My First Impression Of Star Wars Episode VIII - THE LAST JEDI - Movie Review

Hi Huneybees,

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, the sequel to The Force Awakens is finally released after almost two years in the waiting for the fans since the introduction of Rey (played by Daisy Ridley), her missing parentage and mystery link to the force.

Space Battle Scene in The Last Jedi between First Order and Resistance. Copyright Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd

Unlike J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens, which borrowed too much from the original trilogy, The Last Jedi pushes the Star Wars story into new and unexpected places with better character development and insight to the returns of new favorites from The Force Awakens - such as Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren - the legends - such as  Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) and General (Princess) Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher) - as well as the minor antagonists in the Supreme Leader Snoke (played by Andy Serkis) and First Order General Hux (played by Domnhall Gleeson).

Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo in The Last Jedi. Copyright Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd

Together with several new characters such as Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo of the Resistance (played by Laura Dern), Rose (played by Kelly Marie Tran) and DJ (played by Benicio del Toro), new director Rian Johnson has created a dramatic, exciting, heartbreaking and yet the most funny Star Wars movie to-date (hey it's a Disney film afterall) through many exciting twists, turns and reveals that constantly put the fans on the edge.

Rose and Finn in the casino city of Canto Bight in The Last Jedi. Copyright Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd

While there are a few subplots such as the Canto Bight setting, where Finn and Rose went on a vital mission, that weigh it down in the middle, overall The Last Jedi has so many stunning sequence of events, including  Rey’s showdown with Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) on Starkiller Base, that made most if not all Star Wars fans loving it and looking forward to a possible emotionally rich ending in Star Wars Episode IX.

The unusual Padawan-Master relationship between Rey and Luke in The Last Jedi. Copyright Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd 

Having watched at the premier, I kinda understood why Mark Hamill was reported disappointed of his script in the new Star Wars film. Huneybees will get to see a whole different Luke Skywalker where he has now became a conflicted, deeply damaged Jedi master as compared to the previous archetype hero that we came to know in the original trilogy. Nevertheless I really enjoyed all his scenes in The Last Jedi as I believe this was his finest performance as Luke to-date, using the timbre of his voice and the pain in his eyes to express Luke’s reluctance to confront his past. Who said Mark Hamill can't act now?!

Equally emotional for me was seeing Carrie Fisher for the last time on big screen as a wizened Resistance leader in General Leia Organa, who exuded a compassionate warmth despite her heavy responsibility in ensuring freedom and fight against tyranny in Star Wars universe, as compared to her sexy iconic image in her earlier princess years.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now showing at the nearest cinema near you.

May The Force Be With All Of Us Till Episode IX.

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Pump Up Your Adrenaline With The First-ever Star Wars Orchestra In Singapore Before The Premiere Of The Last Jedi On 15th December 2017!

Hi Huneybees,

The worldwide screening of the much anticipated Star Wars: The Last Jedi , the second film of the sequel trilogy, is just weeks away and to pump up the excitement among millions of Star Was fans around the region, Disney Concert has brought the first-ever official Star Wars concert to Singapore and I am so happy to have the opportunity to catch part of the closed door dress rehearsal as well as an interview with orchestra conductor Nicholas Buc.

A passionate music and film enthusiast, Nicholas Buc is one of few conductors in the world that is specialized in bring music and film into Live concert setting as this requires very specific and unique style of conducting to synchronize the music with the picture.

Nicholas has a little video screen in front of him while he conducts so that he could have the visual reference points to make sure that the music hits the right moment with the picture, such as when Kylo Ren strikes with his crossguard lightsaber or a TIE Fighters chasing after the millennium falcon.

With 8 years of experience under his sleeve since started conducting his first film concert - Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock - Nicholas is a big Star Wars fan and picks Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) as his favorite character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens for her strong character and her teeth!

If he has it his way, you might be able to catch him doning a stormtrooper suit and conducting in his favourite green lightsaber in exchange for his conductor suit and baton at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens concert that runs from 29th to 31st October 2017 at Esplanade Theatre in Singapore.

Tickets for this first-ever official Star Wars concert is now on sales at this SISTIC link.

If you are a diehard Star Wars fan, this is definitely a concert not to be missed!

May the force be with you.

