The Ultimate Disappointment That Is Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Good: The animals, The final third is watchable
The Bad: Direction/Editing, Painfully forced humor, Problematic time aspect, Whiny Luke Skywalker, Evil is stupid, Ridiculous set-up, Plot contrivances
The Basics: Star Wars: The Last Jedi might well be the worst of the Star Wars films.


Like most Alpha Geeks, tonight I rushed right out to the first possible showing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi that I could find. The best possible way I can describe how truly disappointing Star Wars: The Last Jedi was is by saying this; on the drive home, I prioritized what I was excited about doing upon returning home and the list came out: 1. See my wife, 2. Reheat the nachos from last night, 3. Clean out the cats' litter boxes, and 4. Consider and review The Last Jedi. Without any spoilers, the simplest explanation for my antipathy toward Star Wars: The Last Jedi would be summarized with the idea that it took an hour and a half into the two and a half hour film for there to be a scene that was exciting and watchable. I know this because the local theater I went to has glowing clocks near the exits near the screen and as I waited for something good to happen in The Last Jedi, my eyes frequently drifted there.

Right now, it seems impolitic to criticize Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I feel like I am on pretty solid ground with this one (outside just how I feel). Remember how people's initial reaction to Attack Of The Clones (reviewed here!) was overwhelmingly positive at the time? Have you ever gone back to A New Hope (reviewed here!) and caught just how whiny and annoying Luke Skywalker actually is in the film? Remember the feeling you had at the end of The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!) where it seemed like there were a ton of compelling directions in which the franchise could go? Have you ever watched a Star Wars trailer and just gotten excited by how it presented information? Well, The Last Jedi is getting praise that is likely to collapse when people actually let the hype fade and consider the actual work, Luke Skywalker reverts to his pathetic and whiny adolescent-sounding self, the film concludes at a place that is almost entirely impossible to create a compelling continuation to the franchise, and director Rian Johnson and editor Bob Ducsay created a film that spends its first hour and a half (at least) cutting as if it were one long trailer. The comparatively quick cuts - especially for reaction shots - feel more like a commercial or a trailer than it does a cohesive film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins with an absolutely ridiculous premise and it sets up a film that has such a muddied view of time that it is almost impossible to take the film seriously. Following the destruction of the Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens (reviewed here!), the First Order has become more powerful and consolidated its power throughout the galaxy in such a way that the Resistance is on the verge of utter destruction. All this in the time it took for Rey to get to Luke Skywalker's planet where he has been hiding for the past thirty years. And, much like George Lucas beat to death the "there's always a bigger fish" idea in The Phantom Menace, Johnson is obsessed with illustrating "there's always a bigger ship." I can completely get why Supreme Leader Snoke would not bring his massive ship into the field with any frequency, but when the Rebel base is being bombarded, it is by a dreadnaught and Poe Dameron notes that it is not the only one. So, one has to wonder why the hell the First Order didn't have a dreadnaught near the vastly less-mobile Starkiller base to prevent their super weapon from being menaced.

So, the First Order is on the verge of wiping out the Resistance and Poe Dameron makes a daring, unauthorized, attack on the First Order dreadnaught that has come to finish off the rebelling force. Dameron is able to cut down the heavy weapons on the dreadnaught, but the Resistance bombers are effectively attacked. While a daring sacrifice allows the Resistance to take out the dreadnaught, the Resistance fleet is all but wiped out and when it comes out of hyperspace, the leaders are horrified that the First Order fleet - including Supreme Leader Snoke's massive command ship - are right behind them, picking off their vessels and harassing their final remaining command ship. Finn comes out of his coma and immediately asks after Rey. Rey, of course, is with Luke Skywalker, who refuses to teach the young woman the ways of the Force.

With Leia wounded, Poe Dameron demoted, Rey watching Luke wander through his days, and the last three Resistance ships running out of fuel and unable to make the jump to hyperspace because the command ship can track them, Finn and the Resistance engineer Rose go on a mission to find a codebreaker who can get them onto the command ship to disable the First Order tracking device. And Rey and Kylo Ren suddenly find they have a psychic connection and communicate and they debate with one another the nature of the Force.

Much like Thor: Ragnarok (reviewed here!), where the plot set-up is that the end of an entire world is imminent, but the film throws out joke after joke after joke, Star Wars: The Last Jedi belabors the humor and most of the characters - save Poe Dameron - sound nothing like they did in prior installments of the Star Wars franchise because they are joking so much. So, the Resistance in the galaxy is almost wiped out, but people sure are taking it with an amazing sense of humor. Except Luke Skywalker. Skywalker has become introspective, sad, a liar, and whiny . . . so whiny.

And while the first major joke of Star Wars: The Last Jedi lands, it completely recharacterizes the First Order as a bunch of idiotic buffoons. Evil is seriously stupid in The Last Jedi. Every major villain in The Last Jedi is tragically wrong at key moments of the film and it guts their credibility; how they have created an empire based upon dominance and slavery is beyond the suspension of disbelief.

And the time aspect of The Last Jedi is painful. With only hours of fuel left in their capital ship and the Resistance on the verge of utter collapse, Rey spends days and nights training, leaves a planet so remote that Skywalker successfully hid there for years, boards Supreme Leader Snoke's ship, gets captured and has a climactic battle with Kylo Ren; how the hell does that work?! And, on the subject of Rey, Daisy Ridley plays Rey as angry in almost every scene, so it's hard to believe she would not be an agent of the Dark Side.

What works in The Last Jedi are the themes. While Rose is abruptly saddled with a ridiculous romantic subplot, she is given a decent amount of character. She loathes the rich who profit off weapons sales and she has a real love of animals. The Last Jedi takes a nice divergence to illustrate that cruelty toward people and animal cruelty are directly analogous.

But for most of Star Wars: The Last Jedi the film oscillates between being painfully boring and an utter mess. One character speaks normal until his last scene where he suddenly develops a stutter, Leia does an impressive impression of Mary Poppins, and the physics of how Paige gets the control pad needed to activate the bomber's doors are troubling. How the Resistance gets trapped in a building with only one exit and entrance and, after they are sealed in, manage to get an entire force of soldiers out into the trenches in front of that door is a mystery.

Ultimately, The Last Jedi is a film that even the appearance of new, super-armored AT-ATs cannot save.

For other works in the Star Wars franchise, please check out my reviews of:
Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume 1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume 2
Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
Rogue One
Star Wars - Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
Caravan Of Courage - An Ewok Adventure

3/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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High Nostalgia, Mediocre Musicality: A Christmas Together By John Denver & The Muppets!

