The Prequel Radical Redux Ideas Thread — Page 241

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/DarthVader28/yodayellowsaber.gif

Your weapons, you will not need them.

Killing Maul was almost the biggest mistake of The Phantom Menace. Maybe this will redeem him a bit. According to that article I get the feeling he survives to see possible future stories. But NOT episode 3! No, we get a crappy asthmatic warrior that comes out of nowhere. =/

Topher Grace did an 85 minutes long edit of the prequels, called "Star Wars: Episode III.5: The Editor Strikes Back"
I doubt it will be available, but here is a link that describes it

http://www.slashfilm.com/topher-grace-edited-star-wars-prequels-85minute-movie/

You could just have Maul more and more nibbled away with each film.

The first film he could lose his lower body.

The second film he could lose his arms so in the third film he is Grievous.

It may be possible to replace Jango with Maul in the Geonosis scenes.

It makes no sense for him to be there as having a direct connection to the Separatists pretty much indicates that both armies are being controlled by the same big bad.

This sets him up as being another possible (but false) identity for Vader.

Sure you would have to film someone else as Maul but he is under heavy makeup and probably has robotic legs.

Were the minor cast changes in the Harry Potter films a serious impediment? 

I do wonder, if somehow another character is implemented as Darth Vader, be it Darth Maul, Obi Wan's second apprentice, or my favourite - Mace Windu, would there not be a danger with the audience thinking

"hang on? *Darth Vader's proxy* is the father and not Anakin Skywalker?

Mace is conveniently Black, Maul is spiky, but whatever alternative is found, should probably have some obvious physical difference to Anakin.

Once again I have no idea how it could be done but you could have Padme and Anakin declare their love and even get married before Geonosis.

Anakin could decide to tell the council and resign but then the war breaks out and he feels obliged to keep their marriage a secret for more noble reasons than just remaining in the order, he has to remain a Jedi to protect the Republic.

It would mean losing Threepio at the wedding and restoring Anakin's real arm and adjusting the lines before the arena scene a little.

Perhaps the line about not caring if anyone knows they are married from ROTS could be inserted into their stay on Naboo which could be a Honeymoon.

Anakin could leave the order by AOTC, say hey I'm married, and maybe not even be on Geonosis at all (if he never goes to Geonosis, he never goes to Tattooine, and therefore, everything happens on Naboo reducing the amount of planets in EPII)

I've been wandering to open ROTS not in the battle mood but somehow in another note, to show Anakin's married "peaceful" life as a former Jedi, now close-to-politics friend of the Chancellor and Husband of a Senator. No baby reveal at all, we get straight to the balcony scene (with all the required editing) though I can't think of a space scene to put after the scroll.

After that, the siege of Coruscant can be established by the Jedi briefing room scene.

Greetings!

A rogue asteroid bounced the signal across the universe where it was picked up by the Nostromo a long time later.

timdiggerm said:

Mithrandir said:

Anakin could leave the order by AOTC, say hey I'm married, and maybe not even be on Geonosis at all (if he never goes to Geonosis, he never goes to Tattooine, and therefore, everything happens on Naboo reducing the amount of planets in EPII)

What if he and Padme don't leave Tattooine? What if they don't receive Obi-Wan's message?

Then how, or more exactly where do you pick them up for ROTS?

I know that having them live in Tattooine for at least 3 years would imply some place for anakin and owen getting known to each other, and maybe after leaving anakin is summoned only for the rescue mission, a mission which considering the chancellor as a friend he goes to without hesitation, something that would look mad-like to owen's eyes.

Greetings!

Having a Senator and a Jedi absent themselves when there is a war on seems a little irresponsible.

Indeed, that's why I'd rather leave them on naboo though have anakin leave the order, or retire as a Jedi until the rescue mission

After seeing a bit of Trooperman's rough cut it struck me how changing little bits of dialogue could turn Anakin into a more interesting character.

When Obi-Wan complains that Zam's speeder went the other way Anakin could say something along the lines of.

"If we followed we would be behind him, now we are above him" and then he jumps out.

Saying he is taking 'a short cut' doesn't sound like the sort of person would one day be the Emperor's enforcer.

It sounds more like the sort of person who would get killed by the enforcer for losing a ship.

I also endorse the idea of Anakin pressuring his master to let him rescue his mother because of his dreams instead of leching after Padme.

