I just watched that too. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

I just watched The Maze Runner, though I like to call it the Maize Runner, since it's kind of corny. Just like a corn cob, the story is kind of cobbled together and if you've seen one cob, you've seen them all, no real surprises. Just like my analogy, the plot is a bit contrived and there's no point in trying to think about why stuff is happening, it's best to just enjoy the ride. If you like these movies, I think you'll be entertained. I liked it, but I have low standards as long as I'm entertained, which even "bad" movies can do. I watched the previous movies and wanted closure.

This is probably the last of these movies with dystopian civilizations and young adult actors, but I won't weep over that. Only the Hunger Games was really good and now the trend has died out. The Divergent series won't get a final fourth movie, "Ascendant", (according to wikipedia) because of bad box office numbers for the previous movie (110 million dollars budget, 179,2 million global box office). Instead there's talks about a tv movie and then a spin-off tv-series that moves beyond the books with new characters. Despite what I said about closure above, I'm not eagerly awaiting the last Divergent movie/tv-project. If it comes, good, I'll probably watch it. If not, then I think I'll manage (might read a wiki summary at most). There are so many other franchises that are more interesting to follow.

Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Finally I can say I've seen some of the newer SW movies, as they showed the movie today on TV here.

It was ok. I am not a religious SW fan albeit I somewhat enjoyed watching e.g. episodes 4 and 5 (6 was a bit too childish for my taste with those furry small creatures whatever). The good thing certainly was that this newer movie reminded more of episodes 4-6 than 1-3, ie. some good big "space" combat scenes etc.

It didn't leave me craving for more, I'll watch the two new movies when they happen to come by me. Some notes:

- Yeah it had some "politically correct" material, besides the main protagonist being female who keeps telling and showing men she can take care of himself (yeah yeah we get it, you are soooo bad ass and really show men their place, blaa blaa blaa), an implied gay couple (Finn and Poe) etc. I guess this is something that just has to be expected in modern movies and games nowadays, we just need to be told over and over again that hey girls can do anything boys can and kick their asses too, there's nothing wrong being a gay etc. so that we never forget.

- The protagonis, Rey, somehow seemed to me like a kid sister of Keira Knightley.

- Maybe I don't quite recall the ending of episode 6, but after seeing it (a long time ago) I felt that is the conclusion to the dark force and the struggle against the empire. Yet, this new movie seemed to reboot it all to the beginning, ie. there is a powerful dark faction which destroys their opposing planets with ease, etc. I guess the struggle between the good and bad guys in the SW universe is eternal, it will never end. No matter how many times they destroy the death stars and evil emperors, we get back to the beginning every time. It is as if someone resurrected Hitler over and over again after WWII. There is no happily ever after ending in the SW universe, but I guess that is somewhat like the real world then.

I give the movie 3 out of 5. As said, I am not a big SW fan so I didn't watch nor review it religiously, I just watched it as a generic action scifi movie.

I've seen the movie twice and I still have no idea where people got that idea. I mean, I get where the idea about Chirrut and Baze in Rogue One comes from, I got that vibe from them too. But Finn and Poe? I've got nothing. If there was any romance implied in that movie it was Finn an Ray. Not that either is actually a thing in the next movie.

I'm probably thinking about this more than the filmmakers (and I haven't seen the latest one), but I get the impression that when the Empire was defeated in ROTJ, it didn't suddenly vanish but instead the New Republic took most/a lot of territory from it, or maybe you had some ex-Imperial hardliners who came together as the First Order with what systems they still controlled, but the Empire basically still exists in certain parts of the galaxy, and in those parts you have the Resistance which is continuing the work of the original Rebellion and is supported by the Republic. So it's really the same set-up but the details are just slightly different. And then in this movie the FO uses its magic Deathest Star to blow up the Republic capital (I think - you'd think this would more of a point of emphasis in the movie), which pretty much means the Empire's back in charge again or something.

"Attack of the Killer Donuts" is on tonight, 9pm EST.

Really, the for the movie we're back to basics as much as possible simply because it's essentialy a remake of Episode IV.

As far as the new Extended Universe goes, remnants the Empire did survive a little while longer after RotJ, but New Republic eventually did pretty much take over entirely, but there were some Imperial Forces that fled to uknown space. Eventually they made a comeback when the Republic was sort of shaking apart on it's own because politics, and The First Order is a combination of those Imperials and some New Republic separatists.

Yeah that's why I said implied (I haven't seen others suggesting it, I just got a faint impression of such). Also I have no idea yet how things proceed between different characters in later movies, if any.

My gay radar blipped faintly in the scene when Finn sees Poe again, understanding he didn't die in the crash. They give each other a very deep and warm hug and seem almost aroused for seeing each other alive, and when Poe compliments Finn for being a good soldier or whatever, Finn freezes for a moment puzzled, as if wondering if he should ask Poe for a date or what. Oh yeah and when Poe compliments Finn how fabulous his (Poe's) jacket looks on him, and wants Finn to keep it. Come on, kiss already!

Sure Rey and Finn also give each other a hug later in the movie, but I considered that as a similar hug as Leia and Luke in the Ep4. Also, in the end of the movie it is made clear Rey is friend-zoning Finn either way, as she profoundly says "friend!" to Finn. It is as if the movie makers wanted to make the viewers 100% clear that there will be no romance between Rey and Finn. Then again Rey is most probably lesbian anyway, I mean she doesn't even wear a sexy skirt.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course! And it takes one to know one and yadda yadda yadda.

"Day of the Triffids" (1962)

One of those old-time sci-fi movies about a "once-in-lifetime-spectical" meteor shower,
but the next day everybody who saw it is blind.

Recently, I watched all of the Batman Animated Series. It was pretty fantastic.

I don't know, I think it's funny to speak of any such "vibes" from anyone in that movie. All those people have the raw sexual charisma of a styrofoam cup.

Mask of the Phantasm still is and probably will always be the best Batman movie (both animated and live action).

Black Panther

I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about. It's a perfectly average superhero flick. It's not bad, but it's too long for it's own good, there's a lot you could cut out with little of no loss for the story or the characters. And it's very predictable. Everything is telegraphed in painfuly obvious ways. Halfway through the movie the rest is all a forgone conclusion. And I don't just mean "the good guys win" I mean pretty much every scene and line. I'm still glad Marvel made movie that isn't all jokes and tounge in cheek, but the result is pretty meh. It could have been much better. It should have been shorter, faster, wilder and bolder with it's direction and acting. The actors all do a good enough job, but they also all stop short of delivering truly passionate, memorable performances, as if someone told them "hold on, hold on, this scene doesn't need all this energy!"

And really, it's that 2 hours 20 minutes running time that kills it. It's a story that could have been told in 40 minutes less. 2 hours tops, with great leisure. 2h20m? Get out of here. I've seen Hamlet done in less time :P

Black Panther

I think, Marvel has really listened to the criticism and improved their villians. The last three or four in a row have been characters with personality and motivation. Hela maybe a little less but she made up for it by being awesome.

Killmonger seems dysfunctional and dangerous, yet also completely logical and in control of actions. You could say something similar about The Vulture, even perhaps Ego. You can notice chunks of the movies at the start devoted to the villians character development.

As a side note I'm fond of supporting new and unique superheroes like Black Panther and Doctor Strange.