A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Edwards...

Since I got off work early today, I decided to watch Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith on the big screen again!

A Day of Moviegoing at AMC Theatres...

Gettin' ready to watch Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (which celebrates the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release next month) today...

The last time I saw Revenge of the Sith at the movie theater was on July 10, 2005 (according to my personal journal)!

Remembering James Earl Jones (1931-2024)...

Today, the world lost a major cinematic legend when James Earl Jones—the actor behind the deep intimidating voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, 2005's Revenge of the Sith, 2016's Rogue One and 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, as well as Mufasa in the 1994 Disney classic The Lion King—passed away at his home in New York. Jones was 93 years-old.

Jones is also known for his roles in popular baseball movies like 1989's Field of Dreams and 1993's The Sandlot, Jack Ryan political thrillers such as 1990's The Hunt for Red October and 1992's Patriot Games, hit comedies like 1988's Coming to America, and even long-running TV sitcoms like Frasier and The Big Bang Theory.

Jones is also an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner who received an Honorary Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards. May he rest in peace.

James Earl Jones has passed away at age 93 pic.twitter.com/qxu3RR0Kwt

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) September 9, 2024

RIP James Earl Jones 🙏pic.twitter.com/cCh3D4mkrl

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 9, 2024

The cast, including James Earl Jones, on the set of ‘The Sandlot’ - 1993 pic.twitter.com/eBjE1dqAW4

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) September 9, 2024

“We are all connected in the great circle of life” - RIP James Earl Jones pic.twitter.com/UpCrulIDfX

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 9, 2024

Rest in Peace Lord Vader pic.twitter.com/HsFn5bkQC0

— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) September 9, 2024

#RIP dad 💔 https://t.co/YXpFoBb2Ua

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) September 9, 2024

Revisiting RETURN OF THE JEDI...

Earlier today, I went to AMC theaters to watch the third film in the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi.

Also known as Episode VI, Return of the Jedi was back on the big screen to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its original theatrical debut in 1983...even though the version that's now being shown at the multiplexes is the 1997 Special Edition (which I saw on the big screen when was a junior in high school at that time).

While it was a thrill to see Jedi at the theater—with such awesome action sequences as Luke Skywalker freeing his friends from Jabba the Hutt's sail barge near the Sarlacc Pit on Tatooine, the thrilling speeder bike chase between Luke, Princess Leia and the scout troopers through the Endor forest, the Battle of Endor between the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial fleet, and Luke's final showdown with Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine back on the big screen—revisiting this movie after multiple Star Wars films and TV shows were released since 1997 made me realize how flawed this flick really was!

Up until the much-maligned Star Wars prequels were released between 1999 and 2005 (and The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker premiered in 2017 and 2019, respectively), Jedi was considered the worst film in the Star Wars saga...and I can see why.

On the big screen, the scenes at Jabba's palace in the first act of the movie were boring as heck, even with the updated visual effects for the Rancor and new shots added of the Max Rebo Band and Boba Fett. Princess Leia was incapable of silently sneaking through the palace in the middle of the night as she sought to free Han Solo from carbonite, and the dialect she used when Leia was disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh was as laughable as the way Groot talked in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and I don't mean that in a good way for Boushh.

The scene where Luke, Han, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca were caught in that Ewok trap on Endor was edited in a haphazard way...with R2 taking less than 5 seconds to cut a hole wide enough for all five characters to fit through as they fell from the net. Basically, I couldn't wait till Luke finally told Leia that they were related (which makes one wonder what the heck were George Lucas and Irvin Kershner thinking when they had Leia give Luke a wet kiss at the Rebel base on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back), because it's after this that Luke departed from the Ewok village to confront Vader...and the best parts of Return of the Jedi were about to be shown on the silver screen!

