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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Radical Prequel re-writes!

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by MrFantastic74, Apr 17, 2011.

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  1. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    If you're like me, you were horribly disappointed with the Prequel Trilogy. It either didn't live up to your expectations (based upon information gathered in the Original Trilogy), or you just thought they were poorly executed films... In my case both of these statements hold true.

    I am currently re-writing the prequels just for fun. My hope is to someday transform the screenplays into either graphic novels, animated films or some other medium accessible to like-minded SW fans. Not for profit, of course, as I would not want to step on Lucasfilm's toes.

    I am already well on my way to creating my stories, but I would like some feedback from other fans. Specifically, what aspects of the current prequels would you:

    a) Absolutely cut out of a re-write,
    b) Keep, but perhaps alter a bit. How would you alter it?

    Also, consider the following questions, and feel free to add your own!

    What would your story involve?

    How old is Anakin when he meets Obi-Wan?

    What's Anakin's profession?

    Do we even need Qui-Gon?

    Do you meet Yoda in the new prequels?

    How does Anakin turn to the dark side?

    Do we keep Anakin's identity as Vader secret?

    What are the Clone Wars? Who are the "bad guys" in the Clone Wars?

    How does Palpatine eventually gain power as Emperor? What is his background?

    What are the jedi like? What do they wear? Where is the temple (if there is a temple)? Are the jedi galactic policemen who are automatically generals in war efforts, or are they more secretive, ronin warrior types?

    What OT characters (besides Obi-wan and Anakin) are essential to the new PT?

    What is Artoo's relationship with Obi-Wan?

    Do we need to meet Threepio?

    What is Anakin's love interest like? Who is she?

    Does Obi-wan witness the birth of the twins, and if not, is he aware of the existence of Leia before TESB?

    Does Leia live with her birth mother for a short time after birth?

    How are Owen Lars and Beru Whitesun related to Anakin and/ or Obi-Wan?

    Will the "Sith" be mentioned? Who are they? How many are there? How does Palpatine become the head?

    What miscellaneous devices would you want to see? (e.g. Mandalorians, Trandoshan slavers, wookiees, etc)

    Is Boba Fett in the story? Do you want a backstory on his disdain for Jedi, wookiees, etc? Is he involved in the Jedi purge?

    How is Bail Organa Obi-wan's superior during the Clone Wars? How does he end up adopting Leia? Is he one of the founders of the Rebellion?

    How does the Rebellion start? Would you show this in the films?



    There are so many more questions. I will post them as they come to me.

    I look forward to your responses!
     
  2. EmilieDarklighter

    EmilieDarklighter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2002
    Honestly? I'm fairly happy with the story itself. It's little details that bother me, mostly to do with dialogue and acting.

    I, for one, love love love Qui-gon, and the story of how they discovered Anakin. I'm also one of those rare creatures who likes the idea of midichlorians, though, so take that as you will. Boba Fett's backstory is cool, and I don't see the need to change all that much of what actually happened. I think the biggest thing that bothered me was General Grievous, and not so much the character concept but the name. He felt like a villain out of a kid's cartoon.

    If I were going to re-write the prequel trilogy, I think my biggest change would be some sort of inclusion of Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars into Revenge of the Sith. I think she adds a lot to Anakin's character.




    What would your story involve?

    My biggest change would probably be the way Anakin was characterized. I want him to be more enthusiastic, more alive, have more of a sense of humor. I want more details on his attachments to not just Padme, but Obi-wan and other people inside the Temple. I want to see him laughing with his friends and family, perhaps getting a little attached to Owen and Beru Lars.

    I want it to be just plain tragic when he turns, instead of "Oh look, the emo kid became a Sith. Go figure."

    How old is Anakin when he meets Obi-Wan?

    Same, no change. I like it the way it is.

    What's Anakin's profession?

    Prepubescent flying ace slave kid for the win! <3s for little slave Ani.

    Do we even need Qui-Gon?

    HELLZ YES. I love that dude.

    Do you meet Yoda in the new prequels?

