Cool News
TIME raves about the new Star Wars Episode Two: Attack Of The Clones!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... I've been reading with much bemusement about my 'back-pedeling' on George Lucas' latest episode of STAR WARS. I've also been reading 'rumors' appearing through the internet that there is a mass exodus of ILM employees headed to join up with Peter Jackson on LORD OF THE RINGS because they were tired of their work being wasted on the likes of what STAR WARS had become. Finally I've been watching as people so wantonly dish out spoilers for the upcoming film like children learning their first cuss word. Well, today TIME MAGAZINE's Richard Corliss chimes in on the new chapter. What does he say?
"After seeing a rough cut of the film and reading the script, we can say that Clones seems poised to get the series back on track—and provide an exhilarating two hours of serious fun. It should easily ace the last movie in chills (when two icky centipedal creatures called "kouhuns" crawl into the sleeping Padme's bed) and thrills (when Anakin and Obi-Wan drag-race the changeling Zam Wessel across Coruscant's wonderfully varied urban nightscape)." Richard Corliss & Jess Cagle"An Exhilarating Two Hours Of Serious Fun." -- Yup, that it is. Contrary to the folks out there that want so badly for me to be on some payroll somewhere. Contrary to those that want to think my opinion on the film has chilled over time. This chapter of STAR WARS continues to be breathlessly entertaining and thrilling for me. And yes, I am dying to see the film on its first day of release.
Last night as I was coming out of screening of an archive print of TRON at the Alamo Drafthouse a pair of fairly drunk older hispanic fellows came up to me declaring, "Eeeh Maan, you are that guy that has seen the new Star Wars right?" I confirmed it. "Well man, I read what you wrote and man I just want to know one thing. Does Yoda really kick ass like he should in this film?" I began laughing and confirmed it. "Alright ese, Maaaan, didn't you always want to see him just let go and kick ass man, I do. I think Yoda could kick everybody's ass. I can't wait to see that man!" and around that time I was whisked away from the scene to head home.
Folks, this movie is going to force a lot of folks to eat crow, and for those that decide to still 'hate' Star Wars afterwards. Well, whatever. I dug Anakin and Padme's romance. It is a young love and a budding love borne out of conflict and proximity. CG Yoda works 100% for me. For one it really frees up the camera on him. Far more full body shots. Far more motion and expression in the face and in dialogue. Sure you can tell it is CG, just as we could always tell he was a puppet by the way his lips never really enunciated the words he was saying.
Watching others getting excited by this film is part of the joy. But steer clear of TALK BACKS and emails with attachments from here to the time you see STAR WARS for your own. Right now, I'm so glad I've seen the film because there seem to be so many willing assholes that want to spoil key moments simply because they can. Respect those that have not seen the film yet. Don't make their choice for them, don't be an ass. And from here on out... You should continue to hear nothing but great things about STAR WARS EPISODE 2 because.... um... it is great.
And for the record. What I meant when I said that ATTACK OF THE CLONES was the most entertaining of the saga so far is that. The entertainment level is spectacular. For me, personally, I still prefer the original Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. I love the innocence and the performances of the actors that brought those films to life, plus... Frankly the place in my life where I saw them... and what it reminds me of has more meaning than seeing these films today. Today, this new one is fantastically entertaining. And that is not a bad thing... ever.
-
+ Expand All
-
Man, those were the days.....then the day after we saw it, we were all(when I say we, I mean you) pissed about the kiddie oriented-ness of it...Jar Jar himself, and countless other "flaws" that needed to be ousted and corrected. I won't pass judgment until I see this May 16, but it's not gonna be in the masterpiece category in the eyes of some...that's just how our universe is.
-
That I will only go opening night if the line isn't terrible. I want this film to be good. I have a too much invested emotionally in Star Wars to root against it, but holy shit, TPM is poo. Even when LOTR came out, I watched ESB before I left to give myself a frame of reference regarding what a great sci-fi/fantasy film should be. I hope you are right Harry.
-
no matter how entertaining, the films are still just commercials for the toys.
that's kinda what makes the originals so good even though they're so bad: they were films, movies, fliks, not commercials (ok, Jedi was a commercial). -
Harry, while I may not agree with everything you say, I do appreciate your honestly and I love your enthusiasm toward films in general. I know we are all about free speech but have you ever thought about deleting postings that post information without a spoiler warning? The talk backs have become a joke on AICN. They are all about trying to insult Harry, and the rest of the creators of this fine site and not about talking about the film itself. I can't stand it. For all the people who hate on Harry, please go someplace else. This site should be about the love of film and not about asshole fanboys who do not know a shit about the entertainment industry. Thanks for letting me speak my peace Harry.
-
And in the time it's taken for my password to be sent to my email address, I may have just have given up that crown already! Anyway, just a quick note to say that with less than four weeks to go, i'll be first in line at 12.01am in the UK on the 16th to see it at least a whole five hours before you Us fanboys. Kiss my face!
-
Apr 21, 2002 6:14:56 PM CDT
YOU CALL THAT A REVIEW?! Sounds like just some early hype. So, y
by chuckrussel
Yeah!
-
I'm so glad this movie is looking like it won't suck. That fact that it is looking good is just awesome.
-
I reserve judgement till I see it. But I hope the hype is on the money.
-
Damn me clumsy fingers
-
Apr 21, 2002 6:19:39 PM CDT
Oh, yeah....and I second or third the nomination for adding to
by terry_1978
"But dragons are supposed to be intelligent and talk" from the reign of fire trailer TB. It's kinda awkward now, but give it a chance...;)
-
And I remember seeing it in the theaters and being amazed and entertained and feeling that I was so lucky, that we were ALL so lucky that we were actually seeing another Star Wars movie sure there were parts I was like uh! thats a bit cheesy! but nothing could take away from the other scenes in the movie. I think the first few minutes on the trade federation ship when the nemodians were all panicked over the disgruntled jedi onboard was so powerful and cool that it counters every bit of Jar Jar in the film. Jar Jar's kiddie ness is no match for classic lines liike "Have you ever went up against a jedi?" "Well no but... SEAL off the bridge!" "We wont survive this..." I loved how they just knew they were doomed and there is so many more great and wonderful scenes in that movie. the saber duel of course the queens little coup all action packed and cool god when the movie was over I was elated that I couldnt even remember any of the stupid jar jar stuff off hand
you people want to be unhappy for some reason., it is your desired state. The problem is you people love star wars so much because of the original trilogy that theres no way you can enjoy any more star wars movies unless you yourself wrote and directed them
but not me. I just think of it as George Lucas's car, hes already going somewhere and I am welcome to ride along. you people have also accepted the ride, but your trying to be a backseat driver. No george! turn here! slow down! speed up! waaaaaaH! and I be he is thinking, arrrgH! just lemme drive my car!! -
Opening day, I'm THERE ! Incidentally, does anybody know when the tie-in novel's due out ?
-
there were toys for every film. Do you think they didnt want to sell them? they were like well we will make toys as a service to the kids who love the movies but we dont really want to sell too many of them, I mean, its a film not a commerical... Bullshit.
-
Apr 21, 2002 6:32:34 PM CDT
TPM had its faults, BUT....it had the coolest use of a lightsabr
by robinp
Ramming it in to a blast door to melt it open. Love TPM or hate TPM, that scene was impressive.
-
i have to go and buy a copy of this issue now
-
starwars of course was not even thinking about toys, cause it was just a small little movie. and i'm gonna say that if you look at empire they don't go nuts creating all kinds of new creatures and droids and stuff just to make toys of them..like the did in jedi.
in fact, think of the toys from empire, they really had to be creative, most of the new figures were just droids in various state of disrepair. -
Apr 21, 2002 6:48:55 PM CDT
Yeah, it's sad how many cool moments there were in the middl
by happywaffle
I had always remembered it as pod race, Darth Maul, and then a whole lot of shit. But in reality there are many cool moments in the movie. Like melting the blast door open. And R2D2 saving the day. It's just that the cool parts last for like 30 seconds and then we're back to stupid. Hell, even the pod race loses its cool the instant that kid-Greedo starts dancing awkwardly on the sidelines. Arrrrgh. Anyway Clones will rock. I had blind faith before - especially blind, given Episode I - and now I have actual faith. Oh, and as for that whole "it's all a big cartoon" argument - don't half of you fuckers watch anime all the time? I mean, Star Wars is SUPPOSED to be like that. If you prefer models to CG then fine, but if that's not what you get, then deal.
-
Too right. that use of a Lightsabre had never occured to me. But it did lead to my sister exclaiming that the film was silly because the lightsabres were more advanced than in the original triolgy set thirty years later! I don't know, little sisters. They know nothing. I too will be seeing the film at midnight before all you good folks in the USA, I may even send a quick reveiw in as long as I don't fall asleep as soon as I get back. The only cinema with a decent sound system is 20 miles away. Dammit!
-
"....and that vexing critter Jar Jar Binks, around whom the disappointment in Phantom Menace crystallized. Lucas blames the anti-Jar Jar sentiment on "37-year-old guys who spend all their time on the Internet. But you have to remember that when we did The Empire Strikes Back, some people hated C-3PO. When we did Jedi, they just loathed the Ewoks. There was no Internet to jazz it up, but there was the same conversation. Fans are very opinionated, and that's good. But I can't make a movie for fans." Nonetheless, Jar Jar has a far less prominent role this time. In movie theaters you will hear a cheer from Binks-ophobes when, as he launches into an anecdote, Padme cursorily cuts him off." George Lucas still doesn't get it: Jar Jar sucked. And, trying to blame the fans doesn't cut it. I defy anyone to show me a review where people didn't like C3PO in "Empire" the same way that the world UNIVERSALLY hated Jar Jar Binks. Fuck him - this 37 year old can wait until Monday to see this movie now.
-
but that is a good point about the old technology being used better...but hey, you couldn't go to the space liquor store without stepping in a Jedi back then, so there were bound to be some original ideas thrown in. What I really like about TPM (and that is not saying too awful much) is how the use of the force was incorporated into the fighting. Obi Wan and Qui Gon knocking down droids and Maul using it to push Obi Wan back was nice. The only sense you get of that in the original trilogy is when Vader is bombarding Luke with boxes and the like in Cloud City. The sabre dueling in the original three was more barbaric, with TPM obviously having hong kong influence. I think that both have their merits...
