Choreography 101: Who Started It?

By:

Matthew J.R. Kohler

The beginning to a fight can be the most challenging to make, just like the beginning of a movie.  The challenge for most is who should start the fight.  That might sound crazy, but it is important.  If someone has more at stake than the other, then they should be the starter.  The beginning is my favorite part of a fight.  The reason being that I love the buildup and the tension but I also enjoy how it’s all going to start.

Many fight scenes simply start with none of what I just mentioned.  In The Protector, both the main character and the bodybuilder just kind of charge at one another; nothing to grasp there.  Even though a lot of the fights in the movie are exciting, there was no payoff at the end.  Not only did you not know Tony Jaa’s character, but also the filmmakers didn’t even try to make you want the fight, they just gave it to you.  When a director just hands over a fight, you know they didn’t give it their all.

Empire Strikes Back is a great example of a film that makes you want the climactic fight to happen.  Created with the style of Kurosawa, Lucas and his team created the stall, or slow walk for the duel.  The story of the fight is that Luke confronts Vader in order to save the ones he cares about.  Through the fight scene, though, the characters have to explain this.

The entire movie is built around facing your fears by confronting the dark side.  Luke Skywalker, sworn to walk the path of peace (Jedi), believes he is not afraid of the threat that is Darth Vader.  When the two finally collide, Luke Skywalker is the one who starts the battle.  This is significant for one reason: never do Jedi start a conflict.  Later in the battle, Luke shows once again that he is not ready.  Not only does he start to fear Vader, but also he simply cannot overcome him.  Also, in the middle of the fight, Luke begins to realize what he is becoming.  For two movies, Luke was slowly turning to the dark side with displays of recklessness (as shown in A New Hope, and pointed out by Yoda earlier in Empire), selfishness (facing Vader alone), and fear (of Vader).  What happens internally with Luke adds a new layer to this unforgettable fight scene, and makes “I am your father” a truly potent climax.

Fight scene openings are hard to accomplish.  If the audience doesn’t feel the excitement at the opening, then the fight scene is doomed to mediocrity (or worse).  Check out below for fight scenes with the best openings.  Enjoy!

 

Don’t Believe the Hype! Issue 4: Star Wars: Rebels Season 2 Finale

By: Matthew J.R. Kohler

It has been a couple of weeks since the “big” finale of Rebels, so I wanted to take a step back to analyze why the season finale did not work for me.

We all knew it was going to happen—Ashoka Tano versus Darth Vader.  What we didn’t know is that in the same episode Darth Maul fights Ahsoka, and the Inquisitors, who are fending off a temple.  The episode sure was filled with a lot.  In fact, too much.  All I ever hear about is this show has cool ideas, but a lot of filler.  Why would you utilize three of your biggest characters in the show in the same episode?  Not only does that diminish the impact they have on the show, but also it’s a wasted opportunity to explore such potentially rich material.  I feel that this episode could have been spread over a few episodes.

For the most part, the episode is hard to watch because of the extreme difference between this show and Clone Wars.  The most annoying difference is in the tone.  This show tries to be serious, but comically stumbles.  When Darth Maul appeared and told Ahsoka his plan to train Ezra, I laughed.  We know Maul to be a brilliant mastermind in war, yet he picks this loser to be his apprentice?  What also makes this show less serious are the color tone, drawing schemes, and direction.  For a second, let’s compare the two Clone Wars shows (the most recent one, and the one from 2003).  We can agree that the animation is totally different, but they remain serious.  I think it’s because the two shows portray their characters “equally”, and they work in the universe that each of them built.  With Rebels, that’s not the case.  One minute you have Vader destroying an entire fleet.  The next you have Inquisitors escaping via lightsabers that are used as helicopters(?). It seems like this show can’t decide if it wants to be like the cartoonish 2003 Clone Wars show or the dead serious 2008 version.

I mentioned that Ahsoka, Maul, and Vader are all in this episode.  That is another problem–none of those characters are Rebels characters.  You can even say that the story is not even a Rebels story.  Instead, this episode felt like Dave Filoni’s attempt to finally finish his Clone Wars series.  That’s cool and all, but don’t make the main characters take the back seat in their own show.

Yes, we got to see Ashoka versus Vader.  That’s a great idea, but the execution was poor.  Lighting and color did so much for The Clone Wars.  I remember many episodes where Maul would be enhanced by lighting, to where his eyes and diabolical speeches were you knew he wasn’t a throwaway character.  Each time I see Darth Vader in this show, I instantly say, “This is a kid’s show.”  I know people are going to say to me, “Well, dur!”, but don’t forget that this show, prior to its premiere, was advertised as “the new Clone Wars.”  So, how can the two shows not be compared?  Whether or not you agree with the right to compare, the bottomline is that the lighting and animation of the villains are too cartoonish, which robs them of being convincing threats.

I used to think that Rebels was a new direction for the better.  Instead, we are seeing that this show is not intended for people who get what Star Wars is.  Instead, the powers that be are looking for a new audience.  By doing so, they not only have to retell stories, but also tell it in a less mature way.  Hopefully, Rebels is just a stepping stone for Filoni’s next adventure.

