Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoiler free review

The long wait is over. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is finally here. And yes, it's the most awesomest film ever in the history of ever. It is the Star Wars episode that everybody dreamed of watching and finally came true.

Good points of the film

1. The Nostalgia from the original series is perfectly blended with the current plot points.

The three main cast of the original films, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, finally have reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa respectively and their comeback is well mixed with the ongoing plot of Episode VII. Even though this episode focuses on the new characters, their inclusion on the movie never felt like they are there just for the nostalgia.  Also, Chewbaca, R2D2, C-3PO, Admiral Ackbar and many more supporting characters of the original trilogy are there. They all have a role to play in this awesome film.

From the "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away..." line and the opening narration crawl, to John William's magnificent score that blended perfectly on every scene: active and passive alike, surely the nostalgia is very strong in this film.

2. Fresh characters for a fresh film.

One of the things that I love most in this movie is the new characters, specifically Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley). They are just so amazing in every scene. You want to laugh, cry and be mad with them on each moment they succeed and fail. They hold perfect chemistry with every characters and crew, old and new. Finn is the man you want to be buddy with and Rey was just so cool as a heroine. The villain, Kylo Ren was a menacing badass. There is a scene in the movie when I just can't handle my hate with him that I almost screamed like a madman on the theater. Their character development is thoroughly carried out as the movie progresses. 

3. The break-neck speed of the plot makes the film exhilarating to watch.

The film started with the introduction of the main characters, and the world building. After that there are a lot of action sequences that is ceased momentarily to let everyone breathe and make them ready for the next action sequence. Also, no council meetings. Hooray!

4. The sense of humor makes the film so lively.

Most of the numerous jokes presented on the film triggers precisely the audiences' laughs. There was never a dull moment on the film because the jokes are really funny and lighten up the every moment. This is probably the funniest Star Wars episode created.

5. This one has the best technicalities of a Star Wars film.

Because of the modern technologies we now have, in terms of visual clarity and special effects, this one is the most eye-popping Star Wars film to date. The CGI is amazing and far more brilliant than the previous films. Also, the utilization of animatronics injects realism on alien creatures visually. This is just the most gorgeous Star Wars film and the fusion of special and practical effects is amazing.

But the movie is not perfect of course. The movie has done bad hits and here are some of them:

Bad points from the film

1. Felt like a rehash of A New Hope.

One of the problems with J. J. Abrams' The Force Awakens is that the movie felt like a recreation of Star Wars: A New Hope with new characters. You can see how they mirrored the plot with the fourth episode of Star Wars as this movie goes on. After watching this motion picture, you will be leaving the theater with a feeling of familiarity on plot, like you have already seen it before. It felt like watching all over again A New Hope, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not. But as George Lucas said, the mind behind the Star Wars franchise, "Star Wars is like poetry, it rhymes." I hope they don't do a full rehash on the upcoming films because that would make the sequel stale and unexciting.

2. The movie has no time to focus on a plot line since the story is moving really fast.

As I said before, the movie is moving on break-neck speed and one consequences of that is the lack of focus. There are lot to know on this galaxy since this is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, but the chunk of the movie is reserved for action sequences for audiences' excitement and I felt that they should have focused on something interesting. They have wasted characters like Poe Dameron (played by Oscar Isaac) and I felt like he deserves more screentime in this film. I want to like his character, but they reserved little time for him to grace on the silver screen.

3. Some of the jokes doesn't hit the funny bone.

As I said, the movie is really funny but most of the jokes doesn't hit the funny bone. It felt awkward when they say corny jokes, but you will not notice them much because as I said, the plot of the film moves really fast.

Conclusion

Although this is not a perfect film, it somehow exceeds the immeasurable expectations from the fans and hits every aspect of a great movie perfectly. The nostalgia from the original series, the chemistry between the characters, old and new, the break-neck speed of the plot, the sense of humor, the special and practical effects, everything.

J. J. Abrams handled every puzzle pieces carefully and formed a new intricate world of Star Wars. The movie felt like it had given everything but leaves a lot more questions for the sequels.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a dream come true for all the fans of the franchise. Truly, Star Wars is again back on its feet.

"Daytripper" Review

You know that feeling when you read a book and after closing it, you suddenly changed your outlook in life? Daytripper is one of that books.

Daytripper tells the life of Bras de Olivias Dominguez, a former writer of obituaries on newspaper. The interesting thing on the story is that he always die in every chapter of the book. Fabian Moon and Gabriel Bo offered an explanation on what is life all about by letting us look on death, as death after all is a part of our lives. As for the art, it's so good you will look for every panel a little longer than usual because the drawings and colors are a feast for the eye.

At the end of the book, you will ask yourself whether you are already satisfied with your life if you die right now.

Reading Daytripper is an astounding experience. I suggest everyone, even those who doesn't read graphic novels to give this book a try.

