Saturday, May 28, 2005

10,000 thrice, and a movie seen (scene?)

   My journals's hit counter has just passed the 10,000 mark for the third time this week. Truly a momentous occurence. Thank you, AOL, for your stability. Now on to more important matters.

   I have just returned from the theater, whence I journeyed to view the final installment of the Saga that is Star Wars. Revenge of the Sith deserves both better, and worse from those who have reviewed it. To those fans who are still wiping the drool from their chins after their seventeenth viewing since last Thursday I say, "grow up, it wasn't that good." To those who have dismissed it as dreck without even really thinking about it for fifteen minutes I say, "get over yourselves, it wasn't that bad."
   I must say that I find myself somewhat at odds with most of what I have read out here in the blogiverse. The parts everyone hated, I didn't think were so bad, and the parts everybody loved, I could have done without. In short form, here are some of my thoughts.
  • Yes, the dialogue was pretty bad, but no worse than the dialogue in any of the previous films, including all of the original trilogy. Even the "Anakin, you're breaking my heart" line didn't really bother me.

  • In their efforts to make the lightsabre battles in each movie faster and more intricate than the one before, they have reached the point where the audience cannot even follow what the heck is going on. I am reminded of the director of the old Green Hornet television show telling Bruce Lee to slow down, or the audience would miss all the cool moves. Sage advice that George appears to have forgotten.

  • Did anyone else notice that right after Anakin pledges allegiance to Palpatine/Sidious, the latter admits that he doesn't really know how to do all that lifesaving stuff after all? Wasn't that supposed to be Anakin's motivation for going to the dark side?

  • OK, that "Noooooo!!!" scene was horrible, and should have been left on the cutting room floor. I'll go with you there.

  • The final fifteen minutes did absolutely nothing for me. It was so obviously just housekeeping that I lost interest long before the end credits rolled

   I agree with everyone that asingle viewing is not enough to cover the film in depth, but further analysis will have to wait until it comes out on DVD. I can't see myself paying the money to see it in the theater again.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Count yourself lucky on the counter.  I'm currently "up" to 37 hits since 3/22/04.  I used to have over 12K.  No fair passing me on a technical fluke!

I do believe I was in your range on the Star Wars review:  firmly in the middle between great and awful.

Karen

Anonymous said...

All that I can say is thank God that AOL doesn't control the NYSE ticker!
Chris
http://journals.aol.com/swibirun/Inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings
http://journals.aol.com/swibirun/MyJournalJarSaturdaySixetcanswer

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up on the Sith Paul. I can't wait to see it and add it to my collection. Congrats on the hits, again!

Lahoma

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'll wait for the DVD.  My costume is out for cleaning anyway.  Mrs. L

Anonymous said...

I went and saw the Amityville Horror remake and will make a definate pass on Star Wars....but I couldn't resist flashing those waiting for Star Wars the "trekkie" hand signal, just to watch them sneer, since,heaven forbid, I dare associate the two together. Congrats on all your hits, you journal pimp, you. Have a great weekend!

<3 Rachel

Anonymous said...

My son can't wait to see that movie. We're waiting for it to come out on DVD/VHS.

Arion

Anonymous said...

Hey, you got to pass 10,000 three times this week? I'm feeeling robbed, I only achieved it once this week. I enjoyed the movie, just as any movie has it's parts you can tear apart this one did, but it was still a good watch.
Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Congrats thrice given for the dubious honor of hitting 10,000- 3 times in a week...;)
think I'll wait to see this movie til it comes out  for rent. Based on all the blogs I've read, I think I prefer the image I have in my mind...Penny