Star Wars marathon: Episode V

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980, Irvin Kershner)
A

Following the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance, now with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher respectively) as major players within their ranks, continues its war against the galactic Empire. The former’s remarkable victory in the ‘Battle of Yavin’ (it was about time I displayed some sort of geek knowledge) has only doubled the Empire’s resolve in crushing the resistance movement. What’s more, Darth Vader’s humiliating defeat at the hands of Luke Skywalker during the attack on the Death Star has propelled the sith lord on a hunt for the rebel hero. When the Empire’s probing droids discover the Rebel’s new hideout on the snowy planet of Hoth, it spells the beginning of yet another large scale battle between the two rival forces...

Fans of the Star Wars universe claim Episode V to be the best in the film series. Fans of the movies alone believe it to be the best. Casual fans of the franchise seem to enjoy it the most. People I know who don’t care that much about Star Wars remember The Empire Strikes Back most vividly. There is indeed a general consensus surrounding this instalment and anyone who argues otherwise is looked at as if they had gone mad. Would I even dare attempt to knock Episode V off of its high and shiny pedestal? Might I not think so highly of this much beloved sci-fi action classic?





I actually don’t think Episode V is all that...

Who am I kidding? Episode V is, in my mind in that of so many other people, the strongest chapter in the Star Wars saga. But I don’t think it’s just the best chapter in the franchise, I think it’s a really good movie in its own right. There is fantastic imagination on display, with every location and set piece proving to be a character unto itself, a small bit of bubbling life in a large and densely populated universe. The snow planet of Hoth, with its bizarre and dangerous inhabitants, the mammoth-like walking tanks used by the Empire for their ground assault on the Rebel’s not so secret hideout, the muddy swamps of Dagobah where the most powerful jedi ever resides, that freaking weird tree that is haunted by the dark side of the Force, a giant worm of teeth living within the caves of an asteroid, a mining city which floats in the clouds, the carbon freezing chamber, etc. Even if the characters themselves and the story were less than stellar, I would probably still really like the film for the ingenuity and creativity that went in into the production. If you’ve been following the marathon thus far, you know we’ve seen some beautiful sets, costumes and visual effects. With the exception of the cloning facility from Episode II, I think Episode V takes the cake with regards to fantastic locations and the cultures that bring them to life. Some credit should go to the cinematography. Of the instalments we've studied thus far, I think Empire has the best look in terms of lighting, camera angles and editing.





But locations and set design aren’t the only qualities which make the movie great. Lucas’s script and Kershner’s direction bring a darker tone to the saga which we haven’t seen since Revenge of the Sith. The heroes, especially in the later stages of the film, always seem to be a step or two behind the villains. Even in the moments that one would think to be lighter in tone, such as the scenes that develop Luke’s training with Yoda, are haunting. The beautiful planet of Bespin, which at first has a sense of sweep and romanticism to it, ends up being more than a little nightmarish for the protagonists.

Not only are the visuals more impressive this time around than in the previous instalment, but so are the performances and character arcs. That even goes for Luke Skywalker, as played by Mark Hamil. His acting in Episode V alone is not enough to convince me that he is a solid actor as a whole, but at least he manages to carry his own, somewhat, this time around. Granted, that frustrating and annoying whiny attitude makes its way into the performance, but not nearly as often here. He is genuinely beginning to take on the path of a jedi, with the importance and weight of such a role clearly pressing down on him. We see a more mature hero, a more adult Luke who takes on some mighty challenges, from defending the Rebel outpost on Hoth against some of the Empire’s most frightful war machines, accepting the challenge of training as a jedi under the supervision of the great Yoda, and finally rushing into a head-to-head confrontation with the one and only Darth Vader in order to protect the ones he loves. Although I still find Luke somewhat difficult to truly ‘like’, he’s far more tolerable here. Once again, it is Han Solo and Princess Leia who are the stars of the show. Some of this probably has to do with the fact that script doesn’t give them anything to except escape the clutches of the Empire. Unlike Luke, they don’t have any significant quests to complete. They’re essentially fugitives on the run, and through this we are privy to some more character driven moments between the two. Han is still relatively brash, but he suspects that Leia has a soft spot for him, and frequently tries to play that to his advantage. Leia, ever the strong and independent minded woman, tries valiantly to stand her ground. There are some very entertaining and even touching moments between the two, which interestingly enough reminded me that Lucas can write some good dialogue, something he proves all too rarely.




Another treat is of course the villain who takes center stage: Darth Vader. Voiced once again by James Earl Jones, the dark lord of the sith is absolutely diabolical in this movie. He no longer just looks cool and sounds cool, he acts like a real jerk. Not only is he the leader of the pack, he is a ruthless leader at that, opting to Force choke all those who fail him. He rests in a strange meditation chamber (without his helmet on! Tease!) and calls his minions outright stupid when things don’t go as planned. He captures Luke’s friends and submits them to torture just so Luke can feel their pain and fall into the villain’s trap. He continuously twists Lando’s Calrissian’s (Billy Dee Williams) arm in a sour deal the Bespin administrator has made with the devil. There are even some brilliant moments in which wit and cruelty meld into one. I’m thinking of course of my single favourite scene in the entire 6-part saga (hint: ‘Apology accepted, Captain Needa.’). I think there are some very interesting things going on with the character of Vader in the movie, and not just from a ‘oh, he’s such a bad ass!’ standpoint. I like the fact that he is on the hunt for his son, Luke, promising the Emperor (in a brief cameo by Ian McDiarmid) to compel young Skywalker to join the dark side otherwise the boy shall die. Interestingly enough, once Vader has Luke at his mercy after a ferocious battle, during which Luke has made it pretty clear he’s not ready to make the jump to the Emperor’s team, Vader reveals that he and Luke could overthrow the Emperor and , spoiler alert, rule the galaxy as father and son. Certainly a good amount of greed is pushing Vader to behave this way, but I like to think that something else is going on. After all, it is the Emperor who gave Vader the opportunity to be as powerful as he is, should his allegiance not lie with his current master? Family ties run deep and can always stir the emotions, sometimes in ways we least expect them to...





