The Saga’s Endgame (Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker, 2019)

All things must end they say. It seems like May 4th is the appropriate day for me to put out my review of the final film in the “Skywalker Saga”. While I saw the film twice in theaters, December and January passed before I started playing catch up…and then I decided to wait for the 4K release of the film so I could get one more watch. And I finally committed to a third watch.

The film opens with a quick update crawl telling us the Emperor is back. And the story picks up with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren trying to locate the Emperor so he can defeat him. But quickly, we learn the Emperor has plans and wants Kylo to help, in exchange for an army that the Emperor and his Sith Cultists have been building for thirty years.

We then get reintroduced to Finn, Chewie and Poe, who are gathering data from someone who reveals there is a spy within the First Order. Rey is busy training to be a Jedi under the watchful eye of General Leia Organa. Once they find out the Emperor is definitely back, they determine they must take the fight to the Emperor, but the problem is that Exogol, the home planet of the Sith, is not on any map. They need a special Sith device that will lead them to the planet. So Ray, Finn, Poe and Chewie go off on a series of adventures.

So, the core question, if you are reading this, I suspect is “Did I Like It?”

I…guess? I mean, I did not hate it? But I did not love it?

Some Spoilers ahead…

It was great to see the characters return. It was nice to finally see Lando back. I like the way they used Hux in this film. I feel like John Williams did a solid job with the soundtrack. The action sequences were great. I was not super bothered by the return of the Emperor, since the old Extended Universe used the idea that the Emperor had been using cloning technology to extend his life. I also am never bothered by “new” Jedi powers being revealed in the films. The power to move objects was introduced in Empire, as were actual Force ghosts. And the powers exhibited in this film really build on stuff we have already seen.

Babu Frick is awesome.

At the same time?

A large chunk of the film feels like course correction. It feels like J.J. Abrams and writer Chris Terrio are trying to respect that Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi Happened, but also trying too soft reboot. When Kylo Ren told Rey her parents were nobodies, he was not lying…he did not know the dark truth that her father was the clone son of Emperor Palpatine. And they were really good people trying to protect her from the Emperor. It is weird to think that Rey has had almost no interaction with Poe, but somehow they are besties in this film.

We have heard about the Knights of Ren for several years now and we meet them in this film. Kind of. I have no idea if they have names, but the movie shows them walking around. We have a Storm Trooper say they are scary. That is pretty much it. There is one fight with them towards the end and they are quickly dispatched. Otherwise we just see them walk around.

The way they tried to retro fit previously unused Carrie Fisher footage in the film never feels organic. At no point does it feel like anyone is interacting with her. Which leads me to this frustration… Abrams and Terrio sidelined Rose Tico in the saddest way possible. They make her a sidekick to a digital restoration of Carrie Fisher. Why was she not part of the action on the Millenium Falcon in the early part of the film? Why was THIS guy there instead???

The film has multiple points where it raises the stakes dramatically, only to reveal that there was nothing to worry about. Major story impacting incidents are reversed so that we lose nothing as fans. There is not anything that engages our emotions for the story. And that is where I lean towards feeling disappointed with how the Skywalker Saga comes to a close. It is fun, but not as satisfying as I had hoped it might be. It has some good ideas, such as Storm Troopers who rebelled against the First Order. But then instead of the obvious plot point of Finn having inspired Storm Troopers to refuse their orders, it is just never something that is connected.

So… I did not hate the film. There is stuff I really enjoy and stuff that annoys me. It kind of evens itself out.

May 4, 2020 0

Life Without a Soul (Blade Runner 2049, 2017)

It is 35 years since the first Blade Runner. Agent K is a blade Runner and also a modern replicant. He is given a mission after the bones of a replicant are found that indicate she died in childbirth. Replicants should be unable to conceive, let alone carry a child to term.

K’s human boss wants him to find the child and kill it. But things become complicated when he finds evidence that his false implant memories may be real, leading to the question of whether K is the mysterious child of Deckard and Rachel (Sean Young’s Replicant from the original film).

Further problems arise when we find that Niander Wallace, who has profited off the failure of the Tyrell Corporation and become the leading force of Replicant and digital A.I. technology, is also looking for the child. The one thing that has eluded him has been the ability for replicants to reproduce. He sees this as a key component in their evolution (well, most everyone does).

The films is visually stunning. The neon dreams that fill the city, the holographic girlfriend Joi (showing both K’s isolation as a Blade Runner and Replicant and his desire to connect), the desolate Las Vegas…every shot in this film feels like independent artworks.

The ending gives the audience just enough to be satisfying without wrapping everything up in a neat little package.

Not playing coy about K’s identity as a replicant is something that gives the film strength. In one scene, K expresses a concern about killing something “born” to his superior Lieutenant Joshi. He notes that being born implies there is a soul there. Joshi sends him off with the cold note that he has gotten along fine without a soul. I am trying to determine if it is a problem for me that Joi is probably one of the most sympathetic beings in the entire film. But I suspect director Denis Villeneuve would like to hear that. By and large, the Replicants are the center of the show here. Luv, Wallace’s right hand, is downright terrifying.

Villeneuve has given the audience a beautiful and captivating film.

February 6, 2018 0

Nothing But Star Wars Episode Seven (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015)

After the prequels, Star Wars appeared to be…well, complete. Lucas was no longer talking about a third trilogy. All had gone quiet on that front. Instead, Star Wars thrived in animated fare like the Cone Wars cartoon and in comic books through Dark Horse. Dark Horse had even started a Canon series that took place between a New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

But then, in 2012, came a very unexpected announcement. Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and all it’s properties. And with this announcement came the news that they were working on a new trilogy. And on top of that, Disney would also be making Star Wars films set outside the main storyline.

This came with some controversy, as Disney declared that the extended universe of Novels and comics were, in no way, canon. Only the Six movies counted. This was partially to allow new novels and comic books to start building the universe anew. Dark Horse lost the rights and Marvel took up telling all new stories within the Star Wars universe.

J.J. Abrams was brought in fresh from rebooting Star Trek (ironically enough, he was often criticized for bring a Star Wars attitude to the franchise) to create the new story that would continue the adventures. Of course, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were all brought in to reprise their roles (some more limited than others). So let us go forward, back to that galaxy far, far away…and be ready for spoilers!

