Star Wars III DVD

[Ranger1]

So....got my copy of Revenge of the Sith DVD from Amazon today,i enjoyed it,i even enjoyed it more than the 3 times i saw it in the theater.

The HD transfer was pretty cool,very sharp image quality (and of course sound).

The menus are not getting me excited anymore,when they started doing these menu and extra stuff on the first DVD (Phantom Menace) it was amazing,but the rest are just the same ones only with their own episode footage.

The second disc was a bit of a let down,an hour and 20 minutes to see the process of making a one minute scene from Mustafar,gets boring after a while (unlike Episode 1 documentary "The Beginning" which was amazing).

There's an easter egg on the first disc of Yoda rapping which was funny as hell.

The web content as with the rest of the dvd's are weak!! very weak.

Over all,i enjoyed this DVD and the movie,ROTS ranks number 2 right after Empire (my own personal opinion,don't kill me)...will check out the commentary probably tomorrow.

[cornholio1980]

Over all,i enjoyed this DVD and the movie,ROTS ranks number 2 right after Empire (my own personal opinion,don't kill me)...will check out the commentary probably tomorrow.

Just a little warning that there is not much interesting stuff to find in there. George Lucas is even MORE tight-lipped than on the commentaries of the other 2 prequels (didn't listen to the commentary tracks of the original trilogy yet, so I can't comment on those), and totally lets the different other guys take over. So if you're interested in the writing aspects and/or the directing, you may end up rather disappointed - especially since many things that are discussed from the other guys (who concentrate more on the technical aspects of the production) were already mentioned in the not-so-good "Making a minute"-featurette...

Too bad that with the releases of Ep II and III, they didn't do another documentary like "The Beginning". So I guess, if you really want an in-depth view of the production, you might have to pick up J.W. Rinzlers "The Making of Star Wars - Revengo of the Sith" book...

[rallytbk]

I avoided the rush to buy Star Wars Episode 3, because I knew the price will go down in some stores a week or two later. Lucky for me I did wait and found out this blunder. I hope mighty George makes some changes soon; there has been some complaints on the inconsistent packaging of Episode 3, as seen in this link:

http://www.theforce.net/image_popup/image_popup_global.asp?image=/holonet/newspics/swcanadadvds.jpg

Maybe this inconsistent packaging mess was done on purpose so that when they put out yet another box set of the first three (the last three) all the art, effects, commentary and junk could be added to the series.

Oh, wellà If I want it in a complete state I would have to make it myself. (Why so many disappointments this year!!!)

[Ranger1]

rallytbk:
My NTSC title cover of ROTS looks exactly like the other DVD's,so i duno.

cornholio1980:
Im a visual kinda guy,thats why movies such as the new Star Wars are so fun to watch (visually...you can laugh or bitc* about the acting,performance,writing...but you can't deny that the visual aspect of these prequels are amazing,even if 10 years from now they would be addressing these movies as computer games kinda effects...same as B5).

Don't get me wrong,this episode 3 DVD is wonderful,its just that it resembles the rest of the DVD's too much (3 opening menu's,episode's unique footage as a menu...i mean its cool but nothing new or refreshing).

Lets see what they will do for the HD\BluRay version

[Laiden]

Same here Ranger1, My DVD looks fine. sadly enough, I bought it when it came out and have yet to watch it. I'll probably go through them all this weekend.

[manwithnoname]

i'm going to get you peope mad at me: star wars III: revenge of the mediocre. okay, now i got that out of the way, it was a DECENT movie, no way a great movie.
Disclaimer: there are movies i love that people dislike or think i'm crazy.
My opinion of Strike Three: Revenge of the Mediocre: decent movie, relied heavy on special effects BECAUSE of weak storytelling and poor dialogue.
the original star trek (capt. kirk, spock): really bad & cheesy special effects, BUT incredible stories. And, i admit cheesy dialogue & cheesy acting, but story trumped everything else. they couldn't rely on special effects, so they focused on story.
i'm not against movies that have a lot of special effects. i think all 3 LOTR movies are beyond incredible. those movies are a great example of special effects enhancing an incredibly complex, rich story.
honestly, i used the fast forward a lot while watching star wars III. reason: multiple scenes of slow flying, big spaceship that took up a lot of screen time.
i don't mean to stir the pot, but it just seems everybody drools over star wars III, i think i'm not crucifying the movie, its just not great.

[Ranger1]

You are not going to make that many people mad at you, well.... maybe just me on this forum hehehhe.

I like this movie because of the special effects.

Granted, no one should ever compare these prequels to the originals, but still as you said, a decent movie, and from all the 3 prequels, this one is the best (well, less worse).

