#it would be annihilated with snappy assholes

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Waitress

I’m not sure how I missed Waitress when it first came out - it certainly seems like something my friends and I would have picked up from Redbox in college. If it was Focus Features or Fox Searchlight Pictures, we were all over it, so I really don’t know what happened here. I’ve been tangentially aware of this film for ages, even more so after the hit Broadway musical, so I was really looking forward to watching it when Wes requested it. I knew it was a sweet little dramedy about a waitress (Keri Russell) in a diner who makes pies and gets pregnant but there had to be something more to it for it to have the long-reaching pop cultural impact it’s had, right? Well...

This is one of those perfect little indie movies that makes me glad to be a cinephile and reviewer. Everything about this film was clearly created with so much care and craftsmanship that it makes it impossible not to love it wholeheartedly. The script is fantastic, a quick-witted, twisting thing that never quite goes where you expect, and the performances are pitch-perfect, grounded in real love for a specific place and for women. Women who are mothers, who are friends, who make pies, who fall in love, who make mistakes, who are stuck, who are free. WOMEN. Adrienne Shelly wrote, directed, and starred in this love letter to women and her vision is what makes this movie what it is in every frame.

Some thoughts:

Not since Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory have the opening credits of a film made batter pouring look so good. I don’t even really like pie that much but goddamn now I want some pie.

Jeremy Sisto does an excellent job in this as Jenna’s abusive husband Earl, which makes sense as Sisto was the master of playing manipulative, controlling assholes circa 2003-2006. 

This is a crackling script - it feels very Gilmore Girls meets Steel Magnolias. Snappy dialogue, lots of banter back and forth, with that sharp Southern wit.

Andy Griffith! I love Andy Griffith and always have. I spent more Saturday and Sunday mornings than I can recount watching The Andy Griffith Show with my dad, and just seeing his face onscreen takes me back to a very warm and secure feeling from childhood.  

I can definitely see how this was made into a musical. The film score is lovely, lilting piano, there’s the perfect set up for an “I want” song, the small town vibes would lead to great ensemble pieces at the opening and closing of a two-act structure, and Jenna’s fellow waitresses (Shelly and Cheryl Hines, both of whom are fantastic) form a sort of Greek chorus for all the proceedings.

Ogie (Eddie Jemison, whom I only know from the Ocean’s trilogy and who was so surprisingly delightful here) and his spontaneous tidbit that rhymes is annihilating me. 

I don’t think I really was familiar with Keri Russell’s work, other than a brief guest spot on Scrubs, but she is fantastic in this. Jenna is smart, driven, creative, no-nonsense, and supportive. And I love love LOVE that she doesn’t want to be a mother. She says it perfectly, she respects the baby’s right to thrive and does nothing to harm it but she doesn’t want it and doesn’t want to be a mother. Not all women do. And she doesn’t want to be saved. I can’t imagine how important seeing Jenna onscreen would be for countless women who are stuck in relationships they don’t want to be in, who fear becoming a mother, or who simply don’t want to.

Y’all! You live in a small town!! You can’t just be kissing all willy nilly everywhere! 

Good god the honking - I can’t think of a more indicative behavior that Earl is a 100% grade A jackass than the constant horn honking. What a perfectly awful character choice. 

Nathan Fillion is so so good as a romantic lead. His Dr. Pomatter is exactly the right amount of good-looking, masculine but not aggro, compassionate but not a sap - he feels like an accessible fairy tale, just a solidly good dude. But I have to say, it’s pretty disturbing that almost every single person in this movie is married and having an affair. Obviously Jenna’s situation is one that makes sense: she’s living in poverty under the thumb of a controlling and abusive husband and she’s fucking pregnant. For women like that, divorce may as well be a trip to the moon for how accessible it feels. But Dr. Pommatter is a doctor who makes a good living, he’s a newcomer in town (so there’s no fear of judgment or excommunication), and he has no kids. C’mon, man, just get a divorce or approach your wife about ethical nonmonogamy. It’s the 21st century, man, get it together. 

