like my first post for so long, havn't been here for yonks
...I'll guess I'll just keep to bulletpoints...
- Lucas wrote the originals based on all his little geeky studies of mythology, generic conventions, binary oppositions and the fine details of storytelling. This is evident in the OT because its just so damn good, but all that knowledge he used for the first trilogy seemed to waste away. We don't have a young, naive kid rebelling against a tyranical evil Empire (a very strong story), we have an arrogant man being arrogant (that was the best I could come up with).
-The heavy use of CGI, not unexpected I know. Yet perhaps, the CGI use isn't a major issue, more of a lack of story. If there was just a little cabin full of old car seats and LED lights, I wouldn't be overwhelmed, but give me a little cabin full of old car seats and LED lights and a story, I'm exuberent.
-Haydyn Christiensen, isn't a bad actor as such, he's not great, but neither was Mark Hamill. My main annoyance with him is that he just doesn't seem compelling enough to watch, theres nothing really fascinating with him, and nor can I take him seriously when hes being "moody".
-Natalie Portman isn't a bad actor either, from decent films like Garden State and even Closer we can see that, she works well as a romantic co-star. Maybe epic sci-fi franchises just aren't here thing, or as I have heard, Lucas just can't direct his actors well.
-Ewan McGregor, as someone said earlier, is great as Obi-wan, but he just isn't old Alec.
-I'm not too sure who I should be following in the story. Do I follow Anakin, who I know is going to turn a little twisted in a few years, Obi Wan, a character that feels yonks away from Old Ben? or Padme, caught helpless in the sidelines (like I felt when I saw Jar Jar not in mortal peril)? All the characters seem to change sides all the time, and I just don't know who to root for. Yes, yes, it may be different etc. but it just doesn't work.
- Jar Jar isn't a crowd favourite, they learnt this after Episode 1.
- Never work with child actors! (evidence to support that Phantom Menace.
- Personal opinion here, but I enjoy the old lightsaber fights much more, even the Ben and Vader duel for laughs. I think for me its just the culmination of the music, the darkness with the sabers humming and the slow movement, especially the regular close-ups of Luke crying/whatever.
- On the whole of the PT saber fights, it all feels like eye candy to me. Gone is the epic space western fought in heaps of metal with engines against an evil Empire, now were just left with a bunch of monks running around in there bed dress, practically dancing the Footloose with a torch in there hand.
I may edit this in the 15 minutes or so that I have left...
I think you guys have hammered why the OT > PT! and I agree
The only respect to which the new films are superior to the old ones is basically the advancements on technology and special effects though only a little [look at the flying scenes in death star ep 6!] and has not always been a good thing either [who prefers puppet to cgi yoda? etc. and who likes all these goofy droids?]
Also the lightsaber duels are more varied and creative [Dooku and Maul having their own styles] and were more skillfully choerographed PHYSICALLY not emotionally than the old films - certainly an improvement on the Vader versus Kenobi in ep 4 where it looked like two kids picking up toy sabers for the first time in their lives
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the old ones look stupid and lack good effects. esb was okay but episode III was much better and better ending. mark hammill looks stupid compare to hayden.
I don't think the old ones looks stupid at all. For the time era those films were made in, they're cinema gold. The effects are really well done for that period, and it's what set the standards for movies today. Although most films today don't even compare to the OT. That's how great they are.
Registered: Jun 2006
Location: United Kingdom, England
the most important thing in the movie is showing how palp' created the army for his empire and how he got them to be the republic army (the war). the only film that show more then two jedi fighting together and jango was in it.
the best film is ep' III. it so dark and moody, showing how anakin is confused and ultimatly falls, it also show the jedi being wiped out which is good considering every other movie has the good guy winning (exept ep' 5). it also shows how smart the sith are and how the old ways of the jedi are outdated.
How can say that? The OT is ten times bettter ! Its darker funnier , and is at the peak of saga . It also has the most shocking line in hollywood history .
It has two big icons of movie histroy Darth vader and Luke Skywalker
Classics .
Registered: Jun 2006
Location: United Kingdom, England
i know but i grew up with the new trilogy so thats why! anakin is better than luke (actor and script wise) and palp' is smarter and more cunning than vader and a better villan becuase of it.
I understand but if the OT was a big flop then there whould be no PT . Thats the reasion why George lucus made 1,2,3 becouse the orignals where outsanding.
Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Giving dirty Mr Sparrow a sponge ba
I agree with you..Also Anikins Dialogue in that scene pissed me the hell of...NO emotion and NO one would say the words "from my point of view the Jedi are evil" in that kind of situation ..crappy writing..
There is NOTHING strong about the dialogue in that scene. I was like WTF? in the cinema..I actually laughed at that moment..Lucas and his CRAP script writing I was trying to feel the emotion of this scene but it just wasn't really there...
Last edited by LovelyOne on Aug 13th, 2006 at 06:50 PM
Registered: Mar 2006
Location: United States, Illinois
lack good effects?? during the time of filming in the 70's half or 3/4 of all the effects in starwars was totally new....they were constantly inventing new ways for special effects and film making. think alot of people are forgettin this or just dont know. so for the time period that was cutting edge technology. you cant compare movies that were made +20 years later to the originals and say the effects sucked.
To be fair, I once read that the effects in "Forbidden Planet" were outstanding. I saw and thought "eh." That was post-Star Wars however. But the people wrote glowingly about Forbidden Planet because there was never anything like it before. Thanks to Star Wars effects are much more common.
Jul 15th, 2006 02:14 PM
I was trying to feel the emotion of this scene but it just wasn't really there...