-
I can't wait to see Dooku cut off that whiney Anakin's hand. And I can't wait to see Yoda with the Mini-saber. How awesome is it to have Peter Jackson's vision of LOTR and the Rebirth of Star Wars all in the same couple of years?
-
Jeez, George may not have accepted that Jar Jar sucks, but you haven't accepted that Lucas still has you by the balls - because Star Wars is great. My family (especially the younger ones) loved Jar Jar - which discounts your UNIVERSALLY hated claim. Go see the movie on opening day and give up the righteous fan bullshit.
-
I'm trying to dampen my excitement right now. The only reason I enjoyed Phantom Menace was two months of bad press from the US before it opened in London. This year I get the same advantage (July opening in Japan) but...what if it's great? What if it's not just some great scenes with a load of crap thrown in, but a really great film??? I must henceforth enter a state of Zen meditation. Concentrate on The Two Towers and dampen all expectations. And to cap it all on opening day in Japan I'm gonna go watch Spiderman (also a July release) just to prove that I can. Expectation can really ruin some fun movies. But lack of it makes the great ones seem all the more so. It's a no-lose situation! Unless my mind cracks under the strain, I go mad and run screaming naked down the street 2 days before it opens. That'd be a bummer.
-
Because, there'll be a shorter line-up if I don't. Your right, though. Lucas doesn't get it - Jar Jar was just plain and simple a shitty concept. He provided weak comic relief in a movie with zero tension; and aside from that, the character was fucking annoying. "Meeeesa Meeesa, cocka-doodoo-dildo" indeed!
-
RobinP: Heaps of people have been asking about that at the bookshop where I work and I'm pretty sure the tie-in's due out on the 15th of May.
-
Apr 21, 2002 8:08:34 PM CDT
I just bought a box of Episode 2 cereal and I'm as happy as
by lance rock
All of a sudden I'm soooo excited to see this movie! (and those yoda marshmallows are so darned cute!)
-
Apr 21, 2002 8:09:10 PM CDT
Problems with the TPM and why I will be seeing AOTC on the first
by fladnag
Here goes. I have only three real problems with TPM. I realize that the dialogue in the OT was not Shakespeare but it at least was delivered with some sort of of emotion. For the majority of the dialogue delivered in TPM it seemed like no one gave a shit. Everybody was so wooden, not just the jedi. I just wanted to shout out "Amidala your planet is being held hostage get pissed for fucks sake". There was also not a lot of time to get acquainted with places. It was as if they were moving from point A to B to C without ever resting or explaining too much. Finally, there was no real sense of urgency in any of the fight scenes except the Jedi battles. The space battle would have had urgency if not for stupid fucking lines like "I'll try spinning thats a good trick". However, it seems that these things have been rectified for the most part in AOTC. I'll of course reserve final judgement until I see the actual movie but from early looks it seems that my complaints of TPM have been noticed and taken care of. Here's hoping AOTC kicks ass.
-
Apr 21, 2002 8:10:19 PM CDT
CookiePuss, how is waiting until Monday going to punish Lucas?
by st buggering
If you wanted to make a statement, you wouldn't see it at all. At any rate, I have faith in this film. Of course, many of you have already decided to hate it, and it won't matter how good it is. Many of you, in fact, decided to hate this entire trilogy long before "The Phantom Menace" was released. Fine by me, although it doesn't mean shorter lines or anything, since you'll all be standing there anyway, probably for the third time. "Yeah, I've seen it twice already, and it totally sucks. I just keep coming back hoping I'll like it more." You think I'm kidding, but I've actually heard those words spoken.
-
The probably get paid a shit load more at ILM then they do at WETA. The internet is incredible.
-
The original had impassioned performances? I'm sorry, but Mark Hammill and Carrie Fisher were passable. Harrison Ford's performance in the first one was pretty flat. And saying that the originals weren't overmarketed? Did any of you go into a toy store in the 70's or 80's at all? Yes, even the first one was merchandised to death, and if you remember differently, you must have been a toddler at the time. There were action figures for characters who appeared for two seconds in the background. Every single creature in the cantina appeared on some sort of merchandise. I think some of you are remembering the original trilogy through a silver haze of worship. Things really aren't that different today, people.
-
Because its nothing like tpm.Jar jar is in the film for 5 mins at the most,he gives palpatine the power to create the over all galactic empire {which gives us every right to hate him even more} it resembles the original star wars movies more then tpm and there doesnt seem to be any kiddie aspect to the film what so ever.Its funny how everyone who camped out and were total giddie fan boys turned there backs on star wars faster then the falcon going into lightspeed.Now whos the real fans that were always claiming to be?.........not you.
-
Because its nothing like tpm.Jar jar is in the film for 5 mins at the most,he gives palpatine the power to create the over all galactic empire {which gives us every right to hate him even more} it resembles the original star wars movies more then tpm and there doesnt seem to be any kiddie aspect to the film what so ever.Its funny how everyone who camped out and were total giddie fan boys turned there backs on star wars faster then the falcon going into lightspeed.Now whos the real fans that were always claiming to be?.........not you.
-
I really would like to know, I see the trailers, I look at the action figures. It means nothing more than another movie to go see this summer. It's not special. I was more excited about SW in the off time between Jedi and Episode 1 where we could only fantasize about what might be. Phanthom Menace really sent my boner into the ground. It was'nt bad.. it just was'nt "special". I'm honestly more hopeful for Spider-man at this point as it seems to at least have alot of heart.. and I like the action figures better.
-
...At least for those who are completely under rocks...I was lingering over the new "Maxim" the other day (mmmmm...Kelly Hu...) in BooksAMillion when my pal Jeff, who works there, offered to show me the new DK Books SWE2 book (these are the folks who do all those great SW photo books, you know, with close-up shots of all the props 'n' everything). They have it hidden in the storeroom, pending street date. I nearly dropped my teeth--there is some almighty cool shit in there! This may come as no surprise whatsoever to some of you, but most of it was news to me. Darth Tyranus' lightsaber, for one: its grip is curved, so he can actually fence with it, like an epee! Trippy! The female Tusken Raider is cool, too (as is the action figure of same which is sitting in the back room of the store where I work, unable to be sold before street date without the wrath of Lucasfilm coming down on us...). Of greater interest to me, though, was the revelation(to me anyway) of the relationship between Owen and Beru Lars and Anakin Skywalker. Apparently Shmi Skywalker is in fact married to a moisture farmer named Lars, and Owen is her son...making him Anakin's stepbrother! So why doesn't Anakin/Vader think about this when he returns to Tattooine at the beginning of SWE4? Hmmmm. I also wonder as to the nature of the connection between Anakin/Vader and Boba Fett. If Boba is actually another clone of Jango Fett, who is the clone progenitor of the entire Clone Army, and who is apparently raising Boba as his son, and since something apparently happens between Anakin and Boba, does this [WARNING! END OF SENTENCE RAPIDLY APPROACHING]mean that Boba Fett and Darth Vader know each other? This would explain why Fett doesn't seem to be afraid of Vader in SWE5 (remember? "He's no good to me dead!" and: Vader: And NO disintegrations! Fett (sullenly): As you wish...) Think about it! Nobody else is that offhand with Vader! Double Hmmmmm....
-
After careful consideration of you comments, I have decided that you are probably right. I know I'm looking at the originals from a movie standpoint only. I don't remember the merchandising extravaganza they had for the originals. I do contend though that compared to TPM Fisher and Hamill both gave impassioned performances. It will never cease to amaze me how George Lucas made Neeson and McGregor seem so damn dull.
-
Oh, and I nearly forgot! Holocrons! They gots holocrons in that there movie! Straight outta the books and onto the celluloid, folks! Woo-Hoo! Bob only knows what they're gonna do with them, but the're in there! At least two Jedi 'crons and one Sith 'cron (which is a four-sided pyramid, not a cube, just so ya know it's EVIL!).
-
Apr 21, 2002 8:50:54 PM CDT
Less infantile bathroom humor, incompetent adversaries, cutie-p
by nazismasher
If AOTC follows this simple equation it will be good. Simple as 1 - 2 - 3.
-
A few points. ---1) Times has always had a boner for Staw Wars, even in the post Phantom era. But that goes for the media in general. Phantom actually has a "Fresh" rating at RT. Can you beleive that shit? ---2) The article puts disappointment about Phantom down to "over-hype". Hype sithe enemy of crap films. Good films cannot suffer from "hype". Witness LOTR. ---3) I read an article talking about how Lucas had an eye on the Toys when he supervised design for Hope. The SF journalists asked where the retro rockets on the ships were - how did they slow down? Lucas shrugged and said he just wanted them to look cool. ---4) The acting in the OT was pretty good. Mark Hammill did a great job - certainly better than most Hollywood stuff these days. The only obvious "bad" acting occured in the dogfights, but that's because the pilots had some pretty cheesy lines. Oh yeah, and when Kenobi "feels" the destruction of Alderaan, it doesn't really work (though Guiness does a good job overall). ---5) The final script for Hope was #4. Empire and Jedi had a few iterations, too. Anyone know what version the Phantom script was? That might explain a few things. 6)--- So called bad acting in Phantom is mostly bad writing. Could Haley Joel Osmend (sp) have done a better job saying "Yippee" or "Are you an angel?" than Jake Loyd? Methinks not. 7) While I wouldn't say Phantom is racist, it certainly suffers from poor taste. Watto, the Neimodians and Jar Jar are pretty crude. you don't have to scratch the surface too deep to work out that there are some underlying racial stereotypes. Plus, they're all fucking annoying.
-
Just checked out the image at Darkhorizons.
-
This was said about THE MUMMY RETURNS, TOMB RAIDER, etc. in certain circles. It's not good enough for a movie with the Star Wars name on it, it's got to be BETTER.
-
Hey, why even pretend to take Talk Backs seriously?
-
I know. When I saw the cover of Yoda, I was like, "Oh my gosh, so cute." I can't wait to see the movie. The other day, finally got to see the pic of Yoda with the blue lightning in his hand and sigh, it just made me giddy. Plus, more Ewan in "AotC" = Me there opening day!!! :)
-
Apr 21, 2002 9:25:55 PM CDT
Wow, with all the positive reviews coming out it would seem that
by metsrulein2k
Hell, the exact same things were said about that movie and look how that piece of shit turned out!