After some decent actions scenes in Episode IV, the Empire does indeed strike back with some rousing chase and battle sequences that left me hungry for more. The asteroid chase between the Millenium Falcon and some Tie Fighters is both exciting and tremendously well executed from a film production standpoint, and of course there is the famous Battle of Hoth, in which the Rebels try to defend their base of operations from an the devastating and memorable giant walkers driven by the Empire. We hadn’t seen a good ground based battle sequence in quite some time, so it was nice to watch this one unfold. Even the opening sequence of the film (which, when one thinks of it has almost nothing to do with the rest of the movie) is great, with Luke having to escape the cave of a yeti-like creature who took the young jedi captive. The list of qualities found in the film can go on and on. Yoda, who behaves like a crazy old hermit upon meeting Luke, is a lot of fun this time around. Lando Calrissian is an interesting element to the mix in that he is emotionally forced to betray his deal with the Empire once he realizes that the latter never had any intention of keeping its end of the bargain anyhow. We see the return of fan favourite Boba Fett, who inexplicably has earned a grand reputation within the hardcore Star Wars community despite the fact that the chap has no more than perhaps 7 minutes of screen time and utters about 3 lines. I personally don’t care much for the character, but his armour does look nifty.

Yeah, when it comes to Star Wars, it’s difficult to find anything better than The Empire Strikes Back. The film’s tone if spot on with a mixture of hope and despair, the action is very intense, John William’s score is powerful and beautiful, and I feel the major characters are given their due and are allowed to breath a little bit more this time. As escapism, Episode V is near perfect. It’s swashbuckling adventurism at its best.

May the Force be you!...On the dark side.

Because...it is your deeessstiny.



Did Bill choose to rule the galaxy by Vader's side? Find at out Bill's Movie Emporium.

Light Sunday

I usually make use of my weekends to post my individual reviews and marathons reviews, but today won't be the case. I've had a busy week and the preparations for the Empire Strikes Back review and more Jean Renoir appreciation were delayed. Empire Strikes Back will have to wait for tomorrow, but Renoir might have to wait for next week if I can't muster something by tomorrow.

Thanks.

Review: Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart (2009, Scott Cooper)
B-

Bad Blake(Geff Bridges) is a 57 year old country music legend. Well, perhaps calling him a legend would be stretching the truth somewhat. He’s certainly known within the industry and still plays intimate concerts at some small venues, but his glory days are long behind him. Out of shape, an alcoholic, Bad relies heavily on his old material to earn some dollars while some of the more modern artists, such as Tommy (Colin Farrell) bask in the success and glory. It is only upon meeting a beautiful reporter named Janes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is granted an exclusive interview with Bad, that this old dog might change his ways and rediscover decency and the beauty of human contact.

It’s funny, but I’m under the distinct impression that for the better part of the past month I’ve been watching films which have been guided by deceptively simple stories, ones that film buffs have most likely seen many times before, only to discover that each individual movie was blessed with a few high praiseworthy aspects. Crazy Heart, from first time director Tom Higgins, continues this trend with a plot for which one can arguably guess most of the twists and turns. The primary reason to see the film is for Jeff Bridges, who inhabits the character of Bad and gives him his own quirks, ticks and crazy heart. Bridges is one of my personal favourite actors, a man who throughout his career has given solid performance after solid performance with very few, if any, hiccups along the way. I’m not saying all of his films have been great, but he himself has consistently been so. There is something effortless about Bridges’ performance. The passive aggressive frustration displayed when Bad doesn’t get exactly his way, the affable manner in which he answers certain questions, the mellowness that flows from him during his better moments, etc. What’s so impressive about Bridges as an actor in general and about this role in particular are the subtleties that might cause the acting to look less impressive than it is. It almost looks too easy at times for Bridges, but that's part of what makes him so good. He isn’t a very loud actor or one that relishes in games of showmanship (or rarely), but he always has control of the role and knows exactly what he’s doing with it.

The actor portraying Bad is not the only strong point I’d like to touch upon. The character is also cleverly written. At the onset of the film I feared that Bad would not only be an alcoholic and down on his luck, but also a pain in the neck to all those around him. I think making him a real grouch would have risked putting the film into even more familiar territory. It would have been too easy and hinted at lazy writing. But luckily we don’t exactly get that sort of character. There is little doubt that Bad has his sour moments, but he refrains from ever becoming completely anal. He enjoys playing with talented musicians and puts on a little bit of charm for the Jane when being interviewed. Unlike what I feared might happen, Bad isn’t shocked or irked to learn that Jane has a son. On the contrary, he takes a liking very quickly to the young boy, and the relationship between the two is rather sweet.

As for the other performances, they’re a bit of a mixed bag unfortunately. The other highlight would have to be Maggie Gyllenhaal, who often brings a down to earth but very womanly qualities to her roles. Was the performance worthy of an Oscar nomination? I’m not so sure about that, but I felt she was strong enough to counter Bridges’ acting prowess. The two work very well with one another despite the age difference, but whatever issues that arise from the writing. There characters might fall for each other a bit too quickly. It seems as though it only requires a couple of interviews for Bad and Jade to get all mushy with each other. Colin Farrell plays an old rival turned friend who shows up for a few scenes, but overall I didn’t feel he was awarded much to do, which is sad because I’ve always thought very highly of him as an actor. He sort of just looks around at the ground, avoiding Bad’s eyes and mutters some lines. Robert Duval oddly appears late in the film as an old friend of Bad who runs bar. Again, much like with Farrell, Duval is a proven actor who is so good at times and yet I was struck by how little he added to the proceedings. Crazy Heart is affected by inspired casting in some instances and strange casting in others.

This being a film about a country music legend, it would have been shameful for the filmmakers not to showcase any country music. Plenty is offered here, and much of it is very good. I believe I’ve mentioned this before in my review for Nine earlier this year, but my musicology credentials aren’t worth nill so I just have to go from the gut when judging music and I like a lot of what I heard in Crazy Heart. What impressed me even more was the reality that all the actors who we see singing in character in the movie are truly performing all the songs. Bridges, Farrell and even Duval get in on the mix. They are do an admirable job at it too.

I shan’t go on for much longer. My reviews tend to get a bit wordy so I figured I’d just pop out a brief one this one time. There is however another factor playing into the nature of this review: the movie simply didn’t affect me in any significant way. As I’ve already mentioned, the two leads are very good and the music is a lot of fun, but nothing else in Crazy Heart retained my attention. The supporting players, the story, even the directing was very plain. I perfectly understand that Scott Cooper is a first time director whose best work may still be ahead of him. I wouldn’t even call his directorial style here bad, because it isn’t. It’s just ‘plain.’ The moments in the film when the characters were on stage and having a good time singing some good old country music songs were among my favourite in the film because the story and familiar dramatic beats took a back seat to some solid music, concert style. Cooper plays things a little bit too safe for my tastes. I’m sure the guy has it in him to deliver something special down the road, it just didn’t happen with Crazy Heart.

