outfielder24 Reviews

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Great !

[8/10 · 6 July 2005]

The latest Star Wars film is without a doubt the best of the three newer films and a great film on it's own. It has none of the childish elements of Phantom Meanace and the story is far more engaging than Attack of the Clones.

Hayden Christensen' acting has improved a bit, and this combined with slightly better writing makes the emotional scenes much more believable. Of course, the script in the love scenes is still corny and worthy of a soap opera, but who really cares? It's no surprise, and I would almost miss it if it were gone.

The scenery is spectacular, as are the light saber duels, and the space battles. The only problem here is that Lucas uses CGI stormtroopers instead of real people in costumes. Sorry Lucas, but technology hasn't advanced to the point that CGI is indistinguishable from reality. Other than that, the special effects are great. We see worlds from every corner of the galaxy, and there is a new and interesting character. We get great performances from Ian McDiarmid, Samuel Jackson, and Ewan McGregor. Anikin is lured to the dark side through a very ingenious and interesting method, and the scenes between Palpatine and Anikin are very interesting.

Although most of the movie is well paced, the ending feels rushed. This is the only significant problem I have with this otherwise great film. it felt a little too local, because only a few people are involved while the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake, however this is still a very good film. Star Wars fans will not be disappointed.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I have never cringed more in my life than in the hours I spent watching this.

[1/10 · 11 May 2005]

It's difficult for me to comment on this movie in an unbiased fashion, since I am an avid fan of the books. However, I am not the kind of person who automatically thinks that any change of the story from the book is a bad thing.

This is an enjoyable enough film for people who have never read the book, even if they will probably not understand some of the plot. This movie completely ignored some of the key sub-plots that I was really looking forward to seeing. Ron's character is still portrayed as a wimpy, cowardly moron just like in the previous movie. They add many stupid annoying lines and objects that are obviously supposed to be funny but just made me cringe. The storyline has been so re-arranged and edited that it barely feels like a Harry Potter movie. Hogwarts is suddenly in a different location, as is Hagrid's hut, the interior of the castle is different, etc. I'll admit I did like the changes to the grounds but not to the interior of the castle or the location of Hagrid's hut. Many of the characters are portrayed differently than they are in the book (not only Ron).

The ending feels rushed and incomplete. If you have never read the book, you will most likely be lost. The lower your expectations are when you are about to see this movie, the less disappointed you will be. I recommend all people avoid watching the last couple minutes of the movie. If you have already seen it, you know why.