patience my young padawan, patience. you must first learn the ways of the pimp before you can be a pimp Oh, in regards to Anakin's "golden arm" remember in the original trilogy after Luke learns that Darth Vader(Anakin) is his father that Obi Wan tells Luke that his father is "more machine now than man". Just another piece to the puzzle of Anakin's transformation to the dark side.
SPOILERS oooh... I disagree sirhangover... you can plainly see the rage anakin starts to feel and also begin to deduce how he begins to embrace the dark side. 1) his mother's death 2) his attack on Drakoo 3) him breaking the rules of the Jedi and falling in love and "secretly" marrying Amidala. 4) how Senator Palpatine/Evil Emporer starts to take him under his wing, feeding him compliments and lies 5) his inability to control his emotions rage, anger, all those things Yoda discusses about leading to the dark side can be seen in some of those scenes. the golden arm bit.... this is one of his first mutations into DV. It plays up the half man, half machine body which will become DV!?
I saw it at midnight and loved it. Yoda is truly a Jedi Master. That scene actually had me jumping in my seat. I hope that in the next film Obi-Wan and Anakin are better with the lightsaber. I thought they did a good job showing Anakin and his darkside tendencies. It's not like he was going to jump into the black suit right away. The love story wasn't as cheesy as some make it out to be. I don't think Hayden Christiansen (Anakin) will win an Oscar for his acting, but it was better than he is given credit for. Ewan McGregor had some funny moments and did a great job. The fact is that some people will never be happy with the new ones. I think this one is up there with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. The only thing I was disappointed with was that Sam Jackson didn't say "Mothaf#%ka" once. That would have been sweet.
How can little green Yoda do any damage? I'll take that little twirp and step on him. Is he just flying around the whole time by means of the force with his miniature light saber or what? Little guy...he's so cute and cuddily. How could he hurt anyone? He's so short he has to move in quadruple quick-time to keep up with a normal person. He's nothing without the force! NOTHING!!!! GO DARK SIDE!!! GO DARK SIDE!!! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!! GO DARK SIDE!!! JUMP JUMP JUMP!!! HEY HO....HEY HO!!!! HO HO!!! YODA A HO!!! Sorry...
i know the prosthetic arm was because he cut it off and i know about him becoming machine like...but a golden arm? just seems a little weird...shouldnt it had been more human like and darker in general like luke in empire strikes back?? as for rockhead : luke skywalker had more reason to turn to the dark side then anakin at this point ( 2 movies into the game) regardless of just: "1) his mother's death 2) his attack on Drakoo 3) him breaking the rules of the Jedi and falling in love and "secretly" marrying Amidala. 4) how Senator Palpatine/Evil Emporer starts to take him under his wing, feeding him compliments and lies 5) his inability to control his emotions" luke had all the same issues (even more ) and that was already evident by empire strikes back.. hmmm lets see his uncle and aunt get killed, home trashed, obi wan killed, han solo taken and frozen in carbonite, and his dad is the head honcho for the dark side?? just a few examples and you want to argue "4) how Senator Palpatine/Evil Emporer starts to take him under his wing, feeding him compliments and lies" thats insignificant in the scope of what is ABOUT to happen and that is anakin turning to the dark side...anakin the supposed person who brings balance to the force.. can be swayed by compliments?...it just seems weak so far... I just dont see a compelling argument ( and it drags) so far as to why anakin would turn to the dark side which makes the trilogy -luke , han , chewie etc more exciting.. this movie is fun but there are not enough reasons as of yet for him to go to the dark side...and there definitely isnt enough reasons for anakin and fine a$$ to get married...they get married and it almost seems like an afterthought a whimsical high school marriage.. lets recap he tells her how much he loves her she says no then next thing you know she does love him..its like --okay??? if they were going to make this great love story there needed to be some scandal..people against it in a vocal manner..or simply well done like the romance that evolved naturally between leia and han solo.. wheres the love in the dark...? the ' I miss you' love letters? the scandal ?? just a bunch of people saying ' tut tut you shouldnt do that anakin' thats not fun and doesnt make for a sweet love story... I want jerry springer..obi wan and anakin fighting for the right to bag her... its all to predictable.. by the way is padme a child molester?? whats the age of jedi consent??
