Happy International Sherlock Holmes Day 2018

Today is International Sherlock Holmes Day! Which actor, TV show, movie, or story is your favorite? I prefer the Robert Downey Jr. films myself, but I have enjoyed all of them.

Who's Excited For Solo: A Star Wars Story?

Here's a great write up of Solo: A Star Wars Story by Variety by Kristopher Tapley. If you're on the fence about seeing Solo, this article breaks it down and puts the movie into perspective and as to how it fits into the Star Wars Saga. The article also outlines how Lucasfilm has misfired on hiring the right directors for over half of the Star Wars films (except Episode 7 and 8) since the Disney buyout, and how they made the right choice with Ron Howard for Solo.

“Solo” is the fourth film in Disney’s revamped franchise machine to creatively malfunction: Director Josh Trank exited a still-unmade Boba Fett spinoff in 2015; Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tony Gilroy was brought in to save 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” when director Gareth Edwards’ efforts missed the mark; and “Jurassic World” helmer Colin Trevorrow — who was originally hired to direct the next “Star Wars” movie, “Episode IX,” in 2019 — was shown the door following clashes over the script.

Making a Star Wars film isn't easy and is serious business, not only from a financial perspective, but from a producer/actor/filmmaker's perspective, and a fan's perspective. It's not easy to have a successful Star Wars film without scoring big on those three perspectives, something even George Lucas had to work hard to do.

The article also lets the reader know which scene George Lucas had a little bit of input on, so check it out!

While I am looking forward to Solo, I'm a little more excited about seeing it after reading this article from Variety. The Nerds will be seeing this film on Friday! We'll be giving a reaction video and a review show as usual, so stay tuned! Anyone else have tickets yet?

Which Is Your Favorite Star Wars Movie?

Which is your favorite Star Wars movie? StarWars.com is having a poll on their official website, that you can vote in. Are you old school with the Original Trilogy? Or are you down with the Prequels? Perhaps you’re loving the Disney-era films and the new stories being told?

I don’t think there can be a wrong answer as they all bring something awesome and fun to the Saga! But we all have our favorite - which is yours?

My favorite - and yes it’s hard to choose just one, is Episode 3-Revenge of the Sith. For me it’s the pivotal point in the Saga, everything changes in this film. It’s the heart of Star Wars - the Prequels come to a dramatic end, and it provides a deep, dark hole for the Original Trilogy to climb out of and bring us that hope that we know and love that culminates in Return of the Jedi. - J

First Trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is out today

Watch this teaser trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald with The Credulous Nerds here on RandomAngst.com!

https://youtu.be/5sEaYB4rLFQ

It's A Good Time To Be A Nerd

Tor.com has recently published a list of films and TV shows that are in development and will hopefully be released in the next couple of years. These stories are those that have historically been in "the nerd" genre of shows. The list is chock full of great stories and I'm excited for all of them to hopefully come to fruition. Over the last few years, these types of shows have been prevalent in the movie theaters and on TV. Movie studios and actors have started to really gravitate towards producing these stories as of late. Why?

Because these shows are very lucrative and make a lot of money. But this money doesn't come from a select few, they come from the everyday TV watcher and movie goer. These stories are being consumed by everyone, no longer the stereotypical 1980's Revenge of the Nerds fan. That stereotype is long gone, but yet still seems to persist in our minds.

Nowadays, people just want to see a good story filled with drama, action, relationships, and good character development. Whether that is in a courtroom, at the fire station, in space, in Westeros or Gotham, or on another planet, as long as it's good and entertaining; people will watch it.

So welcome to all of you non-nerds, because it's a good time to be a nerd.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Home Video

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi is coming to home video on March 13th, 2018! This release will be on digital download. Then on March 27th, 2018, The Last Jedi will be released on Blu-Ray, and  4K Ultra Blu-Ray. If you plan on ordering a copy from Amazon, please support Random Angst Productions and click on the pre-order/order links below!

Here's the release trailer for the home video release:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecd4eA067P0

From StarWars.com:

The latest film in the Star Wars saga is coming home. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will arrive, it was announced today, on Digital (in HD and 4K Ultra HD) and via Movies Anywhere on March 13, and on Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and On-Demand on March 27. And along with the number one movie of 2017 comes a galaxy of bonus features, including The Director and the Jedi — an intimate journey into the creation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with writer-director Rian Johnson — as well as 14 deleted scenes, an audio commentary, and much more. The full list includes*:

• The Director and the Jedi – Go deep behind the scenes with writer-director Rian Johnson on an intimate and personal journey through the production of the movie—and experience what it’s like to helm a global franchise and cultural phenomenon.
• Balance of the Force – Explore the mythology of the Force and why Rian Johnson chose to interpret its role in such a unique way.
• Scene Breakdowns
  • Lighting the Spark: Creating the Space Battle – Get a close-up look at the epic space battle, from the sounds that help propel the action, through the practical and visual effects, to the characters who bring it all to life.
  • Snoke and Mirrors – Motion capture and Star Wars collide as the filmmakers take us through the detailed process of creating the movie’s malevolent master villain.
  • Showdown on Crait – Break down everything that went into creating the stunning world seen in the movie’s final confrontation, including the interplay between real-word locations and visual effects, reimagining the walkers, designing the crystal foxes, and much more.
• Andy Serkis Live! (One Night Only) – Writer-director Rian Johnson presents two exclusive sequences from the movie featuring Andy Serkis’ riveting, raw on-set performance before his digital makeover into Snoke.
• Deleted Scenes – With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
• Audio Commentary – View the movie with in-depth feature audio commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will come in a variety of packages, including the Multi-screen Edition (includes Blu-ray and a Digital copy), the 4K Ultra HD Collector’s Edition (including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and a Digital copy), and Best Buy and Target retailer exclusives. The 4K Ultra HD version features the extraordinary color, contrast, and brightness of Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, paired with fully immersive picture and sound with Dolby Atmos audio.

