The Adventure Movie Countdown - Intermission: Impossible

[Torzelbaum]

But soon it turns out that the secret of the treasure of pirate captain One-Eye Willy is in town and within reach. But to get it, it will mean going through a gauntlet of lethal traps Willy left behind.

Geez... what a dick.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

10. Labyrinth

I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.
170 Points, 7 Lists, #1 Daikaiju and Kirin
Directed by:
Jim Henson
Starring:
David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson​

Sarah is a 16 year old girl having who, one night, reluctantly has to look after her baby half-brother Toby. While complaining about her brother, she imagines a scenario where she wishes her brother was taken away by goblins. But it turns out her wish came true and now to win him back must accept a challenge from the Goblin King, Jareth. The challenge is simple; get through his labyrinth in 13 hours. If she can’t Toby will become a goblin. Sarah finds a treacherous path but she also meets some unusual friends; the unreliable cynical dwarf Hoggle, the gentle beast Ludo and the chivalrous but pugnacious Sir Didymus. Sarah is growing smarter but the Goblin King doesn’t play fair. Does Sarah even have a chance?

Despite the Dark Crystal struggling to turn a profit, it inspired him to work with designer Toby Froud again, this time on a more lighthearted fantasy. And though there is a grungy look to the film, it really does set itself apart from some of the more darker 80s fantasies while still having the monsters and live-in look of those films. As a kid the Dark Crystal was a bit to scary for me (note, it wasn’t the Skeksis, I turned the film off when Fizzgig opened his mouth to roar and reveals an extra set of teeth) but Labyrinth was right up my alley. Of course, for a younger kid, it’s a fun adventure. A kid in their teens might note that it is dealing with actually growing up, including sexually. It really is the tale of moving from immaturity to maturity and valuing friends over possessions. Jareth wants something he can own but Sarah is finally starting to understand what her power is as she stops complaining about fairness and instead focusing on what she can do. And it is a very fun, amusing film with memorable characters and set pieces and of course, those great goblin designs. Seriously, the trailer rightfully name drops Bowie but really the best collabo is Froud and Henson, who really imbue their characters with so much personality.

Hero’s Journey: Sarah learns to grow up and what that really entails.
Trivia
The owl in the title sequence is the first attempt at a photo-realistic CGI animal character in a feature film.

For it’s time it’s definitely not bad but “photo-realistic” is generous.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Issun]

It's time to chilly down.

 

[Lokii]

^ hell yeah

Photo-realistic is an apt description for the time. As kids we all certainly thought it was a real owl!

This movie is absolutely genius, a real tour-de-force for Henson, and an artistic achievement that hasn't been rivaled. Can you think of any puppet production on this scale? Really, only Dark Crystal rivals it, but that movie is kinda stodgy while Labyrinth is all gas. It still blows my mind some of the effects they realized here with such grace and ease.

It's not all spectacle either. There's a real message here about the uses of fantasy. It's surface message of "don't get burdened by your nostalgia" is subverted at the last minute as Sarah retreats into fantasy for a big dance party ending, but there's also elements in the mise-en-scen of the film that add subtext. Nearly every character or scene is replicated or represented in Sarah's bedroom. Additionally there's hints among her clutter of a dead mother, suggesting that Sarah's infatuation with fantasy is an escape from pain and change. The obvious way to resolve this would see Sarah finding something in the real world that would help her reconcile with her past and abandon the need for destructive escapism. But instead the story has her move through the fantasy and with her mastery of its rules comes a self-mastery that allows her to resolve the issues with her family. This recasts fantasy as a healing thing, which is very much in-line with Henson's ethos. As a fantasy-head myself I find it an inspiring message.

And then there's whole other element of Bowie's music. It's nuts that they not only got him as an actor but as a musician too. Every song he brings is a banger and essential to the character of the film. Such a generous collaboration. As we know from certain infamous scenes, he held nothing back.

Anyway as you can see I really dig this film. I had it at 18.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

It's surface message of "don't get burdened by your nostalgia" is subverted at the last minute as Sarah retreats into fantasy for a big dance party ending, but there's also elements in the mise-en-scen of the film that add subtext.

