'Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' Review

Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Review:

Redemption Tale

BY IAN TAN

In the concluding chapter to the Original Trilogy, the Rebels are faced with a new threat from the Empire, one more powerful than the first Death Star – Death Star 2.0. Well, that’s not what it’s called but that’s basically what it is. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker must confront Darth Vader and bring him back to the light side. Vader on the other hand, brings Luke to the evil Emperor in hopes of turning him over to the Dark Side. And so begins the final (or so we thought) fight between good and evil in our favourite galaxy far, far away…

This is an unpopular opinion, but Return of the Jedi is by far my favourite Star Wars film. I’m a sucker for seeing things come to an emotional close, and I felt that Return really delivered on that front. However, I don’t find the film perfect. I don’t particularly fancy the idea of a second Death Star. Not only does it rehash the plot of A New Hope, it sounds a bit silly of an idea for the Galactic Empire to come up with. I do think it would’ve worked better if they created an entirely new weapon of destruction different from the Death Star, since we already saw ond blow up before. Besides that, I wasn’t too fond of the Escape from Jabba’s Palace sequence. It was just filled with too many ridiculous looking creatures that I found more ugly than unique, and don’t get me started on Leia’s unnecessary outfit.

Father Vs. Son

             After that opening sequence, however, the movie started getting really, really good, for me at least. The action, for one, is the best and most engaging in the Original Trilogy. The Battle of Endor and the attack on the new Death Star are great fun to watch, and Marquand really captures the essence of teamwork throughout the film. The bigger budget that allowed more Rebel Alliance members to join in the action for some of cinema's most epic space battles only added to the excitement. Along with all the action is the tale of redemption and internal struggle between good and evil that gives Return an edge over its predecessors. There’s just so much engaging action and drama fueling this machine that it’s almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen. 

The best aspect of this film however, is the moral conflict between Luke and Vader that really gives it an emotional punch. The dialogue between the two made for some of my favourite scenes in the entire saga. And things get real dramatic when the evil, and I mean EVIL Emperor (played superbly by Ian McDiarmid) comes into the picture. You really just hate the dude for being so cold. Richard Marquand, who directed this instalment, handled the Force sensitive trio’s sequences perfectly, balancing dramatic tension and emotion adeptly.

Nothing beats this space battle

The Ewoks, who many fans dislike (and even hate), were bearable for me. I do see how they were added merely for kids’ appeal and some of the action involving them does feel a little goofy and unrealistic, but once one of the little teddy bear-like creatures took a hit from an AT-ST walker, I couldn’t help but to feel sympathy for the Ewoks. I do still think the film would’ve been better off if it featured Wookies instead of Ewoks though. It was about time Chewbacca’s species had their time to shine. Oh well, at least Revenge of the Sith got that down… like twenty-two years later. But better late than never, right?

Star Wars ft. The Care Bears

Although Return of the Jedi has the most things to nit-pick about in the Original Trilogy, its engaging action sequences and emotional center more than make up for its flaws. As a child watching this movie, I was shocked at the turn of events between Luke, Vader and The Emperor towards the end of the film. *SPOILERS* I never thought that Vader, the baddest baddie in the galaxy, could have been redeemed. It gave me quite a hopeful sensation. Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is the most thematically powerful episode in the Star Wars saga and still stands as my favourite entry in the series. The closing sequence of this movie left 9-year-old me with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and put a big smile on my face, and it still does today. 

Final Verdict

Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi gets 9.5 out of 10 stars – The Force is the strongest with this one.

'In the Heart of the Sea' Review

In the Heart of the Sea Review:

Trouble At Sea

BY IAN TAN

Ron Howard’s latest film tells the story behind the legend of Moby Dick. On one of the Essex’s whaling trips, the ship’s crew experiences an encounter with a giant sperm whale that rips their ship apart, leaving them stranded and left to their own devices for survival. This sounds like quite an epic tale to put on the big screen. Alas, In the Heart of the Sea turns out rather mediocrely.

The movie has all the elements it needs to be a great one – a good cast, a respectable director, a Jaws-like premise and good characters – but it simply doesn’t live up to what all those seem to promise. For one, Moby Dick has about five minutes of screen time in total, and when he does appear, it’s almost underwhelming, and his presence, thematically, feels shallow as well. Although he shipwrecks the crew and severely damages the Essex, I never found him to be too big a threat or something to be truly terrified of.