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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R2D2 Had Tons Of Fun At The STAR WARS DAY: MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU FESTIVAL

Hi Huneybees,

This little R2D2 was too happy to fall asleep, as she went partying with friends of The Force, joining Jedi-s, Sith-s and even droids to celebrate the Star Wars Day #MayTheFourth !

Wielding our lightsabers up high, we celebrated both 'May the 4th' and the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars (since the release of 'Star Wars: A New Hope') at Gardens by the Bay on this memorable day. It was the galactic's best celebrations ever with tons of activities and this R2D2 can't stop snapping pictures through the night. Check out the video walkthrough above!

Stormtroopers were marching everywhere, Rey was there, Boba Fett too, but the highlight has got to be the very first appearance of Kylo Ren together with Chewbacca, who made special appearances through the evening to meet and greet with their fans.

They have a queue waiting to get pictures with them so you might want to be early, to ensure yourself a pass!

There's even the All-Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) replica standing tall amidst the Supertree Grove, standing guard for more photo opportunities.

Sadly, it's out of touch. Wouldn't it be even cooler if we could get aboard and live out our dreams of the battle scene on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?!

Whilst waiting for the sky to turn dark, R2D2 Huney went shopping and hopping around the booths set up along the festival village. There are tons of Star Wars collectibles on display at the fan zone, with more than 60 vintage Star Wars toys produced between 1977 and 1985; as well as more than 200 contemporary toys produced from 1995!

And as a special treat to all Star Wars fans, pop by the Simply Toys booth as there will is a global launch of the latest LEGO Star Wars merchandises sold right there! See how happy my hubby was ~~~

Of course, there are tons to see and to do with fan art sections and photo booths. But I'll leave that to you to explore as I was preparing for the arrival of Guest-of-Honour Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry for the official launch of the 3-days festival.

He made a grand entrance with a march-in by Stormtroopers from 501st Legion Singapore Garrison, Rebel Legion and Fightsaber and also accompanied by Mr Robert Gilby, Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and Mr Ang Han Wee, Festival Director and Managing Director of event organiser - Esprimo.

After a few photos and selfies at the AT-ST, he kicked off the highlight of the festival, Garden Rhapsody: Star Wars Edition and Sabertrees Installation by turning on his blue lightsaber. Even Chewie went on stage to celebrate this moment!

Check out the video above for the spectacular light works as they re-enact popular scenes from the Star Wars movie alongside the soundtrack with meticulously choreographed lighting composition. SW fans like me will be able to recognize scenes like Luke's landing in Dagobah, when he first met Yoda, the fight between Anakin and Obi Wan on Mustafar and even the epic fight between Luke and Darth Vader! 

The Garden Rhapsody: Star Wars Edition will be playing out from now till 2 June at 7.45pm and 8.45pm every night with an additional 9.45pm show on 4 to 5 May.

At the end of the "performance", marvel at the SaberTrees Installation where the Supertrees in Gardens by the Bay transforms into giant lightsabers, casting light beams up to 200m high into the dark sky. I could spend hours enjoying this transport to "Galaxy Far, Far Away" moment, be sure to bring your wide lens to capture the best moments!

This 3-day celebration is gona make all the Ewoks dance and all these is made possible thanks to Esprimo, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay!

On May 5th and 6th, stay on till late and hit the dance floor at the Star Wars themed Silent Disco. There will be 2 DJs spinning tunes interwoven with the Star Wars soundtrack, so get your Cantina shoes ready and see if the Dark or Light Side will win at this dance-off. =)

And now, I got to go rest up for it's the last day of celebrations and have to get ready for the Star Wars Run. See you there fellow SW fan! I wonder if the Dark Side or the Light Side will win... Stay Tuned!

For more information about STAR WARS DAY: MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU FESTIVAL, please visit http://www.esprimo.com.sg/StarWarsRunSG/festival.php.

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STAR WARS Fans Get Your Lightsabers Ready For Epic 40th Anniversary Celebrations!!!

Hi Huneybees,

Calling all Star Wars fans! Be it fans of the Light Side or Dark Side, this is the day we drop all grudges and raise our light sabers high to celebrate STAR WARS DAY!

This year, we will celebrate like the Ewoks do and have a 3-days Extravaganza as it will mark the 40^th anniversary of Star Wars since the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Singapore's Gardens by the Bay in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board will play host to the "STAR WARS DAY: MAY THE 4^TH BE WITH YOU Festival"!