    Yes. No change here for me, either.

    How does Anakin turn to the dark side?

    Same as in ROTS, I think. Trying to save Padme from an evil he can't see, refusing to turn to the people who could help him (and they, in turn, reassuring themselves that everything is all right when it isn't) and instead turning to someone who offers him a raw deal. The only thing I would change would be the things that were emphasized. I want more focus on the fact that the Jedi and their damn aversion to attachment is one of the things that sped up Anakin's fall. If he had people to turn to who understood how to navigate attachment instead of shunning it entirely, things might have turned out very differently.

    Do we keep Anakin's identity as Vader secret?

    Pretty sure it was a secret in the original PT, so yes.

    What are the Clone Wars? Who are the "bad guys" in the Clone Wars?

    No change. I like the Clone Wars as a puppet war engineered by Palpatine on both sides. I also love love love the clones like Commander Cody and Rex. They all look the same, but they aren't, and they get attached to their Jedi commanders and then have to execute Order 66 - that's just heartbreaking storytelling, and I love it. <3

    How does Palpatine eventually gain power as Emperor? What is his background?

    No change.

    What are the jedi like? What do they wear? Where is the temple (if there is a temple)? Are the jedi galactic policemen who are automatically generals in war efforts, or are they more secretive, ronin warrior types?

    No change here. I think in the Jedi probably began (a la Knights of the Old Republic era) as secretive, ronin warrior types, but the fact remains that by the time we get to the pre-Empire era, something had gone wrong. I think in one of the novels - Survivor's Quest, I think, Luke is musing on the old Jedi and postulates that they had all lost their ability to hear the will of the Force on some primal level. I'm thinking that's pretty much what happened - they clung so hard to rules and regulations that they didn't pay enough attention to the will of the Force. They were arrogant, and it was as much as a downfall for them as it was for Palpatine.

    So probably they weren't originally meant to be warriors - the Jedi in KotOR, for example, went so far as to erase the memories of a Sith Lord and allow him to live a new life - but over time their view of the Force has become
     
  3. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, EmilieDarklighter. It seems to me that you are fairly happy with the prequels overall, and would not care to change too much.

    I'm looking for more of a radical change to things, but I do appreciate your input. It helps me get a handle on the various things that the audience would not want to mess with.

     
  4. EmilieDarklighter

    EmilieDarklighter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2002
    You're very welcome. Don't get me wrong - I think the last two movies were a steaming pile of poodoo, but that's mostly to do with acting and/or dialogue. The core story is pretty strong, imo, but lacked the resonance it could have had because there was too much emphasis on spectacle and not enough on the core issues that were at the root of Anakin's turn.

    That isn't to say that radical is bad - just keep in mind that lots - if not most - folks will, I believe (I could be wrong, no mistake) have attached themselves to certain parts of the prequels, even if they don't like the whole of them, and straying too far from those things may make your audience too small for it to be worth your while.

    That being said, feel free to ignore all of the above, because the most important part of writing is to write what feels like the best story for you. I'm still clinging to an EU pairing that practically no-one writes anymore, and I write those stories for my own sake, not anyone else's. :p

    Happy writing, and send me a link when you get going! I'm curious now!

    Emmi
     
  5. LaForzaViva

    LaForzaViva Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jul 6, 2008
    I'm not going to answer all of the questions, because many of them I wouldn't adjust much, or believe are relatively easily cut or kept in without affecting the overall arc of the three books. If you'd like me to post again with specific answers, I can do that but it might take me a few days; grad school and all that.

    What I want to focus on, and where I've spent considerable time thinking about the prequels, is about the main storyline, the duality of man, and the main characters. If 4-6 are about the rise of a new hero (Luke), and the redemption of evil incarnate (Vader), then what should 1-3 be about? Appropriately, I believe that Lucas got the main arc correct: the rise of that evil incarnate. But if 4-6 provide a duality of sorts, where we compare Luke to Vader, then we need a similar foil for Anakin/Vader in the prequel. I do not believe that foil existed; Obi-Wan was the closest element, but ultimately I cannot accept him as a true foil. In keeping with the duality theme, if the prequel necessitates the rise of evil incarnate, it also must include the downfall of a hero. Instead of killing a hero separate from Anakin, we are instead given the loss of a system of government as the "downfall".

