Star Wars: Clone Wars, “A Distant Echo”, Review!

This is the second part of an multi-episode arc  from the season seven premiere, “The Bad Batch”, this continues with the squad and Captain Rex.  They have tracked the droid algothrim that has been predicting their tactics to a transmission by Echo, from the Core World planet Skako Minor.  The title is a nod to the trooper’s name, but it seems more appropriate if it were named after the “faint echo” term, defined as a sound returning to a listener.  The Distant Echo is the title of a 2003 novel.  The theme is “The search for truth begins with belief”, but I think it would “Your friends always need your trust.”  We have another gunship coming into the Republic hangar on Anaxes which brings us to Anakin, Captain Rex, and Hunter from the Bad Batch squad.  Hunter questions if Echo is behind the droid algothrim and Anakin says that the Jedi Council still has to approve the mission.  Captain Rex is ready to start, but Anakin reminds him of “that thing we need to do.”  

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS -- “A Distant Echo” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

Hunter leaves for the ship and Anakin takes Captain Rex to stand guard as he enters the barracks.  He sets down a holoprojector that projects an image of Padme (Catherine Taber).  It is great to have Taber back as a voice and also we get that Anakin and Padme keep in close contact during his missions.  Also that Rex is the go between to help them keep their relationship private.  This was not apparent in the Clone Wars series.  They are both important in their respective duties for the Republic.  Rex sees the approach of General Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) and gives the signal banging on the door.  Rex tries to make excuses to Obi-Wan for Anakin.  Ewan McGregor’s voice is so distinctive, but Taylor captures it and has really developed the character. Padme tells Anakin all of the trust Rex has shown backing up Anakin should be returned.  This makes the relationship, clear from the series, evident to those who only saw the prequel films.  

Anakin tosses Rex his helmet and they head off to the mission while Obi-Wan mentions that Anakin should say hi for him to Padme, he knows about the secret.  The Bad Batch shuttle has reached Skako Minor with Tech piloting.  Wrecker is power lifting a GNK power droid as Rex asks Hunter who is their commanding officer, but that person is unknown.  The ship is shaken as Tech reports that it will be a “difficult landing” so everyone straps in.  The atmosphere is stormy with yellow clouds and lightning.  A dragon-like form passes. Rex tells Anakin that the primitive natives are called Poletecs.  The flying repitle, keeradak, is riden by a Poletec and leaps on the cockpit!  They scramble out of the ship and see the Poletec rider, he has a long head with a red and white face and flat nose.  One of the riders swoops in taking away Anakin who has dropped his lightsaber.  

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS -- “A Distant Echo” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

Crosshair fires a grappling line on the keeradak and Hunter lets it take him away.  The rider flies through the rocky spires of the planet.  Hunter detaches the line and rolls on a spire above the Poletec village.  He has Tech follow his signal with the others.  Anakin pinned under the keeradak claw is spoken to by the natives who communicate in a distorted language.  Rex has joined Hunter with the rest of the squad and reminds them that Anakin has ordered “no casulties.”  Hunters orders Wrecker to do their Rockslide tactic, using his strength to roll down a boulder.  Crosshair fires a device that electrifies the keeradak so it can release Anakin.  The leader (David Acord) with Hunter’s gun pointed at him speaks and Tech translates his words, it sounds like language from the Q*Bert video game character, shown on his visor, very cool, who needs protocol droids?  

The natives don’t want war and Rex has Tech translate that they are only looking for their lost soldier.  The chief offers to have scouts take them to Tambor City.  Wat Tambor (also voiced by Matthew Wood) speaks with Admiral Trench.  Tambor who was in Attack of Clones looks like a green alien in a steampunk suit.  I should have recognized Skako as his homeworld.  Trench warns him about the clones.  At the spire above Tambor City, Wrecker reveals that he is unsteady with heights, and Hunter again suspects it’s a trap!  Crosshair gets Rex into a fight, but this is broken up by Anakin.  The lightning returns in a storm, it seems like the storms are infrequent and not a constant.  Tech gets access to a tower with a lift that bothers Wrecker.  They have to face D-wing droids that look like walking coat hangers with two blasters, their first appearance, and the group has to uncover the mystery of the algorithim and if it is Echo!  

Four Lightsabers out of Five!   

#CloneWars, #ADistantEcho, #CatherineTaber, #JamesArnoldTaylor

Re:tro Re:view - Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe!

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (2005) captures the wonder of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy world with incredible visuals and a brilliant cast!  I read the first Narnia book long before I tackled Tolkien.  It is just more meaningful to me than Middle-Earth.  C.S. Lewis was of course a friend to Tolkien and part of the Inklings.  There are seven books in the series.  A BBC adaptation covered four books and the film series was able to adapt three of the novels.  The director and co-writer, Andrew Adamson, also directed Shrek (2001) and Shrek 2 (2004), so like other animation directors, this was his first foray into live action.  The screenplay was also written by a team with Ann Peacock, who also worked on the drama In My Country (2004) and the duo of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who worked on the MCU films starting with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).  

It begins with the sinister music of Harry Gregson-Williams as we move through the cloudy skies.  He later captures the magic and danger in his score.  Searchlights sweep the night sky as bombers close in.  This is during the Blitz that struck London.  Watching the explosions from his room is Edmund Pevensie (Skander Keynes).  His mother, Helen (Judy McIntosh), takes him away and calls for his older brother, Peter (William Moseley).  He starred in The Royals (2015-2018) as Prince Liam.  Young Lucy (Georgie Henley) is covering her ears when her sister Susan (Anna Popplewell) runs in to take her away.  Henley was in the drama The Sisterhood of Night (2014).  Poppewell was featured as Lady Lola in the drama series Reign (2013-2016).  They head to the shelter, but Edmund runs back to get a photo of his father and Peter chases after him.  The bombers loom overhead until Peter throws Edmund down yelling at him.  The family dynamic and the status of the kids is made very clear here.  It was subtle in the book.  

