La La Land

What a unique and joyous film this is! I wasn't that aware of La La Land until the first trailer came out a few months ago, but I was instantly intrigued by the concept. It's been a long time since we've seen an original musical made for the big screen, and with these two fantastic leads (both of whom shined in 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love) I knew it had the potential to be something special. Throw into that mix Damien Chazelle's directorial follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Whiplash, and it was clear that this had Oscar contender written all over it. So does it live up to this tremendous potential?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Everyone who knows me could tell you that I'm a HUGE fan of Star Wars. If you need proof, just check out the reviews I've done for the prequels. Even a lot of Star Wars fans don't like those films. So it was surprising to me when I was making my list of most anticipated films of 2016 last year that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story wasn't at the #1 spot. I mean, I had just seen The Force Awakens and was on possibly an all-time high in my fandom for the property. However, perhaps due to its exclusion from the saga storyline (at least in name), I wasn't finding myself as hyped for it as previous Star Wars films. Don't get me wrong, I purchased my opening night tickets as soon as they were available, and even purchased the collectible metal popcorn bucket with the Death Trooper and AT-ACT walkers on it. As the release date came closer and closer, I started to get more and more excited... but was that anticipation rewarded with a satisfying experience?

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

We're back with the Star Wars saga, and though Rogue One is already in theaters, I couldn't review it without first talking about the most underrated film in the franchise, Revenge of the Sith. This was the first Star Wars movie that I was old enough to buy my own ticket, drive myself to the theater, and even skip a day of school to wait in line on opening night. I had seen every trailer, TV spot, and featurette that had been released, and I was beyond ready to see how the prequel films would be able to tie into the original trilogy. Beyond that, however, my curiosity was at its peak for Anakin's turn to the dark side, which was promised by the film's title.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

I'm back with another Star Wars review in anticipation of this week's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As I stated in my review of The Phantom Menace, I am one of the defenders of these prequel films... but I can still recognize the obvious problems. However, I do feel that the rhetoric on these movies has gotten way out of hand over the last ten or so years, so hopefully I can provide some semblance of balance to this predominantly one-sided argument. After what felt like an eternity following the exhilaration of seeing Episode I in theaters, I was dying to see how this story would progress in the next film. Seeing an older Anakin Skywalker, some mysterious Mandalorian (which means he looks like Boba Fett), and a title like Attack of the Clones in the trailer, I found myself itching to see what would happen in the continuation of the Star Wars saga.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Welcome back to FlashBack Friday! Yes, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a couple of weeks from debuting, and I cannot wait! I've wanted to review the Star Wars films ever since I started this blog six years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!), and I even tried and failed to do so last year for The Force Awakens. I'm still planning to get all of these reviews out in the next couple of months, they may just be released in a rapid-fire manner. Like the Indiana Jones movies, no other film franchise was as influential to my childhood as Star Wars. If you've read my brief bio on the right side of this page, you know that I would intentionally stay home from school pretending to be sick so I could re-watch The Empire Strikes Back for a fiftieth time. In short, these movies are VERY important to me!