Is the Star Wars saga better with Episodes I to III or worse?

[exodus]

2. Anakin and Obi-Wan weren't good friends in the past, they constantly bickered and fought, and seemed to barely tolerate one another.

Seriously, did you really expect Obi-Wan to tell Luke his father whom he thinks is dead, was a douche bag?

 

[Anwar]

Well, he already lied to Luke and basically set him against his dad making him think he was his father's killer...

 

[Klaus]

Why they didn't keep Darth Maul around, I'll never know. He was a brilliant creation, and was menacing and badass as hell. He could have easily become an ICONIC movie villain-- almost to the level of Vader-- if he had just been used propertly (and of course if the stories were better than what we got).

I think Lucas just didn't realize what he really had there.

That was why I lost faith right from the start. The same man who gave us one of the most iconic movie villains of all time had the big baddie of his SW relaunch be a total cypher who we knew must be a bad guy because he had a red lightsaber. If it wasn't for the cool double-headed saber we wouldn't even bother to remember his frakking name.

GL's fall is a Greek tragedy that would make a great movie, except he'd want to make it a trilogy with Justin Bieber playing him as a kid.

 

[JarodRussell]

Darth Maul was actually the best thing about Episode I. It would have been awesome had he killed Qui-Gonn and got away with it.
A Sith too powerful for any Jedi. Obi-Wan struggles with him in Episode I and II, and only Anakin manages to defeat him, but pays the price by joining the dark side. Believing to be on the right track because you are fighting the bad guys, that's the tragedy about joining the dark side of the Force. But killing Samuel L. Jackson and saving Palpatine because of whiney self-pity isn't tragic, it's just stupid.

 

[davejames]

Darth Maul was actually the best thing about Episode I. It would have been awesome had he killed Qui-Gonn and got away with it.
A Sith too powerful for any Jedi. Obi-Wan struggles with him in Episode I and II, and only Anakin manages to defeat him, but pays the price by joining the dark side. Believing to be on the right track because you are fighting the bad guys, that's the tragedy about joining the dark side of the Force. But killing Samuel L. Jackson and saving Palpatine because of whiney self-pity isn't tragic, it's just stupid.

Agreed. That's exactly the kind of clear, straightforward storytelling this new trilogy SHOULD have had. Palpatine and Darth Maul create havoc across the galaxy, use their clones to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic, and it all leads up to a final confrontation between Anakin and Maul (perhaps Maul earlier killed Padme, and Anakin, unable to control his rage and anger, succombs to the Dark Side while defeating him).

Obviously you would add a little more complexity to it, but that basic framework would have made for something MUCH more powerful and effective than the muddled, convoluted, and overly-political mess we got. Add in some dynamic characters and witty dialogue, and you have a PT nearly as good as the original.

 

[milo bloom]

I was 7 years old, sure I felt saddened that R5-D4 busted a gasket. Too a 7 year old, anything be it Droid or cartoon is seen as real & alive.

Was R5-D4 its name?

I think instead of a prequel next time they should do a story where R5-D4 keeps his (blank) together and doesn't blow a gasket right at that moment.

Where does it go from there?

The Empire recovers R2D2 when the stormtroopers find the Jawas.

Luke does not meet Kenobi - at least not then.

Leia is executed on the Death Star.

The Death Star destroys the rebel base and then flies around messing stuff up. [I imagine the rebels would abandon that base instead of standing and fighting, since they don't have access to the plans.]

Then what?

Not quite that, but there is a trio of graphic novels called "Infinities" that kinda retells each episode of the OT. A New Hope starts out by having Luke miss the thermal exhaust port on the Death Star, and we see how the rest of the events play out. The Empire Strikes Back take ANH how we saw it in the movie, but then Luke dies in the snow before Han could find him, so then we see how the rest of the saga goes. Return of the Jedi has ANH and TESB as we originally saw them, but Leia's thermal detonator accidentally goes off in Jabba's palace and we see how the rest of the story goes.

I generally buy all my books used, but these tpb's I was at the bookstores on release day, buying them new.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I was 7 years old, sure I felt saddened that R5-D4 busted a gasket. Too a 7 year old, anything be it Droid or cartoon is seen as real & alive.

Was R5-D4 its name?

I think instead of a prequel next time they should do a story where R5-D4 keeps his (blank) together and doesn't blow a gasket right at that moment.

