"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho
Showing posts with label James Earl Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Earl Jones. Show all posts

Monday, May 4, 2020

Movie Review: Rogue One: A STAR WARS Story (2016)

Greetings, my fellow movie watchers!!

Today is a very special day! It is:

May the Fourth Be With You!

Also known as STAR WARS day!! As an avid fan I, of course, have to do something to celebrate (besides blasting the soundtrack, looking at all my merch, watching a movie, and drinking chocolate milk. [The last one is a tradition]), so I have decided to review one of the movies!
Here are links to all of my previous reviews:
IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: The Return of the Jedi (1982), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), & IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Now, I've already reviewed all of the main ones, so it is time for the side stories. And you've guessed it, I'll be reviewing the greatly loved Rogue One (2016)!

If you haven't seen this and are wondering when in the series to watch it, it comes between III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and IV: A New Hope (1977) (But don't watch them in the order the numbers are! Watch them in the order I have above) but it can be watched really anytime because it doesn't have spoilers for the others.


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Rogue One: A STAR WARS Story (2016):
Jyn Erso hasn't seen her father since he was taken away by the Empire fifteen years ago. One day the rebel alliance contacts her. They have reason to believe that her father has been working on a huge weapon called The Death Star and they need to get the plans to find a way to prevent it. She teams up with Cassian Andor, and droid K-2SO, together they find a pilot who defected from the Empire who might have a clue to lead them to her father. Will they be able to gain the upper hand against the Empire when all hope seems lost?
Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure.
Length: approx. 134 minutes.
Costumes: 8, pretty standard.
Script: 9, I don't recall any bad words.
Crew:
Directed by: Gareth Edwards.
Written by: Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy, John Knoll, Gary Whitta, & George Lucas.
Starring:
Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso.
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor.
Donnie Yen as Chirrut Îmwe.
Wen Jiang as Baze Malbus.
Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook.
Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic.
Alan Tudyk as K-2SO.
Guy Henry as Governor Tarkin.
Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera.
Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso.
Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa.
Alistair Petrie as General Draven.
Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma.
Ben Daniels as General Merrick.
Ian McElhinney as General Dodonna.
Fares Fares as Senator Vaspar.
Jonathan Aris as Senator Jebel.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Senator Pamlo.
Spencer Wilding & Daniel Naprous as Darth Vader.
James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (voice).
Ingvild Deila as Princess Leia.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.
Valene Kane as Lyra Erso.
Michael Smiley as Dr. Evazan.
Warwick Davis as Weeteef Cyubee.
Cinematography: 6, this takes a nose dive because of the CGI. I originally didn't want to watch this movie when I learned that they used the character of Grand Moff Tarkin but because Peter Cushing is no longer with us they decided use a bunch of CGI. Now, I know that there actually is a guy there, and they projected everything onto him later, but it bothers me. Did they have to use that character? No. They could've used someone else. Other than that, it was okay.
Cinematography by: Greig Fraser.
Music: 8, when I saw this I was annoyed at how close it was to the original, but yet how far off! I just wanted it to be the same! Thinking about it now, I like that they didn't use the same, but adjusted it. After all, it isn't part of the episodes, but just a side story. The original STAR WARS score is my favorite of all time so I can be a little picky about it.
Music by: Michael Giacchino & John Williams.
Quotes: I'm going to say N/A because I really can't remember any of them.
Content: 8, there is a lot of violence with shooting, killing, and a few scary scenes.
Originality: 9, it is actually pretty original, and I am impressed that they could come up with a decent story connected to the originals, but yet be its own thing.
Good For: STAR WARS fans.
Age Range: It's rated PG-13, and I agree with that just because there is a lot of war action. Otherwise, it's totally clean so it depends on the person.
Overall Score: 8.
Bonus thoughts:
It's been a while since I saw this, but I still wanted to talk about it today. I watched this sure that I wasn't going to like it. Several things about the production bothered me: the already mentioned CGI, and the fact that they were supposed to be working on episode VIII! I also knew the whole storyline. Usually I'm really good about avoiding spoilers but I didn't on this one. It was because I was talking to a friend one time and we realized that we each love STAR WARS so I asked her, "Which one is your favorite?"
She replied, "Oh, definitely Rogue One. I couldn't believe that ------------!"
There went the ending of the movie. She had just supposed that I, like the rest of the STAR WARS fans, had seen it (but I hadn't yet, because of my small issues with it). A couple months later I was talking to some other friends about STAR WARS and they mentioned that they didn't like Rogue One. Since I already knew the ending without knowing anything else about it I asked them to tell me everything without worrying about spoilers.
A couple more months and my mom said that we should watch it. I was a bit defensive about it because people always say (I've this said to me more times than I can count),
"Rogue One is so great! It is so much better than The Last Jedi which was really disappointing."
Now, everyone has their personal preferences and favorites and least favorites (and that's awesome because otherwise it would be really boring) and if you love this movie I think that is great! But, The Last Jedi happens to be my second favorite STAR WARS. And, currently my third favorite movie of all time. So yeah. When anyone talked about how bad it was and how great Rogue One was I didn't feel like it deserved all that hype. You get tired of people hating on your favorites!
Anyway, we watched it. My mom loved it because she knew nothing about it, but I was indifferent the whole time. I didn't love it. I had heard everyone talking about how great Jyn and Cassian were, and I didn't like Cassian that much (Note, I thought that Diego Luna did a great job, just his character wasn't my favorite).
Even though I thought I knew everything, there were some surprises that were truly great, and there names are: Chirrut Îmwe, Baze Malbus, and Bodhi Rook.
Seriously, these guys are the best! If you haven't seen this movie, watch it just for them.


