Sorting Team Arrow into Hogwarts Houses

After eight years, Arrow is drawing to a close. I’ll admit that it wasn’t my favorite of the Arrowverse shows (I’ve been more partial to The Flash or Legends), but it deserves its credit; if it weren’t for Arrow, we wouldn’t have the expanded Arrowverse with The Flash, Supergirl, Legends, and Batwoman (not to mention so many others that were recently retroactively incorporated with Crisis on Infinite Earths). So with Crisis concluding this week (and the last two episodes of Arrow coming shortly after), I wanted to a little Hogwarts sorting for a few of our Team Arrow favorites.

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow - Slytherin
It was a bit of a toss-up for me between Gryffindor and Slytherin, but since his ambition and determination often outweighs his daring and chivalry, I figured I’d put Oliver in Slytherin. Especially in early seasons of Arrow, he didn’t might bending the rules and cutting corners to make sure justice was served. That’s a very Slytherin thing to me.

John Diggle/Spartan - Gryffindor
While Oliver was a Slytherin, his best friend was a daring and chivalrous Gryffindor. His determination to do what’s right always drove Diggle. In many ways his courage and his stalwart nature is what kept Oliver in check over the eight years they worked together. He was the first addition to Team Arrow and he always helped to keep Oliver on the straight and narrow (to use a cliche).

Felicity Smoak/Overwatch - Ravenclaw
If Felicity isn’t a Ravenclaw, I don’t know who is. She’s daring and brave as well, so I briefly considered Gryffindor. But over the seven years that she worked with Oliver, it was her wit, creativity, and ingenuity that got them out of jams. In the end, her brilliant intellect is what puts her into Ravenclaw

Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer - Slytherin
Just as much as Felicity is a Ravenclaw, it’s obvious to me that Merlyn is a Slytherin. From the moment he started the Undertaking, until he (presumably) died on Lian Yu, everything was a long con with him. His cunning and ambition make him an obvious choice for the snakes down in Slytherin.

Laurel Lance/Black Siren - Slytherin
I debated which Laurel to include. Earth-1, Earth-2, or both. I went with Earth-2, because I honestly enjoyed her more. She is a Slytherin through and through. Even when she became a good guy, she was a Slytherin. Whatever she set her mind to, she went for it. It started with fooling Team Arrow and then scheming with Diaz. And then when she joined the good guys, it was about getting Oliver out of prison and avenging Quentin. Nothing was more important than her ambitions (to the point that she had to be talked down multiple times).

Thea Queen/Speedy - Hufflepuff
She started out as a mild-mannered (relatively speaking) teenager, but as her life began to fall apart she turned into one of the most skilled fighters in the early stages of Team Arrow. Despite her ambition to protect herself and learning from Merlyn after her mother’s death, it’s her loyal and honest nature that puts her in Hufflepuff. She was willing to risk everything for Oliver, Roy, or whoever was in trouble. It even went to the point when she left Star City to destroy the Lazarus Pits, all because of her integrity.

There are many other members of Team Arrow that I could have sorted: Dinah, Rene, Curtis, Roy, etc. Where do you think they’d go? And bringing things back to the crossover, what predictions do you have for the last two episodes? Who will live? Who will die?

Check out our other Hogwarts sortings: Friends, Power Rangers (2017), Once Upon a Time, Avengers

The Genius of Jon Favreau

Most fans know him as Happy Hogan. Some might know him as Monica’s millionaire boyfriend on Friends. Maybe even as the guy from Swingers. But Jon Favreau is so much more than an actor. The genius of Jon Favreau lies in his writing and directing of some of the most memorable, successful, and transformational films of all time.

Favreau really made a name for himself when he directed Elf in 2003, which became an instant classic. Favreau took on a big comedic personality (Will Ferrell), and somehow managed to make a movie that was at once funny and charming, heartwarming and quotable, lovable and just a dang good story. Favreau knew when to let Will Ferrell be himself, and when to reign him in. And then along came Iron Man.

In 2008, Favreau took on another big personality (Robert Downey, Jr.) and once again knew when to let Downey be himself and let his personality shine, and when to hold back and let the story and geekiness and the worldbuilding take over. Not enough can be said about the importance of Favreau’s Iron Man. It set the stage for one of the biggest, most successful, ambitious, culturally relevant, critically acclaimed, and fun franchises in history. Favreau’s direction created a tone that would be echoed in every Marvel movie that followed. In addition to those successes, Favreau also directed Zathura (a fun sequel to the original Jumanji), Cowboys & Aliens (inventive and well-directed, even if it wasn’t a huge success), and several live-action (with tons of CG assistance) adaptations of classic Disney films.

