Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi was easily better than Empire Strikes Back. Everything got wrapped up perfectly and Anakin Skywalker's story was finished with his death. I am really glad I watched them I, II, III, IV, V, VI. I feel better off for it. When Darth kills the Emperor I got chills.

Favorite Characters of Episode VI

5. Head Ewok- so cute and did some great fighting.

4. Han Solo- funny and charismatic but too much of a side character.

3. Yoda- More like the Yoda of the early Episodes in this one.

2. C3PO- Continued excellence in being a funny robot.

1. Darth Vader- there was still a little good left in him after all. watching him from beginning to end, made me like him more than any other character.

Favorite Order of Episodes

6. The Phantom Menace- Episode I
5. Attack of the Clones- Episode II
4. A New Hope- Episode IV
3. Empire Strikes Back- Episode V
2. Return of the Jedi- Episode VI
1. Revenge of the Sith- Episode III

Empire Strikes Back

One of the most disappointing moments in my movie watching history. My entire life I have heard people say "Luke, I am your father." It is always said in the same inflection and that's what I was expecting to hear when Luke and Vader were fighting. Here is the actual dialog. Luke: You killed my father! Vader: No, I am your father. Now that isn't that bad, but the inflection that Vader uses was completely different than the way I had been hearing it for the past 15 years. Anyways, I had heard before hand that Empire Strikes Back was the best Star Wars and IMDB agrees with that. After watching it I did not like Episode V nearly as much as Episode III. It was good but not as exciting or heartfelt as the final installment of the second trilogy.

Favorite Characters from Episode V

5. Lando Calrissian (on left)- Very charismatic, and I loved how he was helping the Empire for a bit but then came back to help the rebels.

4. Darth Vader- He killed a lot of anonymous generals with his telekinesis, which was great. I loved when he was trying to bring Luke to the dark side.

3. Han Solo (on right)- I wish Han was Vader's son. It would make for some more laughs.

2. Yoda- When we first see Yoda in this Episode I was turned off a bit by his craziness and weird voice. Once he became serious about his business he started talking in his normal great voice.

1. C-3PO- Just continues to crack me up with everything he says.

One Episode to go...

A New Hope

I can't explain how much I believe this strategy has already paid off. The first 30 to 40 minutes of Episode IV were so much better because I had already watched I,II, and III. If I had never seen anything Star Wars, the great conversation between Luke and Kenobi would've been wasted because I would have had no idea what was going on. This way, everything that talked about was incredible. Seeing R2 and 3PO go through so much before this movie made their interactions that much better. Overall I liked A New Hope better than the new trilogy movies, but it wasn't as epic as Revenge of the Sith. The story was short and the end result was a bit anti climactic. Oh, also Luke was quite a little pansy boy.

Favorite Episode IV Characters

5. Chewbacca- A great lovable character that made me laugh quite a few times because of how scared he was. When they are trapped in the trash compactor and he keeps banging on the door it is priceless.

4. R2-D2- I loved R2 before this movie but I didn't feel he did enough to make the list. In this movie he had a lot of funny comments that 3PO had to translate. I especially loved when R2 would lead 3PO into danger.

3. Obi-Wan Kenobi- I don't know if I would've loved him this much if I hadn't already seen I, II, and III. All of his comments had so much "mmph" because I knew everything he'd been through with Anakin.

2. Han Solo- Very funny performance and a pretty big stud. He was so cocky and all about money which always makes for a good character.

1. C-3PO- He finally gets to the top spot because he was basically in the entire movie this time. He's a very nervous, gay robot. I love when R2 gets him into trouble.

Stay tuned for Episodes 5 and 6.

Revenge of the Sith

Confused, evil Anakan of Episode III was much better than winy, annoying Anikan of Episode II. This movie was much better than I and II. The fight sequences were great and watching Anakan turn into Darth Vader was fantastic. I actually don't have much time to write because I can't wait any longer before watching Episode IV. I do, however, have to list my favorite characters.

Favorite Characters From Episode III

5. C3PO- I love how he gets so scared while R2D2 gets the two of them into trouble. At the end, when they are kept together, he does not like the sounds of it. I do.