I'll be buying the Steelbook exclusive version from Best Buy to go with my other Star Wars Episodes 1-7 and Rogue One Steelbook collection.

Justice League Release Date on Home Video Announced!

The Digital Copy and Blu Ray for Justice League is coming soon! Digital copy release is February 13th, and the Blu Ray/DVD release date is March 13th (no word on VHS yet...). I'm looking forward to the deleted scenes to hopefully enhance this movie to help it reach the potential it had before studio execs got involved to trim it down to 2 hours. I'm thinking it will be more Suicide Squad than Dawn of Justice, but anything to enhance the story is something I'll be happy about whether it's only 10 mins or hopefully 30 mins.

I'll be getting the Target exclusive DigiBook edition (see above) to match the previous DC Movie DigiBook releases I've purchased in the past. The Best Buy exclusive steelbook version looks pretty sweet too. Interesting enough, Target has it listed on their website as Justice League part 1 (at least at the time of this post) which is probably an error, but I sure hope there's some amazing surprise and that's a leak. But, probably not.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review - Part II

The Women of Star Wars

Women have always been an integral part of the Star Wars Saga, and as our society has evolved into being more inclusive with women and minorities, this has been reflected even more so on screen with Star Wars. From Princess Leia to Mon Mothma, Mara Jade to Ahsoka, and Padme to Rey, women have played integral roles in the Star Wars galaxy and have had a lasting impact on the overall story. The Last Jedi is no different as it adds so much value to the overall story with it’s female characters and especially with the following.

Leia Organa Solo

The Princess who is now a General has had a long journey from the captured prisoner who stood her ground and talked back to Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, back when we first met her in Episode IV: A New Hope. General Leia Organa Solo has suffered much throughout this Saga and has lost much that is dear to her. In The Last Jedi we see a Leia who recently lost a man she loved and who was the father of her wayward son. She hasn’t had much time to grieve as the First Order is knocking on her door step and she along with the Resistance has to flee their military base.

Leia has to now lead a Resistance that is under attack and rein in Poe Dameron, a hot shot pilot who probably reminds her of a young Han Solo. Leia is attacked and blown into space and only through her strong will to survive and her connection to the Force is she able to rescue herself and receive medical attention. What strength she has shown just in the last 24 hours (movie time)!

Once she is contacted through the Force by Luke, she is able to recover and once again lead the Resistance in their escape. They eventually are able to escape to the Rebel Base on Crait, at the cost of many lives under her command. On Crait, Leia sends a distress signal to allies for help against their foes, but to no avail as there was no response from her allies. After a failed ground battle between our heroes and The First Order, Luke Skywalker intervenes and is able to distract The First Order long enough for his sister, Leia, to escape. Along with Leia, the newly self-proclaimed Rebellion members are able to locate a back way out of the base and escape on the Falcon with Rey and Chewie. Aboard the Falcon, Leia promises Rey that they will rebuild the Rebellion.

Leia is the epitome of try, try again and has learned throughout her life the lessons that Luke has been unable to learn throughout his. Leia has learned from her failures and has also learned the value of never giving up despite the Death Star-sized odds that she has constantly faced. Like her father, Anakin Skywalker, Leia has lost loved ones and has suffered so much grief. But unlike her father, she has not turned to the Dark Side nor has she sought revenge for the wrongs done to her. Always at the center of the Galactic Conflict, whether it is in the Rebellion against the Empire or in the Resistance against The First Order, Leia has used her talents and gifts to liberate others and strengthen the cause of freedom.

Despite not being as strong in the Force as her brother Luke has been, Leia has had just as big of an impact on the Galactic fight for freedom as Luke has. When she passes, she will be just as much of a legend as Luke Skywalker has become.

Tragically the real Leia, Carrie Fisher, has passed away in real life in 2016 and Princess Leia’s on screen story ends with The Last Jedi. Initially the over arching plan for this new Sequel Trilogy was to have Episode 9 be Leia’s story, just like Episode 7 was Han Solo’s final story and Episode 8 was Luke’s final chapter. A new story will be written to close out this final Trilogy and ultimately I am glad for the character of Leia and for the scenes she had in The Last Jedi. However, Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia will be missed for so many reasons. May The Force Be With Her - Always.

Rey

Rey again takes center stage in The Last Jedi and ultimately the title of this movie is hers. As Luke Skywalker becomes one with the Force at the end of this movie, he has passed the mantle of The Last Jedi to her. He proclaims to Kylo Ren that Rey will be the last of the Jedi. Which is surprising in more than ways than one. Luke has resisted teaching Rey the ways of the Jedi and ultimately only teaches her two lessons in an attempt to dissuade her from becoming a Jedi. He teaches her that the Jedi were wrong in what they did and that they were responsible for Darth Vader and for enabling Darth Sidious’ rise to power. And that he, as a Jedi, was responsible for the new Vader, Kylo Ren. So everything that Luke had done to prevent her from becoming a Jedi was overturned by his own declaration that Rey is now a Jedi.  A second surprise that Rey is now a Jedi is that she has hardly trained to become a Jedi. I can see her as a strong light side Force user, but to be called a Jedi was surprising. While Yoda did declare that Rey had all she needed to be a Jedi, I thought it was a stretch to declare her a Jedi. Rey did take the ancient Jedi texts from the first Jedi Temple with her when she left Ahch-To in the Falcon, so I think the ability to learn the ways of the Jedi and to ultimately bring back the Jedi Order; I believe that these building blocks are in place for the Jedi to be reborn. Maybe it’s just semantics at this point.

