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It's déjà vu all over again!


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These are critics...these are petty little people who's entire life centers around judging other people's work (no offense meant to Leon)...I'd get cynical after the first week or so of a job like that...also, they need to sell magazines and increase hit counts...saying Star Wars is great wouldn't do that...everyone wants to find out why it's "bad" and goes to the site....that's all...no problem! :D :D

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Allow me to make some comments on that paragraph as someone who has seen the movie....

 

(**clears throat**)

 

"Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly writes that the latest installment exhibits "a chill, conservative grimness of purpose, rather than an excited thrill at the possibilities of cinematic storytelling."

 

This would be true, be it not that Anakin's story is KNOWN for the most part. We only don't know HOW he becomes Vader. Lucas has done a great job with Anakin's anger-development; the rest, as they say, is classic Star Wars. And no doubt that reviewer doesn't like classic SW.

 

"Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com says that die-hard Star Wars cultists will have to "live with the enormous faults: hideous dialogue, bad plotting and infomercial-grade acting."

 

Excuse me ? Now it's true that some lines come across as a bit corny, but for crying out loud; this isn't Shakespeare ! Why does every critic somehow insist that it has to be exactly that ? Again; Hayden does a swell job, McDiarmid is superb and most other actors only have small parts.

 

"David Thomson in the London Independent asks rhetorically, "What's missing?" Then observes: "A movie, characters, a story. Just those antique elements." Especially missing, he indicates, is a "feeling in the series for some profound struggle between good and evil. The ethics are like cartoon thought bubbles."

 

I get the feeling this reviewer saw some cartoon instead of Ep. 2 and mixed them up. Practically everything about Ep. 2 is about a major struggle between good and evil. Both large scale ('bad' separatists, although WHY they want to break away isn't really explained, and small scale (Anakin's struggle).

 

"On the other hand, Alexander Walker in the London Evening Standard writes that the movie "is intimate and spectacular, event-packed and technology-triumphant." Indeed, most of the London press gives high marks to the film's special effects. But Kirk Honeycutt in the Hollywood Reporter is unimpressed. "Does anyone fondly recall the day when creatures in a Star Wars movie were guys in funny costumes?" he asks, adding: "There's no doubt the digital realm has enriched Lucas' vision with unimaginable worlds and creatures, but there can be too much of a good thing."

 

This is simply an amateur with too much nostalgia. No doubt does he love black and white movies simply because they're old.

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Well, who gives a dang what others say, anyway. Leon says it was incredible, and thats coming from a perspective i can trust, a SW fan. What would some reviewer in London thats probably never seen the other star wars films more than once know about what makes a good one. As long as I and we, as star wars fans think it is great, then that all that matters.

 

Besides, we'll see how good it is when it breaks all kinds of attendance records, swamping that excuse for a movie, Spider-Man.

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Originally posted by Paragon_Leon

Allow me to make some comments on that paragraph as someone who has seen the movie....

 

(**clears throat**)

 

"Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly writes that the latest installment exhibits "a chill, conservative grimness of purpose, rather than an excited thrill at the possibilities of cinematic storytelling."

 

This would be true, be it not that Anakin's story is KNOWN for the most part. We only don't know HOW he becomes Vader. Lucas has done a great job with Anakin's anger-development; the rest, as they say, is classic Star Wars. And no doubt that reviewer doesn't like classic SW.

 

"Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com says that die-hard Star Wars cultists will have to "live with the enormous faults: hideous dialogue, bad plotting and infomercial-grade acting."

 

Excuse me ? Now it's true that some lines come across as a bit corny, but for crying out loud; this isn't Shakespeare ! Why does every critic somehow insist that it has to be exactly that ? Again; Hayden does a swell job, McDiarmid is superb and most other actors only have small parts.

 

"David Thomson in the London Independent asks rhetorically, "What's missing?" Then observes: "A movie, characters, a story. Just those antique elements." Especially missing, he indicates, is a "feeling in the series for some profound struggle between good and evil. The ethics are like cartoon thought bubbles."

