Sideshow Darth Maul Sixth Scale Figure

[demorathis]

I agree with a couple caveats; Don't cut Jar Jar out, just cut his screen time. Just like you suggested for the pod race...it was wayy too long.

I got a chance to see AOTC in Imax and it was great because due to the reel size, they had to re-edit the movie cutting many of the bad sappy love scenes out. Best thing they could've done for that movie. The pacing was better. The scenes were more cohesive and a lot of the bad acting was cut. Made for a much better movie.
ROTS...can't agree more.

These movies weren't great but they were good. GL just needed someone to help steer the boat. I personally think he was wayyy too close to the projects and likely had no subjective opinions to refine his ideals. I mean, if you worked for Lucas, whose gonna be the guy in the room that says,"Uhhhhhh...I don't get it?" Hard to say to this guy who has had more movie success than all the guys working for him combined that you took some very talented actors and turned them into one dimensional mannequins?

I would've loved it if Jar Jars highsjinks was done in the background during other moments...instead of in the spotlight...it could've been done in such a way that makes him more lovable And cut majority of his lines if not all so he's just physical background if-you-pay-attention-comic-relief-for-the-bored-or eagle eyed...like Easter egg humor .... One small thing along those lines was when the pit droid kicked him in the nuts, since it was so brief and a big deal wasn't made of it

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I think just having him speak in an alien language would have gone a long way to make him more tolerable.

 

[TonTon]

I think just having him speak in an alien language would have gone a long way to make him more tolerable.

Yeah, they went away from that in TPM a bit too much and made creatures speak English but with accents. I felt Gungray and company as well would have benefited from that. The Star Wars human characters relationship to creatures always seem best when there's a non-chalance about the different language. Luke and Owen talk to the Jawas in English, they respond in their Jawa language. Greedo-Han, etc. Often, like with the Jawas, or Rey and Teedo, you don't even need subtitles.

 

[demorathis]

I think just having him speak in an alien language would have gone a long way to make him more tolerable.

That's a great point and could have thwarted all the albeit unintentional, but still evident racist type stereotypes that dominated the cultures of that first prequel. First off, aliens would speak in their native tongues to each other most likely, secondly if the. Hard terms LOOK Asian, perhaps they should sound differently, not asiatic accents from a western actor. Or if a culture is seemingly carribean, how about a completely different accent. But I guess existing cultures are being represented in a way, like amidalas straight up Mongolian headdress and gown.

 

[TonTon]

Well Star Wars has always co-opted different cultures in a good way. Jedi look like Samurai (at least Ben and Vader did), but I think the trick is, as you said, to have a blend of things. I think if Star Wars had been made by a Japanese director, it wouldn't look that otherworldly to have all these Japanese actors in Samurai garb.

I think that's why the Donnie Yen introduction in Rogue One seemed a little odd to a lot of viewers. Rather than having Donnie Yen in Rogue One showing up as an alien with his abilities he just shows up doing martial arts the way he might in any number of movies and dressed similarly as well. It's almost a failure of imagination there.

 

[rubio95]

Not really sure how people can call Revenge of the Sith great. For me that movie is the biggest disaster out of the whole PT. Anakin is at his most whiney and effeminate. The story wastes tons of time on Obi Wan lizard riding silliness, droid slapstick and General Grevious. Meanwhile crucial things like slow deterioration of Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship, the fall of the jedi, and Anakin's turn to the dark side are incredibly rushed. The dialogue and acting is at its worst. The CGI is the most over the top making it feel the least like the OT.

I can deal with TPM if I ignore Jar Jar and even AOTC has a couple decent parts, but as far as trilogies go ROTS sticks the landing about as well as Harrison Ford on a golf course.

Winner. The Prequels got worse as they went on. The uncomfortable truth is, while it has TONS of problems, TPM is by far the best of them. Due mainly to Liam Neeson (who had PLENTY of corny moments, as well).

I don't mean to jump in here and Prequel-bash, but I checked in on this thread to see if there was any news on Maul (I really liked almost everything about his character).

I think just having him speak in an alien language would have gone a long way to make him more tolerable.

I've really come to expect crackshot commentary like this from you, Lu. Nailed it. 99% of the OT aliens speak their native language, and it certainly helps them to NOT sound ridiculous speaking English (or Basic, if you prefer). You don't have to come up with an accent that will PROBABLY sound like a racist interpretation (Asian, Jamaican, Jewish). Ugh.

 

[darth toffeeman]

Phantom Menace will always be the worst for me. ROTS was my favourite of the pre trilogy but interestingly I have found that they have all become progressively weaker films as time has moved on, where as the OT remains the benchmark for any film to aspire to.

 

[ShadowX81]

I think just having him speak in an alien language would have gone a long way to make him more tolerable.

And the ironic part is that IMO, Jar Jar was probably one of the best realized CGI characters in the whole prequel trilogy. Because they had a man in a suit sitting in during filming, the actors actually had someone to act off of and weren't subject to as much "improvisation" as was asked of them during the later two sequels, which even at their best moments led to mixed results. Regardless of the fact that Jar Jar was extremly annoying, he felt more real than almost all of the other animated creatures in those films.

