KAIJUOLOGY: TITANOSAURUS

Subject: Titanosaurus

Documentation: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

History: Titanosaurus is a species of dinosaur that was discovered during the Great Awakening period from 1954 to 1975. The Great Awakening saw the emergence of many forms of mega-fauna long thought extinct, many of which attacked populated areas. Titanosaurus however was one of the few beasts whose nature was that of a peaceful creature. Titanosaurus is a colossal creature, hence the name. Even among dinosaurs Titanosaurus dwarfed most in terms of its incredible size placing it in the rare category of the Ultrasaurs alongside such others as Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus.

Titanosaurus was discovered by marine biologist Shinji Mafune sometime prior to 1960 living some distance outside of Japan's coastal waters. Mafune published his discovery in 1960 including several notebooks, journals, and diagrams of the beast. Despite the world having witnessed the return of multiple kaiju by this time, Dr. Mafune's claims of Titanosaurus were largely disregarded by the scientific community. Many believed the doctor's discovery to be pure fantasy and a desperate attempt to establish his career, taking advantage of the kaiju phenomena.

Dr. Mafune went into reclusion shortly thereafter and continued his research of Titanosaurus with the help of his daughter Katsura Mafune. They discovered Titanosaurus's use of sonic vibrations, similar to that of whales. Titanosaurus is highly susceptible to particular sonic frequencies, reacting sometimes violently. Through testing and years of research Dr. Mafune developed a crude means of manipulating the creature by use of an intricate array of sonic frequencies.

Titanosaurus by Bill Gudmundson

In 1974 the spacemen from the Third Planet of the Black Hole made their first bid for world domination by way a kaiju-sized mechanized weapon called Mechagodzilla. Their attempt at world conquest failed thanks to Interpol and largely due to the combined efforts of Godzilla, King Seesar, and Anguirus. During this time the spacemen encountered Dr. Mafune. The aliens sought refuge on a secluded island which contained a small fishing community as well as the Mafune Estate. While conducting an experiment Dr. Mafune's daughter was fatally electrocuted. At that moment the spacemen entered and, using their advanced science and robotics, saved Katsura's life by transforming her into a cyborg. This placed Dr. Mafune in the spacemen's debt.

Since 1960 when Dr. Mafune was ostracized and marginalized by his fellow scientists he nurtured a deep hatred for his fellow man. The spacemen used that hatred to manipulate Mafune into assisting them in their second attempt at global conquest. Titanosaurus was conscripted into the spacemen's attack forces alongside Mechagodzilla. The beast first attacked a government submarine which was searching for the remains of Mechagodzilla. Titanosaurus was manipulated into attacking the Japanese mainland on two separate occasions, once solo and the other accompanied by Mechagodzilla. On both occasions Titanosaurus was confronted by Godzilla.

After the destruction of the first submarine, another submarine was dispatched with the goal of finding and locating the whereabouts of Titanosaurus. When the kaiju attacked the submarine a supersonic distress signal was sent that inadvertently disrupted Mafune's manipulation of the kaiju. Discovering the dinosaur's sensitivity to high frequency sonics, a sonic oscillator was then designed and employed in defense against Titanosaurus. It was ultimately this sonic oscillator and the might of Godzilla that forced the great dinosaur back into the ocean. The spacemen were defeated and Dr. Mafune and his daughter were killed. Titanosaurus has not been seen since.

In addition to Titanosaurus's immense size (taller than Godzilla even) it also possesses many natural abilities. The kaiju is at home one both land and water but seems to possess a natural affinity towards the sea. Titanosaurus has a collapsible sail at the end of its tail which doubles as a fin underwater propelling it forward at tremendous speeds through the currents. On land this sail/fin can generate gale force winds with the power of an F4 tornado. The beast also possesses incredible muscle mass even when compared to other kaiju, probably due to spending most of its time deep beneath the ocean. This great strength of his rivals that of Godzilla.