Opening up about thirty years after Return of the Jedi, we are greeted by a star destroyer. It appears that while the Republic was restored, the remnants of the Empire formed as the First Order. The First Order is getting bolder and are trying to wipe out the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa. She has sent a top Resistance Pilot named Poe Dameron to the planet Jakku in an effort to get information that could lead them to Luke Skywalker.

First Order ships arrive on the scene, and Poe tries to escape, but his ship is damaged. He puts the top secret info into his astro droid BB-8. The droid goes on the run and Poe is captured by the mysterious Kylo Ren. It is quickly revealed that this is the son of Leia and Han Solo.

In the middle of this, one of the Stormtroopers seems out of step with the others. When they return from Jakku, he removes his helmet to reveal a young man who is not a clone (later in the film, it is explained the First Order takes young children from their families and trains them to be unquestioning soldiers rather than clones). The Storm Trooper helps Poe escape. In the middle of their escape, Dameron asks what his name is, and the Trooper responds with FN2187. Poe determines that he will just call him Finn, and the newly christened Finn declares he likes it. They crash back on Jakku. Finn cannot find anything but Poe’s leather jacket. He wanders the desert planet, tossing aside his Storm Trooper armor.

Meanwhile, BB-8 has been found by the young scavenger Rey. She helped BB get away from a junk collector and offers to help the droid get to the city. They arrive and Rey finds herself being followed. BB-8 sees Finn in Poe’s jacket and Rey attacks. Finn claims to be a member of the resistance, and that he can help. Finn hears a familiar sound and they realize they are under attack from the First Order.

They rush to find a spaceship. Finn points to a ship offscreen and Rey mocks it as being garbage, but the ship she wants blows up…resulting in her yelling out “The garbage it is”…but it turns out to be a very famous hunk of junk. It is the Millennium Falcon. Rey pilots while Finn mans the guns. This leads to a very exciting chase through the air forcing the two to rely on their best wits. At one point, Rey flies the ship through the carcass of a crashed Star Destroyer.

Once they reach space, they start to try and figure out how to get BB-8 and Finn back to the Resistance. Finn, of course, has no knowledge of the Resistance, but manages to convince BB-8 to play along. They are overtaken by a larger ship, and it turns out to be Han Solo and Chewbacca.

Things take a turn for the worse as two factions Han has double crossed show up. After a narrow escape, the newly formed crew head to meet up with someone Han knows can help. Their mission is now to get BB-8 to the Resistance, especially after they find that BB-8 holds coordinates to finding Luke Skywalker. They reach a lush planet and Han brings them to the temple of Maz.

Maz is a small alien who is even older than Yoda. She apparently has a crush on Chewbacca (she refers to him as her boyfriend, and it is unclear if this is playful or serious).

Finn confesses that he was a Stormtrooper and he is terrified. He only wants to run as far from the First Order as possible. Maz points him out to a couple of guys he could run with. Rey gets distracted, believing she hears a child calling for help. She goes to the basement of Maz’s temple where she finds a trunk with a familar item. Luke’s lightsaber, last seen in the Empire Strikes Back. As soon as she touches it, she faces a barrage of visions and sounds, voices and images of the past and future.

Rey runs from the Temple in terror. Unbeknownst to Maz, Han or the others, spies for both the Resistance and the First Order have sent out alerts, as the First Order and Resistance are both on the hunt for BB-8.

The first order has a new weapon they call Starkiller Base (this is a reference to the original scripts for Star Wars, when Luke was named Luke Starkiller). It is basically a variation on the Deathstar, except they used an actual planet to create it.

Having seen Rey run off, Finn starts to run for her, but everyone is stopped by a sight in the sky. The Starkiller Base has fired on the Republic’s central planets. The First Order knows that the Republic has been helping the Resistance, and without them, the Resistance loses key support. Everyone on the ground near Maz’s temple can see the lasers burning through space towards their targets.

Then, the First Order shows up, firing on the temple and it’s fleeing occupants. Rey and BB-8 are running through the forest while Stormtroopers are in pursuit. Han, Chewbacca and Finn fight Stormtroopers trying to get to Rey, but end up overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren has found Rey.

Ren discovers that Rey has seen the map and dismisses the need for BB-8, instead taking Rey with him. In the meantime, the Resistance shows up with X-Wings to chase off the First Order troops, saving Han, Finn and Chewbacca.

They are greeted by General Leia Organa, who embraces Han. Now, instead of running from the First Order, Finn argues for a direct assault on Starkiller base so they can save Rey. It is also revealed that Poe survived the crash landing, just as Finn had.

Rey is being interrogated by Kylo Ren, though, he seems to have deeper motives. He sees that Rey seems to have a natural gift for the Force, much like his grandfather.

After Ren leaves, Rey feels emboldened and tries a “force” trick by getting a guard to unlock her restraints. The seen is quite entertaining, and more played for the humor than the drama. But the scene works pretty well, showing Rey both a quick learner and more than willing to accept things on faith.

Back at the Resistance base, they prepare for their attack. They plan for Han, Finn and Chewbacca to take out the shields that will allow the Resistance fighters, led by Poe to take out the base before it can fire. The Starkiller Base’s primary weapon actually requires the energy of a star, so they have until the star being used for power is snuffed out.

Arriving in the Millennium Falcon, the heroes go in to find both Rey and set up the destruction of the base. As they search for Rey, Han realizes she has already escaped. They meet up with Rey and start planting explosives. Han sees Kylo and calls out to him. Han and Kylo meet on a bridge. Han reaches out, and Kylo speaks hesitantly, wanting his fathers help. Solo promises to help him, in this moment, Han’s facade of cocky hero drops to reveal a father who lost his son, and sees an opportunity to heal the relationship.

Instead, Kylo impales him with his lightsaber. Han, in a touching moment, touches the face of his son before falling from the bridge. Angrily, Chewbacca fires and hits Kylo Ren. The horrified trio of Rey, Finn and Chewbacca race out of the structure, setting off the bombs. This allows the X-Wings to start strafing the surface. Chewbacca heads for the Falcon, while Finn and Rey run into another obstacle…

Finn turns on the lightsaber and engages Ren, but it is a short fight. He starts to use the Force to grab the lightsaber the unconscious Finn dropped, but instead, it find’s Rey’s hands. This is a really nice dramatic and exciting moment, scored just tight by John Williams.

