Category Archives: Cinematic Chiasmus

Cinematic Chiasmus: The Dark Knight Trilogy

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

This is not a typical Cinematic Chiasmus. I have written an ambitious article detailing how Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises mirror each other quite breathtakingly. The only problem is that the article is so huge that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged action movies, batman, batman begins, chiasmus, christopher nolan, comic books, dark knight rises, films, movie review, movies, sequels, the dark knight, trilogy | 7 Comments

Something New to Admire About The Last Starfighter Besides Its Special Effects

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I have to admit I was wrong about The Last Starfighter. In one of my first articles on this website, I mocked that film and said that it was a bad movie with good music. A few years later, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, action movies, chiasmus, films, last starfighter, love, movie review, movies, relationships, romance, science fiction, special effects | 10 Comments

‘I’ll Be Back’ Takes on New Meaning: Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s First Half Mirrors Its Second Half

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

October 26, 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of The Terminator. That was James Cameron’s first real directing job, and he followed it up with the even better Aliens and The Abyss. In 1991, he returned to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged action movies, arnold schwarzenegger, chiasmus, films, james cameron, movie review, movies, relationships, science fiction, sequels, terminator | 28 Comments

Another Reason to Love Aliens – It’s a Symmetrical Film

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’ve heard Aliens described as a “rollercoaster” because it’s such a thrilling ride. It turns out that that metaphor is true on an entirely new level. The first and second halves of that movie closely mirror each other, creating another … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, action movies, alien, aliens, chiasmus, films, james cameron, movie review, movies, relationships, science fiction, sequels | 46 Comments

Bill and Ted’s Symmetrical Adventure

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

In my last Cinematic Chiasmus, I demonstrated how the entire Back to the Future Trilogy follows the same pattern backwards and forwards. This time I’ll delve into another classic ‘80s time-travel movie: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Wait. A seemingly … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, bill and ted, bill and teds excellent adventure, chiasmus, comedy, films, fun, funny, history, humor, jokes, keanu reeves, love, movie review, movies, puns, romance, science fiction, time travel | 14 Comments

Great Scott! The Entire Back to the Future Trilogy Is One Big Chiasmus

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’ve discovered that some films follow a chiasmus formula in the way their stories are set up. What is a chiasmus? It’s an ancient writing structure in which ideas are listed in one order and then repeated in the opposite … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, back to the future, chiasmus, comedy, films, fun, funny, humor, movie review, movies, relationships, science fiction, sequels | 86 Comments

The Remarkable Symmetry of the Original Superman: The Movie

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

This is my third cinematic chiasmus. The first time, I noticed 17 parallel scenes in the first and second halves of 1987’s RoboCop. The second time, I pointed out 26 parallel scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. This time, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged action movies, chiasmus, comic books, films, movie review, movies, science fiction, superman | 38 Comments

The Empire Strikes Back Is a Perfectly Symmetrical Film

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Anakin Skywalker was prophesied to bring balance to the Force, and it looks like he did in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This film, which many hail as the best of the original trilogy, is an example of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, action movies, chiasmus, films, fun, george lucas, movie review, movies, science fiction, sequels, star wars | 57 Comments

RoboCop (1987) Is an Almost Perfectly Symmetrical Film

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

The Old Testament is full of examples of chiasmus, which is a figure of speech used in ancient times to emphasize balance. It lists a bunch of ideas or things and then repeats each of them in reverse order. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged 1980s, action movies, chiasmus, films, history, movie review, movies, robocop, science fiction | 170 Comments