Review: The Rise of Skywalker Doesn't Really Mean Anything

My last blog entry made it pretty clear that I enjoyed The Last Jedi (2017), and it's been 2 years. I'm not arguing the merits of the movie anymore, and every complaint against it I've heard has been under-cooked and mis-interpretive garbage anyway. No, really. Just a fuck-ton of uncharitable takes on the people who made the film, the themes of the film, or nitpicks that amount to poorly-disguised vitriol.* And that's ignoring the blatant racist and sexist takes! So, we don't have time to address those again. Besides, there's an actual elephant in the room now...

Alright...let's address the one thing that shouldn't be a spoiler to everyone who's seen the trailer(s): Emperor Palpatine, the shadowy principle antagonist of the last 2 trilogies, is back. And that sucks.

My Favorite Movies of the 2010s

I noticed a few weeks back that loads of people were posting their favorite movies from the past 10 years all over their social media. And while lists are fun, I never saw anyone post a list with a breakdown of their choices. Just titles and years. Not very visually stimulating. So, here's a slightly more detailed and honest list...with pictures! Surely, no one else has done this yet.

Categories:

Drama

Horror

Action

Comedy

Blockbuster

Theater Experience

Viewing Experience

Overall

Let's begin in chronological order. And remember, this is a favorites list. So, if you don't agree with anything here...I don't have the room to care. Make the case for the entries on your list. I always need more stuff to watch...

2010 - Overall - Scott Pilgrim vs The World

This one is kinda unfair to mention seeing as it's actually one of my favorite movies of all time. Maybe I'll write a full entry detailing why someday. For now, I'll just say that I have a soft spot for coming-of-age and self-discovery stories where the protagonist actually grows as a person and that's the whole point of this story.

I Saw The Devil

If you ever wondered what it would be like if someone watched Se7en and said, "you call THAT wrath...?"

"Bet you wish I just shot you, huh...?"

Viewing Experience - Birdemic

My friends and I first discovered The Room in 2009, and naturally thought it was the pinnacle of bad movies at the time. A year later, here comes Birdemic...Tommy wasn't ready for the shit-show James was bringing to the table.

Comedy - Four Lions

Don't waste time and just find a way to watch this ASAP!!

Do it for Brother Crow...

2011 - Action - The Raid

The premise is simple. The action is next-level for its time of release. Even the soundtrack is absolutely on-point. I'll go as far as to say that The Raid is one of the best action movies ever made. Find a YouTube clip of your own, and find the lie in my statement. I'll wait...

Drama - Warrior

You could see the ending coming more clearly than a telegraphed punch, but the build is excellent and the performances are all fantastic.

Viewing Experience - Attack the Block

This movie is everything Super 8 wished it could be.

Detention

I've seen a LOT of movies that are nearly impossible to describe. This is one of them. Watch it anyway. You'll thank me later...or not. We're probably not meant to be friends if you wouldn't.

And I can live with that if I have to. Yes, this is from the movie.

Blockbuster - Captain America: The First Avenger

The greatest thing about Captain America as a character is his sincerity. No desperate edginess. No pretensions. Just a genuinely good guy trying to do good in the world for the right (read: selfless) reasons. That's the reason why many people have said that Steve Rogers has been the best on-screen representation of Superman for the past 20 years. This movie in particular did a lot to put the "hero" back into "superhero," and I appreciate that.

2012 - Theater Experience - The Avengers

When Tony Stark suited up in midair, my gf at the time, who by no means is or was a Marvel comics fan, leaned over to whisper "That is so cool." Maybe she was just saying that because it would appeal to me, or maybe my trust issues are so dense they have their own gravitational pull. Either way, that movie got such a response from people from all walks of life, and that matters.

Viewing Experience - Rurouni Kenshin: Origins

Don't look so surprised...

I'm using this as a placeholder for the entire trilogy (which is REALLY entertaining and you should watch it ASAP), but the first live-action Rurouni Kenshin movie is a sincerely strong opening effort. It delivers on the tone of the source material while perfectly navigating around its fantasy elements. I would argue it ultimately presents the best version of Kenshin Himura's story. That's right. Skip the anime AND the manga in favor of these movies. I mean it.

2013 - Snowpiercer

There aren't many filmmakers as adept at socioeconomic commentary as Bong Joon Ho. And the main reason for this is that he clearly has something to say and knows precisely how he wants to say it.

And bless you, Tilda Swinton. You are a gift.

Blue Ruin

Sometimes, characters in a given story aren't the smartest or the most sensible people. Sometimes, their ineptitude is so confounding that it can take you right out of the movie. That doesn't happen in Blue Ruin. The protagonist bumbles his way through the events of the film, but it works. You fully understand how and why things play out the way they do, and it all makes the story more engaging.

Fists of Legend

It's still on Amazon Prime, if you were wondering...

Do you know how good a movie has to be for ME to overlook a Korean rap-rock cover of "Eye of the Tiger!!?!?"

These Final Hours

I mentioned that I have a soft spot for self-discovery stories, and this delivers on that in the oddly-specific "coming into true adulthood" respect that works for me. The framing of the story is the heat-death of the planet, but it's clear in the narrative intention of showing us a man's path to real maturity.

It's never too late to learn important life lessons. For example, keep guys like this away from kids 9x outta 10.

2014 - Action - Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno

Okay, okay, fine!! I wasn't gonna include any other Kenshin movies at first, but this one is REALLY GOOD!!!

Plus, this can stand in for its direct follow-up (The Legend Ends) since it came out in the same year.

Viewing Experience - What We Do in the Shadows

After hearing nothing but good things about this movie, I finally got around to seeing it during the Thanksgiving holiday. The movie was great, but was made even better by the fact that I took the leap with my family who had never seen or even heard of the film. Got a little bit of pride from introducing them to the works of Taika Waititi.

