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Amazon’s Gold Box team has really fallen in love with the new year’s resolution theme this week, but it’s tough to complain with so many great deals on yoga and fitness products.

Today only, you’ll find a foam roller for $22, resistance band kits starting at $25, complete yoga starter kits, and a lot more deals to help you limber up. These deals are only available today, and many could sell out early, so get out of the downward facing dog and head over to Amazon while you still can. [Yoga and Resistance Training Gold Box]

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Whether you enjoy camping, are worried about power outages, or just like the idea of being off the grid, Three of Anker’s highly-rated solar USB chargers are on sale today.

Anker PowerPort Solar Charger (21W 2-Port USB Solar Panel Charger) ($50) | Amazon | Promo code AV4OIKEN

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Anker PowerPort Solar Lite (15W 2-Port USB Solar Panel Charger) ($40) | Amazon | Promo code IC7L3OS8

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Anker 8W Single-Port Portable Foldable Outdoor Solar Charger with PowerIQ Technology ($30) | Amazon | Promo code 43FBCYKI

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If you don’t have a good cooking thermometer in your kitchen, this one has a 4.5 star average on over 3500 reviews, and you can pick one up for just $8. [Chef Remi Cooking Thermometer, $8 with code 8W6BY59J]

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If Nature Valley or Larabar snacks are part of your daily routine, you can stock up on your favorites from Amazon today, and save $4.

There are plenty of flavors available, and while you have to buy in bulk to get this deal, the $4 coupon still knocks off a pretty substantial percentage of the total price, in most cases. Just note that you’ll need to purchase using Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program to see the $4 discount at checkout, but you can always cancel after your first order arrives. [$4 off Larabar and Nature Valley Snacks]

Do you own a weather radio? You need to. Luckily, this Eton model is down to $36, and includes a hand crank and USB output to charge up your smartphone. [Eton American Red Cross Weather Radio, $36]

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A 30,000mAh battery pack may seem like overkill, but that could keep your phone running off the grid for over a week, or even every phone in your family during a short camping trip. So, uh, yeah, I guess it might be overkill, but it has its uses! [ZeroLemon ToughJuice 30000mAh Portable Charger, $33 with code UKFFS6JC]

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Until very recently, if you wanted an external hard drive with more than 2TB of space, you had no choice but to plug in an external power cord. Now though, you can carry 4TB around in your pocket or bag, with nothing but a USB cable to connect it. [Seagate 4TB Expansion Portable External Hard Drive, $120]

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Want to try some name brand on-ear headphones, but only have the budget for off-brand earbuds? You’re in luck today. [Sony MDRZX300/BLK Stereo Headphones, $15]

USB charging hubs are perfect for your desk, nightstand, and travel bag, and we’ve got great deals on two of them today, including one with five (!!!) Quick Charge 2.0 ports.

ORICO 40W 5 Port Family-sized Multi-Port Desktop USB Charger ($12) | Amazon | Use code 8DLKEY4Q

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Tronsmart Titan 10A/90W 5-Port Quick Charge 2.0 Desktop Charger ($24) | Amazon | Use code 5USBPORT

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Not only can this Intocircuit battery pack recharge three phones at once, it can also jump start your car in a pinch. Yep, really. It even comes with a DC car charger, so it never even needs to leave your glove box. [Intocircuit Ultra Compact Car Jump Starter and Portable Charger Power Bank, $49 with code O226YT6C]

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If you’re a Star Trek fan, this $1 Kindle book should be an insta-buy. [The Autobiography of James T. Kirk (Kindle), $1]

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We see deals pretty frequently on the low end Apple MacBook, but today, you can save $300 on the most well-equipped model, which includes a faster processor and 512GB SSD. [Apple MacBook 512GB, $1300]

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If you need a little extra motivation to stay on top of your new year’s resolutions, nothing beats a Fitbit to shame you into getting off the couch. And if you don’t mind buying refurbs, Woot’s offering some of the deals we’ve ever seen today. Prices below include Woot’s standard $5 shipping fee.

• Refurb Fitbit Flex ($55) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit ONE ($65) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit Charge ($75) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit Charge HR ($105) Woot

If you don’t mind waiting out a backorder, Synology’s 2-bay diskless NAS is down to $140 right now on Amazon, complete with a 4.3 star review average. [Synology DiskStation 2-Bay Diskless Private Cloud NAS (DS214se), $140]

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And of course, you’ll want to fill it with Western Digital Red drives, which are designed with network attached storage in mind.

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A year ago, our readers agreed that Glove.ly made the best touchscreen gloves on the market, and today, they’re offering their biggest sale ever. All styles are 45% off, and you can take an extra 20% off at checkout with code COLD20. That brings the get-in price to under $10 on the cheapest options, so tap on over to Glove.ly to lock in your order. [Glove.ly Sale, extra 20% off with code COLD20]

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Smartphone arm bands and bluetooth earbuds go together like peanut butter and chocolate, except much healthier. Now, you can get one of each for just $16. [AUKEY Wireless Stereo Sport Bluetooth Headphones and Aukey Sweatproof Sport Armband, $16 with code J2N4Z6IX]

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For a limited time, you can own all four Alien movies on Blu-ray for just $15, the lowest price Amazon’s ever listed. Just pour one out for Prometheus while you watch. [Alien: Quadrilogy, $15]

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L.L.Bean just heavily discounted their $160 Explorer Parka to a completely unreasonable $80. The coat boasts plenty o’ insulation and a breathable cotton shell. Aw shucks. [L.L.Bean Explorer Parka, $80]

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Vent-mounted magnets have been the hot new thing in smartphone car holders, but if your CD slot is lying dormant, this would also be a great option. [Mpow Grip Pro 2 Universal CD Slot Car Mount, $10 with code TUUJYEU5]

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We’ve seen a lot of deals on Bluetooth car receivers, but I don’t think any of them have looked as nice as this new model from Aukey. It even comes with two extra USB ports to keep your phones charged. [Aukey Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-free Car Kit Wireless Music Receiver, $16 with code HHDGOZEE]

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If you really like chewing gum, Amazon will sell you several months’ worth for an extra 25% off today.

