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Neal Stephenson on Star Wars in the NYT
SnapShot writes "Neal Stephenson has an editorial in the New York Times about the difference between the old Star Wars and the new Star Wars, and the difference between geeking out and vegging out. Oh, and computer scientists and engineers are the Jedi of the U.S." From the article: "Likewise, many have been underwhelmed by the performance of Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Only if you've seen the "Clone Wars" cartoons will you understand that Anakin is a seriously damaged veteran, a poster child for post-traumatic stress disorder. But since none of that background is actually supplied by the Episode III script, Mr. Christensen has been given an impossible acting task. He's trying to swim in air."
Old one didn't suck.
"The post is strong with first."
The people in this article are, "Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital after apparently trying to make light sabres by filling fluorescent light tubes with petrol. A man, aged 20, and a girl of 17 are believed to have been filming a mock duel when they poured fuel into two glass tubes and lit it. The pair were rushed to hospital after one of the devices exploded in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire." Granted they need practice but they are trying and soon the Force will be strong in them.
News Reporters Make Tasty Polar Bear Treats!
Gees! It must of killed him to be limited to so few words.
Four fifths of all our troubles in this life would disappear if we would just sit down and keep still. -C. Coolidge
It was a great editorial, but the ending kind of left me hanging.
Here's a fun game to play the next time you watch the film: in every scene with just Padme and Anakin, add the word 'Broomstick' to the end of each line they say to one another, it makes the acting more believable!
e.g. Anakin to Padme: "I will never let you die... broomstick." (Variations like 'Mr./Ms. Broomstick', 'my sweet broomstick', or 'you lovely 2-by-4' add depth and drama!)
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
He is the second best Anakin Skywalker ever ... OK that's not saying much as that little kid was so annoying that most people had hoped he would come across the wrong end of a light sabre a few times
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
Because, miss the true point of the story, you do. Bringing balance to the force, this story is about. Anakin and Luke, but elements of this process are. Focus on the light side of the force, the films do. When the light side Anakin, leaves, focus of the story does he lose. Luke, then, the hopes of balance rest with, and so focus does he gain.
Yeah, right. Neal Stephenson, writing a two-page article? The man can't describe a plain cardboad box in two pages! This is obviously the work of someone else.
Additionally, General Grievous just sort of popped into existance.
Lucas seems to have a problem with killing off his good villains *cough* Darth Maul *cough*, then ending up with Darth Viagra, err... Count Dooku.
The main problem with Hayden Christensen is that he plays a whiney, angst-filled teen too well. And it really sucks to find out that Darth Vader, the coolest badass of badasses villains, started out as a whiney, angst-filled teen. Hell, he didn't even pull wings off flies or anything! Talk about a non-traumatic childhood...
Though, to be fair . . . if Natalie Portman dumped me, I'd probably take over the glaxay to avoid thinking about what I lost, too.
With so many ppl on
We all played KotOR too many times.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
Yet somehow, he manages to drown.
It's not just RotS, as this classic post illustrates. (I take no credit for this, I just had it bookmarked.)