Revenge of the Sith: I Guess I Just Don't Get It

I'm not a huge fan, but I enjoy seeing the movies. The biggest thing I noticed between the latest installments (Sith aside) was that everything just seemed so fake. The backgrounds especially and even the sets. So many shots seemed dull and boring - like they were done in haste. Also, I think the acting in these most recent films is horrific. There's no emotion, no feeling. Therefore it's hard for me to feel anything for the characters - even though I know how they fit into the story later on.
I have yet to see Sith - maybe things will change after I see it.

I almost agree with you - so you're safe...so far.

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"There's obviously just something wrong with me. "

Sadly yes.

:)

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Revenge of the Sith was absolutely incredible, everyone should see it. My advice to the writer: watch the other movies before you bash the last installment. Imagine if I had gone into Return of the King and said "Who are all these little hairy guys?" "Why does everybody talk funny?" Seriously, what a weird critique. You can't even understand what's going on so of course you attach yourself to the most superficial analysis of the movie. And also, every non-Star Wars fan really seems to get a kick out of attacking Hayden Christiansen's part. He did a tremendous job. You just don't understand the currents of the movie or the role of Anakin/Darth Vader. He conveyed cold smoldering emotionality better than anyone could have done.

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Don't worry, Karina. You aren't the only one who's confused. I've tried ever harder than you have to figure it out. I've seen all the films, and I've gone to see every prequel at the really exciting Midnight Opening Night screenings, and even in these excited atmospheres, I can never get into the films. People bring all the emotion and energy and excitement with them to the theatre. Hardly any of it comes from the films themselves (prequels I'm talking here, though I don't think the originals are very good either). This is fine, there are plenty of movies/bands that I go see where I bring my own energy and excitement and have a great time, but I can now definitively say that the Star Wars franchise does nothing for me.

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Why you would expect to "get it" having not seen any of the previous five episodes really doesn't even make sense, does it? In any case just to point out a couple of comments you made...."but lightsabered limbs don't even bleed." Uh, light sabers are very, very hot....in case you didn't catch the part in the elevator where Anakin melts a hole in the ceiling. Perhaps if you had seen Episode 1, you would recall Qui Gon basically turning a door into molten lava. Within the movie logic, it would have made no sense to have something so hot sear off a limb and have it bleed. You see, intense heat would cause cauterization of the wound, in fact sealing up any leaky blood vessels. Have you seen "Man on Fire" with Denzel Washington? Remember when he cut off the guy's fingers and sealed off the bleeding with the car cigarette lighter? Same principle.

Secondly, as far as being "born in 1980 - right in the ideal zone for life-long Star Wars mania." No. You were 3 years old when the 3rd movie came out. How is this "in the ideal zone?" Anyway, I think it does depend on when you were born. I was 8 years old when the first movie came out. My children love the entire saga, since the DVD generation hit and Star Wars once again became popular via home video soon after they were born.
And myself, being a lifelong fan, you're right....Lucas could do just about anything he wanted and it would have been great. However, the way he tied everything together (critics have agreed with this, by the way) at the end of Episode 3 was probably lost on someone not familiar with the entire story. It couldn't have been done better.

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I can definitly appriciate your not liking the movie. I have not seen it yet myself but I expect to like it. The main thing is that you are true to what you like and don't like. People shouldn't just say it was awsome just because its the cool thing. I myself think Harry Potter is an evil pile of trash and Im not afraid to say it, I don't care if Im the only one on the planet who thinks so. But I think it would be much harder to appriciate Sith if you have not seen Return of the Jedi, seeing how the movie is a Palpatine/Anakin film. Since you have not seen what Palpatine becomes in the end.

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I have not seen the new one yet. I hae tried to watch all the rest of them and like them. however, it is just not happening. I find EVERY Star Wars movie incredibly boring and I have fallen asleep during almost all of them and then finished them later. I dont think there is anything wrong with you, there is something wrong with everyone else.

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You're comments about "organic to artificial" were interesting to me. From my perspective, the shift in Hollywood to CGI imagery - including the animation of human characters is fantastic. If all human "stars" were eliminated from the film making industry through computer imagery I could not be happier. Our adoration of these people and their "talent" is completely improperly placed. We love them because they are beautiful and rich - not because of thier talents. Moving toward a more "artificial" style of movie making will leave the credit to those who deserve it - writers, directors, animators, etc. - the truely creative and talented memebers of the movie making team. Hayden Christensen is in this movie for people such as yourself - a pretty boy that George Lucas thought might appeal to you. In fact, the biggest failures of the films seem to revolve around attempts to "broaden the base".

