Wow. Underneath that pixelated pantina of CGI and special effects, George Lucas actually does have a real heart. It's weird to have an emotional reaction to a Star Wars film that isn't "Gee-whiz! Cool! Wouldyalookatthat!" I walked out of that theatre a few minutes ago feeling confused, betrayed and sad, and not because the movie sucked. I felt this way because the movie did what it was supposed to do, and even though the film was about ruin, it was a distinct pleasure to see a movie franchise redeemed.
The good:
Ewan MacGregor - I know Darth Vader is one of the coolest characters ever, but I think Obi Wan Kenobi is pretty high on that list too, thanks to Ewan.
Ian McDiarmid - What an evil bastard.
Visual Grandeur - I thought the folks at Weta Digital made ILM obsolete, but now I'm not so sure.
General Grievous
The two suns setting on Tatooine.
The sound made by a lightsaber.
The not-so-good
Natalie Portman - still can't find a voice for that character
Clunky dialogue - to be expected, so I'm not too disappointed. Plus, compared to "Attack of the Clones" this might as well have been written by the bard himself.
Temuera Morrison's head superimposed on a Clone Trooper's body - seriously, doesn't George Lucas have enough money to spring for real body armor?
Anyways, it is exam week, so I probably should get to bed.
The good:
Ewan MacGregor - I know Darth Vader is one of the coolest characters ever, but I think Obi Wan Kenobi is pretty high on that list too, thanks to Ewan.
Ian McDiarmid - What an evil bastard.
Visual Grandeur - I thought the folks at Weta Digital made ILM obsolete, but now I'm not so sure.
General Grievous
The two suns setting on Tatooine.
The sound made by a lightsaber.
The not-so-good
Natalie Portman - still can't find a voice for that character
Clunky dialogue - to be expected, so I'm not too disappointed. Plus, compared to "Attack of the Clones" this might as well have been written by the bard himself.
Temuera Morrison's head superimposed on a Clone Trooper's body - seriously, doesn't George Lucas have enough money to spring for real body armor?
Anyways, it is exam week, so I probably should get to bed.
Ok, and Anakin's slide toward the dark side seems a bit rushed, and is somewhat unconvincing. What it does do, however, is help the audience empathize with him, and empathizing with the bad guys is not exactly easy given the diametrically opposed moral opposites of the Star Wars universe. But it's a much better reflection of the ambiguity and complexity of reality, so I'll give George credit there.
Posted by
Brian |
3:36 AM