Re-watching Star Wars – Solo: A Star Wars Story

June 25, 2022July 5, 2022 ~ dbw

A few nights ago we watched Solo: A Star Wars Story, the next movie in the Star Wars chronological timeline after the prequel trilogy.

This is not a review and it isn’t meant to rain on anybody’s opinion of this movie – it’s simply an attempt to articulate my own feelings about it. Your mileage may most definitely vary.

I’ve never really understood the antipathy toward Solo from a lot of fans/critics. I remember seeing it at the theater when it was first released in 2018 and enjoying it immensely. Perhaps the difference is that I’m what I would call a casual Star Wars fan. I do (mostly) enjoy the movies and tv series, and I have characters I love – one of which is definitely Han Solo – and characters I hate. But as much as I have opinions about various things in the Star Wars Universe, I’ve never been particularly upset when those opinions aren’t reflected back at me from what’s on the screen. Solo is a case in point.

Warning! Spoilers Below (if there can be such a thing as spoilers for a movie released in 2018).

Continue reading →

Re-watching Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith

June 14, 2022July 5, 2022 ~ dbw

We watched the third movie in the Star Wars prequel trilogy last night – Revenge of the Sith.

This is not a review. It’s just my thoughts after watching this movie for the first time since it was released in theaters in 2005. This isn’t meant to rain on anybody’s love for this movie – it’s an attempt to articulate my own feelings about it. Your mileage may most definitely vary.

I know I must have gone to the theater to see Revenge of the Sith, but I honestly don’t remember anything about it (unlike the first two movies in the prequel trilogy). So, essentially, last night I was watching it for the first time.

The plot of Revenge of the Sith was actually a little tighter than the first two movies, so that was a plus in its favor. It still had its share of clunky, stilted dialogue and wooden acting, but certainly not as much as in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Warning! Spoilers Below (if there can be such a thing as spoilers for a movie released in 2005).

What I Liked

Continue reading →

Re-watching Star Wars – Attack of the Clones

June 12, 2022July 5, 2022 ~ dbw

We’re watching the Star Wars movies in order, and last night we watched the second movie.

This is not a review. It’s just my thoughts after re-watching Attack of the Clones for the first time in about 20 years. This isn’t meant to rain on anybody’s love for this movie – it’s an attempt to articulate my own feelings about it. Your mileage may most definitely vary.

I remember watching Attack of the Clones when it was first released in the theater. But unlike with the first movie, I can’t remember anything about it. Essentially, last night was like watching it for the first time.

Compared to the mess that was The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones is a better movie. That bar was set very low, though. The plot was better, but still overly complicated. At least the tone of the movie was consistent this time.

Warning! Spoilers Below (if there can be such a thing as spoilers for a movie released in 2002).

What I Liked

Continue reading →

Re-watching Star Wars – The Phantom Menace

June 11, 2022July 5, 2022 ~ dbw

We’re watching the Star Wars movies from the beginning (in chronological timeline order), starting with The Phantom Menace.

This is not a review. It’s just my thoughts after re-watching The Phantom Menace last night for the first time in at least 20 years. This isn’t meant to rain on anybody’s love for this movie – it’s an attempt to articulate my own feelings about it. Your mileage may most definitely vary.

When this movie was first released, I watched it in the theater. I remember I was blown away by the special effects, but disappointed with the story. Knowing that time can change one’s perception, I was curious if my original opinion would change upon seeing it again after all these years. It did, but not in a good way.

I really was hoping I’d have a much more positive reaction this time around. Yeah. Not so much.

I think the entire problem for me with The Phantom Menace can be summed up by saying that the movie couldn’t figure out whether it wanted to be a kid’s adventure or an adult drama, and it did neither of those things well. Considering it’s the first movie in the tragedy trilogy of Anakin Skywalker, I’d say the attempts at a “kid’s adventure” feeling were particularly egregious. Not to say that there shouldn’t have been humor. There absolutely should have been – just not the kind of humor that was actually in the movie.

Warning! Spoilers Below (if there can be such a thing as spoilers for a movie released in 1999).

What I Liked

Continue reading →

Re-watching Lewis

April 15, 2022June 12, 2022 ~ dbw

I’ve started re-watching Inspector Lewis (Lewis in the UK) recently. It’s been long enough since I’ve watched it that I’ve forgotten individual program details (though rarely whodunnit). What I’m coming away with is an even deeper appreciation for this show than I had after watching it when it was first released (which is saying something).

Well written, wonderfully acted, and quietly intelligent — not to mention the lovely backdrop of Oxford — what more could you want? Lewis is thought-provoking and entertaining, without the need for blood and gore. Watching it makes me want to cry when I think of all the crap that’s pumped out to the masses today in the name of “entertainment,” bloated with jam-packed, over-the-top action scenes substituted for well-written plot and actual, you know, character development. That’s not to say that all action movies are crap — they aren’t — just that it seems like there’s an over-abundance of the “crap” versions out there these days, along with a dearth of shows like Lewis.

Oh well. If you’re looking for something intelligent to watch — and that are more subtle than the ubiquitous multi-car crash scenes or unrealistic fight scenes — I highly recommend Inspector Lewis. Watching Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway solve crimes together is a real pleasure for any mystery buff.

Quick Fic Announcement

February 14, 2021February 28, 2022 ~ dbw

Just a quick announcement that I have a new story up on Archive of Our Own. Well, not new as such, since I wrote it last year and posted it on July 4, 2020. I just forgot to announce it here.

Title: Fate Is Just A Four Letter Word
Fandom: Timeless
Total Words: 8081
Summary: A fix-it of sorts for the series finale.
This story starts during part one of the series finale at the end of Connor Mason’s toast to Flynn. Turns out Lucy isn’t willing to let Flynn rot in 2012, not when she has a time machine with an autopilot at her disposal.

And We’re Off!

June 28, 2020 ~ dbw

Just putting the last touches on the new site. Looking forward to having a place to think out loud about Story (and being a fan, I suppose).