My Top 10 Movie Scores Composed by John Williams

Hello, everyone!

Do any of you love movies? In addition to that, do any of you love to be utterly swept away by these movies through the assistance of a dynamic score? I do, that's for sure. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I love to celebrate movies, music, and a birthday whenever I can.

What does a birthday have to do with all of this?

Well, the stupendous composer John Williams turned 90 today. And in honor of him, Rebecca at Taking Up Room is hosting a blogathon for him!

I haven't participated in a blogathon since September, but I couldn't stay in the shadows for this one! Ages ago I did a list of my top 10 movie scores, and since,  John Williams composed several, including (spoiler alert) my favorite of all time, it is only right that I give him a post all to his own!

I decided (thanks to inspiration from Hamlette, who also did a post like this. You should check that out and every entry into this blogathon!) to talk about my 10 scores he has composed. In preparation for this post, over the last few days I have listened to about 19 albums for scores. That's staggaring. And it made it so much harder to just chose 10 because every one I listened to deserves a spot on this list. But, I tried! I will probably wish to put in completely different ones as soon as I publish this post.

Also, because the Olympics are going on right now (One of my FAVORITE things in the world!), I should mention another fact. How many of you know that our own John Williams composed the EPIC anthem we all hear when we watch it? The Olympics theme makes me cry and I was astonished that I hadn't made the connection when I learned it was all because of him. I should have known better, as so many of his scores make me weep.

 

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) & Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I tried so hard to just pick one of these, but I couldn't. Chamber of Secrets has the utterly magic music surrounding Fawkes (above) (I LOVE that bird and we don't get enough of him but when we do I cry), so I couldn't leave that out. But the way Prisoner of Azkaban incorporates a clock is seamless, giving me chills. Also, the double touble choir sequence (above)? I once thought it was overly dramatic, but I dig it now. You see my conundrum. Which is why I am picking both in my number 10 spot. I have quite the soft spot for the first few Harry Potter movies and might love them more than the books. This changes at #4 for many reasons, but one of them might be that the music doesn't grip me in the same way it does when John composed it.

9. Home Alone (1990)

First, let me tell you that I felt guilty listening to Christmas music in February because it was putting me in the holiday mood. Maybe even more so than a few months ago. This is the only movie on this list that is set in our modern world without magic or adventure. There is a lot of action, but no exploration of new places. Only protecting what we love. Just listening to this music gives you questions of how you can be a kinder person. When you find music that does that, hold on to it. (Also, when you've listened to this then you go through a lot of Harry Potter you start to figure out John's tricks for making you feel it is Christmas immediately. This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.)

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Story time: One year (maybe it was around when Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls came out? I don't remember) my dad received one of those musical cards for his birthday, where you open it and it blares a song. It had Indiana Jones on it and probably said "Have an adventurous year" or something like that. It wasn't important. What WAS important was that it blasted out Indy's iconic theme. My sisters and I loved it so much that we would open and close the card non-stop, then proceed to dance around and come up with stories to fit the score to. I hadn't even seen the movie at that time. Finally, we drove my mom so crazy that she had to take it away. All the same, I am filled with adrenaline any time I hear those notes.

7. Hook (1991)

Another movie that I had sadly forgotten about. My sisters and I watched this a lot (though I still remember the first time!) so hearing the score again for the first time in years was straight nostalgia to my bloodstream. It is very gentle, yet has elements of playfulness and fairy dust sprinkled in. It is a balm of adventure to any tired soul. I sound overly sentimental, but it's true for me!

6. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Why do I always forget that John Williams wrote the score for this movie? AND he won an Oscar for it? I guess I usually just think about the songs with lyrics, but this is just as important. The soundtrack is only about an hour long, yet the movie is about three, so John helped carry it along. The Fiddler is such an important element to weave in, and he does that along with elements from the songs and so much more. This is one of those scores and soundtracks that together I could listen to on repeat. Without stopping. I'm serious.

