Way back in 2011—before we knew we'd get to "live" in the Star Wars universe again—I started creating e-cards to celebrate May 4th. They're part Valentine, part cheesy pick-up line, but they're all fun. (At least I think so.)
I didn't make the time to create a bunch of new ones this year, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to get at least one new one in the mix.
Feel free to share these with your nerdy friends and loved ones! (Click the images for larger versions.) And May the Fourth be with you!
Solo
Rogue One
The Force Awakens
The Original Trilogy
FYI: Chewie's card reads "I'll let you pilot my spaceship any day." I used this translator for "accuracy."
This episodic Wolverine podcast sounds neat. I love that "old" art forms (e.g., radio serials) are coming back in new forms. Also, Richard Armitage is an inspired choice for Logan.
Will Kilgrave be back in Jessica Jones' second season? The purple at the end of this trailer is sure leaning that way.
Transitional film
I wanted more backstory
But I do love Porgs
Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for battle with the First Order.
It's been nearly a month since I first saw The Last Jedi in theaters, and honestly? I still don't quite know how I feel about the movie. I know people who love it, and I know people who compare it to the prequels (which I think might be going a little too far). There were parts that I loved, and parts that I didn't like. I'm struggling, friends.
My biggest issue is that it very much felt like a film that wasn't vital to the larger story. A lot of what was set down in The Force Awakens seemed to be tossed out the window without much care, and I worry that Episode 9 will try to get those things back, making The Last Jedi this weird transitional film that ultimately didn't do much. Other things I didn't enjoy:
The Canto Bight storyline. More Finn? Yes! Rose Tico? YES! But them going off and doing their own thing took me out of the larger plot, especially when it ultimately turned out to be sort of useless. (Thanks for nothing, Benicio del Toro.) Also, was there more to the woman (Lily Cole) standing next to the master codebreaker than we were privy to?
Luke's snotty attitude (and the weird milking moment). I get that he wanted to be left alone. I get that he was reeling from Kylo's turn to the dark side. I get that he's always been a bit of a brat. But the jokey way he tossed the lightsaber behind him when Rey handed it to him totally diverged from the feeling I got from the end of The Force Awakens. It was jarring, and felt cheap.
The cat and mouse chase between the First Order and the Rebel ships. Sure, it paid off awesomely in that kamikaze scene at the end, but what was stopping the First Order from jumping to the other side of the Rebel ships? Or calling in reinforcements? It's not like the Rebel ships were going to get away if they stopped looking for a second.
Snoke and Phasma's seemingly useless deaths. Them dying kind of unceremoniously made it seem like neither character was necessary to the larger plot, and it's a shame. (That said, they might not actually be dead, and show up again. We'll see ...)
And, related: The lack of character backstory. I try to remind myself that I didn't know much of anything about Emperor Palpatine when all I'd seen was the original trilogy; it wasn't until the prequels and the extended universe books that I learned more. I feel like movie-going audiences expect—and deserve—more these days, however, and inserting a new character (i.e. Holdo) without explaining really anything about who she is except a throw-away line about her being involved in some "famous" battle just feels cheap. (If you're interested, you can learn more about her in Claudia Gray's book, Leia: Princess of Alderaan.)
Like I said, though, there were things I really liked. A few examples:
Princess Leia showing her force powers. Just 'cause she's not a Jedi has never meant that she's not a badass Force wielder.
The character growth, Finn's and Poe's in particular. Finn's gone from being all about himself, to all about Rey, to a slogan-saying, full-fledged member of the Rebellion. (Total fist-pump moment, y'all.) And Poe was taken down a peg or two to show him humility and what it takes to be a true leader. (Just in time for Episode 9.)
Representation for more than just white dudes. Anytime I saw a woman in a position of power—or, really, doing anything—I got choked up. Even at 34, I'm still looking for women to be major parts of my favorite
The lightsaber battle between Kylo and Rey and Snoke's guards. Beautiful choreography! And, though I'm not a Reylo shipper, I love the enemistry between them. Their little mental chats were pretty delightful.
