Category Archives: movies

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Predictions

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The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi

It’s that time again!  With “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” just over a month away, I’m going to make some predictions.  I’ve had good ones (see Rogue One) and bad ones (see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).  But the point is, I want it written down if I happen to be right!

A few weeks ago I might have made a prediction about what “The Last Jedi” means, but that’s already been explained.  It’s actually in the opening crawl for “The Force Awakens” that Luke is the Last Jedi.  So that’s not really an option.

Let’s start with Rey’s parents.  I don’t think we will find out definitively who her family line is.  There may be some hints, but I don’t think we’ll find out anything until the last movie.  I know some people will be disappointed, but I think this is a good way to handle it.  Leave some mystery for the future.

This may seem obvious, but Leia will die.  With Carrie Fisher’s passing, Lucasfilm and Disney had to make some changes.  Episode VIII was supposed to be Luke’s story and Episode IX was supposed to be Leia’s story.  Obviously this won’t happen.  The latest preview teases that Kylo Ren will kill her.  I think this may be some tricky editing, but ultimately I think he’ll be the one to kill her even if it’s a different scene.

I just love these guys. Seriously.

I just love these guys. Seriously.

And now for one of my favorite subjects: Porgs.  These adorable creatures leaked out a few months ago and made their screen debut in the last trailer.  I think the hints are there that Chewbacca will form a bond with at least one of them.  All this talk about eating them is sort of nonsense.  There won’t be anything like that.  I’ll go out on a limb and say they will play some sort of crucial role at some point in the story.  I don’t remember where I saw it, but I read that they are force sensitive (think Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One).  It may not be a crucial plot point, but there will be a point where they will do something important force-wise in a scene.

OK, there it is.  I may have more to add later (I’ll do a different post if I do), but this is what I’m standing by for now!

Do you have any predictions for The Last Jedi?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section!

Movie Prediction: Thor Ragnarok

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Thor Ragnarok

It’s time to do another movie prediction!  I’m still going to cling to my success from my Rogue One prediction (http://www.jaimeh.com/2016/11/06/bold-prediction-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/) and hopefully I can get back on track!

The next big release I want to make a prediction for is Thor: Ragnarok.  I really have two predictions and a wish.  Let’s start with the trailer, then get to my predictions.

Here’s my first prediction: I think we’ll see the Guardians of the Galaxy in this movie.  Why do I think this?  There are two reasons.  Well, we know from the trailer that Thor is trapped on a planet battling in an arena.  He’s trapped in space and needs a rescue.  The Guardians would be a perfect fit, plus they need to get tied into the MCU before Infinity War.  

And I think there were a couple of hints in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.  First, we see the teams jumping through portals to cover large distances in their space travel.  A bunch of these portals open up on the planet where Thor ends up which is presumably how he ends up there.  Second, during the closing credits of GOTG Vol 2 we see Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster character dancing.  Maybe it was just for fun, or maybe it was a hint!

My next prediction is that Thor will find a new or different hammer.  We see Mjolnir destroyed by Hela during the trailer, but there’s really no way Thor can be without his hammer, especially in the movies.  In the recent Unworthy Thor comics, Thor has lost his hammer and is seeking another.  There is another hammer that needs a worthy Thor that has torn through dimensions to come to ours.  So there are other options, one of which ties into my (wishful) prediction….

Beta Ray Bill

That’s right, Beta Ray Bill.  The Korbinite also makes an appearance in Unworthy Thor, even offering his hammer Stormbreaker to Thor.  In the comic Thor declines, but it would be an interesting way for the movie to go.  Even if he doesn’t play an ongoing role in the MCU, it would be cool to see this character show up.

There you go!  My three (well, let’s say two and a half) predictions for Thor Ragnarok!  Do you have any predictions, guesses or wishes for this movie?  Leave them in the comments below!

