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‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Movie Review: Saga Continues In An Unexpected Way

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Two years after we were reintroduced to the galaxy, far, far away, the “Star Wars” saga films are back, this time, with a darker and deeper material that need exploring. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is expected to cultivate what JJ Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” set-up. Rian Johnson did just that and more.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_mtZ2vIwowBJOXwsiyOWy8EjRxCWk59_rs-UeKNFwrDfNrameRxrskOwqeqJQcr_Awcj7PykA5NcZ7xuOi2X9hTSZUrlPtMBpAhI_WX-k8_Gb79-YSTOY9WyIDHHBXtEi7NoxJlh-9zQ/s1600/star-wars-the-last-jedi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ official ensemble poster" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_mtZ2vIwowBJOXwsiyOWy8EjRxCWk59_rs-UeKNFwrDfNrameRxrskOwqeqJQcr_Awcj7PykA5NcZ7xuOi2X9hTSZUrlPtMBpAhI_WX-k8_Gb79-YSTOY9WyIDHHBXtEi7NoxJlh-9zQ/s1600/star-wars-the-last-jedi.jpeg" title="‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ official ensemble poster" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ official ensemble poster/Lucasfilm</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i>*MINOR Spoilers Ahead*</i><br /><br />No time jumps needed, “The Last Jedi” immediately picked up where “The Force Awakens” left off, but in a creative way that still allows the iconic scroll to keep fans up to speed with what is happening. Rey is off to Achc-To in search of the vanished, Luke Skywalker; the Resistance is on the run with the First Order hot on its tails while Finn is recuperating nicely on what looks like an improved version, albeit less cooler looking, Bacta tank. From there, the film dives deep into the story of conflicted characters looking to either find their rightful place in all other or trying to make their way back to reclaim their spot. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJ0Lr_FDbpFItCChPJX3v5v0s5vF5TIIXPA_1jV4zfH4iH5HibxYELXfNumiL7fBflPYr_guFQxIpnQ7ZBI4TaaADUl0xGcxa7n51KHink3wBGCYL1hLeGtNWRMPvu15gJNTLsDvYbsCq/s1600/star-wars-the-last-jedi-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Daisy Ridley as Rey and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="992" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJ0Lr_FDbpFItCChPJX3v5v0s5vF5TIIXPA_1jV4zfH4iH5HibxYELXfNumiL7fBflPYr_guFQxIpnQ7ZBI4TaaADUl0xGcxa7n51KHink3wBGCYL1hLeGtNWRMPvu15gJNTLsDvYbsCq/s1600/star-wars-the-last-jedi-2.jpeg" title="Daisy Ridley as Rey and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy Ridley as Rey and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’/Lucasfilm</td></tr></tbody></table><br />“The Last Jedi” is not your typical storytelling kind of film. If anything, it’s a highly intellectual project that left so much to everyone’s personal interpretation. Johnson cracks the lore wide open with brand new things that we have never seen before but builds it nicely on top of the existing elements of the saga. This is actually a good thing as it broadens the mythos in ways that Lucasfilm can continue branching out in other narratives to keep the franchise from being stagnant. Johnson’s bold choices, while some are still unclear, is a good indication that the saga is evolving.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />What’s interesting about this film is, separately, some of its moving parts are questionable. The Canto Bight sequence, for instance, did not hold that much ground to merit a huge chunk of the film’s time. But piecing everything together, all these elements perfectly fit with each other. It’s the the most ironic movie from the famed series -- having brilliant moments that are signature Star Wars tropes and yet, it’s also arguably the most anti-Star Wars offering from the franchise -- treading down a path that has never been explored before. We can only wonder How Johnson pulled it off in terms of writing and directing (more so, how oldtimers like Lawrence Kasdan felt about it). <br /><br />For diehards, there are a lot of callbacks and references that evoke certain kind of nostalgia. It perfectly wraps up certain storylines in a way that it’s difficult not to get a little bit emotional. Johnson served Luke’s story well, albeit in an unconventional way. This could prove to be divisive in the long run but Mark Hamill’s performance was a total success given how he is able to portray Luke's internal struggle given everything that he has been through. Cap that off with John Williams’ iconic score with Johnson’s aesthetics and it feels like it’s 1977 once again. <br /><br />Given everything that “The Force Awakens” did in terms of roping us back into the lore, it had its failures. “The Last Jedi” succeeded in acknowledging some of those including the much-hammered rehash argument. Unfortunately, it can only do so much, leaving other problematic parts of Episode VII and actually also falling into the same contraption. One of which is its inability to service each of its character in a fitting way. Although, we do commend Johnson for trying to give a bit more for Gwendolyn Christie’s Captain Phasma, it’s a shame that with such a brilliant cast, some of them were underutilized -- a weird problem given that the film is already two and a half hours long. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugldWcgJVh9Cb2R0IZg0ShahN7TxzrNBqAbq0W643DbN-l6RB6YCKQ8jI8Tj57pinvysWGh-bjxrlF4ug36d79aGdqRw2XiZGrG4LJHA9Vqg3jobAOQpE__G1_RP5pvHXzLrt9ORz13qA/s1600/star-wars-rey-finn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn in ‘Star Wars'" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugldWcgJVh9Cb2R0IZg0ShahN7TxzrNBqAbq0W643DbN-l6RB6YCKQ8jI8Tj57pinvysWGh-bjxrlF4ug36d79aGdqRw2XiZGrG4LJHA9Vqg3jobAOQpE__G1_RP5pvHXzLrt9ORz13qA/s1600/star-wars-rey-finn.jpg" title="Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn in ‘Star Wars'" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’/Lucasfilm</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The original trilogy worked well because the films have a good structure, usually a three-way adventure all happening simultaneously and told seamlessly. For some reasons, this felt a bit unorganized, with jarring jumps and cuts and an odd pacing especially around the second act -- which is kind of a waterloo, except for the character build-up that is essential to the story.<br /><br />Johnson eventually pulled it together towards the end as all roads converge to one epic climax that has a mixture of heart, hope and a little bit of sass. “The Last Jedi” is a solid film worth seeing at the cinemas especially with how it sets up several characters and plot points that we hope gets addressed in Star Wars: Episode IX. <br /><br />So while it is no “Empire Strikes Back” and even “A New Hope,” “The Last Jedi” bust through a closed door, enabling it with a richer lore, one that Lucasfilm can continue to cultivate in the years to come. <br /><br />Watch official trailer here:<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.21%; position: relative;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0CbN8sfihY?ecver=2" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; width: 100%;" width="100%"></iframe></div></div></center><br /><b>— ALD, The Summit Express</b></div>

