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Ebert Gives 'Sith' Positive Review
emerald demon writes "The world's authority on reviewing movies, Roger Ebert, has released his review of "Star Wars--Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." I noticed that Ebert & Roeper gave it a two thumbs up, but I assumed that Ebert was going to go for the minimum for giving his thumb up--two and a half stars. I was delighted to read his three and a half starred review. It seemed like he let a few things slip, but it's obvious that he enjoyed it. '"Episode III" has more action per square minute, I'd guess, than any of the previous five movies, and it is spectacular.' Bad dialogue as usual: 'To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion.'"
It's rare to find someone - even a professional film critic - with whom you'll agree 100% on every single film. What's more important, I think, is that you can watch the same film and see how the other person formulated their opinion, regardless if you agree with it. Roger Ebert is one of the few critics where I can successfully apply that test, even if there's a few films where you wonder what he was thinking (like his positive review of "Anaconda"). CABIN BOY rocks!
Isn't there already some sort of tacit agreement in place regarding this? I believe Spielberg was extremely keen to direct one of the current trilogy but Lucas refused (claimed has some sort of story to tell apparently) but that in lieu, a further trilogy would be more probable than possible and Spielberg could have one of them.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
I mean, come on, he gave a great review to the universally panned Phantom Menace, and an equally good review to the moldy cheese production of Anaconda. I like Ebert but this guy is not a barometer to a film's quality. Leave that to Rotten Tomatoes (which looks to be positive so far).
I've heard about this too.... I've wanted Spielberg to direct one of these things FOREVER... Lucas is a fine director and all, but he doesn't have a line of Oscars across his wall for one of virtually every type of movie there is for a good reason.
My guess is that we're never going to see this because Lucas has been treating Star Wars as a meal ticket that requires no good direction for at least 20 years.
I like this particular quote, which I've found a few times in my ten minutes of searching:
"I wanted to do one 15 years ago and he didn't want me to do it. I understand why--'Star Wars' is George's baby...this is George's franchise, it's his cottage industry and it's his fingerprints," said Spielberg. "He knows I've got 'Jurassic Park' and 'Raiders'. But George has 'Star Wars' and I don't think he feels inclined to share any of it with me." (1)
My analysis : Lucas can't direct as well as Spielberg and knows it. Too bad, so sorry, but it ain't gonna happen.
My little site.
Lucas couldn't let Spielberg direct because Spielburg is a member of the Directors Guild and Lucas is not. Lucas does not use guild members in his movies (and if he does they risk being kicked out of the guild). This all goes back to the disagreement that occured when he refused to run opening credits before ESB.
It is commonly believed that Lucas did approach Spielberg to direct Episode I, but Spielberg refused to leave the guild.
Jack Valenti and Orrin Hatch will be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
Nah, we have to give them to people who Lucas has produced for... My vote's for Mel Smith and Ron Howard.
heh.
This sig intentionally left justified.
I've started to think for a while now that maybe George's huge mistake was that he chose to make Ep1-3, rather than Episodes 7-9. I mean, we all know how it's going to end, and we all know the points the plot HAS to pass through, we all know who HAS to survive, etc, etc. There's no real freedom in there, except to fill in the minor details which don't advance the overall plot. The only "wow" factor he has up his sleeve is "wow the CG looks good".
If he had made 7-9 instead, the story could go and end where he wanted, where the movie took it, where a logically paced movie naturally ended.
"Because it's there." - George Mallory, when asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, March 18, 1923 (New York Times)
The directors guild kicked out Robert Rodriguez for giving Frank Miller a directing credit on Sin City. The Screen Actors Guild threatened to kick out Gary Oldman just for doing voice work in Episode III. The guilds are serious. If you don't follow their rules (using only guild talent, putting your credits on the movie in the right way, etc) they kick you out. And then you're forced to do what Lucas does and work completly with non union people.
Jack Valenti and Orrin Hatch will be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
Totally, completely agreed.
I just can't get over the fact that all of Darth Vader's evil, all three and a half episodes of it, all those blown up ships, lost rebel lives, hell, lost Empire lives, stems from just narrowly missing his Mom's death and the hands of (christ, it sounds so stupid) SANDPEOPLE.
Gimme a friggin' break. Maybe if she'd been killed by a Jedi, that might have worked. I still don't understand why the Jedi Council couldn't have just bought her freedom in the first place. They can afford all these fancy ships, all those hundreds of robes, they can outfit their Jedi-University with all manner of flashing-light geekiness, yet they can't friggin' buy the freedom of THE CHOSEN ONE's own mom?
Genndy Tartakovsky
The zahn books are the true next three stories. They cost me sleep and made me miss work. The third one- I waited to read on the weekend because I couldn't put them down.
Brilliant writing. A stronger, smarter, better villian than any of the movies. And how the end started as a butterfly's breath which just built and built.
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As far as the "there/their" thing. Every time I see these kind of rouge errors I get so frustrated that almost loose it.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
All that being said, Sith is GOOD. It isn't great. Its not a movie you'll walk out of going "it was AMAZING!!1!!1!!!one!". But compared to EpI and II it looks like Citizen Kane...
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SEMI-SPOILERS FOLLOW
(detailed discussion of the flaws in the movie from my perspective)
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My biggest gripe with the movie is that its still not dark enough. It is dark, much much darker than Ep I or II. But it doesn't do a good job communicating emotion at all - there are very few times where I felt connected to Anakin or Padme. McGreggor's Obi-Wan is the only character that makes you feel emotionally involved in the story at any depth.
Ultimately, the biggest flaw is the fall of Anakin to Darth Vader just simply isn't done well. The storyline is there - Lucas has given us all the pieces. It makes sense if I sit here and explain it to someone who hasn't seen the movie or someone who's not familiar with the series at all (bear with me)
Now how George Lucas shows this in Episode Three:
Anakin: (woodenly) I'm happy. Now I'm angry. Now I'm scared. Now I'm good, but wait I'm not so good. You're going to die! I can't lose you!
Padme: (completely disinterested, looking at her nails and chewing gum) oh Ani. Hold me like you held me on Naboo. Or whatever...
Darth Siddious: Even though every bit of your training says you're opposed to this, you should come over to the dark side. All the cool kids are doing it. Because its got, like, powers and stuff. And it could probably save your wife from dying. Seriously, it could. There was this one guy, one time, who could keep people from dying. Except I killed him, so he wasn't really that good at it I guess. But he TOTALLY had the real ultimate power to keep people from dying. So you should totally become a Sith Lord.
Anakin: (in danger of being
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