Summer of Star Wars: Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

Written for television and directed by Jim and Ken Wheat from a story by George Lucas, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is the sequel to the 1984 TV movie Caravan of Courage: An Ewoks Adventure that explores more adventures with Wicket and the Ewoks. Yet, it is about Wicket and an orphaned Cindel who try to seek help from a hermit following an attack by marauders who have taken control of the moon of Endor. Starring Warwick Davis, Aubree Miller, Paul Gleason, Sian Phillips, Carel Struycken, and Wilford Brimley. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a very laborious and sappy TV movie from Jim and Ken Wheat.

When a group of marauders led by a warlord and a witch attack the Ewoks village and kill the family of a young girl who were just about to leave, the film revolves the young girl and the Ewok Wicket (Warwick Davis) trying to evade the marauders as they seek help from a hermit and his little fast-creature friend. It’s a film where a girl tries to survive and deal with loss but it’s a story where not a lot really happens but rather two characters get lost in the wood trying to find help and they eventually get help from some cranky old man. The script has elements that are quite dumb as the main antagonist in Terak (Carel Struycken) is someone that wants power thinking that some power generator for a starship has something mystical. It’s among these moments that is very stupid as well as plot-holes that relates to the entire Star Wars canon.

Wicket would speak some English in the film yet since the film is supposedly set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Why didn’t he speak English in the latter when he first appeared? Plus, how did the Ewoks not know about these marauders since there’s a castle somewhere in the moon of Endor? It’s among these plot devices that are very confusing as it definitely raises more questions than answers for even the most hardcore fan of the Star Wars series. The direction of Jim and Ken Wheat is quite uninspiring as it tries to mix in elements of fantasy, adventure, humor, and drama but it never meshes. Especially as there’s scenes where Wicket and Cindel (Aubree Miller) roaming around the woods and dealing with the hermit Noa (Wilford Brimley) as a lot of it never goes anywhere.

Shot on location in California at the Redwood forest, the film does maintain a sense of naturalism in its setting but the mixture of visual effects and action is quite wobbly considering that either there wasn’t enough money for the visual effects budget or they didn’t do enough work to make it look realistic. It’s among the many issues in the film that really hampers any elements to keep it engaging. Instead, a lot of the scenes that doesn’t involve any sense of action or adventure ends up being very boring and whenever they try to liven things up for humor. It feels forced and uninspiring while the action scenes themselves don’t really say anything as some of it comes off as cheesy. Overall, the Wheat brothers create a film that is just ponderous and unexciting about a girl trying to survive with the Ewoks from a bunch of ugly marauders.

Cinematographer Idisdore Mankofsky does nice work with the film‘s cinematography to complement the natural beauty of the locations though its look for the castle where the marauders live in has some bad lighting. Editor Eric Jenkins does OK work with the editing as it is straightforward but doesn‘t do enough to make things exciting due to its awful pacing. Production designer Joe Johnston and art director William George do excellent work with the look of Noa‘s home and his spaceship as well as the interiors of the marauder‘s castle despite its awful lighting.

Costume designer Michael Becker does good work with the costumes from the lavish look of the witch Charal (Sian Phillips) as well as the rugged look of Noa. Visual effects supervisor Michael J. McAlister do some decent work with the look of some of the characters though the effects look very wobbly where its mix of stop-motion animation and other effects don‘t mesh. Sound designer Randy Thom and sound editor Gloria S. Borders do some wonderful work with the sound from the way the guns sound to other things that play into the world of space and nature. The music by Peter Bernstein is terrific as it‘s a mostly orchestral-based score that features sweeping arrangements and bombastic pieces.

The film’s cast features appearances from Eric Walker as Cindel’s brother Mace, Tony Cox, Pam Grizz, and Daniel Frishman as a few Ewoks, and Marianne Horne as a young witch who would trick Cindel. Paul Gleason is pretty good as Cindel’s father Jeremitt who would have a very good moment where he would tell Cindel what to do knowing what would happen to him. Sian Phillips has her moments as the witch Charal though much of it is very ridiculous while Carel Struycken is terrible as the antagonist Terak as he basically has a lot of makeup and such where he just looks stupid.