Movie Prediction – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2”

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

It has been a little while since I did one of these, but I think I was just riding the high of being (pretty darn) accurate on my Rogue One theory (which you can find here: http://www.jaimeh.com/2016/11/06/bold-prediction-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/

If you’ve read my “Bold Predictions” before, then this one might look a little familiar.  Back when Doctor Strange came out last year, I had predicted that we would meet Captain Marvel.  Maybe it’s because Captain Marvel is currently one of my favorite comic characters, but I’m going with this one again.  Since we don’t really know the story for the Captain Marvel movie, we don’t know if we’ll meet her on Earth or in space, so I’m going to go with space in some way.  I think that we’ll meet her in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

Captain Marvel

But Captain Marvel isn’t all I have for this one!  This is also really a wish more than a prediction, but I’ll go with it anyway.  Guardians comes out on May 5, with the early screenings on May 4, which is Star Wars Day.  I may be going out on a limb, but I’m really hoping that we get a teaser trailer for Star Wars The Last Jedi before Guardians.

Again, this may be a pipe dream, but I’m going to stick with it!

What else are you predicting or even just hoping for in Guardians of the Galaxy?  Leave your hopes and guesses in the comments below!

The Last Jedi

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“Star Wars: Episode VIII” has a name, and we now know that it is “The Last Jedi”.  The image below was released today, giving us an official name for the next Star Wars movie.

The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi

There has of course been no end to the speculation in the last few hours.  Let’s start with my own speculation:

If the Jedi do die out, it doesn’t mean they’re really gone.  I’m thinking of what Maz Kanata said in “The Force Awakens”.  She says that she’s seen evil in many forms: the Sith, the Empire, the New Order.  Ultimately, even though the Sith are no more, the Dark Side still exists.  Maybe we’ll see something similar with the Light Side.  If Luke dies, the Jedi are gone, but the Light Side carries on through Rey.

In “Return of the Jedi” one of Yoda’s last words to Luke are “When gone I am, last of the Jedi you will be.”  Maybe this is just a reference to that.

And we can’t ignore the fact that the words “Star Wars” are in red, rather than the typical yellow.  No way that Disney accidentally did that.  It means something.  And it seems very foreboding.

What other thoughts and theories do you have for Episode VIII?  I’m sure there will be plenty more to come in the next 11 months (including from me), but I’d like to hear what you all think!

Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

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2016 is hours away from ending, so it’s time to start looking ahead to 2017.  The new year already looks to be full of great movies, so I thought I’d put together a list of the most anticipated movie of each month.  There are very few months I had to actually stop and think about what I was looking forward to the most, which is pretty amazing.

This is based on movies listed on IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/movies-coming-soon/ as of 12/31/16.

January – “The Red Turtle” – I don’t really have anything super specific to say about this, other than it has caught my attention and I’m looking forward to seeing it.

February – “A Cure for Wellness” – I’ve been looking forward to this since the initial trailer debuted during last season’s “American Horror Story.” The slew of new trailers only leave me more excited.  There’s clearly something going on behind the scenes – it reminds me of “Shutter Island”.  Can’t wait.

March – “Logan” – The final movie that Hugh Jackman will do as Wolverine, and so far it’s actually looking good.  Unfortunately that hasn’t worked out for the past stand-alone Wolverine movies, but I’m still looking forward to this.  And if they’re using “Old Man Logan” as a template, we could be in for something awesome.

Close second goes to “The Belko Experiment”.  If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, go check it out.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCl0bOwq62c

April – “The Circle” – I’m still not 100% sure what this is even about, but it looks interesting.

May – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” – This was already near the top of my “most anticipated of the year” right behind “Star Wars Episode VIII” even before the Baby Groot trailer came out.  “Guardians” is probably my favorite MCU movie to watch over and over again, so of course the sequel is one I’m looking forward to!

June – “Wonder Woman” – Based on the early trailers, it looks like we’re going to get a good DC movie.  I’m hoping it works this time!

Consolation prize to “The Mummy” just because the mummy itself looks pretty awesome.

July – “Spider-Man: Homecoming” – Linking Spider-Man into the MCU should be fun.  And Tom Holland has already given us a preview of the fun he can have with the role in “Captain America: Civil War”.

Second prize goes to “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.

August – Not a lot to pick from at this time (only 4 listed with an August release right now), so I’ll give it to “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” because a cast of Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek and Gary Oldman has to be good for something.

