To put it lightly, Star Wars has an unfortunate history when it comes to putting origins of notable characters on the big screen. The whole prequel trilogy was designed to flesh out the history of the cinematic universe via the path Anakin Skywalker took to become Darth Vader, but its legacy is one of bad storytelling choices, underwhelming performances, and garish, ugly visuals. That in mind, the sci-fi franchise has clearly learned a lot of lessons leading up to the making of Solo: A Star Wars Story -- but at the same time, it does ultimately suffer from many of the same issues as George Lucas' last three directorial efforts…
Read moreRogue One (spoiler free) Review
In my opinion, the most moving moments in the history of Star Wars are always the darkest. The end of The Empire Strikes Back, the deaths of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are but a few examples on a much longer list. Thankfully, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story understands that and more. It’s a movie that nails what it means to be Star Wars in seemingly every way, and it’s not afraid to scare the bejeezus out of a few kids to get there.
Read moreThe 15 Best Films of 2015
I'm often able to squeeze in a dozen or more films in the last couple weeks of December - mostly stuff that others have told me is worth checking out that I either missed when it came out in Chicago or titles that simply never came out locally. I hope you dig the list and that it gives you some ideas for purchases, streaming, rentals, and most importantly, going to the theater and checking them out on the big screen (a few of these are still in theaters). I saw a lot of good movies this year, so condensing this to 15 was not easy...
Read moreHow Star Wars has Influenced Modern Computer Science
In honor of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this Thursday, December 17th, the New Jersey Institute of Technology computer science program wanted to commemorate the event with a video that looked at how Star Wars and other bedrocks of the science fiction canon influenced and predicted the future of computer science.
Read moreStar Wars The Force Awakens Movie Review (Spoiler-free)
The movie's good. Damn good, actually. Besides one noticeable throwaway mention early in the movie there's almost nothing from the prequels on display. It's clear as crystal this is a course correction and a direct continuation from the original trilogy. Nothing negates the prequels, mind you, so prequel fans don't need to get immediately defensive. No, it's just that the focus is squarely on capturing the OT tone, sense of fun and adventure and continuing THAT story.
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