At the end of the credits, there’s a note “In Loving Memory of Adrienne Shelly” which prompted me to look her up and this was the worst movie trivia I’ve discovered since I looked up the little girl from Poltergeist. Writer/director/co-star Adrienne Shelly was murdered by a random construction worker in her apartment building between the time this movie was completed and its release. Discovering that made me sad in a way that’s difficult to articulate because this film treats women with the respect and nuance and joyful care that the world so rarely does. Shelly’s death turns Jenna’s triumphant reclamation of her life into a fantasy, something that only happens in movies. I’m just so fucking devastated that we’ll never get to know what other stories she had to tell.

I can see why this film grew into something greater than the sum of its parts. It’s wildly different from anything I’ve ever seen, and its behind-the-scenes story has turned it into something incredibly bittersweet - much like The Dark Knight or RENT, its story is made even more powerful by the loss of its creator. I’m so glad I got to experience it with fresh eyes and an open heart, because it is a new favorite that I know I will revisit again and again.

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[scrawnydutchman]

Why “Justice League” is One of the Best Shows Ever Made

Let’s talk about one of the hottest topics of the week . . . the Justice League. What is perhaps the most exciting and mindblowing crossover superhero team in comic book history, the idea of DC comic legends like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and many others coming together to fight off the baddest villains in the DC multiverse is an idea too good and too profitable to pass up. The team has seen many incarnations across many mediums over the years. Many are heartfelt and memorable, others we’d like to forget. But Today I‘m talking about my introduction to the team; Bruce Timms animated run on the JL and the rise of the larger expanded DC animated universe, also known as the “Timm-verse“. After all, what better time to talk about this show than it’s 16th anniversary?

Oh, also the JL movies out I guess. Yeah, cool.

Premiering on November 16th, 2001, the Justice League animated series was an in-canon spinoff of the previous highly praised series Batman TAS and Superman TAS, both also produced by Bruce Timm. It offered everything it’s predecessors offered and more with tighter, more concise animation with fewer errors, faster paced action, thicker plots and schemes and best of all an unforgettable dynamic between the main cast. For all these reasons, It is easily my all time favorite TV show, and it gets even better with Unlimited. I’ve been thinking a lot about just how amazing this show is and watching some episodes in retrospect, it hasn’t gotten old in the slightest. Here are just some of the reasons why Justice League and Justice League Unlimited kick so much ass.

1. A strong showcase of multiple DC characters

When writing a long format piece like a film or television show, juggling multiple main characters is no easy task. It’s a great challenge to make each character involved feel real, distinct and like there really is crucial difference between them and the rest of the cast. Without doing this, there’s no real reason for an audience member to pick their favorite outside of who is the most physically powerful (hence Power Rangers). The best way to go about it without resorting to clichés too often is to make a central theme of the show all about interaction; express each characters personality in how they react and perceive each other. This show gets it, and as a result has excellently portrayed DC icons really show their chops in a way where everyone can pick a favorite based on their personal preference. It’s hilarious to watch the stern, cynical, no-nonsense Batman work off of the lighthearted, goofball Flash, and it feels extra sweet when in spite of their comedic banter they really express that they have nothing but respect for each other. The Flash is made all the more goofy by Batman and Batman is made all the more bruiting by Flash. Then of course you also have the noble boyscout Superman, the proud but compassionate Wonder Woman, the militant authoritative marine Green Lantern, the spunky and hard hitting Hawkgirl, and finally, the stoic and softspoken Martian Manhunter. All of them become lovable for different reasons and bring their own signature charm to the show. Not only do they work well off of each other, they each get a healthy dosage of screentime to do something silly, something badass, something sad, something touching. This show perfectly balances these heroes to really make them seem like a team and it becomes a fun discussion to talk about who in the group is your favorite. Not like a lot of other DC properties where they constantly insist Batman should be your favorite because he can beat anyone, solve anything by himself and really, if not for him the rest of the characters would apparently be incompetent assholes. Here he’s WAY more interesting because he still has badass moments but he‘s allowed to need help every once in a while. It also helps that the show has SUPREME acting talent like Kevin Conroy, Phil Lamarr, Clancy Brown and George Newbern.

