Author: broderic

Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend signifying the beginning of summer. And that means the steady ramping up of movie watching. I love the summer movie block buster season. It’s like a whole new sport and every week a different game is on to watch.

First up this summer (not counting Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) was Madagascar. Boring. I have seen lots of movies and this was the first one that bored me. Not very funny. Story was “ho-hum.” Animation was mediocre. After watching the Incredibles, this movie has sent the CG animated movies back a generation. It was nothing special. I can only recommend the penguin scenes and the monkeys.

2 of 5 stars.

Tonight. I caught The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It felt awkward to be in a theatre with teenie boppers, and I usually don’t considering I have seen She’s All That and Mean Girls in the theatres, alone in a crowd of very young girls. Why have a movie entitled traveling pants and not have the four protagonists wear them all the time? I expected the girls to have their story told while each one wore the pants. Not so. Early on the eponymous pants were brief in their appearance. Later they started playing a more prominent role, but by then I was disappointed. The movie was a tear jerker. The women and girls in the audience were crying. I was laughing. If I was more girly, I might have found it good. I am too much of a guy to have liked this movie.

2 of 5 stars for making me feel creepy.

I didn’t have a review to Revenge of the Sith so I’m gonna put up the beginning of an email exchange regarding episode 3 that I had with some friends.  It’s just the beginning because we began to diverge.  Lots of thoughts about this movie….

 

 

[BEGIN REVIEW]

 

Yikes.  Was it good or bad?  Two thumbs up?  Two of four stars?  You’ve read a lot into the movie.

 

Yes, I did see it this weekend.  I saw it twice in fact.  I might see a third time (sound sucked in both theatres which didn’t cause it justice).  I’ll give you my ranking first I haven’t thought what I want to say in a review.  Initially, I gave it 3 of 5 stars, but on second viewing 4 of 5 stars.  It got better when expectations dropped, although they were low to begin with.

 

As per items in the movie that bothered me (or not).  Hopefully Wyman, you’ve seen it, but if you haven’t SPOILERS ahead.

 

Lucas is too much in love with technology, CG FX.  My major complaint was that it was a busy movie.  Every scene needed something moving.  Even the slow or close up scenes.  Not one frame was not cluttered by a CG effect. 

 

I did notice how cheezy Darth Vader’s suit looked after all the geegaws of the original trilogy.  It did look 70s.  Yet, it was thoroughly satisfying to see.  In fact, the blockade runner of Senator Organa when we were inside it, it was bright and made me remember the opening scene of episode 4.  I liked the old timey look of the things that had to be done to match continuity of the later episodes.  Very nostalgic. 

 

Yes. The Jedi suck.  They can’t sense the Darth Sidious when he’s in the same city, yet they can sense the death of Jedi the Universe over?!  There are only a few Jedi who can kick ass, but each Sith Lord is match for twenty?!  Can you get any lamer than the Jedi who go to arrest Darth Sidious?  I mean take a swing at the guy why don’t you, although Mace Windu had him if not for that lamer, Annikin.

 

The acting.  Bad.  No one will get an Oscar (TM) for this.  In my mind, it exposed Natalie Portman as not as good an actress we thought her to be.  There were only two who may leave unscathed, Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid (sp?).  I thought Ewan did an admirable job as a young Obi-wan Kenobi.  He evoked manners of the older Ben Kenobi, Sir Alec Guinness, that I saw him growing to be that guy.  The first trilogy was all the Emperors and McDiarmid (sp?) captured it all.  Over the top!  He was chewing scenery left and right that he was brilliant in this.  He was the one actor who embraced the idea that this was a campy movie.  Lucas was too serious, but the emporor sure didn’t play it as such.

 

Overall, the movie was a fitting denouement of the Star Wars cycle.  I was glad to have it end.  What was amazing is that it neatly wrapped up both trilogies.  Was Annakin “the one” to bring order and balance to the force?  It did not look that way at the ending of episode 3, but taken into larger context of all 6.  Yes he was.  He was the one who killed the emperor.  He was the last of the Sith and also last of the old Jedi order.  (Yes. Luke was a Jedi, but one that was self trained).  I liked that the movie neatly segued into the 4th episode.   It was good, but thank god its over.

 

(Man why’d you have me write so much)

 

[END REVIEW]

Don’t have the wherewithal to write a full review so here’s a quick rank.

Sahara. 3 of 5 stars
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. 3 of 5 stars.
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. 4 of 5 stars the second time through.
Monster in Law. 3 of 5 stars. Much funnier and better than I thought.