Rebuild The Galaxy: Pieces Of The Past

Better late than never.

Lego Star Wars baby, it don't get better than this! Taking place not long after the first installment a clash between Sig and Dev has unleashed a dark force from a dimension unheard of in any Star Wars story leading our main characters to form a fragile alliance to save the very existence of a galaxy far far away, a solid enough story told once again over the course of roughly 90 minutes with still quite good characters and comedy to keep it thoroughly entertaining. It still holds the same level of detail, care, love, and even jokes from the first creating another memorable experience with even more what if madness thrown in. From Darth Revan and Cal Kestis to pirate queen Padme Amidala and evil K2-SO there's some much welcome additions to this mad mad mad mad galaxy, with as far to my knowledge all the supporting heroes and villains returning once again. The story does take the next step in making the conflict bigger yet I feel how could they top the literal erasure of the entire Star Wars universe should they wish to pursue a part three? It's not impossible but I'm a bit stumped how they would do it. Of course the voice acting across the board is still really damn good with plenty of love going to our main leads like Gaten, Bobby, and Marsai and it is pretty awesome to hear Sam, Ashley, and Mark reprise their roles even in such different circumstances! Animation is still just as good if not even a smidge better than the first, further showcasing the imagination and fun Legos can bring to any story. Though man I actually almost hate the fact the Landolorian is just real in this what if story cause man, I would watch ten seasons of Lando and little Grogu just being smoother than shimmersilk and doing bounties and shit. The fact Servo got this british yandere girlfriend of a probe droid is frigin' stellar and I'm so here for it! Plus I didn't think it was possible but Darth Rose has my heart in a force grip after this, Kelly you're a gem and I treasure you so! It was cute, it was fun, the writing still has genuine merit and not just a showcase for the lolz, it's another solid little series! With Andor wrapped up, Mando just around the corner with Maul not far behind, and Starfighter just beginning production this was a quick and lovely little stop in my favorite fandom of all. If my memory doesn't fail me I believe Visions is next and well, I'll give you three guesses how I feel about that! 3 stars, 8/10, and I got a little something for you next week before the October festivities begin.

Rebuild The Galaxy

Friggin' ludicrous.

Even though Lucasfilm is on my shitlist for the forseeable future, I'm opting to seperate artist from art and since seeing the trailer this was something I knew was gonna be up my alley. All the Lego specials have been ridiculous forays in to a galaxy far far away and none take the cake more so than this. Set in a period of time after episode 9 we meet up with brothers Sig and Dev who upon discovering a hidden jedi temple irrevocably mix, blend, and pureè the galaxy into wholly uncharted territory as Sig tries to set things right with Jedi Bob and speed freak Yesi in tow. It's somehow even more batshit than the trailer leads on, it's not just a simple topsy-turvy universe where good guys are bad and baddies are good which I appreciate. Ewoks are bounty hunters, Greedo pilots the Slave 1, Rey and Rose are Sith (and that's my new happy place for the rest of time), Jabba and Lobot are jedi, odd mixes of classic ships, Tatooine has friggin' water again, and I'll be honest this special made me question so much more beyond the confines of the story than any film in the series! The animation seems more stop motion than it ever was with a lot of free flowing building amongst action scenes which never fails to be cool, the voice acting is spot on from all parties and balances drama with comedy better than any Marvel movie could wish, and it's a hefty special in relation to the last clocking in at almost 90 minutes without credits. The cute meta pokes and lovingly crafted humor are what I desire more than anything at this point in time, to laugh with Star Wars rather than suffer the animosity it garners. A sentiment that likely will never be realized or at least until I rule the world and start public executions but we're trying to be positive here damn it! I had a real good time with this and could honestly spend the next half hour just recounting all my favorite part but I'll give you top 3 just for fun. Smooth ass Maul with Sam Witwer charming the pants off of me which is incredible because I'm not even wearing pants, red eyed Threepio which was scary enough in Rise Of Skywalker was made somehow even more terrifying here, and Gonk supremacy for the win with Servo and I know a few folk who will leap for joy at this prospect and I can't wait to see their reactions! It has it's shameless fun but never looses it's footing in the story it wants to tell and truthfully had some damn good kernels of wisdom near the end about how things end but it isn't necessarily a bad thing and that the future can always be crafted for the better. That's pretty life affirming shit man, to know that even after I'm gone the world will hit a better stride than when I was alive for everyone in it. That's not so bad. But for right here right now solid 4 stars from me, 9/10, could we see a continuation? Hard to say in this day and age but tomorrow is another day.

Afro Samurai Ressurection

Hmm. Not what I thought it was gonna be.

For those who have seen the ending of Afro Samurai you'll know it actually left the door open for some continuation, so as we pick up on this feature film made 2 years after the mini-series I kinda figured it would follow in those steps. Not really. It ain't a bad thing but this movie does kinda fiddle fuck with the history of events and "canon" of the series, not in an insultingly stupid way it just adds more stuff that wasn't seen before and has a purpose for the movie. So the events follow Afro who after claiming the Number 1 headband is being hunted down by familiar faces from his past who desecrate his father's grave on top of that, and more so than the show in my opinion this really hammers the point home of revenge. It damn near walks hand in hand with Kill Bill, I just kept flashing back to that, if you seek revenge on others someone is eventually going to seek revenge on you. Hurt people hurt people. It is nothing but a vicious cycle with no end, and you already know how I feel about that. Revenge...the most worthless of causes. And that story is told super well here, spanning only 100 minutes the movie starts off very slap dash and a little confusing as to what the plot is shaping up to be, but it quickly focuses and gets going passing by in the blink of an eye and you get some visuals out of it. Obviously the animation style persists, but with a movie budget so you get a lot broader more involved fights with some damn good background scenery. It maybe took 3 shots until I saw something where I was like, "God. Damn!! That looks good!". You ever wonder why I champion animation so hard here? Because you get some atmospheric/environmental shots the likes of which even God has never seen! And I gotta admit seeing a lot more locales and pieces of this world were greatly interesting to me, making me wish it went on longer than it did because it's just cool! Is it necessary viewing? Not in my estimation but if you digged the hell out of the show you'll like the movie just fine. The plot moves at a good pace and has some solid moments, the animation still looks interesting, the music once again done by The RZA I truly need to listen to in full for both these installments, and I gotta admit the voice cast was in some cases better than the show. It's unequivocally different and doing it's own thing and for all I know we could get another addition to this series in the not too distant future, which I'm not completely against. So I give it 3 stars, 7/10, and it is time for a recent show to be discussed. Rare occurence on this site but I'm looking forward to it so see you tomorrow.

Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar

My timing was pretty spot on with this show.

Got introduced and became a fan not 6 months ago and now I've seen the finale. The true finale to my knowledge. Isn't that serendipitous? But for real all you fans that had to go through all this shit in real time, my God the patience, dedication, and love you had for this series should get you a fucking medal. A metal medal, a really kick ass blood red, pentagram embroidered, with spikes and shit medal. I knew this movie was coming and after running across it in the video section I had no choice to buy it (got a poster and everything), and you bet your ass I'm buying the complete series whenever that happens, so let's talk about this finale. Though I hate endings to shows I love and always want more Dethklok in my life, this was a really good proper ending. All the people who fought tooth and nail to get this movie made are troopers, and boy is it an experience to see Metalocalypse in CinemaScope, with this level of animation, I mean I have rarely seen a show get progressively superior in quality like this. So after the rescue of Toki and the imminent arrival of the Doomstar, Nathan and the band have to create the song to save the world and finally confront Salacia, that's the basic gist and I don't want to divulge too much because it's totally worth watching the whole show, but the storytelling and attention to detail are prevalent. In fact this is almost entirely a drama with little comedy to be found, it buckles down and gets friggin' serious for the entire duration and while there are some laughs it has that weight and tone that shit just got real. I really like that, it adds to the finality of it all. The band gets in some dire straits here with Nathan getting a good character arc and the rest getting good character moments that work well. Obviously you couldn't just watch the film as a self contained entity, and indeed I marathoned the whole show before settling down to watch this, so I almost argue you can't judge and define it on it's own merits but take it into account with every single other episode of the show. I really enjoyed it, and some aspects that really struck me were this movie is kinda life affirming in a bizzare way and takes the stance of positivity in heavy metal, it states a few times everybody dies and you only got so much time and you either strike with a fist or offer an open hand, and while my fledgling knowledge on the metal scene isn't expansive even I know metalheads, fans of heavy metal music regardless of subgenre, are some of the most polite and kind people you could ever wish to meet. That metal music can elicit positive, thoughtful, and happy emotions I feel to be resoundingly true, and can cultivate a community that through rain, sleet, snow, or even hellfire have each other's backs. Sure it's easy to focus on the grim and brutal aspects but the difference between a song's subject matter and an individual's mindset is pretty far apart. So I loudly applaud the creators for going in such a direction. It's a satisfying end and maybe this was just the hardcore nerd in me but I got big Rise Of Skywalker vibes in the finale, if you've seen both you probably know what I'm talking about but I won't give any of the details away cause that would spoil it, and that ain't cool man. It feels odd to say but this felt very modern, with previous seasons it mostly could fit in any time period post 2000, but here it feels definitely 2023 and that's not a bad thing at all but just an observation of mine. I'm very happy Brendon and Tommy got to end this their way cause man let me tell you, this became a passion project for them and very few passion projects come to pass. I'm proud to call myself a fan, I'm thrilled I got to see this whole show now, and I reckon I'll give this film 4 stars, 8.5/10, but for the whole show start to finish I'll give it a 9/10! I'll see you guys next week with a new movie review, so be safe and rock on.