The Good: Moments of vocals, Moments of arrangement
The Bad: SHORT, Some of the vocals, Not overly original for a number of the songs
The Basics: A Christmas Together is an accurate soundtrack of the John Denver and The Muppets Christmas special that is a tougher sell on its own.


The winter holiday season is a time filled with nostalgia and in my household there is more than a little irony. My wife and I have over a decade between us, yet it seems one of our common experiences are seeing many of the same holiday specials on television and having a familiarity with the soundtracks to those specials. The irony comes from the fact that most of those specials were new when I was a child and I have no real emotional attachment to them, but my wife is a fan and given the opportunity to have music on tonight, she eagerly suggested A Christmas Together by John Denver And The Muppets.

A Christmas Together is a fun Christmas album for anyone who loves The Muppets, but it is not an extraordinary musical experience. Unlike some Christmas albums that showcase the vocal talents of those involved, A Christmas Together tries to find balance between The Muppets (and, let's face it, it is hard to consider Beaker and Dr. Honeydew as great vocalists!) and John Denver. Some Christmas albums attempt to give the primary artist a chance to show off their songwriting talents in the attempt to try to make an iconic new Christmas song; John Denver fails to make the next great holiday song with "A Baby Just Like You." The result is an album that is marginally fun and high on nostalgia without a lot of objective quality or originality to it.

With only thirteen songs, clocking out at 35:25, A Christmas Together illustrates the problem with converting old albums to c.d.; it is very short for the capacity of a c.d. and does not use the medium incredibly well. John Denver shares vocal credit on most of the songs with The Muppets (vocalized by the likes of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, etc.) and John Denver plays guitars on most of the tracks. The Muppets are accompanied by an orchestra and neither Denver, nor any of the Muppets, were involved in producing A Christmas Together; this is a very true soundtrack for the television special by the same name.

Instrumentally, A Christmas Together is very traditional and straightforward. While the guitars are more noticeable and folksy on "The Christmas Wish," that is the exception to the rule for the musical accompaniment on the album. The piano, flutes, percussion and string orchestral accompaniment is very straightforward on A Christmas Together. Despite the cover of "Little Saint Nick," most of the tracks are traditional Christmas carols that are familiar in their tunes and arrangements. The album features two (essentially) original tracks in the form of John Denver's "A Baby Just Like You" and a medley that begins with John Denver's appeal to listeners to protect the environment (which is relevant even now!), but continues with two arrangements of other Christmas carols.

On the vocal front, A Christmas Together is a celebration of nostalgia as opposed to great vocalizations. Miss Piggy leads "Christmas Is Coming" and the whole ensemble of The Muppets breaks out on "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." The rest of the songs have a few Muppets and John Denver performing and vocally Denver is the quality voice. For those not familiar with Animal, the sound of him providing backing vocals is not a revelatory musical experience. John Denver is able to showcase his smooth vocal talents on "Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913." Most of the rest of the album is good, but a mix of vocal stylings that are more nostalgia-evoking than objectively wonderful.

That is the success and failure of A Christmas Together; those who love The Muppets are likely to love the album, but those who do not have the nostalgia tied to it are more likely to be indifferent, at best, to the music. The best track is "The Peace Carol," the weak link is "When The River Meets The Sea."

For other Christmas albums, please visit my reviews of:
The Gift - Kenny Rogers
Oh Blue Christmas - A Fine Frenzy
These Are Special Times - Celine Dion

5/10

For other music reviews, please check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Today We Are Thankful "There Is No Try!" (And Hallmark Made An Ornament Of It . . .)

The Good: Good balance, Aspects of the sound clip, coloring and sculpt
The Bad: Aspects of the sound clip, coloring and sculpt
The Basics: The last major Star Wars ornament to get reviewed is this year's diorama ornament: "There Is No Try" . . . . and it's all right . . . sort of.


The internet site I used to write reviews for ultimately asked reviewer to give an absolute "recommend" or "not recommend" in addition to a rating on a star-based scale. Many an hour was spent by many of the most prolific writers on that site belaboring that "recommend" or "not recommend" on a mediocre product. I often found the happy medium in the contradictions: the highly-rated product that I would not recommend or the lowly rated one that I would. The 2015 "There Is No Try" Star Wars ornament almost got me to create such a split decision here. The reason for that conflict within me is that so much of the ornament is done wrong . . . but, for a change, there is so much evidence of the effort that went into trying to make the ornament right!

There Is No Try is the standard-release Star Wars diorama Hallmark ornament. Released in 2015, it is a good bet it will be sold out by Christmas with the release of the new Star Wars film renewing the fan base.

Hallmark Keepsake has a line of collectible ornaments from major franchises, like Star Wars and Star Trek. From the Star Wars line comes the There Is No Try ornament. Fans of the Star Wars Trilogy will easily recall There Is No Try. For those unfamiliar with There Is No Try, it is a moment on Dagobah when Luke is training in the swamp and he gives up on trying to lift the X-wing fighter out of the muck with only the power of his mind in The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here !). Oddly, the ornament uses the name and sound clip from several moments after the handstand pose that Luke is rendered performing!

Basics

The There Is No Try ornament recreates the Yoda and Luke on the Dagobah surface in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2015, is Luke Skywalker in his Dagobah fatigues, performing a handstand while Yoda balances on one of his feet. The rocks molded into the ground nearby suggest that Luke is using the power of his mind to set the small one atop the larger one. This Dagobah diorama ornament is one of the largest yet made, measuring 5 3/4" tall, 2 1/4" wide and 1 5/8" deep. Hallmark charged $17.95 for the ornament originally and it seems to be an excellent price point for the potentially complicated or rich ornament. Sadly, it is neither.

The Hallmark There Is No Try ornament is made of a durable plastic and Luke upside down, his hands on the dirt ground, back straight. He is not yet performing the one-handed handstand that he does in the film and Hallmark did not make an effort to have the smaller rock actually appear suspended. The detailing - sculpted and colored - is excellent on Luke's pants and shirt and the ground. Luke's clothing is colored to look wet from sweat and the ground looks realistically textured.