Choreography 101: What is Reality?

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

It has been a while since I made a post in our Choreography 101 series, but the wait is well worth it.  This week I’m talking about how a lot of movies I see break reality in fight scenes.  Nothing is more jarring in a fight scene than when a main character is suddenly revealed to be physically capable of certain things, even though we had no prior knowledge of it.  It would be like if Indiana Jones, mid-way through a movie, started fighting like Agent Hawk in Armour of God. It wouldn’t make sense.  So how do you keep a characters’ physical abilities consistent?  How do you make your audience believe what you are showing them?

Setting up your universe:

Every movie needs a universe, especially action movies.  It doesn’t matter if the universe is small like Rocky, or big like Star Wars¸ but there needs to be one.  In the first thirty minutes of an action movie, the director should show an action sequence.  That way, the audience knows how the fights are going to be for the rest of the film.  Whether it is a brutish slugfest like in Rocky, or if the fights are well-choreographed like in a Jet Li movie, the audience needs an introduction.

Not only that, your characters need to be consistent with the universe.  Look at Jackie Chan in Mr. Nice Guy.  He is a cook who doesn’t know martial arts, which is why he is not a cop.  Fifteen minutes later, he is taking on the best of the best in hand-to-hand combat.  It’s pretty hard to suspend disbelief, isn’t it?

But when you look at another one of his movies, such as Rumble in the Bronx, they demonstrate the speed and accuracy of Chan within the first ten minutes of the movie.  They also tell us that he is a martial arts expert.  Right then, I am able to get on board with Chan kicking the crap out of anyone.  Plus, he is fighting ordinary men throughout the movie, which is evident when none of them show martial arts abilities. Chan destroys them in one or two punches.

What I notice when watching good action flicks is how well the main protagonist’s skills are illustrated.  In Commando, John Matrix is considered the best of the best.  Yes, he eliminates EIGHTY people with no effort, but it makes no sense that directly afterwards he can hardly take on one out-of-shape bad guy in hand-to-hand combat.  Although this movie is amazing, this scene is pretty ridiculous.

Stop making your hero cool for coolness’s sake:

The perfect example of this is Legolas from the Middle Earth franchise.  In The Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas is equally as good as some of the other characters in the fellowship.  Sure, he jumped on a troll and two-for-oned a Uruk-hai, but that was the biggest thing he did.  As we continued in The Lord of the Rings, he was depicted as the most skilled character by far, but he was still believable.

Then, the head scratcher came in The Hobbit movies.  For some reason, Legolas was more skilled in these movies than in The Lord of the Rings.  How?  Why could he just jump from barrel to barrel or take on an army by himself?  So many movies want to have action scenes just because they have the technology to do so, and because they think the audience will think it looks cool.  The biggest problem with this is the filmmakers don’t understand the phrase “based in reality”.  If a movie tells me that Superman can jump only fifty feet, then ten minutes later he flies around the world, then the movie is forgetting its own rules.

In Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee takes on the entire dojo in the first fight scene.  Then, Robert Baker demonstrates how menacing he is in a later scene.  It makes sense these two have an awesome battle in the end.  However, there are also movies that don’t set up how awesome the villain is, which makes the final fight so much less exciting.

Romeo Must Die is guilty of this crime.  Earlier in the film, the main bad guy tries to see how quick Jet Li is.  Jet Li shows that he is much quicker than the main bad guy, yet the final fight is still about five minutes.  Why?  In the movie they do not explain how the villain became such a threat.  All they would need is a simple line of dialogue, like “I’ve learned his weakness”, and base the fight off of that.  Some sort of explanation would have made the movie more accessible to people outside of martial arts fanatics.

Explanation goes a long way:

One of my other biggest problems with fight scenes is when the filmmakers expect you to just know what is going on.  For example, how does Captain America go from hand-to-hand combat to doing parkour?  We had never before seen him do parkour in the movies.  You cannot change a person’s style in a fight scene just because.  And I know, most would say to me, “It’s a fight scene, who cares?”  If you are watching the movie (especially an action movie), then you should care.  It’s like when you are watching a horror movie.  When they scare you a certain way, the movie is set up to scare you in similar ways again.

0:00-4:40–Non-Parkour Cap; 4:40-5:00–Parkour Cap (from Winter Soldier)

So, a character morphing from one style to another in an instant doesn’t make sense.  Why does the fighting style of the lightsaber duels in Star Wars change from The Phantom Menace to  Revenge of the Sith?  How do the Jedi unlearn that style by Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope?  Movies should try to explain some things to us, so we know what reality they are based in.  Look at The Matrix—it takes an hour to set up its reality. By the time a fight scene happens, you are blown away.  In contrast, look at its own sequels. Suddenly, Neo is all powerful outside of the matrix too.  Why?!

From now on, before you call a fight scene realistic, be sure that it makes sense within the context of the movie’s universe.