    Now, I see the response already. The downfall of a hero, that Lucas attempted, was to show the downfall of Anakin as good to evil, thus, preserving the duality of good/evil within one central character. While it was an admirable attempt, it failed. It was ambitious, to translate the duality of man onto the screen in that sense, but it did fail for reasons of dialogue primarily, and secondarily for reasons of story structure. I would argue that a more careful characterization, heightened dialogue for Anakin showing that dualism, and changing the reasons for his downfall would actually "fix" the prequels more easily than might be imagined. There have been numerous good/evil heroes in fiction and a good writer could bring out, over three books/films, those elements better than Lucas and his team were able to.

    However, for the purposes of this thread, I'll lay out what I saw as the driving failure of the prequels beyond Anakin. That would revolve around three major issues: the Jedi, the Republic, and the Clone Wars. Now, as a student of international relations, the interplay of states, empires, and polities is a major fascination of mine, so it is no surprise that this is the element I most readily think about. While some people would choose Anakin's downfall as coming from romantic love, as the most central opposing emotion to hate, and thus the dualism of good and evil, I propose that the love Anakin feels should not be romantic, e.g. oriented toward Padme, but oriented toward patriotism and love of a system. I do feel and acknowledge that a good story revolving around Anakin's romantic love could easily fix the prequels, but the reason I argue for Anakin as patriot (misguided perhaps) is because of the sheer stakes involved in a story of this magnitude.

    4-6 centers around warfare, the primary method of resolving conflicts by mankind for our entire existence. In some ways, we are war and war is us; to disavow such a statement would be to ignore history. The stakes in 4-6, by that manner, are the most consequential presented by the frame: the galaxy is at stake. This would be (and has been) equated with the struggle for the world between the US and the USSR. I believe strongly then, that a story that does not involve the same height of stakes would be unable to capture accurately Anakin's downfall. If Anakin falls because of his love for a woman, no matter how it is presented, I believe that is NOT consequential enough for a person to quite literally reverse their previous life's work (short as it was) in order to propagate the mass slaughter of his colleagues and the destruction of a system of government that had existed for 25,000 years. If Anakin is going to fall, he needs to fall for reasons that would make sense in this conflict.

    Lucas got part of that right - Anakin misguidedly believed that propagating a totalitarian
     
  6. Vivid_Scripts

    Vivid_Scripts Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2004
    interesting. I thought i'd take a moment to answer this, given that I'm a huge AU writer.

    To point A):

    The first thing I would do is go through the movies and start cutting out all of the silly/campy/terrible comic relief that was supposed to be embodied by characters like Jar-Jar Binks and C-3PO. 3PO has his place, but he wasn't nearly as annoying in the OT as he was in the PT films. And Jar-Jar...don't get me started. I have to agree with EmilieDarklighter on the point about Grevious, too. Seriously, that's a terrible name.

    To point B):

    I don't know. If I were tasked with re-writing the entire PT, with my only limit being that the edges need to reconcile with the OT...I'm not sure what I would absolutely keep, I just know that nothing would be safe until I solidified a rough plot arc.

    I can say, though, that there are a lot of elements of the 'prequel' universe that I do like.

    I like Naboo. It was a wonderful setting that could have been better used. it would be a great place for the pacing to slow down a bit and give us some scenarios where we can better explore the characters and the subtler aspects of their personalities. But of course, that involves three things that Lucas just doesn't do: subtlety, character development, pacing...if its not action packed and full of explosions, its not going to sell tickets!)

