Reviews

Despite the notion that any deliberation around 'Star Wars has the ability to start World War III, I highly doubt that this take will be the most incendiary yet. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I've been sharing a Disney+ account to see some of the hottest content on there that pertains to me. Before I dive into 'The Mandalorian' and eventually the everlong 'Clone Wars' series, I'll be rewatching some of the feature films to cement my ranking of the 'Skywalker Saga' (my top 4 and bottom 2-3 are rigged in place). So why not start off with a bang and say that I've come back around to reliking 'Attack of the Clones'? Although 'Revenge of the Sith' and to some extent the whole prequel trilogy hold a place of nostalgia for many, the only one that I believe touches the sky is of course, 'Revenge of the Sith'. 'The Phantom Menace', while not awful, remains a tedious watch due to its slog handling of the political storylines, a bulk of its plot being an uninteresting slow burn that merely provides some building blocks for the future episodes. 'Episode II' thankfully provides a lot of payoff as its own contained chapter before 'Episode III', and it's far more engaging and interesting despite being clumsy at times.

I've always loved the idea of the franchise utilizing different genres (including a 'Star Wars' Horror novel that I need to read), and George Lucas's plot here channels many elements of Noir and the 'James Bond' canon- Obi-Wan's investigation into Senator Amidala's assassin, Jango Fett, evocates 'Dr. No' plus of course there's 007 Hall of Fame champion Christopher Lee in the role of Count Dooku. There's also Coruscant that resembles portions of 'Blade Runner's' Los Angeles, and the stunning world of Kamino with its black, rainy atmosphere. It's effectively used as a backdrop for us seeing the assembly of the clone army which would soon become a vital key to the downfall of the Jedi. There's a low-key tension filled scene as Obi-Wan questions Jango Fett in his and his son's small quarters about his involvement in the clone army that's also interesting to see. Ironically enough, Jango is given more to do and charisma than his more renowned son had in either 'Episodes V' nor 'IV'- oops. Temuera Morrison gives a subtle performance that has also aided him in getting to portray Boba in 'The Mandalorian'.

Ewan McGregor has often been cited as one of the best parts of the prequels, and he's as good as ever here in and in 'Episode III'. He greatly displays sharp wisdom, and a vulnerability like when he's trying to get Anakin to control his feelings after Padme is nearly killed during the climax. To be fair though, him scolding Anakin for accidentally losing his lightsaber is rubbish. Natalie Portman gets to shine more as Padmé than in 'Episode I' despite being shortchanged by some of her dialogue.

As for the elephant in the room- Hayden Christensen, who's been made out to be for this trilogy to 'The Godfather III's' Sofia Coppola: He's out of tune in many parts, unable to convey Anakin's awkward nature into something tangible; but Hayden nonetheless gives a strong effort and shines in certain scenes. One of the emotional highpoints of this picture is the death of Anakin's mother Shmi, it's heartbreaking and excellently timed; plus George was able to restrain and make the dialogue work. Hayden's time as Space Hitler in Training improved a lot in 'Episode III', and he's almost excellent in that as well (the Razzies awarding him Worst Supporting Actor for III was uncalled for and major overkill). There's no way to predict what performance Lucas would've gotten out of the actors considered for Anakin, so Hayden has received a deserved break from certain fans in recent years (although the thought of Paul Walker playing him is pretty exciting). The other performances are either serviceable to solid; like Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz and especially Christopher Lee as Dooku, who makes for a noteworthy adversary.

Lucas's fluctuating writing skills are exposed in certain sequences (though nowhere near as abominable as the almost cult like hatedom for the trilogy has made them out to be)- Anakin's plan to catch Padme's attempted assassin on Coruscant is dense (her resting in a bedroom with loose glass that Obi-Wan jumps through), Anakin being the only one left with Padmé on Naboo free to lollygag in open areas and fields for assassins to drop by. I buy why Padmé returns Anakin's feelings, but their affair on her home planet is awkward and plays like bad fanfiction (his speech to her by the firepit comes out musically, like a rejected Taylor Swift single). To be fair though; if I had to protect Natalie Portman on a far-away planet, my feelings would make me behave irrationally (tee-hee). One unwarranted complaint is over Padme marrying Anakin despite everything that went down- the warning signs of future bad husbands can be overlooked early on, same with Anakin. Plus it's clearly established that the Tusken Raiders who tortured his mother are savages, Padmé empathized with his pain and massacre of the tribe (it might've been more powerful though if he didn't tell her about them). Their relationship works on some level, and no fans- it's not meant to be a flawless showmanship of relationship dynamics.

