In Retrospect: The Rise Of Skywalker

I don't care. It's still a good movie. (PS. Full spoilers ahead.)

What do you want from me? Rise Of Skywalker is a mighty good Star Wars movie. In fact I enjoyed it much more this time around. The pacing wasn't as quick to me, I recognized parts I didn't the first time, and I got more emotional throughout the film. What's the issue here? What did this movie do to you? Cause from the reactions I've seen you could have sworn this film burned fan's homes to the ground, murdered their pets, and stole their spouse. It's laughable. Is it perfect? God no. No Star Wars movie is perfect and this is coming from the biggest nerd for this shit. The weird Goonies dagger was a bizzare but shameless mcguffin, Finn having the Force was hinted at well but I kinda needed a smidge more, yeah Hux goes out like a bitch but honestly he goes out in a much more stupid way in the original script, we needed so much more Ian McDiarmid like it wasn't even funny you teased him so you better give him a lot of screentime, but really the only real problems I have with this movie was the dagger. I enjoyed everything else and could understand everything else. The fight scenes are fun, dramatic, always visually interesting and never once got dull. The characters are so damn likable and I just want more of them after this. Seeing Finn be more comfortable in his military position and him finding he is not alone in this universe with the group of defected stormtroopers was super nice. I liked the bit of backstory Poe got and seeing him come to terms with being the leader of the Resistance was fulfilling after his arc in Last Jedi. C-3P0, Lando, and Chewie were great as always and I'm truly happy none of the heroes died off in this movie. I hear people bitch about that but would you have been really happy if Chewie died in that undignified way, would you be happy if C-3P0 forever lost his memory? No. And I can somewhat applaud the effort from the filmmakers to give that emotional push to the story. Seeing Leia again actually got me several times even with a non-emotionally charged scene, and the send off she gets and the impact her past and present actions do for the story I greatly enjoyed. Kylo's journey becomes complete from total badass Sith to redeemed hero and while my own dream ending would be to have the Empire win, the shift was believable the scene with Han I daresay is one of the best and most heartfelt moments in Star Wars history, and no I still haven't gotten over that he died but I understand why he had to. Palpatine is just as cunniving and powerful as ever with Ian McDiarmid doing such a fantastic job bridging the entire series together, Palpatine has always been the puppet master since before even Episode 1 so I dig that he created Snoke, formed the First Order, and returned in a clone body. I even can believe he had a son, you're telling me when he was appointed Supreme Chancellor he didn't have a little hey hey with someone and tried to cover it up? The timeline works so I must give credit where credit is due. Now we come to Rey, good lord almighty it's great to see her in this movie fully embracing the Jedi persona and having her own dilemmas and doubts be overcomed is great to see. And yes, I do stand by her last name choice. Sure I can completely and utterly respect her choice of being called a Skywalker cause well let's face it guys, the Skywalker family has really been her only family, Han was like her dad, Leia was not only her master but a loving mother figure, Luke was kind of a grumpy uncle but someone she could confide in and helped pull her through a dark time, it makes sense why she would honor them in that way. But I also would have liked to see her claim her rightful place as a Palpatine, yeah the Skywalker thing is a good big middle finger to your grandpappy Palpy, but I would have liked to see her prove that a last name means nothing, that you could be a Palpatine and still be a beacon of hope and goodness. I know a lot of people were upset that Rey was indeed not a nobody, but to be perfectly frank I would have enjoyed it either way, so what if she comes from an important family? So what if she doesn't? It's not about who you were but who you are as of right now. It's a strong good theme peppered throughout the film. I still get goosebumps seeing her yellow lightsaber, because if I was ever a Jedi (God help me if I do) my color would be yellow so to finally see it on the big screen is a big deal for me. I just absolutely loved this movie, and still stand by my ranking. I still fully concede this is for more hardcore Star Wars fans, I can see normal movie going people having several questions and concerns about the information given in the film which is fine, I totally get it. It's partly reason why I strangely love debating this movie with people, "Oh it's garbage, it's an embarassment" (yeah because clearly Star Wars has never screwed up in the past), because I like exchanging of ideas and lines of thought as long as it's in a respectable and civil way. I got some heat for my Clone Wars comments but I explained why I felt that way and even some people agreed with me likewise as I agreed with them on several points. I've heard people practically shriek this is the end of Star Wars, and I have never laughed so boisterously and hard in my entire life to such statements, if anything I'm more excited for Star Wars now than ever. Because, we're done with this story. They can go in any direction possible and not have to tie it back in with the original trilogy. Sky's the limit, I have hope we'll get grand stories, fun ideas, lovely characters, and pieces of media that will forge memories forever. Star Wars is not perfect, but it's uncanny ability to make people connect and identify with this batshit crazy universe is what has kept it going, and every avenue you take in terms of the different pieces of media leads to universes unto themselves. Yeah I feel like a jackass for not reading the books until I was in college, I still have plenty of video games I would love to play and experience, the upcoming shows keep my interest peaked and the old shows never fade. But at the end of the day, Star Wars is my one and only. It is unavoidable, it is my destiny.

