Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I thought the film was excellent. Star Wars has a certain flavour of teamwork, rebellion, adventure, final showdowns and lasting friendships that other popular franchises haven’t really accomplished. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the film and accompanied with John Williams’ score, the adrenaline was pumping. Having been in the last two films the new trio of Rey, Poe and Finn have settled into their roles in the films. Rey is finding herself as a Jedi, Poe has a position of leadership and Finn has found his own place in the Rebel alliance as a former Stormtrooper.

Finally here is the conclusion of this generation’s Star Wars trilogy. Star Wars has been a big piece of pop culture and film history since the first film came to cinemas in 1977. As a millennial, I have not before been exposed to the excitement of seeing a Star Wars film in the cinemas until I went to see Force Awakens with my dad. I have never been a big Star Wars fan but as he has always been a follower of the franchise, we went to see it. This was five years ago and I must admit I was anticipating Episode IX along with millions of other die hard fans. This review is spoiler-free so feel free to read if you are planning to watch in the future.

I watched The Rise of Skywalker in a cinema abroad with subtitles but this did not hinder my viewing at all. I hate watching films with subtitles on Netflix if they are in the same language as the audio but as English is not the first language where I am for the holidays, there was no other option.

Now to the actual film. I have heard a lot of noise on the grapevine about The Rise of Skywalker being a redo of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, Episode XIII in the franchise. I am definitely not an expert so I don’t feel I have the knowledge to comment on this controversy having only seen both films once each.

I thought the film was excellent. Star Wars has a certain flavour of teamwork, rebellion, adventure, final showdowns and lasting friendships that other popular franchises haven’t really accomplished. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the film and accompanied with John Williams’ score, the adrenaline was pumping. Having been in the last two films the new trio of Rey, Poe and Finn have settled into their roles in the films. Rey is finding herself as a Jedi, Poe has a position of leadership and Finn has found his own place in the Rebel alliance as a former Stormtrooper.

The film starts, of course, with a mission that leads the trio to ending the fight between good and evil. We get new characters, ships, planets as well as all the old friends, foes and gadgets. The original trio of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa all make appearances despite Luke and Han perishing in the previous films and Carrie Fisher sadly passing away in 2016.

There were a few things I didn’t understand not having brushed up on my Star Wars trivia or having seen the original films but I knew enough to be shocked at demises and thrilled at successes.

Seeing Star Wars at the cinema is a must-do, the spectacle demands the big screen and surround sound but I also had the added benefit of seeing it in a special screen with leather recliners and lots of space. I believe that the place determines one’s enjoyment of a film. There are films I would have enjoyed more if I wasn’t surrounded by noisy children or in a tiny screen but there are also those films that it doesn’t matter where you are, the excitement can override the discomfort.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and apart from an epic conclusion to a nine film saga spanning over forty years, it was a great adventure in space. 4/5.

Paddington 2, Breathe and Murder on the Orient Express

Hello readers,

I know I haven’t posted in 2 weeks but I have been temporarily preoccupied with university tests and coursework. I am back today though. This week I thought I would post about films I only saw in the cinema as I have mainly been watching Christmas films on DVD and Prime. The films mentioned below I have seen in the past couple of weeks at the cinema.

Breathe (2017)

I saw this film a few weeks ago but it has still stuck with me. The film tells the true and heartbreaking story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge) and his wife,Diana(Claire Foy, The Crown). They get married and travel to Kenya for Robin’s job. Diana reveals she is pregnant. Suddenly, Robin wakes up with a fever and he can’t move his body. He becomes paralysed due to polio disease. This is 1958, he is given two years to live. He goes back to live in a hospital in England as he cannot do anything for himself. He then persuades Diana to get him out of hospital as he wants to live out his last days at home. He then keeps on living. This film shows the power of love in the face of epic adversity. It also documents the invention of a mobile chair that changed the way the severely disabled lived their lives. This film is jolly and a real heart warmer once you come to terms with Robin’s struggles. Other notable performances are by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) , Tom Hollander (The Night Manager), Amit Shah (The Hundred-Foot Journey), Hugh Bonneville (Paddington), Stephen Mangan (Episodes) and Dean Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones). Andy Serkis (actor – Rise of the Planet of the Apes) directs and Jonathan Cavendish (producer – Bridget Jones Diary), Robin and Diana’s son produces. Overall I give Breathe 5/5.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

The classic novel by Agatha Christie is transformed in this new adaptation by Kenneth Branagh. Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective needs a holiday so his friend suggests a 3 day trip on the Orient Express, which his father owns. Poirot is enjoying his first class experience until a passenger is murdered in the middle of the night. The train travelling from Istanbul to Paris gets grounded by an avalanche in the Swiss mountains so there is nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. As the tagline goes, everyone is a suspect. This film depicts the era of the 1930s down to the finest detail. Kenneth Branagh’s moustache is also a great costume piece. This murder mystery will become a classic for years to come. There is a reason Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist of all time. Her stories are timeless. An all star ensemble cast feature: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) as Hercule Poirot, Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Liaisons), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love), Olivia Colman (The Night Manager), Tom Bateman (Snatched), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Red Tails), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Derek Jacobi (Frasier), Lucy Boynton (Sing Street), Sergei Polunin (The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall) and Marwan Kenzari (Wolf). Overall I give the Murder on the Orient Express 5/5.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Image result for paddington 2 poster

The sequel to the well-loved Paddington (2014) definitely lives up to the original. Based on the Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond, Paddington 2 continues Paddington’s story. He has settled in with the Browns and now is friends with all the neighbours. In Mr Gruber’s Antiques shop he finds the perfect present for Aunt Lucy’s birthday, a pop up book of London. The book written by Madame Kozlova whose fair is in town turns out to be very valuable and is stolen! Paddington is in the wrong place at the wrong time as he tries to catch the thief and now he is in prison. It is up to the Browns to try and catch the real thief. This lovely and delightful tale will put smiles on the faces of both children and adults. This film features a quintessentially British cast:  Michael Gambon (voice) (Path to War), Imelda Staunton (voice) (Vera Drake), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Ben Whishaw (voice) (The Hollow Crown), Madeline Harris (Man Down), Samuel Joslin (The Impossible), Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral), Jim Broadbent (Iris), Julie Walters (Billy Elliot) , Ben Miller (Johnny English), Jessica Hynes (W1A), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm- 2009) and Tom Davis (Free Fire). Overall I give Paddington 2 5/5.

Other films I have seen are The Florida Project (2017) and Jurassic Park (1993).

Happy Watching,

Robyn 🙂