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[kablooey]

I agree completely with the article. How is that a troll? Of course it's going to get a strong reaction, since any topic as volatile as Star Wars inevitably will, but it's actually well-supported. A real troll would just be along the lines of, "Star Wars sux Jar Jar must die".

I loved the first two movies of the OT, and it has nothing to do with nostalgia. If they came out now I'd still love them. The last 4 have all been crap (though RotJ less so), because they've been stripped of any of the emotion and character that the others had. The new movies are just completely soulless, and Episode 1 and the Jar-Jar scenes were blatently racist to boot. (it's true ).

 

[Willco]

Wait wait wait, did you just say that boy who plays Spiderman can act? *snickers*

If you're referring to the man who plays Spider-Man, that's Tobey Maguire, who has been nominated for many acting awards and been in critical darlings such as Seabiscuit and The Cider House Rules.

But this is getting off topic, and the topic is Star Wars and the hope that Episode III doesn't suck. Pray for Lucas!

 

[Spectral Glider]

they forgot to sit back and enjoy the movie, too many nitpicker Star Wars fans

I love these type of arguments. I can sit back and enjoy the first Mummy movie. I can sit back and enjoy Jurassic Park. I LOVE Temple of Doom, and that gets thrashed by some Indy fans. Hell, I can even sit back and enjoy Jason X, but these prequels, sorry, they're lame.

 

[Spectral Glider]

oops

 

[jadehorizon1]

I love these type of arguments.

Yea me too cause they go absolutely nowhere

Plenty of people bash Spider-Man, but that's okay, because that just means more DVD copies for me.

Plenty of people like you bash Star Wars, but that’s okay, because when you spend $8 to see the movie you’ll be that pissy and ignorant guy in the front and I’ll sit back and enjoy the hell out of it from 5 rows back … and if your not planning on seeing it … why oh why are you even taking the time to bash Episode 3 when your not even going to see it? Now how much sense does that make … let me answer that for you … none

I can sit back and enjoy the first Mummy movie. I can sit back and enjoy Jurassic Park. I LOVE Temple of Doom, and that gets thrashed by some Indy fans. Hell, I can even sit back and enjoy Jason X, but these prequels, sorry, they're lame

Hey that’s your opinion, its your taste in movies. I happen to think Troy was a fantastic movie and one of my favorites from last year … but Im more or less alone on the one. Do I really care all that much that im not on the Troy is crap bandwagon? Nope

 

[Willco]

Plenty of people like you bash Star Wars, but that’s okay, because when you spend $8 to see the movie you’ll be that pissy and ignorant guy in the front and I’ll sit back and enjoy the hell out of it from 5 rows back … and if your not planning on seeing it … why oh why are you even taking the time to bash Episode 3 when your not even going to see it? Now how much sense does that make … let me answer that for you … none

Actually, I'm seeing it for free. The same way I saw Attack of the Clones for free. But I will definitely see it in hopes that George Lucas did us good.

And I never sit in the front.

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

I never understood the Star Wars fanboy argument that the only reason people like the old trilogy better than the new trilogy is because of nostalgia. It's like they're saying the old trilogy was shit as well, but you're too blind to realize it.

People don't like the new Star Wars trilogy because George Lucas is writing it, and George Lucas is a TERRIBLE FUCKING WRITER. End of story.

 

[jadehorizon1]

George Lucas is a TERRIBLE FUCKING WRITER. End of story.

and that ladies and gentlemen is the end of the arguement

 

[Spectral Glider]

Hey that’s your opinion, its your taste in movies. I happen to think Troy was a fantastic movie and one of my favorites from last year … but Im more or less alone on the one. Do I really care all that much that im not on the Troy is crap bandwagon? Nope

Well, I haven't seen Troy.....mostly because I was burned out on the "massive battle" type flicks. If it hits HBO though, I'll probably watch it.

I'm probably one of few that thinks Phantom Menace is better than Clones. I realize of course it's more about picking which movie I hate less and not which one I like more. But you take what you can get I guess.

I'll go see Episode III, if for nothing else than for completion's sake (like how I keep seeing Halloween and Friday the 13th flicks)....that and to probably see Vader back on the big screen again. But I'm not expecting much.

 

[Blackace]

We all know Lucas lost his mind when he edited A New Hope and made Geido (sp??) shoot first...

 

[Willco]

I'm probably one of few that thinks Phantom Menace is better than Clones. I realize of course it's more about picking which movie I hate less and not which one I like more. But you take what you can get I guess.

