Revenge of the Sith - Reviewed

[gooseUK]

Originally Posted by AKPiggott

Very good points. Whereas in the prequels, he just has Rick McCallum who seems far too much of a yes man that wants to lick GL's boots.

All that Jabba stuff bores the crap out of me though and the Endor/Ewok scenes are a little irritating.

Totally agree about Rick McCallum. I think Gary Kurtz was a major creative force in shaping the first two films (didn't he and Lucas fall out over the way George wanted to quickly wrap things up in ROTJ, whereas Kurtz wanted to continue the series in a darker direction - killing Leia off, for a start? I'm sure I read that somewhere?). The prequels needed someone like Kurtz who could act as a 'quality control' but, alas, it seems they were pretty much Lucas's ship to sail, and his alone.

I do remember, around the release of TPM, that Lucas said that, like the original trilogy, he would hand episodes 2 & 3 over to other directors to make. I wish he had, to be honest: Empire benefits hugely from Kershner's more 'cinematic' direction.

As for Jedi, I quite like all that Jabba stuff at the beginning. Okay, all that sing-song stuff is pretty annoying (particularly in the SE), but I like the exotic, alien feel to those scenes - it sets the movie up with it's own tone and character and is a nice colourful juxtoposition to Empire. And I think those sail barges are damn neat! Jabba, himself, is a pretty darn impressive practical effect (before he became an insipid CGI version in the prequels).

Now, as for Ewoks... well, I don't normally commend genocide...

[TheoGB]

I believe it says in the extras that Kurtz and Lucas fell out over the overunning of Empire. As I remember Lucas blamed him for the situation where he had to go back to the studio for more money to finish it off and lose the ability to go it alone.

As for directors, I think that whole business with the Directors' Guild over credits at the end of the film screwed Lucas up. That was supposedly why he couldn't get Spielberg in for Jedi, though I'm not sure how come he was able to work with him on the Indiana Jones films. Anyway, it sounded rather as if a lot of directors were not available to him then and maybe that's still true now?

[Spooksta]

Originally Posted by gooseUK

I do remember, around the release of TPM, that Lucas said that, like the original trilogy, he would hand episodes 2 & 3 over to other directors to make. I wish he had, to be honest: Empire benefits hugely from Kershner's more 'cinematic' direction.

This is quite true but when TPM was poorly received he decided to put things right and prove he still had what it takes. Unfortunately the same happened again.

[Niceguygeoff]

Originally Posted by TheoGB

As for directors, I think that whole business with the Directors' Guild over credits at the end of the film screwed Lucas up. That was supposedly why he couldn't get Spielberg in for Jedi, though I'm not sure how come he was able to work with him on the Indiana Jones films.

Paramount financed and distributed the Indy films themselves (the original deal apparently included four sequels) so the flicks still fell inside the studio system that the DGA lord it over. And because Lucas wasn't directing he could still have as much input as he wanted outside of that remit (not that it stopped him from doing some 2nd unit work).

But from Jedi onwards the Star Wars movies were independent, self-financed projects (out of George's pocket, natch) and because Lucas fell foul of the DGA he couldn't get a union guy in to work on it.

It is a damn shame that Playmountain never got his hands on Jedi, as he'd have had a field day with the broken family that is the Skywalkers.

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by gooseUK

As for Jedi, I quite like all that Jabba stuff at the beginning. Okay, all that sing-song stuff is pretty annoying (particularly in the SE), but I like the exotic, alien feel to those scenes - it sets the movie up with it's own tone and character and is a nice colourful juxtoposition to Empire. And I think those sail barges are damn neat! Jabba, himself, is a pretty darn impressive practical effect (before he became an insipid CGI version in the prequels).

Yeah, and unlike the ROTS opening, they actually bother in ROTJ to layout what it's all about. The extra song in the SE version is dire though, and unfortunately not easily skippable since it's now the song over the dancer being pulled into the pit bit.
It's 25 minutes into ROTS before they bother to tell you that it's because Doku is on the bridge of that ship. It's also the first dialogue of the film with more content beyond "look out for the incoming XYZ".

Originally Posted by gooseUK

Now, as for Ewoks... well, I don't normally commend genocide...

Well, we all know they died once the fallout from the Death Star kicked in right?

[Roberto]

Did i read somewhere that Endor did actually suffer a bit from the death star blowing up so nearby?

[Soprano]

Can't find the original thread...

I saw part of this the other day. My 6 year old was watching the dvd. I was just wondering why the Chancellor turned all scabby during his battle with Windu. Why did his appearence change?

Also order 66, when the clone troopers turn on the jedi, whats the idea behind this? Was this hidden in their subconcious all along, or were they all in on the plan all along?

Just curious and never bothered to find out why until now.

[William Shatners Wig]

Originally Posted by Roberto

Did i read somewhere that Endor did actually suffer a bit from the death star blowing up so nearby?

Yeah, it was reported in the Daily Mail almost a year ago, once the official papers were legally released 25 years after the actual event. The families of the Death Star workers were also involved in a suspiciously sudden and swift plague of some kind too.

[AKPiggott]

Originally Posted by Soprano

I saw part of this the other day. My 6 year old was watching the dvd. I was just wondering why the Chancellor turned all scabby during his battle with Windu. Why did his appearence change?

There's two theories (probably more):

1) Force lightning bounces off of Windu's saber causing the scarring

2) Sidious is so saturated in the dark side that the scabby/evil appearance is his true form. His normal, Ian McDiarmid look is some sort of force-powered disguise that disappears after he exhausts force energy trying to combat Windu. Obviously, he's revealed himself at this point anyway so the disguise isn't necessary anyway.

Both rubbish excuses, but I prefer the second one.

Originally Posted by Soprano

Also order 66, when the clone troopers turn on the jedi, whats the idea behind this? Was this hidden in their subconcious all along, or were they all in on the plan all along?

Some sort of genetic programming. Again, rubbish but it is Star Wars.

[alphatyrant]

Originally Posted by Soprano

Can't find the original thread...

I saw part of this the other day. My 6 year old was watching the dvd. I was just wondering why the Chancellor turned all scabby during his battle with Windu. Why did his appearence change?

Also order 66, when the clone troopers turn on the jedi, whats the idea behind this? Was this hidden in their subconcious all along, or were they all in on the plan all along?

Just curious and never bothered to find out why until now.

The Force Lightning that Sidious uses is reflected back towards his own face by Mace Windu, thus making him look a bit on the rough side.

Order 66 was implanted in the clones from the beginning to get rid of the Jedi.

[Soprano]

okay, thanks. Doesn't make the film any better. Mind you I have no excuse for asking daft questions when I am this sober

You do have to wonder every morning the Emperor looks in the mirror does he look at his reflection and say "was it worth it?"

[AKPiggott]

From Starwars.com

Skywalker witnessed a stunning sight: the Chancellor, cornered, with Windu looming over him with his lightsaber blade extended. Palpatine unleashed a torrent of Sith lightning at the Jedi Master, but Windu was able to deflect it back at the Chancellor. The evil energies twisted Palpatine's face as they flowed through him, scarring and disfiguring his once handsome features. His eyes burned yellow, his voice grew ragged and deep, and he became a well of dark side energies.