    I like Palpatine. Seriously, all hail the dark master. I only wish he was presented more seriously in the first two movies. In TPM especially, we only saw flashes of this "Darth Sidious" character that just wrung his hands and cackled maniacally while ordering the genocide of the Gungans. A bit WB-ish. I would have given Palpatine more screen time, more time to develop his character and show just how ruthless he can be--on both sides of the coin. I'd like to see scenes where "Senator Palpatine" smiles thinly and pushes people with a mixture of carrot-and-stick negotiation, playing the role of the master politician...then turns around and uses his powers/connections as Dark Lord to cut his foes to pieces.

    I like a lot of the old Jedi. Obi-Wan is a must, you've established this. Qui-Gon: I did like Qui-Gon. Yoda, yes, though he could benefit from being a bit more mystical/hermetic than he was in the cannon. The impression I (and I think most everyone) got from him in ESB was that he was a great, almost mythical master, not some in-the-spotlight leader. Certainly someone that doesn't engage clowns like Dooku. I think that Mace Windu (who was terribly underused in the current PT) would be better suited as the leader and public face of the Jedi with Yoda off to the background as a more monastic/spiritual figurehead. Perhaps Yoda coming down from Mount Sinai with some new revelation from the Force can be one of the central plot points that puts the Jedi on track to do battle with the hidden Sith. Just thinking out loud.

    I like the Clone Wars. My main peeve with the Clone Wars was that they were presented almost in-brief in the current PT. We have one movie that shows the opening shot and one movie showing the closing stage. What happened in between? Really, you're going to delegate that to the clone wars cartoon (not that the Clone Wars cartoon is bad or anything, just that you would expect SOME relevant events during the height of the Clone Wars conflict to be shown in the movies...). I would have the Clone Wars as the background to the entire trilogy, just as the Galactic Civil War was the backdrop for the OT. Puts a lot more emphasis on the 'WAR' in STAR WARS, don't you think?

    I like seeing early elements of the Empire being put into place. Tarkin was in RoTS for...what? Fifteen seconds? Well, if the timetable for the whole story was moved so that TPM was eliminated (and seriously, who doesn't want to eliminate TPM) we would have had some time to see how Moffs like Tarkin came to be the overlords over entire sections of the galaxy, overriding locally elected, 'good' politicians like Queen Amidala/Jamilla/Neeyutnee/Apailana. It would have given us such a better picture of just how the tyranny o
     
  7. stilldreaming

    stilldreaming Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2010
    I registered here awhile ago and don't think I've ever posted anything. If I'm supposed to visit a welcome thread first, someone please point me there. I think I've read all the pertinent rules, but I may very well have missed something. I suppose I intended to lurk here, but this is something I'd considered doing myself, when I'm done with my current fic...I'd love to see what you do with it.

    In response to A and B... wipe the slate clean. Pretend it's 1983 and you just came out of the theater after seeing ROTJ... that's all you have to work with. Oh, ignore Splinter of the Mind's Eye and the Holiday Special and everything else that passed for the EU back then, too. ;)


    What would your story involve?

    Anakin meeting Obi-Wan, deciding to become a Jedi, having a couple of brushes with the Dark Side as Luke did... and then where Luke finally chose the light, Anakin makes the wrong choice and falls. To put it way too simply.

    How old is Anakin when he meets Obi-Wan?

    A little older than Luke was in ANH, I guess, if he was "already a great pilot." Maybe around Biggs's age? Early to mid 20s?

    What's Anakin's profession?


    A pilot. ;)

    Do we even need Qui-Gon?

    No. Yoda was Obi-Wan's teacher, and Obi-Wan was Anakin's.

    Do you meet Yoda in the new prequels?


    I don't think so... I always imagined that Obi-Wan did his training on Dagobah, like Luke did, and that if Yoda was EVER involved in politics and military affairs at the heart of the galaxy, it would have been in his youth, way before Vader or even Palpatine's lifetime.

    How does Anakin turn to the dark side?