I think it works because "if you need us" is kind of a message where just because you can grow and find that sometimes the stuff we value is... just stuff, emblematic of the stuff that matters (as seen in the junkyard scene where the junkhoarder tries to turn Sarah into a confused junkhoarder). But it doesn't mean that kids stuff needs to go away forever and there's something of real value we can take away from it, as long as we know where our priorities lie.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Thankfully, I managed to dodge the big boat and me and Abby scramble up the mountain and finally find it... a grand theatre, overgrown with brambles and ivy. The architecture is of an older era and it is clear it was once glorious. On the marquee; "Yo_r Dea_h!"

I... I think some of the letters fell off. But all the same, it seems like a good reason for us to be careful. Abby and I look around but there is only one entrance... it seems that the back half of it is actually built INTO the mountain. We approach the box office to... get a ticket, I guess.

It... it might be free. We enter the theatre and inside are a lot of ushers. Except they are old, impossibly old. The concession stand's candy looks like long ago the chocolate and such were melted, turning into a disgusting black pool of sugar goo. Inside there is also lots of film memorabilia. The truck from Wages of Fear. The Babu Frik puppet. The big Cheerio from Honey I Shrunk the Kids. All kinds of memorable things that would probably be awkwardly shoved into an Ernest Cline novel, followed by misogyny and smug sense of satisfaction for remembering nostalgia. Some of these are clearly new, meaning someone is collecting new items for a theatre no one ever goes to.

"Where are your tickets, children?"
"I'm 40. Also, the guy at the box office let us in."
"No ticket? NO TICKET!"
The old mean begin to take up arms, using film props like Errol Flynn's sword, the Gliave from Krull and Miss Piggy from Muppet Treasure Island. We back off. We might be able to take them but we also kind of don't want to hurt these wizened people. But with the doors locked behind us, someone's doom may be sealed...

 

[Kirin]

Labyrinth is a forever-fave and, well, even though he only had it at 18 Lokii articulated a lot of the reasons I had it at #1, so there we go.

I also had Goonies on my list, though farther down. I gave that one a re-watch a few years ago for the first time since childhood and well... *parts* of it still hold up. Still a fun romp as far as movies aimed squarely at the interests of kids go.

 

[Purple]

Labyrinth is one of those movies that really left a huge mark on me as a kid and I still love catching all the little classic illusions and impossible objects and such hiding in the background. Last time I watched it though, I have to say the songs don't especially hold up?

 

[Issun]

the songs don't especially hold up?

For the most part I kind of agree but Dance Magic Dance is still a banger.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

9. The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
170 Points, 8 Lists, #6 Wildcat JF
Directed by:
Gore Verbinski
Starring:
Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom​

Apprentice blacksmith Will Turner finds that the woman he loves, the willful Elizabeth Swann has been kidnapped by a band of pirates, the crew of the Black Pearl and finds himself with only one ally to turn to; the infamous and seemingly perpetually drunk Captain Jack Sparrow, a legendary pirate who is the best or worst pirate of all time, depending on who you ask. Jack and Will venture to find the Black Pearl’s destination when the strange truth is revealed; the crew of the Black Pearl are already dead. Our heroes scramble to gather help but even with allies, do Will and Jack stand a chance against the wily Captain Barbosa… Jack’s former first mate?

Johnny Depp’s star has fallen quite a bit in recent years, but in his heyday, Johnny Depp was a man who seemed to be a leading man but clearly wanted to be a character actor. But Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow was a revelation even for the already acclaimed actor. A movie based on a theme park ride about pirates (pirate movies tended to have a bad habit of bombing in the modern era) sounds like pure folly but Captain Jack Sparrow instantly became one of cinema’s most iconic characters, a scoundrel as wily as he is clumsy. Watching this film again, even though you know Jack’s mission will land him on the side of angels, Verbinski is good about making sure he retains an edge throughout to make him untrustworthy enough to be fun and engaging. Verbinski also just plain made a good old-fashioned swashbuckler, the kind that seemed to have difficulty getting made. The film knows it’s a big theme park ride and leans into it, held entirely together by charisma and set pieces. And done right, that’s all you need.

