Film Review: Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends
2022
David Gordon Green
5/10

Following the shitshow that was Halloween Kills, and ending it in a way that all but had Michael killed, it was really tough to imagine how the David Gordon Green trilogy was going to wrap things up. As each film somewhat paid tribute in some degree or another to the original three Carpenter films respectively, there was no way they were going to make Halloween Ends reflect Season Of The Witch. But man, they kind of did!

Ok, not really, that was more of a joke about the fact that most of this movie has very little to do with Michael Myers. What is true is that it created such a massive divide between fans, much like the original third film did, and I imagine in a decade or so this will gain a cult following much like Halloween III. Unfortunately, I don't have nearly as much praise to give Halloween Ends as I do the Silver Shamrock side story. Don't read me wrong, as my reasons for struggling here aren't because of the typical nonsense complaints it gets around being "too different" or "not even about Michael" or "them killing him and making him weak was stupid" or "Corey Cunningham was an awful character." I actually appreciate all of those things, and the direction that the story took. I like that it almost gave the remaining characters a new start with a breath of fresh air, bringing on a new antagonist that starts out as the protagonist, and gradually changes in a similar vein to Walter White. You pity the guy, then you hate him. The concept of teaming up with a weakened Michael Myers is very interesting, and there are some neat parallels with the Carpenter classic Christine with taking a town outcast that gets a vehicle and a girl and starts murdering others. 

However, I don't think the execution was very good. The relationship forged between Allyson and Corey is paced ridiculously fast, and while yes, it somewhat needed to be that way for brevity, it was extremely awkward. Building up to the "burn it to the ground" schtick felt far too corny for what the film was trying to do, and Allyson as a character is far less likeable this time around. The same can honestly be said about Laurie and Deputy Hawkins' weird encounter at the store, which is basically forgotten about until the very end. I really struggle to buy the dialogue with the kids that end up bullying Corey, and how jarring the mood changes from their first encounter as well as Laurie's with the grave keeper's sister. The way that the Haddonfield citizens handle Allyson and Corey in public every damn time seems way too far-fetched, from Nurse Deb's stupid comments to Allyson's ex confrontation with Corey at the cafe. The ceremonious-type ending with all of Haddonfield showing up? Come on. Even Allyson driving away crying at the end, and minutes later being back, totally fine, forgetting that Corey even existed as the final Michael encounter wraps up was tough to take seriously. In general, I guess it's safe to say the pacing as a whole is awkward, feels so forced at times, and much of this is packed with unnecessary stuff that hurts otherwise good characters. 

The irony of taking an unrealistic concept such as The Shape seriously while not overlooking all of these things isn't lost on me, but 2018's Halloween made this foreign enigma feel very real, while everything here didn't. I enjoy the goofiness of the Thorn Trilogy sequels, as they fit the vibe of those movies, but this trilogy is totally different, and is less about the festive charm and more about the plot. Moreover, some of this is just tough to make sense of. For one, how the hell did Laurie know that Corey was close by, when she went to set up that fake suicide trap? How did two shots to the chest and a neck stab not kill Corey, but Michael twisting his head does? I know that Michael sort of has that indestructible element to him (until he doesn't), but nobody else is really granted that. Especially when the beginning implies Corey's intro to be part of all sorts of other completely human-made tragedies from the "madness" that now haunts Haddonfield, removed entirely from The Shape. Again, come on.

With that massive block of complaints and issues out of the way, I can still come around and say that I enjoy watching this, and I see it in the same way that I see Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers. My issues with that are nearly the exact same as the issues I have here. Ridiculous pacing, extremely awkward dialogue, scenes that I just cannot buy, etc. Yet I still enjoy watching that one and this one in the same way. They're a lot of fun, they both introduce an interesting idea, and tucked in the cracks of Halloween Ends is all sorts of things I can appreciate, outside of the ideas themselves. The tongue gag on the record player (pun intended) was incredible. Ronald is a fantastic character, and I enjoy every scene with him. In fact, I'd have traded all sorts of the other schlock for some more relationship development between him and Corey. The bar scene where Laurie discusses Corey with Jeremy's father was really well done, and tied wonderfully into the theme around the same evil in Michael's eye's being in Corey's; it actually felt very realistic. And really, I do enjoy much of the final showdown with Michael once Corey is suddenly forgotten about without so much as another acknowledgement. Had only Allyson, Laurie, and Deputy Hawkins carried the body to the junkyard, that ending would have felt far nicer. At least closing with the classic Blue Oyster Cult tune was neat.