Metalocalypse: Season 4

BETRAYAL!! Adult Swim, what the fuck?!



Again! Agaaaaainnnn?? Boy do I know how to pick the winners. Fucking yet another show that I love that got axed before it could have been completed properly! Okay fine, maybe I should have put more research in but the result would have been the same! I'm fucking pissed off, let's talk about it. All things considered beyond bullshit and demons, this is one last solid season. Again, not really the route I would have expected because the remaining 12 episodes (back to the 11 minute format) are more one off stories but have threads and underlying elements that come into play. More weirdness with the broadcasting dates too, it took over a year for the actual finale to come out, the final episode ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and then quite an ambitious task was taken by making the finale a full fledged 45 minute opera! Yeah no horseshit, musical storytelling nonstop, a bold move to say the friggin' least here. Christ the only other time I personally have witnessed a metal opera was the album Nostradamus from Judas Priest, which I personally enjoyed a good deal, but I'm more accepting of musicals to begin with so I fully appreciate the time and effort into making this 45 minute epic. But good lord there are many loose ends to tie up and yet it also ends on a pretty satisfactory note, you obviously want more but it didn't kick you square in the groin and say, "Fuck you piece of shit, you're not getting any resolution here!" it truthfully ends well with the exception of the cliffhanger obviously for the next season. What blows my mind and makes this strike two if not three for Adult Swim is that Brendon Small the main force behind the voices, music, and production actually was in talks and even raised the funds necessary for a proper final season after the opera special was made but Adult Swim flat out declined it leading him to so far call it a day on Dethklok. Are you taking the fucking piss mate?? It was there! The series was there! The budget was there! No, of course not, fuck you Dude, you're not getting a 5th season! Cocksucking son of a bitch!! Bring back Metalocalypse or I put you in the camel clutch and break your back, and make you hemble, and FACK your ass! Ooh I'm gonna need some death metal so I can actually calm down a notch! And no I am never letting it go, I don't forgive shit in life. Bastard, swine, smartasses! I could utter every savage curse word that there is but it wouldn't be enough, so I'm gonna try my damndest to move on and talk about the show. Runner up episodes first, Diversityklok where the band is accused of being a racism and they take measures to disprove that ending of course with ludicrous deaths. Writersklok that introduces us to Abigail Remeltindrinc as the band's new producer coming in to kick their asses into shape leading to a turbulent vacation for the band. But my absolute favorite is Going Downklok, where the band travel once more to the dark depths of the sea to record and uh...a kind of cabin fever takes hold, won't say anything further but I was rolling laughing. Also, zip on the lip for the plot of the opera of course cause we don't talk too much finale plot around here regardless of show but I did like it, the musical score was excellent and while the lyrics aren't that Broadway level of well written it has some shining moments and tells the story concisely. The show has never dropped in quality severely or felt like filler in any capacity, the characters and scenarios are fun, the music is solid as steel, the animation quality only improves as the series progresses, the writing crafts this world of high satire at first but doesn't feel obligated to constantly point it out, the overarching or more I should say under the surface plot holds intrigue and makes you want to know more. It is a very good show, a surprise to be sure but a welcome one in my life, for anybody with a dark but good sense of humor and who would call themselves a metal fan this is a recommend. It certainly is not for everyone but I enjoyed it and am happy and proud to say I've watched it. I know society still might view metal music and it's fans as problematic or even a threat to one thing or another, but in my brief odyssey to these lands of smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, and riffs that will stay in my mind for a long while to come, I see many good folk with good taste in music who I'm thrilled to say unto you, for those about to rock I salute you. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and that hopefully is not the end for this series in the future.

Metalocalypse: Season 3

I gotta tell you, I ain't got a clue where the final season will go.




Bit of a reset to just batshit one off episodes, and I'm not fully against that by a long shot but it does raise many questions for the final finale. Aside from that though, good season! I found this to be kind of a more introspective season for Dethklok, a good chunk of the episodes even if it's not the main subject matter tends to deal with each band members history, grievances, and emotional baggage. Skwisgaar tries to find his real father, Toki seeks a lady woman companion, Pickles goes through rehab and confronts demons of his past, even Murderface is humbled a fair bit to where he just wants to be part of the band and live contently. I'm actually surprised we don't get much on Nathan's point of view, and that sucks just a notch cause if I have a favorite, and I do, it would be Nathan! Hell, this season goes full musical at times with the bandmates staring off into the middle distance and singing their feelings, further compounding that fact. But it's a bit of escapism at the end of the day and the episodes are still just as good.  I know my definite favorite, but here's some runner ups. Tributeklok, where the band goes through that phase of getting back to their roots and realizing it isn't as grand as they remember, love the quickfire jokes and the usual over the top horrid deaths. Dethhealth, this episode is wild with so much nutty weirdness to make the humor even better than it is and the fact that a death metal band gets sensitive around the word dying is gold. But the best is believe it or not a Christmas episode Dethmas, mainly because it just goes against every tradition of a Christmas special and seeing the band seethe at Christmas brought me joy to know I've been recognized. Though I do agree with their more morbid brutal interpretation of Christmas staples, maybe I am too hard on that holiday......nah! I think the show is getting to me though, I was waiting for gory death to descend to this buncha' jackass hip hop jagoffs. So satisfying when it did. Don't be jagoffs kids, be good people. And my voice may be unconciously dropping a few octaves but I chalk that up to my normal grumpiness. Also weird as hell tangent here but up until episode 8, at least on the HBO Max the censoring has been kinda off and on, sometimes it's bleeped sometimes it's not, come episode 8 animated tig ol' bitties for all! It's very random and I have no clue why. Not complaining though (Because I don't mind, not that I oggle 2D calcium cannons you sick little monkies!). I have a theory or two but nothing concrete as to what is to come next time, if anything I'm bummed we're approaching the end for the apocalypse of the metals. But metal never goes quietly into that good night and rages against the dying of the light from the womb to the tomb. 4 stars, 8/10!

Metalocalypse: Season 2

Okay, wow holy shit we get some more plot!