You get your choice of a four-pack of Eclipse “Big E” bottles with 60 pieces each, or 24 boxes of Orbit gum with 14 pieces each. Just pick your favorite flavor, hit “Subscribe Now,” and you’ll see an extra 25% discount automatically at checkout. [Extra 25% off Chewing Gum: Eclipse | Orbit]

Note: As with all Subscribe & Save deals, you can always cancel your subscription after the first package arrives.

It might not seem like mission-critical equipment, but there are times when owning a label maker can really come in handy, and you can buy a really good one right now for just $19.

Unlike many cheap label makers, DYMO’s LabelManager 280 can print graphics and barcodes, and also features a rechargeable battery so you don’t have to hunt down any AAs. I have a similar model in my drawer, and while I don’t use it every day, it definitely earns its keep every few months or so. Today’s deal is about $10 less than usual, and within a few dollars of its all-time low price, so grab it while you can, and get labeling. [DYMO LabelManager 280, $19]

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If you didn’t get a copy of Black Ops III over the holidays, it’s back down to its lowest price ever on PS4 and Xbox One today. Honestly, it’s probably worth it just for the zombies mode. [Call of Duty Black Ops III, $35 with code EMCEFEM65. Also available on Xbox One.]

If you don’t own a pressure cooker, today’s a great day to fix that. You can score a refurbished Cuisinart CPC 600 Pressure Cooker for $50, or $37 less than buying it new. Not to put any pressure on you, but this deal might not last long. [Refurb Cuisinart CPC 600 Pressure Cooker, $50]

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Whether you’re counting calories, baking, measuring espresso shots, or weighing small packages, a kitchen scale is a always a great tool to have on hand. This one has a stack of great reviews and is only $10 today, so there’s no need to weigh your options. [Etekcity 15lb/7kg Digital Kitchen Food Scale, $10 with code MUYVFUWC]

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There’s not much to say about this knife-hiding key other than that it looks awesome, and only costs $8. Just don’t forget to leave it at home before you head to the airport. [SOG Specialty Knives KEY-101 Key Knife, $8]

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If one of your goals for 2016 was to take better care of your teeth, scoring a Philips Sonicare 2 Series toothbrush for $30 is a great place to start [Philips Sonicare 2 Series, $30 after $10 coupon]

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Tech

Storage

• Transcend 32GB MicroSDHC Class10 UHS-1 Memory Card with Adapter ($9) | Amazon
• SanDisk Extreme PLUS 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Class U-1 Memory Card ($39) | Best Buy
• SanDisk Extreme PLUS 32GB microSDHC UHS-I Class U-1 Memory Card ($22) | Best Buy
• SanDisk Ultra Plus 16GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card ($11) | Best Buy
• Synology DiskStation 2-Bay Diskless Private Cloud NAS (DS214se) ($140) | Amazon

Power

• Panasonic BK-3MCCA8BA 8-pack AA eneloop Rechargeable Batteries ($15) | Newegg | After $5 rebate
• Anker PowerPort Solar Charger (21W 2-Port USB Solar Panel Charger) ($50) | Amazon | Promo code AV4OIKEN
• Anker PowerPort Solar Lite (15W 2-Port USB Solar Panel Charger) ($40) | Amazon | Promo code IC7L3OS8
• Anker 8W Single-Port Portable Foldable Outdoor Solar Charger with PowerIQ Technology ($30) | Amazon | Promo code 43FBCYKI
• ZeroLemon ToughJuice 30000mAh Portable Charger ($33) | Amazon | Use code UKFFS6JC
• ORICO 40W 5 Port Family-sized Multi-Port Desktop USB Charger ($12) | Amazon | Use code 8DLKEY4Q
• Tronsmart Titan 10A/90W 5-Port Quick Charge 2.0 Desktop Charger ($24) | Amazon | Use code 5USBPORT

Audio

• Sony MDRZX300/BLK Stereo Headphones ($15) | Amazon
• LG Tone Ultra Wireless Headphones ($60) | Best Buy
• 3-in-1 Waterproof IPX4 Bluetooth Speaker Shower Speaker ($20) | Amazon | Use code 8CTBW8UZ

Home Theater

• LG Electronics 42-Inch 1080p LED TV (2015 Model) ($348) | Amazon
• JBL Cinema SB200 Bluetooth Soundbar Speaker ($150) | Jbl

Computers & Accessories

• eLink Pro Deluxe Computer Armrest Wrist Rest ($26) | Amazon | Promo code 6EERVOSI

PC Parts

• Antec VSK3000E Mid Tower Case ($15) | eBay
• Thermaltake Versa H35 Window Mid tower Chassis ($35) | eBay
• G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory ($65) | Newegg
• CORSAIR CX500M 500W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active Power Supply ($35) | Newegg | After $20 rebate

Mobile Devices

• Verizon Wireless Prepaid LG Optimus Exceed 2 No-Contract Cell Phone ($10) | Best Buy
• LapGear Smart Media Desk II Black Soft Touch ($19) | Amazon
• RiPoP Selfie Stick, U-Shape Self-portrait Monopod Extendable Selfie Stick ($5) | Amazon | Use code EL49OT6K
• Inateck iPad Mini Case ($6) | Amazon | Use code HC6EMKTQ
• Mpow 3 in 1 Clip-On Lens Kits ($10) | Amazon | Use code 6WT53MRT
• Cambond Dual Layer iPhone 6/6s Case ($6) | Amazon | Use code 7LJ8D4CS
• Cambond Dual Layer iPhone 6s Plus Case ($6) | Amazon | Use code 7LJ8D4CS