Renoir marathon: La Fille de l'Eau

La Fille de L'Eau/Whirpool of Fate (1925, Jean Renoir)
B

And so we begin another marathon. This time we go way, way back in time to the mid 1920s when famous French director Jean Renoir was only at the earliest stage of his illustrious career. Having not made a big name for himself yet was not much of an issue. La Fille de L’eau is not the film that would make him the reputable director he eventually became (his most famous film is probably The Grand Illusion), but it obviously hinted at some of the man’s praiseworthy talents as a filmmaker.

Simply put, the film is about a young lower class woman named Gudule (played by Renoir’s then wife, Catherine Hessling) who lives in the countryside with her kind father and brutish uncle. The story begins with the three of them working on their boat. The father has a terrible accident and drowns in the lake. While Gudule is clearly shaken by this turn of events, her uncle Geff is a far more suspicious breed of person. Very soon after this tragic event, a hung-over Geff attempts to rape Gudule on their boat. Thankfully she makes it out unscathed and chooses to run off. Her adventure leads into the path of several strange people, but not all whom she encounters is as kind as one would hope...


The structure of La Fille de L’Eau is very much in the same vein as a road trip or quest film, even though Gudule’s only real quest following her uncle’s attack and father’s death is to find comfort in a world that has let her down. She goes from location to location, encountering several people along the way, some of which are helpful and friendly, others which are seemingly just as cold inside as her uncle Geff. We never spend any significant amount of time discovering who these people are, with the exception of perhaps Georges, the young buck who will fall in love with her. For that reason it was a little bit difficult to fully invest myself into the movie and those who populated this world. Whether due to budgetary constraints or creative choices La Fille de L’Eau clocks in at a tiny 72 minutes, and therefore it becomes obvious that not much time will be spent with character growth, particularly among the supporting players. Some characters seem to be just ‘there’. They are seen for a couple of scenes and never again, such as a barman inflicted with a serious toothache and the mother of a young thief who picks up Gudule and trains her in the art of theft. Having seen some of Renoir’s later work such as The Grand Illusion and The River, both of which feature some tremendous character development, I sometimes expected some of these creations to garner some more heft, but it wasn’t meant to be unfortunately. For this reason the brisk pace is both a curse and a blessing for the film. Gudule goes (and is sometimes forced) from place to place in rapid succession, thus giving Renoir’s movie with a sense of excitement because we don’t know what mess Gudule will find herself in next. I did enjoy that aspect of the storytelling. I’m not going to sit here and say that La Fille de L’Eau has a ‘bad script’ or anything of the sort, only that the entire affair feels somewhat rushed at times.

Speaking of Gudule, the performance from Catherine Hessling is one I’d like to offer some praise. One should consider that the 1920s were a completely different age of filmmaking and acting. With no voices to rely on, much of the performance rests on the actor’s ability to convey emotion and thought purely through the physical aspect of acting, both with the overall body movements and especially with the face. In that respect Hessling is pretty good. There is indeed an innocence about her that worked well for me and I did get the impression that the weight of her strange and dire situation was pulling down on her. Granted, it was also an age where the makeup was gushed onto the face of actresses as if there was no tomorrow. Hessling looks quite theatrical at times, which may not necessarily jive well with her supposed status as a lower class girl, but she can act through the thickness of the makeup, which is all I would have asked for anyhow.

Of all the directorial gifts Renoir was blessed with, it is mostly his capacity to bring impressive visuals to the screen that is featured most prominently in La Fille de L’Eau. There are several instances when the camera is either perfectly placed to convey whatever emotion Renoir wished to extract from the viewer, be it laughter or fear. Shots of Hessling face as she stares at menace in the form of her uncle or greedy townsfolk are beautiful to behold and would make for some sublime poster art. There are sequences when the director adopts an editing technique which would only grow in popularity in the decades to come: the quick cut. I’m thinking mostly of the night time scene when some townsfolk have decided to burn down the trailer of the family of thieves Gudule is staying with. The look of horror on her face and the piercing gazes of satisfaction and malice on that of the townsfolk as they all observe that bright fire rip through the night are showcased through rapid editing.

Arguably the one sequence that must not go unmentioned is the Gudule’s nightmare which propels the film into the final third. Following the burning of the shack, Gudule is split up from the boy thief and her mother. Alone and feverish in the woods, she lies down and dreams about all the mean spirited people she has seen, a storm, a giant lizard, ghosts riding on horseback... I don’t want to reveal too much about this sequence otherwise much of the pleasure in discovering Renoir’s exquisite editing, cinematography and trickery. Film is the art of visual trickery after all. It might not be real, but if it looks real enough, or if it is conveyed in a manner that captures the imagination of the viewer, then the mission is accomplished. What devilish imagery Renoir concocts for the dream sequence is not merely impressive when one considers that this was made in 1925. It just looks really cool, simple as that.

In a film that doesn’t possess the most engaging of plots nor the most memorable of supporting characters (although Geff the uncle is quite effective as the chief villain), Renoir’s nonetheless succeeds in giving his audience the sense that they were transported into a world, whether real or not. His storytelling abilities would improve with the more movies he made, but I felt the immediate impact of his visual sense. He understood how to capture the face of actors with the frame and, at this very early stage in his career, was already quite adept at producing striking and memorable imagery, whether for story purposes or simply for the sake of looking like a genius.

Star Wars Marathon: A New Rebuttal

A New Rebuttal

For a full appreciation of this article, a proper reading of Bill’s review of Episode IV at Bill’s Movie Emporium is required.

‘I find your lack of faith disturbing.’

And so the battle finally commences. After a series of films for which our opinions diverged only slightly and sometimes not at all, Episode IV, surprisingly, brought about significantly different reviews from you and I. No one, not even self proclaimed fans of the Star Wars franchise, is required to love Episode IV. There is no litmus test dictating that to be part of the Star Wars fan base or community one must proclaim their unshakable appreciation of the original film. Granted, very few people who admit to being fans of the franchise don’t like Episode IV, but that’s another matter altogether. There’s little denying that you are in a unique position with your review of the current film in our marathon, but I doubt that need make you any less of a Star Wars fan.