So at the end of the day, I'm pretty much 50/50 on this one. The idea of it is great, and it's easily the furthest the franchise has divorced itself from the 1978 film outside of Halloween III, but for everything I enjoy about it, I find something I dislike about it. A good idea is executed poorly, or a poor idea is pleasing in some ironic way. I guess at least it helps further humanize The Shape into nothing more than the simple deranged man that the 2018 film stressed, just with superhuman strength and a struggle to take down to match his representation of fear. If nothing else, I am glad that this at least did something that felt original, rather than just giving us another fan service crock of bullshit that the prior one did.

Film Review: Halloween Kills

Halloween Kills
2021
David Gordon Green
3/10

Considering how well the direct sequel to Halloween went forty years following, there were a lot of directions that Halloween Kills could have gone. The biggest question was how in the hell Michael Myers gets out of that burning inferno that was Laurie's self-made prison, but this is resolved rather quickly. Sticking to paying nods to the former sequels, this one also takes place on the exact same night as 2018's Halloween, with the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital playing a large role in the plot. So what really could go wrong?

Unfortunately, just about everything. If the former film did everything to avoid falling into trap after trap of the typical slasher, this one seems like it did everything it could to do exactly that. Incompetent characters who's deaths could have easily been avoided are all over the place. Characters from the 1978 film are all back in full flesh, sheerly for the sake of pleasing the nostalgia crowd, only for almost all of them to get killed brutally anyway. Tommy, Lindsey, Sheriff Bracket, Lonnie, and Marion all make a comeback, and only Lindsey survives. You get these weird fan-service speeches by them at the beginning, as if we needed them to explain who each character is, and they talk as if none of them had seen each other in the last forty years, and suddenly all met up at this bar. These characters would have been better as little cameos worked in on their own, rather than being the center of a half-baked plot. Outside of fan service, the entire film is practically held-up by showing some of the goriest kills we've seen from The Shape, one after another, without much of any real plot other then Michael going through Haddonfield to get back to his house. I said that the kills in Halloween were merely an afterthought that worked within the actual plot, in Halloween Kills that basically is the plot!

It doesn't stop there. The side plot we get to intersect all of this is the one following the other escaped patient that gets caught up in the mayhem, who just happens to wind up at the hospital where the angry mob is (because we all know that that's where an angry mob would congregate and cause all sorts of chaos, right?). Not only is this angle completely pointless, being nothing more than a distraction, but it's not even fun, charming, or worth the stupidity the way it is in the likes of the thorn trilogy. Adding insult to injury, there's the ridiculous "evil dies tonight" chant that leads us all the way up to the escaped inmate's suicide. There really are no real characters introduced that we can follow or grow any kind of attachment to, as basically everybody is simply fodder to be fed to the gore machine. Several of the kills seem to just be Michael drawing them out as another person watches, such as the grave keeper watching him kill her husband at the beginning, or Allyson watching Cameron get his head dragged through railing posts. Karen was never one of my favorite characters in the film before this, one of my very few complaints about it, but she's far more annoying here. I really didn't even care for the showdown at the end, as the mob beats Michael to smithereens, only for him to stand back up, murder most of the crowd, and disappear as Laurie gives a speech on how the fear powers him. I guess maybe that's a nod towards Carpenter's original idea for Halloween 4, where he physically grows larger as the town is more afraid? That would be neat, except for the fact that the next film disregards that entirely.