Eye of The Whale

The ensemble cast, led by Chris Hemsworth, provides fine performances. Tom Holland is especially good in his role as a young 14-year-old sailor, even if the script doesn’t give him very much to do. He’s an actor with great potential (he did great in The Impossible in 2012) and I can’t wait to see him as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War next year, no matter how small his role may be. Certain character dynamics are interesting, such as Owen Chase (Hemsworth) and George Pollard's (Benjamin Walker) bitter relationship, but could have been explored a little further. The other members of the Essex are played well by their respective actors, but they too could’ve used a bit more character development.

Captain Jack Sparrow?

One thing I feel bad for Hemsworth and the rest of the cast though, is that they really put their all into their roles, loosing dramatic amounts of weight to keep things as real as possible. Unfortunately – and this is the case for Hemsworth especially – it doesn’t really pay off in the final film as their change from being well-fed to being malnourished isn’t too clearly portrayed.

From the visual effects standpoint, the film mostly succeeds. The CGI is serviceable and so is the cinematography. However, the kind of sweeping, epic scope the film tries to go for is never fully realized, and the entire movie feels rather small in scale for a story like Moby Dick. Plus, when the mammoth-sized whale does appear, he doesn’t look as big as some of the posters make him out to be, but maybe I was just expecting too much. Budget cuts got in the way, perhaps. The music by Rogue Baños makes up for some of the film’s visual shortcomings though. In fact, the score really is the best part about this movie. Baños did an admirable job with it.

The god of thunder, now battling killer whales

At the end of the day, In the Heart of the Sea is a mediocre effort by one of Hollywood’s better directors. I was expecting a rousing 3D spectacle of survival and emotion, but was a little letdown. Note: the 3D is mostly unnecessary, save a few cool underwater shots. It’s not a bad movie; there are just other survival movies that do a better job.

Final Verdict

In the Heart of the Sea gets 6 out of 10 stars – Save up your money for Star Wars: The Force Awakens next week.

'Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back' Review

Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Review:
Revenge Never Looked This Good
BY IAN TAN

The Empire Strikes Back sees Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia under the threat of the Galactic Empire yet again, only this time the Empire's back with a vengeance after their downfall in A New Hope. As Luke to heads to Dagobah to continue his Jedi training with Master Yoda, Han, Leia, C-3PO and Chewbacca struggle to escape the wrath of Darth Vader and the Empire. The baddies really mean business this time.

Here’s the thing, this fifth installment in the Star Wars saga wasn’t a particular favourite of mine as a child. I just wasn’t all that invested into what was happening and my little mind probably didn’t get what was going on. Now however, watching it as a 19-year-old, I can’t believe why I didn’t really like this movie when I first watched it ten years ago. This is an incredible film, not to mention a fantastic sequel. Everything about Empire screams “bigger” and more importantly, “better”. The props, the acting (particularly Mark Hamill’s and Carrie Fisher’s), the script and special effects are all great improvements from the already technically stunning first film.

Laser Tag

First off, the characters go through a whole new bunch of trials that never cease to keep you on the edge of your seat. Having Luke face his demons all while being separated from his friends –and them being in constant danger – was an excellent narrative choice that kept me engaged throughout. Scenes of the Millennium Falcon narrowly escaping Vader, TIE fighters and hiding behind several gigantic Star Destroyers are the kind of nail-biting sci-fi action sequences that many action movies today fail to deliver. The practical effects that brought such scenes to life are something to really commend Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and the filmmakers for. Equally astounding are the sets, most notably the swamp-laden Dagobah, Yoda’s home planet. Movies just don’t have sets like that anymore. It’s a real joy to see all these planets and locations brought to life. This movie is a perfect example of what Hollywood can do with great people behind the camera.

 

"Shifu, it's impossibru."

Action and special effects aside, The Empire Strikes Back also does a wonderful job at expanding the mythology of the Force, primarily through Luke’s training sequences with Yoda. You really do feel like you want to be in Luke’s shoes, piggybacking the old green critter as he churns out some of the most memorable lines in the saga. Heck, some people even take Yoda’s quotes as powerful life advice.

However, it’s not just Luke’s journey as a character that’s engrossing. Han and Leia’s love story is also entertaining and really hits you in the feels when the unfortunate happens towards the end of the film. And about the ending, just …“wow”. Luke battling Darth Vader in dim blue lighting and fog was truly intense, as is the *SPOILER* “I am your father” twist that shocked the world in 1980. With so much not going right for the characters in this movie, and with the (sort-of) cliffhanger ending it had, I simply couldn’t wait to see Return of the Jedi again, having also not seen it in ten years.

