Hi everybody,
I was holding my breath on the way into the cinema, as I was not exactly enamored with the previous two offerings from Disney in this franchise and had avoided watching the trailers for the film to avoid spoilers. In case you are holding your breath too, you can relax now, this is a good one and is well worthy of being in the collection.
It finally sews the threads of the plot together, I think most of the long term fans will approve. The graphics and special effects are superb as always, with lots of new aliens to spot here and there among the crowd. There is another robot for the youngsters to cheer on, as well as the usual gang, but they may miss some of the plot points in the story. It is a certificate 12A
This closes the chapter for most of the original cast, so Disney can take us where they will and develop the storyline how they please, but I hope they do keep faith with the fans. I saw the 2d version of the film, but I plan to see the 3D version too.
Review 5/5 - For seeing sense and coming back to their roots.
"May the force be with you, always."
Ivor Cogdell
P.S. - The new trilogy does not suit everybody, one of my other mates has refused to watch the last couple out of disgust.
This is for my war gaming and role-playing exploits, including SF worlds, fantasy and post-apocalyptic settings, with a dash of history. A mix of solo and group gameplay. Terrain making is also included, with reviews of figures, TV shows and films.
Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Wars. Show all posts
Monday, 30 December 2019
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Thoughts on - Star Wars - The last Jedi (Spoilers)
Hi all,
I have finally got around to seeing Star Wars Episode 8. The characters and acting - you do what you can with what you have been given, but no obvious flaws in the mix.
First off - The Imperial Dreadnaught, with all the conceptual artists Disney have up their collective sleeve, is a copy of the B2 Spirit the best design that they could come up with? Just lazy.
Secondly, speaking of copies, the abandoned base, looked like another ringer for Hoth. I suppose there are a lot of icy bodies out there to play and/or get killed on. Why did they have that humongous door on the front that reached to the top of the cliff, it only needed to be a bit taller than the opening, then it could have been a lot thicker and therefore survive longer. A bad design.
Thirdly - The pitiful ground defence force, more pod racing anyone? Disney rehashing old scenes yet again. A quote from one of the defenders - "They're picking us off one by one". You sound surprised by that, what would you be doing in their place. That's what you are trying to do to them, too.
Fourthly - Over to our loveable Luke for a bit. For 30-some years, he has been sitting on a rock, picking his nose, skimming rocks into the sea, that sort of thing, while the Galaxy, in general, has been going to hell in a handbasket. OK, he failed with Kylo, (sob), but he could still have been out there doing some good. Think of all the lives he could have saved to swell the ranks of the resistance and given hope to others. Did he cut himself off from the force so he would not have to feel the shimmers in the force all night?
Gripe number five, what was the point in destroying the Jedi Holy relics? Luke even lost his bottle doing that, Yoda had to show him how to do it properly. Now that they are destroyed, what are the caretakers going to do with themselves, now that their whole reason for existence has gone up in smoke and cinders? They might as well jump off the cliff like lemmings.
Moan number six, I give you the Penguins. Ahhhhh.......What was the point of them, apart from you could have a laugh when Our Chewie barbecued one. He should have known better. He should be put on a charge at least. It brings a whole new meaning to "Friendly Fire".
Why did the little guy not say, "Please do not eat me" before the dastardly deed was done?. The same goes for the Ice Foxes, Why did they run to the base and not just scatter, they were only there to show them the way out. "Oh no, We're trapped and doomed, but wait, let's follow sparkles for a laugh".
Gossip corner number seven, had Jimmy Vee (who was inside R2) upset the writers? To say he had a bit part was an understatement, blink and you would have missed him. He was only in it to prod Luke's conscience, its a pity he was not in the X-wing when Luke came to the island and do it a long time ago. Why had Yoda not given him a serious talking to about his responsibilities earlier? Or grannie Leia for that matter, at least Rey gave him an ear bashing.
