Primer for The Avengers

The release of Marvel's big crossover film, The Avengers, is coming out this week.  Now, despite what AMC Theaters would have you to believe, there is a chronological viewer order that differs from the release order.  This post lists the Marvel films in that order, with all information needed to watch The Avengers.  

REVISED ON 06/15/13

The Great Actor Migration

I've noticed a lot of established feature film actors appearing in television shows lately.  This is a little unusual given that Hollywood films are usually considered the top tier of prestige and status, not to mention paychecks.  For most of Hollywood history, many actors would become famous or at least established on television before transitioning to the big screen.  Very rarely would they go the other way around.  Here are some examples of big screen actors who have appeared as regular cast members on prime time television shows in the last couple years:

The Adventures of Tintin

No, this is not a late review of the over-the-top, Oscar-snubbed,  animated Spielberg film.  I'm looking into the 1990's animated series that I watched as a kid and which recently became available on Netflix streaming.  This was a pretty bold kids' show that, inspired by the source material, had to toe the line of what was appropriate for young viewers.  To date, it's also been the most accurate video adaptation of the comics.  

The Conspiracy Syndrome

I've watched a number of crime dramedies on television and I've noticed that each one tries to include some sort of larger recurring mystery and/or conspiracy to hook the audience.  What I find interesting is that the recurring mystery is rarely the reason for their ratings.  Most often it's characters, humor, and the mysteries of the week that attract viewers.   So, why do producers continually write one in and what effect does it have on the show itself?  Let's take a look. 

The Box Office Games

The Hunger Games, fresh off it's opening weekend, has scored very well at the box office, especially considering it being the first film in its series.  The film is a perfect formula for modern Hollywood producers and audiences.  The action, romance, and topical themes from the novel bring in a wide audience and there are equally successful sequels ready to go.  Furthermore, the story makes for easy catering to popular cinematography and editing practice that succeed in telling the story without excessive creative effort (which also means a quicker production time).  The downside of all this is various issues that happen in page-to-screen adaptation.  Themes and morals from the novel are glazed over in favor of action and the larger story of the whole trilogy.  In the end it all worked; the film scored well in both B.O. receipts and critical reception.  

The Phantom Menace Indeed

No, I haven't seen it yet, but the numbers are finally in and in its opening weekend, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D rated number 4 at the Box Office.  The film (in its second theatrical release) came in during the lower competition season and, while it no doubt drew a few more people to theaters than normal, I'm afraid it may be a small beginning of what will turn into a larger issue. 

Lost TV of the 21st Century

Probably one of the most influential sci-fi shows of the 2000's was ABC's Lost (2004-2010).  The success of the series (along with Battlestar Galactica) gave rise to serialized shows and spawned a number of imitators, most of which were unable to capitalize on its elements.  Despite the praise, the show had a number of flaws (including, but not limited to, the ending) and the unfortunate truth is that most of the imitating shows replicated those flaws rather than the points of the series that made it successful. 

The Cinematic Significance of Bruce Almighty

While watching the 2003 religious comedy, Bruce Almighty, on TV the other day, I realized the film marked a critical turning point in the careers of two actors: Jim Carrey and Steve Carell.  It's not very apparent within the film itself, but after its release, Carrey's popularity and marketability began to wane, while Carell's increased.  What's funny about the whole situation is that it wasn't planned or expected; just another day at the office for everyone involved. 

Rocky Robo-Picture Show

Recently released Real Steel was mocked on concept before it even hit theaters and while it has Hollywood branding all over it, the film is not short on execution.  It's a classic estranged family story combined with the popular elements of Rocky with some robots thrown in which add some parallels to modern techno-dependence.  Bottom line, if you can swallow the concept, the rest of the film is smooth sailing.

