Is it okay for nerds to like Revenge of the Sith?

[DerekG]

I watched Episode III again the other day, and was just as impressed as I was in '05. Easily the best installment since The Empire Strikes Back.

My question: Even though the geek community hates Lucas and the prequels, is it kosher to dig this one?

[Xipe Totec]

1. Is it okay for nerds to like any revenge...

After all, what else do they have?

[arcane1]

2. I believe the rule is you can like the latter two thirds of it, as long as you hate eps 1 and 2

That's my rule, anyway

[jp11]

3. Good rule.

[quakerboy]

4. I think you are making a basic mistake

It is my belief that nerds/geeks/etc like what they like, and may not have the social sense to care what others might think of it, nor to really judge whether it is popular.

It would be the average everyone else who cares if others like a thing in determining whether its ok to like that thing, or the hipsters who only want to admit liking what no one else likes or has never heard of.

[MrSlayer]

5. You can like whatever you want.

But those movies are utter drivel. No characters, nonsensical plot, poor direction and way too much going on visually. Terrible, terrible movies.

But if you like it, like it. I like a lot of things others hate.

[Dash87]

6. Not at all. That movie was so bad.

(Kidding)

But yeah, that movie was extremely bad imo, and easily the worst Star Wars. Starting with Jar Jar Binks, the movie just implodes on itself.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

7. Nerds spent 50 years being teased, shunned and beaten up by "normal" kids for the things they liked

Now their day has finally come; nerds score with hot chicks on Big Bang Theory and Bill Gates is a zillionaire, while the jocks who tormented them bag groceries and live in trailers. Nerds have earned the right to like what they want and not be judged by other nerds.

Even if it is a giant steaming pile of shit.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

8. Best movie since Empire is pretty faint praise...

considering the other choices: Return of The Jedi, Phantom Menace and Attack of The Clones.

What always bothered me about it is that Anakin turned from decent Jedi to murderous monster is the blink of an eye, and for more than dubious motivation (a very faint hope of saving Padme). Seemed like Lucas was so enamored with the Anakin character that he didn't want to turn him evil until he absolutely had to, and by then he had no idea how to do it.

Personally I think Lucas should have focused on Obi-Wan as the main hero in the movies, who is trying to keep a power hungry Anakin on the right path (with limited success) until the latter completely melts down and becomes Darth Vader.

[NewJeffCT]

11. That was my main problem with Revenge of the Sith

he's saving the Republic from General Grievous and Count Dooku one minute, then he's killing younglings the next.

(some of the dialogue was wretched, too, but I can live with that - "I hate you!!!" or "you're going down a path I cannot follow&quot

There were some very good moments in the film, though. I though the betrayal of the Jedi was done well with the short scenes with several different Jedi being turned on by the stormtroopers. I also thought the duel between Obi-Wan and General Grievous was good as well. And, the final showdown between Anakin & Obi-Wan on the lava planet was good, too, until the end with Anakin shrieking, "I hate you!!" at his former mentor.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

13. The prequel trilogy was ill conceived from the beginning

Anakin should have been a much darker character beginning when he was introduced (he should have been found already a teenager and not as a child), and his fall slower to be more believable.

There were a few good bits. The betrayal of the Jedi (Aayla Secura getting shot in the back without ever getting even one single line of dialogue! ) and for some reason I really liked the line "So this is how democracy ends, with thunderous applause."

The lightsaber duel at the end to me seemed horribly overdone to me, I much prefer a more low-key battle like the one in Empire. But then I never much cared for lightsaber duels, I always loved the X-Wing battles, that's why A New Hope remains my favorite movie of the bunch.

One thing that also somewhat spoiled the prequels for me (wonder if it was like that for anybody else) was that I remember from my childhood, that I had picked up somewhere (I don't know if from the toy line or the comics or somewhere else) that the Emperor's name was Palpatine. So as soon as Palpatine shows up in Phantom Menace (when he is still in full statesman mode) I thought "Oh, that guy's the Emperor." I immediately knew that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, so there was no real surprise when he was revealed, and I doubt I was the only one.

