8 Team-Ups We'd Love to See in Avengers: Endgame

8 Team-Ups We'd Love to See in Avengers: Endgame

There is so much to look forward to in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, especially considering it is the culmination of the entire MCU thus far. The highly-anticipated film will find the Avengers dealing with the fallout of their failure to stop Thanos, as well as looking into a way to undo his massacre throughout the universe. Action, high-stakes, and drama are all right there in that previous sentence, but if there is one thing you can count on in an Avengers films, it should be awesome team-ups.

The MCU is filled with larger-than-life personalities and when they clash, it creates sparks. That's the bread and butter of the MCU and it was never more savory than in Avengers: Infinity War. Endgame may be working with fewer pieces, but there's still ample room to produce some fun, weird, and dramatic team-ups. I mean did you see Rocket and War Machine in that trailer? It was rad as hell!

We already know some characters like Black Widow and Hawkeye will be pairing up at times, but here are some other options that I would love to see play out on screen.

Captain America And Iron Man

This is a big one. Fans have been waiting to see these two reunited since their friendship crumbled in Captain America: Civil War. Their division is a big reason why Thanos was able to win in the first place, and if they want any hope in stopping him then they'll have to bury the hatchet. Unfortunately, not telling your friend that his parents were murdered by your brainwashed best friend is a tough hurdle to leap. The two pillars of the MCU should absolutely be working out their troubles, which should make for plenty of drama and some real kickass moments when they finally make up.

Hawkeye And Ant-Man

The Avengers team consists of gods, wizards, kings, geniuses, and super soldiers, which is why Ant-Man and Hawkeye seem like such a natural pairing. Take away their tools, and these two are just regular dudes who happen to know the most powerful beings on the planet. Perhaps more importantly, the two of them are also family men, and gave up their freedom so that they could stay under house arrest with their families. They share something that none of the other Avengers can really relate to. It's also highly likely that both of them lost some of or their entire families in The Snap, which means they should know exactly what the other is going through. Plus, Ant-Man can ride another arrow! That should be reason enough for a team-up.

Black Widow And Nebula

I never would have imagined in a million years that Nebula would survive long enough to be this important of a character in the MCU. However, here we are! She's been right there alongside the Avengers suited up and ready to save the galaxy. It's awesome, and I'm really excited to see how she interacts with Earth's heroes. When it comes to pairings, Black Widow might just be the most interesting. They have both suffered from abuse, but took their pain in opposite directions. Widow eventually learned how to become a selfless hero while Nebula focused on revenge. It'd be interesting to see how the two of them interact, but there's no question they'd kick a lot of butt together.

Iron Man And Rocket

Back during the wait for Avengers: Infinity War, this was probably one of the most requested team-ups. Unfortunately, there wasn't really a way to get Tony Stark and Rocket in the same room during that film, but they absolutely will be meeting in Endgame. Who doesn't want to see these two butt heads? They are both snarky geniuses with big personalities, so there would certainly be sparks. Plus, Rocket just might be smarter than Tony, which would make for some humorous one-upmanship. Rocket might even have some ideas on how to upgrade Tony's suit, and it'd be rad to see the two of them unloading their arsenal on Thanos -- if Rocket isn't busy doing that with War Machine.

Captain Marvel And Captain America

Captain Marvel is getting into position to be the new lead of the MCU, and I would imagine there will be some passing of the torch moments for her. While she looks to be hitting it off with Thor, Captain America is the Avenger I really want to see her team-up with. Obviously, the two of them are captains, which makes for some fun wordplay, but they have other similarities as well. Both of them have a background in the armed forces, they share a strong sense of right and wrong, they're stubborn, and they are beautiful blonde people. I think the two of them would really get along and it'd be great to see a mutual respect or admiration build over the course of the film. This is probably the last time Carol Danvers can spend time with the original Avengers, so I hope she gets to know Steve Rogers while she still can.