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Movie Review: Saga Continues In An Unexpected Way

Two years after we were reintroduced to the galaxy, far, far away, the “Star Wars” saga films are back, this time, with a darker and deeper ...

2 nursing grads died just hours before finding out they passed the board exam

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For all nursing graduates, there are 2 events that will always remain close to their hearts — the day they graduate and the day they passed the board exam. It is the culmination of their struggles as a student and the beginning of another journey. But for two nursing graduates from Cebu, the supposed to be a joyous day turned into a day of mourning as they met an accident that ended their lives.<br /><br />Louis Mitchell Nayre Ferolin and Alexa Eddy Ceniza Carvajal were nursing graduates of Cebu Doctors University (CDU). The two graduates took the Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE) last November. The <b><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/12/a-g-passers-november-2017-nle-nursing-board-exam-results.html">results of the exam</a></b> were released on December 12. But just hours before the results were released, Ferolin and Carvajal met a vehicular accident at the dawn of December 12 that lead to their deaths. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4pp-GChTQ_yCiE6WQVYnpAZ_2LKOlAmPY0kEjoRktrTxJhJB4MGUoX71DgCj5o5serqUsgtwdydQGZ37uS5WlBZScZU1sKwgj-wEvTKCVvoOiIFFxo5PDj_Kos-59GO4ERGiiurTS7eA/s1600/nle-passers-cdu-died-car-crash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Louis Ferolin and Alexa Carvajal died in a tragic car accident." border="0" class="img" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4pp-GChTQ_yCiE6WQVYnpAZ_2LKOlAmPY0kEjoRktrTxJhJB4MGUoX71DgCj5o5serqUsgtwdydQGZ37uS5WlBZScZU1sKwgj-wEvTKCVvoOiIFFxo5PDj_Kos-59GO4ERGiiurTS7eA/s1600/nle-passers-cdu-died-car-crash.JPG" title="Louis Ferolin and Alexa Carvajal died in a tragic car accident." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louis Ferolin and Alexa Carvajal died in a tragic car accident. Photo Courtesy:Facebook/CDU College of Nursing Alumni Association</td></tr></tbody></table><br />According to the investigation, SPO4 Ramon Budiongan from the Traffic Patrol Group of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) confirmed that a car crash caused the deaths of Ferolin and Carvajal on Tuesday.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />The two were riding an Isuzu MU-X car and Ferolin was driving.  As the they were going up the flyover, their car went out of control and hit the metal railings, killing the two victims.<br /><br />Ferolin was 23 years old while Carvajal was just 21 years old. Both victims were part of Batch 2017 nursing graduates of CDU.<br /><br />Both Ferolin and Carvajal passed the board exam and would have been over the moon just like the rest of the passers. They were among the 5,875 out of 12,869 who passed the November 2017 NLE.<br /><br />The CDU College of Nursing Alumni Association shared the victims’ families grief as they posted on their Facebook page their heartfelt message of sympathy. It read, “Heaven gained 2 new RNs (registered nurses) today. Our prayers are with you and your families. RIP Louis Ferolin and Alexa Carvajal of Batch 2017.”<br /><br />It truly is a tragic event that cost the lives of two nurses who had a bright future ahead of them.<br /><br />Rest in Peace, Louis and Alexa.<br /><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

2 nursing grads died just hours before finding out they passed the board exam

For all nursing graduates, there are 2 events that will always remain close to their hearts — the day they graduate and the day they passed ...

