The plaudit came from the 10th annual Golden Trailer Awards, held last week in LA, which gave the trailer for JJ Abrams' franchise reboot not just the "Best In Show" award, but also the "Summer 2009 Blockbuster Award." Other winners at the ceremony included Wall-E (Best Animation/Family), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Best Video Game) and The Spirit, which won the "Golden Fleece Award," which is awarded to the best trailer(s) of the worst movie(s)." I guess it's good to know that the movie will be remembered for something...

'Star Trek' promo wins Golden Trailer [Hollywood Reporter]

First Attempt:
Being Darth Vader is fantastic awesome amazing. You start on the planet Kashyyyk (AKA Wookie World) and just get to blow everything up looking for this Jedi. Good fun all around. You get all of the best powers right away. Truly, this was a great decision to make a game focusing on the Force and not a super-wookie of Han Solo-like hero. Hmmm. You can't run, which makes sense because Vader would never run. Told my friend that I didn't like Vader's Cape in the game, to which he replied that, without it, he would look stupid, and that I'm stupid for even suggesting such a thing. Pause for argument. Once settled that, yes, Vader should always have some sort of dramatic cape, we're back to playing. I've lost count of how many people I've executed because dangling squirmy beings over in the air is too much fun. Hey look! That kid is really strong, let's make him our pet. So far so good. I'm liking the cutie Secret Apprentice and being able to use the powers. I can't throw objects for crap at the moment, but I'm getting better. I'm warned that it will only get much much harder.

(I later seek a second opinion on the whole cape argument, only to be told that I'm wrong again: "Meredith, keep in mind Vader also has some vest or tunic underneath, so try to picture the baddest dude in the galaxy with a World War 2 helmet and a long vest. I think the cape is necessary." I promise I won't bring it up again.)

Second Attempt:
Clearly, George Lucas hates orange people, so no surprise that Shaak Ti dies in this video game (she had already died twice before in deleted scenes from LEGO Star Wars and in deleted scenes from Revenge Of The Sith). When she commits suicide on planet Felucia, it was met with ho-hums from most, but what actually really pissed me off was that her exit into the sarlacc pit was terribly meh. We've all seen the stabby lightsaber through the heart/throat deleted scene and heard of the possible decapitation head tentacles flying. But in Force Unleashed she just jumps to her death. How can you kill someone for the third time and have it be so boring? I thought she should have been lit on fire, but other friends suggested either an actual recreation of the mythical never-before-seen decapitation or that Starkiller throw her into the pit by her head horns (classy).

Moving on, Oooh snap. Vader stabbed his loved one in the chest. It was one of those surprise moments that I didn't actually see coming, I thought surely the Emperor would have killed him. WTF? He got sucked into space and he didn't die immediately. Star Wars science is bullshit! I'm not the only one who is perturbed by this.

Now that we're getting a closer look at actual humans from past wars I can easily say that CG Princess Leia looks great, but who is doing her voice? It's cancelling out all the hard work that the designers did getting her "just so." That said, this whole revisit to Kashyyyk is worth it just to check out Ozzik Sturn's trophy room with all the stuffed heads from the prequel monsters and even a few aliens that were clearly intelligent beings - It's creepy and awesome. It's hard when you're used to watching the movies and not the Star Wars games, because everytime there's a video cut I get excited, but tire of the continual "Thank you but you need to do this one thing in order for me to help you." Obviously, tasks are important in a game, but I have a hard time caring about saving the Wookies just 'cause. But then again it is cool to see them celebrate.

...I'm growing tired of Maris Brood and her repetitive jive talking. She sucks and I'm insulted that I've died so many times because of this little imp. Especially since everyone I know killed her in one shot. Thank God for the inferior AI moments in this game where people like the Shadow Guard and Purge Stormtroopers get stuck. These moments have given me the ability slowly learn how to use my powers and whatnot.

Are there any other planets in this game besides Felucia and Kashyyyk? I wish we could explore a few more places, but at least each one is different everytime we visit it.

Final question that I bother my friends with before quitting on this go-round: If the Purge Stormtroopers have armor that can resist the force what do you think it's made of? I say anti-midi-chlorians. Other responses: the animals from Timothy Zahn's ysalimiri (10 points for that answer), and two votes for adamantium.