Nightcrawler

A truly fascinating and compelling character study that showcases the talent of Jake Gyllenhaal like nothing else.

2015 - Overall - Mad Max: Fury Road

This might be the best movie of the entire decade, if we're being honest.

IT FEATURES A GUY PLAYING A FLAME-THROWING GUITAR!! THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID!!!!!

Green Room

Sometimes, the seemingly stupid thing to do is the most effective strategy. And even moreso than he did with Blue Ruin, Jeremy Saulnier builds a compelling and tense thriller based around this thought. Anton Yelchin (RIP) spells it all out so well in a wonderful scene midway through the film that when you reach the climax, the dots connect themselves.

Horror - The Nightmare

Who would've thought that a documentary about sleep paralysis could also be as chilling as a collection of horror shorts.?

We Are Still Here

Some of the best horror movies are about adults, and this is a shining example. There's an authenticity and extra sense of vulnerability that comes from the idea of people who have their lives in order not being able to deal with a situation facing them. But this movie has layers that pay off nicely...

2016 - Horror - The Void 

This movie still stands as one of the most pleasant surprises for me in recent years. It likely helped a lot that I went into it with no prior knowledge or expectations (hence why I'm not telling you anything), but The Void definitely delivered.

Overall - A Silent Voice

Here's another one of those "what it really means to grow the hell up" stories. While this technically didn't need to be animated, the execution of framing and visuals still manage to pull it all together in a manner that makes it worthwhile.

2017 - Horror - Get Out

Let me just say that in spite of The Bye Bye Man, 2017 was a pretty great year for movies. Get Out is a prime example as it introduced the world to Jordan Peele as a filmmaker with a uniquely honest voice. Ask most people, and they'll tell you that the most disturbing aspect of Get Out is just how real many of the situations feel.

Seriously, if this has ever been you, then you know what true discomfort feels like...

Ghost Stories

Be honest. You haven't seen or heard of this, and that's unfortunate because it's a great movie. The less you know going in, the better...

Overall - Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

I said what I said. Never really understood the backlash or controversy, actually. The fact that this was the first time in the history of the film franchise that war profiteering was brought up is pretty awesome, imo. Plus, this movie did a LOT to address past failings of the series. Midichlorians were pushed off the table for good. The bullshit "mystery" of Rey's parents was resolved in the best possible way. And they even had a Force-sensitive kid end the movie to make the point of that reveal clear: You don't have to be from a great lineage to do great things. That's a fantastic message that holds more weight than finding out Rey's last name is Kenobi or Windu.

But if anybody looks like a deadbeat dad...

Putting aside other complaints about things that are objectively great (Fuck Snoke. The most interesting thing he could do is die), I at the least have to talk about Luke. I. Loved. This. Direction. This movie handled the stage set by The Force Awakens incredibly well while still being able to showcase Luke as the most enlightened character in all of Star Wars.

Luke Skywalker was always gonna be a character that dies...but not really. Becoming a Force Ghost was always a guarantee in his future one way or another. And his place in the culture will never truly fade completely. So, his death shouldn't bother us. Especially since he saw his sister one last time, apologized to the student he felt that he failed (while giving him one final meaningful lesson), and saved the remaining members of The Resistance all while inspiring a new generation by reminding the universe why the Jedi matter which is the most baller shit ever and NOTHING will top that.

2018 - Theater Experience - Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Speaking of things that can't be topped, seeing a feature-length Dragon Ball movie in a packed theater full of people of all ages IN AMERICA!! That was an unthinkable reality when I was watching fan-subtitled bootleg VHS tapes in the late 90's, but here we are...Also, for what it's meant to be, the movie is really good.

Viewing Experience - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I don't personally care for "ranking _____ movies" because usually each film in a franchise has its own merits. Plus, it gets harder to do the thought you put into it and I think a lot. But if there ever was a conversation about the best Spider-Man movie that didn't include Spider-verse, that conversation is null and void.

Overall - Sorry to Bother You

Remember what I said about Bong Joon Ho as a filmmaker? Well, much of it can be said for Boots Riley. In his debut effort, Riley expertly blends comedy and socioeconomic commentary in one of the most honest films to grace American screens in decades.

2019 - Parasite

It wasn't my intention to have 2 back-to-back "social commentary" entries, but what do expect when movies are this good?

Knives Out

I'll say this much: Rian Johnson crafted a FANTASTIC whodunit that had me tinkering with theories from start to finish! And while it is a not-too-subtle comment on socioeconomics, the heart of the film is about...well, having one.

And there you have it! My favorite movies from this past 10 years, and let me tell ya'...There's plenty I didn't get to see, and maybe even more "honorable mentions." But this entry is long enough as it is. Plus, the less I said about the movie is an indicator of how much more I want you to see the movie. So, I'll sign off here and hopefully see some lists that include lots of the films I missed. Lookin' forward to that...

WHERE THE F*#K DID THE TIME GO!?

So, I just looked up and realized that I haven't written a single entry on this blog for almost 2 years. Somebody's gonna have to fix that...

I guess you think that means me, huh? Fine...

This calls for a bit of an update to get anyone reading this back up to speed. Unfortunately for me, that's a LOT of ground to cover that doesn't have nearly as many pictures as most of the people I know would've hoped. Sorry...

This looks way more condescending than I hoped...

First off, hello from behind The Great Firewall!! As I type these words, I'm sitting in a teacher's office for an ESL center. That's what I'm doing these days: Teaching absurdly energetic kids how to gradually speak English. The work is as rewarding as it is exhausting, but I'm really not here to talk about my job. Boring people do that.

My job is mostly making this face at whatever a kid just did.