Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Incredible Hulk'

Sorry for the delay on this week's review, but I've had a busy week and am looking at a busy weekend ahead of me. This week I'm reviewing The Incredible Hulk, since that's one of the few Marvel Cinematic Universe movies I've yet to review, and because Hulk will factor into next week's Thor: Ragnarok. The next few Throwback Thursday reviews will be over Thor: The Dark World, Murder on the Orient Express (1974), and Batman (1989) to tie into the releases of Thor: Ragnarok, Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and Justice League. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to make some progress on the delayed Throwback Thursday Reviews of Inception, Stand By Me, The World's End, The Shining, the It miniseries (1990), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Risky Business (1983), and the Triple-R for Interstellar. 

'The Incredible Hulk' Review

The Incredible Hulk follows scientist Bruce Banner as he searches for a means to cure the gamma radiation that mutated his cells in a laboratory accident. After the incident, Banner possessed the ability to turn into the Hulk, a raging green monster, anytime he got angry. Meanwhile, Banner has General 'Thunderbolt' Ross and the U.S. Government on his tail, who intend to reverse-engineer his condition to create an entire army of gamma radiated super soldiers. 

I'm just going to come straight out of the gate and let you know The Incredible Hulk is my least favorite entry in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. I doubt this surprises those who have read any of my Marvel Cinematic Universe Films Ranked lists, because The Incredible Hulk finished dead last each of the three times I ranked the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. So, why is it that I don't really like the movie?

Well, for starters, it's woefully generic and incredibly boring. Louis Leterrier directed the film, but failed to really give it a pulse or any semblance of energy. The cinematography, editing, and score are all by the numbers, and the entire film feels dreary and dour, with virtually no charisma or levity to keep it afloat. It's really no wonder Marvel decided to team the green giant up with Thor to set off some sparks in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. The entire time we're essentially shadowing Banner as he's on the run. There's the occasional acceptable action sequence, but nothing of interest.

There are certainly good MOMENTS, but they are fleeting, few, and far between this slogging beast of a movie. The action sequences are kind-of cool to watch because you're watching two monsters beating the tar out of one another, but there's nothing notable about the fight that enables it to stand apart from any other super-powered smackdown.  

Even the visual effects seems off, as Hulk and Abomination looked more like video game characters than tangible, hulking monstrosities. I know the effects are from 2008... but if the effects in 2008's Iron Man can hold up to today's standards, then it shouldn't be a stretch to say The Incredible Hulk's should as well. I'm simply not a fan of the character designs for Hulk or Abomination at all for that matter. I realize the two are supposed to look ridiculously ripped, but I think their veins are excessively accentuated (if that makes any sense). Also, it bothers me that Hulk has his trademark shaggy hair, yet his hair is shorter and styled completely differently every time he reverts back to Bruce Banner... That criticism probably leans more towards Edward Norton, but I don't see why the vfx team couldn't have factored Norton's appearance into the Hulk's aesthetic either.

The reason I think a solo Hulk film has yet to work is simply that it's about a man who desperately doesn't want to change into the Hulk. When you consider the framing that screenwriter Zak Penn had to work around, then the script's not too bad. However, the story loses focus in its mad scramble to get Banner from Point A to Point B. There's scarce explanation as to how Banner possibly managed to cross international borders without alerting authorities, and there are plenty of logical inconsistencies in how everything fits together.

None of this alleviated by the film's bland central romance either, because the actors have absolutely no chemistry with one another. Edward Norton is an okay Bruce Banner because he succeeds in translating the darker sides of the character with his take on PTSD and the inherent need to repress his abilities, but he fails to imbue the character with any charm whatsoever. Therefore, you're not really invested in him as a person much at all. Liv Tyler on the other hand, could not have possibly put forth a more insipid performance. Her character is just so... vanilla. There's absolutely no substance to the character in the screenplay, and it really shows when Tyler fails to make anything out of it.

