Disney Countdown

Let's take a look at the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi. The Movie: Return of the Jedi is the third Star Wars movie, listed as Episode VI in the storyline.  It was directed by Richard Marquand with a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas.  Return of the Jedi received mostly positive reviews and was yet another box-office hit.  The movie was nominated for five Oscars and received a special award for visual effects. Return of the Jedi opens with the Empire continuing construction on a new Death Star, orbiting the forest moon of Endor.  Meanwhile, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, and the droids devise an elaborate plan to rescue Han, still frozen in carbonite, from the gangster Jabba the Hutt.  The heroes' success on this mission is vital to their continued roll as leaders of the Rebel Alliance. When I was younger, this was my favorite of the original trilogy.  I know a lot of people don't like it because of t...

Let's continue the original Star Wars trilogy with The Empire Strikes Back. The Movie: The Empire Strikes Back is the second Star Wars movie, though given the series' unconventional numbering system it is Episode V in the saga.  For this film, George Lucas handed over the director's chair to Irvin Kershner, with the screenplay written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan.  Though still a massive box-office hit, The Empire Strikes Back was initially met with mixed reviews from critics.  Over time, the movie has gained a more positive reputation.  The Empire Strikes Back won one competitive and one special Oscar and was nominated for two others. The Empire Strikes Back opens with the Rebel Alliance in hiding on the ice planet on Hoth.  Following an attack by the Empire, the Rebel fleet scatters with intents to later rendezvous.  Luke Skywalker however does not rejoin the fleet, instead taking his X-Wing and R2-D2 to the planet Dagobah to find the le...

Today we are looking at one of the most famous trilogies in all of pop culture, Star Wars. The Movie: Star Wars, which was later given the subtitle A New Hope, is the landmark epic space opera created by George Lucas.  Seen as a financial risk during production, it has become one of the most profitable movies ever made.  Star Wars launched a franchise that currently includes 10 feature films, several TV shows, multiple video games, theme park attractions, action figures, and much more.  More so, the movie and it's characters have become a mainstay of pop culture.  Star Wars was critically acclaimed, and its special effects revolutionized the film industry.  It received ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, winning seven. It might be one of the best known stories on the planet, but let's recap it anyway.  Princess Leia is transporting key intelligence for the Rebel Alliance when her ship is boarded by Darth Vader and the Empire.  She p...

And I am underway!  Sorry for the delay. It may seem like an odd choice to start a Disney movie marathon, but since the movie opens this weekend, it just made sense.  Also, Star Wars has long had a presence in the parks, predating Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The Movie: Solo is the second in Disney's Star Wars "Anthology" series, movies that take place outside the main "episodes" of the Skywalker saga.  This movie tells the story of a young Han Solo, showing how he first meets the established characters of Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian.  It also introduces a variety of new characters, including his childhood flame Qi'ra and the smuggler Tobias Beckett. Owing to reports over the last year, I came into this movie with really low expectations.  And as a result, I was pleasantly surprised.  Was anyone really asking for this movie?  No, not really.  But what we got was actually a fun war/western/heist movie with some nice nods...