie Portman) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) awkwardly expressing their love in rather stilted dialogue (which are both mercifully short), the movie is a largely successful addition to the “Skywalker Saga.” It’s notable that many of the elements used in the film were originally intended for Episode VI (the volcano planet, the Wookiee battle, and of course obviously, the title Revenge).

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The Sith Win

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  • IMDB: link

I can’t think of any movie that’s left me so completely incapable of looking at it objectively as Revenge of the Sith has done.  I’m that kid that grew up with nearly every single Star Wars toy.  I read the Marvel comics, I bought the books, hell…I even have the Star Wars Christmas Special.  This is a movie that I’ve waited for 21 years to see.  It’s entirely possible that no film could ever live up to what I want from the last Star Wars film, no matter how it was handled, but my expectations have been tempered by the lackluster elements of Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

For those of you who might have spent the last year living in a cave, Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith details the destruction of the Jedi, the rise of the Galactic Empire, and the descent of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) from idealistic Jedi to heartless Sith Lord Darth Vader. The conflicts hinted at in Attack of the Clones have blown into full-scale war, with the Republic fighting off a droid separatist movement.

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TMNT

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  • Title: TMNT
  • IMDb: link

tmnt-poster

What was your introduction to the turtles?  Was it the, best forgetten, live-action films?  Or was it the late 80’s cartoon with their jokes, and commercial and toy tie-ins?  Or the recent Fox cartoon relaunch?  Or was it the slew of arcade and Nintendo games?  Or were you, like me, introduced to the foursome through the original pages of a black and white comic book Eastman and Laird’s Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles?

I ask because whatever your vision of the turtles is will color how you view the film.  Fans of the games, the cartooons, and even the other films, may indeed be disappointed as the characters, for the most part, are stipped bare to more closely resemble the original creations.  It may surprise many, who keep refering to the “new look” of the film, which is anything but new.  It’s not a perfect film, but for a comic adaption to a series that had lost all credibility it’s as close to perfect as you can fit into a PG film.  The turtles have finally come home.

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Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
  • IMDB: link

Attack of the Clones is set up 10 years past The Phantom Menace, Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) has now become Senator Padme Amidala and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) has grown up and become a love crazed teenager and an apprentice to Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). Just like The Phantom Menace there is still a lack of organized storyline and things get a bit blurred within the politics and reasoning, but it’s still interesting to look at and keeps the attention going. Finally, we get to see Yoda kick a little ass and R2D2 and C3PO pair up.

In Episode 2 Senator Padme’s life is in danger from an evil group of political activists led by the crazy ass Count Dooku, and Obi-Wan and Anakin comes to her rescue. Anakin makes it a personal goal to stay by Padme’s side and protect her, while doing so they begin to fall in love with one another. Anakin knows this is not allowed according to the Jedi code, but he can’t help it. He also begins to show his interest in the dark side and gives us a glimpse of things to come with Vader on the horizon.

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