There is only one real saving grace here, as well as a little side gag that's somewhat fun. Little John and Big John, a gay couple living in the Myers house, was all sorts of entertaining despite how silly it was. On a more objective level, however, the first fifteen minutes of this are incredible. Cameron finding the injured deputy, and throwing back to 1978 to see the aftermath of Loomis firing six shots into Michael was not only a genius idea, but was executed wonderfully. It was extremely visually pleasing, using the lighting schemes and music from the original film to fell more authentic, and the accuracy of the mask as well as the setting was very much on par. Tying Hawkins to Michael's character was a nice touch, and they way they pulled that off in the flashback was absolutely stellar. It's truly a shame, because such a strong opening makes the rest of the film feel like an even bigger let-down.

Halloween Kills is something that I could equate to Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker. It's fan service by-the-numbers in every way possible, acting as an insult to half of the audience while bowing down to the other. You basically have to look for the worthwhile things, and almost all of those are found in the very beginning. It's visually pleasing, but there is zero charm, no real plot, no new characters to follow or care about, including the ones we did care about in the prior film. It's like if we took all of the ridiculous things from the other sequels, stripped away the element of fun that they had, and smashed them all together for one giant gorefest of a film with no backbone.

Film Review: Halloween (2018)

Halloween
2018
David Gordon Green
9/10

Considering that it's now been almost seven years since the release of the latest direct-sequel to the original Halloween film, I'd imagine that it has had plenty of time and rewatches for me to dive into it on a deeper level. While I'm a sucker for some of the original sequels in the '80s, it was neat to see a whole trilogy drop in real time throughout my twenties, in a scope far more in line with John Carpenter's true vision of The Shape from 1978. 1981's Halloween II may have been written by Carpenter, but it was more of a reluctant choice (one that I'm still happy we have).

Nothing will top the original movie, and holding the same place on my scale will always sit Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (one that was also more in line with Carpenter's original plans of an anthology series). But after many years of revisiting Halloween from 2018, I can safely say that this is the runner-up for me, and the only one since Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers that I view several times around the spooky season. The earlier sequels are all sorts of fun, feeling festive, visually appealing, and packed with endless charm, but I'd be hard pressed to say they're really unique or well-written; that's not even to say that they're poorly written, but calling them great may be a misfire. But the 2018 sequel of the same name manages to sidestep that description.

For starters, the plot itself has a refreshing feel to it, rather than simply being another onslaught of kills that the typical slasher builds itself around (they saved that for Halloween Kills three years later). Rather, the killing and the brutality of this film is merely an afterthought, and while some of the gore here definitely has that frightening shock to it, I still wouldn't describe it as over the top. Instead of jump-scares and Rob Zombie-like overloaded blood, those elements of shock tend to be implied, or they lie within something around the aftermath of the kill. My personal favorite example would be the off-screen one that you get of the gas station attendant, when it shows his mutilated face, with minimal blood in exchange for an eerie, dead expression with the mouth agape. The few drawn-out ones have more of a point, such as Michael taking out Dana Haines in the dingy bathroom, or the slow leadup to Dr. Ranbir getting his face stepped-on.

More important than the execution of the kills is the way the plot itself is carried out, somewhat working as three parallel stories that eventually meet each other at some point or another. On one hand, you have the aforementioned Dr. Ranbir's obsession with Michael, showing not only a soft spot for The Shape, but actively sees him as a project of his own, implying that he's to blame for the bus accident leading to Michael's escape. Then you have the Laurie Strode angle, which directly follows her traumatic experience from the classic film, and how it affects every aspect of her life. Her family has a complicated, somewhat non-existent relationship with her, she's locked away living in paranoia behind all sorts of security and weapons, and like the doctor, almost has an obsession with Michael, portraying herself in a way that almost feels like she wanted him to escape. There's a parallel to be drawn between the two characters, but that's an article of its own. She could then personally take on her demon, potentially bringing closure to her conflict that has haunted her for four decades. And then finally, perhaps the "main" plot is Allyson's encounters, which start as nothing beyond a teenager trying to get through the Halloween season without her family drama bringing her down, while partaking in the partying and debauchery that a young mind may want to indulge in. All three of these are paced wonderfully, collide with each other at the perfect time, and end up resolving themselves in a way that made sense. Michael's somewhat short-lived killing spree is shown for the purpose of divorcing The Shape from Laurie, reverting him back to the character he was in the first film; a deranged psychopath that escaped a mental institution that's simply out to stalk and kill. This is one of the real selling points, as one could assume he even forgot about Laurie until she, ironically, put herself in front of his proverbial shotgun.