 

Star Wars Episode VII: A New Reboot

 

By: Matthew J.R. Kohler

When I was little, I loved to watch the original Star Wars trilogy over and over.  I tried so hard to know the films by heart.  Later, Star Wars recaptured my heart with books such as Heir to Empire, video games such as Battlefront and Knights of the Old Republic, and television series like both iterations of The Clone Wars.  So when the new film came out, and everyone was saying, “This is the return of Star Wars!” I knew I had to see it.  The film reminded me of how fantastic Star Wars can be, but only because it missed the mark…by several miles.  You read that right; Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is not an excellent, or even a good film.  It was very mediocre.  Below are my points for how The Force Awakens is a depressing movie to watch.

Action! Action! Action!

The last ninety minutes of The Force Awakens felt like the last thirty minutes of Attack of the Clones.  Instead of explaining things that need to be explained, the filmmakers show another pointless action scene.  The first thirty minutes is actually good because they try to set up the movie, but once we get onboard the Falcon, we wave bye-bye to context.  One after another, the action sequences pile up to a numbing number.

It’s funny to me that everyone makes fun of martial arts films because they have dialogue that leads up to a fight scene.  What they don’t understand is that non-action scenes are supposed to explain who characters are, what they want, and the reasons for their actions.  That way, when the action sequence arrives, it’s a payoff for the build-up.  But when a 2-hour movie has umpteen action sequences, with only a handful of non-action scenes that generally trade exposition for nostalgia and jokes, no payoff is occurring; instead, we’re just watching vague outlines of good and bad people trying to kill each other.

Pretty much anything Star Wars-related is a universe builder, not a 2-hour-long action spectacle.  Even the prequel trilogy got that right.

No one is taking it seriously.

In the original trilogy, every character is a serious character.  Sure, there are funny moments with each one, but no one says anything that is out of character.  Remember Yoda?  He started off as a crazy person.  Then, when Luke realized he was a Jedi master, Yoda’s personality changed from funny to serious.  In turn, the audience knew to take him seriously.  In The Force Awakens, you had Han Solo, the old fart who forgets stuff. He misplaces the Millennium Falcon and doesn’t know that Chewbacca’s bowcaster is awesome. Finn is the most worthless character ever, and is the butt of all jokes. Chewbacca is turned into the injury-prone suitor to the yellow Yoda. The main antagonist, Kylo Ren, is fully grown man who’s still stuck in the terrible 2’s. Then, there’s the main protagonist, Rey, who is perfect (because apparently having little-to-no struggle with figuring out the Force and beating the main bad guy—not once but twice—is what makes for an interesting protagonist).  When a movie spends more time making jokes, references, and force-feeding us action than telling a story, it’s impossible for me to take the movie seriously.

Plot Holes

For some odd reason, any film before and after the original triliogy makes no sense.  Every movie has plot holes or “movie magic” in them, but it becomes distracting when there are contradictions in the narrative and characters.  First off, Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber appears in The Force Awakens, even though the saber floats away in The Empire Strikes Back.  Who found it?  When, where, and how was it found?  Second off, Force-newbie,Rey, is better than Force-veteran, Kylo Ren, at using the Force, yet he wants to be her mentor.  On that note, how did Kylo Ren destroy the Jedi?  If he killed all of the Jedi, it makes no sense that he couldn’t hold his own against Rey.  Another example is how Finn was able to defend himself against Ren when he couldn’t hold his own against a Stormtrooper. It makes no sense!  The list goes on.  Why does Artoo Detoo wait till the end of the movie to turn on and show everyone the map to Luke’s location?  And, how does the Resistance know how to blow up Death Star 3.0?  In Star Wars and Return of the Jedi, it is explained to the audience how the Rebels found out about the Death Star plans, and how to blow it up.  That way, the ensuing space battle made 100% sense.

Kylo Ren

When is the last time a whiny main villain was awesome?  Never, unless you count Cobra Commander (who is known for losing, which is not a good thing to be remembered for).  Kylo Ren, for the first twenty minutes, is fine.  But, even during that time, the movie tries too hard to make him cool by stopping a laser bullet.  You know what Vader did to be cool in his introduction?  He walked.  Even Darth Maul just had to lift his head, and Boba Fett just looked around.  All of these characters became favorites.  Once Ren starts acting like a baby, I stopped caring about him.  I don’t care if he is “conflicted.” His immaturity and wannabe-but-just-isn’t-Darth Vader schtick makes him non-threatening.  When Darth Maul returned in The Clone Wars, he was very sad to look at, but that’s because he was chopped in half and abandoned for ten years.  You actually know why he is like that.  Vader didn’t first start off broken either.  It took three movies to explain why he is the way he is.  The Force Awakens tries to cram what would be six hypothetical hours of character development into two hours for Ren’s actual character development, if we follow the same logic.  By the time it becomes a staple for him to get upset, it starts becoming a comedic part of the film.

The Magic Scene is Missing

Every memorable movie has that one scene or moment that wants you to come back for more.  The “set of skills” monologue from Taken, “Do you feel lucky?” from Dirty Harry, and Kirk yelling “Khan!” in The Wrath of Khan.  All of these movies will be remembered forever because their most memorable moments either fully represent the movie, or are simply cool.  So how is a movie good when it either copies a much better film, or doesn’t do anything that the world is talking about?  Everyone is talking about the comeback of Star Wars, saying something to the tune of, “This is the first movie in 32 years to get it right!”  You know what other movie had ungodly amounts of hype, and was adored by fans upon release?  The Phantom Menace.  Anyone who knows their Star Wars knows what happened after the smoke cleared—everyone realized what a letdown it actually is, and it became popular to make fun of the movie and outright dislike it.

