Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[postmodel]

I just watched the prequel trilogy for the first time in a LONG time. I honestly enjoyed it way more than I used to.

My main gripe is Anakin's dialogue, specifically in TPM and AOTC. I feel like Lloyd and Christensen would've been better suited with better dialogue. Someone like Ewan McGregor, and even Portman (for the most part), can sell the dialogue, but not our Anakin actors. Christensen perfectly played a whiny bratty teenager, however, I found him more palatable in ROTS where he was supposed to be a mix of more reserved and filled with anger. Maybe the dialogue was just a tad better too.

I really enjoyed the government storyline this time around, with the Republic, Trade Federation, the Separatists, all that stuff. As a kid I just wanted more lightsaber battles, more Jedi, more creatures! And now, I wanted some more expansion on the Senate and how exactly all those Senators were ok with the Republic becoming an Empire. I mean, Padme and Bail Organa couldn't have been the only ones not happy with this right? The scene came off as everyone except them being in favor. I mean say the Jedi really did turn on the Republic, that shouldn't mean time for a dictator right?

And the love story would've been perfect with better dialogue. I love Natalie Portman though, so that makes it easier to swallow.

Also, first scene in TPM, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are locked in the room with deadly gas, how did they survive? Gunray made it clear they should've been dead already. Is this like Leia surviving in Space? The Force helps their breathing? Or is it just Gunray isn't that smart and didn't realize he should've kept them in there longer?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Since Sebulba’s line in The Phantom Menace sounds like “Macalunky” and it means “This will be the end of you,” maybe Greedo’s line is “Mac’lunky,” a contraction meaning “This’ll be the end of you.” George had to shorten the sentence to fit the length of Greedo’s close-up shot.

Perhaps. But I'll tell you, in all seriousness, this really just seems like Lucas is deliberately trolling fans. To be able to come up with this in the most controversy change of the saga no less.

[Zillamon51]

The score for AotC is great. And it's informative in a way: Listening to it on its own, it's clear that the overall vision for this movie was "epic romance a'la Gone With the Wind." It's just that the script and direction* aren't up to the task.

* I blame Lucas for the performances more than the actors. Natalie Portman is pretty wooden in those movies, and we've seen what she's capable of since then. She's since won an Oscar, but Lucas just isn't a good actors' director. It's no coincidence that the U.K. actors (McGregor, McDiarmid, etc.) fare the best.

[Zillamon51]

Originally Posted by postmodel

Also, first scene in TPM, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are locked in the room with deadly gas, how did they survive? Gunray made it clear they should've been dead already. Is this like Leia surviving in Space? The Force helps their breathing? Or is it just Gunray isn't that smart and didn't realize he should've kept them in there longer?

Yep, it's just the Force. Maybe they keep the air in their lungs, and regulate their bodies to use less O2. Or make a protective Force bubble around themselves full of breathable air. Whatever. No one cared that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could do it, but for some reason people lost their minds over Leia doing it.

Oh yeah, Anakin also willed himself to live w/ lungs already damaged by smoke and gases.

[postmodel]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

The score for AotC is great. And it's informative in a way: Listening to it on its own, it's clear that the overall vision for this movie was "epic romance a'la Gone With the Wind." It's just that the script and direction* aren't up to the task.

* I blame Lucas for the performances more than the actors. Natalie Portman is pretty wooden in those movies, and we've seen what she's capable of since then. She's since won an Oscar, but Lucas just isn't a good actors' director. It's no coincidence that the U.K. actors (McGregor, McDiarmid, etc.) fare the best.

I agree with you on Lucas...I could see him being more preoccupied with the actors hitting their marks so the CGI can work better, rather than working with the actors on their performances. I know it's important to hit your marks, but their performances suffer in these films.

McGregor does handle it the best IMO. Even McDiarmid gets shaky as he transitions to full blown Emperor mode.

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

Yep, it's just the Force. No one cared that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could do it, but for some reason people lost their minds over Leia doing it.

Thank you for that haha it helps confirm my thoughts on those situations. Plus, the amount of times Obi-Wan and Anakin practically fly via a jump is insane.

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I still say that Clones works better with the sound off. The fireside scene with Ani and Padme is just so, SO awful with the dialogue but mute those mofos and you can really see the emotion there, it's like watching a silent movie and the production design also sells the visual aspects of it, like the 'choker' dress design that Padme's wearing which all too easily foreshadows her fate.

I really hope a future release adds an isolated score track for all of the films. I'd really like to watch them that way. I personally have no problems with any of the dialogue across Lucas' six films, but I'd really like isolated score tracks as an experiment. Maybe a fan could do that or something?

[postmodel]

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

I really hope a future release adds an isolated score track for all of the films. I'd really like to watch them that way. I personally have no problems with any of the dialogue across Lucas' six films, but I'd really like isolated score tracks as an experiment. Maybe a fan could do that or something?

That would be lovely. I also found myself feeling transfixed by the score in the PT this time around.