If there's one redeeming factor though, it would be William Hurt's General 'Thunderbolt' Ross. Hurt's really the only one among the cast that makes the most of the material given to him, imbuing Ross with a uncompromising gruffness and determination. His motivation's are wonky, but the character as a whole leapt straight off the comic pages.

Meanwhile, Tim Roth also does what he can with Emil Blonsky's resolute hunger for power. However, there's really not much opportunity for Roth to dig beneath the surface level of his thinly-sketched character, and it all falls to the wayside when he becomes Abomination and the film becomes a conventional CG-smackfest.

The Incredible Hulk should have been a smashing success, but instead wound up being one of Marvel's most forgettable franchise installments because it failed to break convention.

Film Assessment: D+

Star Wars Speculation: Star Wars Stories Worth Telling

Welcome to the latest installment in Star Wars Speculation, a series of blog posts where I talk all things Star Wars! Today's post doesn't really deal with speculation whatsoever, but rather just my thoughts on characters or events in the Star Wars galaxy deserving of a spin-off film. For those that don't know, Lucasfilm has branded all their spin-off films as "Star Wars Stories," and I suspect the trend will continue based on the Solo: A Star Wars Story title announcement last week. However, a Han Solo origin film isn't exactly something the Star Wars fanbase has been craving... I am certainly open to the idea, but it wasn't something I was deeply desiring to see in cinemas. So therefore, I'm going to basically be laying out my opinion as to what I feel does or doesn't deserve a feature length film.

Star Wars Stories I'd Rather Not See

What I personally don't want to see Lucasfilm do is to green-light spin-off movies revolving around literally every iconic Star Wars character. The reason being is that I think there needs to be a story to tell at the core of each of these spin-offs. I'm not interested in learning how the Hutts became crimelords... Actually, I take that back... Do it in the style of The Godfather, and that would be interesting to watch at the very least. I don't need a young Leia or young Luke film because I'm not currently interested in seeing any other actors portray those characters, but I'm not opposed to cameo appearances in other Star Wars Stories (provided they occur naturally). Anyways, my point is that I don't think every unexplained detail in the Star Wars galaxy needs a full film surrounding it. We don't need to learn where Yoda came from. I don't need to know a drawn-out explanation as to why that one stormtrooper hit his head on a door. There's an entire galaxy to explore, so why not explore it and expand the universe?

Star Wars Stories Worth Telling

I think the ideas that warrant the Star Wars Story treatment should be along the same lines as Rogue One, a story that adds subtext to the Star Wars universe. They don't all have to be about existing ideas or characters, but nearly all of my suggestions will be just that, considering this isn't a pitch. So here they are in no particular order...

1. Kenobi: A Star Wars Story- At first glance, this suggestion probably seems to contradict everything I just spoke of. However, the fan demand for this is insurmountable and recent additions to the Star Wars canon have proven that Obi Wan wasn't just chilling on Tatooine in the time between Revenge Of The Sith and A New Hope. He was protecting Luke while continuing his training to become a force ghost once he died. I think an Obi Wan Kenobi movie set on Tatooine in the style of a Western would be utterly fascinating. The idea of a character-focused story about a man who was forced into hiding because his religion and entire way of life was destroyed by his own pupil seems like a no-brainer in regards to offering material for a great film. Think Logan, but with Obi Wan instead. My one condition is that they bring back Ewan McGregor to reprise the role, otherwise I'm not interested.

2. Bounty Hunters: A Star Wars Story- This title would obviously need some work, but the core ideas would revolve around a team of bounty hunters working together to complete a bounty. It could really be any combination of bounty hunters since there are so many in the universe, but I think seeing Bossk, Boba Fett, Embo, and Cad Bane working together could be interesting (the last two are characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars for those unfamiliar). Something along the same lines as The Magnificent Seven or a well-executed riff on the premise of Suicide Squad. 

3. Thrawn: A Star Wars Story- Grand Admiral Thrawn is quite honestly one of the most interesting antagonists in the Star Wars universe. He's been used to great effect in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and his own novel Thrawn as he demonstrated his resourcefulness and untraditional strategic reasoning to be defining traits. He's cold, calculating, and ruthless in obtaining his goals. I'd love to see him portrayed in live action somewhere down the line. 

