Don't get me wrong, I wish them a WONDERFUL time! I just want to be there!
So, to ease my pain, I popped ROTS into my laptop last night and watched most of it up-close... and realized all over again what a wonderful movie it (mostly) is. For one thing, I was struck by the details in the background in many scenes. Details that a lot of filmmakers would leave out, or not even think of.
Everyone who's seen the film probably appreciates the opening battle scene. Such attention to details! Yes, I know about the kitchen sink! But there are other places where this attention to detail really grabs me.
For instance, take the scene where Obi-Wan flies out of the troopship and into his hyperdrive ring... as he leaves the ship you can see the night lights of Coruscant in the background... and the music is PERFECT as "The Light of the Force" plays in the background...
Did I mention that John Williams is a genius?
Ewan McGregor is awesome as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his performance on the platform of Mustafar is one of the best ever... Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to Democracy! And his rendition of You were the Chosen One is so full of pain and anguish... and he's so damn hot, too.
I'm sorry to say that the weak point of the movie is Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. To me, Anakin should have been older and more mature. A hero, not a whiny baby... I know a lot of women think he's cute, but damn... he needs to be slapped across the face and told to STFU...
Mace Windu is badass and very manly as takes on the Chancellor, but what's with the easy deaths of the Jedi who accompanied him? Come one, a couple minutes of fighting would have been awesome!
I've seen a lot of criticisms over the years of Natalie Portman's portrayal of Padme, but I noticed her scenes with Obi-Wan are much better than her scenes with Christensen, and perhaps this is a reflection of his lesser talent rather than hers. For example, she's good in the scene with Obi-Wan on the balcony of her apartment, but cheesy in the apartment scenes with Anakin.
So, if you're suffering from Con Withdrawal, I recommend a DVD at least once a day! Throw in a little fan fiction and some Star Wars Galaxies and the weekend is not lost after all.
May the Force be with us all!