Man, despite still liking them when they came out, i never really gave these 3 films a chance to truly enjoy them...if that makes sense. I really enjoyed being back in this world again.

[Jlouisbarrett]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

Yep, it's just the Force. Maybe they keep the air in their lungs, and regulate their bodies to use less O2. Or make a protective Force bubble around themselves full of breathable air. Whatever. No one cared that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could do it, but for some reason people lost their minds over Leia doing it.

Oh yeah, Anakin also willed himself to live w/ lungs already damaged by smoke and gases.

I actually thought that Leia scene in RotJ was the best moment in the entire movie. I thought it was beautifully done and did not come across as silly at all — it finally demonstrated how powerful Leia is with the Force and how she could utilize it to do something truly magical/unexplainable. Additionally, it had extra impact for me due to Fisher’s recent passing. I was shocked to see all the backlash when I got home from the theater and went online; I thought it would be a big standout moment for most fans.

[Cortiz]

Is the recent Disney BD releases the same versions currently streaming @ Disney + or are they the same as the previous Fox BD versions?

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Cortiz

Is the recent Disney BD releases the same versions currently streaming @ Disney + or are they the same as the previous Fox BD versions?

Same old BDs.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Jlouisbarrett

I actually thought that Leia scene in RotJ was the best moment in the entire movie. I thought it was beautifully done and did not come across as silly at all — it finally demonstrated how powerful Leia is with the Force and how she could utilize it to do something truly magical/unexplainable. Additionally, it had extra impact for me due to Fisher’s recent passing. I was shocked to see all the backlash when I got home from the theater and went online; I thought it would be a big standout moment for most fans.

Not the best moment in TLJ for me (the lightspeed destruction derby would be that, which has certain echoes of the acoustic depth charges in AOTC) but yeah, I thought it was a beautiful moment and I still cannot understand the hate it gets - I mean, a Force-sensitive displaying talents or abilities beyond normal reasoning, who'da thunk it?!? (People might say "why did you complain so much about Rey then?" but the point here is that we know Leia and we know her heritage and we know she's much older and maybe had time to do a bit of Force dabbling.) And it's not like she just pops up a minute later with no ill-effects, she's left in a coma for the next reel or two.

[koberulz]

It was jarring for me because it was a perfect opportunity to kill her off and make life easier going forward, so it seemed odd when she survived and the real-life situation took me out of the film for a bit.

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by Jlouisbarrett

I actually thought that Leia scene in TLJ was the best moment in the entire movie. I thought it was beautifully done and did not come across as silly at all — it finally demonstrated how powerful Leia is with the Force and how she could utilize it to do something truly magical/unexplainable. Additionally, it had extra impact for me due to Fisher’s recent passing. I was shocked to see all the backlash when I got home from the theater and went online; I thought it would be a big standout moment for most fans.

They hate it because they think it looks too silly, and they don't like how there was no setup to communicate to us that she could do it. That's about it.

[Panama Jack]

Glad to read some new-found appreciation for the Prequels on these boards. While yes they have some pretty bad parts (mostly with regard to editing and dialogue), the stories themselves were pretty good (especially the Emperor's political rise to power -- rather than by military conquest), and the action scenes were for the most part top notch (i.e. the lightsaber battle at the end of TPM is still the best and most epic in the series IMO).

I've always contended that if the "fans" could just get past the internet and what they're told they're supposed to think about the prequels, they'd probably find that, despite some flaws, they actually like them quite a bit.

And even with regard to those flaws, I feel that if a really good editor could ever be given unfettered access to re-edit the 3 prequel films top to bottom, keeping the main stories in tact, but having access to alternate takes, deleted scenes, etc., the result could be some of the most amazing films in the series. But alas...

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by Panama Jack

I've always contended that if the "fans" could just get past the internet and what they're told they're supposed to think about the prequels, they'd probably find that, despite some flaws, they actually like them quite a bit.

I think there's a lot of truth in this. But for me that also extends to watching with other people in the real world, lol. It's natural to pick up energy from an audience in the room, and whenever I watch the prequels with ANYone else (even my wife and good friends), all the awkward stuff SEEMS ten times more awkward. I'm a suuuuper nerd and can get into it all much more when I watch it alone. With a whiskey. Kidding-not-kidding about the whiskey part.

[stvn1974]

I hated The Phantom Menace as I was walking out of the theater. The internet never had time to get to me.

[Trekkie313]

The Prequels are more entertaining than Rogue One and Solo at least.

[avs commenter]

The Prequels get worse with every re-watch. If you take out the Williams score, these are just purely awful films

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Trekkie313

The Prequels are more entertaining than Rogue One and Solo at least.

Rogue One is fantastic and I also like Solo. Different opinions are great.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

Rogue One is fantastic and I also like Solo. Different opinions are great.

Hell I like the prequels too to an extent!

Obviously not as much as the OT. I can dimly remember watching Star Wars on release as a very young child...just about.