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dolariI have developed a growl. Really. Whenever you see me write "grumble" it's usually this Marge Simpson-like noise of unhappiness. Today that turned into a growl. A pure unadulterated growl of unhappiness to whoever or whatever is making me mad.
I growled a bit today. Mainly because I managed to get an old motherboard I had to work. I plugged it all in and it ran just fine...for about ten minutes. This was the same motherboard that toasted my hard drives a while ago (almost a year now). I plugged everything in and it worked just fine...till I started getting hard drive errors. And Track 0 Bad errors. Then...it froze. And no amount of work could get it working again. The CPU chip was blinding hot, so I took it, and put it in the freezer to cool down. Once cool, I plugged it back in and the computer simply would not start.
I pulled another processor off another board and plugged it in. That chip was NOT built for this motherboard under any circumstances. It's a K6-2-466 processor in a machine that's built for K6-1-233. And even then it was jury rigged to accept that. But it worked. It worked fine (other than being found as a 233 Mhz chip). I ran it for a good ten minutes...it got hot, yes, but it's not smoking. And all those hard drive problems? Gone. No Track 0 bad errors, no Not REady errors. I think that chip was on it's last legs.
So now I have a nominally faster machine (not much, but it's nice).
Yesterday I drew the next episode of Closetspace, but now I'm stumped. There's a picture we'll see in the photo album...a specific pose for a specific character. I drew that pose SPECIFICALLY for that character back in 1994. It's gone. Nowhere to be found. It's not in my art thingy, or in my fire hazard...wish I knew what happened to it. Closetspace really doesn't want to be drawn...damned story.
Anyways....
THE GOOD
While the first parts of the movie are talky, my script show that many scenes at the beginning, including a senate scene basically re-explaining the opening Padme Assassination attempt that had just occurred was cut out. It shows that this movie was cut MUCH tighter than Phantom Menace.
I really never had much of a problem with Jar Jar...he served a role in Phantom Menace...but he was artificially inserted in every scene possible. Getting farted on by an Eeopie, stepping in Poodoo. These were scenes that simply said "LOOK! HERE'S MORE JAR JAR! DON'T FORGET JAR JAR!" Despite the fact that Jar Jar is still talking all funky, though, he's put to good use here by, again, playing a specific part...but not being artificially inserted in scenes he didn't need to be in. Thankfully, the diplomatic quarters don't allow Banthas or Eeopies in the apartments, or I'm sure we'd have a poodoo scene in here somewhere.
Coruscant is no longer the gleaming capital it once was. You can tell things are getting stranger, now that there is neon everywhere, and advertisements. Something that didn't seem to exist in Phantom Menace. I like the Coruscant is getting grittier. An entire foundry complex exists now, spewing flames and smoke into the air, much like Mortal Kombat Mythologies "Netherealm." The planet is corrupting along with the Republic. I love, also, how much it's beginning to look like Ralph McQuarrie's view of Coruscant from Return of the Jedi (Coruscant (AKA Had Abbadon) was going to be the planet Endor revolved around.
The chase immediately after the Senators second assassination attempt is pure fun. Jackie Chan would have fun with a LOT of the stunts here. It also gives you a great ride through the seedier parts of Coruscant. I can do without the cuts to complaining drivers....but it doesn't detract all that much....plus it's nice to see the relationship between Obi Wan and Annikin. He's very very cocky, and Obi Wan doesn't like it much...but puts up with it.
The Death Sticks scene is priceless.
JAR JAR
Yousa betchen mesa bottums. Thank goodness that was cut out.
I dig the way Annikin plays with the force. He floats fruits, feed Padme pieces with the force. He's arrogant, but he has a reason to be....
Dex's Diner ROCKS. There's a place in State College, PA, called Baby's. It's a 1950s gimmick diner, and I swear that diner IS Dex's. Right down to the bar and plastic red vinyl seats. Even the waitressing robots are what you'd expect from Baby's. Dex himself is a bit of fun, too. You get to see Obi Wan hugging a CGI character and it looks great. And Dex is a card.
Obi-Wan's Detective Subplot is very strong, and believable, which is great, considering with the strange aliens and funky architecture, it could have really gone badly. Thankfully, we don't have a film noir type narration...but frankly...if it was in there, I think it'd be kinda neat. Not Star Wars, but kinda neat.