It helps that Halloween is pretty self-aware, and has likeable characters. The tropes of sex, drugs, and booze hardly make it onto the screen. Allyson fills the shoes of the original Laurie Strode type character as the one who doesn't partake, but even those that do, it's either minimally shown or is the cause of a problem, not represented as the norm (see Allyson's fight with Cameron over it). There are also loads of nods to the original sequels, from re-using names like "Mr. Elrod", to Silver Shamrock masks, to the daytime bathroom kill, or the older woman cutting ham, and so forth. Joke lines and tongue-in-cheek dialogue that doesn't feel too on-the-nose make their way in, such as Laurie referring to Ranbir as "the new Loomis." Making the Nelson family realistic people that the audience could relate to, while working in old recordings of Dr. Loomis and little snippets of day to day life seal these things up nicely. Something I also can't overlook is how incredible the opening scene is. The unsuspecting journalists that in what we could assume a mental asylum setting would look like in the modern age was a solid way of setting this up, before adding in suspense with the holding of the mask scene, and the reactions of the other patients building it with the score.

And that, of course, brings us to the last factor, the general feel. The score in this is really well written, working in the classic theme with new touches and a modern energy in the new tunes, and everything is visually pleasing as well. As much as I may be a fan of the goofy Halloween 4 mask, reworking the original one was absolutely the right move. The neighborhood feels like something you could find in any suburban U.S. town, Laurie's home for the final showdown is a beautiful setting to end things off with, and modern production and newer minds once again lets things feel very realistic. I won't pretend this film is without flaw, as some of Oscar's scenes, and the teens' dialogue were rather dumb, but all of this type of thing is kept to a minimum, and I don't think any nitpick straight up spoiled any scenes. The worst parts of this occur about halfway through with the babysitting scenes, working almost as comedic relief over anything else, or perhaps a cheap way of bringing Laurie's plot and the doctor's together.

But at the end of the day, I can't knock this very hard for that. The importance of stressing Michael's detachment to Laurie and the stark contrast of her attachment to him is one of the key parts of linking this back to the classic film. It's far more of a slasher than the original ever was, but not in a way that's trashy or over the top, and it isn't what holds the movie together. Rather, the characters, the settings, the smart placement of events, the narratives, the even pacing, and jarring tactics are what do that. No hate for the original sequels, but this is easily the best one that isn't Halloween III.

Rank And Style: Lego Star Wars (The Complete Saga)

Man, will I never forget the excitement of Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga coming out. I was only in sixth grade, and we bought a Nintendo Wii just for it. Some games don’t really age well into adulthood, but man, over the years, it’s not only proved to age wonderfully, but I’m also finding a large amount of people admitting they loved it as much as me. As a huge fan of the game even in my adult life, I figured it’s about time my “I must write about everything” brain could exercise its muscles for something new. I’ve decided to sit down and rank all thirty-six levels of the game, from worst to best with a score out of five. At the end, we’ll tally that up and see which episodes fared the best overall. Before we begin, let’s describe some rubric related things.