Talk about a season that starts one place and ends in another! Definite improvements have been made throughout, and I would say the second season is better than the last. So after the attempt on the band's life and the notion of something more to the strange Mr. Salacia, it's business as usual for Dethklok with mayhem, death, and metal music making. But something I appreciate is you can tell the game has changed and that this season is building up to something, with strands from the last season still cropping up, like Edgar Jomfru and the masked assassin out for revenge, the usual board meeting shadow leaders, and a new faction called the Revengencers out for Dethklok too. It's not all serious happenings, but I like how they string the events along to where you never really forget the threat but also where you can't still enjoy the madness of the episode. From fashion designing, to more family matters, Nathan becoming governor of Florida, to attempts at romance, the show still boasts tons of variety throughout and continues it's style of humor. Something that clicked for me is, besides the grisly shock comedy bits most of the laughs come from simple conversation. It really reminds me of Looney Tunes where you can have the slapstick but the true humor shines through interaction and dialogue, with the personalities of the band clashing. They spend more time it seems together, along with how the writers give such unique personalities and it never gets dull. Better budget this time around, with more involved setpieces and greater detail. Voice cast still slays it, and what a shock to see Malcolm McDowell appear as this Rasputin looking motherfucker on the shadow council that's pretty sick! Also shoutout to Charles Foster (not Kane) Ofdensen, what a brilliant move to take this kind of nothing character and make him the coolest one! Favorite episode besides the finale I'd say is Dethfashion, the punches kept on coming and I was busting with laughter right up to the credits. I dare not spoil the finale but even I was kinda surprised how well it was executed where you know no one is going to bite the bullet but there is that tension still, it's almost very akin to the siege on Hogwarts, yet it never felt out of left field or forced to have this dramatic climax. I applaud the creators and animators for the effort they put into it! I'm truthfully not sure if that episode can be topped in terms of season finales but I'll be excitedly awaiting the next one. Great season, the show is growing on me more, and next season is the longest so we'll see what new spore of metal mayhem awaits us. 4 stars, 8.5/10!

Metalocalypse: Season 1

Nothing gets you in the mood preparing for Valentine's Day like DEATH METAL.




This was a very spur of the moment series I was watching, really just to see what it was all about cause I'll be truthful I have never heard anyone talk about this show or knew anything about it. And this was out around the same time as Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Squidbillies, with me maybe seeing a few seconds tops until this year. Another oddity is the show started in 2006 with only 4 seasons to it's name with almost every episode being 11 minutes long, and there was a huge time gap of 3 years between the third and last season before it was cancelled in 2013. Adult Swim man, that is a whole different beast of programme broadcasting! And it is as off the wall as all their other original shows. Centered on the biggest band in the whole world (how I wish it was true here) death metal quintet Dethklok comprised of vocalist Nathan Explosion, guitarists Toki Wartooth and Skwisgaar Skwigelf, bassist William Murderface, and on drums Pickles. The series so far is just a pure hyperbole soaked parody of metal bands, the U.S. government, the entertainment industry, and death. Unless you have a stiff stomach, I fully recommend not eating while viewing this show. It's actually a bit difficult to review, because like I said the episodes are just bite sized pieces, there's no real plot besides a super secret board room trying to eliminate Dethklok, but honestly I think you can say that about every Adult Swim show so consider this more an awareness PSA of this series and all the madness within. Now with me still very much a novice metalhead, with no hard exposure to death metal music, I only got some of the references but I feel this is a series where you don't have to know the music to enjoy it. If you have a sick ass sense of humor, and want something lavishly ludicrous seeped in blood, with head thrashing bits of music, and an art style while basic and not well funded has backgrounds worthy of any metal album cover at times, then this is for you. Not of course to say the animation is bad and bash it, it's detailed in the backgrounds, it's gruesome in it's cartoonish violence, and the animation team knows how to work well with very little. Maybe it's more a stylistic choice than a budget constraint, what do I know. But the writers man, they crafted something very good here. The humor is ludicrous and more often based on visceral death, but the choices made for dialogue, sound effects, the fact the censor noise is a guitar distort noise, they did put thought into all of it. The parody is almost palpable with this Big Brother government wanting people to remain dumb and obese, where every problem imaginable stems from Dethklok, and every episode they bring a new expert to form a plan to break the band. It's not even a veiled flaming fuck yourself to the PMRC three ring circus of horseshit that happened in the 80s, an event that still enrages me that taxpaying citizen's money was wasted and would have been better used to wipe their ass with. Obviously because the show was made in the early 2000s it simultaneously mocks and yet preserves that paparazzi obsessed corner of media that still needs to die brutally in this day and age. And last but not least is the absurd view of death metal bands, metal fans, and the culture at large but the show never degrades it or anything, you can tell the creators were indeed fans of the genre, with some easter eggs thrown in for good measure. It really does revel in the metal while having some fun with it. No small part to this series is the voice cast with Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha together voicing the band which is actually really impressive especially if they kept swapping voices in scenes, with reoccuring voices aplenty from Mark Hamill (Hell yeah.), we of course get some metal performers in there like George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, Kirk and James from Metallica, and King Diamond himself which is great and really cool they were down to do some voices for a handful of episodes. And while I'm on the subject of sound, again I must state I haven't waded into the waters of death metal and while I know the songs showcased are probably more on the exaggerated side, but I could get into this genre. I really, really liked the music! Props to you Brendon for these brutal songs! I kinda need more angry music in my life for those brief periods of human hating, furniture abusing, cussing galore of a maelstrom until I'm back to normal. Favorite episode? I give it to Dethfam, it had me rolling the whole way through and it sheds some backstory on the bandmates! And I'm pretty stoked to jump right into season 2 I gotta say, I know by no stretch it's for everybody but I very much enjoyed it and wanted to spread the word about. A simple but good start to the show, 4 stars, solid 8/10!

Batman The Animated Series: Season 4

You cannot ever change my mind that this isn't a part of the Animated Series.

