Star Wars Episode III

[ErikW]

George Lucas finally made one that doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty good. No cutesy bullshjt like Ewoks or Jar-Jar. (Well, just a little bit: droids expressing emotion and a Wookie doing a Tarzan yell.) Also, Hayden Christansen doesn't suck nearly as bad as he did before and the scenes with him and Natalie Portman aren't embarassingly bad.

It's surprisingly dark. In fact, it's somewhat of a downer movie. Do not take the kiddies to see it. (Remember the guy napalmed in When We Were Soldiers? Like that, with amputation.)

[Wakal]

Yep, this was not a kid's movie. Great lightsaber fights, the CGI only sucked in spots (instead of through the whole movie), and the Ani/Padme dialogue was only mildly annoying instead of smash-face-into-brick-wall annoying.

Same Tarzan yell that Chewie did 18 years later

And...OK, it took 18 years to build that damn Death Star? What, did they have union contractors?

Alex

[BigDave]

I haven't seen Episode's I or II at all and really have no interest to do so. I saw the original three (SW, EPSB, RoTJ) in the theatres when I was young and enjoyed all of those. When I saw the previews for this one (III) I said to myself "this looks cool!?!?!?".

[BritinUSA]

I watched it last night, just past midnight with a theatre crowded out with would-be Jedi Knights waving light-sabers all over the place. Pretty interesting experience. I was hoping for a glimpse of some girlie in the 'Princess-Leia-Return-of-the-Jedi-teensy-bikini' outfit, but I was sadly disappointed.

The movie really slowed down in spots, mostly setting the scene for all the carnage to follow. There are a few scenes that are gruesome, particularly when you consider that Lucas was nervous about the short scene in A New Hope when Luke sees the bodies of his Aunt and Uncle. This new one is way more icky than that.

Some good humourous elements to lighten the mood. There are some neat little cameos if you keep your eyes open. George Lucas and his adopted daughter are in one scene, as well as a brief shot of the Millennium Falcon. Yoda kicking butt is always a crowd-pleaser.

I expect some extra footage when this appears on DVD (probably in time for Christmas).

Hayden is much better in this one.

[ErikW]

Wakal, I was thinking the same thing about the Death Star. Like he was trying too hard to set the table for Episode I. It takes the empire 20 years or so to build this one, and months or a couple years to build the one in Episode VI.

Best Yoda-fu: throwing the lightsaber through the chest of the clone, then pulling it out. Honorable mention: waving away the imperial guards at the doorway.

Dishonorable mention: Obi-Wan throwing the blaster down and making a derogatory comment.

[XRe]

Dishonorable mention: Obi-Wan throwing the blaster down and making a derogatory comment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If only he'd taken the time to learn the Egret technique, he wouldn't have such issues with projectile weapons..... Blasters are, after all, clumsy and random.... (tell that to TGO or TJ or JB.....)

[BritinUSA]

The derogatory comment of course relates to the same statement Obi Wan made in a New Hope while training Luke on the Millennium Falcon.... damn, I need to get a life

[lynn jones]

George Lucas finally made one that doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty good. No cutesy bullshjt like Ewoks or Jar-Jar. (Well, just a little bit: droids expressing emotion and a Wookie doing a Tarzan yell.) Also, Hayden Christansen doesn't suck nearly as bad as he did before and the scenes with him and Natalie Portman aren't embarassingly bad.

It's surprisingly dark. In fact, it's somewhat of a downer movie. Do not take the kiddies to see it. (Remember the guy napalmed in When We Were Soldiers? Like that, with amputation.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hey erik,

what chraractor did you dress up as? and how long did you wait in line to get your ticket?

[diehli]

George Lucas finally made one that doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty good. No cutesy bullshjt like Ewoks or Jar-Jar. (Well, just a little bit: droids expressing emotion and a Wookie doing a Tarzan yell.) Also, Hayden Christansen doesn't suck nearly as bad as he did before and the scenes with him and Natalie Portman aren't embarassingly bad.

It's surprisingly dark. In fact, it's somewhat of a downer movie. Do not take the kiddies to see it. (Remember the guy napalmed in When We Were Soldiers? Like that, with amputation.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hey erik,

what chraractor did you dress up as? and how long did you wait in line to get your ticket?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like you have to ask... he's an Ewok.

[Pierruiggi]

It was rather nice, but I had built up such expectations that I walked from the movies thinking "good, could have been better".

Pet peeves:

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!! (highlight the text if you want to read.)

Chewbacca meeting the Jedis. What happened in A New Hope in the Millenium Falcon when Han bashes away at the Force and "Jedi religion"? Doesn't Chewbacca has anything to say about that? It was a lame cameo to me. Wookie race appearing was OK (though rather large and bulky CGIs), Chewbacca appearing was detrimental to the story.

Darth Vader's "Nooo". Lame.

Obi Wan has moral issues with killing his "brother", but none removing all his human limbs and let him to burn alive... OK, Obi, nice to see some logic on your moral and ethical convictions.

Padme dying because "she lost the will to live". It would have been better (IMHO) if Vader actually lethally wounded her with his force choke.

Count Dooku fight. Same as Jango Fett, too short. Leaves you wanting for more.

What I liked:

MORE SPOILERS!!!!

Yoda. Coolest character in the whole saga. That waving off imperial guards was over the top cool.

The emperor's "POWER!!!!!"

The slaughter of the Jedis.

Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader.

As usual, the soundtrack.

Overall, I'd say it was a good movie to complement the original trilogy

[dirtypool40]

Overall I liked it.

That being said I thought the passage of time absolutely SUCKED!!!! It seemed like the whle movie took place over a weekend. Of course maybe that's the gestation period of girls from Naboo....