2016’s Jungle Book was so much better than it was expected to be. The story was familiar, but just different enough to warrant a remake. Favreau will direct a sequel, due out later this year. 2019’s  Lion King adaptation won praise for its beauty and hyper-realistic style. Indeed, it felt like watching a National Geographic documentary where the animals were performing Hamlet.

And then came Star Wars. Favreau hasn’t written much, but he was given a chance to write and produce the first live-action television production in the Star Wars universe. What was created was a hugely successful, pop culture phenomenon that is being hailed as the new direction for Star Wars. (See our review here.) Frankly, it’s not easy to please Star Wars fans. But somehow Favreau managed to not only satisfy (but not pander to) fans, he also impressed critics, and made a huge dent in meme-dom with Baby Yoda!

So the big question is, since everything he touches turns to gold, what should Jon Favreau work on next?

Check out our review of Favreau's projects, The Mandalorian Season One and Season Two.

This is The Way: Why The Mandalorian is A New Hope for Star Wars

"Star Wars live action TV? Ummm....ok" were my thoughts as I signed up for Disney+ and watched the pilot episode of The Mandalorian.

I casually watched the first episode fully expecting it to be some story about a bounty hunter who gets different jobs and does his thing and gets his money.

Then The Child changed everything.

Aside from being the greatest thing to hit the Internet since Baby Shark, The Mandalorian's brilliant incorporation of The Child (aka "Baby Yoda") immediately caught my interest, and memes of the little green goober now take up a solid portion of recent pictures on my iPhone.

Beyond just the cute factor, it was the perfect hook to start a television series. Because even at the end of season one I still am asking myself

Who is this creature

What is he?

How did he come to be there? 

Hush, and Jon Favreau will tell you. It is a tale. A tale of a bounty hunter, and the Internet Sensation of 2019

(#SorryNotSorry I love me some Hunchback)

Now at the end of Season 1, I'm super stoked for what The Mandalorian means for the future of Star Wars. With the nine films in the Skywalker Saga, stand-alone films, animated TV series, and a whole host of Expanded Universe books and comics (whether or not Disney deems them as canon), the Star Wars universe is rich, and there is literally a galaxy of storytelling opportunities. I'm glad Disney chose to go in a direction that isn't just trying to fit everything into the Skywalker Saga. 

What makes The Mandalorian work is what made Rogue One a good movie. Taking a familiar universe, telling a good story, and helping the audience love the ordinary characters - those who aren't a Jedi or Sith or a sidekick to a Skywalker.

Besides a brilliant setting, The Mandalorian incorporates elements that make good television great:

• Moral Dilemma -- in the transition between the Empire and the New Republic, and living by a warrior's creed, Mandalorian treats us to a not-so-simple world of right and wrong in the travels of Din Djarin.
• Humor -- between two main characters, one who is an alien child and the other who wears a helmet, there's a perfect dynamic between Din Djarin and The Child. It's not overdone or cheesy; the humor is subtle, original, and doesn't even have to involve words
• Easter Eggs -- instead of stooping low and engaging in petty fan service, Jon Favreau and his team incorporate a lot of really fun Easter eggs for the casual and hardcore Star Wars enthusiasts
• Mystery -- I mean.....did Jedi Grand Master Yoda have a kid? I wanna know more about my new favorite green baby!
• Cliffhanger Ending -- the final episode left me with just as many burning questions as the first one did. There's so many ways this story could unfold and suddenly I find myself counting down the days to Season 2!

The Mandalorian is one of the best recent shows to come to television. I'll fight you if you disagree with me. 😜

I have spoken.

See here for our review of The Mandalorian Season Two.

Also check out our reviews for Star Wars Episode IX (Dark Side and Light Side)

Runaways: A Retrospective

It’s been just about a month since Runaways season three aired on Hulu. With all of Marvel’s television shows moving to Disney+, this show, like the Netflix series, finally got its cancellation. Now, I don’t know where it was in production when everything started getting asked, but this season did seem to have a better resolution than previous seasons. But I’ll get to that in a moment. So since I will be discussing Runaways today, obviously be prepared for spoilers through season three.

