James Earl Jones - Our Cinematic Father

James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufassa in The Lion King has passed away. 

I always dreaded the day I would read those words. As did all of us. 

Since James Earl Jones’ passing on Monday (as I am writing this), there has been an outpouring of tributes to him from all around the world. From fans who knew him from their favorite movies and shows to actors and filmmakers who worked with him. Mark Hamill, fellow Star Wars veteran who played Luke Skywalker, was one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to the late actor. He tweeted “#RIP Dad”. This is obviously a reference to the fact that (spoiler alert) Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s Father. Yet Hamill’s simple tribute sort of summarized my feelings, and I’m sure many of our feelings. We didn’t just lose an actor who appeared in our favorite movies and shows. It feels like we lost more than that. We lost our Dad.

James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader, but he also voiced Simba’s father Mufassa in Disney's The Lion King. I’ve always found it interesting that James Earl Jones’ most iconic roles are the Father of the main protagonist. Both roles left a huge impact on pop culture, and perfectly illustrated the two types of Fathers in our lives. Ironically, “Vader” is German for “Father”. 

As Darth Vader, James Earl Jones plays the worst Father ever. He was absent for his twin children’s’ births. Both of them are separated at birth. His son Luke is sent to live on his home planet Tatooine to live with his aunt and uncle on a moisture farm. His daughter Leia is sent to live with the Kings and Queen of Alderaan, and grows up to be a fearless leader of the Rebellion against the Empire. Who her biological father works for. When Vader meets his daughter, he tortures her, tortures her boyfriend, and stands by as her home planet is blown up by his bosses, along with everyone she knew and loved. He doesn’t meet his Son until he’s a young man. And when they do meet, Vader’s sick idea of playing catch with his son is a dangerous Lightsaber fight that ends with him cutting his own son’s hand off. And then he tells his son to come work in his career under his boss so they could both team up to overthrow him and take over the galaxy together. Darth Vader is not only a bad father, he’s the greatest villain in cinema history. If he’s not the greatest, he’s definitely the most iconic. Which makes it all the more powerful and emotional that at the end of the Saga, he is redeemed by the love his son has for him. Despite everything Vader did to him, Luke saw the good in him. He believed in it so much he was willing to die for it. This causes Vader to become Anakin Skywalker once more, and give his life for his son. This may just be the greatest character arc in fiction. At least in my opinion. It’s hard to think of another character who could go from being the personification of evil to a redeemed hero who saves his son from dying and destroys the Empire. A lot of the reason it works is because of James Earl Jones’ performance. 

While David Prowse was Darth Vader in the suit, James Earl Jones provided the voice. He wasn’t credited until Return of the Jedi. In the first two movies, James Earl Jones gives Vader this menacing presence. This big, booming voice that strikes fear in his enemies, as well as his subordinates. In the third movie, he’s still menacing, but is now showing cracks. The old him, Anakin Skywalker, is slowly coming back. James Earl Jones captures Vader’s self doubt, denial, inner conflict, sadness, and ultimate contentment as he dies in his son’s arms. 

Star Wars is known as a space fantasy with wizards and laser swords and aliens who play musical instruments. But at its core, it’s about a Father and a Son torn apart by conflict, one on the good side the other on the evil side, but who both ultimately find their way back. As Darth Vader. James Earl Jones plays the worst father ever, but also a remorseful one. One who at the end, accepts the hurt he’s caused to his children and everyone around him, but in one final act makes it right. 

As Mufassa in The Lion King, James Earl Jones plays the Father we all want. He’s responsible, also playful. He’s strict, but empathetic. He guides you to make the right choices to grow up into the great person he knows you can be, and will set you straight when you drift away. His voice is booming and powerful, but also calming and comforting. When Mufassa yells at Sinba and tells him he is disappointed in him, as a kid it felt like my own Dad was disciplining me. Like Simba, I would freak out when my Dad raised his voice at me when I made a mistake or disobeyed him. As Simba shows his dad he is sorry through his voice cracking, Mufassa’s tone calms down. He tells Simba that he’s only mad because he loves him, and did not want to lose him. He and Simba share a sweet moment where they play with each other. Simba asks his Dad if they’ll always be together. Instead of telling Simba “Well, I’m gonna die someday.”, Mufassa tells him to look up at the stars. That the great Kings of the Past look down from those stars. And that they’ll always be there to guide him, and so will he. He subtly gets across to Simba that his existence is temporary. But he’ll always be there in the stars. Mufassa’s connection with Simba reminded me of the connection I have with my Dad. That he’s always there for me and loves me.

Mufassa’s death in the next scene is one of the biggest gut punches in Disney history. As a kid, it always made me cry because it felt like my own Dad died. Ever since then, I’ve dreaded the day I’ll lose him. My Dad’s dad, my Grandpa, passed away four years ago. My Dad still misses him. And so do I. 

You may have noticed something interesting about Darth Vader and Mufassa. They have a few things in common: They’re voiced by James Earl Jones, they’re the Father of the main character, and they both die in the end. And they both teach us about dealing with mortality. The fact that none of us are meant to live here forever. Eventually, everyone we love is going to die. Including our Father. But they still live in us. In our hearts. And in our memories we have of them. The good memories and the bad memories. The memories we wish we could forget or do over, and the memories we want to relive forever. The way we remember people, especially our parents, is how they behaved. If they were loving and caring, we miss them dearly. If they were flawed people who made terrible mistakes but ultimately made amends with you in their final moments, we miss them dearly but also mourn what relationship we wish we could have. 

