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The Last Jedi has some serious problems

12/17/2017

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the only thing people are talking about this weekend but it's having an unusual effect on viewers. While the film was projected to make over 440 million this weekend and it looks like it will actually achieve that by the end of the box office totals for today, the movie has an unusually low audience score. According to aggregate website, Rottentomatoes, the latest Star Wars film has a low 56% audience score. This is surprising considering the loyal fanbase associated with the series and put its far lower than anyone would have guessed but I have a few reasons as to why. (Full on SPOILERS ahead, read at your own risk)

- Disney chose to switch directors from JJ Abrams to Rian Johnson, and there is more than just tonal changes. It seems as if a lot of fans did not enjoy the amount of jokes in this film, likening it more to a Marvel film than a traditional film. It was also full of unexpected twist and turns that don't necessarily feel like it was of the Force Awakens. Also, a long portion of the film follows an old sea warfare trope, with a stranded ship waiting it's impending doom and having a sacrificial hero. The middle leg of the film drags on pretty substantially and it doesn't really recover until the last half hour of the film. There is also the interjection of the casino scene, which has seemed to be a source of criticism among fans for feeling like a waist of exposition. Granted, it was more fun than it was important to the story and it ultimately does pan out into the film, it was probably slightly longer than it should have been. (Alternatively, the ending ties in with this scene so it was important). This all leads me to my next point.

- As far as the fans were concerned, we were all under the impression that we would see more of the minor characters and the movie really didn't go in that direction. While we got the inclusion of Laura Dern's Captain Holdo and new-comer Kelly Marie Tran's Rose, Maz and Captain Phasma again got the short straw. Maz's appearance felt more like Disney saying "we still have this academy award winning actress" than actually giving her a role. Instead, she is a simple plot device that relays information about the whereabouts of the "codebreaker," makes a joke, and vanishes. While she is in the midst of some kind of conflict, that seems to be the think of it and then she is not seen again. Also, Captain Phasma who was shown in multiple trailers, has one battle scene of John Boyega's Finn, before she gets her helmet cracked and falls into the firey depths below and exploding hangar. While she might not be dead, it's kind of lame that she's been reduced to the commanding Storm Trooper who just pops in now and then, calls Finn a traitor, and vanishes. While she can totally return from the dead (for a second time) there is no indication that Gwendolyn Christie will reprise the role in the next Star Wars film so this is just another great character that Star Wars wasted.

- Speaking of controversial deaths, nothing was more shocking then (redacted, we will get to that at the end) General Snokes death. Again, why tease so heavily a character just to have him die? If anything, this is where it feels as if the difference between Johnson and Abrams directing style really comes in. From the Force Awakens, it really seemed that Snoke was going to be a very prominent villain in the franchise, only to be cut down in what was one of the better scenes of The Last Jedi. Unfortunately, we don't know a thing about him. Where he's from, why he is so horribly disfigured, and plenty of other questions. While we might find this information out in the final film, it also might not matter because, like previously stated, he was cut in half. Inversely, maybe they will surprise us and say it was a really good force projection. Skywalker managed to do this so maybe its plausible. His return could also be indicated by the fact that he connects Ren and Kylo through the force and they do it one more time towards the end of the film after Snokes death. Who knows though, who knows.

- Which brings me to the next point, the Jedi himself, Luke Skywalker. Filled with jokes and pessimism, Skywalker seems to be the focal point of most fans complaints and considering what the film pulled at the end, it's not all that shocking. Skywalker surrendering himself to the force and presumably gesturing towards a new generation of Jedi is meant to be poetic but it seems as if it was the last thing long time fans wanted to see. While I'm sure he will return in some capacity in the final film (to guide Rey or something) it looks like Hamill's run is finished and considering Harrison Ford is gone, and the tragic loss of the late Carrie Fisher, the original heroes have all left the franchise in one form or another. While a lot of people complained about the move, I found it reasonable, given their ages as the main factor. Regardless, Hamill's performance is fantastic and he is one of the best parts of the film (although, we all expected that to happen).

