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Was Samuel L a good addition to the Prequels?

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I'm not quite sure what I originally thought of Mace Windu in TPM, when I saw it many years ago. While his character was much better in the Novelization of ROTS and Shatterpoint, what do you think of Mace Windu/Samuel's performance in the prequels? Do you think his character added anything at all to the movies, or is he just another cardboard cutout random Jedi? What do you think motivated Lucas to attract an A lister like him to SW?

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Not sure I agree with the premise. Plenty of A-list talent was wasted on cardboard cutout characters in the prequels: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman. Samuel L Jackson was just another one.

I'm going to go with "No, he was not a good addition", but that's really no reflection on him given his company. Unless I hear a rumor that during shooting, he grabbed a movie camera, threw it on the ground, and pooped on it, in which case he was a great addition.

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)

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I once heard Jackson specifically asked for a part in the film.

I think he's a fine actor who made a fairly compelling character with what little he had to work with. 

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Yeah, Jackson was ok. Mace Windu, the character, not so much. It's a bit disappointing because on paper "SLJ + SW" sounded awesome and the result was not amazing, but it was not a real problem for the movies either. I just think they should have increased the "suspicious" side of Mace by making him the only Jedi who discovers by himself that Palpatine is a Sith, and not just when Anakin tells him.

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He was absolutely boring and useless in the movies. I guess the main problem is he didn't scream and called everybody a motherfucker.

The ONLY scene which I liked where he was was his death scene, maybe because it was the first time he showed ANY emotion in the whole trilogy. Not sure however if it was his fault or George's

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pittrek said:

He was absolutely boring and useless in the movies. I guess the main problem is he didn't scream and called everybody a motherfucker.

The ONLY scene which I liked where he was was his death scene, maybe because it was the first time he showed ANY emotion in the whole trilogy. Not sure however if it was his fault or George's

 Frink's edits correct that problem. ;)

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Where were you in '77?

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 (Edited)

SilverWook said:

pittrek said:

He was absolutely boring and useless in the movies. I guess the main problem is he didn't scream and called everybody a motherfucker.

The ONLY scene which I liked where he was was his death scene, maybe because it was the first time he showed ANY emotion in the whole trilogy. Not sure however if it was his fault or George's

 Frink's edits correct that problem. ;)

 Technically, in my edits he calls everybody a mother[REDACTED].

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Not technically. Literally.

Keep Circulating the Tapes.

END OF LINE

(It hasn’t happened yet)

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No way. I hate how he delivered his lines and his character is the worst character in Star Wars history, worst than Jar Jar. At leats Jar Jar had a personality. Mace was Totally lame and a "eat your fruits and vegetables" kind of character. I could never get over that line in Ep. 2 when out of nowhere and out of context to what was being discussed he tells Obi "Remember, if the prophecy is true, only Anakin can bring the force into balance."

I wanted Obi one to comically say, "Of course I remember you moron! It was my dying master's last wish you f--king dumbass!!!!. Not to mention i have to remind myself everyday as to why I put up with the little twerp"

I half expected him to break the fourth wall and tell the audience, "Remember everyone, Anakin's character is the chosen one and only he can bring balance to the force..remember episode 1?"

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@ TV's Frink

I would love to see that.

"Technically, in my edits he calls everybody a mother"

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It's a bit like asking if Sugar Sprinkles helped world hunger. 

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fullmetal777 said:

@ TV's Frink

I would love to see that.

"Technically, in my edits he calls everybody a mother"

 Follow the TRM and AOTR links in my sig.

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@ TV's Fink

Cool. I'm going to check that out. Let you know what I think.

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Truth be told, I think I hate Windu more than any other character from the PT -- Hayden included; there's just something about overrated douchebag assholes who get purple lightsabers they don't deserve that causes something in my blood to start boiling.

So, taking that into consideration, I guess Jackson succeeded in getting me emotionally involved in his character (even if all said emotions were strongly negative) which is something none of the other characters really managed to do.

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The way I answer this type of question is to considsr if a thing helped or hurt the movie.  In my opinion, he didn't hurt the movie.  It wasn't  a worse movie because he was in it.He did slightly help the movie.  Not with his onscreen time, but off screen.  The speculation about what he would be like as a Jedi probably put a few butts in the seats.  So final score:  Didn't hurt... might have helped.

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I saw the tv show where he actively petitioned to be in the new film (it was Chris Evans's TGI Friday if you're interested). He said he'd be a stormtrooper, anything just to be in the film.

And he certainly enjoyed it enough to want to be in the new films, however improbable that might be (if he were to play the same character, of course).

I thought he was a good addition, personally. I liked the animosity between him and Anakin in the first film and the fact that he got stuck into the action in the second one. His death scene was outstanding in the third film. What's not to like?

That's some bad hat, Harry
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Carthage said:

I'm not quite sure what I originally thought of Mace Windu in TPM, when I saw it many years ago. While his character was much better in the Novelization of ROTS and Shatterpoint, what do you think of Mace Windu/Samuel's performance in the prequels? Do you think his character added anything at all to the movies, or is he just another cardboard cutout random Jedi? What do you think motivated Lucas to attract an A lister like him to SW?

I didn't like him in Star Wars. He came across too much like a jerk but also too monotone and boring. The only Jedi that had that air of wisdom and empathy was Qui Gon Jinn. 

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Did fullmetal777 ever get back to you Frink?

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Its not like he was given much to work with.

Though his absurdly fake looking back flip in AotC did make me laugh out loud in the theater, so I guess that's something.

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He was okay, considering what he was given, but I don't think he did anything special either. It could probably have been any other actor.

And in the end of ROTS, he still went out like "some punk". So I'm gonna go with no.