End this Clone War Has: An Amazing journey it was.

I just streamed the final 13 Episodes of The Clone Wars on Netflix.   The final episodes after the show was canceled right after the new upcoming Star Wars movies were announced and shortly before the Rebels TV show was announced to basically take its place.   I couldn’t be happier as a long time Star Wars fan of the movies, books, comics and animated TV series with how these final episodes turned out.

A possible minority opinion? 

 I am  excited about the fact that there are going to be at least 5 new Star Wars films thanks to Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm…..(A thought that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago)   What Star Wars fan wouldn’t be excited about 5 more films?   But after watching the last 13 episodes of The Clone Wars in marathon fashion,   I’m not sure that any of these 5 films on their own is going to be able to give me as much satisfaction as this 286 minutes worth of TV programming.    That is not to say that I won’t be excited when all 5 films come out (I’ll probably be frothing at the mouth in anticipation).    It is just I’ve come to realize lately that no film can have the same power and  impact as really good TV show .   Take the Walking Dead for example:  What individual 2 hour zombie movie can ever again compete with the character development and storyline that this landmark TV show has built.   I’ll never be able to care about or feel as invested in any character in a zombie movie as I do about the characters I’ve followed for years on a TV show version.  Will any of the Star Wars films be as fulfilling as this animated gem?


If you like Star Wars and haven't seen Clone Wars------WHAT IT NOW
 Some Star Wars fans didn’t even give Clone Wars a chance because it is animated and on a Children’s TV channel, but those fans have really missed out on something special.   I watched this show from the beginning and have loved the depths and additions it has made to the Star Wars Universe.    The show was visually stunning and cinematic from the beginning and only got better as it went along.   I would recommend this to anyone that calls themselves a Star Wars fan.

The Final 13:    Spoiler Alert ---don’t read this unless you want to know major plot points

The final 13 episodes effectively answered many questions left by the Prequel trilogy and even though they weren’t intended to be the last episodes ending,  the series on a great high note.  

The first story arc involved a story that explored the secrets behind the infamous order 66.  One of the Clone Troopers named Fives ---wants answers  as to why one of his fellow Clones turned on a Jedi.   He gets to the truth and uncovers the secrets of Order 66 and tries to warn the Jedi, but to no avail.   We learn that the Clones were implanted with an organic chip while they were just infants and every Clone has this chip.   Another revelation is that the Kaminoans have been knowingly involved with Darth Sidious from the beginning.   It is painful to watch as Fives tries to reveal the truth only to not be believed.   

The Second story arc involves politics and the Banking Clans.   A less exciting arc –but an important one as it involved dark side behavior from Anakin when he becomes jealous of an individual that Padme is working with that she once dated long ago.  It also involves more Palpatine political maneuvering.  

The next short arc Follows  Mace Windu in action.  The story line despite having the hated Jar Jar was actually pretty good.  It involved a Temple of Doom type cult that ended with Mace Windu battle a Dathomir witch.   

The next arc  follows the Jedi uncovering the truth about Sifo-Dyas (the Jedi in Attack of the Clones that ordered the Clone troopers in the first place).   This was a major mystery from the films that is finally answered with a cool lightsaber battle between Dooku, Anakin and Obi Wan.  Also this episode introduces to me some more cool characters that deal in spice called the Pikes.

Yoda kicks ass----and needs his own movie

And finally we get three episodes starring Yoda.   Three great episodes that like much of the series I would have gone to the theaters to see.   Yoda seeks the secret of how Qui-Gon Jinn  is able to communicate with him despite having passed on.  Yoda travels to Dagobah and we learn another unanswered question about why he went there after Revenge of the Sith (a question that many have wondered for years)    We get to see Yoda enter the infamous cave that he sent Luke into in Empire.   We then get to see Yoda travel to the planet the Midi- Chlorians come from and learn new secrets of the Forve and then visit the Sith home world and face a long dead Sith Lord.   So many answers to lingering questions were revealed it was very satisfying.  It was also very bizarre and creepy.    I would have paid movie prices to see just the Yoda arc alone,  but getting to watch all 13 episodes in a row was beyond satisfying to me.   I guess I  myself had  taken for granted that I was able to watch Star Wars on a weekly basis for 5 plus years.   Waiting a year after the shows cancellation and getting to see 13 episodes in a row makes me grateful for the experience.  The Clone Wars is a part of the Star Wars Universe that I will forever treasure.   I can only hope that Rebels  and the new films will be ¾ as good as this amazing show.

13 Eerie 2013 5 out of 10

13 Eeire 5 out 10

The movie is about a group of forensic students that are taking a field test with their teacher  (Played by Michael Shanks --of Stargate SG1 fame).   This field test takes place on a remote island where apparently some illegal biological testing took place on some dangerous criminals. I recorded this film on the DVR off of Chiller TV  ---(the TV channel for low budget horror movies that back in the day we would find at local Music Plus VHS rental store). It was described  as a bunch of students that come across mutant creatures.  The movie was a mixed bag of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.