PSS. I highly recommend the Cinema Wins video on this, it brings up brilliant points and might change your certain point of view.

The Rise Of Skywalker

There is so much I want to say but just can't say.

The bottom line is you should go see this movie. I didn't really know what to expect but I left that theater with a huge smile on my face and a lot of excitement. You think I'd be bummed out to see it end but I'm practically ecstatic! Screw the 53%, you have to make the decision for yourself. I've only gathered four reviews from YouTube reviewers that I watch and two were negative while two were positive, but in the end it is your own personal opinion that tips the scale. I really, really enjoyed this movie! If a movie can make my jaw drop more than a handful of times then clearly they did something right, and I was shocked quite a few times actually but not out of anger or disbelief. I was overjoyed with 99% of the story choices they made, the 1% I didn't like well...I bet you already know what it is. And every story and character decision they made worked very well, now I can see some people walking out of this movie howling betrayal and calling bullshit, but I have some sage advice that even rivals Master Yoda's. It's a movie chill out. You don't have to agree with everything they did and that's fine, but to possibly walk out of this movie feeling it was a waste of time and effort would be lying to yourself. There's lots of good things in this movie. The story is very much focused on Rey and Kylo, each building their own power and the power of their allies in a battle for the galaxy with twists and turns throughout. I love what they did with Rey and making her much more powerful after gathering the Jedi books and even is being taught by Leia. That's so cool! The first like five minutes of the movie, it could have been longer because I was so swept up in it, was just almost pornography to my eyes and ears with the screaming engines of TIE Fighters, the rising of Star Destroyers, and Kylo Ren being everything I wished him to be. You knew how to make me very happy Mr. Abrams and I have to say thank you for it. I'm actually really happy one of my ideas for Star Wars being handled by Disney was actually done, they take bits and pieces of previous expanded universe stories and just tweak them to fit the new storyline they made. I've been asking for that since 2016, and they have a goldmine to use! Even with horrible expanded universe stories there are still strong aspects you could take and utilize. So the story is great, the characters and their interactions are very strong now more than ever, the action actually has weight and tension because it's the last movie and if Monstervision has taught me anything, anybody can die at anytime. It was bittersweet seeing Carrie one last time and did get me emotional on numerous occasions, but the way they handled her was great and I'm just happy to have seen her one last time. It's such a shame we've lost so many beloved actors of this franchise but as long as we remember them they're never really gone. I really enjoyed the dive into both Jedi and Sith religions, and maybe it's just because I've been brushing up on the Book Of Sith but there was a lot to take in. I feel this movie is so much more for the hardcore Star Wars fan and maybe not so much regular audiences, because some crazy stuff goes down and to a fan I know this has been done before and I really enjoy seeing it on the big screen, but to your average moviegoer it might be a tough pill to swallow and they'll have questions and complaints. I get it, it's understandable. But the film explains many aspects and the answers you don't get can still be reached. It's just a matter of opening yourself to accept the answers and the truth of the matter. I wasn't disappointed at all and had a great time to the point where if I died tomorrow I'd be alright knowing I got to see the end of my favorite movies ever. But now the question remains, where does this rank? Now this will be just the Skywalker saga so no TV shows, no spinoff movies, just Episodes I-IX. Here we go.