Review: Titanosaurus is awesome. The sleek amphibious design is surprisingly new for the kaiju universe as a whole. The design is evocative of classic sea serpent depictions and aquatic dragon paintings. I've said this many times that I prefer more natural kaiju designs as opposed to more abstract designs and Titanosaurus encompasses my favorite aspects. He's simplistic but he's not boring. His color is quite different from most natural kaiju in that he has a vibrant color pallet of yellows, reds, and oranges. This is in line with the more vibrant colors of sea life and totally appropriate for the creature. He'd fit in perfectly with Mothra, Baragon, Kamoebas, Manda, and all of the other Earth protectors. 

Titanosaurus was the last new kaiju created in the Showa era at a time when the Japanese movie industry was in regression. Everything was transitioning to television and the movie industry was suffering because of it. Many great Japanese film franchises saw their demise around this time, including Godzilla. Even with next to no budget for the film, Toho's creature effects technicians turned out one of the best kaiju costumes in that of Titanosaurus. With the Godzilla series at its financially worst moment and with an extremely limited number of resources they still managed to produce a new kaiju that was far superior to the competition at their best.

Earth's Defenders ~ Mothra, Titanosaurus, and Kamoebas

He's a seldom seen kaiju having never truly been resurrected in another film or video game. There is very little merchandise of him either. All this makes him a rarity amongst the Godzilla cast of kaiju and a strong reason to keep coming back to watch Terror of Mechagodzilla. He's nowhere near overused or over saturated like the more popular kaiju so seeing him is still a novel experience. He has appeared in one video game that I know of, Godzilla Unleashed for the Wii. He was also sown in concept art for Godzilla: Save the Earth for Playstation 2. He has also appeared in multiple comic books from IDW's Godzilla line. Titanosaurus's day may be coming at long last!

Threat Level: 5 out of 10

He's a peaceful kaiju by nature

Titanosaurus VS Rodan by Matt Frank

Check out these other kaiju dossiers and catch up on what you missed!

BARAGON 

BIOLLANTE 

DAGAHRA 

DAIMAJIN 

DESGHIDORAH  

DOGORA

GAMERA 

GUIRON 

KAMOEBAS

MAGUMA 

MANDA 

MATANGO 

RODAN 

Titanosaurus VS Zigra

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS ~ PART 15: TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975)

This is a momentous occasion as we have finally made it to the SHOWA ERA of the Godzilla franchise. Showa refers to the era of Japan under the reign of Emperor Hirohito covering the years 1926 through 1989. This term has been used to reference the Godzilla films produced from 1954 to 1975 otherwise referred to as the first series of the franchise. The second series of films are known as the HEISEI ERA covering the Godzilla films from 1984 to 1995, again in reference to Japan's next Emperor. And the third series of Godzilla films is referred to as the Millennium series which began in 1999 with GODZILLA MILLENNIUM a.k.a. GODZILLA 2000 and ran through 2004.

We've covered both the Millennium and Heisei era Godzilla films. Next in our countdown is the last film in the Showa era and the last film directed by the original Godzilla director himself, ISHIRO HONDA. TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA came out in 1975 and is a direct followup to the previous year's GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA. The last time Godzilla battled this mechanized monstrosity he had help, that of the kaiju KING SEESAR, ancient deity protector of the Azumi Clan. Now Godzilla is on his own against an upgraded Mechagodzilla and a new threat named TITANOSAURUS. Can the king of the monsters save the Earth from these twin terrors?

THE PLOT

The universe conquering spacemen from the third planet of the black hole have returned to renew their campaign to conquer Earth. They've recovered the remains of Mechagodzilla and are in the process of repairing it. While Mechagodzilla is in repair the spacemen enlist the help of zoologist Dr. Shinzo Mafune and his daughter Katsura. The zoologist shows the spacemen a living dinosaur named Titanosaurus and reveals to them a way in which to control the beast to do their bidding. Earth's Interpol Agents are onto the spacemen's plans. With the help of a young biologist named Akira Ichinose, Interpol begins to unravel the evil alien plot. But if they are going to defeat the spacemen and save the planet they're going to need the help of the king of the monsters.