Rey and Kylo have a furious lightsaber duel, only to have the planet starting to break up around them. Ren tells Rey he could train her, she may be a strong raw user of the Force, but he can teach her better control. They are split apart by the turmoil around them. Chewbacca appears with the Falcon and they get Finn, leaving before the Starkiller Base is fully destroyed.

Returning to the base, Rey meets Leia (an they embrace, which Abrams admits was probably a mistake, there is no reason for the attachment, as Leia and Rey have never met). Using the information from BB-8, they have the missing puzzle piece. Earlier in the film, it is revealed R2-D2 has been in powersave mode, he wakes up and provides the rest of the map. Rey and Chewbacca fly off to the remote planet that Luke is staying on. Rey walks up and stands before Luke reaching out with his old lightsaber and the film ends…

Probably the two biggest knocks against the film were the fact that it mirrors A New Hope far to much and Rey is a Mary Sue.

The film does follow the beats of a New Hope quite closely. A young desert planet nobody is drawn into a larger battle of intergalactic forces and learns to use the force…while helping to destroy a planet sized planet destroyer. But I do not find this overall a problem. The repetition is certainly a valid storytelling device. I confess, I wish the big plot device did not hinge on a planet killer all over again, but I do like the visual design of Starkiller Base.

But the whole “Rey is a Mary Sue” thing. This is often leveled as a criticism along with folks upset by the film having “diversity”. Finn is played by a black man, Rey is, of course, a girl and Poe is played by a man of Cuban and Guatemalan heritage.

Before then, the casts were largely white. Lando and Mace Windu were exceptions. And I think Mace was mainly “Wouldn’t it be bad ass if Samuel L. Jackson was a Jedi???” There is a silly contingent of people out there that are certain having non-white male actors in roles is a problem. It somehow ruins the stories to have a variety of actors. They claim, of course, not that their problem is the diversity, but forced diversity. But John Boyega’s presence did not force some magical change on the story. Opening up considerations for actors in the Star Wars universe is hardly a problem. Especially when you consider how baked in the cake it is with Star Trek. And it sure seems to work okay there.

But back to Rey. So, Mary Sue is a term that is a part of fan fiction. If you are not aware, Fan Fiction communities are folks who love to write stories continuing the adventures of shows, movies, comics, etc that they love. Sometimes they work within the cannon of the franchise, but often, this is their way of saying “what should have happened.” Some writers are specifically focused on relationships they want to see that the official works clearly won’t be doing (*cough, cough* Finn and Poe *cough, cough*). But the most derided thing in fan fiction is the dreaded “Mary Sue”. A Mary sue is a character that is created by the author that is simply better and smarter than everyone else. There is nothing they cannot do. They always save the day and fix everything. It is generally believed that a Mary Sue is a way for the author to insert themselves into the story.

In the film we see Rey fly the Millennium Falcon, fix the Millennium Falcon, use the Force and have a lightsaber duel with a trained Sith Lord. Does this make her an all powerful Mary Sue?

No.

There, that was not so hard.

Not satisfied? Okay…then we are going to break this all down.

Rey just happens to be a pilot who can just happen to fly and fix the Millennium Falcon. She even seems to understand it better than Han Solo. But let us look at Rey’s history. As a child, she is left with junk dealer Unkar Plutt. Her whole life has been as a scavenger. She plunders the ruins of the crashed ships that litter the surface of Jakku. This means she has some basic technical understanding of how ships function.
We know Rey is familiar with the Millennium Falcon, because when she is running with Finn, he calls out the Falcon and she says they are not going to take it because it is garbage. Unkar Plutt owns the Falcon at the beginning of the film. We know this in part because as Rey fires it up, he yells out about his ship. Later Rey tells Han about modifications that Plutt made that she disagreed with. So, she has been in the Falcon probably many times. So, between being a scavenger and working for Plutt? It stands to reason fixing ships would be a skill she might have.

She also points out how she has flown ships before, though never in space. And even with this, the film portrays her as a pilot who gets farther on luck than actual skill. When she first tries flying the Falcon, she nearly crashes it. This is not Mary Sue Territory.
Rey uses the force pretty well with no training. So?
Okay, okay. First off, the films have clearly established that those who are Force Sensitive may find themselves using it without even realizing it. You do not have to have training to use it, training simply helps you better control it it. Rey does a bit more than we see Luke do in the first film, which does not mean anything. Luke has nobody to duel Lightsabers with, that falls to Obi Wan in the first film. Luke has no more training than Rey in the beginning of Empire when he uses the Force to retrieve his lightsaber from the snow. There is no in movie argument that he could not have done that in a New Hope. So, this notion that a person who is Force Sensitive cannot do Jedi mind tricks and the like is not based in anything other than “It was not done by Luke in a New Hope”, which is, frankly, not much of a point at all. Still not Mary Sue territory.
Rey fights a trained Sith in a lightsaber duel. This often is argued that she wins. But that is absolutely false. Nobody won the fight. It was a draw. And you might think this still favors the Mary Sue Argument. But, no, it does not. Early on in the film, we see Rey protects herself with a staff. As a scavenger, a weapon is probably a necessity. And she uses a staff. It is pretty clear she uses the lightsaber in a similar fashion. But still, how could she fight Kylo Ren to a standstill? Well, right before this confrontation, Ren has killed his father and Chewbacca shot him with his bow. They spend the entire film establishing just how powerful that bow is. In the fight, Ren is clearly in pain, and he constantly pauses to punch himself in the side, apparently trying to blunt his pain. He also has been wounded by Finn in their brief lightsaber duel. Rey is fighting a wounded man who still manages to nearly best her, only the destruction of the Starkiller Base ends their fight.

So, in closing, the Mary Sue accusation does not hold up under scrutiny. In addition, unless you are condemning the original trilogy, the arguments for Rey as Mary Sue apply every bit to Luke Skywalker. If you think Luke is not a Mary Sue (or, Gary Sue, because people seem uncomfortable applying a feminine descriptor to a male character) than Rey cannot be either.

A few things that were bothersome…

Captain Phasma played by Game of Throne’s Gwendolyn Christie. While I liked the character’s visual look (and loved that they were comfortable always keeping the Helmet on, leaving for mystery), I felt like the character never got to show off, so to speak. They hired Christie, who is a commanding physical presence and she never really gets her moment.

