Tag: star wars

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

The final installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy starts where The Last Jedi left off, meaning it starts off where The Force Awakens left off. I’m no The Last Jedi hater, but if I’m being honest, not much happened in that movie. At this point, Rey is still figuring out her powers and who she is, Kylo Ren is still figuring out if he’s completely evil, and Leia has again enlisted the help of Finn and Poe to thwart whatever diabolical plan the First Order has just set into motion.

The Rise of Skywalker has terrible reviews. It has a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to The Last Jedi’s 91% – the same The Last Jedi that is perhaps the most polarizing episode in all of Star Wars. Still, The Rise of Skywalker does have an 85% audience score. Going into the movie, I thought, “There’s no way it can be that bad.” And I was pleasantly surprised! As a whole, I truly enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker. That being said, I did have some issues with it.

First, there is one spoiler that made me turn to my friend in the theater and ask, “Was that really necessary?” It is just one thing that the film doesn’t linger on for very long, but at the same time, that just goes to show how unnecessary it was. Crossing out of spoiler territory, it should come as no surprise that there are some fights and action sequences that involve the use of the Force. Unfortunately, these battles aren’t always terribly exciting as they just involve people pointing their hands at each other. It’s kind of the same deal as Harry defeating Voldemort in The Deathly Hallows – hair is being blown back, clothes are rippling, the two sides are clearly straining with effort… but they’re also just standing there. Overall, the action isn’t this movie’s strongest point – the last battle is mindlessly chaotic and difficult to follow.

Perhaps one of the strongest aspects of the film is that we finally get to see the main trio come together. Unfortunately, up until this film, the main trio of Rey, Finn, and Poe didn’t really feel like a trio. In the prequels, it was clearly Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan, and in the original trilogy it was clearly Luke, Han, and Leia. Even though there were pairings within the trios – Anakin and Padme and Han and Leia as the couples, Anakin and Obi-Wan and Luke and Han as the close friends, and Luke and Leia as the twins – it was clear from the beginning that there was a main trio. In the sequel trilogy, there was a bigger emphasis on Rey and Finn in The Force Awakens, which makes sense as Poe was supposed to be killed off initially. Still, Rey is separated from the other two throughout nearly all of The Last Jedi, which is a shame as her character didn’t even get much significant development from her solo quest. Furthermore, the sequel trilogy established strong relationships between Finn and Poe and Finn and Rey early on, but Rey and Poe don’t even meet until the end of The Last Jedi. But, in The Rise of Skywalker, they do have a unique relationship full of banter and a mutual love of BB-8, and as a result, it’s clear both characters and Finn have a place in the main trio.

Ultimately, The Rise of Skywalker is not a bad movie. Sure, I had my issues with it (I didn’t get to talk about the criminal underuse of Lupita Nyong’o!!), but it is still a fun film. I don’t feel an immediate need to re-watch it like I did with The Force Awakens, but I think it’s still worth seeing in theaters. I would just recommend going in with an open mind.

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Laura Dzubay Leave a comment

There are certain things that make me really glad that I’m alive at the point in history that I am. I’m glad to have grown up with Harry Potter, for instance, and to be alive at the same time as Paul McCartney. One of these things is that I’m glad to be able to go and see Star Wars movies in theaters.

Seeing a Star Wars movie in theaters is, I think, a great experience no matter which movie it is. There’s the wave of almost tangible happiness that washes over everybody with the opening notes of the theme song, and the yellow letters beginning to scroll out backwards through space. There’s the clapping and cheering whenever familiar characters like Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) show up onscreen.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth episode overall and the second installment in the latest trilogy, delivered in pretty much every major way. We got to see interesting developments in terms of the characters that we already know and their relationships with each other, and we also received the pleasure of being introduced to new characters and new relationships.