Overall though; all of the other finely tuned qualities and Lucas's direction here make up for the shortcomings. The notion that there's "overuse of CGI" is exaggerated to some extent, because there's a number of practical effects and sets in all three movies; plus tech wizardry makes absolute sense for this movie's extensive worlds and set pieces. The story makes for a chapter that avoids middle-installment/setup syndrome (while 'Episode I' has prequelitus, which many have been victim to- even 2011's 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', I'm not sorry). If you already have your mind made up about 'Attack of the Clones' being squalor or even the worst of the entire franchise, there's no need to even read this further. But for others who don't exactly despise it or have transferred their disdain for it over to the sequel trilogy, it'd definitely be worth giving a second chance (enough years have gratefully passed by that most of my memory of the popular but interminable RedLetterMedia's reviews of the prequels have washed away, giving away to more maturity for myself that I can think for myself and post controversial takes).

Grade- 3 out of 4 stars.

Having been a lifelong fan of certain superheroes from DC and Marvel, my history started with various Batman related cartoons and Tim Burton's 1989 film, which was responsible for catapulting the caped crusader into the mainstream on his 50th anniversary. Sadly though Burton's films and some of the recent DCEU ventures have left me cold over time, especially with the endless controversies, etc. Certain films have not though, including two that I have defended to the tooth- The Dark Knight Rises, the last installment of Christopher Nolan's Trilogy that garnered backlash mostly within the fan community (which was for lack of a better word unearned), and Bryan Singer's Superman Returns- the spiritual successor to Richard Donner's beloved first two films that despite receiving positive reviews from critics (including the future endorsement of one Quentin Tarantino) and even being ranked at 496 on Empire's then "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list, was savaged by the fanbase including less than stellar statements from geek idol Kevin Smith (not always to be trusted in my opinion). I loved this film from a few years after its release, and having recently rewatched it we're here to ask the question- Does it deserve the hate? A colossal no.

Somewhat like what George Miller would do with Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, Returns incorporates elements of Donner's first two films into its backstory and a somewhat anachronistic but contemporary setting. It's an equivalent to a What-If story- What if Superman was a nomad? He comes back to an Earth that has moved on without him, especially Metropolis. Martha Kent has thankfully survived long enough to witness his return, he gets his job back at The Daily Planet and returns in the cape in the nick of time to save a crashing airplane. Matters start to turn better but they can't save Superman's feelings of isolation from humanity and his former love Lois Lane. We're given a heart wrenching tale of Clark Kent struggling to find the balance between his desire for a sense of belonging while protecting the world from itself and of course his nemesis Lex Luthor.

Aside from Superman's heroics and tying in with Luthor's plan to create a new continental monopoly, the emotional character arcs take center stage including Clark Kent/Superman's relationship with Lois Lane. Lois grows to eventually not hate Superman anymore after him taking back his place in the world and trying to own up to his mistakes, and it's played with a sincerity that dumbfounded viewers who weren't used to seeing such a change in the status quo. I love the dynamic that he builds with Mrs. Lane, her fiance Richard White and Jason, who's discovered to be Clark's biological son. Richard's love for Lois and Jason plus kindness to Clark, then eventually Superman saving them from Lex Luthor's sinking yacht and them working together in the climax redeem himself in the eyes of Lois, especially after he almost loses his life to an island embedded with kryptonite. They become somewhat like a ragtag family, which is visually demonstrated by Jason's drawing of Superman flying with the three of them towards the end of the picture. The scenes with them including those at The Daily Planet with them are played with such a warmth that makes you forget that you're watching a comic book film.

