Best Movie Sequel March Madness 2022 [From Behind the Patreon Paywall] – Double Edged Double Bill Bonus Episode

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Thomas Mariani

Unfortunately, due to recording schedule issues there is no new regular episode of Double Edged Double Bill this week. However, rather than release nothing, we decided to put out a bonus podcast from behind the paywall of our Patreon on the main feed! Said bonus episode is 2022’s March Madness bracket podcast breaking down the best movie sequel! Joining our regular hosts Adam and Thomas are returning guests Jessica Scott, Yonathan Habtemichael and Marcelo Pico! Listen for all the chaos that will follow!

If you like this, consider becoming a Patron for $1 to hear other bonus podcasts, including this year’s March Madness bonus podcast about the Best Animated Film featuring Jael Peralta, Rafe Telsch and Scott Johnson coming soon and our On the Edge of Relevance all about John Wick Chapter 4!

Follow the show on Twitter @DEDBpod & Facebook as well as Adam and Thomas on Twitter! Send feedback to doubleedgeddoublebill@gmail.com! Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher & Podbean! Our artwork is provided by the amazing Christian Thor Lally!

BONUS: Top 10 Robots From TV & Film (From Patreon) – Double Edged Double Bill

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Thomas Mariani

Given Labor Day & DragonCon scheduling issues, there’s not regular episode this week. So, we’re releasing a bonus podcast from behind the paywall of our Patreon on the main feed! This time, it’s Adam and Thomas counting down their Top 10 Robots from TV & Film! It’s full of twists and turns, just like the hours of other bonus podcasts you can listen to if you become an Edged Lord for $1 a month!

Follow the show on Twitter @DEDBpod & Facebook as well as Thomas on Twitter! Send feedback to doubleedgeddoublebill@gmail.com! Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher & Podbean! Our artwork is provided by the amazing Christian Thor Lally! We’re a proud member of the Talk Film Society Podcast Network!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019): Force Choking On Its Own Tail [No Spoilers]

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Thomas Mariani

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is selling itself as an ending to a lot of things. The ending of the recent Disney trilogy following the exploits of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and a few other characters old & new facing off against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. A conclusion to the entire nine film “Skywalker Saga” that started chronologically with The Phantom Menace and its prequel/sequels. Perhaps even the last theatrical Star Wars venture for some time, given the disappointing box office returns of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the contrasting success of the Disney+ streaming service series The Mandalorian. Some of these claims may be more hopes than actualities, given Disney will still milk this property for all its worth. Not that I’ve been a besmircher this modern era of Star Wars, but even a bit of breathing room for the galaxy far, far away on a cinematic level is welcome given we’ve had a film each year since 2015 with mixed results. Now with Rise of Skywalker it’s safe to say that a break feels necessary.

The newer trilogy of the “Skywalker Saga” (ie the Disney produced films that aren’t spin offs Rogue One or Solo) feels at odds with itself. Though characters continue and previous events are referenced, the continuity and flow of these three doesn’t feel quite as natural. The Force Awakens helmer JJ Abrams returns as director and co-writer for Rise of Skywalker after sitting out the middle chapter The Last Jedi and handing the reins over to Rian Johnson. Johnson took a lot of risks with his entry and didn’t seem to follow what JJ established in the same tone. Apparently, Abrams took that harshly, turning Rise of Skywalker into an angry diss track disguised as a happy-go-lucky space adventure. So much of the previous film is backtracked that the first 45 minutes feels like JJ trying to truncate a second adventure with the characters he created before the main meat of this story ever starts. An adventure full of macguffin grabbing, underwhelming back & forth and overly choppy action. It’s rushing to get this version of Star Wars up to speed with what it needs to be, rather than embracing where the series had gone and how to evolve from there.

Some out there may see this as something commendable. Those who felt betrayed by what The Last Jedi had done. Wanting to see its actions wiped from the memory banks of continuity and replaced with something more in keeping with what the series is supposed to be. And that’s fine. Star Wars is malleable enough a franchise where certain things are retconned on a whim and we all can embrace the changes. Despite what Star Wars creator George Lucas has said about his intricate planning of the first six episodes of this saga, I’m pretty sure than some things were very likely retconned out. Like a sibling connection between two prominent characters who previously kissed for example. Naturally, this new trilogy could be malleable as well and backtrack a bit. However, Rise of Skywalker feels like such a massive course correction to pleasing fans that so much else gets lost. Certain villains return who make no sense and minor heroes are reintroduced without putting the work in to make their presence worth a damn. So much emphasis is put on this fan service that we end up sacrificing what made this entire franchise work in the first place; effective character based story telling.

Rey, Finn and Poe are given attempted arcs by Abrams in Rise of Skywalker that gradually decline into a bog of grating shouting matches and unenthusiastic banter. None of this is a slight toward the actors. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac clearly have an enthusiasm and desire to give these energetic new trilogy protagonists a rousing finale. Yet, we see them constantly split up and regrouping, for little other reason than to briefly quip with each other before separating off again to become a cog in the constantly unstable machine of this plot. Instead of building on the foundation previously laid out (even partially by himself in The Force Awakens), JJ feels the best band-aid is to apply pressure via new story & figures suddenly coming in from the past. An old accomplis of Poe’s referencing his work pre-rebellion. A kindred lost soul for Finn to bond with. The mysterious reveal of Rey’s past that explodes this plot into new heights of regurgitation. The last one in particular feels the most desperate, as Rey’s place in the universe shackles her to the past rather than let her take from it what she can learn from and evolve. In the process, this also sinks the incredibly promising arc of Kylo Ren, going from the compelling son of noble people turned villain into something so bland and underwhelming that it makes a modern rising star Adam Driver have the emotional range of an action figure.

Now while it may seem like I think Rise of Skywalker is an atrocious mess, there is stuff to enjoy here. Abrams’ crew imbue the sets with effective lighting and enough entrhalling angles to please visually. The sequences involving Rey & Kylo communicating via force powers is one of the few The Last Jedi concepts that’s built on and the technical marvel of how scenes that take place in disparate locations can feel so intimate is a massive kudos. Plus, Rise of Skywalker continues the practice of mixing practical and computer generated effects so as keep the lived in feel of the original trilogy alive. A few background creatures that stick out, from a giant slug who hangs out with the rebellion to an inch tall alien who serves as a droid hacker. There’s even a simply designed new droid that’s basically a cone with a wheel on it who ends up having more life and character in him than most of the main protagonists. Then again, the few emotional moments tend to come from existing creatures here. Chewbacca (via suit actor Joonas Suotamo) has one of the very few earned character beats of Rise of Skywalker and he does it with mere growls of anguish. A lot of the heavy lifting for the few moments that work is done by composer John Williams, who has said this will be his final turn composing music for a Star Wars film given his advanced age. While one can never say never, this would still be a rousing finale to everything Williams built upon previously. Where moments that try to engage with mere remembrances are given force trembling amounts of weight. There’s also some credit deserved for managing to attempt some sort of respectable send off for the late Carrie Fisher via limited deleted footage from the previous films and some clever editing, though the results are… not the best case scenario.

