Godzilla vs Kong Trailer/My Theory

I cannot wait for this film to come out!!!

The trailer has arrived!!!! I have arrived after a long hiatus from COVID and theaters have been closed. I couldn’t help but write this article in a sense of putting all my theories about the film from watching the trailer more than twenty times since it was released moments ago as of writing this. Adam Wingard has done an amazing job at merging both worlds of Kong and Godzilla into one movie and the shared universe is at a balance where both monsters will definitely have their moments to shine for sure.

Okay so, I’d love to geek out being a Gojira fan and having watched every movie since the monsters birth in 1954, but it’s time to get into the theories going around. Now I’ve read my fare share of theories being posted around the internet about the film the past year since it was supposed to had been released and with toy leaks and so forth there is a bit of truth in it all in some way. One theory I will counter against is IGNs which they feel Godzilla is being mind controlled and I completely disagree. Yes back in the previous era’s of Godzilla there was a sense a human connected with Godzilla’s mind but here they way Godzilla is represented I would disagree highly. They believed the Orca which was destroyed had been redesigned to a point it’s brainwashed Godzilla, but to me that’s highly unlikely when Godzilla was never affected by the orca which contained a mixture of Godzilla and human sounds together to create an Apex soundwave to communicate with the Titans. So I disagree highly Godzilla will ever be brainwashed it’s too unrealistic in the Monsterverse so far.

Here’s my theory based on the trailer and the toy leaks:

The movie starts off with the recent Godzilla attacks happening in major cities around the world and no one knows why when Godzilla has protected the Earth the previous times. Monarch then decides to bring the one Titan who they feel could help and wasn’t a part of the call by Ghidorah: Kong. The characters we see in the beginning of the trailer played by Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall and Eliza Gonzalez they’re all connected with Kong having studied him on Skull Island for sometime and they suggest Kong is the only one who can match against Godzilla’s mayhem. Kong at this point has a connection with the little girl through mutual friendship much similar to how a man and his dog would, by just spending time and having an understanding of each other. So they use her to get Kong on the helicarrier which is also a callback to the original 1962 crossover in hopes maybe they can stop the King of the Monsters. Now during the travel, they encounter Godzilla and that’s fight #1 between the two Titans and I feel this is all going to happen within the first 30 minutes of the film to establish the conflict between the two titans and everything to come after.

During the destruction between the two titans the little girl dies (I know it’s very dark and bleak) and the only reason I say this is from the dialogue in the trailer speaks about the girl and Kong’s relationship and promise in past tense as if Rebecca Hall’s character didn’t keep up her promise in protecting the girl much like Kong did and in result Kong wants payback and gives Kong a reason to fight Godzilla more. Then from there, Godzilla mayhem as he continues to destroy and Millie Bobbie Brown’s character is going to uncover why and that’s when the reveal of Apex’s creation of MechaGodzilla in which reveals why Godzilla has been going around destroying cities. Godzilla wasn’t destroying randomly but has been attacking Apex facilities that have been creating MechaGodzilla as a way to control the titans or even exterminate them which threatens the balance which the past two film has shed light on Godzilla being. Godzilla has been known as the one who brings balance from a threat that is upsetting the planet (2014 it was the MUTOs and 2019 it was his ultimate rival Ghidorah). In this case the creation of MechaGodzilla is this threat. If you look at this map whoever has been coming up with these theories connecting Apex and Godzilla was onto something.

As Millie and her new found friend played by Julian Dennison uncover Apex’s motives, the team with Kong probably return to Skull Island into the hollow earth to uncover the connection between humans and titans and the war between not only us and them but also Kong’s species and Godzilla’s and there is where Kong finds the axe which is probably made up of not just Godzilla’s fin but also the bone as well much like the toy leaks shown.

Once he finds the axe, its through the Hollow Earth where Kong and the others use to travel to Hong Kong where Godzilla must be trying to attack a facility and the final battle between the two commences for the rumored 5 minutes or so long without any humans (if that’s true that will be sooooooooo EPIC!!!) but at the same time of that occurring the real threat emerges and people understand Godzilla’s intentions: Apex lanches MECHAGODZILLA!!!!

Now if it’s true they used the skeleton we saw from 2014’s Godzilla film combined with the Ghidorah brain from the post scene in 2019 that would be epic, not only does it make a callback to Kiryu (Mechagodzilla 3) but also that’s interesting in general to Legendary’s origin of Mechagodzilla. Another thing I forgot to mention is Serizawa’s son (played by Shun Oguri) makes his debut in this film and I feel he’s spear heading the project of MechaGodzilla probably due to being unaware how his father died, but it’s connected to Godzilla and blames him for it (something like that like many stories do with scientist in that regard)

Once MechaGodzilla is launched in an attempt to kill Godzilla since not only Godzilla was trying to stop them but in the light of the world it gives them an opportunity for them to prove Titans are a treat and humans have a way to combat them (corporate shit) and obviously something goes wrong with MechaGodzilla and goes haywire probably much like how Kiryu did in the film Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (my favorite movie besides the original 1954) and starts destroying cities before setting sights on Godzilla and Kong. Now either at this point or much after, Godzilla and Kong are really fighting to the death and once we get our clear winner (I hope it’s Godzilla being a Gojira fan but I do still have my love for Kong too) that’s when the real threat arrives and the two Titans set aside their differences to stop the real threat to humanity. And we all can assume the rest from there cause I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!

Stay tuned cause I will definitely do a review to the film as not only a huge fan but as a cinema goer as well. STAY SAFE everyone and CHECK OUT GODZILLA VS KONG in theaters and HBO MAX this MARCH!!!! (March 26, 2021)

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ABOUT ME

How’s it going CineViewers,

I wanted to write this article for I’ve been doing this for some time now and I thought it be good for viewers to know a bit about the writer. My name is De’Shaun Ruiz and I am now a recent college graduate with a bachelor degree in digital filmmaking. Ever since I was a kid, I was always into film and I’m have to give props to my grandparents on that one for I’ve always went to the movies with them and watched films in our home.