'Bagyong Urduja' PAGASA weather update December 14-15, 2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - 'Bagyong Urduja' continues to bring rains over Eastern Visayas and CARAGA regions while moving slowly, state weather bureau PAGASA announced in its update issued at 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, 2017.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDFuY551cu1eeyYSmzzY_xMEeN1YA5VMzmrBKE2r1EsMdftLtl7W6S04qdgYxfmd_W_NxclARMML6fBJk8YMklT8bxzbJfMxg-1uVS6CXOTDwcCig_gVwiOahaou3qTujQsACu7VygcDv/s1600/bagyong-urduja-satellite-image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="'Bagyong Urduja' PAGASA weather update December 14, 2017" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="877" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDFuY551cu1eeyYSmzzY_xMEeN1YA5VMzmrBKE2r1EsMdftLtl7W6S04qdgYxfmd_W_NxclARMML6fBJk8YMklT8bxzbJfMxg-1uVS6CXOTDwcCig_gVwiOahaou3qTujQsACu7VygcDv/s1600/bagyong-urduja-satellite-image.JPG" title="'Bagyong Urduja' PAGASA weather update December 14, 2017" /></a></div><br /><br />At 10:00 p.m. today, the center of Tropical Storm 'Urduja' was estimated based on all available data at 140 km East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar (11.1 °N, 127.0 °E).<br /><br />'Bagyong Urduja' has maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It is forecast to move Northwest at 6 kph.<br /><br />The weather system is expected to make landfall over Eastern Samar between tomorrow evening and Saturday morning.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br /><b>Forecast Positions: </b><br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>24 Hour(Tomorrow evening): 110 km East Northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar(11.8°N, 126.4°E)</li><li>48 Hour(Saturday evening):In the vicinity of San Jose de Buan, Samar(12°N, 125°E)</li><li>72 Hour(Sunday evening): 40 km North Northwest of Roxas City, Capiz(11.9°N, 122.6°E)</li><li>96 Hour(Monday evening):150 km Southwest of Coron, Palawan(11.1°N, 119.2°E)</li><li>120 Hour(Tuesday evening):260 km West of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan(10.1°N, 116.4°E)</li></ul><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYr1eNTeoQBEwhIu4WhbbXLMAU6siHvRh3QZaXPwTV7mQAWk9SGSw9dlI1pHD6SKN0eX9D4vrgrVMvZFwEhnYYf2D6MrvFHlhgznjGAXvXtj87PGEa3B4vLsZgYWFYOQYWrtqWP9Sr5bK/s1600/bagyong-urduja.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="track of bagyong urduja" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYr1eNTeoQBEwhIu4WhbbXLMAU6siHvRh3QZaXPwTV7mQAWk9SGSw9dlI1pHD6SKN0eX9D4vrgrVMvZFwEhnYYf2D6MrvFHlhgznjGAXvXtj87PGEa3B4vLsZgYWFYOQYWrtqWP9Sr5bK/s1600/bagyong-urduja.png" title="track of bagyong urduja" /></a></div><br /><b>TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNAL (TCWS)</b><br /><br /><b>TCWS #2 (61-120kph expected in 24 hrs):</b> Northen Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, and Biliran.<br /><br /><b>TCWS #1 (30-60kph expected in 36 hrs):</b> Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Romblon, and Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu including Bantayan Island, Capiz, Aklan, and Northern Iloilo<br />Dinagat Islands.<br /><br />The estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 450 km diameter of the Tropical Storm.<br /><br />Scattered to widespread rains will continue over Eastern Visayas and Caraga and is expected to prevail over Bicol Region and the rest of Visayas within 24 hours. Residents in these areas are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.<br /><br />Sea travel remains risky over the eastern seaboards of Bicol region and of Visayas due to the approaching Tropical Storm.<br /><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

'Bagyong Urduja' PAGASA weather update December 14-15, 2017

MANILA, Philippines - 'Bagyong Urduja' continues to bring rains over Eastern Visayas and CARAGA regions while moving slowly, state w...