I never saw the prequels in the theaters. In fact, I missed the re-releases of the OT when they did that, so I hadn't seen a SW movie at the show since ROTJ came out nearly 30 years ago. With that in mind, when my kids asked to see TPM in 3D I readily agreed.
I live in a small town now. Since I've been here I have never been to a crowded theater. Sometimes it'd be just me and my kids watching Alvin and the Chipmunks or whatever. Well, last Friday night the show was packed. Yep, say what you want about old Georgie, but the man ain't stupid.
I tried to go into the show with an open mind. I guess I had seen TPM maybe twice before with only one of those times being a good, sit down and watch the movie without washing dishes and folding clothes in between. I truly was hoping to find that it wasn't as bad as I remembered it to be. I will say when I list my fav SW movies, TPM ranks dead last at #6. And now I remember why.
Honestly, I nearly fell asleep during this thing. My kids, too. But I'm really not here to rehash what's wrong with this movie, I just don't have the desire or energy to do that. So, I'll stick with the 3D aspect of it.
Basically, the 3D wasn't anything to really write home about and it definitely didn't miraculously make the movie more bearable.
There was one instance where I blinked my eyes when one of those blue ball (haha) things that the Gungans use came hurling out the screen at me. There were a few cool shots of Coruscant and looking down from the skycrapers of that city. Other than that, it was uneventful. So there was maybe 30 seconds of cool 3Dness. I mean, does it really matter that the scene in the junk shop with Padme and Anakin looks three dimensional? And the pod racing? I thought those scenes were cool originally and I thought the 3D aspect might be even cooler. But, um, nope...
So if you were on the fence about going to see this movie in 3D, take it from me and save your credits. Maybe the second one will be better. Or the third one - you know, that one cool moment when Darth Vader takes his first breath, you know, right before he ruins the awesomeness of that moment by yelling, "Noooooo!" like Scarlet O'Hara with the turnip in her hand? Or, okay, maybe not. But, oh, I know - maybe the FOURTH one! That's it. The fourth one will be worth your time and credits. Although really, the OT doesn't even need any new technology to make them awesome...
Anyway, with all that being said, I do plan to see each movie as they come out. So who's the fool? Me or George? Or Scarlet O'Hara?
Wow it has been a long time since you've see them in the theaters. I've seen them all in the theaters and will probably with these. I could care less about the 3d part. I mostly want to see the OT on the big screen again. And my kids haven't seen them in the theater yet. I'd like to give them the chance. Of course, I'm probably nuts thinking my 5 year old will sit through it.
ReplyDeleteMan, my husband hates that part in ROTS. Hates it. He mimics it every time and I have to tell him to quit it.
And that is some profic quote today. Whoa. Don't piss off the lady in the buns, huh? If people aren't scared of Leia when she's mad, they ought to be.
I think that is one of my favorite Leia quotes and I think that's how she would be - a very protective parent where her kids (and husband) and their happiness comes first. Unfortunately, that attitude didn't follow her very far into the EU. :-(
ReplyDeleteThat sucks. I could see her being very protective of her family. She was probably more demonstrative and caring in the movies than people might give her credit for.
ReplyDeleteThe only SW movie I've seen in the theater was this one, so I still have this weird attachment to it. Even though I would agree, it's the worst of the bunch, but my friend and I are planning on seeing it eventually. And damn, I really would have thought the pod race would have translated well to 3D.
ReplyDeleteThe night it came out, I had gone out to eat near the big theater here and sure enough, there were all the crazies lined up in their costumes. That's always exciting.
I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to pay money to see this turd! Seriously, I really hate The Phantom Menace. The lightsaber fight at the end is pretty cool, and I kinda liked Liam Neeson's character, but everything else just sucks. Oh apart from the music score, I can't say a bad word about the mighty John Williams.
ReplyDeleteAttack of the Clones is ok ish, and good for a laugh, is the romance supposed to be funny? Well it is and not in a good way. I do genuinely like Revenge of the Sith, it has a few issues, the Noooo bit is certainly one of them, but generally I enjoy it a lot every time I see it. So of the prequels, that would be the only one I would probably see in 3d.