This element of the show only gets better in Unlimited by the way. the team expands to lesser known characters like Green Arrow, Vigilante, Vixen and so on, and each one of them gets their fair share of badass likeable moments and nobody ever feels like they ever get too much or too little exposure. Except the Question and Star Girl. the Question should have been on screen way more often because he’s the best part of Unlimited and Star Girl was the worst part of it because everytime she appeared she was a snarky condescending bitch who ended up getting her ass kicked more than anyone else. 

2. Great Action (and Animation in General)

*this show has more than a few bitchslap moments and I love it for that*

Now, I’ve mentioned before and still hold onto the opinion that Justice League is the best work of Bruce Timm’s. I know many people hold Batman TAS to that stature for it’s intense drama and theming, and I certainly agree it is groundbreaking, but JL and ESPECIALLY JLU perfected what Batman TAS established. Batman TAS was the first look into what would become the DCAU and it very clearly shows that the show writers and animators were still trying to find their voice. If you watch the Batman TAS (especially earlier episodes) with a trained eye for animation you’ll notice more than a few consistency errors, with awkward stills and elements of character designs dropping out of frame here and there. JL and JLU is consistently more crisp and the errors are MUCH farther and fewer between. Not to mention the action and pacing are just better. I LOVE Batman TAS, I never want to make the impression that I don’t, but it DID have a tendency to move a touch too slowly at times, especially for what were supposed to be intense action scenes. In justice League the fighting is dynamic, it’s snappy, it‘s crackling with energy and creativity. Every punch, every kick, every spit in the eye really feels painful due to how quickly and smoothly it happens; you feel the weight of all of it. Each and every fight has a genius setup and plays further into enhancing how badass every character is. Not to mention the stakes are always high, be it on a physical level of how many people could die in the process or what the fight represents in who is in the right and who is in the wrong. One of the best examples is the fight between Superman and Captain Marvel. The context is Superman thinks Luthor is hiding a sinister motive because he can’t find it in himself to trust him, while Captain Marvel is defending Luthor by saying he believes in the merit of giving people the benefit of the doubt. The physical fight really came down to a difference in ideology and Superman losing sight of who he was. The fights are never random; they always serve the theme of the show greatly and the outcome of them further instills the drama of the subject matter. Going along the same example, Captain Marvel delivers a chilling and biding speech at the end of the episode that gives the conflict a bitter sweet resolution. I love it.

Oh, did I mention it’s all in GLORIOUS frame by frame? Yeah, this is right up there with Avatar: The Last Airbender as some of the most glorious and high quality animation to ever hit the airwaves. The easing, the anticipation, the reaction, the timing, it’s all on point.

