ANH Luke

[ProgMatinee]

The only Luke I like better is the Hoth Luke, because the coolness of the outfit, but I agree that the ANH Luke is the most iconic and he will be enjoyed a lot. And he better as the most expensive figure so far.

 

[MaulFan]

But it's all good and to each his own. A fan is a fan in my book.

That's the beauty of the saga. There are six episodes all with the power to touch people in different ways. ANH appeals to may because of it's innovation and the escpaism and fresh material it offered movie goers. Others flock to ESB because of it's dark tones and moody feel, and some, like me, fall in love with ROTJ because it was the most creature filled, beyond our world Star Wars film with Ewoks and Jabba's Palace, plus the dynamic of the father son relationship and the ultimate evil of the galaxy stepping forward. Now generations will take to the PT in similar ways, young fans will project onto Anakin in TPM and thrive off the thrills of space battles and pod races and the most dynamic saber duel of the saga (as far as physical moves), AOTC will appeal with it love story and a sense of adventure and exploration solving mysteries and travelling all over the galaxy, and ROTS will draw people in with Anakin's tragedy, Obi-Wan's nobility, Palpatine's pure evil, and some of the most wild worlds and fights in the saga. I love different elements in some of the movies so I take to others more, but I love the whole thing because there's something to like in every film.

 

[IrishJedi]

there's something to like in every film.

At the end of the day, EVERYONE should agree on this.

Even those who despise TPM (I'm not a huge fan of it myself) can admit that they like Maul, or Qui-Gon or something else about it. In fact, one of the few "Wow, that kicks ass!" moments I had while watching the prequels was during the duel in TPM when Qui-Gon and Maul were separated by the deflector shield, with the Sith pacing impatiently while the Jedi sat and meditated in the Force. For a fleeting moment, I felt some of original lightning in the bottle there.

 

[DarthNeil]

You young 'uns.

Seriously, though, I actually feel privileged to have been the perfect age for the original "Star Wars" movies when they were first released (5 for ANH, 8 for TESB and 11 for ROTJ). I can still vividly remember seeing each one for the first time in the theater and whenever I watch them I am taken back to those moments. It's probably the #1 reason why I am still a fan of the franchise today.

Dead on. My dad taking me and my brother to see Star Wars in the theatre is still one of my earliest (most vivid) memories. When that Imperial ship blasted overhead--- seeing Vader for the first time (my dad to this day will tease me about getting so nervous that my palms were sweaty)--- the sheer terror of the moon--er, space station-- and of course the space fight which to this day can give me goosebumps like nothing else.

The nostalgic kick is a nice addition and I think a huge motivator to collecting-- recapturing that pure time when we could believe that yes this could be happening somewhere right now. It feeds into the escapist factor-- and that's how I view my office with the majority of my collection. It's a zen garden.

 

[MaulFan]

At the end of the day, EVERYONE should agree on this.

Even those who despise TPM (I'm not a huge fan of it myself) can admit that they like Maul, or Qui-Gon or something else about it. In fact, one of the few "Wow, that kicks ass!" moments I had while watching the prequels was during the duel in TPM when Qui-Gon and Maul were separated by the deflector shield, with the Sith pacing impatiently while the Jedi sat and meditated in the Force. For a fleeting moment, I felt some of original lightning in the bottle there.

That was one of my favorite moments in that duel, I love how Maul paces back and forth like a tiger or lion stalking it's prey, waiting to pounce when the moment is right. The only thing I really disliked about the PT's was the acting/directing with Jake Lloyd. I won't blame him solely because he may have done a lot just how Lucas wanted it but I was not a fan of the demeanor they gave him, I think they tried to make him seem too nice and good to emphasize his fall from grace, but you can be an average joe and fall to evil and have it be powerfully dramatic.

 

[IrishJedi]

The only thing I really disliked about the PT's was the acting/directing with Jake Lloyd. I won't blame him solely because he may have done a lot just how Lucas wanted it but I was not a fan of the demeanor they gave him, I think they tried to make him seem too nice and good to emphasize his fall from grace, but you can be an average joe and fall to evil and have it be powerfully dramatic.

The Making of documentary on the TPM DVD indicates that they cast the wrong kid. That blonde haired tyke was heads and shoulders better than Jake Lloyd in the auditions.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Every SW film has something to enjoy and every SW film has something you can use to get under a fanboys skin.

 

[The Mike]

Every SW film has something to enjoy and every SW film has something you can use to get under a fanboys skin.

Ain't this the truth....