Rey’s journey takes another twist as she is tempted by the dark side. She and Kylo Ren are able to see and talk to each other through the Force while she is on Ahch-To. I believe that there are two reasons for this, one is that while a captive of Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, Rey and Kylo have a battle of the minds as they use The Force to read each other’s minds. I would like to think that this connection carried over to allow this trans-Galactic Force conversation. Also I think that being on Ahch-To had something to do with amplifying this ability. It would appear that Ahch-To is a location strong in The Force and is able to boost The Force. (I also think Ahch-To also helped Luke project himself through The Force to Crait by amplifying his Force abilities.)

As Rey is talking with Kylo through The Force she sees that there is a chance Kylo can be turned back to the light. We later learn in Snoke’s throne room that this was a trap set by Snoke to bring Rey to him (much like Darth Sidious did in Return of the Jedi to Luke as he sought to turn his father, Darth Vader, to the light side. In all fairness, Luke did warn her that it wouldn’t work).  Ultimately, Kylo kills Snoke and in an amazing melee, Kylo and Rey team up to defeat the Praetorian Guards. Rey tries to convince Kylo Ren to come back to the light and to work together to save the Resistance from The First Order. Kylo instead tries to convince her that she needs to join him and they will rule the galaxy, just as Anakin tried to convince Padme to do in Episode III. Just like Padme, Rey declines as it goes against her nature.

In a last ditch effort to convince Rey to join him, Kylo tells Rey that he knows who her parents are. That they are nobody, drunks that sold her for drink money, and that they are dead on Jakku. Personally, I don’t believe Kylo and I believe that he was using whatever tactic he could to try and convince her to join him by trying to strip everyone of value from her, such as Han and Luke and her parents. Also this explanation doesn’t match up with what we saw previously in The Force Awakens with a young Rey calling for her parents to come back as they flew away on a starship. I do believe that Kylo thinks that if he can convince her that she is alone then she wouldn’t want to be without him. But thankfully Rey is stronger than that and doesn’t fall for it.

I think the question of Rey’s parents and Rey’s growing up needs to be addressed definitively in Episode 9 due to her importance in the Saga, as well as her strength in The Force. Whether she is a hidden Skywalker or a daughter of Jedi that’s been in hiding for years or a anomaly such as Anakin Skywalker, it needs to be defined as I believe it goes to overall character development for Rey. The dark side cave under the island where Rey goes to find the answer to who her parents are, up to this point was not very helpful in answering that question. Just as in Empire Strikes Back, the scene of Luke going into the dark side cave made more sense once we saw Return of the Jedi, I hope that this dark side cave scene from The Last Jedi will make more sense after seeing Episode 9.

Rey’s journey to becoming the last of the Jedi starts in this Episode and she still has much to learn. I think she learned a lot during her encounter with Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren. I think she realizes that she has more to learn, as evidenced by her final scene on board the Falcon with Leia. While holding the broken remains of Anakin’s lightsaber, she asks Leia how they are supposed to rebuild? I think the question is two fold, one part for the newly created Rebellion and one part for the Jedi Order and Leia’s answer is sufficient for both the Rebellion and the Jedi Order.

Rose

Rose Tico is a new character introduced to us in The Last Jedi. She is a new voice for the Saga, a voice of the common person, the non-Force user, and a voice that is just as important as the other characters. Rose represents those that want a better life and who have been oppressed by The First Order and the Empire for so long.

By the time we meet Rose in The Last Jedi, she has been through so much heartache. She and her sister, Paige, have escaped The First Order’s ruin of her home planet and have joined the Resistance. Paige was killed during the Resistance’s escape from their base in the Elenium system. Rose now has nobody to lean on and is feeling alone. She meets Finn and after a fan girl moment of meeting The Finn,  together they join up and create a plan to help the Resistance escape The First Order through hyperspace.

Rose is the person that Finn needs to meet in order to become a more rounded person. Rose is down to earth and a no nonsense type of person. She is able to teach him what’s important in life and that relationships matter. Finn has become used to running away, as we see in The Force Awakens he is constantly running from others and responsiblity. Rose grabs hold of him and doesn’t let go and in doing so teaches him a valuable lesson. One of the best lines in the movie comes from Rose, “I saved you, dummy.” She does indeed save Finn in more ways than one.

Rose is a great addition to the story and adds a lot of value to The Last Jedi. While I never questioned her character, I initially questioned the Canto Bight side story with her and Finn in which she plays a big role in this side story. Initially I thought it was a distraction from the main story that eventually doesn’t go anywhere as Finn and Rose don’t get the hacker they are looking for, then their mission fails before they can complete it and are captured by Phasma, and then that hacker eventually sells them out and they are set to be executed. I didn’t understand the reasoning for this side story until subsequent viewings. I learned that this side story is just as important for Finn as Ahch-To is for Rey. Rey learns things on Ahch-To from Luke Skywalker and Finn learns things on Canto Bight from Rose Tico. Finn’s character would remain stagnant without Rose’s influence and the Canto Bight adventure. Thanks to Rose, Finn learns not to run anymore and that people matter and can do great things, and that this is one of the reasons Finn left The First Order in the first place. Rose is a voice of reason in the crazy and chaotic galaxy.

Phasma

Phasma is my personal favorite character in this new Sequel Trilogy, unfortunately she doesn't get the screen time she deserves (in my opinion, lol). She has so much potential and is such a cool looking character, I'm sad that she only gets a few minutes in each movie to shine. I'm hoping she survived the fall into the fiery depths of Snoke's mega starship, so as to make a comeback in the next movie. Hey, she survived the destruction of Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens! We didn't see her hit the ground and die, it's possible that she landed in a soft spot, a trash compactor maybe, and was able to escape in time. I think JJ Abrams should put Phasma in Episode 9 to show her tenacity in that she is able to constantly survive these crazy situations. We'll see what happens.