4. Mace Windu- I was sad to see him fall to his death, but extremely satisfied that he handled Darth Sidius until Anakan turned sides to save Sidius.

3. Anakan Skywalker (right)- He was very confused throughout this film which made for great stuff. He was trained by Jedi and reinforced with Jedi ways his whole life, but inside he was always going to the dark side. When he would want to be good but couldn't help be bad, it was fun to watch.

2. Yoda- He was just as good here as in Episode II but Obi-Wan was so good that Yoda couldn't keep the top spot.

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi (right)- He had a lot of good jokes at the beginning. His speech to Anakan during the final fight scene put him over the top for me. He had so much love for him, and trained him for so long that it hurt him that he was supposed to take him out. It was great to see him cut off Anakan's legs in mid-air.

Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones had much less comedic value than Phantom Menace, but I liked the action and storyline a little more. Obi-Wan became a stud in the ten years between I and II. On the other hand, Anikan went from being a joyful and funny young boy, to an annoying, jerk of a 20 year old. I also hated that Queen Amidala ended up loving him. T-time made a great comment during the wedding sequence. "I can understand that (Queen Amidala) can accept that he murdered a couple dozen slaves and slave owners, but how can she accept that weird robot arm?" The final fight scene was pretty unbelievable in my mind. After Count Dooku takes out Obi-Wan and cuts Anikan's arm off, Yoda walks in to take care of business. Because he was using his cane and struggling to walk into the room, I was very surprised at Yoda's extreme quickness and flying spin kicks.

Favorite Epidisode II Characters

5. Senator Amidala- Although I hated that she ended up with Anikan, I still enjoyed her through the beginning.

4. Mace Windu (right)- Such a stud in the master jedi meetings. People just come to him with questions of what to do and Mace just lets them know what's up.

3. C3PO- Again, little action but some of comments to R2D2 in the Episode were great. I also got a kick out of his head and body getting switched around on the droids.

2. Obi-Wan Kenobi- Went from a character I didn't like to almost number one in the movie within the ten year gap between Episode I and II. It might have had to do with the much better hair-do and the fantastic beard. Maybe once you become a master you automatically have to be sweet.

1. Yoda (right)- Being so powerful and wise with the force makes him good, and his unbelievable fighting abilities bring him to greatness, but it his incredible voice by Frank Oz that put him over the top for me.

Stay tuned for Episodes 3,4,5,6

Star Wars, chronologically

I have had this idea for quite some time now. Last night I watched Star Wars Episode I- The Phantom Menace for the first time. I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies and thought it would be interesting to watch all six of them, in chronological order. I'm sure most people around have seen them, 4,5,6,1,2,3 so this could be a new perspective on things. The only thing I knew going into Episode I is that the little kid was going to end up being Darth Vader. Other than that I was a blank slate.

I enjoyed Episode I, although it was nothing to get too excited over. I was surprised by, although loved the blatant political references to our own history. For some reason the land battle sequences didn't quite do it for me. On the other hand, the flying scenes got pretty exciting, especially Anikan's pod race. If you have ever seen Jingle All The Way, everything Anikan says will probably make you laugh. Other than that, Jar Jar Binks made this movie quite a pleasurable watch. His speach, although most of the time not understandable, was a hilarious combination of stereotypical discriminatory dialects.

Favorite Episode I characters

5. Queen Amidala (right)- As well as being attractive, she was both sweet and powerful. Her interactions with Anikan were very motherly and I enjoyed them. I also loved when she would tell Qui-Gon Jinn what the Queen would want while acting as one of the Queen's helpers.

4. Qui-Gon Jinn- I love Liam Neeson and in the role he brought so much confidence and intelligence that I feel it was hard not to like him. I do think it's kind of funny that he will basically be completely responsible for Darth Vader getting out of being a slave.

3. C3PO- It just doesn't get much better than a gay robot. Now I know robots can't really be gay, but have you heard this guy talk? Hilarious stuff. If he had more of a major role in this episode he probably would've been higher on this list.

