Tag: James Earl Jones

The force is tepid with ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’

Ian McDiarmid and Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

“Slip to the darkside and cross that line.” – Eddie and the Cruisers

In my past evaluations of the Star Wars films, I was very generous in doling out high praise. I was so enthralled with the imagination on display and wrenching moments that it took a long time, if ever, for me to see the flaws. With The Rise of Skywalker, however, the blinders have come off.

The “final” entry to the main saga (pfft, like we haven’t heard that one before), Rise comes to us as the franchise may have just reached oversaturation. “Less is more” is perhaps a lesson this film could have used.

The Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) lives! We’re finally clued in that he’s been shaping things from behind the scenes this whole time, but now wants his presence known. He meets with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and officially gives him the order to kill Rey (Daisy Ridley). Meanwhile, the Rebels under command of Leia (Carrie Fisher) make their plans to strike but first need to locate the Sith homeworld where the Emperor is hiding out. So Rey, Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and BB-8 set out to find the big bad to end things once and for all.

Even setting aside how its predecessor was received, this has been a very troubled production and lead-up. In addition to one of the primary actors dying before shooting even began, it’s been noted for the departure (firing?) of original director Colin Trevorrow and rumors circulating about behind the scenes disagreements. So yes, what we’re left with is a mess that does not come together in any cohesive or meaningful manner. While walking back some of The Last Jedi could please that film’s enemies, what was used to do that, in one way or another, is unlikely to be to their satisfaction.

Chris Terrio has got to be one of the worst screenwriters working in major film today. This in no way feels like the natural progression of events that The Force Awakens was building towards. And no, that middle film cannot possibly be a scapegoat here, as this one tries its best to pretend it never existed. While that non-JJ Abrams entry has been fodder for hours upon hours of video analyses taking the writing to task, Rise has plenty more issues which should at least double those numbers.

Yet in spite of all these detractions, I did derive some enjoyment from it. At the very least, it delivers on a purely visceral level. Space battles, lightsaber fights, chases, stealthy moments, exploring new(ish) environments…the basic elements one expects from this series are here. As terrible as the writing is, the main event reveal knocked me right on my hindquarters. Plus, it’s nice to see Billy Dee Williams finally reprise Lando in the flesh.

The Rise of Skywalker can be a fun time, but that’s really all it is. If you’re hoping for an all-time sci-fi great, this is not the film you’re looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.

May 22, 2020
‘Lion King’ fails to roar

Timon, Simba, and Pumbaa in The Lion King

“A lion is called a ‘king of beasts’ obviously for a reason.” – Jack Hanna

As a kid, I had an odd disliking for The Lion King. Sure, perhaps I thought it was fine the first time through, but it quickly got overplayed. I just couldn’t see why it was so special the way my peers did.

So no, I am not coming at this with any deep reverence for the 1994 film. Nonetheless, when watching the 2019 CGI (not live action) version, I feel the same pain that fans of that one likely feel.

Young lion Simba (JD McCrary as a child, Donald Glover as an adult) just can’t wait to be king. The current ruler is his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) who presides over a region of the African plains. But Simba’s naievite and thirst for adventure get taken advantage of by his uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who sees his chance to at least seize power.

As you can see, this isn’t a radical departure from the Kimba ripoff of 25 years ago. I suppose this is a more tolerable version for those who find the other one annoying or too cutesy, but with that trade off comes a picture having far less vibrancy.

As now customary, some of the more objectionable elements are dealt with. The queer coding on Scar is gone, the stars no longer spell out “SEX.” Not everywhere, though. The male hyenas come across even more as stereotypical hoods than they did before, especially since both actually talk here instead of having one who only psychotically laughs. And if that sounds like a dumb change, there’s more ahead.

It figures that the best (some might say only good) song from the original is the one that gets screwed up the most. The “Be Prepared” done here is barely sung and the sequence lacks any of the excitement and sinister imagery from the first time. Fans of this song are going to feel very insulted.

The other numbers also suffer by comparison. They are far less, well, animated, eschewing the theatricality and memorable stagings. Trying to make the proceedings so “realistic” only highlights how what worked before did so because of the fantastical wonders of traditional animation. Oh, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is done in the daylight. Yes, that happens.

