Linda Naughton's Blog: Self-Rescuing Princesses, page 8

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review

The Skywalker saga ends with an epic yet polarizing final chapter.

It seems that Rise of Skywalker was a 'love it or hate it' experience. Fans and critics seem pretty divided (per Rotten Tomatoes), and you can't throw a rock on the internet without hitting an angry fan's rant about how Disney has ruined Star Wars.

Personally? I loved it. Sure, I could write an entire essay about its inconsistencies and plot holes, but I could do the same about any of the Star Wars movies. Ewoks taking down an...

Terminator Dark Fate Review

Terminator ditches its history, only to basically repeat it.

I love the Terminator franchise, even the widely-reviled Genisys and Terminator 3. I like the mash-up of sci-fi elements (time travel, killer robots, apocalypse) with modern-day elements. I love the "Die Hard"-esque formula of everyday people thrown into fights for their lives against impossible odds to save the world. Dark Fate is pretty much just more of the same, but it's still fun. Tossing out the events of T3, Salvation and Genisys, it b...

Women in War Stories - 2019 Edition

It's become an annual Memorial Day tradition for me to highlight women in war movies, in honor of the soldiers (of all genders) who have given their lives in our conflicts.

You can read past editions of the Women in War series here.

Just one problem—this year, I couldn't find any decent/recent war movies featuring women that I hadn't already covered.

via GIPHY

I'll try to find some for next year, or maybe do a full review for one of the oldies-but-goodies that made the "honorable mentions" li...

Avengers: Endgame Review

Marvel delivers an epic, emotional finale for the Infinity Saga.

For someone who isn't a huge comic book fan, I seem to be spending a lot of time reviewing comic book movies lately. Go figure.

Then again, if all comic book movies were as awesome as Endgame, I would probably like them more.

Spoiler-Free Zone

In some ways, it's not really fair to compare Endgame to other comic movies. The film has more in common with the series finale of MASH than it does Spiderman: Homecoming. We've had ten ye...

Captain Marvel Review

Marvel's latest origin story delivers a relatable hero, but an uneven plot. SPOILER ALERT! This review contains mild spoilers for Captain Marvel.

I've always had a hard time getting into superhero movies. I can enjoy them from a popcorn-movie standpoint, but they never really resonated with me. In the sea of unstoppable aliens, billionaires, royalty, teenaged crime-fighters and talking trees (almost all male, of course), it was hard to find a character who felt like a real person; whose story...

How to Train Your Dragon 3 Review

The dragon trilogy comes to a close with a character-driven finale.

We were a little late to the How to Train Your Dragon bandwagon. My kids only started watching the Race to the Edge series on Netflix after Christmas, but soon became enamored with the entire franchise. We caught up with the movies in time to see the third one in theaters. It was a great ride. This is a review of the entire trilogy and TV series as a whole.

The Vikings' World

The setting is quite charming, with colorful chara...

Outlander: A New World

SPOILER ALERT! This review contains spoilers for Outlander Season 4. Outlander still has trouble finding the right balance.

Oh, Outlander. I want to like you, I really do. If only you weren't so darn...problematic.

I've written before about how Outlander's first two seasons tended to put its protagonist, Claire, into the back seat of her own story. Between all the times she had to play 'damsel in distress' and the fact that her primary storyline focused around her love life, it's almost a won...

Timeless: Full Circle

Timeless signs off for good (?) with an epic bit of fan service.

NBC gave Timeless fans a great Christmas present this year when they green-lit a TV-movie finale to wrap up loose ends. With so many threads and so many characters, the finale felt rushed and a little too pat in places. But given the monumental task of delivering a satisfying conclusion in only 90 minutes, the writers did an admirable job.

SPOILER ALERT! This review contains spoilers for the Timeless TV movie finale. Save Rufus...

Representation Matters - Ashoka Edition

Sometimes it's the little things that highlight Hollywood's gender gap.

This week, even more than usual, I am conscious of the fact that representation in popular media is the least of our problems. But it nevertheless has an impact on our children, and so I write this for my kids.

“Mom, I want to be Ashoka Tano for Halloween.”

It really wasn't a surprise. We've been watching Clone Wars recently, and my daughter adores Ashoka. It's easy to see why. Apart from Rey, she's the only female Jedi...

Mile 22 Review

The ultra-violent action movie proves that giving female characters guns doesn't make them strong. SPOILER ALERT! This review contains spoilers for Mile 22, but I think I'm probably doing you a favor.

I like action movies. I grew up on a steady diet of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I love watching Jason Statham or Matt Damon kicking butt as much as the next person. But decent roles for women in these movies are few and far between. Most are just the helpless love interest...