UP NEXT:

Finn Grows Up, Poe Becomes a Leader, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, and more.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review - Part One

Star Wars History

As a life long Star Wars fan, the Star Wars Saga has been a part of my life since I was 4 years old. I can remember bits and pieces from seeing Star Wars in the theaters in 1977, the Death Star shootouts between our heroes and the Stormtroopers, the Tusken Raiders, and Darth Vader. I can remember seeing The Empire Strikes Back for the first time and just being enthralled with the Tauntauns and Hoth and everything I saw on screen especially the duel on Cloud City between Luke and Vader. Interestingly enough, I don't remember my first time seeing Return of the Jedi in theaters, but I do remember seeing it for the second time with my cousins and how they kept asking me when Darth Vader takes off his mask.

As a young child, my friends and I loved Star Wars as did many other youth of our era. We played the video games, watched the movies on HBO, played with the action figures, and made up our own adventures in the fields behind our house. I couldn't comprehend a world without Star Wars growing up, and even when the "Dark Times" were happening, ie. the post-ROTJ era, we still had the novels and video games to help us revisit the galaxy far, far away.

Then the Special Editions were released in 1997! Then the Prequels were announced! I saw The Phantom Menace multiple times in theaters in 1999, as well as Attack of the Clones several times in 2002. In 2005, I was able to take my son to see Revenge of the Sith in theaters and the circle seemed to be complete as this last Star Wars movie was released and I was able to experience Star Wars with my then 4 year old son. Life was great.

I am one of the oddballs who enjoyed the Prequels and still watch them religiously. Sure, they have their faults, but so does the Original Trilogy (OT); to me that's just how Star Wars is. It's fun, awe-inspiring, and cheesy all at the same time. I've never understood why my fellow fans, mostly my peers, could hate the Prequels so much. Dislike them? Sure, why not. However, the level of hate and spite that was and is spewed forth at the mere mention of Jar Jar Binks or Hayden Christensen is remarkable.

As much as some love the Star Wars OT, others have come to hate the Prequel Trilogy (PT) just as much. It's almost like the balance in the Force, the light and dark must balance each other out (Plus check out Mike Klimo's ideas on the Star Wars Ring Theory to see how the Prequels are just the Originals in reverse and the hate of the Prequels starts to make more sense) Just like the OT, not everyone was a fan. My father couldn't understand the Star Wars hysteria that took the world by storm in the '70's as it wasn't his type of movie, my mother thought they were fun movies, but didn't see the long lasting appeal. Star Wars appeals to different people in different ways and that is just fine.

Now, here we are in the latest era of Star Wars, the Sequel Trilogy (yes, the ST), and now instead of having George Lucas to blame, as everyone did with the Prequels, the new perpetrator is Disney. But yet the same hatred is still out there. While overshadowed by Episode VII - The Force Awakens' success of $2 Billion dollars made worldwide, there was a small, vocal group of fans who still spewed the same hatred that we heard during the PT. Now, with the release of Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, the grumblings and criticisms have returned and have grown louder.

I am not one of those fans.

Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson is the one responsible for The Last Jedi. He wrote the script and directed the movie with Lucasfilm's blessing. Rian Johnson, a self proclaimed super fan of Star Wars with a similar path of fandom as I described previously, turned the Star Wars Saga, and it's fandom, on it's head. Some say he is the next great Star Wars storyteller, and Lucasfilm tends to agree as he has already been awarded the opportunity to create and direct a whole new Star Wars trilogy with all new characters and situations. Rian can be considered George Lucas 2.0 and he has an opportunity to have a similar impact on the filmmaking world. Others claim he is the newest Sith Lord and like Darth Sidious usurping The Galactic Republic in Episode III, Rian Johnson has ruined Star Wars Canon from within. A petition has been created to remove Episode VIII from official Star Wars Canon! The hyperbole from these Star Wars fans is laughable at best and mostly just disrespectful.

With The Last Jedi, Rian has crafted a Star Wars story that is fresh and engaging for the fans. Upon first viewing, I didn't know exactly what to think, in fact I had to take some time to think and process what I had just seen. There was so much that happened that was unexpected, (Like Luke tossing his long lost saber over his shoulder) that it took time to let it sink in. In the first weekend after my first viewing, I spent hours talking with friends and family about what happens in Episode 8. After these conversations and subsequent viewings, these new ideas began to coalesce together along with old ideas, as well as with the previously established mythology of both the Star Wars Prequels and Originals, combined with what we saw in The Force Awakens to ultimately create something new and unexpected. With one movie, Rian Johnson has unified ALL eras of Star Wars just in time for the final chapter of the Skywalker saga!

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker has been my hero from the beginning. He was the one I identified with growing up and his hero's journey was mine. Not only as a youth, but with repeated viewings as a grown up, I watched his journey with satisfaction as he left his unfulfilling farm life on Tatooine and eventually grew to become a powerful Jedi. So to see his situation in The Last Jedi and where Luke was at physically and emotionally was very hard to watch. How could my quintessential boyhood hero just run and hide and not help his sister and best friends in their fight against the First Order?! I was appalled as Luke hid in his hut and and rebuked Rey's pleas for help.

