The X-Files Rewatch: Season 1 (Top 5 Episodes)

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'Star Wars Rebels' Season Premiere Review - 'The Siege of Lothal'

SPOILERS AHEAD because I can't help myself.

After last season's mind-blowing finale, which included the return of fan-favourite Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars, not to mention introducing Darth Vader himself to the series, to say my anticipation for the second season premiere of Rebels was high is putting it mildly. Thankfully (miraculously even!), it didn't disappoint, even surpassing my admittedly lofty expectations.

Building on the momentum of the first season, the new run kicks of with the gang continuing to fight the good fight, now fully inducted into the Rebel Alliance. No longer going it alone is definitely proving useful, as evidenced by the team's successful heist of some fuel cells from an Imperial cargo ship, but not everyone is happy about it as Kanan struggles with all the rules and regulations that come with being part of the Alliance proper. This rings true for the character and I'm glad they didn't waste any time in having him voice this opinion. Having been on the run for all of his adult life, and much of his childhood, Kanan functions better running free and doing things his own way. It'll be interesting to see how he handles this new status quo going forward.

Kanan doesn't take orders well...

In regards to the aforementioned opening mission, it was a heap of fun to watch the team working together to pull off the heist. They seemed to really gel together and function as a cohesive unit, with everyone playing a valuable role. This is something which I felt was missing a little, at least in the first half of season one, with everyone seeming somewhat disconnected. This doesn't seem to be a problem anymore, and the show is all the better for it.

The characters just seem more fully-rounded in general, less two-dimensional than before. Now that we've had a whole season to get to know them and to lay the groundwork of their backstories and personalities, they all come across as real characters rather than the archetypes they were before. It was particularly pleasing to see Kanan and Ezra's relationship having matured even further than that shown in last season's finale. As Ezra comes to grips with his Jedi abilities, Kanan seems more willing to let him grow and discover things for himself, which really allows Ezra to become a more self-motivated character and less of the burden that he often seemed in the first season. Even the other members of the gang, none of whom really had any heavy character stuff as such in this episode, seemed like essential parts of the ensemble, whereas before they seemed only there to set up jokes and fill the space until an episode revolving around their character came around.

I'll admit that coming into the new season, my excitement was focussed mainly on the prospect of Vader/Anakin and Ahsoka appearing in the same show again. I was (and still am) a huge Clone Wars fan and the idea of continuing the threads from that show within Rebels was a dream come true. Whilst the two characters definitely get their moments however, they are relegated to the sidelines for now (Ahsoka more-so than Vader), and whilst at first I just wanted to see Ahsoka (still voiced, of course, by the goddess that is Ashley Eckstein) on my screen for every minute of the episode, in hindsight it was definitely a wise choice to keep her presence in the periphery for now, something which I believe is to continue, with the character only recurring and not appearing in every episode. This is clearly the right thing to do. This is still a new show after all, still building up its roster, and whilst the main team have definitely come leaps and bounds since last season, they still deserve the spotlight to grow further and establish themselves as the anchors of the show. Keeping Ahsoka's appearances sporadic, will also mean that she'll maintain that aura of sacredness, with each of her episodes holding significance.

The same is definitely true of Vader (voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones). Although his presence was heavily felt in this episode, I'm glad to hear that he will also be appearing on a recurring basis, as when he does appear it will no doubt feel as epic as this premiere episode did. Vader left a huge impact on our band of rebels, proving once again that he is still quite the imposing figure even in animated form. The visual of Vader emerging from the mist as the gang flee from the Imperial dock was pretty damn chilling.

*breathe...breathe...breathe...*

This of course led to an epic lightsaber duel between the Sith Lord and Kanan and Ezra. Not so much epic in the content of the duel, but more in the sense that these three characters were interacting on-screen. There was a real sense of tension during the battle, and I found myself remembering that anything can actually happen to these characters. Their fates are unwritten. Sure, it's unlikely that any of them will be killed off (at least not anytime soon), but it's still an outside possibility and that is so damn exciting. It's been a while since we've had a set of characters in the mainline Star Wars universe whose story we didn't know the ending to (Ahsoka aside).