Unfortunately, the rest of the There Is No Try ornament is colored in monotones. Yoda looks like an animated character - not a puppet or CG version of the character. Luke's face is hardly distinctive of replicating Mark Hamill's appearance.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, There Is No Try has a sound chip but no light effect. When a button on the base is pressed, Yoda and Luke speak back and forth to one another with lines from The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately, the target audience of this ornament will recognize it for exactly what it is; it is dialogue cobbled together from the scene after Yoda falls and tries to convince Luke to get the X-Wing out of the swamp using only his mental powers. Sadly, much had to be cut to get the sound clip down under thirty seconds and the edit is hardly stirring or even relevant to the sculpt.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake There Is No Try ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, There Is No Try is a luxury and fits poorly with other Hallmark Star Wars ornaments.

This ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top of the ornament. From that hook, the There Is No Try ornament hangs balanced. It is perfectly level when hung there and the ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise sits stable in the right position!

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The There Is No Try ornament is not at all limited and has not appreciated in the secondary market yet, which makes sense because many Hallmark stores still have it on their shelves. One suspects as soon as The Force Awakens hits theaters, the shelves will be cleared of this ornament. Despite the serious issues with it, I'd bet on it appreciating in the long term.

Overview

Like most Star Wars ornaments, the There Is No Try has nothing to do with the Christmas holiday and ultimately, I recommend it to those who have friends who customize figures and ornaments. Buy it, take it to them and have them do what Hallmark should have done in the first place as far as enhancing the details (through paint or a painting/plastic shaving combination) and then the ornament would be truly worthwhile!

For other Star Wars diorama ornaments, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
2014 Cantina Band
2013 At Jabba's Mercy
2012 Han Solo To The Rescue
2011 Showdown At The Cantina
2010 His Master's Bidding
2009 A Deadly Duel

6.5/10

For other holiday ornaments, please check out the Ornaments Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Heard The Concept, Seen The Movie: Inside Out

The Good: Decent voice acting, Moments of emotion that work
The Bad: Plot is exceptionally forced, Overblown concept, Bland protagonist
The Basics: Inside Out is Disney/Pixar's attempt to make a psychological exploration film, but it falls apart under any real scrutiny.


The other day, my wife was pitching to me an idea that I'm still kicking around in my head. After a number of spinnings of the Susanne Sundfor album The Silicone Veil (reviewed here!), she said, "I think you should do a blog each month about all the things you wanted to review, but couldn't muster up the enthusiasm and energy to do a sophisticated analysis. There should be a one-paragraph review for all the things you went to review but just stopped caring about before you tried to write the detailed review." I know that, at the time, she was just annoyed because she did not like that particular album and was sick of hearing it - and, to be fair, I was stuck trying to review it because it was so mediocre - but it was an intriguing idea in its own right. I might be one of the few reviewers who feels a complete sense of "ho-hum, meh, this review is just not writing itself" about the new Disney/Pixar film Inside Out. But that is where I am; if I were to take my wife's suggestion, Inside Out would definitely have been in the group review with a very simple "not worth it."

Inside Out is garnering almost universal praise from critics everywhere and, not to be contrarian, it's an okay film, but nothing truly exceptional. There's no point in me being the 1000th reviewer to point out that the concept is virtually identical to the 1991 FOX sitcom Herman's Head - which I watched, so the film's "hook" seemed instantly unoriginal to me - but one of the things I haven't seen from other critics is that the concept of Inside Out is made instantly unambitious by the fact that the protagonist is an average American girl.

For the five people who have not yet heard the concept, Inside Out is a film that focuses on the emotions inside the head of Riley Anderson, an eleven year-old girl from Minnesota, whose family moves to San Francisco. Personified inside her mind are Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger and the five negotiate with one another to control Riley. The plot to Inside Out - I'll get to that later - is almost incidental; the entire point of the film is the concept. Writers Pete Docter, Josh Cooley, and Meg LeFauve are trying to illustrate how emotions work inside a girl's head and how they adapt to obstacles. Regardless of the execution, the purpose of the film is instantly baffling: Inside Out is of no use to children, who lack the metaconscious awareness to truly understand abstractions like the personification of emotion and adults who see Inside Out should either have the emotional awareness to get the concept instantly or are probably sociopaths (in other words, if you don't understand how your emotions are working by the time you reach adulthood, you probably have a personality disorder of some sort!). Children are too young to have developed empathy and adults watching the film are more likely to be bored by the obviousness of the concept than entertained by it. The purpose becomes confused then because Pixar is clearly trying to go for something sophisticated - the sheer volume of emotions expressed and moments intended to play off the viewer's empathy - but the only way the film actually works is on an entertainment level.

On a psychological level, Inside Out becomes incredibly problematic in that most of the action occurs while Riley is asleep and the stakes in play postulate that Riley could have a complete psychotic break and/or suffer from a serious memory issue while she is sleeping. The basic plot of Inside Out is that Riley is moved from Minnesota to San Fransisco and her expectations are instantly upended; the brownstone her family moves into is not what she expected, the moving truck is delayed so she has to camp out on her bedroom floor and the pizza she and her mom go to get for comfort food is covered in broccoli (which Riley dislikes). After a bad first day at her new school, Riley lets Anger and Sadness take over and she is sent to her room as punishment. Riley then falls asleep, but inside her head, Sadness breaks into the core memories and, in the process Sadness and Joy get whisked away to long-term memory and have to find their way back.

Their quest to return to headquarters is aided by Bing Bong, Riley's imaginary friend, and along the way, the core islands of Riley's mind become disconnected from Headquarters and their existence is threatened. The analogy becomes very troubling there: that one bad day of not particularly traumatic events can lead to the collapse of how a person thinks and feels, is somewhat ridiculous. The mind has internal defenses outside the basic emotions to protect core memory and to protect certain associations. It takes things like traumatic new core memories - death of a loved one at a young age, abuse, etc. - or physical injury (an ax to the brain, severing the connective tissue between the brain's hemispheres, etc.) to destroy those connections. But, Sadness getting curious and looking at core memory nearly makes Riley into an entirely different person in Inside Out and to buy the menaces Sadness and Joy face on their journey back to Headquarters, viewers have to buy the premise that the mundane usurption of expectations could lead to a complete psychotic break. But then, Inside Out would be a much harder sell for viewers if Sadness was simply operating Riley for a time after her move to San Francisco.

Which leads me to the real problem with Inside Out. Riley is a healthy girl going through average problems. Inside Out could have achieved all of its goals by having a much more extraordinary protagonist. Seeing inside the head of a manic depressive, watching how difficult the emotional negotiations are for someone when they are traumatized, contrasting the emotional thought patterns of a healthy person with one who suffers from trauma, mental illness or abuse would educate children, give adults something to empathize with and start discussions for those who suffer those conditions with those people in their life who do not understand it. Moreover, the plot would not simply be a contrived adventure piece then; the concept would effectively sell the story and plot without the need for anything inorganic or forced.