Officially titled The New Batman Adventures, this series started about 2 years after the Animated Series wrapped up and despite the same voice cast and character relationships is a heavy departure in animation style. Dubbed "the red sky season" by fans, the character designs, backgrounds, and overall animation got a major new facelift essentially making the lines sharper and the colors more on the colder darker side. Now on one hand I can see why people might be against certain characters that got redesigned, but I don't actually take issue with any except one (but not the one you might think). But it baffles me how people say this isn't a part of the Animated Series based on animation style alone, that's like someone saying Star Wars Rebels has nothing to do with The Clone Wars because it looks different. Sod that and sod off, this is the last season of the show. Only totalling in 24 episodes, it's a mighty quick season to knock out to the point where you could feasibly do it in a day. So what stood out most? We start off in a fun multi-story of Gotham Knights, and right off the bat (no pun intended I swear) you can tell the tone in this is more lighter than the other 3 seasons. It's difficult to explain but easy to notice as we see Ivy and Harley go on a shopping spree, Babs takes on Clayface, and the Joker and Batman have a new year's eve brawl which reminds me of The Long Halloween sorta. And you may notice this like I did but I almost feel like one of the animators had a massive black lipstick fetish because seriously, every woman in this show seems to wear black lipstick or dang near close to black. It's very odd and I have no idea why, but I like that Harley kept her design despite a slightly bluer face and Red actually looks more plant like which I dig the hell out of. Next up is Sins Of The Father working as a origin for technically the third Robin Tim Drake, but no love for Jason in this show, as we see young Tim as a thief on the streets that gets tangled up in a Two-Face caper and becomes the new Boy Wonder. It's good to see a young Robin with a lot of attitude and it works quite well for the show. I will not tarnish the young actor Mathew Valencia, he does admirable work but I did notice a fair few times where the line delivery was very flat, but not in a sarcastic smartass way like we see often, yet no harm no foul. Harvey I think looks the slickest of all the redesigned rogues gallery, and that suit is still pure Kino. Next episode Cold Comfort. Alright. I f***ing hate how they handled Mister Freeze in this season, which is odd because the episode set farther in the future with him in Batman Beyond I felt was a pretty good send off for the character which was after this episode was made. So Freeze after his wife has been revived and cured is going after people's passion projects for no other reason than for people to feel his pain which already is so unlike Victor and the fact that....Jesus Christ. His body has deteriorated away due to his condition and he is now a head in a robot suit. Yet they somehow crafted him one in Batman Beyond, go figure. His story should have ended in Subzero, that is all I am saying on the matter. But then! Ohhhh yes! My boy is back, Dr. Crane and holy jumping lemurs is this the version I wish we had so so much more of. Listen to the creators talk about the redesign, even they felt they went too far and too scary with this character. So unfortunately we lose Henry Polic but in his stead is Herbert West himself, Jeffrey Combs and guess what? That voice is nightmare fuel in it's most glorious state. Just this eerily quiet, calm, haunting voice coming out of what looks like a walking corpse in a old west duster and hat, just 10 out of f***ing 10!! Why in the depths of hell was he not used more? Now I treasure Henry Polic, John Noble is mind shatteringly amazing in Arkham Knight, Robert Englund is the epitome of fan casting brilliance in Injustice, but this is the one I feel we need back. Great episode material too with Crane actually taking people's fears away and ransoming the antidote, while actually eliminating Batman's fear of even killing people. Damn, this was a home run. Then we get some Nightwing action in You Scratch My Back, where he forms a fragile alliance with Selina, who I think the redesign is more minimalistic but still works, and the constant power shift between master cat burglar and solo mullet crusader is pretty great honestly. Joker's Millions could easily be an episode of The Twilight Zone with some little rewrites and I never thought I would see the Joker living in poverty, well besides in Joaquin's movie of course. Growing Pains, wow. This episode kinda cut me as a kid, with Robin finding a young lost girl who has more to her past than she remembers. This is a fairly emotional story, with a heartbreaking ending that I must applaud as an adult that they went that far with the story. Mean Seasons while a good episode I think is elevated by the commentary within, a former model has taken on the monicrum of Calendar Girl and pulls a Baby Doll kidnapping her old bosses for booting her out for turning 30. Like man, I am dead serious this bullshit system where older women who aren't even close to being old can't find work in some shade of entertainment or modelling industry can get off my goddamn planet, it is insane how unbelievably relevant this still is today and you can also kinda read it as how people with low self-esteem or even depression can only see faults in themselves despite there being plenty to like and admire about them. It's very good solid writing that makes me recommend this as a must watch episode. The Demon Within brings back a ton of magic in this series, and I just love the comraderie and unspoken past encounters and friendship Bruce has with Jason Blood, better known as the demon Etrigan, which comes up later on in the Justice League series. Good stuff. Then the bomb drops, Over The Edge. I am not saying a friggin' word, just imagine the most worst possible Elseworlds situation about the Batfamily and watch it. Solid gold. Love Is A Croc, really only struck me by just the sheer fascinating idea of what if Baby Doll and Killer Croc did heists together? I am so bewildered this pairing even exists let alone how and why someone thought it up. I will however state I love Baby Doll's voice actor, and we were on the verge of a truly niche relationship in this episode. Just watch it and try not to think anything nauuuughtyyyyy. The Ultimate Thrill was a lot of fun, entirely on the basis of Roxy Rocket who I might be admiring a bit too much, she's a total adrenaline junkie and does some wild ass stunts just to rob people but there's something about her I just like. God dang redheads man, I cannot help myself! Then we jump ahead a bit to Old Wounds, which for very briefly albeit had my money as the best episode of the show. Just the fact that we finally see the seed which was planted back in 1992 with Dick being in college, grow to where we see him call it quits with Bruce and becomes his own agent was wonderful to see and even if you are a major Batman fan and knew Dick would become something more it pays off very well I think. But then comes the crown jewel of the season, Legends Of The Dark Knight. It is so simple but such a loving and wonderful tribute to the iterations of the World's Greatest Detective, where three kids discuss what Batman actually is like. We get a terrific 1950s tribute with a silly Joker, an out there caper, the Dynamic Duo just one stop short of Adam West and Burt Ward revisiting the characters, and it is presented in all it's silver age glory even to the point I myself shouted great scott! Then we flip to the other side of the board where The Dark Knight Returns is presented and while still keeping it's feet firmly in the animation style of the show did such a faithful job getting so many touches of that story, abridging the fight with the mutant leader and giving some fair recognition to Carrie Kelley. I will not however stand for that snub shot to Joel Schumacher, yes I'm in a minority here but the man introduced me to the Batman and made me the fan I am today from Batman Forever alone, I have a lot to owe him. Best episode of the season, probably even top 10 of the whole show. Girl's Night Out at first I thought was going to be another Harley and Ivy romp but turns out all the female costume crowd came out to play, we get Livewire from the Superman Animated Series which I will admit I haven't seen much of but I love her voice and personality a great deal, our favorite girl team is still living together, and both Batgirl and Supergirl team up and even find some solace in each other's opposite lives. This is easily an episode just for the fun match ups and thusly is one of the most fun episodes of the entire show. Beware The Creeper honest to God, the only things I have to say about this episode is that Harley scene, holy moly. And the character of the Creeper practically shouted Freakazoid to me from the word go, I almost was flat out expecting the same voice actor to do both parts. Other than that, pretty crazy but pretty funny. Now we come to a similar problem that the last season had, the last ever episode broadcasted for this show was Mad Love finally laying Harley's backstory bare and seeing her near fatal death which is a positively shocking way to go out. Yet the last episode on my DVD's is Judgement Day, which truthfully is almost if not more shocking and weird to end on as a new face arrives in Gotham and passes sentence on various rogues gallery inductees, and had an almost Psycho-esque ending the more I think about it. The show ends on a fairly creepy note and then that's it. It's all over. So it is an unfortunate circumstance that there really was no definitive ending, but I don't think that was fully a thing for animated shows back then and really, knowing full and well that more shows came out which only built upon the backbone of The Animated Series makes that criticism a moot point, it keeps continuing in some form or another. Batman Beyond, Justice League, the Superman Animated Series, even Static Shock kept this animated DC legacy going. True there are other timelines, universes, whatever you want to call them but this is the one all of them have to thank for even being around. Batman The Animated Series did a tremendous lot for the comics, for the shows, for the games, for an entire generation and then some to this day. Not every episode is a 10/10, not every season has nothing but great things to talk about, it's the overall experience that makes it so good. It's seeing these animators, these creators, these voice actors commit to bringing you Batman and making it accesible and fun for everyone to watch. It's a classic still talked about for a reason, and I just like talking about it. 4 stars, 9/10 for the season but a full 10/10 for the show as a whole, and my lord there is still so much to talk about with the other shows for another day. It can be cruel, poetic, or blind but when denied it's violence you may find in my reviewing mind for The Batman. Will justice be served for all fans?

Batman The Animated Series: Season 2

It's tricky to review this show cause technically the first season is 65 episodes and only technically had two season so just bear with me.

So obviously there isn't much that has "improved" since the last season since these episodes were made in close proximity to the ones previously reviewed, and the cast reamins the same. So at least for right now this is more of a discussion of episodes that I took great interest in and had things I really wanted to talk about. Perchance To Dream, which is Kevin Conroy's favorite episode of them all is the second episode of this season, and has a premise that works brilliantly. Bruce Wayne wakes up one day to find his parents alive, he's engaged to Selina, and someone else has taken up the mantle of the Batman but he still knows he's Batman, so it becomes this psychological dive into Bruce's mind and his perfect world that he wants no part of. Obviously if this was the basis for a graphic novel they could super easily make it a dark, twisted, psychoanalytical story about Bruce and why he feels compelled to put on the cape and cowl, and that's a book I would gladly read. Robin's Reckoning was a powerhouse two parter for me, finally we get Dick's backstory and origin as Robin as he confronts the man who took his parents life. Honestly, with a few rewrites this could be the episode where he becomes Nightwing, he really clashes with Bruce and his emotions get the better of him. A true classic for a character we haven't spent much time with. The Laughing Fish is another iconic fan favorite, more Joker and Harley action that digs just a tiny bit into Harley's undying affection for him, it's a damn good episode. The Strange Secret Of Bruce Wayne introduces Dr. Hugo Strange (I prefer Professor Strange so we don't mux up our Doctor Strange's.) who through a psychological machine discovers the true identity of Bruce Wayne (Just like Batman Forever!), and places his secret to the highest bidder where Joker, Two-Face, and Penguin bid for it. It's always fun seeing those colorful personalities clash and it's great to have another rogue introduced to the animated series. If You're So Smart Why Aren't You Rich finally gives us The Riddler in a unique potrayal of the character who designed a puzzle video game but seeks vengeance on the boss who fired him, it sort of gives a mix of Frank Gorshin's Riddler with a dash of Jim Carrey's and ultimately this classic iteration voiced by John Glover. Then we get a giant consecutive 4 home run episodes starting off with the pinnacle of fan favorite episode's Almost Got 'Im. People worship this episode, I've rarely seen someone counting down their favorite episodes and it not be #1, and I can attribute that to two points. One, these characters and their interactions is the source of the enjoyment as Joker, Harvey, Penguin, Ivy, and Croc play poker and trade stories about how they almost killed the Bat. Two, you get a lot of stories in one episode, some major bang for your buck. The writing is flawless and it does deserve the love but my personal favorite and wildest is yet to come! Birds Of A Feather comes up next with the Penguin intending on going straight and actually falls for a young socialite, but is the subject of a cruel joke forcing him to be a villain once more. Great story, easily manipulates your emotions in Penguin's favor, and shows a side of the rogue's gallery we don't get to see much. What Is Reality, a mental and expertly animated episode where Riddler crafts a virtual reality headset 25 years before Oculus or Playstation, and traps Comissioner Gordon inside leading Batman and Robin to venture into a world where the Riddler controls all. A bevy of almost trivial knowledge, and ends pretty friggin' dark I gotta say! Speaking of dark. I Am The Night. God. Damn. This is the best episode of the season for me, solely because we see Batman in an emotionally, mentally dark place and after the severe injury of Jim goes into a full on depression. Kevin Conroy if people ever had doubts in their mind about him being the best after this episode are well and truly dead. The angry howlish yells of rage, and melancholic musings of whether or not he's really doing much good absolutely floored me. You can keep your Almost Got 'Im, I will take I Am The Night. The Man Who Killed Batman harbors almost on Elseworld territory as a new and bumbling gangster seemingly albeit accidentally murders Batman, and the whole criminal underworld and more importantly the Joker has some words for him. It plainly paints the relationship between Batman and Joker effortlessly and beautifully, culminating in one of the best character eulogies I've ever heard that nearly made me cry from laughter. And we end the season once more with a bang showcasing Harley & Ivy, as Harley is booted from Joker's gang and forms her own criminal dynasty with Poison Ivy and this is where we get the 411 in all it's terrible detail on Harley's codependence and how Ivy tries to get her to be more independent. It's a real fun episode and obviously has a lot of impact on both these wonderful characters decades to come. So another incredibly strong series, with very few episodes that would be considered skippable by the uninitiated, but we are initiated aren't we? So watch them all, judge for yourself, there be gems here for sure but you'd be surprised how well handled all of them are. Another 10/10? I genuinely would say yeah, even more deserving perhaps than the first season which still knocked it out of the park unconditionally. 4 stars, 10/10, and if memory serves the game changes next time. Tune in tomorrow, same time same channel!