I've heard from others that Phantom Menace looks bad in 3d, so this only confirms it further.
Still can't wait for Han's butt in 3d, but that's a LONG way off yet. :)
Oh and I agree on the Leia quote, that's totally how she would be. She's a strong, opinionated person, and she wouldn't let others dictate how she should run her life, and she would also always put her her family's best interests first.
My husband took the girls to go see the 3D movie the weekend it came out, he also almost fell asleep. I have no particular attachment to the prequels. I do like the animated Clone Wars series on tv. My daughter is reading the new Darth Plagueis book to review for her blog. She has told me she sees The Phantom Menace in a whole new way. I'll have to wait for her review to find out more. As for the Leia quote. I remember reading the book a few months ago and thinking, alright Leia, it's about time someone tells Luke off. Today's background picture fits the quote. Don't $#%@ with Leia! Love it.
ReplyDeleteI like the third prequel movie the best. I like Darth Vader's first breath and I also liked the lightsaber duel on Mustafar even if it was a bit ridiculous with the jumping around in the floating lava...AND I don't think it was very Jedi-like to leave Anakin suffering like Obi Wan did with no legs and burning up and all that. But other than that, it's the top of the bottom of the heap, if you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteOh and for the background pic. This is another of my favorites (I have lots of favs). I think this is the Leia that Han sees. For everyone else she's all perfect posture and businesslike but for Han she's slouched up against his ship looking all mean and sexy and well...tempting.
ReplyDeleteYeah Seams2Be, Leia has a look that could kill a Bantha on that pic!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to agree with you on The Clone Wars animated series, I've recently started renting them on bluray, and was surprised how much fun they are. It's kind of ironic that CGI animated Anakin is a much better actor than Hayden is, AND him and Padme have far more chemistry in this than any of the movies. Go figure that one!!
That Darth Plagueis novel does kind of intrigue me, especially if it confirms or even hints more strongly that Anakin was "created" by Palpatine, as is suggested in Revenge of the Sith. I might check it out.
You know, it's funny, it's like I still WANT to like this movie. I really do. I thought maybe I'd give it another chance in 3D and see if my feelings had changed. It seems like they're not going to. All of this bad commenting has reminded me that I really don't need to waste my money. It's too bad, really. The second movie was a bit more tolerable but I still don't even get what it was really about. There were definitely moments in the third I liked. Some that I hated that also ruined what were otherwise amazingly pivotal moemnts (Noooooo!!!!!! being one of them, and, "She's lost the will to live" being another) I think I teared up a little when Luke and Leia were born. I recently read something about the most racist characters in Star Wars and it also mentioned just women in general. Not Leia, because obviously she's awesome, but Shmi and Padme, specifically. They don't really serve any purpose aside from moving along the plots of the male characters and don't really have much personality. I do not blame the actors for this. I mean, we all know Natalie Portman is a great actor, but even she couldn't save that awful dialogue and the forced, contrived "love story."
ReplyDeleteOh, the 'lost the will to live'... How could I forget that? Oh, yeah - I've been trying to since the first time I saw it.
ReplyDeleteAbout Padme's death - You really think Leia's mom (Leia's!) would give up so easily and just lose the will to die? Yeah, right. I wouldn't have thought so.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if my husband is coming to the movie or not.
I'm sure if she didn't just save the look in the pic for Han, most of the base would following her around and drooling.
Natalie Portman is amazing in The Professional, and I had such high hopes for her, but it just goes to show that even a talented actress couldn't save it. She's the most wooden thing I've ever seen, but again, it's not her fault.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine has a problem. She rates Anakin and Padme as a couple, higher than Han and Leia, and thinks the prequel love story is great and that they have so much chemistry. It's one of her fav movie romances. I'm serious. I know, she really does need therapy.
