Shepherd Barry

Disney's Starwars is different, yet still cool. The Rise of Skywalker has produced mixed feelings over time. I really enjoyed watching it in theaters, and consider it a movie with some great moments and memorable music. While I don't believe it lives up to the mythos of the Jedi or Starwars or the legacy of George Lucas, one cannot logically expect it to, since George Lucas no longer owns the franchise. Approached with the expectation of a George Lucas-level quality climax to the Starwars Saga, this movie is, imho, and I don't like saying it, a disappointment. But approached from the more relevant standpoint of the facts, that Disney bought Lucasfilm, and they are carrying on the Starwars legacy in their own way, this film is not terrible, it's actually pretty decent. While I personally believe that in tRoS (Episode IX) the choreography was terrible, the plot was boring, and the character-arcs were dull, there are some things that were also awesome. Although fans have differing views on the matter of Darth Sidious, I believe that bringing him back into the franchise in some fashion, was actually a great (if not perfect) decision. If we look for George Lucas' quality of Starwars in this movie, we will be disappointed. But if we look for a fun film made by people who love Starwars, this film is enjoyable; as a nostalgic tribute to what I call the Old Starwars, it's worth seeing.

The Phantom Menace is, imho, a great movie. Although Starwars was originally (it has been said) made for kids, I can still appreciate the story and immersion of a film like Starwars Episode I. I don't believe the perfect film exists, and so a 5-star rating for this film does not mean that I believe it is perfect. I give it 5 stars because it is not missing anything in a general storytelling and narrative sense; we have unique heroes, a rising hero, unique villains, bigger villains behind those villains, and a nice mixed bag of interesting worlds and creatures, as well as including female characters and a healthy diversity in the plot. We do not have a cookie-cutter ending, but rather a nice launch-point for a trilogy, one where the fated Chosen One Anakin Skywalker's destiny already begins to hang in the balance. Action, mystery and intrigue are all there without being shoved in the audience's face. Instead of forcing action sequences, we have what is imho the best kind of action: inevitable action. The heroes don't look for trouble; they look to solve problems facing them and of course the villains make trouble. It is this kind of classic storytelling that, with elements like the Force, the Jedi, the mysterious return of the Sith, and the crafty Trade Federation, and of course the vastness of the Starwars Universe with ever more to explore, that makes for a great movie. Every journey has a beginning....

Marvel has done it again. I'm no expert on Marvel and I never read the comics, but I can safely say this is an epic movie and anyone who is into Marvel probably went nuts over it. Like lots of people I really enjoyed watching it in theaters. While I don't believe the perfect film does or ever will exist, this comes very close to being an ideal conclusion to an action-packed, exciting, suspenseful plot. Well-made. If you like action movies a must-see. If you like Marvel or Superheroes- but this goes without saying, a must-see.... While there might be some kind of issue with Time Travel, it's entirely made up for by the many other awesome aspects of the film: characters, action, plot, music. Maybe I could find something negative to say about it, but I'll pass on that for now. A fun, artistic and cool movie.