THE GOOD

The direction. With the return of Ishiro Honda we see a return to a more serious, violent Godzilla film. Honda invests time in developing a group of characters and the relationships between them. There is a sort of James Bond element to it as well with the Interpol Agents adding another degree of excitement and espionage action. The Godzilla franchise had undergone a change over the last ten years becoming more of a superhero children series as opposed to the dark horror series it originally was. Director Honda attempts once more to bring Godzilla back to the way he was originally portrayed.

Titanosaurus. The early Godzilla films and kaiju films of Ishiro Honda were filled with kaiju designs that were inspired from nature i.e. dinosaurs, sea life, insects and arachnids and so forth. The 1970's Godzilla films introduced a host of kaiju completely unique and alien to any creatures on Earth. Titanosaurus is the last new kaiju from the Showa era and a throwback to the classic kaiju designs. As far as personal preferences go I really enjoy the more natural designs as opposed to the crazier creature designs of the 70's. Titanosaurus is a cool and seldom seen classic kaiju.

THE BAD

Identity Crisis. Godzilla is barely in the movie. This film along with GODZILLA VS MEGALON mark two of the least featured Godzilla appearances out of the whole franchise. The total screen time Godzilla has in this film is less than either of his enemies. Seems strange that Godzilla has the least amount of screen time and it's his name on the title. Then once Godzilla does finally appear there is this strange clashing of styles. The film itself strikes a very ominous serious tone, but Godzilla himself is still the superhero version from the previous, more child friendly films. I'm guessing Ishiro Honda was forced by the studio to keep Godzilla in his kid friendly incarnation. As a result the film doesn't quite gel.

THE VERDICT

Terror of Mechagodzilla was one last attempt to keep the franchise alive, the studio even bringing back the director that built the franchise. But the film is in conflict with itself. Godzilla is still a superhero defender of Earth but the story is one of a serious nature with many adult themes. Godzilla is actually the problem here as he is the one element that doesn't jive. It's a sad state of affairs given that this is a Godzilla movie and it just might function better without him. I'd say this film functions better as a kids movie but that isn't true either. This movie really can't decide what it wants to be. There are plenty of good aspects to the film but it is probably one of my least favorites in the Showa era (but not my least favorite).

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10
Good. Average.

Category: ???? 

(I honestly don't know if it's a kids movie or not and neither does the movie itself)

Keep a look out for the following chapters in the saga as we count down to number 1! Catch up on the whole saga of the king of the monsters by checking out the posts below!

Part 16: The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Part 17: Godzilla Vs Biollante (1989) 

Part 18: Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah (1991) 
Part 19: Godzilla Vs Mothra (1992)  

Part 20: Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Part 21: Godzilla Vs Spacegodzilla (1994)
Part 22: Godzilla Vs Destoroyah (1995)
Part ???? Tri-Star's Godzilla (1998)
Part 23: Godzilla 2000 (1999)
Part 24: Godzilla Vs Megaguirus (2000)
Part 25: GMK Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Part 26: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
Part 27: Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
Part 28: Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
Legendary's Godzilla (2014)

 

BETWEEN THE PANELS: LEGENDARY STAR LORD & THE BLACK VORTEX

In anticipation for the release of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movie, Marvel Comics launched the first Star-Lord comic book since 1996 and Peter Quill finally is given the chance to take center stage for the first time in his 40 years as a character for Marvel. THE LEGENDARY STAR-LORD debuted in July of 2014 and ran for 12 issues before being cancelled for Marvel's mega event SECRET WARS. It was largely a self contained story save for one massive crossover story arc titled THE BLACK VORTEX, which ran through nearly all of Marvel's cosmic books of 2015.

For the first time since the 1990's we readers had multiple Guardians of the Galaxy comic books to choose from, the regular Guardians of the Galaxy book, GUARDIANS 3000, a ROCKET RACCOON monthly, and the Legendary Star-Lord in addition to various one-shot specials. In terms of writing the best of these books, in my opinion, are Guardians 3000 and Legendary Star-Lord. Written in its entirety by SAM HUMPHRIES and penciled, for the majority of the issues, by PACO MEDINA with FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS filling in as the artist for three issues. As a result of this stable creative team the book feels consistent and it shines where it could very well have disappeared as just another book to cash in on the movie's success.