Actually, I posted the same exact thing several months ago. I think The Phantom Menace gets a bit too much hate and is a better film than Attack of the Clones.

 

[Spike]

I'm sorry, but stfu. If no one is allowed to criticize something they couldn't or wouldn't do themselves, the world may as well come to a stop. Can't afford be a politician? Woops, better not vote in an election!

This notion that you have to be able to do something to have the ability to dislike it and the right to say so in public is one of the things that's wrong with the world.

Oh stfu, you drama queen, you!

Where did I say you shouldn't criticize the movie? Everyone has the right to criticize a movie. But, when you criticize a scene from a screenplay, that has subsequently been cut from the final print, then you should put your money where your mouth is and see how well you can do. No one should be called a hack.

I'm not a Star Wars fan, but I can appreciate the films. I really don't think that the prequels are too bad, it's just that the acting has been flat. Even the corniest line can come out sounding cool if the actor delivers properly. Sadly, in the case of the prequels this hasn't happened yet. Hopefully, RotS delivers in this regard.

 

[SteveMeister]

Actually, I posted the same exact thing several months ago. I think The Phantom Menace gets a bit too much hate and is a better film than Attack of the Clones.

IAWTP

AOTC has its moments -- the last hour is (mostly) excellent, marred by C-3PO (this is the only movie I've hated him in). I also love the scenes on Tatooine without exception, as well as every moment Palpatine is on-screen. But TPM is a very charming movie and has some really great stuff in it. Yeah, it stumbles, more than once, but overall I like it better than AOTC.

 

[Blackace]

Actually, I posted the same exact thing several months ago. I think The Phantom Menace gets a bit too much hate and is a better film than Attack of the Clones.

I thought the Kid did a bang up job of being young Skywalker... the young man who plays him ruined Darth Vader for me...

Seeing the kid turn into Vader was a good idea

Because the kid had the look of a nice kid

This guy turns into this movie badass with the best voice ever!

That isn't right...

 

[Willco]

Yeah, the last hour of AOTC is the only reason why I didn't walk out of the theatres and if Episode III picks up from that definite shift in momentum, then it might be good.

I think Episode I does a great job of showing us this completely naive, happy-go-lucky universe where the worst thing that happens is fucking trade disputes, y'know, until the goddamn EMPIRE.

It's also self-contained and has one of the best Jedi ever in Qui-Gon Jinn.

The funeral scene with the dialogue between Yoda and Mace rules. I think it did an adequate job of setting up this epic prequel trilogy, and I think AOTC kind of blundered that.

I still stand by my criticism that if Lucas did what he wanted to do, moreso than cater to fanboys with AOTC (omg jango fett!), we'd get a better Star Wars. I get the feeling that he molds Star Wars to being commercially viable, not something he really cares about.

 

[maharg]

Where did I say you shouldn't criticize the movie? Everyone has the right to criticize a movie. But, when you criticize a scene from a screenplay, that has subsequently been cut from the final print, then you should put your money where your mouth is and see how well you can do. No one should be called a hack.

Not that I agree with you even now, but maybe you might try to include a little more context next time. That script snippet is not a major part of why people call him a hack. People call him a hack for the last 2 movies he's made, as the article points out. People give him plenty of credit for the original trilogy. The problem is, he's spent it with many of them.

Personally, I don't think the new trilogy is *that* much worse than the old (mostly I think Jar Jar and Midichlorians are the worst things to have happened in film history), but people have every right to criticize anything they want, including the person doing the creating, and including a bad idea that never made it to film if the creator apparently still thinks it's good enough to end up in a book about making the movie that probably hundreds of thousands of people will probably read.

 

[Bizarro Sun Yat-sen]

I'm not and never was much of a Star Wars fan, but I've found all the movies reasonably entertaining. Could someone explain to me why everyone thinks midichlorians are such an awful idea? I don't see the huge problem, but it seems to be self-evident to everyone else, I must be missing something.

 

[maharg]

Because not only is it an attempt to turn the mystical into the scientific (fine for X-Files, but for Star Wars? Ugh), but it's a really really bad one. We're talking fanfic bad.

 

[Willco]

Because not only is it an attempt to turn the mystical into the scientific (fine for X-Files, but for Star Wars? Ugh), but it's a really really bad one. We're talking fanfic bad.

Yead, Midichlorians was one of the worst ideas ever. I don't know if I can stand them being mentioned in Episode III.