How much I like the level depends on several factors; creativity, how smooth task progression is, which enemies you face, the aesthetic looks (including cut-scenes), and just overall how worthwhile it is for the amount of time it takes. There are a few notes to keep in mind. My liking of a level may not correlate with how much I like the depicted scene from a movie, as adaptation can be clunky. I’m also considering this from a one-player perspective, so getting stuck using R2-D2 the entire level won’t be factored. This also ignores the bonus levels and bonus materials, including minikits, power bricks, studs, etc; we’re strictly looking at the level itself from start to finish in story mode. Oh, and we’re judging based off of this game’s versions, so changes from the two games prior will not be considered. I will also warn you, I’m not a huge fan of space/vehicle missions, so there will be a heavy bias against a lot of them. With all of that in mind, let’s dive in!

Scale:
1/5: Not a good level, and I sometimes dread playing it

2/5: Some notable parts, but much of the level can be a slog

3/5: A good level with a few gripes at worst, or a spot or two that hurts it

4/5: A great level the whole way through with perhaps one nitpick

5/5: A perfect level

E5L1: Hoth Battle - 1/5 

As I said, I have a bit of a bias against many of the flying levels, but Hoth Battle has a few extra points against it. Needing to drag the explosives for so many parts of this is extremely annoying, and flying the snow-speeder is anything but user-friendly. Needing to time the AT-ATs and deal with the probes throwing you off adds even more layers of frustration. If anything, it would have been better to do some ground battle with a little bit of flight, and maybe end it with using Luke to blow up the AT-AT. I dread this one every time.

E2L1: Bounty Hunter Pursuit - 1/5 

While Bounty Hunter Pursuit isn’t as annoying, the level’s flow is extremely boring, with virtually nothing going on save for flying through traffic until you reach Zam Wessel at the end. Even that ending is pretty underwhelming once you finally catch up. I understand that Episode II has very little to work with, but this absolutely could have been replaced with some ground antics going after Zam.

E5L3: Falcon Flight - 1/5 

Here’s an issue that both Episode II and Episode V have; there should be only one flight mission per episode, and they each have two! Falcon Flight is not only boring, but somewhat stupid, being an aimless flight through a bunch of asteroids after duking it out with some star destroyers. This film has more action to work with, so it’s less excusable. The Hoth level should have been ground, and this should have been the only flight, at best. Though I’d argue there’s room for more Bespin or Hoth stuff in general.

E2L5: Gunship Cavalry - 1/5 

And the other Episode II one, another boring trudge that could have easily had ground battle along with the vehicle-use. Gunship Cavalry also has the annoying aforementioned drag-explosives, and the lasers really make it that much more frustrating. The old version of this level was honestly better, if only by a little. Boring and difficult are a bad combo. 

E5L4: Dagobah - 1/5 

This is why you can’t judge my ranking based off of the scene. I’m dragging Empire pretty hard here, and unfortunately there isn’t a lot you can do with the Yoda scenes, despite it being a great part of the actual film. Dagobah is simply a run through the marshes while Luke learns the force along the way, and killing a bunch of bats and snakes really isn’t very interesting. Even the Darth Vader vision battle couldn’t really save it.

E1L4: Mos Espa Podrace - 2/5 

Admittedly, Mos Espa Podrace improves from its original makeup on this rendition, and it can be kinda fun from time to time blasting through all of the obstacles. But it gets very frustrating near the last lap, having to start it over every time if you don’t finish first. I’ve gotten good over the years, and I guess I understand the level’s importance, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

E6L3: Speeder Showdown - 2/5 

Speeder Showdown comes down to how ridiculous the actual speeder bike parts are. There is absolutely no reason for needing to repeat that process so many times, let alone how hard it is to not only avoid all of the obstacles, but also hit the scout troopers. The parts on either end of the level are fine, but the repetition and irritation of the bulk of this gets on my nerves very fast. It could have benefited from cutting back on the chasing.

E3L4: Defense Of Kashyyyk - 2/5 

Simply put, Defense Of Kashyyyk should have been replaced with the actual battle of Kashyyyk. This level is long and has a lot of tedious moments, from the constant regenerating droids, to the endless enemies on the beach. The fact that the clones and droids don’t still shoot each other also bothers me more than it should. The beginning parts up in the treehouse bases are fun, but after that, the level tanks. I think this should be how the level ended, and the rest of if was the actual warfare.

