Suspicion

• Title:  Suspicion
• Director:  Alfred Hitchcock
• Studio:  RKO Radio Pictures
• Date:  1941
• Genre:  Mystery, Film Noir, Drama
• Cast:  Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Leo G. Carroll, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce
• Format:  B/W, Standard
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"I'm honest because with you I think it's the best way to get results." -- Johnnie

"Monkey-face, I've been broke all my life!" -- Johnnie

Suspicion starts like any light romantic comedy.  Johnnie (Cary Grant) meets Lina on a train and tries to pick her up, but she's unimpressed.  They run into each other again at a fox hunt.  He talks her for a walk on a Sunday, and makes a date for later that afternoon.  Lina announces this to her parents, but he breaks their date for that afternoon, and for a week, Lina is miserable because she hasn't seen him in so long.  However, he returns just in time for the hunt ball.  Very soon after, Lina sneaks out of  her parents house and the two are married at the registry office.  The two go on a whirl-wind European honeymoon, then return to a new house - where Lina discovers that Johnnie has no money.

Suddenly, instead of a light romance, the film resembles Gaslight.  Over and over, Lina picks up on her husband acting weirdly, or suspiciously.  But she has no proof, no idea what's really going on, and every time Johnnie's money troubles seem to catch up with him, he suddenly comes up with the money he needs (such as a £2000 pound windfall that Johnnie claims he got from the track).  Lina notices her husband is fascinated with detective and murder stories... but at first thinks nothing of  it.  But when Johnnie's dear friend, Beaky, dies under mysterious circumstances, Lina goes to their mutual friend Isobel, a mystery writer.  Isobel talks about her recent mystery, where a man causes another man to walk over a weakened foot bridge and fall to his death.  Isobel says that morally it's murder if the first man knew the bridge was weak.  She then casually says "It's the same with Johnnie's friend, Beaky."  Beaky had died after drinking a large amount of  brandy in a drinking contest - despite his allergy to brandy.  Lina freaks at this, because she knows that Johnnie knows about Beaky's allergy, and that Beaky would sometimes still drink brandy even though it caused him to have fits, and trouble breathing.  Later, Isobel, her husband, Lina, Johnny, and a strange blond woman dressed as a man have a dinner party.  Johnnie's dinner conversation though not only focuses on murder but on untraceable poisons.  Lina's so freaked she won't let him into her bedroom that night.

Things finally come to a head when Lina decides to go home to spend a few days with her mother.  Johnnie insists on driving her.  On a winding road, Lina thinks he's trying to kill her, but he pulls her back into the car, then yells at her.  When they talk, Lina comes to the conclusion that Johnnie was considering suicide as a way out of  his money problems, and for her to get his insurance money to settle his debts for once and for all.  Lina throws herself  into his arms, and they drive back towards their house.

In Gaslight, Ingrid Bergman gradually comes to realize that her husband is a criminal who only married her to have access to the empty house next to hers, where he thinks there's a treasure.  The husband manipulates his wife, trying to make her think she's going insane - and she's only saved at the last minute by a kind policeman.

Suspicion is much more unsettling.  Cary Grant is very menacing - and switches from his "happy go lucky", "everything is fine" personality to someone who is truly scary like lightening.  He clearly seems to not only not want to work, but to only have a talent for losing money - and he routinely borrows money to pay off  his most insistent debtors.  Yet, at the same time, Joan Fontaine's Lina, seems almost paranoid.  We see her getting little pieces of evidence that her husband's up to no good, such as when she goes to visit him at his office, and learns from his employer and a family friend (played brilliantly by Leo G. Carroll) that Johnnie was fired weeks ago after £2000 went missing from the business.  But each time she finds something out, he has an explanation and she forgives him and realizes that she loves him.

What makes the film brilliant is that because of Grant's superb acting, and the way he flips back-and-forth between menace and light-hearted kindness, one is never sure of his motives.  Does he want to kill his wife for her money?  It doesn't appear so, he never actually does anything to her.  Yet, at the same time, he's almost slimy in the way that he always has an answer for everything.  At times, Lina seems very alone, but at others she has no problem going out - she visits Isobel with no problems, and sees other friends who seem jealous of  her relationship with Johnnie.  Suspicion is a masterful, and short (only 99 minutes) film with no concrete endings.  I highly recommend it.

Recommendation:  See it!

Rating:  5 of  5 Stars

Next Film:  Swing Time

Batman The Dark Knight Rises

• Title:  (Batman) The Dark Knight Rises
• Director:  Christopher Nolan
• Date:  2012
• Studio:  Warner Brothers
• Genre:  Drama, Action
• Cast:  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Burn Gorman, Matthew Modine, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"You hung-up your cape and cowl but you didn't move on - you never went to find a life.  To find someone..." -- Alfred Pennyworth
"Alfred, I did find someone." -- Bruce Wayne
"I know, and you lost them.  But that's all part of living, sir.  But you're not living, you're just waiting, hoping for things to go bad again." -- Alfred

"I never wanted you to come back to Gotham.  I always knew there was nothing here for you except pain and tragedy and I wanted something more for you than that.  I still do." -- Alfred

"I take what I need from those who have more than enough.  I don't stand on the shoulders of those who have less."  -- Selina Kyle

The Dark Knight Rises opens with a James Bond-like opening sequence, the CIA flies into some country to "rescue" Dr. Pavel, a nuclear physicist.  But Bane, a mercenary and his men take the doctor from the plane and kill everyone on board by causing the plane to crash.  The film then quickly moves to Gotham City.

In Gotham City, the mayor, and Police Commissioner James Gordon are at a celebration/benefit/ceremony for "Harvey Dent Day", Gotham's solemn civic acknowledgement of  the death of  Harvey Dent.  The mayor also mentions that the "Dent Act" has allowed Gotham's police to arrest those involved in organized crime and keep them in jail without parole.  Gordon looks at a speech he's written out, but at the last minute he folds it up and doesn't give the speech.  We learn later that this speech was Gordon's "confession" of  the truth of  what Harvey Dent did after he became Two-Face towards the end of  The Dark Knight - as well as the truth of  what Batman did and did not do.  That is, that eight years ago, Batman took the fall for Dent's actions, then disappeared.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has become a recluse.  He catches a maid stealing his mother's pearls from his safe, and later realizes she lifted his fingerprints too.  Bruce uses his computers in the Batcave to find out who the maid/catburglar is - she's Selina Kyle.

A young man's body is found in Gotham's tunnels.  One of the investigating officers from Gotham's PD realizes it was someone he knows and goes to St. Swindon's Boys home to tell the man's younger brother the bad news.  Later, Officer Blake goes to Bruce Wayne's home.  He lets Bruce know that he knows that Bruce was the Batman, and that he doesn't believe "he did what they say he did" - but also casually mentions the boys' home is no longer receiving aid from the Wayne Foundation.  Bruce is puzzled by this and decides to clean himself up and head into Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox to find out what is going on.  He discovers that Wayne Enterprises is on shaky financial footing, following Bruce's mothballing of  a fusion reactor clean energy project.

Catwoman sells Bruce's prints... but she's also prepared for the deal to go south, which it does.  She has the bad guy she sells the prints to call her friend outside using the cell phone of  a politician she kidnapped at Wayne's party.  When the police arrive, she screams, cries and "acts helpless" as a cover so the police ignore her as a victim and she escapes.

Gordon, meanwhile, is investigating in Gotham's tunnels.  He's captured by Bane's men and brought to Bane.  Bane isn't happy about this, kills two of  his own men, and shoots Gordon - dumping all three in an underground river or conduit that leads to the sewers and eventually out to the river.  But Bane takes Gordon's speech about the truth of  what Harvey Dent did and Batman's innocence.  Blake finds Gordon, washed onto a concrete shore.

Blake tells Bruce Wayne about Gordon getting shot, and Bane's underground (literally) army.  Blake knows that Bruce is Batman and asks him to help.  He tells Bruce, "I don't know why you took the fall for Dent's murder but I'm still a believer in The Batman, even if you're not."

Bruce goes to Miranda Tate's charity ball, where he runs into Selina Kyle.  Miranda was one of  his main investors for the fusion clean energy project.  While they dance, Selina warns Bruce that a storm is coming.

When Bruce goes to Wayne Enterprises - Lucius Fox shows him "The Bat", a stealth urban helicopter (similar in design to the Tumbler car, but for the air).

Bane and his gang attack the Gotham stock market.  Batman arrives to chase the "robbers" of  the stock exchange.  However, all he really does is distract the police.  One particularly enthusiastic cop decides he rather take down The Batman than catch any of  Bane's men from the stock exchange action.  Batman fails to stop Bane's computer program from uploading into the stock exchange, but does grab the Netbook they used.  Batman escapes the police in The Bat.

Selina, in her Catwoman outfit, goes after Daggett, the man she sold Bruce's fingerprints to.  He'd promised her the "Clean Slate" program to wipe her name, details, and police record from every database in the world.  But when she claims what's hers - he tells her it doesn't exist.  Batman arrives.  Batman and Catwoman fight Daggett's troops, then escape in The Bat.

Batman lets Selina off, and returns home.  He's admonished by Alfred, who's had enough.  Alfred tells Bruce the truth - he burnt Rachel's letter than explained she was going to marry Harvey Dent - to spare Bruce pain.  In the ensuing argument - Alfred says he will leave.

The next morning, Bruce is woken up, not by Alfred, but by the front doorbell.  And his faithful butler is no where in sight.  Fox tells Bruce he's broke and Wayne Enterprises will soon be in the hands of  Daggett.  The energy project is in danger, though "Applied Sciences" is off  the books and all the weapons and tech hidden there are truly hidden.

Daggett meets with Bane - Bane tortures him and off screen, kills him.

Bruce sleeps with Miranda on the floor of  his mansion, before the fireplace - since he has no power or heat in the old house.

Batman meets Catwoman, she takes him to Bane, but locks him in.  Bane and Batman fight.  They are in the wet tunnels, near the underground river/sewer.  It's a wet, dark, echoy place for a fight.  Bane breaks into Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences, blowing the floor.  He then breaks Batman's back and his Cowl - holding it up as a trophy, and making Bruce's physical and psychological defeat complete.

Blake goes to Wayne Manor but finds it abandoned.  However, he catches Selina Kyle at the airport.

Bruce, meanwhile, wakes in the Pit prison.  Bane says it's the worse prison, because with the chimney leading out... there's hope, in the midst of despair, which for Bane makes the despair worse.

Selina is jailed in Blackgate.  Bane takes Fox, Miranda, and a board member into the sewers and to the fusion reactor.  When Blake tells Gordon - he asks one of  his cops to start and all-out search of  the tunnels.  He promotes Blake to detective and asks him to investigate Daggett and his enterprises.

