Prequal trilogy; best/worst things it brought us
What do you think are some of the best and worst things the prequal trilogy has brought us?
Here are a few things for starters...
Best
though very overused, great special effects
coruscant
flashy lightsaber duels
anakin's turn
the clone wars
Worst
continuity gaps
sappy love scenes
our favorite little gungan to hate
more ammunition for Star Wars haters
some very bad acting at times
There is plenty more to be added on both lists. What do you think?
I was wondering... what the heck was the purpose of AOTC in the whole saga? All it needs to propel the story forward is Shmi's death and the love affair between Anakin and Padme. But Shmi's death is a tiny incident (time wise) and the love scenes are total crap! Plus AOTC raises questions that are never answered...
Why AOTC?
Yeah ROTS is OK, but even then I'd prefer none of them existed.
I'd have prefferred if the "history" was left a mystery, and left up to the imagination.
Before I saw the prequels:
- The universe was HUGE. Random characters like Chewbacca and Han were awesome.
- Darth Vader was evil, strong and bad ass, yet sympathetic.
- Boba Fett was mysterious and cool, with a cool voice.
- Star Wars was about the little people doing big things.
- The technology was believable. Clunky and functional. It broke.
- The trilogy was well paced. Three movies following on from each other.
After I saw the prequels:
- The Universe is TINY. Chewbacca wasn't random at all. Bah.
- Darth Vader is a punk who killed kids. He's also a pussy.
- Boba Fetts dad is the original stormtrooper (small universe again), and I hate Boba Fett now. He ain't cool, he's some aussie tw*t punk.
- Star Wars wasn't about the little people doing big things, it was about superheroes doing stupid things.
- The technology is Star Trek. Perfect, clean & sleek. Rubbish. Don't care what excuse the story has - it SUCKS.
- The saga chapters are inconsistent and continually have their flow interrupted with sudden time leaps.
To rub salt into the wounds, aspects of the prequels show up in the originals now. Jar Jar bloody Binks is in Return Of The Jedi. Sebastian Shaw is now Hayden. Retouching the originals (and in some cases f*cking it up - see the green lightsaber now in ANH) because the prequels don't fit is just madness. That's why I wish the prequels never existed. It made the originals less-great. Noooooooooo!
Oh, barely. Frankly I find Red Superfly's logic hard to fathom. I can;t understand the mindset that thinks the elements of the PT reduce the enjoyment of the Original. Quite the reverse in my opinion.
I also massively disagree about the size of the galaxy- things seem MUCH smaller in the Original. Definitely one of the best things about the Prequel trilogy is that it opens up the scope of the storyline enormously, like a tv series turned film. It felt like a Galaxy to me; the OT felt like a dispute in a Third World country by comparison.
The Prequel era actually has a far more interesting background. It just doean't connect as well with the characters. A shame we could not have had the two together.
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Oh, barely. Frankly I find Red Superfly's logic hard to fathom. I can;t understand the mindset that thinks the elements of the PT reduce the enjoyment of the Original. Quite the reverse in my opinion.I also massively disagree about the size of the galaxy- things seem MUCH smaller in the Original. Definitely one of the best things about the Prequel trilogy is that it opens up the scope of the storyline enormously, like a tv series turned film. It felt like a Galaxy to me; the OT felt like a dispute in a Third World country by comparison.
The Prequel era actually has a far more interesting background. It just doean't connect as well with the characters. A shame we could not have had the two together.
It didn't feel like a galaxy to me. Why is that so hard to fathom anyways? Luke has trouble going to bloody Anchorhead, it emphasised how big the galaxy was. Going to Alderaan was crazy talk.
In the prequels, they zip around the galaxy like its nothing. It doesn't seem as big and as big a deal as it once used to. Thats just thanks to the story.
That's just my opinion. Despite the grander scale, the weight of the situation is never hammerred home. I'm sorry I feel that way, and honestly tried to like the prequel setting, but I just can't.
I grew up with the originals, and loved them and by the time EP1 came out i was 26, and I love the PT too, they are fantastic and have the same rewatchabilaty as the OT.
For those of you who are dead set against the PT, just do what I did with Kill Bill Vol.2 and act/pretend that it never existed, and just watch the originals they way you want to remember them.
