L.A. Wars

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Director: Martin Morris, Tony Kandah
Studio: DVD Colony
Product Type: DVD

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC
Star wars Fanatic
what a load of garbage
George Lucas's "Hail Mary Pass" Redeems The Prequels
Great movie!

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ahmed Best , David Bowers (II) , Silas Carson , Keisha Castle-Hughes , and Hayden Christensen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JLXH
Release Date: 2005-11-01

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Ending the most popular film epic in history, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from Episode II, Attack of the Clones as well as the animated Clone Wars series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

The Star Wars Family Tree (click for larger image)

It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.

But then it all changes.

Star Wars Time Line (click for larger image)

After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.

Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six Star Wars films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the Star Wars prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." --David Horiuchi

DVD features
Say what you will about the new Star Wars films--and plenty has been said already--but the DVDs continue to set the standard for technical excellence. From the opening of the first scene, the Dolby 5.1 EX sound is thrilling, and the picture, transferred directly from the digital source, is fantastic. A commentary track is again provided by a combination of people, including George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. Lucas admits that the film is political and that he was influenced by Vietnam, but makes no mention of the Bush administration, as is widely speculated.

The main documentary on the second disc is probably the most granular DVD feature ever. "Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III" takes 67 minutes to deconstruct one minute of the film, an excerpt of the duel on Mustafar. The idea is to cover all the aspects that go into creating that minute, from writing to set construction to accounting. Fortunately, many of the concepts such as costumes apply to the movie as a whole, but having producer Rick McCallum tell us the importance of food seems a bit overkill. Two other featurettes are "It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III," an 11-minute discussion focusing mainly on the lightsaber duels, and "The Chosen One," a 14-minute examination of Darth Vader's evolution over the six films.

The six deleted scenes were no great loss from the film but are all worth watching. Natalie Portman in particular gets some much-needed screen time as one of the co-plotters of an anti-Palpatine movement, and an early action scene ties in to the Clone Wars animated series. There's also a 15-part series of 5 to 7 minute Web documentaries on topics such as the creation of General Grievous and Ewan McGregor, and an Xbox sampler of Battlefront II (if you're lucky, you can play as Obi-Wan Kenobi cutting through an army of droids) among other supplements. --David Horiuchi

The Complete Star Wars Saga

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episde II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2
The Star Wars Store

Stills from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (click for larger images)

Anakin turning to the dark side
When Wookiees attack

Yoda, Jedi master
Mr. and Mrs. Vader

Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen
The cast

Product Description

The Star Wars saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. Torn between loyalty to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the seductive powers of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi, thus completing his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. Experience the breathtaking scope of the final chapter in spectacular clarity and relive all the epic battles including the final climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

System Requirements:
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee
Directed By: George Lucas
Running Time: 140 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC.......2007-06-29

I did have a bit of a problem believing Anakin's change to the darkside. I realize that the Emperor was supposed to be very charismatic, but it seems Anakin's own lack of intelligence is what allowed him to turn as much as anything.

That having been said, I felt like the turn was still believable. Just not one I enjoyed.

Other aspects of this movie were simply incredible! The special effects were off the chart. The plot at its base was enjoyable and the characters were just wonderful.

Though it was a satisfying "conclusion" to the epic, this movie left me wanting more Star Wars!

Star wars Fanatic.......2007-06-26

I have the entire collection. Saw the first movie in 1977 in Toronto at the largest theatre on the first day. In the early nineties my friends and I used to have star wars marathon movie days where we would watch episodes 4,5 &6 back to back for 10 hours plus of Star Wars. A Genre that defined an entire generation of movie goers. Long live the empire. Long live Lucasfilm

what a load of garbage.......2007-05-30

Old George must have been high on cleaning fluid when he made this mess, how this is supposed to tie into the original 3 movies begs belief.
For a start the prequel technology is far more sophisticated than the sequels, the look of the films makes it look as though they should actually have been the other way around.
When you look at the lightsabre dules in the prequels, you have all the these guys flying around, yet in the sequels its more like sword fights from El Cid.
Whats with all the sytuff flying around in the background, its distracting from the movie and makes you dizzy as hell, total over-use of
special effects, and as for the acting of Hayden and Natalie Portman, amateurish would be an understatement.
The same can be said for the other 2 prequels, this just goes to show Star War fans like Trekkies will buy into anything.

George Lucas's "Hail Mary Pass" Redeems The Prequels.......2007-05-30

[NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW....If you don't want to know some key plot points, well, skip to another review.]

Like many people here, I grew up on Star Wars back "in the day", when it was just a trilogy. Fast-forward to 1999, and the hype-filled release of Lucas' first prequel installment, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. To be blunt, it was a disappointment which was only saved from being a total loss by the distinctive presence of the Star Wars aesthetic, and by the ambition of its storyline. Another sci-fi movie launched that summer, called "The Matrix", and its legions of hipster fanboys laughed and pointed at The Phantom Menace's wooden acting, poor dialogue, off-kilter pacing, and....Jar Jar Binks. Of course, it was the release of 2001's Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring which resulted in a more relevant movie for comparison, as (like Star Wars) the Lord of the Rings movies were made to be timeless, and not to cash in on trendy Hot Topic fashions and hastily assimilated Hong Kong cinema gunplay. 2002 saw the release of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which was one step forward and one-half step back. While Hayden Christiansen's acting was less painful to watch than that of Jake Lloyd (who, to be fair, was a child actor, and didn't have the chops that only time can bring), it was still pretty wooden, and Natalie Portman's acting wasn't exactly lighting up the screen either. In fact, the dialogue was just as wooden, with a few exceptions. However, the settings were better, the action was more over the top, and the last 40 minutes saw the reappearance of some of that old-school Star Wars spirit.

