Rewatching Star Wars

[Zymologist]

Since the new Star Wars is coming out this Christmas, and since my wife had never actually seen the movies, we decided to just work through all six of them. We watched the original trilogy first, so tonight (episode 3) is the last one. I haven't seen these in years, and had forgotten a lot about them. I'll split up my observations by the separate trilogies.

Original trilogy:

I grew up with these movies, but hadn't actually seen any of them in about a decade. So I wasn't actually sure whether or not I really cared anymore. But...huh. These are legitimately still good movies. They have good comedy, good drama, good action. Darth Vader and the emperor have an impressive sense of menace about them. Really great stuff.

Prequel trilogy:

Oh my gosh, Jar-Jar is annoying. I feel like they tried to create another Chewbacca, or something, but they failed. Miserably. Older Anakin is also annoying. The only redeeming parts about the whole love story in episode 2 are the early scenes where Padme lays the smackdown on him. (e.g., "You'll always be that little boy on Tatooine." ) Other than those lines, the dialogue is atrocious. Young Obi-Wan is alright, but...meh. Overall they're just kinda dumb fun.

Anyway, after we finished the original trilogy, I showed my wife the trailer for the new one, again. She'd seen it before, but not with the experience of the original movies behind her. After it was over, she admitted that she was actually kind of excited to see it. Couldn't be bothered before seeing the originals.

Edit: And of course Christopher Lee. He was good.

[Cerebrum123]

Since the new Star Wars is coming out this Christmas, and since my wife had never actually seen the movies, we decided to just work through all six of them. We watched the original trilogy first, so tonight (episode 3) is the last one. I haven't seen these in years, and had forgotten a lot about them. I'll split up my observations by the separate trilogies.

Original trilogy:

I grew up with these movies, but hadn't actually seen any of them in about a decade. So I wasn't actually sure whether or not I really cared anymore. But...huh. These are legitimately still good movies. They have good comedy, good drama, good action. Darth Vader and the emperor have an impressive sense of menace about them. Really great stuff.

Prequel trilogy:

Oh my gosh, Jar-Jar is annoying. I feel like they tried to create another Chewbacca, or something, but they failed. Miserably. Older Anakin is also annoying. The only redeeming parts about the whole love story in episode 2 were the early scenes where Padme laid the smackdown on him. (e.g., "You'll always be that little boy on Tatooine." ) Other than those lines, the dialogue is atrocious. Young Obi-Wan was alright, but...meh. Overall they're just kinda dumb fun.

Anyway, after we finished the original trilogy, I showed my wife the trailer for the new one, again. She'd seen it before, but not with the experience of the original movies behind her. After it was over, she admitted that she was actually kind of excited to see it. Couldn't be bothered before seeing the originals.

Because of him many people broke their reset buttons on their Nintendo 64's because they liked seeing the logo fall on him.

[Teallaura]

I actually like Jar-jar. He is a skinny Curly. The problem is that neither Qui Gon nor Obi Wan are Larry or Moe. Jar-jar is fun but he is out of his natural element. Give him a ladder, a bucket and a beat cop foil and everyone will be rolling in the aisles.

[Raphael]

Between Episode 2 and 3 you really should watch the Clone Wars animated film and series.....it fills in a LOT of gaps.

[Raphael]

I actually like Jar-jar. He is a skinny Curly. The problem is that neither Qui Gon nor Obi Wan are Larry or Moe. Jar-jar is fun but he is out of his natural element. Give him a ladder, a bucket and a beat cop foil and everyone will be rolling in the aisles.

Mine beloved really likes the Jar-Jar character as well.

[Adrift]

There's a really great, and very thorough, teardown of the Prequels by a team called Red Letter Media that Roger Ebert supposedly really liked, but it's hard to recommend them because they're extremely vulgar.

At any rate, they offer a slew of terrific points. Right off the bat, Jar Jar is the most obvious offence, so isn't really the most interesting thing to critique so they pretty much skip him. Instead they're interested in story structure, editing, character type and development, the script and the like. One of the first points they make is about how memorable the original characters were. If you were to describe the characters from the original series without saying what they look like you could say that Han Solo, for example, is dashing, arrogant, charming, roguish, smarmy, cocksure, a scoundrel, pig-headed, a sexy bad boy, a guy with a dark streak, but deep down a thief with a hard of gold. What can we say about Qui Gon Jinn on the other hand? He's...stoic. I guess. Stern? There's just not a whole lot of character there. Or how bout 3CPO? Bumbling side-kick, scaredy cat, anal retentive, prissy, used as comic relief, high strung, effeminate. How about Queen Amidala? She's...normal? monotone? I mean...there's really nothing there.

Anyways, yeah, I'm looking forward to the new episodes, and I'm hoping to forget all about the prequels.

[Faber]

The original three were good. The prequel trilogy was like watching three two-hour-long commercials for action figure toys.

[Teallaura]

The original three were good. The prequel trilogy was like watching three two-hour-long commercials for action figure toys.

[Teallaura]

I agree with Raph. Clone Wars Is worth watching and does help the story.

The prequels have a ideology problem. The Jedi make no sense. In DND terms they say they are striving to be true neutrals but they can't run the alignment. Luke, Ie

even in Return is definitely a good guy, Ieven when he is pretending to be Qui Chang Cain.e

It's more akin to the difference between Kirk and Picard only Trek does it much, Imm much better.

There are no heroes in the prequels. IQqui Gon comes closest but gets offed just as he becomes interesting.

I think that's part of why I like Jar-jar. ITo me, Ihe is the least annoying part of movies that keep missing the mark. IAnd at least he is sort of funny...



Yes, Ithe phone is doing very annoying things right now. IPlease forgive me.

[JonathanL]

I'm not going to get my hopes up that the new Star Wars movies are actually going to be any good.

[Teallaura]

I'm not going to get my hopes up that the new Star Wars movies are actually going to be any good.

As long as Luke hasn't gone to the dark side and his long lost, one handed son is not trying to beat him, I am probably looking forward to it.

[Zymologist]

I'm not going to get my hopes up that the new Star Wars movies are actually going to be any good.

I actually have hope. There seems to be more reverence for the originals, (e.g., original actors, more practical effects, and I just heard today no mention of midichlorians).

[Teallaura]

Midichlorians are the dumbest idea in sci-fi. That includes the aliens that looked like a giant ear in aspic that left slime trails behind them like snails...

[Zymologist]

Midichlorians are the dumbest idea in sci-fi. That includes the aliens that looked like a giant ear in aspic that left slime trails behind them like snails...

Yeah...I'm not sure why they thought that was a good idea.

[JonathanL]

Midichlorians are the dumbest idea in sci-fi. That includes the aliens that looked like a giant ear in aspic that left slime trails behind them like snails...

Midichlorians? Isn't that what you put in swimming pools to kill the bacteria?