So I just went a screening of Episode III...

[300spartans]

SPOILERS!!

So many ruined opportunities! Lucas had a few iconic moments to give us and he blew it.

The fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin was basically another fx/video game scene whereas they should have been talking alot more, bringing up histories and feelings etc... not just a duel of lightsaber, but of words as well.

The birth of the twins was brutal with the ######ed robots running the delivery. And to make it worse Padme instantly throws out the names Luke and Leia. Huh? Tell us why!! Or at least have Anakin and Padme discussing names earlier in the movie "If we have a boy Anakin, I'd like to name him Luke, and if a girl, Leia.".. something like that.

The introduction of Darth Vader was horrible, especially with the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Well, at least I have my imagination to entertain me.

[Hakan]

Saw it.

Enjoyed it.

CGI was the best I've ever seen. That doesn't make a movie good but it was impressive none-the-less.

The plot had the best flow of the series with only small/unnoticeable problems with consistency.

The only problem was, of course, Hayden whomever. That role could be done so much with, instead it's butchered. Anakin's fall from grace takes a back seat due to horrible acting as the audience sees what should be powerful character establishing scenes as nothing more than filler between action sequences.

[Rubber Ducky]

Originally posted by Bertuzzied@May 18 2005, 11:32 AM
The only way i will watch the 3rd episode is if they behead Jar Jar binks or if he brings back the ewoks.

I don't believe this for a second.

You'll see it, if only to gripe and complain about it.

And what's the problem with Jar Jar? He was manipulated into giving Chancellor Palpatine supreme power, enabling him to start a war. What more punishment would you wish upon him?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally posted by Rubber Ducky+May 19 2005, 02:51 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Rubber Ducky @ May 19 2005, 02:51 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Bertuzzied@May 18 2005, 11:32 AM
The only way i will watch the 3rd episode is if they behead Jar Jar binks or if he brings back the ewoks.

I don't believe this for a second.

You'll see it, if only to gripe and complain about it.

And what's the problem with Jar Jar? He was manipulated into giving Chancellor Palpatine supreme power, enabling him to start a war. What more punishment would you wish upon him? [/b][/quote]
Oh sorry. to clarify i won't watch it in theatre. I'll prob download it or rent it later.

[Hakan]

Bertuzzied, IMO the price of admission is worth it for the opening space battle. It is THAT good.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge critic of the first two. This movie is on a different level completely.

[Hakan]

*zing*

[Frank the Tank]

Originally posted by fotze+May 19 2005, 02:13 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotze @ May 19 2005, 02:13 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Hakan@May 19 2005, 01:10 PM
Bertuzzied, IMO the price of admission is worth it for the opening space battle. It is THAT good.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge critic of the first two. This movie is on a different level completely.

That's suprising. Now I'm looking forward to it a little more.

Would you go so far as to call it one dirty slut of a movie? [/b][/quote]
HAHA! Oh that was cheeky...

[calgaryred]

I saw the midnight screening and I loved the movie. It was sad but it really answered alot of questions I always had. Vader is one bad ass I still can't believe what he did!

[Thunderball]

I dunno... to me, I felt Hayden did an alright job at conveying what I think Lucas was trying to convey...

We're all supposed to be shocked and disgusted with what Anakin does, yet I think we're supposed to see him as a pitiable man, someone who needs to love and be loved by someone. Once he has someone like that, he's loyal to a fault. We all wanted Vader to be all bad-ass, but it became apparent in Episode 2, that he is just supposed to be screwed up, misunderstood and pitiable.

Though I was impressed by how bad-ass R2-D2 was in this one... he didn't take crap from no one... :P

[Pagal4321]

Man I can't wait to be done exams for the time being and go watch this. For some reason just randomly found a Star Wars folder filled with music on my computer. Listening to the Imperial MArch has really got me a little hyped up for this movie.
Man am I ever a nerd.

[Calgary Flames]

Loved it, so much to take in. The book was obviously much more in depth (Which goes saying for every movie which has a book) but I loved it.

A solid 8.5/10 from this fanboy

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally posted by Thunderball@May 19 2005, 08:57 PM
Though I was impressed by how bad-ass R2-D2 was in this one... he didn't take crap from no one... :P

I thought that was one of the worst parts of the movie. All of the sudden R2 has a hand, can fly, catch things, and squirt gas.
Makes no sense. R2 could have done without the Jackie Chan scene.

As for the rest of the film, I have mixed feelings. The story and plot were great, but the bad acting and terrible script finds a way to taint major scenes. I just don't get why Lucas can't see what everyone else sees. I wish I could edit this film before it was released and take out some of the stupid parts to keep the whole movie strong.

