​The X-Men has always been my favorite set of superheroes.  This group of mutants endured a tremendous amount of peaks and valleys throughout its inception.  X-Men's greatest adaption - outside of the comics - was the 1990's cartoon television series.  It was simply incredible.  What made it great was severalfold but one of its high points was the Phoenix Saga.  That story is so important to the show that it takes up most of season three and it worked because it was a continual series.  Trying to repeat what happened in a television series in a two to three hour film is not only dangerous to the brand but also confusing to the audience.

Ever wonder what the Superbad sequel would be?  If so, Booksmart is it, except it was unfunny.  Directed by Olivia Wilde, Booksmart took the last day of high school through the perspective of two highly motivated, ambitious, intelligent, and involved senior girls – Amy and Molly – who believed in the mantra “hard work pays off.”  When Molly (Beanie Feldstein) learned those whom she looked down up academically also had ambitious post – high school plans, she was stunned.  A few scenes later, Molly convinced her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) to tag along with her on a carefree night out.

​​In the ongoing saga of George Lucas’ Star Wars, the eighth episode sets itself apart from the rest.  In The Last Jedi, homage is subtly paid to older saga moments and characters as well as directors Rian Johnson’s and Lucas’ previous works and mentors, which is not new from the previous film, but this one is more complex and thought provoking than any other in the series.
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The Last Jedi immediately continues from episode seven, The Force Awakens.  Viewers get an answer from Luke Skywalker as Rey presents him with his old lightsaber, which may or may not be predictable but it is fitting.

​In a filler between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars saga, Rogue One was a standalone film that brought a group of unlikely heroes together for a cause greater than themselves.  It was action packed, creative, yet predictable. But all in all, Rogue One fit nicely in the ongoing epic.

Story developers John Knoll and Gary Whitta gave director Garreth Edwards something only George Lucas experienced throughout this series; creative freedom.  Rogue One nearly had new characters to handle a dire mission with little limitations and Edwards succeeded.  With characters like Galen, Lyra, and Jyn Erso; Orson Krennic; Cassian Andor; K - 2SO; Chirret Imwe; Baze Malbus; and Saw Geerera, Edwards showed both his creativity to the standalone film and its characters and his limitations to the greater story.