I feel like a lot of you are a cheating. If we are talking about a complete reboot, then it means that you have to imagine ideas to reboot every film. To say that “The Original Trilogy should not be remade” is cheating. Otherwise, this thread would be called “How would you handle a hard reboot of the Prequels and the Sequels.”
Do you remember the alien from the first Men in Black movie? The one that was killed by k at the beginning of the movie? I think his name was Mikey. Well, the Gungans should have been portrayed with that appearance.
One thing that I think should be eliminated from Revenge of the Sith is Anakin’s hesitation after the so-called “Padmé’s ruminations” scene.
in my opinion, the moment when Anakin truly decides where his loyalties lie should be when we see him crying while standing in front of the window in the Jedi Council chambers. His tears should symbolize his decision. He cries because he already knows what he is going to do, and he understands that it’s wrong, but he has made up his mind, and there’s no going back. He has chosen to side with the Sith, and even though it pains him, it’s the path he has committed to. Because of this, all the hesitation Anakin displays when he arrives in Palpatine’s office and sees Mace Windu fighting him should be removed. The only dialogue from Anakin that would be necessary to keep are the moment when he says he needs Palpatine, and the moment where he cuts off Mace Windu’s hand with his lightsaber. Additionally, the line where Anakin says, “What have I done?” should be cut, as it contradicts the idea that he had already made his decision beforehand.
Do you guys think it would be possible to implement these edits?
Something that’s insane to me is that Lucas when making the Prequels’ attitude towards Darth Vader. He spends the entire trilogy neutering the hell out of him, telling us he was a brat and that his iconic badass suit was actually hampering him (which doesn’t make any sense with how he established the Force to work), and even making him pathetically whine “Nooo!” like a cartoon. He doesn’t do this to any other villain. But at the same time, he gave into how much of a sensation Vader is by plastering him all over the advertising and making the entire saga surround him. It’s like he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a creator have such a contradictory mindset about a character.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think that your argument is not logical. In my opinion, it is influenced more by your strong attachment to Vader as a character, and by the fact that you want him to always be portrayed as cool and badass, rather than by a rational analysis of the broader narrative and character development that the story is trying to achieve.
To expect a character like Anakin to be consistently badass throughout the Prequel Trilogy is, frankly, an overly simplistic expectation. Characters with depth experience growth, regression, and internal conflict. Anakin was never supposed to be flawless or permanently in control. His youthful arrogance and emotional volatility were central to his character development, showing how his eventual descent into the Dark Side was driven by personal flaws, fears, and the manipulations of others. The fact that his iconic suit was portrayed as limiting is a reflection of how far he had fallen — once a powerful Jedi, he was now imprisoned in a life-support system due to his own choices and actions. This is not a contradiction of the way in which the Force was portrayed in the Original Trilogy, but rather a symbolic representation of how his anger and fear led to his own destruction. Also, this type of criticism is not new. In fact, very similar arguments were made when Lucas released Return of the Jedi. Many fans at the time felt that Lucas had weakened Vader by introducing the internal conflict between his role as a Dark Lord and his role as a father. Some felt that his redemption arc made him appear less intimidating, as they had only known him as the menacing figure from the first two films of the Original Trilogy. However, over time, this portrayal of Vader as a conflicted character struggling with his humanity became central to what makes him so compelling.
The idea that Lucas simultaneously “plastered” Vader all over the advertising while exploring his vulnerability does not seem contradictory to me. Vader was always meant to be a central figure, and his popularity as an icon is undeniable. However, being an iconic villain does not mean that the character should be static or devoid of complexity. Lucas’ decision to show Anakin’s flaws and weaknesses was not about diminishing the character, but about showing the human side of him — one that eventually succumbs to darkness. I find that labeling this as Lucas trying to “have his cake and eat it too” oversimplifies what he was attempting to achieve with these films. Characters are not meant to be eternally unchanging symbols of strength. Anakin’s journey was always intended to be a tragic one, and part of that tragedy lies in the fact that he was not always the infallible, imposing figure fans initially saw in the Original Trilogy. Ultimately, the Prequels show that even someone with incredible power can be brought low by their own decisions, insecurities, and inability to control their emotions. To me, this nuanced portrayal enriches Anakin’s character, rather than diminishing him.