Conan the Borebarian

The recently released incarnation of Conan the Barbarian was a dismal display of wooden acting, over-the-top heroism, and tensionless whoop-ass. It not only failed as a fantasy action film, it failed as a film at all. Conan floated from one scene to another to display various methods of killing while the supporting cast seemed so uncertain in their deliveries, I wonder if they were told what film they were in. The film's effects, while adequate, were hardly spectacular enough to over-compensate for the other failings. All of which compound a flimsy and plotless script.

Young Indy Season 1

I just completed a screening of the first season of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (or as they were known in the 90's, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles).  What is amazing to me is this series was the true forerunner to the Star Wars prequels with the same storytelling motions (and mistakes).  While Young Indy was more enjoyable on average, the series still fell short of its own goals and was always uncertain of its own demographic.  The season also suffered from weak supporting characters, most of whom were removed as the focus concentrated solely on Indy.
(Note: The re-edited episodes I watched have two separate stories per single episode, so the number that follows an episode title refers to which story.  Ex. My First Adventure (2) refers to the second story of the episode My First Adventure.)

Captain America vs. The First Avenger

Terms to avoid confusion
Captain America: The 1990 direct-to-video film
The First Avenger: The 2011 theatrical film
The Captain/Cap/Steve Rogers: the main character of the comics and both films.

Buried in the obscurity of bad cinema history circa 1990, is the first feature length Captain America film. Like most superhero films of the 20th century, it was a stand alone adaptation made to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of the comics and was one of the most unspectacular fails in superhero cinema. Despite proper preparation in marketing, the film was never released in theaters and appeared directly on video two years after the planned release. Though I don't know the business fiasco that caused this, I can say the punishment fit the crime. The film suffered from an erratic plot, poor characters, and of course, a feeble portrayal of the source material.

Prequels and Proud (Part II)

I recently read a quote from screenwriter Damon Lindelof, who is working on the new Alien prequel called Prometheus.  He had this to say about prequels:

"I've always felt that really good prequels should be original movies. And the sequels to those prequels should not be the movie which already exists, because, with all due respect to anyone who makes a prequel, but why would you ruin the greatest twist in the history of cinema, 'Luke, I am your father,' by showing me three movies which basically spoil that surprise? You can do movies which take place before Star Wars, but I don't need to see the story of the Skywalker clan. Show me something else, which I can't guess the possible outcome of. There is no suspense in inevitability."

This, coupled with my reviews of the Star Wars and X-men prequels, made me think of the difficulty in producing a prequel.  A lot of prequels fail because they're cheaper, have weaker characters, and/or a back story that just doesn't jive with the original.  With that difficulty, I thought I'd give a shout out to some prequels that managed to succeed. (Note: These are from my own viewing experience, I haven't seen every prequel out there)

Prequel and Proud

X-Men First Class
This should have been the first X-Men film ever made.  More than just a prequel, it bridged the comics and films by taking place in the same time period as the comics and providing an engaging backstory for some of the staple characters.  James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (Erik Lensharr) had some big shoes to fill and both played their roles well beyond expectations.  The film prioritizes its comic origins, which buoys it against the other X-men films, but creates a few flaws along the way.  The more vibrant colors and less serious tone actually made the film more believable than the more serious predecessors.  However, this loyalty to the roots do work against the film in some areas.

Star Trek Family Tree

Star Trek, the Founding Father: Began the family business by starting out with nothing.  He struggled at first, but eventually prospered.  As he got older he was able to expand the business and keep it going strong. 

The Animated Series, the Ex-wife: She seemed like just what was needed at the time, but it just didn't work out and she left.  Some members of the family talk to her, but most don't, and now she's just a footnote from the father's youth.   

The Next Generation, the First-born: He got a lot of attention and favoritism for being the firstborn.  He had his awkward age growing up, but eventually grew up to live up to his father's legacy as a strong leader in the family company.  But, as it often goes, when it came time for the father to step aside and turn over the reigns (when TNG went silver screen), he faltered and just couldn't match his father's brilliance, beginning a decline in the family name. 

