Post by boot on Apr 28, 2019 10:46:19 GMT -6
Instead of Kenobi, I decided to go with this novelization. I've had it on my reading list since the book came out. I just disliked the prequel films so much that I never found a mood to read or listen to this book.
I've read great things about it--that it actually makes the movie better. I've seen novelizations do that before. And, the book is supposed to have lots of extra insight and extra scenes.
So, I am finally listening to it.
It is hard to ignore the film, but I'm trying to do that. I'm listening to the book with an ear as if the film was never made--as if this were a novel and not a novelization.
This book starts out with a pod race not seen in the film (although I think it was mentioned as backstory in dialogue somewhere--it is probably a dropped scene from the script, or maybe it was filmed and then cut, like the beginning of A New Hope). I've always thought that the pod race could have been probably what George intended--a cool, bad-ass race that thrilled the audience. Speeder bikes to the max, times ten. But, in my opinion, the scenes in the movie were boring. The race was way too long (should have only done two laps instead of three), and the scene suffered from the silliness that permeates the prequels: very silly looking kid-stuff aliens making irritating, stupid noises. Had this been filmed as the speeder bike scene in RotJ or put into the hands of J.J. Abrams (remember how exciting the Falcon scene was in TFA) I bet pod racing would be one of the cool highlights of the film. Instead, it is forgettable.
So, listing to this book, I'm trying to throw out the baggage of the movies and experience the tale in my mind's eye, where the aliens, no matter how they are described, are more like A New Hope and The Force Awakens, with an attempt to totally block out what I've seen in the prequel films.
From that angle, I am enjoying the beginning of the book.
I've always thought the story that George put together for the prequels was rather good--except for some roll-your-eye points, like Vader creating C-3PO, or "Oh, gosh, really?" points where Obi-wan didn't recognize R2-D2 in ANH (I don't remember owning a droid.) when Ben had all those scenes with the same droid in the prequels.
So, I am giving the book a shot.
I will say this, too. The book doesn't have the production values that the newer stories have. I guess they've "learned" to do this. Sure, the Phantom Menace novelization does have some music and some sound effects, but it's not the incredible production of the newer books or the anniversary edition of Zhan's Heir to the Empire.
Still, I am enjoying it.
I am less than 10 minutes into the book. Anakin is the only human to ever be able to compete in a pod race. There's a nice description of Anakin become "one" with the machine. He's using the Force without realizing that's what he is doing. It just comes natural to him.
But, that hasn't stopped the kid from losing the race and getting his pod racer all banged up.
As for the story and enjoying the book, So far, so good.
I've read great things about it--that it actually makes the movie better. I've seen novelizations do that before. And, the book is supposed to have lots of extra insight and extra scenes.
So, I am finally listening to it.
It is hard to ignore the film, but I'm trying to do that. I'm listening to the book with an ear as if the film was never made--as if this were a novel and not a novelization.
This book starts out with a pod race not seen in the film (although I think it was mentioned as backstory in dialogue somewhere--it is probably a dropped scene from the script, or maybe it was filmed and then cut, like the beginning of A New Hope). I've always thought that the pod race could have been probably what George intended--a cool, bad-ass race that thrilled the audience. Speeder bikes to the max, times ten. But, in my opinion, the scenes in the movie were boring. The race was way too long (should have only done two laps instead of three), and the scene suffered from the silliness that permeates the prequels: very silly looking kid-stuff aliens making irritating, stupid noises. Had this been filmed as the speeder bike scene in RotJ or put into the hands of J.J. Abrams (remember how exciting the Falcon scene was in TFA) I bet pod racing would be one of the cool highlights of the film. Instead, it is forgettable.
So, listing to this book, I'm trying to throw out the baggage of the movies and experience the tale in my mind's eye, where the aliens, no matter how they are described, are more like A New Hope and The Force Awakens, with an attempt to totally block out what I've seen in the prequel films.
From that angle, I am enjoying the beginning of the book.
I've always thought the story that George put together for the prequels was rather good--except for some roll-your-eye points, like Vader creating C-3PO, or "Oh, gosh, really?" points where Obi-wan didn't recognize R2-D2 in ANH (I don't remember owning a droid.) when Ben had all those scenes with the same droid in the prequels.
So, I am giving the book a shot.
I will say this, too. The book doesn't have the production values that the newer stories have. I guess they've "learned" to do this. Sure, the Phantom Menace novelization does have some music and some sound effects, but it's not the incredible production of the newer books or the anniversary edition of Zhan's Heir to the Empire.
Still, I am enjoying it.
I am less than 10 minutes into the book. Anakin is the only human to ever be able to compete in a pod race. There's a nice description of Anakin become "one" with the machine. He's using the Force without realizing that's what he is doing. It just comes natural to him.
But, that hasn't stopped the kid from losing the race and getting his pod racer all banged up.
As for the story and enjoying the book, So far, so good.