2. Anikan Skywalker- I'm assuming his performance was enhanced for me by the fact that I know how dark he ends up. When Qui-Gon first comes to see him, Anakin is such a giddy little boy and every time he would say something joyful it was great. I definitely began to love this little kid and it will be sad when he gets some of this dark side in him.

1. Jar Jar Binks (right)- What a great character. Any time he spoke I couldn't not laugh. He was so lovable in the fact that he was staying to Qui-Gon's side because he saved him earlier in the film. The fact that this water living type of species in the future speaks poor English gets at the heart of my comedic value.

...stay tuned for Episodes 2,3,4,5,6

Top 50 TV Characters

50. Robert McCallister- Brothers and Sisters (above)
49. Dr. Christopher Turk- Scrubs
48. Russell- Rules of Engagement
47. Samantha Marquez- Las Vegas
46. Brian Darling- Dirty, Sexy, Money
45. The Haitian- Heroes (right)
44. Dr. Alex Karev- Grey's Anatomy
43. Morgan Grimes- Chuck
42. Frank Rossitano- 30 Rock
41. Kevin Malone- The Office (below)


40. Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes- Lost
39. Marsh McGinley- Back to You
38. Cappie- Greek
37. Chloe O'Brian- 24
36. Alex Vega- Cane
35. Randy Hickey- My Name Is Earl (right)
34. Jim Halpert- The Office
33. Peter Petrelli- Heroes
32. Dan Vasser- Journeyman
31. Liz Lemon- 30 Rock (below)


30. Captain Awesome- Chuck
29. Dr. Kutner- House, M.D.
28. Chuck Darling- Back to You
27. Earl Hickey- My Name Is Earl
26. Andy Bernard- The Office
25. Matt Saracen- Friday Night Lights (right)
24. Bill Buchannon- 24
23. Gabriel Sylar- Heroes
22. Jeff- Rules of Engagement
21. Ari Gold- Entourage (below)


20. John Locke- Lost
19. Tim Riggins- Friday Night Lights
18. Dr. Derek Shephard- Grey's Anatomy
17. Jack Bauer- 24 (right)
16. Hiro Nakamura- Heroes
15. Michael Scott- The Office
14. Dr. Gregory House- House, M.D.
13. Johnny 'Drama' Chase- Entourage
12. Larry David- Curb Your Enthusiasm
11. Chuck Bartkowski- Chuck (below)


10. Creed Bratton- The Office
9. Noah Bennett- Heroes
8. Nathan Petrelli- Heroes
7. Jack Donaghy- 30 Rock
6. Mike Cannon- Las Vegas
5. Dr. Mark Sloan- Grey's Anatomy (right)
4. Dwight Schrute- The Office
3. Tracy Jordan- 30 Rock
2. James 'Sawyer' Ford- Lost
1. Danny McCoy- Las Vegas (below)

I'm Not There

I'm not there is an interesting biography of Bod Dylan's life portrayed through six different characters. The first aspect of Dylan's life is shown through the character "Woody Guthrie." Woody is a young boy who is in and out of different situations, telling plenty of lies, and trying to find himself. The next Dylan is "Jack Rollins." This is Dylan's early folk stage when he gains all of his fans and records his early records. Now woven in between folk Dylan and Rock 'n Roll Dylan is Family Man Dylan. "Robbie Clark" is an actor who meets a girl and falls in love only to have his marriage come crumbling down during the peak of the Vietnam War. "Jude Quinn" is Dylan once he goes electric. This portrayal is almost spot on with the clips you see in the "No Direction Home" documentary. After Rock 'n Roll Dylan breaks down both physically and mentally we meet Outlaw Dylan. "Billy the Kid" shows how Dylan felt after he stopped touring in the late sixties, as an outlaw. Throughout the film, the sixth Dylan, "Arthur Rimbaud," is brought back answering questions in a cynical fashion. Although sometimes confusing to me, it was a very enjoyable watch for a Dylan fan. I wish only that I enjoyed Rock 'n Roll Dylan more because I loved that part of "No Direction Home."

Favorite Dylans

1. Jack Rollins (Folk Dylan)- Christian Bale
Christian never ceases to amaze me. He is without a doubt the best voice actor I have ever seen. He uses a completely different accent in every movie he does and it is breathtaking. I kind of wish he could have been Dylan throughout the entire film.

