SW1: (epic) Phantom Menace review UPDATE AotC review too

ART: Movies, Pictures, Music the stuff that could be considered Art by some people

Moderator: frigidmagi

Post Reply
User avatar
rhoenix
The Artist formerly known as Rhoenix
Posts: 7998
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:01 pm
17
Location: "Here," for varying values of "here."
Contact:

#1 SW1: (epic) Phantom Menace review UPDATE AotC review too

Post by rhoenix »

Before this, I thought no force in this universe could convince me to even bother with the prequels for the Star Wars movies ever again. These reviews proved me wrong. There are 7 parts to this, and it is indeed epic. I suggest watching this in the strongest possible terms.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Last edited by rhoenix on Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes."

- William Gibson


Josh wrote:What? There's nothing weird about having a pet housefly. He smuggles cigarettes for me.
User avatar
Cpl Kendall
Disciple
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:16 pm
19
Location: Ontario, Canada

#2

Post by Cpl Kendall »

I'm about half-way through Part II, funny stuff. :lol:
User avatar
Stofsk
Secret Agent Man
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:46 pm
19
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#3

Post by Stofsk »

Yeah it's funny, but it's also totally true. I thought about the very same things the guy mentioned - the lack of real characters, the lack of plot coherence, the fact the story just isn't very good or makes any sense whatsoever, and how everything looks sterile and lacks the grittiness that was in the OT (even though the OT showed environments that were sterile looking - and revealed those places as places of danger: the Death Star and Star Destroyer internals look very clean and very sterile, and filled with bad guys; Cloud City looked very clean too, and it was a trap for the heroes. There were exceptions though: Yavin base looked pretty clean, except it was smack dab in the middle of a jungle; the Rebel flagship looked clean and orderly, but it was filled with a variety of different races and people).
User avatar
Cpl Kendall
Disciple
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:16 pm
19
Location: Ontario, Canada

#4

Post by Cpl Kendall »

I haven't seen it in a while, a long while. Actually I only have it on VHS. I never put much thought into the movie, cause when it came out it was "oh cool! New SW!'

And I basically haven't seen it since.
Hadrianvs
Initiate
Posts: 370
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:12 pm
16

#5

Post by Hadrianvs »

Cpl Kendall wrote:I haven't seen it in a while, a long while. Actually I only have it on VHS. I never put much thought into the movie, cause when it came out it was "oh cool! New SW!'

And I basically haven't seen it since.
That's probably the best succinct indictment I've heard of The Phantom Menace, and I feel the same way. It was cool that it was a new Star Wars back when it came out, and the movie was enjoyable, but it's not so much that I want to watch it again.
Last edited by Hadrianvs on Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Rogue 9
Master
Posts: 1994
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:07 pm
19
Contact:

#6

Post by Rogue 9 »

"That is going to be fucking impossible because she doesn't have a character." :lol:
The Paladin's Domain, My Blog (Updated 5/18/2009)

"Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils." -- General John Stark

"A fortress circumvented ceases to be an obstacle.
A fortress destroyed ceases to be a threat.
Do not forget the difference."

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed." -- G. K. Chesterton
User avatar
The Minx
Pleasure Kitten
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:29 pm
17

#7

Post by The Minx »

I was only just shown these the other day. Great review, and so true. :lol:

It's really a shame.
User avatar
Stofsk
Secret Agent Man
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:46 pm
19
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#8

Post by Stofsk »

Yeah. When you think about the amount of resources he had available, and given he recognised his own weaknesses as a writer at other times, you'd think he would have kept to being the producer (something he excels at) and got a decent writer or two to pen the screenplays.
User avatar
Stofsk
Secret Agent Man
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:46 pm
19
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#9

Post by Stofsk »

Update: RedLetterMedia has released his 9-part review of AotC.
User avatar
Cpl Kendall
Disciple
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:16 pm
19
Location: Ontario, Canada

#10

Post by Cpl Kendall »

He's got some pretty good points in there, especially about Yoda.
User avatar
Charon
No
Posts: 4913
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:30 pm
19
Location: On my boat, as always.
Contact:

#11

Post by Charon »

That was one part that I always hated about AotC, more than the stupid stupid romance, it was yoda pulling out that mini-saber and going toe-to-toe with Dooku, he was supposed to be better than that.
Moderator of Philosophy and Theology
User avatar
The Minx
Pleasure Kitten
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:29 pm
17

#12

Post by The Minx »

Wow. Nine installments, that's almost as long as an actual Star Wars movie. :lol:

The sword fighting Yoda was bad, but that was just one aspect of the main problem with the prequels: they were simply soul-less. As RLM points out, too much marketing, too much CGI, too much ripping off of better and older ideas versus too little genuine emotion, gritty reality and competent writing. And too much wooden acting, which is the director's fault, since these actors don't suck so much normally.

Most important, I'm forced to agree with him that I honestly don't think Lucas understands what made the old movies magical anymore. :shock: It's all about glitz and noise and action, it's like they didn't care about the underlying ideas of the originals at all, there was no depth.

Every time the review switches to one of the iconic moments of the original trilogy, the contrast breaks my heart a little. :sad:
Last edited by The Minx on Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Librium Arcana resident ⑨-ball
User avatar
rhoenix
The Artist formerly known as Rhoenix
Posts: 7998
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:01 pm
17
Location: "Here," for varying values of "here."
Contact:

#13

Post by rhoenix »

I...can't bring myself to watch this, honestly. I didn't watch his takedown of Phantom Menace, because it was like watching the death of ten thousand stings - he nitpicked for hours.

As for the second one, well - after seeing up through part 4 of the first one, my official response would be a shrug.
"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes."

- William Gibson


Josh wrote:What? There's nothing weird about having a pet housefly. He smuggles cigarettes for me.
User avatar
Charon
No
Posts: 4913
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:30 pm
19
Location: On my boat, as always.
Contact:

#14

Post by Charon »

I think that, despite being the creator of Star Wars, he just does a poor job of being in charge of it. The weakest of the original trilogy was directed by him, and all of the prequels were directed by him. Take Star Wars away from Lucas Like with Empire, Jedi, and both Clone Wars tv shows and it freaking shines.
Moderator of Philosophy and Theology
User avatar
The Minx
Pleasure Kitten
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:29 pm
17

#15

Post by The Minx »

He should have let Speilberg have a chance like he wanted to, and let Lawrence Kazdan write the final draft of the script. That would have kept the magic in there.
Librium Arcana resident ⑨-ball
User avatar
Stofsk
Secret Agent Man
Posts: 1710
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:46 pm
19
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#16

Post by Stofsk »

Charon wrote:I think that, despite being the creator of Star Wars, he just does a poor job of being in charge of it. The weakest of the original trilogy was directed by him
The weakest of the original trilogy was directed by him
The weakest of the original trilogy was directed by him
Image
Star Wars was the weakest? Are you fucking high? GTFO.
Post Reply