fuzmeister: The Rise of Skywalker

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I really want to do an in-depth analysis of this film at some point, but my initial reaction was basically "wow, that sucked so bad."

How do you take an intellectual property worth so much money and not have some sort of roadmap for a series of films? It was badly in need of script-doctoring, narrative tweaking, and editing.

I am in disbelief that JJ could craft something so rushed, sloppy, and devoid of logical storytelling, but I guess when Disney has you under the gun you do what the house of mouse demands. Truly this felt like something built in a corporate boardroom and not crafted out of respect for the lore (like The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi felt to me anyway).

...and all of this criticism is coming from one of the most die-hard Star Wars fans you'll ever meet. It's really a shame they couldn't stick the landing on this trilogy of films and actively destroyed the legacy of some of the classic narrative by decisions made in this final episodic film.

Mood: Still Frustrated
Music: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Ain't Gone N' Give Up On Love


Tags (beta): star wars, corporate filmmaking, movies, crushing disappointment

Comments (6)

fuzmeister: The Force Awakens

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I will always stand by my opinion that Attack of The Clones is the worst of them - schlocky dialog and terrible storytelling. I'd honestly probably rather watch a Jar Jar anthology film than have to sit through Episode II again.

At the time, it's cool because it's Star Wars. As the years roll on though, you have to wonder what motivated Lucas to make decisions he did and how no one around him would question anything. Also, the prequel trilogy probably breaks records for the amount of fan service in a major motion picture trilogy - kid Boba Fett, Chewbacca just because, etc.

That's not to say the original trilogy films are flawless by any means. A lot of the reason the original Star Wars probably didn't fall into a trap is the tight editing; Lucas' original cut is infamously not-as-good. Also, it was a wise decision to let others behind the director's chair for Empire and Jedi. Though, to be honest, I don't particularly know how much of an impact Richard Marquand had on Jedi...

Anyway, my point of all this rambling is to ground myself and not become a slave to the hype. Yeah, 'splosions and pew-pew can be captivating, but it does not make a solid film. I'm really hoping JJ and co. bring heart back to this franchise. Will the new Star Wars film be able to pierce the jaded cynicism of the three so-so films preceding it? Stay tuned.

Mood: Hopeful
Music: Depeche Mode - A Question of Lust


Tags (beta): star wars, movies

Comments (5)

fuzmeister: Guardians of The Galaxy

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Kate and I caught this one last night. I was on the fence on seeing it in the theater since I'm not super familiar with the source material, but, damn, this was a fun movie!

The whole film captured the essence of Star Wars quite well in some ways. The half-action/half-comedic tone worked really well and I loved the soundtrack. The casting was excellent as well, though I wasn't particularly attached to Zoey Saldana's character.

The infinity stone macguffin was completely forgivable just based on how much fun this movie was. I'm quite excited to see the direction they take the already-announced sequel in. Deeper story, more laughs, more awesome music - do it, Marvel!

Mood: Satisfied


Tags (beta): film, movies, marvel, ooga-chaka

Comments (1)

fuzmeister: Prisoners

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A few movies were recently the topic of posts on Ventilation, so I figured I'd weigh in on the subject. A few months ago I had the privilege of watching Prisoners - a film that really received very little fanfare upon release from what I recall.

What a crime that this movie has been so overlooked. Marty - I love you, but The Wolf of Wall Street only got so many accolades and so much press due to you and Leonardo. Yeah, the performances were good, but the shallow characters and self-indulgent length kept it from being anywhere close to your past work. This is all my humble opinion, of course... but, I digress.

PRISONERS! Coming hot off the heels of his trip to Japan, Wolverine plays a father trying to find out what happened to his kidnapped daughter. Iron Man 1 Rhodes also stars opposite of Wolverine; he's lost his daughter as well, but handles it in a completely opposite way. It's early on in the movie when you maybe question how you would react to the situation. My gut says a lot of viewers would internally lean towards Wolverine's behavior, but maybe not have the gumption to act upon those thoughts.

Either way, Donnie Darko shows up as a detective assigned to the case and really adds an extra dimension to the story without overshadowing Wolverine's role. Honestly, I would be really thrilled if they brought back Donnie Darko's character for more movies with completely new cases. He plays the character so well that you can see this guy becoming a serialized gumshoe - like Colombo, only more modern.

Anywho - a lot of stuff happens in the movie over the course of almost three hours, but I was always intrigued and emotionally-invested in what was happening. Without any spoilers, the film nicely wraps up the main storyline while still providing an open ending. I love that they wrapped up the meat and potatoes, but didn't totally phone the ending in. It's always a fine balance with open-ended movies whether I ultimately love or hate how things are done. The way they handled it here - I love it.

Prisoners is a great movie. You should go watch it. It's long, but rewarding. It's unique, but grounded in reality. I'm seriously bummed not more has been said about it, because it's maybe the best standalone film I've seen in a long time (IE not a long-running franchise or adaptation).

Mood: Contemplative
Music: Frank Zappa - The Gumbo Variations


Tags (beta): movies, film

Comments (2)

fuzmeister: The A-Team

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I never thought I'd be saying this, but after finally just seeing the 2010 A-Team film, I'm convinced it's the best possible film they could have made.

Good fun with completely over the top action...

I must be mellowing in my old age...

Mood: Surprised


Tags (beta): movies, nostalgia

Comments (3)