Flutterby™! : Yoda kicks ASS! 2002-05-17 00:38:34+00

Yoda kicks ASS!

2002-05-17 00:38:34+00 by ebradway 17 comments

I was bumming around last night when a friend said he had an extra ticket to the premiere of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I'd heard reviews that said it was good. It wasn't just good, it was awesome! I need to see it again to actually catch all of the plot (it moved some fast I know I missed some details)... And then go see it a third time to pick apart the effects... And then see it a fourth time just to see YODA KICK SITH ASS!!!

I'm deeply disappointed to find out that the clone wars do in fact involve clones. I had hoped they were merely two wars that were very very similar.

Except everyone out at "the ranch" that I know of has been referring to it as "Attack of the Clowns" for months.

I still don't know if I'm going to see it, Charlene wants to, Phil liked it, but Phil liked The Mummy Returns

. It's heartening to see Eric give it a positive review, that makes two in my circle who liked it.

But then, we hadn't seen the original - and actually, don't normally see "scary" or "horror" movies. We can't remember exactly why we did wind up watching this one, but it resulted in us buying the DVD and the first one.

I'm hearing marginal-above-average-to-good things about AOTC. We'll probably go see it within the week.

The Mummy Returns

wasn't... well... it was some cool effects, it was your basic genre story, and was tolerable if you ignored the fact that the pilot with his dangling chin-strap bore an uncanny resemblance to Jar Jar, but I think the main reason I sat through it was I was hanging out with a couple of computer graphics geeks who were suitably impressed by parts (the animal armies), and razzing the hell out of other effects.

Of course. Well, part of me wishes it were not so thuddingly literal, but the rest of me recognizes that's how we name our wars and, more to the point, how we make our movies.

In retrospect, I can say that AOTC did have some questionable sound effects. I don't understand why so many of the vehicles needed to sound like prop planes or my VW bus when it under-revs.

Perhaps it's the wine and my impending vacation, but I have this image of Elizabeth Taylor, armed with a purple Passion spritzer, chasing Tommy Hilfiger around in "Attack of the Colognes." Hey, ya'll have your notion of fantasy and I'll have mine. I also could conjure up "Attack of the Colonics" and if they can get Natalie Portman for that, I'm there.

Topspin, your mind works in sick and wonderful ways. Hopefully I'll see clones this weekend, umpteen years ago, my Dad took me and my sister to the original Star Wars and I want to take him to see it.

Went and saw it last night (with gift certs from last xmas - to take my mind off getting laid off). After hearing the hype about the group jedi fight scene, I was a little underimpressed. It was all right, but in today's age of Jet Li and The Matrix I found much of the swordsmanship to be extremely limp wristed and half-assed. It's almost like the only direction they got was "Just wave them around. We'll put the laser blasts wherever they need to go later." And while Yoda's confrontation did indeed rock the house... uh, oh wait - that might be a bit of a spoiler.

And that guy who played Anakin - ugh! But then I am personally so tired of seeing anyone under 21 portrayed as nothing but a whiny, pouty, petulant, disobedient, disrespecting bag of "uncontrollable" hormones and emotions. And Natalie's lines (and delivery) opposite him weren't much better. I kept feeling like she was reciting from some memorized mantra or reading from a teleprompter.

A lot was done to build some continuity bridges to Ep IV, which I appreciated. Although I thought some of it felt forced. And some of it made me tilt my head and go "um... but...". Along this line I also noticed a fair amount of music re-use from the original trilogy. Lucas seemed to be making a concerted (maybe even obvious?) effort to tie this one to the originals.

I agree with the bit about the engine sound effects. It seems like Lucas fixed a lot of things that he screwed up in Ep I, but then forgot all the things that he did *right* with it.

And although it was extremely subtle, I did enjoy the playing of Jar Jar for the fool he really is.

Except for a few key parts, I feel this one actually had less of the Star Wars feel than Ep I. At times it had a Blade Runner feel, at others Contact, Fifth Element or even Star Trek: Next Generation - but with the exception of Yoda's fight scene I never thought it felt like Star Wars. Just another modern sci-fi movie.

When I consider which of the Star Wars movies my daughter might like (and I'd be willing to let her see), it also follows a pattern:

Star Wars: A New Hope - a little scary and the plot may be too deep for her to be interested in

Episode 2 - she won't see it for a few years if I can help it. Too much violence, sexual innuendo, and a plot she wouldn't understand.

