I still don’t think it’s gonna happen. I haven’t read any of the post-RotJ books, but I know that Luke, Leia and Han figure big time in the early days of the New Republic. It will just be too hard to have new actors playing these characters (Hamill, Fisher and Ford are obviously too old) that are so ingrained into our psyche, and it’s not like these episodes would take place 20 years after Ep. VI where they could get away with using the same actors.
Also, Lucas has said the books are canon and won’t want to make movies based on preexisting works where he’ll have no control over the plot. He intentionally left the time frame of Episodes I-III off limits to book writers because of this, other than small allusions to certain incidents, like Anakin fighting Obi-Wan and falling into molten lava, which I’m sure he sanctioned personally. I’m sure there have been plenty of authors chomping at the bit to write a book depicting the Clone Wars, but Lucas wouldn’t let it happen.
I know I’m replying way too much to this thread, but after yesterday, I felt like a long-lost friend has come back to me, and I’m not eager to let go.
Oh, I have another comment about the whole romance part.
The only thing that got me, vis a vis the romance, was when Anakin called her “Padme” even though she’s pretty much Amidala through the entire film. I thought this was a sweet touch, because surely he would indeed think of her as Padme.
I heard 1,200,000 “units”, which I took to mean something like battalions or divisions.
I don’t think Lucas will bother with mind-wiping Artoo and Threepio. It looks like he has A LOT of ground to cover in Episode III anyhow. He wanted to include the droids in the PT and I’m happy he did. Continuity can be sacrificed to get those fixtures in each movie, IMHO.
And there sure is a lot to cover in Episode III:
Dooku must die
Mace and all the other jedis must die
Padme will likely die
We need to see Anakin being “the greatest pilot in the galaxy”
The Emperor will have to decree his Empire
Yoda will have to hightail it to Dagobah and Obi-Wan to Tatooine
Anakin & Obi-Wan must fight
The twins will have to be born, and dropped off at their respective locations
If you think about it, it’s almost amazing how little has happened in the last two movie that relate to the events in ANH.
TPM: 1) Emperor gets power, 2) Anakin is found
AOTC: 2) Emperor gets more power, 2) Anakin is discovering the dark side, 3) Stormtroopers created
That’s Watto, and you’re not the only one. I’ve heard greek, jewish, italian, and arab attributed to him. But personally, I don’t think he sounds much like any of them. Why can’t anyone just accept “Alien?”
Bargaining with whom? He’s the one funding the movies. The company ain’t called Lucasfilm for nothing. The money is right because it’s his money. And he’s got lots of it. Enough to buy his own clone army. So I don’t understand why a lot of people say"he’s just doing it for the money." He certainly has no need for it. Granted, greed might not care about need, but if he was doing it just for the money, episode 1 would’ve come out around 1986.
Nope, if Lucas doesn’t get to make them, no one will. Saw a Lucas interview with a very bewildered Connie Chung of all people, a few days ago. Don’t recall his exact words, but he’s put the legal stuff in place such that no one can make more Star Wars movies even after he’s hanging out with Yoda, Anakin, and Obiwan.
As I read this scene, it wasn’t (directly, at least) a flirtation or a come-on. Padme mentioned sand, and Anakin’s little speech was of his recollection of sand when it figured into his life in a big way, back when he was a slave on Tatooine. Not the happiest time of his life. I’m thinking that Padme realized she’d brought up memories of those dark days, and his mother, and felt bad about bringing it up and sorry for him, and thus “receptive”. And then Anakin picked up on that.
Yes.
I just saw the movie, got home, and have been searching for just exactly this sort of comment, so that I can respond:
When Yoda came around the corner, preceded by his all-too-recognizable shadow, to join the lightsaber battle—
somebody in our audience called out,
with a PERFECT Yoda voice,
“Kick your ass I will!”
We all just fell apart, laughing.
What struck me about the whole experience, in fact, was the sense of audience near-participation.
A real sense of community, and not quite silent.
However, everyone sensed when to be quiet, and not overshadow the movie. I don’t think I missed hearing a word of dialogue.
Whoever said that Yoda ad-lib: well done.
Of course, now other people will want to get into the act, people with less talent and timing…well crap.
I wonder if this is how the Rocky Horror phenomenon started.
Also:
When Obi-wan first walked up to the bar, and did the Jedi mind-trick/ “you don’t want to sell me any death sticks…re-think your life” bit—
Well did anyone else crack up REALLY hard, at that?
Cause I did.
But, embarrassingly, I seemed to be the only one.
Oh well, it was a matinee showing, in a small theater…
:rolleyes:
Anyone else notice:
That while Ewan Macgregor not only nailed Alec Guiness’ accent and diction, but also a good deal of his mannerisms–
—remininscent of River Phoenix’s young Indiana/Harrison Ford, in the opening of the third “Raiders” movie–
well there is no such correlation between Hayden Christiansen’s accent and that of James Earl Jones (the voice of the future Darth Vader).
oh i KNOW, Vader’s voice as well as his appearance could conceivably be changed by whatever horrible accent eventually befalls him, but
Anakin wouldn’t develop a JEG-type accent just like that, for no reason. An accent is an intrinsic part of a person’s speech, and would have its roots in one’s youth.