No matter what type of relationship we had with them or what they did, if our love for them is strong enough, then they will never truly leave us. As Anakin’s own son said to his sister, “No one’s ever really gone.”

Of course, I never knew James Earl Jones. I never met him. The only way I know him is through his work. Both as an actor and as a public figure. All I’ve ever heard about James Earl Jones from people who worked with him was how kind he was, and how humble he was. He had this booming voice, this commanding presence, and yet had this gentle demeanor and joyful personality. He could intimidate you with a commanding tone, and also touch your heart with a sincere speech and a little chuckle. He could be your boss who you would either hate or respect but would do what they say, or a friend who believes in you and encourages you to follow your dreams. These are all characters James Earl Jones played. By all accounts, he was more like his sweeter characters as opposed to his more villainous roles like Darth Vader. He was once named “Hollywood’s Most Trustworthy Actor”. He demonstrated this in his work. No matter what role he played or what movie he was in, he elevated it with his presence and his voice. When he guest starred in a sitcom, he was always the highlight. He was a welcome presence in everything he appeared in. 

James Earl Jones may be gone. But through his work, through the films and shows that will always be available to watch, and through the lives of those he touched, he will always be with us. In the Force, in stars with the great Kings of the Past, in the Fields where Dreams come true, and in all of us. 

He lives in you. 

Rest in Power, James Earl Jones. May the Force be with you always. Long live the King. 

James Gunn Goes Out With A Bang- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

“We’ll all fly away together. Me and my friends. One last time. Into the forever and beautiful sky.” - Rocket

It feels like yesterday that movie goers were introduced to that band of misfits known as Guardians of the Galaxy. But it was actually nine years ago. Time flies, doesn’t it? 

Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy followed the cosmic adventures of Peter Quill, aka the legendary outlaw “Star Lord”, played by Chris Pratt. He along with Gammorra (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Beautista), a cyborg Raccoon named “Rocket” (voiced by Bradley Cooper, played by Sean Gunn), and a talking sentient tree named Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) joined together to protect their galaxy from villains such as Ronan the Destroyer. It was the 10th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the time, it was the most risky. It featured D-list comic book characters that no one outside of the hard core comic book readers knew about. Almost everybody thought it was gonna be Marvel’s first real flop. Just like the Guardians themselves, people underestimated Marvel yet again. Guardians of the Galaxy became a surprise hit, grossing over $700 million worldwide, and received great reviews from the critics. Its sequels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was released in 2017, and made even more money. In my opinion, I thought it was even better than the first, and might even be my favorite MCU movie. 

While I was excited for Vol. 3, I have to admit I was also skeptical. Because in 2018, James Gunn was initially fired from the project due to offensive old tweets from years earlier. Thankfully, he was rehired months later. And in the meantime, he was hired by Warner Bros. to write and direct a proper Suicide Squad reboot, and even take over DC’s whole division. He is currently set to write and direct the Superman reboot, Superman Legacy, to be released in 2025. I was honestly worried he would be to distracted when making this third chapter. 

Another reason I was worried was because of Marvel’s track record lately. I love the MCU as much as anyone. But I’m not the only one who feels like Phase 4 has been underwhelming lately. While it had its gems like Wandavision, Spider-Man No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Phase 4 just hasn’t really had the same level of consistency that Phases 1-3 had. But maybe that’s just me. 

But I held out hope against hope that James Gunn would deliver. And deliver, he did. 

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is not only the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame, it might be one of my Top 5 favorite MCU movies! Maybe even Top 3! While Vol. 2 is still my favorite Guardians movie, this one comes pretty damn close. 

Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 finds the Guardians in a rough spot. Peter Quill is still mourning the loss of Gamorra, who was sacrificed by Thanos for the Soul Stone in Infinity War. And Rocket is dealing with trauma from his past as an experiment by the High Executioner (Chukwudi Iwuji). After a fatal encounter with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), Rocket goes into cardiac arrest. So it’s up to Star Lord, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax, Groot, and Gamorra (from another universe) to learn more about Rocket’s past to save his life. 

I won’t tell you anymore than that. This movie is an emotional roller coaster full of twists, turns, huge drops, and a kickass soundtrack to go along with it. It’s also guaranteed to make you cry like a baby. That’s right. It’s one of “those” trilogy endings. Right up there with Toy Story 3 in terms of tear jerker levels. 

It’s also visually stunning to look at. It has the best visual effects I’ve seen from Marvel in a long time. It’s a nice mix of CGI and practical effects. The animals are CGI, but they feel real. 

And the soundtrack is amazing. The Guardians movies have always had amazing soundtracks, and this is no exception. There are new additions like “Since You Been Gone” by Rainbow”, “Reasons” by Earth Wind and Fire”, and my personal favorite, “In The Meantime” by Spacehhog. There’s even one song from the previous movies that makes an appearance. I won’t tell you what it is. But you’ll know it when you hear it. 