With Episode 2 ending with the Jedi leading the proto-Stormtrooper clone army into the Clone Wars, yet still failing to ascertain the true plot unfolding around them, expectations were high for Episode III. Lucas obscured things even further by dropping hints that the epic action of the movie would be limited to the very beginning. By the beard of Zeus, could it be true? Would he let us down with his last chance to send off the saga on a high note? Thankfully, the trailers finally began to emerge, and it was clear that there was more to Episode 3 than Lucas let on.

First, I do have to point out "the bad". There is still too much wooden acting, although performances have improved greatly. Sadly, some of the worst acting occurs during the critical juncture immediately prior to the Anakin/Obi-Wan lightsaber duel. Nonetheless, the timing and general feel are less stilted in this movie. Additionally, Lucas also sometimes overindulges his need to show off ILM's abilities, most notably by having Count Dooku perform a ridiculous and unnecessary flip maneuver simply to bypass walking calmly down some stairs. Finally, there are still some loose ends and plot holes left in the prequels, including Jedi Master Syfo-Dias' true role, and how the Jedi could be so incredibly blind to the presence of Order 66 in the military training programs that they would have been in some capacity overseeing.

The good news is that somehow, this movie makes up for it with a more real and engaging presentation than the other prequel movies. In fact, in this case, more IS more, and it's obvious that George Lucas studied the Lord of the Rings movies, which, of course, owe their own debt in turn to Star Wars, which of course owes its own debt to Tolkien's source material. But, I digress. The movie starts off with a bang, to say the least, as Anakin and Obi-Wan race their starfighters over the surface of a proto-Star Destroyer to the sound of pounding war drums, and dive headfirst into what is revealed to be a titanic space battle over Coruscant. The movie continues full-throttle through an extended opening action sequence reminiscent of both the James Bond and Indiana Jones movies. After this sequence, which includes vertiginous elevator sequences, a lightsaber duel, a close quarters brawl in the enemy command ship's bridge, and a tense, out-of-control landing, it seems as if the movie will settle back into the familiar, boring pace of its prequel predecessors.

Not quite, this time. As our heroes return to Coruscant, and the business of assessing the ongoing Clone Wars, the tension begins to build, and is artfully reflected in the visuals and the lighting. With the outward focus shifting to the cyborg General Grevious, and an ongoing Separatist assault on the Wookie homeworld, there are still some obvious action-driven plot threads which serve to break up the Byzantine and internal intrigues which rear their heads up during the first half of the movie. With Anakin beginning to have disturbing dreams about the fate of the now-pregnant Padme (his secret wife), he is put in the unenviable position of being asked to spy on one of his surrogate father figures, the dubious Chancellor Palpatine, by his OTHER father figure, Obi-Wan Kenobi. In turn, Palpatine sows the seeds of doubt in Anakin's mind about the morality and wisdom of the Jedi, by preying on Anakin's secret fears about Padme's life. Throughout the first half, the tension is constantly being built, and is only matched by the viewer's curiosity as to how the bottom will drop out for the Republic and the Jedi.

Finally, things take a turn for the worse when the mastermind Darth Sidious reveals himself, and Anakin is forced into making the ultimate wrong choice, in part due to the Jedi Order's own emotionally stunted state and questionable decision-making. After that point, things free fall, and the majority of the Jedi Order is wiped out during a planet-hopping, wartime montage that is part "Godfather" and part "Saving Private Ryan". Through carefully laid, long-term plans coming to fruition, the Jedi are disgraced, and the Republic's politicians gladly sacrifice Lady Liberty on the altar of "security", as the Republic is folded into a Galactic Empire. All that remains are the inevitable confrontations between Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor, while the fate of Padme and her children hang in the balance. The twin lightsaber duels are pretty impressive, and the protracted ending chapters set up the second half of the Star Wars saga fairly well, if not without a few bumps. It's too bad the other two prequels were not as well executed, as the story arc setup from them did deserve better treatment.

The visuals and audio were top-notch in the theaters, and translate pretty well to the DVD format. Obviously, the scale will not be on par with what you get at the cinema, but the transfer is clean and intact, displaying how vivid digitally recorded movies can be if properly done. Compared to Episodes I and II, Episode III feels much less flat, perhaps because real life sets were used more extensively this time around, and also perhaps due to the inevitable technology improvements. As a result, while the CGI is still obviously "not real", it is used more artfully, and conveys an incredibly surreal feeling, akin to work done in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The lighting is more varied, more subtle, and more "solid", for lack of a better word. The colors are vivid, and leap off the screen, while the audio bombards the listener with John Williams' score, combined with Ben Burtt's trademark sound effects (including buzzing lightsabers, elastic laser blasts, and the infamous "Wilhelm scream").

