TV/Movies Megathread

[Liep]

Starting watching Episode 1 because of Josephus. I will never forgive him. The fighting scenes, Jar Jar, the shield generator scene.

I am going to go drink heavily instead.

[Barrister]

One defence of AOTC though:

I thought the ending was pretty bad ass.  When the clones arrive to save the Jedis, an entire CGI army of crazy machines, then it ending with shots of proto-Star Destroyers and hundreds of troopers marching while the theme lightly echoes the Imperial March...

I agree also (as I've said before) the payoff in "When Clones Attack" where Count Dracula and a puppet fight for the fate of the universe with laser swords is fantastic.  The problem is the movie isn't about the puppet or about Dracula; it's some dull mystery and a painfully unbelievable love story.  Had he written a story which led to that conclusion it probably would have been great.  Instead the story is written because the broader plot requires it; Ani and Padme have to fall in love and the Clone War has to begin.  So the plot occurs because it has to; and that's an awful way to write a story.

Your post reminds me of the Star Wars Ring Theory:

http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

HArd to summarize, but it suggests that Episodes 1-3 were designed to purposely mirror and reflect the first trilogy.  It's a very interesting theory, and very well argued.

Trouble is that, if true, it's also a pretty lousy way to make a modern blockbuster.

[KRonn]

I've been watching The Blacklist this season, and really liking it. I had missed most of last season, felt I was tired of it, but I'm really liking it now.

One of my favorite shows, Grimm, started its next season a few weeks ago. On Friday nights.

[celedhring]

One defence of AOTC though:

I thought the ending was pretty bad ass.  When the clones arrive to save the Jedis, an entire CGI army of crazy machines, then it ending with shots of proto-Star Destroyers and hundreds of troopers marching while the theme lightly echoes the Imperial March...

I agree also (as I've said before) the payoff in "When Clones Attack" where Count Dracula and a puppet fight for the fate of the universe with laser swords is fantastic.  The problem is the movie isn't about the puppet or about Dracula; it's some dull mystery and a painfully unbelievable love story.  Had he written a story which led to that conclusion it probably would have been great.  Instead the story is written because the broader plot requires it; Ani and Padme have to fall in love and the Clone War has to begin.  So the plot occurs because it has to; and that's an awful way to write a story.

Your post reminds me of the Star Wars Ring Theory:

http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

HArd to summarize, but it suggests that Episodes 1-3 were designed to purposely mirror and reflect the first trilogy.  It's a very interesting theory, and very well argued.

Trouble is that, if true, it's also a pretty lousy way to make a modern blockbuster.

In a general sense, that is true and it's a feature of the story arc. The prequels tell the Fall of Darth Vader, and the original trilogy tells the Rise of Luke Skywalker. In that regard, they do mirror each other and certain aspects of each movie are reflected in their "equivalent". It's actually good storytelling if done well (problem is, it isn't).

However, these dudes take the theory too far imho.

[Barrister]

One defence of AOTC though:

I thought the ending was pretty bad ass.  When the clones arrive to save the Jedis, an entire CGI army of crazy machines, then it ending with shots of proto-Star Destroyers and hundreds of troopers marching while the theme lightly echoes the Imperial March...

I agree also (as I've said before) the payoff in "When Clones Attack" where Count Dracula and a puppet fight for the fate of the universe with laser swords is fantastic.  The problem is the movie isn't about the puppet or about Dracula; it's some dull mystery and a painfully unbelievable love story.  Had he written a story which led to that conclusion it probably would have been great.  Instead the story is written because the broader plot requires it; Ani and Padme have to fall in love and the Clone War has to begin.  So the plot occurs because it has to; and that's an awful way to write a story.

Your post reminds me of the Star Wars Ring Theory:

http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

HArd to summarize, but it suggests that Episodes 1-3 were designed to purposely mirror and reflect the first trilogy.  It's a very interesting theory, and very well argued.

Trouble is that, if true, it's also a pretty lousy way to make a modern blockbuster.

In a general sense, that is true and it's a feature of the story arc. The prequels tell the Fall of Darth Vader, and the original trilogy tells the Rise of Luke Skywalker. In that regard, they do mirror each other and certain aspects of each movie are reflected in their "equivalent". It's actually good storytelling if done well (problem is, it isn't).