Besides, i dont know why people cry "special effects special effects" on this kind of a movie, all these special effects must be there! after all, light sabers aren't real, spaceships aren't real,Grievous isn't real, old actors such as Ian McDiarmid and Christopher Lee can't really fight that fast so they were imposed with a digital face.

In the opera house scene, where Palp tells Anakin the story about that old Sith, really shocked me to realized that besides the chairs which they were sitting on, everything around them was blue screen!! everything!

You can shout "murder murder" while episode 1 was on, but with Sith...thats a no no.

People such as myself who are sci-fi fanatics just LOVE special effects, thats the main reason i first saw the original Star Wars, thats the reason i first saw Flash Gordon and thats why i first saw Babylon 5.

Bitch and moan about the performance\acting\dialog all you want, ill be the first one to say you are right, but no one should blame special effects on a movie.

[manwithnoname]

thanks for the great response; i appreciate your civility and honesty.

i don't blame the special effects. i feel, the movie was thin in the storytelling department, and used the special effects as a crutch. in my previous post i used the LOTR movies as an example of special effects enhancing the movie instead of carrying the movie. in regards to star wars III, i felt the special effects didn't enhance but carried the movie.

there's nothing wrong with liking movies that only offer nice and shiny things, they're a fun romp. my definition of a decent movie: i'll see it once on dvd, that's it. i enjoyed it.

when i worked for blockbluster years ago (my most vile experience by the way) a customer said, "Cradle to the Grave is my favorite movie of the year." Have you seen that movie? Okay, to me, that movie is right below what i deem decent, but it was okay. different strokes, man.

Have a great Sunday. It's a sunny for us here in Oregon (yeah, it's cold, but...)

[The Puzzled Pak'Ma'Ra]

... Episode I was the best of the recent 3 Star Wars films because...

... I had been waiting years and years and years for more Star Wars, and it finally had arrived. To hear that theme again, in theatre surround sound... gave me goosebumps! ... then there was Obi wan's light-sabre fight with the Sith, after his master was killed - best fight in all three films.

... The next 2 were more of the same, but the newness had worn off. The story is pretty thin throughout, so comparisons on that point don't mean a lot.

... The FX in all three were absolutely fabulous, and they're worth watching if only to see the ships and FX.

... In my humble opinion.

[The Puzzled Pak'Ma'Ra]

... Oh yeah, my wife went and dowloaded Ep II from a Chinese (pirate) movie server, and I wound up watching that before seeing the film in a real theatre... That was a mistake. Clouded things a bit.

[Ranger1]

... Episode I was the best of the recent 3 Star Wars films because...

... I had been waiting years and years and years for more Star Wars, and it finally had arrived. To hear that theme again, in theatre surround sound... gave me goosebumps! ... then there was Obi wan's light-sabre fight with the Sith, after his master was killed - best fight in all three films.

... The FX in all three were absolutely fabulous, and they're worth watching if only to see the ships and FX.

... In my humble opinion.

Ive been waiting for a new Star Wars flick for years myself, i was very excited when they were making it, took me about hmmm 2 years to realize that episode 1 is very childish and all those people who were bashing it all this time were right.

I like Jarjar, even today.. people started to really hate him for no reason, he was suppose to be a childish character to let the kids relate to something, so i wont start going: "crappy movie! jarjar sucks".

- Jake Lloyd was ultra annoying, maybe he was good for kids (and i don't remember myself as a young kid liking an annoying character).

- All that midi-chlorine story was so lame, it was something that really took the mystery off The Force, you don't really suppose to know nor understand what The Force is, its just there (notice Lucas didnt bring that up for Episode 2 and 3).
- The special Effects were great for 1999, but today, im not going to stick on watching the entire Pod Race ALL OVER AGAIN (damn! the long version on the DVD was cool for the first 2-3 times, but enough!).

- too many Special effects fuckups, the only Star Wars movie that has so many fuckups (for example Anakin getting into the starfighter, blasts the destroyer droids, but when he hits the wall, amazing, not even a burn mark).

The dual between Obi and Maul was great, thats one of the very few things that are actually good on this movie... but comparing that to the dual between Obi and Anakin?

[DGTWoodward]

- All that midi-chlorine story was so lame, (notice Lucas didnt bring that up for Episode 2 and 3).

He didn't?

So what was Palpatinre talking to Anakin about during the Opera House scene if it was not the manipulation of the Midi-Wosanames to create life? And whilst on that very element of the so-called plot...Your opinion please....During that conversation, Palpatine talks of Darth Plagus (sp?) The Wise and how his apprentice killed him after learning all of his secrets. From context then...

1) Are we to assume that Darth Plages was infact Palpatine's mentor and Sith teacher? After all "...There are always two, a Master and an Apprentice..." and Palpatine never actually expresses WHEN this is supposed to have happened. It seemed clear to me that in context, Palpatine was refering to himself as the apprectice because he does seem to speak with some measure of whistful-like, almost regret/almost scorn - well played by Ian M there - almost regret and resignation that he'd killed his Master, yet he seemed almost pleased to have beaten his Master's arrogance with a display of his own intelligence and cunning.