Third Attempt:
I'm having a hell of a time beating Proxy, and at this point I'm debating just handing the controller over just so I can watch the end. I'm being teased by friends who finished this in one long sitting, but at least I didn't resort to running around and screaming while holding the controller unlike certain others. I happen to think that the transformation into Darth Maul was totally unexpected and neat, but apparently I'm alone in this opinion. After the initial shock is warn off I'm told that this is merely a gratuitous reference to the past films. "Yeah but it's Darth Maul, they had to throw him in there somewhere."

Fourth Attempt:
Onto the hard part. HOLY CRAP, the Death Star looks sweet... Ooooh my god, this level is insane. I try to make it past the entrance and fail over and over. I blame Juno.

Did anyone else think that the love story in Force Unleashed was rushed, still I'm glad it was included. I'm sure she'll play a larger role than we know at the moment. The kiss was adorable if not overly dramatic with yet ANOTHER backwards jump into an abyss. I'm going to have to side with friends when they collectively hoped that the Apprentice was so powerful with the Force that he impregnated her with just that kiss and she now has a secret baby. I definitely think that a Jedi could get a woman pregnant with a kiss, and my friends agree. Especially Starkiller (oh yeah we got the shout out to Luke's possible name thanks).

Retire from sheer jealousy.

Fifth Attempt:
Leaving and coming back did not make the last level any less difficult, as I'd hoped. I'd been warned about this and now realize that I may be up all night just trying to survive the first few minutes. I think my friend Jake explained it best: "I honestly for the first part of the final level just put the controller down and went and made myself some raspberry iced tea while the secret apprentice got fucking murdered."

Many, many, many, many, many hours later (and also some asking for help in the way of "You play this part"), I got to see the happy ending. Even though I hate Juno because she's got a killer body, a sexy accent and gets to kiss the Apprentice, I was rooting for them. So yes it was sad to see her all alone, but I'm assuming the aforementioned kiss left her with super child. More importantly, I shared the joy in the creation of the Rebellion and realized how funny it is that the people I know with Rebellion tattoos will now forever be linked in my head to a video game. No, I didn't shriek when they uncovered the crest of Marek for the new symbol of the rebellion, but it was still cool to find out where it came from. Strange, that the Emperor and Darth Vader practically created the group that would later bring them all down; you'd think they'd be smarter than that.

(I was then told that if I played the level again I would be able to see the Dark Side ending. Screw that, it took me forever to get to this spot, I just went and watched it on youtube. Let me tell you, Edward Scissorhand Apprentice is disturbing. That's him on the left - scary, no? It's sad because everyone dies. While the "what if" scenario is cool, it doesn't really jive or sit well with everything else. Sometimes it's okay to just let someone be dead. But I think that if I saw scissorhand coming at me I'd probably crap my pants.)

So what did I think of the game? Excellent, fun, and well worth my time. SA is a great character and never really gets too mean to not fall in love with. Granted, it got frustrating - I think that the 7th time I was killed by Proxy I yelled and woke up the neighbor's baby - but these are the prices that we have to pay for the good ending (Not the scary Dark one). Will I play it again? Maybe? Probably? I still need to prove myself since I had so much help through almost all of the game, after all.

But probably the best thing about Force Unleashed was that for a video game the main character held my love and attention 10,000 times better than this guy:

The game's project leader, Haden Blackmen told the Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex blog that the possibility of a Force Unleashed flick isn't a completely left field idea:

And it’s not impossible. Never say never. George [Lucas] has looked to tell new ‘Star Wars’ stories through the games and with the entire Star Wars Expanded Universe, and then he has also shown a willingness to let the characters come into the films. Look at Aayla Secura, a creation in the comic books who became part of the theatrical films.

Which is a great point, if there is money to be made Lucas will take it (and FU has sold millions of games so I think we can dub this video game a relative success). I'm all for this movie being made, if it's straight to DVD. Or what if they just looped all of the videos from the game together onto a separate disk? I'd watch that. Bottom line, the Secret Apprentice and his gang are cool and worth a little more love and attention, but there's no reason to be bringing full-fledged feature film business into this.