[Rifter]

The time thing, is actually something that has always been a little difficult to really gauge in the Starwars Movies. I have read most of the books in the series, and they generally take place over a longer period of time, than the movie really shows.

Remember, the 2nd death star wasn't fully built... Though, that being said, between ep 4 and 6 was something like 3-4 years, from what I have read.

[dirtypool40]

I hate to quote Southpark in mixed company but..."we needed a montage'".

some music only scenes of battles won, Vader doing more killing and descending deeper into things, the emperor cackling, stuff like that.

Also, per usual, it really seems like Lucas films everything in one take. Yes, the kid got better, his body language was pretty good, but his verbal skills still sux. Yoda was alright, and Obi wan, everyone else, needed another take or two.

[XRe]

My understanding (from the various books) is that the 2nd Death Star was actually already under construction (in secret) before the first movie began. So, it took a lot longer than the timeframe between the three movies to get it built. It's been a while since I read that stuff, though, so I could be a little off, here.... Plus, this was the first effort, and probably took longer than 2nd one as they figured out flaws, etc... And the first one was built for some time before the first movie, but they were waiting on various systems to be refined and have the bugs worked out before using it for the first time - the timing was everything, apparently Had to wait for Palpatine to dissolve the Senate, blah blah blah - politics, doncha know

[EricW]

I suffered through small portions of the last two movies. I think I gave up after maybe 15 minutes or less. I can't even get myself remotely motivated to see another.

(I can't stand the computer animation either. I feel like I'm watching kiddie cartoons. They should go back to plastic models on wires.)

[carinab]

small thread drift but still star wars related...Spirit the comic insult dog versus the star wars geeks (attack of the clones release).

Geek Parade

[XRe]

It's Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog... And that was pretty damn funny...

[carinab]

Triumph, Spirit - whatever, who names a puppet dog after an under powered british car? Whatever his name is, he's damn clever. My favorite line, "So have you ever talked to a woman without giving your credit card number?"

[warpspeed]

I'd really like to see it but I don't want to wait in line

Perhaps I'll take a trip to Downtown LA and pick it up on DVD

[diehli]

I'd really like to see it but I don't want to wait in line

Perhaps I'll take a trip to Downtown LA and pick it up on DVD

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There were some girls in one of my classes watching House of Wax (DVD) on a laptop. I guess I don't get why there's such a big black market for these things.

[Ben Stoeger]

My favorite part was when Anakin got BOTH his legs chopped off in one go. Then he got his arm cut off. Then he got lit on fire. I can not believe that it was PG-13.

[warpspeed]

I'd really like to see it but I don't want to wait in line

Perhaps I'll take a trip to Downtown LA and pick it up on DVD

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There were some girls in one of my classes watching House of Wax (DVD) on a laptop. I guess I don't get why there's such a big black market for these things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the quality is usually pretty low - perhaps the reson for the $5 price ..

[XRe]

Saw it last night...

The derogatory comment of course relates to the same statement Obi Wan made in a New Hope while training Luke on the Millennium Falcon.... damn, I need to get a life

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Heh. I'm the one who needs a life I actually went back and checked - cause I didn't recall any negative comments re: blasters in the Lightsaber Training scene (scene 27 on the DVD, BTW ). I apologize in advance - I'm an avowed Star Wars geek.... The comment in question was "So uncivilized..." after Obi Wan uses said blaster to do in one of the major bad guys after losing his lightsaber. The scene in Star Wars is 14 - titled Your Father's Lightsaber. Obi Wan says: "It's your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon, with a more civilized danger." I referenced it above

I hate to quote Southpark in mixed company but..."we needed a montage'".

some music only scenes of battles won, Vader doing more killing and descending deeper into things, the emperor cackling, stuff like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

a montage woulda been sweet Yeah, I agree, it would have helped the story both before Palpatine turns Anakin - a montage of all the spying and whatnot, and after, showing the stuff you're talking about. There's sort of a montage of the fall of the Jedi, but that's about it - otherwise, it seems way too easy to make that change...

My favorite part was when Anakin got BOTH his legs chopped off in one go. Then he got his arm cut off. Then he got lit on fire. I can not believe that it was PG-13.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wasn't it both legs and an arm at once?? Pretty sweet move on Obi Wan's part.

The "Noooooooo...." was way too cheesy... Come on, man. Give me *something* a little more dramatic, here! Was it just me, or does Hayden look way to wimpy in the DV costume? He just didn't have David Prowse's commanding presence. Oh well

Overall, pretty good effort. I wish Lucas had done more than just had a dialogue coach onset, but... Realizing that almost all of the movie is CGI - they did an awesome job with it. Some are saying they rank it in between ESB and ROTJ - I'd rank it equal w/ RTOJ, but not ahead of it, personally.

[Pierruiggi]

Well, that depends... My personal Star Wars favorite is ROTJ, but then again... I didn't live in 1980 to witness the "I'm your father" revelation... or wondered about the fate of Han for more than the 30 seconds it took me to take ESB out of the VCR and put ROTJ in...

Oh, another ROTS pet peeve, though this aplies to the whole saga.

Jar Jar isn't killed off... DAMN! I thought they'd get the thing... Oh well... I can only hope the Emperor or Vader wasted him in the complete transition between the Republic and the Empire.

[Precision40]

Jar Jar isn't killed off... DAMN! I thought they'd get the thing... Oh well... I can only hope the Emperor or Vader wasted him in the complete transition between the Republic and the Empire.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hate that F#$%er I REALLY want to see this one, but the movie theaters here are crammed with the hard-core cronies, I'm gonna catch it Tues