it was so much better the second time around. I could lean back and enjoy it. i wasnt even that bothered by Haydens acting either.
And Qui Gons voice was so clear. "Anakin ANAKIN", but I doubt the nooooo part was his voice though, sounded more like Anakin himself. Loved the emperor music/theme when Dooku was about to meet his master.
I gave it a two out of six last time around, after the second time I rise the stake and give it a five. Loved all the jedi fighting at the arena.
I saw it last Wednesday!
I noticed something: the soundtrack says that the last song is "The Duel with Dooku and the Finale," but in the movie it should be "The Aftermath and the Finale." The last song plays while Dooku and Sidious chat, Ob1 & Mace & Yoda chat, the clonetrooper army loading onto the ships, and the wedding.
I had a lot of reminders of the OT in this one:
1. Seeing the Death Star hologram
--a reminder of whats to come
2. When Ob1 attached his Jedi Starfighter to the asteroid
--Han attaching the Millennium Falcon to the Star Destroyer
3. When Anakin and Padme, and the droids, look off into the sunset
--When Luke and Leia, and the droids, look off at the "Solar System" (that's what it looks like) as the Millennium Falcon goes into hyperspace.
4. C-3PO saying "I've never been on a starship before."
--C-3PO saying "I just remembered how much I hate starship travels!"
5. C-3PO saying "R2 says he's received a message from a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Does that mean anything to you?"
--C-3PO saying "R2 says he's carrying a message for a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi. I seriously don't know what he's talking about."
there were a lot of linking with ESB I thought , the hiding trick by Obi Wan (Han Solo on the Star Destroyer), the cutting of Anakins arm (Lukes loss of his hand), the love sene before the arena( the love scene between Han and Leia before they froze Han). Astroids, man I can wait until next time I see it but I have to check my calandar first
I SAW IT !!!!! YESSIREE BOB !!!! JUST FINISHED SEEING IT 10 MINUTES AGO.
The first thing I want to say is, there's so much happening in it, and there has been so much attention to detail that has gone into making this movie, that one viewing is definitely not enough to get everything that's going on. So maybe I'll post again, another review after I've seen it the second time with a more analytical eye ... right now I was just trying to enjoy it as a kid, without trying to analyse it.
Having said that, here goes :
Firstly, I think all the critics who have panned it, must have some ulterior motive in doing so ... because nobody in their right minds could call this a bad movie ... maybe some people might TOTALLY love it and some may like it a little less than others ... but what is indisputable is that this movie KICKS ASS !
Secondly, for me, this movie ( and the same goes for Phantom Menace ) does not have the same vibe as the movies of the original trilogy. I find it difficult to find a word other than "vibe" : I mean it in a subliminal sort of way, such that it includes the general feel ... the "smell" ; the original Star Wars movies were fundamentally different in terms of "vibe" as compared to the prequel Star Wars movies ... which is really not a strange thing ... because it's a different era ... the principal actors are from a different generation ... Lucas is not the same person that he was 20 years ago ( most of the times, no man remains the same his whole life ) etc. and all these factors combine, to make the new SW movies just " different " in their vibe from the old ones ...
I really can't put my finger on specifics ... its just a subtle " something "; like I said its subliminal ... these movies just " smell " different. BUT ... AND THIS IS THE IMPORTANT POINT I WANT TO MAKE : THAT IS NOT A BAD THING !! Because the vibe that the new movies have, is GREAT ... so why should it matter if it is not the same as the old ones ? Like I said, the time WE live in is not the same as 1977-82 ... the world is different ... and lot of the people who have worked on this movie on a NUTS AND BOLTS level, including lot of the principal actors are from a newer generation, so they bring to this movie, the spirit of THIS generation, THIS time ... and its not the same as the spirit of the old movies but it's GREAT .... for one thing, its much darker in feel than the OT movies. Personally, I wouldn't WANT to see these three new movies to be made to feel the same as the old ones ... because that's already BEEN done, see ? What's the point in trying to repeat something that's already been said, and said VERY WELL 20 years back ? It SHOULD be that creative works, at whatever level, reflect the SPIRIT of their times ...