Photography

• Refurb Nikon D3300 24.2 MP Digital SLR with 18-55mm VR II Lens ($309) | Buydig | Use code COMPOSE3RDS
• Refurb Nikon D3300 24.2 MP Digital SLR with 18-55 and 55-200 VR II Lenses ($369) | Buydig | Use code COMPOSE3RDS
• Tamrac 5725 Zuma 5 Photo/Laptop Shoulder Bag ($25) | B&H

Home

• 4 Piece Spinner Luggage Set ($100) | Macys
• Refurb Dyson DC41 Models are On Sale at Meh
• HDX 27 Gal. Storage Tote ($9) | Home Depot
• DYMO LabelManager 280 Rechargeable Hand-Held Label Maker ($19) | Amazon
• DYMO Letratag LT-100H Personal Hand-Held Label Maker ($18) | Amazon
• Waterproof Solar Outdoor Motion LED Light ($13) | Amazon | Use code MKDVLYLN
• 82"x48"x18" 6 Tier Layer Shelf Adjustable Steel Wire Metal Shelving Rack ($65) | eBay
• Etekcity Wireless Remote Control Electrical Outlet Switch - Set of 2 ($13) | Amazon | Use code 7H5HHGFS
• Magicfly Door Stopper 4 Pack ($5) | Amazon | Use code 3OAV5P5R
• String Lights, 2 Set of Micro 30 LEDs Super Bright Warm White Color Wire Rope Lights ($7) | Amazon

Beauty & Grooming

• Remington HKVAC2000A Vacuum Haircut Kit ($35) | Amazon
• Magicfly Hair Straightener Brush ($27) | Amazon | Use code 3BOYFSJX

Kitchen

• Tribest SW-2000-B Slowstar Vertical Slow Juicer and Mincer ($290) | Amazon
• Stainless-Steel 8-Inch Chef’s Knife ($5) | Amazon
• Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker ($33) | Amazon
• X-Chef Stainless Steel Garlic Press ($8) | Amazon
• Stainless Steel Can Opener from X-Chef ($6) | Amazon
• Etekcity 2 Stage Knife Sharpener ($9) | Amazon | Use code OPHERHJD

Fitness

• AUKEY Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker and AUKEY Waterproof Case Bag ($19) | Amazon | Use code NC2DKMYX
• Wrist Wraps for Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, Gym Training, Strength Training - 2 Pairs, 4 Wraps ($8) | Amazon | Use code 729FLVXV
• AUKEY Wireless Stereo Sport Bluetooth Headphones and Aukey Sweatproof Sport Armband ($16) | Amazon | Use code J2N4Z6IX
• Up To 60% Off Select Lifeline Resistance Trainers and Yoga Gear at Amazon
• Refurb Fitbit Flex ($55) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit ONE ($65) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit Charge ($75) Woot
• Refurb Fitbit Charge HR ($105) Woot

Apparel

• Take an Extra 50% Off Sale Styles at Levi’s with Code SALE50

Camping & Outdoors

• Smith Phenom Goggles ($44) | REI

Tools & Auto

• Intocircuit Ultra Compact Car Jump Starter and Portable Charger Power Bank ($49) | Amazon | Use code O226YT6C
• HID Xenon/Led Headlight Conversion Kit ($20) | eBay
• Craftsman 263-Pc Mechanics Tool Set ($200) | Sears
• DEWALT 15 Amp 10 in. Jobsite Table Saw with Scissor Stand ($399) | Home Depot

Media

Movies & TV

• Preorder The Martian ($25) | Amazon
• The Breakfast Club (30th Anniversary Edition) ($8) | Amazon
• Batman Begins ($8) | Amazon
• Blade ($6) | Amazon
• 47 Ronin ($8) | Amazon
• Alien: Quadrilogy ($15) | Amazon
• Total Recall (Mastered in 4K) ($6) | Amazon
• The Land Before Time ($10) | Amazon
• 007: The Roger Moore Collection Volume 2 ($10) | Amazon

Books & Magazines

• The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted [Kindle] ($2) | Amazon
• The Big Tiny Audiobook | Dee Williams ($3) | Audible

Music

• FREE Jeff Buckley: Grace | Google
• FREE Elvis Presley: 30 #1 Hits | Google

Gaming

Peripherals

• CM Storm Devastator LED Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo Bundle ($25) | Newegg | After $5 Rebate

PC

• Fallout 4 w/ $25 Gift Card ($60) | Dell
• Broken Age ($6) | Steam
• Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Puppet Thief ($6) | Steam
• The Growth Journey ($5) | Steam
• Planetary Annihilation: TITANS ($12) | Amazon

PlayStation 4

• Call of Duty Black Ops III ($35) | Newegg | Promo code EMCEFEM65
• Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons ($13) | Amazon
  
• Guitar Hero Live Guitar Controller ($20) | Best Buy

Xbox One

• Call of Duty Black Ops III ($35) | Newegg | Promo code EMCEFEM65
• Mad Max ($25) | Amazon
• Guitar Hero Live Guitar Controller ($20) | Best Buy
• Xbox One White 500GB Gears of War Special Edition Console Bundle ($300) | Walmart

PlayStation 3

• Angry Birds Star Wars ($4) | Walmart

Xbox 360

• LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack ($39) | Amazon
• Angry Birds Star Wars ($4) | Walmart

Wii U

• Preorder Animal Crossing Amiibo Wave 2 Figure (Resetti, Blathers, etc.) ($13) | Amazon
• LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes ($15) | Amazon
• Preorder Lucas amiibo ($13) | Amazon
• Angry Birds Star Wars ($4) | Walmart

3DS

• Preorder Animal Crossing Amiibo Wave 2 Figure (Resetti, Blathers, etc.) ($13) | Amazon
• Preorder Lucas amiibo ($13) | Amazon

Toys

• Nerf Modulus Long Range Upgrade Kit ($10) | Amazon

Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more. We want your feedback.

Send deal submissions to Deals@Gawker and all other inquiries to Shane@Gawker

We pretty much loved Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The things this movie got right were so much more important than the things it got wrong. That said, it did get some things wrong. Allow us to elaborate.