Once we get to Naboo, the romantic subplot finally smooths out. The story definitely gets less clunky, and very well done, in a Titanic kinda way. And I dig the Vader hints we get during the waterfall scenes...they're playful...but they're there.
There's a scene in the scripts where Padme visits her family on Naboo that was cut. It was a good scene, and explained how she became a queen so early...but didn't advance the plot very much. I look forward to it on the DVD.
I really enjoy the relationship between Jango and Boba Fett. They're a loving father and son team who just happen to go bounty hunting together. Jango also betrays the cowboy he's based on later in the movie. You'll know it when you see it.
It's almost frightening to be told that the Jedi's can no longer see into the future thanks to being so close to the Dark Side, and that they are seriously struggling with the problems this is causing.
Poor Watto, he's not looking so hot anymore. He's animated wonderfully, but the poor guy has fallen on hard times. I like his "Crazy Uncle" routine as well...and Annikin being hard on him made Annikin look even more arrogant. It works well for both characters.
The Asteroid Chase Scene kicks Empire's butt three ways to Sunday.
Beru is cute. :) Must be the Chun Li hair-do. It's also really weird to see the EXACT sets used in Star Wars here in AOTC. Including most of the same sound effects. As a matter of fact, many of the sound effects are much closer to Luke-Era movies, as well.
In the script, are shots of Padme giving C3PO his coverings in the Lars garage (where 3PO takes his oil bath in Star Wars). Originally, he was still unfinished. That scene has been cut, and C3PO is finished. Like the Padme Family side plot, it was nice, but didn't further the plot at all.
Shmi. Shmi Shmi Shmi. Pernella August in Phantom Menace was great. Despite the woodiness around her, she was one of the few people who came across as "Annikin's Mom" instead of "Natalie Portman reciting lines" or "CGI poodoo stepper." She doesn't have many lines here, and they're all in one scene...but again, she really does Shmi well in these scenes. Even given her...state of mind. The music for the fight afterwards is PERFECT, and definitely evokes the image of Vader. However...well...read down about this part in the THE BAD section. The music, however for the rest of the scenes REALLY lays the Vader themes on thick...and it's completely appropriate.
Christopher Lee is no Saruman The White, here, but his presence cannot be denied. :)
From the time Annikin lands on Geonosis to the final arena scene, the script is radically different. In the script, C3PO stays onboard with Artoo. The entire Rube Goldberg/ Warner Brothers Machinery Scene is not in the script, and Amidala meets directly with Dooku. However, the movie is far more interesting than the script here...with one MAJOR exception...listed in THE UGLY section.
Seeing about a hundred Jedi on screen at once, with Battle Droids and Jango Fett is cool. And it has much more depth than the Phantom Menace's final battle, which was so low and wide. This actually has scope and scale...not just grass and skies.
The round ships taking off and then blowing up over the horizon reminded me of Skaroth's ship from Doctor Who, both in direction and the type of ship. Wonder if George like Dr. Who?
Ah, the Death Star makes it's first appearance. Most cool...nice to start seeing Star Wars stuff showing up here. I've already scene two Falcons make cameos....
When Dooku defeats Annikin AND Obi-Wan, I like the expression of disappointment in his face...like he expected so much more. Then "The Yoda Scene" begins. Be warned, the Yoda fight is Impressive, but Maul's fight still has Yoda beat. It's lovely seeing him in action, though. I like the idea that the whole limping-cane-I'm-old shtick is JUST that, shtick. I like how he gets his sabre, AND how he gets his cane after the fight.
The Jedi Council chamber...so lonely....
The final scenes, with the Clone Armies getting in proto-Star Destroyers, with the Empire music playing in full force for the first time, and the wedding scenes with the music playing almost DESPERATELY and then ACCUSINGLY make for a wonderful cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next one.
THE BAD
The early draft has Jar Jar speaking a "diplomatic" language, farther away from the weird-speak he had in Phantom Menace. Sadly, in the movie, the weird-speak is back.