No, it is not the overall nature of your article that puzzled me. As they say, the devil is in the details, and it was rather your individual points which had me shaking my head, sometimes in disbelief and other times in laughter (I will admit as much that some of your snarky comments produced some laughter as I read). What is this ‘not caring about the characters’ business all about exactly? As I recall, prior to viewing Episode IV, we had just revisited the prequel trilogy which sets up the events and characters as we meet them at the start of the film. Ben Kenobi as an old man who Luke knew for a few days who never did a single thing to heighten him in your eyes... Okay, what in heaven’s name was the prequel trilogy, which you praised on a consistent basis I might add, for in that case? The Episode IV Ben Kenobi is our famous Jedi Knight living his final days, attempting to do good for peace and justice one last time before he kicks the bucket. We just saw him for 3 freaking movies kicking butt, sweating his ass off for everything he felt the Old Republic and democracy stood for (for good or ill). Now, with the road of the son of the one who was supposed to bring balance to the Force finally finding its way to Ben’s cottage, or whatever it is he lives in, he sees his chance to fight back at the Empire in any way he is capable of. He knows his days are numbered, he’s not stupid. He also knows exactly who Luke Skywalker is, what he represents and what can come about him with a little bit of training. I think Ben knows full well he is not going to finish off the job. His time is over. Now is the time to develop justice’s new hope: Luke. Added to that bit of rich storytelling is the fact that Ben is portrayed by the ever classy Sir Alec Guinness. He’s like Sir Ian McKellen. You could have cast him as the cook at a burger joint and he would have made the role gold. Those few moments when he explains to Luke what happened to the Jedi and who Darth Vader is resonate even more now that we have watched the prequel trilogy. I honestly think they worked before anyways before the existence of episodes I, II and III because they hinted at this terrible event, the Clone Wars (which got us all excited for the eventual prequel trilogy). But now, as a part of the complete saga, I think those couple minutes are brilliant.

The comments about Darth Vader are more understandable. Even in my own review I briefly mentioned that Vader seems to play second fiddle to the nefarious General Tarkin. Vader is not the main villain of this instalment until perhaps the final 30 minutes because we really don’t see much of him until that point. Was his iconography earned on image alone? I think you may be on to something. On the other hand I don’t see why that is a bad thing necessarily. He does look ferocious after all. There is also the vocal performance by the great James Earl Jones that adds some real strength to the character. Nonetheless, Vader becomes interesting and more prominent in the film once he orders the Stormtroopers to inspect the Millenium Falcon because he senses a familiar presence within the Force. Right away we have a hint of back story, which culminates in the lightsaber duel shortly afterwards. I am not going to sit here and type that the duel between Vader and Ben Kenobi is exciting, because it isn’t really exciting, but I don’t agree at with any notion that the confrontation does not carry any emotional weight. Because of that the fight is a mixed bag, but I think the character elements to it prevent it from being so awful as you proclaim it to be.

I also had trouble assessing your statements about exposition and the frivolous nature of the film. Boring exposition? I don’t know, based on the fact that you liked the political scenes from Episode I, I suppose your comment makes sense?... The movie begins and we are immediately dropped into a space chase and then a shootout, introductions to Darth Vader, Princess Leia, C3PO and R2D2. The movie then, admittedly, does lag for a few minutes with the droids walking around the desert and then being purchased by the Skywalkers, but it picks up with great pace once Luke meets Ben Kenobi. A few minutes about the death of the Old Republic (really, it’s a brief scene. I hope you’re not actually including that in your argument of useless information. Anyways, it isn’t useless, it partly convinces Luke to join in on the Rebellion), and we’re off to meet with Han Solo. The rest is a bunch of actions scenes and witty banter until the end of the film. Where in heaven’s name is your ‘snail’s pace’ and ‘unnecessary information’? Frivolous nature? I imagine because you wanted more politicking about disbanding the Senate? Uh, no thanks, this is Star Wars, not Congress or the House of Commons (Canada represent!). Who cares anyways, Palpatine is the freaking Emperor! He wants to disband the Senate? Go right ahead. He wants pepperoni pizza? On the double my Lord! The only segment of the series that I would characterize as frivolous thus far would be the opening minutes of Episode I. We don’t know what the heck the Trade Federation is, why they’re important, why they want Naboo specifically (although that is sort of explained later) with two Jedi visiting about 4 places in maybe 15 minutes.

You and I are typically on the same page when it comes to dissecting films. On the rare occasions when our opinions differ, I generally get what it is about said film that you didn’t appreciate. This was truthfully and honestly one of the unique times when I really ‘didn’t get’ what you were saying. This isn’t intended to be mean or condescending (I have nothing but respect for you), but as I type this rebuttal article I’m still under the impression that I watched Episode IV whereas you watched Episode I again, only this time you actually came to your senses. Just as you apparently read my Episode III review multiple times, I did much of the same with your Episode IV review, trying to fit your comments with elements of the film. I failed every time. I’m still trying to figure out the ‘don’t care for the characters’ comments and the ‘snail’s pace’ comments.

I’m going to leave it at that. It looks as if we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. It’s unfortunate the Episode IV segment of the marathon is going to end like this because I typically understand people’s opinions of given films even if I don’t quite agree with them. This really was not one of those times sadly. Bill, I’ll see you on the Hoth battlefield.

10 movie inspired facts about me

In Between the Seats' 19 months of existence, not once have I ever revealed anything about myself. Adopting a little game many other bloggers have as well, such as Miss Topanga at Breathing Movies and M. Carter at M. Carter @ the Movies, I present to you 10 movie related facts about me, my life, personality, etc.

10-Gladiator (2000, Ridley Scott) showed the power of movies. The backlash against the film has never detracted from my enjoyment of the film. I'll love it till death. I saw this movie on opening day with some friends back in May of 2000. At that point in my life I enjoyed movies a lot, but the scope, drama and action of this Ridley Scott effort was what began my true, deep love for the art of film.


9-I was an actor. Not really, I'm exagerating the facts of the case of course, but when I was a kid a friend called me once with the proposition of being in a movie. His family knew somebody who somebody who somebody...Anyways, the movie, the title of which I've embarassingly forgotten, was a silly kid's film. I was a student in a classroon (not a peasking role, mind you), but when we rented the video (VHS!), all we saw was the corner of my desk...