4. The Knights of Ren: A Star Wars Story- This one was an answer provided by J.J. Abrams himself in an interview when asked what he'd like to see receive a spin-off. It would revolve around the Knights of Ren, the group Kylo Ren leads who are shown in Rey's force vision inThe Force Awakens. I'm primarily interested in the idea for the time being because we still know so little about what happened after Return Of The Jedi. I'm so intrigued in learning what happened during that gap, and I feel like seeing Snoke seduce Ben Solo to the Dark Side would be immensely interesting. On top of that, we could perhaps learn more about the formation of the Knights of Ren and what they are exactly. However, it's quite possible that we'll get a taste of this in The Last Jedi and/or Episode IX.

5. Vader: A Star Wars Story- The Darth Vader scene from Rogue One was quite literally one of the coolest things I'd ever seen in my twenty years on this Earth. He was incredibly imposing as he cut through Rebel scum with relative ease.  Could you imagine an entire movie like that? Just picture a "monster movie" through the lens of Rebel soldiers where Vader is the "monster" or vice-versa where we see Vader's escapades entirely through his eyes, similar to his canon comic book series that really flesh his inner conflict remarkably well. 

6. Plagueis: A Star Wars Story- We currently only have one canon reference to Darth Plagueis in Palpatine's "Tragedy of Darth Plagueis" monologue, now that Lucasfilm has purged the stories of old. I'd just like to learn more about the guy, that's all. 

8. Something completely new- As I said earlier, there's a whole galaxy to explore. Lucasfilm should take advantage of that and introduce new characters and new worlds completely unrelated to the rest of the universe. 

Well, that's all I have for this post. It's much shorter than my last two, but as I've said, this series will change drastically from week-to-week. I'm also starting to lean towards posting these on Wednesdays, so expect one each Wednesday for the foreseeable future! 

-And, as always, may the force be with you!

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Superman' (1978)

It's a bird... It's a plane... It's my long awaited Superman review! Sorry, I just HAD to slip that somewhere in my review... Anyways, I'm reviewing the original 1978 Superman this week since Justice League is fast approaching and I thought I'd go back and review some of the earlier classic DC films. I had originally intended to review this last week, but I didn't get around to watching it, so I'm reviewing the film this week instead. It's also looking like this weekend will be a great opportunity for me to catch up on some of my delayed reviews, so don't be surprised to see any of those surface in the near future. These reviews includes Throwback Thursday Reviews over Inception, Stand By Me, The World's End, The Shining, the It miniseries (1990), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Risky Business (1983), and a Triple-R over Interstellar. As for my regularly scheduled posts, I plan on doing weekly Star Wars Speculation posts and my next few Throwback Thursday Reviews will be for The Incredible Hulk, Thor: The Dark World, Murder on the Orient Express (1974), and Batman (1989) to tie into the releases of Thor: Ragnarok, Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and Justice League.

'Superman' (1978) Review

Nominated For: Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
Won: Special Achievement Award (For Visual Effects).

Superman opens on the faraway planet Krypton as it faces imminent destruction. Kryptonian scientist Jor-El remains unable to convince the Kryptonian elders of a planet-wide evacuation and promises he and his wife will remain on the planet, so he instead sends his infant son to the planet Earth onboard a spaceship to ensure Kal El's survival. Upon arrival, Kal-El is discovered by farmer couple Jonathan and Martha Kent who decide to raise the orphaned child under the name Clark Kent. On Earth, Kal-El must grapple with maintaining the semblance of a normal life as Clark Kent despite exhibiting a set of extraordinary abilities. Once Kal-El matures, he decides he will use these powers to combat evil and fight for truth, justice, and the American way as Superman!

Believe it or not, but prior to yesterday evening, I had never seen Superman in its entirety. I suppose the reason being that I've personally never been too fascinated with the character to begin with (sentiments I have also expressed in my Man Of Steel review)... I watched it with an open mind, expecting copious camp, dated special effects, and simply an entertaining superhero romp. While I feel Superman hasn't aged quite as well as many other classics, I do think Superman has the all makings of a good superhero film.

