TAKING A LOOK BACK AT J. J. ABRAMS' "SUPER 8"

🎥🎞️Movie Review🎞️🎥 - SUPER 8 [2011] - Amazon Prime - Directed and written by J. J. Abrams. Stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, and Ron Eldard. Produced by J. J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Bryan Burk.

Strange things are afoot in a small town in Ohio during the summer of 1979.  First, there was a train derailment that was witnessed by a bunch of teens shooting an indie movie; then there were some power outages, large machinery was stolen, and all of the dogs in the local county went missing. Making things seem worse, the derailed train was owned by the U.S. Air Force and suddenly a large fire threatens the lives of everyone in the small town, forcing an immediate evacuation. What could be the cause? Are aliens involved?...watch the movie and fall into the dark spell of intrigue that only Abrams can bring to life with his trademark lens flairs and quick action film formats, that seem to dazzle the new breed of action seeking viewers around the world.

But honestly, SUPER 8 had a lot of potential when it was first released. The train derailment alone was a masterful piece of action and surprise, completely not expected when I first saw the movie in the theaters. The entire theater was aghast with the energy from the crash, that I witnessed everyone look about the theater wondering how such an event was produced on camera. After that, the innocence of the film lost its luster and the magic of film making just tanked into a world of never ending stupidity, which Abrams' has learned to sell to the big wigs in Hollywood, but not the fans that watch his movies. Using an old 80's format, something that he admitted to in interviews, as a large aliens full appearance was kept out of camera until the third act of the film, something that Steven Spielberg did in JAWS [1975] while he was waiting for the practical effects machine to be put together and work properly. Once the new CGI monster was revealed, and it was huge and ugly, the total embodiment of a large beast turned out to have the heart of a smaller ET monster.

THE GOOD - The story arc with the teens was the best part of the film. The character development between the six teens was well scripted and developed for the film; I actually began to give a shit about what was going on around them and the way their parents treated them. The visual effects and sound were pristine and some of the camera angles were filled with epic little wide screen shots.

THE BAD - Oh my God is the film filled with some really bad technical crap and lens flair galore! Abrams, known to prove that he has little knowledge about how the military actually works, goes off the rails in this movie. Nothing is ever explained, and this claim that "the little box with a secret" is a hallmark to his writing ethic, just falls apart at every little attempt to show the "dark side" of the military and how officers and soldier act and carry out their duties without any regard for civilians. There's a chaotic scene in the fourth act of the film where tanks are firing, missiles are flying, and machine guns are shooting off all on their own, with the help of the aliens control over machinery...??? The alien never seemed to have presented this ability before, such as shutting off cars, buses, or anything else; just that this was happening in the fourth act in a "wouldn't this be cool" segment of the film. It was totally silly and the film suffers a lackluster ending because of it. Abrams continual use of his "nothing education" about how things actually work, is so evident in this film. How he was chosen to lead the new Star Trek movies is beyond comprehension, especially in a SciFi universe that demands to present how things work. No wonder why he felt more at home directing and writing the last of the George Lucas Star Wars trilogy, where nothing needs to be explained.

POST MORTEM - The 80% of SUPER 8 that totally got wrecked by Abrams continual bad writing bullshit was actually saved by a short zombie movie that was being produced by the teens in the film. I remember sticking around through the end credits when the film suddenly presented the teens finished film in it's entirety. That small film was a total gem and something that should have been a larger staple in the film. For all of the work the veteran actors put in the film, it suffered horribly and could have been a major part in bringing a more heart worthy appearance in the film early on, proving that maturity is the best medicine for any horrifying event to bring a town together, than just tear it apart. Showing that at the beginning or middle of the film would have been "mint!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [3.5 out of 5 Stars]

STAR WARS “TALES OF THE JEDI” ANIMATED SERIES PROVES AGAIN THAT THE "CLONE WARS" IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS

🎥🎞Series Review🎞🎥 – STAR WARS “TALES OF THE JEDI” [2022] – Disney + - [PG] – I raised my sons with the belief of the constant fight between good and evil. The best instrument to showcase as an example of this battle was their introduction into the Star Wars Universe. As the years passed, I watched their excitement grow with each new addition to the episodic movies. And even today, they watch the same movie and series with excitement and awe. it seems that over the years, Disney has done it's best to present 'back stories" to the Star Wars Universe. The newest release of the animated Star Wars Universe is definitely a refreshing star studded production with plotlines and stories that fill in all of the important gaps to one of the most complex and action packed franchises within the George Lucas Star Wars [SW] franchise. This newest extension to the Star Wars [SW] Universe, Tales of the Jedi was superbly produced, written in the darkest nature to present the mysterious world of the Jedi order and why certain characters chose a different path from that of Luke Skywalker.

What stands out first is the breathtaking change in the computer graphics used in both the main characters and the details with the clothing, hair, and star ship designs that are the bread and butter of the entire series. We’ve watched the show grow over the years, adapting to newer technologies and graphic artist to help build the production to a higher plateau in each new addition which was released and presented to the fans that are always salivating to see more. With the previous seasons of the SW Clone Wars, I was hoping that not too much would change, and it didn’t…it got better!

The directing and storyboarding to the new release were nothing short of brilliant! Different directors guided the production teams to present some of the best storytelling to the episodes. There are some breathtaking scenes filled with drama and suspense, plus the addition of having the Sith “tell their tale” was also a most refreshing way to build the dramatic momentum. There wasn’t too much of soft details to slow the story down, only the facts; and the facts to the stories gives each episode something more to crave. The writing teams thought this stuff out and they certainly didn’t focus on fluff to drag you along.

The top tier best of the series was the last episode that solely focuses on the fate of Ahsoka Tano. Within the SW Clone War universe, she’s become a fan favorite and this series ties her in with events that lead up to SW IV - A New Hope. The new graphic details help Ahsoka share her frustrations with having to show emotion during critical times in each episode. In a way, she is still trying to find out about herself, but is reluctantly force to chose the life of a “Jedi in hiding” as she is still being hunted down by the darker forces of the Dark Side of the Force. Her actions in this series only goes to prove that the spirit of fighting for good are rooted deep in her blood and she will never turn her back to what is right. She is a great character, and she demands a strong spotlight, which Disney has done again perfectly.

I highly recommend that EVERY SW fan watches this series and even does a little back tracking on older seasons of the Clone War series to see how the new insights to training and abilities, help prepare certain characters in handling some tough situations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [5 of 5 Stars]

OBIWAN KENOBI PRESENTS A THRILLING PREQUEL MINI-SERIES!

🎥 🎞 Series Review 🎞 🎥 - OBIWAN KENOBI - Disney+ - SPOILER FREE! After a year of speculation and fan film menageries, this series was streamed on DISNEY and presented a huge a surprise towards STAR WARS canon. The perfect part of this series, is that the plot and storyline starts off right where the first three prequels to the SW franchise left fans thinking, "Oh man, what happened afterwards!?" - And I'm sure that George Lucas was wondering the same thing.

The director and writers of the 6 part mini-series made the right decision, first to ensure that they were able to cast Ewan McGregor to replay the role of Kenobi [or "Old Ben"]. Without McGregor this entire series would have never worked. I can only imaging the long term damage that cold have been produced if the role of the infamous Sci-Fi character was played by some new comer. The best news for the entire production team is that McGregor was a big fan of the series and didn't hesitate to return to complete the pre-series of one of his most popular movie roles.

The second best decision was also bringing Hayden Christensen to the production to replay his role as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. This decision would also bolster the epic quality of the series prior to the commencement of production. When this news hit the web, SW fans surely lost their minds and many people sat at the edge of their seats waiting for any news updates concerning the pairing of these two big actors.