8-My mother introduced me to James Bond. A lot of people I know who grew up with the Bond movies discovered them through their fathers, or uncles, or some other male relation. Not me, no sir! I still remember the day I was staying at home from school due to illness, when my mother said she was going to the video store to rent a film she thought I'd like. She said it was nothing like those pathetic cartoons I watched. No, this character had some class, she claimed. Since then I have been a die hard Bond fan. That first 007 movie? My mother's favourite of course, Octopussy.



7-I love special edition DVDs. I own maybe a handful of DVDs that aren't 'special editions', no more. I love commentary tracks, deleted scenes, 'making-of' documentaries, etc. Now, I never find the time to watch or listen to every single feature of every single DVD I own, but I do try. And even if I don't, I just like the idea that I can get the most of out the DVDs I purchased.


6-I am absolutely in love with film scores. There's something about what a film music composer does to add an extra layer to the storytelling and themes of a film that makes me so happy. I even used to buy film scores back in the day (I don't so much anymore). I'm always curious to listen to a great film's score after I've watched a movie I love for the first time.

5-I'm not big on soundtracks. I don't know why exactly. It isn't that I don't like them. On the contrary, when the music fits a scene I appreciate the cleverness and work that went into choosing the right song. Soundtracks have just never carried as much weight in my warped mind as film scores. The latter is original work done from A to Z to compliment the storytelling. The former is a job fitting in songs that already existed.

4-When watching movies at home, nothing beats a good bowl of cereal. When it comes to cereal, nothing beats a good bowl (or 3) of Reese's Puffs.


3-I don't like dubbed versions of Non-English or Non-French language films. If I don't understand the original language in which the film's dialogue is spoken, then I'll happily read the subtitles. In fact, and this is going to make me look like a bit of a jerk, if there is another person who wants to watch the same movie but feels more comfortable with the dubbed version, I'd just assume not watch the film at all.

'Whoa!'

2-I really like seeing big films on opening weekend. I know that's nothing extraordinary (although I didn't garantee that this was going to be a list of 'extraordinary' movie inspired facts about me), but there are a handful of people who prefer waiting for the crowds to die down or even wait for a film's release on DVD. For some movies, like smaller indie films or Foreign language stuff that I usually go see alone, I'm not usually in any rush to see them. Those movies tend to be in half empty rooms anyways. But the big Hollywood stuff that attracts crowds on Friday and Saturday nights...I love going out with friends to see those.


1-This is less of a 'fact' and more of a 'fantasy.' You know us cinefiles/movie buffs/movie maniacs all wish we could do something in the movie business, or something movie related. I know a few people who would like to direct, others who like to write. Some of us would like to play in the editing room. If I were part of the movie industry, I'd be an actor. I'm not saying I have the talent required to be one, only that that is the one role I'd like to have were I part of movie making magic. I've always been an actors and actresses kind of guy. Directors bring what they have to the table, so do the writers, cinematographers, visual effects teams, etc. None of them can be a character in a film other than an actor. Agree to disagree if you feel like it, but in my book, you don't have a movie without the actors.

Next Marathon

Sneek preview time!

In order to keep our marathon mania going on strong, the next marathon theme will be the work of French director Jean Renoir. Some of you may remember that back in December of last year I reviewed Nana quite favourably. Well, there's a lot more where that came from because I own this box set:



I haven't even watched all of the films in the set yet, so many of these will be new discoveries for both you, the readers, and I. I hope you'll enjoy this exploration of the great director's work. Stay tuned for the first review this weekend!

Review: Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass (2010, Matthew Vaughn)
B

As the famous saying goes: ‘And now for something completely different.’ Kick-Ass the movie is directly based on a modern cult classic graphic novel (I’m always tempted to just call them comics, but apparently that irks certain folks) of the same name.

There are some films studios love to make and one of those particular genres is the superhero/comic book movie. Another thing studios love to put into their films is plenty of action, with epic battles pitting valiant heroes against nefarious and deadly villains. A slick, polished look as well as a clever editing to heighten the experience, funny dialogue, memorable supporting characters, all of these are equally staples of what Hollywood enjoys churning, especially when producing films based on superheroes. Most, if not all of these elements are ready and present in Matthew Vaughn’s latest endeavour, Kick-Ass. However, the search for financial support within the studio system proved a bit more challenging than usual. The reason? Kick-Ass, for all its strengths and weaknesses is easily different from the many comic book inspired movies we’ve been accustomed to over the past decade.

Things start off quickly, with an immediate hint at the tone the film will adopt for the next 120 minutes or so. A little of irony and self-referential humour mixed with some unabashed violence. The plot, which from what I understand is an amalgamation of the printed miniseries, revolves around teenager Dave, a very average young man with not a lot to show for himself until the day he inexplicably decides to purchase a scuba diving suit online in order to dress up as a hero and protect the innocent at night. His athleticism is limited at best, his planning for such a scheme is a tad leaky, but what he does possess is a lot of courage and heart. To his knowledge no has ever attempted to play the role of real life superhero before, so he has decided to carry this mantle as the aptly named Kick-Ass. Unbeknownst to him however is the existence of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) who are after revenge against the terrible crime lord Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). Events will force Kick-Ass and the father-daughter duo to band together and take on D’Amico as well as the latter’s son Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) .

Unquestionably one of the principle elements that put fear into studio’s at the thought of financing Kick-Ass was the level of unfiltered violence featured throughout. Witnessing bullets ripping through flesh is nothing knew for anyone who has paid attention to recent action films, and experiencing the slicing and dicing of body limbs with a shiny sword should sound familiar to those who have seen the Kill Bill films, but it is the way the violence is handled at times in Kick-Ass that I believe differentiates it from many other movies. Certainly in the early going of the film there is a brutal realism to the violence depicted on screen which produced a very visceral reaction. Kick-Ass the character is nothing but a little chump who is in far over his head. Ill equipped and ill prepared for the task he has wilfully burdened himself with, Dave’s early outings frequently end in great physical pain, even though his persona is earning popularity via YouTube. The injuries aren’t of the comical variety either. They are serious and life threatening. For all its brutality and the foul mouths of the teenagers (some lines are genuinely funny, but I felt they cussed a bit too frequently), I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the movie. It was certainly going for something different than with other masked crusader efforts. Dave was a young buck with quite literally no powers whatsoever trying to establish himself as a hero for New York. Johnson, while not breaking any new grounds in the acting department, does a fine job portraying this eternally average Joe vying for something really quite extraordinary.

