Tagged: Star Wars

Star Wars Thrawn Treason Review

Literature

Star Wars Thrawn Treason Review

The Last book of the Thrawn prequel trilogy – Star Wars Thrawn: Treason – is out. Treason improves on a number of elements compared to the previous two books. The Grand admiral is still in control of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera. There he has an excellent crew who were trained by and if found inadequate removed form their post. Thrawn still does his thing – he still analyses his opponents art to ascertain their traits, skills and likely course of action. Unlike the previous novels the crew of the ISD Chimera are not left in the dark. Thrawn draws...

SciFiEmpire 8th anniversary

Computer Games / DVD / Film / Literature / TV-series

SciFiEmpire.net celebrates it’s 8th anniversary!

It has been 8 years to the day that I made my first post on this blog. Strictly speaking SciFiEmpire.net already existed for a few weeks before that, but I was still figuring out how to set up WordPress. It has been a long road. Looking back at some posts I wrote it feels like the Sci-Fi scene has changed drastically. Back then we still had shows such as Eureka, Person of Interest, Warehouse 13, Alphas and Alcatraz on the air. In fact, streaming services hardly existed. SciFiEmpire.net has had its up and downs since then. Arguably blogging has made...

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker title from teaser

Film

My thoughts on the Disney Star Wars Universe

There has been plenty of Star Wars news in the last few weeks. Mark Hamill announced he is done with Star Wars and Daisy Ridley admits Rey might come not be back after episode 9. Finally, Kathleen Kennedy has announced Michelle Rejwan will oversee the production of live-action Star Wars movies. To some the latter appears to be the first step in removing Kathleen all together. However, a more nuanced view is that Disney has simply created a dedicated position for a franchise that is steadily increasing in scope. Rejwan would be to Star Wars as Kevin Feige is to...

Star Wars Alphabet Squadron wallpaper

Literature

Star Wars Alphabet Squadron Review

Alphabet Squadron is the latest book I am reviewing in the new canon Star Wars Universe. The novel is written by Alexander Freed who has written a number of stories set in the Old Republic-verse. He also wrote the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization. Alexander Freed manages, with Alphabet Squadron, to create a hard-boiled fighter pilot story. Think of it as Top Gun meets Battlestar Galactica. A year after the Battle of Endor Alphabet Squadron is set about a year after the Battle of Endor. The Rebel Alliance is slowly transforming into the New Republic and the Empire...

Star Wars Dooku Jedi Lost cover

Literature

Star Wars Dooku Jedi Lost Review by Cavan Scott

One indication that Star Wars Episode 9 Rise of Skywalker is nearly upon us is the release of more novels. For the second time in nearly a month I am reviewing a Star Wars canon novel. This time the audiobook Dooku Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott. Previously I read Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray. In my review I gave it my thumbs up, so go check it out. That novel dealt with the difficult relationship between Jedi master Qui-Gonn Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whereas the former had become obsessed with the mystical side of the Force the...

Star Wars Master and Apprentice Review

Literature

Star Wars Master and Apprentice Review

Slowly the Star Wars community is gearing up for the release of Star Wars Episode 9 The Rise of Skywalker. And you know what that means – books. Novels, young adult stories, conceptual design books and visual dictionaries. The first in such a series of books is Star Wars Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray. I have not read anything before by the author, but the premise was good enough for me to pick it up. And I have not regretted it. One of those ‘let the Jedi solve it’ stories Master and Apprentice ostensibly is about a mission Jedi...

Film

My thoughts on Disney doing more Star Wars, Avatar and the MCU

Yesterday Disney showed a multi-year line-up of movies as part of its ongoing merger with 21st Century Fox. There is plenty to see on the list as the studio owns Star Wars, the Marcel Cinematic universe, its own well-stocked lineup and Avatar. For the latter it has been announced that the first of FOUR sequels will be released in 2021 – with a 2 year release cadence. All this news gives me mixed feelings – which I intend to discuss below. Star Wars + Disney Star Wars is with me on an almost daily basis. That has been the case...

Star Wars Master and Apprentice Review

TV-series

Upcoming Star Wars books in 2019

Star Wars Celebration 2019 is just around corner – it start this week. In the lead up to the convention, this time taking place in Chicago, a number of announcements have bene made regarding Star Wars books. If you are an avid reader like me you will undoubtedly pick up one or two this year. So below I made a small list. That way you won’t miss any. Master and Apprentice (release April 16th) The first book on this list is a rather unusual one. Master and Apprentice is set 7 years before the events of The Phantom Menace and...