    I always thought it was a lust for power... maybe he lost someone he cared about because he wasn't able to protect them (sort of like Shmi, I suppose... only I'd rather it be a brother or a brother-figure like Han...I don't see Anakin as a momma's boy.) and after that became obsessed with needing to be stronger, faster, better, so that he would never lose again. I imagine losing his hand would tie into that too... that he (like Luke) lost his hand going up against an enemy that he couldn't hope to defeat, and that that defeat would lead to an even stronger compulsion to be stronger physically (hence the cybernetics and eventually the suit) and with the Force (hence the Dark Side).

    Do we keep Anakin's identity as Vader secret?


    That would be cool. End the story when he's defeated by Obi-Wan... we see him go into the lava, we don't see him come out. No one calls him Vader in the prequels... we don't know if he lived or died. When Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader killed his father, we know it's a lie... but we think "Obi-Wan killed your father!" (mwa ha ha)

    What are the Clone Wars? Who are the "bad guys" in the Clone Wars?

    I always thought that the Clone Wars has something to do with human rights, with clone rights... that maybe there were clones being bred for military purposes, and that some systems were opposed to that. Obi-Wan and any other Jedi that were around would obviously be against breeding disposable humans, as would Alderaan... who are the bad guys? Good question... could be the Empire, could just be other systems that don't consider clones to be human.

    How does Palpatine eventually gain power as Emperor? What is his background?

    I don't think we should find out. He's ancient... maybe not Yoda ancient, but older than any human should be, and the Empire's ancient too. He's already Emperor when Anakin becomes a Jedi, and I think he should be a mystery.

    What are the jedi like? What do they wear? Where is the temple (if there is a temple)? Are the jedi galactic policemen who are automatically generals in war efforts, or are they more secretive, ronin warrior types?


    I always thought that the Jedi were already in decline in Anakin and Obi-Wan's day. Maybe once they had been kind of a police force, a secret service for the old republic, but at this point they're an unfashionable religion, definitely more secretive. Anakin and Obi-Wan are Jedi, and they fight in the wars w
     
  8. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    I agree, however, rather than expanding on Anakin's character and improving dialogue, I would also focus on altering the plot significantly. I agree that Anakin's fall is tremendously important, and that the reasons for his downfall need considerable work. I think changing the story altogether is the best way to go about this.

     
  9. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    I agree with you on all points!

    I was not a fan of Naboo. I can not put my finger on it, but I think maybe it is too Earth-like. I like worlds that have a different kind of flavor to them. Also, I don't like the name "Naboo"; that sounds like something my baby boy would say. I think they should have probably used Alderaan or something similar instead.

    I am also a big fan of Palpatine. However, I think his identity as the Dark Lord of the Sith should have remained a secret until he finally drew Anakin toward the dark side. I think that's what they were going for in the PT, but the problem was that the audience was exposed to Sidious too often in the first two films. I would have preferred to have a handfull of other Sith occupy most of the screentime. For instance, have Darth Maul be the main villain for two of the movies, in which he reports to Darth Tyrannus. Only in the third film is it revealed that Sidious is in fact the supreme Sith. That would keep the fanboys guessing at least a little bit.

    A lot of my thinking is along those lines too.
     
  10. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    Interesting perspective here too. Something to consider.

    I like the idea of keeping it a secret so as not to spoil the surprise in TESB. However, and this is a big however, it would be extremely difficult to figure this out and make it work. Besides, I think almost everyone knows Vader is Luke's father anyway.

    I see it as being more literally a war against cloned forces, and perhaps cloning is banned in the Republic for ethical reasons. I see the Mandalorians as the main antagonists, along with the enigmatic Sith behind the scenes.

    Yes, I like this. I see Palpatine as a war hero in his own right. A military general of sorts. If he has the military behind him, it would be easier to stage a coup. I see him enacting conscription laws in the senate, then taking over the clone armies of the enemy following the wars. He stages a coup and proclaims himself Emperor with a show of force that the Republic can not withstand (but rumblings of a Rebellion begin to stir...)

    yes, I think they deserve to make an appearance for sure.

    So at no period of time does Obi-Wan assume the role as R2's "owner"?

    Agreed, but I think it would be a nice tip of the hat to the OT to have Threepio meet R2 at the very end of the saga aboard the Tantive IV.