There may have been a time when Rise of Skywalker made me angry walking out of it. So upset about this great franchise regressing to pandering blithering stupidity. Now though, it’s little more than a small shrug of disappointment looming in the air. Growing up a child of the prequel trilogy era, I’m fully aware that Star Wars has had the capacity to be inconsistent. The expectation of perfection hasn’t been a burden I put on Star Wars post-teenage years. It’s always been a weird mixed bag, with some bags being more uneven than others. So this only increased an appreciation the moments – no matter how rare or fleeting – of humanity in a sprawling galaxy. Luke and Han discussing the positives of saving a princess in A New Hope. Finn and Rey going giddy over their handling of the Millenium Falcon in The Force Awakens. Even Obi-Wan comforting his fallen master Qui-Gon in The Phantom Menace. Unfortunately, Rise of Skywalker has precious few of these moments that work. It’s a film that seems aware of what makes a Star Wars movie work on a cold mechanical level, but thinks it can be accomplished by shoving familiar parts in your face rather than correctly assemble them in working order. For all their faults, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi felt like they wanted to take this franchise in new creative directions while having a spot in their hearts for what came before. Rise of Skywalker feels like it wants to rip the hearts of the original films out of their chests and consume them to feed on their Force energy. Which isn’t filling enough to fittingly conclude this new trilogy or the entire Skywalker Saga in general.

Rating: 2 out of 5 Sith MacGuffins

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Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018): One Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Thomas Mariani

Prequels and Star Wars have a tension filled relationship. Which is understandable, considering the reception of the prequel trilogy. Still, say what you want about Episodes I, II & III – and plenty of people have – but they at least followed a story that had some potential. To see the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader sounds like an intriguing idea. There’s a clear structure one can see for how this would go down, though the execution of it has lead to plenty of enraged debate for nearly two decades. By contrast, Solo: A Star Wars Story doesn’t really have much of a progression it can take hold of for its titular character Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). Knowing the progression he goes on during the original trilogy, Han Solo needs to stay a selfish smuggler in order for the later journey to make any narrative sense. He can’t learn to be a selfless individual here only to learn the same thing as he surprises the audience by helping Luke destroy the Death Star. Sorry for spoiling a 41 year old film, but the point still stands; a young Han Solo movie has no real right to exist. So, does Solo: A Star Wars Story end up beating this inherent critical stumbling block in concept or not?

Quite frankly… no. Writers Lawrence & Jonathan Kasdan along with director Ron Howard – well, final director Ron Howard – constantly struggle to walk the line between keeping Han a rogue and the hero the film ultimately needs, but never quite settle on how to do so. Solo: A Star Wars Story gives us so much of his back story, a child slave on the planet Corellia who ended up joining the Empire’s military as a young lad and teaming up with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) to become a smuggler. All very early in the film. Yet, none of it really earns much of a right to exist or add on what we already knew beyond filling unnecessary gaps. “Oh, that’s why Chewie owes Han a life debt!” “Oh that’s how he got that last name!” “Oh that’s how he became so good with using a blaster!” Great… but did any of this make Han Solo a more complete version of what he already was; a scoundrel with charm? No. It’s just there to give us context for what we didn’t need.

If anything, it deflates what used to be a mysterious background one could project for themselves based on Harrison Ford’s actions and George Lucas/several other people’s words. It all turns Han into a misunderstood loner hero rather than a plucky and selfish charmer we met at the Cantina on Tatooine. We’re front loaded with answering questions and tying up loose ends really early into Solo to the point where when we finally get the halfway decent heist film that lifts up the second half, it’s too late. We’ve been inundated with a barrage of underwhelming revelations that seem to take a face value sensibility to moments that feel like they should be charming nods and winks. If Solo was far more self contained an adventure that didn’t aim to expose Han’s past, it would probably be a far more engaging character. The onset snafus that occurred with original directors/current executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller shouldn’t have much weight on the film overall, but one can tell during any of the larger comedic set pieces fall flat and awkward in that first half. Not really helped by the way cinematographer Bradford Young puts an a grey filter to disguise the shiny surfaces in order to vaguely remind people of the rich grime aesthetic of the original trilogy.

None of this is really the fault of Alden Ehrenreich. A talented young actor who is capable of delivering his own infectious charms in films like Hail Caesar, Ehrenreich is really trying hard to avoid doing a flat out Ford impression while still sprinkling in some of the delivery that made Han one of the more iconic cinematic characters of the 20th century. It’s an impossible task to be asked to replicate an iconic persona at his absolute prime as an actor in a prequel film and Alden handles it about as well as he can. Yet, that leash still looms high with how much the script for Solo desires to make us remember the Han we knew and loved even if Alden wants to make his own. A constant tug and pull that damns an earnest if doomed task from the start. There are effective moments for Han here and there. As unnecessary as it is, the meet up with Chewie made watchable thanks to a physical chemistry that Ehrenreich and Suotamo have as the space duo. Yet, Chewie’s own struggles with trying to get his people out of slavery and earn a score bring to light the major downturn of Solo. One flaw so crucially fatal that it turns the lead into an albatross around the film’s neck; Han is the sun this universe revolves around, yet the planets and asteroids that sweep into its path are far more interesting than he ever can be.

One of these characters is Han’s mentor of sorts Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), a thief who has seen plenty of action. You can see why he would be curious to the initial spark of spunk in Han’s eyes, but with the history clearly shown through his actions in the world of smuggling and some pretty big moments with his significant other Val (Thandie Newton), one slowly starts to lose the actual thread of connection between him and Han as things roll along, especially when a heist film of sorts like this hinges on ambiguity rather than a lack of believability in either trust or distrust rather than what feels like ambivalence between the two. Same goes for Han’s Corellian gal Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). Clarke is given the task of attempting to be a galactic femme fatale for Han to seek back after an escape gone awry, who later has gone through some changes and being under the thumb of a generic space gangster Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) that makes one pine for the authentic weirdness of Jabba the Hutt as he acts like far more of a modern hot trigger gangster than anything authentically of the Star Wars galaxy. Qi’ra could have been far more of a damsel love interest and even has worrying shades of this early on. Yet, when her loyalties become more murky and her ability prowess as a femme fatale come to play, there are shades of a far more interesting character. One who’s journey could have made for a great Star Wars story all its own. Yet, we mostly see her as an accomplice and source of will-they-won’t-they tension to tease for more Solo films as Han sashays into a room.