Film

2019 Most Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies

2019 has finally started so comes the time to anticipate what the year might bring to the big screen. The first thing that is noticeable are the number of super-hero movies. Granted, that has been the case for nearly a decade. Yet, there is a noticeable drought of pure Science Fiction movies such as last year’s Annihilation and A Quiet Place. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Netflix movies and other lower-budget offerings are not as visible. Included on this list are a number of movies at risk of being a flop. The Terminator franchise has been pointless since Rise...

Solo A Star Wars Story Review poster

Film

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review – A good movie that sets the stage for a sequel

After more than year of constant news portraying Solo: A Star Wars Story as a troubled production you almost don’t want to see it. I certainly did go to the cinema yesterday with trepidation and anxiety. I left the cinema relieved, the movie wasn’t bad. In fact, I liked Solo, but I also recognize it is not per se a great movie. So what is Solo: A Star Wars Story all about? At its heart it is a heist movie. After escaping from Corellian poverty Han (Alden Ehrenreich) vows to go back to help his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). To...

The Last Jedi Trailer - Mark Hamill as Jedi Master Luke Skywalker

Film

The Last Jedi trailer released – Does it reveal too much?

The Last Jedi trailer Finally the full movie trailer for Star Wars The Last Jedi has been released. After nearly 2 years director Rian Johnson is set to continue the official Sequel Trilogy. The release date is pinned for December 15th and the movie stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and the late Carrie Fisher as the principal cast. So what did I think of the trailer? Well I think it revealed too much. I cannot be certain until I actually see The Last Jedi. But I do believe a SPOILER warning should have accompanied...

Star Wars Thrawn Review Logo

Film

Star Wars Thrawn Review – The origin story of a master tactician

Star Wars Thrawn Review It must have been around 1996 or 1997 when I first saw Star Wars. I was 11 or 12 years old. I had played plenty of Star Wars games up to that moment, but I had not seen the movies. Several VHS tapes later and I could not get enough of Star Wars and thus I began to delve into the Expanded Universe. With some careful research I came tot he conclusion that the Heir To The Empire trilogy would be my starting point. Quickly the problem became whether or not I should buy the three novels separately or...

Rogue One - Star Destroyer under attack

Film

Rogue One Digital Release Review – Does the movie transcend mediums?

Rogue One: A Digital Release Today, anyone who has not yet seen the first Star Wars Anthology movie – Rogue one: A Star Wars Story – can do so. The movie has officially been released as a digital product on iTunes and Amazon Video. This release comes ahead of the DVD and Blu-Ray release set for April 4th. Below you can read my commentary on whether the download is worth it or if you should wait. Rogue One: The Movie Rogue One does not need much of an introduction. It is the first of the anthology movies in which the Star Wars universe...

Force Awakens Blu-Ray release set for early April

Film

Force Awakens Blu-Ray release set for early April

Force Awakens Blu-Ray release set for early April Today on StarWars.com Disney and LucasFilm announced the release of Star Wars The Force Awakens on Blu-Ray and Digital HD. After a week of speculation, mostly correctly, the announcement confirmed viewers at home will be able to enjoy the massively new popular movie in early April. The Digital HD will be released first, on April 1st with the Blu-Ray to follow on April 5th. As may expected the release comes with a plethora of extra’s. The full-rundown can be found below. Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first...

Kylo Ren torturing (played by Adam Driver). The Force Awakens trailer released

Film

Disney releases The Force Awakens trailer, still no Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker!

The Force Awakens trailer released Disney has finally released the full length trailer for The Force Awakens, the upcoming Star Wars movie that is so hot it needs to be touched with special asbestos gloves with little jawa’s printed on it. The buzz surrounding J.J. Abrams movie is reaching epic heights, not seen since the release of Episode 1 (one elephant out of the room). That said, actually very little about the story is known. The official trailer released this evening, last night for me in Europe, filled in a few gaps. The trailer seems to suggest a very story and...

The Force Awakens books and novels announced

Film

The Force Awakens books and novels announced!

The Force Awakens books and novels announced It’s only a 100 days until the release of Star Wars The Force Awakens. It is time to get an overview of all the books and novels that will be released to go with the J.J Abrams movie. Below you can get a preview of the tie-in novelization, the art book, the making-of book and much more. After LucasFilm made the decisions to ditch the Expanded Universe they have quickly released more new novels to cover the ground between the Clone Wars and the period of The Force Awakens. Sadly, most novels dealt with the aftermath...