At first I wanted to be a doctor, but science became less fun overtime when it came to lab reports and criteria. But as a kid, I loved to draw and create stories behind those drawings which led me into writing. Seeing how things can be written and turned into films for all to enjoy, I knew that was my true profession I wanted to get behind. Now, I focus on directing and screenwriting as my pursuit, but I have my hand in other things as well, but it sucks when I do it all by myself.

For me, it’s all about the story. No matter how great a film looks if the story is not there then it didn’t work. Over the years, I started to appreciate some films for what they are and I’m more of a middle man mostly as you can see with my reviews. The people behind these films have the intention to make a great film and sometimes it doesn’t end up that way and usually when I see reviews these days it’s always talking about either the bad or the good, but never both. Studying film helped me see things in a different light than just a casual movie goer, so I try to see it from their perspective while also giving my own. Creating this review blog, I hope people can understand that a bit that all reviews are just opinions, but at the same time show certain films in a different way than say a reviewer on a top brand completely shitting on something without giving any reasons or what they would’ve done differently. Overall, if it entertained you that’s good enough for that’s what it’s meant to do besides be an art form.

As of now, I’m hoping to continue this blog from time to time when I can see a new film (I forgot to write my review of Invisible Man: 10/10 btw) but I’m also working on my own projects I wish to see in some sort of medium. Currently, I run what my family considers to be my own “studio” called Bijou-Bot Entertainment where I have done short films (mostly college projects), a podcast called “Improvatory” that tells stories through improvisation which currently has two seasons on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes and basically any other podcast site, with two book adaptations on Amazon and Apple Books. I basically do it all, screen write, direct, produce, photography, graphic design, edit, draw, and many more.

There’s so much other stuff, but I guess that’s enough to know about me. Hopefully I can expand in the future and help others do the same. One thing I always say to myself is: There’s an infinite possibility to storytelling it’s a matter of which one you want to tell.

Scoob! Movie Review

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“A modern Scooby-Doo for kids and general audiences to enjoy and die hard fans to complain about”

When this film was announced back in 2015/2016 at Comic-Con, I was very curious as to why and how it would this all turn out. Skip to 2020 and during this whole pandemic with COVID-19 and theaters being closed and studios releasing certain films on VOD, I actually had the chance to see it for myself. My general impression: I enjoyed it.

SCOOB! is of coarse about the origins of the Scooby-Doo gang but now being apart of a whole universe of other Hanna-Barbera properties from Blue Falcon and Dynomut to even Captain Caveman with many more to come in the foreseeable future.

To many people, including all the reviews I’ve read so far, they all comparing this as the wanna-be attempt to start up a universe similar to how Iron Man did for Marvel. Sure, you can say that studios are copying off of each other to start up shared universes, but how else are you gonna start one then? To anyone who reads this first prior to watching or even after watching the film: TOSS THE MARVEL CRAP OUT THE WINDOW! It is understandable that Marvel had become the staple of cinematic universes, but that shouldn’t be the base comparison to everything that wants to attempt starting their own universes.

All the die hard Scooby-Doo fans, my favorites being the Cyber Chase, Zombie Island and even that recent television series Mystery Inc, this is a modern take of these characters for younger audiences with sly jokes for us now mature people to say “ah-ha I see what you did there”. I didn’t go in expecting the usual tropes of the franchise because that’s not how the film marketed itself and I was expecting to enjoy a cartoon for once besides always watching anime.

The film is filled with pop culture references and music that I will admit at first I was like bruh, but after awhile it was funny. The director, Tony Cervone, who actually directed many Hanna Barbara animations alongside Spike Brandt including the Supernatural crossover, said in an interview this film is about Scooby and Shaggy and that shows. In all honesty whenever we see Scooby-Doo (show or any movie), Fred, Velma, and Daphne are the ones we usually follow in the story while Shaggy and Scooby are the comedic relief and gags, but I never realized this till now that despite that we always pay attention to Shaggy and Scooby more so it made sense that this film was mainly about them and the bond they share. Similar to the many guest appearances the series has it was interesting this felt different by including other characters from Hanna-Barbara like Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg) who in this SPOILER ALERT is actually the son of the original Blue Falcon and is more hip and so forth which I thought was funny cause it subtly reflects today’s time which the real audience is for. Dick Dastardly was my favorite addition to the cast cause both him and Scooby never really met before and he was a funny snarky old time villain instead of some Ultron or Loki (just to take a jab at some reviewers who want to compare to Marvel) What I really enjoyed what even though this is a 3D animated movie they still added the flare and visual gags from the 2D animations (even adding the good ol’ sound effects).

If I was director, the only things I would really have done is maybe tone down the music part of the pop culture references (mainly the scene when the Mystery Machine gets pulled over and Fred sees the female cop) it did feel overbearing, but if you stash away the pride and hardcore fan shit, its funny. Captain Caveman I do feel was the only part that felt like was just put in there to be the keeper of the third skull and I actually had the impression he would’ve been some keeper who knows more about Scooby’s origins but I’m kinda glad they didn’t do that.

Scoob! is a modern take on the franchise in some cases that puts the two characters we usually follow whenever we watch them in the spotlight. Basically Velma sums it up well in the film, those two are the heart of the franchise which now is filled with other Hanna-Barbara characters to interact with. I’m really curious on what the next film in the cinematic universe will be cause it’s chock full of references to other characters all throughout that many will find fun to see. All you have to do is watch it and think: did I enjoy it or did I not. I will say, I DID.