Yoda's gleeful trolling. I didn't realize how much I missed that little green dude's sass.
The Porgs. Yes, I'm one of those fans.
In the end, I'm giving the movie a three-star rating, mostly because I continue to waffle between one end of the spectrum and the other.
If you were watching the Super Bowl last night, you probably saw the teaser for the Solo: A Star Wars Story ... teaser ... that released early this morning. If you missed either, here they both are:
I'm still not totally sold on Alden Ehrenreich as Han, but I'm going to reserve final judgment until I actually see the movie. I'm digging the look and feel of the teaser, and damn if Donald Glover isn't oozing that Lando charm, even in the short time we get to see him. (That coat, tho!)
Honestly, it's hard for me not to get excited about new Star Wars movies, regardless of my feeling about them when I actually see them in theaters. (Related: I'll try to get my Last Jedi Haiku Revieu up later this week.)
Also of note:
A new spot for Avengers: Infinity War dropped during the game as well. Not embedding it in case you're like me and only want to watch the first trailer, but linking it here in case you want to see. (Full disclosure: Because I was a party for the game, I ended up watching it. It doesn't spoil much, plot-wise. It's just a lot of attractive people preparing for a fight. And Cap's beard is in FULL effect.)
It's been a while. And for that, I'm sorry. Life gets in the way! But I'd be remiss not to post this trailer, even though—full disclosure—I haven't watched it, or nor do I plan on doing so. Supposedly, even the director thinks this trailer gives away too much, and I'm really looking forward to being surprised come Dec. 14.
Have you, or do you plan to watch?
Also of note:
The first full trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising was released last week. It looks more like a Transformers movie than I might like, and the song at the end is terrible, but I'm still excited. Side note: Does John Boyega always sound so much like Idris Elba?
Have you watched the Tomb Raider trailer? Alicia Vikander sure looks the part. I don't know if I knew that it was going to be such a straight adaptation of the first new game, however.
It was hard keeping up with the news coming out of San Diego over the past few days, and but here are some highlights. If I missed anything important, add it in the comments!
Is it November 3 yet?
I loved Pacific Rim. (I'm still longing for a Jaegar pilot bomber jacket.) So I'm super stoked for the sequel. However, it was an actual shock to hear John Boyega's real accent in this teaser; I'm so much more used to him sounding like Finn.
I'm excited. I love that they're trying something new with a woman Doctor, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes out from under Moffat's thumb. (This article talks a bit more about Whittaker and the "prep" for the Doctor regenerating into a female form.)
I wish Peter Capaldi would have stuck around for another season, though. I really enjoyed 12 when Clara wasn't around, and I don't think one season without her was really enough time for him to truly shine.
Also of note:
There was a lot of news out of D23 over the weekend (and there's likely even more to come at Comic Con this upcoming weekend). Star Wars, natch, was a hot topic of discussion. These The Last Jedi posters are particularly striking, and this behind-the-scenes video is supposedly really great. (Haven't watched yet and am not sure that I will; I'm avoiding spoilers at all cost.)
Marvel also shared some news at D23, including information about and a trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1. (We'll likely see an official trailer hit the 'net post-SDCC, but there are bootleg versions available, I'm sure.)
Also out of D23: Disney has found its live-action Aladdin (and Jasmine and Genie).
Here's a first photo from the upcoming Ready Player One film.
In 2011, I started creating a collection of part-Valentine, part cheesy pick-up line e-cards to celebrate May the 4th. Little did I know back then that I'd have the opportunity to add cards from new movies to the mix! (Really, I couldn't be more pleased.)
Be sure to check out the new Rogue One cards in the collection!
And please feel free to share any—or all—of the cards below with your nerdy friends and loved ones.
Rogue One
The Force Awakens
The Original Trilogy
FYI: Chewie's card reads "I'll let you pilot my spaceship any day." I used this translator for "accuracy."
