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connielane at 11:27pm on 30/05/2007 under franchise films
connielane at 11:27pm on 30/05/2007 under franchise filmsI've been SUPA-busy, so I don't have time for too in-depth a post on this. But here goes...
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
I have some very specific and fairly recent (well, ten years ago) memories of seeing the Special Edition of this movie in the theater. I was with a group, and we were typically the obnoxious people in the theater, but not this time. There was a guy sitting by himself in the front row, and as the movie went on, it became very clear that he was intoxicated and just a little too into the movie. He would constantly yell things, and most of them were actually funny, but after a while it got a little stale. Anyway, I can't see this movie without hearing his interjections in my head. Things like: "MAN, I LOVE THAT PART, I THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME" (this was his most frequent ejaculation); "Luke is the MAN. GOD, I WISH I WAS LUKE!"; and (after the Death Star explodes - again - and the Ewoks sound the horns) *sings to the tune of the horns* "Let's all get DRUNK!"
Where Empire Strikes Back went so right, Return of the Jedi got kind of lazy. The dialogue is occasionally pretty good ("Who are you?" "Someone who loves you."), mostly stale ("The Force runs strong in my family."), sometimes painfully bad ("That thing is operational!" - LOL!), and on a rare occasion or two inspired ("You failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." *CRIES*). Mostly, my beef is that people talk TOO MUCH in this movie. The Emperor is like the King of Exposition, telling Luke in excruciatingly monologue-y fashion exactly what he's doing to make himself vulnerable to the Dark Side. I keep wanting to shout "Stop talking, and DO SOMETHING."
But I do have a soft spot for this film. I was almost eight when I first saw it, and it was the first Star Wars film I ever saw. Naturally, given my age, I was in love with the Ewoks. I still squeal a little bit whenever there's a baby Ewok on the screen. Vader's redemption takes on a new significance after seeing the prequels, and his and Luke's goodbye is especially poignant.
As a closing chapter, it seems kind of impatient and blahblah-let's-get-it-over-with, but the good guys win, the balance in the Force is restored, and Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin (no comment on Hayden!Anakin on the DVD edition) join the celebration from the beyond. There's plenty of closure, and that's really the most important thing, I think.
And as we leave this saga for a new franchise, I have but one question - is there any male Star Wars fan who *didn't* have a fantasy involving Leia and that bronze bikini number? :P
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
I have some very specific and fairly recent (well, ten years ago) memories of seeing the Special Edition of this movie in the theater. I was with a group, and we were typically the obnoxious people in the theater, but not this time. There was a guy sitting by himself in the front row, and as the movie went on, it became very clear that he was intoxicated and just a little too into the movie. He would constantly yell things, and most of them were actually funny, but after a while it got a little stale. Anyway, I can't see this movie without hearing his interjections in my head. Things like: "MAN, I LOVE THAT PART, I THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME" (this was his most frequent ejaculation); "Luke is the MAN. GOD, I WISH I WAS LUKE!"; and (after the Death Star explodes - again - and the Ewoks sound the horns) *sings to the tune of the horns* "Let's all get DRUNK!"
Where Empire Strikes Back went so right, Return of the Jedi got kind of lazy. The dialogue is occasionally pretty good ("Who are you?" "Someone who loves you."), mostly stale ("The Force runs strong in my family."), sometimes painfully bad ("That thing is operational!" - LOL!), and on a rare occasion or two inspired ("You failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." *CRIES*). Mostly, my beef is that people talk TOO MUCH in this movie. The Emperor is like the King of Exposition, telling Luke in excruciatingly monologue-y fashion exactly what he's doing to make himself vulnerable to the Dark Side. I keep wanting to shout "Stop talking, and DO SOMETHING."
But I do have a soft spot for this film. I was almost eight when I first saw it, and it was the first Star Wars film I ever saw. Naturally, given my age, I was in love with the Ewoks. I still squeal a little bit whenever there's a baby Ewok on the screen. Vader's redemption takes on a new significance after seeing the prequels, and his and Luke's goodbye is especially poignant.
As a closing chapter, it seems kind of impatient and blahblah-let's-get-it-over-with, but the good guys win, the balance in the Force is restored, and Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin (no comment on Hayden!Anakin on the DVD edition) join the celebration from the beyond. There's plenty of closure, and that's really the most important thing, I think.
And as we leave this saga for a new franchise, I have but one question - is there any male Star Wars fan who *didn't* have a fantasy involving Leia and that bronze bikini number? :P