They don't stand a chance.

Now I need to talk about the final moments, with Ahsoka and Vader sensing each other's presence during that dogfight above Lothal. Now that we have them appearing on the same show, it seems like an inevitability that we'll see them finally confront one another, something which many fans (myself included) have been wanting to see for a long time. During The Clone Wars' run, it was always this hypothetical question regarding whether or not Ahsoka knew about Vader's true identity and how she would react if faced with him. Now on Rebels it appears we may actually get to see that play out. Vader's exclamation that 'The apprentice lives!' is the first step towards this, and his insistence later that she is 'Anakin Skywalker's apprentice' gives us some insight into just how much he has distanced himself from his past life, and by extension Ahsoka. It was an immensely tense sequence, fantastically edited as we built up to the realisation by both parties, and Ahsoka's reaction speaks volumes:

 

This is going to be one emotional reunion when it comes.

A quick mention needs to go to Star Wars regular Sam Witwer's great work as Emperor Palpatine in this episode, taking over the character from Tim Curry who voiced him in the final two seasons of The Clone Wars. Witwer slipped into the role flawlessly evoking the familiar creepy cadence we've come to associate with the character, and you really felt Palpatine's presence despite him not appearing on-screen.

Overall 'The Siege of Lothal' was a fantastic season-opener and the whole show just felt a lock slicker and cohesive. Things really started to gel properly in the back half of season one, but season two looks to be firing on all cylinders from the get go and I can't wait to see where the season takes us. Like TCW before it, Rebels took a little time to find its footing, but now that it has it appears we're in for one helluva ride.

Rebels is back and everything is right with the world!

My First Time With James Bond - Part #1: 'Dr. No'

So here I am embarking on my mission to watch all 23 Bond films for the first time and to share my thoughts. I'm pretty excited I must say. There are of course iconic scenes and characters which I am aware of, but I'm intrigued to see them in context. I'll aim to keep to a loose schedule of around one per week, which should more or less take me up to the release of number 24 in November. Although, depending on how hooked I get, that schedule might ramp up a little.

First up is 1962's Dr. No.

So without further ado, it is time to press play. Or as the DVD menu has stylised it: 'Activate'. Cos it's about spies and stuff...

The iconic opening titles, complete with Bond shooting out of the screen. I imagine audiences at the time ducking for cover, still unfamiliar with the concept of cinema. I jest...

'Duuuuuck!'

 

Straight off the bat we have an unexpected Lady Gaga cameo. Interesting...

'No pictures!'

So we start off with a posh bridge-playing gentleman and a female switchboard operator who bleeds red poster paint gunned down by a trio of fake-blind men (we'll call them The Faux-Blind Mice), before stealing a file labelled 'Doctor No'. I have a feeling this is going to be important...

It's the title of the movie!!

Turns out the woman was on the line with the most polite call-centre ever before she was killed and they're a little concerned at her broken communication. But in a really polite British way.



'Are you aware that thousands of people have been mis-sold PPI?'


In a casino where seemingly EVERYONE smokes, our main man flirts uncontrollably plays cards with the wonderfully named Sylvia Trench before being called away, but not before arranging a hookup for the next day (Tinder wasn't invented yet), with the possibility of 'dinner afterwards'. James is a health-nut it seems: no eating within an hour before rigorous exercise...or is that swimming?

James checks in with secretary Moneypenny, who is totes into him, despite the fact that he essentially equates the idea of dating her with browsing Facebook on company time. Still, she's having none of his shit. I like her.

'I'd totally take you out, but it'd be illegal use of company property!'

Briefing time: The man who was killed in Jamaica (Strangways) was investigating reports of interference that can apparently throw off the trajectory of rockets with laser-beams. Sounds bad. Bond is to get over there and sort shit out. But first he's stripped of his girly Beretta and made to carry a Walther PPK. Come on Bond, everyone knows the Beretta is like sooooo 1961!

So off to Jamaica he goes, but not before stopping off at his room to fill in Ms Trench....sorry.

Lots of shady characters upon arrival at Jamaica airport, namely Miss Sassy Snapalot, Mr Shady McShaderson and 'Mr Jones' the driver.