What fans will really like about the series - The best part is the quality of the CGI which is used throughout the production of the series. There is a stead used of both practical effects and blue screen CGI. The style of the CGI is in line with the special effects used in SW I, II, and III. The plot and storyline definitely gives some insight to events leading up to SW IV. The flow of the series is steady, leading up to a climactic battle between Kenobi and Darth Vader.

What some fans will not like about he series - The first three episode depict a Kenobi who is not only struggling with the fact that his kind [the Jedi] are being hunted down by Vader, but that he killed his best friend [and Padowan] at the end of SW III. This struggle forces Kenobi to distance himself from his abilities and presents a weaker, less talented warrior who we have been exposed to in both movies and animated series.

But the truth is - This series is EPIC!...The slow start doesn't last long, is filled with a solid back story, strong character development, and the excitement and drama build up to a climactic battle that can only be described to you as TOTALLY BADASS!

The mini-series is wide open for a second season. I'm sure that both McGregor and Christensen are going to enjoy the extended opportunity to keep fans excited about what to expect next season...and enjoy continued employment! - This fan was extremely pleased with what was produced!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ [5 of 5 Stars]

BAD BATCH SLUMPS WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT

🎥 🎞 Series Review 🎞 🎥 - BAD BATCH - Disney + - This series certainly jumped out of the gate with an impressive start, but began to immediately plummet once a new character, named Omega, entered the series, aimed for younger audiences maybe?- and that little ingredient dropped the entire plot and story elements of the show into a needless circle of “mysterious plot lines” that have just gotten more boring after each passing episode. Quite honestly, this once awesome series has become too predictable to watch and sometimes too incredible to accept as magnificent.

The mere thought that these “trash” clones had to fight to survive, then finding themselves as outcasts, then looking for jobs to sustain ships supplies and food for the team, is now concentrated on babysitting a "new clone" whose increased naive tendencies leads the premise of every new episode. I’m not 100% sure if the writers have completely loss track of what’s important in screenplay and delivery in character development, as it’s obvious to see that Omega has no development than just to say that she’s in the way ALL the time, or they just lost track of what was important to tell about what the Bad Batch is all about.

There are some kudos to pass out in the action sequences, but all designs in trying to enforce that this series is a credible representation of “things to come” are just flushed down a deep toilet when the direction of the sequences turns to what Omega is doing, or being unable to do. There are lots of sad faced looks that Omega presents after each new failure, that happens all the time.

This series is turning to be just another waste of time in the recent “once a good idea” department of Disney’s new push to restore Star Wars to its much damaged fairy-tale legacy. ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 [2.5 of 5 Stars]

MOVIE REVIEW - STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE

STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE - [PG13] is definitely one of the BEST SciFi movies I've seen in quite a while! I was given a special preview about a week ago and I was COMPLETELY blown away by the original story, visual effects, and take on making a prequel to the original trilogy, parts 4, 5, and 6. 

This was NOT a J.J. Abrams disaster tale, filled full of useless nostalgia and recycled old actors; this film has class, style and best of all, a strong story arc which will lead to a sequel and possibly a better angled trilogy (???). Targeted with brilliant new actors and very little swiping from one scene to another, SWRO surely brings eloquently detailed filmmaking back to the big screen...well, I saw it on the screen I have at home. There is something NOT Star Wars about it though, don't expect to see anything far too familiar with the storytelling, save the ships and technology which have become the staple of the franchise. There are certainly darker plotlines and a hopeless trail of intrigue that damages the certain eventual fate of the characters that are developed in the film.

Darth Vader is as menacing with his words as he is in stature in this film, a poignant delight for older SW fans. There is nothing "empty to see" about him, save the movie reinforces the diabolical side of the empire and what Vader does to seduce a more promising future for the Empire.

On a final note, there was something more "punching in the gut" about this film than "Force Awakens"; with likeable developed characters and a mission I really cared about, seeing them through to the end...kind of. A much-much better film with a convincing story adaptation ELEMENTS that should have been adhered to with SW VII. 

☆☆☆☆ [4 of 5 Stars]