Last Friday, Disney+ brought back a show that some might argue saved Star Wars when it was becoming irrelevant and dropping out of the pop culture zeitgeist. As a fan of the show from the beginning, the chance to see a seventh season of The Clone Wars was a dream I never thought would happen. If you ignored the Clone Wars the first time around because it was too cartoon-y or designed for kids, you need to stop reading this right now and go watch all previous six seasons. Then, you should probably watch Star Wars Rebels too, but that is a post for another day. While the first couple of seasons had a few weird moments and the animation was still developing into the art it would become, the middle of the third season begins to hit the stride that the show would ride out to the finish line (or what we thought was the finish line....twice...). I am currently in the middle of rewatching the show and am at the turning point in Season 3 where stories start to get very interesting, and I am constantly reminded of how great this show was and how much it fed and grew my Star Wars fandom in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I never saw the Clone Wars movie in theaters, but I watched the first episode, Ambush, the day it premiered and never looked back. This was also the time when I started getting into Star Wars podcasts, and my desire to get back into model building as a hobby blossomed. I have a lot of clear memories wrapped around episodes of The Clone Wars. I hosted two watch parties for season premieres, Season 1 and Season 3, complete with a cookie cake decorated with a Clone Trooper helmet (thanks to my talented wife!). I also have a clear memory of watching one of the Mauldalorian episodes from season 5 with a bunch of my best friends who had traveled from all over to celebrate my 30th birthday. Everything I associate with the show has positive memories attached. Now that Clone Wars has returned for a seventh season I can both wax nostalgic about my memories of the show and once again be the ambassador for others to watch it. I think I was that annoying person we all know who cannot shut up about their favorite show before that was a thing. So, here I am again. Watch the Clone Wars! What are you waiting for???
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Now that I have spent time sharing my thoughts on all of the Star Wars movies, I thought it might be fun to share my definitive (as of 2020) ranking of all the Star Wars films.
A couple of caveats: a) Often times this list can change depending on stage of life, mood, etc. I am trying to stick with my most common rankings. b) This list is based on my own feelings, which include nostalgia and emotional connection. If I had to rank the movies based on the quality of the film, the list would probably look significantly different. Here we go, starting with my least favorite and working up the ladder. 11. Attack of the Clones - While the action sequences in this movie are great and Ewan MacGregor is a highlight, the romance is forced and the excessive CG make it feel more like a video game. 10. The Phantom Menace - This movie does an excellent job of visualizing a different period in the history of the galaxy and a lot of the CG and miniature work holds up well, but the pacing and clunky acting often hold this movie back. Also, I still love the pod race scene. 9. Revenge of the Sith - I considered moving this one a little higher, but the clunky dialog and still undeveloped characters kept it toward the bottom. The lightsaber fight, however, is one of the best in the series and the second half of the movie is the right amount of dark, tense, and tragic. 8. The Rise of Skywalker - It may be too soon to definitively rank this movie since I have only seen it twice, but the plot makes too many weird choices and does not give its characters enough room to breathe. On the flip side, I do love the new characters and felt their storylines concluded in a satisfactory way. 7. Solo - This movie gets an unnecessary bad rap, but it was a ton of fun and introduced a lot of new great characters. If you can get past a new actor playing Han Solo, everyone clearly enjoyed making this movie, and it is pure fun to watch. 6. Rogue One - Many people say this is the best of the Disney Star Wars movies, and I love this movie, but the beginning feels a little hectic. Once it gets going, about 30 minutes into the movie, it really clicks. I am afraid, however, that the CG Tarkin will not age well. 5. The Last Jedi - Like many, I came out of the theater a little dumbstruck after this movie. Nothing progressed as I expected, but I knew right away that I liked it. The more I watch and think about this movie, the more I like it. The way it handles deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as greater spiritual issues is emotional and powerful. 4. The Force Awakens - This movie was the best way to resurrect a franchise. The new characters were fresh and incredibly likable, the story was tight and engaging, and a whole new generation of girls were drawn into the franchise. The plot was definitely familiar, but I was able to forgive it thanks to the great new characters. 