Tag: Star Wars

‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ lifts our spirits just enough

Jeff Mitchell

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” – When “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017) reached theatres two years ago, sharks chewed over the head scratching decisions that found their way on screen.  Well, some sharks anyway, or at a minimum, this one. Director Rian Johnson’s venture into the iconic series took some strange, nonsensical turns. For instance, why did Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) sacrifice herself by ramming her ship into a First Order Star Destroyer, when about 50 droids onboard could have done the job instead? Why did Luke…

Indifference is the one word to describe ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’

Jeff Mitchell

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” – The Star Wars universe obviously centers around the Skywalker family, and during Episodes IV through VI, Luke was anointed the main protagonist.   His personal Shakespearean journey is the largest thread in the original films’ tapestry, and millions and millions – and perhaps, billions – of kids welded PVC pipes, wooden sticks and purchased plastic lightsabers to emulate Luke Skywalker. On the other hand, if one took an informal poll of Star Wars fans, more boys, young men and grown men would probably want to…

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ carries visual thrills and missed opportunities

Jeff Mitchell

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” – The marketing department behind the Star Wars franchise must be brilliant.  With billions of dollars in tickets sold over eight films (including “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016)), hired advertising suits certainly know the cinematic beats that will attract their audience.  On the other hand, Star Wars probably does not need a marketing department at all, because after George Lucas’s visionary masterstroke arrived in 1977, fans bought into his wondrous space opera and the films that followed, and rightfully so! Well, as writer/director…