Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

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I watched the very first Star Wars movie in 1977 when it first came out.  Then it was a completely fresh and new  kind of movie.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the original Star Wars usuhered in an era of acceptance for serious SciFi that has flourished ever since.  Through it all, I have followed the highs (Luke, I am your father) and lows (Jar-Jar Binks) of the series, including the off-shoot movies like ‘Rogue One’.    So you can imagine my disappointment at the terrible reviews some people have been giving this one.  DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE REVIEWERS!  This was a great and fitting ending for true Star Wars fans.  I loved it!  Yes, some of the action seems simple and innocent, but this is true to the original and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  In this episode, an enemy from the past resurfaces and is, of course, bent on dominating and ruling the galaxy.  The old gang, introduced two episodes ago, are all back.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and of course, Rey (Daisy Ridley) must work together to help the small but hopeful resistance fight back.  Daisy will find out her bloodline in a surprising revelation, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) will come to terms with his destiny, and many old favorites will be featured including Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.  There will be some deaths, expected and unexpected, as well as a few pleasant surprises including a new droid named D-O.  I thought this movie ties everything up and it is a fitting conclusion to 40 years of being happily and fully entertained.  An era has come to en end, but in a great way.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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Are you a fan of the Star Wars movies?  You can bet I am and I was eager and excited to see this latest installment.  All the characters we loved from the last installment like Rey, Poe, Finn BB-8,  and Kylo Ren, are back as well as old favorites like Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C3PO.  What a cast! This movie also boasts a great script, spot on direction and wonderful and sweeping scenery.  In a nutshell:  The Last Jedi has everything I want to see in a Star Wars movie.  If you are like me, someone who loves and watches tons of movies, it is hard to come up with something new and inventive that actually surprises me.  “The Last Jedi” did it though, and how!  Once it gets going, the action is fast paced and shifts from story line to story line fluidly, keeping the viewer interested and looking forward to the next scene. Scenes between Luke (Mark Hamill) and Rey (Dasiy Ridely) evoke those between Luke and his teacher,Yoda.  Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey continue to have some kind of a connection through the Force that we all know will  not end well for one of them, but adds exposition and a dimension to the Force that hitherto has been unexploited, in the movies at least .   Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Issac) continue to shine in their supporting roles.  New comer Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico was surprisingly poignant as a maintenance worker who has a key role in helping the Resistance.  There are too many minor characters to name, but Benecio del Toro and Laura Dern are just two of the many standouts.  Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t end up wanting to own an “ice fox.”  Porgs aside, the ice foxes are absolutely cute and cool. Director and writer Rian Johnson has done a masterful job of respecting the episodes that came before and at the same injecting new life and humor into the eighth episode in a saga that happens in a galaxy far, far away!