The High Evolutionary is one of the worst, most despicable villains in the entire MCU. He’s not a sympathetic villain like Loki or Killmonger, and he’s not someone you understand like Thanos. This guy is just pure evil through and through. He tortures animals and people to make what he thinks is a “perfect society”. Many say he’s too over the top. But honestly, I think it works. He’s not a villain you love to hate. You just hate him, period. (Unless you’re a total sicko who identifies with him. Then please promise me you’ll stay away from me. And my dog.) As much as I love complex and sympathetic villains, it is so refreshing to have a villain who’s just a complete asshole. Kind of like Jack Horner in Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, another movie about an adorable, kick ass furry protagonist dealing with his own mortality. 

The entire cast is at their absolute best. Chris Pratt is vulnerable as a Peter Quill who’s dealing with the loss of his friends and family in his life. Zoe Saldana does an excellent job at playing a different Gamorra than the one we knew in the first two. Karen Gillan hams it up as Nebula. This is easily the most fun she’s having in the whole trilogy. Pom Klementieff shines as Mantis. Dave Beautista gets many of the biggest laughs as Drax, as well as one of the most satisfying arcs. And Groot is adorable as ever. But make no mistake. This is Rocket’s movie. 

As I mentioned before, we finally learn about Rocket’s backstory. We meet his friends including an otter named Lyla (Linda Cardellini), a walrus named Teef, and a rabbit named Floor. It is so heartbreaking, and even horrifying. It makes you understand why Rocket is the way he is. Rocket is rough around the edges. He’s mean to everyone he meets, including his friends. A lot of it is a coping mechanism resulting from childhood trauma. Rocket has a fear of abandonment, and guilt over not doing enough to save the people he loves. 

James Gunn has said that Rocket is the character he relates to the most. And it’s easy to see why. Seeing Rocket’s friends rally to save him is very similar to how James Gunn’s friends and co-workers rallied to save his career after he was unfairly fired in 2018. And because of the help of his friends, James Gunn not only got to complete his Guardians trilogy. He got to be in charge of Marvel’s competition, DC. 

I guess in the end, that’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are all about. Standing up for our family. And sticking together through thick and thin. Through ups and downs. Through good times and bad times. That’s why these movies continue to resonate with audiences. Even those who never picked up a comic book before. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did not meet my expectations. It surpassed them. It was a funny, action packed, and emotional send off to my favorite band of misfits. Not only does this solidify Guardians of the Galaxy as my favorite MCU trilogy. It solidifies it as one of my all time favorite film trilogies. This is up there with Return of the Jedi, Return of the King, Toy Story 3, and Back to the Future Part III as one of the best, most satisfying conclusions to a trilogy. 

If you love Guardians of the Galaxy, I cannot recommend this enough. Though you should bring a tissue box. Also, this movie is very intense and disturbing at times for kids ages 10 and under. Be cautious when bringing them. 

I am forever grateful to Marvel and to James Gunn for bringing these character to life and into our hearts. I cannot wait to see what James Gunn does with Superman, and DC in general. 

I’m gonna miss these A-holes. 

We Are Groot. Always and Forever. 

My “General” thoughts on the Obi-Wan Kenobi Teaser

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of Star Wars fans cried out in excitement, and were suddenly silenced. I feel something amazing has happened." 

 It has been 45 years since the first "Star Wars" was released. Before it was called "A New Hope", and it was just called "Star Wars". The first of soon to be eleven films, countless shows, novels, and spin-offs. Written and Directed by George Lucas, "Star Wars" was full of unforgettable heroes, villains, and aliens. One of the most memorable heroes was the Jedi Master himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Played by the legendary Alec Guiness, who received an Oscar Nomination. Making him the only actor in the entire Star Wars Saga to be nominated for an Oscar for acting. (Mark Hamill, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, and Adam Driver were snubbed!) In the Prequels, Obi-Wan was played by Ewan McGregor. 

While the Prequels reception was lackluster (putting it nicely) compared to the Original Trilogy's universal acclaim, one thing everyone agreed on was that Ewan McGregor was perfectly cast as young Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had the sam ewarmth, the same charisma, the same wit, and the same presence. When you see Ewan McGregor in inerviews, it's hard not to see him as anyone else other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

 When Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012,they not only announced a new Star Wars trilogy, but also spin-off films of supporting characters. And the one spin-off all Star Wars fans wanted the most.... was Max Rebo! Oh, and also Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

 After the box office disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story, and with the success of The Mandalorian on Disney+, Star Wars has moved away from movies and towards streaming shows for the time being. Which might actually hellp Star Wars in the long run. I'm still hoping to one day walk to the movie theaters to buy a ticket for a new Star Wars movie some day in the future. But I also love The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, Rebels, and I even liked The Book of Boba Fett. (Yeah I said it!). 

George Lucas always wanted to make a Star Wars tv show. In fact, the nine part Saga is like one big TV show. Which is why each movie has "Episode" in the title. So seeing Star Wars be mostly streaming shows makes it feel like the circle is now complete. 

 Since they announced Obi-Wan would be getting his own TV show, played once again by Ewan McGregor, fans were hyped. And when we heard Hayden Christensen would be coming back to play Anakin, fans were even more hyped! And when we heard there would be a rematch between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader... We were mixed. 

 The duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan is the best, most badass lightsaber duel in Star Wars history. The visuals, the choreography, the acting, the music by John Williams... All mixed together to create the greatest duel ever put to film. 