A whole lotta shade!

 

After a brief car-chase with Shady, Bond loses the tail and tries to interrogate 'Mr Jones', but gets nothing out of him before he offs himself via cyanide-laced cigarette. Smoking kills people!

James arrives at his destination and meets a Commissioner Duff who is wearing this ensemble:

Commissioner 'Ladykiller' Duff reporting! 

The sound of 1000 pairs of panties dropping can be heard in the distance. Duff takes Bond to Strangways' apartment where he Scooby Doos up some clues, namely a receipt for Dent Laboratories and a photo of Strangways with a man and a shark. Bond exclaims that 'he drove the car that tailed me'. I think he means the man, but I'm excited at the prospect that the villain in this film could be a hyper-intelligent shark with a driving license...

Before heading out for the night, Bond spy-proofs his room with cutting edge techniques including talcum powder on the briefcase clips and a hair/saliva combo on the cupboard door. I'm guessing the cool gadgets etc come later...

Strangway's bridge buddies lead Bond to Quarrel, a local fisherman whom Strangways had spent a lot of time with before his death and who is also the man from the photograph. My shark-villain dreams evaporate. After a brief scuffle with Quarrel and his chum Pussfeller, Shady McShaderson enters and reveals himself to be CIA Agent Felix Leiter. It was all a big misunderstanding. Everyone shakes hands and all is well.

'Pussfeller wrestles alligators!'

To celebrate, the gang go for drinks and to listen to some catchy Jamaican beats. James attempts some American slang but fails miserably. Team Leiter tell James that the rocket-tampering interference needs to be stopped soon because there's an American rocket launch scheduled in a few days (of course there is!), but it cannot be traced to anywhere in Jamaica or any of the offshore islands. They've checked. Everywhere except Crab Key which is owned by a Chinese gentleman and which is therefore outside their jurisdiction. I'm gonna guess that the interference is coming from Crab Key. Just a hunch.

Before they can discuss this any further, Sassy Snapalot appears doing what she does best, snapping pictures. On orders from James, Quarrel literally twists her arm into sitting with them. She spins them a yarn about working freelance for a local paper called The Daily Gleaner (come on Sassy, you'll have to come up with a better name than that!), before smashing a perfume bottle into Quarrel's face. He doesn't even flinch. The man hangs out with sharks every day, a measly perfume bottle doesn't phase him! They confiscate her film and let her go.

Sassy does not like to be manhandled!

Bond is suspicious about Crab Key (me and him are totes on the same wave-length), and after some more intriguing anecdotes (including the fact that Quarrel took Strangways to obtain some samples from there), Leiter/Shady drops the bomb that the owner of the island is called...wait for it...Dr. No! Dun dun duuuuunnnn!

Later, The Faux-Blind Mice try to take Bond out from afar as he enters Dent Laboratories, and they would've gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for a meddling passing car spoiling their shot.

Inside, miraculously James manages to have an entire exchange with the female receptionist without falling into bed with her, before meeting Professor Dent and asking him about the receipt he found earlier. Dent claims that Strangways came to him with some worthless rock samples, under the impression that they were valuable, but gets all avoidy when Bond inquires as to whether the rocks could have come from Crab Key, saying it is geologically impossible. I'm not buying it, and by the looks of it, neither is Bond. We're so in-synch!

As if to prove me right, Dent immediately charters a boat to Crab Key, which is heavily guarded by armed men. Dent is led to an empty room and for a second I think he's about to be served the world's largest waffle, but then a creepy disembodied voice derides him for having failed in his task to eliminate Bond. Dent warns The Voice that Bond has picked up the scent leading to Crab Key, before being sent on his way with a plastic spider in a cage...

Mmm, waffles...

Back in his room, Bond checks his fool-proof intruder detectors and discovers that someone has indeed been snooping. He doesn't seem alarmed by this and instead decides to have a drink. Worried that his booze might've been tampered with? Don't be. James is one step ahead and has a back-up bottle stashed in a drawer. He really does think of everything.

