Attack of the Clones: Less Plastic Crap, More Story? 447
Newsweek has an article in which George Lucas states that there were parts of Episode One that were damaging to the Star Wars franchise. (shocker, I know) "The last movie did not live up to expectations." They'll cut the merchandise by two thirds, as they still have tons of unsold Episode One merchandise. Yahoo is also running an AOTC story. Mild spoilers in the linked stories, by the way.
You're wrong. (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm sure they'll play up the the romance a bit, but from what I understand it's PACKED with Jedi fighting. One rumor is that we find out why Yoda is the bad-ass he's supposed to be. Crossing my fingers to see some kick-ass Jedi fighting. I just hope I'm not let down like with the first one. *sigh*
Also, if it follows the basic trend from the first 3, The first one is more light hearted, introducing characters. The second one is dark, and deepens the plot. The third one will release the darkness, but show the light at the end of the tunnel. *shrug*
Just my thoughts, and what I've heard.
-Alex
Can we trust Lucas? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'll believe it when I see it... But right now, I'm believe that Toy stores everywhere are getting container shipments full of insignifigant characters.
Will Episodes 7-9 Ever be made? (Score:1, Interesting)
Even if Lucas cant or wont direct Episodes 7-9, will he allow some other director to make them and complete the triple trilogy?
From a financial standpoint, I see Episodes 7-9 being made. Given the phenomenal success of 4 Star Wars movies so far, I think it's impossible to deny the box office goldmine that of the Star Wars franchise.....
Rip all you like, he'll make more. (Score:3, Interesting)
Either way... I'm going to see Clones. It'd have to be really bad for me not to go back two or three times.
How about the rest of you? Vocal though you are, I doubt you will stay away. It doesn't matter how bad the dialogue is... guys with lightsabers are just too cool.
Lucas doesn't get it (Score:3, Interesting)
I readly confess the Ewoks in particular are weak, but at least they and 3PO weren't so incredibly annoying. Jar-Jar should have been cut out completely once the fan response became clear, whatever Lucas may think about the reasons for the reaction. He states he is in the business to make money - why then doesn't he listen to his customers?? Is the man's ego really that much out of control?
I may see Clones, but I suspect unless the critics rave about it I'll wait for it to reach the dollar movie theaters first. Lucas got more money than he earned for Phantom, and I see no reason to give him more. He needs to wake up to the fact that hype will only carry him so far, and eventually he's going to have to produce a good product again.
Time's Lucas article (Score:5, Interesting)
I won't see Episode 2 (Score:4, Interesting)
And suddenly it hit me.
I was planning to watch it, it was pretty much a given. And then, seeing the scenes, I realized I don't really have a wish to see it. I just had a lemming reaction. The hype got to me. I had been brainwashed.
That is, I was going to watch it because it was a Star Wars film. But nothing I saw on the trailer, and nothing I saw in the prequel, compelled me to see it.
So, ask yourself: If this film wasn't a "Star Wars" movie, would I be compelled to see it? Would I feel it is a good film?.
I have decided it's not. And I won't give in to the hype, however alluring it becomes.
PS: For the opinion or David Brin, great science fiction writer who makes George Lucas look like the hack he is, read this. [salon.com]
The music video is out. (Score:3, Interesting)
watch Star Wars: A New Hope as an adult (Score:2, Interesting)
Then I watched the original three flicks again. They're horrendous. 3P0 is marginally less annoying than Jar Jar. The stories have huge plot holes. Colossal. Mind-boggling.
You were probably ten, or five, or three when you first saw Star Wars. You were a lot easier on the inconsistencies and absurdities at that age than you are now. The Phantom Menace most definitely wasn't a film classic, but neither were the original three.
Re:Could you please... (Score:3, Interesting)
A Second Chance (Score:5, Interesting)
I had no problem with the graphics. Of course, I hated Jar Jar. He was the main representative of the cheesy comedy that ensued within the film.
Another fault I found was that Darth Maul didn't seem evil enough. The part was dimunitive.
I didn't like the Trade Federation reps either as I find their voices and appearance very annoying. They were even very menacing.
The robots, egads, they didn't need to talk. "Roger, Roger"... could you be more cliche?
The biggest beef I have is with the Anakin saves the day sequence... This whole scene was far fetched from the Auto pilot to the sudden overheating of his ship to the uncanny idea that a chief component - determinal to the starbase was inside a landing hanger.
Ok... enough dissing PM for it wasn't all bad.
Now when I heard what Lucas decided to call Episode II, I inherently whinced. I begun to glaze over. I wanted more action less overcheesy forced comedy. Also, I was to look forward to a fluffer romance. Mind you... I am a GIRL! I like romances.. but after PM... I want action. hehe...
However, I changed mind my after reading an article issued by TIME. I became hopeful. I have seen images and I have seen some small footage from the movie. I am actually excited about Star Wars again. Perhaps, there is a charm about second chances. I can't wait!!