The pacing and tone of the film take a different turn near the halfway mark once Kick-Ass unites with Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. I won’t say that it takes a turn for the worse, because I honestly don’t think that’s true. It’s just...different. I still enjoyed the second half of the film a fair bit despite some criticism I'll share with you shortly. Once Hit-Girl makes her presence known to the audience, the portrayal of the characters and especially of the violence changes. Dave, in an attempt at assisting a girl he has the host for, dresses as Kick-Ass and arrives at a dingy apartment where some goons live. These germs have been causing some trouble for Dave’s would-be girlfriend, and when his half-assed attempt at intimidating the thugs fails him, the ever heroic and deadly Hit-Girl bails our protagonist out by stabbing and cutting the gang members into little packable portions. I had only seen a few television spots for the film and had only read a few articles on the film, so my knowledge of how far Kick-Ass supposedly stretched the limits of acceptable violence was vague at best. I won’t deny that the surprise of Hit-Girl’s abilities and methodology in crime fighting got to me. I had an idea that a little girl partook in some gruesome violence, but I didn’t expect her to completely make sushi out of people. Much has been said about this offbeat character played with nice energy by Chloe-Moretz, and it is true that, in some ways, she does steal the show somewhat. I mean, Kick-Ass is a fun character and I enjoyed seeing him do his best at something he should never have tried in the first place, but there was something uniquely pleasing and plain odd about seeing a 11 or 12 year old just destroy everybody in a room (on multiple occasions).

I wasn’t entirely on board with some script elements however. Without getting into specifics, the Christopher Mintz-Plasse character Red Mist was not terribly well developed. At first he admires Kick-Ass while feeling left out of the family business of drug dealing. Then he accepts to help his father by laying a trap for Kick-Ass, then he pleads his father to spare him, then he and Kick-Ass are mortal enemies... There seemed to be a lot of back and forth character beats with Red Mist, as if the screenwriters and director Vaughn were never entirely sure of what exactly they wanted to do with him. I wouldn’t fault Mintz-Plasse however for I did enjoy his performance. There is a lot of screen time reserved for the flowering romance between Dave and the girl he likes, and while I appreciated the notion of a love interest which starts off in highly comical fashion, she is nowhere to be found in the final 30 minutes of the movie. It felt like a lot of screen time that led to nothing. Finally, there is the issue of the depicted violence in the latter stages of the movie which I briefly mentioned earlier in this review. Kick-Ass seems to, what is that that expression, want its cake and eat it too. It starts off as a story of an ordinary kid who makes a crazy decision to become a masked vigilante without the requisite skills. By the climax, we witness some entertaining (I want to stress this before people start believing I didn’t like the ending) if completely different action sequences. Kick-Ass gets in on the action in a rather ridiculous way and overall tone of the violence is very stylized, dare I say, very ‘comic booky’. The spirit of the early goings essentially left behind once Big Daddy and Hit-Girl gain more prominence in the story. Again, I enjoyed the movie for the most part. I wouldn’t want my criticisms to dissuade anyone from seeing it. It does take some unique turns for a comic book movie and even when I felt the tone had changed, I still thought the overall result was fun to watch.

So there we have it. While Kick-Ass the character is a loser, Kick-Ass the movie isn’t. It gets pretty wild at times, offers a fun spin on the superhero film, showcases some well executed actions scenes and makes it to the finish line in pretty good shape despite some reservations I have with the script. With the onslaught of comic book films being released these days, it was nice to see something a bit different.

Review: We Own the Night

We Own the Night (2007, James Gray)
B

In James Gray’s police drama We Own the Night, a family unit is deeply split. On one side there is Bobby, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who manages an undeniably hip Brooklyn night club named El Caribe whose Russian owners have ties to an organized ring of drug importers. On the other side of the fence are his brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) and their father Burt (Robert Duvall), both highly regarded members of the police force. The relationship between Bobby and his immediate family is heavily strained, with the former having gone down a path which the latter frown upon. This family tension has reached the point where Bobby goes under the family name Green rather than his true name, Grusinsky. As fate would have it, the authorities are on the hunt for the very same Russian mob with ties to Bobby’s club. When a police raid on El Caribe is answered by ruthless reprisals on the family from one of the mob’s leading men, Vadim (Alex Veadov), both sides are forced to cooperate, using their skills and knowledge of the Russian organization in order to bring an end to the violence. Perhaps through the fog of tragedy the dim lights of reconciliation can be spotted.

I read an online article not long ago which applauded the sincerity with which writer director James Gray tells his stories. In the worlds he creates (all of which could easily be seen as part of the same world), there is no room for irony, for anything ‘tongue and cheek’ nor for any hints of self-deprecation. He brings real drama to the table and his films tend to take themselves very seriously. The lighting, the camerawork, the editing, score and even the line delivery add a weight of emotions to We Own the Night. Phoenix, whose family and girlfriend Amada (Eva Mendez) is hit hard during the police investigation due to the mob’s incessant attacks, delivers much of his dialogue as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Every word and every hush is uttered with difficulty and with the pain of broken heart. But as the stakes kept getting raised, is that not precisely how he should feel? Many of the scenes take their time in developing, almost begging the viewer to remain patient and feel the agony that has befallen the four principle characters. Even Mark Wahlberg gets in on the act with some line delivery one must lend their ear a little bit in order to fully comprehend. It’s not a style suited for just anyone’s taste, but I took it as just another variation on film noir dialogue.

I find it very unsurprising that Gray’s effort came and went like the wind from the multiplexes a few years ago. One might be led to believe that We Own the Night, based on a plot synopsis, is a run of the mill family/cop drama with its own decent serving of obligatory action sequences. After all, that is, in many ways, exactly what the film has to offer. It’s hardly original and does serve some of the requisite scenes of violence and carnage. And yet James Gray is skilful enough to craft a film that doesn’t really feel like something terribly mainstream, and by extension he dances circles around those expectations we had coming in. Being sombre does not equal being ugly or repulsive. What Gray has in store with We Own the Night is a testament to the man’s attention to detail in the cinematography, lighting and shadow. Even the colour palette sprinkles the visual experience with something dark and attractive. This being the second Gray film I experience (the first being last year’s Two Lovers) I think he has quite the distinct style. The attention paid to the lighting of scenes is very interesting. It often feels as though the characters are washed in shadow, even when light is spread all over them. It’s like a reminder that behind every corner there is the endless possibility that things can go from bad to worse. I can see how this aesthetic may be a turn off for some. The space and mood in plenty of Gray’s scenes can feel almost oppressive at times, but it’s all handled very carefully and the end result is a memorable, if downbeat, experience. It’s quite enveloping really.