9. Attack Of The Clones
8. The Phantom Menace
7. Return Of The Jedi
6. Revenge Of The Sith
5. The Last Jedi
4. The Force Awakens
3. The Rise Of Skywalker
2. A New Hope
1. The Empire Strikes Back

So let it be written. So let it be done. 4 stars, a solid 8.5/10 maybe even a 9/10, a must see before the end of the decade. This will be a day long remembered for those who remember, for those who will never forget, and for a whole new generation who will experience it for the very first time.

In Retrospect: The Dead Don't Die

I still love it.

You know, I think this movie is getting a bad reputation. Cause the brain dead zombie lovers will swallow anything with the Z word in it, but they want the same old shit and this movie is so not your regular zombie movie. Oh it sure has some beats and references to other zombie movies but the tone and story are so different from really any movie. I'll fully admit this is my first and so far only Jim Jarmusch movie I've seen, and yet I knew I was going to get something different yet unique when I walked into this movie and I really would love to get my hands on more of his work one day. See I'm not a zombie fan, I have respect for Night Of The Living Dead and enjoyed it, Shaun Of The Dead was a great comedy, and Zombieland was sorta blah for me but I know it has it's fans, so I walked into this movie with zero expectations and just wanted to see what it was about. What I got was a very funny, very entertaining, and just a neat movie that did it's own thing. I mean I will not lie to you, I saw the movie because of Bill Murray and Adam Driver, they are two of my favorite actors and I loved them just as much in this movie. The meta aspects of it were subdued but executed well and always made me laugh, unlike some other movies (cough Deadpool cough) and besides I can't exactly hate Star Wars references. It's just a fun little movie to watch and if I had to really pick my favorite zombie movie I'm hardpressed to find one I like more than this, though of course I know of no doubt superior films like Day Of The Dead and so forth. I actually did notice more on my second viewing that the film kinda has this low budget B-movie feel to it, very small set location, basic camera set up, off key acting though it doesn't detract from the movie, and the fact they give this science-y reason for the dead rising. I don't know, it just seemed in the spirit of many movies you would see on Mystery Science Theater, but that's not to say the movie is poorly made or bad. It has a good look to it, the zombie makeup isn't too much and it works, I really like the characters, the music is damn good and speaking of which I know some asshat is gonna be like well this movie was just a feature length sponsor for the song by Sturgill Simpson but let me tell you a little secret....if that's the case the finished product could have been way way worse. I mean how many friggin' movies have tried to sell you something throughout the whole movie, and how many were good? I actually don't mind The Wizard that much but yes, it's to sell you Nintendo stuff. Now let me be clear, a lot of movies have product placement but I'm more focused on where a movie is trying to shove something down your throat all the damn time and wants you to buy it and that's the purpose of the film. Hell that's the write off excuse for any movie made from an 80s cartoon and it is correct sometime. But not in this movie, the song is played for comedic effect cause it's all that's on the radio, and it's funny! And yes, I do like the song. That's a good song. It's a shame this movie made only about $13 million, because it's the director's most widely released film and people just wanted more standard zombie fare, so if you see the movie just take everything you know about zombie movies and throw it out the window. Just roll with it, you'll have fun I promise. I know it's pretty much hit cult film status, but give it a shot even if you aren't that big a horror fan. I greatly enjoyed it, and still would give it a solid 3 stars, 7/10, a sure fire rent or buy!

The Dead Don't Die

May be missing some bone in my skull but hey new movies, new reviews.