One of the definite highlights of The Last Jedi was the addition of Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), who teams up with Finn (John Boyega) to try to sabotage an enemy ship that has the ability to track the rebel forces through light speed. Rose was charming and relatable (even fangirling over Finn’s hero status when we first meet her), and she’s also gritty and layered. She’s not afraid to let images get in the way of the way she sees things, and we actually get to see some of her backstory up close with the death of her sister, Paige (Veronica Ngo). She also acts as our introduction to one of the previously un-glimpsed sides of Star Wars: the back characters. Rose is a technician, normally a behind-the-scenes role in the Star Wars universe. For this reason, it makes a lot of sense in this movie to pair her with Finn, who was a background Stormtrooper before he joined the rebellion in The Force Awakens.

To me, The Last Jedi felt overall like an embrace of the idea that anybody can be a hero. Rose, for one thing, was brought to the forefront. Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) parentage, a lingering question for fans, was largely dismissed, which was a fresh turn in a franchise that has long been preoccupied with the power-infused lineage of Darth Vader’s family. Wealthy circles of society were outright criticized for their reliance upon forced labor, exploitation, and war profiteering. The film also ended with a glimpse of a young peasant boy using the Force to grab a broom, then looking up to the stars with a close-up of the Resistance insignia on his ring.

Finally, when Rey claims that the Force is “a power that Jedi have,” Luke Skywalker himself tells her that that is completely wrong. The Force is not exclusive to Jedi and Sith; it’s the balance between all things and all people. By removing the Force’s explicit attachment to the Jedi, and by showcasing heroes from all backgrounds and walks of life, The Last Jedi comes closer than any previous Star Wars movie to espousing what the series is all about: that anybody can be a hero if they decide to choose good over evil. Obviously, the Force doesn’t appear everywhere, but this movie shows us clearly that it can come from anywhere.

There are almost too many good things in The Last Jedi to count: the performances of newcomers Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran, and Benicio del Toro; the development of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) as a villain and of his terrifically interesting relationship with Rey; the immortal strength of Leia and of Carrie Fisher. There’s the fun cameo from the eternally awesome Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), and the affection between pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and his droid BB-8, and the chemistry shared between pretty much every single character onscreen.

In short, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is doing pretty much everything right. It is a more than worthy follow-up to The Force Awakens and to the rest of the Star Wars franchise, and hopefully a very good indication of things to come.

PREVIEW: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Laura Dzubay Leave a comment

I can still remember when Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out. I hadn’t seen a Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back had come out when I was in elementary school, which I remembered being a huge deal, but one I was still a little too young to appreciate. I saw The Force Awakens twice in theaters and spent hours talking to my friends about what we thought of Rey, Poe, and Finn, and that crazy climax with Kylo Ren and Han Solo, and what Han, Luke, and Leia had been doing all these years.

Even that feels like forever ago, which is why I (along with, undoubtedly, so many other people) am so excited to see The Last Jedi in theaters. The second installment in a trilogy usually ends up being my favorite, personally — Catching Fire might be a good example — because it’s not as emotional and melodramatic as the closing chapter often is, but you’re still familiar enough with the characters by that point to know who to root for. The Last Jedi is definitely going to show us more of Luke, which is something to look forward to, as well as likely to expand on the relationships we’ve already gotten to see between Rey, Poe, Finn, Leia, and Kylo Ren.

Beyond that, it’s hard to say what this new movie will bring, but there is one thing we know for certain: The Star Wars franchise has a history of success, so it’s reasonable to expect good things.

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Julia Byers Leave a comment

Star Warsss(Please note: This review is written in such a manner as to not spoil the film.)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens crashed into theaters this past weekend, breaking nearly every record it’s faced at both the domestic and global box offices—and it deserves it.

Episode VII of the Star Wars saga picks up thirty years after the end of Episode VI, but you wouldn’t realize it had been that long based on the fervor of the fans. Opening night, lines stretched around the theater. A merchandise booth took up the corner of the lobby. And so many cars clogged the theater parking lot and all the adjacent businesses’ lots that moviegoers had to park several away.

Director J. J. Abrams and crew got so much right with this film. It’s the return of the Star Wars with which the world first fell in love—better than the prequel trilogy (by far) and reminiscent of the original trilogy in all the right ways. More than anything, The Force Awakens shows that the filmmakers who have taken over the saga understand, respect, and love what made it so iconic in the first place. And that is exhilarating to see.

