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Added by BobiRoka, 16-05-2008
I bought the 'new' trilogy on DVD with some vouchers just after Xmas because it was cheap and I thought that no matter what I actually thought about the movies I really should own them by now.
And so, having had the past week and a half off work and with it an insane amount of disposable 'me time' available I thought I'd sit through them again. If for no other reason than to watch 'Revenge of the Sith' again - haven't watched it since the Leicester Square Day 1 showing back in 2005 or whenever and I remember it being quite an emotional ordeal at the time. What with it being the absolute end*
A long time ago in small town outside london, I did originally decide to hold out for all 6 films to come out in some kind of uber boxed set, but the 2 disc DVD versions are pretty cool IMHO. The chapters are all very short, so you can get to that 'awesome bit' very easily with very little tedious waffle and there are loads of deleted scenes which - correct me if I'm wrong - have been added into the movies in a cool 'extended cut' type way. I'm not concrete about this btw, only I'm sure there were a few things I didn't notice first time around.
So far, I'm halfway through Clones and am quite amazed - having watched both films in such proximity - by the general increase in quality after the credits have rolled on Phantom Menace. Maybe it's that Jar Jar Binks CUNT, or perhaps that annoying little CUNT playing young 'Annie'. Or even - and this applies to WHOLE trilogy - how wooden the dialogue is. Honestly, at time it really is quite criminal. I find the whole 'story' to be excellent. Even in Menace, the way that Palpatine uses the Trade Federation to manouvre himself into Power is quite expertly conceived and this whole 'dark conspiracy' thing seems expertly woven into the plot. When they're doing all the serious grown up type stuff it really work, it's just that when they're not it's so hopelessly flat...
Thankfully, the pod-racing 'set-piece' is still mindblowing as is the Gungan/Droid battle/Naboo Palace Infiltration/Trade Federation Ship Destruction/OBI WAN Vs DARTH MAUL FUCKING LIGHTSABER BATTLE RAAAAAAH! With the exception of the latter, as individual parts they would be a bit cack, but with it all cutting from one to the other and with THAT DOUBLE ENDED LIGHTSABER it all seems to end in complete triumph.
Having watched the first hour of Clones pretty much straight afterwards, it really is a comparitively much more confident movie. Though it still suffers slightly in the stiffness of the acting dept - which has the knock on effect of turning the romantic interludes into the worst kind of sub-soap pap - it has the benefit of having Obi Wan play a MUCH bigger part in the story. Really, I think, this is Obi Wan's movie. At least that's how it feels after the Kamino visit, which culminates in a seriously cool stand off with one Jango Fett.
We'll see how the rest of it pans out with my less naive disposition later this weekend...
*Am still dubious/slightly dismissive of the Clones Cartoon coming out this summer.
A long time ago in small town outside london, I did originally decide to hold out for all 6 films to come out in some kind of uber boxed set, but the 2 disc DVD versions are pretty cool IMHO. The chapters are all very short, so you can get to that 'awesome bit' very easily with very little tedious waffle and there are loads of deleted scenes which - correct me if I'm wrong - have been added into the movies in a cool 'extended cut' type way. I'm not concrete about this btw, only I'm sure there were a few things I didn't notice first time around.
So far, I'm halfway through Clones and am quite amazed - having watched both films in such proximity - by the general increase in quality after the credits have rolled on Phantom Menace. Maybe it's that Jar Jar Binks CUNT, or perhaps that annoying little CUNT playing young 'Annie'. Or even - and this applies to WHOLE trilogy - how wooden the dialogue is. Honestly, at time it really is quite criminal. I find the whole 'story' to be excellent. Even in Menace, the way that Palpatine uses the Trade Federation to manouvre himself into Power is quite expertly conceived and this whole 'dark conspiracy' thing seems expertly woven into the plot. When they're doing all the serious grown up type stuff it really work, it's just that when they're not it's so hopelessly flat...
Thankfully, the pod-racing 'set-piece' is still mindblowing as is the Gungan/Droid battle/Naboo Palace Infiltration/Trade Federation Ship Destruction/OBI WAN Vs DARTH MAUL FUCKING LIGHTSABER BATTLE RAAAAAAH! With the exception of the latter, as individual parts they would be a bit cack, but with it all cutting from one to the other and with THAT DOUBLE ENDED LIGHTSABER it all seems to end in complete triumph.
