Saw Episode III yesterday, and despite all the general hype about how good it was - general critcal approval, I was not blown away. Don't get me wrong, there was good stuff, particularly the ties back to the original episodes. But the critical element, in fact the whole point of the movie, namely why Annakin was finally driven to the dark side,, was not that convincing.
We watched Episode II on Fox last night, and it was better than I remembered it, even some of the scenes with Annakin and Amidala making googly eyes were better than I remembered them. And watching that reminded me that Annakin isn't a bad actor, but I think his portrayal in Episode III was far too flat.
As a Star Wars fan I think everyone will be genuinely entertained by their movie going experience, but I think my expectations have exceeded what George Lucas is capable of delivering.
26 comments:
I haven't seen it yet, but I got on a Star Wars roll among mixed company at a fancy restaurant on Saturday night.
Someone was asking how it was and I said, "It was pretty good-but you know when Anakin changes into his Darth Vader costume? Well, I wish they hadn't had him take off ALL his clothes first. That was really pushing it."
Then someone was asking someone else what their favorite movie was. He said Star Wars because it he still remembers the feeling he had when he saw it the first time.
I said, "Me too-I was so wasted!"
Hope it was better in person, cause it sounds like you were being a dick.
It was in a fancy restaurant, so the crassness was in beautiful, comedic contrast.
In the same vein as last week's Onion opinion article about how a gentleman does not reveal who sucked him off?
I thought that the movie was awesome! It is clearly the best of the Star Wars movies in my opinion. I do agree with Mixdorf on the point of Anakin turning into Darth Vader. Come on, how easily he was convinced and how easily he accepted it. How can you not know how bad the Chancelor is when he is telling you all about the dark-side? I too expected more. Thank GOd that Jarjar was only in it for baout 10 seconds.
I did not find it 'awesome'. I walked out satisfied but not mesmerized.
It's impossible to separate the emotional experience from my opinion of the movie. As a 6 year old in 1977, I WAS BLOWN AWAY, and the memories of that specific trip to the theater stick with me to this day. As a 9 year old in 1980, I WAS BLOWN AWAY, and again in 1983 I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
In 1999 I was entertained but underwhelmed. Likewise in 2002, I was entertained but underwhelmed. Yesterday continued the trend.
This movie has the advantage of having some serious shit happening, giving weight to the plot, which Episode 1 lacked in large measure, and Episode 2 lacked to some degree.
But my expectations grow as I age, and Star Wars has not kept up. It may not be fair to judge it on those terms, but hey, tough toenails.
Amongst big budget spectaculars that I have seen as an adult in the theater I can recall the original Batman (Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson) and the first of The Matrix movies blowing me away. The follow ups got significantly crappier, which to GL credit was not the case with the prequels.
It may be that watching the 3 prequels back to back to back would reveal a much better overall movie than the sum of the parts.
Sad to hear. I was tankfull to not seeing stupid Ewoks. Enough of the cute aspects. I really was amazed by all the Yoda action. He is clearly my favorite character in Star Wars.
Not sad at all. I just have moved beyond the point where Star Wars feeds my soul.
Yoda is great, though the whole Jedi bunch are pretty dumb.
Haven't seen it yet. I will do my best go in with an open mind.
Biggest thing I have going against me is a general dislike of George Lucas. I find the contrast between the visionary image he wishes to perpetuate and the reality of the absolutely shamless shill he is to be highly distasteful.
People do tend to group the first three (episodes IV-VI) in together. I definitely find the first two as a full measure better than Return of the Jedi.
A special Kudos to Cory. Even amongst those legions who are totally praising this movie, you will not find many willing jump the gap and say it is their favorite overall. Leave it to the human cup of coffee to shake things up!
Is this jumping the gap or jazz du jour?
How about that triler to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? It looks fantastic to me. Oh, I started a conference blog on Mixdorf's visit. See the Escalante Blog.
I'm really wary of things like that being brought to the big screen. Good triler or no.
It's got the creative team from LOTR - the WETA bitches, plus the director of the Shrek movies.
It's got possibilities.
Interested, hopeful, but wary.
If they're planning on working through all 7 books good luck, they get pretty crappy after the second one until you get to the last one.
Is anyone going to dial up to the conference blog conversation? I know Mixdorf wants to stay out of it, but is Dan at work this afternoon?
What do you mean, "crappy till the last one?" I can't believe that's you're opinion. All along, they're sort of a neat, trippy fantasy. Finally, in the last one, it turns into weird, overt visualization of the End Times. It totally lost me there, to the point where I don't know if I want to ever read them again.
Neat trippy fantasy? I read them all, several times, and they just get more and more incoherent until the last one, where 25% of Jews are killed outright and the rest convert, just the way it's supposed to happen.
Magician's Nephew? C'mon! That was not good.
Why does Dan refuse to jump into the conference Blog?
He doesn't blog with girls.
Magician's Nephew: That was the first chronological one, right? I remember liking it, though I've only read through the series once.
Why, oh, why did you read them all several times, if they're so incoherent and, in some cases, bad?
He was the magician's nephew and was ordered to do so.
I was young and foolish then, I'm old and foolish now.
Mixdorf gets the award for creating a post that reaches the 20 comment mark. Very good my old and foolish friend.
Oh what a tangled web we've woven, completely removed from the original post.
That is exactly what Star Wars is about. It is a tangled web of plot, settings, and characters. Mixdorf, you summed it up nicely. It is easy to get stuck on one part of the web, but the goal is to enjoy the freedom of moving about the web and to take in all of Star Wars as a whole.
Don't really have anything to add. Just want to help extend the streak.
Way to go Tidee Bow.
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