And in the case of The Dead Don't Die, see it. Just see it. If you can catch this movie in the theatre, do it. It is a lot of fun, it's friggin' weird for a zombie movie, and I really digged it. I almost expected a non-zombie movie because it takes awhile for the dead to rise and even then the movie's not centered on it. It's centered on a small town where there is some weird shit going down, days and nights stick around way too long, watches are frozen in time, the moon is glowing, only one song is heard constantly on the radio, it has a bit more of an apocalyptic feel almost. And there is indeed a reason for the dead rising, and I'm pretty sure it would take 20 minutes of Star Trek technobabble to explain it. But in the meantime we hang out with Bill Murray and Adam Driver as they drive around town and do their normal duties as police officers, and the funny thing is even when the zombies are shambling around they don't hop into action. Also free tip, Adam Driver knows what's up. Like this movie I swear has chronic self awareness, meaning they point out that this song which is also the title of the movie, is the theme. And I was like okay so we're self aware now? But thennthe movie keeps rambling on doing it's thing and it is so odd. I really like this movie, I enjoyed it but even then I can't deny it's weirdness. But you should see it regardless, and draw your own conclusions. I know I didn't divulge much beyond basic plot, and it's for the best trust me. When you watch it, you'll get what I mean, and maybe hopefully enjoy it.

Well that's all for now, but next week is no joke and we are going deep into nostalgic love.

Black Klansman

I had no idea how to properly write the title, I'm sorry.

I'm not gonna lie, I got real choked up at the end. Spike Lee did an exceptionally great job with this movie, though I will freely admit I haven't seen many of his movies and I will continue to see more in the future but it's gonna be hard to top this one. Now I know I say that a lot, and am often proven wrong a lot but is that really a bad thing? I didn't know this was based on Ron Stallworth's actual biography on a case he worked, when I heard a story about a young black man joining the police force in the 1970s and starts an investigation into the KKK, I was pretty much hooked! Then you add some drama, really good comedy, ffffflippin' fantastic actors and an acclaimed director, and there was no doubt in my mind about seeing it. I must say I feel really damn bad not seeing it in theaters, I don't know if I was busy or what but now that it's died down a bit before the big summer rush I decided it was hight time to see this movie. It is amazing. The shots look so good though to my knowledge it's shot on film, could be wrong stay tuned to find out if I'm wrong, I love the editing, I love the film references from Gone With The Wind to Shaft and how they're used, it's just a great movie. And as with all great movies it does have something to say, and it is an admirable thing to say as well. I really wouldn't be surprised if people called this a spiritual succesor to Blazing Saddles with it's mockery of absolutely absurd racism but it does it with a lot more drama, yes the film is funny but it's about the story and characters first. John David Washington is a great lead and I really would love to see more of him, Adam Driver is awesome as always, and Laura Harrier gives an intense but still highly enjoyable performance. It's more details that I love more than anything, there is this undercurrent of humor in scenes especially if someone's on the phone or they do a split screen edit cause the more you listen and think about it, it's absolute perfection. I love how it brings up the fact that with any form of protest or movement, there's going to be more militant and hard pressing individuals but also how others can talk and inspire yet neither is really the tight choice. You need to be diplomatic yet also ready to take action, wise yet powerful, that peace is not weakness and strength is not the solution. When you are both, then you posess the true qualities of a leader. And the fact the movie has no qualms, no quarter, no hesitation to adress the fact that such a thing as horrible as racism must be continued to be fought even to this day, tomorrow, and in the future because it still exists in frightening forms today must be admired. And I for one believe in all power for all people who are good, and kind, and decent, and loving.

The Last Jedi

I have never heard a more appropriate and true line in a trailer ever, "This is not going to go the way you think.".