5. War Horse (2011)

I should probably do a top 10 scores to do homework to because this would be on there. I have only seen the movie once, but I have listened to this score a lot since then. It has everything: jaunty tunes that lift my spirit, steady ones that build hope within me, and the soft plucking of a piano that rips my heart out. Sorry, my sentences are starting to not make sense anymore. What I love about this one is how subtle it is. It is a war movie, but listening to the soundtrack that wouldn't be your first thought. There are occasional bugle calls, horns, and the like which clue you in, but it is so soft for a war movie soundtrack. I LOVE soundtracks are knock you away with power (as you will see later), but this one tiptoes into my heart and destroys me every time I hear it. I don't mind.

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Does anything scream magic as much the music to Harry Potter? It is a pure dose of wistfulness that never fails to give me shivers. It is a score that explores a new life and shows how even that can be mystical. This is rich in friendships and hard decisions, bravery and fear. This is a score that I can't attempt to describe because it does it so well itself.

3. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

I can't think of another animated movie that showcases John Williams's skills. I couldn't be happier. When I need motivation with a splice of fun, I listen to Tintin. This soundtrack describes the movie so well: it is fun, mysterious, clever, and has twists all over the place. If you want a boost of adventure, watch this movie. Or enjoy the soundtrack. Whichever is easier to access for you. I have lost count how many times I have listened to this soundtrack over the last few months. This movie plays with tropes and the music does in a way, too. It can get dark in one moment, but turn you around and is empower you in the next. My brain is so giddy from listening to this soundtrack that I can't think straight to write about it. That tells you a lot!

2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

The original Star Wars soundtrack isn't my favorite? The ultimate plot twist! But it was on the other list, so why is it not now? This is still my go-to movie score. The swelling of the instruments is one of my favorite sounds, and makes me so happy. I am putting this second because I listen to it so much, and when I listened to the 18 others this time around, one caught my attention just a bit more, that I had to stop doing my homework and just listen to it because I was reliving the movie. This one helps me power through homework, feeling like the Force was within me, while the one after this has me in awe.

And number 1 is:

...

...

...

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Gotcha, didn't I? I know that a lot of people don't like this movie (which is still painful to think about for me, but I'm learning to let it go), but hear me out. Most times if I don't have anything good to say about a movie, I often still find I can say, "The score was nice!". This might be the case for you.

Listening to this I am transported to a galaxy far, far, away. I have lost count how many times I have seen this movie, but it is dozens. I nearly have the script memorized. But what I'm here to talk about today is the score. There is NOTHING I don't like about it. I love how Kylo Ren's score shadows Darth Vader's. I love the clarity we get with Rey's score, which is unlike anything I've heard. I love the hope. I love the bravery. I love the rebellion. I love the peace and purpose. It creeps upon you without you even knowing what these feelings are doing to you. I love the spark this music gives me. It lights me up. This music changes me every time I hear it. It brings me to deeper levels, and I feel refreshed and at home.

This music is home.

Happy Birthday, John Williams! You have made a huge impact in my life, and I know you will continue to do so as I watch more movies that you worked on.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for hosting this! Make sure to read all the good posts, HERE!

Can't forget about these guys.

What do you think, my readers? Did anything on this list surprise you? Have I convinced you to watch any of these movies? Do you have any recommendations for me for movies based on their scores? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Movie Review: Solo: A STAR WARS Story (2018)

 May the fourth be with you!

All my fellow STAR WARS fans know what today is! The day to celebrate one of my favorite film franchises! For anyone who hasn’t seen STAR WARS and is confused, let me explain it to you. In STAR WARS a common saying is, “May the force be with you”, and since today is May 4th, you get the gist.

What are all of my fellow fans doing today? I’ve been busy all day admiring my STAR WARS gear, watching one of the films, and drinking chocolate milk. Right now after all that I’m reviewing one of the spin-off movies for you! Before I get started, know this:

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

Interested in the other movies? I highly recommend watching them in the following order (with links to my 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).

Watch them in that order, ignoring those pesky numbers and all of the surprises will be intact!

If you want to watch the first spin-off, Rogue One (2016), then you can watch it any time, really, but in the timeline it goes between what happens in III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and IV: A New Hope (1977).

