jtrichardson Reviews

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

It told the story well

[10/10 · 16 May 2002]

I have not yet read the accounts of any other reviewers, and have only heard rumors of their dismaying reports; so mine is a perspective biased only by my love for the Star Wars universe. I went with the expectation of being told a story-- a story which I, as well as any true fan, already well knew-- a story of love, intrigue, anger, and war. I was not disappointed. Already knowing what was going to happen-- what had to happen, to lead into the next story, and eventually, the story which we all know-did not spoil the telling of this story for me, for it was told in a way that captured my attention like few films have. It was a story that I loved-- so how could I possibly be disappointed?

The music was magnificent; the special effects were spectacular; the action was first-class; and the acting and dialogue served the story well. Much welcome and well-administered comic relief was provided by everyone's favorite pair of droids. Hayden Christensen much exceeded my expectations; he gave an excellent performance, for a pair of boots that are hard to fill. Natalie Portman had to grow up fast to fill her role, something that she's always been good at, and she was impressive, as always. Ewan McGregor also aged, to become a more mature Jedi Master, and did so splendidly. Ian McDiarmid continues to chill my bones as the evil mastermind with a silver tongue.

My verdict: It rocked. It ruled. I loved it.

Childhood Sweetheart? (1997 TV Movie)

Two thumbs-up from a TV movie skeptic

[8/10 · 11 July 2000]

One of the best TV movies I've seen. I get a kick out of giving movies of this genre the MST3000 treatment, jabbing at the often ho-hum plots and predicting what's going to happen at every turn to anyone unfortunate enough to be watching with me. I often have the mysteries solved, and the plot licked, by about half-way through, and in most cases, I don't feel particularly compelled to sit through the second half. This one, however, captured me-- and although I did have it figured out pretty early on, it had just enough plot twists to keep me interested. The theme was very romantic, and haunting; the characters were realistic, emotional, and nicely developed and portrayed; the cinematography, especially from the haunting flashback scenes, was great; and the story was a teaser-- I caught every hint the writers' dropped, and they left me begging for more-- it was strangely enthralling: I saw it two hours ago, and I still can't get it out of my head. I enjoyed this film very much, and I think I would gladly watch it again. That's a lot coming from me.