Movie

Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

Director:

Rian Johnson

Starring:

Daisy Ridley

John Boyega

Mark Hamill

Adam Driver

Oscar Isaac

Carrie Fisher

Domhnall Gleeson

Gwendoline Christie

Kelly Marie Tran

Laura Dern

Benicio Del Toro

Plot:

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for battle with the First Order.

Review:

First off ***SPOILERS*** I could try and write the review without them, but I don’t feel like being vague and want to explain why I liked and didn’t like some parts of The Last Jedi.

I’ve had the opportunity to see the film once as well as read most of the visual dictionary. Something that’s become increasingly more necessary with each Star Wars movie is reading those dictionaries. There is a lot glossed over in the films or not even addressed period. Like the New Republic, how did they go from being in control of the galaxy and then destroyed so easily? Well it’s briefly explained in the dictionary, it’s not a very satisfying explanation and really points out how deficient they were as a government, but at least there’s something there unlike in the movie where nothing is mentioned.

I was not a fan of The Last Jedi. I liked Rey’s story, I loved her fight with Kylo and the Praetorian Guards, her interactions with Luke were fine, but he was very much angry man shouts at cloud. I think I’m actually fine with Luke in this film and I certainly don’t mind the way he went out. It was actually pretty cool and it was at least foreshadowed at the beginning of the movie. I’m curious to see if he’ll return as a force ghost and I assume we’ll find out if force ghosts can bug non-lightside users of the force.

Poe was a massive disappointment. He started off kicking butt and then went too far. He was stupid, he deserved his demotion, and then he didn’t learn. He had to be taught the same damn lesson all over again. It was frustrating. Leia trusted Vice Admiral Holdo, he trusted Leia, he should have trusted her. He’s a nobody, demoted for being an idiot, why should she tell him what her plan was?

Then we’ve got Finn who’s story was a complete waste. Sure we got to see a new side of the galaxy which was nice, but it didn’t matter story wise. They went there, got caught, got sold out by Benicio Del Toro who’s character seemed like a throw away, and just ended up getting more people killed because the entire fucking plan was stupid. This is the future of the Rebellion. If they were up against Darth Vader and the Emperor they’d be screwed, thank goodness it’s Kylo Ren the dumbest dark side villain.

Kylo is again not fear inducing in the slightest. I was a bit surprised that he killed Snoke, but when I thought more about it, it made sense. Kylo is like a teenage boy, he thinks he knows everything, hates that people don’t respect him, and decides to prove that he can do better. He also just happens to be super powerful with the force which means he’s worse than your normal teenage boy.

My least favorite scene might have been the beginning where Poe is stringing Hux along to buy more time. It made Hux out to be so freaking stupid, made it so that I will never fear him ever, and was just too silly. There were so many silly elements in this movie, too many little one liners.

Favorite scene was easily when Rey and Kylo were working together to kill the Praetorian Guards. So awesome, loved their weapons, especially the whip. It was so cool to watch, it actually had me kind of hoping that they’d surprise me further and make Rey turn bad, but she didn’t, so oh well.

I wasn’t a fan of the Carrie Fisher superman scene, however, because of the actress and her death I’ve decided to give it a pass. We got to see her use the force, even though it kind of looked silly.

There were no more Finn and Poe love connection scenes which was a bummer and I really hated that Rose kissed Finn. Why couldn’t they have a friendship going? Why did she have to try and make it romantic? Doesn’t she realize Finn is already conflicted with Rey and Poe? I mean, clearly Poe is the superior match even with how stupid he acted in the movie.

My hope is that there is a significant time jump between Episode Eight and Nine. It will give this C tier Rebellion time to become A tier, though, there’s nothing that will make me fear Kylo so that’s just a lost cause. At least there’s no way Captain Phasma is dead, I refuse to believe she went out like that, she will be back.

3/5

The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)

The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)

Director:

Patrick Hughes

Starring:

Ryan Reynolds

Samuel L. Jackson

Gary Oldman

Salma Hayek

Elodie Yung

Plot:

The world’s top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must testify at the International Criminal Court. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.

Review:

Alright this review is under maintenance. I watched over Christmas while I was wrapping presents so I wasn’t able to give it my full attention. I watched most, but I want to see it again because what I did see was really good. Planning on purchasing it based on what I saw.

Loved the action. I thought the little bits of comedy really set a good tone for the film. It was serious, but not too serious, it was funny, but not too funny. A hard balance to achieve.

I liked the women in the movie too, they were capable and kicked butt.

Until I watch it more I’m not going to go into anymore.