Despite the flaws in Episode VI, this movie had some of the best Star Wars musical themes by legendary composer John Williams—ranging from Approaching the Death Star, Sail Barge Assault, the Luke and Leia theme, Into the Trap, The Ewok Battle and The Dark Side Beckons to The Emperor's Death. Oh, and I emphatically prefer the Victory Celebration track in the Special Edition over the Yub Nub song in the 1983 version!

Return of the Jedi isn't perfect, but it was still a classic way of ending a science-fantasy trilogy that revolutionized cinema. It's depressing that the happy ending that Luke, Han and Leia enjoyed at the end of Episode VI was spoiled three decades later by the events of The Force Awakens, but it's also awesome to see how the galaxy fared in the post-Palpatine era through Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and this August's Ahsoka.

I'm wondering if all three movies in the original trilogy will simultaneously hit the big screen again like they did in 1997! Until then, I'll just watch them over and over on my DVD player.

May the Force be with you!

Movie Review: DEVOTION...

Earlier today, I watched the Korean War biopic Devotion at AMC theaters.

This film is about two U.S. Navy pilots—an African American ensign named Jesse Brown (played by Jonathan Majors) and an Irish American lieutenant named Tom Hudner (portrayed by Glen Powell)—who became good friends during a Cold War conflict in Asia and amidst racial tensions in America.

Devotion is your standard war film; and the latest that depicts the immense bravery of African American aviators who served their country well during two major wars even though they faced intense discrimination at home. The previous flick that comes to mind is the 2012 movie Red Tails (starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.)...which is about the Tuskegee pilots of World War II, and was the first film directed by George Lucas since 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

What makes Devotion unique are its unofficial ties to this year's top-grossing film, Top Gun: Maverick. On the one hand, you have Glen Powell—who played Hangman in the Joseph Kosinski-directed blockbuster—portraying a fighter pilot on the big screen for the second time in 2022. And on the other hand, the aerial coordinator for Maverick, Kevin LaRosa II, utilized his services and aircraft cameras for Devotion as well.

The similaries between Devotion and the Top Gun sequel begin and end at Glen Powell as well as spectacular and authentic aerial sequences. Devotion honors Ensign Jesse Brown...who fought valiantly in his Corsair until it was shot down in North Korea on December 4, 1950.

While the corpse of Ensign Brown remained inside his aircraft when U.S. Navy jets napalmed it (as well as the Corsair of Lieutenant Hudner, who intentionally crash-landed it near Brown's fighter plane before trying to save his life) so it won't fall into enemy hands, that didn't stop Hudner from trying to visit his friend's crash site in North Korea almost 63 years later...in July of 2013.

The story of Jesse Brown is quite remarkable. One interesting tidbit that was featured in Devotion is the fact that he met Elizabeth Taylor (portrayed by Serinda Swan in this movie) in France—and was invited by her to a Cannes casino even though French personnel initially wouldn't let him enter the establishment.

Despite meeting a beautiful and legendary star like Taylor, Brown remained devoted to his wife Daisy (played by Christina Jackson) and their young daughter Pam.

Devotion is a story about love, determination, loyalty and bravery. Brown and Hudner are both heroes...and this movie did a commendable job depicting this inspirational friendship on the big screen.

Rest in peace, Ensign Brown and Lieutenant Hudner (who passed away on November 13, 2017). Your brave exploits have fittingly been immortalized in cinema.

On This Day in 1997: Remembering STARSHIP TROOPERS...

It was 25 years ago today that I watched Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi cult classic Starship Troopers on the big screen.

It was also on this day that I received my actual driver's license in the mail (after passing my driving test almost three weeks before that) prior to heading to the theater.

The fact that I celebrated my newfound independence by immediately watching a movie at the multiplex set the tone for the next 25 years! I was a senior in high school when Starship Troopers was theatrically released nationwide.

One of the best aspects of Starship Troopers (apart from the amazing visual effects that made me excited for what was in store with the Star Wars prequels years later) was the awesome music score by the late Basil Poledouris! Here's the adrenaline-pumping piece Klendathu Drop from the soundtrack:

A Sad Day for L.A. Moviegoers...

FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images

A few hours ago, I found out through the Hollywood Reporter that ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres will permanently shut their doors—as business was unable to recover due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All I can say is, this is hugely disappointing...to the point where I almost became a bit teary-eyed as I read various news articles about this. Between 2004 and 2010, I had a fun job at a market research company where I worked movie test and press screenings at the ArcLight in Hollywood and Pacific Theatres throughout Southern California. Also, I watched such films as Avatar, Zero Dark Thirty and two Star Wars films (Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens, to be specific) at the ArcLight as well. Not only that, but I visited the ArcLight on Sunset Boulevard numerous times over the past decade to see costumes and vehicles used in flicks like Ant-Man and the Wasp, Deadpool 2, The Force Awakens and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, respectively, inside its main theater lobby.

And now it's all gone.

It's just painful that more nails continue to be placed in the coffin in terms of my memories at places that I'll no longer work at that I do want to work in again. I could make this Blog entry extremely long to voice more of my disappointment at this breaking news, but I'll conclude this here. Another era that I cherished comes to an end.

Rest In Peace, Jeremy Bulloch (1945-2020)...

Less than a month after David Prowse—who suited up as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy—passed away at the age of 85, fellow Star Wars icon Jeremy Bulloch died today at the age of 75...due to health complications including a years-long battle with Parkinson's disease. While Bulloch appeared in many films and TV shows since 1958 (having had an uncredited role in A Night to Remember...a 1958 historical drama about the sinking of the Titanic), he is best known for portraying the bounter hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Fittingly, this character that was memorably brought to life by Bulloch lives on in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian—with Temuera Morrison reprising the role after playing Boba's father Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones. Bulloch also made an appearance as Alderaan pilot Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith.

My condolences to your family and friends, Mr. Bulloch. May you rest in peace.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Teaser Trailer Is Here!

Earlier today, Disney and Lucasfilm revealed the long-awaited title and first trailer to Star Wars: Episode IX at the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago. Now known as The Rise of Skywalker, this ninth and final installment in the Skywalker saga will bring back the biggest villain from the prequel films and original trilogy: Emperor Palpatine himself (who'll once again be played by Ian McDiarmid)! Of course, we obviously don't know if the Sith Formerly Known As Darth Sidious will return as a clone, a Force Ghost, a mere holographic recording on an old Imperial computer, or...as flesh and blood since Palpatine may have actually discovered how to cheat death as mentioned in the story about Darth Plagueis the Wise in Revenge of the Sith. That last one seems unlikely, but it was so cool to hear the Emperor's cackle at the end of this teaser!



Other notes about the trailer: Rey flipping over Kylo Ren's TIE Silencer is friggin' awesome, it's cool that Kylo's helmet is re-assembled (though I have no issues with him being helmetless like he was in The Last Jedi), BB-8's new sidekick Dio is adorable, there's still no sign of a true B-Wing starfighter in the sequel trilogy (the ski speeders in The Last Jedi don't count) and Lando Calrissian is back! The old-school one portrayed by Billy Dee Williams, not the Danny Glover version who apparently wanted to make love to a droid in Solo: A Star Wars Story. And General Leia lives on!

December 20 can't come soon enough... That is all.

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SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY - Movie Review

So yesterday, I watched Solo: A Star Wars Story at a local AMC Theatre, and needless to say, it's a fun new addition to the Star Wars universe! While he's no Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich gave his own interesting take on Han Solo...portraying the character as one who was idealistic, so full of hope, and out to reunite with his long-lost love before turning into the cynical swashbuckling smuggler that we met inside the Mos Eisley cantina in A New Hope. The rest of the cast for Solo was exceptional...with Donald Glover stealing his scenes as a young Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke being both sweet and bad-ass as Qi'ra, Woody Harrelson giving a smooth performance as Solo's mentor Tobias Beckett, Thandie Newton being one tough chick as Val, Paul Bettany being a slimey yet suave gangster as Dryden Vos, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge delightfully playing the rebellious droid L3-37. And of course, let's not forget Joonas Suotamo—whose role as Chewbacca in this movie is the third time he played the Wookie in the Disney-era Star Wars saga (behind The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi). And the fourth time will be the extra charm when he plays Chewie again in next year's Episode IX.



