Twin Cinema

This afternoon I went to the movies to catch the new Star Wars film. I don't go to the theater often, partly because I hate sitting in audiences. Indeed, I waited almost three weeks since the movie's release before I finally went to see it just so I wouldn't have to sit in a crowded theater (and, happily, there were only two other people in the audience: a boy and his mother).

Like I say, it's been a while since I've been to the movies, so I was surprised by the fact that, apparently, commercials--the 30-second spots that you would expect to see on TV--are now a part of the pre-feature lineup. When did that happen? And why?

Anyway, the movie was all right. I had read a lot of reviews of the movie prior to going, and I pretty much agree with the consensus: special effects--great, story of Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Vader--pretty much convincing, dialogue and acting--clunky and at times atrocious. The problem that I had with the dialogue was that there just wasn't any subtlety to it at all. Characters would state the obvious, and then they'd state it again, and again, and again. It was like being hit over the head with a rolled up script. One example: when Vader delivers his line (and Lucas's pot-shot at Bush) "If you're not with me, you're my enemy" I was perfectly willing to let that go. Lucas could have assumed that his audience was intelligent enough to get the satire and understand the point made by it, but then Obi Wan has to make the ridiculous reply, "Only a Sith Lord believes in absolutes" or whatever it is that he says, which absolutely ruins the moment because it is unnecessary and superfluous. So much of the dialogue in the film could have been improved, not so much by rewriting it, but simply by editing it down a bit. Almost every scene had a couple of lines that could have been cut from the movie and would not have been missed.

Oh well. Anyway, it was sad to see it end, just because it is the final movie of the saga. There won't be another.