Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Year: 2015

Director: J. J. Abrams

Rating by the MPAA: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence

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Official Trailer




STEPH SAID

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*This review contains spoilers.*

I heard this movie was great, and knowing that it was Disney and directed by J. J. Abrams I didn’t doubt it. I left the theater disappointed. The first half of the movie is wonderful. The new characters are brilliant, funny, brave and strong. They defy categorization; they break gender boundaries. And, I care for them deeply. However, once Leia arrived, the movie only went downhill.

When I realized that this was another destroy-the-death-star plot I was furious. This is the same plot of Star Wars 4 and 5. This is the third time this plot is used! The third time! After this I began drawing parallels between this story and a new hope. A droid is trusted with critical information from a rebellion sympathizer. The droid is then acquired by the main character, who lives in a dessert. The main character, with the help of a friend, sets out to deliver the droid to its destination.

Also, after Leia’s return I realized the travesty of her relationship with Han Solo. They lost a kid to the dark side! I understand that can drive a couple apart. But they weren’t even sad, it was like “We are so distraught and disappointed that we are living our separate lives. And when we see each other for the first time in years, let’s pretend nothing has happened. Let’s talk normal and make jokes, even when talking about our kid who drove us to be separated.” They were so low-key, all the time. I couldn’t help but think, “They are so old!” I believe Han Solo and Leia deserve so much more. They don’t deserve that story line, but if that is what they got, at least make it powerful, sentimental. Make us ache for their pain. Give us the feels.

Another similitude with previews Star Wars movies was the death over the great chasm. The minute Solo stepped on the bridge I knew he was going to die. It was no surprise at all. Every moment after that, until his death, I was asking “really?” “really?!”

On top of this, the main character’s story doesn’t even gets peeked at. Just some vague images of her being a little kid and that’s it. Her ending was just as vague. She was just standing there, literally. That ending had so much potential. A movement, a word could’ve changed the whole movie, but instead everyone just stood there. And then roll credits.

All of this without getting technical. For example, why couldn’t any computer identify the map BB-8 had? How did R2-D2 discover the rest of the map? Who is Snoke? How is he the Supreme Leader? Who are the knights of Ren? How exactly does the Death Star work? Does it move next to the stars it will use? Why would J. J. Abrams make the First Order resemble the Third Reich? Why wasn’t Leia’s base destroyed along with the resistance planets? How did a janitor became a stormtrooper? How exactly did Poe survive? How did Leia know what was happening inside the Death Star? And while we’re at it, how did Finn find Rey inside the Death Star? He went to where he saw her, but she should’ve been long gone. Who made the map to Skywalker? He certainly didn’t. And, why was Rey sent after him? So many things left unexplained!

I think they were trying to pay homage to previews Star Wars movies, and join the best of the first and second trilogy in one epic movie. And probably that’s why so many people love it. However, the lack of a developed and consistent plot, and the fact that they recycled so many things I have already seen, without making an effort to renovate them, left me feeling utterly bored and annoyed.

how i met your mother - Season 2

how i met your mother - Second Season

Number of Episodes: 22

Broadcasting Station: CBS

Original release: September 18, 2006 - May 14, 2007

Official Synopsis: How I Met Your Mother Season 2 depicts the next steps in Ted's hilarious quest to find the perfect romance. His friends Marshall and Lily are getting married, Barney is still happily single and Ted is looking for Ms. Right. (cbsstore.com)

STEPH SAID

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I can't believe this season is better than the previous one! I thought the first season of how i met your mother was great and flawless, yet, this season is even more hilarious, more dramatic and more story-rich than its predecessor.

The best part of this whole season is, without a doubt, Barney Stinson. He was at the center of some of the season's funniest moments like: the “Slap Bet”, when everybody started calling him Swarley, or the time he had a “relationship” with Lily. At the same time, he was the author of the season's most heartwarming moments like his encounter with his “father”, and when we discover the real reason for Lily's return to New York.  I love how he has taken a more central role; his personality has been evolving and every few episodes we see a new layer of him.