2. Robbie Clark (Family Dylan)-
Heath Ledger
Had some great times in this film, especially the double date scene. His anti-women comments were incredible.

3. Woody Guthrie (Child Dylan)- Marcus Carl Franklin
This kid was a great free spirited character with some great story telling ability.

4. Bill the Kid (Outlaw Dylan)- Richard Gere
Although I enjoyed his presence, it was just too somber to love.

5. Arthur Rimbaud (Poet Dylan)- Ben Whishaw
Nothing to him really, wasn't a developed character.

6. Jude Quinn (Rock 'n Roll Dylan)- Cate Blanchett
I wanted to slap her in the face all the time. This part was so well written but every time she opened her mouth I wanted to shut it. Watching Dylan in real clips and then watching her butcher it was not that sweet.

Petrelli's Eleven

If you are a fan of Heroes or the Ocean's movies, I am pretty sure you will enjoy these. I thought all of them except Petrelli's Twelve were great.

Petrelli's Eleven
Petrelli's Twelve
Petrelli's Thirteen
Shephard's Eleven

August Rush

I did not have high expectations going into this movie. Boy was I surprised when I loved it. August Rush stars Freddie Highmore as an orphaned child who ends up being a music prodigy. Keri Russell, Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, and Jonathon Rhys Meyers also have major roles. Although the romance story and the story of a lost boy trying to get back to his parents were both wonderful, it was the role music played that made this film great. There was so much great musicianship from not only Rush, but everywhere. I had never seen Robin Williams play such a mean and dark character and I think I enjoyed it more than his sometimes not funny and annoying comedy roles. I absolutely recommend this movie, especially to those who love music.

12/8 Rankings and Performers

Peformers of the Week

1. Nathan Petrelli- Heroes (12)
2. Mike Cannon- Las Vegas (27)
3. Gabriel Sylar- Heroes (16)
4. Tracy Jordan- 30 Rock (34)
5. Earl Hickey- My Name is Earl (11)
6. Tim Riggins- Friday Night Lights (11)
7. Chuck Bartowski- Chuck (21)
8. Hiro Nakamura- Heroes (22)
9. Danny McCoy- Las Vegas (53)
10. Brian Darling- Dirty, Sexy, Money (8)

Power Rankings

1. Heroes (1)
2. Lost (2)
3. Las Vegas (3)
4. The Office (4)
5. 30 Rock (5)
6. 24 (6)
7. Friday Night Lights (7)
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (8)
9. Grey's Anatomy (9)
10. House (11)
11. Chuck (10)
12. Entourage (12)
13. Journeyman (13)
14. American Idol (15)
15. Dirty, Sexy, Money (14)
16. My Name Is Earl (17)
17. Cane (16)
18. Family Guy (19)
19. Brothers and Sisters (18)
20. Scrubs (20)

Rush Hour 3

It's been a while since I have seen Rush Hour or Rush Hour 2 so I forgot how much I enjoy Chris Tucker. I can understand how he can get annoying to people but I really love his humor. My favorite part of Rush Hour 3 was definitely Carter's (Tucker) antics but I also enjoyed the action aside from the drawn out finale fight scene. The fight scenes in the beginning had a few sweet moves that were quite enjoyable. The fact that this movie has been in the making for ten years left me disappointed, but overall it was a delightful watch. Inspector Lee is no Chon Wang, from the Shanghai movies, but Jackie Chan's performance in this movie was good.

Now that Rush Hour 3 is finally out I was wondering how I felt about the Rush Hour trilogy in comparison to the other great trilogies. Here is my list of my favorite movie trilogies. Keep in mind that Star Wars has six movies so I didn't count them and Indiana Jones is about to come out with the fourth so that's out as well.

Top Twelve Trilogies

1. Ocean's
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
3. The Mighty Ducks
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
5. Austin Powers
6. The Godfather
7. Back to the Future
8. Rush Hour
9. Naked Gun
10. Shrek
11. Beverly Hills Cop
12. Lord of the Rings