Then, we get the train station as the families send away their children to the countryside, their mother says goodbye to everyone and has Peter promise he will watch over his siblings.  This is no Platform 9 3/4 and the Pevensie family reaches their stop alone.  A horse carriage driven by the strict Mrs. Macready (Elizabeth Hawthorne).  They are taken to the country home of Professor Kirke.  We later find that he is an important figure in Narnia as a young boy in The Magician’s Nephew (1955), the sixth book of the series.  Mrs. Macready laws down the rules including don’t disturb the professor.  The next morning is a rainy day, Lucy brings up playing Hide and Seek, and Lucy scrambles with her brother and sister to find hiding places as Peter counts down.  She enters a room with only a wardrobe covered by a sheet.  In Magician’s Nephew, Digory Kirke finds an apple in Narnia, it grows into a tree in our world and he makes a wardrobe out of it, his story is carved in the front of the wardrobe.  Lucy moves through the coats until she ends up in a winter forest!  

Lucy looks on in wonder at the forest and snow and walks up to a lamp-post.  This was revealed in Magician’s Nephew that the witch had taken an iron bar from London and threw it at Aslan when Narnia was created.  The area she is in is called Lantern Waste.  When Lucy examines the lamp-post, she hears steps in the snow, this leads to her screaming at the appearence of Mr. Tumunus (James McAvoy) who also screams. McAvoy has been in many genre films playing Charles Xavier in Dark Phoenix (2019).  Mr. Tumunus is a Faun, half-goat and half-man, he is shy and learns that Lucy is human, a Daughter of Eve.  Mr. Tumunus is incredibly polite and invites Lucy to tea.  I especially like his stamping of snow from his hooves.  Mr. Tumunus explains that it is a winter of a hundred years, similar to the Long Night in Game of Thrones, he plays his pipes that creates images in the fire and lulls Lucy to sleep.  Mr. Tumunus is shocked by an image of a lion.  He explains that he was attempting to kidnap Lucy for the White Witch!  Lucy’s plea of friendship has Mr. Tumunus leading her back to the lamp-post.  She leaps out of the wardrobe and runs to tell her brothers and sister.  

Lucy finds out that no time has passed since she entered the Wardrobe.  They are still playing Hide and Seek and examine the Wardrobe, but find no trace of Narnia.  At night, Lucy heads back to the Wardrobe and Edmund follows her, he enters the Wardrobe and keeps going until he falls into Narnia!  He reaches the Lamp-post and is nearly run over by the carriage of the White Witch.  After the carriage stops, the vicious Ginarrbrik (Kiran Shah) leaps out and takes a knife to Edmund, until stopped by the White Witch.  Shah has many genre credits including Teddo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).  There are two races of Dwarfs, the Red Dwarf like Trumpkin and Black Dwarfs such as Ginarrbrik that allied theirselves to the White Witch.  Then, the Witch Witch, Jadis (Tilda Swinton) appears. Swinton was the Ancient One in Avengers: Endgame (2019).  Jadis came from the lifeless world of Charn, Digory and his friend Polly took her from that place in Magician’s Nephew, Charn was a warning to humans what can be done to the Earth.  The White Witch has a crown of icicles and wears a white dress that almost looks like Elsa’s collection.  

Edmund doesn’t realize that he is telling the White Witch about his family and she gives him a treat of Turkish Delight, it is a candy that uses a gel of starch and sugar to hold various nuts, very delicious and one of my top candies.  She wants Edmund to brings his family to her.  She shows him where to find her castle.  Lucy takes Edmund back to the wardrobe after talking to Mr. Tumunus.  Edmund plays Narnia off as a game which makes Lucy run into Professor Diggory (Jim Broadbent) and hugs him.  Broadbent brings a sense of fun to every role he plays like Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! (2001).  The professor goes to talk to Susan and Peter who explain that their sister found a “magical land” inside of the wardrobe.  Up to this point, Diggory never knew that the Wardrobe could take people to Narnia, and of course he is too old to return to it. The next day, they outside playing cricket when Edmund tosses the cricket ball threw a window, Mrs. McCready is not happy.  They run through the house until ending up in the Wardrobe.  The kids push back through the coats until they end up in the snows of Narnia!  Peter and Susan apologize to Lucy and they get into a snowball fight.  He has Edmund apologize to his sister and puts Lucy in charge.  

They follow Lucy to see Mr. Tumunus and Lucy is shocked to see that the house is in ruin.  Susan reads a letter noting that Mr. Tumunus was arrested.  They go outside to see a beaver.  This is Mr. Beaver voiced by Ray Winstone who played Gort in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).  He takes them back to his dam house with Mrs. Beaver (Dawn French).  She is a well known British comic actress who also voiced Miss Miriam Forcible in the animated film, Coraline (2009).  The two are very funny in their scenes and also charming.  They find Edmund is missing and chase after Edmund who has already entered the castle of the White Witch which looks like her crown with icy towers.  Mr. Beaver says that they need Aslan’s help to bring back Edmund.  He sees a courtyard of petrified creatures turned to stone, the army that tried to stop the White Witch, and encounters the savage wolf, Maugrim voiced by Michael Madsen.  Madsen of course has appeared in many films such as Once Upon a Time.. in Hollywood (2019).  The Pevensies are destined to lead a battle to save Narnia fighting for Aslan, the lion who is given a quiet dignity by Liam Neeson.  He is known for action films like Cold Pursuit (2019). Also, a far better lion than in the recent Lion King.  Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe offers a fresh vision of this fantasy world, unlike the Pauline Bayes illustrations, but contains the heart of C.S. Lewis’ creation with its endearing cast! 