Top Ten Star Wars Moments

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

Over the last four decades, Star Wars has penetrated numerous media.  From the big screen to your PC, here are the ten greatest Star Wars moments every fan should know about.  By the way, SPOILERS!!!!

 

10.) Star Wars: Dark Forces

Many probably have not heard of this game. Its popularity didn’t last long due to Goldeneye‘s release around the same time.  Dark Forces is a FPS game in which you play as Kyle Katarn, and your objective is to take on the Empire.  During your journey, you encounter Boba Fett, storm star destroyers, and uncover the dark troopers.  For the FPS, this game pioneered AI that was actually intelligent, and the 360-degree camera view.  Most games up to that point did not have such features (except for Doom).  Dark Forces also has great replay value because of its engaging levels.  A brilliantly designed game, it is no surprise that it was one the highest-grossing games of the 90s.  If you play the game for context and not graphics, it is a true masterpiece.

 

09.) Star Wars: Clone Wars

When I was 11, I thought this show was dumb.  I asked myself, “Why would I want to wait each week to see only ten minutes of television?”  (This was the 2003 version, not the 2008 version).  Now, having re-watched the entire show, I have to say it is one of the best Star Wars stories.  Throughout the series, the art direction feels like a martial art movie, what with the widescreen look, the silence before the battle, and the crazy action sequences.  Plus, this show follows the movies closer (if that changes things for you).

 

08.) The Return of Darth Maul

Not many revivals of characters work out well (I’m talking to you Marvel and DC), but Dave Filoni’s story about the return of Maul was nothing short of excellent in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).  Not only does Maul return as a stronger and more proactive character, but also we see him grow from a half-robot/spider to a true dark lord.  Darth Maul’s revival is what cemented him as an iconic character of the series.  Although Darth Maul does meet a harsh end in the show, it was remarkable to see him rebound from being tossed away in the first prequel.

 

07.) Star Wars Fan Films

If you actually love Star Wars, then you’ve seen the Star Wars fan films and their often unique perspectives on the franchise.  With classics such as Troops, Pink Five, Gangsta Rap, Kit Fisto Lives, and, of course, the web series Chad Vader, Star Wars fans clearly know how to do something completely different with the universe.

 

06.) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

How do you expand Star Wars?  Easy; you go back 4,000 years and create a unique game and gameplay for a Star Wars RPG.  KOTOR is one of my favorite games and has one of THE best twists ever.  KOTOR was able to create new and interesting characters that fans would remember.  At the same time, it stayed true to what makes Star Wars so beloved.

 

05.) Star Wars: Battlefront

Battlefront instantly became my favorite party game.  Playing the greatest battles from the movies, with the addition of maps from other stories, this third-person shooter took you on the ride of your life through the Star Wars universe.  It defined what fans expect from an action packed Star Wars game.

 

04.) Ahsoka Tano leaves the Jedi Order

The protagonist of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Ashoka Tano had to prove herself to fans because she wasn’t one of the original characters.  When I first watched the show, I couldn’t stand her because she seemed one-dimensional.  After five years of watching her grow up, however, I grew to be attached to her, and realized that she was one of the best characters in the Star Wars universe.  Needless to say, I was sad to see her exit the show.

 

03.) Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

What better way to start off your Star Wars fanboy love than with the film that started it all?  Sure, a lot of movies age badly, but this story doesn’t.  One of the best parts about Star Wars is its universe.  If the movie was good solely because of its mind-blowing effects, people wouldn’t watch it today (with a straight face, anyway).  The movie has what movies are missing nowadays: a unique universe that tells a simple, familiar story.

 

02.) Grand Admiral Thrawn

The best character was created after the original saga, and was part of the first trilogy after Return of the Jedi.  Grand Admiral Thrawn’s trilogy is the best set of books I’ve ever read.  If you want to know what the best non-movie Star Wars story is, then read Heir to the Empire.

 

01.) Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

The look, the story, the characters, the music, and the tone were just right in this film.  When I watch it, I can smile the entire time.  The movie is too perfect.  It set the bar sky high for anything called Star Wars.  The Empire Strikes Back will always remain my favorite sci-fi film, and will always be revered as one of the greatest movies ever.

 

Top 10 Star Wars Villains

 

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

In ten days, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released.  This makes me wonder: Will the villain be any good?  Throughout the Star Wars films, one of the things that people always looked for was how cool the villain was. The quality villain is an essential part of any Star Wars film.  The same rule applies to Star Wars stories in other media as well.  From the original films to the books, here are my ten favorite Star Wars villains.

10.) Darth Revan – Knights of the Old Republic

SPOILERS: If you have never finished playing Knights of the Old Republic, DO NOT READ MY DESCRIPTION OF DARTH REVAN.

 

One of the greatest twists in video game history is when you find out that you, the protagonist, are the very villain you are searching for—Darth Revan. Yes, the entire time you’ve been playing Knights of the Old Republic, you’ve been the great Sith Lord that everyone fears and respects.  From the iconic mask to the mystery behind him, Revan has become one of the fan favorite villains.

