**Official** First Reactions Thread

I saw it last night at the 12:01 showing and loved it. I didn't go to bed until after 5:00 this morning because I was here checking out everyone else's reactions. Last night (this morning) I said I still liked ESB first with this bringing up a close second. Now, I'm not so sure. Seeing it the second time today, without all the hype of the "Midnight Premire," I actually watched it like it was another movie. Don't get me wrong...it's far from just another movie, but I sat back, ate my popcorn, drank my Cherry Coke and had fun. I love this movie. I'm going to see it at least one more time on Monday.

 

Okay, I have seen it twice and feel ready to make my comments. First of all this is definitly a Star Wars film. It has moments that reminded me why I am a Star Wars fan in the first place. Does that mean its perfect? No. It definitly lacked in one big area.......not enough time given too Padme and Anakin's relationship. The scenes they were in would have worked better if they were a bit longer which would have given the audience time to soak it all in. This would have given later scenes more weight. The chemistry was there and they look like two people who would be attraced too each other. Lucas needs to follow the Jedi montra "Paitence, all in good time". In the end this was only a slight distraction. To me the most important and possible killer of this movie was Anakin's slide towards the dark side. George really pulled this off. The scene where Shmi dies in Anakin's arms is the emotional core of this movie and Hayden does a great job showing his pain and rage, all in one fine piece of acting. Of course the action was amazing and really went over the top but did anyone doubt this would be the case. Come on its George Lucas. Another part of this movie which I have not heard mentioned a lot; is just how dark its undertones are. This is not a happy movie. The whole movie has this depressing feel. Which makes me wonder how many critics left the theater wondering why they did not feel giddy. We were not supposed to feel happy, but have a creepy feeling that things are all about to go terribly wrong. My number rating is 8 out 10. And yes it is much better then TPM.

 

So the last 40 minutes which was practically all fighting was too short?

Woo.. what planet do you come from?

I meant battles like the Jango/Obi-Wan or Jango/Mace fights. I explicitly said I loved the final battles and that the Jedi/Clone fights on Geonosis were the cream of the crop. Don?t think I was slighting those or the last 40 minutes of the film, I was simply talking about those little, intimate encounters between one or two characters.

And I'm from Earth, how about you?

 

The OT will always have that special place in my heart as I grew up watching the films. I had the dialogue memorized by the time i was 5 years old. That said, AOTC IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!! Oh my god. I laughed, I cried, I got shivers when Anakin confessed, and I shouted with joy as Yoda went PSYCHO on Dooku. The acting was perfect for me. I think that some people don't understand the love scenes are supposed to be uncomfortable. During the fireplace scene, I felt Amidala's pain when Anakin started coming on so strong. This movie was a grand slam for me. If I had to describe this movie in one word: ORGASMIC

 

If you've seen the film, go over to Entertainment Weekly and grade it....you have to register first...it only takes a minute. Here's the link to grade it.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/movie/0,6115,236195~1~0~starwarsepisodeii,00.html

 

I just got back from seeing Episode II, and all I can say right now is D*mmit, that was a STAR WARS MOVIE! I first saw A New Hope when I was four under the most adverse conditions. Stuck in the back of a chevy station wagon with my mom at a drive-in theater, straining to hear the sound and dialogue spouted by the squawky box fastened to the car window as I tried to make out the images on the screen through the rain that pelted the window. I loved it.

Today I saw Attack of the Clones in Pasadena at a beautiful theater with stadium seating, digital sound, etc (without digital projection, however; though in my mind the film version was dazzling also). When I got there an hour before the showing, there was a line queing up for the film filled with all the usual star wars characters, lightsabers, you know the routine. After only a short wait we were ushered into the theater, and I relaxed in the plush seats with retractable arm rests, cup holders--I half expected a maitre'de to show up to take my popcorn order.

Not to say the viewing was without peril: the two guys with the lightsabers almost Jango'ed my head off during their duel. The worst incident happened a few minutes before the film started. A chatty lady sitting behind me blurted out that the arm of the Anakin action figure is detachable, she'd seen it on Leno. The poor, oblivious woman was promptly executed by the fans sitting around her. Well not really, but she was soundly SHUSHED! Many of the fans, like me, came spoiler free, and let me tell you, not knowing what was coming made it quite a ride.

The audience really got into this movie. Shouts filled the theater during the action scenes, and there was a surprising amount of laughter following a few of Obi-wan's and Anakin's lines. I had forgotten, after viewing The Phantom Menace, how funny Star Wars movies can be.

