I saw the first screening, the 12:01am, last night.
Seeing the film with geeks was quite nice. The atmosphere was dense and anticipatory beyong what I would have expected.
The lights dimmed, and we were treated to a film that was, quite frankly, so many times better than The Phantom Menace. Full of memorable scenes (Anakin and his mother and the scene that ensues, the Gladiator-esque colluseum, the droid factory, and of course, Yoda weilding a mean lightsabre) and at least one strangely ironic lines (in the bar, you'll know it when you hear it...)
The performances are all good. Ewan McGregor is a strong point (especially considering he reacts to a blue screen more than anyone else in the film). Hayden Christensen is also fairly good. There are so many points where he just stares ahead and you think, "This boy is no good." Which of course, makes sense. Natalie Portman, for me, was the only weak spot. There were so many times were she just seemed so lifeless and weak. Christopher Lee gave a creepy air of sophistication to the dark side and Yoda was very well animated (I was pleased to find that the animators didn't try at all to match his mouth movements with words he said, just general movement) and Mace Windu was Samuel L. Jackson for crying out loud.
I need not mention the special effects. But let me tell you, it's a great film. Dark and really enjoyable. Well worth staying up until three in the morning on a school night to catch early.
The reason I find it ironic that I saw it before Americans is because of Chris. For weeks Chris has been telling me, in hushed silence and fearfully excited anticipation, "Yoda's going to fight!"
And fight he does. Fought he did. The most awed and dead silent pin-drop moment of the film. But I'll stand by my guns. Yoda is simply agile, swift, well-spoken, full of the force, and wise.
But Mace Windu is the coolest mutherf*cker in the galaxy...
Seeing the film with geeks was quite nice. The atmosphere was dense and anticipatory beyong what I would have expected.
The lights dimmed, and we were treated to a film that was, quite frankly, so many times better than The Phantom Menace. Full of memorable scenes (Anakin and his mother and the scene that ensues, the Gladiator-esque colluseum, the droid factory, and of course, Yoda weilding a mean lightsabre) and at least one strangely ironic lines (in the bar, you'll know it when you hear it...)
The performances are all good. Ewan McGregor is a strong point (especially considering he reacts to a blue screen more than anyone else in the film). Hayden Christensen is also fairly good. There are so many points where he just stares ahead and you think, "This boy is no good." Which of course, makes sense. Natalie Portman, for me, was the only weak spot. There were so many times were she just seemed so lifeless and weak. Christopher Lee gave a creepy air of sophistication to the dark side and Yoda was very well animated (I was pleased to find that the animators didn't try at all to match his mouth movements with words he said, just general movement) and Mace Windu was Samuel L. Jackson for crying out loud.
I need not mention the special effects. But let me tell you, it's a great film. Dark and really enjoyable. Well worth staying up until three in the morning on a school night to catch early.
The reason I find it ironic that I saw it before Americans is because of Chris. For weeks Chris has been telling me, in hushed silence and fearfully excited anticipation, "Yoda's going to fight!"
And fight he does. Fought he did. The most awed and dead silent pin-drop moment of the film. But I'll stand by my guns. Yoda is simply agile, swift, well-spoken, full of the force, and wise.
But Mace Windu is the coolest mutherf*cker in the galaxy...
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