In the beginning, we're treated to a scene where Annikin is nervous about seeing Padme again...but once he sees her, he suddenly goes a bit over the top and flies in from left field with a bad come-on line. He's like a sly boy trying to impress Padme by saying "Are you with UPS? 'Cause I see you staring' at my package!" It seems so artificial...like those two Wild and Crazy Guys from Saturday Night Live. Thankfully, he becomes MUCH more believable later in the romance plot.
The early script has Annikin saying to Obi-Wan "Yes, my master." After Obi-Wan goes to check security. Bad move. I'd like to see more Vader mannerisms showing up here...but a few have been cut out.
The scene with Padme and Annikin packing up to leave for Naboo again suffers from the Left Field school of acting. Annikin goes from very self-assured, to crybaby, to stalker in less than a minute. It doesn't flow smoothly...there is no slipping from one to the other...it's just like someone pressed different emotion buttons in his head.
Jango bumps his head on the Slave I's door as he walks in. And after he was in SUCH a good fight with Obi-Wan.
R4 sounds like a ferret running around in fast forward. :)
The Owen/Beru scenes seem to be very much "Look, here's Beru and Owen!" They don't have much to do as Dad talks about Shmi.
The Shmi scenes, and the Annikin fight, while well done, are not NEARLY as powerful as the early script draft. In the early scripts, The Shmi scene goes the same as in the movie...then cuts away. When we return, it's daylight:
IT then immediately cuts away. I find that to be MUCH more powerful than what we see on screen. ESPECIALLY the iris close we get of Annikin.
Not a problem with the movie - but there WAS a big chunk missing from my version of the script. :)
In the early draft, Jar Jar actually gives a pretty eloquent speech (Although he STILL says "Dellow Felegates."). Any dignity he had was stripped away in his weird-speak version of the extremely cut cut cut cut speech.
Nute Gunray suffers from a problem in my earlier review - that he's inconsistent with Phantom Menace. He looks TOO Good, even though he was a rubber suit in AOTC. He's not really been redesigned - but more like "redefined." Like how the Star Wars Special Edition Jabba looked SO much different than the ROTJ version and the PM version.
Sam Jackson kicks ass, but he doesn't look like the bad ass he was in Pulp Fiction. He's VERY restrained and...almost uninteresting. Many of the others, though especially Annikin and Obi Wan look great fighting. Sam just looks tired.
I was scratching my head wrapping around this logic. We have a Clone mystery. Who ordered them? Who were they for? Even Yoda didn't know...and yet once Palpatine gets his war powers, Yoda comes in with the Clone Army. I mean, do you just...TRUST what your mystery was all about because you're getting decimated? Maybe so, I guess...take what you can get....
Dooku is no Darth Maul when it comes to sword fighting. But then the Maul fight would be very very very hard to top.
THE UGLY
This is just a personal one for me - There's a scene where a future Clone Trooper finishes his drink and picks up his utensils, and looks around. I dunno how many people get this way,but eating scenes just freak me out. No rhyme or reason, but I look at scenes where characters eat and I just get this nasty ugly feeling from it. I almost stopped watching Babylon 5 because, even though it's the best TV show out there, every other episode had characters eating. ::shivers:: But that's just me - your mileage may vary. :)
The sound of Boba's Seismic Charges is terrible...like someone plucked the lowest note on a piano with a sledgehammer. It doesn't...fit.
The Banking Clan guy is unconvincing, even for Lucas CGI. The Techno Union Representative is kinda cool, though. :) Like Conan O'Briens "Robot on the Toilet" cool.
C3PO. Oh, man. Man oh man oh man. C3PO's scenes on Geonosis are just BAD. BAD BAD BAD. They're terrible. From getting a Battledroids head on his body, to his head on a battledroid body, with crap dialogue, silliness and well...uhg. It's just bad bad bad. The early draft had it right - leave them on the ship. C3PO gets the Golden Jar Jar award in this movie. As far as I'm concerned, he is the worse thing in this movie. Not because of the acting...he's just given CRAP to do.
"Begun, the Clone Wars has!" A silly line...almost like "Geeze, I hate all these Star Wars" If you can name that reference, I'll give you a cookie.
