OMG: The Revenge of the Sith

[thorfrog]

What was bad about phantom menace? Well, I did end up liking it after a few viewings. But here is my list of what was bad:

-The force is now intergalactic cuties
-The Gungan smurf berry weapons
-Jar Jar (why did they do this?)
-Dumb looking aliens of the trade federation

Now here is what was good:
-Darth Maul
-Jedi battles
-Pod Race

[sachmo]

I'm sure I'll go see it. It's probably going to be a fun movie. But then again, I don't get offended by silly things. Seeing sci-fi on the big screen is treat enough for me.

[Randallw]

I think there are a number of factors why some people who are fond of the OT dislike the new trilogy. They have fond memories of first seeing the OT, and it has reached such a level of fondness that they can't believe the new movies could be as good. Also GL makes the new movies how he has always wanted to with lots of effects. Had the effects been available with the OT he would have made different movies. Also the lack of effects in the originals meant more effort was put into the characters of the originals. People have their ideals of what a Star Wars movie should be and when they see something GL has put in for some reason that they disagree with then they feel the whole movie is a disaster. It seems GL's idea for Star Wars has never been the same as some peoples. I read the IMDB entry for Mark Hamill and he is quoted as saying he believes GL would prefer to make movies without any actors in them. That said, I am against Jar-Jar and the gungans who take away from the seriousness of PM. I think perhaps they are just to cater to children, not the grown ups who saw the originals. But, its GL's vision and as the man who invented it he is entitled to do what he wants. Star Wars is my favourite film and I will try to see it on the first day. Instead of criticising anything I feel may be wrong I'll just be glad to get a starwars film of any type, after all its not as if there will ever be any other Versions of it.

[dogscoff]

Darth maul was cool, and all his fight scenes. Everything else sucked, imho. The pod race was blatantly inserted solely for marketting (IE Games industry) purposes, and Jar Jar Binks is a case for justifiable xenocide- that bit in the final battle where he turns perhaps the most eagerly anticiapted and expensive battle in cinema history (until Helm's Deep, anyway) into a poor Keystone Kops parody... *shudder* *sob*

They relied too heavily on the CGI and threw plot and suspension of disbelief out the window.

There might have been a few good lightsaber bits in AotC, can't really remember. All I really remember were the gaping plot holes and some crap about the force being controlled by general midi or something. that might have been the first one, I'm just not sure. It's taken several months of therapy and hypnosis to get even this much information past the mental blocks my traumatised mind threw around those films. Even Yoda's fight was blatantly ripped off from the classic Kermit vs Long John swashbuckle in "Muppet Treasure Island" (Don't believe me? Rent the film, then watch the two fight scenes back to back.)

So no, I'm not holding out much hope for the third film. Thanks Anhur for Peter Jackson, that's all I say.

/me heads down to blockbuster to rent Muppet Treasure Island, not to compare it to AotC, but just because it's a good film.

[ July 26, 2004, 14:09: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[geoschmo]

The whole force=midichlorian thing was a really bad move on GL's part. The other complaints are valid, but mainly cosmetic and subjective. But the midi thing totally changed the fundamental message behind the story.

The original it was all about how through determination and faith anyone could triumph over evil. Luke was just a poor dirt farmer from the backwoods, but because he believed in something and his friends believed in him they were able to beat the bad guys. It could have been anyone. It's an old story, but a good one.

But now we find out it couldn't have been anyone. It had to be Luke, and before them Anakin, because he had the right kind of blood. It's very subtle, but also very racist.

The problem didn't really start with EP1 though. Really from the point where we find out Luke and Leia are Vaders kids the whole thing went down the tubes as far as storyline goes. After that the effects were neat and all, but that was the about it. The story was shot.

[geoschmo]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Follow our intrepid band of outcast and misfit heroes as they struggle to get through Jedi Academy. See Lewis, Gilbert, Poindexter, and Booger back again in

Revenge of the Sith Nerds!!!

[dmm]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
... the midi thing totally changed the fundamental message behind the story.

The original it was all about how through determination and faith anyone could triumph over evil. Luke was just a poor dirt farmer from the backwoods, but because he believed in something and his friends believed in him they were able to beat the bad guys. It could have been anyone. It's an old story, but a good one.

But now we find out it couldn't have been anyone. It had to be Luke, and before them Anakin, because he had the right kind of blood. It's very subtle, but also very racist.

Are you telling me you believed Luke was "just anyone?" How about Obi Wan just happening to live right near Luke, and just happening to have Luke's father's light saber, and just happening to have been his father's mentor, and Luke just happens to be able to use the Force with only a few lessons, and Luke just happens to be the only one able to hear Obi Wan in his head? And Obi Wan says stuff about the Force running strong in his family?

Not to mention how Vader is the only bad guy who uses the Force, even though it is obviously a great advantage.

It is SOOOOO obvious from the get-go that only certain people can consciously use the Force, and that the ability often runs in families.

I can see how you'd call it elitist, but not racist.

I didn't like the midichlorian idea because
1) it put a scientific spin on something that was supposed to be mystical, unexplainable by science;
2) it was a blatant ripoff from the "A Wrinkle in Time" trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle;
3) it had them "sending" a blood sample for analysis from a teensy transmitter to the ship (technology ex nihilo);
4) it had the impersonal Force acting on its own, as a person, when it purposefully created Anakin; and, Last but not least,
5) it was a blatant ripoff of the Christian doctrine of the Virgin Birth of God Incarnate, which GL may consider to be mythology but 1/4 to 1/3 of the world population does not.

Even with all that, I am still looking forward to the Last SW movie. Episodes 1 and 2 definitely had flaws, but I enjoyed them anyway. I think the challenge for GL is to make E3 enjoyable, while at the same time to adequately explain Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. Seeing a good guy become evil is not much fun; how can GL balance that?