Niki Botehlo doesn’t do much as the creature known as Teek where he is just a dumb comic relief while Warwick Davis does have some moments as the character Wicket since he is a reliable character. Aubree Miller is OK as Cindel as a young girl coping with loss and terror though she isn’t really able to sell the dramatic elements of her character. Finally, there’s Wilford Brimley in an alright performance as the cranky Noa as a hermit living in Endor as he deals with the marauders as he is the key to saving Cindel and the Ewoks.

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a terrible film from Jim and Ken Wheat. Not only is it a very messy film but also one that is very boring due to moments where not much happens and even when something does happen. The results are very poor as it’s really just a TV movie that doesn’t represent Star Wars very well. In the end, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a horrible film from Jim and Ken Wheat.

Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi - The Rise of Skywalker

Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage: An Ewoks Adventure - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas

Star Wars Anthology Films: Rogue One - Solo: A Star Wars Story - (Untitled Star Wars Anthology Film)

George Lucas Films: THX 1138 - (American Graffiti)

© thevoid99 2015

Die Hard

Based on the novel by Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, Die Hard is the story of a NYPD officer who travels to Los Angeles to meet his estranged wife at an office party where a group of terrorists has taken over the building forcing the officer to take on these men by himself. Directed by John McTiernan and screenplay Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart, the film is an action film set in a high-rise building in Los Angeles where a regular NYPD officer has to take on a group of highly elite criminals inside the building as the role of John McClane is played by Bruce Willis. Also starring Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Alexander Godunov, William Atherton, Paul Gleason, Hart Bochner, and Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Die Hard is an ass-kicking and thrilling film from John McTiernan.

Set during the Christmas holidays, the film revolves around a simple and no-nonsense New York City police officer in John McClane who arrives to Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at the Nakatomi building in the city where an office party is crashed by a group of elite terrorists led by Hans Gruber. For McClane who was able to hide from the festivities, he realizes what needs to be done to save his wife and many other people in the building. Especially as McClane would kill a few bad guys to get the attention of the LAPD and later the FBI as he would have to do everything while not wearing shoes. It’s a film that has a simple premise that is quite typical of action-based suspense-thrillers but what makes it so much more than that aren’t just the characters but also the situation itself and what goes on in and outside of the building.

The film’s screenplay definitely strays away from some of the conventions that is expected in action films largely due to the characters that are created. John McClane is a simple police officer who is good at his job despite being a bit reckless as he knows what to do when trouble emerges. Plus, he’s someone that is very quick-witted and sort of imagines himself as a cowboy because he stands for what is right in the world. In Hans Gruber, McClane finds the perfect opponent as Gruber is a man that is the epitome of highly-elite Euro-trash that can deliver great speeches and knows how to be intimidating. Even as he can do all sorts of negotiation and such to get what he wants when he is really a thief that just wants to steal a shitload of money with his organization. Once he and his group have to deal with McClaine, they realize that they’re messing with someone who is a very unlikely opponent that they’re underestimating. At one point, Gruber would encounter McClane where he pretends to be an office worker who had escaped from the melee.

The script also plays into action outside of the building where McClaine kills a terrorist and uses a walkie-talkie to talk to the LAPD officer Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) who would be his only contact outside of the building after a dead terrorist’s body was dropped on Powell’s car. The script would also have moments of humor as it relates to the LAPD deputy chief Dwayne T. Robinson (Paul Gleason) who tends to say stupid things as he has no clue what he’s doing to handle the situation. Plus, there’s two FBI agents both named Johnson (Robert Davi and Grand L. Johnson) who would take over only to really make more of a mess of things which only motivates McClane to do what is right. Another subplot that is added to the film involves a news reporter in Richard Thornburg (William Atherton) who wants to get the scoop as he would also jeopardize the life of Holly who has been using her maiden name so that Gruber wouldn’t know who she really is. All of which does play into McClane not only saving his wife and her co-workers but also uncover exactly into what Gruber and his goons are trying to do.

John McTiernan’s direction is definitely engaging not just for the intimacy and air of suspense that he puts in his approach to action sequences but balance it with drama and humor. The film does start off as a comical and enjoyable film where McClane meets his chauffer Argyle (De’voreaux White) as McClane would attend this office Christmas party where his wife his at as it establishes what is going on and why McClane is there. Then comes Gruber and his gang where it has this edge into what is going to happen where McTiernan’s use of wide and medium shots come into play to showcase the action. Especially where McTiernan creates some unique camera angles in some eerie set pieces including a scene where McClane hides in a vent where there’s some very funny remarks that McClane makes. The usage of high and low angles help play into the suspense as well as the scenes where the terrorists battle it out with the LAPD where it shows how efficient and professional these guys are. When they face McClane, they really underestimate how good McClane is when he’s armed with machine guns and explosives.

