Review: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ *MINOR Plot Spoilers*

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It’s been a decade since the world has been graced with a Star Wars film and over thirty years since the original cast has been on screen, so to say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most highly anticipated film of the year would be an understatement. Now under the Disney brand, the film begins a new trilogy that will hope to capture the wonder and admiration of the original films while helping to heal the wounds of that the prequels left. Director J.J. Abrams takes the helm of the nostalgic walk  thru the galaxy with a cast of old friends and some new ones. Ladies and gentlemen the Force is indeed awakened.

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****From this point on I must caution to a few plot points that may be seen as mild spoilers. Proceed with caution*****

Taking place thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the First Order has risen from the ashes of the defeated Empire and are looking to once again take aim at destroying the Republic. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) controls the First Order with General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) controlling the fleet and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), his powerful apprentice knowledgeable in the ways of the Force, leading the search for a map that can spell the end of the Jedi forever. The Resistance is also looking for this map as well as General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) sends her best pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to the planet of Jakku in hopes to find the coveted map. After encountering the First Order and fearing capture, Poe puts the recovered map into BB-8 and sends his far from the fight.

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Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young scavenger from the planet, finds BB-8 and agrees to help the droid get back to it’s master. With the help of Finn (John Boyega), a defected First Order Stormtrooper, and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), the mission to get the map to the Resistance has begun. Many mysteries surround this group of companions and the fate of the galaxy is in their hands, with the First Order hot on their tails, can the group complete their mission and save the Republic, while securing the future of the Jedi?

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Nostalgia aside, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands on it’s own as a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe. Director J.J. Abrams captures the magic of the original trilogy and adds a wonderful mix of humor, action and drama to complete his sci-fi masterpiece. Newcomers Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega have staked their place as fan favorites in this vast collection of memorable characters and leave you excited for future installments in their stories. Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Adam Driver awaken the dark side with intense precision and capitalize on all that was great about the Empire and add their unique personalities to enhance the First Order and it’s villainous ways. The franchise is truly in good hands with this new guard. My one and only grip was with Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. The character was set up to be a complete badass in this storyline but was underutilized. Let’s hope we see more of this unique character in the future.

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It was such a pleasure to see Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill back on screen reprising their iconic roles. No matter if they were on screen for a moment or for the duration of the film, each added to the enjoyment of the film in their unique way and brought back memories of my childhood that I was so happy to revisit. I am so very much looking forward to the next chapter in their stories.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the movie event of the year and one not to be missed by Star Wars fans and novice alike.

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer

New International Trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Featuring New Footage is Here!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVIIThe Japanese trailer has debuted for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and we have it for you below!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens  is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the highly-anticipated movie stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18, 2015

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Comic-Con Reel is here!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVII

Fans at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H were treated to a special look behind the scenes of Star Wars:The Force Awakens by director J.J. Abrams, producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and writer Lawrence Kasdan. The filmmakers were joined on stage by cast members Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford to the surprise and delight of fans.
At the end of the Hall H presentation, the entire Hall H audience of more than 6,000 fans were all invited to continue the celebration and join cast and filmmakers at a surprise Star Wars Fan Concert. The San Diego Symphony performed the classic Star Wars music from John Williams at the Embarcadero Marina Park South.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in theaters December 18th, 2015!

New Poster and Episode Description Released for Upcoming ‘Flash’ Return

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We’re only a few short days away from the return of The Flash and the CW has graced us with an epic new poster depicting the scarlet speedster caught between darkness and light. Could this be a foreshadowing of what is to come for our favorite new superhero?!

The return episode is titled “Out of Time” and features guest star Mark Hamill as The Trickster, a role he played on the ’90s “The Flash” series. The episode is set to air Tuesday March 18th at 8 P.M. EST. Read on if you want to know what the episode will entail:

Mark Mardon aka The Weather Wizard (guest star Liam McIntyre) appears in Central City intent on avenging his brother Clyde’s death, and sets his sights on Joe, who shot Clyde. When Mardon attacks Joe and Barry, Barry is able to super-speed them to safety but Mardon gets away. Barry warns Joe not to go after a meta-human alone but Joe doesn’t listen and ends up in grave danger. Meanwhile, Cisco looks into the night the team captured the Reverse Flash and realizes something doesn’t add up and begins to wonder whether Joe was right about Dr. Wells. Barry and Linda (guest star Malese Jow) end up on an awkward double date with Eddie and Iris.

The epsidoe is directed by Thor Freudenthal and written by Todd Helbing & Aaron Helbing,

Are you excited for the Flash to return? What do you expect for the remainder of the season?!