-
George Lucas promised me sweet love back in May of 99. I dreamed of more Star Wars ever since I was a little girl. Three years ago he had me all worked up, salivating, heart pumping with a wet spot on the front of my blue jeans. He would show me little teaser trailers to get me in the proper mood, they would awaken feelings in me that I had long forgotten and longed for. Duel of the Fates was OUR song, I would listen and close my eyes and I imagine hot Jedi breath on the back of my neck, a lightsaber poised, ready to take me to unknown cinematic pleasures.. When Prom Night finally arrived om May 26th, I was ready to give myself to him without question, he had always treated me well. That night in a dark room, after 20 years of foreplay, he handed me a blow-up Jar Jar Binks and said "here, this is for you".
-
George Lucas knows exactly what he must do, knows exactly where he came up short on "TPM," and is determined not to fail us. We should believe in him. Here's a little from the article -- After
-
I hear that. Frailty is my favorite movie of at least the last year. And it's a flop.. what the hell? Oh well at least that means the DVD will be out shortly.
-
There isn't much more to say. Don't reward this nut for the crap product he puts out. Don't settle.
-
Let's all calm down and keep in mind that this are TALK-backs...not scream-and-belittle-other-people's-opionons-backs.
Because that would be a title that's far too long.
I'd like to reply to a comment made earlier by Darth|Shithead- the one where he said Lucas was a "shitty" director.
Lucas has directed four movies- not counting Episode Two- and three of them were considered Great films.
I'm not going to get into the argument on how good Episode 1 was.
To each his own.
But anyway...I'm getting sidetracked.
I was saying...
Oh yeah.
THX-1138,
American Grafitti,
And Star Wars
are all considered Great Films.
And they are Great.
Every director has his off-days.
Nobody's perfect.
But apparently Lucas becomes a "shitty" director after one suposedly bad film.
But unfortunently that's the way the American Public thinks.
This will be my Final Talk-Back Post...because these have become far too opinionated. -
I mean, I really do want this to be good, I am really anxious about seeing it, but I am also being careful this time and taking reviews and whatnot with a little bit of skepticism. Perhaps the best way to see AOTC is with an open mind. That's what I had to do with LOTR, as I have read and reread those books many times. The key is to just be a kid, don't critique it, just let it hit you and react naturally to it(easier said than done.) So looking at LOTR, while it may have been different than the book in some parts, it still had the same heart in it, and the movie by itself just plain rocked! So I guess we just need to "let go, Luke" and just experience AOTC, and hopefully we will really enjoy it.
-
Well, these talkbacks are forums for discussion which leads to opinions being formed and voiced...at least the last time I checked it was. It is also a great place to meet hot chicks.
-
Lucas fucked up royally with TPM-it was a shitty movie that had unnaturally high expectations amplify it's shittyness to unbelievable levels.I hated it.I was embarrassed to be in the theater at 5:30am Wednesday morning after viewing the tuesday May 18 3:00am showing. The "it's for kids" argument just doesn't cut it-this man made BILLIONS of dollars off an entire generation and to think he'd ignore and alienate us all and make such a banal kiddie cartoon movie is to bite the hand that has fed him all these years. the first Star Wars film was campy but it was accessable to ALL ages. It actually had some scenes of horrific violence: Luke's Parents incinerated, Obi wan took off an arm in the cantina and an ENTIRE PLANET was destroyed (That's pretty heavy considering the cold war arms race environment of the 1970's and 80's). It was a campy but violent movie, not a kiddie movie. There is a difference between campy and childish. I hope this next one is a huge turn around. I don't the prequels to be a Train wreck;lucas has done more good in his career than bad and I'd hate to see him destroy his own legacy-TPM was THAT bad-2 more of those type of SW movies will do the job! Anyway, I'm rooting for G-Lu to kick some serious ass-he's been laughed at for 3 years and now his chance to shut everyone up is here.
-
Are you going to tell me that Raiders of the Lost Ark is anything but '2 hours of serious fun'? It may be just one of those old serials, but it has character and drama. It's an adventure...so is Star Wars. If you read this review they also speak of how Lucas decided to focus more on character. Remember, many would say the greatness of Star Wars (the original) lies in it being a two hour roller coaster. Just be glad that this is positive press from a person who has seen the movie. I can handle a Star Wars movie filled with adventure and excitement, because I crave these things.
-
I am CLONEPOSTER. I am an artificial life form created online from the memory engrams of the original BattlePoster and filtered through the HTML for homestarrunner.com... There is a 98.7 percent chance that the reviewer for TIME magazine is what would commonly be considered a media whore. I LIKE MARSHMALLOWS. Accessing files on Media Whores, circa April 2002...entry number one: Harry Knowles. Cross-referencing with name...founder of Ain't It Cool news...author...fanboy...tub of goo... EVERYBODY! EVERYBODY! There is a 62.3 percent chance that this unit will be banned from infiltrating TalkBacks for insinuating that Knowles is a Tub of Goo. However, there is a 100 percent chance that Harry will finish off the year even fatter from theater popcorn and junior mints (not the AICN reporter either...Harry is incapable of intercourse with other human beings ever since he hasn't seen his penis since he was in the fourth grade). The probability of my banishment has now jumped to 77.5 percent...Now that is progress. I LOVE MARZIPAN! This unit is irrepairably damaged through its contact with the homestarrunner website and must deactivate for repair...
-
Jake Lloyd can't act his way out of a paper bag. Yeah, the JarJar crap was annoying, some of the dialog was crap, and lucas appeared to be racist, BUT- if the kid could have delivered a decent acting job, it would have been a lot better. I have heard people speculate that Lloyd is the grandson of some mafia don or something Lucas owed a favor to.
-
...Harry, thanks for coming back and reiterating how good you thought the film was. I can't wait to see it. I hope that all you mouth breathers who have been bad mouthing Lucas for the last three years will have the guts to come back and admit that you were wrong come May 16th. Mind you, if you have genuine criticisms or dislikes, your comments will be welcome. However,I think it is going to be very hard for anyone to find fault with what Lucas and Co. have to offer us.
-
Not me - AICN. Read the articles after being linked to it from a couple other web sites (one not even movie geek related) long before they got around to doing anything about it here (though I'm suprised these publicity ho's didn't put the blander Newsweek article, in which Harry was quoted, up front.)
If it wasn't for Coax, I'd have completely stopped coming to this site. -
I'll STILL believe it when I see it...(ya fuck)
-
i'd say this was a good sign. now i sorta wish i didn't know the whole damn story already. dang. still, knowing spoilers and actually seeing them is the whole nother story. and there's still some shit i dont' know, thank Yoda. anyways, i expect AOTC will rock my eternal internal 10 year olds' world...
-
The Time article infuriated me; it confirms what I've long suspected--that Lucas has only contempt for us, the fans: "Lucas blames the anti-Jar Jar sentiment on '37-year-old guys who spend all their time on the Internet. But you have to remember that when we did The Empire Strikes Back, some people hated C-3PO. When we did Jedi, they just loathed the Ewoks. There was no Internet to jazz it up, but there was the same conversation. Fans are very opinionated, and that's good. But I can't make a movie for fans.'" The fact is, we, the 30-ish-year-old guys (and gals), the true fans, are partly responsible for Lucas' success: we are the ones who saw the movies over and over, who bought the toys, who shared the movie with our own children, etc. And frankly, Lucas deserved the success because the great product. But Lucas sold us (and himself) out on Jedi, creating the precedent for so many of today's films, including Menace: big-budgeted, special-effects-laden, poorly-written/acted, overly-commercialized monstrosities. Compare Lucas to Peter Jackson: Jackson stayed true to the material and true to the fans and was utterly successful as a result. Had Lucas had the same respect, his last two Star Wars movies would have been equally--if not even more--successful (in terms of being good films, of course, not in a commercial sense, for the films obviously made undeserved ka-jillions). How can any of us, see this movie when this pompous jackass says clearly states that he is in this for the money, not for the fans?
-
Apr 21, 2002 11:27:52 PM CDT
What a fascinating glance into the stubborn psyche of GL, Cookie
by destroya
That's an interesting interview. George Lucas said, "But I can't make a movie for fans"? What the FUCK? Who the hell IS he making these movies for? Oh, that's right. He has to snag the next generation of young consumers for the Star Wars merchandising juggernaut. And he blames "bitter 37 year old geeks" for the Jar Jar backlash? Good god. Methinks Lucas, in his hermetically sealed ranch from which is isolated from all human contact, has seriously lost touch with his fan base. Because if he honestly believes that Jar Jar was an effective and valuable addition to Episode 1, that there was NO better way to play the character, and that only 40ish geeks despised him... well, obviously Lucas has forgotten why people loved the original trilogy.
-
Apr 21, 2002 11:28:06 PM CDT
I'm swearing off reading Talkbacks from here till may 16. B
by tall_boy
so, ya, you can say I'm a complete homosexual beastiality pervert and I'll have no idea. But after May 6, I'm going to re-read all these talkbacks to see if I have to kick some ass. anyway, ya, good article. peace out.
-
But hey, TPM was better than Six String Samuri? Huh?
-
How sad that George Lucas has forced some especially devout people to the absolute nadir of Star Wars fandom: trying to rationalize Episode 1's poor quality by saying, "Well, the first three weren't that good in the first place." Cause that is exactly what you and others like you have been reduced to. It really depresses me to think that Lucas has put Star Wars fans in this position, where they are so desperate to rationalize and apologize for him, that they have to tear down the quality of the first three films to bring them down to the level of Episode 1. Cause make no mistake, if Episode 1 had actually been a great film, there would be no need for such desperate and shameful tactics as you and your brethren engage in. If you have the Episode 1 DVD, I encourage you to watch the making-of documentary and check out this one scene about 50 minutes in, when Lucas shows a rough cut of the film to his staff in a screening room. Watch their dejected and crestfallen expressions as they realize all their hard work has led to such a monstrosity. Even George Lucas himself says reluctantly, "I may have gone too far." That's the most damning indictment of Phantom Menace you'll ever see.
-
Apr 21, 2002 11:49:18 PM CDT
The reason why George Lucas used more of the lightsabres in Star
by chow yun-fat ii
In the documentary on the DVD, Lucas says that in The Phantom Menace he wanted to show Jedi Knights in their prime. He wanted much faster lightsabre fight sequences. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi was no longer in his prime but an old hermit.
