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This movie is almost worth watching, but can be downright boring. There is nothing memorable like a Pod race scene or anything that you'll want to see again. It doesn't cut between 3 or 4 different stories like Jedi and Phantom Menace did... only 2 that end up as one, which is the way it should be done. C-3PO's antics will make you groan because it is just stupid as all hell when his head gets knocked off and a machine puts his head on an evil droid that attacks Jedis. You hear C-3PO scream out "Die Jedi Scum!" while he is shooting and then he says "Oh deary oh my what oh what did I just say? Heavens to betsie" (or something very very close to that). It's baaaad. I also noticed much of the dialog was stolen word for word from the other movies in the trilogy. Such as the scene were the evil Jedi has Obi-Wan captured and he says something like "Join me, and together with our combined power we can destroy the sith and bring order to the universe". Obi Wan replies "I'll never join you!". Watching Yoda in his lightsaber battle is cool, but I couldn't help but laugh as he was jumping around. He seemed very agile. I'd like an explanation of why he needs a cane to walk when he can jump around like a bastard!

The artist's name is Drew Struzan.

Drew Struzan is my all time favorite poster artist. He has done scores of posters during the 80's and early 90's, and is the artist that George Lucas comissioned to do all the Star Wars (and the latter two Indiana Jones) movies, and several Star Trek items as well.

Drew also did the second 'Harry Potter' one-sheet.

...and I agree 100% that it is so refreshing to see movie posters with HAND DRAWN ART on them as opposed to a giant photograph or digital image.

-Aaron

I feel like a total idiot now

thanks for the link!!

-Aaron

Having a formal BFA degree in illustration, the state of movie posters is a favorite rant and bitch complaint of mine these days. In the last 10 to 15 years, computers have done terrible harm to movie poster art. So much of it these days is just boring head photography shots of actors (and badly Photoshopped at that at times, just check out Kevin Spacy's neck on the art for "K-Pax" --just what in the hell is that!? They put the anti-turkey neck blur to full maximum).

It is a very very rare occurence to find great movie posters being done by great illustrators like Drew Struzan. I miss the days where you could find a great Amsel poster like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome". I miss seeing movie posters being done by guys like Bob Peak. His poster art of "Apocalpse Now" is 1000 times better than some boring Photoshopped collage of actors heads. What about Boris Vallejo? Sure, that guy paints lots of Conan murals in oil, but he also did the "National Lampoon's Vacation" poster and can create images more compelling than just straight photography.

There are some fellows these days doing really good work with computers. I forget the name of the guy who did the poster art for "Lord of the Rings" and "Pearl Harbor", but that guy knows his shit when it comes to manipulating photo imagery. Swedish designer Adreas Lindholm is one of my favorite graphic artists, and him and his "metalheart" crew can come up with some great type designs and graphical constructions. Their stuff on the "Resident Evil" campaign was really cool even though the movie itself sucked.

As with Episode 1, I enjoyed the story, but the movie was not very well done. One of my biggest complaints about Episdoe 1 was that kid couldn't act! But that's OK, because he's just a kid. Well I think that Hayden Christensen did just as bad a job playing the new Anakin. I thought he was absolutely phenominal in Life As a House and was thirlled to learn he would be the new Anakin. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? I think, though, that it wasn't so much his fault but just the way the role written.

And what's up with Yodda??? Why does he need a cain to walk, but can fight with a light saber better than anyone? I cracked up when I saw that scene. It was absolutely ridiculous! And speaking of light saber scenes, why do they always have to have one at the end like that? The idea is getting old. It was just like watching the Darth Maul scene at the end of Episode 1.

In many scenes, the computer effects were totally obvious! It's as if they didn't even attempt to make it look real. I can't stand that.

As for the movie itself: I enjoyed the engine sound efects, but wonder why the blasters still sound cheesy and lame. The city scapes were terriffic and reminded me of my favorite scenes from The 5th Element (a movie i've always wanted to see a spin-off made from set intirely in the city) and Blade Runner. ... C-3po, as much as i like his character, was annoying. I think hes the new "jar jar for episode 2".
One final question though: Why on earth is EP:2 rated PG and Spiderman PG-13? I can't figure that one out as I don't believe spidey had any beheadings (vs. SW's half dozen not including droids) amputations (vs. SW's 2 or 3) blatent simulated acts of animal cruelty, etc. $$$?

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I was so intent on finding flaws with the image quality that I had a tough time getting into the story until the show was about 2/3 over. I'm going to see it again and pay less attention to technical stuff and more to the story, and my opinion may change at that time.

But for now:

I am not a Star Wars fanatic, and I find some of the endless political dialog to be, well, boring. There must be a better way to tell that part of the story without putting some of us to sleep. I understand they're trying to flesh out those details and give it depth, but damn, I suspect some of it is flat out deadly dull to average viewers.

Likewise the "courting" scenes between Anakin and Amadala. ZZZzzz. Their relationship could maybe be established just as well with less time spent on long, fawning gazes between the two and Sound Of Music-type romps through wildflower-filled meadows.

The dialog is laughably bad sometimes, and there were a couple snickers from the audience (not just me either). But I guess if you view this as a highbrow version of the old Saturday matinee serials, the dialog can kind of work at that level.

The action sequences really do sizzle though. They look and sound great and the detail is amazing.

More action. Less standing around talking politics.

So, based on 1 viewing, I give it a "C" for average moviegoers. I think most people will sense that there's something "special" about this movie, but it won't all come together enough to raise it above the "It was just OK" level. It gets a "B" for Star Wars fanatics, who will like it no matter what and the movie is better than Ep1. And the action scenes get an "A" for everyone. I also give George Lucas and company an "A" for effort, especially for advancing the state of the art of how movies can look and sound, and for bringing "Presentation Quality" to the forefront of discussion, even if not everyone (including me) agrees with everything he says and does. At least we're talking about it.

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