The extras include the usual deleted scenes, mostly relating to the political aspect of the storyline. Why George Lucas couldn't find a way to insert some of that material into the actual movie is beyond me, although it would admittedly slow the pace a bit too much. The commentary is, for me, a disappointment. More time is spent discussing effects than addressing some of the story points not explicitly seen in the movies. With Lucas's commentary, some definitive answers could have been provided, but weren't. Instead, we get some vague generalizations from George, some goofy behind-the-scenes stories, and the like. Some of the other extras are more substantial, such as a series of mini-documentaries, and the gamut of trailers and TV ads, which were some of the most effective Star Wars promos to date. It's too bad there aren't any comments from the actors, as with the right combinations, you can get entertaining results in a commentary (e.g. Dina Meyer/Neil Patrick Harris/Casper Van Dien in "Starship Troopers", Arnold Schwartzenegger/John Milius in "Conan the Barbarian", and anytime you combine John Carpenter and Kurt Russell).

Revenge of the Sith has been the subject of a fair amount of controversy among both reviewers and its movie fanatic fanbase. Websites like CHUD were abuzz with revisionists claiming that the much reviled Episode I was better than Episode III, while on Usenet, apologists for the prequels claimed that "Star Wars always had poor dialogue" (despite the fact that the original trilogy's fairly simple syntax flowed pretty well, especially compared to the "thee and thou" style weighing down the prequels). Some professional reviewers, such as Rolling Stone's Peter "Hey, Monster In Law is a great movie!" Travers viewed Episode III as the last chance to trash a Star Wars movie, while others lauded Episode III's epic scope, and relevance to modern politics. Fanboy wars, of course, were stoked, with Star Wars and Lord of the Rings zealots viewing moviegoing as a "zero sum game"; there can be only one, right? In the end, though, Episode III has to succeed as a cinematic experience, irrespective of one's emotional attachment. Thankfully, for all its flaws, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ends up being more than the sum of its parts. Recommended!

Great movie!.......2007-05-14

I liked this the best of Star Wars episodes I-III. I was, honestly, disappiointed in Episode I, but they got better, and I believe this Episode is consistent with IV-VI.

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"I'm a person. And my name is Anakin."
hmmm...give my baby nephew this i will (smiles)
I've discovered something revolutionary!
Star Wars I
The best of the new

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Pernilla August , Kenny Baker , Brian Blessed , Ralph Brown , and Anthony Daniels
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CX5P
Release Date: 2005-03-22

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"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website.

Customer Reviews:

"I'm a person. And my name is Anakin.".......2007-06-22

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE would have had to have been beyond perfect to survive the almost twenty years of fan anticipation and the avalanche of hype it was met with. When released in 1999, reactions to THE PHANTOM MENACE were very mixed. Disappointed (even embittered) fans claimed that George Lucas had created THE PHANTOM MENACE merely to cash in on the STAR WARS franchise---as if he needed to "cash in" on what had already become a multibillion dollar enterprise. As a result, the whole "prequel" trilogy got a bad reputation, none worse than this film.

Revisiting it years later, after all the shouting has died down, THE PHANTOM MENACE seems far better than it did upon its release. It doesn't measure up to any of the films of the original trilogy. It may in fact be the weakest film of the sextet. THE PHANTOM MENACE suffers from the same mistaken approach that George Lucas has adopted toward his "improved" versions of the original films. THE PHANTOM MENACE has most of the same shortcomings, particularly the (very common) sci-fi bugaboo of using a film to showcase special effects. Lucas gave us a truly Shakespearean tale in the first trilogy, and incidentally set it "a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." The spaceships, the ray guns, and the alien life forms propelled the story, but they were NOT the story.

Lucas wants to show us all kinds of new, colorful, and beautiful visions in THE PHANTOM MENACE, and he does, but at great expense to the storyline, which meanders all the way from Point A to Point A Prime in this installment.

There's even greater expense to the characterizations. We could relate to Luke, Leia, Han, See Threepio and Artoo Detoo in the first trilogy because they were like us in so many ways. Han Solo especially served to ground the STAR WARS universe in familiarity. Han's "scoundrel" energy was very central to the success of the original movies.

There isn't a lovable scoundrel in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas does give us some truly interesting new characters, but they're alien (both literally and figuratively) and we hardly get to know them.

The young Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala (played by Natalie Portman, one of the beautiful new visions in this film) is oft-times regally remote, and somewhat mysterious. Her lookalike decoy is played by Keira Knightley (another beautiful new vision), and it is truly difficult to tell them apart at times.

Although Portman's Amidala shows herself to be clearly a warm, open, and sympathetic character, by the end of THE PHANTOM MENACE we know much less about her than we do about her cinematic daughter, Princess Leia, in A NEW HOPE.

Young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) is a slave-child on Tatooine. An inventor and a gifted pilot even at the age of eight, he is so bright-eyed and kindhearted ("Someday, I'll come back here and free all the slaves") that it is difficult to reconcile this gentle little boy who cries for his mother with the horrific Darth Vader he eventually becomes.

The Jedi Council initially refuses to allow Anakin to be trained as a Jedi ("There is much fear in you, young one," says Yoda). We never really see his fear or feel it. Nor do we get much more than a glimmer of the rage and anger he must feel as a slave. Watto, his owner, is a straw boater wearing, comical-looking flying bumblebee/vulture who speaks with a vaudeville Italian accent. Simon Legree should not be doing stand-up. By making Watto a figure of fun, Lucas fails to either underscore the weaknesses of the Galactic Republic, or presage its descent into darkness.