"Only when you accept that one day you'll die can you let go, and make the best out of life."

Is Luke Skywalker Going to Join the Dark Side on Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

We are now just two weeks away from the release of the upcoming 7th Episode of Star Wars entitled The Force Awakens and everyone is excited to watch this film especially me. After the release of their final trailer, one thing that keeps buzzing everyone is the lack of appearance of the star of the original trilogy, the young Jedi, Luke Skywalker on the trailer. Yes, we have seen his robotic hand on one of the teasers before the final trailer. But seriously, where is he? He is not even on the official poster of it. This forces every Star Wars fan to theorize what the 7th Episode is going to be and what fate does the young Jedi fall into 30 years after the supposedly triumph of the Rebel Alliance on the Battle of Endor. The Film Theorist, one of my favorite channels in YouTube, released a theory concerning this issue. And the theory said that Luke unfortunately joined the Dark Side after Return of the Jedi and will be the main villain of the upcoming sequel. And this is the theory that I also believe to be true from the start. You can watch the video here:

The video basically made exact points about Luke joining the Dark Side and here are some of them.

1. Luke saw his own face on Dagobah.

Remember that scene when Luke was commanded by Yoda to go to a tree with a lot of Dark Force inside it? Luke at first thought that he was confronting  Darth Vader in the tree only to make the Vader image be beheaded showing Luke's face inside the helmet. At first I thought this is a hint to Darth Vader's true identity that he is actually Luke's long lost father. But we are already shown Anakin's young face on the end of the third movie and it doesn't resemble that much the face shown here.

Maybe it is really a clue on the impending fate of Luke. That he will be consumed by the Dark Side just like his father.

2. Luke's action doesn't resemble that of a Jedi.

On the whole original trilogy, Luke did a lot of things that doesn't resemble that of a true Jedi Knight. Luke is basically becoming arrogant as the film trilogy progresses not knowing he is turning to become one. On one scene on the last film, when he is going to rescue Han from the gangster, Jabba the Hutt, he is sounding like an angsty teen (just like his father) when he presented his ultimatum to Jabba regarding his prisoner Han Solo.

On the Empire Strikes Back, his lack of patience led to his downfall and the success of the Empire on Cloud City. Yoda keep on telling from the start to Luke that he should not do it for he can't change what's going to happen. For if he take the short and easy path, if he let his emotions take over his decisions, he will be absorbed by the Dark Side. But Luke trying to be heroic to save his friends insists on leaving and ceased his training. Yet Luke didn't end up liberating his friends from the tyranny of the Empire. Han Solo was still captured by Boba Fett and he confronted Vader only to lose the fight barely surviving.

Luke also let his rage on the Emperor to overpower him. He was then led to try to kill him by slicing him up with his lightsaber. The only thing that separates the Emperor from the impending death from Luke's attack is Darth Vader's counterattack.

I mean seriously. There are a lot of Luke's action that doesn't resemble any Jedi's action.

3. The intended ending of Star Wars.

This is the thing presented by MatPat that seals up the theory real good. As he explained, the intended ending of the original Star Wars Trilogy is this, the rebel alliance is going to lose in taters, Han Solo is going to die, the last scene will show Luke looking at the sunset of Tatooine. One of the producer then revealed that he thought the story would go to extremes that Luke is going to then join the Dark Side. The ending had been changed by George Lucas because the Star Wars franchise is having most of its profit on toys and merchandise that's why he want to make the whole franchise be child friendly leaving the film series to end with a sweet and euphoric conclusion. But now that the film series is going to be open again, this plan can be applied once more. What plotline is better to open Disney's main moneymaker other than Luke becoming the main villain of the film series. In the end, "Star Wars is like poetry" as George Lucas said. "It rhymes."

I am really excited on how things are going to play out on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Like every die hard fans of the franchise I can't wait to watch the film. I still don't know what's going to happen on it because I haven't watched the film yet but let's see if Luke really had joined the Dark Side when the movie comes out. May the force be with you.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer #2 Review

I am really hyped with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice after I watched it's Comic-Con trailer. The trailer blew my mind with the encapsulating tone presented by it. The political background which is new to the superhero genre. You also get a taste of it's tantalizing script by Chris Terrio. After I watched the trailer I am already imagining for this film is going to get a lot of acclaim after it hit the theaters. Because not only it's the first film where two of the most iconic superheroes of the all time, Batman and Superman are going to share the screen together, but it's also going to be a straight-out one of the best of it's genre.

But the second full length trailer literally flushes out of the toilet all of my excitement with this film.