I was struck by the deep humanity of this film. Unlike the Phantom Menace, which was a visually enthralling video game, this movie had character, humor, and emotional depth that reminded me of that first time 24 years ago. I connected with these characters in the same way I did with Luke, Lei, Han, and Chewbacca.

Of course, I disliked parts of the movie. The worst, for me, was the ending. After the last credits had scrolled by, I picked up my coat and stumbled numbled out of the theate, cursing Lucas because the film didn't end, really. Episode II stirred up something in me that I haven't felt in over 20 years, but it lacked anything resembling a final, closing emotional payoff.

Just like Episode V.

 

great post.

 

Wow! This movie was great! Where do I start?

One thing about this movie is it moves. The pace is great. I also like the cutaways to events already in progress.

From beginning to end, it was fantastic. Even the 3PO bit at the end was funny and not overdone.

Dooku was a great villian although it was a small part. Of course, so was Peter Cushing's.

There's so much more. Much, much more. A great Star Wars film!

 

AOTC seems like a better movie upon reflection for me than immediately after leaving
the theater. I think my experience was soured by the so-called love story. I've said this on other threads but the whole thing was garbage. The lines were horrible, you can see that the actors are really trying but they got nothing to work with. All this is compounded by the fact that Lucas doesn't really care about characterization like he does about plot. But then, after getting this out of my system I started to think about all the positive aspects. The action and the effects are pretty much what we'd expect from a Star Wars film. The little glimmers of the dark side from Hayden Christensen are great as well, which coupled with all of the foreshadowing makes a lot of the movie really enjoyable.

But, that love story really does leave a bad taste in my mouth. I mean on some levels you can forgive much of the flaws in TPM because it is indeed a movie geared toward a younger audience. So on that level TPM really was a success because it pretty much accomplished what it was meant to do. But, for AOTC I was expecting something more intimate and more powerful. We can see Anakin's passionate nature taking over, and thats great. But again, I have to ask what was that crap that Lucas passes off as a love story? Its so bad that if they had just showed the same scenes with the "Across the Stars" theme playing and no dialog the movie would have been much better. Even the Forbidden Love trailer was better than the movie in that aspect. I would rather have nothing than a half assed job on that front, it really detracts from the movie as a whole. But, to be fair things do pick up toward between Padme and Anakin as they leave Tatooine and on. You could basically sum up everything that happens on Naboo with a few scenes accompanied by music.

However, I will admit it is better than all the rest. So you could say that ROTJ and TPM are about on the same level. ANH is above that, and every so slightly above ANH is AOTC. Finally you have ESB way way up there. Just my take.

 

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Really Nawbalicious? I thought the love story worked really well.

The way I look at it is, here you have a young motherless and fatherless Padawan who's needy and really immature.

Then you have the Senator who's entirely dedicated to her job.

Not exectly Don Juan and one of his wives.

They're awkward at times, but if you were these characters you would probably be too.

As for thier dialogue, I thought it was good. Oh there are cliches but they work.

I also thought the acting was good. Even Portman's performance was much improved from her TPM one. That means it was good.

The whole story and plot really moved too.

 

Hi guys!

The poster formally known as dudewalker here to give you his final post and review of AOTC.

I was very disappointed, even after being prepared to be disappointed.

For me, the biggest problems related to the film's add syndrome pacing and the lack of naturalness and spontenaity from the characters.

As for the pacing, there was so much that was covered and going on that I simply couldn't appreciate anything. Just as I was getting into a scene, it would cut back to someone else on another planet. Although this was a similar method used in ESB, at least in that movie each scene was properly explored and given time to mature before moving on to something else. In this movie there simply wasn't enough time to dwell on anything more than what was necessary to further the plot.

And I think this is why I found it hard to engage with and care for the characters. I can see that all the actors in this film had the potential to succeed in their roles, however they were clearly limited by the dialogue. Like TPM, the lines were again far too dry and expositional, serving to further the plot rather than give deeper insight into the characters' personalities and relationships with each other. And then when the dialogue was supposed to convey emotion (most notably in regard to the love scenes), it was so over the top and cliche and forced that it seemed more like a D-grade soap opera than two human beings communicating with each other.

There was way too much reliance on CGI. WAY too much. And it wasn't nearly as convincing as the more subtle effects of the original movies. As I've said time and time again, the movie shouldn't rely on effects to succeed, but rather they should simply serve to enhance the basic flavour of the story and characters.

