Category - News and Views

Skywalker Rises on Disney+ This May the Fourth

April 30, 2020

Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, News and Views

It’s unclear as to whether this was always Disney’s plan, or its release to the streaming platform has been accelerated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the final installment of the Skywalker saga, Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, is set to arrive on Disney+ from 4 May, 2020. Yes, Star Wars Day, May the Fourth is finally coinciding with a major release.

Disney+ has been a boon for fans of the Star Wars Universe, with the other eight episodes of the Skywalker saga already available there, along with Rogue One, Solo, a new season of the Clone Wars animated series and the brilliant debut season of The Mandalorian. The arrival of The Rise of Skywalker is icing on the cake, however, as it brings together all nine episodes in a convenient format in most global territories.

Now, even if most of us remain stuck in isolation as protection from a real-world threat to civilization, we have an excuse to take a mental break from the doom-and-gloom and to embrace the escape to an incomparable creative universe.

While you wait, the launch announcement video from Disney is available below, to help set the scene. Or, of course, you can start your movie marathon right now, so that you complete The Last Jedi by May the Third, in anticipation of what is to come. May the force be with you… always.

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Why does so much hate surround The Last Jedi?

December 23, 2017

NerfHerder

Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, News and Views

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SPOILERS FOLLOW. Please don’t read until after you have seen The Last Jedi.

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Even as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I absolutely adored The Last Jedi. Its pace, self-reflective humor, incredible action set pieces, evolved performances and the surprising fates of Snoke, Luke and ‘broom boy’ were all rewarding in their unexpected nature, which hint at new directions while freshly transitioning away from the legacy that came before. I had issue with moments such as Leia’s Mary Poppins revelation and some of the Finn/Rose journey, but overall appreciate how the first recognises Leia’s innate force sensitivity and the latter helped to establish the ‘class war’ nature of the battle that is sure to take place in Episode IX. Other long-time fans, however, appear to have been deeply offended by how Rian Johnson and team handled Luke’s personality, Rey’s rapid force mastery, Snoke’s identity, Rey’s parentage, Rose’s role and other aspects of the film. While it’s fine to be critical, many have expressed their anger with a sense of vitriol.

Why is it that some fans have responded this way, and driven the Rotten Tomatoes’ fan score for the film into territory that differs so greatly from the ultra-fresh score it acquired from film critics? The video below attempts to uncover what elements of the film triggered such an emotive, divisive fan response, and looks into whether this was fully justified, or could be indicative of an early over-reaction.

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What will happen to Star Wars after 1983?

December 23, 2017

NerfHerder

Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Fan Theories, News and Views

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The following news report provides a beautifully whimsical insight into the buzz surrounding the original release of Return of the Jedi, and what Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas had revealed at that point about their future plans for the saga. As someone who was lucky enough to attend a 1983 screening of the third (at that point, possibly the final) Star Wars film, I recall the palpable excitement that precipitated the film’s release. Now part of a well-oiled marketing machine, the merchandising, supporting stories and media buzz about the film was something rarely experienced at the time and it truly felt as though fans were part of a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

A number of interesting sights and tidbits appear within this report, including Harrison Ford suggesting that he was happy to permanently hang up Han Solo’s outfit, an uber-fan queuing up in a rare “Revenge of the Jedi” t-shirt, other fans hinting at the desire for prequel films and early talk about the nine-film story arc that had been drafted in rough form by that stage.

This is a lovely flashback, that will take older fans back to their childhoods and provide newer fans with some understanding as to how significant the Original Trilogy was in the popular culture of its time.

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Why George Lucas has no interest in directing more Star Wars movies

March 29, 2016

NerfHerder

Episode IV - A New Hope, Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, News and Views

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Many of the most iconic pieces of pop culture from the 1980s sprang from the vivid imagination of George Lucas. Those who grew up in that era were no doubt heavily influenced by the original Star Wars trilogy, by Indiana Jones and perhaps even George’s smaller fantasy works, such as Willow.

If the following video is any indication, however, it seems that George is still reeling from the hammering he received from fans upon the release of the prequel trilogy. Those films, while visually spectacular, suffered from a lack of charm, heart and evocative performances, so it’s understandable that fans of the original series felt that the saga had lost some of its magic. At the same time, it’s unfortunate if the lack of love shown towards Jar-Jar Binks is what has deflated George’s passion for the Star Wars Universe.

Take a look and let us know your thoughts below.

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Star Wars crashes through the $1 billion mark in record time

December 29, 2015

NerfHerder

Episode VII - The Force Awakens, News and Views

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The latest installment of the Star Wars saga – The Force Awakens – has been well received by critics and fans alike. Achieving that balance could not have been as easy task for Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, the old and new performance crews and new owners of the franchise, Disney.

In reclaiming much of the magic of the original trilogy, The Force Awakens has managed to excite three generations of moviegoers. This multi-generational appeal and the huge word of mouth attraction generated by a series that has become a major pop cultural artifact has the movie on track to become perhaps the biggest box office success in cinema history.

While box office receipts still put classics such as Gone With the Wind on top when adjusted for population and changes in currency valuation, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, James Cameron’s Avatar and Titanic currently rule the roost in the first and second positions. There are still only 24 films that have ever exceeded $1 billion in worldwide box office receipts, with Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace previously the best performer of the Star Wars franchise, in position #21. The Phantom Menace took in $1.027 billion in total.

Amazingly, The Force Awakens has already blitzed past all other Star Wars films and is close to cracking the top ten, with $1.086 billion racked up so far. What’s most impressive about this is that it accomplished this figure within just 12 days of debut, and without having launched in China (the world’s most populous nation) as yet. No other movie has ever exceeded $1 billion in 12 days – through Jurassic World made it there in just 13.

Given that Jurassic World nestled into position #3 on the all-time box office rankings after its strong run, there is a very good chance that school holidays, the China release, and continued positive press will propel The Force Awakens above that position. It would need to bring in $1.7 billion to do so, but an epic $2.8 billion would be required to topple Avatar from the top spot – which that film achieved largely because it was such a bold pioneer into the 3D cinema experience space.

No doubt Disney executives and investors are feeling a sense of deep relief that their $4 billion investment into acquiring Lucasfilm was money well spent. Fans are also no doubt feeling the love, given that this film has shaken off the shackles of the mixed reception that the prequel trilogy attracted.

We wish the film all the best in securing its position towards the top of the all-time box office list in the weeks to come.

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