Iron Man And Hawkeye

Here's a pairing you don't see every day, despite the fact these two have been in the MCU since Phase One. Iron Man and Hawkeye don't hang out much, and the one time they did, they were beating each other up. As much as there is a divide between Cap and Tony, there's likely still beef between Tony and Clint. The last time they saw each other was fairly intense, as Clint drilled into Tony for his mistakes after Clint was locked in the Raft with the rest of Team Cap. They didn't part on the best of terms, and it'd be interesting to see if there is still any leftover resentment -- especially from Clint, who looks really unhappy in the trailers for Endgame.

Hulk And Black Widow

I will fully admit to being onboard the Bruce Banner X Black Widow train, which is not a popular ride in the MCU community. What can I say? I like the out-of-left-field pairing; I think it's unique, and even though it was pretty rushed, I just enjoy watching the two of them together. We haven't seen this relationship develop much at all since Age of Ultron and it looks like the two had some scenes cut from Avengers: Infinity War. My hope is that the two of them can spend some time together in Endgame and that relationship can finally advance forward. Bruce Banner has a Hulk problem and Natasha has always been a soft spot for the Green Goliath. Whether they end up together or not, Endgame might be the film that devotes enough time to this relationship to get more fans onboard.

Thor, Hulk, And Captain Marvel

I can't think of anything that would send the movie into more applause than seeing Thor, Hulk, and Captain Marvel team-up in a fight against Thanos. That's an idea that sells itself. It features the three most powerful Avengers going head-to-head against the Mad Titan over the fate of the universe. That would be an action set piece in all its glory. It's worth noting that that the three of them are not seen during the Avengers slow-mo walk at the end of the latest trailer, and my theory is that they are off on their own mission as a Thanos Kill Squad. However, Marvel trailers are never to be fully trusted and it's possible that the were simply edited out of the trailer but will be there for the final movie. Still though, it'd make for one epic fight scene.

If I had an infinite amount of time, I would probably have ended up listing every combination possibility for Endgame because I love just seeing these characters talk and hang out. The backbone of the MCU is the characters and matching them up can result unexpected chemistry. Who could have predicted the bromance between Thor and Rocket? It's weird pairings like this that make the MCU films fun to watch 22 films later and let's hope they bring out all the stops in Endgame.

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John Wick 3: Is There More To That Ending Twist Than Meets The Eye?

John Wick 3: Is There More To That Ending Twist Than Meets The Eye?

It goes without saying, but there are SPOILERS for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ahead!

Following immediately after the events of John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum saw Keanu Reeves’ character without access to nearly all of his underworld resources and on the run from assassins after the $14 million bounty on his head. John had few opportunities to catch his breath during the movie, and as per usual, whether he was in New York or Morocco, he left a trail of bodies in his wake. He even chopped off his ring finger to prove his commitment to The Elder, although that didn’t last long.

But arguably the biggest shock in John Wick: Chapter 3 was after the shootout at the New York Continental had concluded and manager Winston, played by Ian McShane, offered penance to The High Table. In order to stay in the organization’s good graces, Winston shot John until he fell off the roof of The Continental. Luckily for John, he was retrieved by The Tick Tock Man and delivered to The Bowery King underground, and both of them are pretty “pissed off” at The High Table now.

This laid the groundwork for what’s to come in 2021’s John Wick: Chapter 4, but one thing isn’t fully resolved when John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ends is Winston’s true allegiances. Did he really screw over John or did he merely pretend to in order to secure John’s safety? That’s what we’re here to hash out.

Did Winston Truly Betray John Wick?

The world of John Wick is a dangerous place, and only the toughest and most ruthless end up on top. Clearly Winston fits that criteria and has done well for himself if he’s mangling the New York branch of The Continental.

It’s highly unlikely that The High Table would give that job to just anyone, and Winston mentions he’s been of loyal service for over 40 years. Clearly looking after this “kingdom,” as he refers to it to Santino D’Antonio in John Wick: Chapter 2, means a lot to him.