Essentially, we have only the criticisms of the Jedi Masters to go on in consigning young Anakin to the Minus Column. It just isn't enough, especially when he wins the high stakes podrace that is the main act of the story (the stakes being his own freedom), and is eventually responsible for firing the well-placed shot that defeats the enemy in battle (like his cinematic son, Luke).

The oddly mismatched love between the prepubescent Anakin and the much older teenaged Padme comes out of nowhere, with hardly a forethought (Anakin's shy question to the girl at their first meeting---"Are you an angel?"---is the only indicator of what later blossoms).

Likewise, Lucas utterly wastes two of his most intriguing characters, the iconoclastic Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and the truly satanic Darth Maul. Qui-Gon is wise. Qui-Gon is skilled. Qui-Gon should have been Obi-Wan's Obi-Wan and Anakin's ally. But although Qui-Gon is instrumental in freeing Anakin from bondage, he never develops a truly affectionate (Obi-Wan and Luke-type) relationship with the boy, seeming more interested in him as raw material for Jedi training.

The silent Darth Maul, (the evil lord of shopping centers) with his horned black-and-red face, twin-ended lightsaber, glowing sulfur-yellow eyes, kendo-style fighting technique, and flowing black robes is potentially a figure as memorable and frightening as Darth Vader, but both he and Qui-Gon die in battling one another; and so a fascinating second trilogy dynamic between good and evil dies with them.

Added to these missed opportunities are odd inconsistencies between THE PHANTOM MENACE and the original trilogy. See Threepio turns out to have been built by Anakin on Tatooine, but then why didn't the droid recognize Tatooine or the name "Skywalker" in A NEW HOPE? Although Ben Kenobi claims to have been trained by Yoda in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, he is clearly Qui-Gon's student in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Tatooine is ruled by the Hutts in this film, but not in the original trilogy. Although Anakin's mother references Tatooine's twin suns, they're never seen together in the sky.

Clearly, Lucas couldn't have reworked the original films after 20 years to fit all these elements in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Their inclusion here is a sign of his hubris. Why not just be true to the original? Clearly, his desire to make these changes overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience here, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

Possibly the worst of Lucas's new ideas is the Social Darwinist/Nazi race theory concept of a high "midichlorian" count giving rise to greater Force sensitivity. Anakin has a mythic virgin birth due to the midichlorians, a bad twist to the tale when one considers that Lucas could have underscored the horrors of slavery by having Anakin fathered by a freeborn man who exploited Shmi Skywalker's position as a slave. Here, once again, the film fails to foreshadow the lawlessness and unethical evils of the rising Galactic Empire.

STAR WARS isn't sociology, but it's insistence on touching universal themes is what made it so wildly successful. The first trilogy was constructed entirely upon the foundation of our shared collective subconscious. Lucas loses that thread in this film.

The inclusion of the midichlorian factor means that the Jedi are no longer a highly-trained spiritual fraternity. They've become racially superior to the rest of us. If ever he re-edits THE PHANTOM MENACE, the midichlorians must end up on the cutting room floor. Sorry, but as ideas go, this one just stinks.

And speaking of stinks, Lucas also brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians, the Gungans (Ganja, anyone?). Jar-Jar Binks is a technically interesting additional character, being primarily a CGI character; but he adds nothing (and detracts much) from the film with his distracting brainless chatter, clumsiness, and utter stupidity. If Lucas thought that this duckbilled dunce would provide comic relief, he was wrong. See Threepio and Artoo Detoo serve that purpose in the first trilogy and should have continued to do so in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Jar-Jar merely irritates the viewer, particularly given that he appears throughout the film, not just in a few scenes. He's merely filler. As filler, he's a sign that Lucas wasn't imaginative enough to use THE PHANTOM MENACE's screen time to its best advantage by progressing the storyline.

Binks may be the only character ever that inspired a website advocating his destruction, the aptly-named www.Jarjarbinksmustdie.com. What was George Lucas thinking when he gave us the jarring Jar-Jar?

THE PHANTOM MENANCE is uneven and inconsistent and suffers from some poor scriptwriting and too many missed opportunities. These reduce the film, but do not ruin it. Despite its weaknesses and flaws, THE PHANTOM MENACE is a solid THREE STAR effort. It is essential to the telling of the tale, and leaves us considering what's next?

In that regard, THE PHANTOM MENACE is as successful as any film can be. It finally gives us the entertaining and engaging introduction to that long time ago and far away galaxy we've come to know and love.

hmmm...give my baby nephew this i will (smiles).......2007-06-21

yeah its was ok but definetly for the younger kids. i guess it goes along with the theme of Aniken Skywalker is also a kid. the next 2 are much better. there's just too much comic relief in this one for an adult.

I've discovered something revolutionary!.......2007-06-13

Hey, folks! I don't know about you, but I've realized something extraordinary! Yoda is a HERETIC! How is this possible, you may ask? Well, here's how. You see, in this highly-anticipated prequel, Quack-Gonn Jinn explains the force to Anakin Snobbwalker. He explains how the force is really just a bunch of microorganisms (similar to sweat) that live in your cells and boss you around. However, in Episode V, Yoda (who in Episode I looks like a monkey) claims that the force is something that surrounds every living thing (something like that). If Yoda is a heretic, that means he's bad. If he's bad, then why do you see him with the good jedi at the end of Episode VI? Meeesa have bad feelzing about this. Can you guess who meeesa is? Youssa right! Issa meeesa, I'mgonnahityouovertheheadwithajellyjar-jar-Bonks.