3. A New Hope - The first time anyone ever saw X-Wings, lightsabers, Jedi, Darth Vader, and the Millennium Falcon is hard to keep off the top of the list, but at this point I have to appeal primarily to emotional connection. While this movie is incredible and occasionally spends time in the number one slot, the next two have more emotional connections to barely beat it out. 2. The Empire Strikes Back - Twenty years ago, I would have been shocked to see this one so high on my list. Until the prequels, it was my least favorite Star Wars movie. As I have matured, I have become more familiar with the trials the characters experience and view the darkness of the plot with much more understanding. 1. Return of the Jedi - While not the best film of the originals, I have the most positive memories wrapped up in this movie. Luke's green lightsaber moment, speeder bikes through the forest of Endor, and the biggest space battle I had ever seen sum up what Star Wars means for me. I think any future movie will have a hard time dethroning this one! The countdown has ended and the final movie in the Skywalker saga has arrived. I sat on this post for a couple weeks for a few reasons (since I obviously saw it on opening night): 1) I wanted to avoid easy access to spoilers and 2) I wanted a chance to see it a second time to have more concrete thoughts.
All bets are off now, however, so here are my totally SPOILER-filled thoughts about The Rise of Skywalker. No images this time because they are not yet posted on www.starwarsscreencaps.com. Positives... -I left the theater feeling a pretty high sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. The movie was fun and entertaining. Most of the people in the group I went with also had pretty positive reactions. -C-3PO had a great role in this movie that made me laugh out loud several times. His humor was missed during the last two movies. -There were a bunch of great characters with whom I really want to spend more time. Keri Russell's Zorii Bliss and Babu Frik being two big ones that come to mind right away. Plus, Keri Russell is just awesome in anything she does. -Anyone who read my countdown series knows I love spaceships, and there were LOTS of spaceships. I need a visual guide to see all the different ships that showed up for the final battle at Exegol. Sad note on that battle: RIP Black Squadron pilot Snap Wexley, aka JJ Abrams' best friend Greg Grunberg. -There were many emotional moments with Princess Leia and Kylo/Ben that had me in tears. When Leia dies to bring back Ben from the depths of Kylo, I had to hold in the sobs. Just ask my neighbor in the theater... -The visuals at the end of the movie with the burial of the Skywalker lightsabers and the twin sunset on Tatooine were perfect. ...and Negatives -This movie had far too many plot devices and twists. There was a lot of exposition because the plot moved so frenetically. It was possible to follow it all, but I also immerse myself in a lot of the additional media that the average viewer probably does not. -I visibly cringed at the moment of the Rey Palpatine reveal. Something about it did not feel earned, deserved, or even wanted. If it was supposed to be the big twist reveal that blows everyone's mind, it did not work positively for me. I may have been able to get more on board with the reveal if seeds had been planted earlier. -The kiss between Ben and Rey at the end was not a great choice. On my first viewing I was actually repeating "don't do it" several times in the hopes that they were not going to kiss. I was hoping for a forehead touch at the most. -Finn still did not have a lot to do other than play the sidekick. Out of all the new characters, he feels most deserving of his own spinoff movie. -The biggest feeling of disappointment I had after thinking about this movie a while was the clear lack of vision for the sequel trilogy as a whole. Perhaps some of the plan was derailed by the untimely and unfortunate passing of Carrie Fisher, but the movies still feel a little patched together. The last movie brought in too many new plot points while attempting to wrap up a lot of previous plot points. My hope for the future of Star Wars is that Lucasfilm will be willing to take risks and try new things as they attempt to define the essentials of Star Wars in new and interesting forms of media. To finish off this countdown I will be compiling my definitive (for now) ranking of all the Star Wars movies. Check back soon! Massive amounts of virtual ink have been spilled in thinkpieces about this movie. It's merits or lack of any merit have been debated ad nauseam two years and counting. You either love it or hate it with very little middle ground. What movie is up this week? The Last Jedi, of course! A few thoughts: -I land on the side of thoroughly enjoying this movie, although I do not believe it is perfect by any means. -The story of Luke is an excellently posed study on religious deconstruction and reconstruction. Thanks to a combination of trauma, a lack of original understanding, and forces outside his control we meet Luke at the darkest point of his religious deconstruction. Everything about the Jedi seems trite and a joke. For anyone who has done any amount of religious deconstruction, Luke should be painfully familiar. Then, however, forces outside of his control and a challenging relationship set him on a journey to reconstruction with a new and better understanding of his religion. We need more stories like this in our modern mythology. People like