Will Star Wars be redeemed by the Revenge of the Sith?
For those of you who haven't seen the new trailer (released a couple of weeks ago) for Star Wars: Episode III, GO AND WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY before reading any further!!!
If you've seen it, read on...
Now, I know practically everyone was disappointed by the first two movies. And as I've said in the past, while I enjoyed Episodes I and II, even I (a once obsessive Star Wars fan) didn't find the same thrill and awe that came with the original trilogy, despite George's special effects galore.
Yet I must also admit that I enjoyed Episode II much more than Episode I (did everyone else feel the same?). Is this a hopeful sign that Episode III will show further improvement?
Personally, based upon the storyline alone, I think III has the potential to be one of the best Star Wars films yet. It will assuredly be a dark movie (like Empire), this time revolving around a theme that all men can relate to in some way or another: a falling away from the Good. Indeed, everything seems to be there for a good tale, but as we all know, many things can go wrong. In fact, the more I think about it, one particular thing (or person) concerns me more than any other:
Will Hayden Christensen be able to pull off such a dramatic and powerful role? Can this boy convincingly transform into the villainous Darth Vader we know and love from the past? Honestly, it is on this string more than any other that I believe the success of the movie hangs.
Of course, regardless of what happens, I still look forward to seeing how George ties everything together. And who can't get excited over duels between Anakin and Obi Wan, Palpatine and Yoda, and an assortment of other Jedi?
So, I want to know what you think of the upcoming movie, as well as any scenes in the trailer that caught your eye.
And as a teaser for all of you Star Wars aficionados out there, here's a snapshot I found of one of the "surprise" cast members (guy on the right) in the upcoming film:
posted by Chris @ 11:26 PM
4 Comments:
My greatest gripe pertaining to the new Star Wars is simply that they are a joyless exercise in what happens when a film is made specifically for SFX.
The problem is that the actual SFX often sag behind the ambition, creating some surprisingly horrid effects. The CGI Yoda was lifeless. Jar Jar Binks? No comments required.
But these are nearly forgivable attributes when compared to the new Star Wars' greatest failure: making me care.
There are numerous reasons for this. The screenplay is so heavy-handed, so self-important, that I do not believe any actor could successfully read for these parts without sounding as if they were reading from cue cards. They seem driven by forced lines, which cause them to come across as lifeless as the CGI characters that surround them.
Simply stated, I do not care for them, or understand their humanity, nor their pain...and this creates a terrible platform for a set of films which should ultimately be led by characterization: the fall of Anakin to the infamous dark side.
The concept is intriguing, but I believe it will fail horribly, because no amount of space ships, robots, or light sabers will be able to distract us from realizing that Lucas cannot prove his thesis.
Now look to Peter Jackson. He identified the problem of balancing SFX and characterization in Lord of the Rings, and was able to tell a similar story. Gollum was very much his Anakin Skywalker, and he was able to give a CGI character more life, more humanity, and more utter futility, than Lucas could provide with an actual living, breathing actor. In this way, and many more ways, this new set of Star Wars’ is pathetically inferior to Lord of the Rings.
This is only because Jackson slightly shifted more focus on characterization than SFX.
With the advent of CGI possibilities, Lucas has acted like a four-year-old boy in a candy store, completely mesmerized by the possibilities, but unable to make up his mind on what he really wants. Had Lucas learned from Jackson, he might have realized that characters do matter.
When you look back, and think about Lord of the Rings, what images come to your mind? Personally, I think about the hobbits. I think about Frodo’s last smile to his friends. I think about Gandalf, providing hope and comfort through words of infinite wisdom. I think about Gollum, with the look of a desperate boy trapped within the skin of a monster.
When I look back at the new Star Wars, I think about space ships, and robots, and extraterrestrial cities…and that’s it. It’s simply a spectacle, and there’s a little man behind a curtain with his dials and levers, attempting to fool us all into caring.
Of course I'm excited about Episode III. And I was excited about Episodes I and II. And all three "Rings" movies. I think that Episode III will be a payoff to some degree to the people who made the original trilogy more their business than just three movies. Dorks like Mac and I (sorry Chris) who read the books, buy the video games, visit the art exhibitions and play the trivia games. We always wanted to know how Darth became Darth and we'll get it. Granted, we may get to the answer with shitty acting and enough special effects to choke a donkey, but for someone like me who's pondered how everything got to where it was in Episode IV for ten years now, no matter how deadpan the acting is, Natalie Portman will still be hot and the explanation will still be interesting.
Steve,
I too liked your comparison. Honestly though, I think it has to do with the original stories just as much as with the movie filming. We're talking about J.R.R.TOLKEIN vs. George Lucas. Can we really compare the two?? Sure, Star Wars is a neat story, and at times grand in its nature, but does it even come close to the fantasy world and characters that Tolkein conjured up?
Also, what did you mean by "Lucas cannot prove his thesis"? What's his thesis?
My comparison is strictly by film. The book, LOTR, did not have the emotional impact on me like the films did. In that sense, I am comparing Peter Jackson to George Lucas, not Tolkien.
Every film has a thesis, or at least, good ones do. I tend to dislike nihilistic films, and consider them a complete waste of time. Might as well watch a fly buzz around a window.
The thesis of "Revenge of the Sith" is to show the downfall of Anakin Skywalker, but these films are so short of really following through with the characterization needed to create a character story.
It's not necessary to like a character in a film. "Citizen Kane" was about a detestable man's rise and fall. I think Lucas wanted us to like Skywalker, but we don't. Therefore, we really don't care that he turns to the darkside. The idea should be that we want him to stay good, but instead, out of sheer boredom, we just want him to get it over with.
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