[LA Times]

The event, held at a Best Buy in San Francisco, gave fans the chance to meet the people behind the game, see exclusive footage, get a chance to test-drive the game pre-release and, most importantly, dress up in impressively-made outfits to show off their devotion for the franchise. During the five-hour countdown to the game going on sale, project lead Hayden Blackman and Star Wars head honcho George Lucas both spoke to the crowd, explaining the ways in which the game marked the start not only of a new era of Star Wars games, but also of a new way of telling Star Wars stories. Not that anyone really cared about that - They just wanted to play with the awesome Wii Remote plug-ins that give you your own lightsaber.

We'll have a review of the game later this week. For now, enjoy a glimpse at what you missed. And, yes, even when you were there, it still looked kind of like a crossover between Star Wars and Chuck.

The Spirit:

Lions Gate released a new official synopsis for Frank Miller's movie of Will Eisner's The Spirit:

It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the OCTOPUS (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he’s going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City’s rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront ... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are ELLEN DOLAN (Sarah Paulson), the whip-smart girl-next-door; SILKEN FLOSS (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; PLASTER OF PARIS (Paz Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; LORELEI (Jaime King), a phantom siren; and MORGENSTERN (Stana Katic), a sexy young cop.

Then of course, there’s SAND SAREF (Eva Mendes), the jewel thief with dangerous curves. She’s the love of his life turned bad. Will he save her or will she kill him?

I like the way every one of the women of The Spirit gets a cheesy little tag, like "punk secretary and frigid vixen." I also love the idea that these women surround him at every turn; it conjures a great mental image.

Death Race:

The prison-race movie includes a final scene tying up the fates of Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson and co-star Natalie Martinez, which was filmed months after the movie wrapped filming. It was added after test audiences felt the original ending was too open-ended. So if you notice a final scene that seems a bit tacked on, that's why. [Sci Fi Wire]

Life On Mars:

The American remake of British time-travel cop show Life On Mars has gone from a C-list cast to a surprisingly A-list one, and here they are shown off in the first official photos, including Gretchen Moll and Harvey Keitel. It definitely looks a lot closer to the British version than the earlier pilot did. [Daily Mail]

Lost:

Don't panic! Even though Desmond got a happy ending with Penny at the end of season four, he's "still part of the cast." And we'll be seeing Penny again. [TV Guide]

But you should panic after all, because Terry O'Quinn says "there's some question" as to whether Locke will appear "all the way" up to the end of the show. [Spoilers Lost]

Oh, and some extras had to work late, because they were filming a scene at Hawaii Convention Center, which usually stands in for an airport on the show. This time around, the key word was "Heathrow." More Widmore intrigue, perhaps? [Hawaii Blog]

Dollhouse:

Will Joss Whedon's new show about brainwashed programmable people for hire feature a beautiful cast? See for yourself.

Fringe:

The third episode of J.J. Abrams' oh-fine-call-it-the-X-Files show will be called "The Ghost Network." [Spoiler TV]

Knight Rider:

Because I know you guys get horrendously upset when I don't include a Knight Rider spoiler in here, here's a doozy: original driving wheel David Hasselhoff is making arrangements to put in an appearance in the new show. And he may have his own KITT. The idea is for both Mikes, and both KITTs, to team up to defeat some horrendous menace that can only be stopped by two smart-alecky cars. But the show won't bring back the Hoff unless there's a storyline that really demands it. [Sci Fi Wire]

The Middleman:

In the last two episodes of the season, the Middleman TV show diverges from the comic in a serious way for the first time. Even though the final two episodes feature Manservant Neville, who's also in volume three of the comic, the storylines will be different. Also, we won't get to find out why/how the Middleman became the clean-living man he is today. That would have been the subject of the 13th. episode of the season, which got canceled to free up money to show the awesome parallel world in the 12th (and now final) episode. [NJ]

Doctor Who:

There won't be any "Children In Need" special this year, meaning rumors of a meeting with several past Doctors are false. The first special of 2009 is "the Easter special," co-written by Gareth Roberts, and it features a new monster. Catherine Tate would jump at the chance to return, and "anything is possible," says Russell T. Davies. [Blogtor Who]

Torchwood:

It's rumored James Marsters will be back as the roguish Captain John Hart in the five-episode story "Children Of Earth." [DenOfGeek]

The Sarah Jane Adventures:

More episode titles from the second season of the Doctor Who spin-off. After "The Last Sontaran" and "Day Of The Clown," there are "Secrets Of The Stars," "The Mark Of The Berzerker," "The Temptation Of Sarah Jane" and "Enemy Of The Bane." (I'm guessing Sarah Jane's temptation has to do with going back in time to the 1950s and having the chance to save her parents from dying when she's a baby. Somebody needs to sit Sarah Jane down in front of a copy of the Doctor Who episode "Father's Day.")