The editing and sound mixing play an immense role throughout the film and should also be commended, especially for the action scenes. Everything is exquisitely constructed to provide a visceral experience. I’m thinking most notably of a car chase in the middle section of the film when the police are escorting Bobby and his girlfriend from by car during a terribly rainy day. Naturally the Russian mob are well aware of the police’s strategy and opt to intercept the vehicles. It is a dark and stormy day when the assault kicks into high gear, and this is when director Gray puts into motion a thrilling audio and visual 5 minute sequence. The violent crashing of the raindrops on the roof of the cars, the crackling of shattered glass caused by shotgun bullets ripping through the windows, the point of view from inside Bobby’s car, etc. It really is a uniquely realized chase scene. Rather than offering a great number of exterior shots (even there are some at least), the frame gives the viewers a point of view from Bobby’s driving seat. There is a surprising moment even when, after zigzagging through the lanes, an approaching truck suddenly appears mere meters ahead. It only lasts a moment before Bobby showcases some risky manoeuvres in order to avoid oblivion, but I felt, in those few seconds, as if I were in the car with Bobby and Abba staring at death in the face. Even the incessant sound of the windshield wiper caressing the front window possessed something ominous.

If there is one element about We Own the Night that doesn’t reach the same heights as the sound and cinematography, it would have to be the script. The plot follows some dramatic beats which will surprise only those uninitiated to police dramas. As the story evolved, I was increasingly under the impression that James Gray had essentially written a very basic story as a launching pad for his aesthetic experiment. It’s not a bad story, it works well enough as a cop drama, only that everything feels very predictable. I appreciate the honesty found in the film, and a part of that comes from the performances of Phoenix, Wahlberg and Duvall. Another comes from the dialogue the actors deliver. Finally there is the story, along with all the individual plot developments, and they do suffer from a ‘been there, done that’ syndrome. I’d go so far as to say that without its aesthetic qualities, We Own the Night would only be a completely different movie, but one that wouldn’t be as remotely interesting as it stands now. The flatness in the script hurts some of the more dramatic twists and turns which directly affect the protagonists. Some of them did in fact cause the requisite emotional response from me, so I don’t want to give the impression that every single beat left me unimpressed (the film does have one surprise which I didn’t see coming at all near the beginning), but many others didn’t. It’s a shame because I think there was potential for a very unique and dynamic film somewhere, but the script, one of the most important ingredients in almost any film (except The Holy Mountain), just didn’t have that ‘oomph’ factor.

What we’re left with is somewhat of an experiment. There is no question that We Own the Night has a different feel, look and sound than many other films belonging to the same genre. Its uniqueness in that department does elevate it from other entries the likes of, say, Running Scared or Pride and Glory. Director James Gray is a man with a very interesting vision and this effort possesses is a clear indication of what he is capable of. His filmmography is by no means extensive, but he has certainly proven his worth as a director with artistic aspirations. Film, after all, is so much about what we see on screen, and Gray gets that part right. He just needed to work a few twitches into his script.

Star Wars Marathon: Episode IV

Star Wars Epiosde IV: A New Hope (1977, George Lucas)
B

Picking up a couple of decades after the events of Episode III, the galaxy is now governed by the ruthless dictatorship that is the Galactic Empire. Hoping to overthrow the regime is what the Rebel Alliance, who, rumour has it, is gaining popularity in the Senate. At the moment, the Allliance’s first priority is to bring about the destruction of the Empire’s most feared weapon, the Death Star (a battle station that is quite literally in the shape of the sphere and that can blow up planets with a single shot of its powerful laser ray). When Princess Leia’s (Carrie Fisher) star cruiser is viciously attacked at the beginning of the film, she hides the blue prints of the Death Star inside a familiar robot, R2D2, and sends him off to Tatooine where he along with BFF C3PO will come in contact with another recognizable, if now much older, character, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), but not before fate has them meet young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil). An adventure begins.

This is the most straightforward episode in the series thus far. If one were to boil down the plot synopsis down to the most basis of elements found in Episode IV (something I never do well, forgive me), it would be ‘young farm boy rescue princess from clutches of evil Empire and becomes a wartime hero for the crusading Rebel Alliance. With Episode IV, Lucas attempts to offer a purer swashbuckling adventure with charismatic characters , witty dialogue and plenty of action to boot, all of this equipped with a brisk pace. Gone are the political debates that characterised many scenes in some of the first few films, gone is the ambiguity in the leading man, gone is the darker mood of the previous instalments for which most of the protagonists failed to make it out alive. One might also say gone are the intricate and complex computer effects of the first three films, but there is an obvious and logical reason for that. Still, George Lucas made do with what he had at the time and I’d say he pulled off a pretty good job, save for a few awkward moments. Episode IV is a fully realized universe, if a very different looking one from what we’ve seen up until now.

The simplicity in the setting of Episode IV is an adequate one for the purposes of the film’s story. Rather than having the villains come from within the ranks of the protagonists, the villains are already set up and the protagonists merely have to go after them. Having not watched this one in a few years, I had forgotten how rapidly it moves along. The movie was over before I knew it. It many ways this is a tremendous strength, but it also exposed some weaknesses at times. For the most part, I was entertained by what I saw and Lucas always kept throwing a new setting or new hurdles towards the heroes every few minutes or so, which certainly kept grabbing my attention. On the other hand, the brisk pace made some moments actually feel rushed, such as when Luke discovers that his aunt and uncle have been burned to a crisp by Stormtroopers. I always feel as if he gets over that loss rather quickly. The only section of the movie for which the pacing is affected by a sluggishness is near the beginning when R2D2 and C3PO are crossing the deserts plains of Tatooine and are eventually purchased by the Luke and his uncle for the farming season. It’s difficult to point my finger on the exact reason, but that 5-10 minute span feels a lot slower than the rest of the movie and not very interesting.






