I have now seen Star Wars Episode I and it has been a few days since I have seen it. Now that I have had some time to deconstruct it I will review it. To those of you who have simply written off the the new movies on principle be warned.. I actually plan to give this movie a good review. I do plan to see it again...So who knows I might like it even more or change my mind completely. But without further ado.....
The Good.....
1 It was dark dark dark and more dark. Ask just about any Star Wars fan and they will tell you they love Return of the Jedi. I get chills when Wedge and Lando fly into the huge reactor chamber at the end as they are about to blow up the Death Star. But I like most Star Wars fans believe that Empire is the best movie. Why because it is dark dark dark and more dark. Nothing goes right for the Rebels and the end is damn near depressing. Sith(episode III) is much the same way. That Mace Wendu fight with Emperor is so cool but deep in your mind you know that Mace is not coming out of this fight a victor. It sucked seeing all those Jedi cut down by Order 66.
2 Mace Wendu's death aside the wiping out of the Jedi was a really chilling scene the way Anakin just goes on a rampage even killing children and at the same time seeing the Jedi Master many of whom we met in the earlier films just being betrayed by their troops. Who perhaps were genetically programmed for such an order.
3 Why were those scenes so effective because John Williams reached somewhere in his bag of tricks and made some really nice new music. I even sensed some Arabic type themes at some point that was really cool .
4 Plot hole issues. Well in Part II of Blog Debate. I mentioned how the droids primarily 3PO might be able to figure out what the hell is going on(ie who Luke's father really is) unless he got his memory wiped. Well I entered the movie ready to gloat and take pleasure at having caught Georgie in a major plot no no. However he denied me that extra pleasure by wiping his memory. Way to go George.
5 Need I mention the awesome Light saber duels which actually had a little more dialogue in them.
The Bad.....
Now I have a number of complaints so do not take this to mean I thought the movie was bad.
1 Plot holes.
A) the First major plot hole is linked to a good plot hole issue. Why don't they wipe R2's memory. You would think both their memories should need to be erased
B) Anakin and Padme are trying to keep their marriage/child a secret. Why then are they living together. I mean aren't Jedi's supposed to sense shit. Don't you think Yoda and Mace would be able to have a conversation like this "Master Wendu Young Skywalker not in his room he is" "Damn straight he with that fine young senator from Naboo". I mean if a PI today can catch a cheating couple I think a couple of bad ass Jedi Masters can catch this affair.
C) Major plot hole 1. In Jedi (when Luke reveals to Liea there joint parentage) Luke asks Liea if she remembers her mother. And Liea explains how she remembers her being very sad but beautiful with long hair. All nice and good I think most of us assumed that the mom went with Liea to Alderaan and died sometime later. But in Sith Padme literally dies moments after Liea's birth. Explain that to me. Unless there is some Force induced womb memory Liea is not going to remember her mother.
D) Major plot hole 2. At the end of the movie there is a moment where Vader and the Emperor are standing on the bridge of Star Destroyer and they look out with a younger Grand Moff Tarkin at the skeletal frame of the Death Star. We had seen this design in Episode II. Now you are going to tell me that it took 20 years to build this huge station and then take only three years to essentially build the Second Death Star. I know Lucas has tried really hard to put elements from the first movies into the prequels but please that was so unnecessary.
E) Major Plot Question. Warning If you haven't realized I am a Star Wars nerd you will realize this now. At the end of the movie Yoda mentions how he is going to teach Obi-Wan how to be immortal through the force like his old master Qui-Gan. Sounds cool right but there is a major question I have. Obi-Wan and Yoda both vanished upon their deaths. This would seem to indicate they are now immortal in the force. But Qui-Gan did not vanish nor did Vader and both are seemingly immortal now. Qui-Gan because we are told he is and Vader because we see his spirit. Now both Vader and Qui-Gan were burned so maybe this jump starts the whole thing. I want answers!!!!!!
2 The first 45 minutes. Don't make me talk about this part of the movie it was slow, poorly shot and damn right boring.
The UGLY....
Cringe worthy moments
Any scene with Padme and Anakin together. This seems to be the major flaw of all three movies. This lame ass poorly acted and stupid romance. I mean that whole love makes you blind scene I almost threw up it was so bad. What editor let that piece of crap in.
I realize the negatives seem long but for the most part the bad points I mention are really just the rants of an obsessed star wars fan. They in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the movie.
2 comments:
Well, I like your review, but I have a couple of things I would like to comment on as well. First, I do not feel that R2-D2 needed to have his memory wiped. As an astrodroid he cannot communicate directly with humans, and - as we know from Leia's message to Obi Wan - R2-D2 can keep a secret from C-3P0. Second, I believe that the first Death Star could very easily have taken twenty years to assemble, given that the emperor was just beginning to consolidate his power and he most likely had to have a lot of R&D done on technologies for the death star. Although I agree that it would probably not be as far along in construction as he showed it (but I grant him the effect to connect the movie to Episode 4). Third, it seems that as long as the biological parts of the body are returned to the force (either like Obi Wan and Yoda, or like Qui Gon and Anakin) then the individual can reach immortality in the force. Good Comments, now we wait for the DVDs.
Cheers,
Nick
I agree with your list of plot holes (which are very fun to pick apart). On the immortality / vanishing thing, though, I have to say that it's all beyond my ken. I'd just say it's all mystic stuff, and the reason that Vader, Obi-Wan, and Yoda appeared to Luke is that they're important to him personally, wheras his reaction to Qui-Gon would baically be "who?"
Interesting point -- not every scene with Padme and Anakin stunk. They were good in the scene where they looked wistfully across the landscape while John Williams did his thing. And it was pretty cool that Vader's first target for a force choke was Padme.
I think it's telling that the only scenes that work between the two are (1) when they're not in the same room (2) when they're attacking each other. They have negative chemistry (at least this movie didn't mention sand...
Oddly, both have been excellent actors in other movies, Portman in many movies like "The Professional", and Christiansen in the excellent "Shattered Glass".
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