Category Archives: Movies

Some Thoughts on Solo + The Star Wars Anthology Films

Since The Force Awakens brought Star Wars back to us, I’ve enjoyed each theatrical viewing of the new Star Wars films, though to varying degrees.

Any time I’ve watched any of these films (or any others), there’s the initial reaction I had, and then there’s the one that comes later, after I’ve had some breathing space between me and my experience with the movie.

I like The Force Awakens. I don’t really dislike The Last Jedi, but I can’t say I really like it either because it didn’t really do much for the story or the franchise, so like Infinity War I’m just gonna have to see what comes next and how in the world everything gets followed up to really judge it.

But these standalone “A Star Wars Story” films have been different for me.

For reasons I will probably never fully understand as one who is definitely a sucker for the happily ever after, I am a big fan of Rogue One. And while I enjoyed it a lot while watching it the first time, the thing with that movie is that more than any other movie in the whole SW franchise, it sticks with me in ways the others don’t. I can’t even tell you what it is that’s sticking with me. Literally, I can be doing anything else and suddenly I’ll just be like, Man, Rogue One was such a powerful movie. I don’t even consider it my favorite of the franchise (yet – I’ll get back to you the next time I rewatch all the films). I think the pacing and structure of the beginning of the film is not great. Maybe it’s the themes – of found family, of faith, of hope, of sacrifice, of fighting for something bigger than yourself – that just get to me.

I had some trepidation about Solo because the trailers didn’t do much for me, but right before I went to see it I started hearing good things from other people who had seen it. So I went in with tempered expectations but cautiously optimistic.

I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The pacing was great. The characters were nuanced. And it was just fun.

I’ve sat with it for a little while now, and I feel a stronger urge to go watch it again than I certainly did with The Last Jedi (which I still haven’t watched again despite it coming out on Blu Ray). And while I don’t think Solo is a perfect movie by any means, it added so much more dimension to the universe than either of the new official trilogy installment films did. The writing was probably the best part of the film, helping Alden Ehrenreich’s Solo seem familiar without being copycat or a bad imitation. And don’t even get me started on Donald Glover as Lando. All I’ll say for the sake of time was he nailed it.

What is it about these anthology films that say so much more to me than the new episodes? Is it because there’s less pressure?

If you’ve seen the movie, I’d love to know your thoughts! How do you feel about the two anthology films that we’ve seen versus the new episodes? And what are hoping to see next in the Star Wars universe?

Double Mini Movie Review: Candy Jar and Avengers: Infinity War

I wanted to talk briefly about two very different movies I watched over the weekend, the new Netflix movie Candy Jar, and this little indie project you probably haven’t heard of called Avengers: Infinity War. 😉

Candy Jar

I got an email from Netflix alerting me they just added a movie I might like. I usually look at these emails but don’t take stalk in them, but this one caught my eye with the premise of two teen rivals. As some of you know, I am currently writing a story about two teens who are rivals in their school band, so I was excited to see a movie with a similar concept! And thankfully, I really enjoyed it! It wasn’t perfect… For starters, the name is sort of lame and doesn’t feel indicative of the whole film. It comes from the guidance counselor our two main characters, Lona and Bennett, are always coming to for advice, who has well over a dozen candy jars scattered throughout her office. (Yet somehow neither the guidance counselor nor our main characters seem to gain any weight…) While the counselor plays a small but fairly important role, the candy really doesn’t at all. There were also a couple of moments and characters that I felt could have been developed and fleshed out a little more fully, but it was a well-paced 92-minute-long movie, so that’s not really a big complaint.

I really enjoyed seeing how Lona and Bennett’s relationship blossomed from rivals to friends to the possibility of something more, but without diving deep into a romance. Their interactions feel realistic and mostly organic. I enjoyed all the production aspects of the movie as well. If you’re in need of a quick, fun watch, particularly if you’re a fan of young adult contemporary, I’d recommend Candy Jar!

Avengers: Infinity War

It’s basically impossible to talk about this movie without diving into spoilers, so here’s what I will say first: this movie is well-crafted and unlike anything else you’ve seen from Marvel. I don’t think I can say anything else at all without getting into spoilers, so be warned, SPOILERS BELOW!

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I’m not going to do a deep dive into all the nuances of the film; I’ll leave that to other folks. But at the end, when we see Thanos sit down to watch his sunset and the credits started rolling, I was in actual shock all through the credits and for a little while afterward. Wait, so they just killed off half the Avengers? I knew deep down there this meant there would be a reset down the line (which is not my favorite plot device, but I have allowed it on Star Trek and Fringe), but there is no hope of that in this film, other than Dr. Strange telling Tony, “This was the only way,” and the scene we got at the very, very end of the credits. As one article I read summed it up, this film does not have all the typical beats found in storytelling, in fact, it is acting as the falling action of the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe arc. Which, I’ve got to say, is one heck of a way to make a franchise of movies.