I am Qui-Gonn Jinn. I am a stone-faced, mature Jedi Master, yet I enjoy the presence of my friend Jar-Jar-Binks more than my audience.

Jar-Jar - Exqueese me! You saved my life! Meeesa your servant for life!

Qui-Gonn - Yes, Jar-Jar. If I were in my right mind, I would slash you with my lightsaber until I could see the individual atoms that you're made of. However, I'm never in my right mind, so I will bear with your company. What's more, I'll even take you with me, so that everyone aboard my ship will lose their minds when you crack fart jokes every five seconds.

Obi-Wan finally meets Jar-Jar. He would also slash him to pieces; however, that would mean he'd lose Jedi points, because destroying an unarmed creature is against the jedi rule. It's bad enough that Padme likes snobby, most-horrible-actor-in-the-world Anakin, but she likes Bonks. How is that possible? I think Jar-Jar is a Sith! How else could anyone like him, than by using Jedi mind tricks? How else could he not die, when thousands of battle droids are around him and none hear his ridiculous screams?

Finally, we see the villain of the movie! Darth Maul, who is not in it at all! What does he do in the movie? Except for some incredibly awesome lightsaber moves, he rolls his eyes! Probably an addiction he developed when going through the movie's storyline with Lucas.

Who is the hero of the movie?

JOHN WILLIAMS!!!!!!!

Star Wars I.......2007-06-12

I think George Lucas has a wonderful imagination and not afraid to apply that imagination on screen. However, I find it hard to believe a boy that young (Anakin) could manuver a craft like that or for that matter, build one. None the less, I loved it and will watch it over again.

Rita

The best of the new.......2007-06-11

Of the 3 new episodes, this is by far the best one. It has a captivating storyline and never ceases to amaze with the fantastic CGI special effects at every angle. Many die-hard SW fans do not approve of all the CGI, but I believe that feeling goes hand in hand with the fact that they were around when the first SW came out, and that film was "theirs" so to speak and can never be duplicated. Something so magnificent as SW in 1977 must've captivated the mind and created such a frenzy that many opinions will be biased some 30 years later. I was not born yet when the first ones came out, but I'm a fan of all 6 and didn't really understand the SW buzz until I was able to watch the first 3 (newer ones) in succession followed by Episodes IV, V, and VI. Many fans have seen it the other way around, but I find the SW saga to still be enjoyable if you watch them in numerical order.

Of course, as a young buck myself, I will gladly say that Episodes I-III are great. A true treat to eye and a gem in fantasy/sci-fi land if you're in to that type of genre. Lucas could've not created anything better in my eyes. As I stated earlier, many old-school fans don't appreciate the new ones and that's completely understandable. For me and my generation, my Star Wars films were The Lord of the Rings trilogies. For me, I will go to my grave saying that LOTR was and is the best film of the genre. Hopefully they will make more as Tolkien wrote a lot, but I will not appreciate them as much as LOTR. That's just the way it is I guess.

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"My soul is in torment."
I've seen a LOT worse
Another piece of the puzzle...
Star Wars II
me and my stepdad hated this too!

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Christopher Lee , and Samuel L. Jackson
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
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Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00006HBUJ
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Amazon.com

If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga.

Customer Reviews:

"My soul is in torment.".......2007-07-02

It is rarely remembered that the original title to the original STAR WARS novel was STAR WARS: BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LUKE SKYWALKER. Why George Lucas failed to subtitle his prequel trilogy STAR WARS: THE ADVENTURES OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER is a mystery, since that is exactly what he's given us. In point of fact, the six films together are the biography of the rise and fall and rise of Anakin Skywalker. After stretching twenty five minutes of storyline over 125 minutes of celluloid in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, in STAR WARS EPISODE II: THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES Lucas has successfully returned to his original source material, Joseph Campbell's work on myths and archetypes.

Taking place ten Earth years after THE PHANTOM MENACE, CLONES gives us the late adolescent Anakin Skywalker, now a Padawan Apprentice Jedi, and his older (but still young) mentor and teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mythologically, the two are not only The Mentor and Student (Merlin and Arthur), they are also The Twin Companions (Castor and Pollux, Romulus and Remus, Damon and Pythias), as well as being The Rival Brothers (Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Esau and Jacob). Lucas's decision to present these multiply-layered characterizations reflects the complexity of the plot in CLONES, by far the most ambitious of any STAR WARS film.

Anakin (Hayden Christiansen) is the most brilliant and talented Jedi ever, but he is immature, impatient, mercurial, and given to very typical adolescent bouts of angst and anger, all of which foreshadow his looming fate. Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is fast becoming one of the most accomplished Jedi masters. He is stolid, foursquare, reasoned and ultimately unimaginative, being, in the last analysis, unable to restrain his young apprentice.

The conflict between them is reflected on a galactic level. Separatists, led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) are taking star systems out of the Republic by the thousand, and the Jedi are at the forefront of trying to reunite the Republic. An increasingly marginalized Senate has voted Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) vast emergency powers for the duration of the crisis. More Hitler-like than Lincoln-like, the ambitious Palpatine has no intention of relinquishing those powers.