Winston has been John Wick’s most frequent ally since the first movie, whether it’s by offering simple guidance, passing along important information or even labeling John as excommunicado rather than having him executed. However, regarding that latter one and the following battle at the Continental, Winston declared that this had all been a show of strength, indicating that he wasn’t so much interested in helping John, but wanted to show The High Table he’s still not to be trifled with.

Even if Winston is more fond of John Wick than most people in this colorful underworld, he might not be willing to risk this friendship if it means losing The Continental. So when it came down to choosing one or the other, he chose keeping control of his hotel, and that meant John had to go. And even though Winston, Charon and The Adjudicator know that John’s body is now gone, with The High Table backing him, Winston should have plenty of backup if/when John comes back to his doorstep.

Now for the alternative theory.

Did Winston Actually Help John Wick?

We’ve already been over how Winston is fond of John Wick, so there’s no need to explore that again as evidence that he didn’t truly want John to die. Fortunately, there are a few other tidbits of information that support this idea.

For one thing, Winston could easily eliminated John by shooting him in the head, but instead he shot him several times where he was protected by his bulletproof suit. Of course, then John fell off a building, and in the real world, all that would result in immediate death. But this is John Wick we’re talking about; the man can survive anything that would put any mere mortal down for good.

Let’s also not forget that after John Wick fell off the roof, Charon looked down and uttered “Well played.” He could be referring to how Winston suddenly betrayed John to cover his ass, or he might have been referring to how Winston cleverly (and violently) got John out of that messiness.

Plus, when The Adjudicator came back into The Continental to inform Winston that John’s body was missing, Winston was remarkably unfazed. With how well he knows John, if Winston had truly betrayed John, you’d think he’d at least a little visibly worried about him showing back up to exact vengeance.

Finally, one of the first official John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum pictures that was released showed Winston and The Bowery King together atop the latter’s roof, as seen above. Those two never shared screen time in the movie, so clearly this was part of a cut scene.

Considering that both Winston and The Bowery King were both being targeted by The High Table for helping John in Chapter 2, it’s plausible that before Bowery King was cut up, he and Winston met and formulated a plan to get John out of trouble when the time came that The High Table wanted him gone once and for all, hence why Tick Tock Man was on site to retrieve John after he fell of the building.

The Verdict

The ending of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is reminiscent of the Thor: Ragnarok scene when Loki passes by the Tesseract in the Asgardian vault on his way to retrieve the Crown of Surtur. We didn’t see the God of Mischief take the cube-encased Space Stone, but we logically assumed that he did, and sure enough, it was confirmed at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War he had snatched it. I suspect we’re dealing with a similar situation regarding Winston and what he did to John.

Going off the evidence available so far, it appears more likely that Winston was trying to help John rather than betray him, but because they were being closely watched, he couldn’t clue John in on what was going to happen. As things stand now, John is under the impression that Winston is no longer on his side, and since he’s pretty angry, you can easily imagine him coming for Winston’s head when the opportunity arises.

Given The Bowery King’s his flair for theatricality, you can bet this is a man who thrives on drama. But hopefully, if Bowery King and Winston are in cahoots, he’ll table that love and form John about this secret alliance as soon as possible.

That said, even though Winston has, at least on the surface, buried the hatchet with The High Table, you can bet those crime lords will still be watching him closely. So when the time comes that John, Bowery King and their allies finally wage open war against The High Table, it’ll be incredibly difficult, if not just impossible, for Winston to assist them.

It’s also worth mentioning that whether Winston really screwed over John or not, it might not matter either way. At the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, Winston gave John a marker for “down the road,” and along with not conducting business on Continental grounds (unless it’s been deconsecrated), the other main rule among these criminals is that a Marker must always be honored.