Bane gets Miranda to activate the fusion reactor.  Bane also lures all the Gotham PD police into the Gotham tunnels.

Bane pulls the core from the reactor, creating a bomb, plus the core will decay and explode in five months.  Blake realizes Daggett's cement pours were actually laced with explosives.

A boy soprano sings the American National Anthem at a Gotham Knight football stadium, just as he finishes, Bane walks in and blows the concrete, trapping all of  the Gotham police force in the underground tunnels.  Blake was just a moment too late to get the cops out.  The football stadium also collapses as do streets and bridges all over Gotham - and all but one bridge off the island.  Bane has Dr. Pavel explain about the bomb, then kills Pavel. The bomb is mobile and "an ordinary Gothamite" holds the trigger.  Seeing the police trapped, Blake goes to the hospital for Gordon.

Anarchy soon reigns in Gotham City.  Bane and his men let all the inmates out of  Blackgate Prison.  His men "patrol" the streets in cameo tumbler cars stolen from Wayne Enterprises.  Looting, robberies, beatings, and total chaos take over as Gotham City is left as a city without any government or police whatsoever.  The few police not in the tunnels during the collapse are hunted and killed (again, off-screen).  A very few start an underground resistance movement.  Meanwhile, the US president makes an appeal than Gotham isn't forgotten, but won't risk the terrorists in the city exploding the nuke.  Also, with all the bridges and tunnels in and out of the island blown, and Winter starting, soon food, especially fresh food, is hard to come by.

Selina is appalled by what has happened to her city.

In Bane's prison, Bruce is heart-broken by what has happened to his city, but he also begins to re-build his back.  In prison, Bruce learns of  a child, the child of Ra's al Ghul and his lover then wife was the only one to escape the prison.  This child had a protector in the prison.  Bruce remembers what he learned from Ra's al Ghul, and his heart-break at the loss of  his wife.  With the help of another inmate, Bruce slowly rebuilds his strength.

Bruce ends up trying to climb out of  his prison twice, and failing.  The second time, he remembers his father rescuing him from his fall down the well on Wayne Manor property.

In Gotham, Gordon and Blake explain what's going on to the special forces.  Fox and Miranda explain the bomb is a time bomb and it will go off.  Bane's men attack and the special forces guy is killed by Bane.

For the third time, Bruce attempts to climb out of  the well - he takes supplies, and doesn't use the rope.  As the inmates chant, "rise", in a foreign language... he makes it.  Bruce throws a climbing rope down to the other inmates as he leaves.

In Gotham, Selina beats up a couple of guys who are beating up a kid.  Bruce returns to Gotham.  Bruce offers her the clean slate program for her help.

Gordon is arrested and tried in the Scarecrow's court.  He's sentenced to death - by exile.

Catwoman rescues Bruce and Fox.  Bruce takes Fox to The Bat to get an EMP Emitter to block the trigger of  the bomb.

Gordon's inching across the ice of  the Gotham River when Batman returns and his sign burns on the bridge.  Batman rescues Gordon and his men - then rescues Blake.  Batman and Blake free the cops.  Batman sends Blake to get people out of  the city.  Selina gets the Batcycle and a route out of  Gotham.  There's a melee between Bane's men and the police.

Gordon searches for the truck (one of  three) with the bomb.  Blake recues the boys from St. Swindon's and does a quick house to house warning.

Batman defeats Bane, demands to know who the trigger is.  Miranda is Talia, the child of  Ra's Al Ghul, Bane's her "protector" from the prison, and she holds the trigger.  She knifes Batman in the back.  Gordon finds the bomb and tries to block the signal.  However, the bomb is still a time bomb.  Catwoman rescues Batman.  Cops from outside Gotham blow the last remaining bridge, despite Blake's warnings.

Bruce in The Bat, and Catwoman on a Batcycle challenge Talia in a Tumbler.  The heat seekers that chase The Bat hit the Tumbler instead.  Fox discovers the reactor's being flooded - they won't be able to reattach the core to stop the meltdown.  Talia dies.  Batman will fly the bomb over Gotham harbor.  When Gordan asks who he is -- Bruce gives him a hint, and Gordon realizes he's Bruce Wayne.

Batman literally flies into the sun, and the bomb explodes "harmlessly" over the Ocean.

Gordon quotes "A Tale of Two Cities" at Bruce's grave.  Fox, Alfred, and Blake are all there at the gravesite.  Alfred cries and blames himself.  Blake quits the force.  Gotham unveils a statue of  The Batman.  The Wayne Estate goes to Alfred, but the house is turned into a home for orphaned children.  John Blake is "Robin John Blake" and he gets GPS co-ordinates to the Batcave which he explores.  Fox discovers The Bat had an autopilot after all, despite Bruce saying it didn't.  Finally, in a small cafe, abroad, Alfred sees Bruce and Selina -- and they see him.  And Gordon has a new Bat Signal.

I loved this movie when I saw it in the theater -- three times.  What Nolan did particularly well was he managed to create a Super-Hero trilogy, that was a trilogy -- with a definite beginning, middle, and end, rather than the normal run of sequels one gets for the genre.  I loved how The Dark Knight Rises ties up the story, and I thought the flashbacks were particularly well realized.

Bane's attack on Batman is much more deeply psychological - and personal (once you know who he is) than the physical attack in the graphic novel set (all three volumes of  it, known collectively as Knightfall).  In the graphic novel, Bane starts by letting all the villains out of Arkham -- Batman has to fight them all, becoming exhausted.  Alfred and Dick Greyson (Nightwing) warn him about exhaustion - but stubbornly Bruce doesn't listen, and thus the steroid-enhanced Bane is able to physically beat him and break his back.  Nolan's film has Bane, step by step, take everything from Bruce:  his fortune, Wayne Enterprises, Alfred (who's manipulated into a "tough love" confrontation that goes horribly wrong), even his city.  Yes, Bane break's his back, and symbolically, the cowl too, thus breaking The Batman, but it's the psychological devastation that really breaks Bruce's spirit.  And it's Bruce's comeback from that psychological "bottom" that makes the film so interesting and triumphant.  Bruce is physically thrown in a well, a Pit, and he's in physical agony and psychological despair... but he comes back, which makes it a heartening film, and a joy to watch.  Bruce also seems ready to finally hang up his cape and cowl for good... though the film places enough hints for a "Nightwing" film for "Robin John" Blake.

Another major departure of  the film from the graphic novel set, is Bane is quite different.  The costume is different, his back story is different, Bane's connected to Talia and Ra's al Ghul, and Bane's dependence on the addictive steroid, Venom (not to be confused with the Marvel character Venom), is dropped.  I was really surprised by that first time I saw the film, but each time I saw it, I found the connections from Bane to Talia (Miranda) to Ra's al Ghul, just suit the plot so much better... and bring the entire story line to a very satisfactory conclusion.

Overall, I really, really liked it.  The script crackles with great dialogue, as did the previous two in the series.  Though I think Alfred would never leave Bruce, the film makes it work as both a form of  tough love on Alfred's part, and really a challenge between father and son.  For Bruce to really be his own man, he both has to lose everything and he has to regain everything, and that includes his surrogate father.  Though I do wish he and Alfred had spoken when they see each other in the cafe.  But, on the other hand, they don't need to.  Alfred and Bruce understand each other without having to speak.

Anne Hathaway's Catwoman was not the "bored socialite cat burglar" or the "hooker trying to make a living" of previous Batman stories (both in print and on tv/film).  She's rough, and tough, and she thinks she wants what Bane promises -- an end to the wealthy, privileged, useless upper class.  But when she sees what's happened to Gotham, she hates it.  Selina realizes that without any law, anarchy rules - and in anarchy the poor and the weak suffer even more than they did under the rich, something Selina hadn't thought was possible.  This is why she allies with Batman.  For once, this Selina does not have any physical attraction to Batman, not 'til the end, when she and Bruce run off  together.  Selina even appears to really, really hate men.  A word needs to be said about Anne Hathaway's costumes too.  Her Catwoman costume was great... it looks more like armor than the sexy, sorry, catsuit, of other catwomen, and it has long sleeves and what looks like a corset underneath.  I actually really liked it, and would like to know more about the construction from the costume designer.  Because, wow!  Selina's other clothes were equally impressive, she reminded me a lot of  Audrey Hepburn, a classic actress known for her clothes and unique sense of style.  The hat Selina wears to the airport is particularly Hepburn-esque.  I have no idea if  this was intentional, but the styles, mostly in black, looked great on Hathaway.

The score by Hans Zimmer was excellent, as have been all three Nolan Batman film scores by Zimmer.  The score for The Dark Knight Rises is haunting and dark, and is very effective in how it adds to the film.  Also, I thought it was really very neat the way that several times the film becomes almost silent and it's simply images and music - including the end, after Bruce Wayne's graveside funeral service.  Nolan really knows how to use imagery and light and how to integrate that with the musical score, for a uniquely filmic quality.  It's a rare talent in a modern director and should be celebrated.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 of  5 Stars
Next Film:  Suspicion

Superman and Batman Apocalypse

• Title:  Superman and Batman Apocalypse
• Director:  Lauren Montgomery
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2010
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Action, Animation, Drama
• Cast:  Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Summer Glau, Edward Asner, Andre Braugher
• Format: Color Animation, Widescreen
• DVD Format:   R1, NTSC

"This is how they see you.  Bigger than life.  You're their champion."-- Kara to Clark

"Ever since this girl came into our lives, you've let your guard down, Clark, even exposed your secret identity - despite common sense."-- Batman
"Unlike you, Bruce, I don't look for the bad in everyone.  You may think I'm naive but every instinct tells me this girl is my cousin.  She's done nothing to show me otherwise and she'll be safe with me."-- Superman

"This might not be the right time, but you've always been an inspiration to me."-- Big Barda
"Barda..."-- Wonder Woman
"Seriously, Diana, when someone brings hope to another person?  It's a gift."-- Big Barda

The film opens with the voice-over of a radio talk show, among items mentioned are  former President Lex Luthor's impeachment and the frequent meteor showers of Kyptonite meteorites.  Both items refer to the previous film, Superman Batman Public Enemies.  Suddenly, a huge meteor hits in Gotham harbor and eyewitnesses call it in to the radio station, cue opening credits.

A naked girl arrives on the Gotham docks.  Longshoremen act, well, as they would, but she trashes two of them.  A third gives her his trench-coat.  She takes it, then runs into the street, where she's hit by a car, which barely slows her down.  This mysterious girl causes havoc where ever she goes.  Batman catches up to her, and she blows up one of  Gotham's new auto-blimps.  Superman arrives and tosses the blimp into the harbor before it can crash into something and cause real damage.  Batman meanwhile uses Kryptonite to calm down the girl.  This knocks her out and he's able to take her to the Batcave.