-
Apr 21, 2002 11:50:03 PM CDT
The reason why George Lucas used more of the lightsabres in Star
by chow yun-fat ii
In the documentary on the DVD, Lucas says that in The Phantom Menace he wanted to show Jedi Knights in their prime. He wanted much faster lightsabre fight sequences. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi was no longer in his prime but an old hermit.
-
At the end of the day, after all the hype and merchandise, it will still be just a movie. Some people will be entertained and some won't. Some will dwell on the good, some on the bad. But the smart ones will realize that in the end, IT'S STILL JUST A MOVIE.
-
Apr 22, 2002 12:01:19 AM CDT
Satr wars! Nothing but Star Wars! Fabulous Star Wars! Nothing bu
by billy talent
Having read the script for 'Clones', I'd say that there are a few small things I can't imagine working. But it's going to be a very different movie from 'TPM'. For one thing it's the most violent 'Star Wars' yet. Of course 'The Mummy Returns' was pretty much wall to wall action, and that was nothing but an opressive bore. 'Clones' has a really intriguing story going on underneath the noise. It looks to me like a hell of a lot of fun. But hey, everybody's been burned before. It is, of course, 'only a movie'. And enough with the 'Two hour toy commercial' comments. That's what 'Star Wars' has always been about. When the first movie came out, it was marketed like no other film in history; it was essentially the original template for - and still the most successful example of - corporate franchise film making. Back in '76 it was Lucas's bright idea to accept a salary cut for directing 'Star Wars' in exchange for keeping the merchandising and sequel rights, which Fox saw no value in. Each of the original 'Star Wars' releases was accompanied by an avalanche of toys, models, books, comics, collectors cards, commercial tie-ins and affiliated junk the likes of which Walt Disney never imagined. Wild popularity is the running theme of these movies.
-
Corliss wrote a very negative review of the first Star Wars, if I remember correctly. Sooooo, that's pretty funny to me. He also wrote a nasty review of Titanic pre-release, predicting it would be a bomb at the B.O. So, should you trust that guy???
Wonder if Fox has a stake in TIME somewhere? -
Apr 22, 2002 12:23:47 AM CDT
real kouhuns are supposed to be intelligent and talk
by burlivesleftnut
that's all I have to say on the subject.
-
Yo Harry. Just to set the record straight about the "defections" from ILM to Weta it's not quite that simple. I wouldn't say that people are jumping ship because they didn't like EP2 or "what the Star Wars films have become". The hard truth of the matter is that ILM is in the process of laying off almost every single contract person hired to work on Episode Two, which is probably somewhere in the hundreds. So sure, a lot of those people are talking to places like Weta, to find work. Unfortunately ILM just closed its commercial division for good, and it can't keep the people employed that it had hired for EP2. So there are a lot of layoffs going down at the moment. But it's not specific to ILM. Disney closed The Secret Lab. Warner Brothers closed its internal effects house. The f/x business is a rough place to be right now. In my mind it's ILM's loss and Weta's gain if they can pick up some of the good ones that ILM is letting go.
-
I saw a comic book adaption of Ep. II in Tower records this weekend. I didn't really want to spoil the movie for myself but i picked it up and skimmed through it anyway. I didn't read anything, just kinda looked. Christopher Lee does have a lightsaber with a curved handle. La di da. I happened upon one particularly emotional moment. I wish i hadn't, it would've been cooler to see on the big screen. Another thing, didn't Lucas say he wanted the trilogies to 'rhyme', ya'know A B C, A, B, C. Doesn't Luke get his hand cut off or something. Hrmm. Why the hell would Lucas let the comic come out befo' the movie? Seems dumb.
-
All you naysayers make me sick. Don't you morons have anything better to do with your lives than endlessly bash Phantom Menace and Atack of the Clones. You are all full of it, and you know it. You send in these talk backs blasting these movies. But I know two things:
1. You all went to see Phantom Menace, multiple times. The box office take testifies to that. 2. You will ALL be in line to see Attack of the Clones.
So shut up already! -
ya know, the only thing i really ever wat to see in any future Star Wars movies is some one asking Mace Windu which lightsaber is his....(I think you all know where this ane i heading.....) "It's the one that says ad Mother Fucker on the handle..." Yeah, i could die happy after seeing that.
-
i loved tpm because i felt like a kid watchin it again. i loved these movied when i was 6 because i was a kid and the sw world felt huge, believable and was full of heros and villans. a lotta you folks are getting bent out of shape over a series of movies that thrilled you as a child. you guys don't fit into the intended audience and you're expecting citizen-friggin-kane. its a movie, its entertainment. and its far from perfect.
the stupidest thing that i've been reading on these "talkback" thangs are you folks who are boycotting the movie totally or for (and this is even dumber) opening day or the first weekend. God folks, take up a more worthy cause. we have a fucking world war going on, we have REAL issues in the world and you're bitching about a movie. if you used one-fifth of the brain power that you use to pick apart star wars movies alone on knowledge that was actually worth knowing, most of you would have ph.D.'s.
...ya know? -
My expectations have been lowered greatly after TPM. Nothing compares to the feeling of Ep. 4, Luke being chased down the trench by Vader, even after seeing it a thousand times, it still grabs you, even though we all know he hits the target, its the serious intensity of the situation. Yeah, Ep. 2 will have loads of kewl aliens, ships, etc...but will we give a damn about the ppl involved? Will there be any believable intensity and a sense of actual danger? There was none of that in TPM. I could go on and on but lets see the flick first. Out!
-
I've never stopped loving all that Star Wars has ment to me. So much so that I even loved EP1. (Waiting in lines w/ all my friends was an absolute blast!) I'm excited to know that George can finally shut the mouths of all those nay-sayers! Keep up the good work Hairy! And may the FORCE be with you. Always!
-
Man, you don't know a fuck about it, maaaaan!
-
Apr 22, 2002 2:52:29 AM CDT
Harry, you actually believe theseSW haters will EVER admit that
by jules windex
GO STAR WARS!
-
Apr 22, 2002 2:54:21 AM CDT
You star Wars haters never knew what you were on about
by theginger twit
Watching Empire last night and seeing Darth vador with all the added depth that Episode 1 and now 2 have provide, I'm really starting to love star Wars more and more. You guys never understood what Phantom menace was all about, and never saw past your own youth!
-
I agree the phantom menace was not really a very good film at all baring the lightsaber duel at the end( I think I'd give it a rating of piss poor over all, a waste of good actors and special effects). However, to "want" the next two films to be rubbish as well is the most ridiculous mentality to have. If you love the first two/three films
( ignoring the Ewoks ROTJ was spectacular) why should you "want" all of the first three new episodes to be shit? I just don't understand you people. -
If you are already badmouthing this movie, I feel sorry for you. You are basically admitting that *nothing* would satisfy you -- not even if Lucas included a Boba Fett / Princess Leia rape scene. What is the matter with you people? This movie sounds wonderful! Also, if you are taking Lucas's comments about 34-year-old internet fans too personally (ooh, what a burn!), then maybe you should look in the mirror, lose some weight and get a social life before you start complaining. I am nearing 34 and I thought his comments were right on target. Everyone seems to have lost their inner child (not trying to be too "Oprah" here), their sense of wonder and childlike attitude. Don't forget that even the original Star Wars trilogy was loaded with stilted dialogue and heavyhanded plot devices. If you notice them *now* but ignore them *then*, you are falling victim to an optical illusion, created by your age, your cynicism and your removal from childhood. "Let go."
-
I'm talking Night Court in its fifth season laaaamme. I saw the AOTC comic adaptation at Tower too. I stood there for a good minute contemplating whether or not to open it, even though deep down I knew I really really didn't want to ruin the movie. It would be kind of like bumping into OJ Simpson at a club and having him offer his hand for a handshake. You wouldn't want to do it, but part of your instinct is to reach out and shake the hand that held the knife. Then you come to your senses and run away. Anyway, I didn't read it. My friend, who CLAIMS to love Star Wars, went right over and opened it up, saying it wouldn't ruin the movie just to flip through it for a second. Weirdo. I went and looked at the DVD section. Tower Records has possibly the worst DVD prices on the planet. That's about it.
-
The Ewoks were awful. Pure and simple. A ghastly and naked grab for merchandising glory. Teddy Bears with spears! Hmph. And wasn't the (original) Ewok victory song at the end of ROTJ after Death Star II went BOOM called 'Workin' Out' or something! But don't get me wrong: I don't worhip every inch of the moves, I just really like them, and am looking forward to EPII, 'cause Big George and me have surprisingly similar tastes in what we like to go onscreen. And it also seems he has finally gotten the message after his last ghastly and naked grab for merchandising glory (Get TEN free Jar Jar masks with your next Happy Meal!!). More film. Less cute. Loadsa fun. Repeat business. LOADSAMONEY.
-
the majorest problem with TPM was the crap characters.
they were generic jedi robot persona's who noone gave a fuck whether lived or died (were u moved when qui gon jin bit it? hmmm didn't think so...what about borimir in LOTR?)
the only strong character who made an impression was freakin' Jar Jar, and he sucked ass
as long as there is someone interesting that the audiance are interseted in (like Han or Vader in the original trilogy), the rest of the movie(action, drama) will work.
-patch
-
Apr 22, 2002 6:01:55 AM CDT
"Personally, I only concern myself with my opinion on film. I re
by cold lazarus
Okay...for Spider-Man we're encouraged to read negative reviews, but we're supposed to avoid negative and/or spoiler talk on Ep. 2? I think there's MORE reason to be justifiably cautious over Star Wars than Spidey, yet Harry seems willing to cast doubt on what will be SW's biggest competition. Interesting...and by the way, that Time article makes it clear that Lucas' strategy with promoting Ep. 2 has been to woo Harry and other internet fan sites into shilling for the film, with special screenings and access. I'd respect Harry more if he just came out and admitted he's compromised by Lucasfilms. Anybody with half a brain realizes this...
-
Lotsa hype, lotsa buildup, lotsa crap. Ask Kevin Smith, who doesn't like Spiderman.
Meanwhile, the new Star Wars movie actually looks decent. Is that weird or what?