Hero’s Journey: Will learns a criminal isn’t the same as a bad person… but they do have their own rules (or lack thereof).
Trivia
Clothing and smears of charcoal were used to conceal Johnny Depp's numerous tattoos. The "Jack Sparrow" tattoo on his arm in the movie is a fake, but he got a real replica after finishing the film, in honor of his son Jack.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Adrenaline]

Remember when people would make a thing and it would be pretty good

 

[Issun]

When I first saw a billboard for this movie I rolled my eyes. A movie based on a Disneyland ride? Come  on! But it was and still is just pure, unbridled fun. Pity about the sequels.

 

[jpfriction]

One review from a buddy of mine shortly after it came out “Oh it’s just ‘Yay Pirates!’ for a couple hours, you’ll have fun”.

Geoffrey Rush is the real scene chewing MVP in these movies, one of a few reasons why the second one isn’t worth the trouble.

 

[JBear]

My buddy always suggest that, as a prank, he would redub a pirated copy of the film with "Y'arrr" as the sole line of dialog, repeated for the entire length, then share it on Kazaa/etc as if it was a complete legit copy, but he never pulled the trigger, to my disappointment.

 

[Daikaiju]

Excellent film, no notes. What sequels?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

8. Jurassic Park

Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.
177 Points, 7 Lists, #1 4-So
Directed by:
Steven Spielberg
Starring:
Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum​

Paleontologist Alan Grant and paleobotanist Ellie Sattler just received an author they can’t say no to; industrialist John Hammond invites them to Jurassic Park, an amusement park he promises will change everything. It turns out he’s not wrong; the park is actually a zoo for dinosaurs, resurrected through bleeding edge cloning techniques. Grant and Sattler are blown away but chaotician Ian Malcolm is very afraid of the project, fearing that no matter how many precautions are taken, safety of such a big sea change in science can’t be guaranteed. And when an act of industrial espionage and sabotage allows the dinosaurs to go free, and the humans scramble to find a way to escape a brutal wonderland.

Steven Spielberg has made some of the greatest adventure films of all time and at the point of it’s release, Jurassic Park is kind of the culmination of what Spielberg had done so far. The childlike wonder of Close Encounters and ET, the fearful thrills of Jaws and… Close Encounters, the adventure and set pieces of Indiana Jones. It feels like everything he did came together on this one to make a much deservedly ballyhooed phenomenon and box office smash. Dinosaurs have been in movies prior too but I don’t think I can think of one that to this point did it so perfectly, a terrific blend of CG and practical effects that lesser films took the wrong lessons from (namely, CG as an alternative to practical effects as opposed to teaming with them). It’s also interesting that in terms of “Don’t Create the Torment Nexus” flavoured sci-fi films, it is very clear that John Hammond is much more sympathetic than most eccentric millionaires and I feel spectacle master Steven Spielberg also wish he could somehow step out of illusion to make the movies “real”. And I think despite knowing it is wrong to create a Jurassic Park, in our heart of hearts, we want to see a dinosaur. Spielberg keeps in mind the cautionary aspect but also doesn’t skimp on the wonder and somehow it doesn’t feel like they are completely at odds and come together a truly engrossing adventure film.

Hero’s Journey: Grant learns through dino terror “I guess I could be a good dad.”
Trivia
According to the behind-the-scenes book The Making of Jurassic Park: An Adventure 65 million Years in the Making, the infamous roar of The Tyrannosaurus' were a composite mix of a dog, penguin, tiger's snarl, alligators gurgle, and a baby elephants squeal . The very deep alligator vocals acted as the low-frequency element of the final roar. However, as Gary Rydstrom stresses, the key part of the sound is the high-frequency element: the baby elephant. Rydstrom describes how, during the recording session, the baby elephant only did the iconic "cute high-pitched scream" that forms the basis of every T. rex roar in the film once. "We kept trying to get it to do it again, and the handlers were saying, 'We never heard it do that before; that's a weird sound.'" As Rydstrom stresses, the introduction of the T. rex is a scene expressly planned around sound design. "I think maybe other directors would have had a shock moment where you see the T. rex show up out of the blue Spielberg was great in the T. rex scene by getting several minutes of tension because you knew what was coming. And you knew it because you heard it before you saw it it's nice when movies think about sound that way."
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Surrounded, I scramble through my pockets. I remember I had that ticket that I found very early on that started this whole thing.