3. Great plots, better execution

This show has TONS of iconic episodes and plots, whether they be wholly original or inspired by a comic book plot of the same name (like “The Man Who Has Everything”, the only Alan Moore adaptation approved by the man himself). The conspiracy about Superman murdering president Luthor, the invasion of Darkseid, the dark heart, the hijacking of the annihilator armor, both fights with the android Amazo. I honestly can’t think of a single bad episode of this show. I think the reason this shows stories are so strong are largely due to the reasons I already listed above. They play largely into character interaction which usually perpetuates some sort of central theme of the episode (and in some cases we get a showcase of a one time appearing DC character like Captain Marvel or Deadman). They also showcase well choreographed, well animated action that perfectly compliments the conflict and feels very deliberate. This shows greatest tool however, is how it uses escalating stakes. when making an action oriented show or movie, in order to keep the action truly compelling, you have to make it feel like there is something being lost as a consequence of the action. The reason why so many people don’t like Superman is because they don‘t see the drama in it if they feel like he can never lose. But this show ALWAYS makes sure there is something to be lost like mass destruction, the health of our heroes, sometimes straight up death. Or sometimes the fight results in a greater lesson being learned. The point is, the fights are never inconsequential. Something changes as a result of what has transpired. This seems so blatantly obvious but You’d be surprised how much media just throws a bunch of mindless shit at the wall and thinks it’s engaging because there’s a lot of shit going on and that‘s the only thought you have to give to it. This doesn't just apply to the physical fighting either. Everything that goes on is governed by character decision making, NOT by coincidence or happenstance. It’s such an easy trap to fall into to just have shit happen to people out of nowhere and on any other given day it would have never transpired, but real compelling storytelling happens as a result of who is in control of the situation, not nobody having it. So much of new fiction has an issue of “this guy robbed a bank JUST as Spidey was swinging around one day“ or “they were in a bad trap but luckily Batman had JUST the right gadget for the occasion” and other deus ex machina shit where the only reason the day is saved is basically because the heroes got lucky, but here each and every hero involved actually influences something in this show. It also helps that they made the DCAU more balanced physical wise so that more characters are actually a presentable threat to Superman. Also, though not completely necessary, this show will often reference previous episodes as justification for characters actions which makes for great continuity.

Conclusion:

Justice League and Justice League Unlimited is fantastic for all the same reasons many shows out there are fantastic. It gracefully juggles attention between a diverse set of characters, it perfects the Bruce Timm animation style with crisp and consistent animation and it has high stakes manifested by the characters being in control of the conflict. It certainly isn’t the first to accomplish any of these things, but it IS one of the very few shows ever put out to pull it off just so darn effectively. For those reasons among many others, Justice League is EASILY my personal favorite show of all time. Bruce Timm Himself once said it’s his favorite of his productions because it’s the only one he can go back to and still wholly enjoy every time, and I wholeheartedly agree.

[draconicroyalty]

How does the DMC cast react to Vergil's behavior around Catheryn?

Yes yes yes oh fuck YES

Sidenote: this kinda gets spoilery if you read my fanfic but if you’re okay with that feel free to read this

Dante

So, since the beginning of the day, Dante has been wondering why the fuck is this super tall nonhuman woman in the tower his brother raised and why is she so pissed at him

They have a few brief encounters because she really wants to make it to the top of that thing and how does she do it?

Solving puzzles? Defeating bosses? No, she literally climbs from the outside and slips into one of the openings each time she needs a break because she’s saving all her energy to apparently give his brother the ass-kicking of his life

Poor Dante gets even MORE confused when the lady decides to help them out with defeating the purple jelly

He is extremely amused by the fact her taunts put her in the same level of little shit as he is, so they might get along after all

Now, the weird thing is after his final fight with his brother, Vergil is about to fall off that fucking cliff and Dante reaches for him and gets his palm cut and he is just “this is it, my brother will die” when the mysterious woman suddenly grasps his brother’s arm with all her strength

She’s crying and shaking and yelling at his brother and Vergil looks…kinda of affected for making her cry?? That’s when Dante is just…frozen and wondering what the fuck is their relationship

He means…a simple stranger wouldn’t say she’d fall together with him if he tried to make her let go and wouldn’t declare the names of extremely powerful demons and name the ways she’d annihilate them to his brother, right?

Also, who is this Nero she keeps mentioning???

Basically she forces his brother up and drags him out of that place and Dante and Lady just sort of…watch as this 7′5′‘ft woman lectures a wounded Vergil with wrapping bandages around him and that’s when Dante simply goes “just…what are you to each other?”

Silence

Catheryn says ‘sparring partners’, Vergil mutters ‘enemies’. Both glare at each other. Dante is deeply unamused because, boy, are these two bad at lying

Basically, time passes and Dante notices Vergil isn’t as snappy when Catheryn is nearby

He’s a sarcastic shit, yes, but almost in a…teasing way?