Deep Space Nine, the 2nd Born: This one didn't have the favoritism from its parents as he grew up, so he had to make its own way on hard work.  He thought differently than his parents and started doing his own thing, which he succeeded at.  He got a lot of support from his older brother until he (TNG) became head of the company, which started sibling rivalry began that often worked against DS9.  They managed to make it work, but not as well as they could have. 

Voyager, the Runt: The last of the three children and the worst off.  He just couldn't keep up with his older brothers, despite getting some help.   He was mostly a disappointment growing up, with a few pleasant surprises here and there.  Eventually it found one thing it was good at (sexy Borgs) and stuck with it.  It was the kind of thing that made parents shrug and say, "Whatever makes him happy." 

Enterprise, the Wicked Step-mom: In three words; young, dumb, and sexy.  She married into the family because she made the father happy after the difficulty with his sons.  Most of the family really doesn't like her, but there's not much they can do about it.  She was given a position of authority in the company, and then she ran the whole thing into the ground with her dumb decisions and refusal to listen to anyone.  By the time she grew up a little and came to her senses, it was too little, too late. 

Star Trek '09, the younger Half-Sibling: The child of the father and the step-mom.  He has the sexy trendiness of his mother and the inspiration of his father. He is a new generation of the family line, as the other children have grown up and had their day.  He gets away with a lot more than the other children did because his very old father spoils him so much.  He carries the future hope of the family on his shoulders and its still uncertain how he will handle it.

The Decline of the Opening Title Sequence

Some of you who regularly watch television, or even shows on Netflix and Hulu, may have noticed that fewer shows nowadays are using a full Opening Title Sequence.  Most just throw up the title in a few seconds, then make the Act I credits longer.  Title sequences have varied through television history and some have had a hand in shaping a show's identity.

Bloody Pirates!!

5 Reasons Why On Stranger Tides Felt Like a Cheap Sequel

I finally saw the new Pirates movie and while I feared the worst going in, it was okay, and just okay.  While the stronger points of the previous films are still there, the film has several flaws that bring it down.  

1. The Cast: While good ole Jack Sparrow, Barbosa, and Gibbs come back to shine, the absence of the remaining characters is sorely missed.  I'm not even talking about Will and Elizabeth because their story was effectively concluded in At World's End.  No, I mean Ragetti (wooden eye guy), Peintel (wooden eye's friend), Marty (the midget), Cotton, and Cotton's parrot.  The audience has gotten to know this quirky crew over three films and it's really disappointing that not a one of them appeared in this one.  Instead, they are replaced with a bunch of pirate red shirts with little to contribute on screen and that the audience doesn't really care about.  It just felt like we were in a different universe without all these familiar faces to ground us.  
2. The Little Mermaid: This is part of the first reason, but it was such a glaring drag, it warranted its own category.  A sub plot of the film involved the pirates capturing a mermaid and one of the crew (who looks suspiciously like Prince Eric) falling in love with her.  These two are  incredibly weak stand-ins for Will and Elizabeth.  Like I said, we already don't care about the new crew and giving one of them some extra story that's separate from the main characters (especially Jack) is really detracting.  Sam Claflin, who played the new pretty boy, deserves his own Razzie for "More Wooden Than Orlando Bloom."  
3. TLI: A problem with At World's End was too much information was thrown at the audience that it was a little difficult to keep up during a single viewing.  On Stranger Tides did the opposite, there was too little information.  Like the previous films, it introduced new villains, mysticism, and myths that are explored, but a lot is left unexplained.  Where does Blackbeard get his voodoo power?  We don't know.  Why did Blackbeard attack the Black Pearl in the first place?  We don't know.  Where did the Fountain of Youth come from, Calypso?  We don't know.  Why do the Spanish care so much about the Fountain?  The list goes on, making the audience feel less confused, but more unfulfilled.   
4. Soundtrack: The music of the new film was shamelessly recycled.  It sounded like the editors took the soundtracks from the previous films and just worked them in where they could.  The same score played almost endlessly and there was no attempt to create some new compositions or variations for the new circumstances.  I remember hearing only one new song on a spanish guitar, and it was a marginal change.  
5. A few shillings short of an Epic: This is more a problem with how the franchise was handled as a whole.  The producers really outdid themselves with the massive scale of At World's End that any followup films would pale in comparison, which this one did.  Now, I'm glad they didn't try to overreach themselves by trying to go bigger, but the film did feel a little less thrilling than its predecessors with lower stakes and smaller action.  A better way would have been to make each film a stand alone adventure and each one would slowly build on the other.  Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  