Directed by Richard Donner, Superman is able to take off into the atmosphere at its greatest moments and fly on autopilot during the drawn-out bits. I realize this film is regarded to be a timeless classic, and perhaps its just my age and delayed first viewing of the film, but Superman just doesn't feel whole to me. It just seemed odd to me that despite how much screen time is dedicated to Kal-El's origin, the character never felt fully fleshed out. I got the gist of things because I'm familiar with his upbringing in the comics and other mediums, but the film never really deconstructs the character in an interesting manner. I'm probably just spoiled by the comic book movie renaissance which we live in today, but I feel there were many missed opportunities to deepen the Man of Steel's legacy.

This is probably most notable in the film's structure. The beginning of the film establishes the idea that the Kents were a surrogate family for Clark, but Jonathan Kent's death didn't really carry any weight for me as a viewer, because I had barely met the guy when he took in Clark as a baby. The film shows you when Kal-El is essentially adopted by the couple, then fast forwards to Clark's adolescence and the man has a heart attack after imparting some wisdom to the lad. I like the idea toyed around with that Clark could do nothing to stop it despite his abilities, but I feel a death that meaningful to the protagonist should always be as equally important to the audience watching. To me, having a few more scenes about Clark growing up with the Kents could have easily made his death more impactful.

Just look at Star Wars or even Spider-Man, where the protagonist's connection to their adoptive parental figures are firmly established in scenes emphasizing their respective dynamics. Superman seemed to just gleam right over that with about one or two shared scenes between the two. The version I watched was the theatrical release, and I'm aware there's a Special Edition that's even longer so perhaps this isn't an issue in that incarnation, but it was something that stood out to me in this version. It's really weird, but watching Superman, has actually made me appreciate Man of Steel's approach to telling Superman's origin even more... I suppose I'll revisit that film and let you know if my opinion has altered at all in the coming weeks preceding Justice League.

Essentially, my biggest grievance with Superman is that the screenplay penned by Mario Puzo, Robert Benton, and David and Leslie Newman seems to only explore the film's ideas on the surface level. I don't need every superhero movie needs to dig too deep beneath the surface, but a reasonably interesting exploration of character is just an expectation I uphold for all film, regardless of genre. I think the reason that I've never latched onto Superman as a character is that he seems invincible, over-powered, and unwaverable. Aside from Kryptonite taking him down a notch, he's rarely in a moment of weakness and you rarely see him struggle with any long-lasting conflict. Clark, on the other-hand, represents Superman's humanity and the human side of him should technically always vulnerable to some sort of crisis of conscience. Yet, Superman never seems to face these moral dilemmas in Superman. He just does.

To me, that dynamic could be so fascinating to explore, but it's just glimpsed over in favor of showing Superman consistently triumph over evil. When Lois "dies," Superman does briefly seem at odds about changing the course of history as the words of his father figures reverberate in his head. However, he just acts. He flies around the Earth quickly enough to turn back time in his one act of selfishness, but there are no consequences for his actions. The stakes feel absent because it's heavily implied that changing the course of history is inherently bad and should be avoided, yet Superman does this and all seems fine and dandy. I still haven't seen Superman II, III, or IV, so maybe I'm blabbering on about nothing and his actions lead to something in those films, but for the time being it bothers me that the idea of altering history is heavily stressed as carrying grave consequences and there are none...

On top of that, the relationship between Superman and Lois itself isn't very convincing. Lois merely seems fascinated by Superman's physical appearance and everything he is capable of doing. In contrast to that, she seems entirely ignorant of Clark. While this can often be the case for superhero romances, this one just seemed to lack the importance emotional connection. It was difficult for me to completely buy into the idea of these characters as a couple because it comes across as a strictly physically attraction with little-to-no depth carrying it.