Five Lamp-Posts out of Five!    

#TheChroniclesofNarnia, #AndrewAdamson, #GeorgieHenley, #SkanderKeyes, #WilliamMoseley, #AnnaPopplewell, #TildaSwinton, #JamesMcAvoy, #LiamNeeson  

Re:tro Re:view - Young Sherlock Holmes!

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) was a groundbreaking film with the younger days of the great detective, but he is thrown into a great adventure!  This is the third film written by Chris Columbus, he previously wrote Gremlins (1984), and made a name for himself for family friendly movies, he went on to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and also the musical Rent (2005).  It launched a genre of movies looking to revitalize (or start) franchises by showing the younger days, I recall (gasp!) Young Einstein (1988) with Yahoo Serious, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles tv series.  In Europe, the film was known as Pyramid of Fear, strange that the title didn't include the recognition of Sherlock Holmes' name.   

I was caught up in reading Arthur Conan Doyle, possibly from seeing this film, this was of course twenty four years before the Guy Ritchie movie and twenty-five years before Benedict Cumberbatch returned him to iconic status in the Sherlock series.  There has of course been a long legacy of cinematic adventures for Holmes & Watson, Peter Cushing played Holmes in the tv movie, Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death (1984), a well known adaptation, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) directed by Billy Wilder, all the way back to Sherlock Holmes (1922) with John Barrymore as the detective.  The film is interesting since it was released by Amblin Entertainment, the Steven Spielberg productions were near-flawless at the 80’s box office, except this one.  It is directed by Barry Levinson who directed The Natural (1984), Rain Man (1988) in which he won the Academy Award, and Sphere (1998) based on the Michael Crichton novel.     

A man in a coat leaves a building on a snowy London street when a hooded shadow appears with the tinkling of bells.  The bearded man, Mr. Bobster (Patrick Newell), makes his way through the streets followed by the figure with the large hood.  The mysterious person fires a blowgun at Bobster who believes it so kind of insect sting and enters a restaurant.  He is served a dish of pheasant, he is about to cut into it, when the dinner pops out a head and begins attacking him!  Time to go vegan?  The head of the bird pecking at his face is disturbing, this should have been PG-13, but he finds nothing in his hands!  Bobster rushes back to his house and locks himself in his room.  His hat suddenly lands on his head and he finds that his hat rack come to life and wraps around him!  The room is set on fire and he leaps to his death as the shadow passes by.  

Another shadow is followed through the streets until we get the text explanation that the story is not based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.  Then, there is narration by John Watson (Michael Hordem) explaining his earlier days as we see him as played by Alan Cox.  He was in the drama, An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), and the sci fi movie, Speed of Thought (2011).  Watson is in a carriage looking at London while it is explained that he moved from his school in the country to a city school in the Victorian era.  Watson is taken to his bunk next to a young man trying to play the violin.  He tells his roommate not to smash the violin which he was attempting to play in three days.  Before he introduces himself, the older boy (Nicholas Rowe) examines him, and tells him about his life.  Except that he calls him James Watson.  Rowe is an actor with credits including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Mr. Holmes (2015) with Sir Ian McKellan.  Then, goes about showing him the evidence that he gathered.  Before they leave, he introduces himself as Sherlock Holmes!   

Holmes gives Watson a riddle of figuring out a room with a Southern view and the color of a bear that passed by.  They go to chemistry class with a doddering professor.  There is a rap at the window, Holmes goes to a take a note from a young woman (Sophie Ward), Watson is shocked at seeing a girl in an all boys school.  Ward was in Little Dorritt (1998), Wuthering Heights (1992) and two adaptations of Crime and Punishment.  Holmes tells Watson that she is Elizabeth and is staying with her uncle.  Elizabeth is an interesting character, young, but later joins Holmes and Watson in the adventure.  Next, they head to the library where Elizabeth is talking to a posh boy.  Holmes upstages Dudley by realizing his expensive watch is a forgery.  Elizabeth notes that Holmes is jealous about Dudley’s attention to her.  

Watson is up a ladder checking out books when he hears a tinkling of bells.  He falls after trying to find out who is making the noise.  Holmes and Elizabeth check on him.  They walk the school grounds when Elizabeth’s uncle, Rupert T. Waxflatter (Nigel Stock), calls out to Holmes.  Stock was Cavendish in The Great Escape (1963) and wasMr. Pickwick in The Pickwick Papers (1985) series.  He takes off on his new invention, a flying machine that gets all of the school kids cheering, until it crashes into a tree.  The friends take the pieces of the machine back to the retired professor’s work room.  Rupert notes that he has to rebuild the machine, Holmes asks him if that will be difficult, he replies, “Elementary my dear Holmes, elementary.”  A mysterious man, Chester Cragwitch (Freddie Jones) knocks on Rupert’s window and he sends the friends out so he can talk.  Jones was Thufir Hawatt in David Lynch’s Dune (1984) and starred in the series Emmerdale.  

Next, we get a church were Reverend Duncan Nesbitt is hit by the blowpipe, he sees a stained glass window of a knight that leaps out and threatens him.  This is the first CG character on film and part of the stunning visual effects by ILM.  At fencing class, Holmes studies the duel, as the fencing master knocks his student down.  He unmasks, it is Professor Rathe (Anthony Higgins) and he has Mrs. Dribb (Susan Fleetwood) check on the student’s injury.  Higgins was Gobler in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and starred in the adaptation of Bel Ami (2012).  Fleetwood played Athena in Clash of the Titans (1981) and was in the Jane Austen adaptation Persuasion (1995).  Mrs. Dribb is the caring figure for the school.  Rathe is a mentor figure for Holmes and their duels are matches of skill and minds.  The duel, bully with his group, and school setting remind me more than a little about Harry Potter.  