September – September actually doesn’t really have anything I’m looking forward to (as of now).  Remakes of “It” and “Flatliners” feel pretty unnecessary.

October – Sigh.  Another month without much to offer.  Another “Saw” sequel.  Another installment in the “Insidious” series.  Eh.

November – It’s close, but I’ll give it to “Thor: Ragnarok”.  Depending on how “Wonder Woman” works out, I may give the edge to “Justice League”.

December – “Star Wars: Episode VIII” – Duh.  Can you imagine the opening night when the movie ends and there’s a dedication to Carrie Fisher?

Episode VIII

So what do you think?  There are going to be plenty of new movies announced as the year goes on, but what are you looking forward to most right now?

First Thoughts on “Rogue One”

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As a fair warning, this post does include some spoilers from “Rogue One” so if you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. Seriously, don’t even read this sentence. Go watch Yoda sing about how much he hates seagulls. Really, go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E
OK, you’ve been warned.
  

I don’t really consider this a full review, just some thoughts on what I did and didn’t like about “Rogue One”. 

The Good

The best character by far is Donnie Yen’s portrayal of Magic Stick Man (If you don’t know what that is, do yourself a favor and watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CehVgQ43pn0 ). OK, Chirrut Imwe. And his partner Baze Malbus, portrayed by Wen Jiang. Those two have a great chemistry. Throughout the movie, Baze kind of teases his counterpart about his belief in The Force, but as Chirrut is dying and Baze picks up the mantra of “I am one with The Force. The Force is with me”, that was one of the most emotional parts of the movie.

The effects in space. A lot of the ships looked almost “bad” by modern standards, which is a good thing. They had the feel of models used in the original trilogy, which was perfect for a movie leading directly into “A New Hope”.

Some of the little cameos. The a-holes from the Cantina. A few of the pilots in the battle (I didn’t catch all of them, but a buddy pointed it out). The quick little bit with R2-D2 and C3PO.

Vader. Obviously. His best fight scene in any of the movies. And it dawned on me that there isn’t any other villain out there that can be actively beating up the good guys and you’re cheering it on.

Galen Erso and his intentional design flaw. I should put this first, because this is pretty darn close to what I predicted here http://www.jaimeh.com/2016/11/06/bold-prediction-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/. Although I predicted that the exhaust port was intentional, I’m taking credit for the intentional design flaw that he built into the core. 

The direct connection from the end of “Rogue One” going into “A New Hope”. I love that it was almost like “Rogue One” ended with a teaser going into a commercial, and “A New Hope” is was starts up the next episode.

I loved K-2SO. I still love R2-D2 and BB-8 more, but he was great. And he actually had character development. Going from really kind of an a-hole to sacrificing himself to protect Jyn and Cassian was great.

The Bad

There wasn’t a lot that I would consider to truly be “bad” with “Rogue One” but a couple things do stand out. Tarkin. He was too obviously CGI. I felt almost like I was watching Shrek, but as a friend put it, a video game is probably a better comparison. I would have loved them to find an actor who looked very close and just use makeup or some prosthetics to fill in the gap. I really want to say the same for Leia at the end, but at least her shot was just quick.

Vader and the cheese factor. “Don’t choke on your aspirations”. Boo.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say after I go again next week, but those are my initial thoughts. What did you all think?

Bold Prediction: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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If you read my movie prediction on “Doctor Strange” then you know It was a bust.  But that’s not going to stop me from making my prediction on the upcoming “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”.  My inspiration came from the most recent trailer.  If you haven’t seen it yet (what’s wrong with you??), here it is:


In this trailer, we see Jyn’s father, played by Mads Mikkelsen, apparently being taken away by the Empire, and forced to work on the design of the Death Star.  He makes the statement that “Whatever I do, I do it to protect you.”  So he’s going away peacefully in order to protect her, but that gives me the impression that he doesn’t support the empire.  Which leads me to my big prediction:

What could be happening?

What could be happening?

Since he is being forced to work on a superweapon that he does not support, I think the whole exhaust port leading directly to the outside of the Death Star….will be an intentional design flaw.  Although he is helping to design it, he’s going to build in a weakness, hoping it can be found and exploited.

