Thursday, May 19, 2005

I'm a Star Wars Geek

OK, I admit it. I'm a Star Wars Geek. I took some time off work today and made sure I had tickets for the first showing of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. So there I was an hour before the doors opened sitting around on the sidewalk with a bunch of 20 somethings who reminded me way to much of myself 25 years ago.

I want to make something very clear - I Love the Star Wars Movies. All of them. Sure some were better than others. Some were lacking things I'd like to see more of. But over all if I had to make a list of my all time favorite movies they would all six be somewhere up near the top. At least 2 of them would be in the top 5.

They are fun, adventurous, exciting and most of all entertaining. But I'm not a total Star Wars Geek. I don't own a light saber, nor a mask or costume, not even an action figure. I have the DVDs and two sets of Star Wars Legos that I was given as gifts. I love the movies but I don't buy into the hype and marketing. They are fun movies but that's it.

I wasn't disappointed at all with Revenge of the Sith. It was a good tie in to the first trilogy, yet a good story in itself. Sure it wasn't perfect. There were several things that I wish were different. Specifically, Anakin gives in to the dark side way to quickly and easily. I was hoping for a more drawn out conversion. I wanted to see him keep taking little baby steps towards darkness until suddenly he finds himself in a very dark place, looking out at the light. How believeable is it for him to suddenly just decide to be dark? OK he had motive, but maybe he had other options also.

The chemistry between Padme and Anakin was nonexistant. Hayden Christohper proved in this and other movies that he can act. Natalie Portman has shown in other movies that she can act. So why when they are on the screen together are they both so bad? Regardless of the dialogue those two have no chemistry together. They do absolutely nothing to make me believe that they care for one another. Obi-wan and Anakin very obviously care for one another. It's apparent even without the words. Threepio and R2D2 have marvelous chemistry on screen together and that's tough to do from inside a roll of tin foil. Heck even the affection shown between Yoda and the two wookies was more believable than anything between Anakin and Padme. I can't really blame the actors for this, as said they both can act. Is it the dialogue? Maybe. Better dialogue certainly wouldn't hurt. But mostly I suspect that it's the direction they are receiving. I'm sorry but whistful gazes and clumsy hugging does not portray deep emotional feelings. Where were the small touches, the caresses, the hand holding. Why do they always look so ucomfortable together? If they wanted to make us beleive that they are truely in love then they should be able to just stand next to one another and look as comfortable together as an old pair of levis and your favorite tee shirt.

Lastly, Padme's Babies were two big, to clean, to normal looking to be as premature as they had to be. She named them way to quickly, and where did those names come from? Did she name them after her favorite brand of ice cream back on Naboo? Luke and Leia's Lucky Lemon Surprise?

Well enough of that. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone. Go see it. It's a good entertaining movie. It's better if you have seen the Clone Wars Cartoons before, but not necessary.

I have just one more question: With all the advanced technology in the Star Wars universe, have they never heard of jetways or canopies against the rain, general anesthetic or ultrasounds?

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