He calls up Holmes to fence against him, Holmes gets in two touches, but gets Rathe’s foil against his neck.  Rathe tells the class it is his emotion that caused his loss.  At dinner, the students sit in the hall, Dudley, Watson, and Holmes are at the table taking about professions.  Holmes looks out the window at Elizabeth walking her dog and says, “I never want to be alone.” The dog hears the tinkling of bells and a shadow passes a school wall.  Unkas chases after the hooded stranger and takes a piece of the coat.  Later, Dudley challenges Holmes to a contest of deductive skill, with one hour to solve it.  Holmes races to put together the clues.  This so reminds me of Harry Potter especially with a trophy.  Holmes finds another news item circled by Rupert and tries to bring it to the attention of Detective Sergeant LeStrade (Roger Ashton-Griffiths).  The actor played Mace Tyrell in Game of Thrones and was in the sci fi movie Brazil (1985)  

Holmes is expelled from the school by the trickery from Dudley.  He is about to leave when there is another death.  In this case, Rupert, when he is shopping at an antique store and sees strange gargoyle figures come to life!  This spurs Holmes to solve the murders with Watson and Elizabeth.  It brings them into a secret society lying in the underbelly of London.  The film made me very much think of the Spielberg movie a year earlier, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).  The credits note illustrator Mike Ploog, he is a well known comic book artist, he also worked on the animated film Wizards (1977) and Jim Henson films including The Dark Crystal (1982).  Young Sherlock Holmes is a “great adventure” with nods to Arthur Conan Doyle, great characters especially seeing Sherlock develop into his later adult persona, and some stunning effects!  

#YoungSherlockHolmes, #BarryLevinson, #NicholasRowe, #AlanCox 

Happy Birthday José García-López!

Happy Birthday José García-López!  The work of this Spanish artist spans issues of Detective Comics in 1975. He provided art on the Hercules Unbound limited series before launching the Jonah Hex solo title with Michael Fleisher. García-López also launched DC Comics Presents teaming up Superman with many characters in the DCU.  He pencilled the tabloid sized Superman vs. Wonder Woman (1978) and Batman and the Hulk (1981).  In 1982, The DC Style Guide featured Garcia-Lopez’s artwork putting a stamp on DC characters.  Garcia-Lopez worked on the Atari Force (1984) series with Gerry Conway that took the premise started in mini-comics to incredible visuals for this sci fi world based on the video games.  One of the most interesting and mature titles was another collaboration with Conway with the Cinder and Ashe (1988) limited series.  This comic book is about private investigators with ties to the Vietnam War now in New Orleans. One of my favorites for it’s bold artwork and writing. 

García-López worked with Howard Chaykin on the sci fi limited series Twilight (1991).  He later worked on a few Batman titles, Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman Returns: The Official Comic Adaptation (1992) as well as a few Superman issues, Superman: Kal (1995) and Superman, Inc. (1999).  His most impressive recent issues was Doctor Strangefate (1996) combining DC and Marvel characters.  García-López also worked on two graphic novels On The Road to Perdition (2003-2004) featuring Max Allan Collins’ hard-edged noir series.  He worked on JLA Classified (2006) with Gail Simone.  García-López worked with Len Wein on Batman `66: The Lost Episode (2015) that was written by Harlan Ellison for the Batman tv show.  This artist has a fresh, unmistakable style that is dynamic and powerful.  He can span across genres from superheroes to science fiction to detectives set in the real world.   Happy Birthday José García-López!

#JoseLuisGarciaLopez, #DCStyleGuide, #SupermanKal, #DoctorStrangeFate

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “The Bad Batch”, Review!

The return of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is welcome with one of the strongest non-trilogy storylines.  Technically, we only had the beginning of the Clone Wars, Attack of the Clones (2002), and the end of it, Revenge of the Sith (2005).  The full Clone Wars was told in Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005), the animated shorts by Genndy Tartakovsky (canon to me until contradicted by the current series), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), it was theatrically released so also a Star Wars film, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2014).  

These last two entries were created by Lucasfilm Animation under the watchful eye of George Lucas so they reach the highest level of canon.  Side note: it took me some time to get over Prequel Bias and watch the film which I love.  The series goes a long way to providing a full story about the cost of war, how it affects both sides, and of course the toll on the soldiers.  So now with Disney+ we have the fulfillment of the season that was dropped with Disney moving on with Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018).  If you still have the spark of the Star Warrior, I would urge watching all of the Clone Wars.  

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS -- “The Bad Batch” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

The episode opens with the title logo and the all to familiar music of Kevin Kiner, it is reassuring to see the return of Star Wars!  The theme of the episode is shown and then the wartime narration of Tom Kane describing the Battle of Anaxes, a Core World, and we are informed that it is a Republic shipyard.  We see glimpses of Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker.  Also, the spider-like face of Admiral Trench (Baker) introduced in the season two episode ”Cat and Mouse.” (2010).  He is part of the Harch species with a pale, giant tarantula head with large mandibles by his cheeks.  

Two Republic gunships head for a hangar in a sweeping shot with clone troopers and war machines, this was the level of animation that was in the earlier episodes.  This moves to the control room with Mace Windu (TC Carson) and Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) discussing strategy.  Then, Commander Cody and Captain Rex walk up.  We get the voice of Dee Bradley Baker voicing all of the clone troopers in the style of Temuera Morrison.  Rex is a fan favorite who debuted in the Clone Wars film.  Cody was introduced in Revenge of the Sith.  Rex suspects that the battle droids are predicting the clone trooper tactics and are ready for them.  Of course the Jedi are commanders because their tactics are not predictable.  

