Star Wars

[Harriet]

Star Wars. Love it or hate it? Personally I love the old ones, I don't think the new ones just don't fit with the original trilogy. How are they gonna explain the giant leap backwards in technology? Episodes I & II rely too much on special effects and not on the decency of the plot in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing Episode III though, to see how they link together.

What're your thoughts?

[Nats]

I love them, I saw number 4 the other day actually.... Like you said the old ones are better, I mean, the new ones aren't BAD but I wouldn't have seen them more than once in the cinema.

Oooooh, the third one is coming out on May 12th 2005. I saw a poster for it in the cinema and it looks scary.... but hopefully good! :D

[Harriet]

I tried to have 2 Star Wars marathons over the Christmas Hols....on the first one I watched Episodes 1&2 and then episode 4 the next morning, the second time I watched episodes 4,5 and most of 6 before I ran out of time. I found laods of stuff I didn't realise, and I'm even more excited to see Episode 3....there's a lot of questions that need to be answered.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Given what you've said about your reading habits, Harriet, are we to assume that you watched them on fast forward? ;)

[Harriet]

Well. After I've watched them 3 or 4 times I fast forward the boring bits. Does that count? ;)

[tinminer]

Speed reading...that reminds me of a famous quote from Woody Allen.

''I attended a speed reading course, and read 'War & Peace'. It involves Russia...'' :D

[Claire]

Star Wars. Love it or hate it? Personally I love the old ones, I don't think the new ones just don't fit with the original trilogy. How are they gonna explain the giant leap backwards in technology? Episodes I & II rely too much on special effects and not on the decency of the plot in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing Episode III though, to see how they link together.

What're your thoughts?

I pretty much agree with what you've said, really. The old ones are classics - real drama and tension and the relationships between the characters had a real fizz to them - there was some real emotion there....

But the first two of the recent ones have been more like "Star Wars by Numbers"

We need a comedy alien race - Tick
We need a strong woman character who can wield a gun - Tick
We need a fight where people dangle over long drops by their finger tips - Tick
We need an older mentor figure who lays down his life to save his apprentice - Tick.
We need some chasing about on flying motorbikes - Tick

Like you, I'll watch number 3, because I'm interested in how they bridge that gap between the Anakin Skywalker, and Darth Vader - but I won't spend any money on seeing it - I'll wait till my brother-in-law buys it on DVD....and then borrow his!

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Star Wars. Love it or hate it?

I first watched the original Star Wars in around 1983, and found it to be one of the most mind-crushingly boring films I'd ever seen. I couldn't make myself care about anyone or anything in the story. As a result, I never bothered with the sequels.

Thinking that the problem lay with me, that maybe it was because I saw a crappy video on a crappy telly, and that I was missing out by not having seen The Empire Strikes Back and The Return Of The Jedi, I borrowed the trilogy from Harriet's parents a couple of years ago. So nearly 20 years after the first time, I watched Star Wars again, this time on a nice big screen with good sound...and found it to be the most mind-crushingly boring film I'd ever seen. So I've still never watched either The Empire Strikes Back and The Return Of The Jedi, and you would have to pay me at least £50 a throw before I would agree to sit through the 'prequels'. Any offers?

[Sara]

I've never really liked Star Wars. The script is awful and so is a lot of the acting. I also don't like Lucas and his constant tinkering with the originals. Leave them alone man!

[Harriet]

I borrowed the trilogy from Harriet's parents a couple of years ago.

Hey! I've just worked out that you're Uncle William! I was really confused when I read that.......

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Nearly. I'm Bill but with opinions. He's not allowed any.

[Claire]

I'd been vaguely puzzled by the fact that this chap called Bill went to all this trouble to set up a forum for talking about books.....and then never really seemed to join in with any of the discussions.

That suddenly makes rather more sense :)

[Harriet]

It does indeed...:D

PLEASE watch The Empire Strikes Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the best one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I hope I got my point across with the large number of exclamation marks)

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Yes, but that would mean your Dad lending me his DVD Box Set. :D

[Harriet]

Or his video boxset......good ol' video :D

[Mad Dog and Glory]

That's what I borrowed last time, and I left it so long he ended up having to ask for it back.

I don't 'do' video these days, I'm afraid. I love DVDs too much.

[Harriet]

Well, now we have the nice new DVD boxset we won't need to ask for it back ;) I see no difference between Videos and DVDs???!!!!!

[Mad Dog and Glory]

:confused: Are you sure? :confused:

Maybe I'll explain it the next time I see you. Should only take about three hours.

