OT - Star Wars Ep III

[Iron Giant]

*JAW DROPPING AWESOME*
I saw it at midnight.
No Jar Jar, no Ewoks, no pod racing. Just pure Star Wars goodness. Episode III reminded me why I love the Star Wars universe. EP I was ok, EP II got better but didn't have the right feel I remembered as a kid watching the original 3, but EP III gave me the feeling back.

The acting was better, but no one will win an Emmy. Why do people think Star Wars was ever well written? Star Wars isn't Shakespeare. It never was. Some scenes have been memorable ("Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited" "Sorry sweetheart, I don't have TIME for anything else" *grin*) but could never have been called a master piece of writing OR acting.

George Lucas set out to put the Saturday matinees from his youth (Buck Rogers, etc) onto the big screen. Now I would have liked things done slightly differently (Jar Jar, Ewoks, blech) but in the end, what else is like the universe of Star Wars?

If you're looking for witty dialoge, look elsewhere. I hear that Sideways is a nice "artsy fartsy" film, maybe I'll see it.

But as far as memorable Sci Fi, Star Wars is it. George Lucas has never been real strong on dialog. Should we hate him for it? Who else is there? I, for one, am just going to like Star Wars for what it is and not feel bad that its not Shakespeare.

We knew this story would be dark. I didn't realize just how dark it could be. I thought the reviewers were making a big deal about nothing, until I saw it. George Lucas was one hairs breath away from an R rating imho. Not only was it graphic, but dark, dark, creepy, dark. Bad things happen to good people for 2 hours. Not a feel good movie. I watched Star Wars on Thursday just to wash the taint of the Dark Side off of me.

[Iron Giant]

David E. Gervais said:

Ahem, you do know that Timothy Zahn had unprecidented 'access' to Lucas while writing his novels and that he was "In the Know" as they say regarding what was/is in lucas's head regarding the SW universe. I think Lucas even gave hin acess to much of the background story stuff he wrote. So don't be too sure who's idea is who's. I'm not knocking TZ, in fact he is my favorite SW writer, he's even a better writer than GL, but then again TZ has much more training in that area.

Just thought I'd point this out.

Cheers!

I didn't know that. Thats interesting. I had read that Corusant was TZ's idea and GL liked it so much that he used it himself.

I might have to go and re-read the TZ novels now that EP III is done.

My wife read the TZ novels too and liked them. Shes a heavy reader, but never reads Sci Fi though she recommended TZ to a couple girlfriends.

[DarkHorse]

Saw the movie last night. I thought it was very good, but if you want to know all that was really going on, you need to read the book (written by Matt Stover). There was so much more detail in the book, specifically character and plot development. You get to see the beginnings of the rebellion in the senate, and discover much more about how Padme and Anakin were going in different political directions and how that helped tear them apart.

Sorry if this is somewhat incoherent, but I have a head cold. If you liked the movie, and especially if you didn't, I highly recommend reading the book.

[Atrocities]

SPOILER

I have to be honest, I thought it was one of the best of the six movies. Very dark, kinda depressing, but well thought out with great attention to detail and story. You can tell that Lucas put a lot of thought into this story and it shows. My only major regret is that it was too short, and that it was made last.....

I do like how they left room for doubt about Mace Windo's death, and how they explained how the Emperors lightening kills its victims. How it hurt Yoda, and eventually how it will kill Vader.

I love the shot with Grand Moff Tarkin in it, if you pay attention to the end scenes, he is there with the Emperor and Vader on the bridge of their ship. (Yes it Tarkin, but not the actor Peter Cushing.)

I think Lucas left a lot of room for TV movies, or even a series if he so desires that could take place during the event preceeding Episode IV just after the events in Episode III.

All in all this was a very rewarding moving with a lot more depth and feel too it that reminded me of why I fell in love with the Star Wars in the first place.

The pain of Jar Jar Binks in the first episode, and the horrible dialog in the Episode II can never be forgiven, but parts of those movies played a key role in this one.

The peaces to the puzzle are all in place now, and the master peace that is Star Wars has finally been completed. From the birth of Palpatines desire to become Emperor, and his manipulation that caused the war, then the creation of an army of the republic for which he would have ulitimate control over, to the birth of the Galatic Empire, the story now makes sense.

And yes, Vader is a true villian and he pay's for what he did to the Jedi, a price far more expensive than death alone could toll.

It is as good of movie as Star Wars Empires Strikes Back and A New Hope. Go see it and enjoy it for yourselves.

[zircher]

SPOILER sort of...

What I love about epIII is how they tied some many threads together and answered little questions (Like why is Darth Vader is taller than Aniken Skywalker. Or, how the emperor got to be so ugly, etc.)
--
TAZ

[SamuraiProgrammer]

I give it three thumbs up.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Well, the emporer's evil - Of course he's ugly!

[Randallw]

I had trouble with the Emperor's appearance. It seems to me the make up was better 20 years ago when he was younger than his appearance now. I mean I am a devoted Star Wars fan and I liked the movie but the Emperor didn't look right and I thought Anakin was too quick to give in.

Edit: oh and Narf I must ask, as we do on Games Workshop forums when someone makes your mistake, who's the Emporer, some bloke who sells things .

[NullAshton]

The emperor is seen in all 6 movies, Emperor Palpatine was also known as Senator Palpatine, as well as the leader of the Old Republic, which I don't remember what was called Obi-wan was seen in all of the movies, as a ghost in the last two however. Anakin/Darth Vader was seen in all the movies. Those two droids were seen in all of the movies. Yoda WAS seen in all 6 movies, he was shown in the last one as a ghost And that's about all for people who's been there for the whole movie.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I think the reason Lucas's skipped the rest of the nine films he announced he'd make simply because of the immense quantity of newly-created information (the Expanded Universe, as in books and so forth) that either he'd have to
1. Stick exactly to the story in the (massive amount of) books, which would essentially be retelling an already told story, or
2. Contradict events/etc. from the books, which would make many SW addicts very P.O.'d.

On top of that, all the old vehicles wouldn't look the same anymore, because I don't think Lucas is going to use stop-motion animation and bluescreen models anymore, and all the vehicles would simply be "touched up" if they were digitally animated. I mean, just compare the EpII/III Yoda animation with the EpI/IV/V/VI Yoda puppet.