    To quote Qui-Gon, "I shall do as I must." I didn't like the name "Padme Amidala", but that's just cosmetic. I would like to change the nature of her character as well. Make her a fighter rather than a politician, for example.

     
  11. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    But then why doesn't Obi-Wan know that "there is another" hope if Luke fails (in TESB)?


    Agreed, but her mother should die young, perhaps after an event left her body ravaged...

    I like incorporating the Sith as well, but there are OT loyalists who do not like the inclusion of the Sith. They feel that, since the Sith were never actually mentioned in the OT, they should not necessarily have a presence in the PT. I for one think that the PT made it seem that any evil jedi was automatically a Sith. I think the two terms "dark jedi" and "sith" are different-- You can be both a dark jedi and a sith, but not all dark jedi are sith. Basically, I see the Sith as being a particular sect of dark side users.

    I liked that they fleshed out a bit of a backstory to Boba Fett. I wasn't that happy with the result, but I think incorporating it into the new PT would work if treated correctly.

    Agreed, but I think Bail should be a "king", not a senator. I also agree that Alderaan should be visited in the stories.

    I don't know if the EU is cannon, but I don't have a problem with using those characters as the founders of the Rebellion.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Thanks so much for your time! I will definitely be frequenting this thread for ideas, so feel free to bounce aroound more ideas! Cheers!
     
  12. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    That was my intention, although I have to admit that there are some elements of the current prequels that I like.

    I agree in the sense that that is how I envisioned it as a child. I think we would need to expand and focus on the reasons for Anakin's fall.

    Exactly my thinking. No annoying little kiddie Anakins.

    Yes! But is that his official profession, or something on the side. Luke was a great bush pilot, but it wasn't his profession.

    Yes! Although someone like Qui-Gon could be a supporting character I think. But I think it's important for Obi-Wan to be the one responsible for bringing Anakin into the order.

    I agree that Yoda should not be featured as it expands on his mystique (see my posts above). However, I don't see Dagobah as the planet where Yoda originally lived; he fled there during the Jedi Purge.

    I like this line of thinking. I don't think Anakin should be a mamma's boy either. In fact, I see him as an orphan, perhaps raised by the same step-father as Owen Lars (which would make them step-brothers), but they should not be from Tatooine.

    As for Anakin's fall, I like the idea of a significant loss contributing to his desire for power. Loss could be from the death of a loved one, or from a feeling of betrayal or jelousy.

    I'm toying around with different ideas along these lines. My problem is that most people already know Vader is Luke's papa anyway.

    Continues in next post...
     
  13. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    A human rights perspective would be cool. I have a different take on it, as stated above. I always thought the clones were armies of clones attempting to take over the galaxy. I'm thinking that, in my version, cloning is against Republic law until Palpatine takes control and forms his Empire. He then uses the existing clones (following their defeat in the Wars) to form the backbone of his legions.

    Hmmm, I agree that he could be very very old, but I think we need to see the rise of the Empire in the new PT.



    Yes, I like this.

    I really can't argue against any of these points. I do think that it would be a nice nod to the OT to have Artoo and Threepio make appearances, however. The reason I say that is that the OT is almost told from their perspective. There's a rumour that the "Journal of the Whills" was originally intended to be the history of the Galaxy, but told as a story to children by Threepio. They touched on this a bit when Threepio told the story to the ewoks in ROTJ. The droids should be used appropriately, though. Anakin never built Threepio, nor had any interaction with either droid.

    Wow. That's the first time I've heard this line of thought. It would be an interesting way of presenting Anakin's character and would make his turn in ROTJ that much more dramatic. However, I like the idea of using his love interest as a means to turn Anakin to the dark side. They attempted this in the prequels,
     
  14. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    I hear ya, but I've always been curious about Mandalorians, and I always wanted to see Kashyyk (but not as a cheap throw-in, the way it was used in ROTS).

