Fangirl Loves Star Wars: The Princess And The Scoundrel By Beth Revis

We’re throwing back all over the place this week here at The Fangirl’s Dilemma! Game Of Thrones winners, and a Star Wars release so momentous, it was worth bringing back a review.

The Princess And The Scoundrel is a newly released Star Wars novel by Beth Revis, it tells the story of Han and Leia’s quick engagement and wedding after the events of Return Of The Jedi and then their kind of chaotic honeymoon aboard The Halcyon, (AKA the ship you are on in The Star Wars hotel in Disney World!)

There’s banter and kissing and reckoning with legacy and Han gets obsessed with a pastry, while Leia just CAN’T PUT HER PHONE AWAY AND BE ON VACATION! Han asks Luke to use the force to break up his bachelor party, which Luke refuses to do. Lando produces wine glasses as if from the air. Han has a panic attack diving into icy water because of PTSD from being frozen in carbonite.

It’s just all really really fun and right up my alley and I cried a lot while reading it. But I’ve been waiting most of my life to think about Han and Leia getting to live happily ever after. (They didn’t, but at least, happy for now!) The Princess And The Scoundrel did not disappoint.

Fangirl Loves Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy by Chuck Wendig

This is my first dive into the Star Wars extended universe. (OK, I read a few comics) and I figured this direct sequel to Return Of The Jedi which is meant to bridge that time with the new era of The Force Awakens and beyond seemed like a good enough place to begin.

Also Chuck Wendig is fun on twitter. So there’s that.

The Aftermath trilogy tells the story of Norra Wexley (mother of Greg Grunberg’s Snap! He’s in the books too!) a pilot with the Rebellion, now the New Republic and the waning months of the Galactic Civil War against the Empire. Norra finds herself in the general orbit of Princess Leia and Han Solo, as they prepare for the birth of their son. (Watch out for onion ninjas when all conversations around Ben ensue. But also RED FLAGS all over the damn place regarding the kind of parents Leia and Han turned out to be) She also puts together a rag tag crew of a bounty hunter, an ex imperial torture officer, a clone descended rebel soldier (COOL) and her kid. Her kid Temmin Wexley, who is nicknamed by the one and only Wedge Antilles (who Norra falls in love with) Snap.

On the Imperial side there are various people vying for power though we follow, mainly Grand Admira Rae Sloane. Sloane’s a pretty great villain and I like that we’ve got women as our main antagonist and protagonist.

The book took some getting used to. The use of third person present tense is a lot for someone who does as much reading as I do. I understand this is a hallmark of the EU and does create a sort of propulsive immediacy, but it’s also, a lot. First person present tense is tough enough to take, but third person…oof.

Anyway, the books were fun, from a Star Wars perspective, seeing how the hold the Rebellion had on the Galaxy was shaky from the start, as well as the political differences between Leia and Mon Mothma, really does help solidify the shaky ground that is the New Republic and Resistance schism. They work in concert, but they’re not the same. It makes some sense. Or more sense. It’s still not great.

Also, Sloane ends her journey travelling on The Emperor’s ship towards the unkown reaches. So we know what that’s all about now. Again, kind of.

Overall, I think this was a good place to start. If only for sweet little Temmin, who I continually pictured as Greg Grunberg but small. Not young. (Was Grunberg ever young? He came off middle aged even on Felicity!) Just small. Shrunk down. This was an extremely amusing visual and if you decide to read these books you are welcome to it. He also has a droid friend named Mr. Bones who is also great. Seriously, Disney Era, kicking it out of the park with the droids. from BB-8 on they’ve each been all time.

The rest of the team didn’t quite do it for me. I like Sinjin, the ex imperial, but his narrative of finding his conscience was interesting if a little slow compared to everything else. Wendig writes a damn good Han and a not as good Leia. The visions that Leia gets during her pregnancy are incredible, (including her own birth, though she doesn’t realize it’s that) as well as her connection to Ben in utero and beyond. I liked that.

Up next we’re reading Charles Soule’s Poe Dameron comics series, I mean, not right next, a few things in between, but next for this feature.

Rise, Rey, Rise Up

There’s a lot going on in The Rise Of Skywalker, and I’m actually having trouble articulating how I feel about this movie. I groaned at a lot of it, cried through more, loved it almost completely. It’s thoroughly predictable, and yet manages to satisfy regardless of that.

