My Spoiler Free Review

stormcloud8 you have me worrying now, im wondering if im 2 spoiled, if its ok ill send you a list of stuff i know and you can tell me if i know alot or little or something, if thats ok with you,

 

You can PM me, no problem at all.

Don't worry about being spoiled. You'll be fine. All 5 of us in here who have seen it loved it. I'm sure we'll have some lukewarm people next week, but the trend is extremely positive.

 

After the movie comes out, is this board getting shut down? I hope not because I like it better here than in the 3SA.

I think the biggest feeling I have, now 24 hours later, is that I need to watch I,II, IV, V, and VI again before I watch III again on Wednesday night.

I agree with stormcloud that it just all feels complete now. Things are sewn up really nicely (for the most part -- I have a couple of quibbles). There is one aspect I absolutely love -- and it just makes such sense I wish I had thought of it myself. There's another aspect that I really enjoy, though it's a bit complicated and I think a lot of people won't like it.

As for the actual movie side, the movie is paced rather well, moving along quickly ? somehow in the last three years, George Lucas learned how to direct again. The acting and script work, while still hokey at times, have progressed leaps and bounds since Episode II ? Hayden Christenson?s Anakin is less Life As A House and more Empire Strikes Back. Ewan McGregor?s Obi-Wan is so Alec Guinness that you almost expect to see a Bridge on the River Kwai somewhere. Yoda is amazing, Artoo is hilarious, Threepio is gay (as always) and Chewy is lovable Chewy.

I guess the bottom line is that it just?it just feels like Star Wars -- it?s Star Wars and it?s amazing and that?s all you need to know.

Sorry for the long post...just finished my last final and still in a SW haze.

 

Yeah, there were definitely some things about the film that I take issue with, but they are irrelevant in terms of the larger story.

I can't imagine having to take a test today! I was useless at work. Going to meetings and totally faking it while I was replaying the movie in my mind.

Going to pop in TPM now. Time to get started...I've got five movies to watch this weekend...

 

Let's see. One movie a day/night for the next 5 days. I can do it!

Nice to see such strong reactions; I was like storm; I thought I'd really, really enjoy the movie, that it would be exciting and possibly chilling, but it looks unreal.

We'll start a poll tonight, and only people who have actually seen the movie can vote in it.

 

GARTH! You've seen the film?!

 

More good news - I am watching TPM and it does have a new depth and dimension to it now, post-ROTS.

But...no matter how good ROTS is, and how great the complete saga is...nothing can make Jar-Jar Binks and the Gungans palatable to me.

 

You know who I always thought was FARRRR worse than Jar-Jar? Was Boss Nate or whatever is name is. Jar Jar's top leader. The fact that he bugged the hell out of me so bad and he was only in the movie for about two minutes tells you how far worse he was.

 

stormcloud, don't get hung up on the critics...the only critic is you...while i generally agree with some particular critics (for example, the NYT's old critic Janet Maslin was great before replaced by average ones), i go into every movie with an open mind...and heck, Time, Variety and I am sure many other big-name magazines/newspapers will like the film

 

Hey Rac, how'd you like to meet Anakin (from the second half of the film) in a dark alley?

Uh let me think ....No....unless Qui-Gon was with me. I think he's become the most important Jedi in the saga (not counting Anakin, of course). Which is why I'll have to see TPM again.

 

"I think he's become the most important Jedi in the saga"

Interesting....



Mace Windy,
too windy for spoilers!

 

Yes, most interesting. I am quite intrigued. But I must sadly wait till I see RotS.

 

Well I just finished TPM, first movie post-ROTS. It is so much better now. Lots of depth to the characters. In particular two lines stood out:

"The boy is dangerous. They all sense it, why can't you?"

"I can only protect you. I can't fight a war for you."

They both had a heavier weight now for me. And I agree, Qui-Gon is a more interesting character in light of what happened to the Jedi Order and Anakin. Would he have stood for Jedi Generals, leading armies of clones? I think he may have been a voice of reason. And really the entire chain of events of the Star Wars saga is set in motion by him.