 

09.) The Emperor – Return of the Jedi

He is someone that even Vader fears, and is the one who introduced us to Sith lightning.  The Emperor is most interesting when you don’t see him a lot.  The mystery behind him is far more frightening than the constant sight of him, as the prequels sadly demonstrated.

 

08.) Asajj Ventress – Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Apprentice to Dooku, and betrayed by Dooku. Asajj Ventress is one of the best parts of Star Wars: The Clone Wars because of how much her character grows.  Throughout the series, she was one of the top-tier threats.  But, by the end, she has grown to be similar to hero Ashoka Tano, in that she firmly believes in her own way, and is betrayed by the people she cares about, but still is able to overcome all opposition.

 

07.) Savage Opress – Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

If you never have seen Star Wars: The Clone Wars, then you should at least watch the episodes the feature Savage Oppress. At first, I didn’t like the idea of Darth Maul’s brother being a main villain, but series director Dave Filoni changed my mind.  Savage was tortured by the Nightsisters and was their new weapon to defeat Count Dooku, and the Emperor.  Once they failed, Oppress went on to search for his brother, Darth Maul.

 

06.) Grand Moff Tarkin – Star Wars 

Grand Moff Tarkin was a villain that you loved to hate.  He told Leia that he would blow up her home planet if she did not reveal the location of the Death Star plans. Even when she gave a believable answer, he blew it up anyway!  In many ways, he is as evil as the Emperor.  Tarkin was such a force in this movie that not even Vader wanted to do anything against him.  That says a lot about a guy.

 

05.) Darth Bane – Darth Bane Trilogy

Darth Bane created the “Rule of Two,” a philosophy that there should only be two Sith lords in the galaxy. As a result,  he also wiped out most of the Sith in the Old Republic days.  In other words, he is one of the few Sith that no one wanted to cross.  In his eponymous trilogy, Bane rises from the ranks of a Sith trooper to one of the elite Sith.  When he created the “Rule of Two,” he realized that the Sith were too weak, but knew that one day they would have their revenge when the two strongest of Sith would grow in power.

 

04.) Mara Jade – Star Wars Legends Universe

She was assigned to kill Luke Skywalker in Heir to the Empire.  Mara Jade is strong in the force (like Luke), and cunning like Han Solo. She is able to fight against, or with, the best of the best.  She also was the Emperor’s Hand, and blamed Luke for the death of the Galactic Empire. Admiral  Thrawn uses her thirst for revenge as a way to get rid of Luke. She later leaves the dark side, becoming a Jedi Master, and marries Luke Skywalker.

3.) Boba Fett – Episodes V & VI

Though he is my favorite Star Wars character, even I have to admit that there are other villains that are more threatening than him.  Sure, he was able to help the Empire get Han Solo.  But if it wasn’t for the fans, Boba wouldn’t be remembered except as the guy who gets blindsided by Han.  Nevertheless, Fett has always been a cool villain, and is one of the few that stood face to face with Vader and didn’t seem threatened.

02.) Darth Vader – Episodes IV –VI

The first and only reason you need to love Star Wars.  If you cannot enjoy Darth Vader, then you will never like this franchise.  Vader was the first threat in the universe, for he killed all of the Jedi (except for two). He killed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first movie, and cut off Luke’s hand and told him a shocking truth in The Empire Strikes Back. In Return of the Jedi he had the best redemption ever.  Ever since I was a kid, Vader was one of my favorites, and him killing his own men to get to Luke has always been enjoyable to watch (I mean that in the most non-weird way possible).

 

01.) Admiral Thrawn – Heir to the Empire Trilogy

It is no small feat to top one of the best villains in movie history, but Thrawn does just that.  He isn’t like Vader at all, in terms of strength, or cocky like the Emperor, or Grand Moff Tarkin. Instead, he is very honest.  In the opening chapters of Heir to the Empire, he explains why the Empire lost–Vader’s pursuit of Luke, and the Emperor’s cockiness.  He also figured out how to defeat Jedi without using the force—the Ysalamiri. In my opinion, Thrawn is a legend that true Star Wars fans will never forget, and is the greatest Star Wars villain of all time because he used brains over brawn.

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Star Wars Bounty Hunters

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

10.) Jango Fett

Jango Fett had a rough time.  The only two Jedi we see him fight are Obi Wan and Mace Windu, and we all know how that turned out for him.  Jango is the design of the clones and an ideal solider.  Loyalty to the payer, and the willingness to get the job done no matter what, are the qualities that made Dooku see Jango as the man to destroy Mace.  It would have been nice to see more from the father of Boba.

09.) IG – 88

A droid in the IG series, IG-88 was introduced in the universe in Empire Strikes Back.  He was one of the bounty hunters who tried to capture Han Solo.  In the extended verse, there are multiple IG-88s.  After Han was frozen, the IG’s assaulted Boba Fett, but lost in the end.  He is one of the most interesting bounty hunters, for he became the Death Star II after his brain was uploaded into the ship.