"...right this way please." As we are ushered in, the man at the rotting concession stand mumbles to himself "Let's all go to the lobby."

Me and Abby move though the lobby into what we think is going to be a theatre but it's more museum with props and such. But something is strange; the props have been rearranged into death traps. Arrows from various Robin Hood productions readied to fire if we trip over a wire, bombs from various 90s films wired to go off and a small deadfall trap made with Indiana Jones' hat (I don't think this could work, as we are far too large).

We think about slowly working our way through by on the other side of the museum is a man. It's not obvious at first blush but I don't think he can be trusted. I can't put my finger on it but somehow he seems... subtly sinister.

This lowkey villain and his stock photo watermark intimidate me so.

"Nyahaha." He laughs in a fashion and twirls is mustache in a way that makes me think he's not on the up-and-up. "I'm gonna kill you." His message had an air of menace that might be lost in print.

"Soon I shall be the only one with access to this theatre and it's ancient secrets. I'd kill you myself but I'll let these traps do the work... And lest you try to find a way a around them."

He then throw a young woman into the middle of the room.

Man, this guy. I dunno about him.

 

[Issun]

The fact that JP is 30 years old this year and it still holds up exceptionally well speaks volumes about the skill and passion if everyone involved. I like to think even the caterers were like "fuck yeah our fruit tray is helping to fuel THE dinosaur movie!"

 

[Johnny Unusual]

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
188 Points, 7 Lists, #3 Issun
Directed by:
Peter Jackson
Starring:
Elijah Wood. Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler​

Frodo is the ward of Bilbo Baggins, a most unusual hobbit who, shockingly, once had an adventure. On his 111st birthday, Bilbo decides to leave home once again, hoping to adventure once again until the end of his days. To Frodo, he leaves his home and his belongings, including a magic ring he once won from a monster named Gollum. When Gandalf the Grey, a brilliant wizard, arrives, worries about the nature of the ring, he learns that it is actually the property of the dark lord Sauron, a being of unfathomable power and evil. The ring wants to make its way back to it’s master and will corrupt any who possess it to do so. Since Frodo has little strength but promising willpower, he is sent to safeguard the ring and take it to the fires of Mt. Doom to melt it. But with orcs, wizards and ghoulish riders coming after them, a pact must be forged by a group of warriors in order to protect Frodo. But the call of the ring might put the new alliance in danger.

You know, recently, I was watching an old Siskel and Ebert where Siskel was lamenting the lack of longer films, citing the low-attention span of the audience. How things have changed as now it seems strange to have a major motion picture less than two hours, particularly a major blockbuster. In many cases, they probably didn’t need to be that long but the film I feel that opened the doors to this, the Fellowship of the Ring, definitely earns it. Both an old-style epic and a true popcorn fantasy swashbuckler, The Fellowship had a scope I feel was missing for a lot of the mainstream films of the 90s and Jackson was committed to making it not feel like making a backlot into a forest but creating the illusion of Middle Earth feeling real with massive armies. And yet he also never forgets smaller scale elements and the charm of the hobbits and their home. While most studios are trying to get one film made, a lot of faith was put into this faithful adaption to have all three movies filmed together with director primarily known for horror comedies and one smaller prestige picture.

Hero’s Journey: Frodo begins his journey and as he spends much of the film protected, he needs to go be able to rely on himself going forward. Though it doesn’t hurt to have a *little* help.
Trivia
Sir Christopher Lee (Saruman) read "The Lord of the Rings" once a year until his death in 2015, and had done so since the year it was published. He was also the only member of the cast and crew ever to have met J.R.R. Tolkien.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Adrenaline]

We're never going to see movies like the LotR trilogy again. Depressing!