In the Batcave, Superman arrives, and he and Kara speak in Krypton.  Superman learns this is Kara, his cousin.  Krypto the dog also arrives, but doesn't seem to trust Kara.  Batman and Superman agree to keep her in quarantine.  Kara remembers her parents putting her in a ship, then dying (as well as the bright flash of the planet being destroyed).  Batman, still not sure, is protective of  Superman.

Meanwhile on Apocalypse, Darkseid is training a new Queen Fury.  However, she fails her test - a fight with the Furies, and is killed.  Granny Goodness and Darkseid look on during the fight.

Clark takes Kara shopping (and appears to have Bruce Wayne's budget).  They end up in a park, where he shows her a statue of Superman.  There's a bright flash of  light, and someone arrives.  Kara fights, her powers get out of control, and she trashes the park.  Wonder Woman and Batman explain Kara needs more training and they are taking her away for her own good.  Reluctantly, Superman agrees.

Wonder Woman takes Kara to Paradise Island.  Superman and Batman, along with Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters, watch Kara battle Artemis.  Kara loses.  Superman is a bit freaked by this and even tries to protect his cousin from a perceived threat.  Kara runs off  and spends time with her friend the Prophetess Harbinger.

Meanwhile a Boom Tube arrives bringing Doomsday - an army of  Doomsdays.  Wonder Woman leads her army of Amazons to fight them.  Batman and Superman fight as well.  Superman defeats the Doomdays with his heat vision.  He's upset by using his power in such a way, but Wonder Woman point out they weren't really alive.  Batman realizes the attack was a diversion and leads Superman and Wonder Woman to find Kara.  On the other side of  Paradise Island, Superman approaches a body in the water - it's Harbinger.  Kara's been taken to Apocalypse.

Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman drop in on Big Barda, who's in witness protection in a small town. They ask her for Mother Box so they can open a Boom Tube to Apocalypse.  Barda offers to come too.  The four soon arrive on Apocalypse.  Big Barda and Wonder Woman face the Furies.  Batman faces mechanical tiger/dog beasts.  Superman also faces off against mechanical monsters before challenging Darkseid.

However, when Superman gets to Darkseid, Kara's been brainwashed to fight for him.  Batman arrives in Darkseid's throne room and tells him he's set all the hell spores (megaton bombs - a single one can destroy a planet, Batman has rigged 500) to blow.  Darkseid thinks Batman is bluffing and threatens him with the Omega Beam.  However, as they fight and Darkseid over-powers Batman, he realizes that Batman might not be bluffing.  He releases Batman and Kara to Superman.  Darkseid orders Batman to disarm the hell spores and leave Apocalypse.

Clark takes Kara to Smallville and to the Kent farm.  But instead of  his parents, Darkseid is waiting there.  Darkseid threatens Kara with his Omega beams.  Both Kara and Clark fight Darkseid.  Darkseid sends Superman into orbit, but he drifts towards the sun - regaining his powers.  Seeing Kara hurt, Superman goes nuts, and trashes Darkseid.  Darkseid uses his Omega beams.  Superman does a good impersonation of a twister on Darkseid.  Darkseid leaves via Boom Tube.  Superman embraces Kara.  She reveals she's changed the destination on the Boom Tube - sending Darkseid into deep space.  The Kents arrive, only to see their farm has  been trashed and their house collapses.  Clark promises to re-build everything.

At the end, Superman introduces Supergirl (Kara) to the Amazons on Paradise Island.

Overall, I liked this better the second time around.  It's still not as much fun as Public Enemies, and it's definitely more a Superman story than a Batman one.  In fact the graphic novel this is based on is Superman Batman  Supergirl.  But I liked that Wonder Woman had such a big part in the film.  It was also very cool to see Big Barda - and as a good guy no less (she's often ambiguous at best).  Darkseid is a Superman villian, though, so again, very much a Superman story.  The voice cast is excellent - Kevin Conroy reprises his role from Batman the Animated Series and Justice League.  Susan Eisenberg is again Wonder Woman (she had voiced Wonder Woman / Diana in Justice League).  Tim Daly from Superman the Animated Series and Superman / Batman Public Enemies is back.  And the guest cast includes Summer Glau as Supergirl, Ed Asner as Granny Goodness, and Andre Braugher as Darkseid.  The film also has a lot, and I mean, a lot of fight sequences.  There are a few character moments, but not many.  I'd have preferred a more character-driven storyline with fewer fight sequences.  Also, I would have liked to see more of  Clark's views of  Bruce and Bruce's views of Clark - as that was what made the graphic novel series so much fun.

Recommendation:  See it, especially if you are a Superman fan.
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Suspicion  (Or The Dark Knight Rises - which I just got on DVD)

Superman Batman Public Enemies

• Title:  Superman Batman Public Enemies
• Director: Sam Liu
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2009
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Animation, Action, Drama
• Cast:  Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, CCH Pounder, LeVar Burton
• Format:  Color Animation, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Luther did the one thing nobody was expecting.  He made things boring again.  And boring's good, isn't it?  The economy's back to normal, crime's down, there are no wars or anything."  -- Power Girl

"You mean those so-called super heroes?"-- Lex Luthor
"They do work for you now, most of  them anyway." -- Amanda Waller
"That's to keep them from working against me.  I'm not going to put the fate of  this planet in the hands of... of  freaks and monsters." -- Lex Luthor

"It doesn't matter what any of us think, Luthor's the president and what he says goes." -- Capt. Atom

"You're not going to tell me you killed him for your country, are you?"-- Batman
"Some of us still believe in putting our country first."-- Maj. Force
"Sorry, but I don't see any patriotism here.  All I see is a psycho who latched onto an excuse to kill people and who's so stupid he doesn't realize he's being used by Luthor."-- Batman

This is the second time I've watched this film, and it does stand up to re-watching, something that's difficult for animated films to do.  The two Superman Batman animated films are based on a series of  Superman Batman Graphic Novels (collections of  the soft-cover books).  This film in particular is based on the graphic novel of the same name, which I loved, and I think it's one of the best in an excellent series of  books.

The film opens with a voice-over and video montage of  economic collapse.  Companies are laying off workers, people are demanding jobs in protests, people are getting evicted and living in tent cities, there are audio clips of politicians telling people to "tighten their belts", there's a corresponding rise in crime, and martial law is imposed.  Into this walks Lex Luthor, campaigning for the presidency on a "third party" ticket.  He wins.

And in his first speech, he attacks super heroes, while introducing the country to his own hand-picked super hero force:  Power Girl, Captain Atom, Major Force, Black Lightening, and some other female hero (who's neither recognizable or important to the plot).  They're stooges, essentially, even Power Girl, who should know better than to trust Luthor.

Luthor then, privately, discusses the private threat he hasn't yet revealed to the public - a meteor of pure Kryptonite is heading straight for Earth, and will hit the planet in seven days.  Luthor's plan?  Destroy it with nuclear missiles, of course.  Amanda Waller, and later even Luthor's own general ask Luthor to consider a back-up plan, but he ignores their advice, swearing he's made the calculations himself and he knows he will succeed.

Batman and Superman are together in the Batcave below Wayne Manor when Luthor announces he wants a meeting with Superman to "bury the hatchet".  Both Bruce and Clark know it's probably a trap, but they go anyway.  At the meeting, Luthor threatens Superman, then unleases Metallo - a Krypton-powered metal man whose very presence hurts the man of steel.  Metallo and Superman fight.  Batman arrives to rescue Superman, and is nearly strangled.  Superman rescues Batman but gets shot with a Kryptonite bullet. Batman blows Metallo to smithereens, but Superman warns he'll re-form.  Batman and Superman are covered in the dirt, ash, and rock from the explosion.  But before Batman can remove the Kryptonite bullet from Superman, he realizes that Metallo is after them again.  Batman sets off another explosion, and he and Superman escape through the sewers.  The explosions catches them, though.  Clark sees Bruce lying face down in the water, "Bruce!  It's not ending here... I won't let it!" he gasps, and moves to his friend's side, and pulls him out of the water.  Bruce coughs up the water, somewhat recovered, and the two limp their way through the sewers to the Batcave.  Bruce has Clark pull down the electric fence covering the opening.  They are met by a startled but unflappable, Alfred.

Though Clark and Bruce are both weak and injured, they soon recover.  Alfred is shown sealing away the Kryptonite bullet in a lead box.  Alfred also returns Superman's washed uniform shirt and cape.

As the two heroes recover in Bruce's inner sanctum of  the Batcave, Luthor gives a presidential address.  He blames Superman for the death of John Corbin (Metallo), and shows an edited videotape of Superman attacking himself and Corbin "for no reason", before showing Corbin's burnt body.  Then Luthor supplies an answer for anyone doubting that Superman could do something so evil -- the approaching meteor is Kryptonite (true) and driving Superman mad (not true).  Luthor closes his presidential speech by announcing a one billion dollar bounty on Superman's head.

Batman and Superman attempt to investigate, but they are attacked - first by Banshee, then by a group of ice villians (Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost, etc), then by Soloman Grundy and Mongo, then Sheba, then Night-Shade and Grog.  Before long Superman and Batman are seemingly surrounded by every DC villain that could fit on the screen.

Captain Atom arrives with his team and a Federal Warrant for Superman's arrest.  But Superman and Batman fight Luther's heroes and defeat them, then Superman escapes with Power Girl, his cousin, Kara.  Captain Atom and his group follow Superman and Batman, after receiving orders from Luthor to "do your job" and eliminate Superman.  During that fight, Batman shows his skills not only at fighting, but at psychological manipulation, not only goading Major Force by calling him a psychotic murderer, but doing so in front of Captain Atom who hears every word, and takes it to heart.

Kara, however, has realized that her cousin is right and Lex Luthor is wrong, and attacks Major Force to defend Batman.  Despite everyone yelling at her, she breaks Force's containment field causing a radiation leak.  Black Lightening and Captain Atom co-operate to contain Major Force.  In the resulting explosion, Force is dead, and Atom appears dead.  Kara, that is, Power Girl, decides to stay with her cousin.

Meanwhile, Luthor's launched his nuclear missiles at the meteor.  It doesn't work.  The meteor is still on course for the planet.  Luther appears weak and sick.  Power Girl takes Superman and Batman to Luthor's hideout, but they are met by Hawkman and Captain Marvel who attempt to take the two out.  When Superman knocks out Captain Marvel, and Billy Batson is left in a crater, a concerned Batman goes to check out the young teen to see if  he's OK.  Batman asks the injured child to say something.  Billy answers, "Shazam!" and becomes Marvel again.  But, the two, with Power Girl's help manage to convince Hawkman and Marvel to not listen to Luthor.