So now that Episode VII has become the #1 non-inflation-adjusted domestic movie of all time in North America, it’s a good moment to be honest about it. In our movie review, we touched briefly on the fact that there were some flaws in the film that did seem to be a cause for concern, especially in the second half. But we didn’t want to go into detail about those until everybody had had a chance to see the film and chew it over. So here goes.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead...

So first off, just to reiterate—for the most part, we loved this film, and it even improved on subsequent viewings. But yeah, there are some issues.

General Organa

First off, the biggest one is probably Leia. Even in a movie where Luke Skywalker gets a minute of screentime, Leia feels notably underserved, to the point where I wondered if a bunch of her stuff got cut at the last minute. (The thing where she hugs Rey, whom she’s never spoken to, and ignores Chewbacca, kind of supports that idea.)

In The Force Awakens, Leia gets a handful of snarky lines towards her ex, Han Solo, but is mostly just one long stoic reaction shot. Whatever she thinks of her brother running off and leaving the galaxy to die, we never really find out.

But worst of all, she and Han Solo have a couple of scenes that are like the executive summary of a couple talking about their relationship. It’s something I’ve seen a fair bit in movies lately: the scene where two people talk about their feelings, but they’re just summarizing the bullet points. The biggest Han-Leia conversation is half as-you-know-Bob exposition, and half quick-and-dirty, on-the-nose relationship synopsis. At no point do Han and Leia feel like people who once loved each other, had a child together, and have not seen each other in years.

This matters partly because Leia is a kickass character in her own right, and getting to see her as a general was one of the selling points of the film. And it also matters because the Leia-Han relationship was the emotional core of the original trilogy, so it’s weird to see it get such short shrift here.

But Leia getting shortchanged also saps a bit of the oomph out of the film’s climax. Not a lot, but some. Han Solo going to confront his fallen son Kylo Ren works on its own terms, because we’ve seen enough of Han and Kylo in the movie to get that Han has become kind of a sad reflection of who he used to be, and we know that Kylo is struggling with his feelings about his father. But Leia is the one who sends Han to talk to Kylo, and a big part of her scenes is selling us on the idea that Kylo Ren’s father (and not his mother) is the only one who can reach him now. Leia has to know that she’s probably sending Han Solo to his death—or at least, that it’s a likely outcome—and if the scenes where she asks him to do that carried more weight, then it would add more power to the Han-Kylo meeting.

Starkiller Base

And Leia, by dint of her status as leader of the Resistance, also participates in the film’s other biggest shortfall: the whole Starkiller Base storyline. At this point in the film, I’m invested enough in Rey, Finn and Kylo that their arcs paying off feels like enough of a culmination to the film, and it’s okay that Starkiller Base is kind of a forgettable contrivance.

But Starkiller Base absolutely does not carry any weight in the film. When it destroys the New Republic, this is pretty much the first we’ve heard of the New Republic in the movie, and I kept wondering if Jeet Heer had just been atomized or something. General Hux’s speech, coming with no context or setup, is the most unconvincing, random thing in the film, and I look forward to the “remix” videos where he’s shouting about unfair parking tickets and that one Shake Shack where they messed up his onion-ring order because goddamnit, he’s a General and onion rings are a prerogative of his rank.

I don’t care about Starkiller Base. At no point do I believe it’s going to destroy the bunker where Leia and her friends are hunkering down—and apparently neither do they, since they don’t try and evacuate or anything. The mission to destroy Starkiller Base is way too straightforward, and its weakness is glaringly easy. Ken Leung from Lost points out one vulnerable component that the base must have, Finn knows exactly what he means and where it is, and it’s the size of a city to boot.

And the mission goes off more or less without a hitch—both Death Star attacks in the Original Trilogy were disasters, only saved by a last-minute miracle. They even have Admiral Ackbar there in the room, so they oughta remember how it’s supposed to be a trap. [Edited to add: Okay, people in comments are pointing out that the mission does fail at first. But not in a way that feels like “all is lost.” And we cut away from Poe and the X-wings for a long stretch of time, during which we’re apparently not supposed to think they’ve all been destroyed.]

When Starkiller Base gets blown up, I feel basically nothing. (By contrast, Nero’s weapon in J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek does actually feel menacing, because we actually see it destroy Vulcan, a place we have a connection to, which we’ve spent some time on in this film.)

Maz Kanata

And then there’s Maz Kanata, the pirate/bartender/Force-sensitive ancient alien who’s basically Guinan from Star Trek: The Next Generation. We know that Maz originally had a bigger role in the movie, but they didn’t really know what to do with her after her bar is destroyed. Actually, it sort of feels like they didn’t know what to do with her, in general.

Maz feels like kind of a non-entity. She’s there to help our heroes out, dispense homespun wisdom, and urge Rey to embrace her destiny via Anakin’s old lightsaber. She’s the least memorable character in the film, although I did keep wondering why she has a giant statue of herself outside her bar. She clearly sympathizes with the Resistance—her one memorable speech is about how Han Solo should stop running and join the fight—but she’s not helping them herself, and she probably knows her bar is full of First Order sympathizers, that she caters to.

Part of the problem with Maz is that she’s the film’s Yoda, but she’s also the film’s Lando Calrissian. She’s both the wise teacher who is on the side of good and the morally gray, neutral rogue who doesn’t want to pick a side. I guess. She’s a few archetypes cobbled together, but none of them actually sticks.

The Force

And that brings me to another problem with The Force Awakens—even though the Force is right there in the title, and we’re told a few times that the Force is coming back after a period of quiescence, I don’t really feel the Force very much in this movie.

That is, I don’t really get a ton of the feeling of mysticism and awe that I associate with the Force in this film, as compared to Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. The weird poetry of it. And some of that is down to the fact that Maz Kanata is this movie’s Yoda or Obi-Wan, and she’s kind of an empty vessel.