Of course, it is undeniable that Lucas went too far with certain aspects of Anakin’s portrayal in the Prequel Trilogy, and is absolutely true that there are moments, particularly in Attack of the Clones, where Anakin’s character should have been toned down. However, despite these missteps, I still believe it is right that the younger version of Vader is shown with flaws and vulnerabilities. Anakin should not have been the same badass figure that we see in the Original Trilogy because his journey was one of growth — and ultimately failure. It makes sense that, as a younger man, he would be reckless, emotionally unstable, and struggling with his identity. These traits serve as the foundation for his fall to the Dark Side, which is the very heart of his arc. Anakin was, after all, human. It is fair that he should have weaknesses, especially in his youth, when he is still grappling with the immense pressures placed upon him by the Jedi, his own ambitions, and the temptations of the Dark Side. His insecurities and fear of loss are what drive him to make the choices that eventually transform him into Darth Vader. To portray him as badass or already as imposing as he is in the Original Trilogy would have undermined the depth of his character and the story Lucas wanted to tell.
In the end, I think that the decision to show Anakin as a deeply flawed young man, despite some over-the-top moments, makes sense for his character’s progression. It allows us to understand the gravity of his transformation into the Dark Lord we all know, and it gives us insight into the personal weaknesses that the Dark Side preys upon. On the other hand, it seems like you want the young version of Vader to be portrayed exactly like Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, with the only difference being that he is more good-natured. But this is not retroactive character development — this is simply depicting the same character in the exact same way, with a few minor alterations.
Between Anakin and Padmé, I think Padmé was the dominant one in bed. ;p
This thread is similar to the Out of Context Thread. However, unlike the other thread, in this thread you can post random quotes that come from any possible source, weather it is a book, comic, article, TV show, movie or whatever. Though, you need to post the source of your quotes.
People often assume that critics of the AoTC love story performances want Anakin to be all suave like Han Solo, and deliver polished, teen-heartthrob romance dialogue. But nobody really wants that. We’re fine with Anakin being slightly awkward. Luke was awkward and whiny and acted stupid as well. That’s fine. What we really want is for Anakin to not come off so much like a creepy asshole. At one point Anakin actually channels Malcolm McDowell from Clockwork Orange as he Kubrick-stares at Padme while grinning, prompting her to say she feels uncomfortable. Anakin can be really clunky and awkward, but he shouldn’t be creepy and grating to the point that I am physically compelled to want to skip all those romance scenes.
I understand your point, but I have one objection. Yes, in that specific scene, Anakin does have a rather creepy expression. However, I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault — neither George Lucas’ nor Hayden Christensen’s. Hayden has distinctive facial features, and every time he tries to pull off a smug look, it comes across as a bit creepy. This happens in other films he’s been in as well. It’s just a feature of his face, and you can’t really blame anyone for that. Unfortunately, there’s no way to cleanly remove this from the film without disrupting the flow of the scene. Every attempt at fan editing to fix this ends up feeling incomplete, and you immediately realize that the scene has been cut, because the transition between that scene and the next scene doesn’t feel natural.
The worst thing is that nothing happens in AOTC that really explains why Padme even likes this guy. I guess she feels bad about his mom or something, but you’d think any sympathy she had would dissipate after finding out he committed mass murder.
In my edited version of the film, I kept the scene where Anakin carries out the massacre, but I eliminated the scene where he confesses it to Padmé. This way, you can assume that Anakin didn’t kill the women and children, only the men. Plus, Padmé wouldn’t know about it either, making her reaction in Revenge of the Sith — when she finds out he killed younglings in the Temple — feel more natural and believable. In any case, I believe that if they wanted to include a scene in which Anakin confesses to having carried out the massacre, then he should have talked about it with Palpatine, and Palpatine should have strengthened Anakin’s beliefs by saying that he had done nothing wrong, and that revenge is a natural thing.