In regards to the story, screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jonathan were faithful to the origin of Han Solo that Star Wars fans have known for the past three decades or so. As established in the Expanded Universe before it was revamped by Disney a few years ago, Solo was an ex-Imperial officer from Corellia who rescued Chewbacca from the Empire prior to becoming a galactic smuggler...but not before winning the Millennium Falcon in a game of Sabacc from Lando Calrissian. The Kasdans didn't really add anything new to Solo's backstory, except the fact that (Spoilers Ahead) Han got his last name from an Imperial officer on Corellia who recruited him to fight for the Empire. The twist that the Kasdans gave to Solo's history didn't involve him, but the original love of his life, Qi'ra. This plot point has already been spoiled by numerous websites since Solo's release last Thursday, but Qi'ra was not only a romantic interest of Han, but a woman who yearned to rise up the ranks of a criminal organization known as Crimson Dawn. Qi'ra's new boss in this crime syndicate [after she (Spoilers Ahead) eliminated her original superior, Dryden Vos] turned out to be someone who was last seen on the big screen in The Phantom Menace almost 20 years ago. Here's a hint of who he is: He couldn't wait to reveal himself to the Jedi. He couldn't wait to have revenge! Are those good enough clues for ya?



In regards to the visual effects in Solo, they looked top-notch...as is expected for a Star Wars movie. That ground battle that Han Solo, Beckett and Val took part in before they deserted the Empire looked intense. The dogfight between the Millennium Falcon and those TIE Fighters near Kessel looked awesome. The droid L3-37, like K-2SO in Rogue One before her, looked photo-realistic. And that firefight between Beckett and his gang, those Ranger Troopers and Enfys Nest's (Erin Kellyman) Marauders aboard the Conveyex train on Vandor was one of the best action sequences in Solo. Music-wise, composer John Powell created his own sweeping score for Ron Howard's film while obviously incorporating memorable tunes from the previous Star Wars installments—such as the Imperial March (of course), the asteroid chase theme from The Empire Strikes Back, the Rebel fanfare and...Duel of the Fates. Yet another hint as to who I'm talking about in the last two sentences in the previous paragraph! And let's not forget that John Williams himself composed the new theme for Han Solo in this movie. Can't wait to listen to it when my Solo soundtrack CD arrives in the mail next week.



All-in-all, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a nice addition to the Star Wars saga. Before the movie was released, naysayers pointed out that this was a story that didn't really need to be told. While that's somewhat true, the main heist (to steal a form of hyperfuel known as coaxium) that Han and his gang pulled off in Solo was of great importance to the formation of the Rebel Alliance years later, and the revelation of who Qi'ra's new crime boss is at the end of the movie will have major ramifications for future Star Wars films. Even if the First Order is neutralized in Episode IX, Crimson Dawn will be a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with in any Star Wars flick that takes place during Solo's timeline (which is set between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, respectively). This new crime boss could also have an effect on the Boba Fett and Obi-Wan films that Lucasfilm is currently plotting out as well. We shall see.



So yea, Solo is a good movie and you should check it out as soon as possible! Happy Memorial Day weekend.

4 out of 5 stars. ****

Image of the Day: A Mandalorian Artwork...

In honor of Boba Fett getting his own Star Wars movie soon, just thought I'd share this artwork that I drew of the Mandalorian Commando 23 years ago...when I was a freshman in high school, and George Lucas recently announced that he was gonna film the prequel trilogy. The Boba Fett spin-off is set to be written and directed by James Mangold, who helmed last year's X-Men flick Logan and such movies as 1999's Girl, Interrupted, 2005's acclaimed Walk the Line and 2007's 3:10 to Yuma (one of my favorite all-time Westerns). Boba Fett, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi, are two of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars saga who'll get their own films after Episode IX hits theaters in December of next year.