    That's not the first time I've heard that, but I'm kind of a Fett fanboy. But I think he died like a chump in ROTJ- it's time to redeem him. I see him being hired as a jedi hunter during the Purge.

    Yes! It's all about the characters! That is the reason why TESB was the greatest film of the saga. It was light on locations, plot, aliens, and special effects, but very heavy on character development.
     
  15. stilldreaming

    stilldreaming Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2010
    Well, some things will be the same regardless. I mean, it would be hard to change the fact that the protagonist is named Anakin Skywalker, or that he turns to the dark side in the end, for example... but I would hope that you wouldn't do anything just BECAUSE it was in the PT. If that makes sense. I guess NOT doing something that you liked, simply because it was in the PT, would also be silly. ;)


    There's no reason it has to be his actual profession... in the outline I'd loosely worked up (and then abandoned) he started out as a fighter pilot in the lowest ranks of the Empire... the Emperor didn't even know he existed, and Obi-Wan recruited him to fight for the other side... I dunno, I thought it would be ironic or something if he went BACK to the Empire in the end, but it wasn't very well thought out, honestly.

    That makes sense as well... he seems pretty offended when Luke insults the place, but living there for 20-some years is good enough to make it home. Also, no one else of his species around... that makes sense.

    See, I always thought Owen was from Tatooine... he just seems so provincial, I imagined he'd grown up around moisture farming and that was all he ever really wanted to know. But I agree, Anakin should NOT be from Tatooine, what a waste of an opportunity to create a new world that was!

    I guess it depends on whether you're assuming that people have already seen the OT, or actually trying to write something that could be viewed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. One of the problems with the PT and newer releases of the OT is that Lucas can't seem to decide. So many jokes and references in the PT that depend on the OT... but we're not supposed to know that Palpatine is Sidious? But then he retcons ROTJ and puts Hayden in there, so if you watch the OT first no one knows who the heck that creepy-looking guy is... there IS no good order to watch them in anymore. (Well, yes there is... 4, 5, 6 on laserdisc, but that's beside the point) If you're assuming that 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 is THE order to watch them in, and there's no need to preserve the surprise in ESB... then it wouldn't mean anything to keep it secret.

    I wouldn't object to their being there, as long as Anakin never had any interaction with them, at least not anything that would be memorable to them, since they obviously don't know Luke or Obi-Wan, and you could wipe THEIR memories but not Obi-Wan's. They belonged to the Alliance, or the Senate, or the Organas, or... someone like that, at the beginning of ANH (or, well, Captain Antilles... but I always thought he was just the captain of the ship, and wouldn't have owned them for decades or anything), so it wouldn't be too horribly weird if they were
     
  16. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    I just noticed this signature. A George RR Martin fan, eh? Nice! A Song of Ice and Fire is my favorite series. I'm liking the new HBO adaptation too.
     
  17. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    No, I would never do anything just because it's in the PT. I'd like to avoid as much "PTisms" as possible, but I think that not everything in the PT was garbage. For instance, I liked Darth Maul and, to a degree, Darth Tyrannus, but I didn't like how the characters were used. They could have been made to be far greater antagonists in the stories. The way GL used them, they were like paper villains without substance.

    I've thought of something similar, although in my story the Empire does not yet exist. I think I will ultimately go with something along the lines of this: Anakin is a mechanic and navigator on a spice freighter who is also a great pilot in his own right. When not running spice, he works on his foster father's moisture farm on Utapau with his foster brother, Owen. If you're wondering how Owen ends up on Tatooine-- he is convinced by Obi-wan to move out of fear that Vader will seek him out. This plays into Owen's desire to shelter Luke from his father's fate and also his mistrust in Obi-Wan.

    Yes, that is quite the dilemma for me. Do I cater to an audience who want to watch the saga in the theatrical release order, or in the chronological order? I thik the saga is best viewed IV, V, VI (with the original Anakin ghost, not Hayden), then I, II, III.