What about this one? If you want to watch this movie then you can once again watch it without previous experience, but you’ll get a lot more of the references if you’ve seen the original trilogy (episodes IV-VI) because that is where they drew inspiration even though in the timeline this comes around the same time as Rogue One (2016). Warning, if you have seen the prequels (episodes I-III) but haven’t seen the TV series STAR WARS: Clone Wars, then something near the end will really confuse you. My sister and I were bewildered and didn’t understand what happened because it wasn’t consistent with the rest of the series. That is, until a friend who had seen Clone Wars explained it to her.

Now, what we’ve all been waiting for, the review!

Solo: A STAR WARS Story (2018):

The orphan Han manages to get off the planet Corellia, escaping from a gang. Time passes and he has gone through several army positions until he gets thrown in jail. There he meets a new friend and later runs in to some smugglers. Working together they want to steal coaxium, a valuable fuel. When plans fall through they have to work specially for Dryden Vos of the Crimson Dawn where they strike a new difficult deal to make up for a mistake: Make a Kessel Run to get unprocessed coaxium. What with faces from Han’s past as well as new shifty accomplices, whom can he trust?

Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure.

Length: approx. 135 minutes.

Script: 8. A smattering of mild common swearing, but not too bad.

Crew: Directed by: Ron Howard. Written by: Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan, based on characters by George Lucas.

Starring:

Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo.

‘“Sorry I punched your face.”

“Happens more often than you think.”’

Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian.

Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra.

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett.

Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos.

Erin Kellyman as Enfys Nest.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37.

Thandie Newton as Val.

Jon Favreau as the voice of Rio Durant.

Linda Hunt as the voice of Lady Proxima.

Ian Kenny as Rebolt.

John Tui as Korso.

Charlotte Louise as Margo.

Sema-Tawi Smart as Chanteuse.

Clint Howard as Ralakili.

Dee Tails as Quay Tolsite.

Attila Vajda as Sagwa.

Anthony Daniels as Tak.

Kiran Shah as Karjj.

Lily Newmark as Lexi.

Samantha Colley as Ottilie.

Costumes: 8. For some reason today anything I put here seems like it would be weird. Don’t know what that’s about. I don’t have anything bad to say about any of the outfits, I thought they were cool!

Cinematography: 7. Typical for an action movie. Lots of CGI with the space travel which was overdone in a few places but other than that fine.

Cinematography by: Bradford Young.

Music: 8. I don’t love it like I do the original, but I still like it! It was distinctly its own thing yet as the movie went on started using more STAR WARS themes which was very cool. I especially like the track for the Marauders.

Music by: John Powell with a few contributions by John Williams.

Quotability: 5. Has a surprisingly low score for a STAR WARS movie, I know. I haven’t even considered quoting it at all since I watched it, and neither has my sister. But there were some decent lines that I found.

“I admire anyone who can crawl their way out of a sewer.”

Content: 7. There is death, killing, and one or two suggestive lines. There are some scary things like creatures and powers that people have, but it didn’t bother me excessively.

Originality: 9. It was much more original than I expected! It took an idea and expanded on it, adding fun characters. I was impressed!

Good For: STAR WARS fans.

Age Range: It is rated PG-13 because of the violence and that’s not far off. I can see younger kids liking this a lot, but it would depend on what they personally like already. That’s me stating the obvious, sorry!

Overall Score: 7.5.

Worth watching?: Yeah, I’m glad to finally know what all of the hype is about.

Will I watch again?: Well...when I first started this review I was sure that the answer was no, but thinking about it this much has made me want to try it again.

Bonus thoughts:

Here’s what you guys have been wondering the whole time: Did I like it? Some of you might have guessed my feelings, but I assure you that there is more to it!

The story was fun, the design of the movie was rad, the characters were well constructed, and it was a neat journey.

Just one big problem:

It wasn’t Han Solo.

Before you turn on me know that I liked it quite a bit! The thing is, I would be very engaged then I would think, “Wait, this is Han?” It would completely throw me off track because it. isn’t. him. Han is a mysterious character whom we first see in A New Hope. I don’t need a backstory made up for him. Alden Ehrenreich was trying his best, so I don’t blame him in any way as he was great to watch, but I prefer to think of him as a whole new character in the fabulous STAR WARS universe.

The most believable character of the ones we are familiar with was Donald Glover’s Lando. He was very charismatic yet without a lot of maturity. I love Lando so I highly approve. I think of this movie as Lando with a bunch of new never-before-seen characters.