And speaking of another beloved Star Wars character, I can't wait to watch Solo: A Star Wars Story at AMC Theatres tomorrow! I'll post my (hopefully positive) review of it by this Sunday. Happy Friday.

The 2018 Academy Award Nominations...

Earlier today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the list of nominees who will be up for Oscars during the 90th annual Academy Awards on March 4 (airing on ABC TV at 5 PM, PST). Out of all the Best Picture nominees for 2017, I saw Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Jordan Peele's Get Out. I think that Three Billboards will be the Best Picture winner (it was a great film; I'm glad that Frances McDormand is nominated for Best Actress, and Sam Rockwell as Best Supporting Actor), though I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water won instead. Much props to Peele for earning a Best Director nod for his horror-comedy flick Get Out—which received a total of four nominations [which also includes Best Picture, Actor (for Daniel Kaluuya, below) and Original Screenplay]. I hope Peele's comedy sketch buddy Keegan-Michael Key isn't too envious!



In regards to the technical categories, Blade Runner 2049 (which I watched twice at the theater) is up for five awards: Best Cinematography, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing and Production Design. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is up for four Oscars: Best Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing and Original Score. Considering that these first three nominations are up against Blade Runner 2049, I reckon The Last Jedi will come up empty in those categories. And I'm surprised that John Williams has been nominated for the two Disney Star Wars films that he worked on... His work on The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were well-done (I like the themes for Rey, Kylo Ren and the Resistance), but the Star Wars prequels had more memorable tunes in The Phantom Menace's "Duel of the Fates," Attack of the Clones' "Across the Stars" and Revenge of the Sith's "Battle of the Heroes." But enough dwelling on the past. I hope that Williams will close out his third Star Wars trilogy when it comes time to composing the score for Episode IX next year. And he gets an Oscar nomination for that as well!



And lastly, it's unfortunate that Wonder Woman came up completely empty-handed this morning. Wonder Woman was a watershed in being a movie directed by a woman, starring a woman, and telling the story of a superhero that empowered women. Sorry, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot. But hey— As a Los Angeles Lakers fan, I'm glad that 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant got an Oscar nomination for a film that he worked on last year! Go to this Blog entry to read more about it. Happy Tuesday!

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI - Movie Review

Last night, I attended an advance screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi...and needless to say, it was an absolutely amazing film! Just by watching this eighth installment in the Skywalker saga (and ninth live-action movie in the Star Wars franchise), you can see why Rian Johnson would get Disney and Lucasfilm's blessing to produce his very own Star Wars trilogy—the first episode of which Johnson himself will write and direct next decade. While obviously paying homage to the Original Trilogy and prequels before it, as well as expanding upon the events depicted in 2015's The Force Awakens, Episode VIII also veers into uncharted territory as we see the power of the Force as never before, and the war between the Resistance and First Order taken to new levels. Rian Johnson created a Star Wars movie that puts the franchise on course for new and more exciting directions.



In terms of the characters, The Last Jedi nicely develops the majority of folks previously seen in The Force Awakens. Of course, we finally get to hear Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) speak...and when he does speak, he has some memorable and funny one-liners. From telling Rey (Daisy Ridley) that there's a reason why he traveled "to the most unfindable place in the galaxy" (the planet Ahch-To) to chastising her and even Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) by mentioning that "everything (they) said (about the Force) is wrong," Luke still has that spunk he first showed when he was a Tatooine farm boy in 1977's A New Hope. In regards to Rey and Kylo Ren themselves, these two have the most interesting relationship in The Last Jedi. I won't spoil how this occurred, but something happens with the Force that causes the aspiring Jedi and would-be Sith Lord to communicate with each other (and briefly touch hands) even though they are literally light-years apart in the galaxy. It is this connection that prompts Rey to leave Ahch-To—home of Luke and the first Jedi temple (as well as some very adorable Porgs)—and confront Kylo in the final act of the movie. It is when they're together that the most memorable events and action scenes take place in The Last Jedi...and the sequel trilogy for that matter.