And when Darth Vader says “I sense something. A presence I have not felt since….” Our first thought is that epic lightsaber duel on that lava planet. But now when we hear him say that, it really means another fight they had that you can now watch on Disney+. Having them fight again is risky. It could potentially cheapen their emotional final fight in A New Hope. But there’s no such thing as bad ideas. Just bad execution. And we won’t know how we feel about their rematch until we see it. Or see any of this. All we needed was a trailer.

Waiting for the trailer has felt like forever. It’s made us all age faster than Obi-Wan on Tatooine. 

But after years and years of waiting, it’s finally here! And it’s even better than we could have hoped!

We open on a desert planet. Which we all know is Tatooine. A planet full of sand. It’s coarse, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere. 

We see Obi-Wan riding a camel. Which gives a “Lawrence of Arabia” feel. One of the movies that inspired Lucas while making Star Wars. Plus, Alec Guinness was in it! 

We hear Obi-Wan say “The fighting is over. We lost. Stay hidden.” Their Side, the Republic won. But it was the wrong side. It was the Empire all along. The Jedi not only lost the war, and their lives. They lost their own soul. They lost their way. You feel the weight of that loss in McGregor’s delivery. 

We then see the Lars’ homestead. We see Owen and Beru working, and we a little boy on the roof pretending he’s a pilot.

Obi-Wan is watching this boy through binoculars. That little boy is Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker. So many thoughts racing in his head. “This boy is like his father…. And it is up to me, and his aunt and uncle, to make sure he does not go down the same path.” Obi-Wan knows Luke  has an incredible destiny to become a Jedi like his father and save the galaxy. Not only is this boy’s future in Obi-WAN’s hands, but also the fate of the whole galaxy.

We then see the Lucasfilm logo turn to dust, as if Thanos just snapped his fingers. And we hear “Duel of Fates” playing. John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time. I am so excited to see him coming back for what May just be his last time composing music for Star Wars. John Williams has been there since the beginning. Just like Obi-Wan. In many ways, John Williams is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of film composers. 

John Williams introduced audiences to Obi-Wan with his music. It is only fitting he return to write music for Obi-WAN’s own series, 45 years after his introduction. 

I have seen John Williams in concert three times. And it is always an unforgettable experience. I plan to go to as many of his concerts for as long as he does them. And I highly recommend you do too. You don’t want to miss seeing the Legend perform live. 

John Williams is the Man. That is all.

We then see the Inquisitor, played by Rubert Friend. For those of us who watched Rebels, the Sith sent out Inquisitors across the galaxy to hunt down the remaining Jedi. Because Darth Vader can’t be everywhere at once. The Inquisitor was the main antagonist of Season 1. And he looks absolutely terrifying in live action.

We see dangling legs in front of a crowd, which looks like a public hanging by the Empire. Owen Lars is in the crowd watching the horrors of the Empire first hand. He’s thinking “Yeah. My Nephew is not leaving this planet. He’s gonna stay and be a farmer where it’s safe!”

Yeah, about that….

What’s interesting is we don’t see Darth Vader anywhere. Which I’m glad. Darth Vader is the most iconic villain in movie history. You don’t want to use him up in the trailers. It’s good to keep the audience on their toes in suspense. It makes his reveal all that more impactful. 

I am also so glad Hayden Christensen is coming back to play Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Hayden Christensen got way too much unnecessary push back from critics and fans. But I thought he did a great job. The problem was the dialogue and direction. George Lucas is probably the greatest storyteller of our time. But even he would admit he’s not the best at directing or screenwriting. Had Ron Howard or Steven Spielberg, or a new fresh independent director directed the movies and wrote the dialogue instead, I think Hayden would have done so much better. 

The Kenobi series is being directed by Deborah Chow, who directed many of the best episodes of The Mandalorian. I cannot wait to see what she does with Obi-Wan. And I know she will help Hayden deliver the performance he was born to give. 

So these are my general thoughts on Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is honestly the best Star Wars trailer I have seen in a long time. In a fandom as divided as the Star Wars fandom, it’s so cool to see all of us be excited for the same thing for once. This is my favorite part of being a Star Wars fan. Having passionate discussions with each other about things we are excited about. It’s days like today that remind me why I love being a Star Wars fan. And I hope it is for you too. 

2022 is shaping up to be a great year for Star Wars fans. The Force is with us.

This is where the fun begins. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home Spoiler Review

What are you doing? Get off the internet! Right now! No seriously. If you have not watched Spider-Man: No Way Home yet and do not want to get spoiled, you need to get off the internet. Right now. In fact, don’t even read this review. It is impossible to discuss this movie without going into spoilers. So for your own safety, get off the internet right now. If you have not seen the movie yet and read any further, and end up having it spoiled to you, and you get mad at me, well…. I missed the part where that’s my problem.

Are they gone yet? So everyone here has seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, right? You have? Ok, good.

What can be said about Spider-Man that hasn’t already been said yet. Of all the superheroes, he is my favorite. In a way, he’s always been my favorite. In my teenage years, I was more of a Batman fan. Mostly because of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies. But lately, Spider-Man has gone back to being my favorite. Because these last few years have taught me that a teenager getting spider powers from a radioactive spider is actually more realistic than a billionaire who wants to use his money and resources to save the world…..

Anyways. The reason Spider-Man is my favorite is because even though he has the ability to shoot webs and crawl over walls, he’s the most relatable superhero by far. Especially for me. Being a nerd myself, I see so much of myself in Peter Parker. And I’m not the only one.

