'Star Wars' Fans Stay Up Late To Be First
Early Reviews Of 'Clones' Are Mixed
POSTED: 9:27 a.m. PDT May 16, 2002
UPDATED: 9:48 a.m. PDT May 16, 2002
Theater operators are expecting an even bigger "Star Wars" rush later today after an initial siege to theaters for the midnight debut of "Episode II."
Thousands of dedicated fans in the Sacramento area and across the nation turned out for midnight debut screenings of "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."
The screening might have had a larger turnout if the debut had not been limited to select technologically advanced theaters. "Clones" opened on fewer screens because director George Lucas was choosy about locations, insisting on top-of-the-line theaters with digital sound.
The film is playing on about 6,000 screens in more than 3,100 theaters nationally. The movie also opened in about 75 nations around the world.
"Clones" isn't expected to surpass the U.S. box office debut of "Spider-Man" two weeks ago. That movie, which opened on about 7,500 screens, took in nearly $115 million in its record-smashing first three days.
Some groups had been camping out for weeks to make sure they'd get tickets. Some fans planned to miss work today to stay up.
The parking lot at a Laguna area theater was full of cars at 2:30 a.m.
Those leaving the movie were mostly positive about their experience.
"It made a really strong impression as far as dark side, good side," fan Aaron Zacharion said.
"Yoda's in the fight scene, that's the best part of the movie," an unidentified fan said.
Force Or Farce?
The second prequel to the "Star Wars" trilogy, "Episode II" picks up 10 years after the events of the ill-received "Episode I" -- with Hayden Christensen ("Life as a House") assuming the pivotal role of Anakin Skywalker. And while the first episode's critically lambasted digital character Jar-Jar Binks is reduced to a minor role in "Episode II," critics have found enough other reasons to shoot down the film.
In early reviews reported on the Internet Movie Database, notices have been mixed at best. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly said the movie exhibits "a chill, conservative grimness of purpose, rather than an excited thrill at the possibilities of cinematic storytelling," while Roger Friedman of FoxNews online said that the film had "enormous faults," including "hideous dialogue, bad plotting and infomercial-grade acting."
New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott was just as scathing, saying that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas "seems to have lost his boyish glee." He also wrote "as the effects have grown more intricate and realistic, their ability to yield pleasure and astonishment has diminished."
Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who praised "Episode I," was not so forgiving. "I was amazed, at the end of 'Episode II' to realize that I had not heard one line of quotable, memorable dialogue," Ebert wrote. He also said that the "images, however magnificently conceived, did not have the impact they deserved."
Lucas: No Hang-Ups
Good reviews or bad, none of it will matter to die-hard "Star Wars" fans. That is evidenced by "Episode I's" astounding box office take, over $431 million at the North American box office alone, despite negative reactions to the film from the fans. Still, despite the fans devotion, Lucas isn't concerned about what the fans think about his "Star Wars" films, and it does not influence his storytelling.
In an interview posted on the Internet Movie Database Wednesday, Lucas said, "I'm able to tell the story the way it's meant to be told, and I don't have to listen to what (studio) market research does. They would be listening to the fans -- and these people think you should be doing this, and these people think you should have that character in there.
"These (stories) are not put together by a marketing department," Lucas continued. "They're purely sort of a creative act that was created to tell a great story."
No matter the reaction to the film, no matter the box office, "Episode II" will still make film history. It was the first movie to be shot entirely on digital video, forgoing the tradition means of film. Theaters are slowly catching up to the idea, as only 60 screens throughout the country will be converted to project the film digitally.
Perhaps the biggest reason is cost. To display a film digitally, the price tag is $150,000 for the projector, and another $200,000 for the distribution system.
Oh, for those who are wondering already, the yet un-subtitled "Star Wars: Episode III" will open on May 25, 2005. Get your tents ready, and may the force be with you.
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New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott was just as scathing, saying that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas "seems to have lost his boyish glee." He also wrote "as the effects have grown more intricate and realistic, their ability to yield pleasure and astonishment has diminished."
Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who praised "Episode I," was not so forgiving. "I was amazed, at the end of 'Episode II' to realize that I had not heard one line of quotable, memorable dialogue," Ebert wrote. He also said that the "images, however magnificently conceived, did not have the impact they deserved."
Lucas: No Hang-Ups
Good reviews or bad, none of it will matter to die-hard "Star Wars" fans. That is evidenced by "Episode I's" astounding box office take, over $431 million at the North American box office alone, despite negative reactions to the film from the fans. Still, despite the fans devotion, Lucas isn't concerned about what the fans think about his "Star Wars" films, and it does not influence his storytelling.
In an interview posted on the Internet Movie Database Wednesday, Lucas said, "I'm able to tell the story the way it's meant to be told, and I don't have to listen to what (studio) market research does. They would be listening to the fans -- and these people think you should be doing this, and these people think you should have that character in there.
"These (stories) are not put together by a marketing department," Lucas continued. "They're purely sort of a creative act that was created to tell a great story."
No matter the reaction to the film, no matter the box office, "Episode II" will still make film history. It was the first movie to be shot entirely on digital video, forgoing the tradition means of film. Theaters are slowly catching up to the idea, as only 60 screens throughout the country will be converted to project the film digitally.
Perhaps the biggest reason is cost. To display a film digitally, the price tag is $150,000 for the projector, and another $200,000 for the distribution system.
Oh, for those who are wondering already, the yet un-subtitled "Star Wars: Episode III" will open on May 25, 2005. Get your tents ready, and may the force be with you.Copyright 2002 by TheKCRAChannel and The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