Batman The Animated Series: Season 1

If series 13 of Doctor Who has taught me anything, it's to elaborate fully on my points. So from henceforth if a show deems it necessary, each review will be split into parts. This is most definitely one of those shows and the bulk of this entire series will be contained in the first season.

So, where exactly to start with Batman The Animated Series? Well apologies up front for not reviewing it sooner, given my reputation for all batmedia. I was heavily late to the party when the show was airing in it's hayday, so I strangely enough was introduced to this show not through the Cartoon Network but by one single VHS tape that I still own after all this time. Now keep in mind at such a young age I saw only Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, and Batman Returns, in that order even so my knowledge of Batman was increased tenfold watching the show as I grew up, and the Arkham games pushed it to a partial encyclopedic knowledge roughly 10 years later. The first episode I ever watched actually caps off the first season, and I'm splitting this up not how it was broadcasted but by my good old season collections on DVD, with Dreams In Darkness so we'll come to that in good time. It's almost overwhelming to get to talk about this show because I genuinely could go on for longer than anyone would read. I could easily make a 10 part retrospective on the show's history alone so I'll summarize briefly. In the gaps between the Burton and Schumacher eras plans were set for an animated Batman show that was just as much for adults as it was kids. It kickstarted in 1992 and almost singlehandedly changed the game of animated shows in the first episode. The animation, dark and stylized quite literally being drawn on black paper so every frame is seeped in shadow and black so the animation team had to know better than anyone how to work with light, color, and movement creating a whole new style dubbed dark deco by the creators. It looks good to this day with gorgeous backgrounds, sharp lines, excellent use of color and shading, I think there are videos upon videos dissecting and revelling in this unique animation style. The cast while dipping it's toes in the celebrity department is mostly made up of then not well known actors, but now my God I'd almost dare say this was one of the first shows where people really started paying attention to who was voicing what character. Kevin Conroy has cemented a legacy as the Dark Knight, the voice that has lasted generations and only has just recently stepped into live action, is THE Batman to so many people above even Michael Keaton, living and breathing the character for 30 years now. And lest we forget the clown prince of crime himself, Mark Hamill. Okay. Who.....the hell, thought when they were making this show, you know who we should consider for the archnemesis of Batman? Luke Skywalker. How? Why? What? It seems so out there, but surprise surprise he is in a league of his own, once again pretty much beating out every actor as THE Joker for so many folks, and has secured a legacy of madness that will continue for a very, very long time. 10/10! The cast alone once more could take ages to praise in turn, so I'll throw out my all time favorites a giant round of applause for voicing these villains. Richard Moll as Two-Face solidified him as my forever favorite villain of Batman's rogues gallery, Tommy Lee Jones got me on board but this man made me stick around. Henry Polic the II was the first new villain I knew in this show, introducing me to the master of fear the Scarecrow and maaan what a splendid job he did. I know this is sacrilegious but because of this show if you asked me my top 5 Batman villians even today, the Joker is #5, Mr. Freeze is #4, Riddler is #3, Scarecrow is #2, and Two-Face takes the #1 spot. He did that good a job, not really scaring me too bad but endlessly owning my attention when he was on screen. Scarecrow's episodes are always a highlight for me. Michael Ansara as Victor Fries. I gotta wait. We're gonna talk episodes later on and there will be much to say about Heart Of Ice and this character. Put a pin in that, we'll come back to that. Those were the big standouts for me this season, and I couldn't love them more, both actor and character, and no doubt more will come in the other 3 seasons. Not ever to discredit or shy away from the rest of the cast, Bob Hastings is a great Jim Gordon and was a good addition to Pat Hingle's version. Loren Lester though shockingly only in two episodes as Robin shows not the boy wonder but the Dick Grayson college student version of his character and does it well, can't wait to see more in future episodes. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. gives so much wit and humor to Alfred, and while my heart forever belongs to Michael Gough in the role, with unfathomable levels of love and admiration for both Alan Napier, Michael Caine, and Sean Pertwee's renditions, gives a strong and memorable performance. I can't point out a bad performance, even in a bit player, so onwards to music. I love it, from the opening theme, to the ending theme, to the reoccuring villain motifs, to the score for each individual episode. Shirley Walker and her team practically was 1/3 of the success of the show, giving us that dark moody and even triumphant music that accentuates the adventure. Never once does the music not give me goosebumps throughout the entire first season at one point or another, that's the power we are talking about here. Onto the fun part as we discuss what I consider to be the best episodes of the season. Obviously I have to give a shoutout to On Leather Wings the first epsiode, it has some very good animation and sets the tone for the show perfectly, and once the studio execs saw it they had a heck of a lot more faith in the show. Christmas With The Joker follows up on that and it's actually really fascinating to see the show not give a ton of buildup for these iconic characters, it does the character justice but nowadays it's almost all about the buildup to see a certain character, but it's a very fun episode and gaves us the first hit off Mark Hamill's performance and laughter. After that we have Nothing To Fear which not only introduces Scarecrow in a very good way but is the episode with the honor of having the whole I am vengeance lines, and personally has one of the most hair raising scary Batman moments, I mean sweet lord I actually recommend the episode more for that than the I am Batman part. POV is flat out another animated tribute to Akira Kurosawa this time the influence being Rashomon, and any episode with Renee Montoya is a win for me. I actually will give credit to the show for setting up Harvey Dent several times and not just introduce him when he is disfigured, showing up in the first episode, he dates Poison Ivy which is pretty wild and her introduction episode as well is a standout, but this was it man. This was the episode to cement Two-Face as my favorite, giving Harvey a split personality even before going full on villain and introduced two parters to the series, it's a terrific episode and the entire design of Two-Face is nothing short of classic. The Penguin oddly enough is introduced in one of the more kid centered episodes, of course it's a show for kids but this takes it to another level with two young children saving Batman's life and tries to hide him away from the clutches of the Penguin. It's not a terrible episode, not even a pandering or cheesy episode, but you can tell this one was for the kiddos I mean the title is I've Got Batman In My Basement for crying out loud. But boooooy do we switch gears fast with Heart Of Ice. It literally is just as good as people make it out to be, taking a one off villain from the comics and adding so much pathos and tragedy to it that it's not difficult to see why this is the episode that got this show an Emmy. Michael Ansara knocks it out of the park from line one and it just goes to show how big an impact this character made. I mean every Batman adaptation since, even Batman & Robin does his origin this way, because it has such an emotional impact, because he is such a well written villain, I mean the first season is either getting a 9 or full 10/10 but Heart Of Ice alone gets a 10/10. Then we meet Selina in The Cat And The Claw, again an absurdly good introduction to the character and nails the Batman/Catwoman dynamic effortlessly. Adrienne Barbeau is perfect casting and I like how Selina and Bruce's relationship evolves through this two parter, I genuinely love their interactions and couldn't wait to see her next episode. Now it's time to talk about Beware The Gray Ghost. Holy mother and great scott! Wow wow wow. What a perfect example of art imitating life with Adam West the Bright Knight himself, as the childhood hero of Bruce and teams up with the Batman in his older years. It's a gorgeous and loving tribute to the legend himself, and does dig into what happened after he put up the cape and cowl all those years ago. 11/10, the Gray Ghost is my hero. Feat Of Clay is a solid two parter introducing Clayface, once again introducing an element of tragedy to how he became the way he is and is a story I don't hear many people talk about but it's worth the time. Again sort of following up that case of characters showing up without much fanfare, Harley Quinn just kind of pops up in Joker's Favor, and I betcha' a million bucks no kid or adult who saw it live back then would know how much love and attention this character would get. It does reinforce how much I miss Arleen Sorkin and even I'm a bit perplexed how Harleen got so much popularity in the coming years, and we're talking long before even Margot Robbie got the part, but it's wonderful to see her all the same. Scarecrow appears once again in Fear Of Victory, get used to me shining a lot of light on his epsiodes, with a unique villain plot and once again kind of another blood rushing creepy moment that I can only imagine freaked kids out something fierce back then. An Appointment In Crime Alley is easily one of the best Batman stories to come out of this show, it introduces Leslie Thompkins and without one word of dialogue shows everything you need to know about her relationship with Bruce and it does have in my opinion one of the strongest and emotional endings to any of the episodes. Mad As A Hatter, one of my favorites when I was younger and thoroughly obsessed with Alice In Wonderland, a good introduction to a lesser known villain but made very memorable through the story. Here we go again, Scarecrow part the third with Dreams In Darkness, the first episode I ever saw of this show and man I got a lot of memories about this. I watched it a ton and it really got my imagination going at such a young age, easily the reason why I hold Scarecrow so highly. I love the story, the animation for the hallucinations, I still want that awesome pocket watch, it's another stand out for me and I'm glad to see it get a lot of appreciation. I hope there's been some videos to really delve into these episodes because what they did for animation, television, and comics cannot be understated. It's such a rich show that has so much to offer, even in an episode like The Forgotten you can still enjoy it, it's very well written, innovatively animated, and just fun to watch. I doubt it's no secret the first quarter of this show gets the full 4 stars, 10/10, and I hope that trend continues as we dig straight into season 2 tomorrow.