Who's your daddy?

All in all, Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is everything a sequel and a great blockbuster should be. It’s packed with a good story, romance, exhilarating action and just the right amount of drama. As awesome of a job George Lucas did with the first film in 1977, Irvin Kershner really knocked it out of the park with Empire – a film that set the standard for good great blockbuster sequels that many directors, and aspiring directors like myself, are inspired by even today.

Final Verdict

Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back gets 9.5 out of 10 stars. – If you haven’t seen it yet, see it.

'Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope' Review

Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope Review:

The Force, Awakened

BY IAN TAN

Cool Minimalist Poster

In 1977, George Lucas introduced audiences to a space opera that revolutionized cinema. It’s funny to think, with how popular the Star Wars franchise is now, that 33-year-old Lucas was afraid that the film would be a flop at the time of its release in 1977. Little did he know that his little sci-fi adventure would change the shape of pop culture forever.

The plot of A New Hope revolves around the conflict between the freedom-seeking Rebel Alliance and the evil Galactic Empire. In the midst of all the chaos, a hope emerges in the form of R2-D2, a little droid carrying classified information that could potentially aid the Rebels in destroying the Empire’s ultimate weapon – the planet destroying Death Star. As fate would have it, our little blue droid falls into the hands of an adventure-seeking Luke Skywalker, who is thrown smack in the middle of the action to learn the ways of the Force and join the Rebels in their attack against the Empire; classic hero stuff.

There’s so much to love about this movie, from the staggering visual effects of its time to its mesmerizing score and memorable characters. And boy, Lucas did a great job developing their individual character arcs. Every major player in A New Hope is given his or her moment to shine and to grow naturally within the overall story. Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker are my personal favourites. As for Han Solo, I didn’t quite like him at first as I felt he was a bit of a jerk, but by the time he swooped in with the Millennium Falcon in the film’s climax, I was sold. Han Solo is awesome. And who can forget our big baddie, Darth Vader, who just steals the show with his screen presence and intimidating look. Here's to Darth Vader for being best looking villain in cinema history. 

They've come a long way from that fight on Mustafar

Of course, the characters aren’t the only great thing about A New Hope. The journey these characters take and the discoveries they make along their trek across the galaxy are as captivating as they are spellbinding. For a film that’s nearly forty-years-old, I feel that the special effects still hold up pretty well. Sure, the spaceships kinda look like miniatures, but that scene where the Millennium Falcon flies towards the Death Star still makes my jaw drop. I mean, look at the size of that thing! This is immersive filmmaking at its best. Not once did I feel like I was on Earth. Every set piece of every scene in this film feels so delightfully otherworldly you can’t help but anticipate what new planet, weapon or stakes Lucas will throw at the audience next. Speaking of stakes, it only occurred to me recently how many times our band of heroes find themselves in constant peril from TIE fighters, storm troopers and garbage compactors. All this, combined with the mythology of the Force, is handled adroitly; nothing ever feels convoluted or too much for audiences to take in. In fact, every new discovery only engrosses viewers into the story and its characters more.

 

Try this for size

As many great things as there are to say about A New Hope, I did notice some flaws upon re-watching the film. The acting, for one, isn’t all that great. Mark Hamill, for instance, either overplays or underplays certain emotions. One of his introductory lines about wanting to go to the Tosche Station is a little cringe-worthy, and when he returns home to find *SPOILERS* his aunt and uncle’s burnt bodies, his face shows little to no emotion, ultimately making that scene less emotional than it could have been. Carrie Fisher’s performance isn’t all that convincing either, and she very much looks like she’s acting half the time. I have no complaints about Alec Guinness and Harrison Ford though. They played their roles flawlessly. James Earl Jones - the perfect pick for Darth Vader's voice - also gives Vader a commanding presence (voice-wise) and made the character his own, even though he didn't don the iconic suit. Still, I have to give kudos to David Prowse for being the man behind the mask.

 

Poor 3PO

Another nit-pick I have is that as much as the storm troopers are meant to be a threat, it’s hard not to think about how terrible they are at aiming their blasters. Then again, that might be a good thing. It sure added a great sense of fun to the action.

Overall though, Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope, or as some fans like to call it, Star Wars, has enough innovative visuals, an intriguing mythology and a good story to trump its shortcomings. It’s a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that’s pure escapism.

Go Rebels!

Final Verdict

Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope gets 8.9 out of 10 stars – This is George Lucas at his prime.