Spider-Man made his debut in Marvel’z Amazing Fantasy Comics Issue #15 in August 1962. Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. Before Spider-Man, the most iconic superhero in comics was Superman. Superman was a superhero that we all wished we could be. What we strive to be. But Spider-Man was just a kid. He wasn’t nearly invincible like Superman, he wasn’t a billionaire like Batman. He was just a nerdy kid from Queens, New York named Peter Parker. He was the first superhero kids could actually imagine themselves being who was not a sidekick like Robin. And Spider-Man wore a mask that completely covered his face. So that any kid, no matter their race or skin color, could imagine themselves being the masked web slinger, which gave him universal appeal. Spider-Man went on to become the Mickey Mouse of Marvel Comics.

Speaking of Mickey Mouse, Disney thought about buying Marvel as far back as the 90s. A terrible decade for Marvel Comics. Their comics were not selling as well. And while DC had their two most iconic heroes Batman and Superman on the big screen, Marvel could barely make a Fantastic Four movie. At that point, their most significant contribution to cinema was Howard the Duck. It was so bad for Marvel that they had to sell the movies rights to their most popular characters to other studios. They sold the movie rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four to 20th Century Fox, and they sold the rights to Spider-Man to Sony Pictures. 

Sony immediately went to work on making the first big screen adaptation of Marvel’s most iconic character. At one point James Cameron, who was hot off of directing a small independent film called Titanic, was supposed to direct it. But eventually, they went with Sam Raimi, a horror movie director famous for Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. Tobey McGuire, known for films like Pleasantville, was chosen to play Spider-Man/Peter Parker on the big screen. Spider-Man was released on May 3rd, 2002. 

I was seven years old at the time. As a kid it was really hard for me to go to the movies because I was so sensitive to loud noises and dark places, especially action movies. I did not see Spider-Man in theaters. But I remember how huge it was. All my friends were talking about it. I had tried watching it for years, but was so afraid of how violent it might be. Same reason I did not see Spider-Man 2 or Spider-Man 3 in theaters. But I remember watching the trailers, and looking at the posters, and having my imagination run wild. I basically wrote the movies in my head. I finally watched the first Spider-Man on TV when I was 10 years oldish. It blew my mind. I identified so much with Peter Parker. Uncle Ben reminded me so much of my Grandpas, and Aunt May reminded me of my Grandmas. I cried when Uncle Ben died. I cheered whenever Spider-Man saved someone. It inspired me to be a hero myself. It taught me the importance of doing what is right. And that with great power comes great responsibility. As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker. Spider-Man 2 was even better. Having better action and delving deeper into Peter Parker’s existential crisis of trying to live a normal life while also being a hero to the city of New York, as well as trying to tell Mary Jane his true feelings for her. I’ve been doing this acting class for a couple years on Zoom. My teacher has us choose our own scenes from movies and plays. He usually doesn’t like it whenever I do a scene from a comic book movie, because he wants me to do scenes about real life. Recently, I did a monologue from Spider-Man 2, where Peter Parker tells Aunt May the truth about Uncle Ben’s death. When I did the monologue, my teacher could not even tell it was a comic book movie. The dialogue felt so real and genuine. It shows that Spider-Man 2 wasn’t just a great superhero movie. It’s a great movie, period. Even Martin Scorsese agrees. And even though I’ll admit Spider-Man 3 has its issues, it still holds a special place in my heart as an emotional ending to the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. (And plus, Emo Peter rules. There, I said it!) Andrew Garfield was, well, amazing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and I loved his chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. But despite their titles, the “Amazing” Spider-Man movies were anything but “amazing”, at least for me. If you loved them, I’m happy for you. But for me, nothing beats the classics. 

In 2016, Spider-Man finally joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War, where he was played by Tom Holland. Even though McGuire will always be my Spider-Man, Tom Holland is arguably the closest to the comics, since he’s the first Spider-Man who actually looked like a teenager. Tom Holland starred in two solo Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man; Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man Far From Home. Both films were directed by Jon Watts. Both had this lighthearted tone that we came to expect from the MCU. They felt sort of like John Hughes high school movies from the 80s but for a modern era. Which makes sense considering Peter Parker is in High School.

Spider-Man: Far From Home ended on a cliffhanger. Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhall, revealed to the world that Spider-Man was in fact Peter Parker. 

After two years of a pandemic, we finally get the continuation. And I am happy to report that Spider-Man: No Way Home is an absolute home run! I can’t decide if this is my new favorite Spider-Man movie, or if Into the Spider-Verse still is. But it’s definitely the best live action Spider-Man. Even though it has even more villains than Spider-Man 3, it still manages to give all of them satisfying arcs, and perfectly balances them all. In fact, this is sort of like Spider-Man 3, but much more polished and focused.

Doc Ock, played by Alfred Molina, gets another redemption arc. Except this time he does not have to die. Peter Parker manages to fix his robot tentacles by using Stark technology to fix them so that they do not control him. Peter tries to fix all of the other villains. Norman Osborn, played once again by the irreplaceable Willam DaFoe, refuses to be fixed, as he sees his powers as a gift, not a curse, and wants to take over the world.

Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up right where Far From Home left off. Now the whole world knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Now, we’ve all seen the trailers and know Peter asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Which results in the fabric of reality to be torn, causing villains from other realities to come to the MCU. 