I’ve been recently rewatching (and enjoying) 30s monster movies (Frankenstein & Bride, The Invisible Man, etc.) I can say 100% that the romance scenes are never as cheesy as the AOTC ones. Sometimes it’s a bit on-the-nose, but it’s charming rather then grating (tho I will say, the romance in The Wolf Man hasn’t aged well, due to the social conventions of the time).
The performances play a part of it too. Claude Rains eats up his power-hungry monologues as Jack Griffin as much as James Earl Jones does as Darth Vader OT, and his scenes with Gloria Stuart are flowery but charming. Both Rains and Stuart were theatre actors, and thus knew how to pull off compelling melodrama. Same with Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and the two actresses that played Elizabeth.
Meanwhile, it feels like Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are uncomfortable with the dialogue. They’re not experienced with that theatre melodrama, so it’s just awkward.
It’s also why Ian McDiarmid and Christoper Lee fare better with their material. McDiarmid is a theatre actor and Lee was basically reprising his role as Dracula.
The problem with the love story in Attack of the Clones is that they removed a lot of scenes where the dialogue and performances were far more natural, and kept scenes that add absolutely nothing to the development of the relationship. For example, if they had replaced the balcony scene by the lake on Naboo with the dinner scene at Padmé’s parents’ house, and had trimmed some of Anakin’s awkward dialogue, it would have worked much better. The romance would come across as more natural and believable with just a few small adjustments. Unfortunately, they made a lot of mistakes in the editing of the film. They cut scenes that would have helped the love story feel more organic and kept others that serve no purpose, which is why the romance feels so rushed and unnatural.
It makes sense that Anakin is a bit awkward and does not know how to be charming. After all, Anakin is a Jedi, and flirting with girls is not exactly part of Jedi training. It is not surprising that he would not have the smooth, confident demeanor of someone like Han Solo, because his life has been focused on discipline, duty, and developing his abilities — not on romantic relationships. Padmé is inexperienced too. She has not had much time to think about romance or boys, since she devoted herself to politics for most of her teenage years. So, it makes sense that some of their interactions feel a bit awkward. Neither of them knows exactly how to navigate the situation. But the awkwardness should not be overdone. There needs to be a balance between the natural awkwardness of two people who are inexperienced in romance and the natural flow of dialogue. This could have been achieved with a few small adjustments, but again, they made mistakes in the editing. They could have found that balance with just a bit of tweaking, but unfortunately, they didn’t, and that’s why some of the scenes feel off.
Back to the Future’s version of Johnny B Goode is better than the original version. And I’m saying this as someone who loves Chuck Berry.
Michael Jackson is overrated. Yes, I said it.
I am a UFO nut, so my favorite Spielberg movies are Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET the Extraterrestrial.
I don’t agree with the idealized view many people have of Qui-Gon. While it’s true he was more open-minded, understanding and willing to listen than the Jedi Council, he was still a fairly orthodox Jedi who followed all the rules of the Order. In my opinion, he might have delayed Anakin’s fall, but he wouldn’t have been able to prevent it entirely.
I’ve had a change of heart recently. At this point, I think the Disney deal was a huge mistake.
Why the change?
'Cause he watched The Acolyte, probably.
This would be very foolish and I think the ignorance of those people only becomes more and more evident with time. It’s better to leave those things alone and not do a much worse version of them. Like we’ve said in other threads I think the ideal, more realistic solution would be to let authors work within the Legends continuity if they want.
You’re absolutely right, and what you’re saying is what 90% of EU fans actually think.
I have been an atheist and a convinced materialist for most of my life, up until 2021. However, from 2021 to 2023, I went through a phase where I started believing in the existence of a single, omnipotent God, and I also started believing in the existence of Hell and Heaven, though I didn’t follow any specific religion. I extensively described the spiritual beliefs I had at the time in a post I published in this thread on May 14, 2023. A few months after I published that post, I returned to being an atheist and a convinced materialist.
