Episode Three, Revenge of the Boyking
Ok so here it is, I'll toss it behind a LJ cut because..yes there will be spoilers.
First of all while I'm a geek in some aspects I'm not so much of a geek
I wasn't too gung ho to go see this movie in the first place, I love the Star Wars, but the first two episodes did a lot to kill the pleasure that I had for those flicks. I mean Jar-Jar? the lack of writing? After the Clone Wars where he pulled out Dooku without nary a warning or explanation, the plot jumps that left me confused and irritated I was looking at Loren as he begged to go see Revenge of the Sith with a 'you will so owe me in the form of jewelry bub' look.
So we go, and manage to score decent seats and sit down. I wasn't really thrilled with how they jumped into the storyline with little back story, as if we knew what the hell was going on. I mean it was just a extension of the old war of the clones and all but the abruptness of introducing Grevious and all of that was a little off putting.
The rest of "problems" with the movie I have to admit were pretty girly.
Like why couldn't Anakin take a shower? I understand the movie mind set that his slip into the dark side must be punctuated by some physical manifestation but come -on- A haircut and a shower wouldn't have killed them. He looked like a greasy looser not the end all be all of the force. Why is it that the Emperor could get a manicure but Anakin couldn't find the bathrooms and the hot water? And what was with the comb over? what the hell? It's not like he didn't have a good haircut in the Clone wars, what the hell happened!? couldn't we have bought that he was a bad guy without the dirty shit?
Secondly, I could not for one second believe that Padame and Anakin were in love. I was absolutely floored at the complete lack of chemistry between the two of them. I wanted to grab Hadyen's shoulders and go 'Helloooo McFly!! that's Natalie Portman over there, isn't she hot as hell? You've seen her in practically nothing, hell last movie there was total nipplage going and you're telling me you can't muster up even the smallest bit of onscreen interest for her?" I get that the boy can brood well, hell that's oscar worthy brooding going on, man can he ever brood, but jesus is that -all- he can do? I'm supposed to buy that he turns his back on everything he knows and believes for in a woman he barely registers? Obi Wan and Padame had more connection and presence in their scene together than any of the scenes with Anakin and Padme.
Thirdly and this is really just a total girl reaction to the whole thing, wow could they make Anakin's fall any more sudden and sharp and vicious? One moment he's struggling with his morality and the choice between the light and dark and the next minute he's killing preschoolers without batting a eyelash? Why didn't someone throw a puppy at him to kick while they were at it? I wish that we could have seen his fall build up a little more instead I was watching him go on a killing rampage going 'holy shit I guess it wasn't that big of a deal for him after all'. It was just so sudden, all those years of him being a student and learning from Obi Wan, and just a couple weeks and he's suddenly the most bad boy ever?
Other than that, and some minor quibbles about the plot jumping around without really getting into it (once again Grevious and what the hell he was about, I know that he had a cartoon series based on him but it would have been nice if Lucas could have put -some- background into the movie) I really did like the movie. I was surprised how much.
It wasn't that it was darker, I mean it -was- darker and I enjoyed that, but that it recaptured the old Star Wars feel of things..the both sides of the coin play where you got to see what was going on on all sides and the way that things fit together even before the characters figured out what was happening. I felt like Lucas finally reclaimed his niche with the old movies, the way that he could draw you in and wrap you up in the moment. I had missed his deft touch in the first two movies, and was happy to feel him back in the last.
The major issue that I had with the movie was something that I couldn't really fault Lucas with, the fact that you really couldn't emotionally invest yourself in some of the battle scenes because ultimately you knew who was going to live and die already. It made it more distant, not as visceral as I'm thinking he wanted it to be but I'm confident that my son will be utterly enthralled with the movie, praying that Obi Wan lives and that Anakin doesn't do what he's going to do (that scene with the student's? I flinched, jumping in my seat..though it could just be my maternal instinct coming to the fore)..and the scene when Obi and Ani have their last battle? Tears came to my eyes at Obi's speech to him McGregor hit this one out of the park people.
All in all? I was glad I went and saw it. I've got the feeling a lot of the Star Wars hype is lost on me, but I really did enjoy it
I still wish he would have taken a f'n shower though.
