What I learned from watching Stars Wars Episodes I-VI

*Spoilers for all six films reside in this article.

For a child growing up in the 1980s everyone whose everyone knew someone who was obsessed with George Lucas’s Star Wars trilogy. For me, it was my older brother, sister and cousins. Having seen Episodes IV-VI many times growing up, I never completely understood the obsession. As a child, you don’t critique the acting, cinematography or storyline really. Children want to be entertained. When Darth Vader came on screen, which I’m sorry as a 31 year old he is still frightening, he had a presence like no other film villain. He had his own music and you never really see his face except for one of the final scenes in the trilogy. The mask of the unknown makes him all the more scary and mysterious. He has no remorse, no conscious as to what he does is wrong or hurtful. But, then again this was before Episodes I-III came out where no one really knew how Darth Vader became Darth Vader or why. I decided to watch all six films in honor of Episode VII The Force Awakens coming out next month. I felt that I couldn’t fully review the film without watching all the films that came before it.

The Dark Knight Review For Blu-Ray Elite!!!

In honor of director Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises film debut next week, I wanted to write my last review for the Warner Bros. blu-ray elite program on The Dark Knight. Nolan is back for the second film of the Batman franchise (and obviously the third!) along with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman. Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart are newcomers to the widely acclaimed Warner Bros film. The Dark Knight focuses on the injustice in Gotham City, and how Batman (Bale) decides to team up with Gotham’s finest to take down the corrupted mob, but chaos ensues and the most villainous, psychotic character comes to life as The Joker (Ledger). 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review For Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are back again for another fun, action-packed adventure in the Warner Bros. hit, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Fortunately, I saw the first film of this series, so when Warner Bros.’s blu-ray elite team sent this over I was beyond overjoyed. Director Guy Ritchie is back with his innovative camera work and unique vision. Two time Academy Award nominees, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are back as the witty, bickering duo. The film centers upon another great mystery that needs to be solved by the genius detective Holmes and righteous doctor Watson. This time they are up against their arch rival, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) and have a little help from Holmes’s brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and a gypsy, Sim (Noomi Rapace). Can Holmes and Watson solve the case before it’s too late?

Happy Feet Two Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

One of the lighter films Warner Bros. sent me for the blu-ray elite program was the animated flick, Happy Feet Two directed by George Miller. The film has an all star cast, Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink, Sofia Vergara, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. The film centers on a young penguin, Erik (voiced by Ava Acres) that doesn’t seem to fit into the clan of penguins he calls home. His father Mumble (Wood) tries diligently to teach him that it’s okay to be different and unique, but when disaster strikes their home town, and all the penguins need to work together in order to survive, Mumble sees another side of Erik.

Planet Earth Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Warner Bros. recently sent me the fascinating blu-ray, Planet Earth. Planet Earth is a wonderful documentary about the numerous climates and landscapes the planet has to offer. The camera-work is fantastic and the sections at the end of each program look at how certain parts of the picture were filmed which is very interesting. You see the dedication of the crew who go out to these desolate spots for months to film sections that will last only a couple of minutes on screen. Much of the wildlife has barely been filmed and some such as the wonderfully agile wild Amur Leopard have probably only been seen by very few living people in the flesh.

Dolphin Tale Review For Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Director Charles Martin Smith created a beautifully touching film entitled, Dolphin Tale starring Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Nathan Gamble, and Cozi Zuehlsdorff. Dolphin Tale is the latest film Warner Bros. sent me as part of the blu-ray elite program. The film centers on a lonely young boy, who finds a friend in an injured dolphin, who lost it’s tail in a crab trap. 

Crazy, Stupid, Love Review For Blu-Ray Elite!!!

 Warner Bros. blu-ray elite program, recently sent me the romantic comedy, Crazy, Stupid Love. The film stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone and is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The film centers on a bland couple that have been married over twenty years until one day everything changes. Cal Weaver (Carell) takes his beautiful wife Emily (Moore) out to dinner, and while discussing their decisions on dessert, Emily blurts out the she wants a divorce. Devastated and confused, Cal doesn’t know what to do or where to turn. Emily discloses that she slept with someone else and that she’s not happy so Cal moves out. Cal is hurt, and the only way he knows how to deal with the pain is by complaining about the situation to anyone who will listen. He goes out to a bar, wearing sloppy clothes, drinking girly drinks and pathetically crying over his failed marriage. Enter Jacob (Gosling). Jacob is this smooth talking, suave, handsome womanizer that wants to help Cal change his life. He takes Cal under his wing and attempts to make him more like him. Can Cal change his ways and move on over his failed marriage or will he slip into a depression and falter under pressure?

Citizen Kane Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Orson Welles’ 1941 drama, Citizen Kane, is hailed by many as one of the greatest films ever made. I have always wanted to see this film, mainly because of that bold statement. Being a part of the Warner Bros. blu-ray elite program, I finally got to witness the intelligence of Orson Welles and the masterpiece that is Citizen Kane. The film was written, directed and also stars Welles as the title role, Charles Foster Kane. Citizen Kane focuses on a newspaper tycoon that lives a tumultuous life and then dies, uttering his last word which was ‘rosebud.’ When the press learns of his death, people go through great lengths to discover what rosebud meant to Kane. The private man never really expressed emotions and never revealed his life to anyone. One man’s job is to discover what rosebud meant, and leads the audience through different characters’ point of views of Kane.

Malcolm X Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Being a part of the Blu-Ray Elite program for Warner Bros. has really given me a wonderful opportunity to view films that I have never seen before, especially powerful films from years ago. The next film I was sent, and recently watched was director, Spike Lee’s drama, Malcolm X. The film is based off the life and times of famed civil rights activist, Malcolm X. The film stars two-time Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington in the title role. Lee chronicled X’s life from his childhood up until his untimely death.

