# So I rewatched Ep III last night **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494 "2012-07-17T05:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494/21 "2012-07-18T17:31:51Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It is sloppy because Lucas does not know how to direct actors but I will stand by my liking this movie. > > It has good battle scenes, the best pacing since Empire, risky story telling (let’s not forget that we see Anakin slaughter Children) and the Order 66 montage is one of the best moments of the entire Saga. > > Flawed? Yes. But easily the third best movie of the six. Except we _don’t_ see Anakin slaughter children. It’s implied–no,obvious–that he did so, but it’s not shown. He walks into the Jedi temple, one of the younglings asks him what is going on, and by way of answer, Anakin turns on his light-saber. The kid then looks uncertain and scared, and then we cut away. This leads to one of my major problems with the movie. Obi-Wan and Yoda learn that Anakin has betrayed them by watching a video recording of the fight in Palpatine’s office. This makes no sense, and immediately took me out of the story when I watched the movie the first time. Why do they have access to such a recording? If they have a video feed to the Chancellor’s office, why did the Jedi Council want Anakin to spy on Palpatine in the first place? It would make much more sense for Yoda & Obi-Wan to be watching video of Skywalker murdering the children, which took place on their own territory and which they would easily be able to get hold of. But Lucas looked into the abyss and blinked; he just didn’t have it in him to show his fallen hero murdering the kids. Ep III is a much lesser movie because of that. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494/22 "2012-07-19T04:00:36Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > This leads to one of my major problems with the movie. Obi-Wan and Yoda learn that Anakin has betrayed them by watching a video recording of the fight in Palpatine’s office. This makes no sense, and immediately took me out of the story when I watched the movie the first time. Why do they have access to such a recording? If they have a video feed to the Chancellor’s office, why did the Jedi Council want Anakin to spy on Palpatine in the first place? It would make much more sense for Yoda & Obi-Wan to be watching video of Skywalker murdering the children, which took place on their own territory and which they would easily be able to get hold of. But Lucas looked into the abyss and blinked; he just didn’t have it in him to show his fallen hero murdering the kids. Ep III is a much lesser movie because of that. That isn’t as stupid as it seems. The chancellor might be smart enough to avoid incriminating himself in a potentially bugged area, but trusting enough to say something to a apparently-devoted long-time confidant who has saved his life on multiple occasions. Furthermore, if they knew about the rule of two, they could have guessed the hidden sith lord connected to Palpatine might play his hand by trying to seduce the powerful and passion-fueled young Anakin to the dark side. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494/23 "2012-07-19T04:12:16Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I agree that _Clone Wars_ makes Anakin’s slow descent into evil more compelling and believable. > > About your references in the last paragraph: I know the second is to the Duchess of Mandalore arc; what is the first? The episode was called Senate Spy, the “Malcolm Reynolds” moment at the end made me go oh hell yea! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494/24 "2012-07-19T14:45:35Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The episode was called Senate Spy, the “Malcolm Reynolds” moment at the end made me go oh hell yea! I recall that one now. If you ask me, Anakin’s actions there were considerably worse than what he did in the Mandalore arc. Killing the guy with the bomb in the latter was simple self-defense; he was about to blow up the ship, after all. It wasn’t even morally iffy: just pragmatic, albeit cold-blooded. Contrariwise, he left the guy to die in “Senate Spy” because he was a rival for Padme’s affections. And he didn’t _have_ to leave the guy to die. The guy’s connection with the Separatists was burned; it would have been wiser to take him back to Coruscant and question him. That was murder by proxy. Mal Reynolds wouldn’t have done it. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494/25 "2012-07-19T15:23:43Z")
Okay, those summaries about the events in clone wars are making Anakin’s fall much better and adding depth that was needed. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-rewatched-ep-iii-last-night/628494.md?page=1)