Now, while this shift from being an atheist to believing in God and the afterlife might seem sudden, it actually made sense given the circumstances. In 2021, I underwent a very complicated surgery, and I wasn’t sure if everything would turn out well. That uncertainty caused me to abandon my usual rational mindset and place my hope in a higher power, something larger than myself. It was a deeply emotional and vulnerable time, and my belief in God, Heaven, and Hell emerged from that.
However, after reflecting on those experiences in the months following my May 2023 post, I eventually returned to my previous stance. I’m still an atheist and a convinced materialist to this day.
I’d also like to add that in my view, a very important distinction needs to be made between atheists and anti-theists. From what I’ve experienced in my life, your average atheist rejects God personally but has no problem with others thinking otherwise. Its the anti-theists who go nuts every time religious people (especially Christians) take a stand, hurling insults and character attacks.
I consider myself a staunch Communist, fully convinced that scientific atheism should replace all forms of religion on Earth. However, I don’t believe that this process should be carried out by force, but rather by peaceful education. Furthermore, I’m often the first to defend Christians when I see them being unfairly attacked due to misconceptions others may have about their religion. While I do philosophically oppose Christianity, and religion as a whole, I also believe in intellectual honesty. So, if someone criticizes Christianity for reasons I don’t agree with or based on flawed perceptions of Christian theology, I’m the first to defend it against those unjustified and misguided attacks. Do you think this stance counts as anti-theism?
Even if Baris’ plan made any sense, Ahsoka’s only argument is, “But they should trust me!”… like they trusted Count Dooku, who Mundi and Windu stood up for, someone who was like a brother to them, only to then get betrayed on Geonosis? They gave him the benefit of the doubt and got their back stabbed, and you’re actually gonna pull that? What a complete lack of empathy. Almost as if we’re just supposed to see Jedi Masters as blocks of wood and not human beings. She expects them to just throw all evidence out the window, I guess. Guess they should’ve also trusted Vader even after those security holograms.
I don’t agree with your defense of the Jedi’s actions. Yes, they had a bad experience with Count Dooku, but that shouldn’t cloud their judgment. If they can’t rise above their past failures, what’s the point of all their training? A Jedi should be able to control their emotions and fears, and while it’s wise to be cautious, they shouldn’t let previous bad experiences dictate their present actions. Sure, Dooku turned out to be a traitor, even after they gave him the benefit of the doubt. That was a harsh lesson, no question. But it doesn’t excuse them for letting that experience influence their decisions in the future. In the end, even they don’t seem capable of upholding their own Code, and yet they go around preaching it to others. And after it was revealed that Ahsoka was innocent, you’d expect the Council to at least formally apologize to her, right? But no. The only one who even tried was Plo Koon. Obi-Wan was so embarrassed he couldn’t say a word, and Mace Windu just washed his hands of the whole thing, with his “the Force works in mysterious ways” nonsense. That’s like telling someone who’s just lost a loved one that “God’s plan works in mysterious ways”. No surprise people didn’t like the Jedi in that arc.
^ I think the fact you looked up the weather in Oklahoma may have sort of crossed the line, and come off as stalker-esque, intrusive behavior. That obviously wasn’t your intention, but it might come off that way, at least to a neutral, outside observer like myself. At the very least, confronting someone with “evidence” that runs contrary to what they’ve already told you will of course come off like an accusation, even if that wasn’t the intention.
I understand your point of view. To be honest, at first I was unsure whether or not to mention the fact that I had checked the temperature in Oklahoma, precisely because I thought she might take offense to it. However, I ultimately decided to include that part anyway, because I thought it would not have been a big deal. To be fair though, that point was a relatively minor detail in the message I sent. I didn’t focus entirely on it — I simply brought it up at the end to use it as an example before saying: “Are you sure you are telling me everything? If something is wrong, do not be afraid to tell me, because I want to be there for you.” Also, as I mentioned in my previous post, she and I have known each other for a year and a half. We are no longer strangers, and she knows how to read my behavior. I have always been incredibly patient with her, and I have consistently put her needs before my own. There were times when I wanted to continue our online role-playing games, but she wasn’t in the mood, and I was always willing to give her space. She knows this. So, if I am worried about her, it’s because I genuinely feel that something is wrong. It’s not impatience talking — it’s my intuition.