[MJK]

I saw the film last night and I agree that it was the best of the first three. There were still some stupid parts that made me roll my eyes but all in all it was good.

The scene where Anakin decides to turn to the dark side, it seemed to happen a little quick. I wasn't convinced during that scene at all. He seems to make up his mind way too quickly that he will indeed become the apprentice of the sith lord.

Maybe its just me but that's what bugged me a little.

[Hack&Lube]

I think one thing that would have made this movie one of the best and redeemed it from even the small criticisms it is recieving was if Lucas actually used the potential of Vader, and I don't mean Anakin.

In all these films, we haven't REALLY seen how evil and feared the Dark Lord is. So he chokes guys every now and then, so what?

We haven't even seem him truely kick ass, he and Obi Wan had geriatric battle in ANH and he had small fights with Luke (mostly in dark and shadow) in ESB and RoTJ.

I've always maintained that Lucas should have begun EP1 with Anakin at an older age (thus, even less likely as a Jedi candidate but accepted because of his immense strength in the force but utlimately dooming him because of his troubled developmental years) and beginning the clone wars in EP1. EP2 would be a full-fledged war fleshed out in all it's glory and darkness (somewhat like the Clone Wars cartoon), then in EP3, Anakin would turn MUCH earlier and fight with Obi Wan much earlier, ultimately carrying out the merciless Jedi slaughter AS Vader and ultimately kicking serious ass and inspiring fear and terror in the Jedi ranks like they've never known from an enemy they don't know.

You could even have some throwback to the "I am your father line" but having some dying Jedi screams of "the chosen one will save us!!!" and then Vader saying "I AM the chosen one!" before really inflicting incredible amounts of pain and suffering.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally posted by MJK@May 20 2005, 01:53 PM
I saw the film last night and I agree that it was the best of the first three. There were still some stupid parts that made me roll my eyes but all in all it was good.

The scene where Anakin decides to turn to the dark side, it seemed to happen a little quick. I wasn't convinced during that scene at all. He seems to make up his mind way too quickly that he will indeed become the apprentice of the sith lord.

Maybe its just me but that's what bugged me a little.

Actually the book had great justification in it about his turn to the darkside, and it was explained to Anakin by Palpatine

Jedi gain power through understanding

The Sith gain understanding through power.

Also while the Jedi look outward for thier power, which benefit everyone

The Sith gain power and understanding by looking within and listening to thier baser emotions and instincts, thus serving themselves and no other.

So when Anakin was concerned about his position on the Council and about protecting his wife from death, he was already pretty much on the road to the dark side.

Its also quite cool, that the Jedi consider themselves a tool of the Force, while the Sith wish to control the force.

you combine these factors together, and its easy to see why Anakin slid to the darkside so quickly.

He wanted the recognition for himself and his deeds . . . which fueled his ambition.

He wasn't named to the council as a Master . . this fueled his anger.

The council wanted him to spy on his own parent figure which fueled his sense of betrayal.

He feared that he would lose the only this that he had that was special, in his wife.

In the book there's a scene after he murders the seperatists, and he talking to Sideous, where in his mind he's thinking "I'm more powerful then you, you have nothing to offer me but your place"

But he missed the trick of the darkside and didn't realize it until he was in the Vader armour.

If you look inward and only serve yourself, in the end the only thing that you will have left is yourself, because everything else is inconsequential, thats why he was willing to murder his wife, and the jedi kids.

and in the end, he was alone, but he had to serve Palpatine, because his vaunted powers of the force had pretty much been taken from him in the burning. And in his mind Palpatine was the only one who could accept what he had become, and what he had done.

So he initially went to the darkside out of fear and ambition, and then he stayed there because he was enslaved by his fear and ambition, and Palpatine his father figure was the only person who could understand what he was doing.

If you have seen the movie, read the book, it what the movie in a lot of ways should have been

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally posted by Hack&Lube@May 20 2005, 03:15 PM
I think one thing that would have made this movie one of the best and redeemed it from even the small criticisms it is recieving was if Lucas actually used the potential of Vader, and I don't mean Anakin.

In all these films, we haven't REALLY seen how evil and feared the Dark Lord is. So he chokes guys every now and then, so what?

We haven't even seem him truely kick ass, he and Obi Wan had geriatric battle in ANH and he had small fights with Luke (mostly in dark and shadow) in ESB and RoTJ.