7.5/10

Now to clear up some things many reviewers I’ve watched say:

It’s no hiding the fact the film isn’t the usual mystery solving besides solving Scooby’s origins, which took almost till about ACT 3 to figure out which is fine, but that’s not the overall thing of this film. You can say it’s a superhero film, but that’s cause Blue Falcon is in there and he’s a superhero. The Mystery Team had crossovers with Batman! Wonder Woman! and many other superheroes even WWE where John Cena stopped a giant boulder so it’s not like it’s the first time, but I’ll admit I haven’t seen that film entirely but it still doesn’t create a difference.
Some want to compare this to Marvel and blah blah blah, JUST STOP. We get it no one can catch up to Marvel and that’s because Marvel has been in the game since 2008 and are already on the ball with a typical formula for success and instead of planting seeds to a whole mash-up movie, Scoob! doesn’t do that at all. This film has a plot that goes from Act 1 to 3 with a B-Story with no “infinity stone mcguffin” that’s suppose to set up a franchise team-up in the future. If they did we would’ve known what the next movie is about now would we? (That’s how Marvel does it and that’s coming from a fan who loved the movies all the way through and lost interest after Endgame but has his interest slightly back)
Second part about the Marvel thing, the beam in the sky shit people complain was nothing but Athens reverting to what it was as the gates to the Underworld where Muttley was trapped and Dick was trying to get back (well more for the treasure within which had a hilarious flashback by the way). I personally didn’t notice the beam cause I was immersed by the fact Fred was sad his van was totaled. If you want to compare beam in the sky go back to when Avengers and Transformers Dark of the Moon came out and TMNT reboot. See now if actual demons were coming out and they had to fight them off and there was major Michael Bay explosions then yeah I agree but Scooby-Doo gang and Blue Falcon Squad was just pushing Cerberus back through the gate and then a beam shot up to revert Athens back to the present state it was in.
Huge thing I understand is the fact they didn’t have Matthew Lillard voice shaggy or Frank Welker also voice Fred. At first, I wondered why too cause we grew up with those voices, but as I watched the film I couldn’t really see those voices working with the way the characters looked (how they were animated). Will Forte, I’ll admit took me a minute to get use to his Shaggy voice, but I can’t hold that against him cause he was hired for the job and he enjoyed it. Let it be. The others I felt were a good fit for what the writers and directors were going for. Velma is more Spanish which was a neat subtextual feature. If they got Frank Welker to voice Scooby I think they were considering him to do Fred, but that Fred’s voice is more late 20s voice than a teenager. See now if someone else voiced Scooby, then you can out roar all you want.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG REVIEW

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“All it took was a redesign and the film turned out to be a blast for family and all”

When the film was first announced to be going into production (before anything was filmed) I was at first like “okay hopefully they don’t fuck it up”. Then that first trailer came out with the now infamous design and like many I said oh god no. After the redesign was done I can say like most people have already this movie is right there with Detective Pikachu and one of the best video game to movie films to date.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a film based on the Sega character of the same name as he tries to navigate the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound best friend — a human named Tom Wachowski. They must soon join forces to prevent the evil Dr. Robotnik from capturing Sonic and using his powers for world domination.

Right off the bat I’m just say it. I’m looking forward to what they’ll do next in a sequel and I hope that a sequel is green-lit. Sonic was great all around with fun and comedy. Jim Carrey was great as Dr. Robotnik and the film didn’t try so hard to be something besides just enjoying giving us a fun film with Sonic. This film I will say is geared a lot towards kids as it should for we grew fond of Sonic when majority of us were kids. The redesign surely did help in flipping the film around as far as how the fanbase felt and I find it funny that most now are curious what the film would like with that original design (probably not too good). I don’t say this lightly that Sonic is on par with Detective Pikachu because both are faithful to their respective franchises in design and certain elements that make them unique. The purpose of the rings acting as teleporters and Green Hills being a callback to the first zone in the games.

If I was director the only thing I would change really is possibly find a way to make is speed feel unique. There has been a common go around with critics that there wasn’t anything new shown off and I can see why. The bar scene is basically Quicksilver’s scenes from XMen Days of Future Past and Apocalypse, but it was slightly different because that actually had a cool song choice and there was humor all around. That’s probably the only slight thing cause everything else I felt was great and didn’t try to expand on the lore too much it felt like a standalone film despite the tease of Tails appearing at the end.

Sonic the Hedgehog was a deemed to fail that came back and destroyed all expectations. It was a fun family joyride with a great cast and a simple story that will for sure expand in the sequel. I do hope it does get green-lit.

8/10

Birds of Prey Review

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“Action-packed, Entertaining as if John Wick and Deadpool collided into one mash-up”

When I was aware of three Joker and Harley Quinn movies in development, I said to myself okay that’s too much, but when they said that one of them was actually Birds of Prey, my mind went into a “okay finally something different from DC even if they included Harley.” I gotta say this film did not disappoint and I’m happy Warner Bros. decided to follow their own formula and let things just flow with each film such as this being R-rated.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn (long title I know) is a Birds of Prey origin told through the eyes of Harley Quinn as she crosses paths with them at the same time. The four our joined together under a common threat of Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) who desires a diamond that was swallowed by a girl named Cassandra Cain and all of this is happening after Harley and Joker had split.

Overall this film is one of DC’s best since the Justice League fiasco. I have to admit, I feel DC has gotten a lot better since then cause I can really see it’s creativity and focus on smaller stories than trying to have a whole big event film like how Marvel rolls on things. The action was intense and felt real while the mayhem never stopped and that’s how a film like this should be. Many reviewers online are trying to say that this is what Suicide Squad was meant to be like this, but I disagree (maybe James Gunn’s yeah, but not Ayers). David Ayer’s Suicide Squad had a lot of meddling so that vision was back and forth from that but Birds of Prey had a vision in mind from the start and kept with it. The story’s structure was similar to Deadpool with a character telling the story and causing the flashbacks mixed with the intense hardcore action of John Wick (speaking of which the director of Mr. Wick, Chad S., he was hired for second unit to pump up the action) and that was a highlight. I enjoyed every minute of it and each character had a moment to shine despite being shown through Harley’s eyes. What I find interesting and clever is how they tell the origin story of a group of characters through the eyes of an already established character of the universe. I find that cool and fresh than just having a usual origin. At first, I was like why have Harley in it and they actually justified that by using that tactic while also giving her own story that crosspath with the whole mess they get into. Despite being a comic book movie, it felt grounded due to the action and the stakes instead of always having some overpowering villain with powers. Instead, we had Black Mask who was ruthless while also insane. I’d go see this movie if I was you if you’re into mayhem and a good time.

If I was director, I really don’t have much I would change because I enjoyed it really well. I don’t have much memory of Birds of Prey besides the original tv show from early 2000s so I came in with a fresh mind. The violence and story was balanced for my liking and each character felt equal despite the promotional stuff all shows Harley. I guess one aspect would’ve been Huntress. She was amazing but her story was slightly shown throughout until she was prominent in the end. Maybe if there was a way to show her origin early in the film instead but I actually haven’t found where it would’ve been best. If anyone reading this has an idea, please do share in the comments.