Later that night, in bed, Bond is awoken by the plastic spider that has magically been brought to life and planted in his sheets in order to kill him. The spider hasn't been properly briefed on its' mission however and simply crawls around for a bit, before James crushes the shit out of it with a shoe. It wasn't a big role, but a spider's gotta start somewhere.

The next morning Bond checks in with his local bosses, only to discover that the agency's files on Dr. No and Crab Key are missing, last checked out by Strangways, just as he suspected. Should've just phoned, James! However, if he'd done that he wouldn't have been able to pick up the large package which has arrived for him from London, nor arrange to bang secretary Miss Taro later in his room. At three o'clock to be precise. So organised!

The package turns out to contain a portable Geiger counter which James uses to determine that the rocks Strangways took from Crab Key were radioactive, by testing where they were placed in Quarrel's boat. This also determines that Professor 'Pants on Fire' Dent was lying. Bond determines that they need to go to Crab Key to investigate, much to Quarrel's trepidation. You see, apparently there's a dragon on the island. Say what now? Ok, so I may not get my shark dream, but I'll settle for a dragon! They arrange to leave that night.

James returns to his hotel, where he receives a phone message from Miss Taro. She would prefer he pick her up at her apartment, to which she gives directions. Also, she's gagging for it.

'Oh this? I always spend my afternoons seductively sprawled on my bed in nothing but a robe and heels.'

On the way, James is chased by a hearse of all things, but manages to escape with the help of some handy road-works. The hearse however, careens off a cliff resulting in a mighty fireball. Let's hope it was a cremation!

Upon arriving at Miss Taro's (does this woman have no first name?!), Bond finds her fresh out of the shower, clearly not expecting him despite inviting him up there. I see what's happened, it was all a trap! My suspicions are confirmed when she receives a shady phone-call and promises to try and keep Bond there for 'a couple of hours'. What could they possibly do for all that time...?

Afterwards, James calls for a taxi to take them to dinner, despite Miss Taro's insistence that they eat in. When the 'taxi' arrives however, it contains the police superintendent ready to take Taro away. James knew all along about her duplicity, but rather than leave the minute he realised, he decided he'd rock her world before she went off to jail. He's a considerate guy this Bond character.

Back inside, Bond performs the old 'pillows in the shape of man' trick in the bedroom, and sits back to await his would-be attacker. Sure enough, after some time, in comes Dent himself, firing on the pillow-Bond before being surprised by the real Bond casually playing solitaire behind the door. Like old-school solitaire. With actual cards! Bond gives Dent the Sherlock routine, claiming he knew it was him all along and how he deduced this, before calmly shooting him dead. There's a lot of banging going on in this room tonight!

James meets up with Team Leiter at the docks and they set off for Crab Key. They go so far by speedboat, before James and Quarrel switch to another boat to row the rest of the way. Leiter insists that Cape Canaveral can only wait 48 hours to launch the rocket. James insists he only needs 12. Because he's James Bond! There's also more talk of the dragon. I am excited!

Upon arrival on the island, they conceal their boat and James goes off to find somewhere to sleep. Quarrel it appears, decides he'll just get drunk on rum. Considering they are most certainly going to face significant firepower from the guards, and potentially also a freaking dragon, I feel Quarrel has the right idea.

In the morning, James is awoken by the sound of singing and leers watches as Ursula Andress emerges from the ocean in that iconic swimsuit. (I know this bit!!) Of course any caution is thrown to the wind and James makes his approach. Run Ursula Andress!!! Ursula (or as she insists on being called: Honey Ryder) is on the island collecting shells to sell. She does this all the time, and whilst the guards used to try and stop her, they don't really bother now. I'll bet they don't!

'Damn son!'

Still, James is concerned they will have spotted her boat on radar, and his concerns are warranted as Quarrel appears to warn them of a boat sailing around the beach complete with armed guards. They manage to hide just in time, as the boat approaches the beach and one of the guards is all 'come out, it's cool, we won't shoot, honest', before opening fire on the entire beach. Nice try guard. They give up and leave, promising that they'll return with the dogs. But our heroes ain't afraid of no dogs, not when there's a dragon out there! Honey's heard of it too. In fact she's seen it. James isn't buying it, he's not a believer in dragons. He hasn't gotten around to starting Game of Thrones yet.

