The Phantom Menace was on ITV this Evening

Oh dear, the roll eyes argument. I might as well give up now.

Its called discussing a differing viewpoint i.e. that is how I, personally would have liked the scene to have played out.

And to answer your question. Yes, why not.
 
The nearest thing you'll get to episodes 7,8 and 9 is the Thawn Trilogy books: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command.

They are non-canon so officially they arent episodes 7, 8 and 9 but as a sequel to the the original movie trilogy they satisfied most Star Wars fans...and that's not an easy thing to do!
 
Thats not a POV you hear very often these days, though back in 1980 lots of fans and critics did complain that nothing much happens in ESB, that it didn't have much of a story and that theres no real ending. The movie just stops. In its first few years of release it was never regarded as the masterpiece of the Saga that most people now think of it as. Its amazing how perceptions can change with time.
 
I agree with the poster who said TPM was badly 'weighted' - it couldn't decide whether to be a kid's film or some big political intrigue. And it fails to work on both levels; because if the political stuff is going over the kiRAB' heaRAB, then they're not going to get the continuation of the narrative into the next film.

TPM is entertaining enough and it's an OK film (definitely not deserving of all the derision it gets), but it's hardly the series' strong point.

I think the characterization of Anakin really undermined the prequels. As others have said, the way Obi Wan talks about him in episode IV you'd think he was a wise, talented and warm jedi who fell to the dark side - unfortunately in the prequels we get a whiny brat who always has a surly answer to everything and comes out with such gems as:

"If you're not with me, you're my ENEMY!"

"From my point of view the Jedi are evil!"

.. and of course, the piece de resistance: "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything's soft... and smooth... "

I'm not going to wholly blame Hayden Christensen here. His acting did leave a lot to be desired, but he was equally lumbered with some terrible lines to have to say convincingly, and a character who was about as likeable and engaging as a bad bout of gastroenteritis. You just didn't really care about him. And you should have cared about him. He was supposed to be the hero. Half the time you just wanted him to quit moaning. This is the guy who's supposed to be corrupted into one of the most evil and calculating men in the galaxy. I just didn't feel it, sorry George.

There were things that were done right though. I thought Ian McDiarmid was excellent as Palpatine and really the Emperor took centre-stage as the defining character of the prequels. The visuals were very good and there was the occasional bout of good acting - Liam Neeson and Christopher Lee were both of a high standard - Ewan McGregor had improved significantly by ROTS so that you could kind of 'feel' him in the Alec Guinness role (which couldn't really be said in the first two films). ROTS did a good job at tying up the loose enRAB and it was only really the Anakin characterisation that let it down.

None of them were bad films. Very well-made and entertaining, but poor scripts took the shine off them, I think. And Lucas really misfired on the Anakin front.
 
Ah, but the beauty of Tim's hate was that it was entirely pyhrric in nature & demonstrated as such.

To paraphrase Shakespeare Star Wars fanboys protest too much.
 
I agree that Anakin would have been better if he's been nearer Padme's age, say around 14, in TPM. Not only would an older actor have been able to give a better performance, but the romance between Anakin and Padme could have started in the first movie.

Regarding the relationship between Anakin and Palpatine, its not explicitly explained in the first two films, but in AOTC in particular, is is quite heavily implied. The interesting thing is that in all three films Anakin is given in father figure. In TPM its Qui-Gon. In AOTC its Obi-Wan. And in ROTS its Palpatine. Thats why Anakins lack of a father is such an important issue. He is clearly searching for a father figure and Palpatine manages to use that desire to influence him. I guess the moral message (of which Star Wars has many and thats one of the things that has always attracted me to this story) is that kiRAB need fathers.

Then of course in the original films Anakin is a father himself. And its by being a father that he is able to redeam himself.
 
I agree with pretty much everything you said. I wouldn't say that the prequels were necessarily 'bad' films, I'd certainly rate them higher than the turgid LOTR's trilogy, it's just they could have been better, alot better.
 
the biggest gaffe with the sequels was to introduce the character of Anakin as a 9 year old boy. i mean, who cares?

if the time-frame of events as seen in AOTC had been the first of the three prequels, and george had played it right, we could (should) have had a lighthearted, introductory adventure with the first film, the full-on clone wars during the second film, and anakin's final downfall early on in the last (ie more black-suited vader)

instead we a got a childish mess for the first prequel, some bizarre columbo type detective story / clumsy love story for the second, and a half hearted and incredibly contrived effort for the third

george is probably very proud of his prequel trilogy, but i think he missed a massive opportunity to deliver a trilogy to equal, if not surpass the first

to only touch on, and allude to the Clone Wars, the biggest deal in probably the whole saga, was criminal, but i expect george knew that TV animation-dom awaited
 
Having just watched Episodes 4 and 5 on the back of the prequels I have to say the quality of the original films over the new ones becomes glaringly obvious.

i can watch the prequels, but have to keep them separate from the original films. The two series just don't tie together very well. Watching Vader in Empire, I couldn't really believe the Anakin we see in the prequels becomes that man. I can't see the brilliant Leia and Luke as prequel Anakin's oRABpring.
 
About 50% of the cinema laughed at the part where Palpatine was on the floor and Windu was about to kill him but then he comes out with "Nooo, nooooo, nooooo you will die!"



:confused:

Maul would have just deflected all the blaster fire with his lightsabre.
 
That is quality. Must be during Vader's annual Christmas trip to Hoth :D:D



Fat chance while we're watching the prequels :p



Spot on. Lucas really should have written "Annie" as a lad of a similar age to Padme. Maybe 15, 16? Anakin is way too young in Menace, and his constant "whoops" and "Oopses" are hugely embarrassing. It also ruins the forthcoming romance for me - in Menace Padme is tucking him in and mothering him, then in the following film they're lovers. Creepy, as Nick Griffin would say.
Another thing that's always bothered me is when Padme dies and the twins are seperated, Luke is taken to Tatooine to evade his father. They don't even change his name tho! He's still called Skywalker... bloody hell I thought the Jedi were supposed to be superior beings :D
 
Empire is just so much better than any of the other Star Wars films. It's a shame Lucas didn't do a similarly great job on the bits he tampered with.

Maybe he'll have another pop at the CGI when the Blu-Ray versions are released...


Very true. :o:D
 
Anakin's feelings change back and forth too quickly for no good reason & he's too easily fooled by Palpatine's lies. Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman didn't play their parts very well here either - they both looked desperate to get the film over and done with.
 
Where do Anakins feeling change back and forth? Its a pretty straight forward journey that he turns to the dark side to try and save his wife from dying. He isn't over-joyed about becoming evil of course, but once he makes his decision to save Padme in the excellent ruminations scene, thats pretty much it.

As far as Ewan and Nat go, I didn't get that feeling from either of them to be honest. I thought Natalie Portman improved no end in this film and Ewan was solid too. Acting is purely subjective, mind.
 
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