That mostly covers it. The Special effects are where the money went, not on advancing the storyline. Disney has ignored the legions of fans and pitched it at the wider audience out there. They have got to pull a mighty big rabbit out of the bag (Harvey sized rather than Bugs) to come up with a suitable ending with the minuscule amount of Rebel forces they have left, "To the Outer Rim we go looking for wannabe Jedi, or at least some help." (Guardians of the Galaxy perhaps, once they have helped out with the Avengers?).
Provisional titles for Episode 9 - "No Hope - No Glory?"
"To Jedi or not to Jedi?"
"One used Lightsabre, Going cheap."
" 'alllo Leia, gotta a new Padawan?"
"Oh no, not that again?"
Rating - 3 out of 10.
Ivor
I have finally got around to seeing Star Wars Episode 8. The characters and acting - you do what you can with what you have been given, but no obvious flaws in the mix.
First off - The Imperial Dreadnaught, with all the conceptual artists Disney have up their collective sleeve, is a copy of the B2 Spirit the best design that they could come up with? Just lazy.
Secondly, speaking of copies, the abandoned base, looked like another ringer for Hoth. I suppose there are a lot of icy bodies out there to play and/or get killed on. Why did they have that humongous door on the front that reached to the top of the cliff, it only needed to be a bit taller than the opening, then it could have been a lot thicker and therefore survive longer. A bad design.
Thirdly - The pitiful ground defence force, more pod racing anyone? Disney rehashing old scenes yet again. A quote from one of the defenders - "They're picking us off one by one". You sound surprised by that, what would you be doing in their place. That's what you are trying to do to them, too.
Fourthly - Over to our loveable Luke for a bit. For 30-some years, he has been sitting on a rock, picking his nose, skimming rocks into the sea, that sort of thing, while the Galaxy, in general, has been going to hell in a handbasket. OK, he failed with Kylo, (sob), but he could still have been out there doing some good. Think of all the lives he could have saved to swell the ranks of the resistance and given hope to others. Did he cut himself off from the force so he would not have to feel the shimmers in the force all night?
Gripe number five, what was the point in destroying the Jedi Holy relics? Luke even lost his bottle doing that, Yoda had to show him how to do it properly. Now that they are destroyed, what are the caretakers going to do with themselves, now that their whole reason for existence has gone up in smoke and cinders? They might as well jump off the cliff like lemmings.
Moan number six, I give you the Penguins. Ahhhhh.......What was the point of them, apart from you could have a laugh when Our Chewie barbecued one. He should have known better. He should be put on a charge at least. It brings a whole new meaning to "Friendly Fire".
Why did the little guy not say, "Please do not eat me" before the dastardly deed was done?. The same goes for the Ice Foxes, Why did they run to the base and not just scatter, they were only there to show them the way out. "Oh no, We're trapped and doomed, but wait, let's follow sparkles for a laugh".
Gossip corner number seven, had Jimmy Vee (who was inside R2) upset the writers? To say he had a bit part was an understatement, blink and you would have missed him. He was only in it to prod Luke's conscience, its a pity he was not in the X-wing when Luke came to the island and do it a long time ago. Why had Yoda not given him a serious talking to about his responsibilities earlier? Or grannie Leia for that matter, at least Rey gave him an ear bashing.
That mostly covers it. The Special effects are where the money went, not on advancing the storyline. Disney has ignored the legions of fans and pitched it at the wider audience out there. They have got to pull a mighty big rabbit out of the bag (Harvey sized rather than Bugs) to come up with a suitable ending with the minuscule amount of Rebel forces they have left, "To the Outer Rim we go looking for wannabe Jedi, or at least some help." (Guardians of the Galaxy perhaps, once they have helped out with the Avengers?).
Provisional titles for Episode 9 - "No Hope - No Glory?"
"To Jedi or not to Jedi?"
"One used Lightsabre, Going cheap."
" 'alllo Leia, gotta a new Padawan?"
"Oh no, not that again?"
Rating - 3 out of 10.