The Separatists have massed a huge army of (less than impressive, silly-looking, easily-destroyed, duck-faced) battle-droids (where are the Stormtroopers in white?) and an even more tremendous army of clones. The outnumbered Republic forces are forced to adopt the Separatist strategy of using droids and clones as well, until the two sides are virtually indistinguishable. What no one but the leadership realizes is that the two sides ARE indistinguishable; in fact, there are no sides. Palpatine is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and Count Dooku is his apprentice Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus. Together, they have machinated the entire war to overthrow the Republic and establish Sith control of the galaxy.

At the center of this maelstrom (both personal and galactic) is Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Her crucial Senatorial vote is courted by the power-hungry Palpatine. Her life is threatened by Count Dooku. Her heart is in the keeping of Anakin, now assigned to protect her. At first resistant to his romantic attentions, the older Padme soon succumbs to the younger Anakin's overwhelming love for her. It is a tragic, jealous love which leaves Anakin's soul in torment and his thoughts consumed with the fear of losing her.

Despite his rigorous Jedi training, Anakin continues to be emotional and impulsive. Seeing his mother, Shmi, tortured in a vision, he returns to Tatooine to rescue her. When she dies in his arms, his rage explodes, and he kills the responsible community of Tusken Raiders down to the babies, his first true step toward the Dark Side of The Force.

Portman is the jewel of the piece as she was in THE PHANTOM MENACE, but Christiansen gives us a surprisingly powerful performance as the profoundly conflicted Anakin. Even his occasional stiffness fits the late-teenage character of Anakin, who like most adolescents does not know who he is or where he is going. Overly pressured by Jedi expectations to be "the Chosen One who will restore balance to The Force," Anakin lacks the maturity and insight to cope with this role thrust upon him too soon, and uses his powers too casually, too carelessly, and even destructively. He clings to the maternal Padme obsessively, and rages that "Obi-Wan is holding me back!" out of jealousy, but left to his own devices, accomplishes little but to confuse himself more. "Young Skywalker is in terrible pain," Yoda tells Master Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) but none of these wise and reverend Jedi seem to have the skill to help him. They can barely help themselves, needing to be rescued from Count Dooku in the end by the clones. Truly, their "ability to use The Force is diminished."

This, the middle, is the best installment of the second trilogy. In terms of story and action, it is on a par with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, also the middle film of the first trilogy. ATTACK OF THE CLONES is also a crucial incremental step in the PARADISE LOST-like story of Anakin, who, like Lucifer, was the brightest of the angels but doomed to fall from heaven and become Satan.

Despite the fineness of this film it was not the critical success it should have been. This reviewer felt an inexplicable, vague sense of unease while watching it. Many others have said the same thing. It was not until a fourth or fifth viewing that the reason for this uneasiness struck home. ATTACK OF THE CLONES was created almost totally with digital filmmaking techniques. Although Digital and CGI have advanced technologically far enough along to give us an appearance of reality, they cannot substitute for reality. Thus, while most of the "inorganic" items in the film have a very real look, and the planetary city of Coruscant is absolutely intriguing to view, many of the "organic" backgrounds, the alien creatures, and sometimes even the droids and the sets, have an artificial feel to them, less seen than sensed, which disturbs we human beings on some visceral level. No matter how "natural" a computer can make a desert rock formation look, a computer is still a binary code machine, and it can only provide a "non-random randomness" to the scene. The stones are just an erg-fraction too sharp-edged, the mist is just a molecule too misty, the fall of the shadows is just a bit too angular, and it all lacks the subtle aliveness of an actual location.

At the end of THE RETURN OF THE JEDI, Lucas celebrated the victory of life over technology; by relying so heavily on special effects in ATTACK OF THE CLONES he undoes that victory.

I've seen a LOT worse.......2007-05-31

Between some of Lucas's questionable dialogue, not to mention the Geonosis C-3PO parts, and Portman's wooden performance, AOTC came way too close to being a disaster. I'm not sure what possessed George to hold back on showing Anakin as the powerful Jedi he was supposed to be but it was a bad decision. Anakin's duel with Dooku should've been better in content & directing. But again, there's few movies I'd rather watch than SW because of the good stuff.

Even though I still question the wisdom of killing off Maul in TPM, I love Dooku. He's the ultimate precise, smug second fiddle. And can you get a better henchman than Jango Fett? I loved the mystery surrounding him & Kamino as well as Geonosis. I get chills everytime I watch the first appearance of the future Stormtroopers. Anakin's first encounter with the Dark Side seemed very natural. It was nice to hear the `Imperial March' theme twice too. It was also a welcome scene to see Yoda go Jedi Master on somebody.