The action sequences are definitely extravagant which does involve lots of explosions and gunfire as it adds to the sense of chaos that emerges where McClane has to not just face these terrorists but also authorities who have no clue what they’re doing with the exception of Sgt. Powell who is also a no-nonsense cop. McClane’s conversations with Powell not just add elements to the drama but also play into the fact that these are two men who play by a set of old-school rules while dealing with men who play by a new set of rules. All of which leads to an explosive climax that involves McClane and Gruber as it plays into McClane’s own sense of fantasy of being a cowboy doing what is right for a world that is becoming very complicated and messy where people have their own agendas rather than do something good for the world. Overall, McTiernan creates a truly riveting and exhilarating film about a simple NYPD taking on a group of highly-elite bad guys.

Cinematographer Jan de Bont does excellent work with the film‘s nighttime cinematography for its exteriors while using some unique lighting schemes and mood to play into the interior settings as well as the air of suspense. Editors John F. Link and Frank J. Urioste do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the action while slowing things down for the suspense and dramatic moments. Production designer Jackson de Govia, with set decorator Philip Leonard and John R. Jensen, does amazing work with the look of the Nakatomi building interiors including its main office hall where the party is at as well as the other parts of the building. Costume designer Marilyn Vance does nice work with the costumes from the suit that Gruber wears to the more casual look of McClane. Sound editor Richard Shorr does fantastic work with the sound to play into the layers of gunfire and explosion that occurs in the building. The film’s music by Michael Kamen is superb for its bombastic orchestral score and flourishing string arrangements to play into the sense of excitement while its soundtrack features some classical pieces as well as holiday songs including a future classic by Run-DMC.

The casting by Jackie Burch is incredible as it features notable small roles from Lorenzo Caccialanza, Al Leong, Andreas Wisniewski, and Dennis Hayden as some of Hans’ henchmen, Taylor Fry and Noah Land as John and Holly’s children, De’voreaux White as McClane’s young and witty limo driver Argyle, Clarence Gilyard as Gruber’s hacker Theo, Hart Bochner as the sleazy and idiotic Nakatomi executive Ellis, and James Shigeta as Holly’s boss Takagi whom Gruber would target into trying to give him the code for the vault. William Atherton is terrific as the arrogant news reporter Richard Thornburg who is willing to do anything to get a story as he would blackmail his way to get information about John McClane in order to exploit his family. Paul Gleason is superb as deputy chief Dwayne T. Robinson who tends to say idiotic things in his attempt to get control only to screw things up. Robert Davi and Grant L. Bush are fantastic as the FBI agents Johnson as these two men who arrive only to screw things up for McClane and unknowingly give Gruber what he wants.

Reginald VelJohnson is excellent as Sgt. Al Powell as a straight-laced cop who would have an encounter with the terrorists as he would aid McClane through walkie-talkies about what he’s facing. Alexander Godunov is brilliant as Hans’ lead henchman Karl who wants McClane dead after McClane killed his younger brother as he is a very menacing man. Bonnie Bedelia is amazing as McClane’s estranged wife Holly who takes charge for her co-workers as she is able to talk to Gruber while worrying if her husband can still get things through. Alan Rickman is magnificent as Hans Gruber as it’s a performance for the ages where Rickman really showcases some charm and wit to his character but is also a very cunning antagonist that exemplifies the idea of Euro-trash as it’s a real breakthrough for Rickman. Finally, there’s Bruce Willis in an incredible performance as John McClane as it’s a performance that has Willis be the everyman as someone that is just trying to do his job as a cop. Especially as he isn’t the most agile guy as he has to do everything while being barefooted as it’s really an iconic performance for Willis.

Die Hard is an absolutely sensational film from John McTiernan that features great performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. The film is without question one of the pillars of what action films should be as well as giving audiences something more by creating characters audiences can root for as well as a villain that manages to be so fun to watch. It’s the kind of film that manages to do more for its genre while also being a fun film to watch during the Christmas holidays. In the end, Die Hard is a phenomenal film from John McTiernan.