It might be possible to construct clean frames of the Fetts rooms and splice in Benny Kenobi looking up stuff at the Jedi archives into it.

Totally off-topic. 

What if...
General Grievous is actually Syfo-Dyas, who was "Killed 10 years ago", but revived as General Grievous? And he's actually an agent for Palpatine who's in with the whole conspiracy?  

That's a great idea! Keeping the spirit of the movie's overall intended form, but answering the lingering question of Sifo-dyas' role, while expanding Grievous to a richer character with an overarching purpose. It reminds me of something related (though more extreme) I posted years ago on Trooperman's edit page, which, quality or no, might be worth digging up for refreshed discussion fodder:

In my opinion Qui-gon ought to actually have been involved in the plot. Sifo Dyas' eventual explanation in extraneous material had him a Jedi who had premonitions of a conflict involving the death of many Jedi...I would go even further, having Qui-gon ordering clones knowing it would lead to the dissolving of the Jedi order and thus on the path to bringing balance to the Force. (even his last words betrayed him to be rather obsessed with bringing that balance). It could, MAYBE, be shown that in TPM Darth Maul was sent, in addition to what is already shown in that movie, to silence Qui-gon from potentially prematurely revealing the plans... but that's maybe a tall order.   

Qui-gon should not be knowingly working in cooperation with the Sith. Though, following this idea, it could be revealed to him during the energy shield breather in the duel section of TPM. Conveniently, Obi-wan is out of earshot while Maul could conceivably let spill to Qui-gon the Sith's involvement, and his scheduled termination. This gives added focus and reason for Qui-gon to redouble his efforts to defeat him, and to plead with Obi-wan to go ahead with Anakin's training, which would lead, eventually, to the destruction of the Sith.  

Interestingly, again in the EU, Grievous is made cybernetic with the help of a blood transfusion courtesy of Sifo Dyas! This in itself is...kinda lame, but maybe something in the same spirit could be transferred to Maul to keep his character relevant to the overall plot. At the same time, though, both characters are kinda unimportant to add additional and unnecessary convolution.  

Just in case I never fully implement my ideas, I will lay it all out right here.

Make the prequels all one big movie. Call it Revenge of the Jedi, Star Wars: Obi Wan, or nickname it “The Hair Edit” since the main characters keep changing their hair. If you want you can identify Maul and Grievous as the first “Vader”or you can just call Maul Grievous or any combination of it. The references below are just for visual reasons. Dialogue changes are needed for Grievous and some droids but that’s mostly it, plus some rearranging of lines. The rest is existing footage.
Use the good parts of each film - use the podrace, duel of the fates, relationship between Obi Wan and Qui Gon, Palpatine rising to power, clones being created, with episode 3 being the bulk since it’s the best one. Honestly the only reason people watch the prequels, for those who do, is for Palpatine and Obi Wan. The goal is to take the emphasis off of Anakin, make Obi Wan a more conflicted character, give a character an actual arc, and arrange events in a way that makes sense (e.g. Red Letter Media would not complain that much.)

Jake Lloyd Anakin becomes young Obi-Wan. (bear with me.) Though Obi Wan was apprenticed to Yoda, Qui Gon was either his father or just the one who "discovered" him. Either way they have a close relationship, as shown by the podrace and freeing Obi Wan from slavery. Cut it down quite a bit to just the essentials, including the race.
Enter purely visual and musical storytelling (in my current form, it uses Duel of the Fates.)
Anakin (the real ep 2 one) has a somber moment at his parents' funeral (his mom's funeral, but there's two headstones there anyway... wth) which is the darker equivalent of Luke looking into the binary sunset. Then he rides away to find himself. Padme is just a local girlfriend he has at this point, nothing dumb with her being this “girls can fight too” sort of character.
Little does he know that his movement sets off Darth Maul (landing on Tatooine.) This is either because there is some prophecy, or Jedi are just really rare and any faction who wants them needs to snatch them up quickly. (also no Anakin Nazi march into the Jedi Temple) Through purely visual storytelling, we learn that Darth Maul has an army to call in, he calls it in, Palpatine is the leader of the Republic, he creates an army in response with the clones grown right away, and a battle starts on Tatooine/Geonosis. Darth Maul leads the Jedi on his little speeder bike, using the footage for Count Dooku doing the same in ep 2. They reach the hangar and the duel of the fates happens. Obi Wan has a genuine revenge motive now that Qui Gon actually became his father figure. Qui Gon still gets Obi Wan to take Anakin into his care, Obi Wan petitions Yoda, etc. Then we show Anakin floating the little ball thing and riding in an elevator with Obi Wan (no dialogue, just music,) so we know that he followed through on it. Maybe the elevator is reversed so they’re going down to a night on the town.
They go to a bar to drink. (part at beginning of ep 2.) Obi Wan looks sort of unorthodox, a “loose cannon cop” kind of guy. Keep in every fun character moment – “for a drink,”deathsticks, he’s a she “in that case be extra careful.”Zam was genuinely trying to kill him and no one else. This is his first clue that Maul is back. Maybe insert a little flashback.
Treat the previous section as a sort of cold open, like how the new Star Trek movie starts. Big explosions, tons of stuff going on, and then the logo comes up. For extra audience cheering and nerd joy, put in the monologue to Luke in ANH. “I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father. Before the dark times. Before the Empire.”BOOM, huge musical cue.