As the story and Luke's reasoning for being on the island of Ahch-To unfolded and as Rey engaged with Luke as to why he was a hermit on Ahch-To instead of coming with Rey to get 'back in the mess', it began to make sense to me. Luke, my hero, had failed miserably and was ashamed of his failure. He was responsible for the galaxy's newest Dark Side villain, Kylo Ren. Everything Luke had fought against in his hero's journey, to overcome Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, was back and it was his fault. Just like his nephew, Ben Solo, was striving to become the new Darth Vader, Luke was now the new Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi who trained Darth Vader. Similar to Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke decided the best course of action was to go into hiding. But instead of training the new hope to become a Jedi, Luke reasoned that that would be just perpetuating a cycle that was too dangerous to repeat. Hadn't he just tried to do the same as Obi-Wan and Yoda had done with him and failed? (Interesting that as Rey leaves Luke on Ahch-To, she claims that Ben Solo is the galaxy's only hope against defeating Snoke and in the end, she was right!). Over the years, Luke had come to the conclusion that the Jedi must end for this cycle to be broken.

Enter R2-D2 and as in previous Episodes, he plays a pivotal role in the story. Luke reunites with R2 on the Falcon and in his droid wisdom, R2 replays the message that started Luke's hero's journey, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.". This was Leia's plea for help to Luke's former Master so many years ago and it is just as pertinent now as it was back then. You can see it on Luke's face as he realizes, it is now his turn to take up the mantle and help Leia, just as Obi-Wan did. I believe he also comes to the realization that just like Obi-Wan, he doesn't need to be the one to do the deed, but he is to be the one to put everyone on the right path and then let the new generation handle the rest. Luke's angst and inner conflict in this moment is palpable as he decides to do what for years he said that he wouldn't do. He decides to teach Rey about the ways of the Force. Luke commits to teach Rey three lessons about the Force, but in an effort to help her understand why the Jedi must end. He helps her understand how Ben Solo succumbed to the Dark Side and his involvement in Ben's downfall and provides Rey with a cautionary tale. However, just like Luke in Empire Strikes Back, Rey is drawn away from her training before it is completed by a vision of the future in the Force. Rey thinks she can turn Kylo Ren back to the light, just as Luke thought he could turn his father to the light in Return of the Jedi. Luke warns her that Kylo Ren and Snoke are too powerful and that Kylo will not turn.

Luke stays on the island while Rey leaves with Chewie and R2 to confront Kylo Ren. Luke decides to burn down the first Jedi Temple and the ancient Jedi texts contained within. But he is unable to bring himself to do that, as he is holding too much on to the past. The Force ghost of Yoda appears and Yoda again teaches Luke a valuable lesson, failure is a harsh but necessary teacher. Through the Force, Yoda uses lightning from a storm to ignite the Jedi Temple on fire and together they watch it and the Jedi traditions burn. Yoda scolds Luke for not heading his advice and not passing on what he has learned to Rey. Yoda tells Luke that they must not lose Rey to the Dark Side.

At the end of the film, we see Luke arrive at a pivotal battle on the planet Crait and he is able to say goodbye to Leia and C-3PO one last time. Luke confronts Kylo Ren on the plains of Crait. We find out that Luke isn't physically there and that through the Force, Luke is projecting himself across the galaxy to make it appear that he is there on Crait. Luke doesn't engage with Kylo Ren and avoids Kylo's saber attack to buy enough time for the newly christened Rebellion to escape. We then find out that Luke is still on Ahch-To and that the effort of using the Force across such a great distance is too much and Luke becomes one with the Force, in the same way that Yoda did on Dagobah in Return of the Jedi.

As mentioned previously, I was initially confused and disappointed as to why Luke would not fight and join the conflict. Then I remembered a lesson taught to Luke by Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, arguably the most beloved Star Wars film of all time, that a Jedi only uses the Force "for knowledge and defense, never for attack." This put the whole hermit on Ahch-To idea into perspective. Luke is actually living the Jedi teachings, something the Prequel era Jedi were unable to do due to The Clone Wars.

Even when Luke confronts Kylo Ren on Crait, he still took a defensive approach in the confrontation. How can Star Wars fans, myself included, fault Luke for being the ultimate Jedi and doing what all of the Prequel Jedi, even Master Yoda and the great Obi-Wan Kenobi, could not do? How can some Star Wars fans criticize Luke for not being a great Jedi warrior and not confronting the whole First Order with his laser sword, but yet at the same time condemn the Prequels for not being real Star Wars movies as the Prequels show us the downfall of the Jedi because they didn't follow their own Jedi codes?

Luke had completed his hero's journey in Return of the Jedi when he defeated Darth Vader and threw down his lightsaber at Darth Sidious' feet. Luke stayed on the hero's path by not being drawn into the Galactic conflict once again and not repeating the mistakes of the Jedi Order. As a result, Luke became the ultimate Jedi Master, even more so than Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the end Luke Skywalker became the Legend the galaxy needed.

UP NEXT:

Leia's Final Chapter, Rey is the Last Jedi, Finn Grows Up, Poe Becomes a Leader, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, and more.

- Justin

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Soundtrack Track List Revealed!

The soundtrack track list for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been updated on iTunes. While there’s nothing too spoilery, the movie hasn’t been released in theaters until later today (as of this posting). The soundtrack is due to be released tomorrow, Dec 15th, 2017.

             

Thor: Ragnarok Review

I have been a Thor movie fan since the first Thor film, I wasn't one who bashed Thor and how it was a weak entry in the MCU as many others did. I enjoyed the first movie and thought it had the right mix of action, love story, humor, and comic book elements to make it an enjoyable movie. Thor tied in well with the existing MCU at the time and helped with the expansion of the SHIELD storyline which was important in the beginning of the MCU.

I also enjoyed Thor: The Dark World and again, it actually has some implications that moved the whole overarching MCU storyline forward with the introduction of the aether as another Infinity Stone. The cast from the first movie was back together with some new additions and it had a good mix or humor, love, and action.

So bring on Thor 3 - Thor: Ragnarok! Right?!