Birds of Prey was different and I like how DC is finally showing off characters unrelated to Justice League. I feel if DC shows more characters in their pool much like they do with their cartoon movies, then they have a far different edge compared to Marvel who introduces characters and a story that ties to something bigger seven movies down the line (I liked that approach as a kid, but the formula I’m seeing it as the general formula to building a cinematic universe which is fine I like Marvel, but studios please do branch out and find new ways without rushing). I’m curious if this does get a sequel how would they go about it and we already gonna get Harley in James Gunn’s film next year. Also, I forgot to mention how nice it’s a change of pace to see women as the main protagonist it’s different and it didn’t feel sexualized like many are usually (that’s nice at times if it’s justified but here not needed). Soundtrack was really good too.

9/10

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Review

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“A film so divisive, I’ll accept it.”

Okay so let’s get this out of the way and if you defer me for this, that’s an honorable opinion, but here’s my statement: I liked The Last Jedi. Many people are so torn by it to this day that it even affects how people will view Episode IX. I liked Episode VIII due to it’s boldness and bringing in concepts and ideas that went completely away from audience expectations (come on Rian Johnson did Knives Out, Looper and my more…). Now that The Rise of Skywalker is out and concludes the Skywalker Saga as a whole…I’ll accept what’s been done.

The Rise of Skywalker follows one year after The Last Jedi where Emperor Palpatine emerges from the Unknown Regions to enact his revenge and the Resistance puts up one final battle to end the conflict once and for all.

Prior to the films release there were leaks on reddit that spoiled the entire plot and I hate to say it after seeing leaked images match up and now watching it myself, fare warning, the leaks are true…all of it. I came into the film knowing what would happen, but like I tell anyone, reading is far different than seeing it. The way a screenplay works is to help the director construct a visualization of their story in order to create it for real for the big screen. I felt despite knowing the leaks it was nice to see it for my own eyes and it’s not as bad as people on the internet troll about it. This fill will make you upset at points but it has it’s good moments as well. Hearing others reviews who hate the film so much, I feel there’s an over exaggeration due to the back lash of Episode VIII still lingering since 2017! I did feel there were parts I’m like okay forreal now while other times I’m like oh that was dope. I’m trying to be as general for now and leave the spoilers for below. It was nice seeing Rey, Poe, and Finn together for this one adventure and the chemistry brings a sort of banter I enjoyed that didn’t feel forced. Palpatine was a good addition but for a villain looming as a threat, we rarely see him. His screen time felt almost half of what he had in Return of The Jedi. Despite that though, everytime Palpatine was onscreen he was menacing and it was perfect. I would love to go on but I’m leave that for SPOILERS DOWN BELOW!

If I was director, there would be a few minor tweaks to J.J’s story. The film felt fast which is nothing wrong it keeps the plot moving, however I didn’t feel there was enough time to digest each location we found our heroes within. Another aspect is Palpatine, sure I can try to believe J.J’s master plan was to bring him in all along and I agree since he’s the over arching antagonist of the whole saga, but here his role didn’t feel justified or paid off as much as I really wanted it to. I felt the build up was missing and even if you wait till the final movie to reveal him, I would’ve given the screen time Palpatine deserved. The opening minutes was that very moment and sure a few throwaway answers to lingering questions regarding Snoke, but it was monumental. Another thing I would do is roll with The Last Jedi despite the many bold decisions instead of trying to retcon/soft reboot a concept such as Rey’s heritage. I felt the actual truth could be added without trying to play it off. I feel if instead of trying to move from point A to D to Z in under 2.5hrs and fill it in with nostalgia and fan service to pleasure an audience who hates you, I’d add more oil to that fire and bring this saga into a close that wouldn’t feel so conflicted in what it wants to be for the toxic fandom. My idea I’ll leave down in the SPOILER SECTION BELOW.

The Rise of Skywalker sends off the saga into the sunset since the original franchise back in 1977. Sure there are it’s pros and cons to the film that’ll go on for many years but at the same time I accept it for the film it’s become. I still look forward to seeing what Rian Johnson comes up with for his trilogy of Star Wars.

6/10

NOW SPOILERS!!!!

All leaks are true. Rey being a Palpatine. Her heritage. Han Solo returning. Leia training Rey. Hux is the mole for the Resistance. Leia dies. Kylo Ren turns good again and helps Rey defeat Palpatine. Rey and Kylo kiss. Snoke is a puppet clone for Palpatine. All are true elements to the film.

Each of these spoiler moments I did not mind at all. I thought it was cool to have Leia train her and I was surprised by how they incorporated Leia with so short of available deleted scenes to bring Carrie Fisher back. There was also a scene where Luke and Leia were training together before Leia stepped away after having a vision of her son turning. Palpatines scenes were soooooo amazing I was upset he was barely in it. The never really say how he survived but only just say yeah the Sith has abilities that kept me alive but at least he looked like a ghost holding onto a string to life. Some of his fingers were missing it was like he was a living corpse waiting for the next heir. I wish we had more moments to explain his return than just a few throwaway lines. Same with Lando, that was so random and I was upset cause they finally brought him back and then make him talk before leaving him behind till scenes later. Snoke being a cloned puppet for Palpatine was cool but left a lot to ask. Hayden Christensen IS IN THE FILM as a voice for Anakin on top of Yoda, Mace Windu, Ahsoka and many more Jedi. The search for sith relics was interesting but at the same time some of that stuff could’ve been reworked. I understand people felt it was video gamey for them to look for an artifact to find Palpatine and it did at times only due to the fast pacing of it. I felt the pacing was moving but at the same time I didn’t get the chance to digest the scene fully such as when Lando or Zorri appeared the first time. I’m like c’mon give me a moment first to catch up before rushing to the rest. Rey being a Palpatine granddaughter was a smart move but at the same time I’m disappointed that J.J [Abrams] softly retconned a lot of stuff The Last Jedi did for fan service than just servicing a good story.