All of which would be very nitpicky of me…
except that Macgregor DID do such a terrific job in that aspect;
it just heightens the contrast. I hear Old Ben’s voice in the young Kenobi; so where is Darth’s diction?
Hey Mr. Lucas, I wanna be your next movie’s dialect coach!
What’s that? You never use one?
What a surprise.
HEY! I came up with the R2D2 is the chosen one after TPM, and others later told me that they had come up with it first. So back off!
My thoughts on ATOC:
Much better than TPM. Just like the weekend matinee Buck Rodgers serial Lucas wanted to do. Anakin is a jerk, but no worse than I was at that age. Luke was less a jerk in ANH, but do we remember how annoying and self-centered we were at that age?
Lucas is making some pretty strong anti-war statements in these movies, not surprising his formative years were the 60s and 70s politically. So of course Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious are one and the same. People start wars controlling both sides for their own evil purposes. That seems to be the message.
Christopher Lee stole the movie. Without trying hard either. I might appreciate a special edition that has some of the cut out scenes (no NSync please).
Lucas seriously needs some script editing and doctoring. Couldn’t he please let a real writer work with him on his roughs? His plotting is enjoyable, and he occasionally gets off a good one liner, but people don’t talk like that. And neither do people in movies.
As for the Yoda/Dooku fight scene, I had a few problems. Most of it was a long shot, I suppose from the perspective of Obi Wan, or whatever. If ever there was a call to redo the Psycho shower scene pace of 70 cuts in 20 seconds (or whatever it was), this was the scene. Angles, close-ups, go for broke. Alas. And why doesn’t Yoda just shove the bodies out of the way of the pillar rather than try to hold the pillar?
Nor did I find the saber battles between Obi-Wan and Dooku and Anakin and Dooku to be convincing. C’mon, these youngsters are trained swordsmen using the damn force. They can’t beat one better trained geezer who is the the grandpa trainer of Obi-Wan and the great grandpa trainer of Anakin? I’m sorry, but he, like Yoda, is just too way old for a saber duel with a young master of any sort, much less a master in his prime.
Oh, and whoever mentioned the wipes to changes scenes. They’ve been doing that since ANH.
Dooku was trying to recruit Obi-wan so that they could off Palpatine. As Yoda mentioned, there can be only two Sith at any one time. Dooku knows his job security is short (Anakin may not know that later on), but wants to take over. Palpatine knows that any apprentice is going to be trying this routine, but plays both sides, like he always does. I suppose that there being only two Sith, all the power of the dark side is more or less attracted to them, which might explain why they are clearly more powerful in battle. (I don’t think we will find out if there can be rival Sith teams).
I think that leaves the last major mystery of the Force usage, the Kenobi/Yoda disappearing act when they die. This is probaby a special technique that only Yoda knows and tells Obi-wan about later on that allows them to watch over/assist/add their force power to another Jedi/Padawan. This may prohibit them from dying and completing the circle of life or some such until they let go. It doesn’t explain how Anakin knows about it at the end of ROTJ so he can be ghost like too before they finally disappear forever. He doesn’t appear to know what is going on when Obi-wan goes bye-bye in ANH.
My prediction as to why Anakin turns to the dark side: He is duped into thinking he is doing good by aiding a benevolent dictator, and then gets too far in. Part of this series has always been about Lucas’ suspicion of selling out to the corporate baddies (heck, that is what his career has been about). Anakin let’s his good reckless intentions take him down the path to hell, and finds he is Darth Vader before he knows it. He more or less feels so guilty about it that he let’s Obi-wan beat him into his walking iron lung and leave him for dead, thinking that Obi-wan has just left, possibly with his unborn child, whom he conveniently trys to forget about, figuring Palpatine will be long dead. Vader continues to play a waiting game, and eventually, like Palpatine, starts playing both sides of it, including being the source of the plans for the death star being given to the rebels, and trying and failing to go after them earnestly. He makes a good show of it. But you will notice, the plans do get to the rebels. He eventually decides to recruit Luke to the dark side to defeat Palpatine, and Palpatine keeps a close eye on this to get a replacement for the aging and damaged Vader. Luke’s refusal at the end of ROTJ to join the dark side forces Palpatine’s hand and Vader’s. Palpatine must destroy this new threat that will not join him and has the power to do it. Vader realizes that Luke will not join him either, and decides to abandon the dark side while Palpatine’s back is to him, meaning that neither will have an apprentice/second, and an end to the Sith, once and for all, and thus balance is restored to the force. (The Sith being the unbalance.) And the prophecy is fulfilled.
Did Yoda forsee all of this? Cloudy the future is, hard to see. I think not.
One other thing about AotC that really pissed me off that I forgot to mention in my first post: the obviously “INSERT VIDEO GAME HERE” sequences: there were three of 'em that I counted, (but I only remember one). I’ll bet money that the “Amidala on the conveyor belt” sequence ends up as part of a video-game, it was excruciatingly long (as was the much longer interminable pod-racer “made for video-game” sequence in the first) and had no real relevance to the plot.