 

I get the feeling this reviewer saw some cartoon instead of Ep. 2 and mixed them up. Practically everything about Ep. 2 is about a major struggle between good and evil. Both large scale ('bad' separatists, although WHY they want to break away isn't really explained, and small scale (Anakin's struggle).

 

"On the other hand, Alexander Walker in the London Evening Standard writes that the movie "is intimate and spectacular, event-packed and technology-triumphant." Indeed, most of the London press gives high marks to the film's special effects. But Kirk Honeycutt in the Hollywood Reporter is unimpressed. "Does anyone fondly recall the day when creatures in a Star Wars movie were guys in funny costumes?" he asks, adding: "There's no doubt the digital realm has enriched Lucas' vision with unimaginable worlds and creatures, but there can be too much of a good thing."

 

This is simply an amateur with too much nostalgia. No doubt does he love black and white movies simply because they're old.

 

 

Sorry for this guys, you all seem like decent chaps but...

 

I know it's easy to be cynical, but from the previews I have seen the script seems absolutely ludicrous,

 

'Blast, now I remember why I hate flying!'

 

Ewan McGregor immitating some ridiculous English accent

 

The acting, be it the actors or direction, is a joke, the best example I can give is when Anakin jumps from the flying hovercraft vehicle, its embarrassingly poor. McDiarmid has an easy role to play, it doesn't take too much acting skill to appear innocent whilst the director allows you to see the manipulative side. From what I have seen of Hayden Christiensen (SP), there is little to praise.

 

If you see reviews from genuine film critics, then you are obviously going to see poor write ups. The Phantom Menace was an absolute farce, I don't know anyone that rates it above 'a bit dull'.

 

If you are some kind of Star Wars sycophant then you are bound to love it and look past the obvious flaws. But for me, hoping I have an objective viewpoint, it is severly lacking.

 

Maybe I am wrong, as I have made an awful amount of presumptions, but I very much doubt it.

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i said this on another post....who listen's to rogers and egbert ne ways??? These people praised such retarded, BORING (maybe it was shakespearian writing but PLEASE let us not forget their praised reviews for "Like water for chocolate" "the englishman who came down a mountain without a lightsaber (etc)" and hum wat other piece of trash movies do we *yawns* wish we hadn't of paid money to see....oh wait I paid money to see that AWARD WINNING movie this sumer with Morissa Tormei!!! What a PIECE OF CRAP....who saw Thin Red Line. That was a sleeper. These people are evil! They like movies that like them are boring and lack real substance and infact we have no real way of relating to their charectors.

 

Besides...how hard is it to come up with a movie about something that has been done over and over again and you slice it up with some shots of grass and butterflies and shade it in orange or some crap. Give me YODA KICKEN @** and Anakin gettin midevil on DOoku! Lets see him turn to the Darkside of the force.....now there's some substance

 

p.s forgive me if i sound wierd - i work graveyard and haven't slept in 2 days

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Ok, a quick comment on this...

 

Am I a Star Wars fan ? You bet.

 

Did I like The Phantom Menace ? Not really, although it has it's moments (first ten minutes anyone ?)

 

Now let me tell you that practically EVERY journalist that attended the press-screening there thought TPM was crap. Most of them were not SW-fans; they simply had 'another assignement'..

 

When we all walked out of the theater, every single one of them went 'wow'..

 

Now, let me stress one thing: AotC is not 'the second coming' or something like that. I gave it a solid 8. As such, it wipes the floor with TPM. That's my reference.

 

Star Wars movies have ALWAYS had actors blurting out some corny speech. Mostly these were actors that weren't used to those kind of lines.

 

AotC is more of a detective...believe it or not. But it's also continuing some developments; Palpatine's rise takes shape, Anakin's anger and pride are crystal clear and Obi-Wan's frustration shines through. To have that all convincingly in a script doesn't make it a failure in my book. Those are the main points of the movie; the rest is window-dressing. In-your-face window-dressing, if i might add, because did anyone have cheers of recognition with TPM ? No. You'll have those with this one.

