Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

I so want to say it was awesome! I want to be in line with my husband and kids and claim it made the last too shameful attempts at prequeling worth while. And I really, really want to say Anakin had no more corny love lines at Padme and didn’t cry. But I can’t. I can say that the movie was not filled with Jar Jar exclaiming “Meesa think Annie gone bombad!” (And you atheists thought there was no God!).
Truth be told, I saw the movie Saturday and I have spent the past few days trying to figure out exactly what it is that was missing. I mean, as far as special effects and sci fi goes, it was entertaining. But the groom and I are on polar opposite ends of the spectrum of Star Wars fan philosophy. First of all because he is way more geeky than I am and I have a better sense of style. But second, he as a Star Wars fan has blind loyalty and thinks anything that George Lucas comes out with is great. I on the other hand am a more cerebral (ha ha) fan and am even more dissappointed because I expected better from what I have come to know to be Star Wars caliber. This was just another expensive Lucasfilm B movie just like Episodes I and II.
Part of the problem is the prequels were written after the story with many holes that you just aren’t supposed to think about. And they were more attempts to get characters we know on the screen than an opportunity to be loyal to the story. Now if you are like my husband, and if seeing Chewbacca standing there gives you a thrill, than you will love the movie. If you are like me, wondering if Chewbacca and Yoda knew each other so well, prior to Episode IV, why didn’t ever mention anything? Why did Leia claim to remember her Mom in Return of the Jedi when in fact Padme died (of a broken heart of all things)? So I guess whether or not the movie was good is a matter of perspective.
I am so dissappointed with Anakin in general. I mean it was bad enough when they took his helmut off in Return of the Jedi and he was nothing more than a crusty old white guy. But that annoying little kid (“hit the nose!”) and the whiney Jedi with the cheesy lines and bad acting (“I hate sand. It’s coarse, rough and irritating and gets everywhere. Not like here everything here is soft…and smooth” or“I killed them all! Not just the men! But the women and the children!”). In the third movie he is stupid (“Gasp! You’re the Sith Lord, aren’t you?”)Betcha didn’t know that the sky is blue and cake is good either Anakin! Gosh, I was like shoot me now.
My husband and kids thought so much of it, they have seen it twice already. They went last Wednesday night (or technically Thursday morning) for the midnight showing. OK, now I thought my husband needed some major intervention to realize his Geek problem. But at the midnight showing, a limo pulled up with a bunch of Jedi clad wannabees. How bad is that?

8 comments

  1. I suppose I’m more cerebral as well then. lol Lucas lost me in the 2nd half of Episode 6 with the whole Endor/Ewok thing. I didn’t much care for Episodes I or II, and have been afraid to get my hopes up for this last installment. A lot of things/inconsistencies have bugged me (e.g. How would Darth not have recognized his own creation–i.e. C3PO? Sure, he looked different, but isn’t he like off the charts with his metaclorian counts and all, and wouldn’t that help make him a little more aware? Then there’s what you’ve mentioned in your post. When I heard Chewy was in this, I was like, now why did that never come up in Episodes 4, 5, and 6?).
    If I’m thankful for anything at all in anticipation of watching this film, it’s that I will not see Jar-Jar Binks or hear the utterance of silly phrases such as, “That’s Wizard, Ani!”
    Patty (Missing Han Solo and Lando Calrissian–a few of my old favorites)

  2. Yeah …. I hear Lucas is tryin to work Chewy into the prequel to American Graffiti now … it’s like he’s out of control … I wanna just tell him: “Dude, you can’t just go around trying to cram wookies into everything … lay off, OK?”

  3. We went to see it on Thursday afternoon for Chuck’s 16th birthday. I was kind of confused since I don’t think I’ve really watched any of the Star Wars movies since the first one in ’77 when I was dating my husband. There was a pretty good crowd for 3:00 on a school day (maybe there were a lot of other homeschoolers.) Some kids were in costume…I think this is the first time I’d been to a movie where people ‘dressed up.’

  4. Pansy, my husband and I so agree with you. Anakin’s reasons for going to the dark side just weren’t that convincing. I just couldn’t love the characters the way I did in the Hans Solo, Luke Skywalker days.

  5. Further … I guess he’s trying to use the wookie in the Wolfman Jack role … I mean, that DJ gives a lot of crucial dialog … subtitles would be lame and don’t you think it would be unrealistic to think a bunch of 50’s teens could understand them wookie howls? Clearly, Lucas’ ego is raging to think he can pull this off.

  6. Allison,
    So good to hear from you! I hope all is well!
    Ned,
    Dude, you’re a nut.

  7. Ok,Ok yes some of Anakins lines can be kinda corny or oblivious sometimes but he isn’t always the only one!So lay off him!What about Mace Windu’s line “Palpatine is a Sith lord!? Are you sure!?” Or Obi-Wan’s “GASP! Anakins the father isn’t he!?” I mean I was suprised Padme didn’t look at him and say “No,it’s Jar-Jar!Who do you think it is!?” Besides some of the lines and that one corny,”I love you,” “No, I love you more!”scene.
    I think it was one of my favorite Star Wars movies. And there is asolutely nothing wrong with being a geek.

  8. Way to stand up in the face of oppression Rosey Posey!!!
    Actually, I have never seen anything very intellectual in ANY of the Star Wars, I just watch it for entertainment. I do have to commend Luke Skywalker on remaining true to the good side however, that was very worthy of him. I just like the whole idea of being able to manipulate things with one’s mind… and the way the different cultures interact… which create interesting situations.
    Yeah, Anakin is pretty corny, this is true. Although that quote about the sand,… I can understand a guy, having lived as a slave the whole time he was on a planet of sand (most of his childhood) not liking sand. I have no problem with that part, it’s when he goes on to caress Padme’s arm and adds the bit about it being soft and smooth here… that is painfully corny,… but hey, we can forgive that, he was an adolescent wasn’t he?
    I haven’t seen Episode Three yet, so I can’t comment on any of it. I’ll probably be waiting to watch it on video. Unless DH decides to go to the movies sometime soon… Usually we decide to go, and THEN we look to see what’s playing ha ha. The only movies I have ever made a point of watching in theatre were The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Passion.

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