I don’t object to video-game spin-offs, but c’mon. That’s just too obvious.
I think Lucas is setting up Anakin as a “fallen” hero…he will not turn willingly to the dark side. My prediction:
1)Anakin learns Padme is pregnant
2)Anakin goes off fighting in the wars.
3)Padme gives birth(Anakin does not learn that there are twins)
4)Sidious orders Dooku to kill Amidala
5)Anakin becomes enraged…pushing farther to the dark side(like when his mother died)
6)Obiwan tries to stop him from going after Dooku, they duel.
7)Anakin escapes, or perhaps is rescued by Sidious, then kills Dooku, letting his rage complete his path to the dark side, and taking his place under Sidious.
AOTC was about ten times better than the wretched previous installment (it actually has a story!) but still suffers from a general inconsistency. Some passages of the film are classic Star Wars, other passages could be outtakes from TV sitcoms for all of their dramatic purpose, the setpieces borrowed from other films tend to make one sigh loudly, and the whole Star Wars universe just feels tired at this point. A good “filler” movie, but not a great one.
In fact, my favorite aspect of the film is the rather sly manipulation by Palapine where he manufactures a threat to the Republic in order to gain “emergency” dictorial powers…a pretty good reference to Hitler’s torching of the Reichstag and subsequent blaming of the Communists for the act, a move that helped him also gain “emergency” powers.
I liked it. The theatre cheered when Yoda came out. I agree with most everything written: writing was bad, romance non existent, FX kicked ass.
Let me add one thing that I don’t believe has been discussed: the previews. They show three “scenes” of Anakin on the verge of tears. “Someday I’ll be the most powerful Jedi EVER! Boo hoo hoo!”
They led me to believe that this was the emotional range I was in for. Some spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum at every injustice. That made me very hesitant to see this film. But those three “scenes” was really all from one scene: right after Anakin’s mother DIED. That makes sense in the context of the film, but the previews were trying to scare me away from seeing the movie.
Arden Ranger, I’m with you. I almost laughed out loud when they mentioned destroying the Federation Starship because I too thought of Spoofe and the debate. I’m am convinced, though, that Lucas threw that in there as a jab against Star Trek.
When Samuel Jackson’s character sneaks up behind Dooku and puts the saber by his face: “Oh, I’m sorry, did I just break your concentration?”
People dog the love story… eh. I think it was necessary. We need to see that Anakin went through some emotional loop-de-loops in order to succumb to the Dark Side. Besides that, we know Amidala is a stand-up gal, so it isn’t like he was just going to screw her and leave her.
The movie was very fun. I wasn’t expecting Oscar performances, I wanted a fun movie with a decent story. IMO, dialogue was never the strong point of any of the SW movies. Of course, getting to stare at Portman for long periods of time never hurts.
Yeah, I felt the same way about the previews, but regarding another scene. When Anakin first sees Padme again, he says that “grown more beautiful” line. In the preview, it seems like he’s saying this in total seriousness, and seems way too cheesy. Now in the movie, we learn that when he’s saying that, he’s nervous as all get-out, and even tries the awkward saving line, “for a senator, I mean.”
Oh, it’s still cheesy. But it’s Star Wars cheesy. Mmmm… Star Wars cheese… drool
Ooh. Saw it last night. Still saying “Wow!” I loved the movie! These nitpicks don’t detract from my enjoynment of it, but since this seems to be the place to ask questions, here goes:
I’ve got a slight bone to pick with the intelligence of the Senate in general. Palpatine’s first declaration is to create a “grand army for the Republic” - and damned if not a few days later there aren’t a few thousand troops marching into ships. Nobody wonders where they came from so quickly? Or why Palpy didn’t ask for a draft? Or where the equipment came from?
Ah well. I can only assume that all the senators are incredibly self-centered and thought, “Well, he didn’t ask me, he must have gotten them from somebody else.”
On to the clone/stormtrooper thing. I liked the clones’ uniforms better, though (of course) they’re very similar. I think it’s the color scheme for rank that does it. One must wonder if the clones are still in the service during the OT, which makes you wonder how they went from crack shots to the miserable marksmen they are later. I offer a couple WAGs:
Jango Fett’s got a predisposition to mascular degeneration that wasn’t picked up by the cloners, and so all the troopers lost their vision all at once later on.
Whoever designed stormtrooper helmets needs a beating. I (geek that I am) have a Boba Fett helmet, and with it vision’s fine (save that I have to take off my glasses, so everything’s blurry anyway). I’ve worn a stormtrooper helmet, and those goggle-eyed things could really ruin someone’s aim.
The Empire went for the lowest bidder with munitions dealers. The clones in AotC have blue beams, while stormtroopers have red, so they must have picked up new guns somewhere. The myriad of SW games (made by LucasArts, and JK2 in particular) have the standard stormtrooper rifles as the most inaccurate peices of crap you’d ever use. Not canon, I know, but consistent.
Nobody wanted a bunch of 40-50 year old clones as the armed forces for the Empire, so the powers that be offed them all and drafted the bad shots we know and love later on, keeping the stockpiles of armor and weapons that were lying around.