Meanwhile, Luthor claims the first attempt to destroy the meteor was a "fact finding" mission, but he can now put his plan into action.  Not even the public is convinced by this, as rioting and looting breaks out.

Amanda Waller, shocked by Luthor's inaction, discovers he's taking steroids and liquid Kryptonite injections.  Luthor tells Amanda he will let the meteor hit, so he can be in charge of  the world that rises from the ashes.  Dressed as Hawkman and Captain Marvel, Batman and Superman arrive.  Luthor destroys all the information on the meteor, but Amanda gives them a back-up on a thumb drive.  She also asks a general to arrest Luthor.  Luthor, however, escapes, and takes more Liquid Kryptonite, before climbing into a robotic super suit.

Superman and Batman travel to Japan, to meet Hiro -- the Toyman.  Power Girl has arrived before them and acts as lookout to avoid the teen billionaire genius.

Toyman shows the two heroes a giant Superman/Batman Robot, he mentions it has manual controls, but he can control it from a nearby computer console.  The Lex-bot arrives, takes out Power Girl, using Kryptonite blasts.  He fights Superman, also using his Kryptonite gun.  Then he destroys the control council.  Batman heads for the rocket, saying "Goodbye" to Clark/Superman as he gets inside the robot and takes off.

Superman fights and defeats Luthor.  Batman takes off  in the rocket.  "That was my best friend!  And you just killed him!" Superman yells at Lex, before knocking him into next week.  However, Luthor takes off again in pursuit of  the rocket and Batman.

Batman manages to destroy the meteor using the rocket.  Superman and Lex fight, and even though they've landed back in the US he finally knocks him out.  Captain Atom has recovered and arrives with Power Girl and a message for Superman.  Superman rescues Bruce who's in a survival capsule shaped like a combination of the Batman and Superman symbols.  He sets Bruce on a rooftop, and helps him out of the ship.  Luthor is taken away.  Lois arrives.  Batman disappears as Superman watches the sun rise.

Again, this was an excellent animated film.  It is a bit political in tone - rich businessman Lex Luthor, one of the most evil villains in the DC Universe, yet someone that Superman can never really stop because he can't prove he's broken the law - becomes president.  And in the DC universe, Lex Luthor was president for awhile during the Bush years (besides harrassing Superman, he bombs Gotham City at one point to annoy Batman, making part of the city a wasteland).  Although the film doesn't state outright that Luthor caused the economic turmoil that he then exploits to get himself elected, it's certainly implied.  And the economic turmoil described in the film's excellent opening sequence is half  the Great Depression, and half every economic down turn since.

But what is even more striking about Lex Luthor is what an obvious xenophobic racist he is.  He wants to get rid of  Superheroes, especially Superman, not only because he doesn't trust them, but because he considers them "freaks and monsters" - and not human. Luthor is one step away from openly declaring a war between humans and meta-humans.

But one of the best things about this film isn't merely it's politics - it's seeing the glimpses of the close friendship between Bruce Wayne (voiced by the incomparable Kevin Conroy of  Batman: The Animated Series) and Clark Kent (Tim Daly of  Superman:  The Animated Series).  Though they don't see eye to eye on how to solve crimes, or battle super villains, in this film they are nonetheless close friends - and it's threats to Bruce that cause Clark to really go after Lex Luthor.  Plus there's some wonderful dialogue between the two.

If  I had one quibble with the film, I could have done with less of  the mega fight scenes, especially every super villain they could find being thrown into a fight with Superman and Batman, and more of  the male bonding between Clark and Bruce.  And more Alfred.  I always like to see the more Alfred the better - he only gets one scene here.  It's a great bit, but once Batman sails off  into what appears to be a one-man one-way mission to save the planet, you'd think someone would break the news to him.  But I digress.

The Superman Batman Graphic Novels were known for their thought bubbles, yellow for Superman's pov, and blue for Batman's pov.  I think the film could have used some voice-over between the two, because that was a big part of what made the graphic fun - seeing Clark's view of  Bruce and Bruce's view of  Clark, or their situation or whatever.  It was always great fun to see how iconic characters viewed each other.  However, the film does do a great job, when we see Superman and Batman working together, of showing their different personalities and methodology.  And that was terribly fun.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Superman Batman Apocalypse

Sunset Boulevard

• Title:  Sunset Boulevard
• Director:  Billy Wilder
• Date: 1950
• Studio:  Paramount
• Genre:  Drama, Film Noir
• Cast:  William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Jack Webb
• Format:  Standard, Black/White
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"I just think a picture should say  a little something."-- Betty
"Oh, one of  the message kids, just a story won't do.  You'd've turned down Gone with the Wind."-- Joe
"No, that was me.  I said, Who wants to see a Civil War picture."-- Sheldrake

"I am big, it's the pictures that got small."-- Norma Desmond

"Still wonderful, isn't it?  And no dialogue.  We didn't need dialogue, we had Faces."-- Norma

"Audiences don't know somebody sits down and writes a picture.  They think the actors make it up as they go along."-- Joe

Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard is one of the best movies made about movies, ever.  It's also an excellent Film Noir, filmed by one of Film Noir's best directors, Billy Wilder. The dialogue sparkles, and much of this film is quotable.  The characters are sympathetic, but doomed - as is characteristic of  Noir films.

Sunset Boulevard is the story of  Joe Gillis, down on his luck Hollywood screenwriter, and Norma Desmond - once queen of the silent silver screen, now all but forgotten in her decrepit Hollywood mansion.  The film opens with a shot looking up at a dead body floating in a swimming pool. Narration sweeps the viewer into the story, telling us how Joe ended up in the swimming pool.  Yes, this is the second time Wilder's started a film with his protagonist dead or dying and used narration to explain how he wound up in such a state (the other being the wonderful Double Indemnity).  Joe's a writer, but he's hit a "slow" point, so much so that he's three months behind on the rent on his apartment, and his car is about to be repossessed.  Without his car, Joe's in trouble, so he dodges the finance company, which leads him to Norma Desmond's mansion -- he gets a flat and pulls into her garage.

Norma, once Queen of Silent Films, has now gotten old and lives in seclusion with her butler, Max.  Joe introduces himself to her, recognizing her, but really has no interest, he only wants to hide out until he can get the money to pay what he owes on the car.  But Norma is fascinated by this young man, thrown into her clutches by fate.  When he tells her he's a writer, she shows him her script for "Salome".  It's truly dreadful, and about 600 pages too long, but Joe reluctantly accepts a job as editor/re-writer/ghost writer.

And thus begins Joe's descent.  He becomes a "kept man", with Norma buying him gifts of fancy clothes, jewelry, watches, cuff  links, etc.  Joe, a "plain speaking" sort, isn't impressed with Norma's gifts, but he's caught in her web and helpless to get himself out.

At the beginning of the film, just prior to meeting Norma, Joe has a meeting at Paramount Pictures with Mr. Sheldrake, to plug his new baseball picture.  The meeting goes nowhere, though he meets Betty Schaefer, a script reader with aspirations to be a writer.  They meet later in the picture, when Betty tries to convince Joe to develop about six pages of  his failed script into a full-length movie.  They meet again and begin to work on the new script together, and even start to fall for each other.  But their relationship is doomed because she's engaged to his best friend, Artie (Jack Webb); and Joe, though he's not in love with the much older Norma Desmond, feels a certain responsibility to her.

Every time it seems that Joe might break away from Norma... and find happiness with friends his own age like Artie and Betty, he's drawn back.

Meanwhile, Norma lives in the past, watching her movies on a theater screen in her home.   (Something Joe scoffs at... one wonders what he'd think of the VHS/DVD/Blu Ray market today?)  She even performs live shows for Joe once in awhile.  Once a week, what Joe describes as "her waxworks" come to play bridge, they are cameos of other classic silent era film stars.  Norma is an aged beauty, and she hasn't handled the fact well.  Partially because of  Hollywood's standards of  young perfection, but also partially because she was never able to change with the times or re-invent herself.  Which is a fate of many Hollywood stars, especially women.

Norma finally drops off  her script for "Salome" in person to Cecil B. De Mille (played by De Mille himself). When an aide at Paramount calls her, she instructs Max to hang up... playing hard to get.  She later goes to the studio in person and meets De Mille.  While he's checking out the calls she's received, an old lighting gaffer recognizes her, and turns a huge floodlight on her.  Soon behind-the-scenes people and actors alike are flocking around her with cries of, "Norma Desmond!" and "It's Norma Desmond!" and "I thought she was dead!".  De Mille, meanwhile, discovers that the calls were about her car... someone wanted it for a Crosby picture.  De Mille decides to save Norma's feelings by not telling her, and even promises to shoot "Salome" after his current film.

Norma returns home and books every type of beauty treatment she can.   Joe gets even more frustrated, but won't leave, he can't leave.

Finally, Joe starts sneaking out during the evening to meet Betty and work on their script, "Dark Windows", a romance.  They start to fall for each other.  But Joe doesn't want to break up the engagement between Betty and Artie.  Norma also becomes jealous and even calls Betty to tell her "what kind of man he is".  Joe catches Norma at this, invites Betty over, then cruelly explains his circumstances.  He's driving her away because Artie's a nice guy.  After Betty leaves, Joe goes to his room, grabs his suitcase, and begins packing - taking only his own clothes, and leaving the rest.  Norma has a fit... and in her anger, shoots him three times (and thus, Joe winds up in the swimming pool).  Later, reporters, police, detectives, and others gather.  By this time, she's gone completely mad and has no idea where she is or what's going on.  Max, her director, and first husband, directs her down the stairs, and with newsreel cameras rolling, she delivers her speech about how great it is to be back in pictures, and the film's immortal last line:  "Just us, and the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark.  All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up."

Sunset Boulevard is brilliant.  It's dark, and chilling, and Joe, a perfectly nice guy, a writer from Ohio who came to Hollywood to make it big, and died in a swimming pool, is both a warning and a ideal protagonist.  The film's theme is broken dreams:  Norma became a star at sixteen, but now she's fifty and has no one, and no concept of  how to live in the world.  Joe only wanted to become a working writer in Hollywood, and, well, didn't.  The film is the antithesis of  the rags-to-riches tale that is so popular in the American psyche and in Hollywood films and musicals in particular.  It's also a tale of  how Hollywood uses beautiful women and then spits them out to replace them with someone younger, and more beautiful (though that's implied not explicit).  I love this film, and Billy Wilder's directing.  And, again, as in most Film Noir films, the dialogue sparkles.

