Retro Reviews & More

STAR WARS Continuity Theories After reviewing all three trilogies (start here ), the timing is right for this post. To date, the Star Wars franchise includes eleven live action films, one animated film, and several  animated and live action  television series, each consisting of a number of seasons ranging from one to seven. These make up the canon Disney established shortly after acquiring of LucasFilm in 2012  and have created  since. With such a large volume spanning nearly five decades (and more to come), there are bound to be some instances of broken and questionable continuity. The six original George Lucas-era films have particularly been the source of much internal debate and shared what if's and could be's for anyone that would listen and the genesis of my proclivity to form film theories. Before I get into it, a couple of things to note: 1. If any explanation has been offered in media outside the films and series, I am not considering these because the main...

STAR WARS A +/- Review of the Sequel Trilogy When Disney acquired LucasFilm and simultaneously announced the production of a trilogy of films to follow the events of Return of the Jedi , my reaction is best described as mixed. After completion of these films, that descriptor has not changed. The initial one might also have been called cautiously hopeful and that with each teaser and trailer, but in the end, my opinion has settled into recklessly apathetic. Regardless, as a rule, I have attempted to be careful for the purpose of this review to not play "they should have" with major points with the exception of timing and presentation. Also, I am unsure if their cohesiveness is actually the least or modern sensibilities have set that bar so high it just seems that way. The trilogy does contain several good visuals, some that do contribute in other ways, but none are discussed below. [Legend: OT: Original Trilogy, PT: Prequel Trilogy, ST: Sequel Trilogy, ANH : A New Hope , TESB ...

STAR WARS A +/- Review of the Prequel Trilogy The prequel trilogy has never deserved the hate it received initially. A goodly portion of the fan criticism has been those who were nearing middle age and expecting a film to make them feel like a kid of the late 70s/early 80s again. This change in the tide is because those that were younger when they were released have become a stronger voice in support of them as they are now adults themselves. Regardless of how one feels about them, it cannot be denied they are the most cohesive with each other, if only by default. Coincidentally, it does cause some fairly minor continuity issues with the Original Trilogy. It is also worth noting at this point, because the temptation may be present to do so, that a "+" cannot be merely visual and must contribute in other ways. [Legend: OT: Original Trilogy, PT: Prequel Trilogy, ST: Sequel Trilogy, ANH : A New Hope , TESB : The Empire Strikes Back , ROTJ : Return of the Jedi , TPM : The Phantom...

STAR WARS   A +/- Review of the Original Trilogy So...I have experienced a renewal in interest in Star Wars . Blame it on somewhat recently acquired access to be able to replay the best Star Wars video game ever made, Knights of the Old Republic , not to mention its sequel and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga . (We got a Nintendo Switch after I sold off my fairly extensive game libraries for my NES and SNES, the consoles, etc., and this may explain why my blog posts have become much less frequent :D) That latter game covers all three film trilogies with a completely different take on the material it shares with its predecessors, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens , which brings us to the subject of the day. Inspired to rewatch the films ( for the countless time for all but the sequel trilogy), I have also endeavored to review each trilogy at a time in the +/- format I previously used for Terminator : The Threequels . One thing that has always ...

Welcome to the second edition of "Into the Fray." A quick reminder of how this goes: Using set criteria, I evaluate films, as an example, to declare a winner in a specific topic. One set of criteria is used to pick contenders and another to grade them, with inevitable overlap. I will write brief passages for each contender in each grading criterium followed by a score, and end with an overall score. To get a better idea, click here to read the first edition about sequels . Into the Fray: Trilogies Why a trilogy? Sometimes it is an opportunity to tell a story that will not fit in one film, and these are usually planned, e.g., The Lord of the Rings , The Dark Knight , etc. But, sometimes a first film is successful, and there is enough of a desire to experience that world again, even though it's not quite the same. The number of sequels end up making a trilogy, and that is the subject matter for today. To choose contenders, the trilogy had to have started with a standalone...