THE PLOT

When not gallivanting with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill, the scoundrel of the space ways, is treasure hunting, Indiana Jones style. He's stealing from evil and nefarious groups and painting a big ol' target on his back in the process. One mysterious individual has a particular axe to grind, a man named Mr. Knife. Knife hires a group of the galaxy's deadliest warriors, calling themselves the SLAUGHTER SQUAD, to track down and apprehend the notorious Star-Lord. While on the run from the SS, Peter and Kitty Pryde, the Earth X-Man known as SHADOWCAT, decide to take their relationship to the next level, namely her flying into space to pull his bacon out of the fire. But when Mr. Knife makes a deal with the son of THANOS and comes into possession of a universe ending weapon called THE BLACK VORTEX, it's going to take the universe's greatest heroes to save the galaxy.

Captain Marvel and the Black Vortex

THE GOOD

Consistency. After 1982 Peter Quill disappeared from comics having had only a handful of appearances, something like 10 or 12 issues. A sort of failed experiment of Marvel's. Then in 2004 the character was revived by writer KEITH GIFFEN and artist RON LIM as a jaded, cynical, partially cyberized individual in a supporting role. Then the story ANNIHILATION is released and the sequel ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST in which Giffen continues to develop his version of Star-Lord. And then writers DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING got a hold of Peter Quill, taking what Giffen had created, and ran with it. From 2004 to 2010 we had a well defined and three dimensional character that felt truly unique and special. And consistent. Peter Quill had never been better and it is this version of the character that I became a fan of. Star-Lord and the Guardians disappeared after that.

Then in 2013 the Guardians of the Galaxy came back... and they no longer resembled themselves in the slightest, neither visually nor in personality. Star-Lord, despite being the focal character of the book, was incredibly inconsistent from anything he ever was previously. For some unknown reason Marvel's writers chose to ignore the 6 years of Star-Lord's appearances. Then the movie comes along and give us yet another wildly different version of Peter Quill. As a personal preference I always felt that the comics should dictate the movies. Anymore it seems the opposite. In the case of Star-Lord the movie finally established some continuity of character. Sam Humphries's rendition is very much the Star-Lord from the film. Long story short, we finally have something recognizable as Star-Lord (albeit the Star-Lord from the film). He used to be a war-torn fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants hero. Now he's a class clown "bro."

The Slaughter Squad

Simplicity. This book was released simply to cash in on the success of the movie, hence Star-Lord being written and drawn like Chris Pratt. And it doesn't try to be anything more or less. In this it exceeds expectations. Each issue is short and fun. The writer doesn't come across as lazy or pretentious but rather someone doing the best they can with what they've got. Star-Lord's character doesn't really evolve from start to finish save finally committing to a woman. It's not complicated. And ultimately it weaves a fun and entertaining story. I don't feel pissed off after reading each issue like I did with another Guardians of the Galaxy book coming out at the same time as this one.

The Black Vortex

Going along with simple ideas that turn out wonderful, one of the main antagonists in the book is a group of villains called the Slaughter Squad. These guys are basically the anti-guardians of the galaxy. Since other writers pretty much ruined all the great cosmic characters out there, Humphries brings in a new group which he can make all his own and it works. Also he transforms the flat and drab character of King J'Son into an enjoyable character by merely giving him a mask and an alias. These simple approaches feel fresh and fun.

Star-Lord and Mr. Knife fighting over the Black Vortex

The Black Vortex. At first it appeared like this was going to be another shameless money grab from Marvel. I was apprehensive to say the least when I saw Brian Michael Bendis was involved. Luckily it is Sam Humphries who is the architect of this story and the person who writes the majority of the issues. The Black Vortex is what the whole Star-Lord book is building towards from issue one. The tie-in issues are good too for the most part. The Nova, Captain Marvel, and Guardians Team-Up issues are among my favorites for those entire books. The concept feels fresh too and different from the usual crossover event stories. This is easily my favorite event book of Marvel's for 2015.

