Having realised that this would be the only Star Wars film I hadn't seen on the big screen, I casually decided to get some showing times from my regular cinema only to discover that it had been pulled due to lack of interest; I eventually managed to find a showing - the last showing in the West Midlands - and, having not been exposed to the critical lambasting this film received, went in as a Tabula Rasa, not really expecting anything one way or the other.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this film is, in fact, excellent: far pacier, punchier and edgier than the entire prequel trilogy combined, it surprised me further by being solidly scripted, with moments of true brilliance - the relationship between Anakin and accidental Padawan Ahsoka is refreshingly written (a woman in Star Wars who isn't a two-dimensionally written walking stereotype 'damsel in distress' with appalling dialogue; I haven't seen that since 1987!)and reminiscent of the 'buddy comedy' elements of the original (Episodes IV-VI) trilogy that existed between Luke, Han, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian; the action sequences (which constitute the majority of the film) are breathtaking, breakneck and frequently pay their dues to classic war films. The opening Clone Trooper assault pays homage to Saving Private Ryan's introductory onslaught, while a later gunship assault tributes Predator by way of Full Metal Jacket ("Welcome to paradise, rock-jumpers!!"). The film is permeated by many sequences and references that will go whistling over the heads of its supposedly younger audience; it also has something that has also been missing from Star Wars for some time: a genuine sense of humour - witness the repartee between the Battle Droids throughout the film as a solid example of this.
The animation isn't as bad as many have claimed: it's stripped back, beautifully stylised and won't date as badly as the likes of Beowulf by virtue of that fact; unfortunately, this film has been pulled from most theatres, so it's too late to come out in solidarity at the eleventh hour, but the DVD is due for release on the 8th of December. Finally, although this film only took around $100 million dollars worldwide, it cost a paltry $8.5 million to make. Once more, Lucas is laughing all the way to the bank.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this film is, in fact, excellent: far pacier, punchier and edgier than the entire prequel trilogy combined, it surprised me further by being solidly scripted, with moments of true brilliance - the relationship between Anakin and accidental Padawan Ahsoka is refreshingly written (a woman in Star Wars who isn't a two-dimensionally written walking stereotype 'damsel in distress' with appalling dialogue; I haven't seen that since 1987!)and reminiscent of the 'buddy comedy' elements of the original (Episodes IV-VI) trilogy that existed between Luke, Han, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian; the action sequences (which constitute the majority of the film) are breathtaking, breakneck and frequently pay their dues to classic war films. The opening Clone Trooper assault pays homage to Saving Private Ryan's introductory onslaught, while a later gunship assault tributes Predator by way of Full Metal Jacket ("Welcome to paradise, rock-jumpers!!"). The film is permeated by many sequences and references that will go whistling over the heads of its supposedly younger audience; it also has something that has also been missing from Star Wars for some time: a genuine sense of humour - witness the repartee between the Battle Droids throughout the film as a solid example of this.
The animation isn't as bad as many have claimed: it's stripped back, beautifully stylised and won't date as badly as the likes of Beowulf by virtue of that fact; unfortunately, this film has been pulled from most theatres, so it's too late to come out in solidarity at the eleventh hour, but the DVD is due for release on the 8th of December. Finally, although this film only took around $100 million dollars worldwide, it cost a paltry $8.5 million to make. Once more, Lucas is laughing all the way to the bank.