Two years ago my blog had only been around for a total of four months. At that time I didn’t write very often but one thing I definitely was going to write was my excitement for The Last Jedi teaser.
In just one week us Star Wars fans will get the chance to finally see legitimate footage of Episode IX and we’ll finally get to learn what the dang movie is going to be called. That’s a very exciting thought indeed.
So, in preparation for this weekly countdown, here’s a look back at my excitement when teaser for The Last Jedi dropped. Enjoy! 🙂
It has been almost a year and a half since The Force Awakens came out in the movies. Since its debut I have been so ready to find out what’s going on in this next installment. Last year we were introduced to the first anthology film in Star Wars which was Rogue One. Yes it was a fantastic movie and yes it is now my favorite Star Wars movie of all time (even now it’s still my favorite Star Wars movie) but it is nothing compared to my excitement for The Last Jedi. Well, the teaser, after this eternal wait is finally here. Enjoy!
Every week I like to trek down memory lane by reposting an old post I wrote a while back and this post here is about as ancient as it gets. I first posted it on January 2, 2017…nearly two years ago. It’s amazing to think of the journey that I have taken since then and all the different films I have watched (and enjoyed) since then.
So, on that note, I hope you enjoy this week’s segment of Throwback Friday. 🙂
SPOILER ALERT! I talked about everything I liked in the movie and so if you have never seen it before and you’d like to avoid spoilers I’d highly advise you to stop reading now. Thanks for heeding my warning.
(It’s a long read.)
The New Locations
I love that this movie showed us six brand new worlds that we’ve never seen before in Star Wars. There was the planet where Galen and his family resided, Lah’Mu. The Rings of Kafrene. The Imperial labor camp, Wobani. Jedha, home to the last Jedi temple. Eadu. And Scarif. Even though it was brief my favorite new location was the trading outpost at the Rings of Kafrene. The concept of a small city placed in between two asteroids is amazing. I hope the next Star Wars has cool, original locations like Rogue One did.
It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. I’m a fan of, well, love. It’s a beautiful thing and one of my favorite aspects in a movie. If a film can convey a perfect plot while also illustrating a tear-inducing love story at the same time I always give the movie extra points. So, to celebrate this gloriously romantic day I’m going to share with you the five movie love stories that have always made my heart pang with happy and sometimes heartbreaking emotions. Enjoy!
5. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean
I knew about the Pirates of the Caribbean movies for a long time but it took me until several years ago to finally see the films and I was pleasantly surprised. Each movie was highly enjoyable, the action was great, the story was engaging, and it featured quite a stirring romance between pirate, Will Turner, and the gorgeous governor’s daughter/future pirate, Elizabeth Swann. Their relationship was filled with leering glances, butterfly-inducing encounters, and plenty of smooching. While their relationship was a little rocky at times due to Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow butting in every now and then they eventually got married (in the midst of a raging battle I might add!) and then moments later Will got killed! I was stunned and mortified at the same time.
Fast forward several minutes, Will was brought back to life, becoming basically the Hades of the Sea, and because of this he had to rule the domain of the dead while he left Elizabeth behind in the mortal world. I have to say, I cried like a baby when he had to say goodbye to her. It was such a saddening ending for the two and after seeing the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies in a matter of well, three days, it was especially hard to see.
Thanks to last year’s latest installment in the continuing franchise they ended up having a happy ending after all. 🙂
It’s been three wee since Rogue One came out on Blu-Ray and in that time I have been able to watch the outstanding anthology film as many times as I please. In these past few weeks I have discovered small editing bloops and which portions of the movie make me hum with glee. One day for pure fun I watched Rogue One and then The Force Awakens back to back to truly glean the difference between the two newest Star Wars films and I was surprised by the results.
Rogue One is clearly a better movie, from its gorgeous cinematography to its impeccable storytelling about a band of rebels who managed to capture the Death Star plans to its memorable characters that despite only having one movie managed to insert themselves into the long list of lore and fascinating characters throughout the Star Wars universe. I was expecting to watch the bright and adventurous Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, afterwards completely bored. To my great surprise it wasn’t and this is why.