I’m not a big lover of twist endings, I think they’re often cheap. The predictability of a formula is not something I consider a fault in narrative. Tropes alone aren’t cheap, though they can be employed cheaply. And The Rise Of Skywalker uses tropes that it’s earned and a few that it hasn’t. It’s a mixed bag of a movie.

Like all Star Wars films it lives and dies on it’s performances. Daisy Ridley gives her strongest in this trilogy, Adam Driver gets less to do than the previous two outings. Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are a damn delight and here’s something that I never ever expected to write, Anthony Daniels really runs away with the thing.

And the score, as you may have heard is incredible. People are calling it the best Williams has done in the series. I don’t know about that. Empire and Phantom Menace are pretty high marks, but it gets close. (I need to listen to it without the film.) But it’s very good. Rey’s theme and Kylo’s theme both get mixed with The Imperial March and Force Theme’s in ways that are wonderful. Leia’s theme is also pretty prominent.

I really, really enjoyed myself.

Rankings

1. Knive’s Out
2. Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood
3. Jo Jo Rabbit
4. Frozen 2
5. Spider-Man: Far From Home
6. Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker
7. Avengers: Endgame
8. Rocketman
9. Detective Pikachu
10. Zombieland: Double Tap
11. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
12. Downton Abbey
13. Joker

Trailers

The Jungle Cruise: This trailer does not have enough puns. It otherwise looks acceptable.

Onward: I really can’t wait for this. It looks so lovely and fun and kind of scary. Really great.

Wonder Woman 84: GIVE ME YOUR TIME TRAVEL SHENANIGANS AND CHRIS PINE IN A FANNY PACK!!!!

Anway, y’all ready for Spoilers!  THEY’RE HERE NOW

 

 

 

 

Fangirl Loves Star Wars: Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

The thing about Return Of The Jedi is that I really love it a lot. I like endings, and I particularly like happy endings of the fairy tale variety. Where good triumphs, and evil retreats defeated.

So, I really like Return Of The Jedi that has that in spades, plus a strong theme of family and legacy and the things we need to take. It includes some pretty strong bullshit, (from a certain point of view) and it’s certainly a more clumsy movie than either of it’s predecessors, but I love that ending. I love Luke redeeming his father. I love the rescue sequence in Jabba’s palace.

The main thing though, that again, this project has given me is perspective on the series as an organic whole, and you can really start to see the clunkiness that is Lucas’s style take shape. Luke and Leia’s conversation where he reveals their sibling relationship is about as bad as “I hate sand.” It’s better because Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are better than Hayden Christiansen, but the dialog itself is bad, bad, bad.

Luckily, it’s just the one scene, the rest of the movie feels more natural, clearer and is really lovely. Frank Oz is probably my favorite part of both Empire and Jedi. 

Yoda’s role in the saga is kind of ridiculously great and one of my favorite, “go by the seat of your pants” legacies of Star Wars, his prominence in the saga is something of a fluke because of the great performance in Empire. People love Yoda, so Lucas gave the people what they wanted. (You know, kind of.)

Overall it’s hard to describe what exactly made the original Star Wars trilogy work. It really, really shouldn’t. It’s hokey, and strange and  lovely, and I’m so glad it exists.

Next week we talk about Star Wars: Resistance, which I have already finished as of this writing and that I love with all of my heart.

Fangirl Loves Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Is there anything left to say about Star Wars, or A New Hope depending on your level of fandom pedantry?

I don’t even remember the first time I watched this movie, that’s how weaved into my life it is. I’m sure it was a rainy Saturday, and I’m sure my dad had his arm around me. I couldn’t have been older than three. I don’t remember this, I just know this is so, because that’s how we watched movies when I was little.

Here’s the thing about A New Hope that I think I, despite talking about the movie constantly, and loving what it has birthed, tend to forget. It’s a basic ass movie that is miraculously not boring. It should be boring. It’s weird that it isn’t boring.

The story is so simple. The dialogue is silly. The acting is very good. The score is sublime and the action is terrific. And this all gels to make something wonderful, something unqiue and beautiful that has since just exploded, like a death star.

I don’t know, I didn’t find anything new in this watch. I was just so happy to be watching this movie again. I was happy to watch Han, Luke and Leia all meet. I was happy to see Obi-Wan become one with the Force. I was just so damn happy. I love Star Wars.