I would like to complain about something that has happened between me and one of my online friends.
I first met her about a year and a half ago on a Star Wars forum. We both shared a strong interest in online role-playing games, which is how our initial connection was formed. Over time, we became good friends, and although we lived far apart — she resides in Oklahoma — we managed to stay in close contact. Eventually, we moved our conversations from the forum to Discord, where we have been communicating regularly ever since.
For most of that time, we spoke almost daily. We exchanged long messages, discussed many different topics, and of course, spent a great deal of time playing together. However, things began to change around mid-July. She became much more distant and quieter than usual, and I have not been able to determine why. Our frequent conversations diminished, and soon we were only speaking once every three days. When we did talk, the exchanges were brief and formal. I would reach out with a message like: “Hello, how are you?”, and three days later, she would reply: “I’m fine, don’t worry. How are you?” I would respond immediately, but it would again take her three days to reply. This continued in a similar fashion. In the last two weeks, the situation worsened. Our communication intervals stretched even further, and now we only speak every five or six days. Even then, the conversations are brief and superficial — just enough to ask how the other is doing.
Eventually, I felt compelled to address the situation. I sent her a long message expressing my concern over the recent changes in our communication. The message was not worded exactly like this, but it was essentially as follows:
“I wanted to talk to you about how things have been between us lately. It seems a bit strange, and I am becoming increasingly worried. The last time we had a proper conversation that lasted more than a minute was back in mid-July, and now it is almost October. You have mentioned that you are busy with family and that the heat in Oklahoma has made it difficult for you to concentrate, but are you certain that these are the only reasons? Are you sure you are telling me everything?
If something is going on and you have not told me because you are concerned about how I might react, please don’t feel that way. If something is wrong, I would much prefer to know, so that I can try to be there for you or at least offer some form of support. I don’t want you to feel as though you need to hide things from me in order to avoid making me worry.
Also, I checked the weather in Oklahoma, and it was around 71.6°F when I last looked, which does not seem as unbearably hot as you have described, especially considering that autumn is approaching. I just want to know if there is something else going on. As I said, I would rather know if something is wrong so I can offer my support, in whatever way I can.”
A few days later, she responded, but her reply was not what I had anticipated. She was upset and felt as though I was accusing her of lying. She told me, in essence, that she didn’t owe me any explanations, and that just because she was busy didn’t mean she was hiding something from me. I could tell that she was offended, though this had not been my intention at all.
I responded again, attempting to clarify my position. I explained that I didn’t mean to accuse her of being dishonest. I acknowledged that I had expressed a belief that she might not be telling me the whole truth, but I emphasized that I was not suggesting she was lying for the sake of it. I simply feared that something might be wrong, and that she was not telling me in an effort to prevent me from worrying. In my final message, I tried to soften the tone by including sad emojis and apologizing for upsetting her. I made it clear that I was sorry for having caused her distress and that she had misunderstood my intentions. I was genuinely concerned about her well-being and only wanted to help.
However, despite my apology, her reaction has left me even more convinced that something is wrong, and that she simply does not wish to tell me. When someone responds so defensively, it usually indicates that there is more to the situation than they are willing to admit. If everything were truly fine, I believe her response would have been different. And now, that is where things stand. She is still upset, and I am waiting for her to reply to the last message I sent two days ago.
I don’t know how to feel about the whole situation.
Let’s be honest here, the main reason you like the idea of Anakin being the Chosen One is because it turns Darth Vader, who is your favorite character, into the most important person in the entire galaxy. 😂
If Anakin was not conceived to be the Chosen One of an ancient Jedi prophecy, the Prequels could have been written with the same story, and nothing would have changed at all.I won’t deny that. I figured you’d agree since you like the Prequels just as they are.