Set in "A long, long time ago (actually not so far, just May 4th to 6th 2017), in a galaxy not so far away", Singapore's awe-inspiring 101 hectares garden at Marina Bay will have tons of Star Wars themed activities.

Hubby's excited to meet his fellow Jedi-s, heroes of the Rebellion as well Chewbacca or Chewie, whereas Sith loving me is definitely going dark with  Kylo Ren, the dark warrior from the First Order.

Aiya, whichever side of the Force you are on, you will not want to miss out on the chance to take a photo with these two characters that are making their first ever appearance in Southeast Asia! They will also be accompanied by the costume Fan Clubs - the 501st legion, Rebel Legion and FightSaber, as they decked out in their own personalized custom made movie accurate costumes to celebrate the villains and heroes of the STAR WARS saga by bringing your favorite character to life.

Chewbecca and Kylo Ren appearance schedule as above. 

Be sure to set your alarms!

[For Illustration ONLY - SEA largest Lightsaber installation]

And when dusk falls, come gather around the Supertree Grove as the Marina Bay skyline will be further illuminated with the SaberTrees light-up. This will be Southeast Asia’s largest lightsaber light-up activation, from 8pm till late on all 3 nights, where the iconic Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay will be transformed to glow in resemblance of lightsabers!

Together with the SaberTrees, there will also be the Garden Rhapsody: STAR WARS Edition, twice nightly at 7.45pm and 8.45pm on all 3 nights. It will a dazzling 15-min music and light composition, set against the epic STAR WARS soundtrack, so don't miss it.

Photo opportunity also doesn't stop with just the characters. Marvel at the iconic All-Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) – first introduced in STAR WARS: The Empire Strikes Back – standing guard at the Supertree Grove. A mainstay on-ground throughout the festival, this is your chance to get up close and personal with this towering replica, for a closer look, head up onto the OCBC Skyway for an aerial perspective of the two-legged, armored walker set against the panoramic Marina Bay skyline. I know I will!!!!

And since the night is still young, stay on for the STAR WARS themed Silent Disco on May 5^th and 6^th from 9pm to 11pm. I can't wait to see how what special galaxy dance the characters are going to do against the classic theme soundtracks like "Main Title" and "The Imperial March"!!! Now all I need is an order of Blue Milk from the Cantina...

On the 3rd day of celebrations May 6th, come gather for the inaugural Star Wars Run at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay. There's a run for all age and strength level with 2 distances 4.5km and 10km to choose from.

There will be runners joining the Rebellion on their plight for justice on the Light side, or walk in Darth Vader’s footsteps to uncover the great powers of the Dark side. 

Unfortunately the registration for the Star Wars Run has closed with full subscriptions for the run, good for you if you managed to register, but for those who didn't make it, come join in the fun, I bet there will be lots of photo opportunities!

More information can be found here - http://www.esprimo.com.sg/StarWarsRunSG/festival.php. May the Force be with you always and I'm gona go make sure my gear and suit is all ready for the celebrations. See you there! 

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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Star Wars Rogue One Collection By Royal Selangor

Hi Huneybees,

On 29th November, Royal Selangor hosted a Appreciation Night at Suntec City in Singapore. This was to celebrate the launch of its new Star Wars pewter collection, in coincide with the upcoming Star Wars movie "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".

While guests were treated to a hand-on session to create their own pewter bowl as memento, creating lots of "Clinks" and " Dings" throughout the event, none missed the great opportunity to view up close the stars of this new Royal Selangor Star Wars Rogue One collection : Chirrut Îmwe, the blind warrior monk and Baze Malbus, his hard-bitten soldier friend. These well crafted, durable and timeless pewter figurines are each priced at SGD450.

Limited Edition Chirrut Îmwe Figurine is 185mm (L) x 110mm (W) x 160mm (H)

There are only 5000 pieces of Baze Malbus figurine worldworld.

Death Trooper is available at SGD170 and can either pre-order online or purchase in store

Joining them in this new collection was the Death Trooper, the elite variant of the Empire’s Stormtrooper, as well as popular characters from The Force Awakens, such as BB-8, Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma plus an X-wing keepsake token.

I really like the design of Kylo Ren figurine from the Star Wars movie The Force Awakens!

X-wing keepsake token is a great gift to any die-hard Star Wars fan for this Christmas!