[Aixelsyd]

It's coming out on my birthday! May 19th!!

[Harriet]

I CAN'T WAIT :D:D:D I want to see it on the day it comes out, but I guess so does everyone else. Chances of getting there are pretty slim.

[Nick]

I first watched the original Star Wars in around 1983, and found it to be one of the most mind-crushingly boring films I'd ever seen.

You're right, I think, the films are completely mindless, boring, drivel, as films (isn't Darth Vader's helmet just a bit large?) - but most people have never watched them 'as films'. I believe they appeal on a much broader and deeper level than that. For me, they have been part of my upbringing - watching endless reruns on TV and worn-out videos. I find them lacking in many ways, as films, but it is the universe they create that captivates, and I don't think that is an aesthetic quality. The prequels are bad - trying to explain what was one of the joys of the first films, that they left much unexplained. Which is why I've written my own, Episode 32: THe Hunt for the Jedi! No, seriously, I love Harriet's enthusiasm for them, and that, I guess, is the point - it either captivates you and enthralls you on some unfathomable level, or it doesn't.

[Harriet]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I just got back from seeing Episode 3, and it was easily the best out of 1,2 + 3...not as good as the original trilogy though, but I didn't expect it to be. One weak point though I think they went overboard with the special + visual effects....there was too much going on visually and not enough dialogue......still amazing though the special effects were completely awesome!!! But noooooooooooooooooo it's over!!!! I'll never see another Star Wars film for the first time again..........:frown:

[Deinonychus]

Hey! I've just worked out that you're Uncle William!

For some reason that's one of the funniest things I've read on here: like the 'reveal' at the end of an Enid Blyton story - but with Bill! Appeals to my sense of the surreal, does that...

Re. Star Wars. Saw the original in Canada in 1977 (ie years and years and years before anyone in the UK, because I was so great and ahead of my time) and thought it was terrific. Almost a satire, full of good scripting and witty references.

As far as I can work out, all that has been slowly eroded through the years as the whole thing has become more and more an exercise in technique and money-making. (More important to get proles' bums on seats, as 'twere.) I saw the supposed 'first' one a few years back and thought it was okay, but then fell asleep in the cinema. Which I don't think I've ever done before.

[Elfstar]

I love the first one,the original that is or episode IV. It was so cool when it came out and the talk of my A level Latin class....... V and VI I enjoyed, I was awful II ok and I want to see III to find out the Anakin/Darth Vader story and why Luke and Leia were seperated. Probably take the kids tomorrow. The one bit that always stays with me is the bar scene in Star Wars where you sudenly see all those aliens and its treated as completely normal. And Han Solo.

I actually see them as very much a modern fairy story...boy loses family, goes on quest to save the world,meets girl (we dont know shes his twin then)achieves success and lives happily ever after.....except of course they then made the rest.

[Dr. Strangelove]

OMG me and harriet watched Star Wars last night!!! I won't give away anything but it was really good. The beginning was a bit slow, but as it progressed it definatley got better! No where as good as the originals, but better than the other 2.

My favourite is definatley ESB! Hand and Leia! And when Han was frozen in Carbonite at the end I screamed. And had to wait a week for the next one to be shown. I don't think I could wait for like 3 years!

[Harriet]

Hand and Leia? Heh.

LOL remember Han and Leia wannabe :D

[Elfstar]

2.30 tomorrow I'll be there. First time I've pre booked for years. I hate booking charges.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

The boring was a bit slow

Somehow, in six words, you've managed to sum up my attitude to the whole shebang. And the slow was a bit boring too, I'd vouchsafe.

Deino, good to hear that you managed to see Star Wars before it got famous and sold out. (And yes, I did see what you were doing.)

[Dr. Strangelove]

I can't seem to spell ANYTHING right anymore. BEGINNING, that's the word!

[Elfstar]

The beginning was slow? Did we watch the same film. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. And I nearly cried.......no prizes for guessing when........

[Mad Dog and Glory]

I can't seem to spell ANYTHING right anymore. BEGINNING, that's the word!

Have you considered reading over what you've written and then correcting any mistakes before clicking 'Submit Reply'?

[Dr. Strangelove]

I'll try next time!



Did anyone else think the way that Palpatine named Anikan Vader was not explained at all? To me it seemed that it was just a name given out at random, there was no explanation. And also, Anikan wouldn't go and kill ALL those people just because he wanted to save Padme...He has a brain...