By Mage (TC #5440, DB #700)
Having seen Episode II twice in theatres now, I have to say I am impressed. For this first time in Star Wars history, there is a movie that isn’t focused around starship fights – something I think has been a long time coming.
The first thing the movie does is re-introduce you to the characters, now all 10 years older. Anakin is a grown man, Obi-Wan is starting to look old, and Natalie Portman still looks 20 and sexy as hell. :P
The only problems with this movie that I could see were either very small or very large. For example, the entire movie is designed to be a love story, which makes me absolutely ill. Anakin is like 8 years old in Episode I, which would make him roughly 18… and Padme was like 20-some in Episode I, making her 30-some now. That’s just a little unbelievable for me. The other issues – lightsaber insides looking funny, etc… they were so minute that they didn’t take away from the movie at all. Aside the bad love story, we’re on to the good stuff. ;)
Like I said before, we finally got a movie not entirely centered on spaceships. My personal favorite thing about Star Wars has always been lightsabers, and this movie has LOTS. From the evil Anakin scenes, to the big coliseum-looking-place fight, to Yoda and Dooku’s fight… it was just amazing. On that Yoda note, if for no other reason that to see Yoda go all zippy with a saber, you should see this movie. :P
The thing that shocked me the most is some of the very odd differences Episode II had from the others. A lot of the Jedi were very slow with their sabers, which seemed odd… however, the one that really blows me away is what Lucasfilm has left themselves to deal with in Episode III. They have to get from Anakin being in his late teens to having children, not to mention the huge plot around that time period (how Luke and Leia are separated and sent their respective ways, etc.). It’ll be interesting to see what they do there…
On a final note, I think that this movie doesn’t deserve a lot of the shots it has taken. Not only is it impressive to watch (aside the bad love story, again :P), but it is unique from all the others in several ways. A lot of people say that it can’t live up to the classics – I say it’s the best Star Wars movie yet.
Rating – 19/20
OW Mage (Obelisk)/QUA/Galeres of Arcona [GMRG: INI]
DC/Cr-1S/CF/(DSS)
CMDR/CM Mage/Phoenix/Wing XIII/ISD Grey Wolf
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