And let's not forget to mention the hamstrung, convoluted plot by Lex Luthor. I understand this movie is intentionally campy, but his real estate scheme just seems overly complicated and unnecessary. The financial incentive driving his ideas are sound, but the whole thing is ridiculous. Also, I thought it was odd that a billionaire would only have two incompetent stooges running errands on his behalf. Shouldn't he be able to employ literally as many criminals as he'd like to help him carry out his scheme? 

It'll probably be blasphemy to suggest this, but I also found the beginning portion to be really dull at times considering I was already familiar with the origins of the character. The lack of any action sequences or notable character development whatsoever really accentuated this. As an audience member, I rarely felt like I was accompanying Kal-El in his journey to become Superman. Instead, I felt like the casual observer able to see these events since there are portions of Kal-El's origin that are omitted. 

Now I realize all of that may have made it sound like I hated what many hold up as one of the most iconic superhero films, but I felt elaborating on my criticisms would better explain some of my issues with the problematic storytelling. The elements that do work, work exceptionally well. The visual effects, while aged, held up much better than I could have imagined and it's clear how revolutionary these developments were for the time. When Superman's flying, you really believe it. Although, some green screen backgrounds really stood out in contrast to the practical sets (which hefty balance an alien aesthetic with a futuristic facade). John William's exuberant score also amplifies the events, interjecting a sense of wonder and grandiosity as per usual. It's simply always been a delight to listen to his spirited Superman theme as the Man of Steel carries out his acts of heroism.

It's moments like Clark running to a phone booth so he change into his Superman get-up, only to find pay phone in its place that make Superman truly special. The self-awareness and passing nods to things fans of Superman are familiar with that make the film immensely entertaining at times. 

What really holds everything together though is Christopher Reeve's dual-portrayal of Kal-El. Reeve embodies all the exemplary attributes of both Clark Kent and Superman, imbuing dorkish sensibilities to each character. Clark is a little geeky and squeamish, while Superman flies about speaking about truth, justice, and the American way with the upmost confidence. It's really impressive how Reeve was able to authentically deliver on two fronts, considering a mis-step could have easily caused one to come off as a complete caricature. 

All the while, Margot Kidder feels relegated to the damsel-in-distress archetype as Lois Lane, a terrible trend that's only just recently coming undone in the landscape of comic book movies. Kidder plays the role adequately, but the writing behind her character causes Lois to come off as a bit dimwitted. Just look how she's interviewing while failing to watch the road in front of her... There's also the bit where she seems to be inept at spelling... I find it incredibly hard to believe that an accomplished journalist, such as herself, would have difficulty spelling the words "massacre" or "rapist."

The remaining cast members fall in the categories "Take-it" or "Leave it" as they're fairly inconsistent across the board. Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor deftly balances the appropriate amounts of menace and Bond-villain-esque absurdity. His henchman and henchwoman, played by Ned Beatty and Valerie Perrine, don't ever overcome their character's stilted incompetence and primarily play the roles for laughs. Marlon Brando's monotonous monologues as Jor-El compound the sluggish pacing, and it's apparent he was uninterested in the role and just took it for a nice pay-day. 

Superman eventually gets off the ground, but it takes some time. Thankfully once Superman gets flying, the film is a delight thanks to groundbreaking special effects, an uplifting score, and a convincing performance that ties it all together. Superman may not fly quite as high as some of the more recent comic book adaptations, but it still manages to soar up, up, and away as one of the most influential!

Film Assessment: B

Star Wars Speculation: Balancing The Force

Welcome to my second installment of Star Wars Speculation! I aim to make this a series where I discuss something in the realm of Star Wars once a week. I'm still currently debating exactly what day I should upload these, so don't expect to see a trend in posting for awhile, but the topics will change radically from week-to-week and will remain focused on something within the realm of Star Wars. Today's topic is "Balancing The Force," and I will be providing my interpretation of the "Chosen One" prophecy.