THOR: RAGNAROK SPOILERS BELOW:

Well, despite the early 98% Rotten Tomatoes score (currently sitting at a 93% critic review and 90% audience reviews) and gushing reviews of "the best comedy movie from Marvel", "Might leave you 'Thor' from laughter", "The best, silly superhero yet - it is thunderful!", "Thor is basically a blast!", blah, blah, blah; I didn't find Ragnarok as enjoyable as the first two Thor movies. Overall, I enjoyed Ragnarok and felt it had some great moments and introduced some great new characters - Kurg (voiced by the director, Taika Waititi) and Valkyrie, as well as the inclusion of Doctor Strange (however, that was more eye candy than anything), the addition of these great new characters was refreshing to the overall Thor storyline. The new director, Taika Waititi, also brought a new vision to the MCU that is appreciated by Random Angst.

I wasn't very impressed with the action in Ragnarok, as outside of the Thor/Hulk gladiator sequence, all other action sequences were unimaginative and unmemorable. While the introduction of the long lost sister Hela is a great idea, I felt that she was underused and in the end she has gone the way of most other MCU villians (dead after one movie and therefore, not very powerful - or interesting). The most used and interesting MCU villian (at least up until this movie), Loki, also made an appearance in Ragnarok. However, at what point do we stop calling Loki a villian? Loki is always defeated, Thor (and the audience) knows his tricks well enough to the point that he isn't a threat, and Thor won't kill him (even though Loki has threatened and destroyed just as many beings as Malekith the Dark Elf, and Hela, who have both been killed off), and he has become less intimidating with each movie he has appeared in.

It's interesting that with as many villians as Ragnarok has, I never felt that Thor was in jeopardy. Throughout the film, we are introduced to Surtur, Hela, Grandmaster, Hulk, and Loki all of whom tried to thwart, kill, or destroy Thor during the story. With this many characters trying to take out Thor, one would think that there would be large amounts of tension and conflict. For me, I didn't get that because of the comedic beats and jokes that were prevalent throughout the movie and I think that this is a big part of the problem that I believe this film has. Again, as with the rest of the MCU, the fate of the world, universe, and our heroes lives are at stake but you wouldn't know it as everyone is too busy cracking jokes and therefore alleviating any angst or sense of danger that would arise with our heroes being put into these dangerous situations. With a title of Ragnarok, which is the Asgardian apocalypse, I never felt a sense of urgency or that the fate of the world was at stake due to an impending doom. Which is ironic, because as we see at the end of the film Asgard as a world, nation, and people is what's at stake and in danger of being destroyed. However, the being that allows Asgard to eventually be destroyed isn't one of these villians - it's Thor, the protector of Asgard, himself.

While there were a lot of average things about Thor: Ragnarok, something I enjoyed a lot was how this movie has expanded the Thor part of the MCU. I feel that in expanding the character lineup and spending time on other world's besides Earth or Asgard, that the Thor movies and the MCU as a whole are better off.  Outside of that though, there were a lot of average things about Ragnarok that dragged down the film as a whole. The most common element from the critic reviews was that it was hilarious, lots of laughs, and the funniest MCU movie yet. For me, this movie was average at best - average action, average humor, and an average storyline. I give it a C, a 7 out of 10, or a 3.5 out of 5 - take your pick.

*One thing this movie needed more of? Natalie Portman. It's interesting how this is the least interesting Thor movie, and it's the only movie without Jane Foster.

The Dark Tower (2017)

  "The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed."

One of the most iconic sentences written by Stephen King, and there are plenty, is included in the cinematic release of The Dark Tower. The movie has plenty of great visuals that tie into the written saga of the The Dark Tower and are exciting to see represented on film. There are a lot of story elements taken from the novels and comic books, characters, places, titles, and locations; but this is a different story than we have seen, or read, before.

This is what I would attribute the negative reactions towards the film to. The film tries to play the middle ground, put enough in the story for fans to recognize but also cater to the mainstream audience and play it safe with the story. This is a dangerous idea that rarely pays off. If you are going to commit to a movie as intricate and beloved as The Dark Tower, you'd better commit to appeasing the hard core fans. If you don't have them in your, you have nothing. Imagine if while creating the Game of Thrones HBO series, the producers hadn't followed the source material and had tried to play it safe, thinking the audience wouldn't want to see dragons and sorcery? That series would have died quickly, it is seeing the source material on screen that people fell in love with. The Dark Tower should have followed suit.

I enjoyed The Dark Tower movie and I think that it has potential to open up a whole new universe of stories that people have been enjoying for decades now. I hope that the idea of having TV shows and sequel movies to continue this story is able to come to fruition as time goes on.  But, I did feel short changed as I left the theater, knowing that the source material is so rich and has so much to draw on.  However, I am willing to see where this goes and give The Dark Tower another chance.

I would give this movie a B as I enjoyed the visuals and the opportunity to see these characters on screen for the first time.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 1 – Prologue

 

"There was a time above. A time before. There were perfect things. Diamond absolutes. But things fall, things on earth. And what falls, is fallen. In the dream, they took me to the light. A beautiful lie."

As Batman vs. Superman starts we are shown a prologue that plays an important role in  the story and has major repercussions for the rest of the movie. I haven't seen too many prologues that have such an influence on the rest of a film as this one does. In this prologue we are shown the death of the Bruce's parents at the hands of Joe Chill, we see Bruce's discovery of the caves near his home, and we see the final battle of Kal-El and Zod in Man of Steel but from Bruce Wayne's perspective. This is a lot of ground to cover in the short 10 minutes that is devoted to these scenes.

The prologue starts with the Death of Thomas and Martha Wayne while the haunting score of Hans Zimmer's 'Beautiful Lie' plays during this scene. We also hear the above quoted dialogue from an older Bruce Wayne during this scene.