If you want to check out that TIME article... visit here:
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/
~ SeineThinker ~
Re:Revisiting TPM (Score:4, Interesting)
In STAR WARS, you had a director who was (for all intents and purposes) new and idealistic. He wanted to make a sci-fi movie in the vein of the old Buck Rogers serialized films, but wanted to have some sort of timeless quality. He achived this...STAR WARS is a grand fairy tale that reminds us of brave knights storming a castle to rescue the princess from the evil wizard. If course, it's a little deeper than that, and he did it admirably, albeit you can see it's a very rookie effort.
EMPIRE is, in my opinion, one of the best movies ever made. It's exciting, thrilling, and deep. The universe really opens up and we see the simple struggles for what they are. We see a change in relationships that shifts the entire spectrum. And most of all, it introduced the idea of a puppet that acts. Say what you want, Yoda in EMPIRE acts. It's a tiny, silly puppet that looks real, conveys emotion, and convinces you in one sentence that this is one powerful figure in the universe. I hate Ep1 Yoda...he looks fake and plastic and completely flies in the face of EMPIRE's work.
JEDI...good movie. Uses half of act 2 and all of act 3 for action. Bold decision that paid out. Great battles that ended the series (New Jedi Order fighting Empire remnants?...WTF was the death of the Emperor, a speed bump for the Empire?!). However, we had Ewoks...a marketing ploy. I think this movie might have been better than EMPIRE if Lucas got to do his Wookiee slave camp.
MENACE...ugh. A good movie, compared to other crap (Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot! vs Episode 1, anyone?), but utter crap compared to what came before.
And I have little faith in CLONES. I read the adaptation, and it's exciting and well plotted. But I've seen the trailers...Christensen looks and sounds wooden. I hope he's not. Portman is misused again into a unidimensional role. And there's a couple continuity gaffs I won't mention but will be brought up after release.
Oh, how I hope I'm wrong...cause if Episode 3 sucks, the entire series will fall flat. Episode 3 cannot suck...it has to be dark, brooding, deeply philosophical, and light on action. The turning of Anakin to Vader is not an action sequence for crying out loud!
Re:but what about...? (Score:4, Interesting)
We hate him primarily for three reasons. First, his whiny, nasal, pseudo-Jamaican voice. Second, his entirely unfunny clumsiness and Jerry Lewis-esque pratfalls. Finally, there's his "How rude" catchphrase, which was ripped off a mediocre sitcom that nobody on
Jar Jar, I believe, can be saved. There's a good decade between Episodes I and II, which provides plenty of time for character development. First, we lower his voice an octave or two. Since we know nothing of Gungan physiology, it's possible that Binks was on the tail end of adolesence, and his vocal cords weren't fully developed. Then, ship him off to war. He is a general, after all. A few years in the trenches and he might toughen up and learn just enough to be more dangerous to the enemy than himself. Finally, war has made him cynical and bitter, so we can replace "how rude" with "kiss my amphibious ass."
Make those changes, and I think everyone would agree that Jar Jar would be tolerable, and possibly even cool.
Or go to plan B, which has Jar Jar meet his decapatastic demise at the hands of the Emperor in the first thirty seconds of the movie.
Neither will happen, of course. But can't I dream?
Yoda Re:You're wrong. (Score:2, Interesting)
I was shocked and numbed (okay, I got over it). But sheesh... What on earth. Damaging... you want damaging? Make chessy posters of Yoda personal ads. That's damaging.
Over reacting? Probably. But what the hell??
Wonderful role model... (Score:3, Interesting)
Now in 1-3, we see how the Big Evil Dude and his Empire got started. Fine. Except for one thing... They're marketing a mass murder to kids. Yeah! Get the Ep.1 Jar-Jar and Anakin coloring book! He's just like you, kids! Buy his toys, see the movie! Yes, watch Ep.2! Watch Anakin fall in love! He's a rebel with a cause! What? Yeah, sure, he enslaves most of the known Universe, becomes second in command to Umber-Hitler, hunts the Jedi to near extinction and kills billions with his Giant Planet Killing Weapon, but that's besides the point. Kids will eat this stuff up!
Personally, I think Eps 2-3 will be the best of the new trilogy and I'll enjoy them throughly, but the with the way they're marketing em, I NEVER want to hear a complaint about ANY videogame violence AGAIN.
Re:I won't see Episode 2 (Score:3, Interesting)
PS: For the opinion or David Brin, great science fiction writer who makes George Lucas look like the hack he is, read...
Some points from that article about what Lucas is having us believe:
But hey, I think all these points could apply to Buffy.
I recall seeing a TV interview with Lucas where he says that he saw there was a lack of simple good v. evil morality in films... or words to that effect, and that he wanted to put myths back into films.
It's a question of whether myths have any value, at least for children. And that question might be better answered by people who study child development.
The myth of the hero, of the super-man, might be nice as something to inspire one, although dangerous to actually identify with it. Elites are not in and of themselves bad, after all, in sport we want to watch the elite players, the ones who are the very best, and not just the average joe.
The Matrix not only had it's own hero myths, with Neo as the saviour of the world, but also lots of esoteric stuff, about the world being just a dream, and so on.
Not that I particularly liked SW.