New Star Wars Episode II Trailer Out

danov writes: "A new trailer for Star Wars Episode II has been released on Apple's website. It's called "Forbidden Love"." Don't watch this one if you want to be surprised when you see the movie. It gives away most of the plot. You have been warned. Update: 11/16 12:49 GMT by M : If you get "referral denied", just hit reload. Silly Apple.

Annoyingly Anal Apple, P2P

[shut_up_man]

You know, I'd be annoyed with Apple for preventing people linking to the trailer directly, and once again requiring an upgrade to quicktime pro for the hi-res version... if the trailer wasn't so drenched in schmaltz that I nearly physically barfed.

But... I suppose I better swallow hard a few times, take a sip of water and make the suggestion that we put the trailers on various P2P networks... post filenames, and once you've got the trailer... share it, please?

shut up man

It's All Attitude

[RWarrior(fobw)]

All the griping I've read about how "horrible" Episode I was, and Episode II will be, makes me think that people who think that aren't looking at the movies with the right attitude.

"Great cinema" they are not. But these movies aren't intended to be Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan. If you want that kind of movie, go see it. This isn't it, and it isn't intended to be it.

I saw Episode I several times in the theater, and I now own the DVD, and I've enjoyed the use of the money I spent.

I went to see Episode I looking for several things:

- Cool special effects
- A decently entertaining script
- A great light sabre battle at the end
- The first part of a story whose ending I already know

I got every one of those things, and I was very pleased.

I didn't expect Oscar-quality acting, spine-tingling plot lines, statements on the human condition, or exploration of some societal quandry. I didn't get them. Star Wars isn't that kind of movie; it isn't intended as that kind of movie.

Star Wars is a series of movies where you don't have to think real hard about them. Sometimes I want a movie that will challenge me (Schindler's List, Philadelphia). Sometimes it can be fun to just turn your brain off and watch something mindlessly amusing (Something About Mary, Rollerball (the original), A Knight's Tale, Logan's Run). Star Wars is in this second category.

Whether or not you enjoy Star Wars Episode II for what it is, I think, depends a lot on what you expect.

For crying out loud

[chazzf]

Was I the only one here who thought that the trailer boded well for Episode II? Grow up, people, and consider that what you saw made some sense. If Anakin is truly in love with Amidala and Obi-Wan nails him with Jedi rhetoric it is entirely understandable that he'd be pissed. We KNOW that the Skywalkers are an unstable family anyway...

As for the complaints about acting, I think we all forget the wonderfully talented Oscar-level performance of Mark Hamill has whiny-boy, er, Luke Skywalker. Saying that "you've grown" seems entirely appropriate for the situation. Similarly, "I'll be the greatest Jedi ever" is exactly the sort of thing an angry unstable twenty-something whose mad at the galaxy would say in a moment of duress.

Finally, the action scenes are looking reasonably decent. Anyone else notice Boba Fett? Christopher Lee? If Lee does his usual good turn it should be a lot fun. Finally, NO Jar-Jar anywhere in the trailer. This is a Good Thing. More than anything, I think it suggests that Lucas listened to the public outcry about said abomination.

Re:*** SPOILER ***

[Kingfox]

That theory [brunching.com] has already been explored.

Re:It's All Attitude

[startled]

Yes, I appeal to you, masses-- lower your standards! They are too high! People can make shit and you can enjoy it, if you simply lower your opinion of people.

No thanks. You try to imply that people expected "Oscar-quality acting, spine-tingling plot lines, statements on the human condition, or exploration of some societal quandry", but that's obvious hyperbole. People wanted another movie that would exhilarate them the same way the first three movies did. Those movies did an amazing job of catching you up in them right from the beginning with stunning new environments, interesting (but not confusing) plots, and just enough of the mystical to further inspire a sense of wonder and awe-- combined with some fabulous action.

What'd we get in ep. 1? Boring shots of crap we could care less about. Uninteresting locales. Dehumanized acting (the largest damning factor, I think). Honestly, the only enjoyable part was the 2-on-1 light saber battle. Take all that, bad enough as it is, and toss in Jar-Jar, who damns so obviously and in so many ways that I don't even need to delve into it.

So no, I won't lower my standards. I won't be so easily amused. Instead, I'll simply go watch good movies, and if the new Star Wars movies continue to suck, so be it. In many cases, it's not the sequels (prequels, whatever) that carry on the spiritual legacy of a fabulous movie. It's the new movies made by new people who still want to do something new and exciting and better-- not just try to be as good as what they've done before.

Re:Best Part of it All...

[ymgve]

I don't really see what everybody have against Jar-Jar. Is he really that more annoying than C-3PO was in Episode 4-6?

I think old George wishes himself back to the days before the old Star Wars, where his works wouldn't be compared to what we nostalgia-deluded fans now treat as 'legendary'.

Re:Obligatory Crossover post for Linux users.

[marick]

I fail to see how this post is flamebait!!! This is a post about the crossover plugin, which is a really good product that I just used to watch the trailer!!!

Sheesh!