I regret nothing

[ebonlock]

For those who have decided to turn not seeing Episode II into a moral vow with the solemnity of a priest swearing off sex, I feel very sorry for you. You're not missing a life changing event, and yes you do know ultimately how the story ends, and sure there are parts of the movie that had me shifting in my seat. But Ep II was pretty damn good, with a few moments of great sprinkled in.



This time there was a little emotional depth added into the politics, a sense of comraderie, and some honest to goodness female spunk (good lord have I missed Leia in these flicks, but Amidala/Padme is starting to develop a backbone). Yeah, the love stuff comes off like a romance novel written by your dad ("Well you see, when a Republican Senator loves a Jedi very much..."), and Padme running around in her skimpiest outfits while telling her young stalker Ani that they should really just be friends, comes off as rather ridiculous. But that was pretty much the only thing I can think of to complain about.

Well, almost, Jango Fett really should have died more, lots more. I took comfort in the fact that his son will end up being slowly digested in the belly of the Sarlacc for a thousand years.

I'm sorry, but getting to see the Jedi while they were a force to be reckoned with was amazing. Seeing Yoda show us how this feeble little green muppet got put in charge of the council rocked. Mace Windu being one bad muthafucka kicked ass. The chase sequence through Coruscant and the final battle finally shows us that Lucas is done playing with his new toys and more interested in using the technology to get an idea across and tell the damn story. Anakin's fall to the darkside rings true, and Palpatine...well all I've got to say is that man is good, damn good.

Yeah there were several scenes I probably would've cut from the film were I in charge, and George bonked us over the head with foreshadowing a little too forcefully sometimes, but for this I can forgive him. The pieces are starting to fall into place, and people are making the decisions that will lead to the rise of the Empire and the fall of the Jedi. Characters are coming together and I'm beginning to think that maybe George knows what he's doing after all.

So what does this mean? Well it means I'm going to go home tonight and watch
A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back tonight while I do some cooking and cleaning. I'm going to pick up the soundtrack and novel and see if there are some nuances I missed. I'm going to go see the flick at least once more, possibly twice.

I feel like I have found my way back to that far away galaxy long, long ago, and I'm very happy to be there.

Comments

bandwagon

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

I've found myself wanting to go back and rewatch all the movies, at first, only to catch all of the music theme interweaving, and see what's referenced to in the new trilogy, but now I want to see what I think of the movies after all this time, after seeing the two new ones. The first Star Wars trilogy has become this huge, overwhelming thing in pop culture, so the new films are held to an even higher standard than the first ones, and I think I've been swept up somewhat in that.

I definitely want to see Clones again, ping me when you go. And I've realized I own none of the music on cd, and there's nice 2-disc sets for the all the previous movies, plus one released for TPM, and I'm just so there. I'd love to borrow the novel, and now I'm curious about the non-Wrede book from the first movie. I'm not sure I want to deal with virgin birth again, though.

I wrote up my rambling thoughts about the movie last night, which is less a review than general impressions of whatever made a mark on me.

And it's still worth it just for Yoda's can of whoop-ass

Re: bandwagon

[tersa.livejournal.com]

If you want, I have all of the original movies' soundtracks, plus the 2-disc re-releases of the Empire and Return soundtracks (A New Hope was already 2-discs, and I'd gotten all the music out of it I wanted). You can borrow if you'd like, and I'd love to discuss it with you. :) I just hope my nattering about it during the movie wasn't too distracting.

I'd like to see AotC one more time, but I think I want either true twlight or matinee prices. And I also want to read the book.

And and and...

My own review is forthcoming. I need to finish getting my thoughts down

Re: bandwagon

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Fire's got all the original soundtracks, and the rereleases, and I think I'll be stealing all of the latter from him for awhile, to listen to obsessively. And then I'd love to sit down with you and watch the movies, geeking about music the whole time.

I really appreciated your comments on when certain themes cropped up (particularly the Emperor's, which I don't recognize immediately), that was cool.

I'm thinking matinee, too--less clusterfuck in parking, which is always good.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you /do/ have plans tonight. (:

Priestly Vows

[crobderg.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I have been growing tired of listening to people trash it.. I really enjoyed it. I never watched any of the originals as a kid and so I always wondered at people's response of "I don't think special effects can get any better than this!". Watching it last night I had that moment. I realize that effects will get much better.. but damn! I was impressed. I'm ready to go again if anybody needs peoples to go with..

Re: Priestly Vows

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I'll happily go again, and I know h0h0 wants to see it too, so email me and let's see if we can't figure out a time we can all do it together.