So there it is.  Instead of a “critical design flaw,” it’s intentionally left there for the Rebels.  This immediately popped into my head when I saw that trailer, and I’m sticking with it.

Maybe this was intentional?

Maybe this was intentional?

So what do you think we will see in “Rogue One”?  Am I crazy with my theory?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Movie Review: Dr. Strange

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Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” came out today, and I was able to catch an opening show last night.  This is your standard warning that this does include spoilers, so if you want to avoid that, stop reading now!

Doctor Strange

 

Let’s start with the special effects.  The visuals are stunning.  If you’ve seen the previews, that should be no surprise.  The best way I heard it was “Inception” on LSD.  The nice thing is that no matter how much is going on, it’s done in a way that you can still follow what is going on.

As for the story, although it’s a bit slow to get going (it is an origin story, after all), I really enjoyed it once things got going.  I found the good Doctor to be pretty obnoxious at the beginning, but I get that they had to build the character as an egotistical genius before his accident.  There were some pretty big jumps in time that you just had to accept, but overall I think this was handled well.

The biggest part I’ve been struggling with was toward the end.  In order to defeat his enemies, Strange goes to the Dark Dimension to bargain with Dormammu.  He essentially blackmails Dormammu into taking his enemies away.  After giving it some thought, I really enjoyed this.  Dr. Strange battles lots of enemies far more powerful than any human, and he has to use his intellect to find a way to beat them.  I think a lot of viewers who are used to the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films will be expecting a giant fight.  But Dr. Strange is no Thor, Iron Man or Captain America.  Which is a good thing.

I’m super glad that Marvel has brought Dr. Strange into the movie realm.  He will play a key role in the Avengers’ battle with Thanos, and I can’t wait.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, and look forward to seeing more of him!

What did you think of “Doctor Strange”?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Movie Prediction: Doctor Strange

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This is a new thing I want to try out for a while.  In my “Bold Prediction” posts, I’m going post a prediction about something.  Maybe it’s a movie thing, a sports thing, who knows.  I’m not going to force it into anything, just stuff that comes to mind.  And I’ll try to do a follow up post to talk about whether or not I’m right.

So here’s my first one.  With Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” coming out next week, my prediction is that we’ll get an introduction to Captain Marvel.  I don’t think she’ll actually play a role in the movie, but I think she will show up during the credits scene.

Captain Marvel

(Warning, this next paragraph may contain spoilers. I’m going to talk about the “Infinity Gauntlet” comic that I suspect will be a large influence on the “Avengers: Infinity War” movie)
So why do I think this?  There are a couple things.  First, I read somewhere that she was intended to be introduced at the end of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” but since the actress wasn’t cast yet, that had to be put on hold (sorry, I can’t remember where I read this so you’ll have to trust me).  Second, the way I’m picturing this is that at the end of everything, Strange will be experimenting with the limits of his powers.  During the “Infinity Gauntlet” struggle, he was the one who transported the avengers across the galaxy to battle Thanos, so we know he has this much power at some point, and likely will need to get there before the Avengers battle Thanos.  I think he’ll be experimenting, and meet her this way.

Doctor Strange

So what do you think?  Am I crazy, or does this make sense?  Leave your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll all find out in about a week!

Why we (will) need a new Batman backstory

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As I was watching “Batman V Superman,” I noticed the date on Martha Wayne’s tombstone.  In this movie, she died in 1981 (of course I can’t find a screenshot online and I don’t have the movie myself).  This makes sense since the movie is in a more or less modern day, and she would have needed to die in an appropriate year to put Bruce Wayne at his current age.  This issue is that going forward, this is going to need to change.

I don’t really know when the paparazzi in the US kind of spread all over, but at some point I would find it hard to believe that the billionaire philanthropists of Gotham wouldn’t have at least one dedicated paparazzo following them around.  If they went out for the evening, I would call bullshit that there wouldn’t be someone with a camera waiting for them.  There’s no way some random thug just randomly mugs them on the street.

I’m not saying that the Wayne’s unfortunate death can’t still happen, but it’s got to be something other than a random mugging while walking out of the theater.