From an uncredited role in "Circus of Horrors", to the "Star Wars" chapters, "Time Bandits", "The Elephant Man", "Flash Gordon", "Labyrinth", "Willow" and beyond, you were one mighty fine actor. Thanks for leaving your memorable mark.Your legacy has touched us all.
"Star Wars I-III" disappointed, not because it was a lousy saga. Au contraire, it's actually quite a sprawling epic (and a damn big moneymaker, at that). It's just that, well...somewhere in the hustle of things, it lost track of its roots.
"Star Wars", as the adventure was presented in 1977 by George Lucas, surfaced as a shameless homage to adventure tales gone by and the heroes who led them, namely John Carter, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. (As we well know, Lucas would have returned Flash to the big screen if only he had procured the rights.) With this, a "New Hope" presented a basic tale of good vs evil, unconcerned with murky Trade Wars or the unnerving shades of gray that characterized a villain we all knew would be uncompromisingly dark in his heart. As such, Disney's assigned director, J.J. Abrams, has assured us a new movie-serial style "Star Wars" with its seventh chapter, "The Force Awakens".
Has Abrams fulfilled the promise? The answer is yes and no, but his slight deviations on the basic elements doesn’t mar the splendor. It simply makes this
chapter (written by Abrams; the legendary Lawrence Kasdan; and Michael "Toy Story 3" Arndt) its own cool thing, which simultaneously looks to the past and the future. In this regard, we again have good and evil at odds, three decades after the epic Battle of Endor and the destruction of Death Star II, with new heroes leading the charge and supporting characters taking their sides accordingly.
Of course, as we've anticipated, it's old favorites who set the cozy pace: Princess/General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher); Han Solo (Harrison Ford); Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew); and even Admiral Ackbar (Tim Rose). Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is also in there, but essentially in concealed form, his presence felt throughout "Force Awakens", just as Spock's was felt throughout "Star Trek III": a warm-up, in essence, for the saga's predestined shape of things to come.
The acknowledgment of our past heroes helps keep this installment in check; for if there exists any remnant of the basic formula that distinguished the middle chapters, it's through these stellar stars, and its the new folks who redirect the saga into its spirited, sequelized stretch.
The newbies include desert-dwelling Rey (Daisy
Ridley); ace X-wing fighter Poe Dameron (Oscar "Ex Machina" Isaac); wise Lor San Tekka (Max Von Sydow); helpful Maz Katana (Lupita Nyong'o); and in-search-of-redemption Finn (John Boyega). They each figure into the plot, to some extent or another, the way the characters did in "New Hope", with a transported message prompting their actions.
Finn, in my estimation, is this chapter's most identifiable protagonist, though some would argue that Rey is more so, if only for her Skywalker similarities. Still, Finn is the one through whom we experience the adventure: the misguided guy who gets thrust upon this gallant ride after befriending the dynamic Dameron, who in his own right becomes a significant Solo stand-in. (On a speculative note, the following chapters will probably do a better job of fleshing out Finn and Rey, thus strengthening their significance within this yet expanding universe and for better or worse, tease at a potential romance.)
So, what exactly does our dynamic duo face (or rather, should I say, fall into)? Well, again it's a division of sides, with the freedom-fighting Resistance vs the multiplying "Neo-Nazi" First Order/Empire loyalists. We also learn that matters weren't definitively resolved at "Return of the Jedi'"s end,
with (and this is solely implied and never succinctly stated) ineffective leadership having allowed pockets of sovereign seekers to cause disarray (much as any typical terrorist group would when not kept under thumb).
Finn is wise, having shed his Stormtrooper shackles in the name of galactic freedom and stumbles upon Rey, who immediately takes to him, and from there their alliance fortifies for a shared cause and against a common foe.
There are a number of baddies in "Episode VII", including memorable supporting characters, like Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis); the staunch General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson); and the gleaming Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), who make a strong visual (and sometimes dramatic) mark, but never dominate the plot.
The villainous beacon, therefore, is the heavily publicized Kylo Ren (Adam Driver): an often masked zealot with a most distinct light saber, who desires supreme, cosmic control. He's this segment's Ming the Merciless or Killer Kane; a counterpart to reality's hated Hitler and for the here-and-now, our would-be Darth Vader. He's hellbent on rekindling the Sith Lord's influence, and his impetuous temperament confirms this. Oh, and in case you're unaware, he's the son of...well, never mind; most of you've already caught wind of the startling revelation and outcome. Anyway, Ren's wayward presence is why Finn and Rey fight the good fight, though they require guidance along the way.
For such, they (along with the bad guys) seek the elusive Luke Skywalker, and with Solo, Chewy and the Millennium Falcon's help, "Force Awakens" starts to take shape, becoming at least on the surface, what Abrams projected: a thrilling quest story.
Unfortunately, the film doesn’t always make the best use of its
cast, opting (as the weaker chapters have) to emphasize organic window dressing instead of
extended characterization. Tekka's presence, for example, could have been expanded, and Dameron, though engaging when given the chance, should
have received much wider focus.
Though it may totter in its character balance, "Force Awakens" indubitably delivers the goods in visual glitz and not of the cartoonish CGI sort, either. This chapter is laden with old-school, heavy hardware and fast action, which earned it a PG-13: a warning to parents that such sleek intensity may be unsuitable for their coddled kids (sad, but true). Nevertheless, for those who savor movie-serial zest, "Force Awakens" should more than please and have most fans clamoring for more.