Winston may find himself in a position in Chapter 4 where he and John are face to face with each other again, and John gives the Marker back to him, meaning that no matter what, Winston will have to go along with whatever John asks of him or face the consequences. Fortunately, if Winston is still on John’s side, he’ll almost certainly be willing to fulfill this request purely out of respect.

We’ll find out for sure what’s going on when John Wick: Chapter 4 is released in theaters on May 21, 2021. For now, find out what’s arriving in theaters later this year with our 2019 release schedule.

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Why Us' Twist Ending Was Necessary, According To Jordan Peele

Why Us' Twist Ending Was Necessary, According To Jordan Peele

The following contains major spoilers for Us.

Us is a movie that has a lot of audiences talking. It's a horror movie with a lot of symbolism and metaphor that has sent many back to see the film more than once and still left them with questions. However, nothing has more people talking than the film's twist ending. At the end of the story we learned that not everything was exactly what it seemed. According to director Jordan Peele, that twist was necessary because it served the entire theme of the story.

In the final moments of Us we discover that the character that we've known as Adelaide isn't exactly who we thought she was. She had changed places with her "above ground" counterpart and taken over her life as a child. This confusion over who was the "hero" and who was the "villain" of the story was exactly what the story was always about, as the director tells the Empire Film Podcast. According to Jordan Peele...

This movie’s about maybe the monster is you. It’s about us, looking at ourselves as individuals and as a group. The protagonist in the movie is the surrogate for the audience, so it felt like at the end of the day, I wasn’t doing my core theme any justice if I wasn’t revealing that we have been the bad guy in this movie. We’ve been following the villain. I say villain lightly because I think there are many experiences of the film, and I think a lot of people go through a question of what is good and evil? Does that even exist? Both characters are lovable and terrifying, based on the lives they’ve led they’ve just sort of inverted the paths.

Jordan Peele had spoken at length, even before Us was released, about how the idea of the movie was about looking at ourselves and realizing that the true enemy might not be some sort of nebulous "other," but actually ourselves. This is obvious in the fact that the "monsters" of this horror movie are dark and twisted versions of the main characters.

However, this idea is taken to another level when the film's twist is revealed. The audience is forced to question who the real monster is. We now have some degree of sympathy for the character we knew as Red, who had her life stolen from her at an early age. At the same time, the character we know as Adelaide is largely still the same person that we've known through the movie. She's still the same wife and mother trying to protect her family, even if it all came about following a questionable act as a child.

Even if you figured out the twist early in the film, as I was unfortunately, able to do, it doesn't really lessen the impact of the moment. In fact, if anything, seeing where the movie is going early on only causes you to consider the movie's questions for a longer period of time, as you watch the events unfold. That's probably the mark of a good twist.

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Casino Royale’s Eva Green Doesn’t Think Bond Should Be A Woman

Casino Royale’s Eva Green Doesn’t Think Bond Should Be A Woman

With Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond soon coming to an end with the 2020 release of Bond 25, Hollywood has been having an ongoing conversation about who should replace the actor as the next 007. As movies are seeing success enlisting female heroines for popular franchises, some have even challenged that the character should be taken on by a woman next. Don’t count former Bond Girl Eva Green in on this idea. Here’s what she said:

I’m for women, but I really think James Bond should remain a man. It doesn’t make sense for him to be a woman. Women can play different types of characters, be in action movies and be superheroes, but James Bond should always be a man and not be Jane Bond. There is history with the character that should continue. He should be played by a man.

Eva Green’s recent comments to Vanity Fair aren’t in bias to her husband's famous role; she has a powerful point here. James Bond is inherently a male character with a long history as such. To gender-swap the character isn’t necessarily a great move for inclusivity or female empowerment, because it ignores much of the roots of Ian Fleming’s literary character and has women potentially playing second fiddle to Bond’s legacy-- instead of finding their own place in the action genre.

