Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Last Jedi Thoughts and Christmasy Things


Okay folks. Im ready to give my thoughts on THE LAST JEDI. Note: This blog may contain spoilers, so you are forewarned.

But before I get to my thoughts on the flick (which I KNOW you are all screaming to know... #sarcasm), I wanted to state one thing: ya’ll dont make being a fan easy. All weekend Ive seen back and forth, this and that, suck this, hate that.....we must be careful to not DEFINE OURSELVES only by the things we hate. Rather, build up things we love. And... if we are so insistant that the people in charge are fucking it all up and we can do a better job... GO DO IT. Go make something good... for yourself. Go write a better screenplay. Make it. Make a better album. Or a better book, etc. Do it. Become that child again, creating adventures with your action figures and dream of the stories in your head. Nothing can extinguish that fire inside you except you. So enjoy it or dont. Take it or leave it. Just keep yourself happy. Because the reason we even like going to these flicks is to feel like a child again. So tap into that and be that child again before the jaded, harsh world made you pull about things and look for reasons to hate it. Opinions I get, and certainly you are entitled to not like a thing. But to let it define you, time after time, and yet still you line up for the next one to fill that hate tank... don't become that person.

That said, my review simply is this: I liked it. I didn't LOVE it, I liked it. It took risks. It wasn't formulaic and it showed some balls. There were things I thought were silly and things I wanted way more of. But I don't feel like nitpicking anymore. I had a good time and that is that. And yes, I will buy a Porg. I thought they were cute. I wished Luke could have been just a smidge more bad ass in the end. I got questions about speed velocities of First Order ships and Resistance cruisers. I wished some questions I had the first time around could have been answered. But hey, there is a third one coming.... and another... and another... It will all be okay.

Watching my youngest son play Lego Star Wars on the PS4 teaches me that STAR WARS isn't just mine. Neither is Star Trek. Or anything else. Its igniting the powers and flames of his imagination now and  in turn, I'm grateful to get more and enjoy what I get. And yes, it sucks and it is sad when I see my childhood heroes age and die. But that's part of the gig, man. Take the ride or don't. But sitting there being angry with nothing to channel that energy into... I couldn't do that, man. No way.


Christmas is this coming weekend! All my gifts are wrapped and ready. This last week I did what I used to do as a kid and laid on my back and looked up into the tree. The lights dancing across the needles and decorations filled me with joy as a kid. I took a pic to remind myself of that joy I recreated. 

Luna Butt is ready for Xmas as well!

James and I made Christmas cookies together. Always important to make new memories with my boys when I can.

My day job treated us with a big holiday feast. Alfredo, beef, chicken, potatoes, beans... man it was good!
I guess the whole point of this blog is basically that its hard to be mad when so much great shit is going on. The fun and wonders of the holiday season is in me. I got all my xmas shopping done and I am thrilled with what is to come! I wish you a merry holiday weekend, my friends!

Last bit before I go, on the business end of things:

~~All THE EROTIC ZONE books are sketched in and commissions are done. Will be shipped this week, if not already by the time this goes up.

~~I penciled and inked 8 new STARSLAM 3 pages this week.

~~I scanned and touched up two PATREON exclusive stories. Things are happening, folks. We are gonna make it!!

Much love, T

3 comments:

Caleb & Jen said...

I felt largely the same about Last Jedi. It saddened me a bit though. I feel as though the fade-out death for Luke was a letdown. He just had that awesome projection fight with Ren, and he got to leave him with the ominous "I'll see you soon", but he won't actually get to deliver on that. I did love the way that fight played out, but I felt like the franchise still needed a final payoff between the two, so Luke just getting tired and fading away like Yoda was a letdown. Luke made for most of my favorite parts of the film, and had more story to tell.

I could have just imagined Luke force lifting that A-Wing out of the water, and then flying off to chase Leia down, showing up in the nick of time in the next movie. I wanted to see Kylo eventually turn good in a Vader-esque last moment, but then Luke appears and is able to sacrifice himself to save Kylo, opposite how Vader had to die after turning good, and allowing Luke to redeem himself for having not believed in Kylo.

That saddened me, not just for the death of the character, but the loss of all the good stories he had left to tell. But ultimately, I feel like the film was good. I'm warming up to the new cast, and they felt better developed this time around. The story had some great twists and wasn't too predictable or formulaic. I was surprised how they could take a plotline as simple as "running out of gas" and turn it into a serious nailbiter of suspense. Overall, I liked the film as a single movie; it just didn't quite leave me with that overwhelming excitement of installments like Empire Strikes Back.

Oh, and EIGHT NEW PAGES OF STARSLAM? That is incredible! You are really rocking it. I am so excited for the new book. I'm going to take a wild guess that... three of those eight pages were sex.

Keep up the great work, Adam. We love you.

Phymns said...

Actually no, those 8 pages were all action. Im to the big reveal/big fight scene stuff now. I get to superhero for a while.

Phymns said...

and love you guys too!!