Season 1: Kids vs. Parents
Season one followed a fairly simple premise: the six kids chanced upon the information and the secret that their parents were part of an evil organization. I’ve never read the comics, but from what I understand, the writers for the Hulu series text some artistic liberty with the source material. Instead of being straight up evil, the parents became more complex and gray as the series went on. I’m not sure what the writers would have decided to do if it hadn’t been picked up for season two, but season one definitely laid the groundwork for the series. It included origin story on all of our hero Runaways, backstory on some of the parents, and mystery to lead into season two. Because of how it was set up, with suspense dodging their parents every episode, and stuff like that, season one was easily my favorite. It was the only season to include a single story arc. And they executed it well.

Season 2, Part 1: Runaways vs Parents again
Season two was the longest of the three seasons, by three episodes. And it was the slowest season of the three. So it’s a good thing it was divided into two story arcs. The first one, involves a lot of similar conflicts to season one. Except that now, the kids had finally run away. Hence the name Runaways. The kids explored their powers and worked on how to thwart their parents. But as the arc went on, even the parents began to be skeptical of their associate Jonah. And eventually the arc culminated in a fight between Jonah and the kids and their parents.

Season 2, Part 2: Runaways vs. Aliens
From early on in season two, we knew that Jonah was an alien. And as a result, that meant that Karolina was part alien. So with his ship destroyed at the end of the first arc, Jonah and his family took new hosts. A lot of the major excitement of this arc was still the parents versus the kids. But on the side, we had three of the parents blacking out and soon discovering that they’ve become host to Jonas family. We also got introduced to a new alien, Xavin, a shape shifter who believed she was Karolina‘s soulmate. The end of season two left us with the second cliffhanger season finale, so thank goodness we got a season three. The Runaways and the parents were all split up. And some of them were in life or death situations.

Season 3, Part 1: Runaways vs. Aliens again
The first arc of season three didn’t last very long. With everyone split up at the end of season two, the first order of business was to get the gang back together. At the same time, they discovered Jonah’s family inhabiting four bodies, not just the three that we had seen in season two. So as the fourth host was revealed, things quickly turned to final battle. A little bit anti-climactic, but I found it fulfilling all the same.

Season 3, Part 2: Runaways vs. Morgan
She was teased throughout the first arc of season three, but we didn’t get to actually see Morgan Le Fay in the flesh until the second arc of season three. This was the story arc that paid service to Marvel fans. It dropped Easter eggs from other Marvel series and tied it into the greater Marvel cinematic universe. Now, the finale left timeline issues involving Thanos’s snap, but so did Agents of SHIELD. So I’m willing to let that go even if I don’t like it. I feel like each of the Runaways got a fair shot at the spotlight during this arc. Even most of the parents did. It’s hard with a cast so big to give everyone decent screen time. But they did a good job.

As for MCU Connections, we got special guest appearances of Cloak and Dagger. That one was special, because it had been explicitly linked to the larger universe during its series before cancellation. In addition, seeing those two work together with the Runaways was amazing. It made me feel validated for re-watching their show again before Runaways season three came out. In addition to that, we also got appearances of the Dark Dimension from Doctor Strange, though it looked different this time, and the Darkhold from Agents of SHIELD. As much as I loved Runaways during seasons one and two, the big thing that was missing was the universe building. So this really made me happy.

In regards to how the series ended, I felt like it got a sufficient finale. However, it felt rushed. The last episode is a standalone story that was a bit convoluted. If Disney+ decides to do a season for later on, great. They can pick up some of these loose threads. But I’d honestly rather have the Runaways just appear in other series. They had their trilogy of seasons. They had a good run. They kicked butt. And now I think it should be done.

Conclusion
In the end, Runaways was what it promised: a teenage drama with superpowers. We definitely have the teenage angst and drama, but we also had the superheroics. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the distinct character development, despite having so many characters. I don’t know if we will ever see our Runaways again in the MCU, but I think it would be a waste just to let them sit and be forgotten. I would especially love to see Nico or Molly appear in some version of the Young Avengers or something. Can’t tell you how happy that would make me.

Jumanji: The Next Level review

Ah, Jumanji. What started in 1981 as a really classy and artful picture book by Chris Van Allsburg (who also wrote The Polar Express), then turned into a decent 1995 movie starring Robin Williams, and was reinvented as a surprisingly funny and pretty darn good 2017 movie, is now being released as a popcorn sequel with some great moments and an insignificantly paltry plot. 