Also, why are they calling each other “Snow” and “Smiley”?? Did…did his brother get a girlfriend or something? Before HE did?

When inquired, tho, Vergil said they were acquaintances, almost friends at the most

Dante be like “UH-UH ACQUAINTANCES DON’T LOOK AT EACH OTHER’S EYES LIKE THAT, MISTER”

Vergil be like “…I CAN’T HEAR YOU”

Basically it doesn’t take Dante much longer to figure out his brother might or not have feelings for the amazing tall lady and oh god that’s when the teasing begins

Each time Catheryn leaves DMC after it is rebuilt, Dante grasps his phone and plays “Every Time We Touch” or “Accidentally In Love” and then runs away from Vergil wielding Yamato

He’s so much of a little shit he just..stares and grins from his desk each time Vergil is texting Catheryn and oh, how does he know it’s her?? She’s basically his only contact aside from him. Plus, his messages certainly wouldn’t make his brother shake his head fondly like that

So, Dante just…acts like a regular younger brother as soon as he notices Vergil’s behavior towards Catheryn because his brother??? smiling and looking almost endearingly at someone??? he just wished they’d get on with it faster. smfh.

Lady/Mary

The first time she saw Catheryn, she was climbing an enormous demonic tower with nothing but her bare hands under heavy rain so…yeah, even her stubborn and adventurous spirit told her that was one she shouldn’t be messing with

Lady also happened to meet Vergil for the first time in that tower and, even though he wasn’t her main concern, it was easily noticeable that he wasn’t a people person

Sincerely, she wondered if he was aware of how much he frowned

After killing her father, Lady stayed put until the guy she had shot earlier, his brother and the woman literally jumped out of that weirdass realm where they were fighting she assumed

Dante promptly asked her if she wanted to work at DMC with them and, well, having nowhere else to go, she accepted

Now, it wasn’t necessary a genius to notice the older woman was treated differently by the blue twin

One would think that after years away from his brother he’d be more than excited about bounding but his attention was, either he liked or not, on Catheryn

Lady couldn’t really blame him, she had been with her eyes fixated on the other ever since day one because it’s not everyday a dragon lady comes to rescue the evil twin’s ass

When talking with her, Vergil wasn’t exactly rude, but he could certainly use some manners and less mean comments

When talking with Catheryn, though, it was just…friendly, mutual teasing almost.

Then there was the intimacy

Vergil barely allowed his brother to touch him, but Catheryn would mess up his hair, suddenly wrap her arm around his shoulders, hug him or even just use him as a pillow for a quick nap and even though Vergil complained a lot, he never seemed to ask her to stop or snap at her

Soon enough, both Lady and Dante had noticed that mister frowny face seemed to have been bitten by a certain bug

One day Lady even whispered ‘Didn’t know he had a thing for women stronger than him’ to Dante and dodged quick enough for Vergil to miss the pillow he had thrown

Having Catheryn over eventually started being something very desired by Lady herself because: Calmer Vergil, ladies night out and good movies to watch since she insisted on bringing them

While Lady isn’t as much of a little shit as Dante, she can’t avoid the elbow nudges and the knowing looks each time they catch a glimpse of a smile after Catheryn turns her back to Vergil

Once both her and Dante came back to DMC after a job and they found Vergil and Catheryn on the couch, sleeping

They took at least 15 pics of that…from various angles

Trish

Now, Trish wasn’t really sure about what the hell was Dante’s fuss about

After getting out from that goddamn Island and introducing her to the rest of the DMC crew, she just thought Vergil’s behavior was completely normal

Until Catheryn had to go away for the weekend and he started being a snappy, moody asshole

She was surprised when Lady told her he was way better than a couple years ago because?? he was WORSE???