Just got back from a 3:30 showing and thought it was great. I'd give it 4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars. And I really wasn't expecting nearly that much. As to some of the complaints in this thread. The acting will not win any Oscar nominations, for sure, but when has the series been about that. And a lot of it isn't even bad. It is just mediocre and, at times, can be cheesy because of the dialogue. But you can clearly see how this one hit the "cheese factor" right on the money, as in perfectly for the series, whereas the Episode I went way overboard and was stiffled by actual bad acting (such as Jake Lloyd). As far as "stealing" from other movies, I hardly noticed it. I hardly think taking a car chase seen that has been thought of many times and already done at least once (Fifth Element), and then making it about 10X better than it was done previously could be called stealing. In either case, starting to dislike Star Wars now for that reason would be ridiculous, unless you've taken this stance from the very beginning. At least 50% of the whole idea of the Republic, etc, comes almost straight from Issac Asimov's Foundation Series of the early 50's (which I think with today's computer work might be feasible as a movie itself), even with the capital planet of Couresant being a near match for the Foundation's Trantor. Star Wars, does, though, have a distinct uniqueness to its own that obviously appeals to a lot of people. And for Anakin not turning enough to the dark side, I'd have to disagree. It's not how much "bad" stuff has happened to him, but how he handles it and his disposition thereof, which, from this movie, seemed to show him going to the dark side quite obviously to me. Anyway, I thought the storyline was very good, the 3-d and special effects amazing and the tying-in of events from the original 3 cleverly done, with sufficient Star Warsesque acting and humor (such as C3PO), with a good job done for the buildup of anticipation for the next (and sadly, it seems, last) movie. So I liked it
I saw the 3:30 showing. Just kinda wandered over to the theater, up to the boxoffice, and five minutes later I was in a decent seat with the previews starting. That's the nice thing about having the film on 3 screens in a smallish city. My review, briefly: The first 2/3rds of the film: flat and talky. Lots of exposition and some interesting action scenes. I was beginning to think I'd walk out disappointed. The last third of the movie: freaking awesome. Absolutely freaking awesome: Anakin and Padme (and C-3PO and R2-D2) in a droid factory; a Galdiator-style set piece; and Yoda kicking some major A. Yoda is the star of this movie. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone, although it's probably too late, you can't get the toothpaste back in the tube. But I'm serious, the last act of this movie is when it really kicked in, and fumblef**k George Lucas, while a clumsy director with no interest in his actors and an eye on the bottom line, actually comes through. I sure wish he would get a real writer to help with his dialogue, though. My God, the romantic lines are painful. Natalie Portman is absolutely delicious, by the way. Dinner is served. Mmm-mmmm.
BGM, I guess he figured no one saw it, so he could take the liberty. My main point is that I went in expecting a LOTR or Gladiator experience, one where I went WOW..what a movie. And after watching this one, I was like....that was a waste of 5 bucks. Yoda and a few special effects were the only redeeming qualities. I just expect more from a man with a budget as large as he has..... I mean is it too much to ask for decent dialogue? Where are the cool Han solo like lines, the character depth..etc..etc.... DaDakota
I've heard this argued elsewhere on the net. Was the original Star Wars decent dialogue, or was it the same kind of hoky humor we see in today's versions that has only been elevated to something more because of the movies cult status? I lean towards the second, as many of those lines were very hoky as well, so I see today's version done in the same way. Not that I don't think the dialogue could have used some work, as the romance scenes were particularly painful. But, I, for example, thought some of C3PO's "dumb" lines in the end were actually kind of funny and entirely appropriate. and when it was over I did go...WOW, what a movie. Different folks, different strokes.
