mdixon
Joined Feb 2003
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Reviews21
mdixon's rating
hooboy does this one leave an odor.
I saw the original star wars in a theatre with a massive screen a few months after it was released. I saw the next two as well but understandably nothing could ever match the impact of the first, in all ways it was special and will always stand alone - all unknown actors (mostly) doing a good enough job so no distractions there, exceptionally well-written and as a result rich and endearing characters, fantastic real-life special effects, engrossing story, true-to-life grubbiness and so on.
that said, my review of this new one is hardly from a biased standpoint, if #7 wasn't a "star wars" movie it might never have been made, it's pretty bad right from the start through to the end. it's a gta movie with a star wars title, mostly flash and very little substance (ironically, the opposite of what makes or had originally made star wars "star wars"). much of it made little sense - the girl's sudden/inexplicable devotion to a robot she'd never seen before, high octane action much too soon/too often without preparing the audience for why, on and on and on. all in all it looks like a star wars movie made by someone who saw the original but had the sound off.
after the last three star wars movies I was conditioned to have almost no interest in seeing another. I did want to see what they'd do with han and the rest and now that I've seen it I'm kind of sorry I did - it's like watching a 75-year-old mick jagger rocking away like nobody told him he's 40 years past his heyday. carrie fisher mostly stood there stiffly, trying to not dribble or something. it was saddening if not pathetic seeing these icons of 20th-century americana in what were basically pointless appearances.
but I guess this is a bit like the star treks where they pass the torch from the ones who made the franchise famous to a new group in order to carry on milking sequels out of it. but unless movie goers these days are like mental patients that sit spellbound by shiny objects flashing back and forth on the TV screen I don't see how this one isn't totally out of gas.
I saw the original star wars in a theatre with a massive screen a few months after it was released. I saw the next two as well but understandably nothing could ever match the impact of the first, in all ways it was special and will always stand alone - all unknown actors (mostly) doing a good enough job so no distractions there, exceptionally well-written and as a result rich and endearing characters, fantastic real-life special effects, engrossing story, true-to-life grubbiness and so on.
that said, my review of this new one is hardly from a biased standpoint, if #7 wasn't a "star wars" movie it might never have been made, it's pretty bad right from the start through to the end. it's a gta movie with a star wars title, mostly flash and very little substance (ironically, the opposite of what makes or had originally made star wars "star wars"). much of it made little sense - the girl's sudden/inexplicable devotion to a robot she'd never seen before, high octane action much too soon/too often without preparing the audience for why, on and on and on. all in all it looks like a star wars movie made by someone who saw the original but had the sound off.
after the last three star wars movies I was conditioned to have almost no interest in seeing another. I did want to see what they'd do with han and the rest and now that I've seen it I'm kind of sorry I did - it's like watching a 75-year-old mick jagger rocking away like nobody told him he's 40 years past his heyday. carrie fisher mostly stood there stiffly, trying to not dribble or something. it was saddening if not pathetic seeing these icons of 20th-century americana in what were basically pointless appearances.
but I guess this is a bit like the star treks where they pass the torch from the ones who made the franchise famous to a new group in order to carry on milking sequels out of it. but unless movie goers these days are like mental patients that sit spellbound by shiny objects flashing back and forth on the TV screen I don't see how this one isn't totally out of gas.
had never heard of this before, ran across it on someone's list of favorites and after watching it I can see why. it looks like the movie was made with pocket change but the main characters are so likable and the writing so clever that it reminds one at how nothing but a good idea and good execution are all that's really needed to make a movie worth watching.
I was engrossed in it almost from the start and thankfully spent most of my time thinking "can't wait to see what happens next". I find that a large majority of movies are a disappointment in one way or another and by 1/3 or halfway through most of them I don't even care to watch any more. that in part is what makes stumbling across something like this so special but it does make one wonder how many other terrific little movies like this are out there that hardly anyone will ever see.
I was engrossed in it almost from the start and thankfully spent most of my time thinking "can't wait to see what happens next". I find that a large majority of movies are a disappointment in one way or another and by 1/3 or halfway through most of them I don't even care to watch any more. that in part is what makes stumbling across something like this so special but it does make one wonder how many other terrific little movies like this are out there that hardly anyone will ever see.
if I didn't enjoy a good geoffrey rush performance so much, didn't enjoy many of the settings and mood of the movie I would've given it a 5 instead of the 6 I did. I'm not a film buff so maybe that's why I can't understand how this could currently be rated almost an 8 at IMDb.
while I wouldn't withhold my recommendation, it did seem to drag on almost from the start, mostly because of the numerous preposterous circumstances (shoulder-length bright-white hair on an auction shill never drew anyone's attention in the past? really? a person repelled by the thought of physical/emotional contact soliciting not only love advice but from a virtual stranger?) - I felt like the movie very clumsily and practically trumpeted "this is a setup and you just saw another element to take note of".
the movie more or less screaming at me what to pay attention to each time I was supposed to took away almost all of the drama, so much so that less than halfway through all I kept thinking was "I'd be happy to see the last 10 minutes to see how they wrap it up". that's not really what a mystery/thriller should be invoking in its viewers imo.
while I wouldn't withhold my recommendation, it did seem to drag on almost from the start, mostly because of the numerous preposterous circumstances (shoulder-length bright-white hair on an auction shill never drew anyone's attention in the past? really? a person repelled by the thought of physical/emotional contact soliciting not only love advice but from a virtual stranger?) - I felt like the movie very clumsily and practically trumpeted "this is a setup and you just saw another element to take note of".
the movie more or less screaming at me what to pay attention to each time I was supposed to took away almost all of the drama, so much so that less than halfway through all I kept thinking was "I'd be happy to see the last 10 minutes to see how they wrap it up". that's not really what a mystery/thriller should be invoking in its viewers imo.