- While we're speaking about surprises, lets talk about the twist in the film the biggest being the force child at the end scene. In the casino scene, Rose shows a resistance ring to a young orphan boy who later shows it to the camera after force pulling a broom to him and posing with it like a light saber while staring off into the stars. The scene was nothing short of shocking but it fits the narrative of a jedi hero coming from nothing. It will be really interesting to see if the third movie will address this at all, or if that was just a fun nod to a generation yet to come.

- Also, during the scene in which Luke lies about his fated final night with Kylo Ren, he makes a startling omission, stating that Kylo took off with a handful of his students and slaughtered the rest. This is potentially the biggest revelation in the film. That means that there are other Jedi who have been trained by Luke and could still be alive and one thing that this trilogy is lacking, is Jedi. With any hope, we will get some answers about whether or not they are alive and out in the galaxy far, far away or if Kylo eventually slaughtered them too.

All in all, I had a pretty fun time but I can see some of the obvious issues with the story. Guess we will just have to sit tight and wait for Episode 9 to figure out everything and hopefully get some of these questions answered.
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Lets talk: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

12/14/2017

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Out of respect for those who have yet to see the movie, I'm going to try and keep the spoilers a minimal as possible so lets talk about the latest Star Wars film. Far as the movie itself, I thought it was fantastic although, less action than audiences were lead to believe. It drags in the middle like all blockbusters but easily has one of the years best opening sequences and a handful of others that are just jaw droppingly gorgeous. Of the many great things Rian Johnson managed to do with the film, a one thing in particular really killed me and it was the lack of role of Captain Phasma. The heavily marketed storm trooper commander portrayed by Gwendoline Christie, again gets extremely limited screen time (SPOILERS) only to meet an untimely demise but if the first film is any indication than nothing is permanent. Rose is a great addition and you'll love her even before her first scene on the screen. General Hux actually gets fleshed out this time around and is slowly emerging as a character one would be interested in. The Last Jedi has a lot of twist and surprises and they weren't afraid to play with the audiences emotions, especially with the late Carrie Fisher. I'll get more into detail after the weekend but these are just some quick thoughts. It is easily one of the best films you can check out this holiday season and it is certainly a step up from The Force Awakens (which I didn't think was that bad but apparently people don't like so, meh what can you do?).
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Disney purchases Fox assets for 52.4 billion

12/14/2017

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It's very early in the morning here on the east coast and it appears after weeks of speculation, the rumors have come true. Disney has purchased Fox in a historic media merger deal for 52.4 billion. This includes all of Fox's TV and movie studios, cable networks like FX, and international TV businesses. Several smaller properties and Fox news and Business channels will be spun off however, but Disney has just acquired basically every well known Fox entity. This includes the rights to the X-men film franchise, the upcoming Avatar sequels, Deadpool, and long time animate series The Simpsons. While it looks like the deal will happen over the course of two years, this definitely puts Disney in the position to expand their growth into the TV field and not being limited by their own Networks like The Disney Channel and Disney XD. It will be interesting to see how they will handle the more edgy an R-rated films that Fox has done over the years, as well as the many films Fox had in development. Looks like we are just going to have to wait and see but this is a major move for a company that about to crush the 2017 box office with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi across the country this evening.
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Ni No Kuni 2 hit with a second delay

12/12/2017

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Bandai Namco has some bad news for Ni No Kuni fans tonight. After a few silent months, the studio has announced that the highly anticipated sequel will be delayed a second time, moving it's release date from January to March. The game was already delayed from an unspecified release date in November of his year before being moved to January. The reason is to ensure the game meets quality standards and to fine tune some new features including kingdom building and a skirmish game mode. Honestly, you have to respect Bandai and Level-5 for at least being up front about the delay. They care sincerely about the product they are making and if the delay ensures a great gaming experience then the wait will be worth it. The new release date is set for March 23rd, 2018 and you can take a look at the new voice over trailer posted today on Bandai's youtube.
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Bayonetta 3 has been officially announced

