DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ROTS YET
ok, I have to do this while it's still fresh in my mind... and you people (my 5 or so readers) can feel free to comment if you have seen it. I welcome any and all comments as I am a nerd and I honestly could (and have) sit for 3 hours discussing all facets of Star Wars..from production to mythology. So. Here we go.
Maybe I'm too much of a girl to really appreciate these films for what they are supposed to be. Shoot 'em up Space cowboy movies...
But I don't know. It has always felt deeper than that. I can remember some pivotal, really emotional events in the OT:
The Death of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (Charred skeletons...creepy)
The Destruction of Alderaan. (A WHOLE GODDAMNED PLANET)
The Death of Obi Wan (We essentially see Vader cut the dude in half)
The Destruction of the Death Star
Han goes to look for Luke out in the deep freeze of a Hoth evening.
Han CUTS OPEN an animal in order to stuff Luke in it to keep him warm.
Han and Leia's first kiss. COME ON!!! One of the best EVER.
Walking in on a Bespin "dinner party" only to discover Darth Vader at the head of the goddamned table and that door closing as we look from outside the room. Helpless to do any goddamned thing about it.
Han Solo's screams as they torture him and prepare him for his Carbonite Nap.
Han's descent into the Carbonite Chamber as Leia looks on horrified.
The "I love you moment".
Luke walking into the trap and...well Empire is just a great fucking movie and there are way too many moments to count.
Darth Vader finally coming to his senses and tossing the Emperor down the exhaust shaft and then fucking DYING just as he becomes good. Funny Story: When I saw this movie in the theater, the people behind us were SO into it, that at the point where the Emperor is smoking Luke with the Force Lightning and the camera keeps cutting over to Vader and then back to Luke pleading with his father to help him, this woman behind me yells out full voice "DO SOMETHIN' DARTH VADER! DO SOMETHIN'!!" The whole theater went nuts and then when Vader finally lifts the Emperor over his head...there are no words to describe what that crowd was feeling.
Last night, during some of the more "dramatic moments" people actually laughed. (We were in an exceptionally hostile theater last night...
Everyone says pretty much that this last one is the best one...but I'm not sure...
The biggest problem I had with it is that I felt like I should have been a lot more emotionally affected...(see above) and I just wasn't. Except one time. When Anakin is all charred and legless and missing yet ANOTHER hand and he looks at Obi Wan and just growls "I hate you!" Pretty chilling.
I wish to GOD I believed in Anakin and Padme's relationship. The stakes just never seemed high enough with the two of them. When I compare Han and Leia to their predecessors, I think one of the biggest differences technically is that Leia is present the whole time. She was in the action. And the relationship developes in the middle of all the drama of the Rebellion etc. It's enmeshed in the story rather than a series of scenes outside of the rest of the story. And Anakin suddenly worried about Padme and ObiWan? That could have been set up WAY earlier...The fact that there was no plot device to let Padme see Anakin's gradual turn towards the Dark Side is inexcusable. There were so many nuances that could have been employed to beef up the dramatic irony.
I wasn't even all that affected by the slaughter of all the Jedi...including the children. I mean, I kind of was... but come on I'm easy to get people. I cry when the goldfish bowl eats it during The Omen. And I HATE that they kept calling them "Younglings." That word holds no heartstring tuggers for me. They are CHILDREN. CHILD-DREN. Sometimes, the simplest route is the most direct route to emotional response. Younglings. But, I suppose that's the Jedi way. They must de-humanize in order to control their emotions. Sigh.
And what was up with Padme "losing the will to live?" She had children for God's sake. THAT's reason to live. How about making sure your crazy fucking husband doesn't get his Force Choke on with your children you moron?! The only thing with which I can justify that bullshit is perhaps Anakin's use of the Dark Side on her actually kills her spirit. Literally.
Nuance. That is what these films are missing. But perhaps it is I who expect too much... perhaps I am missing the point. That these are action flicks and love and tragedy are romantic notions that are usually put aside.
I agree with most critics... the movie is technically MUCH better than the first 2. I wasn't distracted by special effects. And Dooku's death IS fucking awesome.
I don't know... am I offbase here?
Maybe I'm too much of a girl to really appreciate these films for what they are supposed to be. Shoot 'em up Space cowboy movies...
But I don't know. It has always felt deeper than that. I can remember some pivotal, really emotional events in the OT:
The Death of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (Charred skeletons...creepy)
The Destruction of Alderaan. (A WHOLE GODDAMNED PLANET)
The Death of Obi Wan (We essentially see Vader cut the dude in half)
The Destruction of the Death Star
Han goes to look for Luke out in the deep freeze of a Hoth evening.
Han CUTS OPEN an animal in order to stuff Luke in it to keep him warm.
Han and Leia's first kiss. COME ON!!! One of the best EVER.
Walking in on a Bespin "dinner party" only to discover Darth Vader at the head of the goddamned table and that door closing as we look from outside the room. Helpless to do any goddamned thing about it.
Han Solo's screams as they torture him and prepare him for his Carbonite Nap.
Han's descent into the Carbonite Chamber as Leia looks on horrified.
The "I love you moment".
Luke walking into the trap and...well Empire is just a great fucking movie and there are way too many moments to count.