I highly, highly recommend Sunset Boulevard.  If you've never seen it, make a resolution to watch it, you won't be disappointed.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Superman/Batman:  Apocalypse

Stripes

• Title:  Stripes
• Director:  Ivan Reitman
• Date:  1981
• Studio:  Columbia Pictures
• Genre:  Comedy
• Cast:  Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, John Candy, Lance LeGault
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"You don't say 'sir' to me, I'm a sergeant I work for a living."  -- Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates)

"I'm talking about something important, like disclipline and duty and honor and courage.  And you ain't got none of it."  -- Sgt. Hulka

"We're Americans - with a capital 'A'.  Do you know what that means?  Do you?  It means our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world.  We are the wretched refuse.  We're underdog.  We're mutts. ... But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more lovable that the mutt. [pause] Who saw Old Yeller?  Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end?  Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot [raises his hand] I'm sure.  I cried my eyes out." -- John (Bill Murray)

"We're all very, very different, but there is one thing we all have in common.  We were all stupid enough to enlist in the army."  -- John 

In the 1970s, in a "bad economy" much like today, two guys who are down on their luck and out of options join the US Army.  John loses his job, car, girlfriend, and apartment all in the same day.  His friend, Russell (Ramis) has discovered his easy five-week job to teach English involves people who only know a few swear words and that's it.  They decide to join the Army.

At boot camp, John, Russell and the rest of the guys in their platoon have their hair buzzed (it's the 70s - most have long hair or even "afros") and receive basic green uniforms.  Sgt. Hulka introduces himself and has each of the men in his platoon introduce themselves and explain why they decided to join the army.  It becomes obvious that the entire platoon is, to be frank, a group of screw-ups with few other options.

There is a montage of training scenes, inter cut with scenes of John doing push-ups.  A perpetual clown and comedian, he gets on Sgt. Hulka's nerves immediately.  Also at the army training camp is Capt. Stillman (John Larroquette) who enjoys peeking at female officers taking showers, and never listening to anyone.  It's Stillman who orders one of his men to fire a mortar round on the weapons practice field without any co-ordinates.  It flies way off course and takes out the climbing test structure and Sgt. Hulka who is sitting on top of it.

Hulka's men go into town to celebrate their new-found freedom at a mud wrestling expo in a strip bar.  They are caught and dragged back to the camp by the MPs.  However, John and Russell escape immediate punishment when they are rescued by two female MPs they have been chatting-up throughout the film.

Upon returning to the army training camp, they discover they have three hours to get ready for the parade in front of General Barnicke or the entire platoon will be forced to re-take basic training.  Russell convinces everyone they can cram for the test and pass it.  He starts training the others, but disagreements break out.  John delivers his rousing "Old Yeller" speech and gets everyone working together.  They then over-sleep.

When the group reaches the parade grounds, however, John leads them in an unconventional but greatly appreciated drill routine.  They earn applause, whistles, and approval from the gathered crowd.  The general finds out they finished their training on their own after Sgt. Hulka was injured.  He asks for the platoon to be assigned to his secret "EM-50" project.  The EM-50 is an "Urban Assault Vehicle" or more obviously, a Winnebago that's been turned into a tank.  The platoon is supposed to be on a good-will tour in Italy.

However, John and Russell get bored while on guard duty.  They decide to visit the two female MPs they've been chasing throughout the film -- even though the girls are in Germany.  It might have worked, but Capt. Stillman takes his new girlfriend to see the EM-50, finds it missing and panics.  He gets the platoon together to find it, and ignores Sgt. Hulka when he tries to warn him that they've gone the wrong way and they end-up heading into Czechoslovakia, where they are captured by the Russians.  Sgt. Hulka, who's realized there was going to be a problem, escapes capture and sends a signal to the EM-50.  John, Russell, and the two girls pick up the signal, and they manage to find the platoon, and Sgt. Hulka, and rescue them, returning safely to Germany.

The film concludes with everyone arriving safely at home, and magazine and newspaper headlines are used to do a "where are they now / what happened to..." segment very quickly.

Stripes has a couple of very memorable scenes, notably Murray earnestly giving the "Old Yeller" speech to his fellow enlistees, and the well-choreographed parade ground scene.  The Winnebago tank is also funny.  The film screams 70s in everything from the clothes and cars to the attitudes, especially towards women.  Although it doesn't currently work as well as some films from the 1970s, and parts of the film are really dated (like the fact that they invade a country that no longer exists) some parts do still work.  Both Murray and Ramis are very funny, and the cast is filled it with other very funny actors.  Overall it's now a mediocre film, but it wasn't quite as painful to watch as I feared it might be.

Recommendation:  It's OK.
Rating:  3 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Sunset Boulevard

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

• Title:  The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
• Director:  H. C. Potter
• Date:  1939
• Studio:  RKO Radio Pictures
• Genre:  Biography, Drama, Musical
• Cast:  Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver
• Format:  B/W, Standard
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Well, we've got our health, we're young, we're in Paris, we're on our honeymoon, what more can we want."  -- Vernon

"Hey, dance with me."  -- Vernon
"All the people downstairs?" -- Irene
"Look, we can do it quietly, like this, just as if we're walking on air."  -- Vernon

"War is a man's business, women only do what they're told."  -- Maggie

The Story of  Vernon and Irene Castle is the last musical that Astaire and Rogers did for RKO and it's notable for several reasons.  It's one of only two films where Astaire and Rogers played a married couple (the other is The Barkleys of Broadway).  It's the only biography the two did, so the only time they played real people.  It's the only one of their musicals that's more of a drama than a comedy.  And it's the only one with a definite downbeat ending (Vernon Castle (Astaire's character) dies).  The film is different from other Astaire and Rogers musicals and that may be why it is not as well known as their other films.

The film opens in 1911, Fred Astaire is Vernon Castle, who at the time is barely working as a vaudeville comedian.  He's not even the star of  the show he's in, but the second banana who takes all the prat falls and on-stage abuse from the star.  He tries to get the show's leading lady interested in him, but to no avail.  However, while at the seaside, he meets Irene Foote (Ginger Rogers) when they both jump into the drink to rescue a small dog.  She, it turns out, is an aspiring actress/performer and she performs "The Yama Yama Man" as an audition for Castle.

After the lackluster audition, the two go to the train station, where a group of "bachelors" and their dates are on an excursion.  When one of  the guys gets up and dances - Vernon shows off  his tap dancing skills. On their later dates, Irene suggests that Vernon should give up comedy and become a dancer.  Vernon actually agrees with her and the two approach his boss with the idea of  being a dance team.  But his boss is having none of it.  However, two French theatre owners approach Vernon and offer him a job in Paris.

Now married, Vernon and Irene go to Paris... but discover that the job they thought started immediately won't start for six weeks.  Irene convinces the theatre owners to give Vernon an advance on his salary so they will have something to live on for six weeks.  After the six weeks of waiting goes by, Vernon returns to the theatre -- only to discover he's to play his comedy role again.  As he explains to his wife, "Well, I refused... I know you don't want me to do, and I didn't want to do it... but he brought up the money we owe him..."  Irene accepts this trying to make him feel better by saying, "Well, at least it's a job, maybe not the job you want, but it's a job."  To console her, Vernon dances with her, quietly.

Fate intervenes in the person of Maggie, an entrepreneur and agent who walks into their apartment at that moment and sees them dancing.  She gets them dinner and an audition at the Cafe de Paris.  The audition is a smash success, and other couples imitate the Castles.  They are hired by the nightclub as professional dancers.  Before long they are back in New York, introducing The Tango to New York. The Castles sell books, records, and dancing lessons.  Irene becomes a fashion icon.  Their merchandising continues with ladies hats, bon bons, and face cream.  Vernon's name goes on cigars and dancing shoes.  They introduce the Fox Trot, and the Castle Polka.  With both scenes of the Castles introducing their ballroom dances, the shot of  the couple dancing is double exposed with sparkles and lights - giving it a dreamy quality.  Irene bobs her hair, which causes a sensation and starts a trend.  The Castles introduce the Moxie, another dance, at a seaside resort.  They then tour nationally.  (We see the couple dancing across a map of  the US and each place they stop - additional dancers appear).  As they return home, Irene and Vernon tell their manager, Maggie, they are tired and want to buy a house and raise a family.  However, as they pull into one little town, there's a fuss outside the train -- Germany's declared war.

At first, the Castles do retire to their new home, and Vernon agrees with Irene that he won't enlist.  But when he's asked to work at a benefit... he sees all the Canadian solders and decides to enlist in the Royal Flying Corps.   He manages to live through the war, but when he returns home he's sent to Fort Worth at the last minute as one of  the pilots in an airshow for a Brigadier General.  An inexperienced pilot takes off and flies into his airspace -- given the choice of  hitting the other plane or trying to avoid the crash he pulls straight up and the plane stalls.  Vernon Castle is killed in the plane crash... the young inexperienced pilot in the plane with him survives, in part because Vernon took the seat in front rather than letting the young pilot do it since he knew that the front was the more dangerous seat.  After her uncle and Vernon's close friend tells Irene the news she walks into the garden of  the hotel her husband had  set-up for her and imagines the two of them dancing together in the garden.

Again, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is very unusual for an Astaire and Rogers film.  It has a downbeat ending, and even the dances are mostly not complete dances ... they are excerpts as the story unfolds.  Astaire performs well as Vernon Castle... really getting into the role which is quite meaty.  Rogers has less to do, mostly following her husband around, and worrying constantly about him after he goes to war.  But the film is meant to be a historical film, taking place between 1911 and 1918, when women didn't even have the right to vote, so Irene's somewhat shadowed appearance can be understood if not condoned.  And it is obvious that this couple loves each other, and Vernon, at least, allows his wife to not only have a say in their decisions but to lead in them (It's Irene who insists he's better than physical comedy; it's Irene who wants them to retire from touring; and it's Irene who at first insists that Vernon not go to war).  In a sense, though Vernon dies at the end, the film is not only romantic, but it's a more realistic romance than most movie romances.

The story for the script was written by Irene Castle, based on her autobiographical book about her husband, and she acted as an advisor on the film, especially in terms of  Rogers clothes.

This was not your typical Astaire and Rogers musical, I'd say it's for diehards only, or if you want  to see a different type of film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  The rating is based on the film not being what you expect out of a musical -- for example, there are very few full dances in the film.