to get stuck in deconstruction, but deconstruction becomes meaningless if it does not lead to a reconstruction. Luke was a compelling archetype of this journey. -I am not a professional editor, but the movie felt just a smidge too long. I could not tell you where it needed some edits, but I just got the general feeling. -Poe's storyline was a little grating to me on my first viewing, but I understood more of the nuance the next few viewings. He was easy to like in The Force Awakens, but he got precisely what he needed in The Last Jedi. His attitude toward his own abilities was definitely toxic, and he needed to fail and be left out to understand the greater cause to which he was dedicated. Outside of the Luke-Rey-Kylo dynamic, this movie was about Poe's journey. -Finn felt like an afterthought for much of the movie, which is a bummer, because he was amazing in The Force Awakens. I actually thought he was going to ram the laser at the end, and I was both sad but also glad that he finally got to do something meaningful. Then, he didn't do it, so he lives on to hopefully be awesome in The Rise of Skywalker. A few memories: -It feels a little strange to talk about memories of a movie that only came out 2 years ago, but there are a few things I will forever associate with it. -I remember live streaming the first trailer reveal from Star Wars Celebration while at the park with my kids. The line about the Jedi needing to end was shocking and cause for much speculation. -Leaving the theater after this movie was the first time in a long time that our usual group felt kind of mixed. There was not the usual fist-bumping, high-fiving euphoria; rather, a few of us were pretty excited, and you could tell the others did not want to rain on the parade. -I am still trying to figure out what makes people take such strong sides over this movie. I would love to do a data study on people's The Last Jedi opinions to see if there is common overlap in certain worldviews or cultural factors that match with opinions about the movie. You know, in all that free time... It is difficult to talk about the legacy of a movie that is part of an unfinished story. Sometimes I wonder if this is how people felt in the years between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi since I was not privileged to be around then. In about four days, I can give you an answer, or at least the first answer that will continue to grow and evolve as I add the ninth and final Skywalker movie to my Star Wars story.
We have reached the first movie in the new era of Star Wars. The Force Awakens was a massive box office hit and climbed the charts with amazing speed. Everyone saw this movie and then saw it again. The hype was beyond anything I have witnessed, and for most people, it really lived up. I saw it in the theater about 4 times if that is any indication of how much I enjoyed it. Four years later, here are a few thoughts I want to share. A few thoughts: -I noticed for the first time while watching this movie that the beginning is very intentional to share familiar images that are slightly different, as a way to quickly introduce viewers to a new world. The first three shots are the point of a Star Destroyer with a slightly different nose, Stormtroopers with new armor design, and a droid that has a familiar head but very different body. All of these images are classic Star Wars and serve as a quick introduction to the new state of the universe. -As I was searching for screencaps, I noticed how quickly everything moves compared to the original trilogy. I would have to scroll through multiple pages of screencaps to find a new scene, whereas with The Force Awakens I scrolled through 1-2 pages at the most. I think this is probably a symptom of the modern style of filmmaking. -The new characters are the glue that makes this movie work. I know a lot of people complain about the lack of OT characters getting together, but I firmly believe these movies are about the new characters, while the classic characters play supporting roles. I am ok with that, because the chemistry between the characters is excellent. -One of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars is the X-Wings skimming across the water on Takodana. The visual combined with the music gives me chills every time. A few memories: -I remember when the initial teaser came out the day after Thanksgiving 2014. I got massive chills and then promptly got sick for the next two days. I'm not saying the trailer shut down my body, but I'm also not saying it did not.... -This movie came out when not all theaters were offering reserved seats, so we had to get in line several hours early for the midnight show. We had a great time waiting in line, and I would not take back that time in any way. -The merchandise drop was another memorable part of the experience. I went to Target immediately after school and picked up Kylo Ren and Rey figures. I was also envious of everyone who got the remote BB-8. Never fear, I got one for Christmas a couple years later. The Force Awakens was an international sensation, and I am glad I was alive to see it. The movie was only part of the massive hype surrounding the return of Star Wars to theaters, and everyone got caught up in it. Next, I look at the most divisive movie in Star Wars history. Just over a week away from The Rise of Skywalker!