The only real spoiler I’ll give about Jumanji: The Next Level is the basic conceit of the movie, which is that many of the characters switch their avatars. This provides some really nice fresh takes on these characters. For example, it’s great fun to watch Kevin Hart (Franklin Finbar) slow down his speech considerably and channel Danny Glover. And then to switch to Martha’s character (normally played by Karen Gillan), well that was a stroke of genius. I could do without The Rock’s forced New Yawk accent, but he is really funny channeling Danny DeVito’s character: clueless, lost, and a bit senile. It’s neat to see The Rock poke fun at himself and play against character.

In addition to the great acting (Hart, Gillan, The Rock, and Jack Black make a great comedic team!), the jokes in Jumanji are nonstop. My family genuinely laughed throughout the movie -- and laughed loudly! There is good humor mined from the avatar switcheroos, but also from the action and some of the new “level up” aspects of the game. If you can walk away from a movie feeling like you did a bunch of crunches because your sides hurt from laughing so much, the film is worth the price of admission.

However, the movie suffers from a predictable plot, subpar character development, and just mediocre thematic concepts. Nobody expects Jumani to be particularly deep. Nobody is going to this movie expecting a deep character analysis, intricate themes, or even to be able to relate to the characters on a deep emotional level. The two new characters (old guys Eddie and Milo) have a side story that is hamfistedly explained, and equally hamfistedly solved. It’s unnecessary, and it’s kind of painful to watch. And maybe just a little disconcerting to watch the character development happen through no less than six different actors. That takes some skill that Jumanji just doesn’t have. Even though it’s the next level, it’s a step down from the surprisingly good Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle from two years ago.

If you’re going to see Jumanji: The Next Level, expect popcorn and cotton candy: entertaining and enjoyable, but lacking depth and substance. The plot is not memorable, but it doesn’t really need to be. The characters are simple, and that’s okay. But the film is good fun and it’s got some great moments. And really, isn’t that enough from a simple movie about a video game fantasy?

The One With All the Resolutions

So among all the holiday episodes that Friends did, there are a handful of New Years Day/Eve episodes. The one that stands out the most to me today is “The One With All the Resolutions”. The Friends each pick something they need or want to work on and make a decision to change or improve.

Now comes the rant about New Years resolutions. How many TV specials make New Years resolutions a joke? They last for a few days or a week. Phineas & Ferb even made the joke that those New Years resolutions never even started.

I cannot tell you how much I dread January at the gym. It gets overly crowded (my gym is crowded regardless) and it persists for a month or so until the non-committed people trickle out. Every time I see Facebook posts about New Years resolutions, I roll my eyes.

That being said, if you have goals you want to work on, do it! If you want to grow and improve in a particular way, do it! But don’t make New Year’s Day your make or break. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone hits plateaus. Everyone gets discouraged. But it’s the trajectory of our progress and the resolve we continually renew that matters.

Don't get me wrong; the end of the year is a wonderful time to make goals. People tend to get reflective and introspective about how the year went. It's a great time to decide to make a change in our lives. However, the stereotype with New Year's resolution is that once you slip on it once, you give up. But we're taught to repent and make changes on a daily basis. As such, daily reflection and changes will make a stronger, longer impact on a person's life. That's part of why we take the sacrament each week. Whether it's a daily reflection, weekly reflection, or whatever, we can always make changes and grow and become stronger through the Atonement of Christ.

In the end, even though Joey didn't learn the guitar, Rachel started gossiping again, and Ross's leather pants were awful, you can grow and improve each day, instead of waiting for an arbitrary day of the year to start. Every day, every week, and every semester is the start of a new day, a new start. Welcome to day one!

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." (D&C 58:27)

Star Wars Holiday Special

There are some things in this galaxy that are so bad, they’re good. The Room. 5-Minute Crafts on YouTube. Rebecca Black’s “Friday”. My dad’s puns.

And the Star Wars Holiday Special. (If you haven’t seen it, you're really missing out. Check this link.)

Oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of trash so glorious as this 1978 gem! Designed purely as a way to remind fans that there are toys and merchandise to buy for the holidays, this awful treasure is a mess from beginning to the end. Let’s break it down:

• The show starts with nine minutes (yes, NINE MINUTES!) of grunting and growling. Not joking. We meet three “characters” (I guess you can call them that) who are clearly Wookiees, but none of them are named Chewbacca. And they purr and gesticulate and make Wookiee noises the entire time. No subtitles. No Han Solo to translate for us. Just three strangers “speaking” an unintelligible language. Sigh.
• What I think is supposed to be comedy relief is just … weird drag queen freneticism. (Is that a thing? I guess it is now.) Chewbacca’s wife watches a cooking show starring Chef Gormaanda (ugh, the names), which is really just the actor Harvey Korman dressed as a Julia Child parody with 4 arms and a wig that begins to fall apart as she gets excited. The chanting she does is … well, you just have to see it to experience it.
• Wookiee Cookies. ‘Nuff said.
• Chewbacca’s son (yup, he has a son!) is entranced by a computer-generated performance of holographic circus actors. It’s out of place and strangely hypnotic. 
• One of the most uncomfortable segments I can only describe as softcore VR Wookiee porn. Chewbacca’s skeezy father gets hooked up to a virtual reality machine, and Diahann Carroll appears in a very slinky dress. She promises the grizzled Wookiee that “we can have a good time”/ Even though the old dude is as gross and shriveled as Gary Busey, the virtual seductress
  
  tells him he’s adorable, and asks him in a breathy voice to “experience me”. The old Wookiee (named Itchy, ugh) moans and groans and twitches and seems to get really excited. The woman continues, “I am your fantasy. Oh yes, I can feel my creation.” And she giggles in pleasure. It goes on forever. And it’s really as bad as it sounds. Maybe worse. (Who greenlit this project?)
• Jefferson Starship sings a song. I guess they had the word “Starship” in their name so they made the cut? Maybe Ziggy Stardust wasn’t available?
• There’s a cartoon that features a mini adventure. Okay, this part really was pretty cool. Not only because it introduces the world to Boba Fett, but because it’s just a pretty darn cool cartoon. Why couldn’t the whole two hours be like this? Although I could have done without the fluidly bendy arms of the droids. And C-3PO blinks -- with eyelids! VERTICAL EYELIDS! Okay, nevermind. It might be the best part of the two hours, but it’s still just so bad!
• Look, I love Dorothy from Golden Girls, I really do. But I’m not sure I wanted to see her dance with Greedo or pour a drink into some guy’s skull, or sing while tending bar at the Mos Eisley Cantina. Oh my goodness, guys, it’s just so cringy!
• So the entire show revolves around the celebration of “Life Day”, which is a stand-in for Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or Festivus, or whatever other holiday you want to substitute. But the only thing I could tell was that Life Day consists of a bunch of Wookiees
  
  (literally wearing Chewbacca masks because the production ran out of money -- I’m completely serious) dressing up in red robes, grabbing light bulbs, and then -- get this -- literally walking through space into an actual star. Let’s not point out how utterly insane the ceremony is. Or the fact that they should all be dead. I guess it’s a Life Day Miracle!
• I love Carrie Fisher, may she rest in peace. But I think her computer generated “performance” in Rogue One had more life than this drivel. I get it -- Fisher was very vocal about her drug abuse. And never was it more clearly documented than during her final song. (She can sing?!) The lyrics are gold: “We celebrate a day of peace, a day of harmony / A day of joy we can all share joyously.” Eek.

May the force be with you all as you enjoy some joyous joy this Life Day!

Check out the awful jewel that is the Star Wars Holiday Special in its entirety at this link.

Fire another trashy Star Wars side project, check out Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure. 

And if you need some Life Day eye bleach, check out the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special!

Also check out our reviews for Star Wars Episode IX (Dark Side and Light Side)

Star Wars IX Review: The Dark Side

To see a more positive review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

**Minor Spoilers Ahead**

They say that the biggest Star Wars critics are Star Wars fans. And as one of the biggest Star Wars fans out there, I’ll be the first to admit that I had my issues with the latest Star Wars. This was a good movie: the acting was terrific. (Daisy Ridley was the best she’s ever been, and Adam Driver continues to be amazing -- they both provided the emotional heart of the film. And Oscar Isaac was just plain fun.) The movie was beautifully shot and the cinematography was complementary to the scope of the show. But while the technicals of the movie were all in check, the story overall had so many issues that a bit of good acting and photography really don’t make up for the pandering fan service. Let’s get into it.