Cosmic powered-up heroes!

THE BAD

Cosmic powered-up Drax

No resolution. After the Black Vortex story arc finishes there is one issue of fallout from the event and the issue neither includes Star-Lord nor any of the major players in the last story. The actual resolution occurs in another comic book. As a result this book feels a little incomplete. I'm guessing it was an editorial decision because this book for the majority of its run stood on its own. This book, along with 95% of Marvel's books ended due to the Secret Wars event. I have voiced my disgust with what Secret Wars has wrought in the past and this is just another casualty. This book's story is wrapped up in the regular Guardians of the Galaxy comic book, which, if you had been reading that book and not this book, would've felt like something from left field. In the end it leaves this book feeling incomplete and forces you to buy the other book, which was very disappointing storywise but had good art.

Cosmic powered-up Gamora

THE VERDICT

Cosmic powered-up Ronan

The Legendary Star-Lord was a twelve issue series that led up to the crossover event The Black Vortex which added ten more issues if you purchased them all. 22 issues in all make up this complete story and it is well worth it. This book was one of the stronger books to have come from Marvel in the last 2 years which is surprising given that this book was originally tossed out there to shamelessly cash in on the Guardians movie. I didn't talk about the art very much. Paco Medina has a very cartoony style which isn't amazing nor is it bad by any means. It's fun artwork which is perfect for this book's tone. The colors and inks are amazing. All in all this book was a wonderful surprise.

Cosmic powered-up Nova

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

Above Average. Worth the money.

Cosmic powered-up Captain Marvel (I don't know why there are two?)

For more Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel cosmic goodness be sure to check out these other posts...

GUARDIANS 3000

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 BY BENDIS

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VS GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION
THANOS: THE INFINITY RELATIVITY 
JONATHAN HICKMAN'S INFINITY
DEVIL WORSHIP: THANOS THE MAD TITAN
HERO WORSHIP: CAPTAIN MARVEL
HERO WORSHIP: MS MARVEL

HERO WORSHIP: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Cosmic powered-up Beast and Gamora

 

The Black Vortex event checklist

BETWEEN THE PANELS: THANOS ~ THE INFINITY RELATIVITY

Jim Starlin, the Marvel Comics cosmic maestro, has given us the next chapter in the saga of THANOS, the mad Titan, ADAM WARLOCK, and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. This latest original graphic novel is titled THE INFINITY RELATIVITY and it is a sequel to last year's original graphic novel THE INFINITY REVELATION also by Jim Starlin. Relativity not only expands on the concepts laid out in Revelation, but it also ups the threat level culminating in an epic climax! Starlin serves double duty once again on this book as both its writer and artist and the results are even better than the last.

Marvel seems to be letting Starlin craft a story all his own without forcing him to tie the story into current Marvel events like Secret Wars or Jonathan Hickman's Thanos story INFINITY. And Starlin is using more than just Revelation and Relativity as the chapters for the story. Before Revelation came out in 2014 Starlin and Ron Lim (one of my favorite artists for comics) teamed up for a single issue special earlier in 2014 simply titled THANOS ANNUAL. Likewise, this year before Relativity was released Jim Starlin wrote and penciled a four issue limited series titled THANOS VS HULK. Here in Relativity does Starlin bring all these stories together for one mind blowing tale of cosmic proportions.

THE PLOT

Every time Adam Warlock goes through his cycle of death and rebirth he acquires new and greater abilities. After the events of The Infinity Revelation the newly reborn Adam Warlock is learning the extent of his new powers. He has more power than he ever has before, nigh limitless, and godlike. Others have noticed Warlock's near omnipotent power, namely ANNIHILUS, lord of the Negative Zone, and Adam Warlock's sometimes ally and long time foe Thanos. Thanos's past self when he had possession of the INFINITY GAUNTLET and total omniscience visits himself in the future, our current, to warn himself of Annihilus's plan to steal Warlock's newfound power.

