Redux: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Redux Review #144: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Cast: 
Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Senator Padmé Amidala), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Supreme Chancellor Palpatine), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Frank Oz (Yoda), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus), Jimmy Smits (Senator Bail Organa), Matthew Wood (General Grievous), Silas Carson (Ki-Adi-Mundi / Nute Gunray), Temuera Morrison (Commander Cody), and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) Written and Directed by George Lucas (#113 - Star Wars, #141 - American Graffiti, #142 - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and #143 - Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones)

Review: 
Countdown to 150 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
At last, the end. The best of the bunch of prequels gets what I hope to live up to with the standard review, especially a redux - even if is more a blend of praise and slight criticism this time around. Enjoy.

Admittedly, finishing a trilogy can prove daunting, particularly when it is the culmination of a saga of a character as memorable as Darth Vader. This time around, there actually seems to be a real emphasis on making a tragedy alongside being entertainment. There are plenty of spectacle sequences along with a bit of depth - while also still having things to make light of. It isn't as inconsistent as the other two films, managing to find a heart of darkness that does seem to make this trilogy mostly worth it. For one thing, I actually seemed interested to view Anakin on screen beyond just lightsaber dueling. Sure, he always seemed to have problems with impulsiveness, anger issues, jealousy - and occasional lapses into ridiculous line reads. Christensen still struggles at times with the clunkier aspects of the dialogue at times - such as when he nonchalantly says to his wife that she'll die in childbirth. He shines best when conversing with McGregor or McDiarmid more so than Portman, who mostly is around just to linger in one set at a time without as much to really do. Their chemistry together isn't really too great, middling above teenage lyric posts on the Internet. McGregor proves efficient as ever, filling the noble roots set by Alec Guinness and completing the circle with charm. McDiarmid takes his time to go the ham of an actor on stage set by himself with Return of the Jedi (1983) - and I enjoy it just the same. Instead of being a phantom menace (pardon the pun) to the events around him, now he gets to be involved with actual fights, complete with snarls and cackles. Jackson gets something to do (and say), which I do enjoy when it comes to the film's key point for its first hour. Oz keeps the interest flowing as expected. Naturally, Lee is given four lines, disposed as quickly as expected from a trilogy that likes to jump from adversary to adversary before allowing its true puppet master to try and shine through. I would say that it might have been more interesting to have one villain throughout a whole trilogy before being disposed of (ignoring any sort of middle ground television show, of course) - but we're past that point of complaints, I guess. Smits is fairly serviceable; Wood is okay as a mediocre threat, which is quite the thing to say about a cyborg with four arms. Once the film disposes with the pretense of trying to build paper threats and actually showcases the true threat and Anakin's descent is when the film really does become an actual winner, complete with a worthy climax to alongside it.

I had forgotten to mention John Williams and his music score throughout these films, which it goes without saying are pretty well, but it really does shine here with the mood and pacing throughout the movie here, such as the aforementioned climax but also subtle moments such as the rumination sequence, where it carries a 90-second moment that shows off on a visual level with effective choice in composition. It isn't a perfect film by any means. It still meanders with wooden dialogue on occasion, while also feeling a bit too ridiculous with its justifications for Padme's fate (losing the will to live being a thing only a robot doctor would assume, I guess), but at least there is an actual sense of adventure present without being completely lost in a virtual screen. Sure, it does try to be a bit tidy with its ending, trying to seal things up with plenty of connections to before (much in the same vein that the other two had done), which does seem a bit overboard - but at least it sure has a well-done last shot to close on. Revenge of the Sith strives for a glut of action and story in a 140 minute run-time with plenty of drive and spectacle, managing to succeed on the last go on the prequel merry-go-round with very little in terms of hitches to interrupt the ride.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Redux: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Redux Review #143: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Cast: 
Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Natalie Portman (Senator Padmé Amidala), Ian McDiarmid (Chancellor Palpatine), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett), Frank Oz (Yoda), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Daniel Logan (Boba Fett), Leeanna Walsman (Zam Wesell), Silas Carson (Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi-Mundi), Ahmed Best (Delegate Jar Jar Binks), and Jimmy Smits (Bail Organa) Directed by George Lucas (#113 - Star Wars, #141 - American Graffiti, and #142 - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace)

Review: 
Countdown to 150 Reviews, 10, 9, 8, 7...
As promised, a redux of the second prequel film. I described it as better than the first film, but not by much, and not much really does change, does it? At least these are reviews I can feel proud of, which I hope you enjoy.