And if you’ve seen the movie, which if you are still reading this chances are you already have, you know that Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield show up. Honestly, it wasn’t shocking to me. Ever since Doc Ock showed up in the trailer, I just knew McGuire would show up. And in the 2nd trailer, when I saw Electro and Lizzard, I knew Garfield would show up. Plus, the internet had already been going crazy with theories and rumors. Though it still honestly feels like a miracle that they showed up! Like, a few years ago it seemed unfathomable that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would interact with either Tobey McGuire’s Spider-Man, or Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. But BOTH? That seemed impossible. But I guess fans of both McGuire and Garfield were too loud for Sony and Marvel to ignore. 

My biggest worry was HOW they would show up. Would they have a significant role in the movie? Would they be a brief cameo? Or would they just cameo as other characters, like McGuire cameos as a Pizza delivery guy? 

Thankfully, not only do Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield have significance in the plot, but they each are given closure to each of their arcs and universes. And their reactions with each other are absolutely hilarious. Some scenes felt like they were made specifically to respond to all the memes online. This is honestly the funniest Spider-Man movie.

But it’s also the most heartbreaking. While the banter between the characters and visual gags are hilarious, the film also manages to have great dramatic scenes. This is the most emotional comic book movie since Avengers: Endgame.

Near the end of the movie Aunt May, played by Marissa Tomei, is killed by the Green Goblin’s bomb. Before she dies, she tells Peter that “with great power, comes great responsibility”. The same words Uncle Ben told Peter Parker. Holland’s Peter Parker is devastated. Aunt May, the woman who raised him, who taught him everything he believed in, is gone. And Holland’s Peter Parker wants revenge. He wants to kill the Green Goblin. Just like how McGuire wanted to kill the men who killed Uncle Ben. When Holland interacts with McGuire and Garfield’s Spider-Man’s, they each tell him of their losses. McGuire talks about losing Uncle Ben, and Garfield talks about losing Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). They warn Peter of the dangers of letting the desire for revenge cloud his mind. Not only does this help McGuire and Garfield’s Peter Parker’s fulfill their purpose of guiding Holland’s Peter Parker. This also give Holland’s Peter Parker growth. Prior to this movie, people complained that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies didn’t really feel like Spider-Man, but felt more like Iron Man Jr. Mainly because they didn’t really explore Peter Parker’s own existential problems the way that the earlier films did. But here, the film takes a huge risk by killing Aunt May, and forcing Holland’s Peter Parker to experience true loss. It takes his story arc to new heights. 

Even though Spider-Man succeeds in defeating the bad guys by curing all of them and sending them back to their universes, he does so at a huge price. In order to accomplish all this, he has Doctor Strange cast a spell to make the whole world forget who Peter Parker is. Including his best friend, Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, and his girlfriend MJ, played by Zendaya. 

Peter and MJ’s romance is so genuine and so real. Mostly because the actors are dating each other in real life. Seeing them both on screen together made me feel like they were not really acting. You can feel the love Holland and Zendaya have for each other. And I wish their real relationship so much love and happiness. As for their characters, MJ cannot remember who Peter is. Before she loses her memory, she tells Peter to go find her. And he does. He thinks about telling her who he is. But he doesn’t want to risk her getting hurt in his battles. So he decides to leave her, and his best friend Ned, to live normal lives without him. He loves MJ so much. Which is why he feels like he needs to let her go.

This is probably the most bitter sweet ending to a Spider-Man movie since The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s ending. Except here, Peter’s girlfriend doesn’t die. But considering that she has no memory of him, it’s as if she is in a way.

And yet, Peter still presses on. Because he knows Aunt May would want him to. He knows Tony Stark would want him to. As McGuire and Garfield both told him earlier, even if the ones we love are gone, it doesn’t mean the things they stood for are gone.

In a year where we’ve gone through so much radical change and transitions, and experiences so many losses, the movie feels so appropriate for our times. In times like these, we need heroes more than ever. Like Spider-Man to show us that no matter how hard life is, we have to keep going. For our loved ones.

Because the world doesn’t know who Peter Parker is, this is a chance for the franchise to have a fresh start away from the MCU. If they make more movies with Tom Holland, they probably won’t have any reference to the MCU. While it is tragic that Spider-Man can’t go home to Marvel (hence the title, No Way Home), I am honestly curious to see how they continue Parker’s story in this version. It will be nice to have a traditional Spider-Man movie again without the pressures of having to connect everything to the MCU.

If they don’t make anymore with Tom Holland because he decides he’s done with these movies, I honestly would not mind. Holland has more than proven himself as the definitive Spider-Man, and has earned his right to retire and start a family. It would probably deny a lot of us fans the much needed closure we need from his storyline, just like how McGuire and Garfield’s Spider-Man films ended before they could get the proper closure. But who knows? If McGuire and Garfield could both return to the franchise and give their arcs closure, then maybe someday Holland can return. I do hope MJ figures out who Peter Parker is. I mean, she’s way too smart to not figure it out. 

Also, Ned had better still have his magic powers! 

Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home was everything I wanted it to be and more. It gave my childhood closure, it entertained me, it moved me, and it inspired me. What more could you want in a Spider-Man movie? 