Cody volunteers a mission taking a squad behind the droid front line to reach a Cyber Center.  We get Rex looking at a picture of his squad; a very stirring moment for the clone soldier.  Rex hesitated to tell the generals that he believes Echo is alive, but Cody reminds him that he fell in “The Citadel” battle (2011).  He says that the battle plans used by the droids were made by Echo and himself.   Long time fans like myself are holding out hope that this clone trooper is alive.  Cody notes that they will be working with Clone Force-99.  We have seen several squads of clone troopers, this squad is new, their renegade status explains why we haven't seen them. 

The troopers are joined by ARC troopers Jesse and medic Kix.  A shuttle recklessly flies in scattering troopers.  Cody explains that they are “defective clones” and dub themselves the Bad Batch.   Out of the shuttle walks the squad including Wrecker is a giant of a clone, bald, and he has one blind eye.  The leader is Hunter with a half-skull tatoo on his face, red bandana, and Rambo-like hair.  Tech has googles that give him a steampunk look with a thin face and slightly balding hair.  Cross Hair is the silent type, he has a targeting scope outlined around his eye and white hair.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS -- “The Bad Batch” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.

The clone trooper missions are a large part of the animated series.  They are usually tied to one of the Jedi, Obi-Wan or Anakin, but this adds a new element to them.  The only downside is that a group of strange clones is really needed in more episodes.  A group of different clones is exactly what new viewers need to distinguish between them.  They board a Republic gunship and Cross Hair shows some attitude towards Regs, their term for regular clones.  A battle droid has spotted the gunship and calls down fire from dwarf spider droids equipped with cannons that extend insect-like from their faces.  The gunship crash lands.  Cody is trapped under the gunship.  Wrecker goes all The Rock and lifts the gunship over.  He likes that the lander explodes.  

The Bad Batch has their own tactics.  Wrecker hauls a piece of wreckage to deflect droid blasts while Tech scans their perfect strike point, Cross Hair inputs the coordinates and throws a grenade that electrifies an area.  This is what was needed at the beginning of the clone war, a wide-area weapon that disables droids.  The tactic also reminds me of Spaceballs (1987) with Barf the Mawg tearing off some pipes to take out a group of soldiers.  Hunter’s weapon of choice is a knife that short circuits droids.  His tracking of the electro-magnetic movements of the droids me of Billy, the Native American hunter in Predator (1987).  What doesn’t make sense is that this is Anakin’s style of fighting.  He should be involved in working with this group.  A very strong episode that might be an introduction to the series for some viewers.  

Five Lightsabers out of Five! 

#CloneWars, #TheBadBatch, #DeeBradleyBaker, #TCCarson, #MattLanter

Re:tro Re:view - Star Trek: First Contact!

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) brings the TNG crew its finest film entry with the threat of the Borg and time travel back to the beginnings of the Trek verse!  It struck me after some time watching the movie that it is one of the few Trek films that do not require prior knowledge of the show or how Star Trek works.  You can come in cold, not knowing about the Enterprise, Picard, warp drive or the Borg and feel comfortable.  Every element is introduced to you without bombarding you with Trek data while still giving nods to the long time Trekkies of the show.  This was the first outing for Jonathan Frakes as a film director, he previously directed episodes of the various Trek shows, and the second film for The Next Generation crew.  The story was by producer Rickman and screenwriters Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore.  The team worked on the previous film, Generations (1994), but really caught the cinematic scope here.  Braga also worked on The Orville, Moore reimagined Battlestar Galactica and Outlander, and the duo wrote the screenplay for Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).  

The film opens with the Alexander Courage Star Trek theme, the music is by Jerry Goldsmith, who was perfect in capturing the classic music, but also giving power into new scores.  Goldsmith provides a gentle and soaring score for the credits and then we get the stunning pull back from the extreme close-up of the eye of Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to the inside hull of a Borg cube.  We get the assimilation of Picard into a Borg and then he wakes from the nightmare before finding he is in another horror movie like scene.  Admiral Hayes reports about an attack and Picard knows that the Borg has returned.  Then, we get a beautiful medium shot to show the movement of the Enterprise-E, one of the most elegant designs for a Starfleet ship.  The Enterprise from the show, the Galaxy class-D, was destroyed in Star Trek: Generations (1994).  He calls a meeting of the senior staff to note that they are ordered to patrol the Neutral Zone.  Picard gets the objections of Number One, Commander Riker (Frakes), ship’s counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Data (Brent Spiner), Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), and engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton).  Spiner, Sirtis, and Frakes have also appeared in the latest Star Trek: Picard series.  There is a balance of giving character moments to the crew while maintaining the story.    

We get the blaring music of Berlioz that Picard is listening to possibly blocking out distractions and thoughts as Number One enters to give a standard report.  Picard confides that Starfleet does not have confidence in him after he was assimiliated by the Borg.  They head to the to hear the engagement of Starfleet with the Borg cube.  The Borg block out transmissions and the fight begins.  Picard gives the order to return to Earth to Lt. Hawk (Neal McDonough).  A new crewmember, McDonough is known for Minority Report (2002) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).  The Enterprise heads into warp.  Then, we get a close-up of the technological wiring and mass of the Borg Cube as it heads for Earth!  The Borg have near invinciblity adapting to weapons for its ships and in person.  Starfleet ships fire on it including the Defiant manned by another familiar crewmember, Commander Worf (Michael Dorn), he moved from TNG to Deep Space Nine.  This film adds him back to the crew and while he orders the ship to ram into the Borg, he is told that the Enterprise has entered the battle.  It looms past the Defiant and Picard orders survivors to be beamed aboard.   