Amy Poehler does a decent job providing the voice of Joy; she's actually so good that I did not feel like I was watching Poehler or listening to any one of her routines while watching Inside Out. Similarly, Bill Hader is good as Fear, though Lewis Black is used exactly like one would expect for Anger.

Inside Out is one of those films that becomes worse the more one thinks about it - like how can Bing Bong be running around the memory centers of Riley's brain instead of being trapped by his very nature on Imagination Island?! If it could be used to teach selfish young people how to empathize with others, it might be useful, but instead it encourages a very ego-centric interpretation of the film, especially for unsophisticated, undeveloped younger audiences. As a result, the more I thought of the film as an average film, the more it upset me; it's a movie where the concept could work, but the execution at the script level does not. Instead, Pixar and Disney made a brightly-lit, well-voiced film that has forced conflict and only a surface understanding of the complex concepts it attempts to explore.

For other Pixar films, please check out my reviews of:
Monsters University
Toy Story 3
Up
WALL-E
The Incredibles
Monsters, Inc.

4/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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An Annoying Concept Executed Very Well: The 2014 Yoda Peekbuster Ornament!

The Good: Great sculpt, Good sound effect, Most of the coloring.
The Bad: Monotones for the costume, Frontheavy, Sound clip plays poorly over time!
The Basics: The October Star Wars ornament release from Hallmark was a concept ornament in the form of the Yoda Peekbuster, which is pretty good . . . for what it is!


More than any other fandom that I have yet encountered, Star Wars fans seem to be the most receptive to concept figures and designs. For those unfamiliar with the terminology, concept figures are toys that are based upon original designs or ideas insinuated in, but not a part of, what is considered to be the canon of the franchise. Concept Star Wars figures include the likes of Bastila Shan (reviewed here!), a character who only appeared in the Star Wars novels and comic books. Hallmark has been expanding their ornament line in Star Wars and as they reach the end of their canonized characters, ships and situations, they have gotten creative. This year, Hallmark released a LEGO Boba Fett ornament (reviewed here!) and in October, they put out the Yoda Peekbuster ornament. When it comes to Star Wars, it is hard to go wrong with Yoda, Darth Vader and Boba Fett when testing the waters and because last year saw the emergence of the Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament, it is somewhat unsurprising that Yoda was next.

Yoda Peekbuster is a late-release Star Wars Hallmark character ornament that features a motion sensor and a series of unique sound clips designed to startle and delight those who come near it . . . and the presents it is set beside to guard! Based upon Yoda from the original Star Wars Trilogy, the Yoda Peekbuster looks like Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!), save that he is on a snowy base with presents and cloaked in a Santa outfit, instead of being cast on the swamps of Dagobah.

Basics

The Yoda Peekbuster ornament recreates the alien Jedi in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2014, is the small creature staring outward, perhaps judgmentally, while wearing an incongruently festive Santa Claus outfit. Yoda is cast standing on a white snow-like base. He is wearing a red Santa hat and red Santa robe and leaning on his gimmer stick with his left hand while slightly extending his right. This Yoda ornament is just over 3 1/2" tall, 2 1/2" wide and 1 3/4" deep. Hallmark charged $19.95 for the ornament originally and I suspect I can still find it because that price is just a little steep for some people.

The Hallmark Yoda Peekbuster ornament is made of a durable plastic and has him holding his gimmer stick, standing amid presents with a noticeable Rebel insignia on one! He is the green-skinned humanoid originally embodied by a puppet. The ornament is molded with a decent amount of detailing. The character has the brow lines, toenails and fingernails that helped give Yoda more definition than the average puppet back in the day. The Santa outfit is molded to look like it has puffy fringe on the hat, cuffs, and bottom.

The coloring detail on Yoda Peekbuster is unfortunately erratic. Yoda himself is rendered and painted with such a level of detailing that he almost looks like a CG model could be made from him. The nooks and crannies on the characters face and the coloring of his nails and eyes are live-action quality and Hallmark has a lot to be proud of with that. Unfortunately, the costume and presents are colored in simple monotones. The result is incongruent; Yoda looks real, but enrobed in a perfectly clean costume that lacks the same level of realistic depth and shading.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Yoda Peekbuster has a sound chip but no light effect. When turned on, the Yoda Peekbuster is a motion-activated ornament. When it senses movement in the field before it, the Yoda Peekbuster speaks one of five admonishments to the person making the movement. Yoda calls out about how looking at presents early is not the way of the Jedi and how those who take presents early will be caught! The voice is close-enough to Frank Oz’s Yoda to make one believe they are being yelled at by Yoda!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Yoda Peekbuster ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the Yoda Peekbuster is very much a luxury which is likely to appeal only to the die-hard collectors or those who want to freak out their geeky children! This ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the back of Yoda’s hat. From that hook, the Yoda Peekbuster ornament hangs noticeably downward. The ornament sways when rocked, but it is frontheavy, a fact accented by the slope of the base upon which Yoda stands.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Yoda Peekbuster ornament is not as limited as many other Star Wars ornaments and has not appreciated in the secondary market yet, which makes sense because many Hallmark stores still have him on their shelves. At this point in the Star Wars ornament collections, fans are either sticking with what they know or accepting concept ornaments like the Peekbuster and LEGO Star Wars ornaments. I suspect that the novelty of this ornament will wear thin with people other than just myself and that it will be a while before it appreciates in value, especially because of its hefty initial price.

Overview

Untike most Star Wars ornaments, the Yoda Peekbuster has a lot to do with the Christmas holiday, but because the Star Wars Universe is not set in a place and time that would logically accept such a holiday, the ornament is a crapshoot with the fans. But, because concept figures go over so well with Star Wars fans and because there is some novelty and quality to it, I very lightly recommend the Yoda Peekbuster ornament to the open-minded collectors.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2014 Imperial Scout Trooper
2013 Jango Fett
2013 Wicket And Teebo
2013 Lego Yoda
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
2012 Lego Imperial Stormtrooper
2012 Sith Apprentice Darth Maul
2012 General Grievous
2012 Momaw Nadon Limited Edition
2011/2012 Lego Darth Vader
2011 Jedi Master Yoda
2011 Bossk Limited Edition ornament
2010 Lando Calrissian Limited Edition ornament
2010 Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
2010 Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite mini-ornament set
2009 Greedo Limited Edition ornament
2009 Han Solo As Stormtrooper
2008 Emperor Palpatine ornament
2005 Slave Leia ornament
2000 Darth Maul
1999 Max Rebo Band mini-ornament set
1998 Princess Leia

6.5/10

For other holiday ornaments, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Aging Poorly: The Dark Crystal Does Not Hold Up!