08.) Durge

One of the main antagonists during the Clone Wars.  He and Obi Wan would battle against one another several times.  This would end when Dooku assigned Obi Wan once more to face off.  Durge would lose in the fight after being blown to shreds.  Durge has the unique ability to regenerate and to track Jedi with ease; he is the terminator of Star Wars.

07.) Bossk

One of the bounty hunters on The Executor, he was also assigned to track down Han Solo.  During the Clone Wars, Bossk guided Boba Fett after his father died and brought him to Jabba the Hutt.  There, both of them worked together for several years until they become rivals.

06.) Embo

Very similar to Boba Fett, he does nothing special but look sweet!  Embo reminds me of Kung Lao from Mortal Kombat—quiet and throws a hat that can kill people.  Embo was one of Clone Wars director Dave Filoni’s favorites, and it shows in his series.  And seeing what he did in Clone Wars made me believe he is one of the coolest.

05.) Greedo

No, Greedo isn’t the greatest bounty hunter, but he sure has had his share of controversy.  If it weren’t for Lucas, I don’t know if this character would be as memorable.  Greedo’s only job was to take down Han Solo in a bar, and he failed.

04.) Aurra Sing

Aurra Sing played an important role in the Clone Wars, from aiding Cad Bane, having a sexual relationship with Hondo, and raising Boba Fett for a while.  Aurra’s ultimate doom in the Clone Wars was underestimating Padme and Ashoka.

03.) HK 47

Originally a Sith Assassin droid programmed to take out Jedi.  Now, he works for the Jedi to stop the Sith.  HK 47 was the best side kick in the KOTOR games and had some of the best lines in the game.  If you love straight-to-the-point dialogue, HK is your man…droid.

02.) Cad Bane

Created for the Clone Wars after the creative team did not want to use Durge, Cad Bane did a lot of work during the Clone Wars and was among the few who did not fear Jedi or Sith.  Cad Bane was one of the main antagonists of the show and the main reason to watch seasons one and two.  Bane was a formidable foe, in that he controlled most of the underworld, he knew what was going on at all times, and always wanted to get paid.

01.) Boba Fett

It’s really hard not to put my favorite Star Wars character at number one.  Boba Fett has that aura that most villains lack.  He just had to stand upright and not fear Vader, the baddest Sith of all.  Boba Fett not only did not fear anything but also took on anything, even if it cost him his life.  Even after Lucas “killed” him in the dumbest way possible, Fett has endured the test of time, unlike any of the others who have not gone through such a trial.

The Emperor Should Have Never Fought

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

We all know by now that the Star Wars prequel trilogy has many flaws:  Anakin, the dialogue, and all of Attack of the Clones, but nobody talks about the fight between the Emperor and Yoda. Why in the hell did they have to fight?

In the original trilogy, we see these two stand around, and give amazing speeches about the Force (light or dark).  The best thing they ever did with these two characters was showing them for who they are—too powerful to fight.  Why would they lower themselves to a less powerful being’s level?  As a professional fight director, I want to look at this from an artistic standpoint.

George Lucas was inspired by Akira Kurasawa, the famous Japanese director who made Seven Samurai and Rashomon.  That is why in the original trilogy the Jedi and Sith fight like samurai.  But in the prequels, this inspiration is nowhere to be seen.  From the stances, to the stare downs, to the long pauses, the fight scenes of the original trilogy felt like they would fit in an Eastern movie.  Why doesn’t the Emperor fight?  In every martial art film I’ve seen, you have two men: the muscle and the brain.  Usually what happens is the brain (the leader) uses the muscle to weaken the protagonist enough so that the brain can defeat him.  Most of the time, the brain does not fight; if they do, they stand no chance.  Examples of this are: the man who hired Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon, Han from Enter the Dragon, and Bart from Unleashed.  All of them are weak in strength compared to the man they hired.

Thank God, he had those mirrors.

This remains true in Return of the Jedi. The Emperor does not look physically capable to do battle.  It appears that he had a hard fought battle long ago, and suffered injuries.  It also sounds like he hasn’t fought in a long time, because you don’t see him until he gets mad at how poor the Empire is doing.  But why would he need to fight with a lightsaber?  Not only is he like an evil monk, but he has Sith Lightning, one of the most powerful moves in the Star Wars Universe.  His mind is his most powerful weapon because he almost turns Luke to the dark side.

The Star Wars prequels, as everyone knows, don’t make sense.  But, in my opinion, the Emperor’s duel with Yoda was one of the was one of the most nonsensical moments in the prequel trilogy.  It reminds me of WWE bringing back two wrestlers from twenty years ago to fight.  Sure, you would of love to see them duel in their prime, but not when they are noticeably over the hill!

Not only does the fight look poor, but nobody should fight like that. It’s jarring to see the Jedi and Sith go from highly choreographed fighting, to a much more basic fighting style in the original trilogy. Did one day Lucas tell everyone, “You must actually fight, what we did before apparently wasn’t effective”? It doesn’t make sense that the Emperor would go from high intensity flipping around and waving a lightsaber to such a subdued way of fighting. So, he went from being Jackie Chan to Professor X in thirty years?  Not even in thirty years did Jackie Chan destroy his body to the point of that, and he has been doing it for forty years.