Darth Vader finally coming to his senses and tossing the Emperor down the exhaust shaft and then fucking DYING just as he becomes good. Funny Story: When I saw this movie in the theater, the people behind us were SO into it, that at the point where the Emperor is smoking Luke with the Force Lightning and the camera keeps cutting over to Vader and then back to Luke pleading with his father to help him, this woman behind me yells out full voice "DO SOMETHIN' DARTH VADER! DO SOMETHIN'!!" The whole theater went nuts and then when Vader finally lifts the Emperor over his head...there are no words to describe what that crowd was feeling.
Last night, during some of the more "dramatic moments" people actually laughed. (We were in an exceptionally hostile theater last night...
Everyone says pretty much that this last one is the best one...but I'm not sure...
The biggest problem I had with it is that I felt like I should have been a lot more emotionally affected...(see above) and I just wasn't. Except one time. When Anakin is all charred and legless and missing yet ANOTHER hand and he looks at Obi Wan and just growls "I hate you!" Pretty chilling.
I wish to GOD I believed in Anakin and Padme's relationship. The stakes just never seemed high enough with the two of them. When I compare Han and Leia to their predecessors, I think one of the biggest differences technically is that Leia is present the whole time. She was in the action. And the relationship developes in the middle of all the drama of the Rebellion etc. It's enmeshed in the story rather than a series of scenes outside of the rest of the story. And Anakin suddenly worried about Padme and ObiWan? That could have been set up WAY earlier...The fact that there was no plot device to let Padme see Anakin's gradual turn towards the Dark Side is inexcusable. There were so many nuances that could have been employed to beef up the dramatic irony.
I wasn't even all that affected by the slaughter of all the Jedi...including the children. I mean, I kind of was... but come on I'm easy to get people. I cry when the goldfish bowl eats it during The Omen. And I HATE that they kept calling them "Younglings." That word holds no heartstring tuggers for me. They are CHILDREN. CHILD-DREN. Sometimes, the simplest route is the most direct route to emotional response. Younglings. But, I suppose that's the Jedi way. They must de-humanize in order to control their emotions. Sigh.
And what was up with Padme "losing the will to live?" She had children for God's sake. THAT's reason to live. How about making sure your crazy fucking husband doesn't get his Force Choke on with your children you moron?! The only thing with which I can justify that bullshit is perhaps Anakin's use of the Dark Side on her actually kills her spirit. Literally.
Nuance. That is what these films are missing. But perhaps it is I who expect too much... perhaps I am missing the point. That these are action flicks and love and tragedy are romantic notions that are usually put aside.
I agree with most critics... the movie is technically MUCH better than the first 2. I wasn't distracted by special effects. And Dooku's death IS fucking awesome.
I don't know... am I offbase here?
posted by LC Greenwood at 2:28 PM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Although there is MUCH to contrast with, there is almost no comparing of Episodes I – III to Episodes IV – VI. This is the curse of success—there was no Harrison Ford to tell Lucas during the filming of I - III, “You can write [or is it “type”?] this shit, but you can’t act it.” Making A New Hope was a true gamble for Lucas, and had Empire flopped, Lucas would’ve gone bankrupt. But there was much less at risk with the making of Episodes I – III.
Nowadays, Lucas has his fingers in perhaps too many pies—his creativity is demonstrably stretched too thin. Clearly, if nothing else, the man cannot collaborate on the same level he once could; if nothing else, simply for the reason that everyone around him is making great money, and everyone around him wants to tell their grandchildren that they had a hand in the creation of Star Wars.
Episode III is no masterpiece. But, without question, it has its moments—moments superior to any moment in Episode II. Episode III also reveals that Lucas has learned from his mistakes with Jar-Jar and C-3PO in the first two episodes. He’s also become better at directing actors (if nothing else, in the sense of lessening the grip on the reins that, previously, choked back any expression of emotion). And some of the writing (particularly in the entire opening rescue sequence), is outstanding—comparatively speaking.
A long time ago, Lucas told us that Star Wars was a saga in nine episodes. Based on his ability to learn from his mistakes, I’ve faith that Episodes VII - IX would kick the collective asses of the previous six.
OK, I went in knowing that I absolutely hated the first two, wouldn't even go see Epi II in the thetare. So I went in with a completely open mind. I agree with you LC on lack of believability in the story line
My biggest complaint was in the scene with Anakin, The Emporer (sp) and Mace Windu. THhe dialogue could've been cleaned up a lot more to make Anakin's switch to the Dark Side a lot stronger. Choosing between the life of Palpatine and Padme's life would've made the stakes so much higher. Basically, I think Anakin should've killed Windu. It makes him stap, makes him turn, and makes him not able to go back to the Jedi.
My .02 cents.
Wait... "I hate you"? This is the line you get emotionally touched by? Good God, LC, that was the worst! He's just been quadriplegicized by his best friend and mentor, choked out his wife and destroyed everything he holds dear. And the best he comes up with is 'I hate you'. Come ON!!! Silence would have been a better choice. Ugh. I almost laughed at that moment (while Firevaney quietly wept in the seat next to me mumbling "if only Jar Jar were there...") but I was so underwhelmed that it wasn't even worth the effort.
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