This week I am looking at my sentimental favorite Star Wars movie: Return of the Jedi. I think I was at the perfect age when I first saw this movie such that it was indelibly cemented in my consciousness forever. Many of my all-time favorite Star Wars scenes are in this movie. Nostalgia has rose-colored glasses on this one, however, so let's take a look at some of the positives and negatives. A few thoughts: -I fully recognize that this movie is the weakest in the original trilogy. The Death Star as a plot device again, and the questionable strength of the Ewoks against the Empire are both weaknesses in this film. -The introduction of Luke at Jabba's Palace is my favorite character intro of all the Star Wars movies. His look and actions when he first appears on screen are ambiguous about his siding with the Light or Dark. Force choking has only been committed by Vader up until this point. Even though the lightsaber building deleted scene released several years ago is cool, I love this ambiguous character intro and the delay of the green lightsaber until the Sarlacc pit. -The Jabba the Hutt puppet is amazing and was a true shock when I first saw it. I still think it holds up better than the CG Jabba in the special edition of A New Hope. -Endor is the only new planet introduced, which is a bummer in hindsight, but I still am a huge fan. All of the speeder bike chase scenes, while somewhat dated effects, have great tension and portray speed well. -I am indifferent about the Ewoks. As a kid, I was totally cool with them and kind of fascinated, so as an adult I have no issue with them. I understand the intended message behind indigenous people driving out oppressors, and it works fine, if a bit cheesy. A few memories: -I already mentioned that this movie is my sentimental favorite, and I will stand by that statement until the end. There are so many parts of this movie that take me back to the early days of my fandom. -The toys from Return of the Jedi have some very fond memories for me. My cousins had the Ewok village toy, which I was very envious of and could never find. It took a while to find one, but I finally obtained the Jabba on his throne toy that had a pit that could open underneath him. That was one of my favorite toys and perfect for punishing all of the bad characters. -Speeder bikes are awesome and need to be a real thing. I was determined that I was going to invent one and change the world. Still hasn't happened... -I enjoy spending time in forested areas, which I partly attribute to the planet Endor. I was so fascinated by the tall trees that it transferred to real life. It has been a pleasure revisiting the original trilogy movies (let's be honest, this happens frequently anyway), and I am especially looking forward to how elements of Return of the Jedi will play out in Rise of Skywalker. On to the new era of Star Wars with The Force Awakens next!