This series has something that I had never seen before on TV or movies, and love: the ability to revisit old stories and develop them. On the pilot episode of this series Ted said that he was present during Marshall and Lily's first time. He said that he was on the top bunker, and that was that. More than a season later, we revisit that story and what Ted said is put into context. Many instances of this phenomenon occurred during the season and every time I was left happily impressed. 

how i met your mother has given us two unbelievably amazing seasons in a row. Let’s see if it continues to deliver.

Cinderella (2015)

Title: Cinderella

Year: 2015

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Rating by the MPAA: PG for mild thematic elements

Official Synopsis: The story of Cinderella follows young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, she finds herself at the mercy of her jealous and cruel new family. (movies.disney.com)

Official Page

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

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This movie is a beautiful enhancement of a classical story. I can’t find any fault in it. Both the rather new talent and the veteran actors excelled. Although, Cate Blanchett is my favorite. Her beautiful looks, mixed with her cold and stern attitude make for an intimidating woman. 

The movie made some tweaks here and there to help the audiences understand the story better. Yet, the story is exactly as it was before. The small changes explain the reasons’ behind the stepmother’s actions. I love that those reasons don’t justify her or present her as misunderstood. What she’s doing is wrong, but now you know why she’s doing it. Also, the relationship between Cinderella and the prince is seen from a different perspective. Though, most important to me is the explanation of Ella’s decision to stay in her house, enduring the mistreatment. She was keeping some promises she made to her parents years earlier. She could have escape, but decided not to. Marrying the prince was not an escape route either, she didn’t see it as a chance to improve her life or her monetary situation; it was a decision based on mutual attraction. 

Disney has taken a lot of heat in recent years for creating unreasonable expectations for little girls, as well as for creating weak, female characters whose sole purpose is to marry a man. Yet, this movie is all about girl power and freedom of choice.

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Director: Henry Selick

Year: 1993

Official Synopsis: Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere.

Official Page

STEPH SAID

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This movie is perfect; I find nothing wrong with it. First of all, the world it takes place in is rather original, having every holiday be a land within a world. Halloween Town is everything you'd expect from Halloween. You have werewolves, vampires, witches, ghosts, skelletons, pumpkins etc. It is dark and mysterious and yet so full of life and happiness. Christmas Town is bright and chirpy and can do no wrong. In the end the lands are intertwined for good in beautiful acceptance.

Second, the plot is magnificent. It is complete and consistent and full of surprises. 

Also, I am in love with the soundtrack. Since this movie is a musical, the songs constitute a very important part of storytelling. And this musical nailes them. They are catchy, witty, and dramatic, with a nice pace, and most importantly, they literally tell the story.

But, what I love the most are the characters, especially the lead Jack Skellington. He is a perfectly round character and the force that drives the plot forwards. It is his story. He is funny, endearing, relatable, and a dreamer. I pitty his empty existence and understand his desire for something more. It is a very human struggle, the desire to be important, to leave a mark, to do more, to feel alive. The supporting characters, though not as developed as Jack, create a very entertaining compliment for the Jack.

This movie is a joy to watch. I wouldn't change a thing. It is perfect the way it is. There is a reason why it is still famous after all these years.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel (Book 7)

Title: The Third Wheel

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2012

Official Synopsis: A Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't have any prospects either, but that's a small consolation.

An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who's going to be lucky in love.