James insists that Honey needs to leave, but she's having none of it. Besides, her boat was damaged in the rain of bullets moments prior. Luckily she's a resourceful gal and knows somewhere they can hide. Whilst walking through the waterways, the guards return as promised with the dogs. The gang hides by ducking under the water and using the reeds as makeshift breathing apparatus. Nifty! The dogs almost catch them nevertheless, and it's tense for a moment there, but a flock of birds distracts the dogs just as they are approaching the gang's location. I can only assume that Bond arranged this with them earlier. A lone guard straggles behind, only to get a knife to the throat for his trouble, much to Honey's dismay, and the gang continue on to Honey's Hiding Place, heedless of the barbed-wire fence and the sign reading 'Danger. Do not pass this point', complete with skull and cross-bones. No villain's lair is complete without one!

Seems legit.

After washing off, Quarrel points out some tire-tracks, or as Honey calls them 'dragon tracks'. My dragon dreams go the way of my shark ones. James looks smug.

James and Honey have a heart-to-heart. Backstory Alert! Honey's father was a marine zoologist and they had come to the Caribbean together to study shells. He went missing after a trip to Crab Key and was never seen or heard from again. She also killed a would-be rapist by placing a black widow spider in his bed. He took a week to die. She's sort of a badass. I kind've love her.

The moment is interrupted when Quarrel alerts them of something coming. They run along the beach only to be confronted with...the dragon! Only it's not a dragon. It's a bloody tank. Albeit a pretty badass tank with flamethrowers. OK, granted it looks a little dragon-esque but it's pretty obvious it's a tank, even with the jagged mouth and eyes painted on it. I'm thinking, Honey...gorgeous, a bit of a badass, but not so bright. She did say she's just reached 'T' in her encyclopaedia, so maybe 'tank' hasn't been covered yet...

Not a dragon.

James and Quarrel try to take on the 'dragon', but with only a gun each they really stand no chance against its fire-breathing might, and poor Quarrel gets deep-fried. It's actually pretty horrific. Poor Quarrel. James and Honey are then forced to surrender to the men with guns who emerge from the tank, but not before Honey gets a couple of punches in. I fall even deeper in love with her.

They're taken to a facility where they're scanned by a host of people in very brightly coloured Hazmat suits. They're contaminated with radiation! After a pretty half-hearted scrub-down by the Rainbow Hazmat Crew, it's declared that the contamination has soaked deep into their clothes. They're going to need to get fully naked and be properly decontaminated. Honey isn't happy about this, but James, ever the optimist, decides to make the best of a bad situation and offers Honey up on a platter. 'Do the girl first', he says, because of course he does. Dick move, James. Dick move.

'Watch where you're putting that thing!'

 
Once they're all squeaky clean and deradiated, the pair are given swanky bathrobes and slippers (the welcome may not have been the warmest, but the amenities are second to none!), and shown through to a reception-like area where the overly-friendly Sister Lily shows them to their rooms. Apparently they've been expected for some time now. Something's not right here... The rooms are luxurious and plush, but as James points out there are no windows or door-handles. They ain't no guests, they're prisoners. Noting that the room is probably wired, James pours them both some coffee, resulting in them both passing out moments later. Drugged coffee. Rookie mistake.



'Does this coffee taste a bit Rohypnol-y to you?'

As James sleeps (somehow he's been moved from the floor to the bed) an extremely creepy figure enters dressed all in white, with shiny black gloves. They stand over him for a moment and appear to consider smothering him (either that or sneaking a peak at his pistol...), but decide against it. Maybe wait till after he's paid his bill.

Later, James and Honey (newly adorned in the latest in Eastern-chic) are summoned to dinner. They emerge from the lift into a room featuring what looks like a giant fish-tank (complete with giant fish!), but James surmises that they are actually deep under the sea. A suspicion which is confirmed by Dr. No himself, as he arrives to gloat, in all his stiff-collared, shiny-handed glory. It turns out they aren't gloves after all, but prosthetic hands, which is somehow even creepier. Wait, isn't this guy supposed to be Chinese?