Always locked away in his own office, which was one of his conditions to work there with them, reading old books and studying until his eyes fell off

Trish found herself commenting on how much she wanted Catheryn back, even though she barely knew her

And she did come back days later and it was like a goddamn breeze of fresh air

“Vergil, stop frowning” “Vergil, you need some sunlight” “Come on, Snow, you gotta eat somethin’“ “No, I am not leaving until you agree on going out at least for a couple hours”

Catheryn’s nagging was MUSIC to Dante, Lady and Trish

That lady certainly had no hint of fear in her, because each time she’d lecture him about something, his glare seemed capable of freezing all Hell

There was this time Dante told Catheryn that his brother had been studying since the last night without eating anything and they just observed as, easily, she picked Vergil up and calmly said “We’re getting you breakfast”

And, incredibly, he would NEVER stay mad at her for long

Sure, he hated being lectured and treated like a child but as the woman herself said “I’m going to treat you like a goddamn child until you stop behaving like one!”

After struggling or muttering curses under his breath, he’d always comply. Much to everyone’s relief, because his schedule certainly wasn’t healthy

Being used to seeing the blue twin moody, sometimes even in Catheryn’s presence, Trish just found herself flabbergasted during one of her walks with Lady

They had gone out for shopping and were returning home, commenting on something Dante pulled off during their last job when Trish suddenly froze

Lady was just “wtf you doing?” until Trish pointed and hOLY SH-

Name something they were not expecting to see

Certainly not Catheryn and Vergil sitting in front of each other ordering stuff and talking…excitedly???

VERGIL WAS SMILING?

What kind of alternative universe bullshit was that?

Lady and Trish literally only had time for one pic before getting the fuck out to show Dante because he HAD to see it

Either she noticed or not, Trish ended up as enthusiastic as Lady and Dante in the whole “Vergil with feelings” thing

Nero

Okay this boy was immediately like “something’s up”

Because yeah okay my biological father is here and he is very intimate with this lady who is also white-haired and packs a good punch and wHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE ISN’T MY MOM?

Seriously, our angry boy is just…very confuzzled

Like, he is not dumb, he knows that’s the same lady who has been watching over him from afar ever since he was young and she seems to care a lot about him and they’re trying to tell him they ain’t related?

Nero, probably, to Dante: what do you mean they aREN’T EVEN DATING YET???

Cue distressed Nero gesturing wildly at their interactions and the intimacy and the PETNAMES

Significant annoyance?? Snow? Samurai? Smiley? Insufferable woman??

Nero.exe has stopped working

He rapidly notices how fucking dense his father is because they’re VERY obviously in love with each other

So, he just adopts Catheryn as his mother. Literally.

Nero simply goes “she’s my mom now” and Cathy seemed cool with it, much to Vergil’s displeasure because “we aren’t together, she can’t be your mother”

“well tOO BAD”

Nero’s reaction to the whole thing is way more aggressive than Trish’s or Lady’s or even Dante’s

Each time Vergil is alone with him he just goes “so, when are you marryin’ her?” without a fucking hint of sarcasm while staring at his father

You’d think that after 20 years Vergil would be aware of his own feelings but N O P E

At most he just started denying them more

Nero is…tired, tbh

Talks with Dante about this, Dante just “we gonna be old men with long beards by the time these two get on with it, kiddo”

Basically these guys are all so tired, please someone slap Vergil and tell him his feelings aren’t just platonic.

[lunafeather]

judeehopps replied to your post “If anyone else has seen The Last Jedi already and wants to discuss,...”

I’m curious about what you think. What did you think of it? I have mixed feelings...

Overall I enjoyed it a lot, but it did have a lot of issues. I think I liked The Force Awakens a lot more, so I’m glad that JJ Abrams will be directing Episode IX and not Rian Johnson, though obviously Abrams isn’t perfect. This film also continues Star Wars’ penchant for gorgeousness; so many scenes and shots were absolutely breathtaking in their beauty. This might be my favorite film when it comes to that.

