"Execute Order 66."

When those words were spoken by Chancellor Palpatine we witnessed the fall of the Jedi and saw the birth of the Galactic Empire under the control of a Dark Lord of the Sith. The Dark Times were at hand.

Now we see this moment played out from another perspective - The clone soldiers of the Republic.

With her 4th book in this stellar series, Karen Traviss ratchets up the intensity as the Clone Wars draw to an end and all the plans that had been set in motion during the previous novels come to fruition. For the most part.

As you know, I try to keep spoilers out of my reviews and again, that will prove difficult because this is one book I am going to love discussing with people.

Picking up were "True Colors" left off we reconnect with Kal Skirata and his adopted family of clones and rejects from other walks of life including two Jedi and a treasury agent. Still seeking a way to stop the clones premature aging process and figuring out how to build a refuge camp on Mandalore for clones who are prepared to desert the Grand Amy, Kal and his adopted family are in for the fight of their lives as all their plans run smack into the master manipulations of Darth Sidious. What you get from the story is one of the most intensely emotional Star Wars stories I've ever read - and I've read them all people. I'm not even kidding, I got misty eyed more than once.

Again, one of the strengths Ms. Traviss relies on is her deep understanding of each of her characters and their individual motives over the series. What she has done for Mandalorian culture alone makes the books worth investing your time, but it's more than that. You care about each one of these characters. And that makes what fate has in store for them all the more impactful on you as a reader.

Perhaps one of the more underrated aspects of this series and of utmost importance in this novel is the depth and complexity of the the entire prequel saga.

The prequels have been panned by most critics and fans for a variety of reasons. In my opinion it's because you can only show so much in a film, the true depth of what happening on screen has to be thought about to really be understood. And that is what Ms. Traviss has done better than any Star Wars author to date. She has peeled layer after layer of the prequels back to reveals to true depths and ugliness to which the Jedi have sunk and why they were going to lose this war before it even started. And she also sheds light on the motivations of a certain decapitated Mandalorian that would shake an ardent fan to their core if they were to examine it.

Whether these layers of complexity were really there when George Lucas made the films is certainly debatable, I would like to believe they were and that he was simply challenging his audience to see the subtly of the trap laid by Sidious over the course of the three prequels. Or perhaps it's is all the doing of one incredibly bright and insightful English novelist who has simply captured my imagination in ways that haven't been done in sometime.

This books is phenomenal, this series is phenomenal.

This forth book closes the Republic Commando series. I'm sad to see it go as it has become as favorite in a short amount of time. Good thing it was also just annouced the a new series from Karen Traviss would be out soon - IMPERIAL COMMANDO. The title of book one of the series will bring delight to Star Wars fas everywhere - 501st!

I will be first in line for that one.

KE NU'JURKADIR SHA MANDO'ADE!

Indiana Jones - It's not the years, it's the mileage.

I'm not the kind of person who is impressed by celebrities.

I've lived in L.A. and have seen many film and TV stars as the make their way around town trying to lead as close to a normal life as they can while not out promoting whatever project they are working on. I'm happy to let them. I have no real desire to approach a celebrity while they are cutting into a steak with the wife and kids nearby. Because honestly, I really have nothing to say to them that wouldn't sound like the ramblings of a fan. I somehow doubt that we would become B.F.F.'s and start hanging out all the time. It probably the one area in my life where I'm firmly rooted in reality.

Harrison Ford, on the other hand...you can throw all of that out the window.

And Indiana Jones is pretty much the reason why.

Sure, as Han Solo in Star Wars he defined what it is to be a cool space pirate. Indiana Jones defined being cool period.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking Star Wars is my all-time favorite films. Maybe it is, but so are the Indiana Jones movies.

I could probably go on to gush about all the reason why, but really, I'm pretty sure you already know all the reasons why. So lets cut to the chase.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens in less than two days and I really can't wait to see it.
When the project was first announced I must admit to being on the skeptical side. I was nervous about the whole idea, after all it had been 18 years since Harrison had last donned the fedora and Spielberg had evolved as a director and in some people's mind George Lucas had lost his marbles.
Then the first batch of rumors came out, about how scripts kept getting rejected, no one could agree on what the next adventure would be. A script by frank Darabont was turned down, word come out that Sean Connery was offered the chance to reprise his role and turned it down. Things weren't looking good.
BAM - then all of a sudden the principals all agreed, casting was underway and the filming was set to commence. I had trepidations. Most surrounding the rumors that were being spread about Shia LeBeouf's character. Shia is an actor I had never really taken a shine to. Supporting roles in Constantine, I Robot,

Then a funny thing happened. Transformers came out and I really enjoyed it and Shia was very strong reason why. So that alleviated a great deal of my concerns. But everything really fell into place for me when the teaser trailer hit. Once the opening notes of John Williams score sounded I was all in and ready for the adventure. Judging from some of the internet reaction I am not alone.

I can only hope that the fans are kinder this time around than they were when George Lucas released his Star Wars prequels. As I am one of the few defenders of that series I offer a small disclaimer for everyone who is getting ready to see Indy's new adventure - Lower your expectations!
I'm getting sick to death of people who build things up in their minds to such astonishing heights that no matter how good something it it will never top what they have built it u to be. You are going to see Indiana Jones have a new adventure on the big screen. Be happy with that, just enjoy it for what it is, a film that should provide a nice adventure for two hours.
When 'Last Crusade' came out I was 10 years old. It was the 1st time I got to see Indy in theaters. I'm really excited for the chance to go back and see him on the big screen again. Let try to keep our expectations grounded in reality people. Don't join the growing masses of haters who feel the need to go around (mostly on the internets) and blast the holy hell out of a film and everyone involved in it to smithereens.

The man with the hat is back, enjoy it. Harrison can't do this forver...

Or can he?