These films, if distilled into a basic premise of the portrayal of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, from adolescence to adulthood, could have made for some weird and wonderful tragic drama. The first film proved that trying to cover details from the past mixed with ill-advised story choices made for a film that collapsed under its own weight of hubris and anticipation from others. The only thing that changes this time around is that the anticipation is more of a dead calm, and the film manages to find time for improvement at the pace of a snail. While Lucas once again served as director and writer, Jonathan Hales was brought in to help co-write for the film, refining the script until right before production was to begin. The dialogue can't quite help the actors out again, a villain is introduced and wasted once again, and story motivations seem more appropriate for an opening film than a middle movie. You really could skip the previous movie and not really lose too much grip on the story, since you could basically sum up key events in one line or less. As I mentioned earlier, having to switch actors for your main character doesn't help matters, especially since the dynamic between McGregor and Christensen only really comes into focus on occasion. In trying to make a grander, more epic scale Star Wars with plenty of plot-lines, Lucas has succeeded in making two mediocre movies to drive his trilogy, finally finding some sense of focus by the time of its climax, with its Clone Wars aspect.

The film builds itself on the blooming relationship dynamic between Christensen and Portman's characters, having the passion of lines spoke by a computer program. A film romance works best when it actually seems the actors are truly invested in what the script wants them to say. The previous trilogy had a romance that was subtle without being overbearing in the slightest. Lucas wanted something more than just a scoundrel and a princess - a forbidden romance with a Jedi involved. Again, this works best when I actually feel that these actors really seem invested in what they want to do, and it slowly rises from slightly weird to slightly palpable, but that isn't enough in a film that plods along for 142 minutes. The acting still plays hit-and-miss, but McGregor and McDiarmid do turn out to be the key winners of the bunch, the former seeming much more interesting to be around with this time around - whether when bantering with Christensen like an odd couple or in battle, and the latter being as conniving as ever. Christensen doesn't fare too well with such a big role to fill as the eventual Darth Vader, feeling a bit too flat and occasionally grating, falling into the same trap as Lloyd had with being stuck with offbeat lines that make a shadow of a character. Portman is okay, but not too particularly inspired as the other side of the token, faring a bit better when running onto an action set than on some grass trying to talk about politics. Highlights include complaints about sand, attempts at humor that go hit-and-miss, and eventual action sequences on dusty planets that can't help but be like cutscenes once again. Lee is criminally wasted as the main adversary behind the true power, a character cut from bare cloth that isn't too particularly menacing, even with a legend like Lee. The fight with him and Yoda is amusing to picture and weirder to try and describe, since it's a CGI muppet against a mix of Lee (then in his late seventies) and a stunt double. Morrison is quiet, but alright for the necessary time needed. Jackson and Oz are given a few lines to carry, so that's a nice repeat of before I guess. The action sequences here doesn't seem as involving as one would hope, and the political drama is only slightly less pale this time around. The question isn't so much if this is a better film than the previous one as is it really a question of how it took so long to drive the story to some sort of meaningfulness. Lost in a shroud of effects, flashy costumes, and questionable motivations, Attack of the Clones is a mediocre sequel to a mediocre movie that is made lesser by comparisons of past and future of Star Wars films. I wasn't exactly bored by what I saw - I just felt much of the same mood that I did the last time.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Redux: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

Redux Review #142: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

Cast: 
Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padmé Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine / Darth Sidious), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker), Frank Oz (Yoda), Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks), Oliver Ford Davies (Sio Bibble), Hugh Quarshie (Captain Panaka), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Ray Park (Darth Maul, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz), Terence Stamp (Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum), Keira Knightley (Sabé), Silas Carson (Nute Gunray), Brian Blessed (Boss Nass), Andy Secombe (Watto), and Lewis MacLeod (Sebulba) Written and Directed by George Lucas (#113 - Star Wars and #141 - American Graffiti)

Review: 
Countdown to 150 Reviews, 10, 9, 8...
Well, it has now been 20 years since the release of this film, the first of the three Star Wars prequel films. Fans may remember the revised editions of the Original Trilogy reviews (originally published 3/30-4/1, 2012) back in 2016, in light of Star Wars: The Force Awakens being released months earlier. I figured it was time to revise some admittedly okay reviews (original publish date of 5/19-5/20, 2012) right before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes out. I hope you enjoy these reduxes. 