Rogue One, like I said earlier, is a great movie. It’s nearly perfect in my opinion except for that interrogation scene with Bodhi and Bo-gulit or whatever that tentacle monster is called. That scene could have been a deleted scene for all I care, that’s how disturbing it is. But anyway the movie is superbly made and so forth. When I turned on The Force Awakens however and that shot of Kylo Ren’s Destroyer covering StarKiller Base with its immense size came on this feeling of happiness came over me that Rogue One just doesn’t provide. Rogue One is an intense movie that despite being one of the shortest Star Wars films managed to make me invested in the characters’ stories enough that by the time the end comes (Spoiler Ahead if you haven’t watched Rogue One yet) I am truly devestated when everyone, and I mean everyone, comes to their demise. And like I said, the movie is intense. The Battle on Scarif is over thirty minutes long and that doesn’t count the rest of the movie! When I finished watching the saddening but amazing film it was like a breath of fresh air watching the lighter, more fun Force Awakens.
The Force Awakens’ brighter cinemotagraphy was a relief after the grey tones of Rogue One. The music, composed by the classic John Williams, was welcoming after the somber music of the anthology film. And just the contrast between the two stories is incredible. The Force Awakens is so much lighter compared to Rogue One. Yes the situations are dire but they aren’t as bad. You don’t have to deal with uncomfortable interrogation scenes or seeing rebels getting shot down by ruthless Death Troopers while trying to take cover in a ship. Instead you have wonderful scenes like Rey meeting BB-8 for the first time or Poe taking out stormtroopers and tie fighters in his beautiful black X-Wing with Finn cheering him on. And The Force Awakens does get serious in the final twenty minutes. After the confrontation between Han and Kylo Ren on the bridge the movie reaches an intensity that is silencing. And the end of The Force Awakens gives me chills every time even after nearly a year and a half of watching it.
So yes Rogue One is a beautifully made movie but The Force Awakens still has its hold on my heart. This is, to me, the perfect description of the two movies. Rogue One is enjoyable, The Force Awakens is magical. I hope this December The Last Jedi becomes the best Star Wars ever.
Thank you for reading my post and have a beautiful day! May the force be with you.
It has been almost a year and a half since The Force Awakens came out in the movies. Since its debut I have been so ready to find out what’s going on in this next installment. Last year we were introduced to the first anthology film in Star Wars which was Rogue One. Yes it was a fantastic movie and yes it is now my favorite Star Wars movie of all time but it still is nothing compared to my excitement for The Last Jedi. Well, the teaser, after this eternal wait is finally here. Enjoy!
Before This Christmas
So this trailer was full of gorgeous shots, exciting moments, and no knowledge of what the movie is exactly about which is always great. The first section of the movie before This Christmas showed up was enjoyable. It showed a lot of Rey, Luke was speaking for the first time which was incredible! All in all it was a pretty impeccable first section of the movie. It wasn’t really anything special, I will say. Yes it’s Star Wars but it was like every other Star Wars teaser I’ve seen before. Fantastically put together clips, epic music, and someone talking. Then the rest of the trailer started and I was immediately entranced. Let’s talk about the second half of this trailer.
Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma
The Force Awakens introduced the world to their evil villain Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren at first wasn’t a true villain to me due to his immense confusion throughout the film. Then after he killed his own father, the iconic Han Solo (is it just me or does it hurt to say that Han Solo is dead?) I knew he was going to be one to worry about in the next film. Kylo Ren is scary because he will kill the characters you like the most (like Luke or Leia) without any remorse and that is frightening. Seeing him in this trailer, no matter how brief it was was amazing. First of all I’m glad that they chose a shot where he didn’t have his mask so we could see his scarred face. The shot they chose however did not allow a full view of his face so you could only see the top half of the scar which makes it exciting to see him again in other trailers. Secondly, we’re definitely going to get a better insight into Captain Phasma in this new Star Wars. She looked frighteningly beautiful in that firelight alongside her menacing stormtroopers. It definitely looks like she’ll have more to do in The Last Jedi which is appreciated. And that shot of what I’m guessing was Luke dropping to his knees as he looked upon a burning building was the same thing that was occurring in Rey’s vision in The Force Awakens where it showed Luke placing his metal hand upon R2-D2 with firelight in the left side of the screen. This was the best section of the trailer because the Dark Side is always very cool in these Star Wars films.