My favorite part of all of this had to be Dryden Vos. Paul Bettany rocked acting him! He was so creepy with a spoilt elegance. It was revoltingly awesome. He was an epic villain.

I have to say that I didn’t like L3-37, but that’s just me. Qi’ra was a fascinating character whom I want to know more about!

I liked a ton of concepts here. The Marauders, the Crimson Dawn (such a neat name! Every organization needs to have such an incredible name), and Enfys Nest and crew! It had great potential.

This film was definitely an ordeal to make! They went through several directors before landing on Ron Howard as well as some change of cast and crew involving several reshoots. Knowing this beforehand I thought that it would be easy to spot where things got changed around, but I was wrong and didn’t notice.

The climax was one of the craziest that I’ve ever seen! I was getting whiplash from everything that was happening so quickly! At first I was just stunned (and a little irritated) but thinking about it now, it was really cool. Probably my second favorite part of the movie after Dryden Vos. If, like me, you are a hardcore STAR WARS fan yet are wary of trying this then I would say it is worth a shot! You don’t have to believe that everything is cannon and just enjoy it as something completely different like me, or if you enjoy it as it is then I’ll be happy for you!

Well, there’s the scoop from me. Thanks for reading this! Tell me if you’ve seen this and what you think of my thoughts! Was anyone else unsure of this film? Was it better or worse than you expected? Let’s just talk all things STAR WARS! Who else likes Dryden Vos as much as I do?

May the fourth be with you, and Godspeed rebels.

MovieCritic

Movie Review: The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Hello, to all of you!

It seems to be a trend to take some classic cartoon (whether it is in print or a tv show) and make a movie where they change it into digital animation. I wasn't a fan of the concept, but a few of the results have turned out pretty well! One of them is this movie! I wasn't very familiar with the Tintin comics before this, but I really enjoyed this movie and since then have liked the comics that I've gotten to read!

This film takes you on quite and adventure, are you ready for this review?

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


The Adventures of Tintin (2011):

(aka The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn)
Based on: the comics by Hergé.
"Nothing is an accident."
Tintin is a young journalist who stumbles upon a new mystery by purchasing an antique model of a ship. The moment he does someone tries to buy it from him, but he doesn't sell it because this has really caught his interest. Through this tiny ship he finds himself on a trek around the world, and through history, where he meets friends and foes. What mysteries does the ship The Unicorn hold, and is there more that one?
"What secrets do you hold?"

Genre: Mystery, Family, Animated, Adventure.
Length: approx. 107 minutes.
Costumes: 8, animated so there isn't a lot of focus on it, but I don't mind. Nothing bad!
Script: 10, Captain Haddock swears a lot, but there aren't any bad words! He just kind of yells whatever comes into his head. His favorite is: "Billions of blue blistering barnicles!" Which my sisters and I now yell a lot, too.
Crew: Directed by: Steven Spielberg. Written by: Steven Spielberg, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, & Hergé.
Starring the voices of:
Jamie Bell as Tintin.

Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock. "I don't remember anything about anything."

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg as Thompson and Thompson. "I am not your sidekick, you're mine."
Daniel Craig as Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine.

Toby Jones as Aristides Silk.

Gad Elmaleh as Omar ben Salaad.
Joe Starr as Barnaby Dawes.
Enn Reitel as Nestor & Mr. Crabtree.
Tony Curran as Lieutenant Delcour.
Sonje Fortag as Mrs. Finch.
Cary Elwes and Phillip Rhys as pilots.
Kim Stengel as Bianca Castafiore.
Nathan Meister as Market Artist.

Animation: 10, ACK. As you all know, digital animation is not my favorite, but this is absolutely spectacular! The transitions from scene to scene are phenomenal! Plus, the way that they included the original animation is brilliant. I couldn't find the image that I wanted to show you, but believe me, it's amazing.