Such sashays are irrelevant once Han meets Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), a fellow smuggler who exudes far more charisma and has enough intriguing characteristics that ooze out of corners during his scenes to make everyone in the theater internally scream “Why wasn’t this a Lando film?!” The real difference between Lando and Solo is simply that while we do know the ultimate big turn of Lando, he’s far more of a blank slate to add things onto. This includes fun details like a closet full of elaborate capes or his sly attempts to cheat at cards with smooth nonchalance. Glover gives the unbridled confidence needed for Lando without feeling too much like an overt impression as much as a general sly mood from which anyone would be mulled over by. Similar credit deserves to go to Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3, a droid with fierce aims at spreading independence for her kind. She’s feisty, intuitive and spunky in ways no other droid character has ever been in this series. The two have far more of a believable rapport than anyone else in the film that makes us quiver even further in demand for a Lando spin off movie involving these two. But don’t worry. Han is there to… be Han. So you don’t have to worry about all that pesky “potential” off to the sides being squandered.

It may seem like I hate Solo, but the frustration really lies with the fact that there are wonderful bursts of energy and creativity on occasion. Most of these characters do get moments to spotlight their potential. Mainly in a scene involving a rather famous moment from Han’s past that surprisingly packs a lot of character beats, elaborate fight choreography and more than a few bits of heist staging into a chaotic but highly entertaining sequence of events. It’s the one time where all the people in this ensemble truly bounce off each other incredibly well and give the illusion that this will continue to the remaining runtime. Yet, by the time that sequence ends, the spectacle of Solo A Star Wars Story really begins to wear thin. There’s some shenanigans in the third act that elicits minor thrills, but nothing even really culminates that well. Set pieces like the big train heist are fine on their own, but the lack any kind of weight not just because we know where the characters will ultimately go, but because we’re centered around a character who constantly meanders between referencing what we know and teasing a progression that can’t take place given who the character is makes this a rather forgettable effort. Something even a few Rebellion teases and a curious surprise cameo couldn’t fix.

It’s a tough spot to be in. Almost as if Disney and Lucasfilm shouldn’t have put themselves in that place to begin with. Solo A Star Wars Story obviously wants to be a romp through the galactic underworld of the Star Wars galaxy. One that is teased with some rather impressive creature effects and a few hints to other potential spin offs. Yet, even for being something more light, there’s isn’t too much new going on. There’s a bit of an upgrade in terms of the tech of the original trilogy, but not much of an expansion on details about the criminal underworld or some of these new characters to make itself stand out. These are similar problems that effected the previous Star Wars spin off feature Rogue One. Then again, Rogue One actually dared to focus on new characters who weren’t what we traditionally saw in this galaxy far far away. Some are better than others, but at least it tried to build more focus on people we weren’t familiar with. Which is a far more noble effort than Solo, a film that has the potential to explore new avenues and fun side tracks in this universe yet leans on the familiarity of its titular character revealing more about his past like Tiny Tim on a crutch. Keep in mind that I’m not against referencing moments from the original trilogy or exposing more about the people we knew and loved from this series. However, if those references don’t do much to shed intriguing new light on that subject, what’s the point in going back? Why are we peeling back a layer of Han’s past? It turns out… for very little.

Rating: 2 out of 5 Dice Rear View Mirror Hangers

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Star Wars A Jedi Holiday Story – Double Edged Double Bill Episode 3

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Thomas Mariani

Double Edged Double Bill is all Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars! To celebrate the release of Solo A Star Wars Story, Adam Thomas and Thomas Mariani have brought in their first guest Sam Brutuxan! The trio’s first feature is Return of the Jedi, the third entry in the original trilogy that’s celebrating it’s 35th anniversary. Yes there’s Ewoks, bored Harrison Ford and puppets galore! Then, the team takes on the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and lives to tell the tale. But not without a trinity of Harvey Kormans, Wookie porn and a performance by Jefferson Starship! Take your first step into a larger world and listen now here!

To stay up to date about the podcast, follow us on Twitter @DEDBpod and send us feedback at doubleedgeddoublebill@gmail.com! The podcast will be on iTunes shortly!

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Returning To The Jedi: Star Wars Episode VI 35 Years Later

Returning To The Jedi: Star Wars Episode VI 35 Years Later

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Thomas Mariani

The Star Wars original trilogy is pretty sacred text to those obsessed with a galaxy far far away. In a modern world where the prequel trilogy is an infamous memory and the current Disney run is hotly contested to say the least, the Star Wars trilogy that enchanted audiences in the late 70s – the early 80s is still largely considered to be the holy scripture of the franchise by fans. Star Wars revolutionized the sci-fi fantasy genre for decades to come. Empire Strikes Back – while receiving a lukewarm reception upon initial release – is often considered one of the best sequels of all time by film dorks and average joes alike. The third entry in the original trilogy Return of the Jedi is a bit of a different story.

In an age before Star Wars was close to the 21st century, Return of the Jedi was the black sheep. A concluding chapter which represented how a series that appealed to all audiences was mainly targeting the younger set and leaving anyone above the age of 12 in the dust. It’s filled with an extensive amount of puppets, furry teddy bear creatures and dumb sight gags that would make adults scratch their heads and older kids feeling bored. Jedi became the punching bag for a disappointing end to a trilogy for a few decades. As Dante Hicks once said in 1994’s Clerks, “Empire had the better ending. Luke loses his hand and finds out Vader is his father. Han is frozen and captured by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. Just like in real life. All Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets.”

Yet, Jedi has has gained some amount of respect in the resulting three and a half decades since it was released. With the harsh backlash against the prequel trilogy and the rather divisive reception of the new Disney era films by the fanbase, Jedi looks less disappointing even with its faults. But that’s only really in comparison. Fans still love to prod and poke at Ewoks, Boba Fett’s disappointing end or the tonal shifts at play. And those criticisms have some merit. However, even with those faults squarely in mind, Jedi is not only an overall rousing finale to most of the threads from the first two films, but arguably has the best subplot of any of them. You read that right. This jumbled mess manages to close out the original series with a bang few other trilogies have managed to achieve. And I’m not just talking about the second Death Star.

On a superficial level, there’s a major upping of the ante with the creatures and production design on display. Jabba the Hutt’s palace is a dingy yet incredibly detailed nightmare den of scum and villainy, taking all the promise of the Cantina in the original film and fleshing it out to a larger galaxy context. We only get so long with Jabba, but we get a sense that this is a true crime slum of debauchery and reckless abandon that has no rule beyond Jabba’s word. His excess and slimy lackadaisical attitude say so much with so little. This contrast between hedonism and small details breaths life into everyone involved at the palace. Who could forget the simple moment of a trainer mourning the loss of his giant Rancor monster? Some have said this awkwardly contrasts with the Endor scenes, but it feels more like clear direct contrast. Going from a dimly lit land of sin living in their filth to a pure society of green happy creatures working to save their ecosystem feels like a natural transition. All with the over arching apex of the Empire looming overhead with an even larger Death Star and a spectacularly elaborate spin on the original trench run to boot. Showcasing how all of this exists in the same galaxy and can only be controlled by the powers of The Force in the form of Mark Hamill,’s Luke Skywalker.

