-
The Return of the Jedi vs The Rise of Skywalker
The final movie in the Original Trilogy, Return of the Jedi (1983), is an unbalanced film. Harrison Ford had wanted George Lucas to kill off Han Solo; Ford thought that Solo no longer served a purpose in the story. He’s right. But nor did Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2D2 (Kenny Baker), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and everybody other than Luke. Once Han is rescued, a plot is invented to keep the ensemble busy – taking down the shield generator so an assault can be launched on the new Death Star. Along the way, we meet some teddy bears who teach us about the…
-
Cobra Kai Never Dies
When it was first announced that there was going to be a television series continuation of The Karate Kid saga, the cynical side of me could only marvel at the new depths Hollywood was plunging. Then it was announced that it would be called Cobra Kai, and it would feature two warring dojos, one lead by the trilogy’s protagonist, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and the other lead by the original movie’s antagonist, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Wow, this sounded desperate. I love The Karate Kid (1984) – it’s one of my favourite movies. Like Rocky – director John Avildsen was at the helm of both – it balances the underdog…