While I won't say I regretted seeing On Stranger Tides, I can't say I walked out of the theater feeling invigorated either.  When I saw The Curse of the Black Pearl, I was so taken with it that I grabbed as many friends and family that I could find and took them with me on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th viewings.  After this last one, I just started to forget about it a bit.  I felt like I had seen an enjoyable TV movie; just something I didn't mind doing when I had nothing else to really do.  I can only hope these flaws are corrected in any future installments.  

Long Past Sci Fi Prime

Since I mentioned SyFy Channel in my last series on Stargate Universe, I thought I'd do a little blurb on them.

Despite anyone's idealized version of history, Sci Fi Channel was not created so science fiction television would have a permanent home.  It was a business venture of USA Networks (then owned by Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios) to create an outlet for the large volume of classic sci-fi shows and films that the studios had in their archives but had no place to air.  These included Dracula, Frankenstein, Night Gallery, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, etc.  Now this provided a moderate income, but with its success, some original programming was added to draw even more viewers.  This eventually led to the Sci Fi Prime lineup on Friday nights (hosted by that wonderfully creepy lady).  The network aired their flagship original programming during this time block, as part of the "counter-programming" approach I mentioned.  Most networks don't air shows on Fridays because they figure most people will go out to the movies, parties, dates, etc.  Sci Fi Channel could get away with it since it could be argued their viewer demographic was a bunch of nerds/geeks who don't have a life.  This is a gross generalization to be sure, but not without merit.  

Stargate Universe Pt. 3: How It Got Lost in Space

There were a number of issues in the way the show was written and produced that alienated the fans.  I've already talked about the shortcomings of a few of the characters, so now I'm going to mention some of the storytelling, production, and business issues.

Closing Time: Stargate Universe Pt. 2

 Best & Worst Episodes
Now that you have a better understanding of which characters brought the show up and which brought it down, let's see them in action with an episode selection.

Closing Time: Stargate Universe Pt. 1

Now that Stargate Universe has gone off the air and it looks like the book is being closed on the franchise, I wanted to give some thoughts on why the show, and consequently the franchise, didn't reach its... final destiny.  I'll be reviewing the pros and cons in a 3 part series.

I. The top 3 best and worst main characters

An Objective Look at Star Wars - Ep. 6

As I said before, I didn't catch my cousins' reactions to the cliffhanger close of Empire, but they were very eager to move onto Return of the Jedi.  They had been given enough time to get invested in the new characters and the story lines from the prequel trilogy were coming back into a smoother whole narrative.  Episode VI has suffered the least in the new viewing order.  It maintains a strong position as the epic conclusion of the saga for either six movies or three.  

Surprisingly, they didn't have much to say on Jabba's palace.  They liked the cool creature effects of the alien band, and of course thought Jabba was pretty nasty, but other than that, not much to say.  Boba Fett didn't really add much to the scenes.  He had much more gravitas in just the original trilogy when he was a mysterious, yet cool bounty hunter.  Now, knowing his origin story and his traumatic childhood, the audience feels a little cheated that he is just a hired thug with little importance.  