Star Wars IX had a lot of the same problems that most of the Star Wars movies have: Rey can levitate, lift rocks, and hold entire vehicles in some scenes, but she can’t lift herself or her friends out of quicksand? Too many characters do nothing and are in the film for just a handful of lines. (Hello, Rose!) Alliances and relationships happen way too quickly and with very little development. (Rey talks about how important her friends are, but we don’t really see the personal connections advance throughout the course of the film.) Things happen way too conveniently. (A mysterious MacGuffin is suddenly found without any trouble. Rey happens to be standing in the exact correct spot to find a new location.)

But bigger issues abound. This film is supposed to be the culmination of 42 years of films. 9 of the biggest films in history. Films that have transformed culture and shaped countless lives. The end of the Skywalker Saga. But instead, this feels like the end of a smaller story about Rey and Kylo Ren. And it’s a decent ending for them, it really is! But calling the film “Rise of Skywalker”, and making Kylo Ren a Skywalker by blood (if not by name), doesn’t quite give the gravitas needed to end the Skywalker Saga.

The movie almost feels like a reaction to Rian Johnson’s divisive penultimate film, The Last Jedi. Fans were so torn about that film and its strong choices that the backlash was palpable. It’s almost like J.J. Abrams didn’t want to have any of that negative talk, so he chose safe routes so as to not upset the fans. It’s not a spoiler to say that Palpatine is back; but he is underserved, and seems more like a shadow of the menacing overlord he played in the past 42 years. Towards the beginning of the film, two characters die … for a few minutes, and then they don’t die. And even though we say goodbye (in more ways than one) to our favorite Disney Princess, death doesn’t really have much of an impact in Rise of Skywalker. Rey trains and fights and wins, but there’s almost no cost to her sacrifice. The deaths in this Star Wars don’t have much emotional hold, and don’t represent the price and sacrifice it takes to win.

Don’t get me wrong, this was a good movie. But it doesn’t feel like the epic saga conclusion it should be. It doesn’t really feel like an epic saga at all. There were great moments -- Rey in the desert, C-3PO’s Sith translation, the return of the great Billy Dee, every line by Poe, and anytime Rey and Kylo Ren shared the screen -- but there were so many missed moments and opportunities for greatness. J.J. Abrams played this one safe, and it made for a very good movie. But when I watch Star Wars, I don’t want “very good”. I want epic. And this was not.

To see a more positive review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

Star Wars IX Review: The Light Side

To see a more negative review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

**Minor Spoilers Ahead**

Where do I even begin? WOW.

This is a movie I've waited for since I first watched A New Hope as an 8 year old back in 1997, when George Lucas re-released the original trilogy in theaters. 

I have to hand it to Disney and Lucasfilm -- they had the almost impossible task of creating a finale to one of the most celebrated and groundbreaking franchises in cinema history. And they delivered.

While imperfect, Star Wars Episode IX has a little bit of everything for even the most avid Star Wars fan. The most epic space battle in any of the nine episodes, fantastic lightsaber duels, a healthy dose of Jedi and Sith lore, cameos and Easter eggs, questions answered, identities revealed, redemption, triumph, comedy, moving scenes of loss and love, and (in my opinion) the best ending scene I could have imagined for the Skywalker Saga. 

What I Liked Most

• Learning more of Rey's story and identity and her connection to the Star Wars universe. While not fully explained, her origin and connection to the Force makes so much more sense now.
• The depth of character that finally came to Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo. I've really struggled with the character of Kylo Ren in Episodes VII and VIII, but his story in Episode IX was compelling, real, and meaningful.
• Deeper understanding of Kylo's and Rey's Force connection first explored in The Last Jedi. This was kind of weird for me in Episode VIII, but I feel like it lent itself well to the story in Episode IX and makes more sense learning Rey's identity.
• A story arc that actually made me care for the character of C-3PO
• The films tribute to the original characters of Luke, Leia and Han. These three actors and characters defined the original trilogy and in my opinion led to much of its success.
• Leia's farewell and presence in the film. Knowing Carrie Fisher is no longer with us, this was a particularly meaningful component of my viewing experience
• The ending scene with Rey. Pure perfection.

I hope Disney continues to explore this universe and the wealth of story-telling opportunities it provides.

There are some answers I still don't have, but putting all of that aside (and leaving some to the imagination) The Rise of Skywalker takes its rightful place as a fitting finale to one of the greatest and most endearing stories ever told.