Also to its benefit, this chapter downplays the cutsey stuff. Sure, the adorable, snowman-shaped BB-8 is there to pick up the torch from R2-D2 (Kenny Baker, who in this instance "consulted" on the droid's movements) and fidgety but amiable C3PO (Anthony Daniels), but it's all within the proper context. When given their various moments, the three give the film that Disney-esque charm: apt since the franchise is now officially Disney stationed. However, they are more of a cheerful additive than a mawkish, Jar Jar Binks distraction.
At the end of the day, whether one labels it a hit or miss, "Force Awakens" is but another part in a progressing mythology. How this chapter will figure into the grand scheme is yet to be seen. (Remember, "Empire Strikes Back" wasn't necessarily praised as the best of the best upon release.) For the time being, and for the sake of launching a new start, the film now stands as the franchise's "new hope": a chance to avoid the disfavor paved by the prequel trilogy. It may also become, in the long run, another magnificent moment in space-opera history. For now, with the box-office numbers blasting through the roof and fan praise mounting, things look most promising.
Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" is a 1981 fantasy adventure, produced by George Harrison (who supplies a catchy end-credits tune) and Denis O'Brien; written by Gilliam and Michael Palin. In addition to Gilliam and Palin, it also features fellow Monty Python member, John Cleese. On various levels, it exudes the troupe's comic sensibilities.
The movie is also a story of escape: its time-travel component predominately a means for its young hero to flee a doleful reality. Like the youngster in "NeverEnding Story", Kevin (Craig Warnock) perceives the present as spiritless. His parents (David Daker and Shiela Fearn) are preoccupied with game-show television; he, on the other hand, holds a keen interest in history and "faraway places with strange sounding names". As fate would have it, his bedroom contains a time portal, which grants passage to a passing knight one evening and soon thereafter a most mischievous gang of bandit dwarfs.
The dwarfs are runaway design-engineers who've stolen a map of the world's various portals (time passages in need of closure) from the Supreme Being (i.e., God) and hope to travel through them to rob treasures from various historic periods. The ensemble consists of Randall (David Rappaport), the leader; Fidgit (Kenny "R2
D2
" Baker); Stutter (Malcolm Dixon); Wally (Jack Purus); and Vermin (Tiny Ross). Rappaport's Randall is quite the charmer (and the role paved the way for his presence in "The Bride" and the cult television series, "The Wizard"). He pulls Kevin along for the journey when the Supreme Being's Pythonish head tracks the dwarfs through his bedroom and into another period, granting the boy a chance (albeit of frantic circumstance) to attain the exotic action he so yearns.
Initially, the misfits fall into the Napoleonic era, where they attempt to steal from the Emperor (Ian Holm). More by accident than plan, they end up performing a song-and-dance routine for him. Kevin watches the bumbling affair in awe, but no sooner does it reach its pinnacle, he and the gang are off again (with their treasure load), sliding into the time of Robin Hood (Cleese) and his less-than-merry-men. Kevin thereafter stumbles into a separate portal, allowing him to meet none other than King Agamemnon (Sean Connery), who just so happens to be battling a Minotaur.
Kevin inadvertently helps the charismatic king slay the beast, and a father-son relationship blossoms, but once more, the dwarfs intervene and drag Kevin onward, this time landing upon the Titanic, shortly before its fateful sinking.
All the while, the film's villain, the spell-casting Evil (David Warner), keeps a watchful eye on the band, desiring the map for his own, so that he may change the world's dynamics to spite the Supreme Being. With his dim-witted henchmen, he hurls our anti-heroes into the Time of Legends, where they meet both a hapless troll and his wife (Peter Vaughan and Katherine Helmond) and then a ship-capped Tor Johnson-like giant (Ian Muir). These dangerous encounters lead the gang to Evil's realm, and from there, a test between good and Evil ensues, until the Supreme Being makes a memorable appearance, transforming himself into an officious old man (Sir Ralph Richardson) and settling matters for once and all, or so it seems.
Throughout the escapades, a fair sum of dry humor ensues, especially in the Napoleon and Robin Hood segments (that latter sprinkled with socialistic quips). There's also a goofy couple (Palin and Shelley Duvall) who reappear in different time sectors, their amorous unions spoiled each time by the dwarfs' rambunctious entrances. Kevin generally steers the men in the right direction, though Randall always remains its resourceful leader, as well as the film's prime scene thief.
"Time Bandits" is basically played for fun, but it's not devoid of philosophy, explaining how good and evil are part of life's plan: a test imposed upon us by the Supreme Being. Its varying trips also grant us an informative, if not sometimes skewed view of history, without ever radically rewriting it. If anything, Gilliam and Palin's screenplay essays how historical adventure is the catalyst for many of the fictional ones we've come to embrace. It also tells us that from the past, we can better enjoy the present and the future.
"Time Bandits'" ambiance is distinctly British and unmistakably Gilliam, stirred with Whovian seasoning, though with grander effects than typical Python outings. The effects are still pleasantly old-school, as are the elaborate costumes, particularly Warner's: a regal concoction of steel, bone and crimson cape, worthy of any Conan adversary.
"Time Bandits" concludes on an open note and could have spawned an immediate sequel or possibly even a television series, though one could argue that "Voyagers!" was an unofficial offshoot. It's ending nearly implies the likes of "Wizard of Oz", "Invaders from Mars" and "Phantasm", but there's a twist (thanks to Kevin's trusty Polaroid), which verifies that what transpired was real and will, in fact, carry on, as long as we, like Kevin, dare conjure the courage to look backward.
