If you
will recall from my review of "Star
Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones", I
thought it was one of the best of the franchise, and had nothing but
good things to say about it. I still feel exactly the same
way. It was a masterpiece and a joy to watch. Alas, it
loses something on the jump from regular screen to IMAX screen.
What
does it lose, you might ask? Well, not size. The
characters are larger than life and the action sequences are
stunning to watch. Nor does it lose sound. The speakers
in the IMAX theatre where I watched the film were so loud, they just
about gave me a headache. What it lost was, well, time.
That's right--nearly twenty minutes has been trimmed off the
original version of the film, and that is just outrageous to me.
Why trim such a great film. I know, I know--people can sit and
watch an IMAX picture for extended amounts of time, but I don't
think twenty minutes would have made that much of a difference.
Which
scenes are missing? The scene in which Obi-Wan is in the
archives looking for the planet of Camino has been taken out.
Almost every scene involving Bail Ortega (Jimmy Smits) has been
removed. And, the film seems like a ninety-minute long picture
when, in actuality, it was much longer in regular theatres. I
was infuriated that George Lucas had given the OK to trim the film,
since he is suppose to be all about 'vision' and 'creativity'.
George, you have disappointed me for the first, and hopefully last,
time.
The
entire advertising campaign for the IMAX version centers around
Yoda's fight scene at the end of the film. The posters say,
"Size matters not" and show the little guy wielding a
light saber. OK--what about those people who haven't seen the
film--those avid "Star Wars" fanatics who had emergencies
come up, thus preventing them from catching it in the theatres.
When they see the poster, they are going to automatically know that
Yoda turns Jackie Chan at the end. How big of a spoiler and
let down will that be? Do they not deserve the same surprise
we had when we first saw it?
All in
all, "Star
Wars Episode II" does not translate well to IMAX
screens. Let me rephrase--if they hadn't trimmed the film and
hadn't spoiled the ending, it would have been exceptional.
Well--could've, would've, should've---I guess.
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