h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last week I watched every Batman movie/Cinematic release except for two, the original 1940s Batman and Batman & Robin, and I have come to the conclusion that the best Batman/Bruce Wayne actor is Michael Keaton and that his Batsuit is, easily, the best aesthetically....although the new one that will be introduced in Batman: The Dark Knight looks very good and will allow full head movement.

This weekend I have been watching Star Wars, well Ep I,II & III I'll be watching IV, V & VI today. I have noticed, in doing so, that I don't really warm to the character of Anakin Skywalker untill Ep III and then, to use Obi-wan's phrasing, Darth Vader kills him. Also I notice that when Obi-wan says that Vader is 'More machine, now, than man' he doesn't point out that that is his fault.

Of all the inaccuracies between the two trilogies, you pick up on that?

Well I'd never noticed that one before. Anyway if I wanted to deride the new trilogy I'd berate it for completely ignoring the extended universe stuff, despite the EU stuff being cannon or there's the whole storm trooper thing. Actually I shall have to check my DVDs of NH - RoTJ to see if they got Temuera Morrison to dub over the Storm Troopers' lines as he dubbed over Boba's, didn't he? Though I shall, probably, forever think of him as Hone Ropata in Shortland Street.

>>>and will allow full head movement.<<<

Ah yes, well the cowls in the previous five films were fairly solid, with the ones in Batman-Batman and Robin being solid foam allowing very little head movement, hence Michael Keaton looking out of the corner of his eyes when he was meant to be looking sideways...although, saying that, that did tend to make him look more menacing. The cowl in Batman Begins had some articulation but nor
t too much as it was, again, molded to fit snugly to the costume. The new batsuit, however, has a collar and completely separate cowl.......And 'full head movement' is not funny!

Have to say I think Psycorp's got a good point - so many inaccuracies between the two trilogies there have to be bigger things to pick up on.

I think the single biggest howler is the way in which Episode 3 spoils Episode 5's big twist, so you can't really watch them in order.

Yeah. Good point. I'd always thought from the original trilogy that the twins were a heck of a lot more secret than the new films implied.

nah, the only real 'shocker' ruined by the new trilogy is Leia being Luke's twin.

I must say that, although V is still the best in the series, after watching all six, in order, one after the other* that ANH is now awful! Oh and Ewan McGreggor's better as Obi-Wan.

I always thought RotJ was half awful, half genius.

Actually, I did rank the Star Wars Saga in my head the other day:
ESB
ANH
RotS
TPM
RotJ
AotC

Yeah. That's right. I liked Phantom Menace more than Jedi. Why? Liam Neeson and Ewan MacGregor are brilliant in it, whereas Ian McDarmid, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher completely corpse in Jedi. The Gungans are actually quite a bit cooler than Ewoks, once you take Jar Jar out of the equation. TPM is fantastic from the Pod Race onwards, and RotJ is a first class turkey once they've escaped the sail barge. With the slight exception of a few Harrison Ford lines.

Discuss?

I'd put RotS above ANH as it's shockingly good. Mace Windu going all, well dark side I guess you could call it, and wanting to kill Sidious rather than bring him to justice and then there's that awesome display of Vader's power when Palpatine says he, Vader, killed Padme, or Pad-er-may as he insists on calling her.

Except for the "NO-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" of course?

Oh yeah, that was typical cheesy SW script writing and should never have been included. Especially as a general scream of rage would have sufficed.

If only GL had hired a good script writer and director...