by Rhys Pearson
Star Wars
Bit of a different review, in playing with the theme of “May the Fourth” (and tackled that nasty cold going around), I decided to revisit the beloved and polarising franchise.
This included episodes I-IX, Rogue One and Solo. Upon revisiting these films, I had only seen the majority of them when they premiered (excluding the originals, I wasn’t even a thought in my parents’ minds when they were released). Star Wars follows the story of the Skywalker family, from a young Anakin, to his fall and rebirth as Darth Vadar and the birth of his children Luke and Princess Leia, to the rise of a new generation in Leia’s child, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren (and Rey). It’s a conclusive tale of Jedi versus Sith, galactic politics, war but more importantly, hope. As the franchise continues past the original trilogy, the films get worse. Whether it’s the questionable writing and excessive exposition dumps of the prequels, to the confusing story telling and lazy choreography of the sequels. However, that changes when Rogue One comes to play, it’s a simple but effective film that sets the motion for the original trilogy. Star Wars isn’t for everyone, it’s in the “big 3” with huge franchise contemporaries like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but I highly recommend the films to be watched at least once.
Score: 6/10
STAR WARS RANKING:
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Rogue One
- Revenge of the Sith
- Force Awakens
- Return of the Jedi
- The Last Jedi
- A New Hope
- Solo
- The Rise of Skywalker
- Attack of the Clones
- Phantom Menace
Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
For this review I’ll refrain from talking about specific plot points or anything about the actual movie itself, as I can’t do that without spoiling the entire movie.
Director Sam Raimi makes his official MCU debut and it’s 100% the most expressive camera work in the franchise; ity takes on its own identity and I love it. If you are a fan of Sam Saimi, this is a must see. Upon first reaction to the film I was stoked, though as a comic book fan that was a little biased of me. As I sat on it and watched it again with different people the flaws appeared. It’s still a good film by any means, with an unexpected plot twist, a great ensemble of cast and new characters, and the effects are to a tee. It’s even the MCU’s first “horror” film, and my god it is gruesome and at times terrifying (still appropriate for children). The horror is intensified from Raimi’s cinematography, the use of lighting and make-up. Some scenes gave me chills and shocked me to my core. A critic I have with this film lies in its pacing, it is a little all over the shop, fights last too long or not long enough, exposition dumps around every corner and the development and treatment of certain characters didn’t sit well with some audiences. An issue Marvel now faces lies in “continuity”, with so many movies and now Disney+ shows, now interweaving and blending together the issue now is trying to stitch them all together in a compelling and convincing manner for your story and the audience. I went to the premiere with my Aunt. We reserved all of our first viewings for the movies together. Call it a tradition. However, she, like many others, hadn’t seen the show “WandaVision ” so anything to do with Wanda/Scarlet Witch was very confusing to them. Watching the show is the biggest recommendation I can give before you see the movie. Overall a fun movie, Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen killed their roles.
Score: 7/10
