Could Count Dooku as a Sith be a surprise?

Wow, um, okay.

>>>Will anyone watching Ep II really be surprised when Dooku is revealed as a Sith, or care?

I think GL thought it would be a bigger deal than it was, and the "mystery" of the assassination effort. He doesn't explain Dooku much at all so why are we concerned with him until he first appears with the Separatists?

Also, there are some external factors that make movie surprises (in blockbusters at least) difficult these days, including pictures of Chris Lee around the release, and he wasn't a good guy so he's probably a bad guy.

Furthermore will future audiences be surprised that Palps is the Phantom Menace?
I know WE all know who he is but for future audiences its a damp squib even if they watch the movies prequels first followed by the OT.

I dont recall any scene or line of dialogue where it is cleared up for the casual viewer that Dooku knows Palpatine is Sideous either in bothAOTC or ROTS.
We get the look of surprise on Dookus face when Palps tells Anakin "kill him" but thats not much to go on for the non SW fans in the audience
i think Lucas slipped up there

Liking the new forum image
the ROTS was getting a little stale.

This is actually why I wonder how Dooku can be some people's main reason for watching Ep 2 or 3 (however brief) he just didn't offer too much and wasn't explained too well...

I think Palpy as the Phantom Menace would surprise future audiences more.

THere was no surprise, because we didn't know who he was. So he is sort of a deus ex machina. And generally one doesn't care for that.

All we know is that he was Dracula and Saruman.

Originally posted by General G
This is actually why I wonder how Dooku can be some people's main reason for watching Ep 2 or 3 (however brief) he just didn't offer too much and wasn't explained too well...

Because he is played by Christopher Lee. So as usual, despite his minimal screen time and storyline, he upstages the rest of the movie(s).

Only one, possibly two, other actors in the PT can compare to Mr Lee's performance and acting prowess.

hehe, I thought you would say something like that. 😄

But his character is lacking, I am taking nothing from his acting abilities, but the character he played could have more depth.

His character is lacking yes, but the performer makes up for a lot.

I thought AOTC only got interesting the moment Dooku appears.

Which was...a fair amount into it...

Indeed.

Well, then the appearance of the Count at the finale gives us something to look forward to - especially during some of the more tedious parts of the movie.

Not if you are starting from Ep 1 and you don't know he will be there...

Hehehe exactly.

Plus he gets killed at the beginning of ROTS... it didn't last long.

Yeah, no kidding, a bigger part wouldn't have been too much to ask from Lee would it?

Christopher Lee had more of a cameo role than anything. Hell, Lucas needed somebody in there who knew how to act and deliver an engaging performance.

Problem is, Christopher Lee is old school Hollywood royalty, so Lucas was to much of a cheapskate to hire him for any great length of film. Bastard.

Originally posted by Rampant ox
Christopher Lee had more of a cameo role than anything. Hell, Lucas needed somebody in there who knew how to act and deliver an engaging performance.

😂
That aspect worked though.

But in all fairness, it was a good choice. A reference to Peter Cushing in ANH. But somehow Tarkin felt more alive and a more in-depth character. I doubt he had more screentime than Lee though.

Tarkin was a great character. Definitely my second favourite character in the saga. Although, in fairness, his character didn't need much screen time to be developed effectively. He was 'motherf*ckin boss'. End of story. As soon as he talked down to Vader the audience knew he was a guy not to be messed with.

Dooku, on the other hand had such an important role regarding the storyline itself. He was the traitorous Jedi who has aligned himself with the Sith, is plotting an intergalactic war, is trying to assassinate Padme (a major plot point) but at the same time doesn't want to share power with Sidious and wants the Republic for himself. Thats a Hell of a lot to cram into a character who only has about 10 minutes of screen time. Especially when he is only mentioned (briefly) once before his appearance right at the end.

Frankly, Christopher Lee did a fantastic job pulling off such a complex character with such minimal dialogue and screen time.

And yes, I am blatantly biased. 😛

Tarkin was great, really badass, it also helped because everybody seemed to know him, Leia in ANH "I thought I smelt you" or something along those lines.

Yes, they should have showed more of Dooku's side to the story, would have made for a more interesting AOTC anyways...

Really? I couldn't see the bias 😛

They should have clipped Dooku's story considering his screen time.

Ever since AOTC I fantasized about a different opening. Scratch the nonsensical assasination attempt on Padme. I'd have loved to see the movie open on Geonosis: Dooku arrives to inspect the grand new army of battle droids and super battle droids. All the great clans have gathered to prepare a fatal war to deestroy the republic. THen we find out that Dooku is the new Sith apprentice of Sidious and a formidable ex-Jedi.

At least that way we could have had the Jocasta Nu scene in the library about the Lost Twelve.

Anyway, that is something I would have liked and would have fitted much better with the OT style of the films. Those always start with the baddies and their intentions, so we know what's at stake for the heroes. They will loom over everything they do. In AOTC we just wonder what the heck they're on about.

I assume you are referring to the Lost Twenty? But the war hadn't even started yet if they did that, the Lost Twenty were throughout the Clone Wars...not before...

But that would have been a much nicer intro to AOTC...and would have made more sense...instead of having the CW begin at the end...

I think you are wrong about the Lost Twelve. Dooku was one of them. THe Jocasta Nu convo is in the novel, it was even shot. And that convo in the library where OB1 is looking for Kamino preceded the Clone Wars by any chronology.

The Lost Twelve were just 12 Jadi that separated from the Jedi Order.