Everything I feared about AOTC came true. Although Lucas tried really hard this time to make his movie 'cooler' and respond to the fans' wishes for a darker, less kiddy film, he still missed the mark. Gone is the simplicity, playful innocence and plot subtlties of the original films. Now everything is spelt out like a boring, unecessarily detailed lecture, and the thrills are so amphetamine-induced and rammed so hard up your butt that you feel more dizzy than dazzled.

For me, the bottom line is this:

Dressing up the Phantom Menace in Black doesn't make it The Empire Strikes Back.

 

I liked the love story overall. There were some scenes that didn't work too well, like the fireside scene. On the other hand, I loved the meadow picnic scene, with the exception of the dodgy fx with Anakin riding that animal. The love story certainly didn't ruin the movie.

 

This flick is top notch.

Ironically, I love the dialogue and acting, much more than LOTR. I think the love dialogue is very Kevin Smith, with a touch of the WB network. Very Star Warsy and very loveable. If you buy Affleck's proclamation of love in Chasing Amy, how can you not buy Anakin's speech by the fireside?

And no quotable dialogue? "Jedi business, move along." "Well shut me down." "This is why I hate flying."

The best thing about this flick was the dialogue/acting.

Okay... so the action was amazing too! I was driving home from the movie just now pretending that I was speeding around Coruscant.

 

Like nearly everyone else it seems, I've seen the latest Star Wars movie, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (AotC). Though over the past few months the buzz surrounding its impending release siezed all of us to some extent, I was suprised just how much George Lucas delivers in this film. The disappointment that I'd felt for the Star Wars saga since The Phantom Menace (TPM) premiered in 1999 melted away, replaced by the greatest Star Wars movie experience I've ever had.

This movie is good. This is the Star Wars movie you've been waiting for (and no, I'm not using a Jedi mind trick).

As always, all the rich colors, bold images, and in-your-face sound that we've come to expect from Star Wars are present. The establishing scene with the Naboo cruiser landing on Coruscant was fantastic, as were the saber fights and the battles near the end. And it never quits until the credits scrolled up.

The pace of AotC proceeds at breakneck speed throughout the film, flashing back and forth right from the very start and keeping us constantly on the edge of our seats. In classic Star Wars style, the intercutting of scenes keeps the plot moving briskly. Lucas successfully balances all the separate story threads simultaneously and weaves them together into a blend of pure enjoyment.

Dialogue is probably the film's weakest trait in some places, but it wasn't so bad or persistent that it ruined any scenes. The love story between Anakin and Padme went a little too fast for my tastes, and so some of the dialogue they exchange seems compressed as though these were the words two people would have for each other over a much longer period of time. Despite all that, by the end of the movie, there is real chemistry between them and I found myself easily forgetting that they'd practically just met.

The computer generated effects were astounding -- mostly. There were some times, such as when Anakin was simulated atop a huge docile flea-like "cow," that the effects just screamed "THIS IS NOT REAL!" but overall they were quite believable. The CGI Yoda, possibly the greatest effects concern that I had, was wonderful. He had weight in the world, he had personality, and he had style. The boys (and girls) at ILM really outdid themselves on this one.

Core plot has traditionally been Star Wars' greatest strength, its greatest quality -- one that gives it that "something special" that elevates it above the rest of the movies that would otherwise compete with it. In AotC, not only do we get a brilliant and deep plot in Palpatine's Machiavellian ascension to yet-greater power, but the characters developed in the the plot progression are much more fleshed out. Obi-Wan and Anakin, especially, are characters that we find ourselves really caring about (finally!). Yoda, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and Jango Fett all get just the right amount of screen time and dialogue to successfully flesh out their places in the story line.

Star Wars is synonymous with action, and AotC doesn't pull any punches. Whether it's taking us through the maze of Coruscant's skyline traffic lanes, or tossing asteroids in our face, or sending us skimming along the desert landscapes of Geonosis, the action in this movie is awesome. For those who felt that TPM had a lot of shallow action that wasn't particularly memorable, this has all changed in AotC.