Even though Maria and her dad leave after the first story, "don't be surprised" if we see them again, says a producer. Also, one story is a sequel to a Doctor Who story. Bradley Walsh plays "an alien with three identities," and Floella Benjamin (from "The Lost Boy") turns up again. And, as we've mentioned, the Brigadier and Mrs. Wormwood of the Bane are both back. [The Time Vortex]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

Not to be undone, the Terminator TV show also features a very beautiful cast, despite the impending destructage of everything. [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Somehow I missed this from those TV Guide scans yesterday. When the Justice League tracks Clark down, he's powerless and in a shady Russian work camp. Afterwards, neither the League nor Clark will be the same again. Also, in the third episode, Oliver Queen's poisoning causes Lois to revisit her feelings for him when she visits him in the hospital.

And in episode four, after Jimmy finds the letter Chloe wrote to Clark back in "Fever," Jimmy asks her why she's never said those things about Jimmy. Chloe says Jimmy's insecurity about Clark is wearing thin. Also, Shelby the dog will make a reappearance. Chloe does some investigating for Clark, to find out the truth about Maxima (Charlotte Sullivan), the alien queen who wants to mate with Clark. But then Maxima uses her powers to seduce Clark (??) and Lois walks in on them in an elevator. Also, Clark offers Lois "her old room back" on the empty Kent farm. [Kryptonsite]

Chuck:

And here's another cast photo, this time for nerd-spy show Chuck. [Spoiler TV]

Also, it turns out Captain Awesome's real name is Devon Woodcomb, and his parents go by Woody and Honey Woodcomb. [Zap2It]

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed:

Not only does the new Star Wars video game tell the story of a previously unknown "internecine feud" between Darth Vader and the Emperor Palpatine, it also shows how the two of them unwittingly created the rebellion that eventually destroyed them.

Your character, Vader's secret apprentice known as Starkiller, visits a satellite orbiting the smugglers' moon of Nar Shaddaa, on a mission to destroy a Jedi elder, leaving no witnesses. Along the way, you can kill a ton of militia troops, deflecting their lasers with your light saber and then using the Force to hurl a piece of metal through a window, causing the glass to shatter so your enemies are sucked out into vacuum before a safety wall closes.

Also, when you Force-throw a Wookiee into a tree on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, the Wookiee writhes realistically and the tree shatters into splinters. [Wired]

Marvel Comics have their lightest week in quite some time, which clears the way for Amazing Spider-Man #568, the first part of the six-issue "New Ways To Die" storyline that brings Venom back into Spider-Man's world, as well as introducing the potentially-awesome, potentially-disastrous new character "Anti-Venom" to the world. If any Spider-fans need more reason to pick it up, what if I tell you that it also returns Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, to his rightful place as Spider-villain? Exactly.
DC Comics have two great launches to compete against any number of webheaded bad guys, however; Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds sees uber-writer Geoff Johns and uber-artist George Perez team up to smash three different versions of the 31st century together and see what survives, while G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker's Air offers up a heady mix of technology, terrorism and spirituality in a story that starts with a flight attendant who's afraid of flying and ends up somewhere off any map you've ever seen.

If those two books don't tickle your fancy (and if not, then for shame: they're the two I'm most looking forward to this week), then IDW and Dark Horse have you covered: Doctor Who: The Forgotten is due in stores tomorrow, launching IDW's "All of the Doctors, ever" mini-series with story by Tony Lee and art by Y: The Last Man's Pia Guerra. More excitingly, though, Dark Horse has Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a graphic novel based upon the upcoming video game (and written by the game's writer , Haden Blackman); you can find a seven-page preview of the book here, if you're not convinced, but for those of you who may be craving a less cartoony take on George Lucas' legacy, this is for you.

