In Star Wars there have been many things to define the franchise like the Jedi and the Rebellion. Yet despite the galaxy far, far, away centering on the heroic tales of the Skywalkers one character manages to steal the show and cannot help but love him for it. This character is none other than the scruffy looking nerfherder himself: Han Solo. Since appearing in the cantina and shooting Greedo the iconic smuggler has been a prevalent addition to the Star Wars franchise. However, despite his role in the franchise, the origin of Han Solo has been all but a mystery on the silver screen; that is until now. With the franchise branching out into the Star Wars Anthology film series, moviegoers can now see Han’s humble beginnings in Solo: A Star Wars Story. While production of the film went through major changes the anthology movie was able to make its release date with director Ron Howard taking the helm for this installment. While it can be hard for me not to be excited for a new Star Wars film, my anticipation for Solo was a subtle one as all I was expecting from this standalone tale was it being a swashbuckling adventure; and in that regard this Star Wars Story did not disappoint.
The story of Solo centers on a young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) who is whisked into a crime filled adventure that leads the novice outlaw meeting the likes of Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) as well as finding his future ship the Millennium Falcon. Even for Star Wars the story of Solo was a simple one; though that was not necessarily a bad thing. Although it was a little jeering to get into the plot to this Star Wars Story was indeed thrilling. The second act in particular was adventurous and really got into the spirit of the series. Granted this was a double edged sword for the plot as the third act did not have the impact as the previous chapter. Another highlight for the plot, although a minor one, was its references to other stories in the Star Wars Saga; both in the films and other mediums. When it came down to it what held this plot back was its structure, but even that was not enough to keep this tale from being a engaging adventure.
Well the moment has finally arrived. After months of speculation and anticipation, the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally hit the scene. The preview for the next chapter in the Star Wars Saga arrived last week during the annual Star Wars Celebration event which took place this past weekend. Since its release fans and moviegoers have done nothing but talk about the new preview which is no surprise as the trailer delivered in both speculation and excitement. While the preview is only two minutes in length the content of the trailer features several moments and questions that are hard to ignore. While there are many moments that are noteworthy and worth pandering these are the six points that left me speculating about Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Not so long ago in a galaxy nearby Star Wars returned to the silver screen. Last year the acclaimed franchise came to theaters everywhere with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. No matter what attendees thought about the film there was no denying that Episode VII made a statement and left moviegoers pondering of what was to come next. Viewers will get those answers in Star Wars Episode VIII, but that chapter won't be arriving until next Christmas. However just because the Saga does not returned until 2018 does not mean the franchise is taking a break as hitting theaters this season is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Directed by Gareth Edwards Rogue One begins a new series of Star Wars films that tells standalone tales in the franchise. In the case of Rogue One it takes place between Episode III and Episode IV and tells the story of how the Rebels stole the Death Star plans. So with Star Wars taking a new direction in the celluloid system does Rogue One keep the franchise in hyper drive or us this mission a failure?
The story to Rogue One centers on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones): an outcast who fights to survive. After being imprisoned by the Empire, Jyn is rescued by the Rebel Alliance who task with a mission to find her missing father Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelson): whom is responsible for constructing the Empire's super weapon known The Death Star. With the help of Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his droid K-2S0 (Alan Tudyk), Jyn travels to find Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) who abducted Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed): a former Imperial pilot who knows the whereabouts of Galen. With the help of guardians Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), the unlikely crew set off on adventure that leads them to steal to the Death Star plans from Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) and the rest of the Empire.
The future of Star Wars is quite vast. The franchise's sequel trilogy got underway last year in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the adventure continues with Episode VIII hitting theaters next year. Along with the Sequel Trilogy is the Star Wars Anthology films which starts this year with the anticipated blockbuster: Rogue One. Following the footsteps of Rogue One will be Anthology films that chronicles characters such as Boba Fett and Han Solo. After this first set of films are released, the future of the Star Wars Anthology films is a clouded one as speculation circles around this concept and what these movies could be about; or better yet who they could be about.
One name that keeps getting suggested for a Anthology film is none other than the iconic Jedi Master: Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan has been featured in the first six Star Wars films with Alec Guinness famously portraying the old master who instructs Luke Skywalker, and Ewan McGregor who played Obi-Wan in his prime as a Jedi Knight. The character has played a major role in the Star Wars Series so it is understandable why fans would like Obi-Wan to have his very own solo film; but should the famed Jedi Knight have his own movie in the Star Wars Anthology series?
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a film called Star Wars. What started off as simple film in 1977 has become a pop culture phenomenon that remains strong even to this day. Like many I grew up with the adventures of Star Wars, and I will attest that I love this franchise in its entirety. Back in 2005 it seemed that the circle was complete with the third installment in the prequel trilogy: Star Wars-Revenge of the Sith. However everything changed in 2012 when creator George Lucas sold Lucasfilms to Disney. When this happened it was announced that Star Wars would return to the silver screen with a new trilogy. With much speculation, next chapter in the Star Wars saga would begin with Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Taking the helm for this installment was sci-fi director JJ Abrams; the man behind the new Star Trek films. It was hard to imagine that this continuation would come to theaters, but sure enough The Force Awakens is now playing everywhere. So the question for this Film Adventurer is simply this: is the force strong with The Force Awakens?