Yoda's death was very emotional and got a good reaction.  Some people say that seeing Yoda use a lightsaber and fight in the prequels ruined his character, and I understand the argument they're making, but I feel his death is made all the more powerful and sad by our knowing what a great fighter he was.  That after all the wars, the combat, and the epic use of the Force, age has finally caught up with him.  This is one of only a handful of scenes from the originals that is actually enhanced by the back story provided by the prequels. 
I wasn't at all surprised that the Ewoks were a big hit.  Everyone loved them for being cute and funny.  Even some of the harshest critics of Star Wars I've met have softened up for the overtly kid friendly creatures, which are far superior to the Gungans for enjoyment, despite similar functions.

The conclusion of Vader's arc was also well received.  They all cried out "Look, it's Anakin!" when Hayden Christensen appeared at the end, while I could only sigh in dismay.  I understood why they felt that way, but it made me truly regret showing the film in this order.

Final Thoughts
I asked my cousins what they thought of the films.  Sadly, all said that Episode III was their favorite.  Kat said that Episode V would have been her favorite if the effects had been better (and this included all the Special Edition stuff).  This is very telling about the shift in priorities for new Star Wars audiences.  They now expect and favor great visual effects spectacles over deeper storytelling.  Berri even commented that the films would look great in 3D, to which I smiled and told her what was coming next year.  I can't say for certain anymore if the SW franchise has truly lost its way, or if it is simply changing with the times.  After all, Avatar was a smash hit despite having a recycled and predictable story.  Time will tell on the direction of the franchise.  In addition to the 3D conversion, more sequels have been announced, though I don't know what other stories there are to tell.  If Lucas is picking up James Cameron's proverbial gauntlet, then there's no hope for old school fans like myself.  I can only quote Mrs. Constanza from Seinfeld, "Why, Georgie, why?" 

An Objective Look at Star Wars - Ep. 5 (sorta)

A New Hope really seemed to  throw my cousins.  Not only was the cinematic style completely different from the preceding films, but the story did not conform to any of their expectations (and I don't mean because it was actually good).  The story arcs of Revenge of the Sith were not resolved and were barely touched upon, which proved to be very distracting.  Berri declared her dislike for A New Hope because, (in a high screech that would have given Crying Wife a run for her money) "It's just that Episode III was so sad because Padme died, and Anakin turned evil and then the twins were separated, AND NOW THEY'RE FALLING IN LOVE!!"  She has a point about a clear flaw in our viewing order.  Anyone on their 2nd+ viewing of the originals will know that Luke and Leia are siblings and either laugh or grimace at the potential, but averted romance.  First timers used to be oblivious and would probably keep guessing as they watched IV and V on who would get Leia .  Berri made me wonder if, during the years of '77-'83, there was a "Team Luke" and "Team Han" thing going on.  Alas, that wonderful surprise for Star Wars newcomers is now gone.

Now, unfortunately, I was only present for the first hour of the Empire Strikes Back screening, so I have less of their reactions to it that film, but here it is.  For once, there was little confusion about the film's story.  They were all completely clear about where the characters were and why.  The narrative had a very strong hook and kept their attention for the first half hour without too many questions.  Valise was even kind enough to recant her statement that "Star Wars sucks."  We did hit a bump in the road when Yoda appeared.  Again, the prequels had spoiled the surprise that the quirky little bat creature was in fact a Jedi Master.  They had no idea what to make of him because he seemed to be acting completely out of character until he finally revealed his identity.  Eventually, they just decided he'd gone crazy living in the wilderness.  I think Lucas just failed to capture Yoda's quirky humor in the prequels and focused too much on the backwards platitudes.  

Many fans have debated the mechanics of the cave scene where Luke fights a replica of Vader, mostly because it's an extremely deep scene of subtle and philosophical foreshadowing.  The girls had an even harder time with it because they were not used to actually thinking when watching the films.  Episodes I-III were very blunt films of mostly meaningless CGI action and any foreshadowing like this was spoon fed to the audience.  Episode IV dialed back the CGI, but was filled with mostly basic exposition, with a bit of subtlety and vague detail.  So, with their brains wired to just accept the facts as presented without much thought, I had to pause the film and explain. 

