Searching my feelings

[stevetseitz]

O.K. so I finally saw it. Let me start by saying that my criticisms of the previous prequels continue in this last installment. CGI was overused. Actors get lost in front of a green screen. Some creatures, ships, and robots were hokey, superfluous or over the top. The story was a bit convoluted compared to the neat simplicity of "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back"

But... this was the first prequel worthy of "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back".

Some of the CGI scenes were mind-blowing in a "Bladerunner"/"The Fifth Element"/"Lord of the Rings" way. The emotional content was staggering for a Star Wars film with some truly jaw dropping moments. Natalie Portman seems to be able to channel spirits in her performance. It was crushing to see Anakin's slow decent into the dark side. !!SPOILER!!



When Anakin kills the children at the Jedi temple I was shocked...his grief and pain at the thought of losing his wife truly drove him nearly insane. When Padme says "there is still good in him" it is a heart-breaking denouement.


I actually liked Hayden Christensen as Anakin and Ewan McGregor seemed to relish his role as Obi-Wan in this movie. I'll bet you'll never look at the old man in the brown robe in "A New Hope" the same way again.

Certain things in the movie were totally predictable.

The widespread use of droids and aliens as the target of jedi slaughter was a conscious effort from making Jedi appear ruthless murderous assassins. It allows Jedis to slice and dice without offending the audience.

Obi-Wan's showdown with Grievious was totally a set-up to make us believe he could hang with Anakin in the final battle. Since in almost all previous battles Obi-Wan was ineffective and his skills paled in comparison to Anakin's.

Question: Why do the Jedi seem to have lost all sense of anticipation and the ability to sense other lifeforms, intent, etc. in these prequels? All the jedi should have been able to sense Padme's pregnancy and so forth.

It was good to see that Mace Windu wasn't just a blowhard and that Samuel L. Jackson kicks ass in all universes. ("YEAH, I KILLED THE SITH AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!!!!!" )

Tiring Yoda's sentence construction has become.

General Grievious sucked.

[tabuno]

A once in a few instance experience here, I have nothing to really add or respond to here. I want to thank stevetseitz for elaborately and elegantly describing some of my own mixed emotions about this movie. You did an excellent job helping me clarify in my own mind what I thought about this movie. Thank you.

[Raoul]

General Grievious sucked.
Whatchyoutalkin'bout, steveseitz?

Grievous was creepy as hell; a perfect machine/man. Badass, tough and "Oakland Raider Evil".

Obi Wan coming out on top was, to me, the ulitmate testament of man beating machine a la John Henry.

Greivous' Windmill lightsaber gimick was quickly derailed by Obi Wan's intelect; jam the gears and go for the kill.
I think that this is one of the top lightsaber battles in the hexology (< i made that up... did I get it right?)

I have to agree about Pada Mae. For once, I bought it. When she was destroyed by "little annie"'s turn to the dark side, I could feel it.
Anniken, on the other hand, was a complete write-off. Some blame this on the green screen, but I don't think anyone could have done much with dialogue like that. Is Lucas a big Harlequin Romance novel fan?

[stevetseitz]

>>Whatchyoutalkin'bout, steveseitz?

Grievous was creepy as hell; a perfect machine/man. Badass, tough and "Oakland Raider Evil". <<

Grievous was a lame cliche in my book. He was an empty shell. A video-game "boss" at best.

He reminded me of the old bugs bunny cartoon when bugs scares Elmer Fudd by putting on a cow skull.

Obi Wan needed a blaster to take care of Grievous. It just confirms Han Solo's statement in "A New Hope": "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster at your side, kid. "

I showed my nephew the older films and he loved them and even said the characters and writing were better. His one critique was of the lightsaber battles which were far more static. I prefer to think of them as conservative, efficient samauri-style duels. Anyone who has been trained in swordplay knows that flashy flips and behind the back moves expose the attacker as well as the defender.

[HorseradishTree]

A better way to explain Grievous is Vader Lite.

[stevetseitz]

>>I don't think anyone could have done much with dialogue like that. <<


I think it was Harrison Ford who complained to Lucas at one point during the original series, "You can WRITE that shit, but you can't actually SAY that shit!"

[HorseradishTree]

Maybe the reason Empire is the strongest of the six is becuase Lucas had nothing to do with the screenplay.

[Raoul]

Originally posted by HorseradishTree
Maybe the reason Empire is the strongest of the six is becuase Lucas had nothing to do with the screenplay.

That's definately the reason why Empire is the strongest. Still, the dialogue is cheezeorama.

The problem lies in making a few lifetimes worth of story fit in less than 3 hrs of screen time. The actors end up talking to the camera and it's beyond boring and awkward.

>>>He was an empty shell.

This is a STAR WARS MOVIE. Master Yoda is about as deep as characters get. We're lucky not to get stuck with another Jar Jar.

Expecting a deep character from a Lucas film is like expecting a charming 'girl next door' type in a Snoop Dogg video.


Obi Wan needed a blaster to take care of Grievous. It just confirms Han Solo's statement in "A New Hope": "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. "He He. Amen to that. Obi Wan didn't argue when Han said that.
Do remember, though, it was the hokey (dialogue?) religeons and ancient weapons that got him to the point where he had a good shot at the spot that counted.

[tabuno]

Perhaps I'm too much of a liberal, but when I saw, as I've mentioned elsewhere, what Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Garner subjected themselves to in learning martial moves and when I compare what they actually did bruises and all to what light saber battles I saw in Revenge of the Sith, I can't appreciate the special effects and bouncing all around. It's the human struggle, the real choreography of moves, real specific, actual moves instead of the lightening fast, can't tell what's going on moves that really pull me in. I still recommend those people who haven't see Elecktra and the martial art's special features section to watch it and also Angelina Jolie's stunt work on her DVD of Lara Croft. This is the real deal (minus the actual intent to kill), not something made up beyond human understanding and comprehension.