-
Apr 22, 2002 6:19:00 AM CDT
correction--it's the Newsweek article that explains Lucasfil
by cold lazarus
Read it for yourself. http://www.msnbc.com/news/741646.asp#BODY
-
So many people on this site approach this movie with a remarkable level of bias and with a decidedly myopic perspective. Many people will not admit the Phantom Menace was a flawed film, and that Attack of the Clones could possibly be equally as flawed. Meanwhile, another faction refuses to admit The Phantom Menace had its redeeming moments, and that it is possible George Lucas will deliver the Star Wars film that will justify all our years of anticipation. The Phantom Mencace was neither the abomination nor the worthy installment that the various contingents on this board purport it to be. Likewise, there is no way we can know if Attack of the Clones will be good or bad until we've seen it, and the fact that some people are already refusing to see it strikes me as horribly presumptious -- it should be seen because it has the potential to be great, and it can't, with its visuals and the bad-ass who is Christopher Lee, be as bad as most of the shit out there (Tomb Raider, anyone?)even if it doesn't live up to expectations.
The fact of the matter is that all the Star Wars posters are both right and wrong. On one hand, the movie might kick some serious ass. No one can deny the actors are talented; Hayden Christiansen, Natalie Portman, and Christopher Lee were all great in their most recent films, and it is not unreasonable to assume that they might make this film's lesser moments endurable and carry its better moments into greatness. Yeah, Lucas failed to summon good performances from talented actors in Episode I . . . but Lucas hadn't directed a movie in quite some time, and his accomplishments warrant giving him the benefit of the doubt. The story looks like it could be interesting, even to the point thay it will, as Harry suggested, make The Phantom Menace better. Passed that, there is the promise of the visuals - the CGI Yoday in the "Breathing Teaser" is fantastic. John Williams' score is also a plus; the love theme is a sweeping and epic piece that has the necessary dark and tragic touches to describe Attack of the Clones' doomed romance. It is brilliant. . . . On the other hand, the movie could suck. The actors have the potential to be great, but the first installment had similar potenital. The acting in the original trilogy improved markedly between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, but there was Episode V also has a new director. Lucas is still directing Episode II, and it is entirely possible that Lucas will, once again, fail to arouse any emotion from his actors, especially since they are constantly acting with something that will not be there until postproduction. Secondly, the story might be contrived, full of horrible dialogue and lacking in the emotional underpinnings needed to make the love plot believable. The fact that Lucas continues to see kids as his primary audience (rather than making an adult film that might appeal to kids) is rather troubling insomuch as story is concerned. Likewise, the visual ride we are all expecting may fall short. The CG Yoda was spectacular and the race through Coruscant, while evocative of The Fifth Element, looks phenominal. Some other parts, however, look incredibly cheesy, with componenets that do not mesh in a realistic manner nor anything close to it. The backgrounds are of specific concern, as is that sequence in the most recent trailer, where the Star Destroyer-esque things are lifting off. Indeed, the visual effects are one of the areas in which people on this site are so narrow-minded. Those that gripe about how fake everything looks ignore the CGI Yoda, or the flying car sequence. Likewise, other people want to ignore the seemingly sub-par CGI, or claim that ALL CGI is bad. This is not at all true. Many films have shown that CGI can be used effectively and realistically: A.I. was, with the last act excluded, an example of seamless live action/ CGI inegration; Dinosaur believably placed CGI animals into real backgrounds; Pearl Harbor was consistently believable; the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings (to say nothing of the Treebeard glimpse we've been granted) was stunning; the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park still hold up today and, indeed, are often difficult to discern from the full-size animatronics. The key to good CGI is time. Attack of the Clones has been in postproduction for a while, so hopefully it will have the kind of effects we want -- the kind in which one ceases to think "Nice special effect" but instead thinks "exciting scence". The best visuals are the ones we don't notice apart from the film.
All in all, posters on this site need to open their eyes to all possibilities, and they need to accept the truth when whichever possibility is realized. An earlier post said it right -- for many of us, the most recent Star Wars was not bad, but it was not special. After so many years of anticipation, we expected something special, something that would awe us as Empire did. Waiting in line, watching the opening crawl as Williams' march errupted in a cacophony through the speakers -- that was special. "Mesa Jar Jar Binks" -- that does not seem special. We cannot say with certainty that this next episode will not be special, nor can we say that it will not be so amazing it makes even The Phantom Menace special. I think we, as movie goers, owe it to ourselves to see if this movie is special, and also not to rationalize the film's flaws if it isn't.
By the way, Harry . . .this post was immense. You should give me a job ;) -
I, RobinP, being of sound mind (most days) and body (it hasn't let me down yet !!!)have just secured tickets for opening day !! Yup, May 16...OPENING DAY. Y'all know you want'em. What's cool here is,thanks to the peculiarities of differing time zones across the world, I will see it before most of the U.S.
Yay.....swish that lightsabre baby. -
Apr 22, 2002 8:38:52 AM CDT
Just to be clear, Time does have a hard-on for Star Wars but pan
by nflrefugee
Look it up. They did praise the first three, so I trust their opinion of the series
-
Apr 22, 2002 8:46:40 AM CDT
an interesting article... as usual Lucas totally misses why peop
by captain katanga
"I said, 'They're gonna hate this. They're gonna get really upset that I have a 9-year-old as the hero.' But what can I do? That's the story. I can't make him 15. The whole story is about where he came from, who is he? You had to start in the beginning." .... this had precisely NOTHING to do with why people didnt like TPM. No one has a problem with the concept of seeing Darth Vader as a child... in fact most people found that a pretty exciting prospect. The problem was the acting, the dialogue, the childish jokes, the unthrilling plot, the relentless barrage of cgi, and the fact that it just didnt feel like Star Wars anymore.
I can totally understand Lucas' position of trying to protect himself from the criticism, I mean after all these films are his babies. But when he says ""There's only one issue for a filmmaker," he says. "Will this make its money back so I can make the next one? With Phantom Menace, we didn't know. It didn't have Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher. It was not a slam dunk." you just know he's bullshitting... I mean its GOT to matter to him when an audience full of raving star wars lunatic fans and children sit muted through the phantom menace, and no one claps at the end. I dont care what he says, that has got to matter to him. LOL and Ive just read this bit: "Just in terms of mass appeal, the movie extends the franchise's target audience from 12-year-old boys (the action stuff) to 15-year-old girls (the smoochy scenes). If it works, Lucas has the Star Wars and Titanic markets in one package.". This article is full of bullshit, it really is.
"Clones is populated with hundreds of computer-generated creatures" OH DEAR... lets hope theyre not all designed to look silly/amusing like they were in TPM.
Wow, and here is the creme de la creme of Lucas bullshitting, proving his complete inabilty to accept any criticism whatsoever: "Lucas blames the anti-Jar Jar sentiment on "37-year-old guys who spend all their time on the Internet. But you have to remember that when we did The Empire Strikes Back, some people hated C-3PO. When we did Jedi, they just loathed the Ewoks. There was no Internet to jazz it up, but there was the same conversation. Fans are very opinionated, and that's good. But I can't make a movie for fans." BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT!!! WHY CANT LUCAS JUST ADMIT THAT HOWVERE YOU LOOK AT IT, JAR JAR WAS SHIT? ON AN ARTISTIC LEVEL, C3PO AND R2D2 WERE FUNNY, WELL WRITTEN CHARCTERS... JAR JAR EMPHATICALLY WASN'T!!! ARGGGHHHHH!!! C3PO NEVER SAID "ICKY ICKY POO"!!!!. THIS KIND OF ARROGANCE IS THE PROBLEM WITH GEORGE LUCAS, HE JUST CANNOT TAKE CRITICISM OF ANY KIND.
-
that is just what Ive been thinking. Both Harry and Time describe the film as "fun" and "entertaining"... words I would use to describe the horribly flawed Phantom Menace. Admittedly they do both say its a lot better than TPM... but still, you kind of hope for a bit more than this for a Star Wars film. And the reason for that is that Star Wars and Empire were CLASSICS. Don't get me wrong, my fingers are still crossed that this will be great.
-
It just seems to me that most of these people are those who jumped on the bandwagon for one reason or another, only going for the bad-ass characters like Darth Maul, Vader, and Boba Fett, while totally neglecting the good guys. I mean, did anybody notice how many times Qui Gon pulled the Jedi Mind Trick? It's funny to look back and see him waving his hand every time he speaks to Boss Nass. "Well maybe you will give us some transportation" "We will give you un a bongo". Plus the way he manipulates everyone WITHOUT the mind trick. Look at how he makes Padme go along with his plans by playing on her ruse of being a mere hand-maiden. You have to understand that The Phantom Menace is about manipulations, and not of the toy buying audience, you SW haters.
-
... Most of us just don't care anymore! There are, in fact, other movies being released this summer... how about some reports/reviews on them.
-
Hey George, guess what, I'm 37. Stop eating hamburgers George and pull your head out of your *ss. Jar Jar was the worst character to ever grace a movie screen. I saw that making of documentary for TPM, and I could see the ass kissing going on. Too bad. The only reason ANH was any good was because you lucked out with Gary Kurtz, Joe Johnson, Ralph Mcquarrie, Dykstra, Marcia etc etc etc. It had very little to do with you, actually. So for you to go around changing the original classic, to alter all that incredible work, and then to criticize US for puking over the shite you put up now, hahahahahahahaha. GET A LIFE.
-
If only you all could cry and wet your large diapers instead of cussing your Fu@king heafs 'til they blow off your necks and roll down the theater aisle.
TPM was "good". Not "great", but "good". The world disagrees with you you. Look at the numbers. The movie is much better than you nose picking trolls give it credit for. You are the minority. Yes.... here comes the real shocker for most of you. You are all ROBOTS!!!. Programmed to follow the lead of cynicsm and negativity. I say... "Damn you stinkin' Robots!!! Damn you all to Hell!!!" -
He just lucked out, he was able to get a bunch of geniuses to work on a new hope. And then he takes all the credit for it. For what? Coming up with words like R2D2?? WOWOWOWOWOW. Amazing. How about the guy that actually CONCEPTUALIZED what it looks like eh? George deep down realizes he is way overhyped, so I can't criticize him for it. But he's just one lucky guy, getting Dykstra and Joe Johnstone and the others at that point in time. Why do you think star wars ending up looking so good? It was an accident, really. Kind of like the Edmonton Oilers, or the High period of the Italian renaissance. To think Lucas had that much to do with it is like saying Paul McCartney is a great songwriter outside the beatles. Star Wars was a cummulative effort, Lucas was just one little piece of it.