I absolutely buy Rey becoming strong with the Force, because she’s clearly got an innate ability and every time she encounters Kylo Ren he shows her more stuff. My problems with the Force in this movie are not suspension-of-disbelief issues, or logistical ones, at all. But I didn’t have any “holy cow” spiritual moments involving that mysterious energy field that binds all living things together. There’s no “that is why you fail” moment in this movie.

Some of the lack of awe towards the Force in the movie could be down to John Williams’ music, which is great but never has any of the “wonder” moments that he layers into a lot of the first two moments.

In fact, after I saw Episode VII for the first time, I had a moment of wondering if the Force was just such a Baby Boomer zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance hippie concept that no film-maker born since 1965 could really encapsulate it. But I also hope that Rian Johnson finds a way to bring more of that awe and strangeness into Episode VIII, once Luke Skywalker actually opens his mouth. If Johnson talks to his friend Shane Carruth, who nailed some of the feeling of unspeakable connectedness in Upstream Color, we might be getting somewhere.

Captain Phasma

There’s a third female character who sort of lacks oomph in this film. But I don’t hold that against The Force Awakens. Captain Phasma, Finn’s commanding officer, was clearly meant to be a minor character who shows up in a couple of scenes and then Finn turns the tables on her in a funny moment before tossing her into a garbage compactor. And then they cast Gwendoline Christie in the role, and decided to upgrade her to major supporting character after all—Christie did a lot of press for this movie, remember.

So if you just think of Phasma as a slightly upgraded version of “hapless stormtrooper who gets bullied into turning off the force field,” it’s not a big deal. The fact that she turns off the force field for them is just part of the larger problem of Starkiller Base being kind of a pushover. On the other hand, if Episode VIII sees the return of Phasma—as it apparently will—she’ll have a bit of an uphill climb to regain her credibility.

Other stuff

There are a few other issues. Supreme Leader Snoke is another character who feels more or less forgettable—another CG mo-cap baddie with a generic “villain” look—and even the Vatican felt like Snoke could have been a more compelling villain. But he’s clearly meant to be in the background in this film, much as the Emperor was in A New Hope, and he’s got lots of chances to shine in the next two films.

There’s some choppy editing in the movie, which seems to be the result of last-minute cuts—Rey and Finn swapping Poe’s jacket back and forth in the final act being one of the clues.

It’s weird that the guys from The Raid are in this movie and get basically nothing to do.

And as usual with a J.J. Abrams film, some crucial stuff isn’t explained in the film, that probably should be. We had questions after we saw the film, and in some cases the answers are easy to find online. But R2D2 suddenly powering on at the end, and why Luke doesn’t want to be found but left a map to find him, are pieces of information that should be dropped into the film somehow. Poe randomly deciding not to look for BB-8 on Jakku, but instead just bugging out, is also kind of random.

And finally, there’s the fact that The Force Awakens so closely mirrors the structure and storyline of A New Hope, down to all the main beats. (Secret document hidden in a droid on a desert planet, escape in the Millennium Falcon, meeting a mentor figure who later dies, giant super-weapon blows up, etc.) That didn’t really bother me, because it was always in the cards that this film would be sort of a “greatest hits” of Star Wars, and these beats were remixed enough that I was into it.

Bottom line: As I said in the beginning, the things The Force Awakens does right are much more important than the things it does wrong. In particular, it makes you care about its brand new characters, as much as you ever cared about Han Solo or Luke Skywalker.

Additional reporting by Germain Lussier

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming Jan 26 from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.

Raymond Chandler was one of the greatest writers to come out of pulp fiction, but he also had some snobbish tendencies of his own. Notably, in a 1953 letter to his agent, he makes fun of science fiction for being kind of ridiculous. But Chandler also inspired tons of science-fiction writers.

In the letter from 1953, Chandler writes:

Did you ever read what they call Science Fiction? It’s a scream. It’s written like this: ‘I checked out with K19 on Adabaran III, and stepped out through the crummaliote hatch on my 22 Model Sirus Hardtop. I cocked the timeprojector in secondary and waded through the bright blue manda grass... I had exactly four seconds to hot up the disintegrator and Google had told me it wasn’t enough.’

There’s more, but you get the gist (and yes, apparently invents the term Google, to describe a thing that you check for information.)

http://www.amazon.com/Made-Kill-Nove...

Since then, tons of science fiction writers have written detective stories, including Asimov’s robot detective tales and Jonathan Lethem’s Gun, With Occasional Music. But now, Adam Christopher is taking it one step further, actually paying homage to Chandler (and giving some shout-outs to Chandler’s spoof of science fiction) in his new novel Made to Kill.

Talking to Lithub, Christopher says he was “amused” by “the way Chandler hated science fiction,” and he wanted his novel, set in an alternate 1965 with robots, to be the science fiction book Chandler might have written. Christopher also knowingly inverts Asimov’s three laws of robotics, with a robot protagonist who was programmed to be an assassin.

Lithub’s whole article about Chandler’s enduring influence on science fiction—in spite of his scorn for it—is worth reading.

Contact the author at charliejane@io9.com and follow her on Twitter @CharlieJane

A droid carrying important information is jettisoned on a remote desert planet. A mechanically inclined loner with a mysterious past finds it, setting them off on an adventure that will see the destruction of a huge weapon and more. Yes, The Force Awakens mirrors the original Star Wars, and J.J. Abrams thinks it had to.

“It was obviously a wildly intentional thing that we go backwards, in some ways, to go forwards in the important ways,” Abrams said in a podcast with The Hollywood Reporter. “Ultimately the structure of Star Wars itself is as classic and tried and true as you can get. It was itself derivative of all of these things that George loved so much, from the most obvious, Flash Gordon and Joseph Campbell, to the [Akira] Kurosawa references, to Westerns — I mean, all of these elements were part of what made Star Wars.”