The greatest sequel ever made! The best Star Wars movie ever! Superlative Star Wars superlative! What movie was up for watching this week? You guessed it! The Empire Strikes Back. A few thoughts: -This movie really does improve on the first one in many ways. The characters have more depth. The Empire has more compelling story elements. Plus, the end takes viewers to unexpected places and leaves characters with difficult choices. -The stop motion animation used for the Imperial AT-AT walkers is still impressive 39 years later. Those walkers look and feel scary on screen. -There is so much visual contrast between dark and light in Empire. Hoth and the surface of Cloud City are bright and vibrant, while Dagobah, the asteroid field and the bowels of Cloud City are dark and foreboding. This had to have been an intentional choice, especially the way that a light scene is followed by a dark scene and vice versa. -The Yoda puppet is a work of pure genius, and Frank Oz deserves all the praise for his puppetry skills. -The addition of background Cloud City out the windows in the Special Edition is a worthy and subtle inclusion. I like the expanded feel it gives to the location. -There are so many little elements in this movie that you will miss if you blink, but they deepen the mythology and the characters. One of my favorites is Vader's helmetless head in his meditation chamber. A few memories: -When I was a kid, Empire was definitely my least favorite Star Wars movie. The good guys did not win, and there were no space battles! As I have aged, however, I have grown to appreciate this movie more than ever. It is a master class in how to make a sequel. -I have loved the Han Solo in carbonite prop my whole life. I remember waiting for it to be released with the Power of the Force line in the mid-90s and feeling so happy to add it to my collection. -The Hoth battle has become a favorite of mine partly thanks to the video games of my teenage years: Shadows of the Empire and Rogue Squadron, both for N64. Both games let you take the seat of a snowspeeder and harpoon those AT-ATs to your heart's content. Of all the Star Wars movies I have been rewatching, Empire Strikes Back has aged the best. The characters face dilemmas and complex situations that mirror those we face in real life, and therefore it is easier to relate to than a simple "good guys always win" plot. As I near the finish of the original trilogy, I think I have developed an even greater appreciation for this movie.
It's time for the movie that started it all! A New Hope, or as the OT fans would say, just Star Wars. Most people would agree this movie is nearly perfect, so here are my meager thoughts about it. A few thoughts: -I don't think I could recount the number of times I have seen this movie, and it never gets old. It is hard to say that about many movies in history. -Thanks to Disney+ I transitioned right from watching Rogue One into the beginning of A New Hope. The continuity is perfect, but the difference in film making style is quickly apparent. -I am actually a fan of many of the changes made in the Special Edition. The addition of more fighters at the Death Star battle and the establishing shots of Mos Eisley on Tatooine add a lot to the movie. On the other hand, I do not love the silly CG shots of rontos and droids in Mos Eisley and that heinous scene between Jabba and Han in Docking Bay 94. This scene is not terrible until Han walks behind Jabba and steps on his tail. The reason for the weirdness is because Jabba was played by a human originally and Han walks around him. When digital Jabba was edited in, the only way to solve the problem was have Han step on the tail. The edit is terrible and ruins the whole scene. -I use this movie in my classes to help teach the Hero's Journey because it aligns so closely with Joseph Campbell's research. It is always interesting to watch students react who have never seen it before. -I had the privilege of watching A New Hope with a live symphony orchestra earlier this year, and it took my appreciation for the music and sound design to an even higher level. The experience helped me think about the conscious choices that had to be made about when to include music and when to let the sound take over. -There are lots of X-Wings, and if you read my previous post, you know I love X-Wings. -The march at the end of the movie is one of my favorite pieces of music in all soundtrack history. Everything about it gives me joy. A few memories: -Many people can share their first Star Wars movie memory, but for me I cannot pinpoint any specific moment when I first watched it. I mainly remember having picture books around the house and playing with my older cousins' toys as an introduction to the saga. -So much of my childhood (and let's be honest, my adulthood also) was wrapped up in Star Wars. We hunted for used toys at garage sales or got hand-me-downs from my cousins. I poured over the storybooks with stills from the movie and waited to watch it when we could record it on a VHS tape from the broadcast airing. I was technically born outside of the prime range of the first wave of Star Wars fans, but I caught a lot of it second hand through my dad and cousins. -Now, I am building my own memories with my kids surrounding the movies and showed A New Hope to my son this past spring. There is definitely a joy in sharing something you love with the people you love. It is hard to believe that this movie is over 40 years old and still holds up so well. In 40 more years, I am confident people will still be talking about it and praising its many merits. Next up, the greatest sequel ever to grace film!