-
Apr 22, 2002 10:38:59 AM CDT
George had very little to do with the original series (part 2)
by dmezei
To further my point, remember harrison ford saying, you can write stuff like this george, but we can't say it??? Or Lucas being this incredibly shy guy who wouldn't say boo to anyone the entire time he was directing???? Does this sound like the super genius director with his overarching vision??? NO, its just one wheel in a huge clog that made star wars great. I could write a script tomorrow, take that original crew for ANH and direct a classic. Chewbacca? WTF is that, without the incredible sound and effects??? People, do you see my point?????
-
I'm amazed Time/Warner gets the first dibs on interviews for what essentially is a FOX project, but then again, that's neither here nor there. That said, does anyone think TIME could politicize SW: EP2 anymore please? Obi-Wan a la John Mc Cain??? Padme sounding like Kofi Anan pleading for the Palistinians??? And these are the "good guys"? Vader save us. Bring on the Empire, Chancellor, and don't spare the whip, but at least spare us your political expoliations, George. Thank God you're not interested in making 'historical biopics' like your fellow hippy dippy, Ollie Stone, but I digress. Thankfully, I think I'll be better off paying more attention to the special effects, than worrying about George's warped view of things...but I digress.
-
No, don't worry, I'm not going to reprint the whole review here. But basically it was the first legit review that I can remember, and it said that the movie lacked heart and character development, but they praised Doug Chang's designs, saying that they were "the real stars of the movie". It was a very 'room temperature' review, which was a slightly negative on the whole, but not nearly as vicious as David Ansen's Newsweek review. He just called "TPM", as you guys love calling it, a "disappointment. A big one." Ansen said that Darth Maul was the only character with any real "mein". Getting back to TIME, they said that the movie felt like a two-hour trailer, whisking us from one place to the next, and closed on an optimistic note, saying something about the prequel sequels and "Hype" being a Hollywood synonym for "Hope". In other words, they looked at "Episode I" as a set-up movie. Which doesn't excuse its shortcomings, but rather indicates how the seeds of better things might have been planted. Now they're saying that's the case, basically. But did you read any of G-Lu's quotes on theforce.net? See, I'm still scared, because of the dialogue in the trailers, because of his stubborn detatchment from the 'fans', because TIME didn't just do a review, but rather a feature piece...which reminds me...TIME had an issue a week or two BEFORE the official review that was an Episode I PREVIEW ISSUE that was basically a spoiler-lite FLUFF PIECE. The review was in a standard news issue. I expect them to follow the same format here. Wait another week or two, and THEN see what they REALLY think. Plus, see what others think. TIME thought that "Murder By Numbers" was "easily the best" of the recent 'Women-In-Trouble' movies, including "Panic Room". At the very least, how can any of those films be "easily" the superlative? BOTTOM LINE: GIVE THE MOVIE A FAIR CHANCE, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ CRITIC'S REVIEWS, GIVE THE MOST CREDENCE TO THE ONES WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COVERAGE ON THE MOVIE. Example: Do you think that, say, theforce.net, is going to slam the movie? But how about "Local Free Scene Times Other Weekly Paper" and its totally anonymous critics? Sure, they're underpaid and VERY bitter, but it's better than people who want exclusive photos of Episode III. (exhale) Whew. Later.
-
Apr 22, 2002 11:46:51 AM CDT
Shai-Hulud: some cool points there, bub. One thing I'm not s
by otto parts
...is that business about Anakin returning to Tatooine in Ep IV. Does he? I cannot remember him being anywhere outside of a spaceship in that entire film! I may remember wrong, but I don't think he does. Who cares, anyway, because at 11.40pm GST, I will be at Odeon Marble Arch lining up with a few hundred other very happy nerds. Why will we be so happy? because, as another poster stated, it will be the first time we get to watch a big hollywood movie on general release BEFORE they're watching it in the States. I say anyone in this position should come back home afterwards and post some kind of review at AICN, in whichever talkback seems most appropiate. Maybe it's a dumb idea but I'm so stoked I will definitely be doing this.
-
As bad as the super-clean, shiny, sterile CGI was in TPM, nearly every line of dialogue is so horrifyingly bad it's laughable. It's like a teletubbies episode. The only actor who had any sort of feeling whatsoever was Liam, and even he wasn't given much to work with. The accents of Jar-Jar, Niemodians, BossNass, and Watto are just awful. I don't know if it's racially insensitive, it's just annoying as hell and childish. I'm surprised he didn't go back and give Jabba a french canadian accent in the ROTJ special edition. I'm really hoping AOTC will be great, honest. I have no reason to want it to fail. I wonder though, if Lucas understands the reasons why TPM was a poor, poor effort. Jar Jar wasn't the half of it George... Still, Christopher Lee with a lightsaber, pretty hard to screw this one up. :)
-
Apr 22, 2002 12:13:39 PM CDT
This movie is gonna make a SHIT-LOAD of money on opening weekend
by rick mccallum
-
Apr 22, 2002 12:17:33 PM CDT
So is Episode III going to have an aircar race sequence, too?
by prof. pop-cult
GEEZ, can we say "repetitive"? Count me as another individual who will wait a week or two after the film's premiere to watch it. I'm curious to see how the high-def "digital film" look will hold up. I still harbor doubts that it will look enough like film to fool observant eyes.
-
Time published a bunch of hype, but Corliss gave the movie a bad review. The fact that Corliss is actually saying good things (looks like VERY good things) is encouraging. And yes, TPM was lame, frankly I'm so sick of the "you've lost your inner child" bull. "Fanboys" didn't hate Jar Jar, the average person didn't like him (same goes for the movie in general, and it DID get a rotten on RT). But it looks like there's hope for Ep2.
-
Why are so many of you so determined for this movie to fail? I just can't fathom why you would want it to. Even if it comes out and everyone love its and it scores 100 on rotten tomatoes you'll still be saying it sucks or at least still be saying "Yeah it's cool but TPM still sucks and this doesn't change that." The point is that this movie has a very good chance of being great and you just can't stand it. If it comes out and rules you'll be so heartbroken for some reason. Get a life.
-
Personally, I think Lucas will never top Return of the Jedi, unless he does actually follow through with Episodes 7-9. That is where it would get very interesting....
-
First of all, just save the 'matter of opinion' card, "kgbmanx". Never top "Jedi?" Uh, he did it twice, namely the two movies that preceded it. And depending on what kind of mood I'm in, I'll flip a coin between that film and Episode I. Why? Namely because it was a mail-in performance by just about everyone involved. The only person that seemed to care in it was Mark Hamill. (Probably because he knew his film career was over, but he's done well with the voice acting, so no knock there) Hell, Harrison Ford WANTED to be killed off in the first reel, and the Death Star run had very little suspense as far as how it was destroyed. Lucas wanted to originally have Lando and the Falcon perish in the Death Star, but the happy ending won out. And the Ewoks collectively were just wrong, even though Wicket would TKO Binks within two rounds. I can't believe I typed that, but, hell, I'll leave it. The point is, "Jedi" was the culmination, and succeeded strictly on the momentum of the first two films. And it does have characters that are really developed, which is good, but they were played by actors that didn't really want to be there, which isn't so good. Which makes me wonder: if Natalie Portman grows weary of the films by Episode III, how will we be able to tell? Maybe her 'performance' was Lucas' insurance policy. Who knows? It's all for the Poke-kids anyways.
-
I may be a bit ahead of myself but I want to know... FIRST, lemme say to the rational CARDINAL PHANTOM: Good words, dude. Plus you're long-winded like me, so I identify with that. Sometimes we get carried away with this stuff. OKAY EPISODE 3: I picked up the Attack of the Clones comic adaptation today and flipped through it myself. Interesting stuff. Here's the thing: ****MINOR SPOILER: Anakin hasn't donned the mask by the end of the movie. It LOOKS like it'll be a somewhat up ending. END MINOR SPOILER**** Now, WHAT THIS TELLS ME is that Lucas is gonna have some Serious ground to cover in Episode 3. We have to see Anakin's turn to the Dark Side, his battle with Obi-Wan that destroys his body, and HOPEFULLY a Darth Vader that starts kicking all kinds of ass on the Jedi Order and starts their extermination. Unfortunately, I don't think that that's what we're gonna get. It's like I said before. Lucas wasted Episode One with too much boring exposition. He tripped on his way off the starting blocks and now he's only got 4 hours of movie to tell the story that he should have had 6 to tell. I just have this dreadful feeling that Episode 3 is going to end with Anakin donning the helmet and turning toward the camera menacingly while Obi-Wan gives baby Leia to Jimmy Sm- I mean Bail Organa, and goes off to Tattooine with baby Luke to give to Owen. A bitter-sweet end to be sure, but DAMN. In the 20 years of foreplay we had (great analogy points to the TBer that raised that one), I always figured that Anakin would make his turning point into Vader about halfway through Ep.2, or at the latest by the end of Ep.2... Then we'd have a whole movie of the new Dark Lord wiping out the Jedi, turning the Old Rep. into his little playground and stomping on the last formalized resistance to Palpatine's rule. Alas it will not be so. It looks like the only way we'll ever see THAT happen is if Lucas decides that he's gonna do a new Episode Four (renumbering the Classic Trilogy into 5,6,and7) or something like that. Of course, that would mean admitting PUBLICLY -more publicly than his reaction to the rough cut on the Ep1DVD (which I've always seen as definitive proof of his failure-thanks to the poster who brought that up)- where was I?- He'd have to admit publicly that Episode One was NOT the movie he set out to make. And I just don't see Uncle George being man enough to admit that he was wrong. And to SHERLOCK HOLMES: and ANYONE ELSE who still thinks that there's ever going to be this mysterious THIRD TRILOGY: IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Lucas toyed with the idea a LOooooONG time ago. But in recent years, he's said numerous times that A)he feels that the novels have filled the Post-ROTJ era well, and B)he simply doesn't want to spend another 10 or 11 years of his life making more Star Wars movies. He has other stories that he wants to tell. Other movies he wants to make. SO LET THE DREAM GO. I'm pretty sure that Eps7,8,&9 were born of a pipe dream from eager actors like Hamill, excited fanboys like us, and the wicked-evil media feeding off the frenzy. 'Nuff said, and snoogins. (Hey I post long messages, too, AND I'm a Texan! Give ME a job, Harry!) --Wampa1 out.