The major theme of Return of the Jedi is one that spills over into the other Star Wars films; confrontation with your past. Luke Skywalker’s major arc throughout the entire trilogy – and into the sequel films – is coming to terms with what has happened before and moving on from it. By Return of the Jedi, Luke has to face several aspects of his past before embracing what he never knew to be true until the ending of Empire; his father Darth Vader. He returns to his home of Tatooine to save his newfound friends, says goodbye to Yoda & Obi-Wan after the give him the final truth of his growth & abilities as a Jedi and returns to the rebuilt version of the battle station he blew up to finally confront his enemy and progenitor. We see just how far Luke has come here, from wide eyed innocent farm boy to eager reckless Jedi to calm yet worried master. Even with the time jumps, Luke has formed into a true cloth Jedi. One who handily destroys The Rancor and invades Jabba’s palace of immersive creatures without batting an eye in intimidation. Yet, he still has his hesitations and worries. About the future of his friends or his ability to fight against Vader. There’s deliberation into his actions, even when it’s considering doubt over his abilities or vengeance in his heart that nearly consumes him. It shows that Luke is far more human than previous Jedi later depicted in the prequels, which makes him a far more engaging character than most in prior chronology. It’s still to this day the most nuanced performance of Mark Hamill’s career, balancing the affable hero of Luke we know with the newfound sense of determination and occasional lashing out.

This sense of progression isn’t exclusive to Luke. Lando fully embraces his journey from smuggler and traitor to leader & hero of the rebellion, leading a more diverse fleet against the second Death Star. Leia comes to terms with her lineage, breaks the chains of slavery from one of the galaxy’s biggest crime lords Jabba The Hutt and leads the full on assault against the Empire. A scene between her and Luke that is mostly mean for exposition about their a connection reads as a moment of realization and attempted convincing to bring her brother away from the temptations of the Force. C-3PO even manages to go from translating as a servant for Jabba to a full fledged story telling God for the Ewoks. He manages to provoke the first battle of the Ewoks against the Stormtroopers by sheer distraction right alongside R2-D2. Hell, the Ewoks themselves evolve from a ravenous primitive culture to one based around camaraderie and defensive action. The last one admittedly sounds a bit unintentionally supportive of colonialism, but the Rebellion trusts and respects the Ewoks enough to fight against the Empire as things go on. Some of it may seem contemplatively silly, but the Ewoks use their limited resources to fight a far more advanced Empire in a way that feels like it has a spark of ingenuity while embracing their resources and trusting in the humans of the Empire to help save both their planet and the entire galaxy. It’s especially more clear when you consider Wicket and the others were so close to consuming our heroes.

The only major character who lacks a character arc in a considerable fashion is Han Solo. It’s clear that Harrison Ford‘s heart isn’t really in this final chapter as blindly flails through the first half and mugs his way through the second half. It’s also clear that George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan – despite clearly wanting to give Han an important role in this finale to the original trilogy – give him essentially a role any of the other rebels could have taken. He’s not really leading to a considerably fashion He’s just sort of there to be a lesser version of the Han we knew and loved from before. No change or evolution… unless fully embracing that Princess Leia has the hots for him is progression. Hell, the best moments involving him showcase Leia’s growth as a character, one being her amazing reversal on the “I Love You/I Know” moment from Empire and her reveal to Han about Luke being her brother. Neither really require much from Ford and so much more from Carrie Fischer.

However, the more intriguing progression runs through Luke and spills over into Darth Vader himself. Giving this dark ominous representation of intergalactic fascism a moment of redemption could have easily gone awry in the wrong hands. Yet, the combined efforts of James Earl Jones‘ haunted vocal work, David Prowse‘s determined steps in the suit and Sebastian Shaw‘s gasping dying words craft an Anakin Skywalker who goes from seemingly lost under the Vader armor to protruding out for a final act of honest heart. The soul of Star Wars as a saga shines through in any scene between Vader, Luke and Emperor Palpatine. The delicious scenery chewing of Ian McDiarmid is gloriously glowing underneath the iconic robe. Yet, it’s with true malice and purpose as he taunts Luke with the failure of the rebellion & the clear unstoppable power of the Empire, breaking Luke’s concentration and allowing his darker tendencies to cave in. Palpatine embodies all the worst aspects of the of the Sith, having hate shrivel and consume him like a prune of embittered ego.

This is where director Richard Marquand‘s knack for character based drama really comes in handy, as he puts together what is easily the best lightsaber duel of the series between Vader and Luke. The tension that builds is palpable. With every strike, Luke and Vader clash in ways that echo with resonance and hurt as we know that this is a true fight of family. Father and son fighting not just for their lives, but the souls that bind each other in the ways of The Force. Marquand’s use of negative space creates this darkly immersive battle that slowly encompasses the dark side. Each painful bolt of Palpatine’s lighting energy clearly chills Luke to the bone. Even Vader’s redemption shows off the true hero underneath fighting to save his son with the last bit of life he had in him. It’s tragic, beautiful and one of the more awe inspiring cinematic moments of Star Wars in general. All coming to a head violent head that slowly dissipates into a moment of quiet whispered sadness as Luke sees his father pass into being one with The Force.

Ultimately, Return of the Jedi is still the overall weaker entry in the original trilogy. It doesn’t have the self contained sense of discovery of the original Star Wars or the most consistent escalation of the themes & characters of Empire. Yet, it still gives the stories of the Skywalkers true closure in a way that constantly goes unsung and underrated. Luke’s final burning of his father is a wonderful climactic shot that says everything. The reign of the Empire has ended for now, but we must honor those who serve as potential heroes even if it’s in their final moments. Redemption is possible, but doesn’t bestow immortality. Setting the stage for hope to blossom. The title fulfills its promise as Vader goes from being a Sith to being a Jedi once again, even if so briefly. It’s something Luke and Leia will permanently have to carry with them throughout life, but they can handle thanks to their own support system of a family they’ve cultivated together. While the new trilogy has yet to confirm if they’ll fulfill something similar with next year’s episode XI, one can only hope it achieves some of the gravitas of Jedi… but also doesn’t turn Finn into the new Han Solo. John Boyega deserves to give a shit

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Top 20 Films of 2017

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Thomas Mariani

2017 came and went. A year that had its many ups and downs. Mostly downs. But I’ve come to realize that writing an extensive Worst Of list isn’t something of interest any further. After a year as filled with horror & mean spirited bickering in real life, listing out bad films in elaborate detail isn’t something I care to spend much time on… though for the record, The Mummy had the most hot garbage packed into a feature film possible this past year. Now that the year has passed and we’re well into 2018 with at least a sliver of hope and a fighting chance, it’s time to finally do a Top 20 list after doing some final catch up. Before we do that…

Honorable Mentions:

DUNKIRK:

Christopher Nolan’s war epic that put the event first over the backgrounds of the characters around it, while giving us enough in event drama to get invested. The drama doesn’t come from Titanic-style backstories around the event, but the soldiers & civilians existing within that event from varying perspectives. Nolan sucks us into these perspectives and allows the drama to unfold with heart wrenching action that gets us truly immersed in the horror of a situation like the battle of Dunkirk. Also, that One Direction kid can actually act quite well.