My Norm MacDonald Story

I hate September. It’s easily the worst month on the calendar. There’s a reason Green Day wrote “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. I don’t think I’ve ever met a single person who says September is their favorite month. Except maybe people whose birthday is in September. 

There are many reasons September is my least favorite month. When I was a kid, it was the month summer vacation ended and we all had to go back to school. That was always fun.  It’s the month when 9/11 happened. It’s the month when my Grandpa died. I already have many reasons to associate this month with complete sadness. 

This year, I have another reason to hate this month. it’s the month when Norm MacDonald, my favorite comedian, died.

Norm MacDonald was secretly battling cancer for ten years. This week, the fight came to a draw.

This week, so many comedians have been sharing stories of Norm MacDonald. I’ve heard stories of comedians who met him, who worked with him, who only watched his stand up. And they all seem to agree on one thing: There was no one funnier than Norm.

I myself am an aspiring stand up comedian. I wish I could call myself a real Comedian. I’ve performed stand up at Open Mic Nights. But I’m not getting paid for it yet. But I did meet Norm MacDonald. And I would like to share it with all five people who are reading this blog.

It was February 2015. My family and I spent a week in New York City. My Dad knew someone who was in the Broadway production of Matilda, and was able to score tickets for us. New York City was ice cold. It was so cold you could feel how cold it was. Literally. It felt like the whole air was solid ice. That Sunday, February 16th, 2015, my Dad and I went to Lombardi’s Pizza at night. We had a combo pizza. It was some of the best pizza I ever had. But it was rich. We went back to our hotel room and watched TV with my Mom and my sister. That night was the 40th Anniversary Special of Saturday Night Live. 

It was a three and a half hour prime time special featuring a cast that included every single cast member and host of SNL that was still alive. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Will Ferrel, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Tina Fey, Amy Pohler, Kate McKinnon, Darell Hammond, Alec Baldwin, Keenan Thompson, Chris Rock, Garrett Morris, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Sarah Pailin, Rachel Dratch, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Chris Rock, and even Eddie Murphy! And of course, Norm MacDonald. It was like the Avengers: Infinity War of comedy. 

Just like Saturday Night Live itself, the special was a giant mixed bag of skits that were hilarious, skits that bombed, and skits that made no sense. The most memorable sketch of the night was Celebrity Jeopardy,  which featured Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek, Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett, Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey, Keenan Thompson as Bill Cosby, and Norm MacDonald as Burt Reynolds. The most hyped celebrity appearance was Eddie Murphy, who had not appeared on SNL since the 80s, and had a strained relationship with the show due to a sick burn from David Spade on Weekend Update. Eddie's appearance that night was disappointing to say the least. It wasn't because he failed at being funny. But because he didn't even attempt to be funny. It was just a quick "Hey everyone! Long time, no see! Ok, thanks everybody!" His awkward appearance led the internet to wonder what the hell was going on with Eddie. And it wouldn't find out until later that week from an interesting source. More on that later.

The next morning, we took our flight back to California at LAX Airport. Because our plane was coming from New York, Garrett Morris was on our flight in First Class. We landed in LAX late that night. As we walked to get our luggage, I saw someone holding a sign that said "N. MacDonald". I asked if it was Norm MacDonald. He said "Not the one you're thinking of". I just shrugged it off and minded my business. I have a very short attention span. The airport is both the best and worst place for people like me. It's a lot of standing and waiting. Whenever I'm at an airport, I just zone out and look around. Then my parents told me to come over there. They were so excited. I was thinking "What could it be? Did they run into an old friend?" And I was kind of right. Well, it wasn't really their friend. But it was someone they recognized. And it was someone I only half recognized. It was Norm MacDonald. 

I couldn't believe it! THE Norm MacDonald! In person! It was enough to make two generations jump up and down with joy. My parents recognized him from his time as the Weekend Update anchor on SNL, a job he was fired from for being, in the words of an NBC Executive, "Not funny". Or maybe because he made too many jokes about their friend, OJ Simpson.  My sister and I recognized him as Norm the Genie on The Fairly OddParents. I told him we loved him on that show. My sister, being her typical filter-free self, told him "That show sucks now!" Norm MacDonald smiled, took his hat off, placed it on my sister, and said "Or maybe you just grew up!" Such a Norm thing to do.

 I told Norm MacDonald I wanted to be a stand up comedian. My Dad told him that I was Lowell Renold III, and he was Lowell Renold II. I said "I'm the third movie in a trilogy. The one that everyone hates." And he laughed, waved his hat at me and told me I was funny. My Mom asked him if I could do an impression for him. Whenever I meet someone famous, my Mom encourages me to show off my impressions to them. I asked Norm to give me a suggestion. His suggestion was an interesting choice, as it was one that would be the #1 trending topic on Twitter that week thanks to Norm. Norm asked me to do Eddie Murphy. And thank God! Because that's one of my easiest impressions. Norm loved it. Before we left, I asked Norm for advice on being a stand up comedian. He told me to follow him on Twitter, and he would follow me back and give me advice. 

That night, I followed him on Twitter. And he actually followed me back! It's rare when someone famous follows me. But even rarer when my heroes follow me. 

The next day, I looked at Norm's Twitter. His tweets were full of jokes, long stories in long Twitter threads, and lots of sports talk. I'm not even much of a sports guy. But I loved reading his tweets! That week, Norm shared a long Twitter thread sharing an interesting anecdote about his night at the SNL 40th Anniversary Special. You can read all about it here.