Also getting a bigger role in The Last Jedi is Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac)...who started off as a "trigger-happy flyboy" before becoming a potential leader of the Resistance by the end of the film. He clearly has to be the Han Solo of the new trilogy—since he's apparently the first character in the Star Wars franchise (unless I misheard the line) to say "ass" in a movie. (The actual term he used was "big-ass door;" I won't elaborate on which door he's talking about). Rey, General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) or Kylo Ren wouldn't have gotten away with uttering a real-world swear word like that. But maybe Finn (John Boyega) would. (He does say "bastard" in the film.) Speaking of Finn, John Boyega once again did a nice job portraying the stormtrooper-turned-freedom fighter. Even though he's separated from his best friend Rey for much of the movie, Finn gets to team up with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran)...a Resistance mechanic who, in the words of Finn back in The Force Awakens, thinks the ex-stormtrooper is a "big deal." As a fellow Asian-American, it was cool to see an Asian actress have such a huge role in a Star Wars film. And I'm proud to say that, spoilers ahead, Rose will be back to help the Resistance continue battling the First Order in 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX.



Going back to General Leia Organa herself, it was bittersweet to watch Carrie Fisher give her last performance as the iconic figure. On the plus side, we get to watch her exhibit some amazing Force powers over the course of the movie. And yes, we get to see a nice reunion between her and her brother Luke (somewhat) towards the climax of the film. Like Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight, Leia will live on following the events of The Last Jedi. The sad thing is, we'll never get to see what's next for this beloved character in the sequel trilogy. But at least the princess of Alderaan had a happy ending in Episode VIII.



To prevent this review from getting too long, I'll mention all the other characters in this paragraph: Domhnall Gleeson once again gave a great (and very funny) performance as the sniveling General Hux. Gwendoline Christie was awesome as the forever-underused Captain Phasma (but at least Christie finally got to reveal her face, somewhat, in The Last Jedi). Laura Dern was commendable as heroic Vice Admiral Holdo. Billie Lourd (Fisher's daughter) was cool as Lieutenant Connix, who was first seen in The Force Awakens. Benicio Del Toro was the Lando Calrissian/Boba Fett of Episode VIII...delightfully stuttering as he "helped" Finn and Rose in their mission to infiltrate a First Order Star Destroyer. And lastly, Andy Serkis once again did a fantastic job performing the motion capture for Supreme Leader Snoke...who was both funny and terrifying while it lasted.



In regards to the action scenes of The Last Jedi, they were nicely executed in the movie—particularly during the final act. The opening space battle was fantastic, even though it was sad to see the Resistance bombers quickly get picked off by the First Order as if this was an outer space equivalent of the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. The scenes on the casino world of Canto Bight looked gorgeous, even though the time spent on this planet could've been shortened a bit. The Battle of Crait—where we see Resistance ground forces take on towering AT-M6 walkers—was almost as intense as the one on Hoth over three decades earlier. But the action scene that definitely takes the cake is (big spoiler ahead) the multi-person duel between Rey, Kylo Ren and Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards. As a sign that The Last Jedi isn't a blatant remake of The Empire Strikes Back, Rey and Kylo Ren briefly team up to engage in a lightsaber duel with the red-clad warriors. However, this alliance is short-lived as Kylo Ren goes back to his villainous ways and, like his grandfather Darth Vader before him in The Empire Strikes Back, wants Rey to join him and the Dark Side after the duel is won. But hey, at least neither of them lost a hand during the fight!