Where does it go from there?

The Empire recovers R2D2 when the stormtroopers find the Jawas.

Luke does not meet Kenobi - at least not then.

Leia is executed on the Death Star.

The Death Star destroys the rebel base and then flies around messing stuff up. [I imagine the rebels would abandon that base instead of standing and fighting, since they don't have access to the plans.]

Then what?

R5-D4 was named "Skippy" and he was a Jedi droid.

 

[DWF]

Darth Maul was actually the best thing about Episode I. It would have been awesome had he killed Qui-Gonn and got away with it.
A Sith too powerful for any Jedi. Obi-Wan struggles with him in Episode I and II, and only Anakin manages to defeat him, but pays the price by joining the dark side. Believing to be on the right track because you are fighting the bad guys, that's the tragedy about joining the dark side of the Force. But killing Samuel L. Jackson and saving Palpatine because of whiney self-pity isn't tragic, it's just stupid.

Agreed. That's exactly the kind of clear, straightforward storytelling this new trilogy SHOULD have had. Palpatine and Darth Maul create havoc across the galaxy, use their clones to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic, and it all leads up to a final confrontation between Anakin and Maul (perhaps Maul earlier killed Padme, and Anakin, unable to control his rage and anger, succombs to the Dark Side while defeating him).

Obviously you would add a little more complexity to it, but that basic framework would have made for something MUCH more powerful and effective than the muddled, convoluted, and overly-political mess we got. Add in some dynamic characters and witty dialogue, and you have a PT nearly as good as the original.

I thought it was much more powerful of a fight to have Obi-Wan face Anakin, it meant that Anakin was fighting his father in a way and it made sense of Darth Vader's words on the Death Star when they met for the final time, that the circle was now complete.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Knights of the Old Republic > Episodes I-III

 

[davejames]

I thought it was much more powerful of a fight to have Obi-Wan face Anakin, it meant that Anakin was fighting his father in a way and it made sense of Darth Vader's words on the Death Star when they met for the final time, that the circle was now complete.

Well sure, after Anakin snaps and takes out Darth Maul, he would have to battle it out with Obi-Wan. I'm just saying there should have been one, primary villain in the trilogy for Anakin and the Jedi to have to deal with.

Because the "shadowy, undefined threat" posed by Palpatine just wasn't enough.

 

[DWF]

I thought it was much more powerful of a fight to have Obi-Wan face Anakin, it meant that Anakin was fighting his father in a way and it made sense of Darth Vader's words on the Death Star when they met for the final time, that the circle was now complete.

Well sure, after Anakin snaps and takes out Darth Maul, he would have to battle it out with Obi-Wan. I'm just saying there should have been one, primary villain in the trilogy for Anakin and the Jedi to have to deal with.

Because the "shadowy, undefined threat" posed by Palpatine just wasn't enough.

If Palpatine was out in the open about his plans I'm sure the Jedi would've shut him down right away.

 

[Anwar]

I think he's saying that Palpatine should've been out in the open all along, the Clone Wars should've been him using Clone Armies to conquer the Republic in a REAL war instead of taking over from within, and somehow pacifying the conquered Galaxy to the point it's in state it is of Imperial dominance in the OT.

Questions being how Palpatine could've amassed such an army, destroy the Jedi with them, and get the people to support him after conquering/destroying the Republic.

 

[davejames]

I think he's saying that Palpatine should've been out in the open all along, the Clone Wars should've been him using Clone Armies to conquer the Republic in a REAL war instead of taking over from within, and somehow pacifying the conquered Galaxy to the point it's in state it is of Imperial dominance in the OT.

Questions being how Palpatine could've amassed such an army, destroy the Jedi with them, and get the people to support him after conquering/destroying the Republic.

I wouldn't mind Palpatine still working behind the scenes in his senator role, while Maul did all the dirty work. And as to how he amassed the army, who cares? I never really cared where all those stormtroopers came from in the OT; I just accepted that the Emperor somehow used his power and influence to have them made.

When it comes to the Jedis, I would have much rather seen them wiped out in exciting battles with Maul and other Sith warriors (or maybe some badass bounty hunters), than gunned down by a bunch of programmed clones and droids.