Ivor
Sunday, 18 December 2016
Thoughts on - Rogue One (No Spoilers)
Hi there,
I think that Disney are finally getting their act together with this franchise. It seems like they may actually done a little bit homework before writing the film script. Rogue One: A Star Wars (TM) Story (I saw the 2d version, but intend to see the 3d version too), was much slicker than Star Wars VII - A Force Awakens, as it was more of a general action film, not needing too much background knowledge apart from the main character details.
It probably helped that the plot itself was fairly linear. The graphics and acting were very good, as you would expect of Disney. There were nods to Star Wars that the fans will recognize, which was nice to see. A few old faces appear as cameos, just to wet our appetites for Star Wars VIII.
All in all, it slots into the Star Wars History with barely a squeak out of place.
Niggle - How is the massively mighty (not to mention heavy) Star Destroyer able to just hovver in the atmosphere with only the rear engines going ? I suppose anti-gravity of some sort, like the land speeders ?
Lets see how they do with the next one.
It is worth a look.
Rating - 8 out of 10.
Ivor
P.S. I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing away of Carrie Fisher and then her mom Debbie Reynolds. They were icons of their age that will be missed indeed.
I think that Disney are finally getting their act together with this franchise. It seems like they may actually done a little bit homework before writing the film script. Rogue One: A Star Wars (TM) Story (I saw the 2d version, but intend to see the 3d version too), was much slicker than Star Wars VII - A Force Awakens, as it was more of a general action film, not needing too much background knowledge apart from the main character details.
It probably helped that the plot itself was fairly linear. The graphics and acting were very good, as you would expect of Disney. There were nods to Star Wars that the fans will recognize, which was nice to see. A few old faces appear as cameos, just to wet our appetites for Star Wars VIII.
All in all, it slots into the Star Wars History with barely a squeak out of place.
Niggle - How is the massively mighty (not to mention heavy) Star Destroyer able to just hovver in the atmosphere with only the rear engines going ? I suppose anti-gravity of some sort, like the land speeders ?
Lets see how they do with the next one.
It is worth a look.
Rating - 8 out of 10.
Ivor
P.S. I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing away of Carrie Fisher and then her mom Debbie Reynolds. They were icons of their age that will be missed indeed.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Thoughts on Star Wars The force awakens (Spoilers)
Hi all,
My thoughts or should it be questions, on the greatly awaited blockbuster, Star Wars VII - The Force Awakens. I am not meaning any disrespect here, but I, unlike many of you, have not been delving through the many science fiction magazines on the market trying to get the latest scoop or speculation on where the film would take us. I have not read the mountain of fictional material out there, mainly because of a lack of time, not of interest.
I do have friends who, probably like many of you out there, have watched the films many times, who know the cannon backwards, can quote deleted scenes word for word and have met quite a few of the actors on the various conventions and tours. ( I have met Kenny Baker and Dave Prowse, along with assorted real astronauts, including Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon). My point being that I am not a total novice to the Star Wars Universe.
My first question is, where were all of the new spaceships I was expecting ? Why were the rebels still using X-wings and Y-wings ? They were obsolete back in the day of SW IV, as was the Millennium Falcon. They should at least be in A and B-Wings. Where was the scientific innovation in the 30 years since then ? Even if it was done in some secret labs somewhere ? The Empire seemed to have managed to build "The Death Star on steroids", why not the rebels ? On a similar tangent, why not make 4 death stars for the same effort it took to build "Fatty" ?
My second question relates to the character of Finn, the reformed storm trooper. Part way through a battle, he gets a light saber and uses it !! I thought you had to be force sensitive to be able to use them ? Ok, assume he is, but he has had no training in the ways of a Jedi and feeling the force etc. yet he is deflecting blaster rays etc like a pro, pure rubbish if ever there was some.
Question number three, Kylo Ren - The latest caped Skywalker baddie, Whats with the mask old chap ? You don't need it. The only reason Mr. Vader had it was for medical reasons.