Music: 9, it's just so much fun. It totally gets you into a mystery mood! It goes so well with the opening credits (which have the original animation) and it is great.
Music by: John Williams.
Quotes: 9, as I said above, my sisters and I quote Captain Haddock quite a bit. Tintin also has some good lines!
"The library should have the answer."
Content: 7, there is death, gross things, smoking, a lot of drinking, and violence.
Originality: 10, love it! Afterwards the mystery seems so obvious and I couldn't believe that I had missed it, but it also is super complex.
Good For: mystery lovers, literally anyone!

Age Range: It's rated PG because there is that violence and drinking. I would say anyone over 8 would be fine, but it always depends on the individual.
Overall Score: 9!
"There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin, you can never let it beat you."
Bonus thoughts:

Do you know those movies where you just have such good memories of you watching them? Well, this is one of those for me. The first time I saw this was at my grandma's and I was sitting eating orange "snow balls". The opening had me hooked and I never looked away! I made my sisters watch it as soon as they could, and it is one of our favorites! The characters are so endearing and loveable, you love to watch them. Tintin is so resourceful, and Captain Haddock has gone through some rough things but you continue to route for him. I will not forget my precious little Snowy! That dog is so adorable and I love how he gets Tintin in (and occasionally out of) trouble! If nothing else, watch for the outstanding animation! If you can't tell, I'm so impressed.

Have any of you seen this? Tell me your favorite animated mystery movie! Stay safe and healthy!

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Hello everyone!

*cue adventure music*

Today I will be reviewing a very famous and popular adventure movie starring someone who got his start in my favorite movie, Star Wars (1977). Crack your whip, and let's swing into the action!

Appologies that these pictures are all really in bad condition and small, my computer was not liking me today!

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


Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981):

In 1936, an intercepted message shows that the Nazis are looking for the Ark of the Covenant to become the most powerful army. Archaeologist and professor Indiana Jones decides that he needs to find it before they do, so he seeks out an old friend who might have a key to the whereabouts of the Ark. Going to Nepal he learns that his friend is dead, but his daughter might still have what he is looking for. Joining with her they travel to Egypt and other places looking for the holy object. Which will find it first? Or was it never meant to be found at all?

'"We must hurry, nothing to fear here."

"That's what scares me."'

Genre: Adventure, Action.
Length: approx. 115 minutes.
Costumes: 6, nothing really great and there are a few times when someone isn't wearing a shirt.
Script: 7, there is some name calling, a few bad words, and a name being taken in vain.

'"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!"

"Well, whatever you're doing, do it faster!"'

Crew:
Directed by: Steven Spielberg.
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, & Philip Kaufman.
Starring:
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. "I hate snakes!"

Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood.

Paul Freeman as Dr. Belloq.

John Rhys-Davies as Sallah.

Ronald Lacey as Major Arnold Toht.

Denholm Elliott as Dr. Marcus Brody.
Alfred Molina as Satipo.
Wolf Kahler as Colonel Dietrich.
Anthony Higgins as Major Gobler.
Vic Tablian as Barranca & Monkey Man.
Don Fellows as Col. Musgrove.
William Hootkins as Major Eaton.
Cinematography: 8. Not the best that I've seen, but there is always a lot going on and it is handled pretty well.
Cinematography by: Douglas Slocombe.

Music: 10! Okay, story time. It was with this movie and Pirates of the Caribbean that I first realized hat there was music playing during movies. One time my dad got a birthday card that when you opened it the score from this movie played. My sisters and I loved that card and would open it a hundred times a day until it finally drove my mom crazy and she had to put it where we couldn't get to it!
Music by: John Williams.
Notes: There are some Easter eggs in this movie. I've seen them, but this last time through I blinked at the wrong time and missed them. I'll give you a clue, this was written by George Lucas and look in the hieroglyphics.
Another thing that my dad pointed out is that in one part they are measuring things and they had the wrong size. My dad noticed this because they said what height it needed to be and when they stood it up it was taller than Harrison Ford, when it should have been about his height.
Quotes: 7, standard lines, so not too quotable, but okay.

"Holy smokes, my friends! I'm so glad that you're not dead."