12/7/2017

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Everyone's favorite with is back. Platnium games dropped a short teaser for their third installment in the action franchise, Bayonetta. They also announced that the game will be exclusive it the Nintendo Switch title as well the last two Bayonetta games coming to the handheld console as well. Take a look at the teaser below and get excited for more action.
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You will be talking about the new Death Stranding trailer for a long time

12/7/2017

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Very rarely do you get a video game trailer of this caliber that leaves you both frightened, confused, and excited all at the same time but you can always count on Kojima to have a surprise up his sleeve. Please take a look at the incredible extended trailer for Death Stranding and be amazing by this narrative and cinematic master piece. 
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Soul Calibur 6 announced by Bandai Namco

12/7/2017

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Bandai out of seemingly nowhere has dropped a new trailer to a long time fighting franchise and boy am I ready. Soul Calibur 6 looks to take players back into the thick of the weapons based fighting series. The series which originated back in 1995 has spawned an impressive 12 games and it's latest release is planned across multi-platforms for the PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. The game will run on the same engine as Tekken 7 and will be releasing sometime in 2018. Take a look at the announcement trailer below and get excited for some action.
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DC films is going to have a big shake up come early 2018

12/7/2017

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It looks like some big changes are coming to DC. It has been hard to be a DC fan with the directionless studio first skipping a Superman sequel, then releasing the abysmal Batman v Superman, followed by a lukewarm Suicide Squad, a box office crusher like Wonder Woman and now their under-performing Justice League, the company has announced a restructuring that will begin as early as January. This should not be shocking to anyone considering both Batman v Superman and Justice League were around 300 million in production and the loft Superbowl campaign for BvS cost DC an arm and leg that they never truly recovered from. Justice has managed to pull in just about 570 million after three weeks which is good and should keep it on some top ten if not top twenty list at the end of 2017. The issue is that DC's run will easily be toppled by next week's release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which will no doubt topple any record that is standing as of now. DC plans on integrating the comics film department into the main hub, giving it more priority which is a good idea considering the amount of money they are losing. They are also removing Jon Berg from running the overall DCEU and it looks like we have probably seen the last of Zack Snyder leeading any films for the company as well. This of course now throws into question all of the rumored "planned" films that DC had up it's sleeve, including the Joker spin off which would cast another actor in place of Jared Leto, Suicide Squad 2, the solo Batman movie (which has been a topic of immense controversy especially with Ben Affleck's lack of enthusiam), the unlikely-hood of a Cyborg solo film, a Green Lantern film, and Ezra Miller's Flash Point due out in three short years. DC seems to be in a tough position because while Suicide squad managed to pull in some revenue as well as Wonderman, their ensemble cast film did not. They could scrap everything entirely and go back to square one or we might see some major recast and a huge overhaul in direction coming early 2018. Either way, if DC wants to make good films and give the fans what they want, this is a good start that will hopefully workout in everyone's favor.
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Jack D. Grazer cast as DC's Freddy Freeman

12/6/2017

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The breakout star from September's box office smash IT may have had his show cancelled but it looks like he's heading back to the big screen sooner than we thought. Jack D. Grazer has been cast in DC's Shazam film as Freedy Freeman, best friend to Billy Batson and the only person who knows his secret ability to transform into the famed Captain Marvel. Freedy Freeman also becomes Captain Marvel Jr. in the comics and while we can't be sure that is the direction this film is heading, it is certainly something to get excited about. Grazer easily stole the show for me in Stephen King's IT and if DC is willing to let some comedy propel this Superhero flick, I have no worries about him being a great addition to the expanding cast.
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Detective Pikachu film has found its lead

12/5/2017

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After months of speculation, it looks like the main cast for the live action Pikachu film is set and they have booked one major comic book star. Ryan Reynolds, star of Deadpool, will lead the Detective Pikachu alongside the long time Pokemon fav. With him will star Kathryn Newton from Paranormal Activity 4 and Supernatural, and Justice Smith is set to appear in next years Jurassic Park film. Rob Letterman who directed 2015's Goosebumps film is set to direct the movie which, as of now, does not have a release window but we should be getting one now that we have a good handful of the cast announced. Are you excited to see more Pokemon on the big screen?
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