Everything Else in the Trailer
The rest of the trailer was just as fun to watch. The ships flying over that white flatland with red smoke streaming from the backside. Epic! And if you pause at that part you can see the silhouettes of walkers in the far distance. That’s exciting! There was Finn in some sort of tank thingy. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to. Poe’s black X-Wing got destroyed which is a shame. I loved his X-Wing. There was Rey running at night with her lightsaber. That shot of Leia was fascinating. I’m sure this movie is going to make her place in the Star Wars universe even more legendary. Wow, I can’t believe it. This was the actual teaser. The teaser has finally arrived and it was awesome!
The Conclusion of my Thoughts About This Trailer
What this teaser shows me is the fact that The Last Jedi is clearly going to be better than The Force Awakens and Rogue One which I am pleased about. I watched this trailer over a dozen times and it seems to get better!
The music for this trailer is also very telling because it’s underlying tones were sad. That isn’t good. And with Luke saying at the end of the trailer that the Jedi will have to end, what is that all about?! I have a feeling I’m going to come away from The Last Jedi crushed in some sort of way. Let’s hope Luke doesn’t die. Disney, please don’t kill Luke, or anybody else that’s cool.
If you’re just excited as me then I hope this trailer made you just as happy as it made me. Now, after this teaser December seems a long way from now which is slightly depressing. But at least we finally have seen the teaser. I hope the next trailer will have another shot of Kylo Ren without his mask, maybe a glimpse of Snoke, and a look at the new characters in this next film. Until that time I can’t wait to go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 so I can see this teaser in all of its glory at the movies.
Thank you for reading this post and May the force be with you! December 15th you all, December 15th!
I loved Rogue One. It was and still is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe. When I got it on DVD I immediately rushed to the bonus features because who doesn’t want to know how this beautiful movie was made? Some of the features were really fun to watch and gave me some incredible insight into how the movie was made while others were just okay. On that note let me talk about these features.
My Favorite Bonus Features
There were a few features that I really loved.
Visions Of Hope: The Look of Rogue One
One of the reasons why Rogue One was such an amazing film was because of the visuals. From Krennic’s shuttle flying over the black sand beaches of the planet where the Ersos were hiding to the Death Star eclipsing the sun over Jedha. It was an incredibly stunning movie that still has me shaking my head in wide-eyed wonder so of course it comes as no surprise that this was my favorite feature. I loved learning the inspiration behind the movie’s gorgeous designs and how they created the classic Yavin 4 base.
The Princess and the Governor
One of the biggest surprises of Rogue One was the CGI revival of Governor Tarkin and the digitalized young Princess Leia. Yes they weren’t perfect but they were good enough to pass as human around real people. It was fascinating learning how they digitally recreated these iconic characters. First of all, for Leia to have only one scene in the entire movie it took months of work for them to have her look perfect for the film. Secondly watching them CGI Tarkin’s face onto the actor’s face was jaw dropping. It’s truly amazing what people can do these days with computers. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a new era of boundaries for where these Star Wars stories can go.
The Empire
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Death Troopers Ph: Jonathan Olley �Lucasfilm LFL 2016.
The Empire are really frightening in this movie. This is the one Star Wars film that displays their incredible menace at the fullest. One thing behind their scary demeanor is their look. It was fun to learn how they came up with designs for the Death Troopers as well as other things. That was another interesting feature.
The Not-So-Great Features
The seven other features were enjoyable but not memorable. I came away from the bonus features wishing I would’ve learned so much more such as how they created the Battle on Scarif. There was so much work that went into those final forty or so minutes of the movie there’s no way they didn’t have behind-the-scenes footage of it. I learned more on Flipboard about how they made Rogue One than the bonus features which is very unfortunate. And don’t get me started about the missing deleted or extended scenes.
In comparison The Force Awakens’ bonus features were wonderful. They gave a lot of information I would’ve never known. Their features were all over seven minutes long. They did have deleted scenes, all of which were really fun to watch. Their bonus features were so good in fact that I have watched them more than once and I’ll probably watch them again in the near future.
It still is nice to have Rogue One on DVD to watch over and over again. It’s a gorgeously made film that has raised the bar impressively high for any Star Wars stories that follow it. Whether or not the bonus features were that great you should still watch them. It’s an hour and two minutes of decent information that only makes the movie that much better.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. In a few days the Star Wars Celebration will start and the teaser for The Last Jedi will be released. I am so excited! Be sure to read my post about the new teaser trailer. You won’t want to miss it. Thank you and May the force be with you!
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