The Good: Good puppet work, Decent voice acting, Elements of the story
The Bad: A ton of exposition, Minimal character development, Pacing
The Basics: Hardly audacious or even interesting, The Dark Crystal is a tough sell these days!


One of my wife’s favorite films of all time is Labyrinth (reviewed here!) and the circles she travels in in fantasy geekdom seem somewhat surprisingly (to me, at least) divided into two camps: those who love Labyrinth and those who have an affection for The Dark Crystal. Personally, I think that comes down to positive childhood memories for either camp, but rather than dispute it, we figured it was time to rewatch The Dark Crystal. Both my wife and I had seen The Dark Crystal only once, in our respective childhoods and neither of us had been grabbed by it or remembered it particularly well. In fact, all I truly recalled about it was the end and the liquefying of the “soul” (“essence”) of characters, which made them into slaves.

Having now watched The Dark Crystal as an adult, I have to say I am proud of my younger self and my current self; both of us managed to stay awake the entire movie (which is not something my wife may honestly say about the experience!). The Dark Crystal is unfortunately boring, heavy on exposition to explain the setting and characters and suffers from a number of problems unrelated to the early 1980’s special effects.

On an alien world, inhabited by magical creatures and budding scientists, there is a schism between the power-hungry Skeksis and the docile Mystics. A thousand years ago, during the Great Convergence of the planet’s three suns, the Dark Crystal shattered and the Skeksis came to power. Following their exile, the Mystics kept to themselves while the Skeksis brutalized their planet. But now, both the Mystics and the Skeksis are down to only nine of their kind. When the Skeksis Emperor and the Great Mystic die simultaneously, it appears a prophecy is about to be fulfilled.

The prophecy declares that a Gelfling will restore the Dark Crystal and, in the process, reunite the Skeksis and Mystics and restore the planet. Jen is, to his knowledge, the last of the Gelflings (the Skeksis having killed off almost all of the rest of the Gelflings to prevent the prophecy from coming true) and the Great Mystic sends him to Aughra to get the shard. After the Great Mystic dies and disappears, Jen’s quest begins and he travels to Aughra’s observatory where he manages to find the Shard. Unfortunately, the Skeksis power vacuum has led to a struggle for the throne and the discredited Chamberlain sees Jen and the prophecy as his best chance to seize power. As the Mystics journey to the Dark Crystal’s location at the Skeksis’s castle, Jen and his new companion, Kira (another Gelfling who believes herself to be the last of her kind) must evade the Chamberlain, the Skeksis’s army of monstrous Garthim, and attempts to draw out their everlasting essence to be in the right place at the right time to execute the prophecy and save the world.

The Dark Crystal is one of those troubling films that does not seem to have any sense of audience. Far too simplistic for adults, The Dark Crystal nevertheless includes adult political elements and monstrous character designs for the Garthim and Skeksis. The film is a bit cerebral for children and the pacing is so slow it might only keep children awake based on their own sense of wonder at the film’s spectacle. In fact, The Dark Crystal has such a linear narrative that it is almost surprising that it ever developed such a fanbase (Jen walks the prescribed three days to Aughra’s in such an uneventful sequence that it had to have the Skeksis politics cut into it in order to illustrate the passage of time and actually have something happen!).

A vehicle of directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal is notable for its use of puppets. Unlike the movies that feature the Muppets and have a blending of puppets and live-action characters interacting in the real world, The Dark Crystal is an almost entirely virtual setting populated by puppets. The world of The Dark Crystal is imaginative and (outside the animated exterior painting shots that look incredibly dated) has a realism that is very easy to get into. The look of the various races is distinct and the film was clearly created with a sense of wonder to it.

Unfortunately, that sense of visual wonder was not developed with a strong story in mind. In fact, the movie is one of the most bland, thematically-simplistic, fantasy films of all time. Lacking in any distinctive or iconic quotes, The Dark Crystal is a painfully uncomplicated hero journey where the film belabors establishing the tenants of the world it depicts as opposed to allowing the viewer to truly become immersed in it. There is no joy to be had in how formulaic the film is and The Dark Crystal does not so much develop characters as much as it simply resolves its own plot points.

The result is a film that is virtually impossible to go back to; it did not captivate my wife or me . . . but then, we’re Labyrinth people.

For other fantasy films, please visit my reviews of:
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
Oz The Great And Powerful

3/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for a listing of movie reviews from Best To Worst!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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About As Good As They’ll Get: The 2013 Lego Yoda Star Wars Ornament!

The Good: Looks like it is supposed to, Good balance, Good head detailing.
The Bad: Overpriced, Ridiculous subject, Overly large for the subject.
The Basics:Despite looking like the Lego version of Yoda, Hallmark’s 2013 Lego Star Wars ornament still has some serious problems.


There is something to be said for reviewing objects solely based on what they are with no comparison to others of the same type. In the case of the Lego Star Wars ornament line, the Lego Yoda ornament Hallmark might have received a higher rating had I not seen how the Lego Yoda is the same size (technically larger) than the two prior Lego Star Wars ornaments. This Lego Yoda might look a bit ridiculous, but it does look like the Lego version of Yoda.

The Lego Yoda ornament is the third in the series of character ornaments from Lego Star Wars. Fans of the Star Wars Legos and, perhaps as important, the Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga video game (reviewed here!), will easily recognize the Lego variation on the classic Yoda. Hallmark captures the Yoda, in Lego form, with his little Lego lightsaber in his hand, standing on a Lego-style base!

This is a very typical, very average Star Wars ornament with no bells and whistles, but given that it is based on a video game, based on a toy, based on the movies, it is really only for the serious die-hard collectors of Star Wars merchandise.