Supreme Leader Snoke is only seen in in the form of a giant hologram. Who he is gets played up as a big mystery, but I do not find him particularly threatening here.

I was not sure how I felt about Luke being this legend and enigma in this film, the Last Jedi has given me perspective I will address in that piece.

But, for me, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives. I enjoyed returning to the universe and the characters. Seeing Han Solo and Chewie and General Leia were all welcome.

Driver gives a fascinating performance. His Kylo Ren worships his grandfather Darth Vader. He seeks to be like him, but he is a young fanboy desperate for approval from Snoke, but struggling with a part of him that still desires the love of his parents. The first six films all focused on the allure and deceit of the Dark Side. The Dark Side is an almost romantic threat that can overpower good. The Force Awakens is the first time we see the idea that the Light Side of the force has it’s own pull. And I like this.

I really like Rey and Finn. Both are in struggles that sometimes cause them to be overtaken by fear. Finn has only known the First Order, and the concept of friends like Rey and Poe quickly start to give him a new kind of hope. Rey has never had the courage of Jakku believing that some day her parents will return. When Maz points out that Rey knows this is not true, but she has the potential of a new family, Rey is terrified to face this and runs. Poe Dameron is one of those fun swashbucklers, who makes things work by kind of flying by the seat of his pants and hoping it all pays off.

When I saw the Force Awakens in 2015, I enjoyed it a lot. I have revisited the film a few times in the past few years, and my feelings have not changed.

December 26, 2017 0

Nothing But Star Wars Episode Six (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, 1983)

It took three agonizing years for the audience to get the answers to our questions. Excitement built with the initial announcement of Revenge of the Jedi. A bold and powerful title, it had fans eager. Before long, the title shifted to Return of the Jedi. Lucas noted that the Jedi do not deal in revenge.

And this seems a fair assessment for what little we really knew about the Jedi at this point. It did not matter though. Return was a good enough title and certainly not something to dampen the fan excitement.

And so, here we go…as with the previous installments, we are going to spoil the heck out of this one.

Picking up some time after Empire (weeks? Months? It is not entirely clear) we are introduced to Darth Vader arriving at a…half built Death Star. Did not work the first time, but the Empire does not give up so easily.

Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 arrive at Jabba’s palace. 3PO notes a sense of dread as he points out that Lando never returned from his visit. Upon gaining their audience with the immense slug-like creature, R2 plays a message which understandably freaks 3PO out, as Luke bargains for Han Solo and offers the droids as good will gifts. Jabba laughs this off, keeps the droids and starts up a party, complete with singers and a dancer. Half way through, he pulls the dancer towards him aggressively, as soon as she is close, he drops her down a pit. We don’t see what is down there, but it sounds pretty terrible.

3PO is now his translator, and that is good, because a bounty hunter shows up to claim a bounty on Chewbacca. After a tense negotiation, the party goes on and Chewie is led away. We discover later the Bounty Hunter is Leia in disguise. She frees Han from the Carbonite only for them to get caught. Han is jailed away, while Leia suffers a creepier situation…

Leia gets to be the sex object for a good chunk of the film. While the films had not shied away from the notion that Leia is beautiful, this feels…a bit creepier. The film implies some unsavory things for a film largely seen as a kids film. Granted, when I was eleven, all of it went over my head. But still…anyways, Luke shows up and Jabba instantly tosses him into his death basement. There, look has to outwit the Rancor, a large creature with a big appetite. I suddenly find myself wondering just where Jabba got this thing. Is it native to Tatooine? Is it something Jabba imported? Like an exotic pet? Are there laws against importing Rancors? Anyways, Luke kills it, angering Jabba, who decides to have Luke, Han and Chewbacca tossed into the Sarlaac Pit, where they will be digested for thousands of years.

No worries though, Luke has a plan. R2 has his lightsaber and shoots it to Luke from his barge. It turns out Lando is posing as a guard and Leia finally gets in on the action again and chokes Jabba with her chains. This sequence has one of the original trilogy’s most infuriating moments for many fans. Remember this guy?

He is the bounty hunter who caught Han Solo because Darth Vader gave him Han encased in Carbonite. And yet, somehow? The guy has a reputation as an intergalactic badass. Boba Fett does nothing on film to warrant this, but his rather embarrassing death (Han Solo accidentally sets off Fett’s jet pack, shooting him into the side of the barge and then on down the Sarlaac’s gullet.

This so bothered some people that in the comics being published at the time (by Marvel) had an issue that brought him back. After laying waste to Jabba’s thugs, the heroes head off.

Luke Makes a stop on Dagobah where he finds Yoda near death. Yoda confirms that Vader is indeed his father. After Yoda passes away, Obi Wan’s ghost visits.

Old Ben explains that really, when he said that Darth Vader killed Luke’s father, it was true…in a way. It all depends on how you look at it. Of course, a person being corrupted is not actually the same thing as another person killing them. And frankly, this should have been a hint for us all that maybe the Jedi were a bit ridiculous. In Empire, there was a reference made to their being another in an exchange between Ben and Yoda as look sped off for Bespin. This becomes clarified to explain that Luke had a Twin sister, who he realizes is Leia.

Luke shows up at the rebel fleet just in time to join Han and Leia as they lead a team to take down the shield protecting the new Death Star that is powered on the forest moon of Endor. Lando will lead the fleet in the assault on the Death Star itself, taking the Falcon with Han’s blessing…and a promise to not get a scratch on the ol’ ship.

On Endor, the rebels get help from the natives, little teddy bear creatures called Ewoks. They help Leia and Han make an assault on the base powering the shield. Luke has gone to meet Darth Vader and is brought before the Emperor. The hope of the Emperor is to win Luke over to the Dark Side. He taunts Luke repeatedly trying to drive Luke into trying to kill him in anger.

Luke and the rebels are shocked to discover that the Death Star is fully operational, and Luke gives into his anger. Vader protects the Emperor and they two duel. After near defeat, the rebels on Endor take out the shield and Lando’s forces are able to set off the chain reaction necessary to destroy the Death Star.

Before it reaches critical mass, Luke has almost defeated Vader, only to find himself halted seeing Vader’s mechanical hand, and looking to his own mechanical hand.

“MARTHA!”

Just kidding. This is actually a good call back moment. Luke sees that he is in some ways now like his father, and is shaken back to reality. He tosses aside his lightsaber. The Emperor uses his force lightning to kill Luke…as he is dying, Luke calls out to his father…And Vader picks up the Emperor and throws him down a shaft.