Though Abrams admits to hitting all the tried and true beats from the original film, he thinks that pales in significance to everything else.

“I can understand that someone might say, ‘Oh, it’s a complete rip-off!’” he said. “We inherited Star Wars. The story of history repeating itself was, I believe, an obvious and intentional thing, and the structure of meeting a character who comes from a nowhere desert and discovers that she has a power within her, where the bad guys have a weapon that is destructive but that ends up being destroyed — those simple tenets are by far the least important aspects of this movie, and they provide bones that were well-proven long before they were used in Star Wars.”

Those bones, he feels, were necessary to get where this story had to be.

“What was important for me was introducing brand new characters using relationships that were embracing the history that we know to tell a story that is new — to go backwards to go forwards,” Abrams said “So I understand that this movie, I would argue much more than the ones that follow, needed to take a couple of steps backwards into very familiar terrain, and using a structure of nobodies becoming somebodies defeating the baddies — which is, again, I would argue, not a brand new concept, admittedly — but use that to do, I think, a far more important thing, which is introduce this young woman, who’s a character we’ve not seen before and who has a story we have not seen before, meeting the first Storm Trooper we’ve ever seen who we get to know as a human being; to see the two of them have an adventure in a way that no one has had yet, with Han Solo; to see those characters go to find someone who is a brand new character who, yes, may be diminutive, but is as far from Yoda as I think a description of a character can get, who gets to enlighten almost the way a wonderful older teacher or grandparent or great-aunt might, you know, something that is confirming a kind of belief system that is rejected by the main character; and to tell a story of being a parent and being a child and the struggles that that entails — clearly Star Wars has always been a familial story, but never in the way that we’ve told here.”

Abrams continues from there:

“And yes, they destroy a weapon at the end of this movie, but then something else happens which is, I think, far more critical and far more important — and in fact even in that moment, when that is happening, the thing I think the audience is focused on and cares more about is not, ‘Is that big planet gonna blow up?’ — ‘cause we all know it’s gonna blow up. What you really care about is what’s gonna happen in the forest between these two characters who are now alone.”

“Yes, the bones of the thing we always knew would be a genre comfort zone,” Abrams concluded. “But what the thing looks like, we all have a skeleton that looks somewhat similar, but none of us look the same [on the outside]. To me, the important thing was not, ‘What are the bones of this thing?’ To me, it was meeting new characters who discover themselves that they are in a universe that is spiritual, that is optimistic and in a world where you meet people that will become your family.”

It’s a great podcast, that’s well worth a listen. They talk about Abrams’ early career, why he didn’t want to be “The sequel guy,” how Rian Johnson contributed to Episode VII, how Abrams influenced Episode VIII, and more. Here’s the link again.

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

Horror movies have plenty of annoying habits—remaking sacred classics with gobs of CG, for instance. But the most annoying thing in horror has got to be when the protagonist is so utterly dumb that he or she makes decisions that everyone in the audience knows are a bad idea. Case in point: The Abandoned.

The Abandoned, from first-time feature director Eytan Rockaway, stars Louisa Krause as the wobbly Julia, who’s about to start her first night working as a security guard in a massive, completely empty apartment building. Jason Patric co-stars as Cooper, her crabby, wheelchair-bond comrade who emits sexual-harassment vibes right off the bat. But that’s not Julia’s biggest problem—because nothing can top her irrepressible urge to rattle knobs on locked doors she’s specifically been instructed as part of her job not to fuck with.

It’s one thing to have a purpose to poke into where you’re not supposed to go. In The Forest, reviewed earlier today, the main character creeps around a haunted forest because she’s frantically looking for her missing sister. In Session 9, the doomed asbestos-removal crew has legitimate cause to visit every the dark nook in the crumbling hospital that happens to be their job site.

Julia has no excuse; in fact, we’re specifically told she needs this security gig if she wants to keep custody of her young daughter. The job, as detailed by the jaded Cooper, pays well and doesn’t require a lot of effort; mostly you just sit in front of a wall of CCTV screens, making sure nobody breaks in, and every once in awhile patrol the halls to insure all the cameras are in working order.

There’s not a single reason—especially after we’re casually told that Julia is sensitive in an ESP kinda way—that she should be fumbling around off the grid, discovering grim things about the building that are later confirmed by a rather hilariously speedy internet search. But since The Abandoned is a horror movie, fumble she does—to the point where audiences may find their annoyance at her actions trumps any terror they may feel for her predicament. YOU opened the door, Julia. In fact, you CHOPPED OFF THE LOCK, chasing after a noise you thought you maybe heard on the other side. If you wanted to get fired, why not just set fire to the lobby instead?

Bitching aside, The Abandoned actually starts off pretty strong—Patric’s role is mostly thankless, but his character has believable layers. He’s not really a bad dude, just deeply bitter. And you can just tell it’s easier for him to be an jerk, especially with people he’s just met, then act like he could potentially give a shit. The giant, shadowy apartment building is suitably atmospheric, and helps to convey the feeling that something is lurking just outside the frame.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t keep up throughout the film, which begins to leak all tension built up by the foreshadowing-heavy first half as soon as Julia takes it upon herself to burst through that forbidden door. Once we start scoffing at the lead character, the stakes are suddenly nonexistent. Extra demerits for that unearned, laughable “twist” at the end, too.

The Abandoned is out today, in theaters and on VOD.

Bats are fascinating creatures—both from the point of scientific research and their place in the canon of the horror genre as spooky creatures of the night. So whether you’re a science person or a horror person, this shot of millions of bats streaming into the sky is either great, or great and fearsome.

The spectacular footage comes from a recent YouTube video that shows millions of bats emerging from caves in the rainforest of Mulu National Park, in Borneo, Malaysia. Check out the full video below:

It’s sort of like watching ribbons undulating in the wind, until you realize that the ribbons are actually made up of millions of hungry bats. Which, like I said, is both an amazing sight and one that might send a chill down your spine.