I’m still processing how much I like the film. I mean, it can’t stand alone at all. While it’s well-crafted, entertaining, and not overtly dark and gritty, it carries much less levity than other Marvel fare, which was important for the nature of this film. And Thanos means business, unlike nearly every other Marvel villain we’ve dealt with. I think I will have to wait it out and see how everything ultimately comes together before I can properly judge this movie.

How did Infinity War make you feel? I’d love to hear your thoughts about either of these movies!

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

As I do each year, I decided to share the top several movies I am anticipating the release of this year! Unlike usual, I decided to discuss them in the order they are set to release in the US rather than in order of most interested.

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

Black Panther

I’m excited to get a Marvel movie so early in the year! I thought Black Panther was interesting in Civil War and I’m glad to see him further developed in his own movie. I’m also interested in seeing how Martin Freeman’s character’s role will play into the story.

Avengers: Infinity War

ALL THE YES. The trailer got me pretty stoked to see how everything in the MCU is going to come together.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m really hoping this lives up to all the amazing potential it has.

Ocean’s 8

I really enjoy the other Ocean’s movies and this one looks just as good!

Incredibles 2

I really enjoyed the first Incredibles, so yes, I’ll check out the sequel.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

The more Marvel movies I watch, the more I think Ant-Man might be one of my faves of the franchise. I know it’s not the best, but it is so stinking fun and I love the characters. I’m looking forward to more.

M:I 6

I’m a huge fan of M:I 4 and really enjoyed M:I 5 too. I’m sad Jeremy Renner isn’t joining in this time, but I’m still looking forward to another installment.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Jude Law as young Dumbledore = brilliant casting move.

Ashes in the Snow

I almost forgot this one and I don’t see a date for US release other than 2018, but this is the movie adaptation of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys, which I LOVED. (I think it’s pretty obvious why they went with a title change for the movie…) I definitely want to catch this one when it comes out.

Honorable Mentions/Maybes:

The Commuter

I’m sure this will be like every other Liam Nesson action movie, but I’m sort of intrigued.

A Wrinkle in Time

Even though the book made my top 10 of 2017, I’m not 100% sold on the movie yet. I think I’ll wait to see what others think.

Ready Player One

I was very excited when I heard Steven Speilberg was adapting this fun book to film, but the previews don’t feel like the book to me at all. I’ll wait and see what people say about this one too.

The Jungle Book 

This is more of a “probably” because I love Christian Bale and Benedict Cumberbatch, but I was never interested in the other recently released Jungle Book movie, so we’ll see if this one sparks my interest any more.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Again, I’m mostly interested in this one for the talent involved: Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Macfayden… but the trailer piqued my interest too. I love stories about getting lost in another world, so I’ll be curious to hear if the reviews for this one are good.

Mary Poppins Returns

The idea of Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins intrigues me… we’ll see.

And the 2017 Movies I Want to Catch this Year…

Darkest Hour

The first I heard of this movie was January 1 of this year, when a friend told me about a good movie she watched where Gary Oldman portrayed Winston Churchill. Then, I saw a trailer playing for the movie, and even though the TV was far enough away for me to barely see or hardly hear, I was intrigued. And then I learn the director is Joe Wright, the director of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, so sign me up, please!

The Greatest Showman

I’ve only heard positive things about this movie and it does look like fun.

Which movies are you anticipating to see in 2018?

My Ranking of 2017 Movies

I saw nine 2017 films this year, including all seven of my most anticipated. Below is my ranking of what I saw.

9. The Space Between Us

I wanted to love this movie so much more than I did. It was OK, just not quite as great as I hoped.

8. All Saints (tie)

This movie was filmed locally and my father-in-law was an extra, so I was honestly expecting this to feel like a budget film, but it didn’t. It’s well-done and the story (which is true!) is great. I technically rated this one a little lower than the next film, but my feelings for this one are a little more fond several months later than my next pick…

8. Dunkirk (tie)

Oh Dunkirk. The movie everyone loved expect me, my husband, and about three other people. I LOVE Christopher Nolan. Two of his films are in my top four favorite films of all time list. This movie was so hard to watch; it was very realistic, for starters. But the lack of dialogue KILLED ME. I could not connect to anyone and it was hard to understand a lot of the plot. I’m sure this was a theatrical masterpiece and I am just an uncultured swine who didn’t get it. I want to rewatch it though to see if I can connect with it any better the next time, but I still don’t think it’s ever going to make my list of Nolan favorites.