Spoilers below the cut! (Also, fair warning! I have a lot of thoughts)

I wasn’t a fan of the limited interactions between our main trio, especially Finn and Rey -- whose relationship literally drives the narrative of this trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, that hug at the end literally made me squeal with joy it was so pure and sweet, but that is seriously all we got and like??? I DO ship Finnrey but I also just enjoy watching their friendship so this was a major downside.

Speaking of ships, I am VERY anti Rose/Finn. I feel like the kiss at the end of the film was incredibly forced and awkward, and came out of nowhere. They have okay chemistry, but I didn’t get a romantic vibe from them at all, so for her to swoop in with this huge romantic gesture and pull out the “I love you” before passing out was very out of place. I feel like they barely know each other, and Rose’s feelings are heavily impacted by her initial view of Finn as this Rebel Hero, and that her jump from awe to fury to love is just a natural progression of her fangirling, and not actual love. Not to mention the fact that Finn literally just froze when she kissed him, it wasn’t reciprocated at all. I hope that they have an adorable “WOW that was awkward” moment in the next film but that they remain friends only.

I really enjoyed Rey’s arc over the film. I think she is more powerful than we realize and I really hope we get to see that power as she trains to be an actual jedi (I’m sure we will). I also really enjoy her parallel’s to Luke in that she is insistent that Kylo can be turned and tries to sway him against her mentor’s wishes, that she is just SO GOOD inside (I, like others, was afraid they may try to tease her switching to the dark side, but I’m glad this film just reiterated how good she is), but I also love that where Luke succeeded, Rey did not. I think it would be very predictable and boring for Rey to “save” Kylo the way Luke “saved” Vader.

Branching off of that, the trailers had a lot of people spouting that whole, “ohhh this is just another copy cat/rehash of Empire, just like TFA was identical to ANH” (which is bullshit anyway, TFA had many homages to ANH but the story was different in a few key ways) crap that I am glad was destroyed immediately. All this chatter about the AT-ATs and the rebels trying to escape a base and Degobah and blah blah blah. None of it was founded, the film was actually VERY different from ESB. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.... but I digress.

I am a tad miffed that Finn’s force sensitivity wasn’t touched on AT ALL. As far as I’m aware, someone has to be force sensitive to use a lightsaber and Finn used Luke’s at the end of TFA. I hope they touch back on that in Episode IX.

A big thing I am distressed about is the fact that one of the original trio is basically going to be killed off in each film. Han in TFA, now Luke in TLJ, and obviously Leia will need to be killed off in Episode IX... It’s really fucking depressing. Part of me hopes that they will write IX in a way that Leia doesn’t need to die but never appears on screen -- I feel like of the three, she would be the one to survive. It’s possible, narratively, but I doubt they’ll do that. Still.... Also, seeing as Luke became one with the force or whatever, I feel like he will train Rey from beyond, the same way Obiwan often advised him after his death. So maybe we’ll at least have that.

Upon further reflection, I feel like the Casino excursion was very misplaced and unneeded. It was hectic and rushed and urgent, the whole movie was, and I wasn’t a huge fan of that. Star Wars movies ebb and flow with their pace, usually taking place over a moderate amount of time, but obviously this film had a very short time span and I gotta say, I’m not digging it. I prefer the story building, character building pace of the other films.

Humor was out of place a lot of times. The other movies were funny, yes, but the humor in this one was much too....modern? Even in TFA the humor was more classic, in this film it was annoyingly snappy. I really hated the opening scene and its “joke” with Poe pretending he couldn’t hear Hux. Hux should be scary and looming and menacing but that scene just made a fool out of him, and for that to be the OPENING scene is just.... no. Turned me off immediately. Some of the humor was spot on, like Chewie being watched by the family/friends of the bird thing he was trying to eat. THAT was good. Even Rey knocking that giant piece of rock over the cliff and annihilating those aliens’ cart of stuff was good. But most of the other humor was off.