Village Of The Damned

In terms of horror remakes, I don't think this deserves a lot of hate.

Now I will admit I've only seen the first 20 minutes of Children Of The Damned awhile ago, so I can't properly compare notes so we are discussing the merits of this movie alone. I quite liked it, even though I hear tale John was doing the movie out of obligation to the studio and not because of his own passion and creativity, and even the shooting was a disaster with residents of the town harassing the film crew throughout, so with all that negativity in mind the production is pretty solid. From the brief instances of knowledge considering the original the plot isn't much different, a mass blackout in a small town leads to the birth of several children with mind controlling abilities causing havoc and despair as the parents try to figure out a way to resolve the situation. It's a fascinating plot regardless of decade, and it didn't take long for me to get into it and to know how it was going to end. I will however state a supreme amount of enjoyability in this movie goes to the fact that Christopher Reeve and Mark Hamill are in this movie, though I will not detest anyone's acting in this movie. I know child actors get a lot of flak because they can't emote properly but here, it works entirely to the advantage of these kids and they all do brilliant work even though only two of them get any spotlight. It breaks my heart constantly seeing Christopher in this, being this was the last movie he made before his accident and I simply love that man more than I could say. Coincidentally enough the movie came out one day after I was born, to mixed reviews and a less than average box office. But like I said it genuinely isn't that bad! The cast does good work with passion, the production budget is lower but still does a lot with what it has to do, I really digged the effect on the eyes implementing some basic CGI to good effect, the story moves at a good pace and if anything it makes me want to finish the original to compare notes. Boy howdy though this was some 90s shit man, just little things that I noticed that really screamed the decade at me. Kirstie Alley is a damn chimney stack in this, smoking nonstop even in a hospital, yeah remember when that was okay? Seeing a classroom with a bulky TV in the back, that brought back some memories and a half. I'm not sure what the explanation is for the children in the first film but we flat out get X-Files up in here with an alien in a glass jar, I was almost expecting David Duchovny to make a surprise cameo. It's by no means a great film but you can have a good time with it, and really anybody could have directed it despite Carpenter having his name on it, but it's decent. 2.5 stars, 7/10, time to make the trip back to Haddonfield tomorrow.

Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders

Yeah sorry I couldn't get the Scoob review out last week, I really had no idea how I would see the movie until I already posted my Legend Of Boggy Creek review, so this is to make amends.

Boy is this movie a ride. Yet another classic in my eyes and collection, I've held onto this tape for about 20 years now, and I'm still grappling with that little fact but let's not dwell on that and get to the review. This is another strong entry for me, it's odd looking at the runtime for the Scooby-Doo movies cause 9/10 times the movie is barely over an hour long and it so did not feel like that when I was a kid. True the mystery aspect is so weak that it takes just one single clue for Velma to bust this case wide open but the appeal it has is more in the characters than the setup. So the gang is travelling through....Utah? It really doesn't state where they are but the topography screams of Wile E. Coyote to me when suddenly the van breaks down and mysterious lights are dazzling the sky leading the gang to investigate the small town and the nearby satellite dishes. Why? Because why not. I immediately have to mention the animation cause it really is pretty dang good with excellent colors and the shading works wonders, every background looks weathered, old, and used like there's actual grit on the animation cells. It looks awesome! But back to the story for a bit, pretty soon Shaggy and Scooby meet up with a hippie girl and her golden retriever and shock of all shocks, romance blooms. This is why this holds up so well for me, cause how many times have we seen Shaggy and Scooby head over heels in love? Not too often. It's such an interesting dynamic to go with and the chemistry between them goes hand in hand very easily, to the point where Shaggy is ready to settle and spend his life with this woman. That's wild man, and I was living for it just as much back then as I am now. We even get a Xanadu-esque music number and the visuals are so damn late 60s it is incredible. I'm pretty sure if you asked people what they remember most about the movie it will be the romance. But truthfully, the rest ain't bad either. I like the designs of the aliens, granted they look like broccoli heads with blood red eyes but I dig it. The locales are nice, the side characters can be fun, and the twist is kind of awesome in my eyes. But let me tell you something, I have never seen an animated Scooby-Doo movie with quite a few instances of innuendo, I mean Jesus this was a bit of an eye opener watching it all these years later. From..."positions" of characters, to dialogue, it's a bit randy! But nothing can really take away from the ending which is honestly very depressing, I mean I was bummed out by it as a kid and it nearly shattered my heart as an adult. It's a downer man, not to the point of other movies I've reviewed but plenty sad enough. I give it 4 stars, 7.5/10, well worth a watch if only just once. And by my count I only have one more Scooby-Doo movie left from this second golden age, so tune in tomorrow for Scooby-Doo And The Cyber Chase.

Empire Of Dreams

I'm running out of Star Wars stuff.