In regards to the death of the Wayne's, this is a scene that has been shown many times on the big and small screen. I myself have seen it four times in various formats prior to this movie. However, I believe this one is the most impactful of the ones that have previously been shown. This scene focuses solely on the mugging and murder of the Wayne's. Only one word is spoken in this scene, "Martha". This scene focuses more on the loss of Martha Wayne and how a little boy had to watch his mother die. While Batman Begins had focused on the relationship between Bruce and his father, Thomas, this movie is more about the loss of Martha. This scene is juxtaposed with the funeral of the Wayne's and in this film, Bruce discovers the cave full of bats near his home during this time. As Bruce discovers the cave of bats they end up carrying him up to the light and out of the cave as the older Bruce says "In the dream, they took me to the light. A beautiful lie."  These two short scenes are the essence of Batman and are the impetus of how he comes to be. Bruce Wayne becomes Batman because his parents are killed and he desires to right this wrong for the rest of his life.

From there we jump ahead in time to the events that we see at the end of Man of Steel (2013). Bruce Wayne arrives in Metropolis via helicopter from Gotham and witnesses first hand the final battle between Zod and Kal-El while driving on the streets of Metropolis. Bruce has an office building full of friends in Metropolis that he is trying to reach as Metropolis falls apart around him due to the World Builder wreaking havoc in the city. As Bruce reaches his office building, he is too late as he witnesses Zod destroy the building with his laser vision. Bruce can only watch in horror as his building collapses killing his friends and coworkers. Bruce then makes his way to the building to try and find survivors. He helps a security guard, Wally, who is trapped in rubble. He also is able to save a young girl from being killed as debris collapses almost killing her. As Kal-El and Zod continue to fight in the sky above Metropolis, Bruce watches with hatred towards these two aliens who are destroying a city and killing innocents.

This is the moment that Batman starts planning to stop Superman. This is the moment when Batman vs. Superman starts. A common complaint of this movie is that there were only a small amount of actual fighting between Batman and Superman. When in reality, Batman vs. Superman starts 9:50 into the movie.

Zack Snyder does an excellent job of tying in Man of Steel to this movie and propelling the overall story forward. Including this prologue scene setting up Bruce Wayne's hatred of Kal-El and what he did to Metropolis was a smart move in more ways than one. Not only does it move the story forward, Snyder validates one of the biggest complaints from Man of Steel. This complaint is about the wanton destruction of Metropolis during the final battle and the major loss of life. Snyder doesn't attempt to excuse or explain why it happened, but instead infuses those complaints into Bruce Wayne and his motivations for Dawn of Justice.

Before this horrific moment, the public and even Bruce Wayne did not know of Kal-El and his existence on Earth. Then all of a sudden in a matter of days, the world changes and these aliens are destroying cities and people are dying as a result of their feud. Dawn of Justice deals directly with this fear, from Bruce Wayne and others being scared of what Kal-El can do, to the media having a heyday with biased reporting and trying to pit half of the population against the other half. In real life we can't even have a presidential election without arguing and protests, with the media fueling hatred for the two parties to go against each other. Imagine if an event such as what happened in Man of Steel actually happened and how the media would cover it and try to influence the population. I imagine it would happen pretty close to what is portrayed in this film, half of the population would hate Superman, the other half would love him and the media would do all it could to demonize the other half it doesn't agree with. I believe this to be a genius move by Snyder and the story writers. This isn't your father's 1978 Superman feel good story, and nor should it be. A lot has changed in 35 years and a modern retelling of Superman should reflect that.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

"Black and blue. Fight night. The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world: God versus man; day versus night; Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!"- Lex Luthor

Batman versus Superman. When this title was announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2014, it blew my mind! I was eagerly awaiting the announcement of a Man of Steel 2 movie, but this! This, my fellow nerds, was paramount to the Second Coming! Then to top it all off - Wonder Woman was announced to be a part of the movie too!

Batman AND Superman in the same movie?! The Man of Steel AND The Dark Knight at odds one with another?! Wonder Woman fighting alongside the two most iconic superheroes of all time?! Finally! This will be the first time The Trinity would appear on the big screen for fans to enjoy. For the first time we will see Diana Prince in action on film. The potential for greatness and movie making history was finally announced! And let me tell you, this film did not disappoint.

Wait, WHAT?! What is this you are reading? I'm sure you're asking yourself, "Am I truly reading a review of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice that isn't disparaging the film left and right?" or "Am I understanding this correctly? This guy actually LIKED this movie?!" The answer is yes, you are.

But all joking aside; yes, I did enjoy this movie from the first viewing. I saw it multiple times in the theaters, four times in fact. I would've gone once or twice more had I had the time to do so. I bought the Ultimate Edition when it came out on home video and my appreciation and enjoyment of this film grew even more. The storyline and character development was fleshed out to be more fulfilling and robust with the Ultimate Edition. If this Ultimate Edition had been released in theaters, I believe it would have been better received.

I intend to break this film down into various parts from beginning to end, as well as to write a character analysis for each of the main players in the film, over the next few weeks. To discuss and analyze everything this movie event has to offer would be too long for one blog post. I will attempt to win over those that dislike, are ambivalent, and even hate this movie; as well as reinforce the greatness of this movie with those that do enjoy it. I'm looking forward to this experience as I delve deep into this film, which in my opinion could be considered the greatest movie of 2016. It's only competition being Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But at the end of the day, if you don't like the film - that's fine, if you do like the film -great! Either way, life will go on and Warner Bros. will continue to produce and release films from the DC Universe for those that enjoy them.