However, these dudes take the theory too far imho.

Did the guys take it too far, or did Lucas take mirroring too far?

[Syt]

I didn't make it very far into the Clone Wars, the spunky gal sidekick was just too annoying.  You said it improves a lot after season 2; what changes?

Season 1 was mostly very kid friendly, and some of the stories weren't great. My favorite episodes are probably
- "Rookies" (which has a bunch of new clones in an "Assault on Precinct 13" type of situation in their listening post)
- "Innocents of Ryloth" (which was one of the early episodes trying to humanize the clones by making them individuals; and it's also very sweet).
- "Hostage Crisis" (for introducing Cad Bane)

Season 2 still has quite a few throwaway episodes, with quite a few of them remaking classic movies - "Legacy of Terror" is a take on old voodoo zombies, "The Zillo Beast" and "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" are Godzilla and King Kong, and the best of those episodes, "Bounty Hunters," is Seven Samurai. Episodes I'd recommend are
- "Senate Spy" (where Anakin nearly sabotages Padmé's mission because of jealousy)
- "Landing at Point Rain" & "Droid Factory" for some action, and a bit of  character development for Asoka in the second part
- "The Deserter" (the Grievous part of the plot sucks, but there's some good moral conflict between clone troopers and a deserter of theirs)
- the Mandalore episodes are decent, but you either love or hate what they've done with them (they're basically post-war Germany and all about peace now ... though there's opposition to that move)

Season 2 also has a messed up chronology. I think the movie and the first two seasons are out of chronological order. There's a timeline out there, somewhere. From Season 3 on it's chronological.

Season 3 has some decent action episodes, and some intrigue episodes and, yes, also some silliness. But it introduces the Nightsisters in a decent Dark Side only story arc, and a three episode arc about a hidden planet and an allegory about the balance of the force. It's interesting, but a bit weird and mystical.

Season 4 starts off weak (wasn't much into the Mon Cal arc about a prince getting back his throne, and it's followed by a Gungan episode). The next two episodes (Mercy Mission and Nomad Droids) focuses on R2 and 3PO, again adding levity, but also not great. I was about to give up, but the next four episodes about clones fighting on a crappy night jungle world under a pretty crappy commander drew me back in. The arc looks at loyalty, and how far you should follow a commander if he's sending you to your death, or thinks battles are won by throwing enough bodies at them. The actual enemy plays second fiddle, and it harks back to WW1 and Vietnam dramas. And the final episode of the season sees a character believed dead return.

Season 5 starts as an Old Republic tie in. There's guerrilla warfare on Onderon, and some younglings are out to gather crystals on Ilum (I usually despise kids on shows like this, but it was good). There's a hostile takeover on Mandalore that sees a few character of the series, uhm, removed. The D-Squad arc about a unit of astromechs out on a covert mission was cute, but not too great. The season ended on a high note (and rather dark) with an intrigue against Asoka.

Season 6 are the remainder episodes that were finished in the wake of the Disney takeover. More were scripted (and are partially part of continuity) but weren't produced. It starts with an arc about a clone who had his order 66 triggered accidentally, leading to rogue troopers trying to find out about it and Palpatine and the Kaminoans trying to cover it up. There's a crappy Jar-Jar double episode before Yoda ventures out, trying to find out why he hears Qui-Gon talking to him, a journey that also takes him to the ancient home world of the Sith, Korriban Moraband (no idea why they renamed it).

In short: there's still not so great episodes from Season 3 on, but overall the quality becomes better, and the characters are getting more fleshed out. And Asoka matures a fair bit over the run of the show.

[celedhring]

One defence of AOTC though:

I thought the ending was pretty bad ass.  When the clones arrive to save the Jedis, an entire CGI army of crazy machines, then it ending with shots of proto-Star Destroyers and hundreds of troopers marching while the theme lightly echoes the Imperial March...