I wish there was more to this post, but I just don’t know what’s left to say. It’s a really good movie and I like it a lot and I will watch it again many times in my life.

Next Week We’re heading into the Star Wars GOAT with The Empire Strikes Back, I don”t know exactly what I’m going to be writing about, but there’s a good chance is that it’s going to rhyme with “Brando.”

Fangirl Loves Star Wars: Solo: A Star Wars Story

I really love Solo, as I noted in my review of the movie. It has a lot of things I like in a movie generally, cover up in neat Star Wars wrapping paper, so there’s a lot to love. I get into internet arguments about this movie a lot, because I think it’s wonderful and I know a lot of people think it sucks. But those people are wrong because it’s great.

I’ve watched it several times now, and each time I am delighted. The action is clean, the characters are clear, the performances are wonderful. Do I wonder what it would have been like in it’s initial incarnation, sure, do I like Paul Bettany fine, but wonder if Michael K. William’s version of Dryden Voss was more interesting (it probably wasn’t, they’re both great actors, with similar placid with darkness boiling under the surface energy. But the representation boost would have been great, and I love Williams.)

I have to be honest though, I came to this movie for one thing and that thing delivered. From the moment of this movie’s conception I was saying I didn’t care what went on around it, I wanted Lando in this movie, and I wanted Donald Glover to play him and I would accept nothing else. As I’ve watched and rewatched Star Wars since things got moving again in the past few years Lando has become my OT favorite. (Obi-Wan is my prequel and overall story fave, Poe is my NT fave) I’m thrilled that Billy Dee Williams is reprising his role in The Rise of Skywalker. 

Donald Glover was the only choice for Lando and Lando’s role in this screen play was perfect. Or whoever shot whatever got shot. Part of the tragedy of the internet (which I mostly love, because I wouldn’t be writing this if there wasn’t an internet) is that this movie got so burried. In an earlier time where only weirdos like my parents knew that Larry David was no longer running Seinfeld, (this is real. My parents were incensed when David left. They came around on the later seasons because they featured George and Elaine better and Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss are brilliant, but it took time. Again, I come by my shit naturally) it wouldn’t have been turned over that and over that Lord and Miller were fired off the movie.

There’s a subtle sexism to the way this decision is talked about on the internet. As if it was a capricious and unnecessary decision on Kathleen Kennedy’s part. As if she isn’t a savvy, experienced producer who know what she wants. As if by clashing with the anarchic genius of these two men, she is somehow wrong, the thief of art.

There’s truth there, but it’s not a narrative attached to say, Joss Whedon’s departure from The MCU after clashing with Kevin Fiege. No, that was two visionaries with contrasting views of a film.

I told myself this post wasn’t going to be about the metanarrative and yet here we are. (To be fair, I couldn’t rightly spill 500 words on what I like about the movie, since part of what I like is how light and kind of shallow and silly it is.)

Next week we get into Rebels, with season 1. Rebels has grown on me as a show in general. It’s not as good as Clone Wars, but you will see this journey in Real Time.

Everything You’ve Heard About Me Is True

There’s a hundred different reasons that I genuinely enjoyed myself while watching Solo: A Star Wars Story last night, but the main one, the one that I think matters the most, is goddamn is that movie fun.

The chases, the fight scenes, the interactions between the characters and last minute reveal that made me audibly gasp, all of it really feels absolutely perfect. And oddly, I think it’s weird Frankenstein production added to that. Somehow, the loose comedy feel of Chris Miller and Phil Lord, combines all alchemy like with Ron Howard’s earnest competence to make something beautiful.

I’m all in on this movie. I’m in on Alden Einhrich (Baby Han), I’m in on Quira (Space Khalessi), I’m in on Tobias Beckett (Woody MOTHER FUCKING HARRELSON) and of course I’m in on Lando. (Duh)

Seriously, this is a fan service movie, but most of the fan service is clever enough, and also I’m a fan and I like to be serviced occasionally.

It’s fun heist adventure, tightly paced and adorably performed. Plus there’s a delightful twist end cameo

You ready:

Darth Maul is back. I think this means we’re clearly on the road to Ahsoka. (IF WE’RE PULLING CLONE WARS AND REBELS SHIT INTO THE MOVIES WHY IS SHE NOT THERE???) (I realize I’ve become like those Star Wars weirdos who go around whining about how Mara Jade isn’t a thing anymore and why that sucks.) (AHSOKA LIVES!)