Eva Green isn’t the first to challenge the idea of “Jane Bond”. Longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently echoed the actress’ statement with the words “We don't have to turn male characters into women. Let's just create more female characters”, along with Rachel Weisz who questioned “Why not create your own story rather than jumping onto the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?”

Just as women may certainly be enraged to learn Wonder Woman, who is a character deeply rooted in the feminine was going to be played by a man next, people may look similarly on characters such as James Bond. Though I’d argue this certainly doesn’t apply to all gender-swap situations. The Ocean’s franchise isn’t particularly rooted in having to be “male”, so changing it up with a female-led team Ocean’s Eight was a fun way for the series to continue.

Eva Green moved on to discuss the iconic “Bond Girl”, a character that the actress is proud to be a part of evolving with her portrayal of Vesper in 2006’s Casino Royale. She is passionate about the females depicted alongside James Bond to continue developing away from the “bimbos” of the past and becoming “intelligent and sassy and fascinating” onscreen characters.

While Green will not star in Bond 25, the filmmakers are reportedly eyeing Lupita Nyong’o to be the next Bond Girl in the upcoming film helmed by Cary Fukunaga. Daniel Craig’s James Bond will return to theaters on April 8, 2020.

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Turns Out The Emperor's Laugh In The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Was Old Footage

Turns Out The Emperor's Laugh In The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Was Old Footage

Last week, fans were finally treated to the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX at the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, and were clued into some exciting news – the return of Emperor Palpatine to the franchise. At the end of the teaser for the over-40-year saga's final film, titled The Rise of Skywalker, an iconic maniacal laugh flooded the convention room floor. Right after that, Darth Sidious himself, Ian McDiarmid, took the stage to confirm his involvement and say "roll it again" to the uproarious fans at the event and watching at home.

But apparently Emperor Palpatine’s grand re-entrance to Star Wars was not an exclusive bit he helped bring to life for the new trailer (and movie?). Check out what Ian McDiarmid recently said:

That particular laugh was not specially recorded. They found it somewhere, probably from one of the old movies or in a digital vault, or maybe George’s iPhone, I don’t know.

I don’t know about you, but this bit of information is conflicting to me. If Palpatine is in the movie, why would they dig up an old laugh track of the actor’s voice from George Lucas' movies? Was the inclusion of the moment purely to inject that nostalgia in our veins – wait, will Ian McDiarmid even be in Rise of Skywalker at all?

Once I give this a bit more thought, my guess is: Yes, Emperor Palpatine will be back. (How can he not after that teaser reveal?) But maybe the inclusion of that specific laugh was just a means of getting the fans to identify the character’s return. The recycled laugh could still be a component of the movie, or maybe Palpatine isn’t quite as chipper in the upcoming Star Wars installment. In fact we don’t even know if he’ll actually be alive or not in the film.

Empire Magazine writer James Dyer, who was at SWCC, did take to Twitter to seemingly confirm that Ian McDiarmid was physically on the set of Rise of Skywalker. He confirmed the return via an interview with director J.J. Abrams, per this post:

During Ian McDiarmid’s interview at the Star Wars Celebration Chicago, the actor discussed why he particularly loved the trailer he got to be part of revealing:

What I liked about it, though, that’s why I think it is a real tease. I mean, the new title The Rise of Skywalker is wonderful, and then from the past, maybe from Hell a laughter comes, which sort of implies 'yeah right.' So in other words, Skywalkers’ rising? I don’t think so.

Of course, Ian McDiarmid can’t say anything about his role in the trailer and movie and has to play a little dumb during an interview such as this one. He does perhaps reiterate how the heroes in the new film may have to face Palpatine and of course The Dark Side. Since Snoke was killed off in The Last Jedi, and Kylo Ren has been struggling with his place as either a hero with a redemption story or the new trilogy’s main villain, it makes sense for Palpatine’s comeback to take place in a big way. Although the Star Wars actor is playing a villain with a quote like this one:

The headline of that whole panel and the trailer is the word 'tease.' So don’t take it too seriously - in fact, have a laugh about it.