To see a more negative review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

2020: Year in Preview

2020 is fast approaching. So as I watch the new episodes of Runaways, here are some of my thoughts on stuff coming in the new year.

Doctor Who Series 12 (January 1)
We got confirmation recently that Doctor Who series 12 would be starting with a New Year’s episode this year. We’re gonna see more of the Thirteenth Doctor’s personality and of her companions’ lives. I’m looking forward to the return of different enemies. Judoon, Cybermen, and Daleks are all slated to appear. We’ve also got historical figures like Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison appearing. And an overall series arc, instead of just individual stories. It should be great!

Crisis on Infinite Earths (January 14)
SPOILER ALERT FOR PARTS 1-3
The December portion of this year’s Arrowverse left us hanging in… well, the Vanishing Point. We’ve got two more episodes left (the Arrow and Legends portions). Confirmed characters yet to appear are short (most of the confirmed characters were in the first three episodes); we can still expect appearances from Stargirl, some of the Legends (probably in their episode), and parts of Team Arrow (probably in their episode as well). I was really hoping to see more of Black Lightning, Clark Kent-167 (from Smallville), Huntress-203 (from Birds of Prey), and Superman-96 (from Superman Returns). But perhaps, like the final battle in Endgame, we’ll get all the heroes back together for a final battle in January.

Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (February 21)
Premiering in Japan first, this new Digimon Movie later come to the United States in the spring. After the events of Digimon Adventure Tri, we’ll jump forward another few years. Everyone is slowly progressing towards their lives featured in the Adventure 02 epilogue. And finally we get the reappearance of the 02 kids! They were just silhouettes in Tri, but they’re back! It also looks like we might get a new Digivice (looks like a smartphone) and possibly a look at a level above Mega (previously only officially addressed in video games).

Onward (March 4)
Not a lot has been released about this new Pixar movie yet. We know it’s star-studded though: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Octavia Spencer, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are all set to voice characters. The small amount that’s available tells us that we’ll be introduced to a world of magical creatures. However, it seems they’re losing their magic. I’m curious what the overarching plot will be. I’m looking forward to it.

Mulan (March 25)
Adding to the ever-growing list of Disney remakes, we’ve got Mulan coming in a few months. We’ve been told it’s going to be quite different from the cartoon. We won’t have the music, we won’t have Mushu, and we won’t have Shang. I’ve heard that it’ll be more accurate to the original Chinese legend. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it (I loved Mushu and Cri-Kee) but I’m willing to suspend judgment until I see it.

Black Widow (May 1)
After years of waiting, fans finally get a Black Widow movie. As long as it’s not 100% fan-service, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. We’ve got it set between Civil War and Infinity War. No indication that it’ll show us how she ends up with Cap and Falcon before Thanos’s goons come to Scotland. The recent trailer did show us that we’ll end up getting glimpses at Natasha’s past. Even if it’s not shown in explicit flashbacks, we’re likely to get some explanations at least. I’m hoping that we get some small tie-in to the future of the MCU. My brother had the idea that maybe there’ll be something with the Skrulls and SHIELD that’ll tie into the credit scene in Far From Home. I guess we’ll see.

Agents of SHIELD Season 7 (Summer)
No official release date yet, but we’ve got one last mini-season of SHIELD left. As the team blasted into the past, FitzSimmons were split up and Mack, Deke, and Daisy were brought in with May and Yo-Yo in critical condition. And on top of all that we got a Coulson Chronicom LMD joining the team. So into the early 20th Century we go, with different SHIELD personnel set to appear along the way. Since they had time to plan for this end, I’m optimistic for a solid ending.

Lizzie McGuire Reboot (???)
After almost two decades, Lizzie McGuire returns. Disney+ hasn’t announced a release date yet, but we have had some details of what to expect. We know that Lizzie and her family are coming back. Shortly after the reboot was announced, Gordo was announced to be returning. The part I’m looking forward to most is that animated Lizzie is coming back. Not adult animated Lizzie, but it should be teenage animated Lizzie, meaning she’s still a kid at heart (is that too cliche?). In the meantime, Lizzie McGuire and her movie are on Disney+ already.

Obviously not a comprehensive list, but just some things to get excited for. We know The Eternals and The Little Mermaid remake are set to release. What else are you waiting for?