Episode I - 10 Years in Retrospect

I loved episode I - for a time. I camped out overnight in line for the movie. I ended up watching it three times in the theater over the next week or two. It was only on the third viewing, that I realized that I could barely stand the movie. Why? Obviously, Jar Jar Binks. He basically ruins the movie IMHO. I am told that C-3PO had the same effect on viewers of the original trilogy. While I understand the annoyance factor, c-3PO never got to me like Jar Jar. Granted though, I was barely old enough to catch Return of the Jedi in the theater. At that age, sadly enough, I might have not found Jar Jar as I do now.


That and having an Anakin that was not the best of actors-granted he was a small boy.

Bad things: Jar Jar, Anakin, Droid chatter, Midi-Chlorians

Awesome things: Darth Maul, John Williams score, Star Wars

As for Ep II, III - I enjoy them far more than Ep. I

Except we have a whining Skywalker, and to me - a less than believable love story. Those aside, Ep II & III are mucho buenoer. I did not, however, camp out for those films.

I'd still love to see a Eps VII - IX...maybe in another decade or two.

 

I have always thought Lucas missed a massive head game on the first three.

I always thought he should have given us a twist. #4 was sold as a modern western, sell #1 as a mystery.

Make Obi Wan and Anakin closer in age. Make them serious rivals for the Queens affection. End #2 or #3 with you wondering if Obi Wan is really Lukes father and not Anakin.

Make all the fan boys go back to episode 4 and look at the scene with Luke and Obi Wan in the house. When Obi Wan looks uncomfortable after Luke asks if he knew his father, suddenly you are watching a different interaction.

 

Luke Skywalker was pretty whiny too. That said, Darth Vader as a whiny little runt doesn't work for me. It only worked in Spaceballs because it was a joke, making their Darth Vader completely the opposite of how he was supposed to be. Darth Vader is supposed to be an evil, seven foot tall badass with a lethal temper who can kill you just by thinking about it.

In spite of a few things like that, I love all the movies, though. I tend to be pretty forgiving of plot holes and other varied inconsistencies as long as I'm entertained. Star Wars, to me, is the purest distillation of escapist entertainment.

There might be a little too much material for the screen, but Timothy Zahn's first trilogy would be a logical first choice for this. I'd go to see it regardless.

 

It still works live action; they just have to figure out how to work in some scenes with Han Solo flying the Millennium Falcon at 25 MPH with the blinker on all the time.

 

Symen, #7.

http://www.cracked.com/article_17546_7-classic-star-wars-characters-who-totally-dropped-ball.html

"Darth Vader, being that seven-foot-tall bionic killing machine"

 

all episode I fans must see Fan Boys

 

I laugh my ass off every time I read that list.

"Motti somehow also missed the memo on what not to say to a Dark Lord of the Sith"

 

Darth Maul is the best sith villain in the star wars universe thus far. I left the theatre after that epic fight just amazed at how well it was done. I too was disappointed that Maul was done away with. I would have had him around for the second movie. It would have made for a better middle movie.
Over all, I was a little disappointed with the second set of movies. Mostly because I wasn't 12 and full of awe at what I was watching.
I watched all three of the first trilogy in the theatres. Most of my action figures were star wars. I think I would have enjoyed the second set of movies more if I was a kid again.