Why Tajin From Star Wars: Visions Sounds So Familiar
"Star Wars: Visions" is enchanting fans thanks to its unique approach to a galaxy far, far away, as it features different adventures created by seven different Japanese animation studios. The anthology series takes inspiration from various aspects of Japanese culture and film, much like George Lucas originally did when he created the series in 1977. And in "Visions" Episode 7, "The Elder," a Jedi Master and his Padawan face off against a mysterious Sith villain.
The episode is a great example of why "Visions" works so well because it's simply about a teacher explaining to a young apprentice about evil in the world. But because it's told through the "Star Wars" lens, it also weaves in an excellent story about Jedi vs. Sith. The Jedi in question is Tajin, and the episode follows his journey through the Outer Rim with his Padawan Dan (Jordan Fisher) when they encounter a Sith Lord (James Hong) on a nearby planet.
Takaya Hashi voices Tajin in the Japanese version of the episode, but Western audiences might recognize the Jedi's gruff tones in the English version. Here's why Tajin from "Star Wars: Visions" sounds so familiar.
David Harbour briefly shows up in Brokeback Mountain
David Harbour has become incredibly popular in the last few years via his role on a "strange" Netflix series, but one of his first roles came in 2005 with the critically acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" from director Ang Lee. Harbour plays Randall Malone, and at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 (via CinemaBlend), he joked about the role, saying, "I'm sure you don't remember me, I was like the third gay cowboy in a two-cowboy movie ..."
Harbour explained that Lee was very specific with the scene. "[Ang Lee] came in and ran up to the monitor and said, 'OK, OK good, And then we did it again. 'OK, OK good,”" he recalled. The star then revealed that the director gave him some interesting advice on the third take, which was that he needed to be "more handsome." Ouch. On the other hand, Harbour did mention that there was a "language barrier" and that "it was kinda mysterious and zen-like."
He's one of James Bond's enemies in Quantum of Solace
Fast-forward a few years to 2008 and David Harbour landed a substantial role opposite Daniel Craig and Jeffrey Wright in Marc Forster's "Quantum of Solace." This was Craig's second outing as James Bond, and it follows the superspy as he tries to take down the mysterious Quantum organization, which is responsible for the death of Vesper Lynd in "Casino Royale." Harbour plays the corrupt CIA Section Chief Gregg Beam, and he works with Dominic Greene (Mathieu Almaric) to facilitate a coup in Bolivia in exchange for oil.
Beam directly helps Greene, and he even tries to have Bond killed by sending goons after the hero while he's in La Paz, Bolivia. Obviously, this doesn't work out, and Beam's plan backfires when CIA agent Felix Leiter (Wright) and Bond have him arrested. It's surprising he isn't killed off in the story, but at least this gives Felix a promotion by the end of the film.
Harbour fights monsters in Hellboy
Although "Hellboy" fans were keen to see Ron Perlman and Guillermo Del Toro return to the franchise after 2008's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," a third film never materialized due to a number of issues. The first two films in the franchise are violent and scary, but they're not disturbing enough to warrant an R-rating, so when Lionsgate announced that a reboot was in the works and it was going to be bloody, many fans got their hopes up. Everything about the project had plenty of potential, especially since David Harbour starred as the titular character.
2019's "Hellboy" adapts "The Wild Hunt" storyline from the comics as the Blood Queen, Nimue (Milla Jovovich), attempts to plunge the world into darkness. Unfortunately, the film barely broke even, scraping in $55.1 million (via Box Office Mojo) on a budget of $50 million ... Ouch. The reviews weren't kind either, and it currently holds an 18% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Flickering Myth's Tom Beasley blasted the film, writing, "It swears like it's just learned the words and splatters gore everywhere as if it discovered the only crayons left in the box were differing shades of crimson." Basically, David Harbour deserved better.
He defends Hawkins in Stranger Things
Of course, many fans will know David Harbour from his main role as Chief Jim Hopper in Netflix's "Stranger Things." The supernatural series explores what happens when a young boy is kidnapped by a monstrous creature from another dimension called the Upside Down. Hopper is an incredibly grounded person amid all the monster madness, so his entire worldview is challenged when he investigates Will Byers' (Noah Schnapp) disappearance in Season 1.
Hopper ends up forming a close bond with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and looks after her in Season 2 after her fight with the Demogorgon. Contrary to his tough exterior, Hopper longs for a family after the death of his young daughter Sara (Elle Graham) years before the series starts. Because of this, he even adopts Eleven by the end of the 2nd season, which is, quite frankly, adorable.
Hopper later fights the Russians, who are secretly operating underneath the Starcourt Mall in Season 3, and winds up disappearing when Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) closes the gate to the Upside Down. However, a brief scene at the end of the season suggested he was teleported to Russia during the ordeal, as two gulag guards reference "the American" before feeding another prisoner to a Demogorgon. The first Season 4 teaser later confirmed where Hopper is, as the footage shows him working on a railway in a snowy wilderness along with hundreds of other prisoners.
There's a very good chance Hopper will be around until "Stranger Things" eventually comes to an end.