 

[Johnny Unusual]

6. Lupin III: The Castle Of Cagliostro

Player #1 Good Luck ! ! ! ! Jump! Jump!
197 Points, 7 Lists, #6 JP Friction
Directed by:
Hayao Miyazaki
Starring:
Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi​

Lupin the Third, the world’s greatest thief, has pulled off yet another audacious caper only to discover all the money he stole is counterfeit. Very good counterfeits. In fact, counterfeits so good, he decides to investigate the source as the target of his next caper; the small Duchy of Cagliostro. But shortly after arriving in the country, he and his best buddy and super marksman Daisuke Jigen come across a woman in a bridal gown escaping from goons. And being Lupin, he’s going to help her out. In doing so, he learns of the dark secrets of Cagliostro in the world of crime and is determined to capture the countries number one treasure; the “bride”, who is the daughter of the previous grand count of Cagliostro. But to save/steal her from the evil new count, he’s going to have to use all his wits, allies and discover a treasure even he can’t steal.

It’s hard to imagine an era where Miyazaki was doing a franchise film. After all, even though he’s had a couple of spin-offs of his own series, he’s not a creator who I consider separate from the anime world outside Ghibli and has had some withering words for anime fandom in general. But sure enough, his first major film is part of one of anime’s most beloved franchises; Lupin the 3rd. In case you aren’t aware what it is, simply put, it’s about the adventures of the world’s greatest thief and his brobdingnagianly skilled friends. Think the adventure of James Bond, the capers of the Italian Job and comedy of Jackie Chan. And Miyzaki pulls his weight with the most fondly remembered Lupin adventure, filled with amazing set pieces filled with comedy and action. Though it doesn’t contain the usual pet themes of the director, it does feature flourishes and decisions that he would put to use in his most iconic works while making a film that follows the classic Lupin formula, allowing it’s loveable characters to shine. And it doesn’t help that it goes relatively light on the title character’s sex pesterism (something you can’t say of the James Bond films of the era).

Hero’s Journey: Lupin steals the most valuable thing to a young maiden. Her heart.
Trivia
The 100-minute film was produced in four months (July-November 1979).
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Lokii]

This is another one I felt a right fool for forgetting. Glad to see it ranked so high!

 

[Issun]

I originally voted for the whole package as one movie, but was informed that Johnny was wisely splitting votes based on who voted for what movie (LotR topping one movie list was plenty), so I voted for Fellowship because it really captures the feeling of setting off on a grand adventure. It's also my favorite individual movie of the trilogy because, as I've said in another thread, my favorite part of fantasy novels is "small band of travelers waking long distances" (probably a combo of playing so many RPGs and also it always gives a motley group of people lots of chances to play off of each other. It's why I like the Belgariad/Malloreon more than the Elenium/Tamuli).

Cagliostro was my other Miyazaki vote besides Spirited Away. I couldn't not include that movie, but I also felt that the usual suspects have gotten their due and then some in two other movie lists, and while Cagliostro is not near the top of my list of Miyazaki films, it is a great adventure flick, and I felt it was its turn to shine in one of these contests. It also established so many of the wonderful tendencies that carried forward in every film made by my all-time favorite filmmaker.

 

[Daikaiju]

Would have voted for this but I thought maybe I'd pushed it too hard in several previous lists

 

[Kirin]

I also voted Fellowship for the same reasons as Issun - it just feels like the most adventurey representative.

And great to see Cagliostro way up here, a rollicking adventure if there ever was one.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Abby dashes into the middle of the room, avoiding all kinds of swinging blades and poop-smeared spikes and manages to get to the young woman. The two are nearly slashed, crushed and destroyed by many traps but she manages to escape in a sequence one could only describe as "rad". Or "radical" for those who don't value conciseness.

I decide to follow the two to the other side of the deadly room, barely surviving in a less impressive sequence that could be described, at best, sorrowful. As I make it to the other side with a fair amount of my blood and organs, Abby introduces me to her SO, Cynthia. "Please, we need to get to the main screening room. That villain, Hayes Code, has been trying to find this location for years, believing this to be the sight of Aztec Gold."