Having watched the first hour of Clones pretty much straight afterwards, it really is a comparitively much more confident movie. Though it still suffers slightly in the stiffness of the acting dept - which has the knock on effect of turning the romantic interludes into the worst kind of sub-soap pap - it has the benefit of having Obi Wan play a MUCH bigger part in the story. Really, I think, this is Obi Wan's movie. At least that's how it feels after the Kamino visit, which culminates in a seriously cool stand off with one Jango Fett.
We'll see how the rest of it pans out with my less naive disposition later this weekend...
*Am still dubious/slightly dismissive of the Clones Cartoon coming out this summer.
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Hmmm... don't know how 'Original' made it into the Blog Title there... You know what I f**king mean etc...
Phantom Menace is just s**t, in its entirety, fact.
I never thought Phantom Menace could be anything but disapointing. The worst bits in no particular order being the Pod Race, Jar f**king Jar alf f**ker, midichloreans and little Tranny.
But then it was always going to be a difficult job. A new film set in a universe everyone is familiar with and worse still we all knew how Revenge had to end before Menace was made.
The only really bad stuff in Clones was the falling in love crap. Esential for the plot I know but the acting was so bad.
But then it was always going to be a difficult job. A new film set in a universe everyone is familiar with and worse still we all knew how Revenge had to end before Menace was made.
The only really bad stuff in Clones was the falling in love crap. Esential for the plot I know but the acting was so bad.
The trailer for the Clone Wars movie gave me hope that it may skim over the wooden-ness of the acting - they're cartoons, of course they can't act!
Don't get me started on the Midichlorians.....
Worst thing for me, even more than Jar Jar, was without a doubt Hayden Christiansan (or whatever) who was just plain awful, as he appears to be in everything. I disliked him even more then the child. He had zero chemistry with the Portman and their 'love affair' was never convincing.
A clever story let down by bloody awful scripts, poor acting and a very weak reason for Annakin to become Darth.
Palpy "Do it or she might die".
Annie "Why?"
Palpy "Cos I said so"
Annie "Oh. 'kay then"
(door slams)
Palpy "twalf, lol"
They pulled it together for the ending with the younger Grand Moff Tarkin (my fave link to the Orig) but in the middle of Revenge I totally thought they'd blown it for good.
Worst thing for me, even more than Jar Jar, was without a doubt Hayden Christiansan (or whatever) who was just plain awful, as he appears to be in everything. I disliked him even more then the child. He had zero chemistry with the Portman and their 'love affair' was never convincing.
A clever story let down by bloody awful scripts, poor acting and a very weak reason for Annakin to become Darth.
Palpy "Do it or she might die".
Annie "Why?"
Palpy "Cos I said so"
Annie "Oh. 'kay then"
(door slams)
Palpy "twalf, lol"
They pulled it together for the ending with the younger Grand Moff Tarkin (my fave link to the Orig) but in the middle of Revenge I totally thought they'd blown it for good.
...just finished watching the last half of Clones.
The first two films both have amazing endings. Menace, with it's multiple strands all on different war-fronts and Clones, with it's gladatorial monster pit fight, which turns into a huge battle with loads of Jedi charging at aliens and droids, which turns into a full scale Clone Vs Droid battle, which finally turns into a lightsaber fight between Dooku, Anakin, Obi Wan and... YODA!!!
Am still annoyed by the woodedness of it all though. It even sounds forced coming from McGregor and Jackson at times and they're both fine actors. To be fair though I think the green screen stuff probably killed it, not to mention Lucas' cack dialogue. Though when you look at something like Beowulf, there's not really much excuse is there... Improved technology? Processes...? No other tech heavy film seems to have suffered as much.
Will probably watch 'Sith tonight... which is what all of this is in aid of really. Quite excited I am too... :)
And someone please amend the heading of this blog (and delete the one that I last posted too pls pls pls!)
The first two films both have amazing endings. Menace, with it's multiple strands all on different war-fronts and Clones, with it's gladatorial monster pit fight, which turns into a huge battle with loads of Jedi charging at aliens and droids, which turns into a full scale Clone Vs Droid battle, which finally turns into a lightsaber fight between Dooku, Anakin, Obi Wan and... YODA!!!
Am still annoyed by the woodedness of it all though. It even sounds forced coming from McGregor and Jackson at times and they're both fine actors. To be fair though I think the green screen stuff probably killed it, not to mention Lucas' cack dialogue. Though when you look at something like Beowulf, there's not really much excuse is there... Improved technology? Processes...? No other tech heavy film seems to have suffered as much.
Will probably watch 'Sith tonight... which is what all of this is in aid of really. Quite excited I am too... :)
And someone please amend the heading of this blog (and delete the one that I last posted too pls pls pls!)
