Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker... am I the only one who understood what George Lucas made?

[fireproof78]

Anakin's history and motivations could not have been more identifiable if the film had periodically paused Suicide Squad style to summarize them in on screen text and theater employees had worked their way up and down the various rows whispering them in people's ears. Not liking something does not equate to the film not explaining it..

Explain it? More like we are exposited at that the characters are specific things. "They are best friends" except they are always fighting and arguing and whining. "They are in love" except there isn't a whole lot of chemistry and the confession from Padme comes right before they are executed.

Basically, it feels like I'm being told what they are, but I don't get the feeling from the actors or the characters that they are those things.
And this isn't without me trying. I read every Phantom Menace book out when the film came out, from YA to the film adaptation to gain more insight. But, when watching the films, the characters don't feel like what they are being described as to me.

As far as 'relatable' is concerned, arguably one would need to have once been placed in situations at least distantly analogous to Anakin's own. If, in your case, that does not apply, well, more power to you then, I guess.

I guess I'll just have to wait until I have that immaculate conceived, slave life to Jedi in order to understand it then

That sounds more like the version of the story which various people on the internet have pined for: a turn to the dark side based on nothing more than "I want power! GRRR!!!" In other words, it sounds like fanfic. The "eventually just shrugged his shoulders" bit doesn't describe the content of the film we actually got. In ROTS Anakin only sides with Palpatine when forced to choose between Padme and the Jedi. After what happens to Mace there is no going back.

Sure it does. Anakin decides that the only way is for his new power because the Jedi didn't listen to his whining. He lies, manipulates and schemes against his own order and then, when convenient, he is a bad guy. And, he's supposed to be the "tragic hero."

It doesn't feel like a character evolution. It feels like a switch was flipped and Anakin changes. Or, to have it better put:

His thirst for power, resent of authority, and anger over the limitations placed on him was exactly what made him unfit to be a Jedi Master though. Things that no doubt had been pointed out to him. He knows what he is doing is wrong, even after he helps kill Mace, yet he does indeed shrug his shoulders and kill a bunch of kids anyways. He isn't possessed by the dark side, he isn't overcome by another personality, he just gives in to the idea that he is going to be Palpatine's sword in the hopes that whatever he has been telling him isn't a total lie. Then in the duel with Obi-Wan he is back to being angry and petulant, whining that he didn't get what he wanted and just childishly throwing all the blame on the Jedi in spite of the fact that he knows they were right all along. It's just bad storytelling with a completely unsympathetic and idiotic character in a movie full of unsympathetic idiots.

Thank you.

 

[Ithekro]

This is why I like TCW performance of Anakin Skywalker as it gives us all those things that seemed to be missing from AOTC and ROTS in relation to what Old Ben tells Luke about his father. The parts were Old Ben is remembering the good man that was his friend, not that part were he has to decide how to tell Luke what happened to his father.

 

[Set Harth]

"They are best friends"

Says who?

"They are in love" except there isn't a whole lot of chemistry

Are those things supposed to be synonymous?

yet he does indeed shrug his shoulders

I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's only visible in super-duper-HD as opposed to regular HD? I need to upgrade.

Sure it does.

Oh, there's definitely a lot of shrugging going on, but it's not on screen, it's coming from the usual suspects in the peanut gallery.

( And Ayn Rand followers, naturally. )

Anakin decides that the only way is for his new power because the Jedi didn't listen to his whining.

Or maybe because it's not a Jedi power.

He lies, manipulates and schemes against his own order and then, when convenient, he is a bad guy.

You left out the part where he ratted out Palpatine to the Jedi. Probably because it gets in the way of your narrative.

It feels like a switch was flipped and Anakin changes

Or other stuff happened that you don't particularly want to talk about.

This is why I like TCW performance of Anakin Skywalker as it gives us all those things that seemed to be missing from AOTC and ROTS

It also makes him kind of a smug dick.

 

[fireproof78]

Says who?

Excuse me. Obi-Wan calls him a "good friend" in ANH.

Are those things supposed to be synonymous?

Generally speaking, yes, at least in contemporary storytelling. I'll admit to actually enjoying some of the love dialog from AOTC, and some scenes worked better than others.

I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's only visible in super-duper-HD as opposed to regular HD? I need to upgrade.

Oh, there's definitely a lot of shrugging going on, but it's not on screen, it's coming from the usual suspects in the peanut gallery.

( And Ayn Rand followers, naturally. )

Unnecessary and not relevant to the discussion.

Or maybe because it's not a Jedi power.

Possible.

You left out the part where he ratted out Palpatine to the Jedi. Probably because it gets in the way of your narrative.

What narrative, since my mind is so easily read?

Or other stuff happened that you don't particularly want to talk about.

Please use specifics otherwise there isn't much to discuss.

It also makes him kind of a smug dick.

So, like in the films?

 

[Ithekro]

It also makes him kind of a smug dick.

He was the Chosen One and was highly skilled with an ego to match. Of course he was a smug dick at times. But he still came off as a good friend to Obi-wan and mentor to Ahsoka. He was kind to his friends and cared greatly for them. The events late in the war start to make it seem like his friends are betraying him and this also brings Anakin more and more into Palpatine's grasp.

 

[Set Harth]

Generally speaking, yes

Ahahaha....

at least in contemporary storytelling.

Even though this is "space fantasy" we're talking about here, I think sometimes it would be nice if storytelling would reflect the real world. So-called "chemistry" isn't everything. A lot of couples had "chemistry" but then things didn't work out ( to put it exceedingly gently ).

So, like in the films?

Not really. In the films he comes off as insecure. Note that he's labeled a whiner. The TCW guy, by comparison, is a pompous jock.

 

[LJones41]

Ahahaha....



Even though this is "space fantasy" we're talking about here, I think sometimes it would be nice if storytelling would reflect the real world. So-called "chemistry" isn't everything. A lot of couples had "chemistry" but then things didn't work out ( to put it exceedingly gently ).



Not really. In the films he comes off as insecure. Note that he's labeled a whiner. The TCW guy, by comparison, is a pompous jock.

I've noticed that when it comes to describing Anakin as a young man, people tend to use negative descriptions. Many fans rarely point out Anakin's positive traits. And he had them.

I've always thought that Anakin's complaints in "Attack of the Clones" were those of a young man in his late teens, rebelling against an authority figure . . . which he was doing. Luke was the same. Come to think of it, Luke whined a bit in "The Empire Strikes Back", whereas Han merely whined, no matter his age. But I've also noticed that some of Anakin's complaints in "Revenge of the Sith" may have been justified.

 

[fireproof78]

I've noticed that when it comes to describing Anakin as a young man, people tend to use negative descriptions. Many fans rarely point out Anakin's positive traits. And he had them.

I've always thought that Anakin's complaints in "Attack of the Clones" were those of a young man in his late teens, rebelling against an authority figure . . . which he was doing. Luke was the same. Come to think of it, Luke whined a bit in "The Empire Strikes Back", whereas Han merely whined, no matter his age. But I've also noticed that some of Anakin's complaints in "Revenge of the Sith" may have been justified.

That's my larger thing is that Anakin in AOTC is mildly annoying but tolerable. But, "Revenge of the Sith" which is three years in to a war that he has been a general in, and he still feels the same character. Whiny, and with the same overall goal of keeping someone alive. Which, feels very stagnant to be as a a character and less sympathetic in his arc.