About

About Me

My Photo
Name:
Location: Longview, Washington, United States

I live in a small town in Washington State, USA, with my wife, two sons, two dogs, a cat, and family nearby. I work at the local community college as an I.T. Specialist. In March of '02, we bought a 70-some year old house that needed a lot of work. When I'm not working on the house, I like to throw pots, be outside, and read a lot.

Previous

www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from gene_poole. Make your own badge here.
Take the MIT Weblog Survey

Powered by Blogger

Saturday, May 21, 2005


Random Fan Pic

Last night we went to the Masthead for one of their Hawaiian burgers (m-mm, that is a tasty burger..) and then to the Triangle Theater to see Episode III. Although I purposely avoided reading and critiques of the film before going, I had heard a few things - namely that the Third Episode was more violent than any preceding and that the actors still seems wooden and disconnected.

I thought it was a good deal more violent than the first three movies and a bit more than those Episodes I and II but I thought that actors were a bit more animated that previously (especially Yoda). There was the usual really bad script writing (Oh Ani, kiss me like you used to, before there was this war, or any separatist movement…). Yes it was more violent but not more so than what you will see any night on the boob tube and it was Star Wars violence as opposed to Sopranos violence. I find Wookies getting zapped by lasers just isn’t as applicable to what might happen to me and mine as are thugs in NJ working some poor guy over. But I digress. Anakin decides to go to the dark side. He does some really heinous crimes and gets painfully scourged for it. Then he puts on the last suit he’ll ever wear and becomes Darth Vader. Would you really want that Universe transforming process to take place without pain and violence? Should Anakin have gone down to his local library to research the dark side of the force, done a cost/benefit analysis and then said, “Gosh, Willikers! Why not give it a try?”

The pan shots, special effects, species and technological development were on a new level of amazing. The fight scenes were enjoyable. The dialogue and interpersonal interactions were survivable. I found myself agreeing, at least in spirit with the little boy in front of us, who when the credits rolled jumped up from his seat and yelled, “That was so awesome! When does Episode IV come out?”

posted by Scott in Washington at 9:02 AM |

6 comment(s):

  • As soon as we walked in the door last night, we popped ep 4 in teh dvd player and continued the story. It was aweoome. I need to go see it again. :)

    Kat

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/22/2005 08:25:00 AM  

  • I also had to watch Episode IV right after watching Revenge of the Sith. You watch it with completely different eyes. Darth Vader isn't just someone you watch with contempt - you pity him, wonder why things couldn't have gone just a little differently. You scream at Obi-Wan for giving Luke his father's lightsaber and offering to train him in the ways of the Force, because DUDE don't you remember what happened to his DAD when you tried that?? RUN AWAY! It made the whole movie different - Obi-Wan's final duel with Vader, Luke's personality, etc.

    Personally, I couldn't take my eyes off of Anakin the whole time. Sure, the dialog left much to be desired, and his scenes with Padme made me think I was watching two swooning high-schoolers, but the pace of the movie swallowed me whole and I couldn't look away as I cringed for an hour and a half - it was like watching a train wreck. You just can't stop staring.

    Hmm, I guess I'd better end this entry now. I'm on my way to see it all happen again. ;)

    By Blogger Nystral Djo, at 5/22/2005 11:21:00 AM  

  • I'd have to agree with your opinion about the dialouge in general but, thinking back, being able to shine as an actor in those movies has always been pretty hard. Harrison Ford kept the first 3 together because he added a lot of life to Solo just by his expressions and mannerisms - and the way he delivered his poorly written lines (she's fast enough for you, old man). Ewen MacGregor sort of did the same thing in the last (most recently made) 3, though not to the extent that Ford did because I don't think he was used in the same way as Ford. Obi Wan's heartfelt disappointment in Anakin/Vader was powerfully conveyed by him in the 'big' fight scene I thought. Sam Jackson was pretty much wasted talent in that movie, he wasn't used right at all. If they would have let him go a little bit I think his character would have been a lot better.

    Anyway - I still loved it.
    Steve

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/24/2005 09:45:00 AM  

  • I agree that the film’s fast pace helped to get us past the crummy dialogue. I also agree that several good actors were handed really difficult roles in the prequel episodes. I think Harrison Ford is a better actor than Ewen MacGregor is, or at least has delivered better acting than what we’ve seen from MacGregor so far. At the same time the whole Jedi mystique/reserve thing served, I think, only to hamstring some good actors who should have been given more room to develop their characters – What if Jedi Master Mace Windu had been allowed to storm into Palpatine’s quarters and tell him, “You, Flock of Seagulls, keep chillin.” Or had had ‘Bad Mo-fo’ written on the side of his lightsaber? What happens to Natalie Portman’s character? She just sort of crumpled in the third film.

    The animation teams really are continuing to get better. When they went back and redid the first trilogy and put Jabba back into Episode IV as an animated character, it was hokey. He was so obviously an animation, a cartoon. Yoda in Episode III, on the other hand was really good. I actually caught myself thinking, “Wow, Yoda is really getting to be a good actor” for just a second before I mentally slapped myself.

    I loved it too. And as time goes by, I want to see it again more and more. I may even have to wade through Episodes I and II again for reference.

    By Blogger Scott in Washington, at 5/24/2005 10:10:00 AM  

  • I'll tell ya, I was searching those little ships moving around in the distance for the Millenium Falcon all through the movie. Never did see it, though I guess it is in there (after the opening space battle). That CGI work in the movie is a whole new level of achievement.

    Steve

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/24/2005 11:23:00 AM  

  • I think I'm holding out for it to come out on video. And speaking of Flock of Seagulls, they're playing at a bar in Yakima this week. Hair and all.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 5/25/2005 08:36:00 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home