Following this metric, you can see that Lucas took alot of risks with the first two movies and created something that didn't rely on gimmicks. Jedi and Episode I both suffered from being packaged for the kids. Episode II seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the feedback from Episode I. Unfortunately, Lucas isn't taking risks like he did with Star Wars and Empire.

Spoilers:

Having just gotten home from seeing AOTC, I say it is less exciting than televised baseball for more than the first hour and a half. Dull, dull, dull. Every scene with a droid is a waste. Let's spend ten minutes pondering the blindingly obvious fact that someone deleted data from a computer. Let's find out exactly which side of the family Luke gets his whininess from. Let's intercut a failed, tensionless and unconvincing scene of the slaughter of half the galaxy's Jedi with half-assed comedy bits from headless droid. Lets have two howling and unconciously self-parodic scenes, the first being a wholesale lifting of the "The Hills are Alive" from The Sound of Music and the second from Galaxy Quest with the random pounding and swinging machines. Yeesh.

I think the scene that really doomed my opinion of this movie was the absolutely impact-free "breakdown" scene where Anakin reveals his act of vengence that telegraphs his eventual turn to dark side. It had no impact at all, and maybe couldn't, because if the scene rang true then it would have been impossible to have Amidala remain sympathetic for the audience as she embraces a man who has just revealed his genocidal nature.

The upsides include Natalie Portman in her Wilma Deering getup and the, oh, maybe 2 minutes Yoda wielding a lightsabre.

It's a weak B. There are two theaters close by showing it in digital and previously discussed plans to go back and watch it in digital have been canned as no one wants to sit through it again.

The wife was telling me that she recently read about an interview with Lucas where he revealed that he intentionally writes in Threepio losing his head (or was it "major appendage"?) in every movie.

I enjoyed it.. I was entertained. Maybe my tastes are kin to a six pack of Natty Light, a bag of Krystals, and a can of Skoll... but I was happy with the experience.

I cannot imagine anyone consciencely saying that ATOC didn't have great dialog (implied: SW, ESB and ROTJ did?). Who cares?! You didn't see the first 3 for their dialog, so why care now? You praise the first three, but think about it... the GREATEST one liners are from Star Wars. The delivery of the lines was cheesy, and the character development wasn't really what I call stellar (heh). Luke (an annoying, whiney-butt.. hmm.. just like Anakin), all but cries "I can't believe he's gone" when Obi-Won dies from Vader. Oh.. like he knew him for a whole 3 days! He cried less for his uncle and aunt!!

It's entertaining! It tells a story, in an entertaining way, with some cool effects (with some minor annoyances) [no one complained that Tie-Fighters sounded like a broken air-conditioner].

I did think it ironic that Jar Jar in effect saves the entire Jedi Knights from ultimate destruction.

Actually, yes. I think the dialog and delivery was much better in ANH, ESB, ROTJ and EP1.

The oneliners from the earlier movies had character and context. EP2 felt like a bunch of good bits, ideas and lines cobbled together very poorly. I think the basic plot was solid but that it was badly implemented. And I lay this squarely at Lucas' feet. I suspect that the actors are perfectly capable of a better job but that they sufferred from poor/misguided directing and an unpolished script. I think he's losing it.

He lost it all the way to the bank. I enjoyed it, but most of the attempts at humour seemed poorly timed and distracting if not downright stupid. Best part of the movie: I ran into NightDiver aka: Jason Langston who now owns and operates http://www.humbuckermusic.com and the real store. Both sell a Theremin.. Topspin, there is even a build it yourself kit ;)

And.. a gripe: Did you notice all the vehicles sounded roughly the same. That pulsing motor sound.. it got old quick.

I saw it and enjoyed it (I had lowered expectations). Ummmm too tired to nit pick details so two things stand out in my mind from your comments.
flushy:maybe Jar Jar's actions save a dozen Jedi but his actions cause the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Jar Jar is soooo anoying that hmmm that just seems to fit.

Yoda fans:ok yeah...the CG yoda is very much cooler than the muppet and did far better acting than some of his real life counterparts but have you all gone daft??? about the fight scene? c'mon it was kermit the frog in a blender witha light saber. it was more comical than anything....