[Iggo]

14. Re: Palpatine.

That was supposed to be a surprise?

EDIT: A surprise to the viewers, I mean. Of course it was supposed to be a surprise to the bonehead nimrod idiot protags. They're dumb, is what I'm saying.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

17. Not really.

Since it was the same actor and the same name, it was easy to put two and two together. I just remember realizing Palpatine was the emperor while watching Phantom Menace and thinking "I wonder if Lucas thought he was gonna pull of a shocking reveal (to the audience) later."

[NewJeffCT]

15. It did seem a bit odd

In Phantom Menace, Anakin was 8 years old and Padme was a teenager. Then, when Attack of the Clones came out, Padme and Anakin were both about the same age. (I'm sure some Star Wars geek can tell me that women of Naboo age more slowly than men from Tattooine or something like that, which is why Anakin seemingly caught up in age)

Agreed that Anakin should have been older to start.

The lightsaber duels in the prequel trilogy were better than the ones in the original trilogy from a technical standpoint, but I think that is because action & effects both improved in the interim between the trilogies. (the highlight of Phantom Menace was Obi Wan & Qui Gonn vs Darth Maul with Duel of the Fates playing in the background)

[cemaphonic]

16. Even the lightsaber duels are only better from a technical standpoint.

They're so totally lacking in any kind of emotional context (except maybe Kenobi vs Anakin, but by then, everyone was just waiting for the end) that they weren't really that exciting. Neat stuntwork and effects though, especially the Phantom Menace one.

Luke vs Vader in Empire is still hands-down the best lightsaber duel in the series. By a long shot.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

18. They lightsaber fights are technically very pretty

Superbly choreographed and executed. But to me they look like ballet, not like fighting. Kinda like Jackie Chan kung fu fights, but Jackie plays them for laughs, while here they are supposed to be dramatic. They are really fun to watch though.

The original fights seemed more visceral, grueling, physical and exhausting, so they had more of an impact on me.

I totally agree with your point on Anakin's aging. I think making him a child in Phantom Menace was a huge mistake, because none of the characterization (not that there was any) from that movie carried over. If he were a teenager you could have already established his character and wouldn't have had to do it in the second movie.

I'll paste something that I wrote last year in another thread about how I thought the movies should have evolved:

Imagine this: instead of running into a child on Tatooine, they run into a teenage Anakin, who is aware that he has some strange powers and uses them to scam people and to eke out a living. Obi-Wan recognizes that Anakin is extremely gifted and takes him under his wing to try to bring him to the good side.

In episode two Anakin tries his best to be a good Jedi, but occasionally lapses when he abuses his powers to cut corners and influence people to his advantage (Added: his lapses become more serious throughout the movie). At the end of the movie he turns to the dark side under the influence of Palpatine.

Episode III chronicles Darth Vader's ascent to power in full on bastard mode, while Obi-Wan tries to thwart him. All the way to the big showdown between the two at the end.

Of course they wouldn't have had the dreamy shmoopy Anakin that Lucas seems so attached to, but maybe it would have been a more believable arc for the future Darth Vader.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. What is everyone's opinion of the Clone Wars?

I wasn't even aware they existed until I read an article about a character in Being Human that was cast in it.

Sam Witwer. He has definitely worked his way up the ladder:

Walking Dead episode: He was the Zombie soldier inside tank.

Star Trek: He was Sloth #3.

Love that last one. Sloth #3.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I thought the cartoon series was pretty good

however, I've lost track of it this past year or so, so don't know how it's been since.

[CBGLuthier]

12. I think the whole damned series is great to look at and shallow as can be

when it comes to character and story development. The fact that it has become the gold standard for SF film making is just plain sad.

The only saving grace in the entire thing is some of the excellent dialog in Empire Strikes Back. I have seen none of the originals for over 20 years and none of the second set since they were made.

'Nerds" to use your term need to grow as people just like everyone else.

Oh and Star Trek ain't all that hot shit either but at least it was fun. TOS anyway.