Episode I: Saw it the opening weekend with Daughter #1 (#2 was still in diapers). We were probably over-excited to see it, and our expectations were much too high. We didn't hate Jar-Jar so much upon first watching it on the big screen (as we did on repeated viewings later on video) as to wonder "Why was this guy even needed?" But we realized it by movies end when there were few even remotely likable characters in the movie. Liam Neeson did an extension of his Rob Roy acting for what ended up (for us) the only character we wanted to know better. Everyone else just seemed to stiff...especially every other Jedi in the movie. Yoda comes off as nothing but a little jerk, and even his lines that are supposed to be funny (like saying Anakin is too young, the same thing he said about a 20 yr old Luke) came off as just cranky. "Give us back the wise/crazy Gram-pa Yoda from Empire" we yelled at the screen (not really, but you get the point).
For all those who finger pointed at young Jake Lloyd/Anakin being too stiff...He was SUPPOSED to be stiff! Do you think a kid being brought up in slavery is well adjusted and spritely? If anything, he was well above the ultra-wood performance of Hayden Christensen in E II. We almost liked the queen, but having seen Ms. Portman's other movies, this was obviously an extremely restricted performance. While we did like the pod race on the big screen the first time...in almost every repeated viewing at home (even with the wide screen and full Dolby blasting us) someone in our house falls asleep whenever we've watched it. The "Big" battle scene...snooze...even on the big screen, it was only saved by Anny and R2 blowing up the control ship. Obi-Wan...might as well have not been in the film, 'cause Lucas didn't let Ewan even start to act until E-II. We didn't feel cheated so much after first seeing it, but after owning it and a few more viewings...it doesn't hold a candle to TOT (the original trilogy).
Episode II: Again Opening weekend...the Sunday I believe...both daughters in tow. George saw some of the light and decided to let Ewan act, and we finally got a likable Jedi that doesn't get killed off by movies end. I wish I could say the same for Anakin. Mr. Christensen makes a tree look like a good actor in E-II. The only spark of life he shows is in his Sand People killing spree...which isn't making us understand why Padme' even likes him. hmm...Padme' who has also been magically transformed into a piece of wood...Egads George...Let them run with this stuff like you did the original cast...the reigns are too tight....you're strangling the audience!! Fortunately, even George can't reign in Christopher Lee, who although a tad stiff in the Yoda fight scene, is quite as menacingly evil as he was as Dracula back in the '60's. Yoda tries to lighten it up in E-II by embarrassing Obi-Wan in front of a room full of Toddler-awans, which to us came off as cruel. The "Where is the planet game" is the only stumbling block in Ewan's performance...c'mon...is anyone that dense? When something is obvious to the audience and not to an on screen character like this was...suspension of disbelief is nigh-impossible. Boba Fett...I see where this is going...but c'mon...do we need this much drama for a guy who gets belched after by the sand-pit creature in "Jedi"? The Obi-Wan/Jango-Fett fight almost justified it, but the connection is moot as Obi-Wan is already dead by the time Boba Fett meets up with Han & Co in "Empire", so the revenge factor is lost on me. The creature fight was pretty cool, as was seeing all the stiffs from E-I finally bring out some action (especially Sam Jackson), but once again the mass clone battle scene afterwords is a snooze...that is until Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda force-off against Darth Tyranus. Honestly if Yoda hadn't squared off with someone, I was going to write him off for the Trilogy. The fight redeemed his ultra-gloomy outlook to that point. Even with the gripes, I thought it was a much better effort than E-I, though the "Love" (nee Lack of Love) scenes are painful to watch. The Mrs. and Daughter #1 liked it a bit more than me....though I have to say it's grown on me in repeated viewings...and no one falls asleep when we do watch it.
Episode III...Haven't seen it yet...but a few things tickle my mind that have trickled down the grape vine.
Sadly, I have a project at work and must work 16 hours on Sat, and another 8 on Sunday...so I'm thinking we'll make a matinée next weekend
I'm thinking that Lucas has lowered expectations so much with Episodes I & II that he had to pull the Chewbacca and the Vader costumes out of mothballs to generate excitement....I mean..I expected to see Vader by the end...but until the promo's came out I didn't know we'd be seeing Wookies...
Return of the Jedi was originally supposed to be based on the Wookie homeworld instead of the Endor moon. The Wookie homeworld made for some of the coolest Star Wars comics and daily newspaper strips (for those who remember) ever. I hope we see more than a glimpse of it.
What is the point of making Chewbaccca a runt among Wookies? Just to make the CGI Wookies bigger I guess....stupid.
I'm interested in discovering why Vader thinks Yoda is no longer alive by the end of the film...otherwise he would have known he trained Luke in "Empire" and "Jedi".
But I have to say...I really want to see it, I hope I'm blown away, but I'm not holding my breath. I hope George let the Actors go full tilt in what ever direction they want, because that's what made TOT so good.
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