Prequel viewings question

[EVILFACE]

I would say Lucas directed ROTJ as well. TPM is almost identical to ROTJ in tone and feel as well.

Kurt Russell is said to have directed Tombstone instead of George Cosmatos.

 

[Starkiller]

Your boy with the "good, valid points."

Ha, my boy. His points were mildly entertaining, but he's far from my boy. He had a counter for every nit-pick that other user listed for PT, it was fantastic.

 

[Khev]

Ha, my boy. His points were mildly entertaining, but he's far from my boy. He had a counter for every nit-pick that other user listed for PT, it was fantastic.

Oops. I thought you were responding to the other guy (the PT bashing one who thought GL directed ROTJ.) My bad.

 

[Khev]

I would say Lucas directed ROTJ as well.

"No matter what people think, you can't direct over somebody's shoulder. Its too subtle an art." --George Lucas; Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas.

 

[arnax161]

I would say Lucas directed ROTJ as well. TPM is almost identical to ROTJ in tone and feel as well.

Kurt Russell is said to have directed Tombstone instead of George Cosmatos.

ROTJ was directed by Richard Marquand (spelling). But Lucas literally stood over his shoulder and ruined anything remotely cool about the movie.

 

[Khev]

ROTJ was directed by Richard Marquand (spelling). But Lucas literally stood over his shoulder and ruined anything remotely cool about the movie.

Is that your assumption or do you have a source supporting that statement? You think there wasn't anything remotely cool about ROTJ?

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I've heard that rumor about Lucas basically directing Jedi and Marquand just serving as a front as well. Anyone know where it started from?

Anyway, Khev, I kinda agree with you about skipping Clones. You're right--you get all the info and back story you need at the beginning of Sith. This also shows what is fundamentally wrong with the prequels: the basic outline of the story is fine but the execution is horrible. If we're just told that Anakin killed the Sandpeople, his mother dies in his arms, he and Padme fall in love, etc... That all sounds fine. But the way it was filmed, it's all cringingly bad.

However I do really like the action sequences in Clones: chase through Coruscant, Obi vs Jango, end battle. So the couple of times I've popped in the DVD, I just watch those scenes and skip all the horrible Ani/Padme scenes.

 

[Darth Mitchell]

I just watch those scenes and skip all the horrible Ani/Padme scenes.

So you just watch 10 minutes of the movie?

 

[Mad Old Lu]

So you just watch 10 minutes of the movie?

Pretty much!

 

[Khev]

Anyway, Khev, I kinda agree with you about skipping Clones. You're right--you get all the info and back story you need at the beginning of Sith. This also shows what is fundamentally wrong with the prequels: the basic outline of the story is fine but the execution is horrible. If we're just told that Anakin killed the Sandpeople, his mother dies in his arms, he and Padme fall in love, etc... That all sounds fine. But the way it was filmed, it's all cringingly bad.

Seriously, I strongly recommend that everyone here who doesn't totally hate the PT to watch TPM and ROTS back to back. They compliment each other fantastically.

The last line of TPM is Boss Nass shouting "Peace!" and then the very first word of the ROTS opening crawl is "War!" What a perfect way to present the horribly spiralling galaxy now under the control of Palpatine. Kind of like in the original Christopher Walken "Dead Zone" flick, where he shakes Martin Sheen's hand as he's running for president. We instantly get a snapshot vision of what will happen to the world as we fast forward to him giving the order to begin nuclear war in spite of a diplomatic alternative. TPM to ROTS does the same thing, and it works perfectly in SW.

You don't get to see the characters meeting Count Dooku for the first time, but we never did in ANH either! Leia just starts talking to both Vader and Tarkin as if she's familiar with them and displeased to be in their company again. What worked for ANH certainly still works today. And it really does play out better to imagine your own versions of Anakin's mother and the sandpeople or Anakin and Padme's "time at the lake," etc., than to see how they play out in Episode II.

As much as I want to like ALL of SW, the saga almost can't survive with an equal amount of PT and OT movies. Skipping Clones allows the OT to tell the majority of the story (as it should) but without dismissing all the great scenes TPM and ROTS have to offer toward the narrative.

 

[Agent0028]

That's a pretty cool point you are making about TPM and ROTS going so well together. But there is alot that I dislike in TPM and enough that I like in AOTC that I don't think I could bypass it completely. I'll take the PT flaws and all.

 

[Bastilla]

Seriously, I strongly recommend that everyone here who doesn't totally hate the PT to watch TPM and ROTS back to back. They compliment each other fantastically.

The last line of TPM is Boss Nass shouting "Peace!" and then the very first word of the ROTS opening crawl is "War!"

,,,and even better,,,skip anh and esb and go directly to rotj right after rots!!!! straight from turning to the darkside to redemption!!!

 

[Darth Mitchell]

,,,and even better,,,skip anh and esb and go directly to rotj right after rots!!!! straight from turning to the darkside to redemption!!!

Hmmm, if you like to skip the 2 best movies of the saga...

 

[Agent0028]

Not to mention missing what makes Vader a badass villain. But I think that may have been sarcasm.

 

[DarthNeil]

Well I watched AOTC again today (in between other things) and I have to say that besides some obvious cringe dialogue between the lovers I enjoyed it just as much as I did upon my first viewing...

 

[Starkiller]

Well I watched AOTC again today (in between other things) and I have to say that besides some obvious cringe dialogue between the lovers I enjoyed it just as much as I did upon my first viewing...

That bad huh?

 

[DarthNeil]

That bad huh?

I knew that was going to be a response.

Nope. Put me in the category of folks who like it-- anywhere near ESB or ANH?... Forget about it-- but still enjoyable for what it was.

 

[jedibear]

Well I watched AOTC again today (in between other things) and I have to say that besides some obvious cringe dialogue between the lovers I enjoyed it just as much as I did upon my first viewing...

I still enjoy it as well...let the raspberries begin...

 

[devilof76]

Yup. I've always liked AOTC a lot. I wasn't even aware that there was something I was supposed to hate about it until I discovered internet Star Wars fans. I think you just need the right perspective. Not sure what that's supposed to be, but I know it's there.

 

[DarthNeil]

Here's what stood out upon this newest viewing (fresh perspective and all that)...

-Christopher Lee... nuff said
-Obi-Wan's detective stint (Ewan really channeling Sir Alec here always thinking)
-introduction (and subsequent decapitation) of Jango Fett (love the somewhat ominously stated "Oh, they'll do their job well. I guarantee it." by Jango to Obi, almost like he was aware of Order 66)
-Natalie Portman in leather... in tight white spandex... in anything and everything
-Geonosis battle
-C-3P0 and R2D2 reunited
-Anakin's fall beginning (I still like the mounting music with the search for his mother montage-- and I love seeing Yoda in meditation as Qui Gon desperately calls out to try and stop Anakin in his moment of anger)
-use of Tatooine once more

Yeah, bring out the raspberries. It's too easy to find fault-- not every movie can be ESB. I enjoyed it (again) and I'll probably keep the PT train a rollin' today with ROTS.