GIF by Andrew Liszewski

[Digg]

Murmurations are large flocks of birds, most notably starlings, that zip through the sky at high speeds without ever breaking formation. And those formations can be pretty spectacular. Small wonder they’ve inspired the design of a striking kinetic structure: the Murmuration Chandelier.

It’s the creation of designers Richard Harvey and Keivor John, who built it out of 20 stainless steel rings of decreasing diameter, with starling shapes laser-cut into them. In motion, it resembles a spirograph as the rings spin about, at least if you happen to be standing underneath. As the designers told the Creator’s Project:

When you look at a murmuration, the birds can seem randomly scattered across the sky – but then in a moment they align to make a beautiful shape and pattern. Like this, the chandelier fleets in and out from seeming disorder to precise spiralling patterns and shapes.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/dreamy-video-c...

It’s fascinating science, too. Back in 2011, two Italian statistical physicists studied the movements of flocks of starlings and concluded the birds’ behavior was coordinated via a few simple rules to avoid collisions. For one thing, any given bird’s nearest neighbors tend to be on either side, rather than in front or in back. This might due to simple anatomy: their eyes on are the sides of their heads, so it’s easier to track nearby birds when they’re to the side.

But cognitively, they can only track six fellow birds at a time. And they tend to follow each other’s lead: if one bird turns, others will follow. As blogger GrrlScientist wrote at SciLogs at the time: “Such changes radiate outwards in a wave from the individual to affect the flock. Statistically speaking, every individual bird is interconnected within the same dynamic web of interactions.”

Reference:

Cavagna, A. and Giardina, I. (2011) “The Seventh Starling,” Significance 5(2): 62-66.

[Via The Kid Should See This]

A couple of years ago, I got to attend a really magnificent writer’s workshop: the Launchpad Astronomy Workshop, held each year in Wyoming. One of its supporters has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help support the program.

Doug Farren is an author and long-time attendee, and he’s launched an IndieGoGo campaign to keep the program running. As a disclaimer, I attended the program a couple of years ago.

Launchpad was founded by Mike Brotherton, a science fiction author and astronomer, and is designed to give science fiction authors a leg up when it comes to understanding the science that they’re using. Too often, science is misused in books, television and films, something that Neil deGrasse Tyson is fond of pointing out. The workshop is an intensive, five day series of classes that covers a considerable amount of information.

Farren’s campaign can be found here, and he’s looking to raise $5000, which will help offset transportation, room and board costs for the 2016 workshop.

Image credit: Andrew Liptak

We love some fantastic concept art, and one artist who we came across recently is Kim Petersen, who’s put together some jaw-dropping images that transport us to some fantastic worlds.

Peterson hails from Stockholm, Sweden, where he’s been inspired by the local arts community. Some of the fellow artists from “Sweden that create great art which are inspirational, for example Andree Wallin (Andree worked on Star Wars and Oblivion) and Simon Stålenhag (Simon has a unique style and storytelling) to name a few.”

He noted that his work was chiefly inspired by programs he saw on the television as a child: “Star Wars, Blade Runner (and Alien later on) and I think that desire to create captivating images has been the main reason for me to become an artist.”

When he starts painting, he comes up with stories about the worlds that he’s creating: “When I find an idea that sticks I look at it from different angles and work out a story. It’s a lot about problem solving and I try to question my design choices before I start painting, that way I have a solid foundation to work on.”

One such example is something he referred to as the Takada Universe, a larger framework that links his concepts together.

The backdrop is that of a large Japanese corporation called ‘Takada’ that focus on hyper modern technology that for example can create artificial Einstein-Rosen Bridge. This opens up possibilities to explore concepts how I could visualize the technology and also the environments that these wormholes lead to.

Here’s a selection of his work:

You can take a look at more of his artwork here.

The new Star Wars movie made enough money to fund a Death Star because basically any human with access to a movie theater went to go watch it. Or so it seemed like it. In truth, there are still a lot of people who don’t understand why Star Wars is so special. Why does Star Wars stand out, apart, and above every movie franchise ever made? Why is Star Wars so Star Wars?

Oscar Boyson attempts to explain and does so in a clever way. He first cites the obvious influences on Star Wars (like films by Akira Kurosawa) and details how even characters we love and plot lines we enjoy and fight scenes that we find spectacular are basically lifted from films that came before it and then delves into what makes Star Wars so special: it’s because it feels like we could be in the galaxy far, far away. The dialogue sounds like us, the world is dirty like ours, the robots and all the science-y fiction-y have likable personalities, and of course, it’s just damn fun (and came around at the perfect time).

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

There’s something undeniably awesome about that first Force Awakens trailer that lends itself really well to remixes. Youtube user Tom F has gone an recut the trailers for the Original Trilogy in the style of the new trailers, and the result is awesome.

Of the three, I think the Empire Strikes Back works the best, but A New Hope and Return of the Jedi both come off nicely here. It makes me wish that we’d see the entire trilogy again in theaters (a wider release than the marathon events that happened back in December).

And, just for good measure, here’s The Force Awakens trailer. For comparison purposes. Really.

Hulu just dropped the first trailer for their adaptation of Stephen King’s novel 11.22.63, and it looks like it’ll be quite a bit of fun.

The show stars James Franco as Jake Epping, a teacher who accidentally travels back to 1963 and becomes embroiled in an attempt to prevent the assassination of President Kennedy.

Here’s the trailer:

The show comes out on President’s day, February 15th.

This is a cool short film: Traveler. In it, a team of friends create a jet-powered vehicle that can teleport. Once they succeed, however, the problems begin.

The synopsis has a little more by the way of explanation, which makes me think that there’s more planned for this short:

When a group of friends discover a secret code on the dark-web, they build a jet-powered craft to attempt jumping to the far side of our galaxy. But when they succeed, they unwittingly open up earth to the ‘aware’ - civilizations who are advanced enough to ‘jump’ through space.

