3 More Thoughts On Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)

(SPOILERS, although c'mon you should've seen it by now)

         
           Well I finally got around to seeing The Force Awakens for a third time. Without the initial shock of the movie clouding my judgment, I was able to watch it with a bit more objectivity (although I still cried once). Here are my thoughts...

1. The Fate Of Han Solo:

I was really devastated when Han Solo, one of my childhood heroes, was killed (by his own son on a giant CGI bridge)... and I'm not necessarily against Han dying, because his death marked a significant transition into this next generation of the saga.

However, while I understand that JJ was trying to emulate the sudden death of Obi Wan, and that Kylo Ren needed a way to complete his gang initiation to the dark side, I still think it should've happened a different way. I never thought I'd say this but maybe JJ should have taken a page out of The Phantom Menace and had Han's death follow Qui-Gon's...

1) Qui-Gon went down fighting, Han should have gone down fighting
2) Qui-Gon died in Obi-Wan's arms, Han should have died in the arms of Chewbacca
3) Qui-Gon had a bomb ass VIP funeral, Han should've had it with full military/ smugglers honors

Damn it, I miss you Han, and it's really gonna suck not getting to watch you meet Luke again...

2. Kylo Ren Re-Examined:

My knee jerk reaction to Kylo Ren was pretty negative. In fact I thought he was a whiny little bastard...  I expected that we'd be dealing with someone more confident and frankly more experienced (though the wire hanging out of his lightsaber should've been a big clue). However after watching the movie a third time, I think I get him more. I appreciated his frustration with Rey, his inner torment, and his immaturity. He's actually way more interesting of a character than I expected him to be and I can't wait to watch his character grow.  

However, watching the movie again only reaffirmed my belief that Kylo Ren's only Helmet reveal should have been with Han Solo. I didn't feel that showing his face to Rey (and therefor the audience) first had the same emotional impact. The helmet serves as big a symbol of the dark side... after revealing his face to Han, Ren should've put it right back on (for the rest of the movie) to reaffirm how he's crossed the threshold into the dark side.

3. Rey's True Identity:

I'll be debating this to no end, but I'll just say it... I think (and kinda hope) that Rey is in some way related to Obi-Wan Kenobi (lets just call her his great grand niece for now). Here are my thoughts on this...

In a desperate attempt to prevent Obi-Wan's descendant from being taken by the first order (maybe around the time that Kylo Ren turned on Luke), Luke left Rey on Jakku. If we're to assume this trilogy will mirror its predecessors, then Luke's decision to do this would match Obi-Wan's attempt to hide him on Tatooine. Plus if you listen closely during Rey's vision when touching the lightsaber, you can hear Obi-Wan's voice (and admittedly Yoda's voice is there too, but I don't think she's related to him). Coincidence?

           What did you think of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? How many time have you seen it?

6 Thoughts On Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   (SPOILER WARNING)

           Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally out... and I'll be honest, as a whole, I really liked it. But as with all movies, there were positives and negatives. Here they are according to the Random Screen Guy...

1. All The Heroes Were On Their Game:

The new and returning cast members were all on point (right down to Admiral Akbar).

-Harrison Ford in particular (absolutely) delivered on his performance as Han Solo (because I was really worried that we'd get a much grumpier Ford).
-Chewie was also a total badass in this movie... In the moments following Han's confrontation with Kylo Ren, Chewie literally sniped Kylo in the gut...good stuff.
-Lets face it guys, Carrie Fisher could have done a lot worse... I was pretty happy with her return as Leia.

My Memories Of: Star Wars, The Phantom Menace

           With Star Wars in the air, I just thought I'd take the time to make my contribution... Therefore, I've decided to reflect on the ever hated, ever debated, prequel trilogy...starting with...

My Memories Of... The Phantom Menace (1999):

           Older Star Wars fans will tell you all about how Phantom Menace was the worst day of their lives... for me that wasn't totally the case. Why?... because I was 11 years old when that movie came out. That said, my younger self had a different set of reactions to everything people generally complain about today. Let me be clear, I'm not trying to convince anyone that The Phantom Menace is a great movie...because it isn't. All I offer are some of my thoughts at the time...

           I'll start by saying that all the awkward racial characteristics of Nute Gunray, Watto, and Jar Jar were totally over my head. Speaking of Jar Jar... while most people are quick to crap all over him (and rightfully so), I actually don't even remember noticing him much in the movie. He was just

The Leftovers Finale and Final Thoughts...

           I was really hoping The Leftovers season finale would live up to it's previous (incredible) episodes...and it did. I generally rate the quality of a Leftovers episode by how many times it confuses/ and or makes me cry...this episode had a bit of both...Here are my thoughts...

1. When John Shot Kevin... I Was Pissed:

Kevin had just come back from the dead for God's sake...The way he fell to the ground, the placement of the shot...I was sure he was dead. When Kevin woke up in the afterlife hotel, I'd had it. Maybe I was still getting over Glenn's (from The Walking Dead) near death experience... Either way, I was so relieved when Kevin karaoke'd his way back to life that I totally forgave how improbable it was for him to

'The Leftovers' Season 2, Episode 9...Holy SH$^%

           After sitting through the awesomely bizarre Kevin afterlife episode, The Leftovers brought us back to reality where...some serious crap is very much in the works. Episode 9 finally showed us the conflict that led to Tommy's disappearance. More importantly, this episode demonstrated that season's 2's real villain is Meg...Here are my thoughts...

1. Meg Has Started Her Own GR Terror Cell: 

Secret base? Check...Armed guards? Check...Explosives? (probably) Check... This episode saw Meg transform into a GR radical, pursuing a violent policy hellbent on making the departure's anniversary more memorable. By the way, I totally thought the grenade she threw in the school bus was real. What you have here are not only the makings of a great

'Fargo' Season 2, Episode 8...Who Saw That Coming?!?...

          (MAJOR SPOILERS) I think I held my breath for the last five minute's of this crazy episode. Here are my thoughts...

1. What's The Most You've Ever Lost On A Coin Toss?: 

I've honestly made a hobby of finding the many Coen Brother nods that appear in this series. The best one this episode was Hanzee's encounter with the gas station owner. It was literally a recreation of Anton Chigurh's famous coin toss scene from No Country For Old Men. Hanzee was Anton, composed and dead eyed... and the gas station guy took his cues from his counterpart in 'No Country.' The end product was a perfect tribute...  

2. Peggy's Torture Scene Was A Torture Scene:

I literally felt a shock in my chest when Peggy 'self actualized' her knife into Dodd' chest. Her folksy demeanor, and the way she so casually stabbed him only made the scene more disturbing. Don't get