Anyway, Solo, is good dirty heisty fun that has Space ships.

So you go in with that as a baseline. It’s not a deep movie but it’s got lots of whizz bangs and great quips and super fun.

Rankings:

1. Solo: A Star Wars Story
2. Deadpool 2
3. Avengers: Infinity War

Trailers:

 

Cosplay Corner: Han Solo Casual Cosplay

I haven’t done a casual cosplay in a while. I don’t mean Disney Bounds, which sometimes are casual cosplays, I mean actually putting together something that looks like something the character actually wears.

Which is why I went for Han Solo today, since I’m seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story tonight! YAY!

Also because it’s pretty easy. Jeans, boots, white tee shirt and a black leather vest that borrowed from Mary’s closet. (You can’t be mad, because you clearly are not using it as you left it in New Jersey and you live in Colorado)

I’m ready to go. (Also I’m real psyched for this movie. Which worries me…I don’t want to be let down.)

HAPPY MOVIE SEASON 2018!

You guys, tonight Infinity War begins and so begins Movie Season 2018.

I’m totally freaking out. I’m in complete denial that we’re finally at this time of the year and even more so that tonight I’m (probably?) going to have to say goodbye to Chris Evans as Steve Rogers as Captain America. Like seriously, I’m not OK, I’m not going to be OK.

As for the rest of movie seasons, let’s talk. Last year a few factors brought out a more mellow season. This year I’m hoping to remedy that, but I’m not making any promises. I’m gonna try to return to the Movie Season 2015 hey day of a movie every week, thus finding interesting things I maybe wouldn’t have seen otherwise, but I make no promises.

I do know that the below movies are totally happening no matter what:

Avengers: Infinity War – 4/27

Obviously, you guys, I mean, duh, right? Just Duh.

Deadpool 2 – 5/18

Again with the duh, I’m curious about it, I want it to be good. (PLEASE BE GOOD) And I mean, Ryan Reynolds right?

Solo: A Star Wars Story – 5/25

LANDO! That is all. OK, no I have other things to say. This looks really fun. And I like my Star Wars fun, you guys, which is part of why I wasn’t crazy about Rogue One, but this, this could be good.

But also, Donald Glover as Lando. I like being right about things.

Ocean’s 8 – 6/8

Lady Heist! Sandra Bullock! Mindy Kaling! Anne Hathaway! The Met Ball! De-lightful. I’m so so in.

The Incredibles 2 – 6/15

Blah blah blah family. Blah blah Pixar is amazing. Yap Yap Superheroes. *Fart Noise* Baby Jack Jack powers.

I’m kidding, I’m as excited as anyone to check in with The Parrs. I’m psyched for Brad Bird too. I hope this gets him out of movie jail.

Jurrasic World: Fallen Kingdom – 6/22

Ya know, I still haven’t watched Jurrasic World a second time? I loved it in the theater, I just, don’t want to know how dumb it is and hate it. Like at all. This looks, HELLA dumb, but Dr. Ian Malcolm is back, so you know…yay?

Ant-Man & The Wasp – 7/6

Take a deep breath America. We’re finally getting a in the title female hero in the MCU. Also, when I rewatched Ant-Man this weekend, I was reminded of how much I love it, and how excited I am for this movie.

However, if we don’t get a flashback scene of Janet VanDyne-Pym and Peggy Carter fighting bad guys together, I’m going to be a bit put out.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again – 7/20

Did the world need a sequel to Mamma Mia? Probably not. Will I put together a boozy brunch and then dine in theater girls day to watch this movie? Probably. Will I cry? Almost definitely. Do I think this movie will be any good? Oh, for sure no.

Christopher Robin – 8/4

I loved Saving Mr. Banks, so I’m all in for big budget Disney-Classic Fanfiction, which is what this appears to be, when an adult Christopher Robin finds his way back to the Hundred Acre Wood.

Crazy Rich Asians – 8/17

WEEEEEEE! Crazy Rich Asians has so far been my favorite book I’ve read this year and this is probably the movie I’m most looking forward to this movie season. Is that weird? Does that mean that I’ve officially succumbed to superhero fatigue?

I dunno, I’m just real real psyched to see this movie, you guys.

Venom – 10/5

I am wary of a Venom movie with no connection to Spider-Man, but the trailers look cool, and I like Tom Hardy, so ya know, we’ll see. I would love to see Tom Holland pop up though.

A Star Is Born – 10/5

I’m still not like 100% sold on Bradley Cooper as casting for this, though I never needed convincing on Lady Gaga taking on a role once occupied by Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand. That’s kind of perfect. (However, I will always mourn for the version starring Beyonce that never was…)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – 11/16

Oh, like we’re not all going to go see this movie. Come on. Jude Law as Young Dumbledore? Please, yeah, we need this.

Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet – 11/21

Looks way cute. I love the first Wreck-It Ralph so I hope this delivers with as much heart as that one did, which was the best/most unexpected part of the thing.

Second Act – 11/21

I’m not sure I actually want to see this this badly, but I do love J-Lo, and my friend Deidre Friel has a supporting role, so I want to see her on the big screen. (ALSO, like Way to Go Deidre! Being in a Jennifer Lopez movie and all!)

Aquaman – 12/21

I mean, whatever, with the DCEU anymore. I’ll go, I’m sure it’ll be fun. The last few have ranged from actually great (Wonder Woman) to fun and adequate (Justice League) to fun but awful (Suicide Squad) as long as this stays on that spectrum and we get plenty of shirtless Jason Mamoa, I’m cool.

Mary Poppins Returns – 12/25

The rule of thumb was “Marvel To Star Wars” except for that I’ve realized it’s more often actually “Marvel to Big Budget Splashy Flashy Musical” (Even that first movie season that wasn’t really movie season ended with Les Mis) (Others have wrapped with Into The Woods, La La Land and The Greatest Showman) As I mentioned above, I’m on board for the expensive Disney Fanfic. Especially when it features Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, yes please.

I know there are some big gaps in there, (All of September, for example) but I’m sure as more releases get announced and I start seeing trailers, I’ll fill in those cracks. Plus, I am going to try to do more Indies this year. I know I say it every year, but there’s really no excuse anymore. I have easy access to an excellent Bow-Tie cinema and quick cheap access to NYC.

Anyway, tomorrow we’ll review Infinity War, if I can stop crying long enough.

Happy Movie Season!

 

Like My Father Before Me

I think it’s just my slight contrarion nature that makes me dig my heels in about Empire. I get that it’s objectively from a filmmaking perspective the best movie. But it doesn’t move my heart the way Return of The Jedi does. (I realize that after tomorrow, we can no longer just call it Jedi…that’s kind of weird…)

Anyway, here’s some stuff we get:

• Jabba The Hutt and his weirdly psycho sexual den of inequity. This also leads to Twi’lek slave girls, and of course, Leia in that damn bikini. (But also Leia the Hutt Slayer)
• Han and Leia are an official couple! YAY!
• Luke is a Jedi (almost) though Yoda and Obi-Wan’s ghost claim that he can’t be a real Jedi until he kills his dad. I mean, I love them and all, but that’s a real dick move. (Turns out that in order to be a real Jedi, all Luke has to actually do is stand up and declare it.)
• Obi-Wan reveals that Luke has a sister. Luke thinks about it and notes that he only knows like one girl, so it’s probably her.
• We meet the Emperor. So that’s pretty cool. He’s a huge asshole. He no longer controls everyone around him, but he still thinks he does.
• Yoda dies. After the rebels win, Luke sees his ghost standing alongside Obi-Wan’s, and suddenly, Ooooh, his father, who appears as his sexy-pants, 20-something self. (This is controversial, a lot of people are made very angry by it. I think it’s sort of dumb, but eh.)
• Vader straight up refers to Luke as “My son” the whole movie. This is because he is awakening to his true self.
• Luke never attacks in that light saber fight. It’s not the Jedi way.
• Everytime that I see Luke burn Vader’s body now, I think about how weird it is that Kylo Ren went to Endor and took the helmet all melty like so that he could mope in front of it begging for guidance to the dark side.

That’s it for the original triology! Tomorrow we’ll  talk about The Force Awakens, and then OMG YOU GUYS! The Last Jedi, comes out tomorrow! WHO’S EXCITED!