Chris' Countdowns

Star Wars Countdown Special

Ever since hearing the rumours of a new Star Wars trilogy I have constantly been thinking about what I would like to see with these new episodes. So today being Star Wars day I have decided to condense my wishlist in to a top 5. Here is what I would like to see in Episodes VII, VIII and IX...

5. Passing the Torch

Stop living in the past people! As much as I love the original trio, Han, Luke and Leia, they should not be the main focus of this new trilogy. I understand that they deserve a send off and it will definitely be nice to see them again but I don't want the films to end up playing solely on our nostalgia for these characters. I would much more like to see the old trio pass on the torch in episode VII to a new bunch of characters that will take us through episodes VIII and XI.

4. Ban Midi-chlorians 

As we all know the prequels did a lot of things wrong but one thing I hate most about them was introducing midi-chlorians. These midi-chlorians were used to explain the Force as some kind of intelligent cell that was inside the body of Jedi. This completely ruined the mystery surrounding the Force and made it much less interesting. I and many other fans would appreciate it if they were never mentioned at all in the new films and if possible make the Force some kind of spiritual energy again.     

3. A Small but Expanded Universe 

 

A month or so ago we found out that with this new trilogy will also mean that all the expanded universe material such as books, comics, games etc. would all be written off as non-canon. Being a huge fan of the Heir to the Empire trilogy this news was very disappointing to hear as some of the best characters in the Star Wars mythos come from these Expanded Universe stories. This means no Admiral Thrawn or Mara Jade which I would of loved to of seen on the big screen. All I ask is that J.J. Abrams gives some reference to these characters and possibly a cameo as I will definitely miss having them in the story.

2. The New Menace

One aspect of the original trilogy that made them so great were the villains. The Empire. They were so recognisable that whenever you saw a Star Destroyer you knew some crazy stuff was going to go down. Then we got the prequels which featured the even better villains, the Separatists......said no one ever. To this day I still have no idea what they were trying to achieve and why. For this new trilogy I would love to see a new villain that is clearly evil and that they have a definitive goal.

1. Do... or Do Not, There is No Try

Remember the first time you saw that opening title sequence? Or the time when Luke finally gets the shot on target and blows up the Death Star? Or that other time when Yoda lifts the X-Wing out of the Dagobah swamps? Well I certainly do and that sense of awe and wonderment I got from watching the original trilogy has never been matched by any other film. This is definitely the toughest thing J.J. Abrams could try to accomplish but I want to feel the same feelings I got from the original trilogy with episodes VII, VIII and XI. 

I hope you all enjoyed this countdown and have a great Star Wars day.

May the fourth be with you....

Godzilla Movie Countdown

1. Gojira

After the second world war and the devastation caused by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings Toho wanted to make a film that commented on the use of nuclear firearms. Godzilla was created to represent the threat of nuclear warfare and the people affected by these attacks with the monster himself falling victim to the arrogance of man.

With a very dark and serious tone this film stands out from the others in the series and tells a story that mainly focuses on the human aspects. Godzilla has been awakened by nuclear testing in the Pacific ocean and is now rampaging through Japan obliterating anything that gets in his way. Its up to Kyohei Yamane and his colleague Daisuke Serizawa to find a way to stop this monster from destroying Japan. 

This film is an undeniable masterpiece and at the time a breakthrough in special effects in how it made Haruo Nakajima in a rubber suit appear to be over 50 metres tall. The soundtrack composed by Akira Ifukube also played a huge part in creating a colossal feel to the monster with a very foreboding main theme. He was also responsible for creating Godzilla's signature roar by rubbing a resin coated glove along the string of a double bass.

This film has not only become a classic but has also set the groundwork for how a monster film should be made.

Favourite scene

With a film as good as this it's impossible to choose one scene so here is the main theme which is just as amazing.

And here's the Japanese original theatrical trailer...

This concludes my Godzilla Movie Countdown but not the end of Godzilla content on the blog. Be sure to check back in a couple weeks when i will be reviewing the new Godzilla directed by Gareth Edwards. 

2. Mothra vs. Godzilla

This film is considered by both fans and critics to be one of the best entries into the series and one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. It introduced Mothra to the series who was a giant moth accompanied by her twin fairies and had previously featured in her own film Mothra released in 1961. Mothra has become one of Toho's most popular monsters and has appeared in seven more Godzilla films.   

The film's story revolves around Mothra's egg which has been washed ashore by a typhoon. There it is discovered by a greedy businessman who wants to keep the egg and make money off it. This angers Mothra who ends up crossing paths with Godzilla who is up to his usual causing trouble for Japan.

The greedy businessman Kumayama played by Yoshifumi Tajima makes for a great human villain and someone the whole audience can despise. With Mothra being a big moth you wouldnt expect much from the monster battles however they do not disappoint. Mothra ends up being quite the challenge for Godzilla and makes for a great fight.

Favourite Scene

There are too many amazing scenes in this film that I couldn't just pick one so here is the trailer.

Come back next week when I will be revealing number 1 on my Godzilla movie countdown.