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas Review For Blu-Ray Elite!!!

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas is another comedy Warner Bros. sent me through the Blu-Ray Elite program. The film stars the original duo, John Cho and Kal Penn in a Christmas tale, focusing on Harold attempting to do the right thing, and desperately trying to impress his father-in-law for the holiday season. But when his father-in-law leaves him in charge to watch his most prized procession-a Christmas tree-Kumar somehow manages to destroy the tree and forces the over-the-top pair to embark on an absurd adventure to find the perfect tree to create the best Christmas for Harold and his wife’s family.

Horrible Bosses Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

Comedies nowadays are becoming more and more vulgar, raunchy and crude. The latest blu-ray Warner Bros. sent me was Horrible Bosses starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston. The film is extremely funny, if you enjoy the kind of gross humor the film portrays. Horrible Bosses focuses on three best friends that actually enjoy their jobs but loathe their managers. They come up with a plan that in order to make their lives better and truly love their jobs is to murder their bosses.

Casablanca Review for Blu-ray Elite!!!

When you hear the term “classic” to describe a Hollywood film, there are only a handful of movies that come to mind and one of them should definitely be director, Michael Curtis’s legendary movie, Casablanca. The timeless film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as former lovers, Rick and Ilsa, during World War II, whose paths cross once again, during unfortunate circumstances. 

Inception Review for Blu-Ray Elite!!!

If you could dive into anyone’s mind who would you pick and why? Do you think you’d find something you didn’t think was there? Better yet, if you could slip into someone’s dreams and plant or steal ideas would you jump at the opportunity? Well, if you haven’t guessed the next film from Warner Bros. I received on blu-ray is Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Inception. Although I’ve seen this film before, seeing it again on blu-ray is quite an experience. The sound and picture quality is crystal clear. Nolan has the ability to grab your attention from beginning to end, and go beyond entertaining. I would actually recommend seeing Inception more than once since it can be difficult to understand, and at times hard to follow but once you grasp the concept, it’s mind-blowing. The film centers on a troubled man, Cobb (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio) who is struggling to find a way back home to his children. Due to an unfortunate circumstance, the only way home for Cobb is to complete an almost impossible task. That task is to create an ‘inception’ which means, to plant an idea in someone’s mind without them knowing it. Cobb is an expert extractor-which means he can steal ideas, but inception is much more complicated and the job he is ordered to do come with major risks. Can Cobb and his team produce an idea into someone else’s mind in order for him to get his life back in America? Or will their attempt become incomplete and suffer the consequences?

Contagion!!!

Recently, I was asked to be apart of an amazing program with Warner Bros. The program, The Blu-Ray Elite, is to watch and review free blu-ray DVDs that Warner Bros. mails me. So, the first film on the list is director, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion. The film is based around a highly infectious disease that starts off only infecting a hand full of people, and then increasingly begins to spread world wide. Contagion stars Matt Damon, Gwyenth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotilliard, Jude Law and Kate Winslet in a fast-paced thought provoking thriller. Can the Centers for Disease Control figure out the cause of the disease and create a cure before there is no one left?

Crazy, Stupid, Love.!!!

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone. The film focuses on Cal Weaver (Carell) who discovers that his wife, Emily (Moore) cheated on him with a co-worker, David Lindhagen (portrayed by Kevin Bacon) and wants a divorce. Blind slighted, confused and hurt Cal pathetically tries to take his mind off things by going out, drinking and crying about how hurt he is. Jacob Palmer (Gosling) is captivated by Cal’s story and strives to help him. He encourages him to change his appearance with new clothes, shoes, and teaches him how to talk to women and how to bring them home with him. Can Cal move on after the pain and suffering Emily made him endure? Or will he eventually advert to his old ways and wallow in self pity?

50/50!!!

50/50 is directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Will Reiser, who the story is loosely based off of. The film focuses on Adam, portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is a 27 year old man diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer and is given a 50/50 chance of survival rate.

The Help!!!

The Help is based off the novel written by Kathryn Stockett and is directed by Tate Taylor and stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film focuses on a young girl, Skeeter, portrayed by Stone, who returns from college in hopes to be a writer. When she returns home she discovers that her maid, who practically raised her, is no longer home. Enraged, confused and determined, she is inspired to write a book from the point of view of the African-American maids during the 1960’s civil rights movement.

Bobby!!!

Writer and director, Emilio Estevez created a powerful film entitled, 'Bobby' based on true facts about the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The film is filled with big name stars and delivers an incredible message to it's viewers.

The Basketball Diaries!!!

'The Basketball Diaries' which is based off a novel that shares the same name, written by Jim Carroll is based off Jim Carroll's own personal life. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jim, a young high school kid living in Manhattan, New York and gets caught up with the wrong crowd and drugs. He spends majority of the movie doing drugs, writing in his diary, playing basketball and getting into trouble. The audience roots for Jim to get better, to get help, to pull himself together but it's a tough battle for Jim and even tougher to witness. Can Jim get his life back on track and pursue his basketball dreams or will drugs take over his life, consume him and fall down a horrid spiral path?

It's Complicated!!!

The 2009 film, 'It's Complicated' stars the legendary Meryl Streep as a divorced mother of three named Jane, who reunites with her married ex-husband, Jake (Alec Baldwin). But, the complication doesn't end there, she is also seeing Adam, (Steve Martin) who is also divorced. Jane is torn between reigniting the flame with her ex-husband and father of her three children and letting go, moving on and having fun with a new funny guy. Can she reignite the fire with an old flame and be the mistress to her exhusband or take her chances with a new interesting guy?