Dr. No(t Chinese).

Over dinner Dr. No plays The Backstory Game, unaware that we already played earlier, and we learn that he's half-German, half-Chinese (that explains it), an unwanted child, head of a Chinese crime syndicate whom he betrayed, stole money from and then fled to America to do villain-y things. In a nutshell. He also reveals he is a member of SPECTRE (another thing I recognise!), essentially a big global villain club for villains. Basically, he offered his services to America and to the East but there were no takers, so he's going to destroy it all. Dr. No reveals that he only let Bond live thus far because he was considering offering him a role within SPECTRE. Bond isn't even tempted and thankfully calls him out on all his 'world domination' bullshit. I'm glad someone did, these villainous justifications get old fast.

Dr. No is called away to do more villain-y things (something involving the imminent launch of the American rocket) and James gets repeatedly bitch-slapped before waking up in a cell. He promptly escapes through the ventilation system (natch!), which connects to a water pipe (this appears to be a very badly designed lair, but I'm no engineer so perhaps this is normal...), a fact Bond discovers when met with a torrent of steaming water. That's gotta smart. He emerges from the tunnels and wrestles a Hazmat suit from an unlucky sod who just happened to be passing by. Sadly not one of the snazzy Rainbow Crew ones, just plain old white. Still, less conspicuous I guess.

Bond finds his way to some kind of vast control room where lots of technical-type stuff is underway in preparation for disrupting the rocket launch and causing all sorts of mischief. Dr. No is overseeing the operation, calling a role-call as each lackey performs their allotted task. Television screens broadcast the countdown to the rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. It's pretty tense!

Fortunately mistaken for one of the lackeys, Bond is able to hide in plain sight and formulate a plan as all the prep goes on around him. The rocket launch is imminent, and Dr. No readies his disruptive beam, which emerges from a giant pencil-looking structure poking out of the ocean. I'd have gone for something scarier, like a lion's head or Kim Kardashian's ass, but that's why I'm not a super-villain. It's all in the subtlety.

Scary...

As the final countdown nears zero, Bond ramps up some dial to dangerous levels (we know this because there is a big sign with an arrow reading: 'Danger Zone') causing the facility to go into meltdown and causing chaos as everyone scrambles to escape. In the ensuing melee, Dr. No and Bond scuffle, but it doesn't last long and ends with Dr. No taking a swim in the pool with the radioactive rods. Now I didn't do chemistry at school, but the water is bubbling and there's lots of steam, so I'm guessing it's not pleasant and I'm assuming he's a goner.

Bond doesn't stick around to find out, he goes off in search of Honey (hey, remember her?). After unnecessarily punching his way through some lackeys, he eventually finds her shackled to the floor of a room as water floods in, and makes short work of her restraints. Like seriously short work. How she couldn't have freed herself, I don't know, but she looks amazing even after her ordeal so I'll let it slide.

Flawless, even in mortal peril.

Outside, chaos reigns as people try to escape the facility before it goes boom. There's a lot of screaming. James and Honey find a boat (that was lucky!), and after James mercilessly beats out the two men occupying it (seriously James, was that really necessary?!), they zoom off, literal seconds before the place finally explodes. Ain't that always the way?

A little later on, out in the middle of the ocean, the boat has run out of fuel. 'What are we going to do now?' Honey asks. Bond's solution (to it seems everything!)? Sex! Good plan Bond, that'll save us. Honey looks as if she fears for her life, but luckily she is saved the indecency of being banged on the floor of a rickety boat in the middle of the ocean when Agent Shady himself appears with a boatful of Marines to save the day. Better late than never Shady!

Shady to the rescue!

James throws a rope to the rescue boat and they begin to tow them back to safety. To celebrate the fact that they won't die of dehydration, Honey decides to treat Bond to a bout of making out. Which she instantly regrets when Bond disconnects the rope tethering them to the rescue boat, and they are once again floating free and she is once again at his mercy. Her eyes say it all.

'Fuuuuck!'