Actually, I like the Prequels, but I would like to edit some things to make them more fluid and enjoyable. I created my own edit of Attack of the Clones some time ago. I wanted to create edits of The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith too, but I can never find anyone who is willing to help me with that. In general terms, I think that the Prequels are a great story that is not very feasible for three movies, and should have been developed through a multi-season live action TV show instead, something similar to Stargate SG-1.
It elevates Darth Vader
Let’s be honest here, the main reason you like the idea of Anakin being the Chosen One is because it turns Darth Vader, who is your favorite character, into the most important person in the entire galaxy. 😂
If Anakin was not conceived to be the Chosen One of an ancient Jedi prophecy, the Prequels could have been written with the same story, and nothing would have changed at all.
Wouldn’t that have been a twist!
Kylo leaving with the Resistance on the Falcon after Luke helps to redeem him and Rey staying and taking control of the First Order with her dark side powers unleashed.
TLJ ends with Ben and Leia reuniting.
That would have been awesome.
I have the Dorling-Kindersley Star Wars Visual Guide of the OT, which came out in 1997, and there it says the Emperor looked the way he did due to his lifelong immersion in the Dark Side.
After watching TPM I expected there to be a progression of his Dark Side corruption becoming more evident with each passing entry, and I was sorely disappointed when ROTS establishes that actually it was due to Mace Windu deflecting Force Lightning back at him. So stupid.
I recall the official SW website came up with some bullshit explanation that actually Palpatine was using the Force to project a non-corrupted looking version of himself. Yeah right.
I think it was a mistake bringing McDiarmid back for the prequels. No shade against his acting ability, but Palpatine really needed to have been played by a much younger actor to drive home the severity of his dark side corruption. James Marsters I feel would’ve been the perfect choice.
Nah, McDiarmid was fine in the prequels. My only real pet peeve is how Lucas chose to portray Palpatine’s Dark Side corruption, as it should have been a gradual thing instead of the idiocy of having Force lightning deflected back at him.
Ian McDiarmid has the rare distinction of playing a character’s younger self years after playing an older version of the same character, which I think is pretty neat.
If Palpatine’s physical corruption had been shown gradually throughout the films, the Jedi would have noticed. Seeing the Chancellor of the Republic slowly become more deformed over the years would naturally raise suspicions. If Lucas had gone this route, it would have made the common complaint that “the Jedi are idiots because they don’t notice things” much stronger, amplifying it tenfold.
The titles of the Sequel Trilogy films could actually work well as alternative titles for the Original Trilogy films.
Starting with The Force Awakens, this title could apply to A New Hope since it marks the moment when the Force truly resurges in the galaxy through Luke. The Force, long dormant, becomes active again, and Luke begins his journey to become a Jedi, embodying the awakening of hope and the Force. The Last Jedi fits The Empire Strikes Back, where Luke is not only trained by Yoda but also faces the growing responsibility of potentially being the last Jedi left. The burden of carrying on the Jedi legacy is central to this film, especially with Yoda’s death seeming imminent. Lastly, The Rise of Skywalker could be a fitting title for Return of the Jedi, as it marks Luke’s ultimate rise as a Jedi Knight. It also signifies the redemption of Anakin, the original Skywalker, who returns from the Dark Side. The title encapsulates the final triumph of the Skywalker family line.
In this sense, the Sequel Trilogy titles could capture the key themes of the Original Trilogy just as well.
I definitely feel like I can edit down the duels, tone down the color grade, remove overly cartoonish stuff and the overly busy nature of so many shots (we don’t need random shit constantly thrown on the screen). Perhaps I can find the resources on the internet to make OT style mattes too. However, some ideas are beyond my capabilities.
A lot of this stuff will also not hold back release of this edit. Because even without it, I feel I’ll make something pretty good. But it’s a dream.
At this point, I think it would be much more simple to just rewrite the entire trilogy.