Literally, after season 7 of Clone Wars and an In Retrospect of The Rise Of Skywalker, that's it for Star Wars here until season 2 of The Mandalorian. I am not brave enough to watch the Ewok stuff so this is the end. But I have to say this is a fine documentary, the first I ever watched concerning my favorite movies. It only centers on the first trilogy, mainly the first film, and with a run time of 2 and a half hours the information that you get is good and seeing the formation of this franchise is entertaining, enlightening, and really puts this whole series in perspective. I am going to say this once and only once, I hate how people take Star Wars for granted. I could rant for hours about how people take this so seriously, and this is coming from a die hard Star Wars fan. This really and truly does put the entire franchise into perspective, people always assume, oh Star Wars was planned from episodes 1 to 6 immediately and never had to be revised or changed, oh Star Wars was widely accepted during production and didn't have any problems or trials to overcome, oh the special effects were done with a mass of materials to be used. No! Noooo!! Damn you a thousand times no! This might be an odd thing to say but this is a documentary that flat out tells you the truth, there is no bullshit here and they tell you how Star Wars came to be in the most un-dramatic, straightforward, and sometimes even humorous way. The "script" for Star Wars was a very basic cliffnotes version of the story we know that was radically different than what we got on screen, the production was a huge hassle that hardly anybody believed it would have even gotten half of it's money back, the special effects guys for this film are absurd with how they didn't have a single thing to work on beyond sketches and artwork and made some of the best special effects ever like friggin' EVER, the imagination and creativity they had to make this passion project a reality is nothing short of unbelievable. Like man, if one single aspect of that finished film was off....Star Wars would not be here today. It would have come and went with zero fanfare, zero fans, zero recognition. And you know, there are some unsung heroes in this that deserve recognition, Alan Ladd Jr. is the man who made Star Wars possible cause without that guy George Lucas could have never made the movie. Period. Not with the kind of budget he got. Ralph McQuarrie has been getting more recognition through the years but it was his initial paintings and artwork that got people onboard for this science fiction movie in a time where such a film would have been laughed out of every studio and theater in America. Just...I have to give props to the editors, producer, and visual effects team so much for getting this film finished. Yes George Lucas deserves huge recognition for his ideas, ambition, and the scale he wanted this movie to be but I really, truly, very much believe this film wouldn't have gotten anywhere without these people. Star Wars didn't have a road map, not really, because as time progressed ideas and concepts changed, shifted, were dropped, or improved as the scripts were being rewritten and all for the better in my opinion. In fact there is a comic series I believe it is just called The Star Wars where the original original story that George Lucas penned, design choices and all, was published and booooy is it out there. Thankfully you can find the documentary totally free on YouTube, and it is worth the time to watch. I got a little choked up seeing Carrie again, just being her ridiculous awesome self and it brought up points I knew, I never knew, I knew but then I forgot, it's absurd how much this simple story grew in now over 40 years. It's a big reason why I think people need to chill the f*** out over the sequel trilogy, it really ain't all that bad when you get right down to it. We've seen worse in this series and The Last Jedi ain't one of them examples and I'm talking everything here, not just the films. But what the hell do I know? Maybe I'll make a review in 10 years time that will start something like this: "Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker was the most disappointing thing since my son. I mean how much more could you possibly f*** up the entire finale to Star Wars? And while the prequels aren't bad on paper, the unfortunate reality is that the sequels will be around. Forever. It will never go away, it can never be undone. If you're someone under the age of 20 and say you don't remember a time when Disney didn't own Star Wars and that you thought all of them were good, then I suggest you turn this review off right now before I carefully explain how much of a f***ing idiot you are.". But as of now, I very much like the sequels, I love the original trilogy, and I like...parts of the prequels. But Star Wars is bigger than that and no doubt will entertain the world for decades to come. But take a look at the source and how it all came to be, if only to appreciate where we are now. May the Force be with you always.

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.

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Well how about that, two birds with one stone. You get a holiday special and something Star Wars before Episode 9.

What....was that? I can't even believe I just watched that. I have lived for almost 25 years and only now have just watched the Star Wars Holiday Special. I don't even know what to say. What can you say about it? Do I describe the special or talk about it's impact that surprisingly is still felt today? Well why not both. We really got to dig into this. So this special was conceived by George Lucas to help Star Wars remain in the public consciousness, which sort of baffles me because it was released just one year after Star Wars came out and honestly who could forget Star Wars? And I'm talking in 1978, no retroactively thinking. Do you know how much money that film made? It was only the highest grossing film ever, and won several Academy Awards, with an armada of merchandise and one hell of a fanbase that stretched the world over. It was said that when George watched the finished product he couldn't believe it and said it seemed like a cheap cash grab, and memorably went on to say if he had the time he would track down every known copy and smash it with a sledgehammer. So how did it garner such an unparalleled hatred in the Star Wars community that would make the prequels look like some of the finest films ever made? Well the story centers around Chewbacca and Han trying to get to Chewie's home planet (before it was called Kashyyk) to celebrate a traditional Wookie holiday known as Life Day. We mostly spend the special though with Chewie's family, which doesn't sound like a horrible idea until you realize the special doesn't even have subtitles or a translator on standby to fill you in on what the Wookies are actually saying. Some people say it's ear bleedingly bad, but I didn't have much of a problem with it and strangely enough there's multiple vignettes peppered throughout the special because, whoopsie daisy someone lost the plot, so pretty much 85 to 90% of the special is just pure filler. It's not even good filler with worldbuilding aspects and interesting characters that you can grasp from such moments. And to be honest, our main cast don't look that well, Harrison was dragged into it, poor Mark looks like a Ken doll though it is serendipitous to hear how comfortable and good he sounds as a voice actor, and Carrie dear sweet Carrie you can sing honey but that was hard to sit through. What sidetracking filler is there you might ask? Well, there's holographic circus performers, a cooking show by what looks like the evil stepmother from Cinderella, a moment that should never have been created let alone televised and was flat out stated by the producer to be soft core porn, an instructional video to create a radio transciever, a very 1970s looking cartoon, an odd yet very enjoyable I guess short musical with Bea Arthur, oh yeah and a Jefferson Starship music video. I would just like to say, WHAT THE F***?? And guess what, apparently the writer of this special did a lot of cocaine and you know what, I couldn't tell! Everything just gels so impeccably well! Oh sweet baby Yoda, save me. Okay. Breathe. First of all, if you are a fan of 70s television you will recognize the three guest stars of this programme, Art Carney, Harvey Korman, and Bea Arthur, all very talented and funny people. So what cracking material were they given here? Well Harvey Korman dresses as a woman during the cooking segment and plays a faulty replicant in the instructional segment, and I can safely say is wasted tremendously. Art Carney plays a friend of Chewbacca's family, and honestly he seems like he's trying but this writing is just ass. Bea Arthur is the best part of the special period just as a barkeep of a cantina on Tatooine, and I won't lie I loved her segment. In fact, there was quite a bit I enjoyed! Bea Arthur as a bartender on Tatooine sounds like the biggest waste ever, but it works for me, I fully believe her in the part and she's actually pretty funny, it feels like a real bar and just has nice little moments to it, and even when they burst into a musical number (For some weird reason?) I still have a blast with it. And yeah, let's talk about Jefferson Starship previously known as Jefferson Airplane, I honestly and truthfully want this band to be a really real thing in the Star Wars universe. It is totally random and out of nowhere, but damn do I like that song. I really dig the cartoon segment too, it has such a unique art style and is probably the most well known part of the special. It introduced the character of Boba Fett for the first time ever, and really kickstarted his popularity, and I totally get it now! I always really liked Boba Fett but I seriously have much more appreciation and love for the character now. No wonder he caught on so much with fans, badass look, great voice, cool personality, rides a frigging aquatic dragon lookin' thing, is flat out called the best bounty hunter in the galaxy by Lord Vader himself, he's pretty amazing for such a short appearance. So yes there is stuff to enjoy here but man do you have to put up with some absolute fluff to get to it. I was honestly shocked at how much stuff you see in this special that is brought up in the future of the series. The Wookie houses are identical in art style to today's, several of the aliens in the cantina we continue to see in the series that weren't in the original Star Wars, that cool cattle prod thing Boba Fett used is in The Mandalorian, and Chewbacca's family and Life Day are still considered canon by Disney. It's a part of this amazing pop culture dynasty, and while is not exactly the most highly acclaimed piece of Star Wars media even I can't condemn it too much. Beyond that one scene, which shall never be spoken of or even slightly mentioned by anyone or I will feed your carcass to a Rancor, I didn't hate it all that much. It truly is a coked out, rambling, incoherent, and the most worthless piece of fluff ever conceived but you know what? I'd still rather watch it than The Phantom Menace or Attack Of The Clones. Phantom Menace had Darth Maul and the climactic duel. Attack Of The Clones had Christopher Lee and.....um....the clones? This had Jefferson Starship, Bea Arthur, and even a few nice moments between characters. It's not very good, but I can live with it. I give it, 1.5 stars so check it out if you're morbidly curious. The whole thing is on the Youtubes, and if you got an hour and a half to spare and just want to laugh and make jokes, give it a shot. I think I'm so burnt out right now, I don't even care. I just gave an okay review to The Star Wars Holiday Special. I think it's a good thing I only have one more review for the year. Tune in next time for the end of the Skywalker saga and a final chapter to my childhood.

