It's fun to get into the fray every now and then!
Good points all, but remember that I’m always pointing to the balance there is in the characterization (not acting!). Like any kid (well, any person, actually), “little Ani” is not one-dimensional. You infer that to be believably/demonstrably resentful of his situation, he couldn’t/shouldn’t express happiness (“BOOM!”). I find that hard to believe. Kids are the most incredibly resilient beings, they can be living in dire situations, and yet be happy playing soccer with a ball made of rolled-up clothes and cardboard on a muddy field… Conversely, they can be extremely insightful. In my experience (having lived in third world countries with abysmal economic and social gaps for most of my life) I’ve seen kids “have it both ways”, as you put it, being very aware of their situation and yet finding joy in simple things (not that a Pod-racer was very simple, but you get my meaning). Again, Anakin shows his good-natured side, yet he also shows his fearful and resentful side (“you’re a slave?” “I’m a person and my name is Anakin”).
You mention Watto and his admiration of Anakin’s skills. That’s fine, still doesn’t mean Anakin is anything but a piece of property to be used by Watto (having said that, I do believe Watto had a soft spot for the kid, which is best seen in AOTC –a really nice scene by the way- “chut chut Watto”).
As for not being intimidated by Watto or Sebulba, well, isn’t that part of Anakin’s arrogance and impulsive nature? Again, I get the impression you’re looking for a more one-dimensional character. Put aside the acting for one moment and I think you’ll see that the arc of the character and the seeds to his future actions are all there, being developed from the start.
Finally, whether he was taken from his mother or freed… granted, he was freed, and he did go willingly.
Still his (natural) fear of never seeing his mother is clear to see, as is his longing for her in AOTC –his need for a family “don’t say that master, you’re the closest thing I have to a father”.
I assure you, the depth is there, unfortunately, sometimes marred by poor execution and/or acting. And I still maintain that the acting isn’t as terrible as everybody says…
I would argue that there is no instance of Jedi principles akin to a Prime Directive in any of the movies. So I find your interpretation more of a stretch than mine.
Well, first off, as Anakin himself points out, he is a Jedi, he’s been trained to be better than this. Secondly, you must’ve hung out with some pretty tough teenagers if killing off an entire village -women and children included- was the way to go! At any rate, that isn’t the point, the point is that it shows Anakin’s descent into darkness and his continuous struggle with controlling his emotions.
Well, yes… my entire point is that the story being told is solid and makes sense. While I don’t find all of the acting and all of the dialogue as abysmal as you do, I’m trying to focus on the story and the character arcs.
Having said that, I think you’re focusing too much on certain aspects while ignoring the overall story. Unfortunately, you found Anakin irritating and that prevented you from seeing or appreciating anything else.
For example, I would argue that Anakin’s infatuation with Padmé, who as you rightly point out he’d only seen a couple of times ten years ago, is another beat in his character arc, underlining his obsessive personality. It shows you how emotionally immature he is.
As for the levitating fruit and the trampling gonad… have you seen teenagers in love? They fall for the silliest things… But hey, I agree, it’s not very well executed.
I can’t really rebuke this, since we’re fundamentally disagreeing on how we interpret and experience the story. I would just be repeating what I already said, just in so many different words…
But, to your point of how Anakin could on the one hand be the one who tells Windu about Palpatine’s true identity and then attack Windu and leave him at Palpatine’s mercy: Anakin did not intend for Windu to kill Palpatine, because he did believe that Palpatine could help him save Padmé. He was still loyal to the Jedi and was doing his duty, so much so that he obeys Windu’s orders to not intervene at first. It’s only when Windu threatens to kill Palpatine that Anakin is faced with an impossible choice and strikes. And once the deed is done, there is no going back, he must commit to Palpatine. What follows is the same giving into his darkness, the same release of anger and frustration, as when he avenged his mother death. Only at a much more terrible scale this time around.
Indeed, that is it, in a nutshell. Again, we’re at odds here, just as I can’t see and enjoy what you see and enjoy in TLJ.
Yes, and I think that is the tragedy of Dooku. Of all of Palpatine’s apprentices, he’s the one who was completely fooled.
I pretty much agree with what you’re saying here; in my post I was reacting to your assertion that there was more of a character arc for Kylo in just one movie (TFA) than for Anakin in all three. I am also hopeful that we will get a fully resolved character arc for Kylo with TROS.
Excellent discussion my friend.
Is anybody else reading this?