The last Jedi 2017 – Review

SPOILERS BEWARE!

Ah…where to begin. Well, did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. If you want to know more, read on!

I love the original trilogy and despise the prequels. The basic story in Episodes II-III is solid enough, but the execution is dire from start to end. Episode I has no merit of any kind, and can be entirely skipped for no loss to any of the series. Now, jumping back to this millennium and we get the new trilogy, kicked started by The Force Awakens. I had issues with parts of TFA, but overall I enjoyed the film and the new starting point. The heroes of old are still here, with Leia doing her big leading the military of the resistance. Han is up to his old tricks, and Luke has exiled himself after some great debacle that makes him lose his students, and his nephew. The Republic loses its capital and its fleet, and the First Order are about to begin their campaign to rule the galaxy. The first time we meet Kylo, he’s tough, powerful and merciless. Later we see him for the conflicted young man that he really is.

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Space Mutiny 1988 – Review

Okay then, Space Mutiny it is. You understand that I watch these films just for you? This awful film originated in South Africa, and while not being Manos – The Hands of Fate bad, it is still pretty grim. The plot follows a…Space Mutiny aboard a ship that seems to be just travelling through space for the sake of it. When a mutiny breaks out we get a budget knockoff of Kurt Russell, lots of ground combat and a bowling floor cleaning car chase at the end.

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Guardians of the Galaxy 2 2017 – Review

I saw both Guardians of Galaxy films at the cinema, and on both occasions have felt more than a little underwhelmed. I kept hearing that the first was the new Star Wars, and upon seeing it though much the same as I did about Iron Man 2. It was entertaining, but ultimately disappointing. After repeated viewings the first films has grown on me, and though by now means Star Wars, it is definitely a solid film, and worthy of rewatching. The same cannot be said of Vol.2.

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Alien: Covenant 2017 – Review

I finally took the plunge, and watched the latest prequel to my favourite film. The film has some of the best cinematography of the series, and the music follows the theme of the original, so that’s good too. As for chronology, the film fits between Prometheus and Alien, and continues to pointlessly expand on the mythology that never existed, while providing next to no answers. Ultimately making the film nice to look at, and utterly unsatisfying.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Soundtrack – Review

What a great soundtrack. I’ve listened to it three or four times now, plus during two visits to the cinema to see the film. It’s unique, and matches the war film style of the movie perfectly without just sounding like a Star War knockoff. At the same time it keeps a few themes and tones from William’s work, without sounding like another Star Wars Episode soundtrack. This film runs apart from the main episode sequence in both visual and audio style, and it works. In many ways I think this surpasses Williams’ soundtrack for Force Awakens. The fact this was composed in just over a month is a testament to the talent of Michael Giacchino. The man is clearly a man of his time, and continues to put outstanding soundtracks together every year. Star Trek, Super Eight, Rogue One and Jurassic World are all exceptional pieces of music.

If you only heard it when watching the film, load up Spotify and listen again! On a secondary note…I think my arrival at work theme should be Giacchino’s The Imperial Suite 🙂

 

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – Review


Warning, review containers spoilers. Rogue One is the first in a presumably long series of new stand-alone films in the Star Wars Universe. Next up will be a film concerning the origins of Solo, and after that it could be Fett, Yoda or simply anything else. Rogue One (also called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is set after the barely tolerable Revenge of the Sith, and immediately before Star Wars, itself renamed to Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope in 1981, during its rerelease after Empire Strikes Back. The director, Gareth Edwards manages to pull off a film that is darker and grimmer than anything seen since Empire, and manages to combine the latest CGI along with all the charm of the 70s original. It’s a difficult thing to do, but Edwards puts in the effort and pulls it off.Continue reading

Westworld 2016 Review

What an outstanding television production. In my opinion this is the stand out show of the year. Westworld is one of those unusual programmes that actually surpasses the original in every possible way. I actually rewatched the ‘90s feature film several days ago and the two could not be further apart. While a great original story, there is little sophistication to the original, with most of the screen time spend giving nods to earlier films, especially westerns. I suspect much of this will be wasted on a modern audience.Continue reading