Castle In The Sky

Oh my God this is the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life!!

Now to clear this up beforehand, Castle In The Sky is in fact the first Studio Ghibli movie. Now Nausicaa did come out first but Studio Ghibli wasn't formed at that point, the production company was alled Topcraft but it is still part of their library. It's a bit confusing. So if you want to be truly accurate Castle In The Sky is the first official movie of the legendary studio and it is glorious. I am serious, this is going to be the hardest movie to top in the Studio Ghibli library for me. Seriously, I could gush about how absolutely awesome this movie is for hours on end, it is that ffffflippin' good! Just the characters are the best, the story is the best, the animation though not as heavily detailed like in future Ghibli movies is still something special and wonderful. The voice acting is ridiculously good and fun. And that is the best word for this movie, fun. I had so much fun watching this movie, I was like a little kid again. This a undoubtedly fun family film adventure, almost like if you threw the action and adventure aspects of Indiana Jones, the mythos of Lord Of The Rings, and the perfect likable characters of Star Wars into a blender and mixed it all up. And it is delicious. So what is the story of this incredible film? A young boy meets a young girl with a crystal necklace as she is being hunted by militia and pirates, both of them have lived solitary lives and are suddenly swept up in this adventure of finding a lost castle, rediscovering it's ancient secrets, and trying to protect it from the ever in pursuit villains while trying to keep the girl safe. I think the reason why I love this movie as much as I do not just because the technology is cool, or the world is interesting and stunning to look at, but the characters are just an absolute joy to watch. I love this girl Sheeta and this boy Pazu, they're just so cute together and the voice acting talents of Anna Paquin and James Van Der Beek is what solidifies it, they are kids who are kind of wiser than their years and do not even bat an eye at the crazy events surrounding them. They evade pirates and gunfire, learn about the history of the mysterious city, trust and care for one another, it's just done so well! I love this pirate captain played by Cloris Leachman, she is absolutely incredible and given the opportunity I would be a sky pirate under her command from the word go, she may be older but she's always running about, barking orders, fighting, planning, being kinda grumpy, I mean talk about a treasure worth cherishing. And the bad guy is played by Mark Hamill.....10/10. 10/10! 100/100! Best film! BEST FILM. You have got to watch this movie, give it a shot if you are skeptical of japanese animation, it is so damn entertaining, so funny, so sincere, so lovely, it's kind of a perfect movie. Guys. Come on. I just, ugh! Buy it, watch it, you can get it for ten dollars at a Walmart. You have no excuse. The rest of the Studio Ghibli films I have not seen, oooh boy there is going to be some stiff competition from now on. I really need to go back and watch Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro again really just to see if this movie surpasses them in quality entertainment and great animated family films cause I feel it has.

And the worst part is this the last hurrah before.....next time. Pray for me. I'm going to die.

In Retrospect: The Last Jedi

Well they finally did it. They killed my fraking movie series.

The Last Jedi has ruined Star Wars forever. Worst movie like, ever!! How dare Rian Johnson make a Star Wars movie that didn't go exactly the way my fan theories and fan fiction went! Every single layer of this film has forever tainted Star Wars not unlike the glorious prequels! Like all those plot threads that didn't turn out the way I wanted, even though they have great potential for payoff in the next movie, like Rey's past or the killing of the Supreme Leader. And don't even get me started on the characters! You're telling me after 30 years of God knows what after Return Of The Jedi, Luke Skywalker has just walked away from everything including the Force, even though several terrible events besides the corruption of his nephew could have happened and made him actually take the religion of the Jedi into question and denouncement?? I'm sorry, he's just not my Luke Skywalker. And Leia flying through space like she's Mary Poppins? What were they smoking? Even though she could have learned and undertook years of Jedi training from Luke before returning to politics and giving birth to Ben. Pfft, 0/10! Rian Johnson has ruined my childhood and my favorite movie series!!! Ughhhh and Rose is seriously the worstest thing evar! The stupidest and most annoying character since Jar Jar Binks, despite she was given decent character development and insight during that relatively short Canto Bight scene that took up maybe 10 minutes but I hate it regardless because it took up waaaaaay too much time from the movie! God it felt like half the movie man!! This movie totally blows and Disney has killed and whored out Star Wars thanks to Kathleen Kennedy, one of the most prolific and successful producers on movies like, E.T., Back To The Future, Schindler's List, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit! What a hack!! I could have made this movie better even though I have absolutely no idea on even the first step of making a movie! And even though despite the movie taking bold risks, having good character development, kick ass action, gorgeous cinematography, and a surprisingly good story that has yet to be fully told I hate this movie! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!!! George Lucas should come back and do a special edition of this movie and fix everything while shoving more CGI into every frame! This is the worst Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back because it was soooo boring! There wasn't nearly enough lightsabers in that movie to make it cool! I am so done with this series, it's like not even real bro. I refuse to watch Episode 9 despite it telling a story that can make this movie great! 0/10 stars, booooo! You suck Star Wars!!

Seriously though, relax. It's fine.

2nd Viewing: The Last Jedi

You know this movie really does get better on a second viewing. Cause the first time, you experience it, feel the emotions, and swept away with the story. On second viewing, you can think about it, because you know all the elements. If you were shifting on where this movie stands, I urge you to view it again. It is the only true way to fully realize it.

I liked The Last Jedi when I first saw it, had some issues and questions, but regardless left the theater happy to see a new Star Wars movie after The Force Awakens gave me hope. Several elements I had issues with, were lessened and resolved on a second viewing. I actually enjoyed the Porgs this time around and were not intrusive on moments, the comedy bits were not as many as I thought and sometimes even had purpose, new characters had their place and I enjoyed them. The only really bad things I could say about this movie is, Benicio del Toro was really wasted and didn't offer much, the Star Destroyer's could have easily overwhelmed eradicated the rebel scum instead of trailing behind, and the last scene sucks. I know the reason it is there. I know. But you can distinctively tell the movie was supposed to end with everyone talking on the Falcon, then they tagged this scene on. I absolutely hate that final scene. Everything else was fine! It was really good, effects were outstanding, story was sound, characters had motivation and development, hell even the whole Canto Bight segment did not feel that long. It was maybe 10 to 15 minutes of movie or at least that's how it felt. I'm gonna say this, and Star Wars fans are either going to hate me for this or get it but.....this felt akin to a Timothy Zahn Star Wars novel, especially in terms of Luke's character, storylines and elements from The Thrawn Trilogy were present here, and the multiple planets we visited. If you read his stuff, you will notice these things. Maybe that's just me, but I could sense it woven through the story. And before I go can I just ask, why does everyone hate Rose? Like....they say she is worse than Jar Jar. Hwhat?? No. You are on crack. No! Wrong! Completely, and utterly wrong. They gave her a bit of character, she wasn't annoying, I found her to be a likeable, kind, and very human woman, and by God she wears that First Order uniform to perfection. Just why this massive amounts of hate? You could get far...far worse in terms of characters, so take a step back, breathe, think. I never got too excited for any new Star Wars movie and I am a huge fan for now over 20 years, but I accepted it, I was excited but did not expect everything, I was just happy to see another new Star Wars movie. I never theorized or tried to piece together a puzzle that may well not be there, though fun you can never take it too seriously. People are trying to pretty much Death Star this movie from the Star Wars Universe, and make it not exist. This has only happened once, and it was the Star Wars Holiday Special and that actually deserved to be wiped out. This is better than that. I'm not saying I'm better than you or anything like that, I'm just stating my opinion. This is a really good Star Wars movie, I would place it in my top 5 easy. So I only ask if you just saw it once, see it again, then come here and tell me what you think. Time has passed, you've been able to think it over, accept some things, now you can progress forward. Do this, for me.

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.