How dare you tell us to laugh, Ian McDiarmid! Star Wars is serious business and not at all for our entertainment! If you need a refresher on the villain, check out our guide to everything you need to know about him. Start the countdown, as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019.

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Avengers: Endgame Has Locked Its Movie Edit, Here’s How The Russos Celebrated

Avengers: Endgame Has Locked Its Movie Edit, Here’s How The Russos Celebrated

This weekend marks the release of Captain Marvel, meaning that Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers is understandably and rightly going to be getting a lot of attention. That said, it won’t be too much longer of a wait for the movie following this 1990s-set origin story, as Avengers: Endgame arrives at the end of April. That said, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have officially crossed another item off their Endgame to-do list by locking in the movie edit, and they celebrated this by snacking on some sugary treats.

If you’re wondering what it means for Avengers: Endgame to have its edit locked, it's that the Russos and their editing team are done assembling everything together. There’s still some work to be done before the movie is officially finished, namely the VFX crew putting the final touches on certain shots, but there won’t be anymore scenes thrown in or taken out. What’s in Endgame currently is what moviegoers will see when it’s finally thrown up on the big screen, so in these remaining weeks, the other departments can go about perfecting the final product. Crossing such a milestone definitely warrants hitting up the sundae bar, as the Russos showed on Twitter, although I’ll advocate for that being appropriate for any major achievement. I also appreciate that Whoppers were being offered, as they’re one of the underrated topping options.

One of the big questions that’s been asked about Avengers: Endgame over the last year is how long it will be. Back in November, Joe Russo said that the running time stood at three hours, and then in late December, he said there was a “high probability” it would clock in around that same period since, as he later put it, there’s a lot of “real estate.” Endgame’s runtime hasn’t been officially confirmed yet by Marvel, but whatever it is, it’s now set in proverbial stone. Endgame is not only the final Phase 3 installment, but also the end of this iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it began with 2008’s Iron Man, so it’s safe to assume that it will cover a lot of ground to give fans a proper conclusion of sorts.

With less than two months to go until Avengers: Endgame, presumably more advertising will be shown. That said, so far only one trailer and a Super Bowl TV spot have been released, and they provided barely any plot details. If Marvel is wanting to keep this secrecy train going, that’s going to make it hard to kick marketing to the next level, but considering how popular the MCU has grown over the last decade, it’s not like Marvel Studios has to worry about a low turnout for Endgame. Given how Avengers: Infinity War ended, you can be sure most, if not all the people who saw that movie will want to see how the conflict with Thanos is resolved.

Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters on April 26, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. For information about what else is coming down the MCU pipeline, look through our comprehensive Phase 4 guide.

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Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run Isn't Like Normal Theme Park Rides And That's An Issue

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run Isn't Like Normal Theme Park Rides And That's An Issue

The certerpiece of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a full size recreation of the Millennium Falcon that sits at the heart of Black Spire Outpost. Next door to that you'll find the land's single (for the moment) E-ticket attraction, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. It promised to let guests pilot the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy themselves, and in that it delivers, but in a way that I'm not sure is going to appeal to every guest in the same way. It's more video game than theme park attraction.

The attraction's story set-up sees Hondo Ohnaka, of Star Wars: The Clone Wars fame, having made a deal with Chewbacca to borrow the Millennium Falcon. Ohnaka uses the ship for smuggling, but along with his own goods, he includes some for the Resistance, helping out Chewbacca as a form of payment. The guests are freelance smugglers looking for work at Black Spire Outpost.

We see all of this explained to us in the form of an Ohnaka animatronic character who speaks with Chewbacca on a screen. After that, guests are ushered down a corridor where they're met by a cast member who assigns flight roles in groups of six: two pilots, two gunners and two engineers. From there, you head down to the Falcon's galley where you can sit at the famous holo-chess table or otherwise wander around the most perfect recreation of the inside of the Falcon you could imagine. The room itself is a highlight of the entire attraction if you're a Star Wars fan.