With his dying breathes, he asks Luke to remove that dark visage and allow him to look upon Luke with his own eyes. He asks Luke to let Leia know that Luke was right…that there had been some good in him after all.

On the moon of Endor there is celebration with a song containing the lyric Yub Yub. Luke stands with his friends and then looks off and sees Anakin, Ben and Yoda smiling at him and the credits roll!

Jedi has always taken a lot of crap for the Ewoks. It turns out they were originally supposed to be Wookies, but Lucas felt that Chewbacca had established that they were to technically minded. This does not make sense. Chewbacca merely proves Wookies are adaptable and intelligent. But while the Ewoks are a bit to cutesy at times, their inspirations are kind of interesting. Lucas had a fascination with how effective the Viet Cong was, in spite of their technological inferiority. They knew their land and turned it into their strategy.

Return of the Jedi really cemented the myth that Lucas had this all planned out. That he had this big screen play that he chopped into three parts. And it only got bigger from there. Supposedly, this was actually a nine part series. But by the early 90’s Star Wars was mainly kept alive through the expanded universe of comics and novels. Every now and then there would be a story about Lucas and his massive epic…but it seemed pretty clear that we were never going to see more movies.

This allowed people to ignore those little leaks where people would point out that when they started filming Empire nobody knew Vader would be Luke’s father. Or that while the line about “there is another” did indeed refer to a sister for Luke, it was not Leia…they had no idea who or where the sister was.

Harrison Ford did return for Jedi, but he really felt that Han Solo should have died. I kind of agree. It would have been a tough pill to swallow, but it would have hit home that they were at war. Not everyone gets that happy ending. But the film really does act like the story is over. The Rebels win, Vader is redeemed and Jabba is a grease spot on the desert floor.

There have been rumblings of late from folks who feel the later films present the Jedi in a disparaging light, but I disagree. This was always there. We just wanted to ignore it for the legend. Ben Kenobi deceives Luke throughout the series. He does not want Luke to redeem Vader, he hides the information thinking it will be easier for Luke to kill Vader. Empire and Jedi both call Ben’s wisdom into question, heavily.

With the impending prequel films, the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi was, again, largely cosmetic in it’s changes. Some were more extreme than others. For example, the Sarlaac Pit was not just a pit with tentacles. Now it had an extendable beak or mouth or something. But the largest change was in two sequences. One was Jabba’s palace. The musical number that proceeds the death of a slave girl was a pretty small affair. Now there is a space rock number with dancers and a really articulate digital band. The song is…well, not really terrible, but certainly not going to find it in many folks digital playlists.

And then there is the final scene. Instead of just showing us the celebration with the ewoks, we see various planets celebrating the end of the Empire. And this:

This was before Attack of the Clones had cast it’s grown up Anakin. By the time the movies were released on blu-ray, we got this revision:

Anakin sure is looking creepy there. This change creates un-necessary questions. Why are Ben and Yoda Old? Why is Anakin looking younger? I suppose the argument is based on the idea that this was the last time from before he turned to the Dark Side…but that is kind of a silly and arbitrary choice.

So, of the original trilogy, this is the weakest entry, but it still is a lot of fun. It has plenty of humor and excitement and really is an enjoyable watch.

December 21, 2017 0

Nothing But Star Wars Episode Five (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980)

Star Wars became a world wide phenomenon. This meant that Lucas would get to build on his adventure. Already there were comics from Marvel, novels inspired by the first film and toys galore. How could they deny giving the audience more?!

And so, Lucas set forth to continue the story of intrepid rebels trying to take down the galactic Empire. This time he stepped back a bit from both writing and directing. Lawrence Kasdan stepped in as screen writer and Irvin Kershner as director.

Spoiling the Heck out of the Star Wars movies continues here!

Picking up anywhere from a few months to maybe even a year or two after a New hope, Empire opens on a secret Rebel base on an icy planet called Hoth. Han is trying to get out back on the run from Jabba the Hutt, feeling it is no longer safe for him. Han and Leia argue over his leaving, Han believing it is because Leia having feelings about him, Leia apparently feeling he is an asset against the Empire.

Luke has had a vision of Ben Kenobi which advises him to go to a planet called Dagobah and find a Jedi Master named Yoda. When the Empire finds the hidden base they attack. After getting the rebel fleet on it’s way, Han, Leia, Chewie, and C-3PO find themselves on the run in the Millenium Falcon. Luke and R2-D2 go off to find Yoda.

Dagobah turns out to be a swamp planet with no technology. Yoda himself seems to be a confused little kook at first, but really is a character meant to challenge Luke’s pre-conceived notions of what a Jedi Warrior is.

Darth Vader is on the hunt for Luke Skywalker. The motives for this are not entirely clearly during the film. We learn that Vader is, in fact, the right hand man of the Emperor.

The Emperor sanctions the search for Luke, for he sees the potential of a great new ally for the Empire. To this end, Vader has gone as far as hiring bounty hunters. I confess, one bounty hunter stood out to me above all the rest…

No, not him…

Yeah…Bossk. But he did not become the legend that was Boba Fett. Which is garbage.

Meanwhile, Han and Leia try hiding out with an old friend and associate of Han’s named Lando Calrissian. Lando is a reformed scoundrel turned legit businessman, running the sky based Bespin. But Lando, trying to protect his city cuts a deal with Darth Vader.

Vader torments Han and Leia enough to cause a disturbance within the force powerful enough to nudge Luke a few solar systems away (I am guessing, the fact is, the relationship of various planets to each other is never really clear in the world of Star Wars). Luke immediately seeks to rush off to help his friends, but Yoda and the Ghost of Obi Wan implore him to stay and focus on his training.

Vader has Han Solo frozen in Carbonite as a test to see if it will work for his plans to capture Luke. As Lando starts to realize he is going to see Vader continue to change the rules, he helps Leia and Chewbacca escape. Luke and R2-D2 arrive in Bespin, quickly becoming separated as Luke enters a confrontation with Vader.

Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2 fail to save Han, with Boba Fett managing to leave with the frozen body. They make their way to the Falcon instead. Luke and Vader’s confrontation ends with Luke losing his hand and lightsaber, and nearly his sanity. In one of the most earth shattering moments of all cinema, Darth Vader reveals that Kenobi lied. Vader did not kill Luke’s father…he was Luke’s father. Luke cannot accept this and appears to leap to his death. He manages to catch some outcropping below the city and reaches out through the force, connecting to Leia. She has Lando turn the Falcon around until they can rescue Luke.

Empire felt like a bit of a revelation for a franchise films. It was not merely a retread of the the first film. It felt like a natural extension. Han and Leia’s relationship grows from a complicated adversarial friendship to a romantic one. Luke learns that the dark side is not merely an external force. And the film ends on that heavy note of Luke discovering that Vader may be his father and Han has gone missing. The Carbonite subplot with Han was actually something of a safety move. It was uncertain if Harrison Ford would be willing to return for the third film, so it was a way to write Han Solo out if necessary.

Yoda, a small green puppet with big ears came to amazing life, voiced by Frank Oz, who (as well as going on to be a noted director) was part of Henson’s Muppet troop and the voice of Miss Piggy. Yoda was small, but as noted earlier, was meant to teach Luke very important lessons about his expectations. He describes Yoda (not realizing he is talking to Yoda) as a great warrior. Yoda just laughs and declares that “Wars do not make one great!” Luke Struggles with the force, moving small rocks and the like. Yoda can move Luke’s X-Wing without breaking a sweat. Luke finds himself unable to deny his worry about his friends. He is easily given to fear.

And again, that reveal. For the next three years, we argued about whether it was true. I mean, surely, Darth Vader was a liar, right? There is no way this could be true!

For the special edition of Empire Strikes Back, the work was largely cosmetic. And for the most part, I approve. There were some dialog changed (there is a redundant scene of Darth Vader telling his people to ready his ship so he can return to his star destroyer). I really liked the changes like blending the snow speeders into the picture better. One of the issues when they made the film was compositing the speeder on a white background. The lines around the ship were glaring. So they faded the images just enough…which resulted in the ability to see through the snow speeders. This was fixed for the special edition.

The city of Bespin was now full of windows allowing sweeping cloud fill skylines. And they expanded some of the stuff with the Wampa snow creature, allowing us to see more of the creature. But there was not anything I would call a “new scene” in the sense of that the Jabba scene was. But there was one change that made some folks genuinely mad.

The original film features a hologram of the Emperor that is distinctly different from the version we see now. This is because the actor playing the Emperor in Empire is Marjorie Eaton. The voice provided was Clive Revell. In Return of the Jedi, they cast Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor. And so, for the special edition they more closely approximated the look of the Emperor for the hologram with McDiarmid.

The Empire Strikes Back is the high mark of the Star Wars franchise. It is powerful, without losing the sense of fun and grandeur of the first film.

December 20, 2017 0

Nothing But Star Wars: Episode Four (Star Wars: A New Hope, 1977)

In the 70’s a young filmmaker convince a movie company called 20th Century Fox to let him make a film by pretty much forgoing massive creative fees and keeping the licensing, which he turned into a massive empire. George Lucas had an idea for an epic space film. Now, if you follow the “Official Story”, Lucas had a bible he stuck to. He Cut the original film into parts and made the first part into Star Wars.

The truth is a bit murkier. It is certainly plausible he had a larger epic ready…but it is pretty obvious that the story was evolving as he went along. But I am getting way ahead of myself. Originally just released as Star Wars, the film was later retitled as episode 4 and “A New Hope”.

Nothing But Spoilers ensue!

The film opened with the now iconic screen crawl telling us of the war between the cruel empire and scrappy rebellion. We quickly are introduced to the villain Darth Vader. Dressed in black with ominous breathing apparatus, Darth Vader intimidates the crap out of people with his super deep voice.

A young woman sends two droids on a mission, which leads them to a nearby desert planet. There, the droids (named C-3PO and R2-D2) end up in the ownership of Lars Owen. R2-D2 is a spunky little droid who is actually trying to find a mysterious individual. This man is Obi Wan Kenobi, or as Luke Skywalker knows him, “Old Ben”. Skywalker is Owen Lar’s nephew. He is not content with being a farmer, he wants to join the rebellion.

Ben reveals he is a member of the order of Jedi. Knights who defended the galaxy against darkness and protected the weak. They get help from hotshot smuggler Han Solo and his partner Chewbacca (a large alien covered in hair, looks kind of like a bi-pedal dog). They save the Princess (well, sort of, as she ends up taking over the rescue) and the rebels lead an assault on the ultimate weapon…a planet killing space station called the Death Star.

And if that sounds like the most awesome thing in the world, five year me can assure that it most definitely was! But seriously, I saw A New Hope at five years old and it made a powerful impact on me. Both in general of a love for movies and as a specific thing, Star Wars. I wanted Star Wars clothes, I wanted the toys and Lucas got my parent’s hard earned cash.

But what did I love so much?

Was it how hard core science drove the images on the screen? Well, um, no. The films are not seeking to be scientifically accurate. The smaller spaceships fly like they are in World War 2 dog fights, there is sound in space and so on. Star Wars wants to draw you in and does so with exciting visuals and sounds.

And the Star Wars films began a revolution in visual effects. He used the existing technology and worked with upstart creatives to make the technology that did not exist yet. And while today computers and CGI rule the day, the practical model work of Star Wars holds up in the present.

The characters drive this film. Luke Skywalker is one of those characters who works effectively as the audience proxy. He is young and stuck in a life that is less than the one he desires. He wants to break free. He is also a bit whiny, but in a way that is probably more relatable than we want to admit.

Princess Leia is an inversion of the damsel in distress. At first, it seems she is the woman who must be saved. But when Luke and Han Solo arrive, they muck up her rescue, requiring her to help get them out. Leia is brash and tough, and a really great character.

Ben Kenobi is the wise old knight. He tells us tales of the Jedi as the most noble policemen in the galaxy before they were decimated by the evil Darth Vader. Vader killed Luke’s father, who was Kenobi’s friend.

And this first film establishes Vader as a cruel master of the Force, though working in the service of Gran Moff Tarkin. He is not really a sidekick, in spite of a comment from Princess Leia, the film clearly implies Tarkin and Vader have discussions about how to proceed with their policies.

