posted
I'm unsure about Obi-Wan wandering off, too. I took it at him being unable to actually finish off a helpless opponent, but as Simon said that meant that he was basically leaving Anakin to die slowly and painfully. Maybe is should have looked like Anakin was dead, I dunno.
(I also don't think that the droids were that badly misused. The humour seemed more original trilogy than "I'm quite beside myself" [although I found that funny. And so did Lee. And we proved Simon wrong with science]. Artoo being a little bitch to those droids at the beginning was funny, because it was balanced with the scene of him flying into a wall a bit later. So, good droids.)
I do agree about the Wookie sequence. Probably a good thing that Han wasn't in it, as we already had a "hey look, it's Chewie!" moment.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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The prequels, according to all the talk going on at the time they were announced, were going to be about the tragic fall of the Republic and the rise of a great evil. The originals were about the triumph of good over that evil. And yet nothing at all tragic happens in film one; stuff vaguely unsettling takes place in film two, but true tragedy is nowhere to be seen until this one, in my opinion.
I just don't buy that the first two were setting up pretty things for the Empire to smash. For one thing, we don't see the Empire smash any of them, and the one place that does show up again, Tatooine, is not any different at all. (Indeed, since we don't see any slave markets in Star Wars, it's arguably improved.)
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Also at this point, I'm thinking Obi-Wan has seen a few substantially more wretched hives of scum and villany than Anchorhead.
Yeah the first two definitely had "up" endings hardly constituting tragedy. TPM: Sure, Qui-Gon got killed, but I mean the Trade Federation's plan was thwarted and there was a parade, was there not? Anakin needed to be more of a problem child. (perhaps yelling "yipee" while pulling off Sebulba's toenails with a pair of pliers) And of course less-whingey/more-creepy in Clone Wars. We were working on an edit of the movie where Padme and Anakin never kiss until just before their execution and he just pines after her hopelessly for most of the movie. I can't be certain, but that might resonate more with the fan-base's own experiences, and would certainly cast him in a darker light.
Regarding RoTS, personally, I bought Obi-Wan leaving Anakin to die. They were in many ways like brothers and before he departed he specifically expressed that he did not want to be the one to have to kill him. Even seemed to question his ability to do so. Plus Ewan's delivery of the "You were supposed to be the Chosen One..." speech was so depressed and disappointed. Yeah, I was in on that. Anakin's abrupt turn to the darkside based on his foggy premonition of Padme's pain during childbirth? Not so much.
So... if we are to assume that Palpatine did indeed initiate the Midichlorian (cringe) life-generating effect that however immaculately produced the boy, then why wasn't he keeping an eye on things Tatooine? How did Qui-Gon and co. go unnoticed for as long as they did there?
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Possibly he'd just set the plan in motion and was only checking on Anakin's progress every so often. A 6 monthly check to make sure that Anakin was getting emotional attachments and the like.
Wasn't the whole point of the ending of The Phantom Menace that the "victory" wasn't actually the victory everyone thought it was? Palpatine had become supreme chancellor, weakened one of the major powers in the galaxy in The Trade Federation, and forced the Jedi to train a child that they wanted to be left alone (Palpatine's involvement with Anakin is up for much speculation, especially after that whole "he could force the midichlorines to create life" speech in Ep III, but that whole "we shall look upon your career with great interest" certainly strikes me as coming from a man who had plans).
The fact that the celebration music was actually the Emperor's theme further enforces that. The Phantom Menace had been defeated, but the real one was much stronger.
And I don't get how you can say the ending of episdoe II is "up" either. Palpatine has (essentaially) total control of the republic, and an enormous army of completely loyal troops to back it up. And at the same time, Anakin is doing something that can only lead to tradegy. Hardly "up".
If anything, the only one of the three prequels that has an "up" ending is Revenge of the Sith, with it's hope for the future.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Palpatine being Anakin's father isn't canon as far as I've heard.
EDIT: I'll leave this in anyway.
quote:Yeah the first two definitely had "up" endings hardly constituting tragedy.
Well a lot of Jedi died, Anakin lost his arm, Dooku delivered the Death Star plans to Sidious, the Clone Army mobilized under supervision of Palpatine and a disheartened Bail Organa.
I thought the end of Ep.II was dark enough, especially with the "Imperial March" playing. I also like how they augmented the tune for the Clones so that there's a trumpet section playing a new support segment in the middle, while the Clones are boarding the cruisers.
I agree that Ep.I was happier in the ending, although Qui-Gon's funeral laid the foundation for the Sith master/apprentice deal, with the camera resting on Palpatine after Windu's and Yoda's Maul-briefing.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
When I first heard of the Palapatine creating Anakin idea, I was sceptical. But one thing is bugging me that could clinch it - why was Darth Maul on Tatooine in Ep 1? Was that ever properly explained, and if not, could he have been 'checking up' on Anakin?
Registered: May 2005
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And about the whole birth of the Rebellion thing, I'd say Bail Organa running around in Tantive IV and rescuing Jedi when the whole Republic/Empire has been ordered to kill them seems a bit rebellious to me.
-------------------- I haul cardboard and cardboard accessories
Registered: Mar 1999
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The whole detour to Tattooine was because of a stray shot to Amidala's ship when breaking through the Naboo blockade, so the discovery of Anakin can not have been orchestrated by Palpatine.
Furthermore, no Jedi could've gone to Tattooine to discover Ani if Palpatine had had his will, because he wanted Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan dead already on Nute Gunray's ship.
After that, Palpatine makes remarks throughout the whole movie of wanting the Qui-Gon posse wiped out, that would've included Anakin.
And Maul tried to run Ani into the ground, as well.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Is Palpatine aware that Anakin is with Qui-Gonn on Tattooine? Or that he follows them back to Naboo? I can't remember.
(This also ignores the unspoken Star Wars rule that important people on the same planet are bound to run into each other, the same way that I bump into Lee on an almost daily basis.)
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
We were working on an edit of the movie where Padme and Anakin never kiss until just before their execution and he just pines after her hopelessly for most of the movie.
Such an edit already exists. Google for MagnoliaFan, or check out myspleen.net, I think. Don't have my bookmarks handy right this sec. His edits of ep1 and 2 are far superior to the originals.
why was Darth Maul on Tatooine in Ep 1? Was that ever properly explained, and if not, could he have been 'checking up' on Anakin?
Maul WAS looking for Amidala, but there was never any indication as to why he went to Tatooine to find her. So... maybe. Though I don't know that I'd trust Maul around his potential replacement.
Registered: Mar 1999
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True. It didn't work out too well for Dooku.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Why wouldn't Dooku try and turn the tables on Palpatine then, and expose him? Sure, Anakin probably wouldn't believe him, but what did he have to lose?
For that matter, if Sith apprentices tend to kill their masters, why would Palpatine be eager to build a superpowered one?
Registered: Mar 1999
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Overconfidence? It was his undoing, after all.
He never teaches Vadar force-lightning though, does he?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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