When your crew is called, you make your way into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and the experience begins. In the most interesting decision, flight controls have been split in half between the two pilots. The left hand pilot controls the ship's horizontal movement, while the co-pilot controls the vertical. Gunners control a set of guns on the left and right side of the ship, which can be set to automatic to make targeting easier or manual to make things more of a challenge. Engineers handle deployment of a tow cable and also repair any damage done by collisions or blaster fire.

Without going into the specifics of the story (no need to spoil anything there), the pilots fly the ship, avoiding obstacles and getting gunners and engineers in position to do their jobs. There's plenty for everybody to do, especially if the pilots tend to crash into things, making more work for the engineers.

This is somewhat likely considering that flight is broken in half. Even if one pilot is a pro, if the other is not, you're going to be colliding with things a lot. On the one hand, it's understandable why they would split up control of the ship. It allows two people to feel like they are pilots rather than just one. Of course, it's not exactly efficient from an actual flight perspective. It's one of the few decisions made in all of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge that feels like a "theme park decision" rather than an "immersion" decision.

This level of interaction for a Disney Parks attraction is unparalleled; there's never been an experience that guests have had such control over and it really does make you feel like you're inside the Millennium Falcon. At the same time, that's not entirely a good thing. The interaction requires a lot more of the guest than previous attractions.

I got to sit in the co-pilot seat and actually help fly the Falcon when I visited the new land last week. As a longtime video game player, the experience feels largely like a "rail shooter." The Falcon's general course is set, you can't even control speed and you just have a basic ability to direct the Falcon up or down and left or right from within that set course.

In one moment, I saw an obstacle coming up, and it appeared that I would have the ability to fly over or under it. However, as the ship approached the obstacle, it came in low, meaning that I didn't actually have the ability to go over the object as I had planned, and it was too late to get low enough in time, resulting in a collision.

This was one of the major moments where I felt that I wasn't so much experiencing a theme park attraction as I was playing a video game. The ride even gives a score at the end based on how successful you were with your mission and how much damage you took. Gunners shooting at TIE Fighters certainly have a similar experience.

As a lifelong video game player, I'm not necessarily against this idea, but thinking about it in broader terms, I found the whole thing limiting. For every person who wants to ride Smuggler's Run several times to try and get the best score, there's going to be somebody who just wants to sit back and enjoy the ride. That doesn't appear to be an option; you can't have the ride do your job on its own.

Even while I was engaged in my responsibilities, I felt like I was missing something. I was so focused on looking for where I was supposed to fly next that there were things on the screen I didn't really get to look at. Being able to pay less attention and feel the attraction rather than direct it might have been nice.

What's more, you're relying on other people a lot. Few of us probably go to Disneyland in a group of six people, which means you're likely to find yourself paired with strangers. If those strangers are not as good at their job as you are with yours, it's going to impact the experience that everybody has. If you've played through a multiplayer game where your team has a weak link, you know this frustration.

Other Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions allow for different levels of interaction. Something like Toy Story Midway Mania lets you play carnival games for points, and while you're competing against others for the high score, your experience is still largely the same if you score high or low.

Epcot's Mission: Space gives guests different roles to play and buttons to press the same way Smuggler's Run does, but if you don't press them yourself, they go off automatically and the experience progresses exactly the same. That's not the case here.

While it's impossible to "fail" your Smuggler's Run mission entirely, you can perform better or worse depending on your skills at various video game style mechanics. Lots of people will have these skills, as many more people plays video games today than did in years past, but there will still be a lot more people who would much rather sit back and experience a ride rather than a video game.

I look forward to flying the Millennium Falcon many more times. I was a much better pilot by the end of my first run than at the beginning and I want to try every job from every position. Having said that, I will be approaching my future flights in a very different way than I do my other favorite theme park attractions.

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