Red Superfly- I agree to an extent but I cannot live without clonetroopers...specially since Star Wars Battlefront came out.
I don't watch the PT as much as the OT but if anyone has a problem with it just do as I do; break out the special edition vhs version of the OT. It's great; no stupid Hayden head for Anakin's ghost and just a really good feel from watching it.
Queeq... I think the point of AOTC was...well... attack of the clones... the beginning of the clone wars which would raise up the Empire.
One thing I didn't like too much about the PT was how all the ships were so streamlined and everything. From x-wings, the Millennium Falcon, to Imperial Star Destroyers they all just looked rugged and awesome.
Episode three improved a little bit, but I still prefer OT spacecraft.
I love all 6 movies, I don't like having them "compete" against each other because it's not a competition. But I think the PT is fantastic.
Best: (I know it's long!)
Fitting the pieces together
The rich tapestry of it all
The music, all the new themes are fantastic
Seeing Luke & Leia's parents,
Finding out who their mother is
Finding out who built Threepio
Watching Artoo & Threepio meet
The ship blowing up in the first scene
Wise Qui-Gon
Shmi Skywalker
Watto
The introduction of the prophesy
Mace Windu
Seeing Yoda again
Watching the political intrigue as Palpatine weaves his way
Watching Jar-Jar play the classic clown-turned-hero role
The unbelieveable pod race
The four-battle finale of Ep I
The celebration ceremony, wonderful music too
The ship blowing up in the first scene of Ep II
Palpatine's maneuverings to get Anakin & Padme together
The chase amongst the towers, an SF homage
Watching Anakin act like Luke, impatient & moody
The awkwardness of Padme & Anakin falling in love, too true
The death of Mrs Skywalker and the Sandpeople slaughter
Anakin's gripping revelation of the slaughter to Padme
Mrs. Skywalker's funeral
The droid factory chase & Artoo flying
The monster scenes
The Geonosis battle was absolutely incredible
Threepio and Artoo bickering during the battle, again
Yoda & the hangar duel
Anakin & Padme's marriage with Artoo & Threepio as best droids
The ships blowing up in the first scene of Ep III
Artoo and the Super Battle Droids
Grievous' escape & landing the Invisible Hand
Seeing how troubled Anakin is
Padme's bun-do hairstyle
The Oscar-worthy performance of Ian M as Palpatine
Chewbacca and Yoda
The fact they didn't know Padme was carrying twins
Padme & Anakin looking across the sky to each other
The Jedi's battle with the chancellor & Mace's duel
Anakin's terrible choice and the fact he regretted doing it
Finding out the reason Anakin turned to the Dark Side
The Jedi Temple slaughter, just chilling
The slaughter of the Jedi with order 66
Watching the clones turn into the baddies
The Tantavie (sp) and the heroics of Organa.
Watching two Red Guards actually try to defend
Yoda & Palpatine's battle
Padme's heart-breaking speech to Anakin
Anakin's lust for power talking to Padme
The battle of the heroes
Obi-Wan's words to Anakin after the battle
Seeing Luke & Leia
Padme believing there is still good in Anakin
Vader Rising & hearing that voice cry out in sadness
Padme's hearbreaking funeral procession
The rest of the silent finale and
Luke's delivery into the arms of his aunt & uncle
Didn't like, (I don't hate anything about SW):
The passing gas & icky icky goo (tho it was never repeated)
Not being able to understand Jar Jar at first, (got it later)
I left wanting Darth Maul to have just a little more
Not enough time to build up dread in the battle scenes
Missing the Yoda puppet in Ep II
Anakin's "grownup" speech is a little too creepy sometimes
Jango Fett beheading & body fall... too violent for PG movie
Grievous was cool, but I had a feeling he wouldn't be around much
Vader in the suit didn't do a lot
First of all:
The reason people zipped around the galaxy so much in the prequels is because it WAS a lot easier to do so. In the OT, there was a buncha imperial shit flyin around, and would stop you and give you a bunch of grief if they thought you were part of the rebel alliance. So that whole aspect DOES make sense.
Secondly, the fancy sleek ships are built by a fancy sleek factory owned and operated by a fancy sleek republic whos capitol lies on a fancy sleek planet. Once again, it makes sense.
