shanerjedi said:

We need to discuss a BIG action sequence in the film:

The Podrace.

It's a cool looking sequence. But, there's no real danger as we know Anakin will live. He's racing for parts to a ship when he's been shown to build an entire droid and pod from......parts.

Shouldn't there be a more compelling reason for little Annie to race?

What if the race, or I should say the footage, was used for two separate races?

What if Anakin was introduced during the tail end of a podrace in which Sebulba cheats and Anakin crashes? The heroes dont interact with Anakin at that time but they witness it. Maybe even Obi-Wan witnesses it?

Then later the heroes interact with Anakin back at Watto's hovel.

I suggested earlier that there could be an added sinister side to all those kids in the slave quarter.

Watto and the other slave owners could be using them as jockeys because of their size but only Anakin has managed to stay alive on the circuit which is why the kids like him because as long as he stays alive they don't have to race.

It explains why as a slave he is relatively well looked after.

I'd drop the whole building Threepio bit though, that is just stupid.

If Threepio were to be in TPM at all it would be as a senatorial protocol droid dropped into the background on Coruscant and maybe the Queen's ship.