 

[DWF]

I think he's saying that Palpatine should've been out in the open all along, the Clone Wars should've been him using Clone Armies to conquer the Republic in a REAL war instead of taking over from within, and somehow pacifying the conquered Galaxy to the point it's in state it is of Imperial dominance in the OT.

Questions being how Palpatine could've amassed such an army, destroy the Jedi with them, and get the people to support him after conquering/destroying the Republic.

I think that would've been rather boring and Darth Maul always seemed like a very limited character, Dooku was more powerful and more believable figure to lead the Seperatists in my mind. Plus it was Christopher Lee and I'd pick him anyday over Ray Park.

 

[Anwar]

That wouldn't have worked, what with how they made the Jedi into such a massive encompassing force. The only way they'd get wiped out in such a fashion would be if the Republic forces REALLY were losing badly.

 

[JarodRussell]

Darth Maul was actually the best thing about Episode I. It would have been awesome had he killed Qui-Gonn and got away with it.
A Sith too powerful for any Jedi. Obi-Wan struggles with him in Episode I and II, and only Anakin manages to defeat him, but pays the price by joining the dark side. Believing to be on the right track because you are fighting the bad guys, that's the tragedy about joining the dark side of the Force. But killing Samuel L. Jackson and saving Palpatine because of whiney self-pity isn't tragic, it's just stupid.

Agreed. That's exactly the kind of clear, straightforward storytelling this new trilogy SHOULD have had. Palpatine and Darth Maul create havoc across the galaxy, use their clones to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic, and it all leads up to a final confrontation between Anakin and Maul (perhaps Maul earlier killed Padme, and Anakin, unable to control his rage and anger, succombs to the Dark Side while defeating him).

Obviously you would add a little more complexity to it, but that basic framework would have made for something MUCH more powerful and effective than the muddled, convoluted, and overly-political mess we got. Add in some dynamic characters and witty dialogue, and you have a PT nearly as good as the original.

I thought it was much more powerful of a fight to have Obi-Wan face Anakin, it meant that Anakin was fighting his father in a way and it made sense of Darth Vader's words on the Death Star when they met for the final time, that the circle was now complete.

Obi-Wan vs. Anakin was a must for Episode III, since that fight has always been the official unofficial reason why Vader had to wear that suit. But that could have happened, too, after Anakin defeated Darth Maul and joined the dark side.

 

[DWF]

After what it took for Obi-Wan to beat Darth Maul to have Anakin fight Maul after battling Obi-Wan would've been overkill in my mind. And people are already complaining about how many lighsaber fights there are in the prequels to begin with.

 

[JarodRussell]

After what it took for Obi-Wan to beat Darth Maul to have Anakin fight Maul after battling Obi-Wan would've been overkill in my mind. And people are already complaining about how many lighsaber fights there are in the prequels to begin with.

Way too many. The final fight between Maul, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn was the best, well choreographed, not too much, not too little, the idea of the double bladed lightsaber was very cool. But every lightsaber battle that came after it was just meh.

The prequels were just too over the top. Especially Episode II with hundreds of Jedis and millions of droids and billions of clones. Or, as said before, General Grievous with 4 lightsabers spinning like propellers. Ugh.

The fight Anakin against Obi-Wan. Oh my god. It couldn't have been more over the top. A little less would have been good. Less is more.

 

[DWF]

After what it took for Obi-Wan to beat Darth Maul to have Anakin fight Maul after battling Obi-Wan would've been overkill in my mind. And people are already complaining about how many lighsaber fights there are in the prequels to begin with.

Way too many. The final fight between Maul, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn was the best, well choreographed, not too much, not too little, the idea of the double bladed lightsaber was very cool. But every lightsaber battle that came after it was just meh.

The prequels were just too over the top. Especially Episode II with hundreds of Jedis and millions of droids and billions of clones. Or, as said before, General Grievous with 4 lightsabers spinning like propellers. Ugh.

The fight Anakin against Obi-Wan. Oh my god. It couldn't have been more over the top. A little less would have been good. Less is more.

Comparing the Star Wars movies to the other movies that were out there at the time I didn't think they were that far over the top. It's funny somehow the Star Wars prequels are over the top after the recent Batman, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Matrix and Spider-Man movies.

 

[Anwar]

That's the thing, they're over-the-top compared to the OT, but due to what action movies are like nowadays what was done in the PT really isn't out of the norm.