I have quite the weakness for good stage/screen combat. I’ve seen it up close, and I know how much work goes into making it work. This…is not that. Still, if you don’t make it to the scene with Lucas himself, you’re missing out.
Thanks to Felicia for a good giggle.
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unbound
March 29, 2012 at 10:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Very nice. You would have thought for as much money was spent on that movie that the choreography would be a bit less obvious…
jamessweet
March 29, 2012 at 10:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
As pointed out in Mr. Plinkett’s epic reviews* of the Star Wars prequels, the fight choreography in the originals was even worse… but in the originals, the fight scenes weren’t about the choreography, they were about what was happening. Ben Kenobi’s final duel with Vader wasn’t about what bad-asses they both were (and good thing, because they look like a couple of grandpas waving their shuffleboard sticks around), it was about the teacher reconfronting his prodigal student, it was about Kenobi’s death and his acceptance that he would die.
You can say the same thing about all of the other light saber duels in the original: there was an important and emotional subtext to them. The subtext of the duel in this video? “Holy shit, that dude has a DOUBLE LIGHT SABER!” Yawn…
* Rape trigger warning if you happen to Google the Plinkett reviews and watch them. They are both hilarious and insightful, but the “reviewer” character is also a serial killer. I did not link because I imagine many readers of this blog would find those parts of the reviews in such bad taste that they would not be able to appreciate the rest of it. Be forewarned.
KathyO
March 29, 2012 at 12:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
When I first saw this fight seen, I thought, ‘that’s the worst two-on-one ever! Why do the Jedis only attack when the Sith is facing them? They suck at this!’
OK, in our tae kwan do club, we do mostly let our opponents face us when we attack in two-on-ones. But we’re all friends! I wouldn’t do it that way if I were really trying to kill someone.
eric
March 29, 2012 at 1:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
All IMO, but…
Choreography is a bit of a moot point, since realistic fights with such weapons would probably last a few seconds at most.
The complaint “at second 15, X’s boot misses Y’s face by a mile” misses main gaffe, which is that there shouldn’t be a second 15.
kagekiri
March 29, 2012 at 1:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Possible geek excuse: “Maybe it was a Force kick; no contact required!”
lrah
March 29, 2012 at 3:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
lrah
March 29, 2012 at 4:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just in case anyone wants to see: One of the worst fight scenes I can remember off the top of my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a72l3KQHw20&feature=relmfu
It starts at 3:25 or thereabouts. I’d recommend the show in general, if sort-of mediaeval murder mysteries strike your fancy, but that fight is soul-crushingly terrible.
It makes about as much sense as the above lightsaber battle, and is so awkward to look at it makes me cringe every time.