Episode VII takes place 30 years after the events of Episode VI. The galaxy faces a new threat in the form of The First Order and its leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Unfortunately for the New Republic the famed hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has disappeared from the galaxy. This dilemma leads to the newly formed Resistance, led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to locate the missing Jedi Knight before the First Order finds him. The conflict leads to Jakku where a mysterious girl named Rey (Daisy Riley) gets caught in the thick of things. Along with a former stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega), Rey joins up with famed smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to get vital information to the Resistance before the vicious Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his forces catches up with them.
Welcome viewers to the Cinematic Reel. This is Something Cinematic's official post on the latest in movie news. How this blog will work is that I will gradually update it with latest highlights in movie news and quickly give my two cents on each story. So with that being said, let's get the Cinematic Reel started with latest big story from the world of film:
Trailer to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Revealed:
The wait is over. As advertised, the full trailer to Star Wars: The Force Awakens has hit the web. The preview made its debut on ESPN during the evening's coverage of the NFL. With so many eager to see the new preview, it was no surprise that Lucasfilm and Disney released the trailer immediately after its television appearance.
This trailer leaves me without words. To put it simply: the new trailer stands out from its predecessors by presenting the film in a unique fashion. Showing off spectacular sequences as well as compelling plotlines, The Force Awakens looks to be a film that stays true to the Star Wars name all the while bringing something new to Saga; which is precisely what I want to see. Needless to say: I'm excited!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th. Tickets are on sale now.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Unveils its Official Poster
The next chapter to the Star Wars Saga is almost here. Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in theaters this December and the anticipation for this film is definitely strong in the force. Yet as the film is less then two months away, it feels like there as been little to no advertisement to the films when it comes to posters for the movie. The common sheet used in theaters has been just the film's logo and nothing more. To say that the teaser poster leaves nothing to the imagination would be an understatement. However that has changed as Lucasfilms has now revealed the official poster to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The posters to the Star Wars Saga have always been impressive and this new sheet is indeed no exception. The poster features various characters, plot elements and showcases the continuing battle of good vs evil. Just by looking at it, all that really be said is that official sheet to The Force Awakens is a poster worthy of the Star Wars' name.
Even with the release of this poster, news for the The Force Awakens is far from over. News suggest that a new trailer for the film will be hitting the scene this week. So stay tune as more on this new adventure begins to unravel. Star Wars:The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th.
Power Rangers Reboot Receives its Red and Black Ranger
While I'm not completely on board about a new Power Rangers movie, the fact remains that this reboot is happening. The movie based on the popular television series will make its theatrical debut in January 2017, and the film will be directed Project Almanac's Dean Israelite. While much is unclear about this adaptation, the movie is assembling its rangers. First was Naomi Scott who will play Kimberly; aka The Pink Ranger. However this week, the film revealed on its Instagram Page that is has added two more rangers to the cast.
Earlier this week, Dacre Montgomery was cast as Jason/the Red Ranger; which was followed by the announcement of Ludi Lin playing Zack/the Black Ranger. What to make of these casting choices is unclear. As far as I know, I have not seen any of these actors' work; so I cannot say that would make for bad interpretations to this classic Power Rangers. Though I am skeptical about this reboot, I am willing to see how it plays out and I do wish these actors the best of luck in their major roles.
I've got a new article on Star Wars: The Force Awakens pertaining to the film's antagonist: Kylo Ren. Check out a preview to the article below:
Even though the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens looms ever closer, there are still plenty of mysteries surrounding Episode VII; and I am sure these mysteries will not be revealed until the film hit theaters. The secrets behind The Force Awakens are numerous but the one point that definitely has every Star Wars fans' attention is the mystery surrounding the new antagonist: Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren is without a doubt the film's poster child as this villain has been, and will be, present in all advertisement for The Force Awakens. Since the character appeared in the film's first teaser wielding his crossguard lightsaber, fans and moviegoers alike have tried to deduce just who is Kylo Ren. While there is still much we do not know about this character, some details have now been brought to light. Last week in a interview with Entertainment Weekly, director J.J. Abrams shared with the magazine new information about Kylo Ren's character. For starters much of Ren's character, both behind the scenes and in the context of the film, will pay tribute to the iconic Sith Lord: Darth Vader. Though hearing that Ren is a “Vader Fan” does trouble me to a degree, this was not the bit of information that I found so interesting.
As it turns out Kylo Ren is not a name but in fact a title. Revealed by Abrams Kylo is part of a group known as “The Knights of Ren”. What the organization is and how it will effect the Star Wars universe is still unknown, but this new detail is quite the eye opener for The Force Awakens. There are a great deal of possibilities of what role these shadowy villains will play; so for now here some point that I see with the latest on Kylo and The Knights of Ren