-
I don't know, guys. If Uncle George has ever checked out an AICN talkback, how could he not be a little derisive of some of his 'fans'? Of course he wants to make an entertaining movie that people will enjoy and I'm sure he's aware of some of the problems in 'The Phantom Menace'. Some people take 'Star Wars' (and 'Spider-man' and 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hulk', etc.) far too seriously, and some people will never be happy. How much time should Lucas really spend dwelling on the concerns of people called 'Anal Anthrax' and 'General Custer' and 'TPMSUXASS'? You're beneath contempt, you know that don't you? I've spoiled the movie for myself. I've read the script, I know just about everything that's going to happen. And I can't wait to see how it plays out because I like almost all of it. As opposed to 'The Phantom Menace', where I'd read various negative and mixed reviews as well as the novelization prior to seeing the movie. Walking into the theatre I knew that it would be somewhat short on action, drama and characterization, that Darth Maul had little to do, that Jar Jar was a pain in the ass, that Jake Lloyd would need to be the world's finest child actor in order to make Anakin bearable (Seriously, why couldn't they have gotten Osment? Have you seen the DVD? That other kid who auditioned was so much better than Lloyd. "It's not my fault I'm so good at building things!" I hate to speak ill of children, but I don't like that kid.) 'Attack of the Clones' is a whole nother kettle of fish though. It's gonna be awesome.
-
Oh right, I forgot: They've obviously put out the comic book adaptation this early because they want to make money off of us. Comics adaptations really haven't been hot since the 1980s, if they were even hot THEN. Why buy a four-issue limited series (or even a tradepaperback) if you can watch the movie itself? That convention I talked about here once before where Howard Roffman, the head of Lucasfilm Marketing spoke-- He flat out asked the audience if we'd like to see the Phantom Menace's novelization out on bookstands maybe a month before the movie was released. The room shook with a resounding NO!!! from the fans there. And he seemed to take in the input...and yet a year and a half later, what did we see on on the shelves of Waldenbooks? Not ONE novelization, but 4 different "collector's covers" of it! It's all about hte Benjamins, Baby.
-
Theforce.net has 'em all. Slow downloads though. Oh, and everyone get Pop-Up Eliminator, and stop bitching.
-
Apr 22, 2002 11:42:20 PM CDT
monkeyjoe wrote : "You are basically admitting that *nothing* wo
by iamlegolas
If a rape scene appeals to anyone, I feel sorry for them.
-
Well, actually I do agree that Lucas wasted a lot of opportunities by not pushing the story along more in Phantom Menace. As a result the last two movies will be crammed indeed. What I diagree with you over, however, is how the third film will play (or should) play out. Like a friend of mine you believe that Anakin should be Vadar about halfway in Ep III, and that after his transformation he should wipe out the Jedis. I don't see it happening like that. I see Anakin betraying the Jedis near the end of the film which will lead to the beginning of their destruction. Only after Anakin has done so do I see Obi Wan taking on Anakin. This will be the climatic moment of the film. Why? Because it will be the MOST emotional moment to the characters and the audience and it will be the most crucial moment of the new films. Their fight is what its all about. With all the history between them and the sense of betrayal that Obi Wan would feel it can't get any better than the two of them duking it out, master against pupil. Obi Wan will definitely feel responsible for the Jedi's fall because Anakin was under his guidance and he will use this anger to lead him to one last victory against the forces of darkness. He will beat Anakin and escape with his children knowing that he will have to wait before he can turn the tide back in favor of the jedi and the forces of good. And the story wil end there and should end there. Perhaps we'll see a scene in which Anakin is fitted into the Vadar uniform for the first time but tat's it. Having Vadar, as you suggested, around for half the film would be ridiculous. You can't recapture that magic of Vadar and throwing him into half of a film would be a horrible decision on Lucas' part. No, the betrayal of the Jedis, the duel between Anakin and Obi Wan and, possibly, the death of Amidala, will be the emotional zenith of the movie and you want all of them to ocur at the END of the film. You don't want them to be spread out and occur as early as midway through the motion picture. Besides as Vadar told the old man in a New Hope the last time they met Obi Wan was the master. I take it that that last time was when Obi Wan defeated Anakin. If this fight between them happenes during the middle of Episode 3 then what is Obi Wan doing in the movie when Vadar is knockng off all the Jedis in the second half of the film? Hiding in the closet? I'm sorry. That doesn't work. Sometims what you don't see is more powerful. We don't have to see Anakn/Vadar kill off all the jedis outside of Obi Wan and Yoda. That's overkill. Yes, it should be suggested that the rest of the jedis are or are going to be wiped out but we don't have to see it on the screen.
-
to say AOTC will bomb when you haven't even seen it yet. just because you felt you got burned on TPM, you aren't willing to see AOTC for what it is..the beginning of the meat of the SW saga? that's sad for you. the only one that will miss out is you, not the rest of the folks that will be lining up to see it.
it's better this way anyway, i much rather go see a movie where the movie goers are there cause they want to enjoy the movie and not critize it to bit. there's not one movie made that is flawless. every movie has mistakes if you want to find it. get over it, life is NOT perfect.
just look in the mirror to find an example.
-
Apr 23, 2002 12:57:48 AM CDT
I hope AOTC is awesome but if it sucks then it's just a movi
by tarl_cabot
One reason TPM was so dissapointing was the drought of great popcorn movies (there were plenty of great dramatic films) that occured in the 90's; I thought The Phantom Menace would be a great breath of fresh air and revitalize the summer blockbuster and it failed despite contrary box office reciepts. The movie that really did what Star Wars was "supposed" to do was "The Matrix". It has easily been the most influental sci-fi entertainment movie in years. So, TPM was a dud with a few great parts mixed in that were enough for people to buy $921M worth of tickets. If "Clones" gets it right, as in comparably entertaining to the original films, this thing will "make a shitload of money" and restore George's stature as a visionary filmmaker. If it's REALLY great it will sink Titanic; I have no doubt because if a bad Star Wars film does almost a Billion dollars than a great one will be off the f-ing charts! But if it sucks again than there are so many cool movies to see as alternatives to Star Wars movies: The Matrix could be the best trilogy ever(along with the Samurai trilogy)-as could The LOTR trilogy.Then there's M. Night Shymalyan with his unique films...Spiderman...A lot of good stuff out there now.Anyway, AOTC won't be as bad as TPM; Jake Loyd's absence and Jar Jar's diminished role garantee's that. Lighten up everyone! These talk backs are getting more negative everyday! It's pointless to bash TPM haters-I hated it too but now I'm looking forward to AOTC; my diminished expectations just may lend pleasant surprise to a very satisfying 2 hour movie.
-
Apr 23, 2002 12:59:55 AM CDT
Wampa1 and Episode III (Too Tired To Try To Be Clever Here...)
by jollydwarf
...yawn...anyways, The Voice himself, that's right, James Earl Jones said at least two or three years ago that Lucas was going to tap him for about five minutes of dialogue for Episode III. Boy, he'd better do it soon! Don't take any chances you don't have to. What this means, though, is that you can expect to see the Helmet or some early version of it in the last reel of the film. TANGENTIAL SPOILER ALERT! While I have no idea, I think Anakin "officially" turns to the Dark Side upon somehow killing Dooku. It's the same 'Out with the Old, In with the New' rite of passage Palpatine tried to instigate in "Jedi". That'll probably happen early in the film. Then midway we get the Obi Wan/Anakin duel. I think you're right, though, Wampa1, that he's got way too much stuff to compress into roughly four hours and thirty minutes between these last two films. Episode I could've with better dialogue and some serious tweaking, been a worthy movie. So I don't fault him for the set-up film. But he had to look at the time line of the three films and say "This is all the time I've got. Seven hours, tops." I also think that he's got a major manipulation to get rid of the Jedi in one easy masterstroke of the Emperor's. Obi Wan will be saved because of chasing down Anakin, and Yoda is just Yoda. My only hope is that he doesn't pull punches in the third one. People should be horrified. People should turn their heads when a horribly disfigured Anakin is condemned to his life support suit. We should see him excruciatingly wheezing, just a breath away from death. We should see Amidala totally disconsolate, almost suicidal. We should see Obi Wan with the look of the damned, feeling that it's all his fault. We should see all but total resignation in Yoda. We should see Count Dooku crippled, begging for mercy, having a relapse of darkness, remembering the Jedi he once was. We should see the Emperor's final, horrific revelation through the eyes of the characters we care about. How does he get those sickly yellow eyes? We need to, for closure's sake, see Qui Gon appear to Obi Wan on Tatooine. And while I'm sure there's more things that need to happen, we need to see a young Admiral Ackbar! His sigh when the Super Destroyer was going down is easily the most sincere moment in "Jedi". What does that say?
-
To THEVISTOR: Well, you kinda put some words in my mouth there, bud. I didn't say that "Vadar" should wipe out the Jedi in Ep.3 down to just Obi-Wan and Yoda...The final two movies are going to indeed be crammed to the gills without having to slaughter thousands of Jedi Knights (unless "Vadar" gets them all on one planet and hijacks the DeathStar prototype or some KevinJ.Anderson crap like that, Godhelpus). No. But what a turn in Anakin in Ep.2 WOULD have given us is time for events that are outside our knowledge as of right now. After AotC comes out we only have one movie in which a number of events will definitely happen. And I feel there will be precious little time for anything else. 1)Anakin will fall to the Dark Side and become Darth "Vadar". 2)Obi-Wan will confront "Vadar" 3)If Lucas holds to his original story, "Vadar" will be so terribly wounded in this battle (perhaps falling into lava), that he will need to become a cyborg ("more machine than man") with the breath-mask and all that fun stuff. 4)The Skywalker twins will be born. 5)Amidala will likely meet her end - likely tied to #1 here. 6)Yoda may go into hiding on Dagobah. 7)Obi-Wan will take the twins to live with their respective foster parents. 8)Oh, and this whole Clone War business needs to come to a dramatically satisfying conclusion. The Empire will rise, but the seeds of Rebellion (and Redemption) will have been planted. NOW>>>that's a lot to cram into a movie for sure. And I'm sure if the hype about ATOC is on the mark, then it'll be super exciting. BUT>>> If Lucas had gotten into the story faster with Episode One, jumping into telling the story instead of all that set-up, then he'd have time to TELL ME SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW. That's the other end of the missed opportunity from the slow start. Now sure, he has time to tell the kernel of what we already know but not much more. The HOWs of things will be fleshed out, but I can't help but think that if Anakin had donned his Black armor or even only just turned to the Dark Side becoming "Darth Vadar" by the end of Ep.2, then we'd all be saying "HOLY CRAP! What's gonna happen NEXT??" He'd have a whole 2 hours to play around with in that scenario alone, and all we would know of Episode 3 would be the very very end (obviously the two remaining Jedi Masters go into hiding with the twins.) THEVISITOR, I will agree with you on some things before I hit the sack. There's no doubt in my mind that, as things have to play out now, that the end of Ep.3 will be the battle between Kenobi and "Vadar". You NEED a lightsaber battle to cap off the movie. It's the formula. And above all, I agree that LESS *IS* MORE (it's why the Super Special editions (and the SEs) don't do it for me). BUT, y'know...I really WOULD like to see good ol' DV kicking Goodness in the butt. Gimme a payoff for the assmunch that he is in AOTC...I want to see how that death and devestation that he brings, and the knowledge of how he was responsible for it, affects Obi-Wan. MTFBWY'all.
