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mcpucho
Reviews
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
George Lucas still cannot write or direct actors
fantastic fight scenes and CG, etc.
visually dazzling, the fight scenes were terrific, but the script stunk. Ewan McGregor's talent ostensibly saved the movie from being an over budgeted sci-fi bunk.
Natalie Portman, who has proved herself a worthy actress for well over a decade now, comes off as B actress. her lines are stereotypical, misogynistic crap. Hayden Christensen lacks any sort of charisma, and that is no fault of his own.
at most points the dialogue is only a necessity to move the action along, which works great if you are Kurosawa, which Lucas pays homage to, but is certainly not.
the film ends the mythic Star Wars cycle, so it is not aporetic, but it is a trifle anti-climatic. i guess only in the sense that you know, being a prequel, what the outcome will be.
the Darth Vader metamorphosis, which is the raison d'etre of the film, could have been more in depth and protracted in its extrapolation.
but the film was highly entertaining, and certainly better than the rest of the Star Wars films with the exception of the novelty of the original, a NEW HOPE EPISODE IV.
enjoy the show!
Blood and Wine (1996)
talent goes a wry
You would think the tandem of the glorious Michael Caine, the always stunning Jack Nicholson and the adorable Judy Davis would set a movie's heels on fire but "Blood and Wine" falls far from expectations as the sparks never start on set.
All these esteemed actors give a good showing in their own right but their characters are flat and lifeless. The script seems compelled only to move the action along and nothing else. Mr. Caine, Mr. Nicholson and Ms. Davis give punctuation and try their best to put a breath of life into this lifeless film with an all too obvious plot.
Stephen Dorff gives a better performance than usual (no cheers for Blade or Cecil B. Demented) but his character is far from complex, and Jennifer Lopez can't keep her faux Cuban accent up throughout the course of the film.
The plot is rather generic and the suspense that the movie is trying to portray is better invoked by the musical score than the cinematic or script climax.
As a saving grace the location scouting is great, really espousing the feeling of the Floridian backdrop. But that doesn't save the movie. There are as well a couple of slightly memorable stunt scenes but is not an action film.
Skip this one and watch Chinatown again. And if you haven't seen that see it twice.