Michael’s Review: ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’- A New Generation of Spy Film

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One of the things that makes a Matthew Vaughn movie an event is the stylistic nature of his interpretation of the source material and his knack for creating a unique movie experience that everyone can enjoy. Taking from the comic book The Secret Service, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar (Vaughn previously adapted Millar’s Kick Ass for the screen), this up tempo, high powered action film is exactly the adrenaline jolt that the spy sction thriller genre needed. Enlisting an all star supporting cast and mixing them with a group of fresh faces creates an environment on film that enables the director to get the very best out of the story which will no doubt make Kingsman: The Secret Service the movie to see this weekend.

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Colin Firth stars as Harry, an impeccably suave spy, in KINGSMAN THE SECRET SERVICE.

Colin Firth plays Harry Hart, an old school super spy, reminiscent of the old Roger Moore James Bond days, where a suit was more powerful than the weapon in the eyes of the man. When the loss of a protege on a mission leaves Harry carrying a guilt that has haunted him for nearly two decades, his natural tendency is to reach out to the man’s family and make sure they are looked after. Leaving behind a wife and a young boy named Eggsy, Harry leaves a medal with the young family with a number to call if they ever need anything from the organization.

Harry (Colin Firth), an impeccably suave spy, helps Eggsy (Taron Egerton) turn his life around by trying out for a position with Kingsman, a top-secret independent intelligence organization.

Harry (Colin Firth), an impeccably suave spy, helps Eggsy (Taron Egerton) turn his life around by trying out for a position with Kingsman, a top-secret independent intelligence organization.

Now a young man, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) has lost his way and has turned to a life of crime and hooliganism. His mom has remarried to a town crime boss and life has never been worse for the young man. After an altercation in a local pub leaves Eggsy in jail, he decides to call the number his family was given all those years ago. Harry and Eggsy meet once again after all these years and Harry recruits the young man into the Kingsman, an mSpy secret agency free of government regulations. Eggsy is selected along with eight other young prospects, who must pass a vigorous training regiment which will test them both physically and mentally. One of the young recruits is a girl named Roxy (Sophie Cookson), whom Eggsy becomes fond of. The training is overseen by Merlin (Mark Strong) and Arthur (Michael Caine), each of whom have their own vested interest in the candidates.

Harry (Colin Firth), an impeccably suave spy, helps Eggsy (Taron Egerton) turn his life around by trying out for a position with Kingsman, a top-secret independent intelligence organization.

Harry (Colin Firth), an impeccably suave spy, helps Eggsy (Taron Egerton) turn his life around by trying out for a position with Kingsman, a top-secret independent intelligence organization.

When a technology tycoon named Richmond Valentine (Samuel L Jackson), becomes a threat, the Kingsman begin to investigate the aspiring philanthropists actions. Deeming him a threat to the world, Harry must go deep undercover to infiltrate Valentine’s organization and learn the true nature of his plan. As the training comes to a close, it’s up to Eggsy and Roxy to make hard decisions, in the final stages, to ensure their place in the Kingsman organization. As the plot of the tech villain unfolds, it will be up to the young group of recruits to spoil the plot, but will the unseasoned rookies be up to the task? The fate of the world is in the hands of the Kingsman.

Harry (Colin Firth) and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) meet Richard Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a tech billionaire with devastating plans for the world.

Harry (Colin Firth) and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) meet Richard Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a tech billionaire with devastating plans for the world.

The film is a non stop action thrill ride which never takes itself too seriously. The campy nature of the film allows the over the top story line to unfold with ease and never allows for the cliche’s to engulf the fun nature of the film. Director Matthew Vaughn loves to incorporate stylistic action sequences into his films which are both memorable and as important to the telling of the story as the script itself. This action driven film really relies on the actors to flush out the story and help the audience believe in their characters arcs. Colin Firth is wonderful as the old school super spy. Never have I seen the award winning actor in such an action packed role, but he pulled it off with ease and has shown he can be just as effective with his fists as he can with his mouth. The supporting cast that features Mark Strong, Mark Hamill, Michael Caine, and Sophie Cookson, is tremendous and each character adds his or her own unique style into the film, but its Taron Egerton that is the star of this film and rightfully so. Egerton is humorous and charming as the would be Kingsman, and the young actor shows veteran prowess in his first feature film and shows he is ready for the big time.

Harry (Colin Firth), an elite member of a top-secret independent intelligence organization known as the Kingsman, prepares to teach some ruffians a lesson.

Harry (Colin Firth), an elite member of a top-secret independent intelligence organization known as the Kingsman, prepares to teach some ruffians a lesson.

Overall, Kingsman: The Secret Service is wonderful and will no doubt entertain all those who give it a shot. Nevermind that other film opening this weekend, this Valentine’s Day, spend your evening with the Kingsman!

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

During credits there’s a new scene, end of credits there is nothing

Trailer: