Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

It's embarrassing that I never finished my Star Wars original trilogy movie reviews.  But with Episode IX on the horizon, it's time to amend that.

The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980.  Set shortly after A New Hope, the Rebels are on the run after destroying the dreaded Death Star.  They flee to Hoth, an ice planet, and set up shop.  But before long, the Empire hunts them down, forcing them to flee once more.  As they run, Luke is sent on a mission to learn about the Force from Obi-Wan's first teacher: a little green guy named Yoda.  Meanwhile, Han, Leia and company are on a malfunctioning Millenium Falcon, desperately trying to evade Star Destroyers.  They end up visiting an old friend, Lando, on Cloud City.  But surprises await . . . the Empire just might win this round.

Its predecessor had shattered expectations three years prior, so ESB had a lot to live up to.  Widely considered the best of the Star Wars lot, it did so and more.  As before, the effects and worlds were excellently done and a marvel for the time.  The story was good and unexpected- nobody likes to see the bad guys win, but it happens.  And the film featured a shocking revelation about Luke's father, adding to the mystery of the universe.  The only ding I'd give the film is a weird scene on Dagobah, where Luke is training as a Jedi, that doesn't make sense and slows things down.  That aside, this is another winner.

Rating: A

Sir Gawain the True (Gerald Morris)

Sir Gawain the True is a children's retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a classic of English literature and one of the first sources to mention King Arthur.  Sir Gawain needs to learn a lesson- that courtesy is as important as courage- and the Green Knight will be the one to teach him.  Challenging Gawain to a contest, the Green Knight withstands a horrible blow and promises to return the favor the following year.  Gawain knows his death is near . . . but is presented with a way out, if he'd only be deceitful.  What should he do?

This is a great story, well told.  It's lighthearted, almost poking fun at the knights of the Round Table, while remaining entertaining and with a solid message.  A friend recommended this to me; now I do so to you.

Rating: A

A Medieval Castle (Mark Bergin)

A Medieval Castle is a visual guide centering around life in the Middle Ages.  Life around the castle is the focal point- how people lived, supplied the castle, what they ate, etc. 

This book was okay- the illustrations were great and it was informative overall- but I was hoping for more focus on the castle itself, covering how it was designed/constructed in more detail.  Something similar to David Macaulay's Cathedral.  At only 40 pages, it's not going to be comprehensive, but it is a nice introduction for those interested in, or plan to visit, these structures of old.

Rating: B

The Questor Tapes

The Questor Tapes is a 1974 film.  Questor is an android whose programming is incomplete (some tapes were accidentally deleted), leading him to search for his long-missing creator to understand his purpose.  A scientist agrees to help him . . . and what they discover will shock them both.

A movie with clear theological undertones, I enjoyed this one.  The effects are certainly a product of the time, but using an android to look at the human condition was interesting.  I'd love to see what a modern remake would do.

Rating: A-

Charty Party

Today's review is of the 2019 release, Charty Party.  For 3+ players, it takes 30-90 minutes.

Overview
In this party game, players get a hand of seven cards (which defines the y-axis) and take turns being the primary player by displaying a chart (which defines the x-axis and displays a line graph).  The other players secretly choose a card in their hands pertaining to that chart, and the primary player picks the best (or funniest) answer.

example of chart and cards; image from here

See the above example.  The primary player has displayed a chart "pages deep in a google search," with a linear increasing relationship.  The four other players contribute cards for the y-axis.  The primary would then read: "this increases as you go deeper into a google search: hatred of the man, self-doubt, attention span, or thirst for a juice box."  They'd choose the most appropriate or funniest answer, the player whose card was chosen gets a point, and the next player becomes the primary for the next round.  The game ends at the players' discretion (either number of rounds or when all the cards run out).

Review
This is a really funny game, but you need to understand line graphs (it's basically Apples to Apples with charts).  I played with other engineers, and even we had to stop and think through some of them.  There are all different x-axis values (it could be time, political leanings, number of friends, or really anything), and all different lines (linear, parabolic, exponential, etc.), so you really need to take a minute to think through it.  But the combinations can be absolutely hilarious, and the content itself can be comedic gold.  That said, there is a big drawback: adult content.  This is rightly labeled as 17+, for some cards are inappropriate.  That limits (and thus detracts from) an otherwise amazing concept.

Rating: B

Frozen 2

Six years ago, Disney hit a grand slam with Frozen, the phenom that would have people belting "Let it Go" for months (years?) afterwards.  That movie had a lot of good about it, prompting my lengthiest movie post ever.  In Frozen 2, a menace threatens the land.  The enchanted forest, covered in mystery and fog for decades, is calling to Elsa.  She sets off with Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf into what could be mortal danger.  There, she'll learn shocking secrets about the past. Can she set things right?

In a word, this movie is . . . bizarre.  Dark in places, weird in others, it's not nearly as enchanting as the original.  The main message- doing the 'next right thing' even when you're sad, scared, or confused- is excellent, but the music isn't as good as before, the film both plods along and lacks character development, and overall it just feels . . . forced.  Olaf is a highlight, as before, and it's nice to hear Kristoff sing more (even if his musical feature is the strangest part of the film).  The story has some interesting and unexpected elements, but overall, this doesn't quite hit the mark.

Rating: B- 

Sagrada

Today's review is of the 2017 release, Sagrada.  For 2-4 players, it takes 30-45 minutes.

Overview
Sagrada is a dice drafting and placement game.  Each person starts the game with a 5x4 grid of empty slots and a  'stained glass' template, which will limit certain slots to a particular dice color or number.  Three common objectives are drawn and displayed, then one secret objective is taken per player. The rounds then begin.

In a round, the first player randomly draws and rolls 2x+1 dice, where x = the number of players.  Then players draft the dice in 'snake' order (123321 in a three-player game), placing each in their grid based on their template and other general restrictions (like you can't have the same die color or number adjacent to each other).  The leftover die is placed on the round chart.  The first player then passes clockwise and nine further rounds occur.

To help players, there are three common tools (also randomly drawn) that players can use by spending favors during the game.  Unused favors convert to points at the end, but chances are good you'll need to call them in at some point to maximize your options.

At game's end, players' boards are scored based on the three common objectives, one secret objective, and any leftover favors. The highest score wins!

game in progress; image from here

Review
I really enjoyed this game.  It has hints of Sudoku in its row/column limitations, with plenty of strategy, variety (based on different templates, objectives, and tools) and randomness (based on the same plus dice rolling/drafting).  It is very easy to 'lock yourself out' of a current slot (meaning no available dice can be legally placed in it), so careful planning is paramount.  It's not for young kids- far too much thinking/planning is involved- but it's great for the older ones.

Rating: A