 

[DioramaMaker]

Yeah, they went away from that in TPM a bit too much and made creatures speak English but with accents. I felt Gungray and company as well would have benefited from that. The Star Wars human characters relationship to creatures always seem best when there's a non-chalance about the different language. Luke and Owen talk to the Jawas in English, they respond in their Jawa language. Greedo-Han, etc. Often, like with the Jawas, or Rey and Teedo, you don't even need subtitles.

This is something I've never noticed as I've watched a film, but you are undoubtedly right. Good observation, especially how it carries over to EP7.

As far as the prequels go, give me a ROTS Obi-Wan. I like the long hair on him but I don't need anything reminding me of AOTC. Or, best thing is that Disney gets on that Obi-Wan interim film and we get a Ewan Ben that way. For all the faults that the PT has, Ewan was not only a trooper, but clearly cared about his role and character. And for that I will always like PT Obi-Wan.

 

[DarthBakura]

There are things to admire about the PT and things to be disdained with. They aren't as good as the other four Star Wars films, but they're still fun to go back and watch once in a while. I do wish they would make some of the changes brought up here, like the alien dialogue and what not. Oh well.

Really hope this figure comes out soon. Sideshow has been way too quiet about it. I'm assuming there's still no cloak? Not like I'm getting rid of the original release anyway.

 

[TonTon]

This is something I've never noticed as I've watched a film, but you are undoubtedly right. Good observation, especially how it carries over to EP7.

As far as the prequels go, give me a ROTS Obi-Wan. I like the long hair on him but I don't need anything reminding me of AOTC. Or, best thing is that Disney gets on that Obi-Wan interim film and we get a Ewan Ben that way. For all the faults that the PT has, Ewan was not only a trooper, but clearly cared about his role and character. And for that I will always like PT Obi-Wan.

Yeah, McGregor really took ownership of that role and did right by Alec Guinness.

 

[MaulFan]

McGreggor and McDiarmid carried the PT for acting, without either or actors of equal performance, it would be 9 hours of eye candy.

 

[jedijim3002]

Agreed. Palpatine was the best part of the prequels. Obi Wan a close second. Maul is third and a total waste of a great character and design since they offed him in the first episode. Everything else is just Bantha Poo Doo!

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

Palpatine was definitely the highlight of ROTS. He's always been one of my favorite villains.

 

[davejames]

Agreed. Palpatine was the best part of the prequels. Obi Wan a close second. Maul is third and a total waste of a great character and design since they offed him in the first episode. Everything else is just Bantha Poo Doo!

Yeah they were definitely the best parts, but still not enough to redeem the prequels for me. No matter how cool some of the characters or design work or action might be, it was the story of Anakin's fall to the dark side that really matters in the end, and I just never believed a second of it.

 

[Kvothe]

There was a pop-up movie channel that played every Star Wars movie back to back for three days over the long weekend here on Australian cable. I spent the Saturday watching them all, then had them running in the background while I was home on Sunday/Monday. I hadn't watched the prequels in what would have to be ~8+ years. I enjoyed them then, but RotS was released during my mid-teens so I thought I might see them in a more mature light and really see where the hate was coming from. They have their issues, but I kept finding myself annoyed that they've copped so much criticism. I definitely enjoyed them, especially RotS.

One thing that really stood out is how great some of the prequel characters would look in 1/6. I've always wanted a Maul, but Obi-Wan and Anakin based on the Mustafar scene would be amazing. I'd buy the two as well as Padme from the AotC arena scene as well. Dooku and Qui-Gon too. While Palpatine was a great character, I'd prefer an OT Sidious.

 

[Jme_c]

Latest in hand pics of the new Darth Maul posted by Wan Lee (painter at Sideshow living in Seoul). Head sculpt looks pretty nice, but still a damn shame they couldnt even include a bloody cloak to at least make this close to the definitive Darth Maul.

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Where's all that skin texturing gone from the prototype pics?
Hoping these are just crappy quality pics as paint looks WAY to smooth!

 

[Hellion]

He looks good......still though SS has burned me too many times to make a move before seeing in-hand pics.

 

[SunrayTheWingman]

There was a pop-up movie channel that played every Star Wars movie back to back for three days over the long weekend here on Australian cable. I spent the Saturday watching them all, then had them running in the background while I was home on Sunday/Monday. I hadn't watched the prequels in what would have to be ~8+ years. I enjoyed them then, but RotS was released during my mid-teens so I thought I might see them in a more mature light and really see where the hate was coming from. They have their issues, but I kept finding myself annoyed that they've copped so much criticism. I definitely enjoyed them, especially RotS.

One thing that really stood out is how great some of the prequel characters would look in 1/6. I've always wanted a Maul, but Obi-Wan and Anakin based on the Mustafar scene would be amazing. I'd buy the two as well as Padme from the AotC arena scene as well. Dooku and Qui-Gon too. While Palpatine was a great character, I'd prefer an OT Sidious.

Completely agree. I-III get an absurd amount of hate and there is some serious 1/6 potential there. I can admit they're not the best, but I think if they were the same movies but part of some other sci-fi franchise (not SW) they wouldn't get nearly as much flak. ROTS is one of my favorites.

 

[galactiboy]

Looks very good... as for the skin texture (or lack of it) I think it's still there, just those photos aren't showing it very well.

I'm done with PT figures, but I won't say I'm not sorely tempted by this. It's a really great looking figure. It totally destroys the original and is a noticeable upgrade over the Medicom v2. He's still $50 over what he should cost, but aside from that... if the above image is an actual figure Sideshow delivered on this one.