tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post2223027625404019013..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: The Force AwakensRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-54329153472763757932015-10-23T23:48:46.878-04:002015-10-23T23:48:46.878-04:001. I'm not sure how good of a villain Count Do...1. I'm not sure how good of a villain Count Dooku was. He didn't have much of a character arc for starters.<br /><br />Dooku was supposed to have been a faithful Jedi for most of his life. Indeed, a Jedi Master. An old school Jedi Master such as in his sense of honor, in how he carried himself, etc. <br /><br />However, he fell after the events of the Battle of Galidraan. Yet I don't recall this mentioned in his backstory in the prequels, though maybe I missed it. <br /><br />He had some backstory and moments contributing to the narrative in Attack of the Clones. But he was quickly dispatched at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. Just when things had gotten really interesting with him. <br /><br />I think Lucas could've made Count Dooku into a much more tragic figure than is evidenced in the movies. So perhaps we could say Count Dooku was an intriguing villain, but in the end it seems to me Lucas promised more than he delivered. (Same with General Grievious.)<br /><br />2. I think the emperor actually detracted from Darth Vader as a villain. It made Vader less intimidating. It neutered Vader to some degree. But maybe that was unavoidable given Lucas' tale.rockingwithhawkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10550503108269371174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-66546602524770515812015-10-23T22:54:46.840-04:002015-10-23T22:54:46.840-04:00Some directors cast classy British actors in medio...Some directors cast classy British actors in mediocre roles to mask the mediocrity of the role. stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-51482168674534706642015-10-23T21:46:56.599-04:002015-10-23T21:46:56.599-04:00Ian McDiarmid was great as Palpatine / Emperor - e...Ian McDiarmid was great as Palpatine / Emperor - especially in Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith.<br />He should have gotten some kind of academy award.<br /><br />Jedi was a good film, even with the E-woks. <br /><br />The prequels were not THAT bad - except Jar Jar and Christiansen Hayden acting was bad sometimes. But sometimes he did pretty good when he got angry. <br /><br />Liam Neeson was great, IMO.<br /><br />Revenge of the Sith was excellent and enthralling. (IMO)Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17824685809003307918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-69725644456343834582015-10-23T13:53:12.120-04:002015-10-23T13:53:12.120-04:00"He misses on nearly all counts: plot, dialog..."He misses on nearly all counts: plot, dialogue, characterization, ideas. "<br /><br />For the most part, yes and he bungled the most important part and point of the PT in the first place - the fall of Anakin, but I still say the PT does have some solid ideas. The slow and sustained machinations of Palpatine to orchestrate his rise of power and the associated fall of the Republic/Jedi by playing both sides of a conflict he engineered was interesting but gets overlooked with a lot of people complaining about the "boring" politics. Sure, a better screenwriter could've made those scenes more engaging and not so talky but the idea was interesting. He was also smart in only showing the start and end of the Clone Wars, leaving it to the TV series and authors to explore facets and effects of the conflict far more in-depth than a single movie could.<br /><br />Also I give Lucas credit for making the Jedi relatively few in number and only peacekeepers - I think everyone thought leading up to the prequels Jedi would be everywhere and awesomely strong - it was a bold move to make their role pretty low-key even in their hey-day and have the Sith rule of only 2.<br /><br />" The only thing he's good at is setting. He has a very creative imagination for exotic settings. But he has nothing to put in his settings."<br /><br />True - he excels at world building which SW is an exemplar of in scifi but I wouldn't limit it to just setting - he did have to sign off on pretty much everything the designers proposed (creature designs, vehicles, costumes, etc) as you can see in documentaries and art of star wars books. And Ralph McQuarrie should get much of the credit as well for the OT settings and visuals (whose concept art was still referred to during PT production - such as for Coruscant - as well as in Abrams production) - as Lucas said upon his death "His genial contribution, in the form of unequalled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original Star Wars trilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'do it like this'."Cletus Van Dammehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13749634619890462132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-15754752407740482142015-10-23T13:25:10.128-04:002015-10-23T13:25:10.128-04:00My problem with Lee in Star Wars is that he was pr...My problem with Lee in Star Wars is that he was pretty elderly by then to play a swordsman. As I watch him I can't help thinking to myself, isn't he 80 or so? stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-10150553472515565802015-10-23T12:14:19.756-04:002015-10-23T12:14:19.756-04:00That list looks about right; Sith is easily the be...That list looks about right; Sith is easily the best of the prequels, but given it covers the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader and has the legendary battle on the volcanic planet (much discussed for years before realized on film) it would be hard to mess up, not that Lucas couldn't have if he'd put his mind to it. I give him credit for creating some really classy villains, though, and casting them well. Count Dooku may be a stupid name, but Christopher Lee made that role. And Ian McDiarmid made a great chancellor/emperor.<br /><br />Had it been up to me, I would have dispensed with much of the nonsense that stands in for plot in Phantom Menace, especially introducing Anakin as a child. The great tragedies have always been about heroes with fatal flaws, not innocent kids or whiny adolescents. And skip the silly midichlorians--what did that concept really add to the story, anyway? Lucas was far better off keeping the mysticism of the original trilogy and not trying to come up a biological explanation for it.Ken Abbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01398980914190503708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-43184774524129006382015-10-22T12:59:28.317-04:002015-10-22T12:59:28.317-04:00"But it was easily the best film of the franc..."But it was easily the best film of the franchise."<br /><br />Nailed it!<br /><br />Oh, yeah, the supporting thoughts were good too... ;)<br /><br />I was 6 back in '77 when I saw Episode IV in the theaters with my parents - first real movie I ever went to. And, being 6, I was instantly hooked. The whole series has a special place in my heart, and I'd rank them like this:<br /><br />1) Empire Strikes Back<br />2) A New Hope<br />3) Revenge of the Sith<br />4) Return of the Jedi<br />5) Attack of the Clones<br /><br />Hmmm...I must be forgetting one, I could have sworn there were 6 movies... :)<br />Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06230576503431727315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-87496631588455717632015-10-21T21:10:07.136-04:002015-10-21T21:10:07.136-04:00People hail George Lucas as if he's some sort ...People hail George Lucas as if he's some sort of great, visionary filmmaker. I think you nailed it here, he's more like a one-hit wonder who continually tweaks and re-adjusts the beat and tempo of his song.<br /><br />Just remixes of remixes. But he's savvy and smart enough to milk his cash cow for all it's worth.CRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03231394164372721485noreply@blogger.com