John McTiernan Films: (Nomads) - (Predator) - (The Hunt for Red October) - (Medicine Man) - (Last Action Hero) - (Die Hard with a Vengeance) - (The 13th Warrior) - (The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)) - (Rollerball (2002 film)) - (Basic)

Die Hard Films: (Die Hard 2) - (Live Free or Die Hard) - (A Good Day to Die Hard)

© thevoid99 2015

Trading Places

Directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod, Trading Places is the story of two billionaire brothers who make a bet to switch the lives of two very different men. One is an upper class commodities broker who has lives the life that everyone wants while the other is a homeless street hustler where their lives are changed by this experiment. The film is a comedy about what happens when the lives of two different men are changed in an experiment of nature versus nuture where it leads to a revenge scheme from the two different men. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliot, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Trading Places is a witty yet entertaining comedy from John Landis.

Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is a well-educated and rich commodities broker who has it all. A loyal butler named Coleman (Denholm Elliot) and is engaged to a beautiful young woman named Penelope (Kristin Holby), who is the grand-niece of billionaire brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, respectively). Yet, Randolph is unconvinced by an article on breeding versus environment as he wants to prove a group of scientists wrong. During an encounter with a poor street hustler named Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) where Valentine accidentally bumps into Winthorpe, the Duke Brothers decide to hold a secret experiment to switch the lives of Winthorpe and Valentine as a bet.

With the help of their secret henchman Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason), the Dukes publicly frame Winthorpe of theft as Beeks also bribes a corrupt policeman (Frank Oz) to stash angel dust into Winthorpe’s coat. Meanwhile, Valentine is bailed out by the Dukes as he lives in Winthorpe’s home with Coleman as he uses his street-smarts to become a very successful commodities broker. After being bailed out by Penelope, Winthorpe’s life is further ruined after meeting a hooker named Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is paid by Beeks to talk dirty to him as Winthorpe loses Penelope and everything else. Living with Ophelia, Winthorpe learns about Valentine’s success as he hopes to get him trouble.

The plan backfires as Winthorpe was caught by Valentine and the Dukes putting Winthorpe more into despair. When Valentine later overhears a conversation between the Dukes about their bet and experiment, he seeks to find the already troubled Winthorpe as he brings him back to Coleman with Ophelia’s help. After learning what the Dukes did, Winthorpe seeks revenge where the two learn about the Dukes wanting to corner the frozen orange juice market with Beeks’ help. The two along with Coleman and Ophelia decides to go after Beeks and the crop report in a plan to get revenge on the Dukes.

While the storyline is based on Mark Twain’s The Prince & the Pauper about two different lives being changed, the film uses that plot device to explore the idea of how two different men can be changed in this experiment between nature versus nurture. In turn, the lives of these two very different men would change as both would gain something from this experience. For Louis Winthorpe III, he would gain a perspective of what is life like outside of all of the things rich people have while Billy Ray Valentine would learn about how to make big money and be a part of society. The downside is that Winthorpe would face a certain prejudice for everything that has happened to him from the people he had known all of his life. For Valentine, he would learn that having lots of money would only bring trouble to people he knew back in the inner-city.

The screenplay by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod is very smart for the way they use the theme of breeding vs. environment by injecting humor into it. A lot of the humor is improvised yet manages to play into the story. There’s also some very well-rounded characters in the script such as the Dukes, Coleman, and Ophelia. The Dukes are these greedy men who care about money and nothing else while using this experiment as a bet where the big shock of that bet was how much all of it was worth. In Coleman, here’s a butler that is loyal though at times seems neglected only until he’s forced to play into the Dukes’ scheme where he would later help out Winthorpe and Valentine. Ophelia is a character who may be a hooker with a heart of gold but is a woman that is very intelligent and doesn’t take gruff from anyone as she is trying to save money to have a good life.