Okay, that's enough from me. Your turn! Tell me how you celebrated STAR WARS day and your thoughts on Rogue One!

Thanks for reading! May the Fourth Be With You!

MovieCritic

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Movie Review: STAR WARS VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Hello!
On this blog, I am all about finding excuses to review movies on certain days. As today, January 17th, is James Earl Jones's birthday, I decided to review the last of the original trilogy of STAR WARS, Episode VI! (Note, I am reviewing them the way that they came out.) He was the voice of Darth Vader through out the series.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


STAR WARS VI: Return of the Jedi (1983):
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away..."
Han Solo is a captive. Luke tries to find a way to free him from the terrible Jabba the Hutt. In other parts of the galaxy, the empire is still not giving up. They are building something, even worse then the original Death Star. But the rebels might have found a way to destroy it. A small band of them go to a jungled planet to try to get the shield down, so the rest of the rebellion can attack, but they get lost and are surrounded by strange creatures. Luke must decide what he must do to become a Jedi Knight.
"Twilight is upon me and night must come."
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Length: approx. 124 minutes.
Costumes: 7, there are some "skimpy" or gross ones, but it is amazing what they did without CGI!
My favorite: I like how everyone else gets ponchos, but Han gets the long coat. (Just joking!)
Script: 10!
"'How're we doing?' 
'The same as always.' 
'That bad?'"
Crew:
Directed by: Richard Marquand
Produced by: Howard Kazanjian, George Lucas.
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, & George Lucas.
Starring:
Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker.
Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.
David Prowes as Darth Vader.
James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (voice).
Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.
Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor.
Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2. "I'm terribly sorry, I'm afraid that he's ever so stubborn about these sorts of things."
Warwick Davis as Wicket.
Frank Oz as Yoda. "Pass on what you have learned."
Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker.
Music: 10! I love the STAR WARS soundtrack!
Music by: John Williams.
Cinematography: 10! "And you said that is was pretty here."
Cinematography by: Alan Hume
Quotes: 10! "I'm out of it for a little while and everybody gets illusions of grandeur."
Notes: If I am like any fictional character ever, I am Luke Skywalker. Watching this I can see exactly when he makes his decisions and they would be the exact same as I would if I had the chance!
Storyline: 8, there is a lot of death, killing, and violence.
"This is no time for heroics!"
Good For: All Star Wars fans!
Overall Score: 9! This is such a good movie!


Awhile back, I had a poll (when there still was the poll gadget) asking which STAR WARS was the best! Here is what all of you said:

IV: A New Hope: 0
V: The Empire Strikes Back: 2
VI: Return of the Jedi: 4
I: The Phantom Menace: 0
II: Attack of the Clones: 2
III: Revenge of the Sith: 0
VII: The Force Awakens: 2
VIII: The Last Jedi: 4
Rogue One: 4

What!? No one voted for my favorite! Episode IV! But, this and episode VIII were voted the favorites!

Thank you so much for reading! Do you agree with the poll results?

MovieCritic

Friday, May 4, 2018

Movie Review: STAR WARS V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

May the Fourth be with you!
Today is STAR WARS day! I hope you all did something STAR WARS related! For me, I re-watched The Force Awakens, which I hadn't seen since it was on the theatre. Also, to celebrate I am going to be reviewing Episode V!

'"The odds for this being a good review are-"
"Never tell me the odds!"'

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless it says so.