Riker notes that admiral’s ship is destroyed and Picard gets a visual of the battle.  He hears the distorted voice of the Borg.  Picard takes command and has the entire fleet open fire on his coordinates.  This destroys the Borg Cube, but we see a sphere ejected from it.  Picard sends the Enterprise after it.  Dr. Crusher arrives with Worf.  Picard puts him back in charge of the Enterprise’s weapons.  Riker jokes with Worf, Frakes was having the most fun with this film.  The Borg Sphere opens a vortex to travel back in time and the Enterprise follows them.  The crew sees an Earth corrupted by the Borg!  Data explains that following the sphere has protected them from being changed by the Borg, nice time travel story point.  Then, we get quiet, nighttime look at a forest camp.  Leaving the bar is a drunk man, Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) and Lily (Alfre Woodard).  She sees the sphere before it fires torpedoes on the camp!  Cromwell has worked on many films from episodes of the Star Trek series and Professor Callaghan on Big Hero 6: The Series.  Cochrane is important in Star Trek lore since he was the inventor of warp drive.  He was introduced in the TOS episode, “Metamorphosis” (1967).  Woodard is impressive in any project she is in which includes 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Luke Cage (2016-2018).  

The Enterprise leaves the vortex, nice that the time travel is not by the heroes, but a strange plan to tie up Star Trek history.  They see the sphere firing torpedoes and Picard orders quantum torpedoes to be fired on the sphere.  It explodes and Riker notes that the Borg were firing on a missile complex in central Montana.  Data checks and notes that it is April 4th, 2063, the day before First Contact, the crew realizes that the complex is where Cochrane launches the first warp capable ship.  Picard heads down with Crusher, Data, and a group to check on survivors.  He checks on the ship with Data and they are fired on by Lily who wields a machine gun.  Data drops down and is shot by Lily, it is of course obvious that he is an android, and not weakened by the bullets.  Lily faints and Crusher notes that she has radiation poisoning and needs to be taken to the ship.  Picard calls LaForge to help work on the damaged ship.  The Enterprise finds that the environmental temperature has risen and the mystery has to with the Borg.  It is a very horror element which rises the threat of the cyborg villains.  Not as invincible robots, but zombie-like corrupters.  Picard hears the Borg voices and heads back to the ship with Data.  This sets up the parallel problem taking on the Borg and trying to right history with Cochrane.  

Picard arrives and has Data encrypt the bridge’s controls so the Borg can’t take over the ship.  A team is assembled with Picard, Data, and Worf to take back engineering.  Riker has his own problems with the reluctant Cochrane.  The adoration of the Enterprise crew turns the legend of Zephram Cochrane, a great twist to the usual famous figure in time travel, but the hope of the future rests on him.  There is a funny moment with Deanna Troi trying to deal with Cochrane.  It is interesting to see this flawed Cochrane, brilliant work by Cromwell, the earlier appearance of Cochrane had him younger in the form of actor Glen Corbett..  His ship, the Phoenix, but for less than scientific reasons.  It is housed in a nuclear missile which is out of necessity rather than irony.  The Enterprise team fails to recapture engineering and Data is taken by the Borg.  Data has always been the Pinocchio figure, longing to be human, and this film allows Spiner to confront the difficult choice in the form of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige).  The actress has been in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and a reprise of the character in Star Trek: Voyager.  The Borg Queen’s design has a H.R. Giger bio-mechanical sensuality one year after his own design in Species.  Krige doesn’t shift out of that form and is able to be a threat to Picard and temptation to Data.  Lastly, there is Woodard who is able to bring out the conflict of Picard driven by his post- tramautic disorder from Borg assimliation.  A perfect counter part from someone from a conflicted time in contrast with Star Trek’s more advanced civilization, but still human.  Star Trek: First Contact takes the very sci fi constructs to cover the very human theme of hope.    

#StarTrekFirstContact, #JonathanFrakes, #PatrickStewart, #BrentSpiner, #AliceKrige   

Happy Birthday William Shatner!

Happy Birthday William Shatner!  He was working in theaterical productions until his genre appearances in “Nick of Time” (1960) and the classic “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (1963) episodes of Twilight Zone.  Shatner also starred in “Cold Hands, Warm Heart” (1964) episode of The Outer Limits.  He appeared alongside Leonard Nimoy in “The Project Strigas Affair” (1964) episode of the spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Shatner’s iconic role was as Captain Kirk in Star Trek starting with “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (1966), the second pilot of the series had a strong cast and went on until 1969.  He returned to voice Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974).  Star Trek was revived as a television movie, but then given a theatrical release as Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  He had a long running role as the lead in T.J. Hooker (1982-1986).  Shatner returned as Kirk in one of the finest Star Trek films was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).  

He followed it up with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).  A fan favorite movie had Shatner saving the whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).  He took the directing reins in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). The last full cast of the original series was in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).  He published his sci fi novel TekWar in 1989.  This became a series of tv movies starting with TekWar (1994).  He also made a final appearance as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Generations (1994).  TekWar (1994-1996) was made into a series with Shatner as Walter H. Bascom. Shatner also co-wrote many Star Trek novels starting with Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden (1995). He appeared in the sci fi comedy series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1999-2000) as The Big Giant Head.  Shatner was also the host of the beauty pageant in the comedy Miss Congeniality (2000).  He voiced himself in a 2002 episode of Futurama.  Shatner had a strong role as Denny Crane in the drama series, The Practice (2004).  He returned as the character in Boston Legal (2004-2008).  Shatner wrote and directed the documentary The Captains (2011) about the Star Trek captains.  Happy Birthday William Shatner!   

