What we like about the Prequels — Page 8

In Episode I at around the 1 hour 33 minute mark where the Queen decides to go back to Naboo right at the end of the scene Palpatine gives a little smirk just before the optical wipe moves upwards. It is (as far as I know) the only genuine piece of subtlety in the Prequels.

Of course, it's completely ruined when the audience is slapped across the chops with the big close-up of him at the end of the movie. But that little moment... I like!

I really like the design of the Clone Gunships.

SilverWook said:

Speaking of perverse uses for Jar Jar merchandise. ;)

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0899/jar.html

Watched a bit of AOTC last night.

I really like the sets. Amidala's place, and Palpy's office. All very very cool.

The destruction of the Jedi through Order 66.

That TPM didn't have a galaxy-wide war.

The Senate Guards and Republic Star Destroyers.

SilverWook said:

TK-949 said:

I really like the design of the Clone Gunships.

SilverWook said:

Speaking of perverse uses for Jar Jar merchandise. ;)

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0899/jar.html

Is that real or is it a satirical site? I mean, I know there are some really cuckoo religious people out there but these "Jesus is a pervert"-shirts? Come on!

 Satirical, yet people keep falling for it. ;)

 The Shape of Thongs to Come.

Moncynnes said:

When you're discussing what is best about the Prequel Trilogy, I think it's a cheat to cite John Williams' score or the special effects, simply because they're not unique to the prequels.  Asking whether Williams or ILM did an excellent job on any Star Wars project is like asking if the movies were in color; it's a given.

Now, if we look at elements unique to the prequels, that leaves us with...

- Ewan McGregor.  It's not easy to replace one of the greatest actors of all time, but McGregor definitely succeeded.  He completely sells his performances in each part of the trilogy, progressing from apprentice to journeyman to master with confidence and authenticity.  I'd gladly watch more Obi-Wan solo adventures if McGregor starred in them.

- The Order 66 montage.  The emotional lynchpin of the PT.  Shot after shot of Jedi being betrayed and murdered by their own troops, backed by Williams' epic score... to me, it make the whole PT worth it.  Powerful, bravura filmmaking.

 There were some rather ropey FX in the PT

but there were some gaffs in the OT as well.

Moncynnes said:

- The Order 66 montage.  The emotional lynchpin of the PT.  Shot after shot of Jedi being betrayed and murdered by their own troops, backed by Williams' epic score... to me, it make the whole PT worth it.  Powerful, bravura filmmaking.

I loathe the whole Order 66 thing for reducing the Great Jedi Purge -- something the EU had built up to be this massive, long-term holocaust -- down to some puny pogrom where the Jedi died like punks in the span of hours. 

No DE is right.  The Jedi are supposed to have all these powers (not just physical, but mental as well) but when the story requires them to go poof, they're suddenly blind idiots.

Easterhay said:

You have no heart, DuracellEnergizer; that sequence still chokes me up.

Yes, I know -- I should feel sad for the deaths of aloof genetic supermen enforcers who had little to no personality on-screen.

As for the EU, it's a separate entity. Even more so now.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that at the time. At that time, I had been led to believe that the EU was fully canon, that Lucas respected the EU, and that the films would remain true to the EU and build off of its ideas while still telling its own story.

Had I known otherwise, I may not have been so disappointed. But things are the way they are, and I still don't like Order 66 or the rushed extermination of the Jedi.

^If only those clones had been played by real actors in real suits of armour.

imperialscum said:

In reality, it is a story about how an unlikeable jerk (PT Anakin) turned into one of the best characters in film history (OT Vader).

 Good for Lucas, showing us character growth.

Easterhay said:

I wonder what it was that led you to believe the EU was canon? I don't remember Lucas confirming it to be so at that, or indeed, any other time. Personally, I never took the EU that seriously, even the stories I enjoyed.

 I am not an EU person (I have friends who read alot of EU books, so I have some knowledge of what stories have been put out.

The thing about the EU is that Lucas has never been married to the EU, (as he has said it is not canon), but he has always respected it with his timeline.  I honestly thought he would never do the ST simply because there was so much material put out post-ROTJ for the EU. 

If you look at all of the other EU stuff (Before Episode 6), it coincides nicely with Episodes I-VI, so the movies still respect that timeline.  Now if Lucas has Chewbacca in Episode 7, or there is no Mara Jade, then he is not respecting the EU material from post-ROTJ.

In saying all of that, I could care less cause I am not an EU person, as I actually want to see Chewbacca in the new movies, and I really don't know much about Mara Jade other then what my friends told me about her.  But I do understand EU people being pissed off that the post-ROTJ stuff has been thrown out the window.

Another analogy would be is if I loved the OT Special Editions, but I could totally understand OOT fans being pissed that they have never been released properly on BluRay/DVD.