Going to back to dark ... this movie in terms of sheer darkness of tone and feel is much darker than ESB ( which was the darkest of all the movies of the OT ). In fact, it's got an oppresive sense of doom and foreboding overhanging it throughout ... so much so that the few and far between light, and humourous moments ( consisting most of the times of the interaction and exchanges between Obi Wan and Anakin ) are appreciated even more than normal, because of respite they bring.
And that, is Lucas' principle success with AOTC ... this movie HAD to feel dark, and HAD to leave the viewer with a feeling of apprehension, foreboding, and a sinking feeling in his heart, uniformly throughout the movie ... inspite of all the humour scenes, the love aspect, and the mindblowing action in the last 40 minutes ... because it is a period of darkness that the time period of this movie encapsulates ... a period which marks the beginning of the fall to darkness of a once prosperous and happy galactic republic on the large level, and a good and positive individual on the specific level. Almost throughout, I felt a dark feeling of hopelessness ... a feeling that the dark times are inevitable ... the master dark lord is in control, at the centre of a huge web of evil and deceit ... his plans are well laid, and the empire of darkness is spreading its wings inexorably and unstoppably ... the success of the evil one is inevitable ... and the good guys can't even see where and how its coming from ... I felt the hopelessness of the feelings in the heart of the jedi ... they can see and feel the darkside slowly gaining control ... and they are utterly unable to ascertain where, how and who. The Phantom Menace indeed !!
Now about Hayden's acting. A lot of critics have criticized it ... and I think they are being totally mean and unfair. Because he did a great job with the character of Anakin Skywalker. Not an easy job, Anakin is a complex character ESPECIALLY at this stage of life, which happens to be probably more complex than any other stage in his life before and probably after ... the death of a mother, and feeling of guilt associated with that death ... the love of a woman, who he has loved since early childhood, and which he cannot pursue because of the jedi code ... the self-confidence and strength within himself, because of his exceptional powers and abilities, which morph into arrogance and cockiness ... which mutate into feelings of resentment against the closest friend and father figure he has had because of OVER confidence in the extent of his abilities ( exceptional as they may be ) ... feelings which aggravate a fundamental weakness in his character ... a tendency to fiery anger ... and inspite of all this ... still at the core, a childlike innocence, sincerity and goodness, as portrayed by Jake Lloyd in Episode 1 ... that is a LOT of baggage to carry, and Hayden does a GREAT job ... Marlon Brando he may not be ... but his effort is commendable and praiseworthy ...
Just some of the scenes that have stuck in my mind after the first viewing ... when he and Obi Wan are interrogating the bounty hunter after Obi Wan has cut off her arm ... when his expression suddenly changes and becomes ferocious ... the inherent anger in his character jumped out and hit me ... and suddenly ... the likeable, good young man, Anakin was gone ... I was looking upon the face of Vader without the mask ! Ditto with the scene when he's telling Padme of his murder of the Tusken's ... his demeanour and expression change from tears and frustration to pure anger and hatred ... when he delivers the line " They are animals and I killed them like animals " .... it was pure evil in the character that I felt at that point ... Anakin the good and positive was suddenly gone ... there was Vader. Similar, if not so intense, in the ending battle when Obi Wan and Anakin are pursuing Count Dooku, and Padme falls out ... and Kenobi and Skywalker have a heated argument about whether to stop and go back after her or not ... for the first time ... we see the young padawan ( who upto that time, despite whatever arguments happened, or whatever frustrations he felt, always treated his master with a basic affection love and respect ) behave with his master with feelings of real hostility anger and antagonism, quite strong in their intensity.
Just a few of the scenes, among many others, where I was really impressed with Hayden's acting. I wonder how some people have mistaken his monotone style of delivery as wooden acting ... in fact, thats one of the things that make one feel truly, that the person they are looking at is Darth Vader ... that's precisely the way Vader sounds in the OT. Its a major plus point in his acting effort, which lot of people have criticized. A
The same goes for Natalie Portman. Her moment to shine happens when she declares her love to Anakin on Geonosis before the battle scene. It got me in my gut, and that was because of the her manner of delivery.
To criticize either or both these actors of wooden delivery, is in my opinion a travesty.