Basics

The Lego Yoda ornament recreates the Lego Jedi in solid plastic on a black and gray plastic Lego block base. The ornament, released in 2013, is the younger version of Yoda holding a green lightsaber in his right hand, or socket, given how rounded the hands on Lego characters are. Hallmark managed to get $14.95 originally for this ornament and it is selling slowly locally, which might well mean it is not catching on with collectors (the prior two were locally available well after Christmas at clearance prices). This character ornament is 3 7/8" tall, 2 1/2” wide and 2 1/2” deep. Given that the ornament was designed for fans, this is an ornament that appeals to collectors, though I suspect it is not nailing it with either of its target demographics. It is not detailed and realistic the way most Star Wars fans like their collectibles and it is not small enough or versatile enough to actually appeal to fans of Lego block toys.

The Hallmark Lego Yoda ornament is made of a durable plastic and has him holding a bright yellow-green lightsaber in his right hand. His feet are arranged in a solid stance, attached as they are to a Lego block base. This is a very simplified sculpt of a Lego Yoda, but the essential parts are there: the green skin, giant ears and eyes and the Lego-style open hands.

The Lego Yoda ornament is also detailed with the coloring to back up the sculpt. The front panel is made to look like a classic Lego toy sticker, but it is painted on, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, the Lego Yoda is a pretty basic character and so there is not much that can be done in terms of detailing, so Hallmark does not need to try to add depth, shading or anything else to the color palate to get this ornament right. However, both the molding and the coloring added to the character’s hair on this ornament is actually pretty cool. In addition, Yoda’s brow ridges are nicely molded into the head.

Unfortunately, the ornament does not have any articulation to it, so fans who want to turn the head or move the arms will be disappointed.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Lego Yoda could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a low-cost (comparatively) option for those who might not want to shell out for the ship or diorama series' of Star Wars ornaments. This Lego Yoda simply hangs.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Lego Yoda ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the Lego Yoda is very much a luxury; this whole concept is more ridiculous than realistic, so this is very much a “luxury” ornament for the serious die-hard fans. The ornament has a metal hook loop embedded into the top center of the character's head. From that hook, the Lego Yoda ornament hangs perfectly level. Somehow, Hallmark managed to prevent the ornament from being frontheavy despite the lightsaber in the right hand.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (click here for that review!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Lego Yoda ornament is very common and one suspects more will sell on clearance after the holiday is over.

This is not a great investment piece and it is unlikely to appreciate for quite some time, if ever.

Overview

The Lego Yoda ornament is a better continuation of the Lego Star Wars than the previous Lego Star Wars ornaments. Given how Hallmark has not been exploiting the Lego line for any other major Lego properties, the Lego Yoda ornament is just as likely to make Star Wars fans feel milked for cash as opposed to truly thrilled.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
2012 Lego Imperial Stormtrooper
2012 Sith Apprentice Darth Maul
2012 General Grievous
2012 Momaw Nadon Limited Edition
2011/2012 Lego Darth Vader
2011 Jedi Master Yoda
2011 Bossk Limited Edition ornament
2010 Lando Calrissian Limited Edition ornament
2010 Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
2010 Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite mini-ornament set
2009 Greedo Limited Edition ornament
2009 Han Solo As Stormtrooper
2008 Emperor Palpatine ornament
2005 Slave Leia ornament
2000 Darth Maul
1999 Max Rebo Band mini-ornament set
1998 Princess Leia

7/10

For other ornament reviews, please be sure to visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Less Inspired Than Some Of The Others, The Jedi Training Film Cel Is A Mediocre Collectible!

The Good: Unique, Very collectible, Variety
The Bad: Comparatively poor investment, Less intriguing shot selection
The Basics: In 1996, Lucasfilm offered pieces of the original film prints from The Empire Strikes Back and the Jedi Training Film Cel was one of their less impressive ones.


Back when the Star Wars Special Edition films hit theaters, I was hugely excited. I was in college, working multiple jobs and I had a little allowance. So, when I had the opportunity to own what was literally a piece of The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!), I was thrilled. I hunted down an awesome film clip from the Imperial Attack Edition of film clips (reviewed here!) and was very happy. Shortly thereafter, my partner at the time gifted me a The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel.

I was not as impressed.

The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel is most analogous to a trading card. The fundamental differences are that the The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cels are encased in a permanent plastic block and no two are absolutely identical. Lucasfilm released several Editions of the collectible film cels from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, each with several divisions of scenes so that collectors could try to get the part of the movie that was their favorite. The The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cels all feature film clips from the time spent on Dagobah embedded in them.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of collectible film cels, the manufacturer of the film cels (in this case, Lucasfilm) takes a movie that has a following, chops up a print of the film and embeds the individual film frames in a larger case so that fans may own a part of the movie they love. The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel is a 2 5/8” wide by 15/16” tall embedded in a plastic (maybe Lucite?) case that measures 7 ½” by 2 ¾” by 7/16”. The chamber that actually houses the film cel is (supposedly) filled with an inert gas to prevent the film cel from degrading. This is the industry equivalent to using deacified paper for trading cards to prevent yellowing. All film cels in the The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel collection feature the same case with Yoda and Luke Skywalker sitting facing one another, though many of the film clips (like the one I have) do not actually feature both characters in the shot. The plastic casing is sealed on all four corners with heavy screws.

In its way, each The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel is unique. In addition to having a film cel that could only be from a specific, individual frame of the movie, the film cels come with an individual number. So, for example, my The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel features a film cel of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker on Dagobah. The film cel I have is just a head shot of the Jedi in training and it is hardly a compelling image or collectible.

Like trading cards, there is little that one can truly do with the The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cels. You buy them, find a way to display them and (if you’re investing) hope that it appreciates in value. The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Film Cels were found at stores like Spencer’s back in the day and they were nowhere near as popular as Lucasfilm hoped they would be. As a result, most of them were clearance and could be found inexpensively for years. Even now, they have not significantly appreciated.

I have a The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cel because I love the movie and because someone once gave it to me and I haven’t been able to unload it for the last decade and a half. It is nowhere near as compelling or interesting as many other collectibles manufactured around the same time and unless one gets one of the The Empire Strikes Back Authentic 70mm Film Originals Jedi Training Edition Film Cels with Yoda in it, it is hard to imagine why anyone would truly get thrilled by this.

For other Star Wars collectibles, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Star Wars Premiere CCG
2012 Lego Stormtrooper Hallmark Ornament
Santa Yoda Super Deformed Plush

3/10

For reviews of trading cards, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Master Criminals Vie For The Perfect Heist In The Score!

The Good: Excellent acting, Good characters, Generally well-executed plot
The Bad: Disappointing (obvious) twist at the end, Disappointing underuse of Angela Bassett
The Basics: In yet another crime caper, Robert De Niro and Edward Norton give great performances as criminals competing to be masters.