I growled a bit today. Mainly because I managed to get an old motherboard I had to work. I plugged it all in and it ran just fine...for about ten minutes. This was the same motherboard that toasted my hard drives a while ago (almost a year now). I plugged everything in and it worked just fine...till I started getting hard drive errors. And Track 0 Bad errors. Then...it froze. And no amount of work could get it working again. The CPU chip was blinding hot, so I took it, and put it in the freezer to cool down. Once cool, I plugged it back in and the computer simply would not start.
I pulled another processor off another board and plugged it in. That chip was NOT built for this motherboard under any circumstances. It's a K6-2-466 processor in a machine that's built for K6-1-233. And even then it was jury rigged to accept that. But it worked. It worked fine (other than being found as a 233 Mhz chip). I ran it for a good ten minutes...it got hot, yes, but it's not smoking. And all those hard drive problems? Gone. No Track 0 bad errors, no Not REady errors. I think that chip was on it's last legs.
So now I have a nominally faster machine (not much, but it's nice).
Yesterday I drew the next episode of Closetspace, but now I'm stumped. There's a picture we'll see in the photo album...a specific pose for a specific character. I drew that pose SPECIFICALLY for that character back in 1994. It's gone. Nowhere to be found. It's not in my art thingy, or in my fire hazard...wish I knew what happened to it. Closetspace really doesn't want to be drawn...damned story.
Anyways....
THE GOOD
While the first parts of the movie are talky, my script show that many scenes at the beginning, including a senate scene basically re-explaining the opening Padme Assassination attempt that had just occurred was cut out. It shows that this movie was cut MUCH tighter than Phantom Menace.
I really never had much of a problem with Jar Jar...he served a role in Phantom Menace...but he was artificially inserted in every scene possible. Getting farted on by an Eeopie, stepping in Poodoo. These were scenes that simply said "LOOK! HERE'S MORE JAR JAR! DON'T FORGET JAR JAR!" Despite the fact that Jar Jar is still talking all funky, though, he's put to good use here by, again, playing a specific part...but not being artificially inserted in scenes he didn't need to be in. Thankfully, the diplomatic quarters don't allow Banthas or Eeopies in the apartments, or I'm sure we'd have a poodoo scene in here somewhere.
Coruscant is no longer the gleaming capital it once was. You can tell things are getting stranger, now that there is neon everywhere, and advertisements. Something that didn't seem to exist in Phantom Menace. I like the Coruscant is getting grittier. An entire foundry complex exists now, spewing flames and smoke into the air, much like Mortal Kombat Mythologies "Netherealm." The planet is corrupting along with the Republic. I love, also, how much it's beginning to look like Ralph McQuarrie's view of Coruscant from Return of the Jedi (Coruscant (AKA Had Abbadon) was going to be the planet Endor revolved around.
The chase immediately after the Senators second assassination attempt is pure fun. Jackie Chan would have fun with a LOT of the stunts here. It also gives you a great ride through the seedier parts of Coruscant. I can do without the cuts to complaining drivers....but it doesn't detract all that much....plus it's nice to see the relationship between Obi Wan and Annikin. He's very very cocky, and Obi Wan doesn't like it much...but puts up with it.
The Death Sticks scene is priceless.
Yousa betchen mesa bottums.
I dig the way Annikin plays with the force. He floats fruits, feed Padme pieces with the force. He's arrogant, but he has a reason to be....
Dex's Diner ROCKS. There's a place in State College, PA, called Baby's. It's a 1950s gimmick diner, and I swear that diner IS Dex's. Right down to the bar and plastic red vinyl seats. Even the waitressing robots are what you'd expect from Baby's. Dex himself is a bit of fun, too. You get to see Obi Wan hugging a CGI character and it looks great. And Dex is a card.
Obi-Wan's Detective Subplot is very strong, and believable, which is great, considering with the strange aliens and funky architecture, it could have really gone badly. Thankfully, we don't have a film noir type narration...but frankly...if it was in there, I think it'd be kinda neat. Not Star Wars, but kinda neat.
Once we get to Naboo, the romantic subplot finally smooths out. The story definitely gets less clunky, and very well done, in a Titanic kinda way. And I dig the Vader hints we get during the waterfall scenes...they're playful...but they're there.
There's a scene in the scripts where Padme visits her family on Naboo that was cut. It was a good scene, and explained how she became a queen so early...but didn't advance the plot very much. I look forward to it on the DVD.