There’s so much that this movie did I appreciated and other times disappointed by but please do not let ones opinion defer you from watching. This is a Star Wars movie after all and its a cultivation of everything that came before with easter eggs that callback to previous Episodes and more. So before the idea I would think of in closing out Rise of Skywalker I will say what I would keep: Leia’s role due to Carrie Fishers untimely death (her role in 9 is still prominent to say the least with what resources they had which was merely only less than 8 minutes of unused Force Awakens footage), Palpatine Lineage, Kylo’s redemption arc, Luke’s role, Zorri Bliss, Death Star II return, Passana sequence. But here’s my idea:

Same start out Kylo on Mustafar and takes the wayfinder to find his way Exogol where he meets Palpatine (best opening ever in Star Wars that scene was demented and creepy EPIC). Palpatine does reveal he was behind Snoke and was the one all along communicating to Kylo all these years through Vader’s helmet and etc. Kylo questions Palpatine on how he’s alive and Palpatine, explains like in the movie but more clearer for fandoms to not try and overthink it too much, that the Sith is full of mysteries that even death is not a problem from returning from. Palpatine does offer Kylo a place in the Final Order if he brings Rey to him.

Meanwhile Rey is like in the movie training with Leia and the whole Finn and Poe sequence getting information from the mole in the First Order. As Rey is studying from the ancient Jedi texts, the resistance are aware that Luke was searching for the planet long ago and remember there’s a possible contact on Passana which was where the trail went cold. The gang head to Passana including R2 and they see the festival and so forth. Meanwhile, Kylo like in the movie is aware of the mole in his ranks. He wants them to find Rey and has everyone search for her. Passana sequence plays out like in the movie except when they are found by First Order troops and find out Lando saved them, he was the contact. They take a moment to talk to him in hiding where he explains when he and Luke arrived they were searching for a Sith artifact before they lost any leads only that there was a Sith Assassin. Pretty much the sequence in the movie except we also get to know why he stayed there: he met someone and had a family and the First Order took them away. He also helps guide them to the Sith ship where things went cold and helps distract the incoming troops to buy time for them. We get more of Lando here basically to establish where he’s been and why. Rey thanks him insisting he comeback but Lando does say his fighting days are over. Kylo is informed they’re on Passana and he arrives with the Knights of Ren. Here the Knights actually are more lethal in hunting down the gang than the troopers and manage to capture Chewie while Rey is distracted with Ren. The sequence plays out when the carrier is blown up as in the movie and Rey and the others escape in tears.

Brief flight sequence before they jump to light speed. On the sith assassin ship, they remember the Falcon is left behind and it’s too late to go back. Meanwhile on Passana, just as troopers are ready to take hold of the Falcon, Lando sneaks on board surprised to be on it after so long and decides to fly it out himself.

Back on the sith ship, Rey and the others realize what they found when their leads went cold and the Force Healing sequence (Force Healing is in the Expanded Universe so it’s a cool thing to make canon) the artifact is a sith holocron. They meet the old D-O droid and Rey notices she must use the force to force to try and see what they must find after 3Po realizes not even he can translate it. Rey taps into it and flashes bits and pieces of her past like in the flashback with the dagger and it’s too much for her to hold while also sensing Chewie might be alive having seen it in a vision of a possible future. They realize they’re out of fuel and stop at Kijimi which Poe isn’t too much in aggreeance with.

They do so anyway and on Kijimi they encounter Zorri like in the movie however after some convincing Zorri decides to help them. Zorri and Poe turn out to go way back during Poe’s early days in the resistance running spice runs undercover to retrieve information on the First Order. The place is under occupation so it’s hard to find a spot to lay low so Zorri brings them to their old crew where Rey and the others meet Babu Frik. As they try to figure out what to do since the holocron doesn’t have many leads to anything, Babu overhears that 3Po cannot speak the translation because it’s a language forbidden by all droids to ever speak to anyone but can read. Babu insists it’s possible to have 3Po say it if he hacks into his memory core but in doing so will wipe his memory. They’re unsure but 3Po insists it be done and plays out like in the movie except when 3Po speaks he doesn’t give the location of the other wayfinder, he speaks of an ancient riddle of some sort that explains slightly how Palpatine survived in Episode 6 and in order to seek their answers they must go where it all ended. Rey remembers in her vision she saw the wreckage of the Death Star II on one of the forest moons and they plan to make their way there.

Meanwhile, Kylo speaks with Palpatine who sees how much of a failure Kylo is compared to Vader. He senses conflict in Ren still lingers inside and entrusts the Knights of Ren, an order long thought lost since the Old Republic but now consists of Sith Loyalist created from Luke’s former students, to handle getting Rey than Kylo. The Knights already know where they are as two of them had been tailing Rey since they left Passana.

As Rey and the others prepare to leave, she senses Chewie on the star destroyer much like in the movie and she is enacted in a Force Bond with Ren who speaks with her realizing there’s more to her story. Then yeah I hate to admit the slight change they did but I’ll accept it if Ren reveals that Rey’s parents where nobody’s but unbeknownst to Rey, it appears her mother is the daughter of Palpatine. Rey obviously believes he’s lying and Ren confirms he’s not. The two fight but at the same time the others sneak onboard the starship to save Chewie but encounter the Knights of Ren who capture them.

As they’re about to be executed, Hux does reveal himself as the mole which was not a problem especially since Hux only did it cause he hated Ren’s beliefs as Supreme Leader. He informs General Pryde of their escape and Pryde informs him they found the spy and one of the Knights kills Hux. As they escape, the others are cornered when the Falcon appears and Lando saves them and flies off, leaving Rey behind. Rey manages to escape Kijimi with the help of Zorri and she heads to the Death Star wreckage which is also where Finn insists they go, believing Rey will be there.