Long story short, Norm MacDonald said that Eddie Murphy was originally supposed to play Bill Cosby in the Celebrity Jeopardy skit with Will Ferrell. This was at the time when the allegation against Bill Cosby were starting to go public after decades of being kept secret in the industry, long before the #MeToo Movement. At this time, it was still debated whether or not these allegations were true. But either way, they provided a lot of material for comedians. Edgy material, sure. But material nonetheless. Especially for Saturday Night Live. And especially for Eddie Murphy. That is, if he chose to use it.

Eddie Murphy was no stranger to making Cosby jokes. In his stand up special, Raw, released in theaters at the height of his popularity as a stand up comedian in the 80s, Eddie Murphy told a funny story about the time Bill Cosby lectured him on saying dirty words on stage. Which, in hindsight, was incredibly hypocritical coming from Cosby. 

But that night, at the SNL 40th Anniversary Special, Eddie Murphy decided not to mock the veteran comedian. In Norm's own words, "Eddie decided the laughs were not worth it. He would not kick a man while he's down." This story was a source of debate on the internet for a while. People were all split on whether or not it was the right call for Eddie to back out of mocking Cosby. (Murphy, of course, would make fun of Cosby later that year at the Mark Twain Awards.) But one thing was certain. It made for one hell of a Norm MacDonald story. 

I began looking up Norm MacDonald all over YouTube. I watched his stand up, his monologues on Weekend Update, his late night show appearances, etc. I can't think of any other comedian who made me laugh as hard as he did. His delivery was always so dry. Even when his jokes were not funny, he still made you laugh just by staring at you. They say that no comedian ever continues with a joke when it bombs. They always immediately move on to the next joke. But not Norm. Norm would stick with a joke, no matter how unfunny it was, and keep telling it until you found it as funny as he did. No other comedian can do that. At least, no other comedian can get away with that.

They say comedy is all about timing. The quicker you tell a joke, the bigger laughs you get. But Norm liked to drag his jokes for a long period of time. Even if the joke was not funny. It was like you were on this road trip with a guy who had these bizarre thoughts. Part of you wants them to stop talking. But the other part wants to hear where they're going. 

Perhaps Norm's greatest joke is his Moth joke on Conan. Watch it all the way until the very end.

There is a growing concern among comedians that comedy these days is harder to do, largely in part to how sensitive our culture has become. Norm's humor was a lot of things. Sensitive was not one of them. He always like to bring up a dark subject that would leave the audience in a state of shock, and would leave them laughing hard with the punchline. And then they would feel guilty at laughing at such a serious topic. With Norm, there was no such thing as boundaries when it came to jokes. 

I think part of Norm MacDonald's genius is he was not afraid to share what was on his mind. No matter how offensive it was. And in a strange way, he was sharing what was on all of our minds. Whether we admitted it or not. I always felt like comedy wast the last place in the world where people can say what they truly think. That is, as long as it's funny. William Shakespeare once said "When you tell people the truth, you better make them laugh. Otherwise, they will kill you." I guess another reason Norm got away with it, besides being 100% hilarious, was that you got the sense that he was a sweet, genuine person with a kind heart. You felt that he cared about you and wanted to make you smile and enjoy life. Comedy can't exist without empathy. Empathy is the baseline of all great comedy. Norm was as empathetic and as genuine as they came. 

I felt so honored to have Norm MacDonald follow me on Twitter. A year later, he unfollowed me. To this day, I still don't know why he unfollowed me. Maybe he got lost.

I saw Norm MacDonald perform stand up at the Irvine Improv in February 2019, five years since I met him. His set was a lot raunchier than I thought it would be. It was definetely too raunchy for my Mom, who left early. But I loved it. I feel like Norm had my exact sense of humor. Both Norm and I seem to have this sick, twisted sense of humor that no one else seems to get. I guess that's why he and I got along so well when we met.

I was really hoping I would get the chance to work with him someday. Maybe appear on a late night show together. Or be in a Movie or Netflix show together. But I guess life doesn't care about your dreams.

Norm MacDonald may no longer be here. But thanks to YouTube, and all other streaming services, his sick, twisted, bizzarre humor will always be with us. As well as his kind, genuine spirit.

Norm, thank you for all the laughs. Thank you for following me on Twitter for a brief time. Thank you for indulging me by listening to my Eddie Murphy impression, and for encouraging me to chase my dream of being a stand up comedian.

I can't think of a better way to end this tribute than with a joke that Norm MacDonald closed his show on at the Irvine Improv. Or, at least my own recollection of the joke. Norm told us we can tell it to our friends after the show. It's a joke that feels 100% Norm MacDonald. Try reading it in his voice if you can. Warning, it's really raunchy. Just like a lot of Norm's jokes.

This guy's wife is getting ready for a party. She puts on a dress and asks the guy "Does this dress make me look fat?" The guy says "Do you want me to be honest?" The guy's wife says "Yes. Please be honest." And the guy says,  "Promise not to get mad?" His wife says "Of course!" He says "Are you sure you want me to be honest?" Guy's wife says "Yes. You're my husband. I want you to be honest with me." Guy says "Promise you won't get mad?" Guy's wife says "Promise!" Guy says "Ok. Here it is. I fucked your sister."