My favorite moment/shot, and I’m sure it’s a lot of people’s, was Holdo hyperspacing into Snoke’s ship. Everything about that was GLORIOUS. The quick burst shots of the lightning blue spikes cracking the ship, the DEAD SILENCE -- no music, no sound effects, nothing -- until the delayed noise of the explosion, I was AWED. The ENTIRE THEATRE gasped and then hushed in the same awed silence as myself. What an amazing idea and execution.

Other favorite shots, Kylo and Luke standing on opposite sides of the screen, waiting to battle -- the colors and composition were beautiful. Crap, there are more but I can’t remember them now.

Mother fucking LEIA ORGANA, using the force to survive being blown into space. SHE DID THAT, Y’ALL. Do you have any idea how powerful she has to be to do that kind of shit??? I seriously thought they were gonna kill her off.

Luke Skywalker being a sassy shit during his astral projection gave me so much life. I love him.

I’ve seen a lot of disparaging comments about Yoda showing up but I actually liked that bit. I think it was one of the times when the humor was on point, and they had to have used a puppet because he looked great.

After a lot of discussion with my ex, we came to the conclusion that Leia must have known Luke wasn’t really there at the old rebel base. Initially I thought it was a vision/wonder twin connection like Kylo and Rey were having (which..... wtf???? Why was that happening? Could it not?) but then everyone else saw him so.... still, I think Leia knew it wasn’t really him. I think that’s why she didn’t touch him/hug him -- because they are VERY huggy twins -- and why she left Han’s dice behind. I think she knew she wouldn’t see him again, which breaks my heart. Because how alone is Leia now? She lost the love of her life, she lost her son, she lost her brother. Ughhhh.

So yeah, this stupid “connection” between Rey and Kylo the film was trying to force on us just.... irked me. I have heard that R*ylos are fangirling over the movie, which boggles my mind because Rey literally hates his guts?? She was disgusted by his naked chest and demanded he clothe himself?? She literally tried to save him because she’s a good person, not because he’s ever done anything to deserve it or because there’s some kind of “love connection” there?? He fucking mind raped her, guys. He almost killed the first person to ever COME BACK FOR HER. (again, why did this movie focus on the Rey/Kylo shit when there is a goldmine with Rey/Finn??????) Oh he’s also a fucking pyscho murderous asshole who killed Rey’s friend and hero in cold blood.

Anyway.

Snoke as a villain: Disappointing. Boring. Anticlimactic. I pity that we didn’t get backstory on him, though I suppose we never got any for the Emperor until the prequels. Still.... Snoke was a very thin and half assed master villain. Shouldn’t there be waaaaaaaaay more lore about the Knights of Ren? Is that going to come into play in Episode IX, seeing as Kylo is now the Supreme Leader? Also, how the fuck am I supposed to take Kylo seriously as the next major villain when he continues to throw temper tantrums and be easily manipulated by outside forces?

On that note, did he choose to spare Leia because of that conflict inside of him, or did Leia force sense him and mind influence him to not shoot?? WE’LL NEVER KNOW.

Second to last point: Not enough Chewie.

Final point: I liked the examination of perspective. Luke’s story of what happened the night Kylo went crazy, Kylo’s story, and finally the truth. How we twist things to feel better/to get what we want. How every story is biased. I thought that was neat.

I lied, one last thing: I am on the fence but leaning towards hating Rey’s parents being “nobodys”. I think it’s an interesting choice but not one that lends anything to the narrative. I think the hype around her parentage was stoked just so they could say, “HAHA she actually isn’t anyone special, you were speculating for nothing!”. Speculating is fun. Bloodlines are fun. Let nerds discuss! A big part of me hopes that Kylo was lying to Rey to make her more upset and thus “more likely” to swing to the dark side. To encourage her fear that she really was abandoned for no reason. BUT it would also be unique to have her be so special despite coming from nothing.

Alright, I’m done. I may think of more but that’s it for now. My rating would probably be like.... 6.5/10. In the top 5 but not the top 4. Enjoyable and beautiful but nothing special and a let down in regards to story and character development.