By this point, you know what comes next: A full list of this week's books can be found here, which you can use to build your very own shopping list that you can take to your very own local comic store... which you can locate by going here. Use those powers wisely, my friends, and remember: Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering, and suffering leads to you realizing how much you need something like The Force Unleashed to remind you why you liked Star Wars the first time around.

Displaying why he truly is the biggest baddie, Vader first takes on a son-like Secret Apprentice, then tries to kill the Apprentice's girlfriend, disowns him by throwing him against a wall when caught by the Emperor, then goes after him himself. All this abuse can only end with the SA turning to the good side — sigh, he was sexier when he was murdering anyone who laid eyes on him. But aside from the mushy love stuff, check out that action. The SA splits an AT-AT in half, and throws his light saber through multiple trees and impales a Wookiee. And finally we get a glimpse of the inevitable show-down between Vader and his SA. Even if this game fails, the crazy Force action and cool story should make it worth watching.
[EW via Kokatu]

[Worth Playing and Game Riot]

Talking to game site Videogamer, LucasArts' Cameron Suey admitted that maybe enthusiasm had overpowered quality control in the past:

Star Wars is one of the greatest licenses for a videogame you could have and in the past we got a little excited about that and we put out games that probably weren't up to the quality bar that we would have liked. That's definitely something we've recognised and we understand. The more Star Wars games you put out and the more you love that environment the more it becomes mediocre and anodyne. We're really focused on telling singular, excellent Star Wars stories with engaging and innovative gameplay and cutting edge technology. That's going to be the future of Star Wars games... You might see less and better [games in the future]. Make it right and do it right.

Here's the thing about the hardcore fans. They know Star Wars better than almost anyone. However, that almost anyone is a couple of guys that work at Lucas Films in the licensing department, where they have a massive database where absolutely every element of the story, Lando's eye colour, and where was Princess Leia at a certain point of time, all that information is tracked very meticulously. I mean they know the name of characters who were wearing a helmet in the back of a canteen suite. All that stuff is understood and it's a known quantity. They won't let us do anything with the story unless it fits. And if they're a little concerned about it then we figure out a way to make it work. So the story is actually going to fit.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed interview [VideoGamer]

As you may have heard, the highly-anticipated game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," due Sept. 16, takes place between Episodes 3 and 4 in the movie timeline. You play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice (neither side can know about you), and your Force powers are "over-the-top," in every way that is awesome. I can only describe them as Luke's abilities on acid. The premise seems to be that while the apprentice is mostly being sent on missions to take out Jedis, you also get to dodge and take out Stormtroopers who threaten exposure.

The game looks unbelievably cool, and we saw a clip with creators who said they wanted to give players the chance to go in and really experience using Force powers. Lightning crackles, people levitate in what looks like bullet-time, huge cinematic landscapes sprawl, a TIE fighter explodes — all is right with the world. We also saw a level where the crazy Jedi master assembles "junk gollums" from his giant planet of garbage for you to fight.

Young Indiana Jones is coming to DVD. And on May 1st, individual special DVDs of the first three Indy movies will be released, plus an all-new DVD box set with exclusive bonus features. The Lego Indy video game is coming soon, with the tagline "the greatest adventure ever assembled" and will let you play through the action of the first three movies in Lego form.

Seth Green and his Robot Chicken co-creator Matthew Senreich joined and livened things up, bringing the funny and the Robot Chicken Star Wars Special clips. Green said that one of the notes he received from George Lucas after he agreed to cameo was "Don't use penises." Green and Senreich, fanboys themselves, were thrilled to receive attention from Lucas, and he was game to take their direction when voicing his own tiny action figure.

We saw a few short clips from The Clone Wars, the Star Wars animated series debuting in theaters this August and then coming to television this fall. The show will premiere on Cartoon Network and then air on TNT. The plot goes that Anakin and Obi-Wan leave the Clone Army to fight the forces of darkness. Lucas is said to be very hands-on with the creative process.

They're particularly proud of creating a new "vertical battle" display that will have Walkers and Jedi alike fighting vertically. We're told that the mysterious female padawan Ahsoka Tano is "feisty and fun," and that each episode will be like having a new Star Wars mini-movie each week. That seems okay with me, because the animated Hayden Christensen is already displaying a hundred times more expression than the real one.