"Balancing The Force"

To kick things off, I suppose I ought to explain the Chosen One Prophecy itself. The prophecy of the Chosen One was a Jedi legend introduced in The Phantom Menace that foretold the coming of a being who "would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force." The ideology behind Chosen One prophecies have a firm foundation in countless fictional worlds. In the context of the Star Wars universe, it was believed to refer to Anakin Skywalker. However, I have another theory that I believe connects the entire Star Wars Saga.

[I'm going to recap the Anakin's arc through the prequels really quick for those who need a refresher or are confused about how Darth Vader could possibly be considered to be the Chosen One. Those proficient in their Star Wars lore, feel free to skip over this.]

Quick Prequel Recap: Anakin's Rise & Fall

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jin was convinced Anakin was the Chosen One due to Anakin's off-the charts Midi-chlorian count, but the Jedi Council remained apprehensive to admit the boy into the Order because of his age and the fear that lurked within him. However after Qui-Gon's death, the Council reversed its decision and admitted Skywalker to the Order, appointing Obi Wan Kenobi as his mentor.

There were those within the Order, such as Mace Windu, who doubted Skywalker's status, but his exceptional skills and strength with the force were acknowledged by all. Once the Clone Wars began, Skywalker became a Jedi General and quickly rose through the ranks of the Order. Eventually, at Chancellor Palpatine's behest, he was appointed to the Council as a personal representative of the Chancellor. However, the Council refused to grant Skywalker the rank of Jedi Master despite allowing him to sit on the Council. 

This limitation, along with numerous other factors, lead Anakin to become steadily seduced by the dark side. Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to Anakin as the Sith Lord manipulating the Clone Wars (Lord Sidious) and promised to have the ability to save Padmé from dying in childbirth (something Anakin had seen in a vision). Skywalker was very conflicted at first, but reported the revelation to Mace Windu. 

Windu was accompanied by Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tin, and Age Kolar to arrest the Chancellor. Sidious quickly disposed of the three Jedi accompanying Windu, so the confrontation became a one-on-one duel. Windu got the upper hand as Sidius lost his saber, and held him at bay when Skywalker arrived. Windu declared that Sidious was too dangerous to be kept alive, but Anakin disagreed because the idea Sidious could save Padmé had taken hold in his mind. As Windu tried to strike him down, Anakin intervened and disarmed Windu. Windu was then hit with Sidious' full force-lightning and flew out the window to his implied demise (although, there's still technically no official canon confirmation that the fall killed him).

After this, Anakin pledged himself to serve under Palpatine and henceforth be known as Darth Vader. Vader was then ordered to march on the Jedi temple alongside legions of Clone Troopers and kill all Jedi inside. Palpatine issued Order 66 to all Republic Clone Troopers as an executive order to kill their Jedi generals. Those with a chip implant then turned on the Jedi, but the mechanics behind that warrants explanation in another article. 

The Case against Anakin's status as the Chosen One

So clearly Anakin's turn to the dark side seems like it would negate the possibility of Anakin being the Chosen One. Obi Wan states as much in Revenge Of The Sith when he says "You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness." However, you've got to take into account that this is the way things look from a certain point-of-view.

How Anakin did fulfill the Prophecy

Contrary to popular belief, I think Order 66 does factor into the prophecy. At the time he marched on the temple, there were thousands of Jedi and only two Sith. While Order 66 didn't wipe out EVERY Jedi immediately as evidenced in Canon by the revelation numerous Jedi survived (ie. Ahsoka, Kanan, etc.), I think the dwindling numbers and secluded remnants did actually start to bring some balance between the light and dark side of the Force. 

By the time of Return Of The Jedi, we know with the upmost certainty that Luke was the last Jedi remaining. The Jedi Order was reduced to only Luke once Yoda passed on, so at that point the Force was unbalanced again since there were two Sith (Sidious and Vader) and one Jedi (Luke) left. 

Ultimately, Vader does fulfill the entirety of the prophecy when he intervenes between the Emperor's torture of Luke. When Vader throws his master into the second Death Star's reactor, his suit takes a substantial amount of damage from Sidious' force lightning. Therefore, his respirator is impaired, so he also dies as a result and the Sith are no more. Anakin destroyed the Sith and balanced the Force. Mystery solved, right? Not quite...