GIRLS TRIP:

Massive surprise on every level. The winning ensemble, genuine heart & consistent laughs make Girls Trip stretch beyond the stereotypical broad comedy it could have been and become something worth investing in between the big laughs. Tiffany Haddish needs to become the next big comedy star, becoming a breathless comedy machine that rarely stops to let you breathe. Still, the emotional grounding of Regina Hall and Queen Latifah is what really made this surprisingly emotional, as two women try to find their place in a world dominated by men who give them little individual opportunity.

GOOD TIME:

Good Time is a near brilliant addition to the “one crazy night” genre. Robert Pattinson delivers a nuanced performance that shows desperation at its most authentic. One can tell from his John Cazale-level amounts of sweat on his forehead that he’s only thinking far enough ahead to get him a few steps ahead. And even then, those steps could easily lead him to a far bigger problem. The Safdie Brothers show off true visual panache that transcends crime cliches as directors, writers and even musicians. Seriously, Benny Safdie’s music may be the best original soundtrack album of the year. I do wish he was a better actor, though.

PHANTOM THREAD:

Perhaps the kinkest of the Best Picture nominees. Obviously gorgeous costumes aside, the true intrigue comes with the back & forth between Daniel Day-Lewis & Vicky Krieps who are on far more equal footing as things progress than one might fear. Phantom Thread could have been yet another “love an abusive genius” story. It’s far deeper than that. The power dynamics that shift in increasingly engrossing fashion (pun maybe-not-so-but-totally-intended). By the end, there’s no one to really side with. One must take this strange couple as a whole, to the point where it walks the line between adorable and parasitic.

WONDER WOMAN:

The film that gave the modern DC films hope. Gal Gadot really lead the charge for an origin story movie that advanced far beyond the gloom and doom of the previous films in universe. Her empathy mattered just as much as her prowess and she wasn’t going to sit idly by and mope when her people were in trouble. Truly, the hero we need in a weary world.

And without further ado, the list:

20. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

The most controversial Star Wars film of late is still far better than sterile familiarity. Aside from issues with the Canto Bite subplot & Finn’s lack of a solid arc, this is the best Disney produced Star Wars film so far. The subversive twists on Star Wars aren’t there simply because. They are there to bring characters to intriguing new places. The ways director/writer Rian Johnson plays with elements of The Force and where people like Luke can be after so many decades breathes life & conflict into a galaxy that seemed in danger of growing stale. Hope to see this spirit continues into Episode XI.

19. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

Call Me By Your Name is slow burn to a fault at moments. The first 45 minutes or so definitely keeps the listless attitude of an 80s summer in Italy that ranges from charming to slightly insufferable. However, Call Me By Your Name transcends meandering as Timothee Chalamet & Armie Hammer make a potentially questionable age gap romance tender & heartbreaking. Their gradual building chemistry and Chalamet’s budding sexual exploration serves for a quiet yet engrossing look into someone finding themselves in a third act for the ages. Michael Stuhlbarg – a major player throughout 2017 – also rings out plenty of tears as the new standard for cinematic father figures.

18. BLADE RUNNER 2049

Blade Runner is a great piece of science fiction filmmaking on a world building level. Blade Runner 2049 took that world and spun a more enthralling slowburn neo noir story than the original. Mainly in terms of having a lead character with far more compelling motivations and a subversive bent on the traditional chosen one narrative. Roger Deakins’ luminescent cinematography and Denis Villeneuve’s large scale shot composition give this world a realistic coldness, especially for a world as compartmentalized and impersonal as this one.

17. CREEP 2

With the original Creep, the main issue really was writer/director Patrick Brice as the lead audience surrogate. He was such a scipher that never engaged us nearly as much as Mark Duplass’ incredibly charismatic yet off putting character. Creep 2 takes the concepts of the original & adds a far more engaging protagonist into the mix with Desiree Akhaven. The duo of her and Duplass allows for a far more engaging dynamic based in gender roles and a murky sense of revelation for who is telling the truth or not. Duplass is chilling yet believably sad in ways that make watching him consistently mesmerizing while Desiree serves as a strong rock that knows things are going downhill.

16. THE VOID

The Void is the type of waking unending nightmare that made 2017 a great year for horror. The monsters on display are like something out of a an endless hellscape that even John Carpenter wouldn’t want to see come to life. It’s the type of recurring undying horror that makes dark corridors awful to walk down from fear of falling into a black abyss. The characters are broad, but only in the sense that they are ones we can connect to as some tether to the endless cosmic frights on display.

15. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

The Girl With All The Gifts is a film about accepting the future. Treating zombification as more of an evolutionary step that those in power can’t accept. Young Sennia Nanuna goes toe to toe with great actors like Paddy Considine & Glenn Close in ways that display fierce passion and righteous rebellion with a violent animalistic edge. All of which is harshly relevant during the political discourse we’ve had over the last 12 months. Also, if anyone is still trying to make a Last of Us movie… just stop. We have a winner. Shut ‘er down, boys.

14. SUPER DARK TIMES

Spoilers: The title is very accurate. Super Dark Times is a brutal and intense look into erosive power of toxic male insecurity. Charlie Tahan and Owen Campbell deliver incredibly grounded performances that are as chilling as they are painfully relatable. They capture the complete lack of supervision that can slowly breaks impressionable young men into ruining their futures through dumb decisions meant to impress others. Director Kevin Phillips gives this a moody look that results in one of the best lit films of the year. Super Dark Times is the brutal inverse of a Stranger Things, taking away the sci-fi and showing the horrific growing dread of youthful abandon.

13. THE DEVIL’S CANDY

The Devil’s Candy is an underrated gem screaming to unleash itself from horrific painting depicting cries of pain. The ensembl here is spectacular, including Ethan Embry as a family man desperately grasping for reality, Pruitt Taylor Vince as a deranged killer trying to quell his own mind and Shiri Appleby is just an honest to goodness young lady trying to keep her tether to her father. While boasting one of the most metal moments in cinematic history during the climax, the use of metal doesn’t feel inauthentic to the horror or devalue the drama. If anything, it strengthens both by binding a family while also trying to break them into pieces.

12. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

The new Apes trilogy cements itself as the modern blockbuster trilogy most worth celebrating. With rebooting a classic franchise, it’s hard to find the same type of ability to inject into the zeitgeist the same way. Luckily, Apes perfectly feeds into the type of socially relevant pessimistic edge, though War finds a bit of hope at the end of the tunnel… yet not really for humanity. This franchise is so damn good it makes us root against our own kind. It’s a summer blockbuster where the spectacle really comes from the subtle, quiet & heartbreaking character interaction between motion captured apes. There’s a few moments of action, but they’re reserved and compliment how the characters are built up by Andy Serkis & his fellow motion capture actors, along with director Matt Reeves’ intimate introspective gazes into those interactions.

11. COCO

Pixar’s knack for building up joy and crushing your soul into tear soaked ash is a skill surprisingly on the backburner at times. With Cars 3 and Finding Dory level mediocrities, one can forget the true power of their animated crafts. Luckily, Coco manages to bring that back in full force with a vibrant environment in the Land of the Dead that carries the charm of a culturally grounded human realm with it. There’s massive amounts of respect lobbied toward Mexican culture here, while also juggling incredibly relevant statements of celebrity worship and respect for one’s heritage. Helps to have a few songs that lift the spirit and turn one into a whimpering ninny.

10. MOTHER!

The intense divisive nature of mother! doesn’t just have to do with its deceptive marketing campaign. Many have made the fair argument that it is Darren Aronofsky at his most self indulgent and blunt. The man has never been much for subtlety, but what translates from this is a roller coaster of fear, tension & surreal imagery that challenges perceptions of both Biblical times and our modern world all at once. It’s basically a Halloween Horror Nights maze of humanity’s atrocities. One that I couldn’t stop finding new details in with every corner I passed by.

9. THE FLORIDA PROJECT

This one has grown on me since the original review. Maybe it’s my own Florida upbringing, Brooklynn Prince’s mesmerizing performance or Willem Dafoe shooing away birds. But it’s such an intimate portrait of white trash that’s both horrible and oddly fascinating. These kids living this life of freedom and lacking parental supervision shows off their potential being squandered by a lack of nurture. It’s tragic, but compelling to see as this girl escapes an environment where she’s loved but not taken care of. Making the ending a big mixed bag of emotions, right down to the divisive final shot that signals the world around this young girl losing the last lingering tether to her old life.

8. LADY BIRD

On its face, the down to earth yet highly enthralling coming of age tale Ladybird is a film that can’t be spoiled. Every beat is familiar to anyone who has grown from high school to college. Yet, it’s a worthy reminder to those who are familiar with that awkward strange that it isn’t as simple as we perceived. Looking back at all the horrible behavior and realizing later how much one can take a constructive environment for granted. Laurie Metcalf & Saoirse Ronan are top tier here, portraying all the on-the-dime changes that make their interplay hilarious yet completely truthful.

7. BABY DRIVER

While not Edgar Wright’s best work, Baby Driver is still an energetic thrill ride that’s still better that 99% of the action films released this year or in recent years. Each action scene is orchestrated like a beautiful musical number. The kinetic energy has a wonderful choreography to it that makes every tire screech feel like a tap dance to the beat, full of obscure hits that are familiar to those who remember the songs that sample them. The characters can be broad, but all the actors, particularly with Ansel Elgort’s silent yet charismatic main turn and Jon Hamm’s surprisingly intense villainous turn. Glad to see this made as much money as it did, giving hope for small scale yet handsomely crafted genre efforts can win over generic schlock during the summer.

6. THE SHAPE OF WATER

Last year’s La La Land was a celebrated tribute to Old Hollywood that charmed the awards crowd quite a bit. Yet, The Shape of Water is far more of a tribute to Hollywood on a wide scale level. There’s a bit of that La La Land song and dance. However, there’s also a romance of star crossed lovers. A film noir spy plot that looms in the background. Monsters who end up being tragic heroes to admire. Guillermo Del Toro loves all these aspects of older cinema, but channels it into a beautiful story that speaks to modern concerns about the disenfranchised minorities in America trying to find their way. Whether they be disabled, black, Russian… or a fish man.

5. LOGAN

Logan is both an end as well as a new beginning for superhero films. The old ways seem to be dying out as the evolution continues past the very spotty X-Men franchise that ushered in this craze at the start of the new millenium. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart deliver beautifully tragic performances that showcase men far past their prime learning how to pass things on. Writer/director James Mangold creates a not-too-distant-future dystopia that uses superpowers for character driven pathos and allows newcomers like Dafne Keen to go toe to toe with experience vets in a brutal yet powerful way that sticks with you far more than most the numerous superhero films that also came out this year.

4. COLOSSAL

Toxic masculinity comes in many forms. It could be the Nice Guy™ who thinks he deserves more simply because he has outward decency. Or it could be a giant weapon of mass destruction controlled by a wreckless asshole. Either way, these varying forms are presented by Colossal, with a creative spin on the kaiju concept that blurs lines between comedy, drama, sci-fi and even horror to incredible effect. This is Anne Hathaway’s most dimensional turn and gives Jason Sudeikis the chance to unveil the darker sides of his usually affable performance. In a year full of exposing the horrendous actions of many famous men, Colossal is truly the most relevant monster film of its time.

3. THE BIG SICK

Hilarious and emotionally honest romantic comedies that comes from the heart are rare in these days. Luckily, star/co-writer Kumail Nanjiani and his co-writer/wife Emily V. Gordon gave The Big Sick the type of genuine moments that made this transcend the genre. And not just moments of romantic joy. Real fights and awkward moments that make a relationship a struggle at times help flesh this out into something beautiful, along with cultural clashes that only make the midway turn for the medical drama that much more engaging. Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon shine on screen, but Ray Romano and Helen Hunt are the MVPs. Their long lasting relationship breathes with natural conflict and heart that gives Kumail something to strive for and consider in continuing his relationship. Making this story that’s very personal incredibly universal.

2. GET OUT

The social relevance of horror is always something brought up when people dismiss the genre. In a year when we lost George A. Romero and have a country in such divisive territory, a film like Get Out can and did flourish. Even considering the fact that writer/director Jordan Peele put this together during the “post-racial” Obama administration, the declaration of lacking racism while an underlining fetishization of their culture fits our modern racial climate in a very brutally honest way. Of all the very strong horror films from the past few years, Get Out seems the most poised to stand the test of time as the most crucially relevant piece of horror cinema for the next few decades.