And with that, I have completed my very first Bond film! And I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. For sure, it was a little dated at times (it is over 50 years old after all), but where it really matters, ie. a good plot and an overall sense of fun, it totally hit the mark. I thought Honey was a great foil for Bond and I'm sad to hear that she makes no further appearances in the series. It might be early days, but she could be one of my favourite Bond girls. She'll take some topping in any case. And I'm going to be singing that bloody 'mango tree' song for days now! Catchy little tune. I do wonder what happened to Sassy Snapalot though...does she reappear?! Is there potential for a spin-off series?

Anyway, I'm totally amped for the next one now. Next up...From Russia With Love.

Confessions of a James Bond Virgin

Despite being a self-proclaimed movie-buff, as hard as it is to admit, it's inevitable that there will be some gaps in my knowledge and omissions from my movie-watching experience. Some are acceptable: for example some films or series just don't interest me, and despite my desire to stay informed of the movie landscape, sometimes life is just too short to sit through a movie you're not into just for the sake of being a completist. However, sometimes there are those glaring omissions that are all-but unforgiveable and will get you looked down upon by your peers; those films or series that are just too iconic and downright important to the medium's history to simply ignore, whether you're into them or not.

One of those series for me is James Bond. Don't shoot! It's not that I'm not interested in the franchise, it's just one of those series that has so many entries and me being me, I have to start at the beginning and it's always just seemed like a big commitment to get into.

Full disclosure, I have seen all of the Daniel Craig films, but prior to that my only exposure to the franchise was through brief glimpses on the last day of term at school, when inevitably someone would bring in a Bond film (always a Pierce Brosnan one!), but due to the fact that no-one ever actually watched them and the fact that we never got to see more than 53-minutes worth before the period ended, I'm not counting them. So, despite being aware of all the iconic imagery and tropes that Bond has given birth to over the years, I'm essentially a Bond virgin.

That's why when a friend of mine who is a huge Bond fan suggested we start a Bond marathon from the very start, I was all for it and decided it was the perfect opportunity to do something like this. These won't be reviews in the conventional sense, but more just a stream-of-consciousness type list of observations as I watch. God-willing I'll be posting one for each film in the series, working up to November's release of the latest instalment Spectre. I'm really excited to see what I think of them.

So first up, I'm informed, is 1962's Dr. No. Here goes nothing...

'Star Wars: Lords of the Sith' Review

 
So far I've been really pretty damn impressed with the rebooted Expanded Universe which The Powers That Be have constructed for Star Wars. I have been following and consuming it since it was launched and plan to post a feature of my thoughts for each entry up until this point in the near future, but having just today finished the latest entry, namely Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp, I thought I'd post a quasi-review about what I thought of it and it's place within the larger Star Wars canon.

DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the novel in general, however I experienced it via the unabridged audio-book version as I try to do with all of the Star Wars novels. The audio-books are just wonderfully produced. Complete with sound-effects, score and incidental background noise, it really sucks you into the narrative and is presented almost as more of an audio-play than simply a recording of the novel. The iconic music of John Williams definitely helps get you in that Star Wars mood, and although it's used sparingly, it is hugely effective. I would highly recommend giving them a go, they're definitely worth it.

The story takes place approximately five years after the end of The Clone Wars, in the period of time between Episodes III and IV, and concurrently follows Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine as they journey to Ryloth (a predominantly Twi'lek planet being exploited by the Empire), and a group of rebels called the Free Ryloth Movement as they attempt to execute a plan to assassinate the Sith Lords.

The book's main draw (initially at least) is the opportunity to check in with Vader and the Emperor in the years prior to A New Hope, whilst their relationship is still in the relatively early stages. This is where a lot of the book's most interesting moments come from, as we get an insight into Vader's mindset and how he views his master. As much as he is committed to his life as a Sith, his will is tested on occasion and his past life still haunts him. Alongside this, the Emperor himself seems to take joy in testing his apprentice's loyalty, at times seemingly tempting Vader to betray him and taunting him with comments about his past. It is this early interplay between master and apprentice which really adds a new layer to the relationship we are already familiar with, considering we know what ultimately transpires between the pair.