E3L3: General Grievous - 2/5 

The issue with General Grievous is less the concept and more the execution. It’s so short, and the entire fight takes place on one platform. This not only should have opened with the actual Utapau battle, but also had several phases of fighting General Grievous. My complaints are more around what it isn’t, than what it is. Episode III has so much action to work with (and so much that got skipped entirely), that it’s rather inexcusable. Also, why the hell did they have him kill Commander Cody at the end?

E6L6: Into The Death Star - 2/5 

Circling back to the space levels, Into The Death Star is a fine level to end on, and it really just comes down to my biases here. It’s a great leap better than the Episode II and V space levels, but again, a lot of it is flying through tubes, trying to shoot targets and not get hit by obstacles and tie fighters. Not much you can do about it, I guess.

E4L6: Rebel Attack - 3/5 

And by extension, Rebel Attack gets the same treatment. This is slightly more fun, as it takes place on the surface and leaves a little more room for creativity and flight space, but it’s easily still the worst part of Episode IV. 

E1L5: Retake Theed Palace - 3/5

Retake Theed Palace is a neat and necessary level, and I love the way this one looks. The progression from room to room through the city feels organic and its mechanics are neat. It can be cumbersome at times to constantly swap between characters, and I do think it’s a bit long, but neither of these factors are a hindrance to the whole picture.

E3L5: Ruin Of The Jedi - 3/5 

I’ll admit, part of the reason why Ruin Of The Jedi  isn’t higher is because of the “disguised clones.” Why they thought that was a good idea is beyond me, but the rest of the level is fun enough. Playing through the mess in the Jedi Temple to kill clones is fun, and while I think maybe this should have ended with the Darth Sidious battle, what’s here is decent.

E1L2: Invasion Of Naboo - 3/5 

Invasion Of Naboo is pretty neat. The jungle trudging is far better here than in other levels, and the droids and gungans running amok is a neat touch. The back half of the level can go on a bit more than it should, but overall, this is a pretty fun play.

E2L2: Discovery On Kamino - 3/5

I have to hand it to them; for how little there was to work with on Discovery On Kamino, a pretty decent level came of it. The turrets worked organically, and the chase through the hallways and rooms are visually pleasing in every way. The final showdown with Jango is also fun. While not the most interesting level, I find it to be quite enjoyable for what it actually is.

E6L4: The Battle Of Endor - 3/5 

Again, being a bit on the longer side with repetitive open fields is gonna knock a few points off. That out of the way, The Battle Of Endor is like an improved version of the Kashyyyk level. The rest of this is still quite fun, and the way they depict moving towards the base was solid. The puzzles we solve to move through are oddly satisfying, and visually, things are neat as well. Just a bit much at times.

E1L3: Escape From Naboo - 4/5 

This is the preferred Naboo battle level. Escape From Naboo did a good job of stretching a really short scene, with user-friendly missions and solid visuals of the buildings. I would have maybe ended it with the hangar, however, instead of them simply dropping down to close it out. It’s also a little strange that the Jedi mysteriously disappear and reappear, but I guess they needed a blaster-focused level.

E3L1: Battle Over Coruscant - 4/5 

Battle Over Coruscant is the single only space mission that I truly love. The guided path through all of the war torn space regions is very creative between battling small ships as well as breaking through large ones. It’s straightforward, and the flight of the ships themselves is user-friendly. The literal only reason why it isn’t a 5 is because Episode III has so much action cut out, and giving this an entire level probably could have gone elsewhere. There are two Palpatine battles, and other nuances that get skipped, unfortunately.

E4L5: Death Star Escape - 4/5 

Death Star Escape is also a pretty strong level, and the only reason it isn’t perfect is because it has little variance from the one before it when they entered the death star. Obviously they needed to fill six levels, so I can’t be too harsh, but it really just comes down to “there’s a better version of this.” It would have also been nice to be able to partake in Obi-Wan’s final battle with Darth Vader, since this entire episode has no lightsaber duels.

