Science Fiction

Star Wars – The Phantom Menace

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
  • IMDb: link

Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute.

Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo.

While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict…

Star Wars - The Phantom Menace movie reviewNow that the “Skywalker Saga” is complete, it seems like a reasonable time to go back and look through the various Star Wars films. Unlike some, I come not to condemn The Phantom Menace. Despite its flaws, the film has genuinely great moments, strong new characters, and vivid new worlds all while doing more world building than any Star Wars property other than the original Star Wars. Does it measure up to Lucas’ original? No, certainly not. But it’s far from the weakest Star Wars film.

Set at the end of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace introduces us to the young boy who would grow into the most terrifying creature in the galaxy. Jake Lloyd is cast as the boyish slave Anakin Skywalker. Lloyd is your average kid actor and the failures of Anakin here have more to do with the choice to make him far younger than necessary than Lloyd’s performance. We’re also introduced to Queen Padme Amidala (Queen Amidala ) of Naboo, a young ruler struggling with the occupation of her planet by the Trade Federation, and Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) who arrives on Naboo with his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

…

Star Wars – The Phantom MenaceRead More »

Star Wars – The Phantom Menace Read More »

Star Wars Adventures #31

/ / Comics

Star Wars Adventures #31 comic reviewStar Wars Adventures #31 gives us a Rey and Poe Dameron team-up as Rey lives out a long fantasy of spending time flying a working X-Wing and gets some piloting pointers from the Resistance’s best pilot in this all-ages adventure.

The banter between the pair, something not seen much in the sequel films, is the best part of the story. As many of these stories do, “Squad Goals” brings in characters from other corners of the Star Wars galaxy. Issue #31 brings back the buzz droids from Revenge of the Sith who attack Rey and Poe while training as Rey proves an able student for Poe (even if her mentor only destroyed one Death Star).

…

Star Wars Adventures #31Read More »

Star Wars Adventures #31 Read More »

Darth Vader #2

/ / Comics

Darth Vader #2 comic reviewThe unexpected appearance of a familiar face rocks the Dark Lord of the Sith as Darth Vader #2 picks up from the first-issue cliffhanger of Darth Vader coming face-to-face with Padme Amidala. As expected, the woman is revealed to be Sabé (the former Queen of Naboo’s doppelganger and bodyguard). Although, in my opinion, artist Raff Ienco could have made her look a little more like Keira Knightley.

Issue #2 offers quite a bit of art, but not much story. Many of the panel’s focus on Vader’s remembrance of his lost love brought back into focus of seeing someone wearing her face years later. Despite neither trusting each other, the pair find a mutual bond in wanting to know the truth about happened to Amidala (although the way the events have played out since then we know for certain Darth Vader never learned the full truth about the final moments of Padme’s life).

…

Darth Vader #2Read More »

Darth Vader #2 Read More »

Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II TV review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. “Episode XVII” offers the return of the Scotsman (John DiMaggio) who seeks out Jack (Phil LaMarr) after his wife (Ruth Williamson) is kidnapped by a robotic demon cult that wants to make soup out of her (okay, maybe not the best thought out premise of the series). Pride and tradition prevent the Scotsman from asking his clansmen for help, who Jack gets to meet at one point in the episode, but the samurai takes little convincing before agreeing to the quest.

…

Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman IIRead More »

Samurai Jack – Episode XVII: Jack and the Scotsman II Read More »

Doctor Who – The Timeless Children

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – The Timeless Children
  • wiki: link

Doctor Who - The Timeless Children television review

As has been the tendency of writer and producer Chris Chibnall over the course of this season, the finale of “The Timeless Children” thumbs its nose at Doctor Who canon. Pulling on the thread from the classic Doctor Who serial “The Brain of Morbius,” “The Timeless Children” confirms that William Hartnell was not the first incarnation of The Doctor. Although this contradicts several episodes of Who canon, it’s an idea that has been suggested before. If that was the only change Chibnall had made in “The Timeless Children” it would have been groundbreaking enough. Instead, that’s just one piece of the story. And while that can be, somewhat grudgingly, accepted… the rest… Well, it plays like fan fiction. And not even good fan fiction.

…

Doctor Who – The Timeless ChildrenRead More »

Doctor Who – The Timeless Children Read More »