"Wait, I... I don't THINK there were Aztecs in the Amazon."

"No, but there is a copy of the film, Aztec Gold, the first adventure movie filmed by George Melies in 1894. A mad film collector, he's willing to kill anyone to get it."

"This film... it's..."

"Yes. It's a movie about Aztecs from the 1890s. It's VERY problematic. In all the ways you think."

"Ew."

"Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, he's planning to watch it once and destroy the theatre so that he's the only one to be alive and have seen it. The ultimate collectible is an experience."

"Frankly, I don't care about the movie but burning down this place seems bad, especially with all these old weirdos in it. We better stop him."

 

[Johnny Unusual]

5. Star Wars

Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.
276 Points, 10 Lists, #4 Alex, Olli and Purple
Directed by:
George Lucas
Starring:
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher​

Farmboy Luke Skywalker has made a surprising discovery; his new droid has a message pleading for help. Seeking out who the message was intended for, Luke meets with the hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi and the two learn the message is from a rebel princess who needs help battling the oppressive Galactic Empire. With the Empire already on their trail, they need to seek help from smuggler Han Solo and his partner Chewbacca in order to find and rescue the princess. But when they find where she is, they realize the Empire’s power is now far greater they ever anticipated.

Star Wars was my first film obsession. At age four, I watched it every day over and over and over on a tape recorded from TV. I tried to draw X-Wing schematics on the walls. It had completely ruled my brain. We also had Caravan of Courage, which did get a lot of play but not nearly enough. Star Wars is a film that is lodged in my brain in a serious way and even though I lost interest in the franchise somewhere along the way (let’s say the early 2000s), it was so deeply impactful to my sensibilities and tastes. And as a film, like Jaws a few years prior, it was a game changer. The 70s was an amazing time for film with remarkable creative freedom and new voices. But Lucas and Spielberg also marked a different kind of sea change for better and worse; the rebirth of pure spectacle. Star Wars made sci-fi adventure so viable, the next decade seemed to be wall-to-wall sci-fi and fantasy adventure and it really hasn’t let up since then, down to the divisive nature of the big “tentpole” releases. But while it is easy to be cynical about certain aspects the movie brought to the industry, the film itself is a perfect little stand alone film. If you have no knowledge of the franchise (somehow), it is instantly engaging even though it drops you in the middle of it’s world. It’s not hard to catch up, due to the simple but effective building of characters. So many films struggle to express it’s worldbuilding gracefully and can either fall into the traps of heavy exposition or just confounding but the lived-in space age world of Star Wars flows in a way that makes it very easy for us to follow along with a classic save-the-princess swashbuckler with a cowboy hero in tow. George Lucas and his team of filmmakers and special effects artists took some of his favourite things, Flash Gordon, westerns, samurai flicks, and managed to turn it into something that felt totally unique and fresh.

Hero’s Journey: Luke goes from farmboy dreaming of the bigger world to becoming a hero in it.
Trivia
George Lucas was so sure this movie would flop that instead of attending the premiere, he went on vacation to Hawaii with his good friend Steven Spielberg, where they came up with the idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Issun]

This was my pick for Most Adventury Star War. It really does capture that sense of wondrous adventure. And while the artsy-fartsy nature of cinema the decade prior was important in its own way, it's all a bit dour after awhile and Star Wars made sitting in your seat with your popcorn and your drink and just having a great time for a couple of hours the thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. For that, I am ever greatful to it.

 

[Olli]

This was my pick for Most Adventury Star War. It really does capture that sense of wondrous adventure. And while the artsy-fartsy nature of cinema the decade prior was important in its own way, it's all a bit dour after awhile and Star Wars made sitting in your seat with your popcorn and your drink and just having a great time for a couple of hours the thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. For that, I am ever greatful to it.

Agreed. And the best thing is, Star Wars does it all in just a hair over two hours.

 

[Daikaiju]

The Amazing Adventures of R2-D2 and Friends got off to a proper start.