The last thing I will say about this is, The Emperor still looked old, it doesn’t even look like we are seeing him in his “prime.”  It’s hard for me to watch a seventy-year-old man doing flips and then seeing him barely able to swing the lightsaber.  Even in Star Wars: The Clone Wars it is hard to watch him fight, but at least he looks in better health.  Why pick the same actor from before, when he doesn’t look the same age.  We forget that fight scenes should enhance the story, not make us wonder, “Why is he even fighting?”

Top Ten Star Wars Fight Scenes

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

For almost forty years, the Star Wars franchise has produced several iconic fight scenes.  From the original trilogy to Star Wars: Rebels, we dive into ten the ten best fight scenes.  Enjoy!

10.) Jedi versus Sith (Star Wars: The Old Republic)

One of the best video game cutscenes I’ve ever seen, and a main reason why I picked up “The Old Republic”.  This scene demonstrates that the battle between Sith and the Jedi is ongoing.  The difference (difference from what?) is that both sides are in control.  For the first time, we got to see what The Old Republic wars were like.  If only the rest of the game were as good as this.

09.) General Grievous versus Ki Adi Mundi and Shak Ti (Star Wars: Clone Wars)

If you feel that Grievous was too weak in Revenge of the Sith and the newer animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (I know, it’s confusing), then this is the fight scene for you.  In this version, Grievous was a force to be reckoned with.  Not only is he able to take on four Jedi at once, but later is able to stand toe to toe with Mace Windu (that is until Windu destroys his voice box).  This fight might not be enjoyed by the masses, but this scene was a unique take on the Grievous character.

08.) Kit Fisto versus General Grievous (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

The first fight scene in Star Wars: The Clone Wars that made me a believer of the show.  Beforehand, we had never seen Fisto fight (except for briefly in Revenge of the Sith), but now we not only see him in action but also take total control over Grievous.  From death traps to fighting five opponents, the true extent of his skills is on full display here.

07.) Darth Maul versus Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Ginn (The Phantom Menace)

The only good (and saddest) thing to come out of the prequel trilogy.  From the awesome shot of the doors opening to reveal Darth Maul, to his absolute domination of the two Jedi, you get to see other styles of the Sith at work here.  The best part of the fight scene is when Obi-Wan and Maul face off.  The speed heightens to an edge-of-your-seat level, and shows off the two young warriors’ skills.  The only thing that falls a little flat is how much better Maul actor Ray Park clearly is than the others.  At certain parts, he is so much faster that he, without a doubt, could have killed them.  (Or maybe Maul was there to never kill, and only stall?)

06.) Darth Maul and Savage Oppress versus Darth Sidious (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

This is the most emotional fight scene for me.  When Savage Oppress entered the universe in Season 3, I thought the show was ruined.  Then, I was blown away by the character.  When we first see Maul with Oppress, it’s very sad to see the state that Maul is in.  But, after one season, we see how much Maul has changed.  This arc explosively culminates when Maul and Oppress take on Darth Sidious.  What I liked about this fight was that they showed more of Sidious’ true power than ever before.  Oppress was very slow and technically choppy compared to the seasoned Darth Sidious.  This is shown at the end when Oppress meets his demise.

05.) Anakin Skywalker versus Asajj Ventress (Star Wars: Clone Wars)

The creator of Samurai Jack knows how to build up tension.  This fight scene does so perfectly.  From the rain hitting the lightsabers to the long anticipation for the next move, the suspense does justice to the final moments.  It was interesting to see Anakin turn more to the dark side in a battle.  Not only do you see him wield a red saber, but when he strikes down Asajj, images—in his mind—of Jedi are shown.  A fight scene should always have a point to it, and the one here is that Anakin had crossed the point of no return.

04.) Obi-Wan versus Darth Vader (Star Wars)

The most realistic fight scene in the Star Wars universe.  This fight makes sense because the two haven’t fought a formidable opponent in at least ten years.  Not only is Obi-Wan at a weaker state, but Vader is as well.  This is not about a lightsaber fight, but a duel they didn’t finish thirty years ago.  We all know if Obi-Wan was there for a duel, the fight would have been longer.  Obi-Wan had another plan, though.  He was there to say goodbye to Luke and Vader.  He knew that his time was up, and that it was time for Luke to take on the Empire.

03.) Darth Maul versus Pre Vizsla (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

This scene perfectly shows Maul’s ruthlessness, and how awesome bounty hunters are. Not only that, you get to see how a Mandalorian would fight a Jedi.  From the dark saber to flamethrowers, Pre Vizla shows he is the real deal.  The thing that I love most about this fight is how brilliant Maul is.  In the film, we only saw him fight.  In this show, we see him use his brains to take control of Mandalore.  And Maul’s rise is one of the best parts of Clone Wars.