Recommendation:  Depends.
Rating:  Three and a half out of five stars.
Next film:  Stripes

The Sting

• Title:  The Sting
• Director:  George Roy Hill
• Date:  1973
• Studio:  Universal
• Genre:  Drama
• Cast:  Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, Dana Elcar
• Format:  Widescreen, color
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"I'll get him anyway."  -- Johnny Hooker
"Why?"  -- Henry Gondorff
" 'Cause I don't know enough about killing to kill him."  -- Johnny

"What was I supposed to do?  Call him for cheating better than me in front of  the others?"  -- Doyle

The Sting is the original caper film.  Without The Sting, there is no Ocean's 11 or it's sequels either the original or the new ones, and there's no White Collar, Leverage, or Hustle either.  But it's a classic that stands on its own two feet as well, not simply as the film that establishes a sub-genre all by itself.  The film begins with Luther and Johnny, two con artists, working street cons.  As the film opens in Joliet, Illinois in 1936, the two con artists pull a switch, but unknown to them they've picked the wrong victim - a numbers runner for the Chicago Irish mob.  Initially, they are thrilled to pull a $11,000 con... but then one of the con artists, Luther, is killed, and Johnny knows that if  he gets caught, the mob will kill him too.

Johnny travels up to Chicago and meets Henry Gondorff an old friend of  Luther's.  Gondoroff gathers a group of con artists together and they decide to pull a con on the mobster they blame for Luther's death.  Luther's so well-known in the con artist underground that everyone wants to help to stick it to his killer where it hurts -- in the wallet.

The film is set-up in sections:  The Set-Up, The Hook, The Tale, The Wire, The Shut Out, and The Sting -- each with a beautifully designed title card.  And each section of the film is exactly what it says, as the con artists rope in and set-up their victim.  However, What makes The Sting a great and memorable film is the surprise ending... which I'm not going to spoil here.  If you've seen the film, you know exactly what I'm talking about -- and if you haven't, it's just not fair to spoil the surprise ending.  There are hints throughout the film, but it does come as a surprise the first time you see it and it really makes the movie.

This film also features a great partnership between the older, nearly washed-up con artist (Paul Newman) master of  the Big Con, and his new, young, apprentice (Robert Redford).  A number of  excellent character actors round out the cast.  Also, the film is set in the 1930s, which means great suits and hats but on the negative side -- some very rough, inappropriate language.

Overall, a great film, especially if you are a fan of  the caper film as a genre.  I recommend it.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

Star Wars Return of the Jedi

• Title:  Star Wars Return of the Jedi
• Director:  Richard Marquand
• Date:  1983
• Studio:  20th Century Fox
• Genre:  SF, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
• Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends you can either profit by this or be destroyed.  It's your choice but I warn you not to underestimate my powers."  -- Luke

"When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not."  -- Yoda

"Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall, that is the way of  things, the way of the Force."  -- Yoda

"Anger, fear, oppression, the Dark Side are they.  Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny."  -- Yoda

"Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of  the Force.  He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Dark Vader.  When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed.  So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Return of the Jedi again starts with a crawl updating the audience to the plot, and reminiscent of very old movie serials.  There is an impressive opening shot of a very large and long ship approaching a partially constructed Death Star.  The sequence has several impressive model shots as well, including:  two star destroyers, shuttles, and the moon with the Death Star itself.

On Tatooine, R2-D2 and C3PO are in the desert, they approach Jabba's palace.  Inside, R2-D2 plays a message from Luke Skywalker.  He wishes to bargain for Han Solo's life, and gives Jabba R2-D2 and C3PO as gifts (don't worry it's all part of the plan).  The droids are indoctrinated into Jabba's workforce in a scene which includes shots of droids being tortured (one is having it's feet burned with red-hot horseshoes, another is being pulled apart at the arm and hip sockets).  Jabba's palace has an 1001 Nights aspect to it, and it's full of music, aliens, and dancing girls.  Jabba kills his slave girl, dropping her into a pit.  A bounty hunter comes in with Chewbacca, haggling with Jabba (via C3PO's translations) to get a higher price.  Lando is also hiding in Jabba's palace in disguise.  Later that night, the "bounty hunter" rescues Han.  He's frozen in Carbonite and she de-freezes him.  She's Princess Leia.  Han is basically OK, though temporarily blind.  Jabba quickly captures Han again.  Leia is brought to be Jabba's slave girl, and Han is imprisoned with Chewbacca.  Luke, dressed in black and cloaked, arrives.  Luke uses his Jedi mind tricks on one of  Jabba's guards, but they don't work on Jabba.  Luke threatens Jabba for Han and Leia's lives, but Jabba is over-confident and drops Luke in the Bantha pit.  Luke kills the Bantha monster and the Bantha Keeper is devastated.  However, Luke in unable to rescue Han at the time and the entire group is taken to Jabba's sail barge to be taken to the desert where they will be executed by another monster - Jabba thinks.

On the barge, Luke will be forced to walk the plank - but instead he performs some very impressive gymnastics and grabs his light-sabre that R2-D2 has sent sailing into the air.  The Star Wars theme swells.  Luke fights Jabba's creatures and rescues Han and Chewbacca, then heads to rescue Lando.  Leia tries to free herself and also kills  Jabba.  Leia also rescues R2-D2.  She points the huge gun on the sail barge at the deck, set to blow.  Luke and Leia swing to safety on a smaller desert hover boat where Han, Chewbacca, and Lando await.  The two droids dive into the desert sand, and are picked up by the smaller boat.  The sail barge is destroyed.

Luke heads off to Dagobah with R2-D2.  The rest are on the Millennium Falcon heading for the alliance fleet.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader and an extremely impressive parade of troops great the Emperor.  The Emperor urges Vader to wait for Luke to seek him out and together they will turn Luke to the Dark Side.

Meanwhile, Luke visits Yoda on Dagobah.  Yoda is dying.  Luke is devastated to lose his mentor, but handles it without the anger of  his younger days.  Yoda also avoids Luke's questions, but mentions a mysterious "other".  After Yoda's demise, the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears.  He confirms what Luke knows - Vader is his father ... and also tells him Leia is his sister (Luke half  figures this out himself).  Luke now knows he must confront Vader -- but he's convinced there is still good in his father.

Meanwhile the Alliance, including Han Solo, Lando, Chewbacca, Leia, and in the background, Wedge, as well as a full room of others goes over their plans.  A female general/diplomat reviews information received from "Bonthan spies", then turns the meeting over to Admiral Ackbar to explain the details of the attack.  Lando will lead the fighter strike team in the Millennium Falcon which Han gives him.  Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2-D2 will go to Endor to knock out the Shield Generator.  Luke arrives just as the plans and teams are being finalized and joins Han and Leia.

On Endor, Han and Luke encounter a pair of Storm Troopers and the speeder bike chase ensues.  Leia falls off her bike.  Luke returns to Han and company.  Meanwhile, Leia meets and befriends an Ewok - a sort of primitive walking teddy bear.  Leia is nearly captured by a pair of storm-troopers but she manages to defeat them herself.

Meanwhile, on the Emperor's ship, Vader reports that a Rebel force has landed on Endor, including Luke.  The Emperor orders Vader to Endor.  Luke will come to Vader who will bring him to the Emperor.

Meanwhile, Luke, Han, and company are looking for Leia -- they don't find her, but get caught in a trap.  Though they get themselves free, they are captured by Ewoks.  The Ewoks worship C3PO.

They are taken to the Ewok village.  Leia appears.  Luke uses the Force to raise C3PO's chair and the group is set free.  Leia kisses Han.  At the feast that evening, C3PO tells the gathered Ewoks the story so far complete with sound effects.  The Ewoks look on in stunned amazement.  Luke, Han, and everyone are inducted into the Tribe.

Luke and Leia speak to each other.  First, Luke asks Leia about her mother.  He then tells her, Darth Vader is his father.  Then he tells Leia she truly is the last hope of  the alliance, she's his sister and has the power of the Force too.  He wanders off, because he's a danger to the main Alliance mission.  Han arrives.  Han gets a bit angry that Leia's honest with Luke but won't tell him what's wrong.  Of course, Han has no idea what Luke's just told Leia.

Luke turns himself  in to Vader.  Despite Luke insisting there's good in Anakin Skywalker, Vader turns him over to the Emperor.

Han and his team check out the shield generator on Endor.

Lando and his space fleet make the jump to hyperspace under Ackbar's orders.

The Ewoks lead Han and his team to the back door of the bunker.  An Ewok steals a speeder bike and draws off some of  the troops.  Unforunately when they walk into the bunker...

Vader brings Luke to the Emperor.  The Emperor gloats that Luke's friends are walking into a trap.  The space battle attack on the death star has to break off and a space battle ensues.

Han, Leia, and Chewbacca face a legion of storm troopers.  C3PO baits the storm troopers into a trap and the Ewoks attack.  Before long an all-out battle occurs between storm troopers and Ewoks.  The Ewoks do well but many are also killed.

The Ewok battle on Endor is intercut with the battle in space between Lando's group and the Emperor's fighters.

The Emperor, again, gloating has the Death Star attack and destroy a rebel ship.

On Endor, R2-D2 gets hit by laser fire.  Han tries to hot wire the bunker door.  More Ewoks are killed.  Lando continues to lead the fight.

The Emperor continues to goad Luke.  Luke grabs his light-sabre but Vader blocks his attack on the Emperor.

The Ewoks begin to succeed again in their battle with the Emperor's troops.

Leia is injured as she tries to cover Han at the door.  Chewbacca commandeers an Imperial Walker.

Luke fights Vader, then stops.  Vader strikes out at Luke and Luke counters him.  Vader throws his light-sabre at Luke,

The space battle continues.

Han and Chewbacca pull one over on the Imperial troops.

Luke plays cat-and-mouse with Vader and insists he won't fight him.  When Vader realizes Leia is Luke's sister and says he will convert her to the Dark Side.  Luke fights back, hard, now angry.  The Emperor arrives, and Luke, looking at his own mechanical hand, and Vader's wrist where he's cut off his hand, stops, and tells the Emperor he'll never turn to the Dark Side.  Luke throws aside his light-sabre.

Back on Endor, the bunker is destroyed.  In space, the attack on the Death Star commences.

The Emperor attacks Luke with lightening bolts.  Luke pleas to his father for help.  Vader grabs the Emperor and throws him into the well of  a power reactor, saving Luke, but getting electrocuted in the process.

During the space battle a rebel ship hits a star destroyer and it sinks, crashing into the planet.  Luke drags Vader to an escape craft.  Vader asks Luke to remove his mask so he can look at Luke with his own eyes.

Luke escapes in the shuttle.  The Death Star is destroyed.  Han  assures Leia that Luke wasn't on the Death Star when it blew.  Leia quietly responds that she knows.  Han offers to not get in the way when Luke returns.  Leia explains Luke is her brother, then kisses Han.

Luke burns his father's body.

Everyone reunites at the Ewok celebration.  Luke wanders off and he's the ghosts of  his father, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi before Leia brings him back to the party.