I really enjoy the relationship between Jango and Boba Fett. They're a loving father and son team who just happen to go bounty hunting together. Jango also betrays the cowboy he's based on later in the movie. You'll know it when you see it.
It's almost frightening to be told that the Jedi's can no longer see into the future thanks to being so close to the Dark Side, and that they are seriously struggling with the problems this is causing.
Poor Watto, he's not looking so hot anymore. He's animated wonderfully, but the poor guy has fallen on hard times. I like his "Crazy Uncle" routine as well...and Annikin being hard on him made Annikin look even more arrogant. It works well for both characters.
The Asteroid Chase Scene kicks Empire's butt three ways to Sunday.
Beru is cute. :) Must be the Chun Li hair-do. It's also really weird to see the EXACT sets used in Star Wars here in AOTC. Including most of the same sound effects. As a matter of fact, many of the sound effects are much closer to Luke-Era movies, as well.
In the script, are shots of Padme giving C3PO his coverings in the Lars garage (where 3PO takes his oil bath in Star Wars). Originally, he was still unfinished. That scene has been cut, and C3PO is finished. Like the Padme Family side plot, it was nice, but didn't further the plot at all.
Shmi. Shmi Shmi Shmi. Pernella August in Phantom Menace was great. Despite the woodiness around her, she was one of the few people who came across as "Annikin's Mom" instead of "Natalie Portman reciting lines" or "CGI poodoo stepper." She doesn't have many lines here, and they're all in one scene...but again, she really does Shmi well in these scenes. Even given her...state of mind. The music for the fight afterwards is PERFECT, and definitely evokes the image of Vader. However...well...read down about this part in the THE BAD section. The music, however for the rest of the scenes REALLY lays the Vader themes on thick...and it's completely appropriate.
Christopher Lee is no Saruman The White, here, but his presence cannot be denied. :)
From the time Annikin lands on Geonosis to the final arena scene, the script is radically different. In the script, C3PO stays onboard with Artoo. The entire Rube Goldberg/ Warner Brothers Machinery Scene is not in the script, and Amidala meets directly with Dooku. However, the movie is far more interesting than the script here...with one MAJOR exception...listed in THE UGLY section.
Seeing about a hundred Jedi on screen at once, with Battle Droids and Jango Fett is cool. And it has much more depth than the Phantom Menace's final battle, which was so low and wide. This actually has scope and scale...not just grass and skies.
The round ships taking off and then blowing up over the horizon reminded me of Skaroth's ship from Doctor Who, both in direction and the type of ship. Wonder if George like Dr. Who?
Ah, the Death Star makes it's first appearance. Most cool...nice to start seeing Star Wars stuff showing up here. I've already scene two Falcons make cameos....
When Dooku defeats Annikin AND Obi-Wan, I like the expression of disappointment in his face...like he expected so much more. Then "The Yoda Scene" begins. Be warned, the Yoda fight is Impressive, but Maul's fight still has Yoda beat. It's lovely seeing him in action, though. I like the idea that the whole limping-cane-I'm-old shtick is JUST that, shtick. I like how he gets his sabre, AND how he gets his cane after the fight.
The Jedi Council chamber...so lonely....
The final scenes, with the Clone Armies getting in proto-Star Destroyers, with the Empire music playing in full force for the first time, and the wedding scenes with the music playing almost DESPERATELY and then ACCUSINGLY make for a wonderful cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next one.
THE BAD
The early draft has Jar Jar speaking a "diplomatic" language, farther away from the weird-speak he had in Phantom Menace. Sadly, in the movie, the weird-speak is back.
In the beginning, we're treated to a scene where Annikin is nervous about seeing Padme again...but once he sees her, he suddenly goes a bit over the top and flies in from left field with a bad come-on line. He's like a sly boy trying to impress Padme by saying "Are you with UPS? 'Cause I see you staring' at my package!" It seems so artificial...like those two Wild and Crazy Guys from Saturday Night Live. Thankfully, he becomes MUCH more believable later in the romance plot.
The early script has Annikin saying to Obi-Wan "Yes, my master." After Obi-Wan goes to check security. Bad move. I'd like to see more Vader mannerisms showing up here...but a few have been cut out.
