Posts tagged Samuel L. Jackson
Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on August 26, 2008.

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Clone Wars continues downward trend of franchise

Star Wars fans have had a rough ride the past few years.

Considering the cultural impact and quality of the original Star Wars trilogy, most people contend that the latest batch of films was tolerable at best, and the cinematic equivalent of a colonoscopy at worst. The last decade has seen the release of a plethora of Star Wars-themed television shows and video games, many of them poorly received. It's as if George Lucas himself has forgotten what made the classic trilogy so great, and is now merely using its name to line his pockets with even more money.

Enter Clone Wars, an animated feature film set between Episodes II and III. Except, it's not really a feature film. Instead it consists of the first four episodes of the television show with the same name set to premiere on Cartoon Network this fall. Could this be what makes Star Wars relevant again, or is it just another low point in the history of a franchise long diluted?

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Christopher Lee, George Lucas, Jabba the Hutt, Samuel L. Jackson, Star Wars, The Clone WarsComment
Review: Jumper (2008)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 21, 2008.

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Jumper mediocre at best

Let me start off by saying this: Jumper is a bad film. There is no denying that fact.

That said, it does have a few positive elements, and you'll be hard-pressed to find more creative action sequences.

The film's plot is fairly straightforward: David (Hayden Christensen) discovers he has the power to teleport. Unfortunately, this makes him an unwilling participant in a war between "Jumpers" (people who can teleport) and "Paladins" (people trying to kill them). He'll have to team up with another Jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell) to take down Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), a powerful Paladin who wants nothing more than to exterminate all those who can teleport. Not to mention David's also trying to win back his high-school sweetheart, Millie (Rachel Bilson).

The biggest problem with Jumper is that it introduces many really interesting ideas, but never does anything with them.

Apparently, Paladins and Jumpers have been at war since the Middle Ages, but the details of how and why this war is playing out is left unsaid. What is Roland's connection to the government? Where did he get all these high-tech weapons? What separates him from the other Paladins?

Also, if this war is so massive and important, why is it that, over the course of the movie, we're only shown half a dozen Paladins and a grand total of three (that's right, three) Jumpers?

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonDoug Liman, Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Jumper, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. JacksonComment