I've always maintained that Lucas should have begun EP1 with Anakin at an older age (thus, even less likely as a Jedi candidate but accepted because of his immense strength in the force but utlimately dooming him because of his troubled developmental years) and beginning the clone wars in EP1. EP2 would be a full-fledged war fleshed out in all it's glory and darkness (somewhat like the Clone Wars cartoon), then in EP3, Anakin would turn MUCH earlier and fight with Obi Wan much earlier, ultimately carrying out the merciless Jedi slaughter AS Vader and ultimately kicking serious ass and inspiring fear and terror in the Jedi ranks like they've never known from an enemy they don't know.

You could even have some throwback to the "I am your father line" but having some dying Jedi screams of "the chosen one will save us!!!" and then Vader saying "I AM the chosen one!" before really inflicting incredible amounts of pain and suffering.

I can understand the acceleration of the story, but Lucas said it was really important for the audience to see that he was a slave, bought and paid for, and he didn't want to rush through the story, because if the slave aspect was lost, or glossed over, then his fall to the dark side wouldn't make sense.

He also wanted to portray him as a small child, because taking a little 9 year old kid is far more traumatic then a teenager who is to that age of indepenance saying "See ya ma, I'm taking my stuff and splitting to LaLapooloza"

He also felt that it would be more shocking to see Anakin skywalkers whole life, and how he was the sweet little boy with a good heart, a aggressive teenager with a good heart, a seasoned warrior with a good heart and a strong reliance on friendship, who's fall was something pitiable and sad, and really unjustifiable.

[Hakan]

That sounds interesting and makes sense.

Unfortunately Hayden Whomever couldn't pull off those complex motivations. That was probably one of the worst castings in the last ten years.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally posted by Hakan@May 20 2005, 04:28 PM
That sounds interesting and makes sense.

Unfortunately Hayden Whomever couldn't pull off those complex motivations. That was probably one of the worst castings in the last ten years.

yeah, I was kinda surprised with Hayden's lack of ability to really get the needed emotion across.

Part of it still falls to the fact that Lucas likes to write really clumsy dialogue that sounds like it comes from a Japanese samuri movie.

But I don't know of any actors of the same age who could have done much better.

I think it was a very difficult role.

It could have been worse, as we could have had somebody who is a scenary chewer who came across as wanting to be evil.

[octothorp]

I thought this movie was pretty lame. Best of the prequels, but well behind any of the original three.
I kept thinking of the episode of Futurama where Zoidberg makes a movie with his uncle, who's from the silent holograph era. And the uncle Zoidberg keeps telling people, "You extras, run around waving your arms wildly. Just because it's a serious drama doesn't mean you can't do some comedy in the background! Throw a cream pie or something!" This movie felt like that--like Lucas simply doesn't have the confidence or the restraint to let the story carry the picture. I think this is a great, great story. But it kept getting lost. And I don't know if the rumour about Tom Stoppard helping with the dialog is true, but it was pretty laughable, regardless.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally posted by octothorp@May 20 2005, 04:31 PM
I thought this movie was pretty lame. Best of the prequels, but well behind any of the original three.
I kept thinking of the episode of Futurama where Zoidberg makes a movie with his uncle, who's from the silent holograph era. And the uncle Zoidberg keeps telling people, "You extras, run around waving your arms wildly. Just because it's a serious drama doesn't mean you can't do some comedy in the background! Throw a cream pie or something!" This movie felt like that--like Lucas simply doesn't have the confidence or the restraint to let the story carry the picture. I think this is a great, great story. But it kept getting lost. And I don't know if the rumour about Tom Stoppard helping with the dialog is true, but it was pretty laughable, regardless.

I was surprised that Lucas didn't use Carrie Fisher as a script doctor, she writes some excellent dialogue, and she has worked with Lucas before.

Overall in order of movie enjoyment


Empire Strikes back - best script and dialogue in the series

A New Hope - The initial scene with the Star Destroyer passing over head changed the way movies were made

Revenge of the Sith - I liked it, it had dialogue issues, but combining it with the book really made it stronger for me

Return of the Jedi - Seemed to really drag at the beginning, and gained momentum in the middle, but the fact that a bunch of freaking teddy bears were taking out armoured troops with clubs and arrows kinda ruined it for me. Thank good for the scenes on the Death Star

Attack of the Clones - Ok, I liked it, because you saw the beginning of the end for Skywalker, but wooden dialogue, and no chemistry between Portman and HC, was more than made up for in the fact that the hated Jar Jar Binks was the catalyst that allowed Palpatine to create the empire

Phantom Menace - I liked a lot of this movie, but Jake Lloyd (who didn't get much direction from Lucas) was very weak in the role, and Jar Jar Binks was annoying. I also didn't feel the emotion in the battles, that I felt in Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi. However it had one of the best sword fight sequences that I've even seen between Dark Maul and Obi-Wan.