Musically, John Williams created more memorable tunes for The Last Jedi than he did with The Force Awakens. We obviously hear motifs from the previous episode such as the Resistance, Kylo Ren and Jedi Step themes from the end of Episode VII. We also hear Leia's theme, the Rebel fanfare from the Original Trilogy and even Yoda's theme...for a very good reason. (I can't wait to get my Last Jedi soundtrack CD in the mail after Amazon ships it today. Hopefully today.) Visual effects-wise, The Last Jedi looked stupendous! Not a surprise though... Episode VIII was originally set to be released on May 26 (in celebration of A New Hope's 40th anniversary this year) before it was pushed back to this weekend. So Johnson—who completed the movie for a targeted Memorial Day debut—had lots of extra time to work with Industrial Light & Magic to make The Last Jedi's visual effects as spiffy-looking as possible. This film definitely needs to be one of the five contenders for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars next year.



All-in-all, The Last Jedi was an awesome film. Fittingly, Luke Skywalker resembled Chuck Norris in his most badass moment towards the end of the movie. Kylo Ren evolved from a Darth Vader wannabe in Episode VII to a legitimate threat, akin to Count Dooku of the prequels, to the entire galaxy. Rey is truly on the path to becoming the newest Jedi hero like Luke, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi before her. And Leia will live on in Star Wars lore as the Resistance leader who survived to fight another day; even though sadly, we'll never get to see her fight on the big screen again. And it remains to be seen how Finn, Poe and Rose will rise up to take on Kylo Ren, General Hux and their evil forces once more in Episode IX. But in the meantime, go to the theater and watch The Last Jedi right away to see how Rian Johson expanded on the Star Wars saga...while saying farewell to much of what came before it. May the Force be with you.

4.5 out of 5 stars. ****1/2

Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox...

So as of today, Disney not only owns Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the majority of the Marvel film franchise, but it now has total control over The Simpsons, Aliens, Avatar, Independence Day, Family Guy and the rest of the Marvel film franchise (Sony owns Spider-Man but Marvel Studios is allowed to use him in its own movies). All I can say is, offer Hugh Jackman a huge paycheck so he can play Wolverine one last time in Avengers 4, make sure that Deadpool remains R-rated, ensure that James Cameron's Avatar sequels don't conflict with the release dates of future Star Wars movies (i.e. Rian Johnson's new trilogy) and (this is a NO-BRAINER) make sure that the next Fantastic Four and X-Men flicks (Will next year's Dark Phoenix be canceled? Of course not) are officially included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oh, and create an Independence Day sequel that's as good as the first one! Carry on.

And yes, I will be watching The Last Jedi during a 7 PM screening at AMC Theatres tonight.

Artwork of the Day #2: The Last Jedi's Elite Praetorian Guard...

Just thought I'd share this drawing—plus its work-in-progress photos—of the Elite Praetorian Guard from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I can't wait to see this First Order sentinel in action when Episode VIII hits theaters nationwide on December 15. Though hopefully, unlike the Imperial Guard that preceded it in Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, respectively, we'll see this red-clad sentry in a cool fighting scene. Those two Red Guards who get knocked down by Yoda before he confronts Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith does not count as seeing action! Happy Thursday, again.

THE JEDI MASTER: A Star Wars Story...

I read on The Hollywood Reporter a few hours ago that Lucasfilm is in talks with Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry (of 2000's Billy Elliot and 2002's The Hours) to write and helm a Star Wars spin-off flick that would focus on none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. No script has yet been written for this installment, so it's too early to say if Ewan McGregor will reprise the role that he made his own in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of Sith more than a decade ago. Presumably, this would be the Star Wars standalone flick that is set to be released in 2020. We'll see. We'll also see if this movie completely takes place on Tatooine if it's set after the events of Episode III and before A New Hope. Though perhaps Mr. Daldry and Lucasfilm will take a creative gamble by having Obi-Wan briefly leave Tatooine (and young Luke Skywalker) to take on an unknown menace off-planet... We'll see again.

PS: The title for this movie should, as mentioned in the subject line above, be called The Jedi Master: A Star Wars Story. Predictable, but awesome.