Oh, and it would help tremendously if you had been 7 or 8 when you saw the first film. The spectacular visuals (unlike any other before them), 'fantasy-friendly' characters, and clear cut good versus evil conceptualization was simply too powerful for a kid not to become seduced by. Since then, each additional chapter offers a reconnection with that pure emotion/exhilaration experienced during a boring childhood.

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I can empathise.

I didn't like any of "Lord of the Rings." The films looked really good, but I was completely disengaged and did not care for any of the characters. I forced myself to sit through each installment of the 9 hour saga, but I left the theater each December scratching my head, wondering what I missed. I was completely dumbfounded when "King" swept the Oscars.

Now, for the record, I love Star Wars. I found the original trilogy fascinating (I was born in '85, so my first experience with SW was watching my Dad's VHS copies on rainy summer afternoons). Now, the first prequel was an awful film, granted. The second had little to do in the way of quality writing, acting and directing, but the CG-enhanced battle sequences made it a sastifying movie.

I'm no sci-fi buff at all, but for some reason that can't be explain with
empirical deduction, the films have enchanted people like me in my generation. Curious people after hearing buzz, checking out the films and despite our cynical youth, genuinely enjoying them.

Now, I can't say "Sith" is technically the best film ever made. Not by any stretch is it crowning achievement in the history of cinema. It just resonated with my so deeply that I couldn't get up for ten minutes
after the midnight show ended. It was a feeling I almost never feel, even after watching a realistic, brilliantly performed movie.

So some things, especially when it comes to art, have intangible qualities that grab people. It's a shame that some people are left out, but even though there's nothing wrong with you, don't rag the movies or patronize its fans.

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Your comment on the shift in Hollywood to a CGI paradigm really struck a nerve with me, but in a good way. Part of the reason I loved the *original* episodes was because of all the work that went into creating the models and the graphical illusions therein. It made it seem...more realistic, when the shots were shown, that is. 'Back in the day', I feel that Lucas concentrated more on developing the dialogue and acting than the actual graphics, mostly because he had to create everything he wanted for the special effects. Therefore, with those restraints, he needed to concentrate on the storyline. I guess that's why I became attached to the saga - the storyline.

To me, it meant that, even with my disability (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), even the smallest, most insignificant farm-boy can have a life of great meaning. Even though he started with basically nothing, Luke was able to make a name for and of himself. For me, it was the classic good versus evil personified on the screen. It told me that I could be more than I am, if I wished it. Plus, it created a fantasy-world (which Lucas has exploited to its full potential) that I could live in when I wanted, with clashing lightsabers, the ability to use the force, and to honestly be able to make a change.

I guess that's why I became attached to the saga. I still consider the last three better than the first three because of the whole CGI thing. It truely, truely cheezed me off when Lucas went back and digitalized some of the scenes. It didn't seem real! Lucas relies too much on the CGI and not enough in creating a believeable story, with *believeable* acting. I saw 'Sith' last night. Now, I will say, the movie was powerful. But with the right actors in place, it could have had everyone in the theatre in tears, especially with the Great Purge.

I think it's all how you identify with the movie. Some say that its a political message wrapped up in CGI and terrible acting. Others say its a complete fantasy world. I think it's a little of both. I know it personally influenced me. I got into music because I wanted to play the Imperial March. Heh.

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"Oh, and it would help tremendously if you had been 7 or 8 when you saw the first film. The spectacular visuals (unlike any other before them)"

Actually, I think 2001: A Space Oddysey has much better and more convincing visuals than Star Wars, and it predates it by almost a decade. Perhaps it's apples and oranges, but it seems like the only thing 2001 doesn't have are flashes of light when guns are fired, and the very cool looking lightsabers. As far as miniature spaceships in space, I prefer 2001.

"'fantasy-friendly' characters, and clear cut good versus evil conceptualization was simply too powerful for a kid not to become seduced by."

Accorind to Sith, "clear cut good versus evil" lies at the root of our problems. Why is the concept so appealing in the film, yet so detrimental in real life. Doesn't Yoda warn against seeing the world in extremes? Why does Lucas then employ these extremes to his own creations, and why are the films credited for this narrow view of Sith being selfish and Jedi being selfless?