-
Yeah, JOLLYDWARF, some really good images there. I never really stopped to think about how disillusioned Yoda will have to become...remembering how genuinely he did not want to train Luke. And as sad as it is, you're probably right about the Admiral Ackbar sigh... best Muppet acting EVER. :) Personally I'm waiting for the Chewbacca cameo - I mean, the guy's 200 years old; Let's see him! ... speaking of which, I wonder if George has something Han/Chewie related p his sleeve for either of these flicks...The meeting of the daring duo (and the other BIG events in Han's life) has always been off limits for the authors of the Expanded Universe...
-
The following pretty much sums up my feelings about TPM (except I didn't like a couple of his "good points", and I think all the bad acting was actually bad writing & directing - you can't blame a 9 year old for not doing a good job) and those who defend it.
Oh yeah, on other thing. I saw Jedi the other day and read the script. Anyone who compares Jedi with Menace doesn't know shit about movies. Jedi had a great script, with lots of genuine laughs, great action, great character development and great SFX. Jabba's a terrific villain, and the Emperor is all an all-powerful evil emperor should be and more. The Ewoks were well within the bounds of the "camp" already established. There was only one cringe-worthy scene in the whole movie. Nuff Said.******But onto the Mighty......
The Mighty one here. This will be my final review?maybe. We?ll see what my future holds. I hope I?m still able to piss everyone off. Well, here goes
*****
DEATH TO LUCAS!!! I want him DEAD! I want his Family DEAD! I want his friends DEAD! I want Skywalker Ranch burned down to the ground so I can go up there and piss on the ashes!
*****
Other than that, how y?all doin?? Oh, I know how most of you are?it?s like you just came and realized you blew your wad on a 75 year old whore named Flo. It was your first time and it wasn?t all that great. All the waiting?the anticipation and now you finally realized that it wasn?t all THAT. The pathetic thing is you fuckin losers that have planned your whole life around this second coming can?t and won?t even admit that the movie pretty much sucked. You?re in such a state of denial. Years from now, when you?re lying on your Shrink?s couch, trying to figure out why you beat your kids and had sex with the neighbor?s cat, Psychiatrists will trace everything back to this tremendous let down and this state of denial that you have been living in lo these many years. You freaks actually made Trekkies look cool?a feat that seemed nearly impossible. For Christsakes, people, it?s only a fuckin? movie!!!
*****
I just thank my lucky stars I stayed grounded in reality when it came to this flick. I didn?t get overly excited. I waited a total of 4 hours in line and THAT was 3 hours and 59 minutes too long. At the end of the film I turned to one of my buds and said, ?GODZILLA?s lookin? mighty good.?
*****
I wasn?t devastated that the movie sucked. I had a feeling it would. However, I didn?t think it would be as bad as it was. I expected some Ewok lameness, but Jar Jar and the rest of the kiddie-ish antics went far and beyond the call of lame. Even kids groan at the stupidity and silliness in front of them. This is not a fuckin Muppet Movie, George. I expected to see Miss Piggy kicking some Imperial ass in the background. If you were to combine the lameness of Godzilla, TMNT II, and ID4, it doesn?t even come close to the amount of lameness incorporated into this horrendous piece of shit.
*****
Let the Mighty one break down the lameness for you:
*****
THE DIRECTING ? For the love of Spielberg, George, let someone else direct the sequels. Granted, you?ve been sitting on your bum for 22 years, but that?s no excuse. Your total lack of attention paid to your actors was quite evident. You were more concerned with those phony looking Gungans than with the flesh and blood in front of you. This was never more apparent than in the goodbye scene between Ani and his mother. I?ve witnessed more warmth during a Mob hit. This was meant to be the tender scene?the emotional core of the movie. It was treated in such a blas -
OK I'm starting off by saying I'm both a huge Star Wars fan and I'm really stoned. I'm telling you this first so you know my mindset at writing this. Everybody on the face of this planet can enjoy AOTC. I'm not saying everyone will, in fact I"m sure alot of people will hate it. However, my grandfather always told me, "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please everyone all the time." There will be stuff in AOTC that everybody can enjoy. The hardcore fans will have much to enjoy. The fanboys have both a young Boba and his bad ass daddy, as well as "Christopher Lee with a lightsaber." as one TB'er stated it so perfectly simple. Girls will have an interesting young romance in troubling times. Boys will have...(insert anything in the movie here). Hopefully the Acadamey will recognize the artistic brilliance of the design and the visual and sound effects.
This movie has the potential to be one of the coolest movies of all time. It has a great story that people have been anticipating for decades. This is the story we were waiting for and expecting in Episode 1.
AOTC is presented with the task of restoring a once nearly unblemished name of argueably the greatest series in film history to it's former glory. (sorry, you'll have to decipher that yourself) The hype is considerable less for this film than what it was for ep1. Around this time in '99 Star Wars was on TV or in a magazine EVERYWHERE. With little more than 3 weeks to go, we have seen comparitivly very little of Star Wars. This will be the farmland for a great hype once the movie is released. Spider-Man will be a great warm up, and Star Wars will blow up this summer. Everyone will see it because everyone will be talking about it.
So, why not just enjoy this movie. Thats right you! You know that you find something cool in this movie. You are looking forward to something, dwell on that instead of the part you don't like. So what if you don't like CGI Yoda? Isn't that a preference thing instead of an objective right or wrong? Anyways, I'm still high. See you at AOTC. -
OK I'm starting off by saying I'm both a huge Star Wars fan and I'm really stoned. I'm telling you this first so you know my mindset at writing this. Everybody on the face of this planet can enjoy AOTC. I'm not saying everyone will, in fact I"m sure alot of people will hate it. However, my grandfather always told me, "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please everyone all the time." There will be stuff in AOTC that everybody can enjoy. The hardcore fans will have much to enjoy. The fanboys have both a young Boba and his bad ass daddy, as well as "Christopher Lee with a lightsaber." as one TB'er stated it so perfectly simple. Girls will have an interesting young romance in troubling times. Boys will have...(insert anything in the movie here). Hopefully the Acadamey will recognize the artistic brilliance of the design and the visual and sound effects.
This movie has the potential to be one of the coolest movies of all time. It has a great story that people have been anticipating for decades. This is the story we were waiting for and expecting in Episode 1.
AOTC is presented with the task of restoring a once nearly unblemished name of argueably the greatest series in film history to it's former glory. (sorry, you'll have to decipher that yourself) The hype is considerable less for this film than what it was for ep1. Around this time in '99 Star Wars was on TV or in a magazine EVERYWHERE. With little more than 3 weeks to go, we have seen comparitivly very little of Star Wars. This will be the farmland for a great hype once the movie is released. Spider-Man will be a great warm up, and Star Wars will blow up this summer. Everyone will see it because everyone will be talking about it.
So, why not just enjoy this movie. Thats right you! You know that you find something cool in this movie. You are looking forward to something, dwell on that instead of the part you don't like. So what if you don't like CGI Yoda? Isn't that a preference thing instead of an objective right or wrong? Anyways, I'm still high. See you at AOTC. -
it barely made sense to anyone that read it at first. and he approved the artwork eh? Well I remember reading that anytime anyone went to him for clarification, lucas would say 'that's your job, figure it out'. He wasn't even around when they developed the whole @#@#$% hardware and software for the special effects bud! Capice? Lucas LUCKED OUT with the original star wars, and he's done shite since...and graffiti is way overrated, just a silly soap story for you yankees...
-
I don't know if "Lucked out" is the right way to put it...But I think he had a lot more at stake making his first movie, and he had a much smaller budget. I mean, sure, the Cantina scene never seemed finished even to our eyes, but the starship effects were awesome for their time... When he had to do more with less, when he was forced to strech his resouces, that was when the ground-breaking aspects came together. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that.
-
It is amusing that the Time article describes the politicking in TPM as boring, because that's all that happened in Episode I of any consequence. There's a neat podrace that'll look like the trench run to us in another 20 years, and a lightsaber duel that is going to look like Obi on Vader after seeing Dooku, Anakin, and Yoda in action. That's about it. About the political views the author read into Padme's lines, he probably would interpret fairly vague bits of dialogue as echoing his own Arafascist sentiments. It doesn't mean Lucas built a diatribe into his script, or that Portman would've read lines she felt were Israel-bashing. About the way Lucas describes the Republic becoming the Empire, yes, yes, yes. This is the way I envisioned it. The people get tired of corrupt or "merely" inept bureaucracy not getting things done, and pick one charismatic leader to make the trains run on time. Their armies get spiffy uniforms, the cities are cleaner and more regal, crime is less of a problem (not counting state-sanctioned killings, of course), etc etc. Faster than you can say, "hang on a minute," they're living in the Empire.
-
Just to let all you in the us that i've got my ticket booked for AOTC at 11AM UK time May 16th.
I'm not gloating or anything but i'm also seeing it at 8PM as well. So I will have seen it twice before you have even had a chance to order your popcorn. Isn't time difference wonderful!!!!
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 159 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 155 total posts 140 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 45 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 34 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 32 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 118 total posts 27 posts