I got tickets to the June show in DC. It’s kind of hard to believe this is really happening. It’s been years since I followed GNR closely, which those of you who remember me from way back when I was an active poster here probably assumed. I got tired of waiting for new music post-CD or a reunion, and came to think neither would ever happen. It’s pretty damn cool that everything’s come full circle and a younger generation of fans is getting the chance to see Axl, Slash and Duff on the same stage. I’ve been waiting for this since I was first glued to videos of Guns performances on YouTube a decade ago.

There's more to the formula than CGI and lightsabre battles and Han Solo, but yeah, dialogue and acting are big problems in the PT. It spoils the moments that could be great. When the Vader mask is put on and we hear that classic breathing sound for the first time, it's awesome. But then a minute later he's yelling "NOOOOOOOO!" and I'm laughing. There's tension when Anakin and Obi-Wan confront each other, then Anakin says "Either you're with me, or you're my enemy" and I'm laughing because it sounds so awkward. Same when Anakin confesses his love to Padme on Naboo or when he tells her about killing the sand people. These should be big moments and none of them land for me. In particular, those two are so not in love it's jarring. I could've gotten into their non-chemistry if they led us to think that Padme was only with him to keep an eye on him, but they didn't really go that direction, at least not clearly enough for me to pick up on.

So yeah, the dialogue in the PT is cringe-worthy in key moments and the acting is often bad. I'd say the acting in Force Awakens is strong throughout.

But also I just didn't find the characters of the PT very likable or their motivations easy to understand. Like I said, Padme's love for Anakin never makes sense. And what was the point of Darth Maul or Qui-Gon Jinn? And am I supposed to hate Anakin or sympathize with him? (At times it seems he's pulled to the Dark Side because he's impatient with his place with the Jedi, other times he really seems to think it's the only way to save the woman he loves). Maybe the acting was bad because the characters were confusing.

Force Awakens very quickly shows you who these people are and why you should care about them. Even with Ren, they introduce the nuances of his character by first giving us clear signals about what he is, then violating our expectations about him. I thought it was well done.

But that's just my opinion. I forgive a cheesy plot easier than I forgive bad characters or dialogue, so VII was more my cup of tea than I-II-III.

EDIT: Sorry this turned out so long.

I saw that video - it got a lot of attention! Over a million views already. For the record sometimes I think wrestling *is* wrestling, but the video's hilarious and makes a great drunk history-style telling of Triple H's career.

What do you guys think will happen at Mania tomorrow? I'm hoping Brock retains the title, which would've been a laughable suggestion until he resigned with WWE this week. Now I think there's a chance.

Lastly, anyone here watch Lucha Underground? I don't have the channel its on, but a friend showed me this match and I was really, really impressed.

I'm keeping my hopes in check but Patton still brings it and I'm encouraged that Matt Wallace is producing. I'll be very interested when the real single comes out next month.

I don't know a lot about UFC but I have to expect Punk will get his ass kicked. Even a 1-0 fighter would have way more experience and training than he does. And Punk isn't a freak of nature athlete like Brock. Competing in MMA must be on Punk's bucket list because I don't see how this is a smart business move for him.

As for WWE, boy, did they get shown up by the developmental roster last week. If you have WWE Network, please do yourself a huge favor and watch NXT Takeover Revolution. It's 2 hours of pure wrestling joy. It's so much easier to sit through than a 3 hour show, plus there are no bad matches, a couple great ones, the women's division is treated seriously, there's better commentary, and a few guys are clearly going to be huge draws someday soon (Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens). Then there was TLC (& S) on Sunday. What a shit show. Ryback v Kane, Big Show v Rowan, the WWE Champion not on the show again... this is pay-per-view?! It's almost Wrestlemania season so maybe things will pick up soon but, man, right now NXT is a waaay better product. If WWE is cannibalizing their PPV revenue with the Network they should consider dropping some of these middling shows, or at least change the gimmick-themed ones that always seem to box them into creative corners. There's just too much of the main roster - RAW is too long, the roster is thin so Smackdown is mostly RAW rematchs and previews, and sometimes they only have 3 weeks between PPVs. It's exhausting. Leave me wanting more for once, WWE.