The lesson Luke is taught regards fear.  Yoda tells him that the only thing in the cave is what he brings with him.  Luke brings his weapons, expecting something dangerous, something he should be afraid of.  Inside the cave, he finds the one thing he is most afraid of: Darth Vader, and immediately kills him without hesitation.  He then sees his action reflected in the face under Vader's mask.  Luke went in expecting a fight and that's exactly what he found.  Yoda was trying to tell him that listening to your fear will lead to anger and aggression, especially in the face of the unknown, and a Jedi has to be better than that, or risk ending up like Vader.  In addition, there is the foreshadowing that Vader is Luke's father, and the audience, unknowing or not, gets a glimpse into how Vader turned evil. 

Final Thoughts
I had to leave at this point, so I didn't catch the rest of their reactions to the film, but I know they liked it.  For my own impressions, I finally concede that this truly the best film of the set.  The universe is established enough for the audience to stay grounded, and the narrative is straight forward, yet exciting.  The "new" characters have grown beyond their archetypes into more unique personalities with their own arcs.  Lastly, the special effects are strong enough not to be distracting.  I feel I should point out that Lucas had the greatest distance from this one.  He wrote a rough outline of the story and passed it on to an experienced screenwriter and director to take over.  He was rarely on set because the film was having financial difficulties which he had to deal with, which is what he's good at.  Under these circumstances, the creativity of the cast and crew had a chance to shine through and create a compelling feature.  It even fits pretty well into the prequel narrative as the story returns to the threads left by Revenge of the Sith.  Luke finds out Vader is his father, the Emperor and Yoda are back, along with Boba Fett (although my cousins completely missed him until I pointed him out).  A fine piece of cinema, no doubt. 

An Objective Look at Star Wars - Ep. 4

So, after my talking up the original trilogy for days, and the girls thoroughly depressed at the last film, we pressed on.  The film begins at a very weird spot compared to the last ones.  The girls were really eager to find out what happens with Anakin, Obi-wan and the twins, but A New Hope started off with... C-3PO and R2-D2.  When someone watches the originals first, starting with these two makes more sense.  They have a little comic relief to them, but they also provide a helpless observer point of view for the audience to connect with in this strange universe they've just been thrust into.  We stick with them for a good fifteen minutes as information is gradually and slowly presented to the audience, then we spend another 15 minutes with Luke on Tatooine before he finally gets involved with the galactic plot.   Now, as we were coming off the prequels, we had a lot of information on the universe already, all we needed was the details of what happened in between films (revealed in the opening crawl) and then we were good to go. By the time we got to the scene of Obi-wan FINALLY explaining what The Force was and how it worked, Berri declared, rather matter of factly, "This movie is boring."  To my horror, I realized I agreed with her.  The spectacular display of special effects, and the high stakes galactic intrigue of the prequels were what they had gotten invested in, and now they were very impatient as Luke wandered around the desert waiting for things to be slowly explained to him.  

The B story of the film of Leia aboard the Death Star was of greater interest to them, as it involved the galactic plot line established from the previous films, but they were often distracted during the scenes with Vader and Leia.  The question, "Does he know that's his daughter?" came up several times, along with, "Are those clones or people?" in regard to the stormtroopers.  I didn't really have a verifiable answer to the latter.  

About halfway through the film, the two stories converged and it felt more "like a Star Wars film" again, and it held their interest until the duel between Obi-wan and Vader.  Originally, this was a magnificent scene that set the baseline for future duels as well as great drama,  Now it's been reduced to an old man fighting a cylon with a glow stick.  Kat immediately commented how "unepic" this duel was.  The scene was completely destroyed by the over-the-top the episode III duel.   Fortunately, the shock of Obi-wan's defeat remained intact. 