Somewhere along the line in U.S. society, a line became not only blurred, but completely smeared. If you look at early movies, there were a line between good and evil and all of the movies were about how good triumphed over evil. Often, those old movies had the good guys behaving almost identically to the bad guys (punching people out, yelling at innocents to get information, etc.) to triumph, but you always knew who the good guys were and you were always rooting for them. Then, there came movies where the bad guys were more interesting, delicious even, than the good guys and we hated the ends of the movies because it didn't make sense that good could beat such an excellent bad guy. Somewhere in the nineties, continuing through today, movies started to focus on bad guys solely and we started rooting for the most human or likable bad guy without actually judging the quality of how bad they were.

The Score is one such movie, about a loose confederation of career criminals, led by Max. Max owes some serious money, so he hires Nick Wells to perform one last heist for him, a golden scepter stuck in a customs office. Max uses Jack Teller, a young criminal looking to score his first big theft. Jack's angle is that he has access to the customs office as he has been posing for weeks as a mentally retarded janitor there. Nick, eager to escape his life of crime and settle down once and for all as a nightclub owner, reluctantly takes the job and finds himself in a crossfire of lies and deceit.

Yes, it's another bank robber-type movie. Here, though, there's no moralizing over the actions of the characters, outside Diane (played by Angela Bassett), they are all morally corrupt thieves, hackers and liars. Outside the context of the movie, it's hard to like any of them (Diane being difficult to like because she is such a nonentity in the film).

But that's the power of The Score. Watching this movie, we willingly suspend our disbelief and our cultural values of property rights to root for Nick. We want to believe that he wants to make good and we come to see him rather early on as the most benevolent of thieves in a world populated by criminals. In short, he's the one to root for because he seems to have some aspirations of doing right and going legitimate.

Indeed, Nick is likable throughout the movie, played by Robert De Niro as tender and genuine in his scenes with Bassett's Diane. De Niro reminds us how great an actor he can be by making Nick different from his other characters. This is not a loud, angry performance, nor should it be; his character is both cunning and feeling his age. De Niro provides us with a far more reasonable interpretation of an aging person and a criminal who has survived so long without being caught than he would had he played him pretty much any other way.

The person who steals the show (largely because Marlon Brando looks like he's ready to die in every scene he's in in this movie) is Edward Norton. Norton does an amazing job playing a character playing a character. It seems like every ten reviews, I run into a story that requires a character to play another person, but the repetition here is certainly worthwhile; Norton quite adequately plays Jack playing a mentally retarded person without ever making the viewer feel it is Norton playing a mentally retarded person. That's skillful acting. Norton's use of body language and voice create an impressive alter ego that makes us believe in the will of Jack.

The only real problem, then, is in the resolution. There is a surprise twist at the end, but it is not a surprise to those of us who have respect for the way the world works. If we are to believe that Nick has survived so long without being caught, the end is more inevitable than surprising. Still, the reactions he receives are fun to watch and the movie is quite enjoyable.

While not living up to the caliber of The Usual Suspects, The Score easily engages the viewer and makes them root for one criminal over another. Too bad there's not more of a place for the good woman (Angela Bassett, whose part as Diane is miniscule) here.

For other works Frank Oz is involved in, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Monsters Inc.
Bowfinger
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Star Wars Saga
Labyrinth

7/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Movie Review Index Page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2004 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Star Wars Saga Has Legendary Qualities, But Is Far From Perfect!

The Good: Great story, Pretty awesome special effects, Generally decent acting
The Bad: Moments of character and acting.
The Basics: There is a timeless quality to the Star Wars Saga, but there are serious enough issues that make it anything but perfect.


I love Star Wars. I have the figures, I have the movies, I've gotten autographs of many of the obscure stars (Michael Sheard just months before his death, as it turned out!), and I do enjoy the mythological sensibility to the story of the fall. But, for one who grew up on it and one who enjoys the universe, I am prepared to commit the ultimate heresy that every other reviewer knows, but few fans admit:

The Star Wars Saga is not all that great.

Sure, it's good. It was groundbreaking at the time, but have you actually watched it? If you've never actually sat down and watched the Star Wars Saga in order, it is the saddest collection of clueless law enforcement officers running around getting slaughtered by a military force that becomes more inept over twenty years leading into a rebellion of people who are willing to give up at the drop of a dime. Seriously. The sheer number of times characters say something is "impossible" or "can't be done" or whine about the state that they are in before actually trying is shocking. And for those looking for a great hero story, we all know that the quality of the hero is judged by the quality of the villains. Who are the villains in the Star Wars Saga? A bunch of people who look pretty cool, but are even more inept than the heroes! Darth Maul? One kill and dead. Darth Tyrannus? One arm and dead. General Grievous? One kill, nope that's been edited out, one escape and dead. Who is the villain in the Star Wars Saga? A one thousand year-old geezer and his robot apprentice.

But I jest. When the Star Wars Saga works, it works because it tells an essential character story of how easily good may be perverted into the forces of power and control and how hope may lead to the redemption of that corrupted soul. It tells the story of how common plight leads to romance and how sidekicks can be universally annoying be they amphibian or droid. The Star Wars Saga illustrates that when you push the boundaries of what is known, you may create a work that will capture a generation simply by being ambitious and daring.

Cinema has lost that. Arguably the most original attempt in recent years, The Chronicles Of Riddick Saga (reviewed here!) was thwarted from continuing by commercialism. The Star Wars Saga tells a pretty universal story set in a distant galaxy populated by humans, aliens, robots and an astounding array of creatures. But, like The Matrix (reviewed here!), a full series was created based on a decent original idea. Unlike the disturbingly constructed The Matrix Saga, George Lucas - the creator of the Star Wars Saga - had the first trilogy constructed before the first film was filmed. While he had the prequel trilogy conceived, he had not fleshed it out, resulting in a six-film Saga that tells the story of Anakin Skywalker, but is plagued by minutia between the two trilogies that do not quite add up. The inconsistencies are disturbing enough to stymie even the Star Wars loyalists, but not enough to drive it into unwatchable territory.