At the Death Star wreckage, Lando, Finn, Poe and them arrive on the outskirts of the shore like in the movie except they didnt crash cause Lando flew it. And they meet Jannah who and other First Order defectors stayed hidden away ever since they fled. They spend the night, Finn and Jannah bond and it’s revealed Lando had a daughter who was taken from him by the First Order and he wishes to have saved her but after his wife passed he lost all hope. Meanwhile, Rey arrives but doesn’t link with the others wanted to find out the truth on her own and explores the Death Star wreckage and finds herself in the throne room where it all originally ended. She explores the area and encounters a force vision of her past when Palpatine had fallen by the hands of Luke and Vader, he used all the sith energy he had left in him to vanish causing that blue smoke we saw in Return of the Jedi and he arrived on Exogol all deteriorating as we see him now. It’s revealed he had a secret plan in place unknown to the Empire and only to him which is why he explored the Unknown Regions so much and had the support of Sith followers he made during his time as Emperor to keep him alive. He calls out to his granddaughter in the vision stating it’s her destiny to keep the lineage in place one that the Skywalker line could not. Rey refuses the call but encounters Dark Rey and duels before escaping the vision.

Rey then finds Kylo is there with her and it’s not a Force Bond having realized why she’s at here. She doesn’t want to accept it and Kylo reminds her she should’ve let the past die as he said and joined him. Rey admits she wanted to but not with Kylo but Ben Solo. Similar to the scene in the movie the two result in a fight and Leia passes on in the midst of this and Finn realizes Rey is here hinting his slight force sensitivity. He heads to the wreckage with Jannah where he encounters the Rey and Ren right like in the movie and Rey escapes after healing Ben.

Pretty much the scenes after when Rey tries to isolate herself on Ach-to much like Luke cause that was a nice scene and reminisces to Dagobah with Obi-Wan and Luke. Luke reminds Rey despite her lineage she helped him come to terms with his failure. Similar to what Luke said to Ren in The Last Jedi he tells Rey that the rebellion has been reborn and thousands of generations live within her now. He gives Rey, Leia’s saber like in the movie and raises his old X-wing from the water and uses salvageable parts from the TIE fighter to repair a few parts with the help of Rey (wanting her to be in-tuned with the force) She heads for Exogol thanks to the wayfinder Ren had in his ship and she sees the Force Ghosts of Jedi’s pasts (fan service here but at least it’s a place it would work) and she heads off to Exogol while giving coordinates to the resistance.

Ren has his scene with the memory of Han Solo. He redeems himself and confronts Finn and the others. It’s a comedic but tense scene seeing him especially after the news of Leia’s death and Lando is the one to trust Ben’s judgement obviously knowing it’s not the first time something like Ren has happened before. Ren is given a ship to head to Exogol while the others gather the rest of the Resistance.

Battle of Exogol pretty much commences as Palpatine’s Final Order fleet is being prepared having had it set as a contingency ever since the Empire began. Rey arrives and confronts him revealing it’s all true and Palpatine is proven to be the overarching baddie of the Saga and desires to have Rey be the new Empress. He reveals he never wanted her to be killed but serve as his Marionette one controlled by the Sith for all eternity. The Knights of Ren appear and Rey refuses to join causing a small fight.

Poe, Finn Lando and the others head back to base and it’s true Leia is gone and Poe is now general. He speaks her body like in the film and Lando appears much like in the scene and they enact their plan after finally knowing where Exogol is.

Rey isn’t as tough against the Knights and is beaten. Palpatine awaits for her to give in and strike him down much like in the film. Ren arrives and rushes in fighting sith loyalist with his barehands before a force bond is initiated between Ren and Rey. In the midst of the bond much like how items can be swapped and such (however that worked) Rey brings Kylo into the stadium with her using the Force Bond and the two fight side by side against the Knights of Ren similar to how The Last Jedi was but far advanced like the fight in Rise of Skywalker that we see. The two manage to kill the Knights together and stand before Palpatine who senses a peculiar connection between them, stating the he underestimated the Skywalker that he created (connecting to Darth Vader #25 comic) and it shall be the end of their story. He realizes their bond is rare and one that can prove useful to him and much like the scene in the movie, he uses Sith magic to absorb the life energy to restore himself and well it’s then Rey and Kylo vs Palpatine as he does that cool force lighting thing in the movie. Rey is down overwhelmed by Palpatine’s power and Kylo takes a hit to save her, rendering him near death. Rey stands to face her grandfather once more and she calls to the other Jedi of generation’s pasts to give her strength (similar to the movie but more like Avatar State style) and they give her enough strength, and with a little assistance from Kylo, Palpatine is killed and the galaxy is finally at peace.

Rey falls almost about to die and Kylo heals her when Luke appears stating he has that power too. Kylo wants to apologize to Luke but Luke knows already and tells him it’s time he goes. Luke disappears and Rey awakens to find Kylo nearing death. THEY DONT KISS but they acknowledge the bond they shared. Ren dies.

Moments after, the galaxy celebrates once and for all in all places much like in the movie. The Resistance celebrate and Lando finds out Jannah is his long lost daughter (I liked that leak idea even tho it wasn’t true in the film. Adds a connection and why Jannah has a role in the film). Pretty much everything else that happens in the movie takes place. Rey buries Kylo and heads to Tattoine to bury the lightsabers (that was a touching full circle moment) she has her own lightsaber made from her staff like the film and as the twin suns set, teh Ghosts of Luke, Leia and the Skywalker lineage (fan service territory) on look behind her as the Saga is closed out.

That’s my version. It’s not at all that different based on the plot points but as you can see there’s some slight details that were changed that could affect the film to where you’d get a slightly different response.

I suggest you all go see it and not listen to so many people who are still hurt over The Last Jedi or just hate the Sequel Trilogy in general. If the film’s motives and reasons throughout the story are justified it’s a good reason to have it.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Knives Out Review

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“A murder mystery worth seeing again and again”

When I heard about Rian Johnson’s movie post-The Last Jedi controversy (he wrote and directed Star Wars 8) I was excited and looking forward to seeing it. Not only a star studded cast of great actors but it’s also a non franchise/adaptation/sequel to anything and it’s all original.

Knive’s Out is a whodunit mystery film written, directed and produced by Rian Johnson and it’s about a detective and a trooper travel to a lush estate to interview the quirky relatives of a patriarch who died during his 85th birthday celebration.

