This started out as a really long comment on a post on F.U. News' blog, so I decided to move it here instead. (Major geekiness and mini-spoiler alert!)
We just saw Revenge of the Sith today. (Give us a break! We're parents!) Three words: W-O-W. WAY better than I & II. And I LIKED I & II! What an incredible movie. Much better acting, storytelling, and, for the most part, better script writing. I appreciated the fact that a lot of little ends were tied up (I noticed too that Obi-Wan kept Anakin's light saber). And the opening battle scene was INCREDIBLE -- sort of blows little H's flying past a ginormous star destroyer out of the water!! We got there a tad late (see "we're parents," above) so we had to sit in the second row -- we were staring to feel a little motion sick after a while! (We're not used to having to move our heads to see the action from one end of the screen to the other.) Still, too cool.
I only had a couple critiques:
1. I wish that they had explained how Vader knew Luke existed in the later episodes -- unless it's b/c Vader had "searched his feelings" after their encounter in Ep. IV ("The Force is strong in this one") and found out, which seems too easy, and a little lame.
2. I agree w/Joe's assessment of Anakin's origins -- I just wish that that story had been fleshed out a little more. How (and why) did Shmi (sp?) become Anakin's mother?
3. What the heck was General Grievous? (Aside from a precursor to Darth Vader, of course.)
4. I have to admit I didn't find Anakin's conversion to the dark side fully convincing -- during that stupendous scene with Darth Sidious there could have been a couple more lines of dialogue that would really have made his turn a little more convincing. He goes from "WHAT have I DONE?" to evil Lord Vader totally embracing the Dark Side in about 15 seconds. Something from Sidious along the lines of "There's no turning back now" would have been sufficient. Maybe I just need to see the movie again to absorb more of the details. And the scene with the cute, brave, trusting little younglings was horrible -- all my mommy instincts were revolted by that. Even so, I found myself pitying Anakin/Vader at the end -- to see the newly risen Darth Vader ask immediately about Padme was so moving. You kind of wonder what he has to live for after that.
5. I also wonder about Leia's line in Ep. VI about her mother always being sad -- I had always assumed that Padme had taken Leia into hiding on Alderaan, married Bail Organa, and then died when Leia was a small child. I liked that idea better than what we all know now.
6. Finally, and this is much more of a source of personal amusement really, I also had to laugh at the birth scene -- for one thing, here's Padme, medium with child (you can't really say "great" b/c she barely shows), with the doctors advising a C-section. But then she manages to give birth, screaming of course, to two 10-lb. twins! (with no umbilical cords -- although Mr. Pickles notes that they were effectively slimy.) :) Maybe my birth experiences have been atypical, but I doubt most women scream like that during labor -- although I suppose I might have if I had given birth to twins that size. :) I have to say Natalie Portman looked cute pregnant. And for the most part her maternity clothes were so cool -- elegant and flattering (always a challenge!) -- although I noticed that even the costume designer couldn't avoid using the maternity section at J.C.Penney's (i.e., big tent-like shirt and leggings) at one point.
Okay, so that's more than a couple critiques. :) Anyway, I'm sure there are oodles of books that flesh out a lot of these missing links and stories in between the movies. Guess I'll have to read them all now. Sigh.... destiny, destiny, no escaping my geeky genes!
Sheesh, I don't check your blog for a couple weeks and I have pages to go through...
ReplyDeleteAnyways, hello from hot, humid Omaha. 'Nuff about me, let's talk STAR WARS!
1) According to the EU (Expanded Universe, not European Union), the Rebel Alliance held up Luke as a hero for freedom in their revolutionist propoganda after he destroyed Death Star I. If such is the case it wouldn't be hard for Vader to piece together Pregnant Wife 18 years ago + 18 year-old kid named Skywalker + strong in Force = Son I always wish I had.
3) If you had watched The Clone Wars cartoon series on Cartoon Network (this is presupposing that you have cable), like a good Star Wars fan, General Grievous' character is much more fleshed out. They even have scenes of Dooku training him. Towards the very end of the cartoon series, while Grievous is kidnapping Palpatine, he ends up in a fight with Mace Windu, where Mace nearly crushes him with the Force. That's why Grievous is coughing his way through ROTS.