Thirdly, the 'time leaps' complaint. The OT was a story centered around three heroes. Not their lives before they met up, or anything that would detract from their relationship once they did. The reason the plot had no time leaps is because there was no time for them. And there WERE time leaps. The OT takes place over four years. Not as big a leap as with the prequels, but that brings me to my next point.
Anakin's fall to the dark side took a lot of time. One does not forego lifelong teachings overnight, let alone over four years. Between PM and AOTC, Anakin's training happens. Nothing fancy, just typical jedi training for a long time. If they spent a whole movie explaining that, or took as long as the OT to explain four years and spent a whole trilogy on it, no one would be happy. So that leap is logical. Between AOTC and ROTS, an entire galactic war takes place. A war across planets and space. While extremely cool, this would have taken another trilogy to explain in full. At least, explain in full enough to keep the fanbase happy.
The time lapses take place in points of little consequence or impact. Simple as that.
Explain the chapters' inconsitencies, and I will disprove your complaints, because honestly, I can't think of one.
Small universe? Did you know that you are no more than 6 people away from knowing everyone on this planet? That's because of technology and communication/travel. Now multiply that by a billion. The people and the technology. Wow, that number doesn't change. It might even get smaller. The universe/world aren't that big.
the OT was about simple people becoming heroes in a time where none existed. The prequels offered a tale about a hero falling. The story is not driven by the same things as the OT, and if that's where your disappointment lies, then you feel alienated by the fact that you can't relate to a hero's fall to darkness. I can, so the universe feels right at home for me. You don't understand, or don't want to understand the feelings and thoughts that couple with irrational decisions based on emotion and feelings rather than what everyone else calls 'right.'
I cannot dispell the wooden acting and sappy love scenes in AOTC, because that's exactly what they were. But I can say that in ROTS, they turned it around big time. All the characters were believable, their emotions and reactions identifiable. Any story you know the end to that can still make you say, No anakin! Stay at the temple! Don't go! is amazing. Period. Kudos to you, Lucas/Spielberg.
I've said my piece for now. I'll be back, I'm sure.
Good points, it's just I don't like the shift in "perspective", if you get my meaning. The OT and the PT have very different perspectives.
Don't get me wrong, the PT has it's moments, and I can watch all of them and find some enjoyment.
It's just, I'd get MORE enjoyment out of the fact they never existed, rather than knowing what I do now. The good the prequels have done do not outweigh the bad.
They're OK-ish movies on their own, and I guess they are OK backstories to the OT. But the OT was "Great!" not just "OK". I was expecting great, I had every right to expect greatness considerring who was making them and the resources available. It should have blown the OT out of the water, but it didn't even come close. That's why I wish they never existed, I'd rather have no prequels and "imagine" it all, rather than being told a mediocre story and not giving a shit about it when it's been told.
Originally posted by Caden_Amor
Secondly, the fancy sleek ships are built by a fancy sleek factory owned and operated by a fancy sleek republic whos capitol lies on a fancy sleek planet. Once again, it makes sense.Small universe? Did you know that you are no more than 6 people away from knowing everyone on this planet? That's because of technology and communication/travel. Now multiply that by a billion. The people and the technology. Wow, that number doesn't change. It might even get smaller. The universe/world aren't that big.
So like those Naboo starfighters? Those weren't made by the Republic. They were made by a small planet that got crushed in a war. They look a little too fancy for me. Or Plo Koon's starfighter which was in combat for like three years.
Honestly I don't have too much of a problem with the fighters, I just think the OT did a way better job.
Could you explain your comment about a small universe again? I don't understand. Are you saying that our planet is really small? I mean, it is but we aren't within 6 people away from knowing everyone here.
In the Star Wars universe their galaxy is supposed to be slightly larger than our Milky Way... And a large majority of planets do have life on them... I don't think the Star Wars galaxy is small at all.
Originally posted by Echuu
Queeq... I think the point of AOTC was...well... attack of the clones... the beginning of the clone wars which would raise up the Empire.
Why use a whole 2 hour+ movie just to tell that? It wasn't THAT exciting and it only really happens in the closing minutes. The whole detective story with OB1 is a drag... I dunno. I think GL should summarise the whole PT in one three hour movie... with ROTS using up most of that space.