Despite the novel being promoted as a 'Vader and Emperor' story, the  other characters in the novel however, are equally strong and compelling. We are introduced to the rebel movement through Twi'lek leader Cham Syndulla and his right-hand woman Isval. Cham (as many may remember) was featured in one of the better arcs in The Clone Wars series, again as the leader of a resistance on Ryloth, and it is interesting to see how far he has come in his plight since then, weathered and beaten by the continued fight. Cham is also the father of rebel pilot Hera from the awesome Rebels animated series. It is ex-slave Isval however who is by far the most interesting character. Her reasons for fighting are deeply personal, and the methods by which she deals with her hatred for the Empire (posing as a prostitute to seduce and then murder Imperial officers) are decidedly grim for a Star Wars tale, something which I appreciated and definitely want to see more of in these Expanded Universe stories, if not perhaps the films themselves. It is this more adult tone which many of the EU stories can benefit from going forward, the opportunity to tell tales from darker corners of the galaxy. In terms of character, it is also worth noting that this book has the distinction of introducing the very first LGBT character into the Star Wars canon, in the form of Moff Delian Mors, the lazy, self-indulgent governor of Ryloth. The fact that her sexual orientation is incidental to her character is also something to be applauded.

The plot speeds along at a rapid clip, consisting of essentially one giant mission told almost non-stop throughout. This gives the novel a real cinematic feel, and really keeps a sense of urgency at the forefront, with the tension constantly building and the stakes continually rising. Which is a real achievement considering that we already know that two of the main players in the story will make it out alive. It is a real testament to Kemp's character work that despite knowing that the rebel characters are doomed to fail in their plight to exterminate their targets, I still found myself willing them to succeed and hanging onto a small irrational thread of hope that somehow they would pull through and beat the two villains. This also worked conversely however, with much of the fun coming from finding out how Vader and his master would get out of the latest seemingly impossible situation they found themselves in, what with the knowledge of their eventual fates guaranteeing that somehow they definitely would.

One of the aspects of the novel which I found most effective was in Vader's characterisation as more than just the hulking, imposing, merciless killing machine that he is so often portrayed as. By getting inside his head, you really get a sense of the man that he is and his constant struggle to quell the memories of the man that he was. Throughout the story, I really felt for the first time in perhaps any Star Wars story, the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. For two characters who are literally one and the same, I've always felt a sort of disconnect between the two, and failed to really feel that one became the other. By getting this insight into Vader's mindset during this period in his life, it really became apparent that his transition to the dark side and his abandonment of all that he loved before, was not as simple as just putting on the famous suit. This was most effectively illustrated in one of the novel's most touching moments, when Vader meditates on his past and remembers those he loved, giving name-drops to Padme, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Rex and Cody. Having Vader acknowledge his loved ones in this way, seems to me a pretty significant moment, as we've never really gotten to hear his thoughts regarding his time pre-visor and respirator. The mention of The Clone Wars characters was especially touching for me personally, as I'm such a fan of that series, but it also felt like a moment of validation for the characters and was interesting to hear that Vader still thinks of them and the hints that he feels guilt over betraying them.

All of these little references to prior stories and characters really enrich the story, and they don't feel at all forced or gimmicky. This is one of the reasons why I think the rebooted continuity was a fantastic idea, and something which the Lucasfilm Story Group have done an excellent job of so far. Making everything feel like an integrated, cohesive universe whilst still enabling writers to tell individual stories far enough removed from the movies and the television series. Whilst it's unlikely that any of the characters from these EU stories will ever appear on-screen, it feels like they could and that's what makes the experience as a whole all the more exciting.

Whilst Lords of the Sith definitely isn't essential reading in the larger scale of Star Wars canon, being a stand-alone story without much bearing on the bigger picture, the connections to current main-players in the Star Wars universe and the insight into Vader's mind at this formative phase in his career, makes it one of the better novels in the New EU and, for me personally, makes me relate to Vader in a way I never had before. Kemp has created some really compelling characters here, many of which I'd be eager to check in with again, and I really hope he's called on again to write another entry into this rapidly expanding Expanded Universe.