Ah, yes, the "cool" factor. In case you didn't know, Star Wars is just plain cool. Really! Three dedicated friends and I joined a crowd of people who, when the lights went down, shook the house with cheers. And our fervor was not in vain. Jango Fett was one cool dude, calm, composed, and deadly -- both in and out of his suit. Obi-Wan was the frustrated Jedi Master who had his hands full with his headstrong Apprentice. The scene in the beginning where Anakin mouths off to Obi-Wan in front of Padme and her retinue was brilliant. Anakin is the dark, brooding young man we all hoped he would be, and more. I found Mace Windu to be one of the most enjoyable surprises in the mov

 

Malthus, I couldn't have said it better myself. I agree with you 100% and I too would be considered a TPM basher. Here's to being an AOTC gusher!

 

I loved it. I also liked TPM, BTW. What more do I need to say? You will all form your own opinions on it and you'll either be a lover or a hater. In either case my longassed thoughts on the movie will make little difference.

 

I just got back from the movie and I'm sorry to say I'm slightly disappointed, mostly because I saw it in a more than half-empty auditorium with a rather unresponsive audience. When the opening fanfare was greeted with dead silence, I knew I wasn't going to be having an ideal viewing experience. Only a few scenes (most of which involved Threepio) garnered even slight chuckles. At least there was a little bit of cheering when Yoda showed up to save the day. To top it off, my leg has been cramped since last night, so I was pretty uncomfortable for most of the movie.

As for the movie itself, I can already say it's my new favorite movie, although I'm a little let down. I attribute that primarily to its newness along with the fact that I was 100% spoiled (I'm aware there's some irony in that). It's also so different from any Star Wars movie before. I've no doubts that I'll grow into it more with subsequent viewings, though.

Here are my thoughts on specific aspects:

THE ACTING: I'm surprised to say some of the acting bothered me a bit, especially since the acting in Star Wars movies has never bothered me before (even Episode I). I'm a firm believer that you should be trying to watch the characters and not the actors, but the performances of minor characters such as Typho and Jamilla were a bit jarring. I must say, however, Hayden does a truly *fantastic* job as Anakin, especially with his facial expressions, but I did feel his performance was a bit rocky at first. Not surprisingly, Ian McDiarmid and Christopher Lee really impressed me with their short but sweet performances. Ewan McGregor was good and I get the impression he enjoyed himself immensely while making the film. I actually preferred Natalie Portman's performance in Episode I (I'm not really sure why I feel this way), but I still think she did a decent job this time around.

THE DIALOGUE: Classic Star Wars. No complaints.

THE LOVE STORY: It worked for me. No serious complaints, though I did feel the absence of some of the cut scenes. I really enjoyed the meadow picnic scene. Maybe I'm the only one.

THE SPECIAL EFFECTS: I found myself saying the following words over and over again during the movie: "Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." All of the Coruscant scenes were simply gorgeous. I couldn't help but marvel at the scenery beyond the windows. My eyes literally could not believe what they were beholding during the finale. Amazing. A lot of the effects on Kamino did bother me a bit, though. I've always had problems with the Kamino exterior shots and the overexposure of light in some of the interiors made me cringe. I realize the intention, but personally, I find it rather visually offensive. I had the same problem in Episode I with the daytime Jedi Council scene.

Now, get out the stones, because I didn't find CG Yoda entirely believable. I've long been a staunch supporter of Yoda's CG reincarnation, but I had a few issues with the final product. In the end, it's probably the fact that I'm so used to the puppet (even Episode I's less-than-stellar version) that made Yoda seem so out of place. Yoda did look pretty good in some shots (ie: while giving orders to the clone troops and, of course, his big fight scene), but rather poor in others (ie: the starmap sequence with the Younglings). It didn't bother me excessively, though. I still maintain that the switch to CG was a good decision, but I hope he remains a muppet in all future releases of the OT (if replacing it is even being considered).

THE MUSIC: I was disappointed with the soundtrack when it came out, so I wasn't expecting a lot from the musical score when I saw the movie today. The absence of new themes is really what bothers me about the score, but I guess that's just my personal taste. Before today, I really didn't believe that music had been directly lifted from Episode I's score and I'm still not entirely convinced that's the case, but the similarity was very noticeable. The music playing during Dooku and Obi-wan's conversation sounds exactly like a track from Episode I, save for the last

 

Before I provide my opinion, I would like to take a moment to plea to anyone who has a negative reaction to this film...

"Please, see it for a second time." This time watch it through the eyes of the main character - Anakin Skywalker.

This is long, so stay with me. I was lucky enough to see the film last night at 7:30 and again at midnight. Today I went to two additional showings. I now have an opinion.

