The Right Spin http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/ The Rantings Of A Christian Conservative Gamer. en-us 2006-10-22T15:10+00:00 Serenity http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1128747489.shtml Saw it. Twice. Gonna try to see it a third. A frickin' awesome film and great fun to boot. Puts the Prequels to shame... not that it's hard to do... Kevin D. 2005-10-08T04:10+00:00 Saw it. Twice. Gonna try to see it a third. A frickin' awesome film and great fun to boot. Puts the Prequels to shame... not that it's hard to do that.

If you're familiar with the show firefly then I'm sure you already know the awesomeness of this film. If you're not: Don't worry. See it then grab the DVD box set of the entire show. It's all great fun.]]> Heh http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1117719704.shtml ... Kevin D. 2005-06-02T13:06+00:00 ]]> Star Wars Funny http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1116837370.shtml ... Kevin D. 2005-05-23T08:05+00:00 Absolutely awesome!]]> Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1116545237.shtml Lo, I have seen it. And it was tasty.... Kevin D. 2005-05-19T23:05+00:00
I caught a 12:01 AM showing of it (remind me never to do that again) and holy crap was it sweet. Even walking out of the theater I caught bits of conversations stating, "At least it was better than the first two..."

The film moves fast but never too fast that you feel lost. Some of the old problems are still there (Padme and Anakin talking about "love" made me feel embarrassed for the screen) but most have been fixed. The movie is also surprisingly funny. And not funny in spite itself but genuinely funny when it's supposed to be. R2 is a badass! Don't believe me? See the film.

Additionally, the film is genuinely moving. Anyone who knows anything about Star Wars know that come Episode 4 all the Jedi are gone. I don't think it's a spoiler to say they all bite it in Episode 3 (if it is then you haven't been paying attention). Knowing this as I did going in I didn't expect to be as hurt as i was when I finally saw it before me. It broke my heart and I probably would have shed a tear or two if asses behind be weren't laughing at moments that weren't remotely funny (this is why I hate seeing movies opening day).

The music was incredible. Which, if you look a number of posts below where I talk about the soundtrack, surprised me. There were excellent queues that were not in the soundtrack. Queues that you'd expect to be like, I dunno, the montage of all the Jedi getting killed and Yoda and the Emperor fighting! That pissed me off.

The fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan was simply awesome. It's at the end of this fight you see how truly betrayed Obi-Wan feels by, now, Darth Vader. It gives more weight to their confrontation in Episode 4. And it also makes that same fight seem downright geriatric. Like two old guys swinging their walkers at one another. While funny at one level, it's very, very sad on another.

James Earl Jones did a good job here as the voice of Vader. To be honest, it was weird hearing Vader emote like he does but it makes sense.

Anyway, see this movie. If you like Star Wars you must see it. If you won't because of the first two, still see it. It's a lot better.

Oh, one last thing. Jar Jar is in it. But he has no lines.

Update:


Okay, I didn't want to say anything about this (lest people think I'm looking for a fight) but I've seen it noted in a few places and when Fox News mentions it I figure I have the go-ahead to do so myself. George Lucas' problem with the current Administration seems to come out here. "You're either with me or you're my enemy," Darth Vader says to Obi-Wan. "Only the Sith deal in absolutes!" Obi-Wan retorts (awfully absolutist of him I'd say). And there are other things being said and done by the Sith to support this supposition. Indeed the whole plot by Palpatine to have the Republic sacrifice liberties to him in order for increased security seems fairly familiar. And I think I caught a shot at the Patriot Act as well.

Indeed, I had planned to write a thought provoking post on liberty vs. security but I've not completed my research. It is a compelling topic nonetheless. For the safety of everyone liberty must be restrained. Freedom but be chained to a regard and this is something that is fairly simple to understand. But where does one draw the line?

While I do not think George Lucas was hoping to provoke these questions in Episode 3 (rather he was just taking shots at GWB) they are good questions that need debate.

But what really bugged me was the absolutist remark. First, that makes absolutely (heh, pun) no sense within the context of the films. George Lucas, with the original trilogy, sought out to make a black-and-white morality play in space. In every conceivable way it is absolutist. And now absolutism is the way of the Sith? That is completely retarded. Jedi good. Sith bad. Absolutist. What, are the Jedi ready to admit the Sith might be right - from a certain point of view? What the hell is that?

I also take offense to it as a Christian. The Christian faith is absolutist. Either you're with God or you're against Him. Now that's a bad thing? Screw you Lucas!

And Han f***ing shot first you revisionist prick!]]> Jolie In Pakistan http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1115632469.shtml I've never been big into Angelia Jolie one way or the other. Sometimes I think she's attractive but that coes and goes. I do think it's great that she's using her... Kevin D. 2005-05-09T09:05+00:00 talking with the President of Pakistan about Afghan refugees in his country will do anything.

I mean, it's not like he's not aware that they are there. And what's to make us think that her talking with the guy is going to bring about any change of heart? In some ways, and feel free to call me pessimistic here, I find it almost arrogant that she'd do such a thing. She's an actress. That's it. She's has no political, military or even financial clout behind her. It seems she could do about as much for change as I could sending a sternly worded letter to the bloke.

I'm not trying to down Angelina Jolie or her work at all. But it just seems to me to smack of typical Hollywood liberal arrogance. That, somehow, if only actors ran things we'd live in a utopian paradise.

But, maybe, just maybe I'm being too hard on her.]]> Kingdom Of Heaven http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/posts/1115534520.shtml So, Ridley Scott's got this new film coming out starring Legolas and Qui-Gon Jinn set during the Crusades (I'm not sure which of the 10 it is).... Kevin D. 2005-05-08T06:05+00:00 Ridley Scott's got this new film coming out starring Legolas and Qui-Gon Jinn set during the Crusades (I'm not sure which of the 10 it is). I'm honestly excited to see it. But I'm also a bit... apprehensive. All too often the Crusades are painted as "Christians vs. Jews & Muslims" and it's left at that. Never mind the fact the Crusades began as a defensive move against Muslim expansion. But even that does little to shed light on a series of very complicated event - so complicated that I'm not going to comment much more on them just now until I'm fully comfortable with my knowledge of the subject. I suppose I simply object to the label above being slapped on the whole complicated mess with little thought more given to it. And it still happens! From President Clinton stating it as a reason for 9/11 to terrorists throwing it about in their propaganda. The fact of the matter is, as I know it to be, looking across the whole of the Crusades there was very little "Christian aggression". By that I mean the raping and pillaging of Muslims and Jews. Did that happen? Yes. Was it the norm? Very, very far from it! And I think it's safe to say that those who participated and endorsed such things were not practicing the religion of the Messiah of Israel.

And I think that is something that needs to be shouted from the mountaintops in this post-9/11 world. Everyday we hear that suicide bombers and terrorists are not practicing the true religion of Muhammad. That Islam is a religion of peace. Okay, I say, I'll give you that. But in return you must grant me that the atrocities committed during the Crusades were not the actions of true Christians. I think it only fair.

Hopefully, in a short time, I'll have some more stuff up on the Crusades and how it relates to this film. Full links will be provided.]]>