Oddly enough, another passage of the film that has always irked me is the climax. I’ve heaped on a lot of praise for the climaxes in the first three films, so perhaps it was just bound to happen that I’d be dissatisfied with one of them at some point, and here we are. I should point out that I like the stakes presented for the climax, that is, the need for the Rebel Alliance to destroy the ‘technological terror’ that is the Death Star’ before the latter has in plain sight the moon on which the Alliance has taken refuge. It is essentially a race against the clock, always a fun and rousing way to add an element of suspense into an action sequence. No, it is more with the setup and presentation of the climax that I have a bone to pick. Up until that point the film, despite owning the smallest budget in the franchise, had done a more than admirable job at creating a lot out of perhaps not so much. However, the exterior shots of the Death Star during the climax look very, very cheap. I don’t mean that in the ‘ah shucks, it’s an old movie and they did what they could back then’ sense. It just looks cheap. There is the question of Darth Vader’s mini squadron who hunt down the Rebel star ships. Are they equipped with stealth or something? How come nobody is going after them? Worse still, all the Rebel pilots keep claiming that they can’t see them. Suddenly, presto! They’re behind me again! Finally there is the issue of the Death Star’s weak link. Really? One long, straight corridor which reaches into the space station’s inner core? That’s a pretty silly way to build a Death Star if you ask me, which evidently you are if you’re reading this review.

At risk of pouring on too much negativity on a film I said I enjoyed only moments ago, I should reveal my general dislike for Mark Hamill. I’ve never felt that he was a capable actor. A bit wooden at times and a bit too forceful at other, Hamil is not an actor I feel can deliver a genuine performance. I will admit as much that he was better in Episode IV than I had recollected, but only once he is united with some of the more charismatic and lively performers in the franchise, namely, Harrison Ford (as Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher. Somehow that trio works quite well together. The banter they share is witty and comical. They are a group of people who under any other circumstances would have ripped each other’s heads off but at the moment are forced to band together and make it out of the Death Star alive. Yes, there is something about near death experiences that bring out the best in all of us. It is a tremendous bonding experience after all. In all seriousness however, Hamil does work reasonably well off Fisher and Ford, but in the early goings of the film he falls rather flat unfortunately. I don’t mean that as a knock against Alec Guinness however, who was one of the finest British actors to ever grace the stage and screen. His Obi-Wan is an intelligent mixture of maturity, elderly wisdom, with a little kick of gun ho attitude to boot, even though he isn’t as quick on his feat as he used to be. But he also much quieter than the rest of the cast, meaning Hamil has to carry his share of the load in the earlier scenes, which I don’t think he does very well. With Ford and Fisher, both of which are clearly having tons of fun in the role, he can sort of melt into the boiling pot of lively and rambunctious energy. Speaking of wit, energy and funny line delivery, I had almost forgotten how funny the scenes with Luke, Leia and Han running around inside the Death Star were. The first few films made appalling attempts at humour with the atrocity that was Jar Jar Binks and even C3PO in Episode II, but nothing ever quite made the cut in my opinion. The prison cell and trash compactor sequences in Episode IV are absolutely hysterical. How or why I had forgotten the entertainment value of those 10-15 minutes I do not know, but by golly are they ever funny.



As was the case in Episode II and III, there is a supporting character that stole the show over the leading man. Han Solo as played by Harrison Ford is a joy to watch. Cocky, funny, quick to make rash decisions, cool...the list can go on and on. In his later years, Ford has earned the reputation of being a bit of a wooden actor, but anyone who wants to see the man give a performance with a lot of spunk need only watch this movie. There is a reason why most people want to be Han Solo and not Luke Skywalker. Sure, manipulating the Force and learning to become a jedi sounds swell, but you can be a great anti-hero instead. Why not?

The one character whom we might have expected to see a lot of but in fact don’t is Darth Vader. After the rousing downfall of Anakin Skywalker in the previous chapter, Vader takes a bit of a backseat in Episode IV. Don’t get me wrong. When on screen his presence is felt, sometimes in very pronounced fashion, such as in the ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing’ scene, but is an Imperial general, General Tarkin, played with the appropriate iciness by Peter Cushing, who is calling the shots this time around. Even emperor Palpatine is nowhere to be found, although he is briefly mentioned at one point. Vader may be but the watchdog, but he is of the most intimidating sort. Of course, with only a black mask to show to the galaxy, it is the voice of the character that must carry the weight of the character. Hiring James Earl Jones was an inspired choice. The actor’s voice is pitch perfect for the role, lending not only authority but dare I say a certain amount of class to villain. I only say this because I love Earl Jones’ articulation. It’s very precise and sharp.





Something Lucas does exceptionally well in Episode IV is give his galaxy a lot of life. He is excellent at filling scenes with great extras and small speaking roles. Some of my favourite scenes are the ones for which plenty of alien costumes were created or several small bit actors were given some lines of dialogue. Any mention of aliens certainly conjures up the Mos Eisley cantina scene. There are so many fantastic creatures to look in that bar, some of which look fearful, others more comical, but let it be known that the art and costume design apartment put a lot of cleverness and work into bringing that bar to life for the movie. Another one of my favourite moments is the conference room scene in the Death Star, during which two Imperial general bicker about the strengths and weaknesses of their battle station. I like it for two reasons, the first being the two actors involved, both of which memorable performances. The second reason is that it gives a certain dynamic to the Galactic Empire. There aren’t just a bunch of faceless soldiers and generals, all joined together as one entity. I enjoy the notion of inner rivalries and bickering from within the ranks. There are even some brief moments when we can hear some Stormtroopers talk amongst each other and there again, it adds a bit of flavour to the villains and by extension the universe that Lucas has created.


For those watching the films for the first time, Episode IV can easily feel like a downgrade from some of the previous chapters in the series. It certainly looks older and more cheap and some of the action scenes aren’t as dynamic as what we’ve seen thus far in the marathon. But it is very difficult to ignore the charm found in the performances of Alec Guinness, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Darth Vader, while playing second fiddle to General Tarkin, is a pretty cool villain. A lot of the exchanges between our heroes are wildly funny (even though they don’t like each other much at first) and much of the film moves along at a breakneck pace. Personally, I also like how this film works as a standalone picture. It has a beginning and an end. Had Lucas decided not to make any sequels, we still would have been left with a fine film in its own right, not one chapter in an incomplete saga. It doesn’t have a great climax, Mark Hamill is a bit whiny and too forceful in his dialogue at times and I’m not the biggest C3PO fan, but those criticisms are not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the film. For the first time in this marathon we witness a decrease in score, but that doesn’t mean we have a bad film on our hands. Anyone who still hasn’t checked out the original Star Wars should do so now.



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