tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post3438137598164069850..comments2023-08-18T04:37:47.001-04:00Comments on Byzantium's Shores: chronicling the misadventures of an overalls-clad hippie: Fixing the Prequels: Revenge of the Sith (part two)Kelly Sedingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10704114189919711467noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-83922079439526322372012-02-13T20:40:03.290-05:002012-02-13T20:40:03.290-05:00Here's the thing about R2's rockets: why s...Here's the thing about R2's rockets: why should we assume that he didn't have them in the Original Trilogy? I'm hard-pressed to think of a time in the first three (released) movies where R2 really needed a pair of rockets. Maybe on Dagobah, but then again, maybe not. He seemed to do just fine without them.<br /><br />On the gravity generator: Hmmm. Never really thought of that. There is a line where one of the commanders says "Magnetize! magnetize!" But...geez, I dunno.Kelly Sedingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10704114189919711467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-52628046455146098552012-02-13T20:18:48.637-05:002012-02-13T20:18:48.637-05:00Can we get a big "Huzzah!" for the retur...Can we get a big "Huzzah!" for the return of "Fixing the Prequels?" HUZZAH!<br /><br />Yes, I'm one of those who enjoy these things. And as usual, I generally agree with your thoughts, with a few quibbles/additions.<br /><br />First, I think Palpatine has been well aware of Anakin's potential from the moment he met the young boy. As far as I can remember (been a while since I watched these), there's no solid evidence in AOTC that Palpy has started to actively manipulate him yet -- it's entirely possible that Annie getting involved with Padme was simply a brilliant stroke of luck for the old Sith lord -- but he's obviously been cultivating a friendship with him for a very long time, presumably to keep him close by in case he decides Annie is someone he can turn. And during that time, he's been very subtly inculcating the boy with ideas about power and politics... maybe still not actually working on the kid, but planting seeds... I think Anakin's fall (and Palpatine's seduction of him) was a long time coming myself.<br /><br />I love the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in this scene and the space battle that preceded it, and wish there had been much more of this throughout the prequel trilogy. I realize, of course, that their relationship was different in AOTC, that they were master and student then and by ROTS they are closer to peers, but still... the prequels' biggest flaw, IMO, is that they are so often so very dour, without much of the twinkle-in-the-eye type stuff that characterized the original trilogy.<br /><br />Although I do agree that this whole sequence is very well done (especially Anakin's dispatching of Dooku, as you noted), there are a couple things about it that bug me. One is -- I'm sorry to say -- Artoo's rockets. Not because they're all that far-fetched or anything -- you make a good point about him needing some ability to move around in space, given his function -- but it <i>really</i> bothers me personally that there's no hint of them in the original trilogy. What, did they get disconnected at some point between ROTS and ANH? It strikes me as a big old anachronism. But that's me. For what it's worth, my lady feels like you do and has no problem with them.<br /><br />My biggest gripe about this scene, however, is all that business about the walls and floors as the ship noses downward. I can buy noise in space, but when you're generating your own gravity field, it doesn't matter which way the ship is pointed... down remains down. All it would have taken to satisfy me on this point is a throwaway line about the gravity field oscillating as the ship starts to break up, or some such. That's one of the maddening things about the prequels... so many of the problems could have been so easily fixed with throwaway lines. But then, you know this... that's the whole point of the exercise...<br /><br />Looking forward to the next installment!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11001416935247782462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-41572412708252548072012-02-08T12:39:13.361-05:002012-02-08T12:39:13.361-05:00I am also a defender of the PT films...I recently ...I am also a defender of the PT films...I recently re-watched them in order on successive weekends and think after 10 years or so they have not aged poorly. I will admit that at some points the dialogue is stiff and forced, but I see these films as different from the CT in theme and style.<br /><br />I will also, btw, be checking out the 3D releases that are coming up for the shear eye candy of the experience.<br /><br />JazzzJamnjazzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07816288474127503103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-65692810217781456212012-02-03T16:02:00.536-05:002012-02-03T16:02:00.536-05:00For the record, I enjoy these posts very much. And...For the record, I enjoy these posts very much. And I despise the Red Letter nonsense. I was reading an article recently online and immediately stopped reading when Red Letter Media was held up as an example of insightful criticism. Oy.SamuraiFroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18313259493587442589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-7205078645366652382012-02-03T14:00:35.694-05:002012-02-03T14:00:35.694-05:00There's nothing wrong with Revenge of the Sith...There's nothing wrong with Revenge of the Sith that chopping George Lucas' hands off before he ever wrote another line of dialogue couldn't have fixed.Ben Varkentinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14860341359362967093noreply@blogger.com