1. A GHOST STORY

The horror genre can often rest on old laurels. Often times, it takes recontextualizing the tropes to appreciate how inventive he genre can be. With A Ghost Story, the typical elements of the haunted house genre are told from the perspective of the ghost doomed to haunt the house they once loved in life. David Lowery paints the afterlife not as a hell full of torture, but an endless staring contest with the living that can’t be won. You’ll just look as they progress past your presence and move on as you dwell on the past. A Ghost Story asks the question “Are we meaningless in the vast vacuum of existence?” and answers with “Maybe… but just try to enjoy your life instead of living past it” in a touching an quiet fashion.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017): Let The Past Die

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Thomas Mariani

There are mild spoilers Star Wars: The Last Jedi in this review. If you’re one of the five people who haven’t seen it yet, proceed with caution.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a pretty bold sequel. That’s pretty unexpected, considering Star Wars is made by a multi-billion dollar corporation like Disney and the previous two Star Wars films. One would expect The Last Jedi to be a far more traditional mega blockbuster that pulled punches and relied heavily on the type of fan service that made The Force Awakens one of the most successful films of all time. Admittedly, there are a fair amount of callbacks and allusions to the previous films in the canon. Only makes sense, especially as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) takes a far larger role than his cameo at the finale of The Force Awakens as he’s confronted by young Rey (Daisy Ridley) about the concept of the Jedi. There’s allusions to Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi ladened throughout, but The Last Jedi separates itself from The Force Awakens by setting those familiar tropes up and subverting their original context.

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) at one point states “Let the past die” in reference to those who stand to hold him back. Yet, what The Last Jedi aims for is to say that dwelling on the past can hurt you, but forgetting about the past leads to repetition of their mistakes rather than learning from them. These mistakes are central to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Constantly, characters are getting themselves into situations that lead to catastrophic consequences. Rey assumes things about Kylo Ren that lead her into brutal binds she needs to get out of. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) makes cocksure sudden decisions about destroying ships that lead to The Resistance being hunted down by The First Order. Finn (John Boyega) gives into his most base impulses in ways that lead him and newcomer Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) into trouble. Learning from failure in The Last Jedi isn’t as concrete as “Don’t do A and get B result.” It’s a long game of finessing situations and finding where balance truly lies. Much in the same way director/writer Rian Johnson treats The Force of this universe. There’s lightness and darkness, but there’s a murky middle ground within there to both guide and confuse our people along the way.

The Last Jedi is perhaps the most morally ambiguous leap forward in the franchise, addressing the wage gap of this galaxy far far away head on during the Canto Bight subplot. We see the frivolous excess of arms dealers who sell weapons literally throw money everywhere, all while the smugglers and thieves like Han Solo or DJ (Benicio Del Toro) just try to make a quick buck. Still, DJ is an engaging character to watch thanks to Del Toro’s usual spark for quirky performances and his skills around tech that make him a surprise at every turn. Admittedly, these sequences on this casino style planet are the weaker moments of The Last Jedi overall, showcasing the tonal whiplash that makes the experience awkward. Yet, these thematic drives and the lovable chemistry between Boyega & Tran is incredibly endearing. Finn continues to try and protect his friends while Tran comes into her own from a meager maintenance worker to a larger part of The Resistance. I’d just hope both of them are involved in a storyline with more direct connections to the overall plot next time.

This is especially the case when their goal centers around a major ticking clock as Poe, General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) try to escape the grasp of General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and The First Order in space. This entire subplot has some of the most inventive visual elements that showcase Rian Johnson’s capabilities with both action and character interaction. The space sequence that opens Star Wars: The Last Jedi is honestly the most visually inventive the series has had. X-Wings and TIE Fighters do things here no one has done before, creating visually stimulating space battles that are perfectly edited alongside our folks in the ships. Of course, Star Wars has made plenty of sequences like this, something The Last Jedi is clearly aware of. Humorous jabs at these confrontations and subversive moments during moments of massive damage give these space battles so much more emotional investment and surprise at every turn. All with spectacular digital & practical effects, elegant production design and shining cinematography from Johnson’s crew. Hux and Poe are also allowed to have far more character than they were in The Force Awakens, particularly as one is the butt of the joke for another. Even Holdo and Leia build a believable chemistry that makes one truly believe they’ve known each other for years. Right down to their mutual conflicts with Poe’s recklessness. Of course, this being Carrie Fisher’s final film makes many moments with Leia hit home in ways not totally intended, but that meta layer doesn’t distract from Leia’s own struggles and comedic moments that make her an integral supporting character for this story.

Rian Johnson is clearly a fan of the series, but really wants to take the themes introduced and makes them murky in fascinating ways. After all, Luke tells Rey at one point that “This isn’t going to go the way you think.” Which it honestly describes The Last Jedi to a tee. Particularly in the trifecta of Luke, Rey and Kylo, where The Force is explored in ways the franchise has never gone to. The connection and lines of dark & light sides blur far more here, allowing more mysterious connections to take hold between Rey and Kylo. Something that Luke finds intimidating given his own past with Kylo. These unconventional connections between these three is leads to certain revelations that people are already incredibly divided on.

Without saying too much, these revelations are refreshing. Giving larger nets from which the pool of The Force can come from and Luke a continuation that feels natural. His more bitter tone fits a young farm boy who had his only legal guardians burned alive, finally found his father in the form of the galaxy’s greatest villain who chops his hand off and losing his own nephew to The Dark Side while trying to train him. Thus, the optimism of Rey clashes with Luke’s cynicism in ways that are bold, human and chilling all at once. This fight over The Force clearly mirrors our own modern divisive world, fighting the desire to be cynically passive and righteously angry. All done with a not-so-subtle yet powerful brush by Johnson to fit this franchise and not distract.

There’s plenty of narrative and tonal issues to be found in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It is the longest Star Wars entry and one can feel that dragging moments. The Force Awakens is an inarguably better paced and streamlined film that captivated audiences with good reason. Yet, the dragging bits in The Last Jedi don’t come from overly convoluted plots as much as it does the sheer amount of ideas being shoved in by Johnson. This really is the most ambitious entry in this franchise in quite some time. And while not as consistent as the Original Trilogy could often be, the ambition and unbridled gall of The Last Jedi truly makes it a bolder film that The Force Awakens is. Which in my book can go a long way. The risks on display in The Last Jedi are already dividing many fans, with revelations and consequences that could easily disappoint so many. That being said, none of the hindrances really hurt the characters or drive of this saga as much as slightly hurt The Last Jedi as an individual film. What’s important and makes this one of the better films in the Star Wars franchise really is what it does for this galaxy far far away overall. Keeping the past in mind, but not letting it lead the course for the future. That’s up to the newbies to do. Luckily, they’ve got better non-robotic hands to steer us in the right direction. Then again, JJ Abrams will probably bring back Jabba the Hutt and Ewoks for Episode IX and render all this null and void. But for now, the spark of hope continues to set this saga aflame as a guiding light.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Roasted Porg Carcassases

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“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016): A New Perspective on a Galaxy Far Far Away

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Thomas Mariani

Star Wars returned to big screens last year with the seventh entry in the franchise The Force Awakens to massive box office success and mostly giant blanket critical praise. At the time, while I enjoyed the return to the world of Wookies & Stormtroopers, I was slightly disappointed by the familiarity of it all. While not as offensively slavish a remake of A New Hope as some made it out to be, Force Awakens still suffered from more than a few lingering threads of the “Like Poetry It Rhymes” though process of George Lucas that sunk many on the prequel trilogy. So, the idea of the first in a series of spin offs Rogue One: A Star Wars Story going back as close as it could to the actual era of A New Hope wasn’t the most enthusiastic idea for me. Nostalgia has so overtaken our culture that simply displaying a few TIE fighters and Darth Vader could easily seem like enough for Disney instead of developing something more. As a Star Wars fan since childhood, the idea of expanding in newer directions the films haven’t taken seems more interesting to me than revisiting the old. The hope would be that the first Star Wars film to not directly focus on at least one Skywalker Family Member would feature more engaging new characters fascinated me more than seeing AT-ATs again.

