The Fangirly Diary of a Geek Girl: How I learned to stop worrying and love Star Wars~

TUESDAY

Despite a part of the fandom not liking Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it seems regular people liked the film just fine (as far as CinemaScore, ComScore and IMDb go). And thus Disney is A-OK with the film, or so the president of theatrical distribution Dave Hollis said:

Rian Johnson, the cast, and the Lucasfilm team have delivered an experience that is totally Star Wars yet at the same time fresh, unexpected and new. That makes this a Star Wars film like audiences have never seen – it’s got people talking, puzzling over its mysteries, and it’s a lot to take in, and we see that as all positive, that should help set the film up for great word-of-mouth and repeat viewing as we enter the lucrative holiday period.

Director Rian Johnson himself had some words to say about the fan backlash:

I’m aware through my own experience that, first of all, the fans are so passionate, they care so deeply — sometimes they care very violently at me on Twitter. But it’s because they care about these things, and it hurts when you’re expecting something specific and you don’t get it from something that you love. It always hurts, so I don’t take it personally if a fan reacts negatively and lashes out on me on Twitter. That’s fine. It’s my job to be there for that. Like you said, every fan has a list of stuff they want a “Star Wars” movie to be and they don’t want a “Star Wars” movie to be. You’re going to find very few fans out there whose lists line up.

Welp, it seems that despite the Disney/Fox deal, Gore Verbinski’s Gambit with Channing Tatum as the title character, is still happening and it apparently has a budget of $155 million. That’s only about $20 million less than X-Men: Apocalypse. Yeah, unless they change that one, Gambit ain’t gonna be a R-rated movie like some people wanted. So yep, we’ll just wait for February 14th, 2019 to see how that turns out. As of right now, I am not that hopeful.

Here’s a new picture of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, where Newt Scamander reunites with Jacob Kowalski! What are they doing together in what appears to be 1920s’ Paris is anybody’s guess.

Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book is now called Mowgli, and it has its first synopsis:

The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli, raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.

And now for something fun, here’s an alternate opening scene of Stephen King’s It, one of many features found on the film’s Blu-ray, which will be released on January 9, 2018. Here are more details.

It’s been a while since I posted a list, and considering this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special will air before I manage to post this column, here’s a ranking of all the christmas specials, from meh to wow.

In related news, we’ll get a Doctor Who novel titled The Day She Saved The Doctor: Four Stories from the TARDIS. And all four stories about Who companions are written by women! The companions are Rose Tyler, Clara Oswald, Bill Potts, and Sarah Jane Smith… where’s Donna tho! The anthology will publish on International Women’s Day: March 8, 2018.

mirella

YAM Magazine geek resident. Cloud Cuckoolander. Seldom web developer. Graphic designer.

2 Responses

  1. While there are plenty of things to criticize about TLJ,

    – – – spoilers ahead! – – –

    I enjoyed the film overall, and I think a lot of legit complaints are being overshadowed by louder disappointment of theories and interpretations. Also, Hamill’s original comments were that 1) he disagreed with Luke’s exile direction in this film and the sequel trilogy as a whole AND 2) this version of Luke fit the film and this is his favorite film to watch (if not act in) after Empire.

    I think the trauma of watching your entrusted nephew make his final turn to the dark side due to YOUR moment of weakness, of watching that nephew turn your students against each other, is enough fuel to propel Luke into exile and doubt the Jedi…in the very place where he could learn more about the Jedi. Furthermore, while Luke couldn’t blame himself for Darth Vader, he could definitely blame himself for Kylo Ren, and could feel that any more moves on his part (until Luke showed up at the end) could cause more damage.

    Just as I think the film needed at least a few more months to think through how to depict the material they had (how to better execute the conflict between Poe and Holdo, some extra imagination in the design/subplot of Space Monte Carlo, not cutting Finn talking about being in the First Order – which would have led nicely to the later fight w Phasma, etc), I think certain critics need to think through how they present their arguments…such as not stripping quotes/screencaps out of context, etc. Also, even if Rian Johnson likes Reylo (ick!) art on Twitter, the TEXT ITSELF thankfully has Reylo pretty much shut down…there’s no coming back from rejection of sharing some idea of superior power (AFTER Rey gave him a chance) and then Kylo ordering troops to shoot the Falcon from the sky, knowing she’s in it…

    honestly I had been worried about the film due to people screaming about confirmed spoilers but those spoilers didn’t tell the whole story so I was relieved when I actually watched it. I think those pre-watching reactions did shape other viewers’ opinions of the film. There are others I somewhat I agree with in their disappointment with in how characters of color weren’t written with the same balance as the other characters, but while I was not here for slapping Finn or Poe, I don’t think that, for example, Finn came off as just comic relief.

    Johnson did say the movie was going to be weird and take a lot of risks. I might not agree with Johnson on everything, and mileage would understandably vary on some of the choices/execution. However, I appreciate that he took a chance with showing failure through Poe, Luke, and the Canto Bight jaunt (though Rose got to get a little revenge and help people/creatures). People criticized TFA for playing too safe and now TLJ for going in a different direction. They criticize Luke and Leia for giving up on Ben Solo but also criticize Rey for trying to understand Kylo and why someone with equivalent powers and a lot more privilege (parents, schooling, etc) would turn out the way he did –and kill Han, who was maybe the first parental figure she ever had.
    Furthermore, to me, Rose saved Finn in a way that she couldn’t save her sister (tho the kiss was much), and Rey tried to preserve and save the good in the ideas she held and people she met, just as she tried to downplay her worst fears about her parents and imagine they’re not horrible and just somewhere out there.

    and I really hope they don’t retcon Rey’s parentage. It fits in with the theme of heroism from seemingly ordinary folks.

  2. lol I know I just left half an essay but ONE MORE THING:
    we all have our expectations squashed now and then, but expecting things like Snoke to meet your expectations of what was ~hinted~ (and not even explicitly named as him) in some Expanded Universe books and being angry because of that is too much. You expected him to be a force that could scare the Chiss and even the Yuuzhan Vong? if the Vong come back into canon, then bring back Vergere.

    and not as a Sith.

    /rant

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