Oscars won: 4: Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects.
Content: 5, there are spiders, snakes, skeletons and bodies, people being burned, blood, killing, smoking, drinking, suggestive things, & kissing. Someone dies by being impaled and there is a lot of blood (I wrote it in my notes as someone being 'spiked') as well as someone walking into an airplane propeller. Okay, there is one part that I have never watched, because Indy yells, "Close your eyes!" so I always do. I'd say it's about a three minute section and from the sounds of it and what my sister tells me (because she didn't close her eyes) it is really violent and involves a lot of death. She also thinks that it is important to the story which makes sense to me because I am always very confused after that.

Originality: 7. This movie is a cultural thing because there are quite a few famous scenes that are referenced to a lot. I just recently learned that some of them were actually based on some Uncle Scrooge comics, which is why I'm taking off a few points. It is also Biblically incorrect because in 2 Maccabees 2:4-8 it says that Jeremiah hid the ark of the covenant in a cave where no one could find it until God gathers his people together. I can let that detail slip, because the message of the movie is that the Ark of the Covenant:

"Is something that man was not meant to disturb."

Good For: adventure and action fans, Harrison Ford fans.
Age Range: This movie is rated PG, but never believe the ratings of 80's movies. There is a ton of violence, and I'm usually absolutely okay with that because it doesn't bother me, but there are some things in here that made me look away! One example is when someone who is driving gets shot in the arm and blood sprays onto the windshield. Because of this, and all of the other things I mentioned it the Content category, I would rate this PG-13. But, as always, it does depend on the person who is watching it.

Overall Score: 7!

'"How?"

"I don't know! I'm making this up as I go!"'

Bonus thoughts:
Sallah is my absolute favorite! I just have to mention him to give some credit.


This is my entry in The Harrison Ford Blogathon, hosted by Sat in Your Lap! When I saw this I knew this was the perfect time to talk about how he played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)!

For the blogathon:
A really funny thing is that no matter what I tell my younger sister, she never believes me that Han Solo and Indiana Jones are both played by the same person! She has only seen bits and pieces of this one and her comments crack me up!

[My sister walks into the room]
Sister: Who's that?
Me: Indiana Jones.
Sister: No it's not! Indiana Jones has a beard and doesn't wear glasses!
Me: Yes it is, he's a professor. And when has he ever had a full beard?

[Next scene]:
Sister: Who's that now?
Me: Still Indiana Jones.
Sister: No, he looks different.
Me: Trust me, it's him.
Sister: But he's wearing weird clothing!

[Next scene]:
Sister: *gasps* There's Han Solo!
Me: I told you!
Sister: When did he get here?
Me: It's been him the entire time!
Sister: Nope, he just got here.

[Next scene where Indiana is wearing his usual outfit]:
Sister: There Indiana Jones is finally!
Me: *sighs*

It shows a good actor if he can fool my sister that many times. I think that Harrison Ford does a good job of playing Indiana, and I can't ever see anyone else playing him.


Check out this post HERE to see all of the other entries in the blogathon! Thanks to Michael for hosting!

Thanks to all of you for reading! Do you have a favorite scene in this movie?

MovieCritic

Movie Review: STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Hello, everyone!!!

I saw STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) the other day!!! Aaaahhhhh!!! You read about my thoughts on the trailer, and, now I am here to review it. I've only seen it once and I was way to excited to take notes, so please excuse my paraphrasing for quotes. But, first things first:
My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. 
This review is 100% SPOILER-FREE! There are no spoilers here at all. For any of you who are wondering, "What do you mean by spoiler-free, MovieCritic?" It means that in this review all of the wonderful surprises that are in the movie are still intact and not mentioned here. I just give a plot summary (like a trailer or on the back of a DVD [except spoiler-free]), who plays who in the cast (I exclude anyone who is a surprise), and tell you what content it has, meaning things that could disturb people. I just want to make sure that we are all on the same page.

Secondly, I don't blame any of you at all if you decide to read this after you have already seen it even though there are no spoilers. I was so worried about spoilers everywhere that I avoided the internet (not counting my email and school things) and I didn't even want to know if my sister's friend liked it or not. Haha, I'm a bit extreme, but it is my favorite movie series. So I completely relate to you if you do the same thing. I hope that this review is helpful to anyone who is not sure if they want to see it because they are wary about any possible content.