 

All in all; Star Wars is not a fancy theater / Shakespear-like production... why would we expect it to be just that then ?

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Well obviously not every journalist Leon. You've proved that yourself with your initial post in this thread. The majority of the reviews I have seen have been bad or average, and have echoed the concerns I had from seeing the previews. Thats all.

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Then i guess it really boils down to the experience we've had with every SW-movie...

 

I've been witness to four of them (at least consciously), and every single time the most reputable movie-critics had the first say. Why ? Because they're the most reputable, thus the first.

What is commonly known is that a reputable critic despises overbearing action. They want to see deep, rich character involvement.

 

Star Wars is about action, with character development from CERTAIN characters in the spotlight. In Episode 2, this is mainly and only Anakin, and i stress again that this is handled adequately at least.

 

In the coming week, as the premiere will be done, i suggest you pay close attention to the movie-going public. You'll find that movie-critics are completely out of touch with what movie-audiences really want.

 

I found myself watching Episode 2 with that familiar exciting SW-feeling in my gut; something i didn't have while watching Episode 1...

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All reveiwers are leeches are silme and can kiss my ass as mentioend crap Id never wnat to see. Get rave reveiwes form these jackass that would be better suited to living in 15th century england. Where popualr hits and things that make money are simplstic and lack charter dovlopment or some other stupid excuse for them not liking it.

 

I never read reveiws and wish that all the reveiwers would die.

 

 

And duder why dose it matter if hes dosen't writes for a new paper or major website. I can also say that sicne you aren't a jonulist you opinon dosen't matter. A "genuin" film cirtics opinion means no more then mine, yours or Pargeons_leon. It hsi opionon and so can and often si faulty and not that of many people. And I can easily write reveiw to make anything sound poor or piontless could do it easily with Galaticbattle grounds it ahs amny flaws and bad spots but it still fun I bet that ATOC will be simialr somethigns might be odd or silly but it will still be good.

 

I enjoyed the phantom menace Jar Jar didn't piss me off that much only part I didn't like was the pod race.

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Well I've learnt my lesson to never say a bad word about Star Wars. :(

 

Gaming Nut, all I added was my own comment, so why are you getting so angry? If his view or anyones view is just as relevant then this entire thread is pointless.

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I think y'all need to face it: SW dialogue sounds cheesy! It always has, always will.

 

From what I've seen I'm kinda "meh" on Episode II, I'll rate it when I see it, unlike some people *Glares at Rhett*

 

And leave the poor British boy alone! He has his own opinion and he's entitled to it!

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It always boils down to this: if you are a die-hard Star Wars fan, you'll enjoy this movie no matter how crappy it is. Some die-hard Star Wars fans like me do not think that weak dialogue and bad acting are faults - they're actually part of the experience!

 

Sure, it's nice to see some good actors to support the movie (Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, and now Christopher Lee) but I think it's a good thing if Episode 2 sticks with an overall bad acting performance; it reminds us that it's nothing more than an entertainment movie, not some overly serious psychological work of art. Star Wars is all about seeing familiar characters in all sorts of funny, embarrassing, or downright dangerous situations.

 

And that's the genius of it.

 

Movie critics complaining about a lack of characters, plot, and whatnot just don't understand what is the right frame of mind to adopt when seeing a Star Wars movie. You go in the theater, leaving your brain at home, sit down for the very first showing, with dozens of other Star Wars fans all around you, clapping and yelling "woooooo!!!" when the familiar Star Wars title appears on screen.

 

This is Star Wars. And Episode 2 is going to be just like all the other four episodes: a flick that's bashed by anyone who doesn't understand what it's all about. Episode 2 will be the continuation of the story we, true Star Wars fan, all know and love.

 

And the movie critics will continue to see us as geeks.

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