I debated whether to include Rogue One in my Star Wars rewatch because it is not officially part of the Skywalker saga, but I caved and watched it this week, mostly because it does not take much convincing to watch another Star Wars movie. Also, Darth Vader is in it, and he is a Skywalker, if not the most pivotal Skywalker of the entire saga. Justification complete. Here are some brief thoughts about Rogue One. A few thoughts: -The visuals in this movie are spot on. Everything from the streets of Jedha to the halls of the various Imperial establishments look like they belong in the world of the original Star Wars. -I love X-Wings. A lot. And there are a lot of X-Wings in this movie. The equation is simple. The number of X-Wings is directly proportionate to the amount of enjoyment. -I particularly enjoyed the POV shots from the top of the X-Wings looking down the nose. See the picture below for a reference of what I mean. -The beginning of this movie is by far the weakest part. It feels hastily thrown together with a lot of plot chucked at the wall to see what sticks. In the first 25 minutes alone, the movie has introduced several characters and several planets in a whirlwind. -Everything on Scarif looks amazing and builds tension unlike any other Star Wars movie. The cuts between the ground and space battles resembles Return of the Jedi but actually takes it up a notch. -I like that everyone died at the end. There was no shoehorned escape to satisfy some unnecessary need to keep the lead characters alive. Everyone's sacrifice felt real and justified. -James Earl Jones is a wonderful actor and the one and only voice of Darth Vader, but his voice in the scene on Mustafar definitely sounds different from the Original Trilogy. It was only slightly jarring. A few memories:
-As one of the newer Star Wars movies, there is a lot less nostalgia wrapped up in my memory surrrounding Rogue One. My main memory is that this is one of the last movies for which we stood in line early to get good seats. Since then, reserved seats have made the opening night experience easier, but also a little less fun. -I was able to see this movie in Laser IMAX at the Indianapolis State Museum. That was pretty cool. -I remember a lot of drama surrounding reshoots and behind the scenes shake ups regarding this movie. That now seems to be the regular narrative when various outlets report on any new Star Wars movie. The prequel era is over with this week's viewing of Revenge of the Sith! Some Thoughts: -As is the popular opinion, this movie is definitely the best of the prequels. The pacing works better than the previous two, and it does not feel too cartoon-y. -The portrayal of the Jedi is still one of the weakest aspects of the whole trilogy. I understand that Lucas was attempting to show a disconnected and arrogant group, but most of the time they came across as little more than cardboard standups. Outside of Obi-Wan, there was no complexity or character to the Jedi Council. Definitely a waste of Samuel L. Jackson also. -The design work was once again a major highlight of the film. I particularly liked the look of the planets Utapau and Mustafar, and the character design for General Grievous. -Ian McDiarmid steals every single scene in which he plays. I wish he had played a bigger role in the first two prequels because his gravitas combined with the veneer of charm over layers of evil makes for a nuanced and engaging performance. The opera house scene between Palpatine and Anakin is the perfect example of McDiarmid's masterful acting. -Watching the Clone Wars TV show elevates this movie to entirely new levels. The relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan that was dubiously strong between AotC and RotS plays out in the Clone Wars in ways that make the high ground scene on Mustafar extra emotional. -The more I think about it and as I watched it this time, Padme's death seems connected to the Dark Side of the Force in some way. The way Vader's birth and Padme's death are cut back and forth leads me to believe that somehow her life force helped save Anakin. I am definitely not the originator of this theory, but it is growing on me. Some Memories:
-This movie came out two days before my wedding, and I went with two of my groomsmen on opening night as a sort of pre-bachelor party night out. I think I saw it at least one more time in the theater. -Because this movie released so close to my wedding, there was some musical confusion at my wedding. We played the Raider's March from Raiders of the Lost Ark as our recessional and notated it in the program as "Groom's Choice." In the receiving line after the wedding, several people commented on how much they loved the Star Wars music at the end. I blame Revenge of the Sith for that. |
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