Review: 
It goes without saying that Star Wars is one of the biggest media franchises of pop culture. It has transcended film, television, and beyond over the decades - the original trilogy is still beloved by many, whether from people who seeked it out upon original release or found it playing somewhere on their screen in the present day. Return of the Jedi was the last of these films for 16 years, with Lucas not being inspired to do further films of his saga until the advent of CGI led him to believe it could help him do what he felt was needed. The result proved polarizing, especially in the age of a growing Internet - and age doesn't really help make this film seem too much better. This is a film that bears more on spectacle and details than a fully developed adventure. Perhaps Lucas fared best when he had at least one other writer trying to guide story ideas into something more than just an assortment of old arch-types and myths. The space opera has now shifted into one with mixes of action and politics - which makes for a somewhat stilted result. Like before, there are plenty of creatures and worlds to look at, even if it seems a bit less involving to stick for. I appreciate the effects for what they try to deliver, since they hold up well for 1999 - but wondering what is a blue/green screen and what isn't does get a bit distracting sometimes. The story seems spread too thinly, distracted over whether to be a movie about the Republic or Anakin, spending too much time to really drive itself forward. To say nothing of the logistics of electing a queen at 14, or midichlorians (which is still something to ridicule even with the dawn of a further trilogy), or referencing things from the previous films (did you know who built C-3PO? Weird, I know), and so on. Making fun of these aspects is more interesting to do while watching the film rather than spend a paragraph writing, one must say. The film does fine with spectacle pieces like the pod race sequence or the Darth Maul duel, but the former verges on meandering and the latter is nearly distracted from its other battle at the same time to have the right impact. With all of these characters (new and familiar), only a select group seem truly necessary, but the dialogue doesn't give them many favors. The trilogy is meant to be a tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, and yet the first film can't really plant many seeds to make that start to bloom, perhaps since the initial focus is on a kid (after all, Lucas moved his age from initially being 12 to 9 to try and fit the effect of him separating from his mother better). It didn't need to be a rehash with him being a young adult like Luke, but Lloyd is fledged with an unenviable task of playing an eventual Darth Vader in only one go. Having just one actor (and a change in pace, no less) for three films might have made them roll with more impact - at least we would have been spared a kid Anakin asking someone if they are an angel.

In a sea of interesting acting choices, it should only prove fair to have them seem routine behind some sets and screens. Neeson seems a bit too pallid to evoke much drama, with his final fate not having as much impact as it likely could have. McGregor doesn't quite have his familiar role pinned down here, and the lack of a dynamic between him and his future student in Anakin doesn't help much. Portman is hindered more by a ridiculous decoy plot than anything, but at least she does make some sort of curious impression. Lloyd doesn't quite have the conviction to make this role work, but how can anyone turn dialogue such as "Now this is podracing" really work (while being on a starfighter - long story) without ridicule? Any time with him and Portman is just weird in general. McDiarmid does well with playing the subtle kingmaker of his own doing without hitting a snag. August is quietly effective, even when occasionally lost in the spectacle background. Best plays a role that Buster Keaton would likely laughed off as too clownish with effort - it may not work out well, but at least he isn't the only fault present. The others (including a criminally underused Stamp) are pretty forgettable, and Darth Maul proves to be a fair but not too inspiring threat. Obviously the real threat is supposed to be the bigger one to look into (even if you already know who said threat is), but it only served to make for a trilogy of cut-scene quality adversaries. The droids don't prove too imposing, either, just big stick-looking things to fill the screen. By the time it gets to its climatic battle sequences, it proves to be a glut of overload, though the Maul fight is a bit nice. At least the lightsaber fights stick out for their attempts at finesse. In the end, the movie is a mish-mash of old story types, a dash of hubris, and ultimately something ridiculous to behold for each generation of fans, old and new. Some can rush to defend it for its quirks, and I understand that basis all the same - to me, this is an average adventure compounded as a disappointing Star Wars film.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Island.

Review #129: The Island.

Cast
Ewan McGregor (Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln), Scarlett Johansson (Jordan Six Delta), Sean Bean (Dr. Merrick), Djimon Hounsou (Albert Laurent), Steve Buscemi (James McCord), and Michael Clarke Duncan (Starkweather Two Delta). Directed by Michael Bay (#057 - Transformers and #058: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

Review
This film has Michael Bay directing, so...Minus three points already (I kid, ratings don't go like that). Anyway, the film is an mix of science-fiction films such as Logan's Run and Fahrenheit 451, with a reasonable plot. The acting is good, especially from McGregor, Johansson, Buscemi, and Duncan (being important in the beginning) The beginning is interesting, making you feel invested not for the action (which comes in the second part), but for the actual plot for once. However, the action starts to seep in, and it is mediocre, as we've seen this before and before (and later and later from Bay...), with the plot unraveling a bit, yet the film still works to be an alright film.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Robots.

Review #087: Robots.

Cast
Ewan McGregor (Rodney Copperbottom), Halle Berry (Cappy), Greg Kinnear (Phineas T. Ratchet), Mel Brooks (Bigweld), Robin Williams (Fender Pinwheeler), Amanda Bynes (Piper Pinwheeler), Drew Carey (Crank Casey), Jennifer Coolidge (Aunt Fanny), Harland Williams (Lug), Jim Broadbent (Madame Gasket), Dianne Wiest (Lydia Copperbottom), Stanley Tucci (Herb Copperbottom), Natasha Lyonne (Loretta Geargrinder), and Paul Giamatti (Tim the Gate Guard) Directed by Chris Wedge.

Review
The film starts out well, with an innocent plot, simple and standard, yet alright. The last part it gets better, albeit slightly predictable. Yet it's still a decent film. Why? The animation is well done, making it look like a robotic city, impressing you enough to just make you forget about the story a little, and with all the voices they used, it makes you like the film, even if it is short and slightly predictable. This ends Part II of Robot Week.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.