The annoying parts are still annoying, but the film really seems even better in light of ROTS.

 

So, does Luke's line on Dagobah "There's something familiar about this place" now make a whole lot more sense?

Nevermind, please don't answer that.

 

No way I will answer that!

 

It is like I've preached forever, one must have great perspective when watching this saga and you have just confirmed that for me, Storm. I have always kept my mind open to the bigger picture and I haven't gone into the "I can do it better" mentality. What can I say, I'm really an idealist at heart.

Can't wait to hear how you view ANH. I know Empire and Jedi will be another story. Grrr, I really can't wait to talk about things will all of you. *tying to press DVR real life fast forward button*

 

I sort of worry that visually ANH will be a step down from ROTS. I think ROTS is the most stunning visual feast I have ever taken in.

 

I sort of worry that visually ANH will be a step down from ROTS. I think ROTS is the most stunning visual feast I have ever taken in.

Actually Storm, that does and doesn't surprise me. I think I've always taken into consideration how much ROTS was going to kick butt (can I say arse? I'm just trying to be nice and not potty mouth) visually. Just something I knew all along. That's why I don't want to see any new images at all now.

But I hadn't thought of ANH being a step down. Certainly the look is so 360 from the PT to be sure. I've just been curious as to how I will see Vader more than anything. Still glad to hear ROTS making TPM a better movie.

 

storm, can you rate the "the dule". I dont know no anything about the dule besides its 11 minits long(or something like that)but dose the dule live up to all the expectations

 

The good thing I've found, in the 5 films I've seen anyway, is that there's a real consistancy to the look of the SW universe.

I've done the 5-film run (TPM-AOTC-ANH-ESB-ROTJ) once, back around last Christmas. And even without the missing piece of ROTS, it felt like the same place.

When you see ANH after the PT films, it feels like things are on a smaller, much less epic scale. Smaller groups of character, a tighter focus. It's mainly a small bunch of people zipping around the galaxy rather than the huge cast of the PT. But it still feels like the same universe. The recent DVD clean-up really helps with this as well.

That's how I felt, anyway. I'd expect ROTS to confirm my feelings about this, and provide a few extra bridges to ANH along the way.

Same universe, different scales.

 

IS
ROTS
BETTER
THAN
EMPIRE
STRIKES
BACK
?

 

Ahhh...the BIG question...I don't know if it is better than Empire because I was 9 when I saw that movie and I don't even have a remotely objective opinion about it. At this moment in time I am inclined to believe it is the best of the films, thus making it better than Empire. But the real question is, will I still think that after seeing it 20 times, after 10 years have passed, and after my friends and family have seen it, after all the critics have jumped on the praise bandwagon or trashed it.

I will say "Yes" it is better than TESB, but reserve the right to change my mind if it doesn't stand the test of time. Again, let me reiterate that the film is not perfect and has its flaws, so don't expect to sit through an Oscar winning Best Picture performance that stands head and shoulders above the OT. But, there's just something deep and special about what happens in this movie that elevates the Star Wars myth to even higher bounds. Plus there are a TON of cool moments that you'll replay in your head over and over. Combined with an emotional performance by Portman that we haven't seen before from her in Star Wars, and menacing darkness from Christensen, it just works the way you want it to.

Regarding a rating for the Duel...the one on one fight that we've waited on for 30 years did not disappoint. It was ugly and aggressive, and the moment of Vader's defeat was perfect. The saber fighting worked well, and the injuries are explained in a way that makes perfect sense. It would have been easy for Lucas to screw this up. He doesn't.

 

Did the stupid "saber-twirling" make any more sense in the context of the film?

 

Man, did it ever! We just over-analyzed it to death after we saw it on 60 minutes. The audience gasped at it.

Speaking of that, even the other odd clips of the duel that we'd all debated about worked when put into the larger context.

 

well said, stormcloud. (referring to your larger post above. )



a TON of cool moments you'll replay in your head

amen to that.
I've been working almost nonstop since I saw it with no real down time, but tomorrow is clear. I plan on reading the book, now that I have the visuals to go along with it.