STAR WARS V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980):
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away...
Though the Empire has had major set backs, Darth Vader is determined to find Luke Skywalker. After being separated from the Resistance, Luke goes to find the Jedi Master, Yoda, to teach him the ways of the force and Han, Leia, Chewy, and C-3PO try to get back to the Resistance base. But Darth Vader has a few secrets up his sleeves.
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Length: approx. 124 minutes
Costumes: 8, nothing bad. My favorite is Lando's cape:
Script: 10, no bad words!
'"I'd rather kiss a wookie!"
"I can arrange that!"'
Crew:
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Produced by:
George Lucas
Gary Kurtz
Screenplay by:
George Lucas
Leigh Brackett
Lawrence Kasdan
Starring:
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.
Harrison Ford as Han Solo. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."
Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.
David Prowse as Darth Vader.
James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (voice).
Frank Oz as Yoda.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.
Peter Mayhew as Chebacca.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2.
Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett.
Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Cinematography: 9
Cinematography by: Peter Suschitzky
Music: 10!
Music by: John Williams
Quotes: 10, "Do, or do not. There is no try."
Storyline: 7, there are some gross/creepy images, but not too many.
Overall Score: 9!

By the way, here is a joke for you:
Person 1: What is the interior temperature of a Tauntaun?
Person 2: ?
Person 1: Lukewarm
Person 2: I thought that joke smelled bad on the outside!
Person 1: Hey, it took a lot of guts to survive out there!
I'm sorry, that is really gross...

Here is a button that Fawnabelle Baggins at Geeky, Nerdy, and Proud of it made for today!:

May the Fourth be with You!

MovieCritic

Note: This was supposed to be posted on, well, the 4th, but due to my decade old computer and me being out of town for the last few days, that didn't go as planned. Sorry about that!

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Movie Review: STAR WARS IV: A New Hope

May the Fourth be with you!
 

Today is STAR WARS day! May the Fourth! In the spirit of this I will be doing a review of STAR WARS IV: A New Hope. You may notice how I am starting with the "fourth" (Wow, I am really connecting things today.) movie, that is because I will be reviewing them the way they were made not the way they are "supposed" to go. Why I am doing this:
1. They first three that were made are SO much better than the prequels.
2. If you watch the first three that they made FIRST (The only way you should watch them!) No surprises are spoiled.
This is how you should watch the STAR WARS movies:
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Phantom Menace*
Attack of the Clones*
Revenge of the Sith*
The Force Awakens
The Last Jedi (Okay, this one is not out yet, but, when it is out...)
*You don't even need to watch the ones with the asterisk.
Anyway, here is my review.


STAR WARS IV: A New Hope (1977):

(Also titled  STAR WARS, or STAR WARS: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
The Empire has taken over, and has plans that will change the galaxy. When Princess Leia's ship is attacked by the Empire she quickly hides vital information in a droid that she hopes will reach an old general. The droid runs into Luke Skywalker, a young man who has to help his uncle even though he wants to go to the university. Luke's life will never be the same again.
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Action,
Costumes: 8, Stormtroopers and Darth Vader's costumes are pretty cool, but my favorite is Princess Leia's.
Script: 8, only one or two bad words. "These are not the droids you are looking for..."
Crew:
Directed by: George Lucas
Produced by: Gary Kurtz
Written by: George Lucas
Starring:
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia

Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin
Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi
David Prowse as Darth Vader
Peter Mayhew as Chewy
Anthony Daniels as C3PO
Kenny Baker as R2D2
Music: 10, I love the theme!
Music by: John Williams
Quotes: 10, "Close the blast doors! Close the blast doors!...Open the blast doors!"
Notes: Now, you might think, "Star Wars? I don't think I will like that." That is what I thought, but, there is so much more to it! Here is how much I like it, it made it's way to my #2 favorite movies spot!
Storyline: 8, there is some fighting, death, scary images, flirting, but that is it! It is very clean. A really great movie.
Good For: Families, everyone!
Overall Score: 9!

A while ago I had a few polls, and here are the results!

The Results of my poll, What is your favorite STAR WARS?
IV: A New Hope - 2 votes
V: The Empire Strikes Back - 2 votes
VI: Return of the Jedi - 3 votes
I: The Phantom Menace - 0 votes
II: Attack of the Clones - 0 votes
III: Revenge of the Sith - 0 votes
VII: The Force Awakens - 1 vote
I have them listed in the order they came out. A total of five people voted (they could vote multiple times)! And they all voted on my favorite STAR WARS!
The Results of my poll, Who is your Favorite STAR WARS character?
Luke Skywalker - 2 votes
Princess Leia - 1 vote
Han Solo - 4 votes
Chewbacca - 1 vote
Yoda - 1 vote
Lando Calrissian - 1 vote
Darth Vader - 0 votes
Obi-Wan Kenobi - 4 votes
C3PO - 0 votes
R2D2 - 1 vote
Other - 0 votes
It had a total of 5 votes (they could vote multiple times)!

Something that I do that is very weird is that everytime I see a STAR WARS movie, I have to drink chocolate milk. It is very weird, but I've always done it. 

I want to also thank my little sister for making this header for me!


Thank you so much for reading! 
May the Fourth be with you!

MovieCritic
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles