J.J. Abrams’ torturous embrace of determinism and nostalgic imagery sinks what might have been a triumphant Star Wars finale.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
“Let the past die,” says Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to Rey (Daisy Ridley) at a pivotal moment in The Last Jedi. It’s a surprising line to hear in the eighth episode of a 40-year-old saga. It also perfectly captures writer-director Rian Johnson’s approach to Star Wars. Unlike J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens, a showcase for […]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I paid attention to the little things in The Force Awakens. Some of these were visual — the small creature with eyes set apart like a hammerhead shark poking its head out of the sand, the vulturous creature picking at the remains of a ship as if it were a carcass. Others were musical, like […]
Kingsman: The Secret Service
It’s dinner time. Villain Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), flaunting his disarming lisp, confesses his love of good old-fashioned spy movies to debonair secret agent Henry Hart (Colin Firth). At the same time, he somewhat paradoxically reassures Hart that this isn’t one of them, coming within inches of breaking the fourth wall. This odd contradiction wonderfully summarises the action packed, […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 1
With Season 4 of Game of Thrones all wrapped up, J and I have turned our attention to an old favorite: The Legend of Korra. Korra is a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, a show that deservedly won numerous awards (including a Primetime Emmy) during its 2005-2008 run. As a follow-up to that legacy, The Legend of Korra has likewise met with mostly […]
Nausicaä of the Desert of the Real
This piece examines the thematic relationship between Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and the Wachowski siblings’ The Matrix. Needles to say, beware of spoilers. In 1984, one year before the founding of the legendary Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki’s first major directorial effort was released. Nausicaä of the Valley of […]