Third, I am sorry that I have such a long intro, but this is a very important bit. If you haven't seen any STAR WARS movies, it is so, so, so, so, so, so important that you see them in this order:
IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), 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), and IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Please do this and don't follow the numbers, because there are so many wonderful surprises that you don't want them ruined!

Now, getting down to business, I hope that you enjoy my spoiler-free review!

STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019):

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
Kylo Ren is looking for Sith lords of the past, searching for the entrance to the Sith domain. Our rebels have found a base and Rey is continuing her training. When a mysterious message is heard, Rey must journey with Finn, Poe, Chewy, and droids to find a hidden clue that could show them the way to defeat the evil in the galaxy. Can they rise to overthrow something so huge?

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action.
Length: approx. 145 minutes.
Costumes: 8, the costumes are all very suitable, but nothing super fancy.
Script: 8, a few bad words.
"Don't be afraid of who you are."
Crew:
Directed by:  J. J. Abrams.
Written by: J. J. Abrams, Chris Terrio, Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, & George Lucas.

Starring:
Daisy Ridley as Rey.
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.

Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.
Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron.
John Boyega as Finn.

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.

Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.
Naomi Ackie as Jannah.

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.

Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux.
Richard E. Grant as General Pryde.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico.
Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata.
Keri Russell as Zorii.

Greg Grunberg as Snap Wexley.
Shirley Henderson as Babu Frik.
Billie Lourd as Lieutenant Connix.
Dominic Monaghan as Beaumont.
J.J. Abrams as D-O (voice).
Josefine Irrera Jackson as Young Rey.
Cailey Fleming as Young Rey.
Annie Firbank as Tatooine Elder.
Cinematography: 9, there are a some really neat shots in here! Wow!
Cinematography by: Dan Mindel.

Music: 10!!! I love it!!!!
Music by: John Williams!
Notes: There are some references to the Sci-Fi book Dune - by Frank Herbert which both my parents and I spotted.
Quotes: 8, once again, please forgive my paraphrasing.
"They win only by making us think that we are alone."
Oscars won: N/A.
Content: 7, explosions, fighting, killing, death, a suggestive thing, and a graphic death. Some themes in here are healing, rebirth, and sacrifice, which might be weird to some people, but I thought that they did a really good job on that bit.
Originality: 10, it is so neat how they tie in the other STAR WARS movies as well as other themes and messages. I would never have thought of it, but it was a perfect finale.
Good For: STAR WARS fans, anyone who is finding themselves.
Age Range: This movie is rated PG-13 for a lot of violence in fighting and explosions. Because of that, I would say it depends on each person's tolerance level, but it would probably be fine for a lot of 10 year olds, even.
Overall Score: 8.5!

Bonus thoughts:
What do I even think? Man, ever since I saw it my head has been in a crazy whirl. I needed to think about it before I could even say if I liked it or not. When my family asked me about it I said, "I don't even know." After all of this thought, what did I come up with?
I liked it. To me, and my family, it was the only ending that could have been the end this epic saga. Something that I was hoping to happen did, which pleased me greatly. There were a lot of plot holes, but I still enjoyed it and am willing to overlook all of those except for the one very impossible thing. STAR WARS is one of my favorite things, and seeing it come to an end is very bittersweet. My mom keeps saying that in another 20 years there will be more, and that is probably true. I am so attached to all of these characters, they are so relatable and I find myself asking the same questions that they do. Another bittersweet bit was the fact that Carrie Fisher is in it. I was so surprised about how many scenes they filmed before she passed away, and I shed a few tears there and through the entire thing. Also that Peter Mayhew passed away this year. Can I tell you how happy I am that Lando was there?? He is one of my favorites. Though, there was one character who there was not nearly enough of...
Now, some people might not like this, and that's okay. I loved what they brought in and used. The only thing is a pretty huge plot hole around a big point and while it was creative, and I would never have expected it, I am still very confused. To me this one doesn't beat A New Hope or The Last Jedi (which are my two favorites), but it is still very high on the list. I'll probably go see it again in theaters, and that is something that I never do, but it means that much to me.


I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas! I meant to have this review up sooner, but as I said, I couldn't decide of what I thought about it! Have you seen this? Let me know your thoughts on STAR WARS because I would love to discuss it with you!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

"May the force be with you."

MovieCritic