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New to the board... thoughts on Episodes 1 & 2

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I’m a huge fan who is brand new to the board, and I was just wondering how all you SW junkies feel about Episode 1 & 2. Does anyone actually think they are well made movies?!?

My thoughts:

  1. The acting is awful, especially in Ep.2 (but god bless Hayden… see Life As A House)
  2. The story is too political and scattered
  3. The scale of the movies are not believable (EVERYTHING is too big)
  4. The mood swings are RIDICULOUS, especially in Ep.1
  5. These movies concentrate more on flattering the Original Trilogy (RIP) than actually entertaining the general public!
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Welcome.

I feel exactly the same, but I hate the prequels a little bit more. The only thing I like about the PTs is the sound, Atack of the Clones has the best sound I've ever heard in a movie.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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I am new the boards as well. I didn't really become involved until after reading the article in Entertainment Weekly where Lucas talks about the changes in the Special Editions. I happen to like Phantom Menace. There are some definite problems, but it has some great moments and one of the best swordfights in movie history. As for Attack of the Clones, I found to be trash. I found almost nothing redeemable in it.
<1) The acting is awful, especially in Ep.2 (but god bless Hayden... see Life As A House)>
I don't think it is the acting(except for Hayden). I think it is the actors are given nothing to do. Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman. These are great actors when given something to do. Hayden is a good actor from what I saw of him in Life as a House and Shattered Glass. The problem is that he played Anakin the same way he played his character in Life As a House. Jake Lloyd is an annoying, but so are all child actors.
<2) The story is too political and scattered>
I found the political scenes in PM brief, but insightful. I felt it was trying to incorporate a whole galaxy rather than just a few characters.
<3) The scale of the movies are not believable (EVERYTHING is too big)>
I'm not sure what you mean. I think everything is bigger because it is a Republic rather than a Dictatorship.
<4) The mood swings are RIDICULOUS, especially in Ep.1>
I can't disagree, but there is precedent. If you want to talk about mood swings, look at Return of the Jedi. Can you think of any other movie that has something like the Jabba the Hut scenes followed by Ewok scenes? And, Luke is at his lowest while everyone else switches to winning with comical sequences.
<5) These movies concentrate more on flattering the Original Trilogy (RIP) than actually entertaining the general public!>
I don't think it Lucas is trying to flatter the Original Trilogy as much as change it. If he had tried to make the movies in line with the actions and dialogue of the originals rather than changing the originals, he would have made much different and more entertaining movies. I think PM was entertaining, especially for kids. It doesn't stand alone as a great movie, but a good movie that works as part of the saga(as I think Jedi does). I walked out of theater wanting to see more. Attack is neither a good movie nor does not work as part of the saga. I walked out of the theater wanting to hurt someone.
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I happen to like Phantom Menace. There are some definite problems, but it has some great moments and one of the best swordfights in movie history.


The fighting is great, especially the final duel which is greatly enhanced by John Williams, again pulling through 100% for SW. He has not let us down yet. However, the way in which Darth Maul is killed is quite questionable, if not upsetting...

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Hayden is a good actor from what I saw of him in Life as a House and Shattered Glass. The problem is that he played Anakin the same way he played his character in Life As a House. Jake Lloyd is an annoying, but so are all child actors.


I agree that Hayden does play the same character he did in Life As A House, and it doesn't work. I find it hard to believe that Darth Vader was ever such a wimp, but then again maybe that's why he was so easy to turn.

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I think everything is bigger because it is a Republic rather than a Dictatorship.


The thing that made the OT so great was that it was this great outer space adventure, but it was happening in a world that is somehow familiar to us. George Lucas has many times mentioned his idea of a "used universe". With the new movies, I never find myself watching something which I think is actually happening, like you do with the OT. That is also a problem with the DVDs. You are buying into the story, and then a big terrible looking CG monster walks by for no reason! (see the Mos Eisley scene in ANH) Good examples of unbelievable scenes are the Gungans vs. The Battle Droids and Anakin and Padme in the droid factory. You feel as though you are watching a computer game and not a movie, and that just isn't how SW should feel.
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Welcome to the boards!!!!!!!!!!

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<The fighting is great, especially the final duel which is greatly enhanced by John Williams, again pulling through 100% for SW. He has not let us down yet. However, the way in which Darth Maul is killed is quite questionable, if not upsetting...>

I liked it for several reasons. The first was that it showed the fighting Kenobi could do before getting old. Second, it reminded me of the Emperor getting thrown down the shaft in Return of the Jedi. Also, ever since Empire Strikes Back, I've done my own outline for the story for what the next sequal could or should be. My idea was that Darth Maul would be cloned and the hundreds of clones would go about attacking the Jedi and other important figures like Amadala. This creates the Clone Wars.

<The thing that made the OT so great was that it was this great outer space adventure, but it was happening in a world that is somehow familiar to us. George Lucas has many times mentioned his idea of a "used universe". With the new movies, I never find myself watching something which I think is actually happening, like you do with the OT. That is also a problem with the DVDs. You are buying into the story, and then a big terrible looking CG monster walks by for no reason! (see the Mos Eisley scene in ANH) Good examples of unbelievable scenes are the Gungans vs. The Battle Droids and Anakin and Padme in the droid factory. You feel as though you are watching a computer game and not a movie, and that just isn't how SW should feel.>

I will pretty much totally agree with you on that point. Don't even get me started on the Mos Eisley scenes of the Special Editions of A New Hope. They change the movie so much that it ruins the pleasure of watching the movie. The droid factory scene in Attack was plain awful along with the rest of the movie. I've never seen a real factory look so clean. As for the Gungans vs. Battle Droids, it doesn't completely work, but I don't hate it and I don't think it looks like a video game. I'm usually totally against having CGI characters battle each other because it usually looks stupid and shows a lack of thought in the script. However, by that time, I was emotionally invested in the scene, so I thought it worked. I didn't hate Jar Jar and the rest of the Gungans in Phantom Menace like a lot of people do. Sometimes, he is a little much to take, but so are a lot of people. Now, the end of Attack of the Clones, that was a video game.
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Originally posted by: jeffreyschmid
I'm a huge fan who is brand new to the board


So am I!!! btw, imho... this quote function is so useful more forums should make it so easy.

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