Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

I like a good mystery, but the fun is in the buildup to the revelation. And everything before the revelation in this movie is kind of dull. Poirot interrogates all the passengers separately so all of the movie stars get a a little bit of screentime and a couple lines to say, but with every little reveal I'm like so-what. There are hints of Sherlock in the style, but without the likability of Sherlock. If you don't know the solution, it's kind of clever. But immediately after, I fell asleep. I admit, I don't know how the movie ends and I couldn't be bothered to go back and find out. At least it looked nice.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

It's good to see an Asian in a leading role! And she's a cool character. Admittedly, Rose and Finn's (two minorities owning the screen!) plot on the casino planet of Canto Bight is kind of irrelevant to the grand scheme of the plot. It's a beautifully designed planet and the chase scene on the streets of Dubrovnik is incredible. There is an anti-war, anti-weapons (slash class warfare) message that is a little on the nose, but I think it's a necessary and welcome addition to the Star Wars galaxy.

They really talk a lot about the Force in this one. It's a good refresher on what the Force actually is. And this one really stretches the limits of the Force. We see new the Force do new things we've never seen before. I can see why the fans might be complaining about this. But I don't think these new powers are too out there.

The movie is quite long. There were a few times I thought the movie was going to end. That has to do with the many subplots having to be contrived together. But they do come together and then culminate in a battle--it is war after all. The final hour of the movie is very exciting. Laura Dern's character gets a brilliant plot that terminates in the most stunning shot of the film, a silent and still frame.

The direction is a clear departure from the previous films, it's artsier. The solid colors stand out: Laura Dern's hair and garb, and the deep red of Snoke's lair, and the red soil against the white dust. Though the movie is clearly a call back to The Empire Strikes Back. It's a little darker, more pessimistic for the Resistance. I won't spoil it all, but what was supposed to be fan service, catering to the fans by recalling the greatest Star Wars movie and then they didn't like it... You know it's a strange world when the critics praise Star Wars and the super fans are the critical ones. I, for one, enjoyed it. 

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars will become the biggest movie of the year, without a doubt, maybe even the biggest movie of the decade.  This seriously has Avatar potential.  What the two movies share in common are fun and visually thrilling action movies in galaxies far, far away.  JJ Abrams made a movie that is exactly what the fans have asked for. It is a movie that lives up to the fans' expectations, and as we all know, Star Wars fans care very much.  And it shows that Abrams put care into this movie too so as not to disappoint. The movie has gotten some criticism  for copying the original too much, but I see it more as an homage to the source material. It opens on a desert planet Jakku, not unlike Tatooine.  The key to the Resistance (no longer Rebellion) movement is tucked away in a droid that is found by the protagonist.  And without revealing too much more of the movie, rest assured there are a lot more parallels to A New Hope--the most glaringly obvious of which is the new and improved Deathstar-like weapon.  I personally loved the hiding underneath the floor of the Millennium Falcon, a throwback to Han Solo and Chewbacca.

The movie brings the same type of drama that the original trilogy did that is simultaneously exhilarating and emotion.  Reliable John Williams returns and wrote a rousing score that echoes the familiar themes.  And at the end of the massive credits, the chimes play the theme one final glorious time at a slowed down pace.  2015 brought with it modern special effects that show how far Star Wars has come since 1977.   This is a Star Wars for a new generation creating a new young following.

The characters from the original trilogy are back. They're a lot older but we are all so glad to see them. The audience at the IMAX theater literally applauded Han Solo and Chewbacca. And the returning characters all have plausible story lines that make sense for their characters following the close of the original trilogy. But this is about the new characters. Daisy Ridley plays Rey and it is refreshing to have a strong female lead. John Boyega is a reformed Storm Trooper, finally putting a (likable) face to the foot soldiers of the Dark Side.  And the new face of evil is Kylo Ren with his newly designed light saber.  He makes a formidable foe for a formidable sequel to America's cinematic treasure.