First of all while I'm a geek in some aspects I'm not so much of a geek
I wasn't too gung ho to go see this movie in the first place, I love the Star Wars, but the first two episodes did a lot to kill the pleasure that I had for those flicks. I mean Jar-Jar? the lack of writing? After the Clone Wars where he pulled out Dooku without nary a warning or explanation, the plot jumps that left me confused and irritated I was looking at Loren as he begged to go see Revenge of the Sith with a 'you will so owe me in the form of jewelry bub' look.
So we go, and manage to score decent seats and sit down. I wasn't really thrilled with how they jumped into the storyline with little back story, as if we knew what the hell was going on. I mean it was just a extension of the old war of the clones and all but the abruptness of introducing Grevious and all of that was a little off putting.
The rest of "problems" with the movie I have to admit were pretty girly.
Like why couldn't Anakin take a shower? I understand the movie mind set that his slip into the dark side must be punctuated by some physical manifestation but come -on- A haircut and a shower wouldn't have killed them. He looked like a greasy looser not the end all be all of the force. Why is it that the Emperor could get a manicure but Anakin couldn't find the bathrooms and the hot water? And what was with the comb over? what the hell? It's not like he didn't have a good haircut in the Clone wars, what the hell happened!? couldn't we have bought that he was a bad guy without the dirty shit?
Secondly, I could not for one second believe that Padame and Anakin were in love. I was absolutely floored at the complete lack of chemistry between the two of them. I wanted to grab Hadyen's shoulders and go 'Helloooo McFly!! that's Natalie Portman over there, isn't she hot as hell? You've seen her in practically nothing, hell last movie there was total nipplage going and you're telling me you can't muster up even the smallest bit of onscreen interest for her?" I get that the boy can brood well, hell that's oscar worthy brooding going on, man can he ever brood, but jesus is that -all- he can do? I'm supposed to buy that he turns his back on everything he knows and believes for in a woman he barely registers? Obi Wan and Padame had more connection and presence in their scene together than any of the scenes with Anakin and Padme.
Thirdly and this is really just a total girl reaction to the whole thing, wow could they make Anakin's fall any more sudden and sharp and vicious? One moment he's struggling with his morality and the choice between the light and dark and the next minute he's killing preschoolers without batting a eyelash? Why didn't someone throw a puppy at him to kick while they were at it? I wish that we could have seen his fall build up a little more instead I was watching him go on a killing rampage going 'holy shit I guess it wasn't that big of a deal for him after all'. It was just so sudden, all those years of him being a student and learning from Obi Wan, and just a couple weeks and he's suddenly the most bad boy ever?
Other than that, and some minor quibbles about the plot jumping around without really getting into it (once again Grevious and what the hell he was about, I know that he had a cartoon series based on him but it would have been nice if Lucas could have put -some- background into the movie) I really did like the movie. I was surprised how much.
It wasn't that it was darker, I mean it -was- darker and I enjoyed that, but that it recaptured the old Star Wars feel of things..the both sides of the coin play where you got to see what was going on on all sides and the way that things fit together even before the characters figured out what was happening. I felt like Lucas finally reclaimed his niche with the old movies, the way that he could draw you in and wrap you up in the moment. I had missed his deft touch in the first two movies, and was happy to feel him back in the last.
The major issue that I had with the movie was something that I couldn't really fault Lucas with, the fact that you really couldn't emotionally invest yourself in some of the battle scenes because ultimately you knew who was going to live and die already. It made it more distant, not as visceral as I'm thinking he wanted it to be but I'm confident that my son will be utterly enthralled with the movie, praying that Obi Wan lives and that Anakin doesn't do what he's going to do (that scene with the student's? I flinched, jumping in my seat..though it could just be my maternal instinct coming to the fore)..and the scene when Obi and Ani have their last battle? Tears came to my eyes at Obi's speech to him McGregor hit this one out of the park people.
All in all? I was glad I went and saw it. I've got the feeling a lot of the Star Wars hype is lost on me, but I really did enjoy it
I still wish he would have taken a f'n shower though.