The scene with Padme and Annikin packing up to leave for Naboo again suffers from the Left Field school of acting. Annikin goes from very self-assured, to crybaby, to stalker in less than a minute. It doesn't flow smoothly...there is no slipping from one to the other...it's just like someone pressed different emotion buttons in his head.
Jango bumps his head on the Slave I's door as he walks in. And after he was in SUCH a good fight with Obi-Wan.
R4 sounds like a ferret running around in fast forward. :)
The Owen/Beru scenes seem to be very much "Look, here's Beru and Owen!" They don't have much to do as Dad talks about Shmi.
The Shmi scenes, and the Annikin fight, while well done, are not NEARLY as powerful as the early script draft. In the early scripts, The Shmi scene goes the same as in the movie...then cuts away. When we return, it's daylight:
EXT. TATOOINE, TUSKEN RAIDER CAMP, OASIS - DAWN
The pale light grows. Thin tendrils of smoke rise slowly in the cold, clear air. Somewhere an dog BARKS. An OLD WOMAN comes out of one of the huts. She carries a pail. She swirls it and tosses the dirty water onto the ground.
As she goes back inside the hut, a TUSKEN CHILD runs past, dragging a stick in the sand. The CHILD runs through the line of huts, turns a corner, and stops suddenly, staring at the bodies of the TWO TUSKEN GUARDS. Between them, ANAKIN stands outside the hut door. His face is a grim mask. The CHILD stares, then there is a FLASH OF LIGHT as Anakin’s lightsaber switches on.
IT then immediately cuts away. I find that to be MUCH more powerful than what we see on screen. ESPECIALLY the iris close we get of Annikin.
Not a problem with the movie - but there WAS a big chunk missing from my version of the script. :)
In the early draft, Jar Jar actually gives a pretty eloquent speech (Although he STILL says "Dellow Felegates."). Any dignity he had was stripped away in his weird-speak version of the extremely cut cut cut cut speech.
Nute Gunray suffers from a problem in my earlier review - that he's inconsistent with Phantom Menace. He looks TOO Good, even though he was a rubber suit in AOTC. He's not really been redesigned - but more like "redefined." Like how the Star Wars Special Edition Jabba looked SO much different than the ROTJ version and the PM version.
Sam Jackson kicks ass, but he doesn't look like the bad ass he was in Pulp Fiction. He's VERY restrained and...almost uninteresting. Many of the others, though especially Annikin and Obi Wan look great fighting. Sam just looks tired.
I was scratching my head wrapping around this logic. We have a Clone mystery. Who ordered them? Who were they for? Even Yoda didn't know...and yet once Palpatine gets his war powers, Yoda comes in with the Clone Army. I mean, do you just...TRUST what your mystery was all about because you're getting decimated? Maybe so, I guess...take what you can get....
Dooku is no Darth Maul when it comes to sword fighting. But then the Maul fight would be very very very hard to top.
THE UGLY
This is just a personal one for me - There's a scene where a future Clone Trooper finishes his drink and picks up his utensils, and looks around. I dunno how many people get this way,but eating scenes just freak me out. No rhyme or reason, but I look at scenes where characters eat and I just get this nasty ugly feeling from it. I almost stopped watching Babylon 5 because, even though it's the best TV show out there, every other episode had characters eating. ::shivers:: But that's just me - your mileage may vary. :)
The sound of Boba's Seismic Charges is terrible...like someone plucked the lowest note on a piano with a sledgehammer. It doesn't...fit.
The Banking Clan guy is unconvincing, even for Lucas CGI. The Techno Union Representative is kinda cool, though. :) Like Conan O'Briens "Robot on the Toilet" cool.
C3PO. Oh, man. Man oh man oh man. C3PO's scenes on Geonosis are just BAD. BAD BAD BAD. They're terrible. From getting a Battledroids head on his body, to his head on a battledroid body, with crap dialogue, silliness and well...uhg. It's just bad bad bad. The early draft had it right - leave them on the ship. C3PO gets the Golden Jar Jar award in this movie. As far as I'm concerned, he is the worse thing in this movie. Not because of the acting...he's just given CRAP to do.
"Begun, the Clone Wars has!" A silly line...almost like "Geeze, I hate all these Star Wars" If you can name that reference, I'll give you a cookie.