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Do yourself a favor and never write another article. Thanks

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I think that the Star Wars series is mainly geared towards the male audience. Not to say that women don't like action/adventure style movies, but i believe that is why you don't "get" this franchise. I think the same is true as to why a lot of men, myself included, hate movies like "Titanic". I just didn't get why some many people loved that film, I thought it was a snooze fest. I like Star Wars a lot, but not to the point of having to collect all the figures and posters and what not. I haven't seen "Sith" yet, but I am looking foward to it. While I respect your opinion, I don't think it's wise to comment on a movie franchise without seeing all the previous movies first. I wouldn't make a comment on "The Divine Secrets of the YA-YA Sisterhood" because I have only seen 5 minutes of the movie and can fill in the gaps as to what happens throughout the movie.

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It's ok if you don't like Star Wars. Some people don't like cartoons. Some don't like Shakespeare. But, like Shakespeare, you can't just experience Star Wars in a vacuum. There's too much cultural noise surrounding it, and watching it for the first time as an adult who's already disposed against it . . . maybe you are UNDER-reacting to it. I mean, the original Star Wars is a good movie, and it doesn't take an apologist to see or say that. That said, watching Sith without having watched any of the other films is just dumb. Star Wars aren't just any old movies, and cannot fairly be assessed as they stand alone (except the first one). Not to end on a sour note, but you probably shouldn't ever say anything about Star Wars again. Cheers!

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As brilliant as the casting was in the original three Star Wards movies, the casting was equally as awful in the most recent three. I grew up with the original three seeing them as a kid(born is 69 here) I was totall entranced by them and couldn;t wait for the most recent installment. It just seems that the main characters in the original three were so passionate and charismatic and in the last three they were just the opposite. Stiff, boring, hohum! The worst chemistry between lovers I have ever witnessed on the big screen.
Believe me, nobody, and I mean NOBODY wanted to be blown away and come out of his skin in excitement like me! The movie was ok, not bad, not great, not even good, just ok, The poor casting and lack of chemistry were offset by outstanding special effects and great fight scenes.
Just seemed like Lucas was trying to cram way too much into a couple of hours. What was the hurry?!?!? For crying out loud we waited all these year's for these three friggin movies! Make it a three plus hour epic like it deserves!
I could go on and on but I will close for now with a few thing's to ponder. Hayden Christenson and Natalie Portman are very attractive people, VERY attractive. So they spawn Mark Hamil and Carrie Fischer?
I also felt that Darth Vaders emergence from his "masking" and cyborg transformation was very anticlimatic. Is it just me or shouldn't his emergence have been along the lines of, "now the shit hits the fan?" I mean it should have been apocolyptic! This is THEE bad asses of all bad asses! A trail of total carnage and ruin should have been left in his wake of total and complete rage at his wife's death and his own disfigurement and near death. Eeesh, I need a breather.

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Maybe I can help you...to an extent. I'm just confused as to your real motivation. You write well and seem to have well developed ideas and questions which indicate to me that you are a relatively intelligent person. If I am correct in that assessment, then you are also intelligent enough to realize that you are never going to "get it". I can only hope that you have something in your life to which you can equate the emotions felt by the fans of the Star Wars films. If you do, I'm sure that there are other individuals who would not "get it" were you to try and explain it to them. It's like trying to (pardon the reference) explain a 'blonde' joke to a 'blonde'. There will never be this sudden epiphany.

In high school, we had people that were passionate about math. Hence, the Math Club. I didn't quite get that but I also didn't go home and work word problems for a better understanding. Some time back (and even currently), people were crazy about The Beatles, The Greatful Dead or Elvis. Today, people are crazy about Eminem. I don't 'get that', either, but I think it's great for people to have something that they feel that passionate about in their lives.

The sad part? These passionate people, who aren't hurting anyone, are usually singled out, in some way, by people who don't 'get it', and the really sad part is that the ones who don't 'get it' usually have nothing in their lives to be passionate about and their scorn is born from some deep seeded envy that they aren't even aware of.

My point? Don't question people's passions, just be happy for those people and the fact that they have something that make them happy. Find your own passion, run with it and consider yourself lucky.....and if your life is lacking that certain spark, find it fast, before it's too late.
Oh, and.....May the Force be with you.

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It would be soooo easy to trash your review; instead, I will try to explain. You were born in 1980. This means that you did not know anything about post WWII America. You did not know of the Korean War. You never drove a '57 Chevy. You did not witness the assasinations of JFK, MLK, or RFK. You did not watch the Vietnam war on TV every night. You did not go to Woodstock. You did not smoke pot, do acid or mushrooms. You did not see 2001. You did not watch Armstrong step off the lunar lander on TV. You did not see all the preceeding sci-fi movies (and their attempts at SFX.) You were basically born too late. I hope this helps.

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