E2L3: Droid Factory - 4/5 

Talk about a fun scene brought to a fun level! Droid Factory utilizes the mechanics of the scene to its advantage, making for one of the best platforming levels and loads of visually appealing motions. Having a strong role for every character also helps, and the only real issue is that the depth perception can be really frustrating at times. Otherwise, this is smooth from start to finish.

E5L2: Escape From Echo Base - 4/5 

If there’s a Hoth level worth playing, this is it. Escape From Echo Base uses strong effects to show the collapse of the base, with spurts of snowtroopers coming in to shake it up. The little puzzles are neat in relation to the icy caves, and the snowy effects themselves bring plenty of life to the level. The only thing that could have added effect would have maybe had more background battling between rebel and empire forces. But that’s just a note on what isn’t here. What is here is great!

E2L6: Count Dooku - 4/5 

The final boss of Episode II is a lot of fun, and all it really needed was a little more substance. Perhaps more droid fighting and puzzles leading up to the end would have been helpful. Count Dooku is visually appealing, and the mechanics of the fight itself are neat. The way of introducing Yoda partway through in a cutscene was a strong touch, and the room itself was depicted wonderfully.

E4L2: Through The Jundland Wastes - 4/5

Through The Jundland Wastes is an incredible depiction of the harsh, sandy climate of Tatooine, offering so much to play through. Fighting sandpeople, exploring through a Sandcrawler, and capping off by killing stormtroopers was planned wonderfully. The ins-and-outs may go on a little longer than they should at some points, but the playability of this level is so accessible. Really, they needed a lot of room to make this fit.

E6L5: Jedi Destiny - 4/5 

It may simply be a lightsaber duel and nothing else, but Jedi Destiny does my favorite part of the whole franchise great justice. It may seem strange that Darth Vader allies with you before the fight, but I suppose shaking the plot a bit to make the level flow better can’t be complained about too much. The puzzles involving Palpatine's lightning, the breaks with imperial guards, and the way the entire throne room worked to keep things moving was wonderful. Other than the logistics of the characters itself, this is perfect; if nothing else, they could have made it a battle against Vader, and then The Emperor.

E6L1: Jabba’s Palace - 5/5

Arguably one of the strongest openers of any film, Jabba’s Palace captures all of the alleys, halls, and rooms of the mighty Hutt’s palace beautifully. I also love the imagination used to show all of the heroes sneaking their way in. Closing off with a rancor fight was pulled off wonderfully, and the gamorrean guards made for fun enemies to fight. Strong progression in every way.

E2L4: Jedi Battle - 5/5

Though a shorter one, this game made great use of the stadium with Jedi Battle. Similar to fighting the Emperor, the entire level takes place in one area, but that area is milked for everything it’s got. All of the background battle with the jedi, the tasks for rescuing the main players, and the spurts of droid attacks worked wonders to keep things moving. Ending with the Jango Fett battle was a good move too, as if Mace Windu isn’t fun enough to use as is.

E1L1: Negotiations - 5/5

It’s always good to start a game on a strong note, and Negotiations does just that. This is a course through halls near droid hangars, and the way the controls are introduced are fantastic without feeling like a tutorial. Moreover, the different stages of fighting droids is timed wonderfully, and I love the open area at the end. The mechanics work wonders, and fighting the droidekas is always a neat way to reach the final section before parting. It may be simple, but it needs nothing more.

E1L6: Darth Maul - 5/5

Wow, talk about dragging a lightsaber fight out in a creative way! Darth Maul is our first taste of this, and its mechanics are remarkable. The movement through Naboo’s interiors not only looks great, but is laid out in a way that feels exactly like the scene’s progression. The rayshield chambers were a solid touch, and the final confrontation with Darth Maul at the end was very much worth the long crawl. 