The conclusion to the Star Wars trilogy is actually quite good and satisfying.  It's best in it's quiet moments - Luke's conversations with Yoda and Ben (Obi-Wan); Luke's explaining his background to Leia; even Leia explaining to Han that Luke's actually her brother and she's in love with Han.  The film also uses short set pieces and in the last half-hour/forty-five minutes a lot of inter-cutting.  This stops the film from bogging down.  Yes, the film is the Hero's Journey but it's well executed, especially as at the time true fantasy heroes journey's were seldom the subject of  popular entertainment films.  Luke is much more mature here, so much so, that I wondered just how long Han was stuck in Carbonite, since Luke has finished his training.  Leia also seems a bit older, and more ready to take on responsibility, though her character doesn't grow as much as Luke or even Han.

Return of  the Jedi also has a lot of great lines.  Like all of  the Star Wars trilogy the writing is very quotable, which makes the film fun to watch.  All the leads also do a good job.  Mark Hamill is no longer playing the "whiny farm boy" but has grown and matured. Han Solo has discovered the importance of caring for people instead of just himself and Chewie.  Only Leia, though always strong, seems to have not changed much... though she does more or less propose to Han.

Recommendation:  See it, a true classic.
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  The Sting

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back

• Title:  Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
• Director:  Irvin Kershner
• Date:  1980
• Studio:  20th Century Fox
• Genre:  SF, Adventure, Action
• Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Julian Glover, Michael Sheard, John Razenberger
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Wars not make one great."  -- Yoda

"Do or do not.  There is no try." -- Yoda

"Size matters not.  Look at me - judge me by my size do you?  Hum?  And well you should not.  For my ally is the Force.  And a powerful ally it is.  Life creates it, makes it grow, it's energy surrounds us and binds us." -- Yoda

"I love you." -- Leia
"I know."  -- Han

"Luke, we can destroy the Emperor, he has foreseen this.  It is your destiny.  Join me and together we can rule the Galaxy as father and son!"  -- Darth Vader

Like Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back opens with a crawl, describing what's going on and remarking that it's "a dark time for the Rebellion" despite the success of destroying the Death Star.  This proves true, as Empire can be arguably seen as the darkest of  the three original trilogy Star Wars movies.  The movie itself opens with the Empire launching robotic probes to find Luke Skywalker and the rebels he leads.   One such probe lands on a glacier.

This is the ice planet Hoth, where Luke, Han, Leia, and a group of  rebels, part of  the Alliance, are hiding.  Han and Luke are on patrol, riding a cold-weather animal called a Taun Taun, something like a furry cross between a camel and a kangaroo.  They are finishing up their patrol, and Han tells Luke he's headed back to the Rebel base.  Luke agrees, but mentions he wants to check out a meteor.  They agree to meet back at camp.  Han returns to the camp and tells the general that he really must leave, he has a price on his head and it won't be lifted until he pays off  Jabba the Hutt.  The general, though upset to lose Han, agrees to his leaving.  Chewbacca and C3PO work on fixing the Millennium Falcon.  Leia confronts Han about his leaving.  They still spark and fight, as in Star Wars, but it's evident that the two have some affection for each other beneath their arguing.

Luke was attacked by an Abominable Snowman-like creature and taken to an ice cave.  He manages to escape, in part by using the force to pull his light sabre to his hand.  He wanders out into the snow, where he has a vision of  Obi-Wan Kenobi, who urges him to go to the Dagobah System to complete his Jedi training under Yoda, a great Jedi master and teacher.  Luke then collapses from the cold.

Meanwhile, the rebels have realised that Luke is missing.  Though the general thinks it's too late to go looking for Luke (the extreme cold makes it dangerous to be outside late at night or during blizzards) Han insists on looking for Luke anyway.  He takes his Taun Taun to search for Luke.  He finds Luke, and cuts open his own now dead Taun Taun to place Luke inside while he builds a thermal shelter.

At the rebel alliance base, the search parties have been recalled.  At the general's insistence, Leia orders the shield doors be closed for the night.  Chewbacca cries out in mourning when the door is shut, because Han hasn't returned.  The next day, speeder patrols are sent out to find the two.  They do find both Luke and Han and bring them to base.  Han is OK, Luke is treated for exposure and frostbite but basically he's OK too.

Han and Chewbacca find an Imperial Probe Droid.  The rebel general decides to evacuate.

Vader orders an attack on Hoth.

Leia addresses the fighters who will escort the transports off  the planet.  She ends with "good luck" and from the sound of things, they'll need it.

The rebel speeders attack the Imperial walkers invading Hoth.  The walkers are like metal combat elephants.  Very quickly during the battle, Luke realizes their blasters can't penetrate the armor, and advises using harpoons and tow cables around the legs of the walkers, causing them to collapse.  This does work.

The battle between the Rebel snow speeders and the Imperial walkers, though it takes place on a snowy field, is also on a very bright sunny day!

Getting back to the battle, after losing his gunner, and one successful pass leading a harpoon ship, Luke is hit and crashes into the snow.

Han rushes to the command center to check on Leia, urging her to leave.  She issues the evacuation order.  Although the rebels had some success against the walkers, over all it's a rout.  As Han is leading Leia away, the tunnel ahead of  them collapses.  He tells the rebels he'll get her out on the Falcon, and they head back the other way.  Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO end up on the Millennium Falcon.

Vader enters the nearly empty rebel base.  The Millennium Falcon escapes.  Luke and R2-D2 get to an X-wing, but Luke heads for Dagobah, not the Alliance rendezvous.

Three star destroyers and TIE fighters chase the  Millennium Falcon.  One star destroyer actually manages to physically hit another one, leaving one to go after the Falcon.  When the hyper-drive fails, Han knows he's in trouble.  Han and Chewbacca try to fix the ship while in flight, when they encounter an asteroid field.  Han flies into the field, because he knows the Imperial ships won't follow him.  He impressively loops the Falcon and lands in a cave on an asteroid.

Meanwhile, Luke splash-lands on Dagobah.  R2-D2 falls into the swamp, is attacked by a creature, and is spit out.  Luke gets his camping gear together and tries to figure out what to do.  He meets Yoda, whom, at first, he doesn't recognize -- and he thinks is actually somewhat annoying.  But when Yoda takes him to his home, and has a conversation with the dead Obi Wan Kenobi - Luke realizes this is the Jedi Master he seeks.  Yoda is hesitant, but agrees to teach the young Jedi.

Meanwhile, Vader's ships fail to find the Millennium Falcon.  Vader kneels before the Emperor for a holographic conversation.  Vader suggests "the son of  Skywalker be turned".

Han, Chewbacca, and C3PO work on fixing the Millennium Falcon, and even Leia helps.  But something attacks the ship while they are in the cave.  They go out to investigate, and find Mymocks, some type of  bat-like creatures with suckers stuck on the ship.  Han suddenly realises he's made a big mistake -- they all get back in his ship and barely escape.  They weren't in a cave, but a giant space worm with teeth!  Han lands the Falcon on one of  the Star Destroyers, which gives an incredible sense of  scale.  He manually detaches and floats away with the rest of  the garbage the Empire dumps before going to hyper-space.  They float away and then head for Bespin and Lando Calrissian.

Yoda starts training Luke -- physical training, and exercises in using the Force.  He also tries to explain what the Force really is and how it supplies power to a Jedi.  And he warns Luke about the Dark Side of  the Force.  Yoda tells Luke, "When you are calm, at peace, passive... a Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense.  Never for attack."  They arrive at a cave, where Luke feels cold.  Yoda tells him the cave is strong with the Dark Side, and urges Luke to go in.  Luke starts to strap on his weapons, but Yoda says he won't need them.  Luke takes them anyway.  Inside the cave, Luke sees Vader... he draws his light sabre and attacks, but when he cuts off  Vader's head he sees his own face in the helmet.  Yoda continues Luke's training, but he gets distracted by R2-D2.  Yoda then raises Luke's ship out of  the swamp, something Luke was unable to do because he did not believe he could do it.

Vader, meanwhile has hired bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, to find Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon.

Yoda continues to train Luke, and urges that Luke learn control.  Luke sees a city in the clouds, and sees his friends in trouble, sensing that they are in pain.  Yoda says Luke has seen the future.  Luke asks if  his friends will die.  Yoda says he doesn't know.  Yoda also urges caution, but Luke wants to go to his friends to help them.  Yoda admits that if  he goes he could help them, but if  he goes he will also endanger everything his friends stand for.  Ben urges patience, and Yoda urges that Luke wait.  Patience is not Luke's strong suit.  Luke leaves Dagobah but promises to return to finish his training.  Ben says "that boy was our last hope" but Yoda says "there is another".

Han Solo has landed in Bespin, a mining colony in the clouds.  Lando says he's independent, with no Imperial oversight and not part of  the mining guild.  But he turns them over to Vader... saying Imperial troops arrived first and he has no choice.  Chewbacca is tortured with sound.  Han is tortured with burning heat.  When Han and Leia are reunited in a cell, Han remarks that they didn't even ask any questions, and he can't understand that.  Lando enters the cell, and explains they are after Skywalker.

Vader decided to test the carbon freeze unit with Captain Solo.  Chewbacca fights for Han, but Han calms him down, tells him to care for the princess (Leia).  Han and Leia kiss and for the first time, Leia tells Han she loves him.  His response is, "I know".  Han is put in carbon freeze but survives.  Han is now a monolith in perfect hibernation.

Vader asks that the princess and the wookie (Chewbacca) be taken to his ship.  Lando's starting to catch on that he can't trust Vader, as his "deal" is getting worse by the second.

Luke arrives.  He and Vader clash in an epic light sabre battle.  The battle has three major set-pieces and is inter-woven with other parts of  the plot.

First Luke and Vader crash in the carbon-freeze room, and Luke extracts himself  from the freezing unit before Vader can use it on him.

Lando and his men arrest the Imperial stormtroopers.  They free Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO.  Boba Fett has frozen Han placed in his cargo hold.  C3PO meets up with R2-D2.  They try to catch up to Han Solo but see Boba Fett's ship leave.

The film returns to Vader and Luke's light sabre battle.  Vader encourages Luke to turn to the dark side path.  Luke is sucked out a Cloud City window.

Lando urges a city-wide evacuation, telling people they are on their own.  Lando, Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3PO make it to the Millennium Falcon despite being caught in a running laser blaster battle.  The Falcon takes off.

Luke rescues himself and for the third time fights Vader.  Vader cuts off  Luke's hand and he loses his light sabre.  Vader tells Luke he's his father.  At first, Luke doesn't believe it, then doesn't want to believe it.  Vader tries to convince Luke to join him, to defeat the Emperor, and to rule as father and son.  Luke escapes down a tunnel and lands on an antenna at the bottom of  Bespin.  Luke calls for Ben for help.  Then he calls for Leia.  She senses him.  Leia sees Luke, the Falcon rescues him.  The hyper-drive on the Falcon re-engages thanks to R2-D2.  Chewbacca and Lando take the Millennium Falcon to search for Han.  Luke gets an artificial hand.  Luke, Leia, C3PO and R2-D2 look out a window at a galaxy and the Falcon leaving.

