# Star Wars Episode II review up (7 years later)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 4, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905 "2010-04-04T14:09:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/21 "2010-04-05T11:53:42Z")

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Thank you SO MUCH for linking this. I nearly died laughing and I’m going through and watching all his other videos now. This guy’s fucking hilarious.

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/22 "2010-04-05T16:32:48Z")

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Fortunately, almost all the serial killer shtick is at the end of each portion, so it’s easy to skip.

Good observations (natch) and fun use of “Strangers in the Night”

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**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/23 "2010-04-05T17:01:41Z")

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> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Does anybody else think he sounds like StrongBad?

Yes!!

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**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/24 "2010-04-05T17:25:59Z")

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> [@pedescribe](#):
>
> Even if you don’t want to watch 90 minutes, watch Part 7.

The best bit is actually in Part 9, when he’s wrapping the whole thing up by explaining how the prequels reflect a fundamental lack of understanding by Lucas of his own most-successful creation. The cuts from Episode II scenes to ESB-Yoda shaking his head sadly are _gold_.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/25 "2010-04-05T17:49:59Z")

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Yeah, it’s funny in parts, but most of the time when I laughed, I was laughing at how awful Lucas is at storytelling. The whole thing made me sad.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/26 "2010-04-05T18:20:56Z")

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> [@garygnu](#):
>
> Yeah, it’s funny in parts, but most of the time when I laughed, I was laughing at how awful Lucas is at storytelling. The whole thing made me sad.

It is kind of sad and you can tell(especially in the Star Trek reviews) that the guy behind these, whose name is Mike Stoklasa, really loves Star Trek and Star Wars.

He seems to really care for the Next Generation show, which is why the movies are such a let down. He also seems to think Empire Strikes back is really excellent, which makes the new ones seem so bad. I think he’s right that if Lucas had his way with Empire and Return of the Jedi, they would have been way worse.

Empire is the best because George had the least control and input. That, and Irvin Kirschner could really…you know, direct a movie, which George can not.

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**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/27 "2010-04-05T19:23:10Z")

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I especially loved the Samuel L. Jackson stuff (part 6), and the segment at about 5 mins. into the last part where he cuts back and forth between yoda from ESB speaking profoundly about the mystique of the force, and the painful midichlorian crap.

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**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/28 "2010-04-05T21:27:55Z")

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His Star Trek reviews are funny, but they don’t hold up very well. You can pick apart every movie ever made the way he does. A lot of the stuff he gripes about is stuff that is explained in the movie. Taken scene by scene the way he does though, he comes across as more right than he really is.

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/29 "2010-04-05T21:56:42Z")

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> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#):
>
> His Star Trek reviews are funny, but they don’t hold up very well. You can pick apart every movie ever made the way he does. A lot of the stuff he gripes about is stuff that is explained in the movie. Taken scene by scene the way he does though, he comes across as more right than he really is.

His Trek reviews seem pretty mired in continuity issues with the TV show and fall more in the hardcore nitpicky category.

But his SW reviews are more about general principles of storytelling, audience identification, motivation, and some basic narrative construction issues, so hold up much better without being too wonky fanboy-ish.

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**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/30 "2010-04-05T21:59:49Z")

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> [@ArchiveGuy](#):
>
> His Trek reviews seem pretty mired in continuity issues with the TV show and fall more in the hardcore nitpicky category.
> 
> But his SW reviews are more about general principles of storytelling, audience identification, motivation, and some basic narrative construction issues, so hold up much better without being too wonky fanboy-ish.

Agreed, and I will point out that in the case of some of the Trek movies, most notably _First Contact_, it’s not actually that bad of a movie. So if you’re going to do a lengthy critique and only mention the stuff that bugs you (which is his schtick) then you’re going to wind up talking a lot about nitpicky stuff, because the actual construction and plot are relatively solid. At least when compared with a steaming pile like _The Phantom Menace_.

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/31 "2010-04-05T23:08:07Z")

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> [@pedescribe](#):
>
> What’s nice, though, is that he always sticks it at the end now, so you can basically skip all the serial killer parts if you want.

It wasn’t too bad before, just the odd reference to using Raid to gas a hooker in your wallspace etc. Stretched out a little more, it just isn’t funny and he could probably do a pretty good job of letting us know why.

The meat of the reviews is pretty good, it sounds like he could probably cover a little bit of night schooling in film making for amateurs.

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**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/32 "2010-04-06T00:39:09Z")

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I’m not a fangirl of SW, but I’ve seen them all a bunch of times, own them all. I like how his critiques are still approachable for someone like me who generally can’t name the spacecrafts and minor characters, but has some minor emotional investment in the series.

I was in a foul mood yesterday and 90 minutes of that was JUST what I needed.

I think my favorite part was when he was talking about how Amidala as a senator could have affairs and he goes all creepily “Yeah… EDWARDS STYLE!” and John Edwards grinning face is floating by.

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**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/33 "2010-04-06T03:52:21Z")

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GRRR!

I can’t get to part one cuz of “copyright” infringement.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/34 "2010-04-06T03:59:07Z")

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> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#):
>
> GRRR!
> 
> I can’t get to part one cuz of “copyright” infringement.

Where are you? The thing is on Youtube.

😕

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**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/35 "2010-04-06T04:47:50Z")

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> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> Where are you? The thing is on Youtube.
> 
> 😕

Youtube took it down because of a copyright infringement claim by cartoon network. I guess he used some cartoon network footage inappropriately.

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**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/36 "2010-04-06T05:08:53Z")

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That’s weird. I watched part 1 earlier and there weren’t any cartoons in it that I’m aware of. There were some clips of the same George Lucas documentary he used in the Phantom Menace review, clips from the Star Wars movies (obviously), and then clips from like, The Last Starfighter, a Star Trek movie, and Ghostbusters. Maybe a couple others in there too, but definitely no cartoons.

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**Author:** ![Reverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/37 "2010-04-06T05:22:47Z")

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Apparently another Youtube user uploaded part 1 to his own account and then flagged the original for copyright infringement or something.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/38 "2010-04-06T18:43:08Z")

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Wouldn’t this be considered commentary and criticism? Or is it too long?

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**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/39 "2010-04-06T18:57:54Z")

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Man, I loved his Episode 1 review, but this one wasn’t nearly as well crafted and the serial killer bits were too intrusive and predictable. It was much better when they were incorporated randomly for short lengths of period. And all of the flashbacks to Star Trek this time seemed very contrived, almost as if he were out of ideas.

I still enjoyed it, even if I didn’t laugh out loud once, unlike his hilarious Episode 1 review.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-ii-review-up-7-years-later/534905/40 "2010-04-06T19:14:17Z")

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> [@Red\_Barchetta](#):
>
> Man, I loved his Episode 1 review, but this one wasn’t nearly as well crafted and the serial killer bits were too intrusive and predictable. It was much better when they were incorporated randomly for short lengths of period. And all of the flashbacks to Star Trek this time seemed very contrived, almost as if he were out of ideas.

All his flashbacks to Star Trek? Do you mean the guy in the background who asks questions? Just that or were there more?

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