Earth sits at a crucial way-point in the universe and has been targeted for illegal colonization. Only our adventurers can stop this - if they prove to the galactic council how nefarious the security chief’s plans are. Such a quest will take them to the far edges of the galaxies and the far-flung worlds there.

Either way, it’s a neat little film.

[Traveler, Vimeo]

Water is a powerful mother and our dams do all their might in trying to control it but sometimes they need to pump some of that out. This is them doing that in the video. Or well, that’s what the dam is trying to do. The floodwater looks more like it’s exploding away.

The AP writes, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released flood water at a rate of 13,000 cubic feet per second at the Tenkiller Lake Dam in Oklahoma after historic levels of flooding have affected the region.”

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Ever wanted to see Turkish Star Wars? Are you in Seattle? Do you have plans tonight? Head over to Grand Illusion in Seattle to check it out.

Soldering has been around for thousands of years: it’s an essential component to electronics around the world. But, there’s some limitations: high temperatures can damage delicate components. Now, some researchers think that they’ve come up with a solution: a room temperature, conductive glue.

Writing in the January issue of Advanced Materials and Processes, scientists from the University of North Florida and Northeastern University describe a process in which they can join two metals together at room temperature, which “feature the combined advantages of the ambient condition of gluing and the superior properties of the joint from high temperature soldering (or welding and brazing), making them beneficial to many advanced technologies.”

They explain how this process works in a video:

The process involves engineered nanorods, which interlock. As they lock together, a shell liquifies, and bonds the two sides together. The result is a connected surface that can withstand higher temperatures.

Will this replace soldering? Maybe, but as Motherboard points out, lead is still abundantly cheap, and an expensive process probably won’t take off for anything but extremely specialized components.

[Advanced Materials and Process via Motherboard]

Image credit: Monika Wisniewska / Shuttershock

Zach Snyder just dropped a new teaser for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice on Twitter, showing off a bit of new footage that we’ve seen hinted at in earlier teasers.

Bottom line? Don’t try and hit Supes with your car.

A specialized PS4 controller, a popular kitchen thermometer, and ultra-cheap microSD cards highlight today’s best deals. Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click hereto learn more.

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A 30,000mAh battery pack may seem like overkill, but that could keep your phone running off the grid for over a week, or even every phone in your family during a short camping trip. So, uh, yeah, I guess it might be overkill, but it has its uses! [ZeroLemon ToughJuice 30000mAh Portable Charger, $33 with code UKFFS6JC]

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Today only, Amazon is offering select magazine subscriptions for just $5 each. Your choices include everything from Teen Vogue to Motorcyclist, so be sure to check out the complete selection [Select Magazine Subscriptions, $5 each]

It wasn’t that long ago when $80 was a great deal on a 128GB microSD card. Now, you can get one for under $30. [PNY - 128GB microSDHC Class 10 UHS-I/U1 Memory Card, $27]

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If you’re a fan of fighting games, this specialized PS4/PS3 controller is designed specifically for you. And at $30, it’s never been cheaper. [HORI Fighting Commander 4 Controller for PlayStation 4/3, $30]

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Until very recently, if you wanted an external hard drive with more than 2TB of space, you had no choice but to plug in an external power cord. Now though, you can carry 4TB around in your pocket or bag, with nothing but a USB cable to connect it. [Seagate 4TB Expansion Portable External Hard Drive, $120]

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If you’re a Star Trek fan, this $1 Kindle book should be an insta-buy. [The Autobiography of James T. Kirk (Kindle), $1]

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We see deals pretty frequently on the low end Apple MacBook, but today, you can save $300 on the most well-equipped model, which includes a faster processor and 512GB SSD. [Apple MacBook 512GB, $1300]

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If Nature Valley or Larabar snacks are part of your daily routine, you can stock up on your favorites from Amazon today, and save $4.

There are plenty of flavors available, and while you have to buy in bulk to get this deal, the $4 coupon still knocks off a pretty substantial percentage of the total price, in most cases. Just note that you’ll need to purchase using Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program to see the $4 discount at checkout, but you can always cancel after your first order arrives. [$4 off Larabar and Nature Valley Snacks]

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Italian artist Giuseppe Penone is renown for his art that incorporates nature and humanity, and his 2012 exhibition, The Hidden Life Within, excavates a massive tree’s early form.

The Hidden Life Within was originally shown off at the Art Gallery of Ontario. To come up with the piece, he took a massive tree trunk and carved it away, ring by ring, to show off the tree’s earliest self.

The result is remarkable, showing off where the larger tree came from, and how it changed with years of growth.

This wasn’t the first time that Penone worked with trees: in 1980, he created Tree of 12 Metres, which was displayed at the Tate in London:

Tree of 12 Metres was made by scraping away the wood from a felled tree, which had first been roughly sawn into a beam, to reveal its internal structure of narrow core and developing branches. Penone’s aim was to return the tree to the form it had had at an earlier stage of its growth, making visible natural processes which are normally hidden.

You can see some more images from The Hidden Life Within over at The Modern Met.

[The Modern Met, TractorMedia]

There’s clearly been some material cut from of Star Wars: The Force Awakens: and J.J. Abrams was asked if that means that there’ll be an extended cut of the film when the DVDs hit.

According to Abrams? There’ll be some deleted scenes on the DVD, but there’s no plans for an alternative cut:

“There will be deleted scenes, but not an extended version,” Abrams told us after his panel for his upcoming Hulu series 11.22.63 at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills.

We also asked what was the longest cut of the film before he edited it down to two hours and 16 minutes for theaters.

“I don’t know what the longest cut was,” Abrams said. “Probably, if it were with credits, close to two hours and 50 minutes was the first cut.”

Of course, we’ll have to see if that actually happens: Star Wars has its own new cuts, so maybe this new trilogy will come with a ‘Special Edition’ in 2035. In the meantime, there’ll certainly be some fan cuts that’ll surface on the internet as soon as the films hit stores.

[Entertainment Weekly]