For those unfamiliar with the Star Wars Saga (now available on Blu-Ray), the six movies that comprise it are:
The Phantom Menace
Attack Of The Clones
Revenge Of The Sith
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return Of The Jedi

The Phantom Menace explores a galaxy far, far away that is brimming with conflict. After a thousand years of peace, the Galactic Republic is in turmoil when the planet of Naboo is besieged by the capitalist forces of the Trade Federation. Republic negotiators, two Jedi named Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, arrive to try to lift the Trade Federation blockade but they are nearly killed. Escaping Naboo with the planet's Queen, the Jedi make it to Tatooine where they discover a young boy, Anakin Skywalker, who is powerful with the Force, the mystical power utilized by the Jedi. Amid political machinations that insinuate that the Jedi's enemies - the Sith - have returned to the galaxy, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Anakin return to try to liberate Naboo.

Ten years later, Padme Amidala, former Queen of Naboo is returning to the political capital of the Republic to vote on an important bill when she is almost assassinated. The Jedi Anakin and Obi-Wan are assigned to protect Amidala as the Republic heads toward war with Separatists who wish to leave the Republic. Obi-Wan searches for the bounty hunter who put the hit on Amidala and discovers a clone army being built for the Republic that no one knew about. As Obi-Wan becomes embroiled in political and military machinations that were directed by the Sith, Anakin and Padme fall in love.

Revenge Of The Sith begins two years later as the Clone Wars rage on and Anakin and Obi-Wan have to save the Supreme Chancellor from a powerful Separatist general. As the Jedi try to end the war and uncover the Sith Lord who has evaded them for the past decade, Anakin is seduced by the power of the Dark Side of the Force using his secret wife, Padme, as the tool of his undoing.

Twenty years later, A New Hope finds the galaxy under the control of the Galactic Empire where a small band of rebels fights against the forces of power and control. When Princess Leia acquires the plans to the planet-destroying Death Star weapon, she tries to get the plans back to the Rebellion, but is intercepted by the Empire's forces, most notably Darth Vader. Leia manages to get the plans into two droids who end up on Tatooine in the possession of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke and Obi-Wan try to get the plans back to the Rebellion, but are intercepted by the Death Star and must save the galaxy from the massive weapon.

The Empire Strikes Back has the Rebellion fleeing from the might of the Empire as Darth Vader scours the galaxy for Luke Skywalker. As Han Solo and Princess Leia try to evade the Empire, Luke Skywalker goes to a remote world where he learns to use the power of the Force. But Darth Vader is intent on luring Luke out and he uses his friends to entrap the young man.

The Saga concludes with Return Of The Jedi wherein Luke and Leia try to rescue Han Solo from the gangster Jabba the Hutt. As the Rebellion goes on the offensive against the new Death Star - which is still under construction - Luke, Leia and Han journey to Endor for a final showdown with the Empire and Darth Vader.

The Star Wars Saga has essentially two groups of characters in the two trilogies, but when viewed together is the story of the downfall of Anakin Skywalker from the Jedi with the most potential to a tool for the Empire. George Lucas, who wrote the Saga (at least the story), does an excellent job of telling the story of Anakin using pretty standard mythological storytelling. Anakin begins as a boy of mysterious origins with the insinuation of incredible powers. As he refined his powers, Anakin illustrates an impatience which is a pretty classic tragic flaw and he develops with the potential to be the most powerful instrument for good. The forces of evil, of course, seek to exploit that and the Star Wars Saga illustrates well how the feelings of love may be used by malevolent forces.

What does not work when the Saga is viewed together is how loss keeps Anakin under the thumb of the Sith Lord. In The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor reveals - through new scenes added into the film - that he has essentially lied to his apprentice for twenty years and there is no significant character reaction. Given that the character's tragic flaw has much to do with seething rage, it is virtually unforgivable that the character has none of that evident when the truth is revealed.

This, of course, is a problem with the fact that the story was retroactively created. The prequel Trilogy has to explain how Anakin Skywalker fell from grace and when it fits back into the original Trilogy, there are dramatic inconsistencies. On the character level, this seldom works. This is also why the Prequel Trilogy neglects the spiritualism of the original Trilogy. In the first (or second, depending on perspective) Trilogy, the Force is a powerful field and belief that empowers the Jedi. In the Prequel Trilogy, thousands of Jedi are completely duped by a single Sith with many of the Jedi revealing tragic flaws that - according to the later installments - would have led them to the Dark Side. In other words, the principles of using the Force to create a policing body work out philosophically, but not in a practical application.

The Star Wars Saga pioneered all sorts of special effects and on Blu-Ray, they look absolutely incredible. From stop-motion model work through computer-generated characters, the Star Wars Saga is a visual masterpiece from George Lucas and the other directors in the Star Wars films.

As for the acting, the Star Wars Saga utilizes some pretty incredible talents - Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and James Earl Jones - exceptionally well. It also introduced many new talents who deliver as well as they can. Hayden Christensen, for example, performs somewhat stiffly in Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith. Where the Saga succeeds on the acting is how the performers completely invest in the universe being created. All of the actors look like they believe in their setting and with the virtual characters, they interact with complete seriousness, making it easy to invest in the galaxy.

On Blu-Ray, the Star Wars Saga includes commentary tracks for each film and featurettes on the creation of each movie and the Saga as a whole. There are also forty-five deleted scenes and animatics which are kept separated from the films. For a Saga that George Lucas has so continually tweaked, it is almost ridiculous that the movies do not have the scenes actually integrated into the new versions of each movie.

This leads to the exploitative quality of the Star Wars Saga. George Lucas is a shrewd businessman and while this is the first time the Saga has appeared all together on Blu-Ray, the films have been available in at least two different forms on DVD. Most people will not have the equipment needed to get the additional value out of the Blu-Ray versions. More than that, beginning in February, the films will be rereleased theatrically in 3-D. Will Lucas add new scenes for the 3-D release? Will he integrate deleted scenes into the 3-D release? Who knows? What is virtually undeniable is this: even if the only change is that a 3-D print of the Star Wars Saga is created, those 3-D versions will be released after the Saga is once again completed as 3-D Blu-Rays undoubtedly with more bonus features to exploit the same customer base for their hard-earned dollars for what is essentially the same product.

In other words, the Star Wars Saga is complete now. It has been for more than half a decade and the change in technology has not fixed the problems that the Saga has had. Instead, those who already have the six DVDs are not truly going to need to reinvest in the Blu-Rays and until a complete reimagining including a complete rewrite, much like the new Footloose (reviewed here!) completely remakes the Saga from the original, is created, there is no real need to buy the new boxed set.

For other cinematic Sagas, please visit my reviews of:
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
The Back To The Future Trilogy
The Indiana Jones Trilogy

7.5/10

For other film reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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