There are some movies - the film now known as "A New Hope" comes to mind, where there is both all of the qualities that make a big summer blockbuster good (the effects, the sweeping story, the sence of adventure) as well as the qualities that make highbrow low budget foreign films good (detailed, complex plot, multi layer characters, and focused storytelling). I guess, more than anything else, that is what has been lacking as the series has progressed. Compared to other summer blockbuster extraviganzas of recent memory, like X-Men, or Men In Black or such, the movie holds its own. But if you try and judge it on the same level as "A New Hope", it falls short. Really, there was one moment in this film which, in contrast to Episode 4, symbolised how Star Wars has become just another franchise, like Batman, or the recent James Bond films: Durring the first half of the big final battle scene, C3PO's head becomes attached to the head of one of the battle droids. After it is shot off, R2D2 comes over, grabs it with a graple, and reattaches it to his body. Durring this scene, Lucas commits the ultimate SciFi sin: he violates the reality he's created in order to satisfy the plot -- in this case he gives C3P0 modern phrasology to get a laugh. Particularly, the lines "Oh, this is such a drag!" when he's being pulled by R2, as well as "Oh, I'm quite beside myself." when his head is by his corpse are cheap laughs that would have never made it into at least the first two installments. In contrast in the first movies laughs are generated, while maintaining the integrity of the story, such as the "No good, scruffy looking nerfherder" line. I still have no idea what a nerfherder is, but I don't doubt that it exists, because it fits the story. Another example of this is when Luke, before attacking the Death Star, talks about hitting womp rats from his speeder. Every time I see this, the character of Luke as a backwoods farm boy becomes more real to me. Finally, whereas in the first movie, found myself constanty thinking things like, "this Obi-Wan" guy is much more than he lets on, and the scenes with the Imperial commanders left me with no doubts that they were evil, ruthless bastards in the vein of the Nazi party leaders, throughout this whole movie I kept wondering why nobody saw that Anakin was way out of control, or how can people as gulible as everyone in this movie is be the leaders and peacekeepers of an entire galaxy. I also couldn't help but find Count Doku as already less evil than Anakin and more in balance than Mace Windu. Even the bug guy and the trade federation guy didn't seem like ruthless enough.
No offense, but in many ways this film suffered from the same problems as yours. It was too unfocused of a story, where the characters were clearly driven by a plot that wasn't suprising enough, and if you strip away the special effects, there's not much of a story. I agree totaly about the dialogue. I also think that, in addition, the first film also had shots which, with a single look or glance, told 10 times as much as the needless storytelling background dialogue.
I enjoyed the movie, but it is little more than a cheesy action flick with cool special effects. Not that there's anything wrong with that. No good story. Some bad acting mixed in, and horrible dialogue. In no way, shape, or form are they anywhere close as to being as good as the original trilogy, imo. And those Anakin-Amidala scense were killer, in a bad way.
I haven't seen it yet...but I have to say this: If you've seen the first Star Wars, and don't expect Lucas to generate somewhat stale directing, poor dialogue and cardboard acting, then you have a short, short memory. That's basically a staple of Star Wars, right along with Yoda and the Dark Side. That being said, I come to expect that and look to judge the movies in other ways. I'm sooo looking forward to seeing this Saturday. So I will now step out of this thread before I damage the experience further.
I keep reading you guys talk about the bad dialogue in the trilogy and I can't remember any really horrible dialogue in the trilogy. Since a lot of you guys seem to remember bad lines in the trilogy, please post some of them so I can be reminded... trilogy trilogy trilogy jesus...
Bad line from AOTC: The setting- Anakin and Padme on Tattoine. Anakin: I don't like the sand. It's course and rough and irritating. Not like you. Your'e soft and smooth. If anyone else said that, they would become the laughing stock of the entire friggin galaxy!!!