6. Wonder Woman

While everyone was raving about this one, I was trying to stay strong on my anti-DC stance (based 100% on Batfleck, because see above love for Christopher Nolan). But I did finally catch it on Redbox and thought it was solid. Not the most amazing superhero movie ever made and the way it all resolved was eye-roll-inducing, but I absolutely loved Diana’s character, how she was fierce and strong but feminine and incredibly kind. More characters like her, please.

5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I have some issues with this movie in terms of how it chooses to continue the storyline, but I enjoyed it overall. I’ll be curious to see how this movie and The Force Awakens are reconciled in the third installment. Also, while I liked Rey in The Force Awakens, this movie gave me a deeper appreciation for her.

4. Thor: Ragnarock

This movie was a lot of fun… but there was also some really heavy stuff that almost feels glossed over, which is a shame.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

My initial thoughts were that I enjoyed this one more than the first… I’ll have to see if I still stand by that upon a rewatch. But it was fun and I enjoyed the theme of found family. Also, BABY GROOT.

2. Spider-Man: Homecoming

I sound like a broken record with these Marvel movies, but this one is just so much FUN. I love all the high school stuff, how Peter’s character develops, and the fresh feel on a tale we’ve heard a million times before.

1. Beauty and the Beast

We all know there are a couple weird things with this story, but this movie was nothing short of magical. The costumes, the music, the acting… all spot on! Emma Watson was fantastic and Luke Evans as Gaston was perfect. I’ve always loved the animated film, but dare I say it, I love this one even more.

Bonus: My Top 3 Favorite Backlist Films of the Year

I didn’t see a lot of new-to-me-films from previous years, but out of those I did see there were three stand-outs. In no particular order:

1. We Bought A Zoo (2011)

I didn’t love Elizabethton by the same director, so I was slightly wary, but the premise looked really cute. While this film didn’t become a new favorite, I really enjoyed it and some of it resonated with me.

2. Arrival (2016)

This film was intense and surprising. It’s not the sort of movie I want to watch over and over again, but it was incredibly thought-provoking in the way that the best sci-fi is. I really want to read the story it’s based off of now.

3. Sing (2016)

My husband and I randomly watched this one night while on vacation and I honestly was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It was cute but also had depth, and I would definitely recommend it!

What were your favorite films of 2017?

Monthly Recap: November

Can you believe that it’s almost Christmas and the end of the year? It seemed unbelievable to me until I was thinking about the books I read early this year, and realized how long ago it seemed! Without further ado, my November…

Books I Read

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Flame in the Mist by …. (I technically finished this Dec. 2 but considering I only read one other book, give me this, OK?)

#bookstagram Image of the Month

After we put up the Christmas tree I decided to pull out my Nikon D7000 and try out a new theme for my bookstagram, and I’m really happy with it. I plan to stick with this look through December, though I am hoping come January I won’t lose my motivation to take higher quality pictures for Instagram.

Watched

Thor: Ragnarok, and really enjoyed it! I will say that Marvel is doing a lot of the same thing over and over again, yet it doesn’t bother me because they do it so well. I just really enjoy the character interactions, mostly. And have you seen the trailer for Infinity War? It got me pretty pumped to see how they will pull everyone and the various plot threads together (though *groan* for Scarlet Witch and Vision…).

Wrote

While I technically didn’t win NaNoWriMo because I didn’t write 50K new words, I won it in my heart because I finished the first draft of my new story! Since I had written half of it already I only ended up with 26K for the month, but 53K overall. It’s a little shorter than I want because I tend to rush my story, so I’ll be fleshing it out more in revisions. It definitely needs work but I’m still happy with the story overall.

Other November Happenings

One highlight of November would have to be the day I spent with three of my good girl friends, all who were are moms The reason for pointing this out is to say that while I do see these friends on a fairly regular basis, I rarely get to hang out with them sans their kids, and while I do love their kids, it was great to just be the four of us again! We went to a place in town where you get to create your own wooden sign and had a great time! Here’s my final product:

And of course Thanksgiving was a highlight too, eating good food and spending time with my family.

Looking Forward to in December…

Christmas and all it entails!

I will also endeavor to write a few posts this blog, including my in-depth post about my trip to Savannah in September and my thoughts on the books I read this year.

How was your November? What are you looking forward to this month?