There are a long lists of movies that should have been good if they did the movie right but, you know, aren’t good movies.
I didn’t punish them too much for this myself. I chalked that up as a move for kids.
The showiness and “badass-ness” were out-of-character. The prequels sometimes did not do a good job of distinguishing between the light side and the dark side.
Well you’re in luck! You don’t have to convince me the prequels were bad. I don’t like them at all. Back when I channel surfed, those were the only SW movies I wouldn’t just leave on in the background. I just didn’t think the Yoda backflip was at the top of the reason for why those movies are so poorly done.
Yeah. After the godawful ‘romantic’ dialogue, Yoda Yoga ( I know but the alliteration is too good) barely registered.
I really wonder what this faux “trilogy” could have been if it had been given to creators like Matt Reeves, who did a great job with the Apes movies (last 2 of which he directed) - respectful to the older movies without being copies, but definitely their own thing.
I’m sure there are a lot of good directions they could have taken the franchise in just by reading the EU.
I just saw TLJ for my second time and loved it a lot more than my first. Especially the second half, everything starting when Kylo and Rey meet in person.
All of the performances are excellent, from Rey to Kylo to Luke and Holdo and others. The direction of the action in Snokes room, and in the hangar after the light speed ramming, and on the salt planet, are all so distinctive and clear. Just loved it.
Even the ending which confused me the first time around was pretty heartwarming this time.
And Canto Bight just flew by. The lack of anticipation and impatience wanting to get back to the A plot let me enjoy the B and C plots much more.
Will likely end up making 35% less than Force Awakens, or around $600 million less. But still a hell of a lot more than even most blockbuster movies at around $1.4b, despite all the negative word of mouth.
The difference is not surprising seeing how TFA was a return to a beloved franchise after a very extended wait. TFA was virtually guaranteed to blow up the box office. In spite of its flaws, I enjoyed TLJ but then I can say that about every Star Wars movie not considered Lucas run prequel to the original series.
The prequels were bad, but that’s because they were poorly written and executed.
The fundamental idea and plot were workable, they just weren’t worked well. It’s Lucas’s quasi-Buddhism drama. How attachment and refusal to let go can cause so much pain and suffering. How becoming obsessed with preserving or saving someone or something can actually be harmful in the end. The tension between excessive rationalism and excessive emotionalism. The need to be mindful, and understand how our desires and attachments can fuel us in negative ways that are ultimate self-destructive (and destructive to others). How love can turn to possessiveness, and become misguided. How people with outsized needs and insecurity can be used by other people with malevolent purposes.
I have no idea what the fuck TLJ is about. Casinos are bad?
There’s also its bold stand against war profiteering and telling your subordinates about what you are doing to avoid certain death.
If you’re going to try and murder future space genocidal maniac, don’t half ass it?
Prequels had lots of issues, but at the top were bad performances by the two actors playing Anakin Skywalker.
Which is weird because in Life as a House, Hayden Christensen gave a pretty creepy Vader-like performance. Maybe he should have dyed his hair black for the prequels as well?
Adam Driver is so much better, but is not enough to save the sequels.
I didn’t care for Driver in the first movie, too much moody emo’ing I guess, but I did think he was much better in the second one.
Life as a House is actually a pretty good movie.
Shattered Glass really impressed me, and he was strong in it. That performance, brash and confident shell over an essential frailty, showed me what the casting director saw in him for the Skywalker role.
Hey don’t just blame Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen. Natalie Portman pretty much phoned everything in. Samuel L. Jackson and Ewan McGregor were ok, but nothing to write home about. Ian McDiarmid was the only one who put some effort. Liam Neeson didn’t get to threaten anyone over the phone but he was good too.
Well if pretty much everyone was bad that is on the director and writer. Seeing how many of these actors have more than proven themselves as quality performers in other roles.
Judging by my Facebook feed, it’s about millennials. :)
I heard that too. Specifically it’s about trusting them…
It’s also apparently the most “red” (politically) movie yet in the franchise.