4) Mom said the same thing. Oh well. Didn't bother me. I just figured that once Anakin realized he'd killed Mace Windu, he knew he couldn't go back to the Jedi. Maybe there'll be more in a deleted scene on the DVD.
5) This is a wild explantion, but my thoughts were since Leia was born last and nearest to Padmé's death, the Force somehow "imprinted" on her the memory of her mother. So it's a strech. Big deal.
6) Can't say much on this one because I have little to no experience with child birth. All I know is that in every movie/TV show where a woman gives birth, she's screaming in pain. And it must be true if it's on TV, right?
One question. During Padmé's funeral, she still has a belly. Did they stuff her so it wouldn't be known that the baby(ies) were born, or is it because women still have a small tummy even after child birth?
In response to Joe & Mrs. Pickles:
ReplyDeleteHi!
3) But why was General Grievous nearly all mechanical? And why was he coughing, since he didn't seem to have actual lungs? Except for the cough, he seemed to be an android.
4) I agree with Mrs. Pickles. It didn't convince me, either. A couple more lines of dialog would have been all that was necessary to make it convincing. They did a good job showing Palpatine seducing Luke, but left off the clincher. What the Tempter usually does to get a soul is to persuade him to commit some evil, and then when he has fallen, turn and accuse him of the same sin, convince him that it is unforgivable, and finally tempt the sinner to despair of any possibility of redemption, thus enslaving him to sin. The last steps were missing, and would have made the difference. (Catholic note: That's why it is so important never to lose trust in God's mercy -- it's the only thing that can save us from ultimate despair. And to get to Confession ASAP!)
It has been my observation that most contemporary movie makers are fascinated by evil, but don't really understand how it works. They need to study a little theology.
6) In my experience (3 babies of my own 8-), and a number of childbirth films), women don't scream while giving birth. They're too busy GRUNTING with all their might -- they can't help it! The pushing reflex takes over. Unless Padme's babies were so big, they tore her badly internally. That also would have helped explain her sudden death.
Re Joe's endnote: That was not the small belly a woman has right after childbirth -- she looked just as pregnant as she did before the birth. I think your first guess was correct -- it would have made sense for them to have her look as if she died before giving birth, and her babies with her, and thus forestall anybody who knew she had been pregnant (especially Anakin and/or Palpatine) from trying to track down her children.
3) I KNEW there was some paraphernalia out there somewhere to explain it all! Guess we'll have to borrow the series from Blockbuster, assuming they release it. Also, Grievous DOES have lungs -- don't you remember Obi-Wan frying his innards with his lightsaber? Which brings me back to my question: what IS Grievous?
ReplyDelete5) I guess this is just another change Lucas made to the story to make it more tragic. Sort of like when Ben had told Luke Vader killed his father, and then explains later that even though Vader IS his father, he's as good as dead since he's been consumed by the Dark Side, yadda yadda yadda. I always liked our answer to Luke's question, "Ben, why didn't you tell me?" -- "Because Mr. Lucas hadn't thought of it yet!"
6) I can't believe I actually know something about the movie that you DON'T, Joe!! :) Yes, after she gives birth a woman still has a squishy belly, but she usually only looks 4 mos. pregnant (maybe 5 if she was stretched out with twins), not 8 3/4 mos. When I saw Padme's still-preggers belly, I assumed that it was indeed an illusion intended to keep her babies safe from the Forces of Evil.
And ditto about the grunting thing! I know I sound like a sumo wrestler during the pushing phase -- you really can't help it. :)
Just what we need: Star Wars Episode 3, rated NC-17 for "scenes of realistic childbirth". I'll take my unrealistic non-disgusting childbirth scenes in my science fiction movies, thank you very much. Ditto to Joe's comment about screaming.
ReplyDeleteGrievous is an alien. Which variety is not relevant. Heck, he could be a cookie monster from the cookie monster planet for all I know or care.
Regarding Leia remembering her mother, is it ever specified in ROTJ that she is referring to her birth mother, and not her adoptive mother (who may die while Leia is young)?