Episode One 10th Anniversary in '09...

[Darthrazz]

edit: Moreover in Ep IV Vader probably was playng it slow to make sure Obi-wan wasnt about to trick him - after all he did lose last time.

...not to mention that they fought pretty much in the confined space of a corridor!

 

[IrishJedi]

This answer to everything is...

Lucas made almost all of this up as he went along.

 

[Bannister]

Or maybe when Lucas make ANH he didn't have the prequils in mind and decided thats how a geezer old hermit and a 75% machine would fight. Why do people always read more into Star Wars than is necessary.

I think it was said in one of the documentaries on Star Wars that the initial idea of the lightsaber was that it was supposed to be like a broad sword and have weight to it, which is why they are fighting the way they are.

 

[Bannister]

This answer to everything is...

Lucas made almost all of this up as he went along.

It is fun listening to all the fanboy excuses though.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I think it was said in one of the documentaries on Star Wars that the initial idea of the lightsaber was that it was supposed to be like a broad sword and have weight to it, which is why they are fighting the way they are.

I've heard that in interviews as well. The idea was that the ignited sabers were very heavy and had to be wielded with two hands. Of course, when Ben first gives Luke Anakin's saber, Luke is swinging it around with one hand like it weighs nothing at all. Just another example of Lucas making this stuff up on the fly.

 

[IrishJedi]

It is fun listening to all the fanboy excuses though.

Seriously. Some people spend more time and effort rationalizing stuff than Lucas does writing/making the movies in the first place.

 

[Outer_Rim]

I think it was said in one of the documentaries on Star Wars that the initial idea of the lightsaber was that it was supposed to be like a broad sword and have weight to it, which is why they are fighting the way they are.

You are right. Lightsabers were supposed to be very heavy. Lucas changed his mind for ESB and made them lighter, thanks in part to the new materials used for the lightsabers. That´s why ESB and ROTJ duels are more dynamic than ANH one.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

The simple answer as to why Ben and Vader fight they way they do in ANH is because the movie was partially inspired by Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, and that's why they look and fight like samurai.

 

[thenammagazine]

Or maybe when Lucas make ANH he didn't have the prequils in mind and decided thats how a geezer old hermit and a 75% machine would fight. Why do people always read more into Star Wars than is necessary.

When Lucas made ANH, he had the overall story of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker in mind and all the plots clearly scribed (I knew Vader suffers his first defeat to Obi Wan on a lava planet before the OT SEs even came out). He just wasn't sure the public would buy it and crammed as many of his ideas into ANH (then just Star Wars) as he could. This is why we see a Wookie as Han's copilot. If they'd given Lucas the green light for a trilogy, Endor would've been Kashyyyk and Wookies would've made the difference in ROTJ vs. Ewoks.

Honestly I believe that the real reason the fights in ANH were the way they were is because we as a Western culture were largely naive to the Asian techniques of swordplay in the 70's. Which explains why Lucas settled for the more known fencing (and let's not forget that his main inspiration for this was the swashbuckling serials of the 30's - One only has to watch the turd that was KOTCS for proof).

If you check out some of the EU stuff, you'll see that although Vader's "more machine than man," not only is he consistently modifying his robotic parts to be much more efficient, but moreover, he's able to pull off some really impressive feats and bests several non-crotchety Jedi between ROTS and ANH.

 

[Darth Madden]

Ok, I haven't heard the "broad sword" interview.. but that would make sense. And even more of a point that Lucas was totally making this up as he went along.

 

[monkeydad16]

Seriously. Some people spend more time and effort rationalizing stuff than Lucas does writing/making the movies in the first place.

Hey, Indy fans are known to that to:
https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34807

 

[2000man]

I tried liking Episode One, I really did. But I don't like it and I don't like the direction Star Wars took with the PT. If you dig it and enjoy it, that;s OK by me.

As my best friend once said, "I saw Episode One twice in the theaters because it was so terrible the first time, I thought maybe I missed something. I didn't, it sucked!"

 

[The Tuggernaut]

I never really "hated" TPM but I never really loved it all that much either.
But it did have a kick ass lightsaber duel!
:maul

 

[shocktrooper_au]

Agreed he makes this up on the fly & that is why with time the prequels are so much less appealing. It's a shame as there are some really good characters in the prequels

 

[kizzy]

I don't mind TPM. Sure it's not great but i've seen far worse films. Ang Lee Hulk anyone?

When i saw it i enjoyed it thoroughlly. I even like Jar jar.

If ss did some figs I would like padawn obi-wn and battle dress padme. Senator palpatine would be cool too.

 

[Qrest Fourstar]

You are right. Lightsabers were supposed to be very heavy. Lucas changed his mind for ESB and made them lighter, thanks in part to the new materials used for the lightsabers. That´s why ESB and ROTJ duels are more dynamic than ANH one.

Actually, Lucas didn't make them lighter, Kershner did. When Lucas flew over to england and saw the footage of vader using the sabre one handed, he was pissed.

 

[Krypto]

If they could have gotten the piont across that Dooku trained Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon trained Obi-Wan so Dooku knew Obi-Wans moves before he did better it would have been far more impactful (is that even a word?)

They mentioned earlier in the film that Dooku trained Qui-Gon.

 

[Blackhole]

Who doesn't want a Jar Jar with Spring-loaded legs so we can fire him around the room?

 

[Puay]

10 years... I can still clearly remember how I was grabbing all things Star Wars, while eagerly awaiting the release of the movie. Those were the happier moments... before catching the movie.

 

[JAWS]

Nice to see that there is some love for TPM on here.

I know I am in the minority but I actually feel it's the best of the new SW films. It's the one that feels the most like a SW film to me. Yes it has any faults but I can look past them to the stuff I love. Qui, Maul, Lightsaber duel and the Pod Race are amoung the best things in the new trilogy.

AOTC is by far the worst SW film. And while I liked ROTS the first time I saw it in the theater it has since gone down hill for me.

I just can't get past the fact that Vader does nothing. He cuts off Mace's hand, Kills baby Jedi, Kills unarmed aliens, and then gets his but kicked by Obi. It all just ruins the OT for me just a bit.

I also hate the Yoda/Emperor fight also. And general grievous and the plot surrounding sucked and was a waste of time.