A big part of what makes the movie work is how Abrams masterfully blends the original and new cast. Going in, it’s easy to be invested in the lives of Han, Leia, and Luke—but by the end, the newbies feel just as precious and wonderful as their predecessors. In addition, it’s exciting to finally see a major franchise with a diverse primary cast. Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) have amazing chemistry—both with the camera and each other—as an existential crisis-ridden Stormtrooper and Rebel pilot, respectively. Both are the kinds of heroes for whom I want to root.

However, more than either of them, the most incredible character to watch take over the Star Wars story is toughened scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley).

To put it succinctly: Rey is bae. She has a strength, independence, practicality, determination, and passion unlike anything we’ve seen on screen before. She is not a “girl” action hero, but rather an action hero who just so happens to be a girl. Her femininity is part of who she is, but it does not define everything about her; it’s a nonissue. And that is beautiful.

On the flip side of the Force, new antagonist Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) presents a different interpretation of the dark side than any we’ve previously seen, which is also to the benefit of The Force Awakens. He is not a ready-made villain the way his predecessors were. Rather, he is still figuring out who he wants to be and how to reach that point, and this makes him so much more interesting as a character. As excited as I am to watch our protagonists evolve and come into their own in the next two movies, I’m easily just as excited about Ren.

Of course, the movie’s not perfect. Some of the storytelling is clunky and I’m worried about how obvious this film made some of the twists that are sure to come later in the trilogy. Additionally, while The Force Awakens returns primarily to the model-based special effects of the original trilogy, it does still contain a couple CGI characters, a la the prequel trilogy. This is to its detriment, as the (honestly sort of cheap-looking) CGI stands out in starch contrast to the beautifully-puppeted and crafted models that populate the rest of the film.

Still, these are minor complaints in an otherwise very strong movie—one that reminded me (and clearly a whole lot of other people) how magical a movie can be. The Force Awakens is selling so many tickets not only because it’s Star Wars, but because it reminds viewers why films are worth loving and what it feels like to truly fall in love with a new one.

Really, if I have any true complaints about The Force Awakens, it’s that I don’t have my own BB-8 droid with whom to pal around.

Until the day that happens, I guess I’ll settle for being ridiculously excited for Episode VIII (and seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters a billion more times).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in theaters now. Tickets are available for showings at both Goodrich Quality 16 and Ann Arbor 20 (Rave). See it before a friend (who’s clearly been corrupted by the Dark Side) spoils you.

PREVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Julia Byers Leave a comment

If you haven’t heard by now that there’s a new Star Wars movie coming out, you probably live in a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will hit theaters in a little under a week, on Friday, December 18th, with opening night showings beginning Thursday evening. The film is set thirty years after Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and will feature a mixture of new and returning cast members. Newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega will play a scavenging wanderer and existential crisis-ridden Stormtrooper, respectively. Little else is known about the plot or characters.

Directed by J. J. Abrams, who is best known for his recent, wildly successful reboot of the Star Trek franchise, this will be the first Star Wars film made without the direct involvement of franchise creator George Lucas. However, some argue that this could be a change for the better after the wary performance of Episodes I through III earlier in the 2000s.

Either way, Star Wars fever has taken over the world. Advance ticket sales already forecast the film as easily producing the biggest opening weekend of 2015–likely ever. Popular ticketing website Fandango even crashed for many users the day tickets went on sale, and screenings were already selling out back in October.

As a lifelong Star Wars fan, this is incredibly exciting. I have countless memories of watching the original trilogy with my family when I was little–dressing up as characters for Halloween and even hunting down some of the iconic filming locations when my family visited Death Valley once on a road trip.

This film’s tagline is “every generation has a story.” I can’t wait to experience ours.

Tickets are on sale now for showings at both Goodrich Quality 16 and Ann Arbor 20 (Rave). Grab ’em fast, because the Force (aka the chance that the screening you want to attend will sell out) is strong with this one.