The whole film is drained of vitality. Half of the cast seems bored (though not Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, by far the best thing about this movie; I would love to see these two team up again in true live action some time) and the visuals are not a fraction as colorful as the cartoon. To their credit, the photorealistic graphics are quite impressive. They slip in a couple instances, but for the most part do their job. As a result, however, this leaves the picture just so drab.

Now this kind of thing could work if done for a purpose. Christopher Robin started with a Silent Hill form of the Hundred Acre Wood while Pooh and friends took on weathered appearances. But that film was specifically about the joylessness in the characters’ lives and the aesthetics reflected the mood (and, of course, changed as progressions were made). Here, though, the tone is supposed to be the same as it was in the previous telling. Sure it should be sad in parts, but there’s times where it needs to be bright, too.

With their number of existing animated properties which have nostalgic value running out and the highly ill-advised decisions that have been made about ones in some state of production (really, a Cruella origin story?), this whole Disney “live action” version trend may mercifully be nearing an end. The company has now released four of them in this year alone, and the best of them was Kim Possible. Maybe it’s time to put more faith in hand-drawn animation and/or original properties.

August 11, 2019
The Force is definitely with ‘Rogue One’

Felicity Jones plays Jyn Erso in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

** WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD **

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set in the time after Star Wars: Episode III and Star Wars: Episode IV; but it is a standalone film. With director Gareth Edwards at the helm, new territory with a familiar feel is explored and folded into the original tale told by George Lucas in the original and second trilogy.

“Galen Erso” (Mads Mikkelsen) is being sought by “Director Orson Krennic” (Ben Mendelsohn) who plans to force him to work on the Imperial Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star. Erso went into hiding after leaving Krennic’s operations with his wife “Lyra” (Valene Kane) and young daughter (Jyn) (Beau Gadsdon). Lyra is killed and Jyn hides in a prearranged place where she is ultimately rescued by “Saw Gerrera” (Forest Whittaker).

Mads Mikkelsen plays “Galen Erso” in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

Over a dozen years later an adult “Jyn” (Felicity Jones) is a prisoner of the Empire. “Bhodi Rook” (Riz Ahmed) is an Imperial shuttle pilot who defects and reaches Saw Gerrera’s headquarters. He is carrying a message from Galen that reveals a key weakness he created in the completed Death Star that would allow for the Rebel Alliance to destroy it.

Galen is working in an Imperial facility on Eadu. The Rebellion rescues Jyn from captivity in the hope that she can get them in contact with Gerrera in order to find out where Galen is. Jyn is told that the plan is to rescue her father in order to aid the Rebellion in stopping this ultimate weapon. However, the leader of the mission to find Galen, “Cassian Andor” (Diego Luna) is ordered to shoot Galen on sight.

Ben Mendelsohn stars as the villainous Director Orson Krennic in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

The Rebel council turns down the plan of Andor and Jyn to lead a raid on Scarif where the plans for the Death Star are kept on file. So they gather a group of other rebel warriors and along with Rook, “Chirrut Îmwe” (Donnie Yen), a blind monk with an unshakable faith in the Force and his friend “Baze Malbus” (Wen Jiang) and they are off to Scarif to get those plans.

Perhaps the most interesting character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the droid “K2SO” (voided by Alan Tudyk). Formerly an Imperial droid, he was reprogrammed and is now Cassian’s sidekick. He has all of the best one-liners in the film.

Working with a film franchise that is so beloved by its legions of fans is akin to juggling four sticks of lit dynamite. The odds of it blowing up in your face are much higher than with other films. But Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is up to the task. He weaves the indelible aerial fight sequences in with ground battles and a slew of terrific new characters in the franchise together and the result is excellent.

Diego Luna stars as “Captain Cassian Andor” in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

While “Princess Leia” had a few swashbuckler moments in the original trilogy, and George Lucas at one point had imagined a female Luke Skywalker (obviously with a different name), Felicity Jones takes the female action hero to the next level. Fearless, determined and unwilling to accept anything but completing the mission, she is by far the best of the new characters. Diego Luna is also great as the intelligence officer forced to wrestle with his conscience.

There are visual references to the original trilogy along with appearances by “Grand Moff Tarkin” and “Princess Leia” using current actors and the digitized faces of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher from back in the day. Other familiar characters can be seen and enjoyed.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a bit darker than the original films from George Lucas, but it is also a promising new direction for the franchise to move in, while we want for Star Wars: Episode VIII, due out in December of next year.

December 17, 2016