The Bad

1.  The movie got off to a slow start establishing the forensic students taking their tests on corpses at this remote location.  The movie took its time setting 
up the story. 

2.  The movies description wasn't very accurate as its budget didn't really allow for an island full of mutant creatures.   I was expecting actual creatures.....not just a couple of prison inmates in what looked like muscle bound Toxic Avenger makeup.    I was really hoping to  see a bunch of weird creatures.

3. It was the typical:   It isn't a zombie movie----but it is really a zombie movie plot.    Just because you call something a mutant creature,  doesn't mean that it isn't just a zombie.   I mean they are undead  (zombie)---if they bite you ...you turn into one of them  (Zombie) they crave human flesh (zombie).  If you are going to make a Zombie movie ----just call it a Zombie movie.    Of course a lot of low budget Zombie movies like this that can't afford a bunch of extras  --call themselves non-zombie movies so that the people that can watch quality Zombie action every week on Walking Dead---don't actually expect a ton of zombies stalking the victims in the movie.

4.  The ending was very abrupt and Michael Shanks ---the one actor I actually know disappears from the story for a good 20 minutes near the end.  


The Good

1. If you like gore the movie once it got going actually delivers with numerous gory death scenes.  It did a good job of providing some nasty visual footage
and some interesting death scenes.  At this point I feel like I have seen everything that could be seen in a horror movie,  so if a film can deliver something disturbing that you haven't seen or show something you have seen already in an interesting way that is good.

The Ugly

These Toxic Avenger flesh eating mutants sure were ugly.

Here is the trailer

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Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters 2013 7 out of 10

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters  2013  7 out 10

My quick thoughts on Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

This sequel to the entertaining yet under performing Percy Jackson movie  series is an enjoyable action adventure comedy ride. 

The studios really wanted this series to be the next Harry Potter, but unfortunately the box office fell way short of that goal. 

Luckily it  did well enough to give us a sequel.  

1.  The sequel has a light more comedic tone that felt closer to the Men in Black films.  

2.   The story focuses on the training center for the young demi-gods being threatened as the magical barrier that protects it is in jeopardy.  Percy and his friends end up involved in an action packed quest for the Golden Fleece from Jason and the Argonauts fame in order to hopefully heal the barrier.  

3. Like the original movie this sequel features  good action sequences and fun modern day takes on stories well known from mythology. 

I feel both Percy Jackson movies succeed in reaching  the level of enjoyment  I got out of the Harry Potter movies.  I just wish they had caught on the same way –so that we would get to see the rest of the book series on the big screen--- which I fear we won’t get to.

For my thoughts on the first movie in the series go here
http://bradgeekness.blogspot.com/2012/09/percy-jackson-and-olympians-lightning.html

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Escape Plan 2013 7 out of 10

Escape Plan    2013  7 out of 10

My quick thoughts on Escape Plan.

Can you imagine how big this movie would have been if it had been made 15 years ago?  It would have been one of the most anticipated movies of the year.   Now not so much.

1.  Despite their advanced age both Sly and Arnold both still have a presence on the big screen.

2. Although neither actor has ever really impressed with their acting ability, they both just have it.   What is it?   It is just an incredible  screen presence.   Since the death of the big overblown action films of  80’s and 90’s only the Rock has convincingly captured the same level of screen presence that Sly and Arnold have.  

3.   It was great to see Sly and Arnold finally team up.   Arnold  of course had a cameo in the first Expendables and an expanded role in Expendables 2  which was great.  The Escape Plan really is the first film to really put Arnold and Sly on equal footing.

4    The movie itself was pretty good, but could have been better.  The pacing of the film which centers on Sky’s character going into a super secure prison and then having to break out was a little slow at times.   The character had to spend much of the movie planning his escape which takes place at the end of the film,  so it wasn’t as action packed as you would hoped an Arnold and Sly film would be.  Still it was enjoyable to watch.  The movie definitely has moments though and gives nostalgic action movies fans a look at what an early team up of these two action legends might have been.   Arnold and Sly still kick butt and if you enjoyed the the Expendable movies you will probably like this as well --even if it is on a smaller scale than those fun flicks.

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The Devil Doll 1936 4 out of 10

The Devil Doll  1936   4 out of 10

The movie has an interesting concept doesn't deliver on its potential.   An escaped convict that was wrongly imprisoned for robbery and murder escapes from prison with a mad scientist.     He learns the secrets to shrinking humans and then being able to control their minds from the scientist.  The scientist passes away during one of his experiments and the main character uses this knowledge to get revenge on those that framed him.  Lionel Barrymore stars in this odd film in which he spends much of the movie in drag posing as an old lady.  The problem is his old lady just seemed like an uninteresting version of the old ladies from some Monty Python sketch.  His revenge plot was kind of boring as he using the doll sized  minions to get his revenge.  I felt like it was  a waste of a cool and interesting story concept in its lackluster execution.  The best moments are early on when scientist shows him how he has shrunken some dogs. 