Thats because there werent any bad lines BGM. Ahhhhh... so much to say, i can't really effectively put it into words. Ok. The first three movies were much darker. I mean darker in two ways. One, in a figurative sense. Two, in a literal sense. The first three had a darker feel and plot to them. The VILLAINS had much more substance. You could FEEL the prescence of Vader, Tarkin, Palpatine, Jabba, Fett, etc. In these movies, the villains are pitiful. Ooooh, big Doodoo head, im scared. No, im not. Also, the first two movies, and LOTR, Gladiator, Snatch, Braveheart, and alot of my other favorite movies, have less light. Literally are DARKER. The first two star wars are so ****ing BRIGHT AND COLORFUL. AHHHHH. Tone it down Lucas. Also, many of the scenes reminded me of my Final Fantasy X cutscenes. I would rather have more real shots then computer images. More... The characters simply aren't as cool. The movie itselft just doesnt seem cool. Han Solo... was a ****ing badass. Simply put. A ****ing Badass. Vader... also a badass. Remember his lines? There were some SOLID LINES in the first three. I can't think of a single money line of dialogue in the entire Episode I and II. How about this: "I am Maximus Decimus Meridius. Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions. Loyal servent to the true emperor... Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son... husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance in this life or the next." One of, if not the coolest movie quotes of all time. NO good lines in Star Wars I or II. The movies didn't move me. They just didnt move me at all. True, Yoda fighting was pretty badass. But Obi-Wan sucked ass. He STRUGGLED to force grab his lightsaber from about 10 feet away. So that means he is about as powerful as Jedi barely apprentice Luke Skywalker? This is a full fledged Jedi Knight were talkin about. Piss-poor. Ok, so thats two recent popular movies I've disliked. So sue me. I will now give a list of my Top 10, so everybody can flame my choices. 1. Chariots of Fire 2. Lord of the Rings 3. Snatch 4. Braveheart 5. Gladiator 6. The Matrix 7. Clerks 8. The Empire Strikes Back 9. Return of the Jedi 10. Brotherhood of the Wolf Hon Men: A New Hope
Just got back from it. HOLY COW THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!! At first, I was really critical of the movie. I didn't like the "sets" (they're all done on computer), or the dialogue, but after about 30 minutes, I was into the movie. And once I was in, I was HOOKED!!! Just go see it. I mean, you will anyways, but still -- go see it. I'll go again soon. BTW, for the first time, I bought a movie ticket online, and then used the automated ticket machine to dispense it to me -- it was great. From now on, all ticket buying is like that for me. I did it at an AMC theater, but I'm sure others will do it as well. Natalie Portman is beautiful!! It's kindof funny to see how often she changes her hair and her outfits though. It's like every 3 minutes she's wearing something different. You don't get to see her change though . . .
To sort of build on what Nomar said concerning the dialogue. Not only were there no memorable lines, but a lot of the written dialogue was simply not natural sounding. Good actors can add a lot, but when the dialogue doesn't sound natural, I imagine it is hard for them to compensate. When Anakin first started making his advances on Padmei, she was saying things like "It makes me uncomfortable" and "I will not give in to this." I will not give in to this? Call him a nerfherder! Get pissed! Say something you might regret! This polite horse**** just doesn't work, Amedala. Also, it seems some of the dialogue was too plot driven, meaning that they used it to explain or further the plot when it didn't really make sense for a person to say that. For instance, in the beginning when the ship lands, and the guy says to Princess Padmei something like "We have landed safely in Coruscant, Princess Padmei." Okay, so you are telling us what planet you are on. That is nice, but it really didn't sound very natural, George. Secondly, regarding the graphics. I like the use of computer graphics in movies. I think it can really add something...when it is done right. Spiderman did it right. Lord of the Rings did it right. Attack of the Clones didn't quite do it right. The ships, for instance, were way too damn clean. They shined like they were spotless and had not re-entered atmosphere after atmosphere and endured the wear and tear of traveling between planets. Droids looked like they were created that day (I understand that in some situations, they were). It seems the attention to detail was placed on the wrong details, as much of the computer graphics don't look natural either. That was the great thing about the original 3. Most of everything was done with models, and the models were created to look USED. The Millenium Falcon was a beat up piece of junk. The Rebel X-Wings were scratched and scarred from battle. Droids looked like they were years old. Nothing was like that in AOTC, it was all buffed so clean and shiny you couldn't possibly mistake it for something that looked real. Some of the magic from the original 3 George Lucas will NEVER be able to recapture. The great performances from Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill (to a slightly lesser degree, in my opinion) and Carrey Fisher will likely not be matched. But the effects, and the writing, have no reason to take a serious downturn. Overall, I liked AOTC, as a movie. As a prequel to the original 3, and installment in the Star Wars realm, it fell just a bit short. It was by far better than Phantom Menace, but I really didn't like Phantom Menace.
