With the premiere of Star Wars: Episode III tonight (or last night at midnight for the hardcore), an era for motion pictures comes to a close. I'm just dumb enough to be hopeful.
I think it will all turn out OK. I've read a few reviews, but mostly its just a feeling I have. I think Episode 3 will finally deliver on the promise that the prequels held, before we'd seen any of them, and that, by delivering on that promise, will redeem the first two with it.
Because E3 is the payoff, its what this whole prequel exercise was all about. I'm still of the opinion that E1 and E2 were not *bad* movies, but they did make me nervous. And I think for many, that nervous feeling made them feel like bad movies. Because they weren't up to the standards that Star Wars fans demanded from E3.
But looking back at it, how could they be? It's like expecting "The Comedy of Errors" to be as good as "King Lear". We're stuck with the material ultimately and even had Lucas (wisely) eliminated Jar Jar entirely, E1 would still be short on drama and long on setup. Which is OK if you know that Episode 3 will deliver, but makes you nervous if you don't.
Episode 2 was a major advance, with far less troubles and only a few seriously annoying sections. (Yes, of course you know what I'm talking about. The pear, rolling down the hill, the sand speech. Pretty much anytime Portman and Christiansen are on screen alone. Why do the Han and Leia scenes work so much better? Why can't he manage what is really a pretty straightforward love story, done a million times by now?) But those are easier to take if you know the payoff is coming.
Its sort of like a comment from a great improv teacher about the difference between long form and short form improv. Short form is all about getting in and out quick and scoring big, whereas long form gives you the time to do what you need. In this way, the long form is like going on a date when you know you're going to get laid. Which means you don't have to spend time impressing or showing off or charming, you can just be yourself and enjoy it as it happens. Which is more impressive and charming in the long run. (Perhaps Chuck will wander back here and tell me who it was that made the comparison, I can't remember.)
If Episode 3 can deliver, then watching the first two will be that much easier. Because, in the end, you know it will all be worth it.
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While I'm on the topic, if any of you start to go into withdrawal, I've got a recommendation to carry you through. Firefly is a show I was just introduced to by Lenny. I was ready to be bored. Typically modern sci-fi series bore me (and yes, apologies all around but the last three Star Trek series very much apply). The only exception in recent memory is the SciFi channel adaptations of Dune, but to call that modern is a bit of a stretch.
And yes, Andy, to be fair, FireFly is much more in the tradition of Star Wars than Star Trek, which is to say much bigger on action adventure than science fiction in the original sense of the word. Its ultimately a space western, like many before it, and doesn't have that much to offer that is ultimately different. The best thing I can say is just that it is very well done.
Written and Produced (and ocassionally directed) by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, it has very good character depth and dialogue. He's created an interesting future, marked by space colonisation (thus the western frontier motif). It is also a future in which Chinese influence is notably as strong as Western, which Whedon uses inventively to allow frequent cursing (in Chinese). It is a little disturbing that given this influence there are no primarily Asian characters of the 9 (!) fully developed main characters in the show. But Whedon gets credit anyway for recognizing the power of the acending Chinese culture (and you've already been warned in this space to start learning the language now).
Perhaps most striking about the show thus far is that it isn't driven by a classic good vs. evil struggle. The Empire has already won, and the captain of Serenity (their firefly class spaceship) was on the losing side. He doesn't much mind, as the Empire (here called the Alliance) is just another problem to be avoided. The characters here (on ship and off) are just trying to get by. While there is a hint of a larger struggle involving their two stowaways, it rarely takes over. And the characters here aren't always virtuous or good or even nice. Often, you see the characters banding together because, well, this is the frontier and you're better off part of a group than on your own. Which doesn't mean that you won't bail if a better opportunity comes along. Its all part of the deal.
The show wasn't really given a chance when it was first broadcast by FOX. As yet another in a long line of excellent programs doomed to failure Fridays at 10 (sharing that doomed slot with another of my favorites, Millennium) it was cancelled after only 11 episodes, despite great fan complaint.
"WHAT!?" you say. "You're trying to suck me into another show that's already canceled but this one only has 14 episodes?" Well, yes. But this one has a slightly good ending, in that all the fan requests have allowed Whedon to get the money to make a Firefly movie. "Serenity" is actually already finished, but its release has been held until September to avoid the suicidal attempt to compete with Episode 3. While I suspect that a motion picture means it will be difficult for them to avoid upping the ante (and letting the Simon and River subplot take center stage), it should still be worth watching. And with luck, perhaps they can maintain the quality and maybe get enough to get back on air or make a sequel. In any case, if you get the chance try to watch a few episodes or head to the movie in the fall. And I'd welcome any Star Wars reviews you'd like to offer.
Notes:
Whedon has also created a comic to bridge the gap between the tv series and the movie. Originally the story was designed to be animated feature (a la The Animatrix), but Universal backed out on funding. Published by Dark Horse it should be available June 6th.
Posted by ktismael at May 19, 2005 9:59 AM