2) Was I the only person to tie together Palpatine's phrase to young Anakin "...We shall watch your progress with great interest..." with the way he looks at adult Anakin whilst he is stating that the the Sith can manipulate the Force "...to create.....(dramatic pause, with knowing turn of head and meaningful stare straight at Anakin)...LIFE". In other words, did HE become Sith, gain his master's trust and secrets then murder him, use that to manipulate the force to potentially creat for himself a SUPER SITH apprentice, the he would groom and (to some obvious extent) train, during which he was manipulating the Senate to place himself in total power, thereby being in a postion to rule the Galaxy AND destroy the Jedi Order at the same time? I know that it seems like a lot but these would be long term plans as can be seen from the 30 or so years that run between MENACE and SITH - and you know how these pesky megalomaniacs can be.

These thoughts are all totally based on movie content alone and not from any books or novelisations

Finally, and not actually related to the thoughts above, how did Obi-Wan age about 30 years in the 17 or so that are supposed to have elapsed between SITH and NEW HOPE?

[The Puzzled Pak'Ma'Ra]

... OK, OK, "YIPEE!" really turned my stomach in Ep. 1. and it wasn't GREAT, but I stick by Ep 1 being the best of the newer 3. I liked Jarjar, too.

... Of course none of them compare to the original Star Wars, in terms of story and in terms of FX (for the 70's).

...In my humble opinion.

[rallytbk]

Besides, I donÆt know why people cry "special effects special effects" on this kind of a movie; all these special effects must be there! After all, light sabers aren't real, spaceships aren't real, Grievous isn't real, old actors such as Ian McDiarmid and Christopher Lee can't really fight that fast so they were imposed with a digital face.

People such as myself who are sci-fi fanatics just LOVE special effects, thatÆs the main reason I first saw the original Star Wars, thatÆs the reason I first saw Flash Gordon and thatÆs why I first saw Babylon 5.

Bitch and moan about the performance\acting\dialog all you want, ill be the first one to say you are right, but no one should blame special effects on a movie.

I am in total agreement with you on this oneà I can take the bad dialog, the bad effects or even the bad acting, but the storyline must come first. That is why people love shows like Babylon 5, Stargate SG1, and etc. because the premise of each show is well thought out and executed leaving the viewers something to think about as oppose to something to watch.

The special effects should have enhanced the Star Wars experience not overshadow it. IMHO the story suffered immensely, because of bad writing and bad planning. The climatic scene for me didnÆt pay off as well as it should have when Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader (not to be confused with the scene when he puts on the mask) and that really suckedà If it would have been properly written and not rushed as in this episode (in fact episode 1 and 2 seemed rushed also), even if the fans expected Anakin to curse the universe for his time as a slave, his mothers death and the last straw PadmeÆs death, causing him to turns him to the dark side, it should have still been filmed for the fans to see thatÆs why I paid money to see the turn as oppose to reading his reasons for turning to the dark side.

When I worked for blockbuster years ago (my most vile experience by the way) a customer said, "Cradle to the Grave is my favorite movie of the year." Have you seen that movie? Okay, to me, that movie is right below what I deem decent, but it was okay. Different strokes, man.

Have a great Sunday. It's a sunny for us here in Oregon (yeah, it's cold, but...)

And the sad fact isà These are the people George Lucas dumbed down Star Wars for, why Jar Jar had a major role instead of a minor one, and why it was filmed PG for episode 1 and 2 and PG13 for episode 3 (I secretly wanted a rated R version for us adults, even if it meant having a special directorÆs cut DVD version).

... Of course none of them compare to the original Star Wars, in terms of story and in terms of FX (for the 70's).... In my humble opinion.

And of course this is, because all the marketing, toys and sense of adventure spoiled us during the 70Æ and 80Æs. The Expanded Universe didnÆt help this trend either; there was a lot of sense of adventure no director could put on filmà unless he did a series totally controlled by the writer (and the only one I have seem do this was JMS) and had the proper time to tell his story to a worthy Audience.

[Ranger1]

He didn't?

So what was Palpatinre talking to Anakin about during the Opera House scene if it was not the manipulation of the Midi-Wosanames to create life?

LOL yeah i forgot, i was just about to edit my message, but too many replies so i must admit my mistake.

I am in total agreement with you on this oneà I can take the bad dialog, the bad effects or even the bad acting, but the storyline must come first.

Well, the story was there, lets not forget that its part 3 out of 6, and which 4 already exists, so you have to maneuver in some areas but overall its the fall of Anakin Skywalker.

Bad planning? yeah i guess so.