#WilliamShatner, #StarTrek, #TekWar, #ThePractice, #TheCaptains 

Happy Birthday Gary Oldman!

Happy Birthday Gary Oldman!  An incredible actor with multiple awards, many genre films, and a screen presence.  Oldman made his debut in the drama, Remembrance (1982).    He starting getting attention playing Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols in the bio pic, Sid and Nancy (1986).  He was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company and played Rosencrantz from Hamlet in the adapation of the play, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990).  Then, Oldman was Lee Harvey Oswald in the drama JFK (1991).  One of his strong genre parts was playing Count Dracula in Francis Ford Coppolla’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). In 1994, Oldman played unstable DEA agent in Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional (1994).  Oldman continued with other genre roles including Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg in the sci fi film, The Fifth Element (1997) directed by Besson.  Gary Oldman first appeared as Sirius Black, family friend and close advisor to Harry Potter, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).  He then played Jim Gordon, a definitive actor for the character, in Batman Begins (2005).  

Oldman continued as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).  He returned as Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight (2008).  Oldman voiced General Grawl in the animated Planet 51 (2009).  Carnegie was a post-apocalyptic survivor played by Oldman in The Book of Eli (2010).  He played Solomon in the dark fairy tale Red Riding Hood (2011).  Then, voiced Shen in Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011).  Oldman wrapped up Sirius Black’s part in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).  The lead role of George Smiley was played by Oldman in the adaptation of John le Carré’s novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).  He completed the trilogy as Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).  Then, he appeared in sci fi films; Robocop (2014) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). Oldman was in the sci fi teen romance, The Space Between Us (2017), as Nathaniel Shepherd.  One of his finest roles was playing Winston Churchill in the drama Darkest Hour (2017).  A part that won him the Academy Award.  He has upcoming the film, Dreamland.  Happy Birthday Gary Oldman!   

#GaryOldman, #HarryPotterandThePrisonerofAzkaban, #BatmanBegins, #DarkestHour 

Geek Truth’s Top Rainy Day Movies!

It may be a rainy day or possibly you are social distancing yourself.  So the parameters are possibly this will be the entire family (trying to keep in mind different tastes and interests) so films will have to be careful of subject matter (there are adult rated films for older viewers), and re-watchability.  You may need some movies that are not too heavy on their subject matter and too light, fluffy entertainment, they have to be just right.  Also, fairly recent films with some classics to get the attention of all viewers.  We have to keep away from depressing or apocalyptic subject matter.  If you have a favorite movie, by all means, play it, preference is more important than any list.  Still, if you may need a reminder or point out one movie you may have forgotten, here’s another list.  So what is left?  Glad you asked!, this is the Geek Truth’s Top Rainy Day Movies!    

Let’s get started with a genre not high on the list with dudes, Romance, and take a look at Crazy Rich Asians, http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/08/crazy-rich-asians-review.html.  The Lake House (2006), based on the South Korean film Il Mare (2000), it has a couple connecting their lives through the lake house of the title separated by time.  Before Sunrise (1995), a Richard Linklater film, brilliant in bringing in dialogue between two young people, slightly adult in content.  

Next, let’s hear it for the Musicals genre starting with The Sound of Music (1965), the Rogers & Hammerstein musical is made fresh with the true story of Maria, the governess who becomes a part of the von Trapp family, review is at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-sound-of-music-review.html.  The Greatest Showman (2017), not historically accurate of course, but the story of P.T. Barnum and the inspiration of his performers, our review comes alive at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/11/retro-review-greatest-showman.html.  Lastly, Moulin Rouge (2001), a teen+ musical with a young songwriter and his romance with a courtesan in Paris.   

Drama Movies of course have heavy subject matter, but also can be inspirational.  Let’s start off with Rudy (1993), true story about Rudy Ruettiger who is too small for football, too poor and struggling with school to play for Notre Dame, but this is his dream.  Next, Hidden Figures (2016), another true story about brilliant NASA mathematician Katheryn Johnson and her friends and colleagues whom made the space program possible, and lastly under the adult themed movies, Shawshank Redemption (1994), based on the Stephen King novella, finds Andy Dufresne in prison for a life sentence, but walls can’t hold down his spirit and inspire others.  

Another genre is Action Movies!  We start off with a family friendly The Karate Kid (1984), teen Daniel Larusso learning karate from gardener Mr. Miyagi, and it has sequels and YouTube series, but the orignal is the best.  Now, the action masterpiece which would probably be for teens and older, is Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  Archeologist and adventurer, Indiana Jones, quests to find the Lost Ark held by Nazi forces.  Sequels followed, put the original on repeat, there is a very good recommended television series.  Lastly, at the teen and older category is Thunderball (1965), Agent 007 James Bond travels to the Bahamas to face Emil Largo, really almost any James Bond film; over the top perfection with You Only Live Twice (1967), the Roger Moore style in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Skyfall (2012), Bond’s history and nods to past missions are wrapped up in this film.    

Let’s move to the fantastic genres starting with Fantasy Films.  One of the best is The Princess Bride (1987), a clever look at life and fairy tales with farmer turned pirate, Westley, trying to save his True Love, Buttercup, turn to the review here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/10/retro-review-princess-bride.html.  Another young fantasy is The Neverending Story (1984), young Bastian escapes bullies reading about the adventures of Artreyu, sequels and a television series, but the original has its own charm.  Now, we get to one of masterpieces of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001), young Hobbit Frodo with his friends and allies including the wizard Gandalf quest to destroy the One Ring. 