The question going in really is can one be invested in these new characters knowing that their mission is a success? Luckily, Rogue One not only manages to get past that hurdle, but surpasses the very same attempts that Force Awakens moderately pulled off last year. By mostly keeping us entrenched in the story of this band of rebellion misfits trying to get these Death Star plans, we are fully immersed in the front lines of this conflict. With so many of these Star Wars films, we received small glimpses of people being shot in the head and falling over, casualties of war that were merely background extras as our leads stomped past Stormtroopers. Here, those casualties of war get a center stage as the Skywalkers are mere background mentions. We see rebel soldiers stand for what they believe in, even if it means going against the actual Rebellion organization. Rogue One is full of people with specific ideals they’re willing to die protecting, making their destination we’re aware of far more distant in the mind than the journey we see them on.

Chief among these people is Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of one of the Death Star scientists. The determination and bubbling anger provided by Jones for this character is one of the more nuanced performances in the history of this franchise. She has all the makings of a Rey from Force Awakens, given her own origin that involves being left behind by multiple different parental figures. After her initial set-up, Jyn is slowly developed through her actions as a character instead of having things spelled out for us. From the moment she is sitting in her jail cell to when her lip quivers in frustration while being interrogated, we get Jyn’s personality, arrogant and brimming with a desire to clear her name from the reputation of her father. Jones fills in so many gaps that aren’t blatantly told to us, allowing Jyn to vibrantly express the regret and rage over her life that tells us all we need. Her determination to seek out her father figures allows her to make peace with her past over the second half of Rogue One in a very emotionally resonant fashion.

There’s a similar vibe that builds a solid rapport with the other members of the titular Rogue One team. We get a view mentions and glimpses of their roles & lives. Not enough to bog down our run time, yet just enough to keep us engaged in them as characters. There’s Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a dedicated yet conflicted rebel soldier who serves as a solid foil to Jyn in the issues of establishment both with the Empire and the Rebels. His robot aide K-2s0 (Alan Tudyk), a converted Imperial droid with a genuine emotional attachment to those who have faith in him beyond his appearance. K-2S0 is probably Rogue One‘s breakout character, with his quips evenly weighted with a surprisingly emotional pull from his loyalty and actions.

Two stowaways of the spirituality enthused Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and his loyal sharp shooter buddy Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) are honestly the major highlights of this group. They’re by gone relics of an era where they were keepers of Jedi crystals, yet having varying issues on whether or not The Force even affects them as people. They show that The Force truly represents a religious tether that keeps those who feel disenfranchised attached to the world around them, making their eventual fates so investing. It brings the universe a bit closer without over explaining how The Force works like certain other prequel stories do. It’s the type of expansion of the universe that’s made stuff like the animated series Star Wars Rebels so impactful. It broadens our understanding of the universe by broadening our understanding of these people living in it.

There’s more than a few other characters who are made more by their performers rather than their roles in the story. Rogue One has a pretty impressive cast that’s mainly there to service one of two threads storywise: the impact of Jyn & her main crew finding the Death Star plans and firmly connecting things to A New Hope. The efforts of Mads Mikkelson, Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed are more in the vein of the former, thus having more resonance. Whitaker in particular stands out in that fashion despite the brevity of his role. Though his decisions plot wise can often be questionable, the tics and raspy voice he uses add to the design of a man who’s been through intergalactic hell and will not stop in his quest for ultimate destruction of the Empire away from the Rebellion’s system that’s ineffectual. Yet, he also forgets about the concept in strength in numbers that Jyn believes in for destroying these evil forces. A strength in diverse numbers that holds this small rag tag group together enough to fly by the seat of their pants and hope things stick.

That tug and pull of unstructured rebellion against a bureaucratic system is obviously keen in everyone’s minds and is shown with cold sterile subversion during the scenes involving the inner workings of The Empire. Unfortunately, these are the scenes where Rogue One falters most. The initially intimidating Commander Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) loses steam as a villain by way of having his arc of realizing how little he matters in terms of the Empire’s ultimate path is weighed more in allowing nods to the original Star Wars trilogy rather than him being a memorable villain. Nods like having Grand Moff Tarkin recreated from the late Peter Cushing’s visage in advanced but still sort of creepy CG or Darth Vader showing up to do a bit of force choking. The fan service-y moments are at least more plot focused than they are in Force Awakens, but call far more attention to themselves just for the sake of emphasizing how close this is to the original trilogy. To the point where they seem awkwardly edited into the overall story of Rogue One, particularly with the finale that includes little to none of the people we’ve come to know.

The elaborate CG works far better when director Gareth Edwards uses them to unveil the detail in the Star Wars universe Rogue One inhabits. All these vistas feel more diverse than any of the worlds in Force Awakens, from shiny beach shores to rainy rock formations. Even the Mos Eisley-esque crowded city planet has a bit more diversity in terms of aliens and tightened corners that give it a distinct stench thanks to a meld of incredible set design and a mixture of practical & CG effects. Plus, the devil is in the war torned details as the Empire’s entrenchment is shown far and wide. It’s all perfect setup to show just how ineffectual the Rebellion’s efforts are up to that point, allowing a few rogues who have lived directly in the face of this suppression to know just how to attack from within with harsh impact. Edwards uses the scenery to make the later battle sequences all the more impactful. This is particularly evident when these people use their knowledge of their environment to battle the Empire from within, similar to the way we saw Luke Skywalker used his skills from Tatooine to fight off the Empire at their own game.

However, the true strength of separation with Rogue One against the original trilogy is really its strength in a diverse number of non-Jedi folk. The more common everyday human, alien and robot beings who are united by a desire to be on the same even level playing field. It’s a message one can cling to in times of turmoil, which becomes all too familiar with our recent political climate in mind. While Rogue One doesn’t shatter new ground both for the Star Wars universe or our own in terms of fascist commentary, it’s a solidly entertaining war film that aims to showcase just how bold a rag tag group of like minded people from varying backgrounds can find common ground in a fight they can believe in. Even if their efforts turn south, their example can send a message of hope. A singular story that ties loose ends without over explaining their purpose. Rogue One shines us in a direction that we could really use right now, both in terms of injecting variety into a familiar universe and hope that we could use for our own futures.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Creepy CG Faces of Dead Actors

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