Another piece of the puzzle..........2007-05-25

Okay, I'm tired of all these people coming on here and complaining about how they hated this movie. The people who don't like the Prequel Trilogy are really missing out on the deeper and complete meaning of the Star Wars saga. They have to remember that this trilogy is set in a different era than Episodes 4, 5, and 6. This is the era of the Republic and the Jedi Order, which aren't present in 4, 5, and 6 because they were destroyed by the rise of Palpatine's Empire at the end of Episode 3. Episode 2 is very important because here we see Anakin's character development. Crucial events occur that will lead up to him turning to the dark side. The death of Anakin's mother, his marriage to Padme, and his friendship with Obi-Wan, as well as Anakin's strained relationship with the Jedi Council are all extremely important elements in the saga. Also present is Palpatine's manipulation and deception of politics in the galaxy and the guise of his grandfatherly-like relationship with Anakin. We need to see all these things in order to understand the story better. Star Wars is the story of Anakin Skywalker told in six episodes, and each one is important, because the story would be incomplete and not make sense if one episode was missing. This is a great movie, just like the other five. Any true fan of Star Wars would know that.

Star Wars II.......2007-05-17

This film fits in beautifully to the entire Star Wars saga. The acting is excellent -- the characters feel real as well as larger than life. As in all of the Star Wars movies, the special effects are breathtaking and fit seamlessly into the action.

me and my stepdad hated this too!.......2007-05-16

it was boring. I don't like anakin because he was mean and was stupid all the time. My stepdad and me saw part 1 and hated it, but my stepdad said we should see part 2 just in case it was better, and it wasn't! It was even worst than part 1! My stepdad swore at the movie because it was so bad! The story was this: anakin and his girlfriend get involved in bad people then there is a war and some people get hurt. ObiWan does stuff and it reveals things about robots. I wasn't really paying attention cuz it was so boring. There is JarJar too and he was funny. There was also Yoda and an old man who fought and that was funny because the old man was old and could barely keep up with Yoda! I think Yoda beat him up. I wouldn't recommend this movie though because it was lame and didn't have enough cool stuff to make my stepdad and me interested. The whole movie was very stupid and confusing and you should see SpiderMan 3 instead!

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC
Star wars Fanatic
what a load of garbage
George Lucas's "Hail Mary Pass" Redeems The Prequels
Great movie!

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Ahmed Best , David Bowers (II) , Silas Carson , Keisha Castle-Hughes , and Hayden Christensen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

ASIN: B000ANNM4S
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

The Star Wars Family Tree (click for larger image)

But then it all changes.

Star Wars Time Line (click for larger image)

Description

Customer Reviews:

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC.......2007-06-29

Star wars Fanatic.......2007-06-26

what a load of garbage.......2007-05-30

George Lucas's "Hail Mary Pass" Redeems The Prequels.......2007-05-30

Great movie!.......2007-05-14

I liked this the best of Star Wars episodes I-III. I was, honestly, disappiointed in Episode I, but they got better, and I believe this Episode is consistent with IV-VI.

Average customer rating:

Dune: epic classic, timeless, powerful...
Loved it, but really want the extra-long version.
I don't know why I like this, I just do-
I liked it then and I still like it now, more than ever...
Before there was Star Wars

Dune
Starring: Francesca Annis , Leonardo Cimino , Brad Dourif , José Ferrer , and Linda Hunt
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007PAMR4
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Amazon.com

Even more than most of David Lynch's deliberately bizarre and idiosyncratic movies, Dune is a "love-it-or-hate-it" affair. An ambitious, epic, utterly mind-boggling--and, let's admit it, all-out weird--adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel, Dune remains one of the most controversial films in the director's exceedingly provocative career. The story (if Dune can be said to have just one story) is complex and convoluted in the epic tradition; it has

Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Usul Muad'Dib Atreides

something to do with political intrigue and a planet that is home to a precious spice and gigantic sand worms. Think Shakespeare's Henry IV with a dash of Tremors, and set in another galaxy. But despite plenty of strangely whispered voice-overs that explain the characters' thoughts (and endlessly detailed exposition), storytelling is not really among the film's strong points. There are, however, a lot of memorably fantastic/grotesque images, an extraordinary cast, and a soundtrack featuring Toto. I told you it was weird. Among the stars are Kyle MacLachlan, José Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Brad Dourif, Sting, Kenneth McMillan, Patrick

Sting as Feyd-Rautha

Stewart, Sean Young, and Linda Hunt. --Jim Emerson

DVD features
Melange fans have a lot to be excited about with this impressive edition of Dune, though the "Extended Edition" label is a bit misleading. If you are expecting the mythic 4 hour "David Lynch preferred" version that is rumored to be sitting in a vault, don't get your hopes up. This isn't it. In an attempt to quickly sober spice-fueled giddy fans, producer Raffaella De Laurentiis (daughter of Dino De Laurentiis) immediately reveals in the 'Deleted Scenes' introduction that the rumored 4 hour version is just that; a rumor. What this DVD set does contain is the 2 Hour 17 Minute original theatrical release digitally remastered, available for the first time in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 surround sound. The presentation on this edition is a drastic improvement from the original letterboxed release. On the flipside of the DVD

Knife fight!

is the alternate 2 hour 57 minute version cut for television. As many fans know, this 'extended' version was disowned by Lynch, who insisted his name be replaced by that famous Hollywood pseudonym "Alan Smithee;" the name used by directors whose film was taken away and recut against their wishes. There is some new material in the 14 minutes of deleted scenes offering a bit more background into the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, the Kwisatz Haderach prophecy and the Fremen culture and their struggle. All other extras focus on the international production crew of Dune including the design team, special effects, and short documentaries on the miniature models and wardrobe designs. Disappointingly, there are no appearances in the bonus features by any of the original cast or Lynch himself. However, many of the production crew members talk openly about working with David Lynch and his artistic involvement in the visual process. To cap it off, this edition comes in a very stylish and sturdy DVD tin that opens like a keep case. --Rob Bracco