 

[Bizarro Sun Yat-sen]

Because not only is it an attempt to turn the mystical into the scientific (fine for X-Files, but for Star Wars? Ugh)

Yeah, I gathered that people object to this for some reason, but I'm still not seeing the reason. In the real world, much of nature used to be given mystical explanations, but today we have scientific explanations for most of the same phenomena. I don't personally think the world's lost any of its romance or meaning or whatever, but I guess some people must or superstition, New Age mysticism, religion, etc. wouldn't have such appeal.

 

[maharg]

People don't go to star wars for x-files-style "explaining the umpossible" stuff. The idea that there are a bunch of little floating amoebas who are intelligent and able to lift X-Wings is somehow MORE absurd than magic.

 

[jadehorizon1]

if Episode III picks up from that definite shift in momentum, then it might be good.

If the opening titles track from the ROTS soundtrack is a clue then I'm gonna say the movie starts with a huge bang. I'm sure you guys have heard it, standard Star Wars opening then it immediately blasts into full on Force theme battle music. Love it. First time Williams used the whole force theme in the PT yet. I mean action in Star Wars is awesome and all and with all the fighting in ROTS, it wont dissapoint there but I hope theres a decent amount of slow parts. My favorite part of all that is star wars is Yoda training Luke ... I want Palpatine to be so damn evil in this one. It'll be great to see all the fights and everything but I want to see this guy twist the shit out of everyones mind.

 

[mxz]

"Laugh it up, fuzzball..."

On topic, I don't even know what the fuss is about. Is it gonna be good, is it NOT gonna be good? Who cares, if it's going to have blood-freezing lines of dialoge and/or little cute furry creatures? I don't think I'm in the position to even air my opinion in public about what great or bad acting is, what Lucas should or should not have done/written, at least he has done something, unlike most of us.

Gee, it's just going to be another Star Wars movie, for god's sake Watch it or don't watch it. It's easy. It's not as if the ticket cost is your entire paycheck and if it's bad you go "aaaawwww noooooo it was soooo baaaad, omg this movie sucks, why did I ever go see it?".

In other words, leave Lucas alone, you bastards :lol Go write or film something yourselves, show it to all the people you know and then listen to them whine one by one to how bad it was. I bet you're not gonna even want to hear these things

 

[human5892]

Yead, Midichlorians was one of the worst ideas ever. I don't know if I can stand them being mentioned in Episode III.

A-fucking-men. People always cite Jar-Jar as the main reason for Episode I's shittiness, and while he does play a big part, midifuckingshitians pissed me at least just as much.

Qui-Gon: "I'M GETTIN' A WEIRD FEELIN' DUDE LOOK AT HIS MIDICHLORIAN RATING JESUS THAT MEANS HE'S AWESOME BUT MAYBE NOT A JEDI WHO KNOWS DUDE?!"

 

[maharg]

In other words, leave Lucas alone, you bastards :lol Go write or film something yourselves, show it to all the people you know and then listen to them whine one by one to how bad it was. I bet you're not gonna even want to hear these things

We've already been over this.

 

[SteveMeister]

We've already been over this.

Hehe I think the main problem is, we've been over every argument, pro and con, about the merits or lack thereof of the Prequel trilogy and Lucas' manipulation of his stories many, many, MANY times.

 

[Hitokage]

Qui-Gon: "I'M GETTIN' A WEIRD FEELIN' DUDE LOOK AT HIS MIDICHLORIAN RATING JESUS THAT MEANS HE'S AWESOME BUT MAYBE NOT A JEDI WHO KNOWS DUDE?!"

Too bad they didn't quote power levels for various Jedi or we could really have DBZ style matchups.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

I wonder if you can become more one with the force by clenching your jaw for five minutes.

 

[Ristamar]

Too bad they didn't quote power levels for various Jedi or we could really have DBZ style matchups.

 

[mrkgoo]

People don't go to star wars for x-files-style "explaining the umpossible" stuff. The idea that there are a bunch of little floating amoebas who are intelligent and able to lift X-Wings is somehow MORE absurd than magic.

I'm not a huge fan of the midchlorians eitehr for the same reason that it didn't really need an explanation, and it bugs me that this knowledge is then 'lost' to the timeline, kind of how the technology gets 'worse' through time (and yeas, I know rebellion = poor and stuff, but verily the video monitors and images look dire in light of the PT - but that's more a fanboy rant, since there's real world mecahnics we're talking here- the PT was made this decade, not 25 years ago).

BUT, I think most detractors miss the reasoning behind the mididchlorians - they're not intelligent/sentient, and they are not the Force themselves (or even manipulate the Force). "Will' refers to destiny and such, not a concious decision (as in Creation of the Chosen One). The midichlorians feature only as a route to channel or communicate with the Force. It seems to make sense to me, considering my biological background. Yes, it DOES sound like fanboy Lucas-apologist rants also, but to me, the mystical off the FOrce itself remains, because midichlorians are not synonymous with it.

 

[SteveMeister]

Actually X-Wings, A-Wings and B-Wings are more technologically advanced than anything in the PT. I think you're thinking of the aesthetic of stuff that's kept clean vs stuff that's more battle-worn.

 

[mrkgoo]

Actually X-Wings, A-Wings and B-Wings are more technologically advanced than anything in the PT. I think you're thinking of the aesthetic of stuff that's kept clean vs stuff that's more battle-worn.

Yes, probably. But the fact remains, the Death Star plans in PT look like RotJ, but nothing like the ones in ANH (yeah, could be different plans or output, but the monitor is crap). The HUD on Anakins PodRacer was far superior to anything in OT, and that was SUPPOSED to be beat up too. Stuff like that. Once again, it's not a gripe at all, and just a function of the prequle trilogy being made today - I neither expect nor want the PT to look 'more old-fashioned' than the OT, else we'd have tinfoil hats or something. Just serves as an example that these are movies, and one can pick nits all day long about continuity, and forget that these are just fun films.

 

[maharg]

Eh, when Rome became more and more concentrated inward and the Republic was replaced with the Empire, fringe technology and the shiny-factor suffered except in Rome itself. We never see Coruscant in the OT, which is where most of the fancy technology would probably still be in abundance.

The only problem is that the decay seems far too fast.

 

[mrkgoo]

Eh, when Rome became more and more concentrated inward and the Republic was replaced with the Empire, fringe technology and the shiny-factor suffered except in Rome itself. We never see Coruscant in the OT, which is where most of the fancy technology would probably still be in abundance.

The only problem is that the decay seems far too fast.

Eh, yes it could be that, or it could be that modern movie-making (and computer) technology has improved since 1970's.

 

[maharg]

Obviously, but it's not difficult to justify. Difficult to justify is Enterprise, where an improvement in technology was apparently accompanied with a return to dials, knobs, and LEDs from touch screens.

 

[Bizarro Sun Yat-sen]

The idea that there are a bunch of little floating amoebas who are intelligent and able to lift X-Wings is somehow MORE absurd than magic.

Well presumably there has to be some kind of biological mechanism whether it's made explicit or not, right? We're talking about a power exercised by humans and other biological entities, after all.

 

[Hitokage]

Well presumably there has to be some kind of biological mechanism whether it's made explicit or not, right? We're talking about a power exercised by humans and other biological entities, after all.

Whatever happened to good ol' willpower and incantation? Magic is a force of mind, or spirit, or nature or whatever... but it's not something that needs a biological organ.

 

[maharg]

Well presumably there has to be some kind of biological mechanism whether it's made explicit or not, right? We're talking about a power exercised by humans and other biological entities, after all.

If it's not made explicit, people who want/need there to be an explanation can make their own up or just assume something like midichlorians, and people who want it to be magic can have it be magic.

 

[Fatghost]

I just read the Revenge of the Sith novel. It wasn't terrible. The movie might just turn out ok.


Good points:

Spoiler

Jar Jar only got mentioned once in the novel, and only in a single passing sentence

Spoiler

Anakin has a few whiny angsty scenes/dialog, but also has many cool lines especially after he's turned to the dark side

Spoiler

the love/romance stuff is not so heavy, it's there but it's easily outnumbered by cool light saber battles

Bad points:

Spoiler

Midichlorians do get mentioned

Spoiler

Anakin's motivations are pretty stupid. His characterization is pretty bland, and he comes across as a robotic sociopath instead of a noble hero who has fallen.

Essentially, his light side/dark side conflict could be summed up like this:

Darth Sidious: KILL THE JEDI

Anakin: NO WAY DUDE KILLING IS WRONG AND I AM A NOBLE HERO GUY

Sidious: KILL THE JEDI

Anakin: WELL OK SINCE YOU PUT IT THAT WAY (kills little children and kicks a dog) YEAH DARK SYDE FO LIFE YO

All in all, it seems a lot better than the craptacular Attack of the Clones though.