April 22, 2005
Samuel L. Jackson talks Star Wars and Flight 121
Coming Soon score another interview, this time from Samuel L. Jackson. Again, there's not much to excite, but he has an interesting take on why the first Star Wars movies may not have been so well liked, and you know what, he makes a lot of sense. See what you think.
The people that don't like 'Episode I are adults who were not adults when they saw 'Episode IV'. If you ask any 12-year-old, kid who was 6 or 7 when they saw the first one, who their favorite character was, they'd say Jar Jar Binks, because the first movie is a kid's movie. It's about a kid and gives kids an opportunity to feel like they're heroes. The next movie's a bit more about teenage love. The kid's voice changes, he's in love with a girl and he's trying to figure it all out. People didn't like that one too much either, but there was enough action in it to satisfy the people. Hopefully, this one will be dark and bloody enough and will wrap up all those loose ends, and everybody will feel some sense of satisfaction...
So the first was for the kids, the second was for the teenagers and the last is for us original fans who are adults now. If that's how Lucas planned it then he's roping in every generation, and that does make sense. when these kids and teenagers are older perhaps he'll start on the next three!
One last thing, and this is cool, he has a little laugh at Pacific Flight 121, or Snakes on a Plane.
I like scary movies! The scariest thing you could think of is a crate load of poisonous snakes getting released into the atmosphere on a plane. It says everything about it. There it is. [I play a] FBI Agent transporting a witness to a trial, so the bad guy puts this crate load of poisonous snakes on the plane.
What is it with this movie? We really must be missing something.
Posted by Richard Brunton at April 22, 2005 06:38 AM
Comments
Posted by: Simone at April 22, 2005 07:40 AM
Well, aside from the question whether making a Star Wars movie for 6-year-olds is a good idea, and aside from that fact that, let's face it, 6-year-olds have shitty taste in film, I actually do know a lot of kids (via my brother) who were 10 years (or 11) when the first film came out and were terribly unimpressed, and laughed at Jar Jar.
My brother saw AoTC when he'd just become 14, and while he thought the action was cool, he also said the rest of the movie was boring.
So maybe the films just aren't that good?
Posted by: Berandor at April 22, 2005 08:28 AM
As John Campea our TMB editor here always says, "Film is a subjective form of art". As for the prequels, I loved it, yes I am a fan, but I loved it anyway. I wont crucify those who say they hated it or that they didnt like it, they are all entitled to what they have to say, even the kids. :-)
Posted by: Simone at April 22, 2005 09:17 AM
Funny how so many adult fans (apologists) for the first prequel like to claim that kids loved that film, yet I have yet to come across any kid from that time who admits to liking it. Seriously, get over it -- the movie simply sucked. Real kids were BORED by it.
And where are the teenage girls who were supposed to love the "romance" (ugh) between Ani and Padme in Episode II?
I'm amazed that Lucas decided that Episode III should be targeted to not little kids or teenage girls but -- crazily enough! -- fans of the original trilogy.
Posted by: Franklin at April 22, 2005 10:27 AM
Hey Franklin, your post may not be directed to me but if it was, I was speaking for myself when I made that post. I still contend that there are kids who preferred the prequels more than the original, I wish you could meet them, a lot of them live here in the UK that I personally know of, I also have other younger friends in the US & Canada who say they actually liked it.
You only need to look at the websites opened for Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman during the time AoTC was shown, and that's evidence of its popularity to the younger crowd. Of course you wont do that because to you and a few others, the prequels sucked. If that is your contention fine. I hope you enjoy Episode III anyway. :-)
Posted by: Simone at April 22, 2005 10:38 AM
The Phantom Menace combines awful (Jar Jar) moments with astonishing ones: Darth Maul final fight against Jedis is wonderful.
AOTC: What´s wrong with it? Seriously! Packed with lots of action, a touch of pulp detective story, a chase in night Coruscant, and so more! I don´t understand the complaints... the dialogue between Padme and Anakin is lame? So it happens in many romance movies.
And episode III... I can say now, it will make fans exhilarate and it will irritate bashers, but these ones will pay the ticket too HOHOHO.
Posted by: Peter at April 22, 2005 12:23 PM
I seriously want to know: Is Jar Jar even going to appear in Episode III, and will he do anything significant (like he did in Episode II)?
It's been often joked about but it would make sense for Anakin to kill Jar Jar. Haters would get their wish, and it would also clearly show that Ani had crossed over to the dark side.
Posted by: Mark at April 22, 2005 12:28 PM
He appears VERY briefly and he is not killed by Anakin, just because he is utterly insignificant. There is no point in killin him. Anakin doesn´t kill at his own will, to make myself clear: he obeys Palpatine´s wishes. And Palpatine has his eye put on the Jedis, mostly.
Posted by: Peter at April 22, 2005 03:35 PM
Oy Peter! What are you telling us that for??? *looks credulously at Peter*
I keed, I keed...
Posted by: Simone at April 22, 2005 04:26 PM
"The people that don't like 'Episode I are adults who were not adults when they saw 'Episode IV'".
Couldnt agree with him more. I was 7 when I first saw the Star Wars film and it was also my first cinema experience, so you can imagine how big that is for a 7 year old child. By the time the original trilogy wrapped up, I was 13 and thought hell, that trilogy will always stay with me.
Then I tried to grow up, well, I thought I did.
:-)
16 years later, now at a mature age of 29, I watch "The Phantom Menace" with the same anticipation when I was 10 & I found out that there was going to be "Empire Strikes Back". This time though we were told that we will watch Anakin Skywalker's path to the Dark Side. I came out of the film really entertained, I was baffled that they thought Jar-Jar Binks ruined the movie, when in fact what I think Jar Jar is the prequels equivalent to C3P0 in the original trilogy- merely there for comic relief. It didnt end there, they now decided to show Anakin as a youth, with qualities that make him perfect to be seduced to the Dark Side.
I am not trying to make excuses for the 2 prequels, that by watching it "in the eyes of a child" you will appreciate it more, I just dont remember nit-picking every single detail of the film when I was 7, 10 or 13. But for a 29, 32, and 35 year old, I'd say I wont be surprised if you do.
I really cant comment on the snakes film. LOL