The interesting choice Lucas makes though, is to frame the story not through Luke’s eyes. Rather he does so through the two droids. R2-D2 and C-3PO are thrown into the center of the war which, well, C-3PO is woefully not qualified for. 3PO is a fussy butler, a protocol droid. He basically is a translator, his hands cannot even effectively hold weapons. His companion, on the other hand, is a tough little fighter. R2-D2 is an astro droid, essentially he is a co-pilot for smaller space ships and also maintenance for larger ships. R2 speaks exclusively in beeps and squawks. The film only gives us any kind of hint as to what he is saying through other characters. Apparently, it is a commonly understood language, and everyone knows what R2 is saying, and so their responses are able to give the viewer context.

Meanwhile, there is Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han is the adventurer Luke wants to believe he can be, but disappoints Luke because he is a craven mercenary. Technically, he and Chewie are smugglers for the underworld of the Star Wars universe. And Han has a price on his head, which may have made him an easier sell for Luke and Ben’s needs. Chewbacca is, like R2, a character who has no english dialog. He howls and growls. In this case, not everyone apparently speaks wookie, but Han clearly does and gives us insights into Chewie’s comments. Between this, body language and the various inflections of Chewie’s growls, Chewie can be funny and sympathetic. In one scene, Han warns C-3PO against letting R2-D2 beat Chewbacca in a game. 3PO notes that nobody worries about upsetting droids. Han notes Wookies are noted for…less than sportsmanlike responses to losing. Chewie leans back and puts his hands proudly behind his head which really sells the joke in the scene.

One of the defining moments for Han is when he is confronted by a bounty hunter named Greedo. Greedo tries to extort Han, but Han uses this to slowly get his gun, allowing him to fire on Greedo before Greedo can pull the trigger. When we reach the end of the film, Han has gone from focusing only on his own survival to taking a risk for Luke and a cause bigger than himself or money. Sort of.

The thing to remember with Star Wars is that it has been an ongoing adventure in revisionism. Lucas initially made subtle changes to the film. Calling it Episode 4, naming it a New Hope. But with the announcement of a planned new trilogy, Lucas saw another opportunity. He would use modern technology to beef up his original trilogy of films. He had his teams clean up effects, enlarge the impact of other effects and expand the scope of the films.

Some of this involved making Mos Eisely look bigger and more populated. Making some of the stiff creatures look more lively. making sure wheels were not visible beneath Luke’s landspeeder (kind of a hovering dune buggy) and so on. But Lucas also added scenes that had long been thought lost to time.

For instance, Han has a run in with Jabba the Hutt. The sequence was filmed with a human actor and they intended to super-impose a stop motion creature over the actor. But they could never make it work. So, by the time they reached Jedi, they got to totally come up with Jabba completely from scratch. But now the technology made it possible to go back and re-examine the scene. And so they got to work on creating a digital Jabba. The results were…well…

Mixed. It does not look awful, but it sure looks dated. And the scene is solely interesting as an artifact of history. As a story scene it adds nothing to the tale. And not knowing who Jabba was or what he looks like built up his threat across three films, and here, it kind of makes him seem…gentle.

Most of the additional stuff in the Special Editions does not bother me. I am totally fine with seeing effects cleaned up. But there is one intensely controversial change. Even people who have not seen any Star Wars films are probably aware of the “Han Shot First” movement. In the remastered and expanded edition, Greedo gets a shot off before Han shoots him. This of course, makes Han appear less cold blooded. Sure, you could argue self defense before, but it definitely made Han seem like a sketchier dude, and increasing the power of his arc in the original.

This is certainly not enough to kill my love for the original film. The good of Star Wars far outweighs the bad here. The story is exciting, the characters engaging and the film has a killer musical score. I feel like I should have mentioned that sooner. John Williams defined movie music for much of the seventies, eighties, and nineties. And Star Wars was the Cornerstone of that.

The Star Wars story kicked off with a bang and still fills me with the same joy I felt as a kid watching it in 1977.

December 19, 2017 0

Why Did It Have to Be Aliens? (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,2008)

Or…Indy Gets Old. Lucas envisioned a new Indiana Jones trilogy, with one change. Where the first three films focused on religious and supernatural artifacts, the new films would focus on science fiction themed artifacts. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set in the 1950’s for this reason, and instead of Nazis, the villains are Russians.

The film opens with Indy and his friend Mac as prisoners of the Russians. They are taken to Area 51 to locate a potential weapon. Jones mounts an escape that leads to one of those narrow escapes that got a lot of ridicule…hiding in a fridge to avoid a nuclear explosion. I am not sure this is really any more outrageous than his other exploits in other films. Is it crazier than jumping from a plane in an inflatable raft? Indy returns to his college job, only to find himself pursued by the CIA and the Russians.

He runs into a kid named Mutt…Mutt wants his help to save his mom…Marion Ravenwood. What follows is an adventure involving the Crystal Skull. The real Crystal Skulls are carved human skulls. People believed they were ancient creations, but all the skulls studied have revealed to have been made in the 19th century and there does not seem to be any mythology that corroborates the claims of being Mesoamerican or even Native American.

The film ignores this and posits that there is a hidden city in the Amazon jungles. And the skull is not human, but rather an elongated alien skull. The film indulges aliens and psychic powers. But a lot of the action harkens back to the earlier films.

At the same time, there is little room for anything resembling an emotional resonance…this is because the film relies heavily on goofy moments. The action is full of it. During an overly long chase (where the Crystal Skull keeps leaping between Indy’s crew and the Russians) Mutt gets caught in a tree. He ends up swinging Tarzan style through the trees surrounded by monkeys.

The film also never really surprises. From the moment Mutt appears, you can see where his storyline is leading. Mutt is also kind of annoying. I mean, he is less annoying than Sam Witwicky in the Transformer films…but he gets irritating none the less.

On the other hand, it is really great to see Marion back on the screen. And she gets some real good moments within the action scenes. She is not just there to be saved, but does the saving. And the cast is a high point. You have Cate Blanchett as the lead Russian, John Hurt as an old mentor of Indiana Jones, and Jim Broadbent in a small role as Indy’s boss.

And John Williams provides the score. John Williams has created many iconic themes from Star Wars to Superman. And his soundtrack in all the Indiana Jones films is top notch. As the main Indy theme plays in every movie, it makes you anticipate excitement.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a disappointing return for a cinematic hero.