Earlier Annihilus gained tremendous power by siphoning off large amounts of gamma radiation from the Hulk. Thanos was present during that conflict and witnessed Annihilus more powerful than ever before. If Annihilus were to gain Adam's power the lord of the Negative Zone would be unstoppable. Thanos contacts his former INFINITY WATCH teammates, GAMORA, DRAX, and PIP THE TROLL along with the Guardians of the Galaxy and sets a plan in motion to reach Warlock and rescue him before Annihilus arrives. Thanos also manipulates GLADIATOR of the SHI'AR to converge on Warlock and Annihilus. Chaos erupts and the plan falls apart. Warlock, still not having realized the full potential of his power, is subdued and taken to the Negative Zone. Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy mount one last rescue attempt but this time Annihilus is ready for them. Can even the might of Thanos stop a super powered Annihilus?

THE GOOD

The characters. This group is one of my favorite ensembles of Marvel characters and for a long time only Jim Starlin had written them. Then the Guardians of the Galaxy movie came out and suddenly everybody in the world was writing them, each writer imbuing them with different personalities than Starlin had originally. Here we get another adventure with them where they feel somewhat like themselves. Starlin, being the good sport that he is, has actually acclimatized his take on these characters to reflect how they have been recently portrayed save for Thanos. Starlin has a direct connection to Thanos and it is always consistent no matter what other writers have done with the character. However, Peter Quill a.k.a. STAR-LORD, having been portrayed as a bumbling idiot thanks to the movie, is treated as such. It's actually kinda funny because he is completely worthless in this story which is in keeping with his current portrayals.

The story. The Infinity Revelation was a cool story that felt like a one-shot self-contained idea. In the Infinity Relativity Starlin uses what Revelation set-up and runs with it. He brings in components from the Thanos Vs Hulk mini series as well as the Thanos Annual in natural and surprising ways which give the story more weight and reward you for having kept up with it all. At the same time, if you haven't been keeping up, Starlin keeps it accessible and the story keeps you engaged. But this book does not stand alone. You find out at the end that Starlin is crafting a trilogy of graphic novels and this is the second in that trilogy. This book has an explosive ending that leaves you wide-eyed and shocked! And it plays perfectly into Thanos's character.

THE BAD

Continuity. You'll never find me complaining about continuity. I love discovering that there is more to the story. The Infinity Revelation worked perfectly as a stand alone and fit the format. The Infinity Relativity however does not. It ends on a cliffhanger, incomplete, and is further enhanced by the stories that came before it. If you bought this book on a lark without having read the previous stories you may feel a little disappointed that it's not a complete story. You either have to buy the next one or toss the book in a pile of stuff you'll never read again. But in all fairness, reading the introduction tells you that this is a story that builds upon others.

THE VERDICT

The Infinity Relativity is the second part in a new Thanos trilogy of stories by the original creator of Thanos, Jim Starlin. The art, colors, and inks by Jim Starlin, Frank D'Armata & Rachelle Rosenberg, and Andy Smith are sharp and fantastic. And the story is new and different and on an epic scale that is perfect for these cosmic characters. Starlin ups the game with this story and leaves you wondering just how exactly the third chapter is going to play out. This story is anything but predictable and even better than the last book. I cannot wait for THE INFINITY FINALE coming out in 2016, which could conceivably be Starlin's last Thanos story.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Really good. One worth owning.

Also be sure to check out these other posts...

THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION
DEVIL WORSHIP: THANOS THE MAD TITAN 
HERO WORSHIP: CAPTAIN MARVEL 
HERO WORSHIP: MS MARVEL 

HERO WORSHIP: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VS GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
GUARDIANS 3000
JONATHAN HICKMAN'S INFINITY 

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: STAR WARS ~ THE FORCE AWAKENS

SPOILERS AHEAD!

STOP NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.

OR SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE VERDICT.

Star Wars, for many of us, has been with us for a significant portion of our lives, in some cases our whole lives. It was one of the first genre films to be taken from B movie subject matter presented in an A movie way. Being introduced to Star Wars as children gives it an advantage over every movie that has come after it and gives it a special place in our hearts and memories. We hold those original three films in high regard, even with all their flaws which most of the time we easily overlook. Basically I'm saying that nothing will ever be as good as the original Star Wars trilogy even if future films are technically superior.