Zyra, I agree. I really really want to love the prequels, I love SW, so I want to
love all of it, but even after multiple viewings I have very little love for the prequels as a whole, and that kinda makes me sad.
we just watched TPM regular version and my daughter and I spent the whole time mocking it. the really scary part was that this time around Jar Jar wasn't even the most annoying thing. you just mock him and all is well.
ReplyDeleteso wait, how did I miss this Palpatine created Anakin theory? he was responsible for the immaculate conception?
Ok, this background picture has me doing a double take. At first I saw the "don't mess with me look". Then my husband said that it is a total "sultry" look. Yeah, I can see that too. What a woman to be able to pull off both with a single look.
ReplyDeleteI liked Natalie in The Other Bolelyn Girl. Thought she was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteJzhanfan, I haven't heard that theory, but I've wondered about how much Palatine engineered.
Seams, I think it's her eyes in the photo. Very cool.
Yes, it's her eyes.
DeleteThe whole Palpatine created Anakin thing is pure fan speculation based upon the opera scene in ROTS, where Palpatine tells Anakin about how Plageis manipulated the midichlorians to create life, and Palpatine gives him a strange look. We know that Palpatine Supposedly learnt all his masters secrets, so could he have created life? It's a very popular theory on fanboy discussion boards.
ReplyDeleteYes, if you look at the Leia background long enough you do see two different expressions, I can definitely see the sultry one now.
Wow, I see the blog's gone really Leia - themed right now! :D She looks awesome in the background pic. And I LOVE anything where she yells at Luke.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever seen the prequels once - on an iPad when I was sick. And I have absolutely no desire to go see them in 3D.
It's funny - I actually don't think this is my least favorite SW movie. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Anakin & Padme aren't a couple, so there's no painful romance scenes.
Haha, that conversation at the opera has got to be one of my least favorite scenes ever. I nearly fell asleep. Palpatine seriously creeps me out...
ReplyDeleteSee, that's funny. I see/saw the sultry look first and foremost and the 'don't mess with me look' as secondary. Poor Han. As a man, what WOULD you do with that look??
ReplyDeleteI think Han is the only guy in the galaxy that would even know what to do with that look. Great picture, where did you find it.
DeleteI don't remember where I found it. But you're right, Han Solo would be the only guy in the galaxy that would know what to do with that look. :-)
DeleteHa. Han would take her don't mess with me look as a dare. :) An angry/tough look from her is probably not enough to scare him off. But I bet a tirade would scare the pants off of him.
DeleteGoldDragon, you watched the prequels whilst sick? Man, I bet they made you feel worse, especially the love scenes in AOTC, that's enough to make anyone throw up.
ReplyDeleteGranted, there is no Anakin/padme love crap in episode one, but I find their whole thing creepy in that. He's what, 10, and she looks about 20 (she's supposed to be 14, give me a break) and he obviously has a thing for her already. Do 10 year old boys really care about girls? Not in my experience! Seeing them in the first film just looks wrong when you know they end up together.
I love the opera scene in ROTS, Ian McDiarmid is deliciously creepy and that weird music in the opera adds to the scene I think. Infact Ian's role as Palpatine is my fav aspect of the prequels. He's really great.
Oh yes Han would know what to do with that look, for sure!
And Leia definitely needs to shout at Luke more, especially as it was his clever idea to hide her kids away for 2 years. Gee thanks bro! Actually she does take a lot of crap from Luke in the EU, and we know leia wouldn't stand for it.
Yeah, I nearly threw up multiple times watching all that random stuff about sand or whatever it is... Haha, I'm just trying not to think about it!
DeleteI saw the 3-D version and thought that most of the time I couldn't tell if it was 3-D or 2-D. The only parts that looked 3-D were the segments that were completely computer animation, especially the space battle. The pod race has live action backgrounds (according to commentaries on the blu-ray, the backgrounds are either actual desert/canyon footage or models) so it didn't look very 3-D to me. It also looked darker and blurry. Episodes 2 and 3 have more animation so maybe the 3-D might be better, but I hope the original movies are not attempted.
ReplyDelete