John Landis’ direction is very engaging in the way he presents the film as he creates some amazing scenes to contrast the different world of these two men. One key scene is where a downtrodden Winthorpe is outside a posh restaurant as it’s raining where he sees Valentine eating dinner with the rich. The scene cuts back and forth to what is happening while there’s another scene of the two men encountering each other where Winthorpe is in a cab while Valentine is in a limo. The framing of the film is pretty straightforward yet it does delve into the chaos of what goes on during the film’s climatic scene at the commodities trading floor. There is lot of scenes that are very funny but also some very low-key dramatic moments to help advance the story. Overall, Landis creates a truly funny and engrossing comedy that is filled with great one-liners and lots of memorable moments.

Cinematographer Robert Paynter is excellent for the dark-look of some of the interiors in the posh homes while a lot of it is straightforward including colorful shots of the winter scenes in Philadelphia. Editor Malcolm Campbell does a nice job with the editing as a lot of is straightforward while doing some great montages of scenes where Winthorpe and Valentine would encounter each other during this bet as well as playing up the humor of the film. Production designer Gene Rudolf and set decorators George DeTitta Sr. and George DeTitta Jr. do a great job in creating the posh home of Winthorpe that Valentine would live in along with the very old-school yet wooden look of the office that Valentine works at with the computers of the time.

Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman does a very good job with the costumes from the suits and clothes the men wear to the more stylish look that Jamie Lee Curtis wears along with the costumes in the New Years Eve party scene. Sound editor Charles L. Campbell does a terrific job with the sound work from the party atmosphere of Valentine’s posh party to the chaos that goes on the climatic stock trading scene. The film’s score by Elmer Bernstein is superb for the playful yet flourishing orchestral pieces he uses that borrows elements of Mozart’s Overture, Marriage of Figaro for its main theme. The music soundtrack features a wonderful mix of different kinds of music from disco-funk like Sylvester, holiday music, and doo-wop by the Silhouettes.

The casting by Bonnie Timmermann is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some fantastic appearances from James Belushi as a guy in a gorilla suit, James Eckhouse as precinct guard, Giancarlo Esposito as one of Valentine’s cellmates, Frank Oz as a corrupt cop, Bill Cobbs as a bartender, Philip Bosco as a doctor, blues legend B.B. King as a pawnshop merchant, and as two bumbling baggage handlers, Al Franken and Tom Davis. In notable small roles, there’s Kristin Holby as Winthorpe’s snobbish fiancee Penelope and Paul Gleason as the Dukes’ vile henchman Clarence Beeks.

Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are great, in their respective roles, as Randolph and Mortimer Duke who device a scheme that would ruin the life of one man and play games on another. Denholm Elliot is excellent as Winthorpe’s butler Coleman who reluctantly becomes part of the Dukes’ scheme as he befriends Valentine and later aids them both in their revenge scheme. Jamie Lee Curtis is amazing as Ophelia, a kind-hearted hooker who helps out the despaired Winthorpe while providing some great humor during the revenge scheme on Beeks.

Dan Aykroyd is terrific as Louis Winthorpe III, a pampered rich man whose life is changed by a bet where he tries to get revenge on Valentine only to realize he was played for a scheme. While Aykroyd is the straight man of the film, he does get to be funny in scenes later in the film while making the Winthorpe character a sympathetic one. Finally, there’s Eddie Murphy in an outstanding yet hilarious role as Billy Ray Valentine as a poor young guy who becomes a rich broker while using his street skills to make deals and such. Murphy brings a youthful enthusiasm to his role where he plays it cool and be very funny while having some great scenes together with Aykroyd as it’s one of Murphy’s essential performances.

Trading Places is truly one of the great comedies of the 1980s due to its witty approach to humor to a very provocative theme of breeding vs. environment. With a brilliant ensemble cast and a lively direction by John Landis, the film is definitely one of those comedies that is always watching over and over again while still being very funny. In the end, Trading Places is a whimsical yet charming comedy from John Landis.

John Landis Films: (Schlock) - (Kentucky Fried Movie) - (National Lampoon’s Animal House) - (The Blues Brothers) - (An American Werewolf in London) - (Coming Soon) - (The Twilight Zone (1983 film)) - (Into the Night) - (Spies Like Us) - (Three Amigos!) - (Amazon Women on the Moon) - Coming to America - (Oscar) - (Innocent Blood) - (Beverly Hills Cop III) - (The Stupids) - (Blues Brothers 2000) - (Susan’s Plan) - (Slasher) - (Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project) - (Burke & Hare)

© thevoid99 2012