The nature of the story will probably need teens and older to understand, but not enjoy, so there is the rest of The Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).  There are other films of note, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Ray Harryhausen effects highlight this Hollywood fantasy with Sinbad taking on a sorcerer along with a cyclops and other creatures.  An incredible fantasy movie, The Thief of Bagdad (1940), is pure fun and fantasy with Ahmad, sultan turned beggar, struggling against the evil Jaffar to save the Princess with his young friend Abu, played by the charming Sabu, very influential for other films.    

The Horror genre might be difficult to find non-violent entertainment, but let’s start with Jurassic Park (1993), it really inspired kids, best for older kids, with Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Michael Crichton book, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant and a small group are sent to an island park with dinosaurs that are unleashed, the Jurassic World franchise is interesting, but put the original on repeat.  Next, we have A Quiet Place (2018), a resourceful family tries to survive creatures hunting by sound, read quietly the review: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/07/retro-review-quiet-place.html.  For adult audiences is the R rated horror comedy, Shaun of the Dead (2004), Shaun, Ed, and their friends try to survive teh zombie apocalypse sweeping London.   

We will look at Comedy Movies with touches of other genres.  It starts with Ghostbusters (1984) so we can connect with horror.  The former professors are turned professional paranormal investigators and discover that New York has supernatural powers that can take the city.  A classic with sequels and reboot, but replay the original.  Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Python perfection satirizing Arthurian legend, but respectfully, “`Tis but a scratch.” Finally, The Breakfast Club (1985), an honest look at high school teens forced to spend a Saturday and coming up with some hard truths, this is for older teens on up.     
   

Science Fiction Films, let’s start with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), a Spielberg classic prfect for young ones with young Elliott finding E.T. in his suburban world.  Next, the adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci fi classic, John Carter (2012), Carter is an ex-Civil War soldier who gets transported to Mars, “Och Ohem, Och Tay, Wyess Barsoom” at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/08/retro-review-john-carter.html.  Possibly for older kids for its sophistication, but it is another Disney film, Tomorrowland (2015), Casey Newton gets a vision of Tomorrowland so resolves to get there with the help of Frank Walker and a young girl, Athena, don’t wait until tomorrow to read the review: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/08/retro-review-tomorrowland.html.  

There are other movies including Star Wars (1977), subtitled A New Hope, Luke Skywalker, farm boy, is caught up in an adventure with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, to save the galaxy from the Empire!  Of course the rest of the trilogy, Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) are worthy too.  Maclunkey!  Lastly, is the groundbreaking Westworld (1973) that has some adult content though rated PG, directed and written by Michael Crichton, it features two friends who are guests at the futuristic theme park for adults populated by robots that slowly malfunction.  The recent series and sequel are not a match to the original.  Review at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/08/retro-review-westworld.html. 

Comic Book Movies, you may immediately think MCU, there is a few, but let’s open that door a little wider with Wonder Woman (2017), the Amazon princess who travels from her island Themyscira to WWI battlefields to save the world from war.  Find the review at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/09/retro-review-wonder-woman.html.  One of the stand out MCU movies, Black Panther (2018), of course it features T’Challa struggling with becoming king and facing Killmonger, read the review here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/12/retro-review-black-panther.html.  Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), probably for older audiences, teen and above, but it is a wild combination of anime, video games, and comic books, with Scott taking on the The League of Exil-Exes to fight for Ramona Flowers.  

Alternates: it has to be Superman (1978), the first serious superhero film, with the destruction of Krypton, young Clark Kent growing up in rural Smallville, and then becoming the hero in Metropolis.  Lastly, there is Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), seeing scrawny Steve Rogers transformed into Captain America and stand against the forces of Red Skull is reason enough to see this film.  There is a very solid sequel with Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) that has Cap face the espionage of the modern world, but rooted in the evil of the past. High on the list is Iron Man (2008) that set up the MCU and set the blockbuster tradition for superhero movies and of course, one of the best team movies, Avengers (2012).        

   

Animation, of course there are many fine Disney animated films, but you may already have them, so let’s look a little past them.  First is the Hayao Miyazaki-san films, starting with My Neighbor Totoro (1989), a charming, gentle story about two young girls finding a magical friend during their mother’s illness. The review is here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/11/retro-review-my-neighbor-totoro.html.  Other films include Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), a young witch has to learn confidence in a new town, and Spirited Away (2001), a dark and wondrous fairy tale with Chihiro caught in a world run by the witch, Yubaba.  There is some content like parents turning into pigs might be disturbing to young ones.  

Next, Laika films, all of them really, but let’s feature Missing Link, about a lone Bigfoot who has to find a place to belong with his friend and explorer and lady adventurer.  The review is at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2019/04/missing-link-review.html.  Don’t forget Kubo and the Two-Strings (2016), http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/08/retro-re-view-kubo-and-two-strings.html, Kubo is a young boy who is a storyteller and musician teaming up with Monkey to face the Moon King.  Then, there is The Boxtrolls (2014), a fun adventure with Eggs, a human boy raised by trolls, he befriends Winnie and they have to take on the evil Snatcher. 

So the last film is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Miles Morales discovers Spider-Men from other dimensions and has to become Spider-Man!, review at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/12/spider-man-into-spider-verse-review.html.  There is so many more films to add to this list.  What movies would make your list?  Some of the films will most likely be reviewed in the future.  Thanks to all of suggestions given by my pals, you know who you are, this article couldn't be written without you!   

#GeekTruth, #RainyDayMovies, #CrazyRichAsians, #RudyMovie, #PrincessBride, #JohnCarterFilm, #WonderWomanMovie, #MyNeighborTotoro