All of the characters are given a purpose and are played terrifically well. Before Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and two major hero roles on The CW; Brandon Routh was an unknown TV actor who after attempts to win the role won over Bryan Singer with his impressive audition that evoked former Superman actor Christopher Reeve, in addition to his humble Midwestern roots and all that good stuff. He more than excels in the role; being able to pull off quiet, brooding, vulnerable but with the sense of genuinity and warmth that you'd expect the Man of Steel to have (that became lost with the character in the recent DCEU in favor of almost all mad and cold). Superman performs a number of heroic feats with precision and shows his love for the common people, one of my favorites is when he uses his super-breath to blow out a burning house before smiling and waving to a cameraman. Kate Bosworth, though glaringly youthful, pulls off an inspired take on Lois Lane; drawing influence from Katharine Hepburn and Julia Roberts's portrayal of Erin Brockovich. Also on Superman's group of allies include James Marsden as Richard White, Frank langella as Perry White, Eva Marie Saint as Martha Kent and Sam Huntington's Jimmy Olsen are also played wonderfully. Kevin Spacey strikes a balance between the old fashioned Lex Luthor while being more striking and calculating. I also loved Parker Posey's Kitty Kowalski, Lex's disillusioned girlfriend who plays like a character out of a 50's gangster movie, but also melancholy and tender.

The film is visually stunning and the action is riveting, being used in a more quality over quantity way; contrary to the past complaints of film fans or in the words of former Warner Bros. President Alan F. Horn, who claimed that Superman Returns "should have done $500 million worldwide. We should have had perhaps a little more action to satisfy the young male crowd.". Nope to that. Also overlooked is John Ottman's soundtrack which aside from reinforcing John Williams' timeless orchestras also packs a wallop of its own. There's an enchanting melancholy score played in scenes like Clark and Lois's flight together, giving it the feel of a fairy tale. It also shines through on Superman regaining his power from the sun during the climax; one of the most inspirational moments in the genre, definitely up there with the heroes truly assembling in Avengers: Endgame and Bruce's escape from The Pit in The Dark Knight Rises.

Superman Returns still continues to inspire me as a lover of the title hero, and my appreciation for it just grows on each viewing. It's the best Superman adventure that's made to the silver screen yet.

Grade- A+

I was originally hesitant to view director David Finchers' "Alien 3" due to varying opinions, a rotten consensus on film critic website Rotten Tomatoes and it being common knowledge the deaths of Hicks and Newt, beloved supporting characters from its' predecessor "Aliens". Having recently watched "Aliens", I sat down and decided to give this threequel a chance.

The first five to ten minutes are haunting and are assisted by a score from Elliot Goldenthal, though this sequence is contrived by a gaping plot hole for this scene which also hurts the ending of "Aliens" (did Ripley check the Sulaco ship for an alien egg?). I'm not usually one to gripe about plot holes, as usually the internal logic of a film or reasonable explanations can prove otherwise; but this was unexplainable.

Once we get past that, this is an overall decent film. The prison planet of Fiorina "Fury" 161 is creative and and lends a gothic atmosphere, unique to the universe of Alien. There are some great moments including a sad but well-crafted funeral scene for Hicks and Newt, some likable characters such as prison doctor Jonathan Clemens, spiritual leader Leonard Dillion (some of his ethics are questionable at best) and Robert Morse who serves Ripley in the climax. Some of the other prisoners are unlikable, but they work in feeding into the moral ambiguity and bleak atmosphere (that would be further capitalized on David's later work to great results). Some of the kills in this film are good but nothing too special, two on par with "Alien".

The creativity and second half of the film dries up and feels familiar with the original. The ending does however pack a wallop in Ripley's sacrifice to prevent the impending birth of the new Alien Queen, and it nicely ties in with Weyland Yutani being the corporate shadow villain of the first two films.

Having subdued expectations for this installment helped with my viewing experience, and I admire David Fincher for pulling through what could've been an even worse film (especially given the studio meddling and butting heads throughout production). "Alien 3" is what I feel is the "Batman v Superman" of the series, neither the atrocity nor underrated gem that it's been claimed to be by many. You can take it or leave it.

Grade- B-