The movie is directed by Tod Browning of Freaks fame.   

 

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The Invisible Ray 1936 3 out of 10

The Invisible Ray  1936  3  out 10

Karloff and Lugosi...... Sound like a winning formula. Well not in this very dull horror movie.  A scientist played by Karloff turns into a glowing murder after being exposed to some radiation as a result of his discovery of a new element.  That is pretty sums up the whole movie.  It was a revenge tale that never really held my interest or attention.  A waste of the talents of these two horror legends.  The story just dragged...and dragged with nothing interesting happening other than Karloff's hand glowing before he killed off the people he felt had wronged him.

Enjoy the trailer....skip the movie

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100 Greatest Sci-Fi Classics (NOT SO MUCH) Collection Episode 2 Raiders of Atlantis 1983 8 out of 10 (So Bad it is Good) PODCAST Included

Raiders of Atlantis  1983     8 out of 10  (SO BAD it is Good)

To Hear our Podcast about this gem go here.


http://shoutengine.com/TheSuperFantasticTerrificShow/super-fantastic-terrific-show-5-the-raiders-of-atl-8813

For my Review --see below

This is the 2nd movie from the100 Greatest Sci-Fi Classics (NOT SO MUCH) DVD set--that I'm slowly attempting to work my way through.

The movie starts out a little slow - but then gets better and better (or is it worse and worse) as it goes along.  It becomes a non-stop mess of pointless enjoyable cheesiness.   

The Plot:       The plot of this movie is a complete after thought.   It seems like somebody was putting together a stunt show of a bunch of stunts they thought would be fun to see and then tried to piece together a story around those stunts after the fact.   It follows the story (with a complete lack of continuity) of a team of scientists that are trying to raise a nuclear sub from the ocean floor --that somehow causes Atlantis to resurface.  The small group of survivors team up with a couple of Vietnam vets that were out on a boat near the scientific platform when Atlantis resurfaces.   They end up making their way to an  Caribbean island that has been taken over by a cheesy  Mad Max wannabe biker gang. The biker gang is  led by some guy wearing a plastic Crystal Skull mask.  The biker gang is what is left of the devolved Atlanean race.  

A bunch of punk rockers that look like they washed onshore from a casting call from The Warriors.  They ride around on motorcycles that look like they were stolen from Pee Wee Herman if he had a pimp my ride bike shop.   At this point any attempt to follow the piece meal plotis pointless....but it doesn't matter.   Plot who needs a plot.  There are references in the movie about scenes that were obviously cut.  Other scenes have been left in that seem to be a part of a different storyline that was maybe abandoned.   Characters show up out of nowhere and it goes from night to day at random.  It is a total mess.

The Action:          The action was great....If you like the Universal Studios   Wild West Stunt show or Riot act of Waterworld stunt shows.   Once the movie gets past its slow introduction and we get to the world's lamest biker gang section the movie becomes a non-stop series of non-connected and pointless action scenes.   Every stunt show trick in the book is used.   Scenes from countless other movies are lovingly ripped off to the enjoyment of the audience.   There is a pointless tour bus scene with guys jumping on top of the vehicle from a helicopter to then easily be knocked off that is a tribute to Raiders of the Lost Ark.  There are scenes near the end when they make their way to Atlantis (which seems to be an island like LOST)  where some guys are shooting at them from the top of a cliff over water,  just so they can fall off the cliff (as a cool stunt once shot).  

The Acting:      What do you think???  It was totally cheesy. 

The lead actor is just too old for this sh..  Some of the characters have dubbed American voices since it was made out of the country.   One character that they randomly meet halfway through the movie is supposed to be a fake Arnold which was kind of funny.   There are some  classic bad movie lines in this movie.

Indy Clone and Indy inspiration:
Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lifted a line directly from this movie at one point.   The line is delivered while one of the scientist is being used by the Atlantis ancestors in some chamber that looks like a MTV video to bring them back somehow.   She says " I want to know.....I want to learn"   the line used  at the end of Indy 4 by the Russian.  All of  the Indy movies were basically homages to the B Serials---I thought it was interesting that they also borrowed from this  Indy/Action movie rip-off as well.....This movie had an action scene that was obviously inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The title of this movie was an obvious attempt to cash in on Indy with Raiders in its title..  So it is funny that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull borrowed many elements from this movie.    I guess things come full circle.

Enjoy the trailer and seek out this  "Movie"  (Stunt show) for a fun bad movie night party..... 

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