September 27, 2017 0

Choose Your Adventure Wisely (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989)

After the criticism of Temple of Doom, Lucas and Spielberg opted to return to Judeo Christian artifacts. This time was far more myth, in that they search for the Holy Grail, the cup Christ used at the Last Supper and gifted with the power of eternal life. They brought in Jeffrey Boam, writer of two Lethal Weapon films and the Lost Boys, to provide the Screenplay.

The film opens in Indiana Jones’ teen years. While out with his scout troop, he stumbles across treasure hunters. He grabs an artifact and they start to chase him. While the sequence is fun and generally exciting, it also suffers from a ridiculous amount of fan service. For reasons I cannot fathom, they decided they needed to explain…well, everything. Indy’s fear of snakes, how he got the scar on his chin, how he got his whip, how he got his hat. It is just absurd. Who really wanted to know how or when he got that scar? He is an adventurer…he got it on an adventure. They also establish where the name “Indiana” comes from. It is not great.

The film then jumps to 1938, where Indy has found that same artifact. He reclaims it and returns to the college where he is employed as a Professor. There, he is introduced to Walter Donovan, who was working with Indiana Jones’ father, a noted Grail expert. His father has disappeared, so Jones flies to Venice with Marcus Brody and they meet up with Elsa, who was also working Indy’s father (also named Henry, so his dad keeps referring to Indy as Jr.). They discover he is being held by Nazis…

Everyone gets divided up, Indy and his father escaping the Nazis, Marcus and a returning Sallah heading for the location of the Grail. They do eventually meet up in an action packed finale.

And the film does entertain, but then also tries to over compensate with background…wholly unnecessary background. Sean Connery as Indy’s dad is certainly a fun casting choice. He is not impressed at all with Indiana’s exploits. In one scene, they are riding a motor cycle. After he dispatches Nazis, he looks to his father with a big smile…and his dad is just indifferent. The look on Ford’s face as his ego is deflated is amusing.

The film really ramps up the jokes. Where humor complimented the prior films, this one seems almost more of a comedy. Marcus Brody and Sallah, two fairly dramatic and competent characters in the first film are played for laughs as bumbling fools.

The film does have some nice character moments for Ford and Connery where they try and reconnect after years of a strained relationship. The twists and reveals, on the other hand, feel heavily telegraphed.

The Last Crusade is often treated as a strong return to form, but I cannot say it is any better than the Temple of Doom. It is certainly tonally different (and admittedly, a lot of the jokes actually work, especially between Indy and Henry). But it has its weaknesses.

September 26, 2017 0

The Adventure Continues (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984)

Of course, Indy had to return. And Spielberg and Lucas have returned, with longtime Lucas collaborator Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz providing the script.

The film opens with a musical number and Indy meeting with Chinese Gangster Lao Che. After a double cross, Jones makes a dramatic (and entertaining) escape with singer Willie Scott. A plane crash detours Indy and Scott, along with sidekick Short Round (one of the weirdest choices is a kid of about thirteen or fourteen) in India. A village reaches out for Indy’s help. Their children and sacred stones were taken by a cult. Indy agrees and they venture forth. They arrive at Pankot Palace.

They discover the Thuggee Cult is alive and well, worshiping Kali in caverns below the palace. They are using the children as slave labor and consolidating power through human sacrifice. Probably the most infamous moment from this outing is the removal of a victim’s still beating heart before he is lowered into lava.

Temple of Doom is often seen as a darker affair. And truthfully it is. In part, this is due to the focus on a death cult. The Thugees were a very real community, though they were more known to befriend travelers and kill them for their possessions. It is debated just how much a role their religious beliefs played in their actions. The supernatural flourishes in the film are entirely fabricated.

While the tone is darker this time around, the film also has the exciting narrow escapes and death traps that made the first film enjoyable. In spite of a new writing team, the character of Indy is true to form. The humor is still there, much of it derived from Indiana Jones own over confidence. Though the inclusion of Short Round makes Indy look a tad bit too irresponsible. Willie Scott is set up as the direct opposite of Marion Ravenwood. Scott is kind of clueless and wants only a comfortable life. She does not like getting her hands dirty and seems scared of everything. Sadly, this leads to the character becoming extremely annoying at times.

The villains are not explored much at all. Most of the bad guys are in a possessed trance and do not seem to have a lot of personality (as opposed to Belloq and Toht in Raiders).

The film is really no more gruesome than the first film (which had peoples’ faces melt off!). And the ILM effects are still largely able to stand the test of time. Really, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is not quite Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it is fun and exciting enough to entertain.

One last note…in Raiders, Indy is pretty skeptical about the supernatural powers of the Ark. And yet, in Temple of Doom, set two years before Raiders, he witnesses some major supernatural activity. What brought him back to skepticism?

September 25, 2017 0

The Adventure Begins (Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981)

1981 was the meeting of two titans. Steven Spielberg had thrilled the world with Jaws and two years later George Lucas had started to take over the world with Star Wars.The two teamed up to create the ode to pulp novels and action serials of yore.

Dr. Henry Jones, nicknamed Indiana is a professor of Archaeology and adventurer. He is not a treasure hunter, at least not in the traditional sense. He locates artifacts in the belief that they should be shared with the world for education and discovery.

Jones is contacted by the Government regarding the Biblical Ark of the Covenant. Teaming up with an old flame, Marion Ravenwood, Indy must stop Nazis from getting their hands on the Ark. What follows is a series of exciting near misses at getting the Ark.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a roller coaster ride of a film. It has the adventure, heart, and humor that engages the viewer throughout. Indiana Jones instantly has an iconic feel. He is rough around the edges, without being a neanderthal. He is good at thinking on his feet (especially handy in attempts to escape sticky situations. But he is not alone here. Marion is the daughter of his mentor Abner, and she is every bit the adventurer. She is smart and clever, Indy’s equal.

Of course, in a story like this, villains matter. Indy is really dealing with two foes. One is Belloq, who is his greedy counterpart. Belloq is a fortune hunter and seeks the Ark for his own lust for power. He has teamed with the Nazis, led by the creepy Major Toht. The Nazis, of course, seek the Ark to consolidate their power.

Lucas tends to be good at ideas, but a bit goofy on execution, so giving the story to Lawrence Kasdan to write and having Spielberg direct brings all their unique skills together to create one of the best adventure films of film history. It brings the sense of the old serials to a vibrant modern life with terrific characters fighting near impossible odds.

September 24, 2017 0