02.) Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker (The Empire Strikes Back)

It’s pretty easy to see why this fight is so high on this list.  (And it is not only because of its shocking moment and highly quotable lines.)  This fight also demonstrates how unprepared Luke really was.  At first, you think he might stand a chance, then you see that Vader is testing him, and is much more powerful than we thought.  The best part of the duel, however, is the suspense, something that the prequel fights generally lacked.  Vader vs. Luke was the first actual duel we ever got to see in the universe, and the suspense 100% emphasizes that.  Vader’s slow lightsaber draw, as well as his continual distraction of Luke with taunts, makes the clashing of their light sabers more and more exciting each time.

01.) Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker (Return of the Jedi)

The scene that utilizes every element the best.  The music, lighting, and actions all sync up beautifully.  This fight tells the perfect story.  Actually, two stories occur here: the emperor is trying to convert Luke to the dark side; and Luke is trying to convert Vader to the light.  The stories climax when Vader tells Luke about his sister.  Luke explodes and beats Vader with rage.  Luke realizes his fault, and beats the Emperor by refusing the Emperor’s demands to kill Vader.  Like Episode V, the suspense is in full effect.  Everyone wanted to see the final duel between these two giants, but I don’t think anyone expected the Emperor to step in.  For the first time, we got to see the full power of the dark side!

How Have Fight Scenes Changed?

What Makes a Fight Scene Work? – Part 1

by: Matthew J.R. Kohler

Yesterday, I sat down to watch one of my favorite Jackie Chan movies, Rumble in the Bronx.  In it, Chan plays a martial arts champion dealing with the criminals of the Bronx.  The movie didn’t have much of a plot, but that does not matter; the focus is on the fight scenes.  And man, are they fun as hell.  These scenes also do something different, true to Chan’s form.  This time his stunts extend to jumping from a building onto a ledge.  That stunt was only the beginning of my excitement.  While watching the movie, though, a thought hit me.  In the last five ten years we have lost the art form of action sequences.  With guys like Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo Pien, and the Shaw Brothers growing older, the new wave needs to take over.  But that is not happening.

In the early 2000s, The Bourne Identity was released in America, and became an instant hit.  This film skyrocketed already-famous Matt Damon’s career, while also popularizing a new style of filming fight scenes—the shaky cam.  The purpose of the shaky cam is to make audiences believe that they are in the fight scene, unlike setting up the tripod and moving with the characters.  While shaky cam was a unique look for the film, and therefore worked, the problem started when everyone else started doing it because it was popular.  The underlying issue here is that most American fight directors today do not realize that fight scenes are an art form.  Look at Bruce Lee’s films, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger or Chan’s Drunken Master.  We used to live in an era where the fight directors would tell a story through the fight scene.

  

Let’s take a look at one of my favorite American fight scenes ever—Luke vs. Vader in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.  In act I, we have the confrontation between Luke and Vader.  This is the stare down, and the first real surprise to Vader. Luke actually hits him a couple of times.  The audience wonders. Maybe Vader is unwise to lower his defenses?  Not only is the speed of the fight scene perfect, but there is buildup to the fight scene (I’ll discuss more of this later).  Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, which was made 25 years later, lacks all of the aforementioned qualities in its climactic duel.  The focus is more on CGI.  On top of that, the fight lasts for eight freaking minutes.  A fight scene isn’t good when it not only drags, but also looks choreographed to be flashy rather than emotional.  Back to The Empire Strikes Back.  Act II is the midpoint of a fight scene.  In this act we have Luke turning the tables against Darth Vader, that is until Vader unleashes a small dose of his power via the force.  The audience realizes that Luke cannot win, and his mission now is to escape.  Then there is Act III, the climax.  Well, we all know what happens here—the finale that emotionally devastates both Luke and the audience (I won’t say it just in case you have somehow missed every pop culture reference to what caps off this scene).  The Empire Strike Back has arguably the best climax to any fight scene ever, because each character has gained and lost something from it, both mentally and physically.

The modern approach to fight scenes is wholly different.  Apparently, people’s attention spans demand that characters start and end the fight scene as quickly as possible, and if it doesn’t end within less than a minute, it better have a screen full of CG eye candy.  What is the logic behind this thought?  It is an action movie!  The audience should work for those moments of action by anticipating the next fight.  And while it is happening, they should still work for the payoff, by anticipating during the breaks in the fight (in which the opposing characters stop fighting for at least a few seconds).  One of the handful of modern fight scenes that demand anticipation is Ip Man.  After a master’s head is blown off by a Japanese general, Ip Man realizes that Japan’s oppression of China is happening right in front of him.  So, he asks for ten Japanese warriors to step into the ring with him.  When he finally gets into the ring, after taking several moments to stare them all down, he explodes with rage, brutally beating all ten of them.  This scene once again showed how fight scenes can move a story; in this case, by showing the emotions of the main character in relation to the plot.  In addition, the fight scene is crucial to the story, because it leads to scenes that deal with the consequences of his actions.  Action movies in America have always had a hard time understanding the full potential of fight scenes.  Even though, over the last 40 years, greats such as Bruce Lee have shown America what can be done, America is very much stuck in the primitive state of fight scene filmmaking, in which the intended reaction is always “ooh” or “ahh”.  I think it is about time that American audiences desire and demand more out of not only fight scenes, but also out of a story.

With Ip Man 3 coming out soon, I only hope the movie feels more old school than what we see nowadays.

Check back soon for part 2!