I agree also (as I've said before) the payoff in "When Clones Attack" where Count Dracula and a puppet fight for the fate of the universe with laser swords is fantastic.  The problem is the movie isn't about the puppet or about Dracula; it's some dull mystery and a painfully unbelievable love story.  Had he written a story which led to that conclusion it probably would have been great.  Instead the story is written because the broader plot requires it; Ani and Padme have to fall in love and the Clone War has to begin.  So the plot occurs because it has to; and that's an awful way to write a story.

Your post reminds me of the Star Wars Ring Theory:

http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

HArd to summarize, but it suggests that Episodes 1-3 were designed to purposely mirror and reflect the first trilogy.  It's a very interesting theory, and very well argued.

Trouble is that, if true, it's also a pretty lousy way to make a modern blockbuster.

In a general sense, that is true and it's a feature of the story arc. The prequels tell the Fall of Darth Vader, and the original trilogy tells the Rise of Luke Skywalker. In that regard, they do mirror each other and certain aspects of each movie are reflected in their "equivalent". It's actually good storytelling if done well (problem is, it isn't).

However, these dudes take the theory too far imho.

Did the guys take it too far, or did Lucas take mirroring too far?

I think they read too much into it.

However, Lucas sometimes becomes a prisoner of the plot superstructure he has designed, as Sav put very well. Stuff happens because by design it has to happen.

[Razgovory]

   They were based off news reals that George Lucas saw as a kid.

Serials, not news reels, The March of Time wasn't that dramatic.   

Sorry fucked that one up.

[Razgovory]

Come come. Are you telling me that a debate over interplanetary trade privileges isn't stellar children's entertainment? 

Or adults whose idea of fun doesn't involve reviewing WTO schedules.

The earlier trilogy kept it simple - there is an evil empire and a bunch of rebels with a secret base. What is the fight all about?  Who cares?  The guy who wears the black hat is the bad guy.  The bad guys have a giant laser gun that blows up planets.   Easy.

The worst I think was "episode 2" - the entire Jedi order completely forgets about a planet because it's erased from the archives, but some short order cook knows all about it?  It would be like the State Department forgetting about Switzerland until the Chinese delivery guy reminded them.  Then there is this whole mystery abut who ordered the clone army and why - a story line that is then completely dropped and never recurs.  And how do the Jedi pay for it anyways - somehow I doubt midichlorians or whatever are legal tender.

The worst part was that it was boring.  If you put something in a film that's stupid but entertaining, it's not that stupid.  If you put something in a film that is clever but boring, then it's really not that clever.  The other part that was bad was when it was cringe inducing, which included a lot of the dialog.  I felt embarrassed for the person who wrote that, for the person who delivered the line, and for the audience who paid to see it.  I found my self desperately wanting to flee the theater in shame.  I suppose a maxim can be derived from this as well.  Anything in the film that makes the audience want to leave the the theater should seriously be reconsidered.

[Josephus]

Starting watching Episode 1 because of Josephus. I will never forgive him. The fighting scenes, Jar Jar, the shield generator scene.

Sorry. 

Pssst. Don't watch the next one.

[celedhring]

Tuned out at about 45 minutes into Hangover 3. Lots of loud things happening that should be fun, but they just try too hard. The first one just seemed effortless.

[Razgovory]

Watched the New Jurassic Park.  My Dad loved it.  I was a bit more so-so.

[Tonitrus]

Binge watching "Man in the High Castle" which had its full season released today...

My impression is that the Japanese side of the plot is much more interesting/better done than the Nazi side...the actors for the Japanese trade minister and chief inspector of the Kempeitai are quite good.  The main Nazi villain is pretty good.  Pretty much all of the protagonists, though, are weak as hell.

Overall, pretty good, though.

[jimmy olsen]

I'm forcing myself to find negative things in the trailers in order to preemptively deflate me. But it's not working too well.

I just to make sure that my expectations are such that so long it is not obviously and intensely wretched like the prequels I can enjoy it.

Were the prequels that bad? I mean, besides adult Anakin casting and Jar Jar?

Casting would have been fine if Lucas was worth a damn as a director.

[jimmy olsen]

Clone Wars had better stories, but due to it being a kid's show, they can't really portrait Anakin as the evil he will become, they can't really show us his progression toward that.

Yeah, a kids show!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRBy_jKlcFA