My final note for this film is on the battle over the Death Star.  It's the one scene that, despite the weaker special effects, outdoes similar scenes in Episode III when watched back-to-back.  Remember in the last post, I said the opening battle of III was very confusing.  The ships were unidentifiable and there was no emotional investment in either the clones or droids.  The Death Star battle literally does the exact opposite, making it the stronger scene.  The audience is clearly shown which ships are "good" versus "bad"; the pilots are actual characters with their own personalities and reactions to the battle that we care about; and there is a very clear objective that everyone is working toward.  Granted, everyone usually snickers when "the fat guy" (i.e. Pork-ins) dies, but after that, every time a pilot died, I heard an "Oh no!" or a gasp or some reaction from the girls.  They cared about what was happening to everyone and not just the central characters.  An interesting lesson that was forgotten in the prequels. 

Since this post is so long, I'll save my final thoughts for next time in order to have a complete discussion on George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and Gary Kurtz. 

An Objective Look at Star Wars - Ep. 3

It's over, Lucas has the high ground
I mentioned that my cousins had no idea why the Clone War was being fought.  There was no real buildup, no reason, or anything.  It just happened because Sidious wanted it to.  So with nothing for the audience to relate to, the battles are just a kaleidoscope of special effects and nothing more.  Which is exactly how Episode III started.  The space battle began and Berri said, "I have no idea who's fighting."  And it's true, without identification, the battle just looks like hot dogs shooting at triangles with a bunch of little ships zipping about.  Once again, I had to point out who was whom and what was trying to be achieved, and they caught on pretty quickly; then General Grievous showed up.  The questions about him continued all the way to his death: "Who is that guy, is he bad?  Why is he coughing?  Is he a robot?  Is he a dog?  Is he a robot dog?  etc."  Grievous has the unique honor of being the only villain in the films who has absolutely no back story whatsoever, and I mean none.  Maybe it's explained in the Clone Wars cartoon, but I can't bring myself to watch that and the information belongs in the film anyway.  Another who wasn't given much intro was Bail Organa, and he was a far more important character.  They also didn't seem that impressed with Chewbacca.  (They knew about him because my dad had mentioned a certain encounter I had with him at DisneyWorld, long story).  Anyway, he doesn't really do much in the movie and is thus a disappointing cameo to old and new fans alike.  It was about this time, that I think my cousins really gave up on the films' writing.  Some new creatures/special effects show up for no reason and eventually die/disappear, and they just had to roll with it.  This is unfortunate because the expectation of watching mindless action would make it harder to watch the later films.

On the flip side, they also started to get into Anakin's story.  Don't get me wrong, there was still a bit of snickers and scoffs with the dialogue, but they definitely became emotionally invested when Anakin began to turn to the dark side.  I could see them all literally on the edge of their seats during Windu's duel with Palpatine, so praise to Lucas there.  The climax was the strongest of the prequels and they noticed.  Though the dialogue was bad and they shared my outrage at Yoda taking a facefull of force lighting, they really seemed to get into it.  There was again a stunned disbelief when Obi-wan dismembered Anakin, and Berri was noticing an alarming pattern with the characters' limbs.  I would call the film's ending a success because the audience came away with the intended feeling; the bad guys have won, a hero falls from grace, but there is a glimmer of hope.  Once again, the Death Star was glazed over, no one asked about it. 

Final Thoughts
So it wasn't until this one this one that I think the series started to hook the audience, though with a rather bitter bait.  Indeed, my cousins were so heartbroken about the ending that they weren't sure they wanted to continue.  Upon learning the next film was called A New Hope, they agreed to proceed.  There was one catch that I didn't see coming, Lucas was so caught up in being as grand as possible in this film that the transition to the original trilogy was very rough indeed. 

Next...
We'll call them George, Rick, and Gary...