Here is a video that takes one one thing even people that hate TPM agree is pretty cool, the light saber duel, and make you realize that the speed and editing hide how goofy it is.
HAH The same could be said for all movies! Good editing and speed is the difference between wow that was cool and hah how goofy.
If light sabers were real, fencing would be the most effective form by far. Keep the point extended and your body as far from harm as possible. There’s no reason to try for a katana-type slash and pull or a swing-for-the-fences broadsword blow because they require you to close the distance, and since a light saber is a perfect cutting instrument a thrust that emphasizes speed over power is all you need. Realistically opponents should just be attempting to poke holes in each other cautiously. But then that would look way too tentative, and it would screen as unheroic crap. It’s much better to Flynn it.
The ending of that scene (original speed and editing) sucked-all of a sudden a being whose reflexes were shown to be razor-sharp never even tries to parry a death blow which took a relative eternity to unfold right under his nose?
There’s a ton to hate and mock about the shitty prequels, but the fact that the actors weren’t REALLY fighting isn’t one of them. Yes, fight scenes are put together with stage combat techniques and editing to hide it - that’s how it works.
The Force did it.
You may want to note that when Anakin tried the same manuever on Obi-Wan in ROTS, Obi-Wan cut him down easily.
Actually, I was bored by the lightsaber duel when I first saw it. The analysis pretty much confirmed my gut instinct that it was pure choreography and not an actual fight. I’d seen better in The Adventures of Robin Hood
It didn’t help that Darth Maul was a particularly boring villain. He was nothing but a mask and had less personality than a block of balsa wood.
I recall one reviewer pointing out the contrived set-up for the fight: remember how, shortly before things really go nuts, there’s a forcefield that comes up for a while between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon, so that they’re both waiting for it to come down and swing at each other in earnest? It’s as if the whole thing is perfectly arranged so the villain and the hero can have a fine expository conversation about their differences, but – no, for some reason, that’s not why the clear barricade went up.
It’s ironic that the same features that made Darth Maul a lame villain of the Star Wars prequels made Boba Fett the coolest in the first set (at least until he got punked by the damned Sarlaac).
Until the prequels ruined him you could’ve said the exact same thing about Boba Fett, which kids unanimously agree is the coolest of all the Star Wars characters.
ETA: Damn your eyes, Irishman!
Boba Fett was never cool. A skilled marketing campaign can exert a powerful influence on the minds of the weak-willed.
It’s kind of funny that one of the actors was in Rob Roy, which actually had a good sword fight in it.
I disagree with this and think it is part of the tendency to bash anything about the prequels, that shot of Boba cradling his “fathers” decapitated head inside the same mask he will one day wear all alone in the galaxy at 10 years old is one of my favorite shots of the prequels. It showed humanity and emotion and really fleshed out Boba.
Darth Maul was a cool looking villian, I thought. (Was this the first time we see dual bladed light sabers?)
His problem was that he was never shown doing anything dangerous or evil. There’s this build up of tension (“Uh oh! The heroes don’t know it, but they got a bad guy on their tail!”), but is defeated (even though he kills Qui Gon) the first time he is actually shown doing anything other than lurking in the shadows.
And his death scene was kinda silly. (Watch while your opponent, who was hanging by his fingertips, force-somersaults over your head, without even raising you lightsaber in a defensive manner.)
He doesn’t seem to really show why he deserves the “Darth” title.
Even General Grievous and Count Duku seem like more competant villains.
Though his method of winning would not have worked with a lightsaber.
The problem with that swordfight is that it’s an unfair fight in favor of the heroes! Sure Darth Maul is a badass, but you don’t gang up on the bad guy. That’s a villain’s tactic!
They should have put in many other distractions and hazards to balance things out.
I don’t know, Qui-Gon seemed to have his hands full with him while they were trying to leave Tatooine, and even bailed out to jump into the ship as it was hovering.
Great. You’ve ruined the laser fights for me.
Now there’s only good thing left in the trilogy. So don’t ruin this.
Surely to God people know that this is how stage sword fighting works? You didn’t think actors would actually swing clubs AT each others’ heads, did you? Holy shit.
This is of course not something that is true of the prequels as something uniquely sucky about them, it’s true of pretty much every combat scene ever filmed by a sane director.