THE DANMAN CAN

Well, here we have it—the end of the " Skywalker saga ", nine films of varying quality released over 42 years. I like Star Wars  films—they're entertaining and fun, sci-fi action-adventure space opera blockbusters—but I don't hold them in the same reverence that a lot of fans do. So my expectations are properly set when I go to see a new SW  film in the theater. That is to say, I'm willing to let certain things slide when I consume these products, but I also desire a certain "feeling" that isn't always delivered. I don't get outraged when my expectations have not been met though. In the case of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) (kind of an odd title for a film that ends their saga…), it's a mixed bag. After Disney let Rian Johnson experiment in The Last Jedi   (2017) (my review here ; I like Johnson, but I still think he should have just been given his upcoming SW  trilogy and a different director should hav...

After a second viewing of  Rogue One  (2016), I've cooled somewhat. I detracted a 1/2 * from my initial viewing , but I still like it very much. I just found more things to be nitpicky about, I suppose. Jyn’s turn on a dime, for one—she went from wanting nothing to do with the Rebel Alliance to championing their cause a bit too quickly, in this viewer's opinion. For another, Vader’s first appearance is very unexciting. Also, while I appreciate bringing back James Earl Jones  yet again to voice the character, it's obvious that he’s older from his inflection, which they didn't match properly (considering he should sound as close to how he did in  Star Wars (1977) as possible). That said, Vader does receive the most badass moment of the film later on. When R1  was released I remember everyone talking about how the CGI used to put Peter Cushing 's face on another actor's body wasn't up to snuff. For some reason in the cinema, on the big screen, I thought ...

As live action  Star Wars standalone (" Story ") films go, Solo  (2018) is not as good as Rogue One   (2016) but it's definitely more fun, more traditional, and it sits well within this universe. The so-so: despite "gun-for-hire" director  Ron Howard purportedly reshooting 80% of the film, it doesn't feel hacked together, per se, but it still feels rushed at times. The action scenes unfold in very familiar ways. While some of the CG looks excellent, other scenes felt too cartoony for me. I also thought the deaths of a couple of characters lacked proper emotional weight. Additionally, there isn't a strong villainous presence in Solo —maybe that was intentional to focus on our main character, but it still feels off for a SW  film. My final and possibly biggest nitpick: the introduction of the Millennium Falcon felt incredibly average. The good:  Alden Ehrenreich was inspired casting, perfectly embodying the charm and cocksureness of Han Solo (and...

I really enjoyed Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) a lot—loved a lot about it, in fact. But I can't say that I got goosebumps at any particular moment like I did with The Force Awakens  (2015). Maybe it's because, in the case of TFA ,   it had been much longer between SW   films and the prequels didn't age well at all. Maybe I expected too much from TLJ . I do know that I am looking forward to a second viewing, and as I did with TFA , I will likely see TLJ  again in the theater. I do really appreciate that Rian Johnson  tried some new things. I wouldn't call it a sea change though—he stuck to the look and the lore and still largely succeeded in making a film with his own stamp. The good:  The battle sequences were excellent—largely coherent and well staged. The film felt strongest to me when it focused on the link between Rey and Ren, and also the scenes between Luke and Rey. Luke had a particularly strong scene where he got to show off h...

Rogue One  (2016) has probably the best battle sequences of any SW film, one of the best Vader moments of any SW  film, Mendelsohn was so perfectly cast and so deliciously sinister,  Whitaker was unfortunately so very bad (awful acting). Otherwise no truly annoying characters, K-2  was a droid to rival C-3PO , and I was thoroughly entertained throughout.

Focus On Film   Episode 36  is up! Download the MP3  HERE In this episode: March 2016  Criterion Collection   Titles Announcement Best & Worst Of The Month  –  KRAMPUS  (2015), THE NIGHT BEFORE (2015), THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN (1995), STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS  (2015) Criterion Most Wanted "Focus On Film Theme"  & commercial music:  Daniel Sardella