E6L2: The Great Pit Of Carkoon - 5/5

If moving through Jabba’s palace wasn’t enough, The Great Pit Of Carkoon is even more pleasing visually, and has a lot of background action. The fighting of Boba Fett, skiff guards, and more gamorrean guards keeps you on your toes. Going from vibrant action before cooling off inside the sail barge before emerging at the top could not have been designed better, and the big puzzle room in the middle with the dance floor is something I always look forward to. Flawless level.

E4L3: Mos Eisley Spaceport - 5/5

We’ve reached peak Tatooine with Mos Eisley Spaceport. The day-to-day action of the civilians mixed in with the chaos of the stormtroopers in the sand-city is all a culmination of fun. Each outside stage, to the cantina, and reaching the Falcon progresses smoothly, and the character change is easily one of the most organic in the game. I feel like this was a harder level to come up with, but conceptually, it’s perfect.

E5L6: Betrayal Over Bespin - 5/5

The sad conclusion to the sophomore film is shown wonderfully in Betrayal Over Bespin. Lando’s character is so much fun to use, and the chase after Boba Fett resembles the Jango Fett chase, except enhanced visually and with more action. The scared civilians worked as a neat extra, and the movement from room to room in an attempt to make an escape progresses beautifully. Cloud City is hard to mess up, really.

E3L6: Darth Vader - 5/5

Allowing for two playable characters in a scene that only had a good guy and a bad guy (depending who you ask) took some serious imagination, and Darth Vader nails it. The intense and emotional fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar pulled off all of the effects that made the fight so stressful, and implementing teamwork between little battle cutscenes felt far more organic than it had any right. Every puzzle here is enjoyable, and the final face-off at the end is a rapid battle that I always look forward to. The mechanics here were knocked out of the park.

E4L4: Rescue The Princess - 5/5

This is the level I was referring to earlier. Rescue The Princess has all the visual appeal of the death star escape, but the puzzles here are a little more fun, with the mechanics feeling stronger. The sections of stormtrooper fighting between different rooms and roaming the hallways are placed nicely, and I also just love using the stormtrooper disguises with the outfits. Creative in every way, and beautiful movement from area to area.

E4L1: Secret Plans - 5/5

Another strong first level is Secret Plans, one that lays a great foundation for what to expect. With far more levels based around blasters than lightsabers ahead, we get a good taste of evenly dividing hallways of different sizes with a few open regions that don’t get too heavy handed. Shooting stormtroopers across a long range also feels far more realistic to what the rebels went through, and having them as npc allies is something I can appreciate. This is how you make a long level work wonders.

E5L5: Cloud City Trap - 5/5

The classic first real showdown between Luke Skywalker and his father is presented wonderfully. Cloud City Trap takes off right from his landing, working through a few areas of stormtrooper fighting before the Vader confrontation starts. Several different phases are laid out wonderfully, capturing each aspect of the scene in a different light, throwing in a few chase parts and puzzles to solve. Out of every level based mainly around a lightsaber fight, this is easily the best one. I think the episode should have ended with this level, but placement isn’t being factored here.

E3L2: Chancellor In Peril - 5/5

Chancellor In Peril wins top slot solely for the fact that it has a little bit of basically everything that makes the game amazing. It has the halls, the open spaces, the controlled bursts of enemy droids, droideka ambushes, a shorter lightsaber duel with Count Dooku, and an outro that sees fighting two magna guards. The visuals are pleasing, the movement is organic, the level layout is top-notch, every puzzle is fun, and there’s absolutely nothing to complain about despite how much there is. Episode III had a lot to pack into six measly levels, and this one captured so much, which other levels could have done better with. And of course, being a longer one, it’s well worth your time, not feeling as long as it actually is. 

The Empire Strikes Back - 17/30 

Attack Of The Clones - 18/30

Return Of The Jedi - 21/30

Revenge Of The Sith - 22/30

The Phantom Menace - 22/30

A New Hope - 26/30