The film is like Clue and right when I got into it I was already thinking who it could be and who was lying and at some points you really couldn’t tell who actually did the murder. During one sequence, the suspects are telling their perspective of the story and you honestly couldn’t tell who was lying or not cause there was bits of truth in all mixed in with a bunch of lies. The film does a huge twist just before the middle of the film (I won’t spoil it’s too good too maybe later I’ll update this with my spoiler opinions) that made me question what more to the story could there be if the one thing we were wondering was revealed then and Rian doesn’t disappoint pulling his Billy Mays move. There were points in the film I’m so engaged and questioning my own conclusions of how the story would end and that’s exactly what I wanted out of this film. Chris Evans, as many of ya’ll know as the good ol’ Cap himself whose now retired, you can’t help but see him as Cap (especially since Endgame was just out months ago) however his role is not like his former marvel character and it’s different. There are some meta-humor/dark-humor moments that I couldn’t help but laugh and it fits so well. For anyone who is interested in such films similar to Sherlock Holmes and classic murder mysteries this is a film that pays homage while doing something original full of twist and turns you wouldn’t expect.

I won’t bother with a if I was director segment because I honestly want to find out how to do my own murder mystery myself. This was just a good movie overall.

Knives Out is a film that leads you down a hole full of twists and turns that could lead to conclusions that maybe true and maybe not all I’m just say is experience the film yourself while it’s still in theaters.

10/10

Last Christmas/Charlie’s Angels Review Mashup

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“Two films that show that women don’t always have to be the damsel in distress”

Last Christmas and Charlie’s Angels are two films where women are the hero/protagonist and they don’t rely on men to come and save the day. One is a holiday rom-com while the other is an action comedy that continues the series that started in the early 2000s based on a tv show.

Last Christmas is a film inspired by the song of the same name that follows Kate, a frustrated Londoner who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. But things soon take a turn for the better when she meets Tom — a handsome charmer who seems too good to be true. As the city transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, Tom and Kate’s growing attraction turns into the best gift of all. Meanwhile Charlie’s Angels is the third film in the series (not a reboot) that follows a brilliant scientist who invents Calisto — a sustainable energy source that will revolutionize the way people use power. But when Calisto falls into the wrong hands, the Angels must retrieve it before it can be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

Both of these films I saw with my girlfriend and she loved them both and I enjoyed them. I say I enjoyed them only because since I’m a filmmaker and taking classes that does nothing but analyze the heroes journey, plot, active characters and yada yada film stuff, I view films in that light while trying to just enjoy the movie for what it was. Last Christmas is a heart warming film that is also a drama in some elements. What I liked about the film was it didn’t play on the usual a man comes in to change her life where she ends up with the guy by the end of the film. The films been out for a minute now so sorry but SPOILERS HERE the guy is actually dead and is a spirit that manifest from her heart that actually belonged to him before he died and donated it. Hence the lyrics of the Last Christmas song, “I gave you my heart” that the film inspires from. What I also liked was the fact this film was also NOT set in America. It felt different seeing not the usual scene because I bet if this film would’ve been set in America it wouldve been in the usual New York City if it was and that gets old quick. The song Last Christmas plays a big part of the film obviously. What I did like was in the end, she wasn’t a character that relied on a man to solve her problems, she solved them herself and made herself better with the help of a man.

Now Charlie’s Angels is full of comedy and action written and directed by Elizabeth Banks who also stars in the film as Bosley (well one of the many). The action set pieces are creative , fun and very practical indeed that there are definitely some scenes I surely was like that’s dope. There are some funny moments and espionage that really lets us breathe for a moment before bringing in the action again. It was really cool and I liked how instead of this being a reboot, it’s actually a continuation of the series and makes it that there are more Angels than just Cameron Diaz and the originals from the tv show. In a climate where many films now are sequels, adaptations, continuations, and reboots, Charlie’s Angels at least brings a few new elements and expands the lore than back tread with nostalgia.

I’d go on about the casts for both films, but come on: they’re good.

If I was director of either film: For Last Christmas I love the twist but after awhile due to the song being played throughout the entire film, I felt it was a little too on the nose. That was honestly the only thing about the film I said okay I know where this is going and I had the called it moment when it did (but I will admit it didnt defer me liking it). For Charlie’s Angels I felt the usual bad guy stealing the new tech for domination is a formula that has been milked a lot in spy films that I wish it wasn’t some gadget mcguffin. There were moments (blame it being taught in my classes in all honestly especially since I’m writing films of my own at this moment too) that I felt the dialogue was very expositional and explaining things, but in defense I will admit that not everything can be shown so explaining it is one way to get a point across. For the fight scenes, ever since John Wick, I kinda want to see more action films that don’t always do jump cuts every three seconds and have a fluid one take motion. I don’t mean to copy the style entirely but seeing something like that really makes the fight stand out beyond the rest.

Many people will see these films as women empowerment and I know (at this moment) the box office for these films have been lower than expected for weekends and blamed on men. In all honesty, who cares. Both are good films in their own right and take it as you see it. I didn’t see it as women empowerment I saw it as the main characters are active and make the decisions for themselves not being the damsel in distress all the time.

Charlie’s Angels: 8/10

Last Christmas: 7/10

Doctor Sleep Review

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“A sequel/adaptation that shines”

Stanley Kubrik’s The Shining when released back in the 80s became a critical pan into a cult classic film. Skip to 2019 and we now have a sequel to that film, The Shining Book, and adapts Stephen King’s sequel novel. That’s a lot and it manages to honor and balance it all very well.

Doctor Sleep is the sequel to The Shining that follows Danny Torrance struggling with alcoholism and remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the “shine.” Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.

I’ve never seen Kubrick’s film but I’m well aware of the many famous scenes and moments from the film and the story in general. My grandfather, who I saw it with when it released, enjoyed the film more than The Shining mainly due to, despite the length, the pacing kept things going and it wasn’t confusing. I enjoyed it and Ewan McGregor shines (no pun intended) in the film. Fun fact: The Director, who is behind The Haunting of Hillhouse, had to tackle the film by adapting Doctor Sleep novel, acknowledging elements within the Shining novel that wasn’t in the film, and making the film connected to Kubrick’s who deviated a lot from the source material. The film is more than just a horror and I thought that was really cool staying away from jump-scares and making the terror come from the suspense that builds. There are definitely parts of this film that was very disturbing and I loved it.