The trailer opened with an excellent conversation between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. Clark was asking Bruce on what is his stand on Gotham's bat vigilante. Bruce responded by saying how hypocrite the Daily Planet is. How every time they praise Superman because of the thing he has done even though he is also above the law but they keep on criticizing Batman's way. The tension heightens when Bruce look, smirked and say to Clark that "Gotham had a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns" in a way that indicates that Bruce already knew that Clark is Superman. That is abruptly ceased by the annoying Lex Luthor's whiny teen voice saying that he like that he have seen Bruce and Clark together already. This is the only thing that is good with this trailer.

I have nothing against Jesse Eisenberg's version of  Luthor. A lot of people really hates him in this trailer because he is not acting like the Luthor we commonly see. Well for me his Luthor impression before Kryptonite Radaition was hit perfectly by Jesse. Lex Luthor is intended to be like an irritating teen in this film because Lex Luthor is supposed to be like a young awkward mad scientist. After that he shall get bald and will be a psychotic villain as the film progress. Lex is not yet fully evolved in this trailer and I like to see him transform in this film. The trailer doesn't show any of it which is great in order to surprise everyone.

After that scene, we get fast cut edited clips shown before on the Comic-Con trailer. The music playing is really bad and felt giddy for the suspense building by the trailer. Then Lex Luthor graces again on the trailer with the lines "Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham" while showing Batman and Superman fighting to death with each other. 

Then we are shown with Lois Lane speaking to Lex that he is "psychotic." Lex replied by saying that the word is too simple for people with weak minds. 

After another fast cut edited clips of Batman and Superman fighting each other, the parademons of Darkseid was shown in a clip already in the first trailer, theorized by many as Batman's nightmare. Does this hint that the upcoming villain of the Justice League movie is going to be Darkseid?

After that Lex again was shown on Lex Corp with Zod's corpse. Then fast cut to him saying "If man won't kill God, then I will." Then BOOM! There goes Doomsday.

After that he shoot some laser to Batman which lit everything that surrounds them and then surprise! surprise! Wonder Woman just entered the scene shielding Batman from Doomsday's laser beam!

The trailer ends with Superman and Batman joining Wonder Woman, arguing to each other, "I thought she was with you" then poses to have this super cool shot.

Even though people are enraged by the look of Doomsday in the trailer, I don't hate the appearance of Doomsday because I known that he is going to evolve after the Trinity inflicted damage on him and he is going to be stronger and stronger. From the looks of it, he is going to have giant bones and sharp spikes popping out of his body later from that particular scene.

I know I should be happy for they are releasing sweet clips from the film, but from the look of the trailer, they just released too much greatness of it. It basically showed us the plot of the film. What is it with trailers showing too much of the movie before it hits the theaters? It is really alarming because the film is to be released months away from now and they are giving everything for the viewers in a single trailer. I already know what's going to happen with the film and now I don't even bother to watch it anymore. (Just joking. I'll still watch it. )

This trailer is just disappointing as hell. 

Batman Earth One Volume 2 Review

If you think a Batman origin story will fail to surprise you, think again.

Batman Earth One Volume 2 is a one of a kind follow-up to a great Batman origin story that features most of his celebrated villains whose origins are told in a different way. There is something in the end of the book that will startle even a veteran Batman fan. Give this book a try and I tell you, you will not regret reading every bit of it.

Batman Earth One Volume 1 Review

This is a spoiler free review.

There had been countless adaptations of Batman's origin story that it already imprinted itself  inside the hearts of many people. We all know how the rich kid, son of Gotham, Bruce Wayne decided on wearing a bat suit and pursuing a lot of criminals that proliferated the Gotham's streets. We are all familiar on the tragedy on Crime Alley. That's why every time a new book, featuring how the Batman mythos started will always be in the brink of the "seen that" "done that" area of the public eye.

But Batman Earth One Volume One is a different story.

One of my cousin suggested me to read this comic book because he said he was mesmerized by it. So I take this book on the comic book shop and read it as soon as I bought it. And oh my, it's an awesome book.

It is a refreshing take of every aspect surrounding the too familiar story. Geoff Johns' comic book writing is strange. It's the panels that communicate most of the times with the readers. The art is also pretty great. I have read a lot of Batman books but the drama between the lines in this book is too good. The best parts of the book are the conversations between Bruce and Alfred. There is an unexplainable bond between them in this book. Yeah I know, Alfred will always be Bruce's guardian in any comic book universe, but this version features a deeper father and son connection between them. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that this version of Alfred is not that gentle butler we all commonly know. This Alfred is a badass Korean War Veteran.

Harvey Bullock is the one of the few sane man in Gotham's corrupt system you will root for. Most of the times it's Commissioner Gordon that is full of principles in the police part of Gotham, but in this book, Harvey is the star of the police force. He is the hope that there are still people in Gotham who believe in goodness.

All in all, it is a good book and will left you in amazement after closing it. Although you only get few glimpses of many characters, they all feel whole to you. There are a lot of building blocks of a new Batman series in this book and I suggest everyone who doesn't know the origin of Batman to read this book.