Summary: Blockbuster films are blockbusters because mirror our hopes and fears. As does The Last Jedi, putting on the big screen the historic power shift now underway in the West. The new Star Wars shows us a galaxy of strong gals. “{Ren is} just another agreeable gal 50 standard deviations above the mean in just about everything.” …
The Last Jedi: girls rule, giving a New Hope to the galaxy! Read More »
Summary: The Last Jedi powerfully conveys two major themes of our time, projected with powerful CGI and compelling acting. Critics focus on the acting and CGI, and so usually ignore much of what makes these films a success at the box office. These films are set in a fictional universe, but their dynamics are those we …
The Last Jedi: loser Boomers & a new hope from Millennials Read More »
Summary: The Last Jedi is easily the most fascinating film of 2017, rich with insights about who we are and what we have become. This is the first of the reviews to be run here, each giving a different perspective on the film. You can use these to better understand what you have seen — or …
Review of The Last Jedi: a finely manufactured product! Read More »
Summary: Few of the reviews, whether giving one or five stars, well describe Justice League. This brief spoiler-free review (nothing not seen in the trailers) explains why you should see it. If you have seen it, this highlights some points you might not have fully appreciated. Post your thoughts about it in the comments. This …
“Justice League” is the film we need, not the one we deserve Read More »
Summary: Thor: Ragnarok is a fun, shallow, passionless film. Good to fill an empty afternoon, but a waste of potentially great mythic material. Like all our blockbuster films, it provides a mirror in which we can more clearly see how the West is evolving. Thor: Ragnarok is a fun film. Like most recent blockbusters, the …
“Thor: Ragnarok” is a passionless apocalypse, but revealing Read More »