New Star Wars movie, well that's neat........STAR WARS!!!! Yes!! Yes! The day is finally here! And let's be real here. From fan to fan, this movie is very good but it has problems. The story pretty much takes place after Force Awakens, Rey finds Luke and tries to persue Jedi training, Leia, Poe, and Finn are fleeing from the First Order, and Kylo Ren and Snoke are hell bent on ruling the galaxy. First thing is first, this is not Empire Strikes Back. At all. This movie does things no other Star Wars movie has ever done or even dreamed of doing. That must be commended for something, for going to such unforseen and unexpected areas but it just makes me wonder what in God's name is gonna happen in Episode 9? I don't know! Don't even have a clue! And neither do you! It pleases me they went in a bold, and unexpected route but what now? What comes next? Have to say, performances are still strong though. Mark, Daisy, Carrie, and John are the real stars here and they all bring full force into these characters. And seeing Carrie Fisher on screen for the last time was surprisingly pleasant, I forgot she was no longer here because she is just so great in this movie. Action and effects are extremely well done, with jaw dropping scenes, and moments that made my heart thud in my chest. So obviously the movie had profound effects on me, so it must be amazing right? Well...kinda. There was so much pandering to younger kids with these jokes that have no place being in a very serious Star Wars movie, and the Porgs got distracting. Why is it a sin to have a serious movie? I know Star Wars is for all, especially kids, but could you literally have not put butts in those seats if you didn't tell jokes? I place this stigma on today's movies, you can't be too serious because every godforsaken movie HAS to have comic relief right?! Just....this movie has tonal problems. But thankfully it quits after awhile. It's like there were so many good and even groundbreaking things you saw in a Star Wars movie, but there were elements that could not be ignored and hurt the film. The ending was by far the worst part, not just because it was over but it just kinda stops. Sure, stuff happens but it just leaves you dangling and not even in a good cliffhanger way! Just, what the hell is supposed to happen next? Now you can argue the middle movies of both trilogies had similar endings where not much happened and you were left guessing but with this movie, I thought the ending was just kinda there and had no real purpose. I'm very happy I saw it, it certainly did not disappoint but I feel like I need to see it again before I can fully put my thoughts in. Of course you should see it, to make your own judgements but I can safely say that I did enjoy this movie and really, really need to see it again for myself.

Well I think that's it. Time for the reviews to end for the year. Surprisingly, and again I do need to see this movie another time, this was not the best movie of the year. At the moment. I'll watch it again and make my ultimate decision, so I'll let you know before Christmas. Until then, thanks for another year, hope you have a fantastic holiday, and may the force be with you.

Logan Lucky

Now that there's what I call a good movie.

I've never seen a movie quite like Logan Lucky. Take the southern characteristics of Steel Magnolias and add crime elements to a movie, and by God they made something good! So the story follows a construction worker played by a pretty nonchalant Channing Tatum (no pants ripping here ladies!) who after getting laid off decides to steal all the cash from Charlotte Motor Speedway's vault with the help of his brother played by Adam Driver who I swear nails that southern drawl thing on the head to perfection, and a convict played to absurdly hilarious degree by Daniel Craig. And yes, I have no issues saying the only real reason I saw this was to Hear Daniel Craig talk like he was from fricking West Virginia. My God. It is glorious. And Channing Tatum has a daughter in this.....dear sweet baby Jesus I need to adopt a flippin' today alright? Perfection exists and it's name is Farrah Mackenzie! I just loved how the movie played out, you understand why this guy is robbing money, and by noooo means is he a selfish guy. There are movies about the good guys, the bad guys, and even good guys doing bad things, and this movie hits the sweet spot with the last example. I daresay to go see the movie for the characters and that whole sort of, southern, small town, ordinary folk, simple talking people who get right to the point by rattling on and on. It does scream home to me for a boy who grew up and lived in East Texas. It's a real good movie to say the least, and well worth the price of admission. Give it a shot and see if you liked it just as much as I did! Which by the way was an awful lot.

I'm debating on reviewing The Hitman's Bodyguard Sunday, and I think I might since after Sunday I'm taking about two weeks off. So stay tuned until then.