Listed below are the topics I will address and expound upon, I will activate links to the various topics and characters as I finish writing them.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 1 - Prologue

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 2 - The Setup

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 3 - Investigations

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 4 - The Plan is Set in Motion

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 5 - War

Bruce Wayne/Batman

Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Lex Luthor

Lois Lane

Alfred

Zod/Doomsday

Doctor Strange

"Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all." - The Ancient One "Which is?" - Dr. Strange

"It's not about you." - The Ancient One

dr-strange

Doctor Strange

Dr. Strange takes us in a different direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe than we have been in before, but yet still has the same origin story formula that has been used in prior movies. The difference is that with previous Avenger characters, such as Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow etc., these mortals become superheroes based on their human abilities, as well as with their technology that they are able to create. Even to some degree, Spider-Man, Captain American, and Hulk, are the result of bio-technology that has been created by other men.

Dr. Strange takes a different route, one that doesn't involve mortal technology, and is closer to Thor than any of the other Avengers. While using what could be considered magic, Dr. Stephen Strange is able to harness energy and power from other dimensions. The movie does an acceptable job of explaining what this power is and where it comes from. This explanation lends itself to a more pragmatic practice, than a magical practice.

Cinematically, it takes a different route as well, visually I would best describe it as Inception combined with The Matrix. The chase and fight scenes that take place throughout the film are amazing and fun to watch!

As Strange studies and learns more from the magical tomes of The Ancient One, he is able to gain the knowledge needed to use the magic to access other dimensions as well as the astral (spiritual) plane. This area is one that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hasn't covered before. Opening this door allows for a whole new branch of stories. I think that this possiblity of alternate dimensions combined with the storylines of Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy will keep the MCU fresh and provide many opportunities for different types of antagonists for the heroes to battle with.

SPECIFIC SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

As a movie, Dr. Strange hits all the marks that you would expect from a Marvel Universe movie. It was funny, emotional, engaging, action packed, and furthered the overall storyline of the MCU. (Dr. Strange is considered Chapter 2 of Phase 3) I believe the most important reveal in this movie is the revelation of and the inclusion of the last Infinity Stone - the Time Stone, that is embedded in the Eye of Agamoto. This Stone allows for Dr. Strange to manipulate time throughout the film as he faces off against the villains.

So far we have five of the six Infinity Stones that have been revealed: the Space Stone (the Tesseract from Captain America: The First Avenger), the Reality Stone (the Aether from Thor: The Dark World), the Power Stone (the Orb from Guardians of the Galaxy) and the Mind Stone (Loki's scepter/Vision's power source from The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron). The one remaining Infinity Stone that is yet to be revealed is the Soul Stone.

These stones are what eventually Thanos uses to attempt a takeover of the Universe, a conflict that is slowly arriving and will be shown in The Avengers: Infinity War. Before then, we'll see Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 in May 2017, then Spider-Man: Homecoming in July 2017, then Thor: Ragnorak in November 2017. While the Soul Stone will most likely be revealed in one of these movies (probably in Thor: Ragnarok), I'm curious to see how these three movies will play into the overall story.

Dr. Strange adds more great characters to the MCU, and with the mid-credit scene, we see that at the very least, Strange and Thor will be teaming up in the near future. Rumors are out that Strange, Thor, and The Hulk will be featured heavily in Thor: Ragnarok (Thor 3). It's a small step from there until Strange is featured in the next The Avengers movie.

This Dr. Strange movie is a step in the MCU and while it is great as a standalone movie, this movie is definitely a set up for future Marvel stories. With Strange learning how to use his power and mastering his arrogance, he was then able to defeat Dormammu and become the next Sorcerer Supreme.This story sets him up for future MCU movies as described previously, as well as a sequel, with Mordo being the next villain. In the comics, Mordo, aka Baron Mordo, is a major villain for Dr. Strange. In this film Mordo becomes disenfranchised from the path he was on with Dr. Strange and with the action he took against Pangborn, in the end credits scene, Mordo will definitely be a thorn in Strange's side for any future stories.

I enjoyed Dr. Strange and felt that it was well directed and was a great origin story for a character not too well known in the general public's eye. Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelson, and Chiwetel Ejiofor were great in this movie. Now, Tilda Swinton. She did a great job as The Ancient One, and her performance was well done. It was just weird seeing her as a bald woman. I was constantly distracted by her bald head. Now this is coming from a bald person, so I can relate to the baldness. But some people (man or woman) just have strangely shaped bald heads, and she came across as one of those persons (as far as I know she isn't bald in real life and it was a makeup job), so maybe my criticism should be against the make up person. I don't think that it matters if The Ancient One was Asian or not, I applaud the decision to make The Ancient One a female, and like I said, Ms. Swinson was great in the role.

I recommend watching this movie and buying it when it comes out on blu-ray. I hope you enjoy watching it and piecing it in to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline as much as I did.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Today the first trailer for the next Transformers movie: The Last Knight was released. Just like the previous Transformers movies, it looks like a lot of fun, crazy, robotic madness with explosions and tons of action! I can't wait to see it. https://youtu.be/hzDKE147Utc

Man of Steel II

Wait, I thought he was dead?! Spoiler Alert!!

TheWrap.com is reporting that Warner Bros is starting development for a Man of Steel sequel. Just when you thought Superman was dead (as shown in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and solidified in Suicide Squad), he's back! Ok, I don't think anyone really thought he was dead Dead, but now we know for sure that he isn't.

Even though it has been speculated and planned previously that DC and WB would eventually do a MoS sequel, I guess it's now official. I'm glad they are moving forward with this, I'd love to see The Batman (directed by and starring Ben Affleck) and Man of Steel II in theaters in the same calendar year. DC could create some great excitement from releasing them in the same year, months apart, and have the stories be interconnected on some level. I guess we'll see what DC and WB have in store for us as more details are announced.