Question four, Whats up with our Luke ? There he is, just sitting alone on a planet in the middle of nowhere, just 'cause he made a slight boo-boo with Kylo's training and he went bad apple ? Be a man. Don't just sit there sucking your thumb, go and fix it now, not wait till someone comes along to hold your hand how many years later. Yes, yes, I know, he will be doing it in the next two films, but that's not the point. He is supposed to be helping the resistance, between you me and the gatepost, he's failing miserably on that front.
Question five, Since when do robots in general sulk ? ("Marvin" from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is an honorable exception). Yes, I do mean small blue and white dustbin features. Shame on you, R2. Scrapping's too good for you. I hope BB-8 does better.
Question six, Why was there no Jedi training for Leia ? A waste of talents, although some might say that least she has been doing something useful with her time.
I did hear that Disney Studios wanted to "re-do" Star Wars. I do think that they achieved that, but did they do too good a job of it ? Rather too samey for me, I'm afraid. On the plus side, the monster / special effects generally were very good, especially in 3D. The characters were interesting, as you would hope.
Thanks for letting me share my ponderings. If you have any answers to my questions (even if you think I have got something wrong, I won't be offended) or for that matters other questions that you have too, just pop them in the comments box below.
Ivor
My thoughts or should it be questions, on the greatly awaited blockbuster, Star Wars VII - The Force Awakens. I am not meaning any disrespect here, but I, unlike many of you, have not been delving through the many science fiction magazines on the market trying to get the latest scoop or speculation on where the film would take us. I have not read the mountain of fictional material out there, mainly because of a lack of time, not of interest.
I do have friends who, probably like many of you out there, have watched the films many times, who know the cannon backwards, can quote deleted scenes word for word and have met quite a few of the actors on the various conventions and tours. ( I have met Kenny Baker and Dave Prowse, along with assorted real astronauts, including Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon). My point being that I am not a total novice to the Star Wars Universe.
My first question is, where were all of the new spaceships I was expecting ? Why were the rebels still using X-wings and Y-wings ? They were obsolete back in the day of SW IV, as was the Millennium Falcon. They should at least be in A and B-Wings. Where was the scientific innovation in the 30 years since then ? Even if it was done in some secret labs somewhere ? The Empire seemed to have managed to build "The Death Star on steroids", why not the rebels ? On a similar tangent, why not make 4 death stars for the same effort it took to build "Fatty" ?
My second question relates to the character of Finn, the reformed storm trooper. Part way through a battle, he gets a light saber and uses it !! I thought you had to be force sensitive to be able to use them ? Ok, assume he is, but he has had no training in the ways of a Jedi and feeling the force etc. yet he is deflecting blaster rays etc like a pro, pure rubbish if ever there was some.
Question number three, Kylo Ren - The latest caped Skywalker baddie, Whats with the mask old chap ? You don't need it. The only reason Mr. Vader had it was for medical reasons.
Question four, Whats up with our Luke ? There he is, just sitting alone on a planet in the middle of nowhere, just 'cause he made a slight boo-boo with Kylo's training and he went bad apple ? Be a man. Don't just sit there sucking your thumb, go and fix it now, not wait till someone comes along to hold your hand how many years later. Yes, yes, I know, he will be doing it in the next two films, but that's not the point. He is supposed to be helping the resistance, between you me and the gatepost, he's failing miserably on that front.
Question five, Since when do robots in general sulk ? ("Marvin" from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is an honorable exception). Yes, I do mean small blue and white dustbin features. Shame on you, R2. Scrapping's too good for you. I hope BB-8 does better.
Question six, Why was there no Jedi training for Leia ? A waste of talents, although some might say that least she has been doing something useful with her time.
I did hear that Disney Studios wanted to "re-do" Star Wars. I do think that they achieved that, but did they do too good a job of it ? Rather too samey for me, I'm afraid. On the plus side, the monster / special effects generally were very good, especially in 3D. The characters were interesting, as you would hope.
Thanks for letting me share my ponderings. If you have any answers to my questions (even if you think I have got something wrong, I won't be offended) or for that matters other questions that you have too, just pop them in the comments box below.
Ivor
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