Official Page

Official Trailer



STEPH SAID

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This book was a sweet surprise. I was already getting used to low quality Wimpy Kid stories. And, even though this story is not literary art, it is engaging. The Third Wheel is a relatable story about finding love and dating. Our media is filled with these type of stories, from romantic comedy movies to hilarious memoirs. Listening to such a story from an egocentric 12-years-old boy is a rather funny twist. Of course, Greg was not actually looking for true love, he only wanted a date to a dance. Still, his ideas for finding one are questionable, but unfortunately all too real. He tried to impress girls by dressing better, he surrounded himself by “bad boys”, he got a “man” on the inside (Rowley), he stalked girls, used a wingman (Rowley), and tried to impress a girl with money and/or expensive things, among other things.  Greg nailed everything people do to find a significant other. Of course, he always went for the pretty and popular girls, so, even if he did everything “right”, he never would have stand a chance.

What I love the most about this book is how it conveys the reality of kids/teenagers interactions in such a light tone. At one point Greg creates a graph that demonstrate who likes who in school and I was immediately transported to high school. The graph had many lines crossing from one place to another, but hardly any love was requited. 

I also loved the ending of the book, which gives us a glimpse of what dating is really all about. Rowley and Greg decide to go to the dance with one girl, Abigail – all three as friends. Greg spent all night trying to impress the girl. However, she leaned towards Rowley’s nice attitude and relatable personality. The cherry on top was when, in the middle of the dance, Abigail’s original date, the one that had “family obligations” and couldn’t go to the dance, enters the dance floor with another girl. In that moment I was blown away by the crudeness of the story. Kinney’s light tone, through Greg’s clueless arrogance, brushed it off as something unimportant that happened. And maybe to the reader and everyone else is unimportant. But, when something like that happened in real life, it’s not a laughing matter.

In the end, The Third Wheel did what it was supposed to, entertain. It wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny but it was still amusing. I was surprised by the underlying drama and reality of it. Now, I am certainly looking forward to the next book.

Slender: The Eight Pages

Title: Slender: The Eight Pages

Developers: Parsec Productions

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Official Premise: Slender is a short, experimental horror game in which you must travel into a dark woods at night with a simple goal: find 8 pages that are scattered across the woods. But as you are looking for them, you are being stalked by an entity that grows more persistent and relentless as each page is collected, an entity that you cannot even look at for long, let alone fight. Your only hope is to collect all 8 pages before it catches you…

Official Page

ELL SAID

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I've known about Slender: The Eight Pages for a long time now, but it wasn't until I played it myself that I realized just how much of a masterpiece it really is. The game itself is incredibly straightforward. You're stuck in a big, dense forest looking for eight notes, pages written by someone else. The forest is incredibly dark, though, and with only a flashlight to light your way, it'll take a steeled heart to achieve that goal. The game itself doesn't actually have a story, but it doesn't need it. The sounds, the 'stalking' monster, and the setting are all perfectly balanced, making this more horrifying and scary than most modern-day horror games. I found no fault with this game and, if you enjoy games that scare you, this is probably the best one out there. (It is definitely better than FNAF.)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Title: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Director: Jon Favreau

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language

Official Synopsis: In Iron Man 2, the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored super hero, Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces. (Paramount Pictures) 

Official Page

Trailer




STEPH SAID

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This movie didn't make progress or build on its predecessor. The overarching plot is the same as Iron Man: someone Tony knows takes Tony's ideas and tries to improve them by creating a “better” suit, but ends up getting his butt kicked by Tony. The "development" of Tony and Ms. Potts' romantic relationship leaves them in the exact place they were in the first movie. And, the main villains Hammer and Vanko, felt like one-dimensional evil characters that only exist to make Stark the hero. The few differences this movie has with Iron Man-- like the name of the villains, the presence of SHIELD, or War Machine-- didn't add anything new to the story. (After all, Tony could've found out about his father's plans on his own.)

Yet again, it is Downey Jr.'s performance what carries this movie. This character comes naturally to him. Other 'pros' this movie has are the portable Iron Man suit, which was an unexpected surprise, and Black Widow. She was probably added to increase the number of female characters and she didn't advance the plot as much as you'd like her too, but it was still nice to have her. 

All in all is was a good movie. But, as a sequel, it wasted Iron Man's potential.