The Empire Strikes Back is darker than Star Wars.  Rather than a fairy tale or fantasy film like Star Wars, this film focuses on the Rebel Alliance which is in trouble, and develops the characters who learn and grow.  Luke is well on his way to truly becoming a Jedi Knight.  Han, though he still talks about leaving, is showing his loyalty to Luke and to Leia.  And Leia herself, the most experienced person of  the three in terms of  leading the rebellion, is starting to feel something for Han.  There's also the hint of  something between her and Luke.  But yes, the Empire does strike back, and our heroes are in trouble even though they escape definite capture by the end of  the film, all that is except Han Solo.

Rather than the harsh white/black/grey color palette of the first film, Empire is more colorful... from the greens of  Dagobah's swamp to the blues of  the carbon freeze room at Bespin.  This contrasts with the darker plot of  the film.

A second thing to notice about both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, is the use of  language... specifically accents to denote groups.  The Imperial admirals, generals, and lieutenants generally all speak with British accents (and very precise ones at that).  The Rebels are generally American.  Notable exceptions are James Earl Jones as Vader's voice, though David Prowse was in the costume, and Alec Guinness as Obi Wan Kenobi.  Although this doesn't consciously affect the viewer, subconsciously it sets the two groups apart.  However, it was most probably an accident not a deliberate choice:  much of  the Star Wars films were filmed at English studios and many British character actors (including Peter Cushing, Julian Glover, Michael Sheard, and even Alec Guinness) were hired on site.  Of course, the film was an American film and main casting took place in the US.  Lucas (executive producer on Empire) hired people he had worked with before or that were young and new.  But I still thing the obvious class differences between the Empire and the Rebels add to the film.

Highly, highly recommended, a must see!

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Wars  Return of  the Jedi

Star Wars

• Title:  Star Wars (aka Star Wars IV:  A New Hope)
• Director:  George Lucas
• Date:  1977
• Studio:  20th Century Fox
• Genre:  SF, Fantasy, Adventure
• Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Your father's light sabre.  This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight.  Not as clumsy or random as a blaster.  An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

"The force is what gives a Jedi his power.  It's an energy field created by all living things,  it surrounds us and penetrates us, it binds the Galaxy together."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

"I want to come with you to Alderaan.  There's nothing for me here now.  I want to learn the ways of  the force and become a Jedi like my father."  -- Luke

"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"  -- Luke

Hands down one of my favorite movies, ever!  Star Wars is the classic science fantasy film, mixing the cultural mysticism of  Old Japan, with the classic tale of  farm boy who wants adventure, then he becomes very important.

The film opens with a scroll revealing this is "Episode IV" like the old movie serials from the 1930s. This catches up on the plot for a "pre-quel" that in 1977 didn't exist, but it explains the background for what's going on.  We see an impressive, but small ship being chased and shot at -- then a shot of a much, much larger ship chasing it.  The ship seems to go on forever.  It's blasting lasers at the smaller ship.

Inside the ship we meet two 'Droids (or androids), R2-D2 and C3PO.  R2-D2 communicates only in whistles and beeps (meant to suggest machine language) though we have an idea what he's saying from C3PO's responses.  C3PO, a "protocol" droid and translator, seems a bit like a bad butler.  The entire ship is swallowed by the larger one.  Imperial Storm Troopers in metallic white armor burst in. Vader strangles one of  the rebels, and Princess Leia is stunned.

R2-D2 and C3PO leave the ship in an escape pod.  Because the pod registers no life signs, the Imperial troops let it get away.  They land on a dessert planet.  Jawas, dessert scavengers, pick up the two droids.
The Storm Troopers arrive, thinking the "plans" are hidden in the pod, then find evidence of droids and tracks.

Meanwhile, the Jawas arrange their droids to sell.  Luke and his Uncle Owen take first C3PO and then R2-D2 from the Jawas and bring them back to their farm.

Luke stumbles on to part of  Leia's message while cleaning R2-D2.  He claims he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Luke discusses going to "the Academy" with Uncle Owen, but Owen wants him to stay and help with the harvest.  R2-D2 goes off on his own in search of  Kenobi.

The next morning, Luke and C3PO search for R2-D2 and find him.  They're attacked by Sand People.  Obi-Wan Kenobi rescues Luke, and the droids.  Obi-Wan fills Luke in on some of  his father's history, and gives him a light sabre.  He starts to teach Luke about the Force, and they listen to Leia's full message hologram.  Kenobi asks Luke to help go to Alderaan.  Luke says he can't.  Then they find the Jawas attacked and destroyed, it's meant to look like Sand People were responsible, but Obi-Wan realizes Imperial Storm Troopers were responsible.

On Vader's ship they discuss the disappearance of  the plans, and Vadar strangles a man using the Force.

Luke rushes home, but the farm's been destroyed and his Aunt and Uncle burned to death.  He returns to the Jawa site, meets with Kenobi, and vows to go with him, learn the ways of  the Force, and become a Jedi Knight like his father.  They head for Mos Eisley spaceport, the famous "hive of scum and villainy".  There they meet Chewbacca and Han Solo and book passage on the Millennium Falcon.  Luke sells his speeder to get cash.

Imperial troopers show up at the space port and there's a brief  laser gun fight.  The Millennium Falcon escapes the Imperial cruisers by making the jump to light speed and cruising into hyperspace.  During the brief trip, Obi-Wan Kenobi begins to train Luke in the use of  a light sabre.  When they arrive at Alderaan, it's in the middle of  a meteor shower.  And the planet isn't there.

We'd seen Vader coldly and calmly use the Death Star to destroy the entire planet, Leia's home, and one she insists is peaceful with no weapons.  Obi-Wan Kenobi had felt the tremor in the force, the millions of  lives silenced, and nearly collapsed, while aboard the Falcon, in hyper-space.

Back on the Falcon, they see a small moon near Alderaan, or what was, Alderaan.  Quickly, Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan realize it's a space station and they better get out of  there.  But they are pulled into a tractor beam.  When the ship lands, the Imperial Troopers think no one's on board, as they had all hidden in Han's smuggling compartments.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will take care of  the tractor beam.  The rest are to check for info, but stay put.  However, R2-D2 plugs into a Imperial computer port, downloads data, and finds Leia and that she's scheduled for execution.  Luke convinces Han to rescue Leia.  Han reluctantly agrees.  They rescue Leia, get caught by troopers trying to escape, and Leia blows a hole in the wall with a blaster rifle and they end up in the garbage compactor.  Luke calls C3PO for help and they barely escape.

Getting back to the Falcon isn't so easy, with more blaster battles.  Everyone gets to the Falcon, but Kenobi is fighting Vader.  Luke sees this on the other side of  the hanger deck.  Vader kills Kenobi, and Luke angrily fires at any Imperial storm trooper he can.  The Falcon escapes, after a space battle against TIE fighters, but Leia insists "they let us escape".

She's right, the Death Star follows them to the rebel base at Yavin, on a nearby moon. The rebels study the plans and come up with a plan.  Small, one-man fighters (X-wings), will fly through a trench and send photon torpedoes through a 2-meter thermal vent.  If placed directly, and perfectly on target, the torpedo will reach the center of  the moon's reactor, blow it up and cause a chain reaction to blow up the entire Death Star.

Luke, Wedge, and two squadrons of rebel pilots, head for the Death Star to make their attack run.  Meanwhile, Leia and the rebels watch battle screens and listen.  They watch as the Death Star comes closer and closer, knowing that when or if  it clears the planet, they are all dead.  And they listen as the rebel pilots, one by one, die -- either in collisions in the trench, blown up by Imperial TIE fighters, or destroyed by anti-aircraft batteries on the Death Star.  Finally, it's down to Wedge and Luke.  Wedge gets a bit cooked and has to pull out (but he survives).  Han Solo arrives in the Falcon, and destroys two TIE fighters, and clips Vader's fighter so it rolls off  into space.  Luke disables his targeting computer, and let's the force guide him to make the shot.  He succeeds.

Later he and Han reunite with Leia and are congratulated.  Both receive awards at a huge ceremony.  Chewbacca is also honored and  R2-D2 and C3PO are present at the ceremony.

Star Wars is a fun movie - but it has a lot to say too.

The color palette is bright white, black, and grey.  There's occasional pops of blue, orange, and brown.  But mostly it's white, black and grey - which gives the film an almost monochromatic look, even though it's a color film.  And, the sharp whites and blacks add to the feel of  being in space.  Despite the obvious fantasy elements of  the film, the star fields, uni-directional lighting and such, feel like space.  Even when R2-D2 is in the back of  Luke's X-Wing fighter, his normally blue markings look black because there's no light in space to see the blue.

The plot, about an orphan who discovers he is meant for greater things also isn't that different - after all Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter are also orphans.  The farm boy who longs for adventure, and finds it is an old idea, a classic idea.  And in part, Star Wars, is a classic fantasy tale - with a princess to be rescued and plenty of  sword play and (blaster) gun battles.  We even have the old mentor, Merlin-like, teaching the young boy.

But far from being derivative - Star Wars brings all these elements together and cooks them up into something no one had seen in 1977, and the film is still popular, even legendary today.  Because of  the futuristic fantasy setting, it doesn't feel "old", unlike many science fiction films (or even buddy cop films or musicals or other genre films).  And that is because the film was made with so much care and precision and the young cast is brilliant.  The script is also brilliant - as the many famous quotes from it bare out.  After all, who doesn't know what "These aren't the droids you're looking for?" means or where "May the Force be with you" comes from?  It's just a brilliant, brilliant film.

The film, like Raiders of  the Lost Ark (1981), is actually split into relatively short sections (again, inspired by movie serials), which allow for a more complicated plot and prevent any boredom from setting to setting.  Star Wars moves at a break-neck speed, and with surprising amounts of  humor, although the overall tone is that of sheer fun adventure.

I saw Star Wars when it came out in 1977 - I was eight years old, and the perfect age to fall in love with this movie.  It, like the Indiana Jones films, inspired a life-long love of  film.  It also inspired my interest in not only watching science fiction, but reading it.  And reading fantasy also.  A couple of  years ago I had the privilege of  showing Empire and Jedi to my at-the-time eight-year-old niece and nephew (they'd seen Star Wars) and it was fun to see the films as new through their eyes.  Because I must admit, I've seen these three films so many times I've memorize whole sections of  dialog from them.

Recommendation:  A must see!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Wars:  The Empire Strikes Back