Further Explore the World Of Dune

Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1)

Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2)

Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 3)

Sci-Fi Action Films on DVD

The Dune TV Series

David Lynch Essentials

Customer Reviews:

Dune: epic classic, timeless, powerful..........2007-06-20

For all those cheese-balls who criticized "Dune" when it came out in 1984, you're a bunch of goobs! I've read all the books, especially the first two books several times. It is a complicated environmental, political, religious, mythological masterpiece from Frank Herbert. The movie was poorly-received in theatres because most folks that went to see it back in the day couldn't stand to sit for more than two hours, never read the books (they are heady and complex), and didn't make much of an attempt to really get into the movie. Likewise, due to having shot way too long a movie, the DiLaurentiis folks had to edit the movie hardcore so it left some gaps.

All-in-all, I was eleven years old when I saw this movie back in the 80's an I understood it just fine. I came to grasp it even more as I read the novels.

The movie is basically about royal families competing against one another for a substance known as "the spice," which represents crude oil on earth. The fremen are a parallel-Muslim-type culture that lives in the desert where the "oil" or "spice" is harvested. Complex politics and intrigue are everywhere.

The acting is SUPERB! Kyle MacLachlan was the best choice is the world to play Paul, Sting was perfect as Feyd, good ole' Kenneth MacMillan was the GREATEST Baron Harkonnen ever, and overall there was an excellent international cast. The costumes, backdrops, scenery, and TOTO SOUNDTRACK were all unforgettable. I'm a huge Toto fan anyway (saw 'em in concert recently)...David Paich, the keyboardist and main songwriter for Toto delivered some music that will give you goose pimples.

I like this extended edition because it shows deleted scenes that add SO MUCH to this movie!!

Dune is quirky at times with some whispering and drawn-out scenes but in general it is so much fun, so heady, so vast, and despite the wild fantasy world we see in it, it seems believable at times. Fun trip. Worth every penny....

It's worth the spice to buy!

Loved it, but really want the extra-long version........2007-06-15

Loved it, but really want the extra-long version.

I don't know why I like this, I just do-.......2007-05-11

I am a huge fan of the entire Dune legacy. The films, the mini series... books (Frank Herbert's- haven't read the son's yet because it always tics me off when something good is dragged out long after the originator is gone... who knows if these books were part of Frank's vision- BUT I digress)

Where was I, oh yeah. Love Dune. Though this version is not true to the book, it has some true merit. You have to remember that it is from the 80s and forgive the effects, but if you are looking for sort of a cliff notes version of the storyline, this is it. Just don't watch it in place the book and go to a book club thinking you know the story.

Besides, you get to see all sorts of actors much younger than they are now, Patrick Stewart, Kyle M, Sting, and that dude from Quantam Leap just to name a few.

Good movie fodder to watch, and who cares what happens next- for he is the Kwisatz Haderach.

I liked it then and I still like it now, more than ever..........2007-05-11

David Lynch's vision and take on Dune may not compare to the book from which it is taken, but as a stand alone movie, both in its theatrical, as well as in its lengthened (directed by Alan Smithee...) version, are a product that can be considered valid.

The story is there, in its essence, the characters are there, although not really all as in the Novel, but then there is really no need for all of them, since it would just complicate an already intricate storyline.

Suffice it to say that this movie, even after all these many years, can still stand a comparison with newer Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies.
The style, the actors, the music and the scenery alone, lend it an aura of mythical proportions and this makes it far more than just another "cult" movie, but rather the vision of a true artist, confronted with a vision of another artist and mixing his own to the latter, and in this, David Lynch truly excels.

The cast includes a very young Kyle MacLachlan, masters of the trade, such as Max von Sydow, Juergen Prochnow, Patrick Stewart, Sian Phillips, Jose Ferrer, Freddie Jones and many others, whose talents are undisputed to give life to so bigger-than-life characters.

For the first time ever, we get both "takes" on the movie on a single, double-sided disc. One, as mentioned before, the Theatrical version, and the second, the lengthened TV version of the same, in 2.35:1 ratio and in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo.

For the price this is a well worthy buy, unless you already own an HD-DVD Player, in which case you may also opt to have that copy, but be warned, that copy only includes the theatrical version.

Before there was Star Wars.......2007-04-15

Some fun facts:
Dune was written and published in 1965
Star Wars was released in 1978
Dune the movie was released in 1984

I first saw Star Wars in the theaters in 1978 and became hooked to the series.
I never watched Dune or read it until recently and this is my take on the whole thing.

When I sat down and watched Dune I was surprised by the cheap sets and poor special effects. Star Wars had this movie beat hands down.
However, when it comes to the story of Dune: it is a great and amazing plot and adventure. I can now see where George Lucas was inspired for Star Wars.

As far as this DVD it has lots of hours of entertainment. You just have to get past some of the cheesy sets and filming.

All in all its a good DVD to have in your collection.

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"My soul is in torment."
I've seen a LOT worse
Another piece of the puzzle...
Star Wars II
me and my stepdad hated this too!

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Christopher Lee , and Samuel L. Jackson
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00006HBUI
Release Date: 2005-03-22

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