Am I the only one NOT buying TPM? (1 Viewer)

[Edwin-S]

---Therefore, 1950's Destination Moon, outdated though it may be, still qualifies as SF. Star Wars never did. But, of course, the Star Wars films are fantasy.)---
Of course, the writer of a fantasy involving space could have at least done some basic research to ensure he was using proper terminology. "Destination Moon" has an excuse for any inaccuracy due to the use of best knowledge at the time. The incorrect use of terminology in "STAR WARS" doesn't have much of an excuse because the knowledge of orbital mechanics was well known at the time the film was written. He could have used..."we have achieved high orbit" or "Death Star now in Geosynchronous orbit. Orders?". The preceding dialogue does not sound as immediate as "orbiting at maximum velocity" but even a space fantasy should try to be accurate when depicting an activity which has been scientifically validated. In other words, being classified as a "fantasy" should not be considered a valid excuse for lazy research. Would you not agree?
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[JasonRH]

I wanted to like TPM but couldn't make myself. I saw it in the theater and came away disappointed. I later thought I may have been expecting too much from it and bought it on VHS to give it another chance (should have rented it first, I know.) I watched it on VHS and came away even more let down. I then ended up giving the tape away since I knew I would never watch it again and was disgusted that I spent even more money on this film. I guess I could have just said NO, I WON'T BE BUYING IT!
I'm not a fan of kids' acting but they can be much better than Jake Lloyd - aweful. With regard to content, scenes such as the one where he is pressing all kinds of buttons inside that ship and luckily destroying everything were ridiculous.

 

[JasonRH]

I meant AWFUL, with regard to the kid's acting - not AWEful. That would make my post pretty contradictory, wouldn't it???

 

[Brian Lawrence]

"Being the Star Wars fanboy that I am, I must point out your ignorance. The usage of 'parsec' in A New Hope refers to the Kessel Run. The Kessel Run, in the Star Wars universe, is a smuggling run through a particularly dangerous field of stars and other gravitic anomalies, if I remember correctly. The reason the running of it is measured in distance, not time..."
I'm no scientist but it hardly matters, Lucas admitted it was a mistake a long time ago. I not sure but I believe it was somewhere on the LD Definitive Collection. It was either Lucas or Kurtz that was talking about how they avoided using scientific terms in the film and how the one time they did (Parsec) they got burned.

 

[Jim A. Banville]

Add me to the list of the disappointed.
I'd like a "cliff notes" version of the film. Just the basic "key" story shots and all the "action" shots Sort of like an extended trailer!

 

[Kami]

Acting was awful, the whole story was pretty awful, but the movie is fun and it's perfect for showing off your HT system -- that is why I'm buying it. I've been known to buy some titles just for the audio quality (i.e. the haunting dts, titan a.e., etc.) and I'm sure I'm not alone on this one

 

[RobertR]

even a space fantasy should try to be accurate when depicting an activity which has been scientifically validated. In other words, being classified as a "fantasy" should not be considered a valid excuse for lazy research. Would you not agree?

I agree, Edwin. As it is, "orbiting at maximum velocity" tells us that the Death Star is either traveling at its maximum velocity (in which case it can't maintain an orbit), or, if we go with an alternative explanation, it's skimming the surface of the planet.
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[RobertR]

I'm not a fan of kids' acting but they can be much better than Jake Lloyd - aweful.

One need only look at the brilliant Haley Joel Osment (in the hands of a brilliant director) in A.I. to see what you're talking about, Jason. Talk about a dramatic (in every sense of the word) difference.
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[JasonRH]

RobertR,
I never saw A.I but that kid is a MUCH better actor.

 

[DaveF]

quote: The preceding dialogue does not sound as immediate as "orbiting at maximum velocity" but even a space fantasy should try to be accurate when depicting an activity which has been scientifically validated.[/quote]All this banter about "scientific accuracy" is pretty amusing, when we're talking about a "sci-fi" movie where the speed of light is roughly 135 mph. This estimate is based on the visible appearance of lasers from gun to target. Light, as we know it, is too fast to be seen traversing the course. However, in the Star Wars universe it appears to be much slower than today. Perhaps the luminiferous ether was much more viscous "A long time ago..."
So, no, I don't get worried about "scientific" accuracy in a fantasy movie. Besides, "orbiting at maximum velocity" sounds better dramatically than "We have reached the velocity required for scientifically accurate geosynchronous orbit, within 0.13% error, as computed from eq. 15-40 in Halliday & Resnick's 3rd edition of _Fundamentals of Physics_ (p346)."
(edit: lest anyone accuse /me/ of not doing my research, the equation I referenced is for orbital angular momentum, from my long-unused undergrad physics book. )
[Edited last by DaveF on October 14, 2001 at 06:25 PM]

 

[RobertR]

How about doing a little research and simply saying "approaching the rebel base as quickly as possible", Dave?
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[James D S]

I just saw a commercial for the TPM DVD and they make sure to point out that several scenes were finished and added to the collection. My question is this, why are we supposed to get all worked up about scenes that weren't good enough to make it into a movie frought with scenes that should have been left out? These must be real gems!

 

[Edwin-S]

---- "We have reached the velocity required for scientifically accurate geosynchronous orbit, within 0.13% error, as computed from eq. 15-40 in Halliday & Resnick's 3rd edition of _Fundamentals of Physics_ (p346)." ----

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[KennyWayne]

True TPM did do little for the series. Yes it was a kiddie movie. However the special effects were second to none. I have the VHS version. More over I will not purchase the dvd. Simply put! It is not worth buying. They should be giving it away for the wasted time we spent watching it in theaters.

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

The special effects were second to many, IMHO.
Anyway, I just spent the rest of the year's DVD budget on Monty Python's Flying Circus, so TPM will probably be on my Christmas list.
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Andrew Hamm's new album Link Removed is available now!

 

[Kevin McCorry]

About the Death Star and orbital speed around Yavin. There's
a bigger plot flaw here. If the Death Star is capable of
destroying a planet and Yavin is blocking its shot at
the Rebel moon of Yavin, why not just destroy Yavin? The effect of that would surely wipe out all life on the moons, and if the Empire wanted to then finish the Rebels off for sure, it could then destroy the Rebel moon as well.
[Edited last by Kevin McCorry on October 14, 2001 at 09:07 AM]

 

[Dave Barth]

To answer the thread title without reading the thread from front to end, no, sir or madam, you are not the only one passing up TPM.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Well. Current numbers estimate that DVD players are now in 20-25 million homes. Phantom Menace will be very very lucky to sell 1/4th of that number. Thus the number of people NOT buying Phantom Menace should blow away the number of people who ARE buying it
So to answer Stuart's question. No you are not alone on this one, as there will most likely be about another 15-20 million people who also will not be buying this dvd.

 

[stewart borland]

Hey - absolutely WAY off topic ... but can I just say wow!
I've never posted a topic that has generated anything even close to 117 replies

I read other threads and think 'what a reaction!' - I usually get half a dozen

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stewart

 

[Steve Tack]

If the Death Star is capable of destroying a planet and Yavin is blocking its shot at the Rebel moon of Yavin, why not just destroy Yavin? The effect of that would surely wipe out all life on the moons, and if the Empire wanted to then finish the Rebels off for sure, it could then destroy the Rebel moon as well.

Easy one. The Empire's most popular Krispy Kreme was on Yavin, so if Tarkin gave that order, there'd be hell to pay. Darth Vader wouldn't care too much (donuts make him hyper), but the Emperor is not as forgiving, I've heard.