If I was the director (who was also the writer and the editor) the only thing I would really change is the length. The film itself is almost 2hours and 40mins long which is longer than The Shining and I felt a few scenes could’ve been shortened slightly.

Doctor Sleep is a horror film that I would consider being a worthy sequel to a cult classic and just a great horror movie in general. Despite the length, it doesn’t hinder the plot and keeps things moving along. There are themes that are hard at play such as alcoholism and facing your past and it holds throughout.

9/10

Terminator: Dark Fate Review

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“T1 and T2 just had a baby and it’s definitely a sequel that is worthy to be after Judgement Day”

I will say this confession for the review: I’ve never seen the first Terminator, but I saw all the sequels that came after it. Crazy right?! Well anyway, besides that, I do know the entire lore and what basically the first film all the way to now is like. Overall, this movie does feel like the true sequel to T2: Judgement Day regardless whether James Cameron did deem it so or not.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the sixth installment in the franchise that acts as the true sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. It’s set 22 years after 1997 (when T2 took place) in Mexico City where a newly modified liquid Terminator — the Rev-9 model — arrives from the future to kill a young factory worker named Dani Ramos. Also sent back in time is Grace, a hybrid cyborg human who must protect Ramos from the seemingly indestructible robotic assassin. But the two women soon find some much-needed help from a pair of unexpected allies — seasoned warrior Sarah Connor and the T-800 Terminator.

Seeing this movie made me understand the Terminator franchise was never about John Connor, but his mother Sarah. In the original we follow her, in the second one sure we focus on John’s relationship with the T-800 programmed to protect him but we see some certain scenes through Sarah’s eyes. Dark Fate proves that it’s Sarah’s story as she moves throughout this war between humans and machines. I’ll be sure to keep my spoilers after my score but I do want to say here she has destroyed Skynet but something else took it’s place. Arnie as the T-800 is a staple to the series and here he doesn’t feel just placed in for returning star power either. Dark Fate is meant to be the start of a new trilogy (of coarse like any franchise) but it does work on it’s own while still leaving room and questions you hope to see answered in the future two installments. The new characters don’t feel awkwardly placed either in my opinion and it was nice to see some diversity even if it’s set in Mexico the most of it. I will admit that this film I don’t believe was written to convey parallels to today’s time, besides our addiction and digital imprints left behind by technology, but it does show a bit of immigration and struggles immigrants face trying to get across the boarder. It’s a small detail/element that does raise awareness but not too much it takes over the film. One of the things I liked was the fact Dani Ramo’s brother he had a job in a car factory with his sister and he lost it essentially due to a machine taking his place. Automation is taking over and that’s a theme that’s playing even in our time right now. The Rev-9 played by Gabriel Luna (who played Ghost Rider in the MCU) is a definite force to be reckoned with as he’s basically a combination of a T-800 and a T-1000 and the one terminator from T3 essentially. What I liked besides his cool features and menacing force throughout chasing Dani and Sarah, he also has personality unlike Terminator’s before and he can blend in really well to get his job done. Now the T-800 named Carl is one of Arnie’s best performances yet as he brings character to machine very similar to how Pops was in Genisys. It was really funny seeing the dynamic between him and Sarah and gradually her view on him changes throughout the Act 2 and 3. I would say more but that leads to some spoilers.

If I was director, I wouldn’t really change much at all except I do feel the final battle part did diminish the Rev-9. I do understand though he fought Grace, T-800, Sarah, and Dani at the same time but before he was killing it against them. Then, again it was four against one. I really wished when both terminators met there was some sort of assurance between them. What I mean is when a Terminator from a timeline that no longer exists meets a Terminator from a new timeline that took it’s place that be some cool dialogue much like how the T-3000 in Genisys called Pops a relic from a forgotten timeline. This film was fast paced it wasn’t some happens over the span of a few months type deal so the pacing was fine and gave the audience sometime to think and catch up. I do hope the future installments (if any) doesn’t try to retcon or get too complicated from what this film brought forth.

Terminator Dark Fate I feel is the true T3 (no offense) and I do enjoy the other installments for they all have their strong points in each film, but here the story is simple and it takes elements from both T1 and T2 to accomplish a story that we can follow and comprehend without saying “wait so if that happens then that means….”.It’s like the Force Awakens of the franchise.

8/10

SPOILERS!!!!

Okay so one thing I want to say and I don’t care who hates me for it or says “oh you’re not a terminator fan” or whatever but the fact John Connor dies in the first 30 seconds to a minute says so much and again recalls to my statement that this franchise is about Sarah, not John. I know we all believe this franchise is about John Connor being the leader of the resistance and everything but I felt it started becoming redundant and boring after awhile like “okay we get it what next”. So seeing him die I’m like oh shit now that’s interesting. Fun Fact: It was James Cameron idea right off the bat when helping develop the story. Hate it if you want but after a while what you wanna see? John Connor’s son be the actual true leader of the resistance or something? John Connor say “shit here we go again” or “yeah you’re back, heard that before”. It was different and also signifies that anyone can be a leader of the resistance. I’ve heard people compare to Newt death in Alien 3 and I get what you mean, but Newt’s death wasn’t significant compared to John’s. John’s death was the driving force for Sarah the real star while Newt dies in some stupid space accident in cryosleep…that was stupid.

I feel this is also should be Arnie’s final turn as the T-800. I say that not only cause his character sacrifices himself to kill the Rev-9 but it was a nice send-off and an end to an era. Skynet no longer exists in the future only Legion so I highly doubt they just gonna take Skynet’s schematics of the 101 Model of the T-800 and make more. Skynet barely made it from it’s conception. Sure they can go the route of having one of the many Terminators that was sent back to kill John, but with the deed already done, they just lived some normal life, but how long can you really rehash that before it gets old?

Legion is not fully explained here which is okay cause all we needed to know is Skynet was destroyed in T2, but something else took it’s place instead and in future installments it will be revealed how. If this trilogy does go off hopefully by the 3rd one (8th in the franchise) ends it once and for all.