Star Wars set the standard for science fiction and genre films as a whole. The new Star Wars films, as a result of the originals,  have more money and resources than most. Being in this position they should be held to a higher standard, but given how closely regarded the original trilogy is with fans, nothing new will ever surpass let alone equal those first three films. That's just the nature of the situation. Yet fans are hoping for the greatest Star Wars film they've ever seen. This sets up every new Star Wars film to fail. Sometimes a grand legacy is a curse. This begs the question: Why do we want more Star Wars films if we are just going to trash them because they aren't as good as the originals?

So now you know where STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is sitting. Does this movie pull off a miracle and do the impossible? It certainly is in a position to do so what with having the original cast back and a few examples of what NOT to do from a trilogy of prequels a decade past. If there will ever be a Star Wars film that could surpass the originals in a way that fans would accept it would be with these ingredients. Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands poised to be perhaps the best Star Wars yet.

THE PLOT

A droid containing vital information escapes the imperialist First Order onto a desert planet where it is befriended by a young woman. The droid has to get back to the resistance forces. They escape the barren planet on a junked out smuggler's ship with the First Order in pursuit. A masked man in black wielding the force captures the girl and takes her to his giant battle station and interrogates her. Then the base fires its secret weapon destroying entire planets in one shot. A group of unlikely heroes both young and old band together on a rescue mission to save the girl and destroy the battle station before all is lost.

THE GOOD

The actors. It really is amazing seeing Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Tim Rose, and Mike Quinn back in another Star Wars film. It was a great experience just seeing them again in the roles I've loved since my childhood. Then there is the new cast. Daisy Ridley delivered a great performance as the mysterious Rey (she reminded me of a young Keira Knightley). John Boyega and Oscar Isaac both make likeable characters and ones you genuinely care for by the end of the film. Add into that veterans like Max Von Sydow (whom I swear hasn't changed in the last 20 years) and Andy Serkis and you've got an awesome team of actors. There was even a brief appearance by amazing martial arts actors Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian from the action epic THE RAID. Those two guys are extremely talented and it was a welcomed surprise to see them.

THE BAD

A New Remake. When you read my plot synopsis above did it sound familiar at all? Basically this movie is a remake of A NEW HOPE. While that isn't a bad thing it certainly isn't what I wanted from a new Star Wars film. A New Hope is actually my least favorite of the original trilogy. It is also one of the most familiar films to the general populace, the last film in cinematic history that needs to be remade (in my opinion). The whole time I kept waiting for this movie to do something new, to really take off into a new direction, but it never did. Sure the genders are different for some of the roles but that's it.

The Scale. The whole time I'm watching the movie I'm waiting for the moment when things ramp up to the next level, that moment when the stakes gets really high. But it never happens. At one point Han Solo has a line that essentially says "Been there. Done that." Again, treading familiar territory isn't always a bad thing, especially when you're repeating a formula that so many people love dearly. But Star Wars should be setting the new standard, not going the safe route. The last three films, each of which taking new directions, have been panned and mocked by fans and none-fans alike, but at least they gave us something we hadn't seen before.

THE VERDICT

I realize that this is the first film of a new trilogy and as such it is merely a set-up film. Set-up films have this feeling of just existing because it is necessary for the next films. It's like eating the vegetables on your dinner plate because Mom told us to. Some of us like vegetables. Some of us prefer our steak, mashed potatoes, and ice cream. I'm being harsh, but seriously this film should've upped the game. You know something is amiss when you find yourself thinking of going back and watching the prequels again.

All that said, I still enjoyed the film for the novelty that is Star Wars and the wonderous experience of seeing Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, and my absolute favorite Star Wars character Luke Skywalker in a new film. I want to be excited for future films but it's hard to get stoked when it looks like we're going to be receiving a pound for pound remake of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Maybe this movie was intentionally blah to make the next two movies look even better. Maybe?

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10

 Good. Average.

What did you all think? Am I way off base? Or am I right on the money? Drop me a line and let me know in the comments below.