My Interpretation of the Prophecy 

I have reason to suspect that the Chosen One Prophecy doesn't exclusively refer to one individual (despite the name's obvious numerical restriction), but rather multiple individuals who factor into balancing the light and dark sides of the Force. I realize this sounds ridiculous, but I believe I've unearthed enough evidence spread throughout the facets of Star Wars canon to support my theory.

The Belief there was Another

As I alluded to earlier, Obi Wan no longer believed Anakin to be the Chosen One after Skywalker's fall to the dark Side. Obi Wan seemed to trust that Luke would be the one to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force at that point. 

This idea is confirmed in an episode of Star Wars Rebels where Darth Maul tracks Obi Wan to Tatooine, and is defeated in a brief duel with Kenobi. As Maul dies, Kenobi cradles him in his arms and Maul asks "Tell me... Is he the chosen one?" Kenobi replies definitively saying "He is." It's a brief part of the episode and Kenobi's only appearance on the series thus far, but enough evidence to me that Kenobi surely put all his faith that Luke was the Chosen One. 

It makes total sense when you look at the events of A New Hope, as Kenobi is so careful in how he explains to Luke everything that happened to Anakin and appears to have complete trust in Luke. 

Yoda, on the other hand, seems to have been prepared for the possibility that either of the Skywalker twins could be the Chosen One. This is echoed most in the saga when Kenobi's Force spirit says "He is our last hope" and Yoda responds that "There is another," referring to Leia of course. 

The Balance is undone

So why do I think the Chosen One Prophecy is still applicable? Well... The state galaxy isn't exactly balanced anymore... While I think Anakin brought a temporary balance to the galaxy, there's still an ongoing war between the light and dark. This part of my discussion is largely speculation since we don't really have too many concrete facts about the story between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, but I think there's just enough evidence currently to support my idea. 

I feel like potential Chosen Ones that fit my theory for this Star Wars sequel trilogy are Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren. Luke played a hand in bringing balance to the Force as he was the driving force behind Vader's redemption, but we've yet to see how he'll factor into The Last Jedi. I have reason to believe that Luke will be the key behind the entire idea of balancing the Force. People have been quick to point out Luke's darker attire and looming presence in the back of The Last Jedi posters as signs he could be going dark, but I think it points to something else... 

This theater standee for The Last Jedi features Luke on both sides, one clearly representing the light side and the other representing the dark side. I think people are getting a little wrapped up in the dark side argument because they're so convinced he will go dark at this point. Instead, I believe, this represents the idea that this version of Luke we will meet will have a very different set of ideals and will dwell in the middle. Kylo Ren clearly undid everything Luke was working towards in regards to a new Jedi Order, and tipped the scales back towards the dark Side again in doing-so. Perhaps this catastrophe was the tipping point for Luke to realize that something in the DNA of the Jedi Order was fundamentally flawed, considering two Skywalker's had successfully dwindled the Order. 

There's a concept that's been subtly implanted into the new Star Wars canon known as "Gray Jedi," or simply force wielders that walk the line between light and dark. In the first trailer for The Last Jedi, the entire theme of the trailer seemed to revolve around balance, with the word "balance" even slipping into Rey's voice-over as she discussed seeing "light... darkness... a balance." I believe all of this is pointing towards the idea that Luke will want to found a Gray Jedi Order to replace the traditional Order. I think that's the entire point of Luke's shocking voiceover from that trailer where he says "I only know one thing... It's time for the Jedi to end." I believe this will be Luke's attempt to achieve a true balance of the Force. Whether he does it by himself or needs the assistance of Rey or Kylo Ren remains to be seen, but keep in mind that this is only just speculation so take it with a grain of salt. I could be entirely off-base, but that's just the idea that I've had swirling around in my head for a while. I suppose we'll wait in 56 days to see if I was right when Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15, 2017!

I hope you've all enjoyed reading my thoughts on this topic, and let me know if you have any ideas for Star Wars related topics I can discuss.

-May the force be with you, always!