Be sure to visit the Royal Selangor pop-up store at Suntec West Atrium by 4th December 2016 to take part in the Snap, Post & Win contest by taking a photo with the life size Han Solo in Carbonite and upload to either Facebook or Instagram using #starwarsxroyalselangor and remember to check-into Royal Selangor Suntec City!

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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5 Star Wars Christmas Gift For The Han Solo-s

Hi Huneybees,


Months before the release of the new Star Wars movie The Force Awakens, Star Wars franchise could already be seen everywhere in the shopping malls from home electronics to food to cosmetics and cloths, just to serve the appetite of the millions of Star Wars fans worldwide.
With Christmas just round the corner, here are my Top Five Star Wars Christmas Gift Picks for the Star Wars fanatics inside your boys, be it your son, brother, boyfriend, husband or even father.

1. Remote Control BB-8 Droid by Hasbro - SGD$99.90 @ ToyRUs

This is my TOP pick simply because it is so cute! Not only does it look more real - bigger and creates its own sound - as compare to the the app-enabled sphero BB-8, it is 40% cheaper too. 

Apart from having to standby a lots of AA and AAA batteries and a limited range, your boy will not be disappointed with this droid come this Christmas!

2. Remote Control Millennium Falcon Quadcopter Drone  by Air Hogs - SGD$180.00+ @ Carousell / AirFrov

With a superb print job and authentic sound and LEDs added on the front and the back of the remote control Millennium Falcon, mimicking the most iconic ship in the Star Wars universe, this is currently one of the most talked about Star Wars toys online.

Unfortunately as rugged as it is built for crash landing, this indoor flyer is actually under powered and has a short battery life... Nevertheless, the thought of been able to fly the Millennium Falcon like Han Solo did in the movies is enough to convince any Star Wars fanatics to part their money for this drone.

3. Kylo Ren Ultimate FX Lightsaber (SGD$169.95 @ ToyRUs) and Black Series Mask with Voice Changer (SGD$129.90 @ ToyRUs) by Hasbro

We all know by now who is the coolest villain in the new Star Wars : The Force Awakens and I bet there are many who secretly adores this new Sith character, like many of us to his maternal grandfather, Darth Vader!

With the battle-clash lights and sounds from the 58cm long Crossguard red lightsaber and a well finished, full front and back helmet that is movie-accurate and allow one to sound like Kylo Ren himself, I predict we will see more Kylo Ren in Comic Con, Cosplay events and even many Halloweens to come! 
The only sticky points for me is the high price tags and the muffled sound produced by the built-in voice changer.

4. Death Star by LEGO - USD$399.99 @ Lego.com or SGD$780+ @ Carousell 

 

With the appearance and then the destruction of the deadly Death Star-like planet in Star Wars : The Force Awakens, interest for the Ultimate Weapon of the then Empire and now the First Order is certain to rise; hence LEGO quick U-turn decision to resurrect this iconic set from retirement, days before the world wide screening of the new Star Wars movie.

Measured 41cm tall by 42cm wide, with 3803 pieces of LEGO bricks, the Death Star playset is not suitable for anyone other than a die-hard LEGO + Star Wars fan as a lot of patience (time consuming) is needed to piece all these together to recreate the scenes of the Original Trilogy where Princess Leia (now General Leia), Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were at their prime.

5. Stormtrooper / Darth Vader printed Shirt by Clio - SGD$49.90 @ Celio 

Toys aside, fashion is another avenue where more sophisticated Star Wars fanatics could brag about.
Unlike those T-shirt prints that almost all mass-market appeal brands - from Bossini (local) to Uniqlo (Japanese) to Forever 21 Men (USA), are currently selling, few actually makes decent Star Wars Shirts that is actually wearable for work, unlike Celio.

Celio, the French Men's fashion retailer actually designed what I considered the best design so far and I am impressed by both its cutting as well as its quality cotton. Priced at SGD$49.90, its the most affordable yet most visible gift a Star Wars fan can have for this Christmas!


Everyone can claim to be a Star Wars fan but only the true blue fans, whom I called the Star Wars fanatics, actually buys Star Wars merchandise or memento, and lots of them!
If you think you have one at home and you really wanted to impress for him during this Christmas, you would go wrong with my Top 5 picks for Star Wars fanatics.

Feel free to drop me a comment if you have any cool Star Wars theme gifts that you would like to share with all Huneybees. 
 
For now, May The Force Be With You!

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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