Do a short montage of Obi Wan tracking down Jango (ep 2), before he arrives at Utapau (ep 3.)
After that it starts with Padme telling Anakin that she’s pregnant (Grievous ship sequence is in the middle, not here,) and goes from there. Use her line “what about Obi Wan”here, and we see Obi Wan is captured by Count Dooku. Dooku delivers some exposition on what’s been going on, maybe insert his lines with “how could the Jedi come up with an army so quickly,””the Republic cannot be fixed,” and things like that, along with the extra sting of Qui Gon was his apprentice. Maybe use the lines “still alive”or “came to me for help, told me everything” in reference to Darth Maul. This place is actually in some sinkhole in Utapau from ep 3. His rescue in ep 2 proceeds as normal (with Jedi) with some of the dumber lines taken out, the action shortened, and the land battle not happening. Maybe Obi Wan actually calls in the coordinates or something via hologram. “Saving your skin for the tenth time”scene happens when they come back.
ep 3 proceeds as normal, except that Obi Wan researches Grievous on his own (use the Ep 2 scene of the locator droids or equivalent) and finds out he’s Darth Maul. He decides to avenge Qui Gon by himself without the Jedi Council’s approval.
While he is gone, Palpatine does his thing with Anakin, as it was before. Now it’s because Obi Wan was focused on revenge, and not just Anakin’s lack of foresight. Most of the Anakin/Palpatine scenes are cut a little bit, because the focus is still on Obi Wan. Also, the Mace Windu scene doesn’t happen yet.
Obi Wan finishes off Grievous.
Palpatine is kidnapped, either established by radio chatter or some scene. However, this is ALSO over Utapau instead of Coruscant. Anakin and Obi Wan are called in, as in the original. They have a less lighthearted adventure (no Grievous) where they find Palpatine, Obi Wan is knocked out temporarily, and Anakin kills Dooku – this time though, it’s his “turning moment,” not Mace Windu. Now he’s made the decision and has started being Darth Vader.
They take the ship down and the battle resumes separately (maybe Anakin boards a shuttle and Obi Wan gets on the lizard thing,) then Order 66 happens in earnest with the montage.
Ep 3 continues at a much faster pace. Mace Windu breaks into Palpatine’s office right away as he suspects him as being involved in the plot. Anakin takes him out with less hesitation. Proceed as normal from there (sans Order 66, Jedi Temple attack, and Yoda attacking the emperor) and make cuts where necessary. Explicitly attach the way Obi Wan “killed” Darth Maul with Anakin’s attempt to leap at him, and explicitly attach the Grievous revival with the Darth Vader revival. We feel sad for Obi Wan, but hopeful for the child he bears in his arms. Everything comes full circle and Obi Wan seems a much wiser man. Maybe even have Qui Gon as a force ghost or something.

Short version for core ideas: Jake Lloyd Anakin is "Young Obi Wan," skip over all of the political stuff, ignore continuity problems with the characters' hair, Darth Maul as Grievous, less emphasis on Anakin, more emphasis on Obi Wan, use flashbacks to get points across

Most people hate all of Yoda's flipping around with the lightsaber. It's cut out of a lot of edit, but I was wondering the other day if it would be possible to rotoscope out the lightsaber and keep the flipping as a purely defensive thing.

But he is old and it's really undignified.

I'd have him stand still and have the blade bend away from him (that's a good trick).