AotC is the BEST overall and most emotionaly powerful Star Wars film to date.

The first time, I throughly enjoyed the film, but walked out of the theater in a shock. Not a bad shock or a good shock. More of a: "I wasn't ready to watch this yet" shock.

The second showing allowed me to digest it all. I watched the movie from Anakin's perspective. The prequel trilogy is now clearly HIS story. The Star Wars saga is now HIS story.

Anakin is not a whiny brat. He's a normal teenager, albeit one with abnormal powers, having to deal with emotions for the first time in his life.

The Star Wars saga is now so easily explained because of AotC. It's simple really.

Anakin Skywalker - the boy who has the most "potential" (i.e. midichorlians) ever starts off on his hero's journey only to be lead astray by his emotions. These emotions cause him to simplify life down into a quest for more power. The most important line of dialouge ever uttered in a Star Wars saga has now been uttered. "I will become POWERFUL enough to stop people from dying". Anakin believes that the FORCE is the strongest power in the galaxy. He believes that because his potential is there, he is entitiled to this POWER. His hero's journey is lead astray by a quest for FALSE power. This quest will lead him to the dark side. Anakin's journey for this false power will take him all the way through to RotJ, when he discovers a power greater than the FORCE, it's the power that he has difficulty controlling and more importantly, understanding the consequences of having this power. It's the power that his son shows him. It's the power that his "father figures" Obi-Wan and then Palpatine, did not show him. Anakin's quest for power - his journey to discover the secret of preventing people from dying is the power of LOVE.

I see it now. Anakin's hero's journey - the quest for this false power is wrong. The only thing Anakin ever wanted and needed was there the whole time. It is the POWER OF LOVE THAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM DYING. His newly discovered love for his son shows this to him. Anakin/Vader realizes that Luke believed there was good in him. Luke loved his father and because there was someone left who loves him, Anakin can make the choice to use the TRUE power that was there all along.

Anakin Skywalker brings balance to the Force because he defeats evil with love. He could have done this all along. His "potential" has ABSOULUTELY NOTHING to do with his destiny, other than to start him on his hero's quest.

Why do I love AotC so? Because we now understand Anakin Skywalker. Because we now understand Anakin, we now can understand Vader. The Star Wars saga is now 5/6 of the way complete, but is now clearly in focus.

JMM

A quick note about the love story in AotC. The key to understanding this is understanding the characters.

Anakin NEEDS to have a family. This is because he was too old to be taken away from his mother. The NEED for emotional bond is too strongly set. He needs Padme. I don't think people are having a problem with the Anakin side of things.

Padme NEEDS to feel like she is the protector. As Queen, her thoughts were not about herself, but always about others. As a senator, she is the same way. When Anakin comes along and for the first time challenges her to deal with her personal emotions, she starts to loosen up and begins to feel something for him. I don't know if she loved him before they left Naboo, but she definately feels something for him. It's on Tatooine that her personal emotions and her NEED for being a protector collide to form the bond of love. When Anakin is at his da

 

saw it again. and i wanted to see maybe i was just to excited at the first screening, perhaps i wasn't seeing the flaws. but right now i am even more happier then i was last night. besides a couple of iffy cgi shots and the jango/obi +the jango/mace+ the anakin, obi-wan/dooku being cut down slightly it is a great movie and i am thinking its right up there at the the top.

the love scenes worked great and this was the best acting i have ever seen in a star wars movie.

 

A friend of mine who did not have a positive reaction to AOTC the first time he saw it went with me 2 more times today and in the car driving home (from a DLP showing) he said "I needed to see it at least twice... the first time it felt flat but now I feel comfortable with the characters and the battles... this movie really kicks ass."

AOTC just has too much going on to see it only once.

RB

 

I just got in from seeing it, and my thoughts are:

"Mr. Lucas, you are hereby forgiven for Jar Jar Binksyou more than made up for it. For me, the magic is back...thanks!"

 

Razorback, I completely understand what you mean when you say you need to see this film twice....there is just TOO much going on. I went back for a second time today with my mom, (who also went last night), and she came out enjoying it MUCH more than last night, as did I. There is so much substance to it....it's becoming my favorite of all the films...and Episode III has yet to come

 

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I just can't get over the cool amount of dialog, the cool moments, the cheese that only the fans would appreciate. GL, thanks from the bottom of all of our hearts, except Darth_Wiggle. You have really outdone yourself.