4/5 *subject to change after another viewing

Logan Lucky (2017)

Logan Lucky (2017)

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Starring:

Channing Tatum

Adam Driver

Daniel Craig

Plot:

Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

Review:

I like a good heist movie and this was certainly a good heist, however it moved too slow for my liking. There was a ton of talking and just watching and set up, but it kept you in the dark about some things too.

There was hardly any action and several times I was triggered by parenting choices. I also wish they’d make a movie set in the South that wasn’t—ugh. Okay, I know that what they showed was completely accurate, the way the people were and the fair they showed, and I’ve heard people talk like Adam Driver did, but can we not see a movie where the South looks normal? It’s just a personal pet peeve of mine.

Anyway, even though I wasn’t a fan I did really enjoy the ending. It answered all the questions and gave you closure but was just ambiguous enough that I could think what I wanted to happen did and if someone else wanted something else they could do that too. I liked that.

My husband loved the movie, he named out all the NASCAR drivers that appeared and enjoyed the whole thing, it just wasn’t for me I guess.

3/5

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Director:

Luc Besson

Starring:

Dane DeHaan

Cara Delevingne

Clive Owen

Plot:

A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Review:

I wanted so bad to love this movie. I thought it looked so amazing, the world was super interesting, and I liked that one of the main characters was a woman. No matter how hard I try to love it, though, I can’t. After the ending I can’t even give it three stars.

First, and possibly the biggest problem, was the pacing. Oh my word it dragged in so many places and was just way too long.

I did not like the two leads. We were basically dropped into the middle of an ongoing relationship and just had to figure things out. Was Valerian being gross by continually asking Laureline to marry him? Were they in a point in their relationship where he was being cute? I have no idea and for me it came off as super annoying and I just wish she’d tell him to stfu.

I liked that she saved him and that he saved her, but he was the higher ranking officer so he was more capable than her? The power balance between the two was confusing, because, again we were just dropped into the middle of something that had been going on for a while with no explanation.

I wonder if Besson knew that this wasn’t going to get a sequel and just decided to do whatever the fuck he wanted whether it made sense for the viewer or not.

I enjoyed how it was shot and that everything wasn’t through a filter. Visually, it was really nice. The aliens were interesting and Alpha was a cool idea, but that’s all the positives I can think of.

Rhianna randomly being an alien shapeshifting stripper was weird and then she just dies. Dane DeHaan seemed to be trying a whole Keanu Reeves imitation with his voice that was also weird.

The ending made me bring it down a full star because it was just so ugh. Valerian saves the day and he and Lauraline are in an old Earth space ship and she agrees to marry him and they have sex. Seriously? It was just so stupid, especially, since I still had no idea what their relationship was supposed to be. She was forever telling him no and to focus on the job and he would just smile and ask again later.

I get that some people don’t like origin stories, but maybe this would have been better done that way. Or maybe they should have done a better job explaining the relationship. Or maybe there shouldn’t have been one at all. I know it’s based on a comic book, but it’s such an old obscure one that maybe they should have eased off the fan service and focused on people who just really want to see a good Sci-Fi story that has a happy ending. After this and Jupiter Ascending I’m never going to get an epic Sci-Fi movie series that isn’t Star Wars.

2/5

Merry Christmas, Baby (2016)

Merry Christmas, Baby (2016)

Director:

Rhonda Baraka

Starring:

Malinda Williams

Victoria Rowell

Karon Riley

Plot:

Marci throws herself into preparing for Christmas and building her new event-planning business. But when the business gets off to a rocky start and members of her family face their own hardships, Marci steps up to help everyone have a good holiday.

Review:

So in the first movie Marci, Malinda Williams, comes home because her favorite cousin is going to be a missionary in Haiti and she’ll be gone for five years. I mention this because, they have continued this plotline. They mention her in every movie and in this one they even do a video chat. I like that she didn’t just disappear.

Blair, Karon Riley, is still struggling with his law firm. Marcie is now trying to run an event business with her aunt Elizabeth, Chrystale Wilson, and Myra, Deetta West, wants to adopt the young girl from the last movie. Again all the same actors which is nice, but they’ve stopped growing. They’re more giving but apart from that they’re still the same people.

I was really hoping that Marcie would be back on top and that Blair would be a stay at home dad, but I guess that’s not the direction they want to go in which is a bummer. It also kind of ended abruptly it felt.

Once again, poorly sung Christmas carols, check.

Picking out the perfect Christmas tree, check.

Learning to give to those in need, check.

It’s interesting to see an entire arc with this type of movie. I thought it was very real to life, which is probably the major negative for me. I wanted something more fanciful, I wanted perfect, and super happy endings. It’s Christmas, I want everything to work our beautifully in the end, not be stuck working with someone you can’t stand. Still, I will be very interested to see if there are more of these movies.

4/5