Ewan Mcgregor, Samuel Jackson and Christopher Lee, each shone ... especially Lee. However, one person that has stuck out in my mind is Ian Mcdirmid. His portrayal of Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, was masterly. Man was he sinister, dark and scary ... in fact, I think he bears a large part of the responsibility for the overall feel of darkness and apprehension that I felt watching the movie throughout. He IS scary, especially when you know who he really is ( i.e Palpatine=Sidious )
Another major criticism that has been levelled at this movie, is that is moves too slowly in the middle ( that it is boring ) and the love story aspect fails.
Now as for the first, it is not that the movie moves slowly in the middle ... at that point, it is the foundation and outline of the plot vis-a-vis the impending story thats been laid down. To maintain the action filled pace of the beginning ( assasination, second assasination attempt, coruscant chase sequence etc. ) throughout the movie, into the end battle sequence would be boring and meaningless. There has to be a plot, a story, some meat and potatoes, such a foundation, on which the climactic ending is based ... and also it gives the full impact of the final battle. If the same pace had been maintained throughout the move, it would have become dull and common place.
Secondly, the love scenes were NOT cheezy and boring ... Hayden and Natalie share a great chemistry on screen, and they way they play their characters, it feels great to see them do their thing, and there is a certain poignancy about this love story, which I find really cool.
Just one complaint about Yoda vs. Dooku. I wish they had shown Yoda beating Dooku more decisively . Although he was nonchalantly able to hold his own against sith lightnening and other sundry force tricks, still in the lightsabre battle, he did not overwhelm Dooku as much as I would have expected to see.
Dooku while on the defensive throughout still managed to hold his own, before escaping. I wish they had shown Yoda totally overwhelming Dooku in the sabre battle, before Dooku making a lucky escape by the device of dropping that huge thing on Obi Wan and Anakin.
So I guess thats that for now ! Make no mistake guys, Star Wars is BACK ! In spades ... ditto mr Lucas, and thank you mr Lucas, and the rest of your team !
Combining the acting direction storyline special effects etc. I want to say, this ones a lot better than Spider Man ... Its now an hour since i finished seeing it, caus it took me a better part of the last hour posting this. And I've hardly said all I want to say.
So ... I guess I'll just go watch it again ! There's much more I wanted to say, but I'll reserve it for my next post, because this one has become really big and besides, I need to see it again to catch all the little nuancies and subtleities which I've missed.
So pretty soon, and I'll have posted another thread, in which I'll discuss the movie more in details.
Ciao for now ! 🙂
Just one problem that I had with it was the clash between Yoda and Dooku ... it was great ... just that, in the lightsabre part of the duel, Dooku, although put on the defensive, did not really appear to be overwhelmed. Now, first he tries to attack Yoda with force lightening, and hurled objects etc.etc. All that fails to ruffle Yoda, so he says " This contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the force... " and he ignites his sabre. All I wish is, that he was shown to be really well and truly overwhelmed and defeated in the lightsabre duel that ensued ... which did not happen, and which I expected would happen from the spoiler reports ( although as I said, he was put on the defensive completely by Yoda ). In fact, the ending of the duel where Dooku drops that large object on the prostrate forms of Obi Wan and Anakin, and Yoda has to turn away from Dooku and concentrate on holding up that large object ... at that particular point, I felt ... why did Dooku flee ? I mean, Yoda was completely occupied in holding up the object with the force ... Dooku had the oppurtunity to quickly attack and destroy Yoda ... it would have been rather difficult I think, for Yoda to hold up the object AND defend himself simultaneously.
Now obviously ... such a situation should never happen, and that is what DOES happen, in fact, in the movie. I felt that was one weak moment.
BTW Yerrs : I obtained a bootleg camera print in VCD format ... I realize that is hardly the way to watch this movie ... and that the effect is not even half as much as one would get if one saw it properly in the theatre .. but I didnt want to wait till the 7th of July, while everyone here is discussing and analyzing the movie in depth. And furthermore ... my having obtained a bootleg, will not stop me from seeing it atleast 4 times at the theatre when it does release here. The thing is ... if I enjoyed a camera print with bad sound and video on my computer monitor ... when I see it in the theatre ... well ... I dunno ... I think it might just make me stop smoking ... hehehe 😉