For me Qui-Gon Jinn made TPM. Liam's performance was perfect and Qui-Gon actually reminded me a lot of Old Ben and what I thought the Jedi of the Old Republic should have been like. The rest of the Jedi (Mace, Ki-Adi, and to a degree Yoda) didn't strike me as what Ben described or what I felt Ben even belonged to back "in the day". His portrayal is how I envisioned Jedi back throughout the 80s when prequels weren't even in Lucas's head yet. (He already had these written....whatever ) and that made it perfect for me. Darth Maul was also a really good addition to the film the rest was just filler until Attack of the Clones IMHO where I thought Episode I should have started and have Episode III show the actual Jedi Purge and the rise of a young Darth Vader but that's another story completely.

 

[Prime Clone]

TPM had some killer sequences - pod race, final duel etc - they just didn't hang together that well.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I still watch TPM about 3 or 4 times for each time I watch AOTC.

 

[Customikey]

I still watch TPM about 3 or 4 times for each time I watch AOTC.

Ditto. I cannot explain it! Somehow I've managed to gloss over TPM's flaws and I'm able to just enjoy it! For some reason, even though when I first saw it, I thought AOTC was the best Star Wars film ever, it just has not aged as well in my mind. I think, plot-wise, it may be Lucas's weakest. Whatever else we say about Lucas, his stories are generally captivating. I guess AOTC was just a bit too contrived and convenient plot-wise for me to overlook the dialogue, acting, etc.
I thought about what figures i would want from AOTC, and I can't think of one. No, friends. Not even Jango.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

When I watch TPM I fast forward through Anakin's pod race. I think it's too long, cheezy and boring.

Qui-Gon, Obi and Maul make the movie for me.

 

[ProgMatinee]

When I watch TPM I fast forward through Anakin's pod race. I think it's too long, cheezy and boring.

Qui-Gon, Obi and Maul make the movie for me.

For me, the pod race is pretty much the most OTish type fun in the PT.

 

[IrishJedi]

For me, the pod race is pretty much the most OTish type fun in the PT.

Wh...wha.... what?

To me, the pod race has more in common with Spongebob Squarepants than the OT.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Wh...wha.... what?

To me, the pod race has more in common with Spongebob Squarepants than the OT.

LOL. For me, the pod race is like the DS trench attack and the speeder bike chase rolled into a longer more diversified (characters, ships,scenery) sequence.

One of the best scenes in the whole SW saga, IMO.

 

[Darth Waller]

It the pod racing scene was trimmed significantly and they removed the two-headed announcer, it would be a better scene. :chew

 

[Cocoboloboy]

LOL. For me, the pod race is like the DS trench attack and the speeder bike chase rolled into a longer more diversified (characters, ships,scenery) sequence.

One of the best scenes in the whole SW saga, IMO.

Really? Wow. Just goes to show you how different people view this saga. I thought it was ok the first time but I can't sit thru it when I go to watch it again but I never tire of the ending duel or when Yoda breaks loose on Dooku in AOTC for that matter.

 

[The Mike]

It the pod racing scene was trimmed significantly and they removed the two-headed announcer, it would be a better scene. :chew

If Anakin were older and more angry throughout the race (you know more of that darkness showing) and it were taking more seriously and less tongue in cheek like the two headed announcer and many of the slapsticky kind of jokes it would be have been a phenomenal point of the OT and PT. As it stands know it was a cool scene in the beginning but one that loses its charm as it is repeatedly watched and that is something that isn't true of the DS trench assault....

 

[Captain Faramir]

I dunno, I always thought the Pod Race was one of the oddest and most out-of-place scenes in the PT. I skip it every time I watch TPM, which is otherwise a movie that I love. For me, the film that most defines Star Wars for me is ROTJ, for I, like MaulFan, was born in '83 when it came out. Even though it's not my favorite of the films, it's still the one that most defines the Saga for me, and I love it. Heck, I love then all, even AOTC. In fact, I still love watching it--I just fast-forward any scene on Tatooine and Naboo.

 

[IrishJedi]

It the pod racing scene was trimmed significantly and they removed the two-headed announcer, it would be a better scene. :chew

You what would also have made it better? Add tension through more intelligent editing.

For instance, when we first see the Tusken Raiders shooting at the pod racers, instead of cutting it to cheering Tuskens for comic relief, how about cutting straight to the horrified reactions of the crowd in the arena. When the Tuskens actually hit and destroy one of the pods THEN you show them cheering (because they actually have something to celebrate at that point).

That small edit would have accomplished things two-fold: It would have added some much needed tention (instead of more UNNECESSARY humor) and it would have made more sense narratively (because, really, why the heck would a Tusken Raider cheer simply because they shot and missed something?)

This is Editing 101.

I swear Lucas can't get out of his own damn way at times. And this is a man who has referred to himself as "SuperEditor".