    I think the love interest thing could work so long as Vader seems too far gone in the audience's eyes for any hope of redempt
     
  18. Ubersue

    Ubersue Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2008
    Cool ideas, guys. :)

    You know, it's funny... before the prequels came out, I deliberately chose to avoid thinking about what I wanted to see in order to avoid setting myself up for disappointment. Now I wonder what I would have wanted to see, had my seventeen-year-old self thought about it at the time.

    Anyway, I think what I would come up with would be completely different. Here's what I would change:

    1. Anakin would be a supporting character, not the protagonist.

    I think having the main hero turn into the Galaxy's biggest villain is just too dark for the Star Wars I knew. Also, it's hard to be too invested in a character when you know exactly what will happen to him. I would make either Padme or Obi-Wan the protagonist. That way you still feel the loss of a beloved character when Anakin falls, but you also feel some emotional investment in the main character because you're not entirely certain of their fate.


    2. Anakin would be a young smuggler working with his mother or father.


    That Chosen One stuff would be a lot more interesting if Anakin's a lil' gangster than if he's a put-upon slave with a saintly mother.

    3. No Boba Fett or his dad... or just very little of them.

    I am strongly of the opinion that the less you know about Boba Fett, the more interesting he is.

    4. More Bail Organa and the birth of the Rebellion.

    That would segue nicely into the OT when Alderaan is destroyed... it would be a real shock that Bail would be killed before you get to see him.

    5. More Clone Wars, please!

    Of course we all want to see Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting the Clone Wars! That would be so cool!

    6. Make the Clone Wars about liberation, not fighting separatists.

    I'd rather see the Jedi fight in a war where they're helping a race of clones liberate themselves from slavery than what we got in the prequels. Maybe the split between the Jedi and the Republic can be over the Jedi's refusal to stand by while the Republic tolerates the use of clones as a slave class.

    7. No C-3PO or Artoo

    I'd love to see other C-3PO and R2D2 model droids around, and maybe a cameo with those two, but defintely keep the familiar characters out of the main storyline. I like the idea that Threepio and Artoo are basically assembly-line droids who just wandered into the Rebellion.

    8. More Darth Maul, no General Grievous

    If you're going to have somebody as cool as Darth Maul, don't kill him off in the first movie. And no General Grievous, please. That character just made no sense to me. :p
     
  19. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
    Yes, I thought about making either Obi-Wan or Padme (actually, I would name her something else, and I would change her character significantly) the main protagonist, and having Anakin play a supporting role. However, I think that the story I'm working on works best if I focus on two protagonists in parallel: Obi-Wan and Anakin.

    I agree with your point, however, I would forget the whole "chosen one" prophecy altogether. I always envisioned Anakin as a gifted Jedi knight, but not necessarily the greatest of all. In fact, I imagined Obi-Wan being superior to him prior to his turn to the dark side. One reason Anakin turns is his desire to surpass his master.

    That is a common opinion. However, I like the idea of exploring Boba Fett's backstory a little. If it can be done properly, then over-exposure shouldn't be an issue. Well, that's my hope, anyway.

    Alderaan would be a significant setting in my PT. Bail's character would be more prominant as well. He would also be nominal King of Alderaan, and General for the Republic-- not a stiff politician with limited character development.

    In my version, the Clone Wars are already well underway in Ep I. They continue to be waged until the New Galactic Empire is formed (either late Ep II or early Ep III- haven't decided yet).

    Hmmm, interesting concept. Unfortunately, I don't think I can go that route in my story as I am well underway in the writing already. In my version, the clones are an evil army formed by the Mandalorians. Cloning is an abomination by Republic law, for both moral reasons (as clones are often used for slave labour and in war efforts) and for medical reasons (clones are mentally unstable).

     
  20. MasterKenobi1138

    MasterKenobi1138 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 24, 2008
    I've wrestled with how I'd rewrite the prequels for a long time. I don't hate the story itself, but I feel it got buried under so many other elements (i.e., special effects, lack of solid acting, some sub-par dialogue). That said, I like this idea of a questionnaire to flesh out my own perspective on the films.

    What would your story involve?

    I agree with the points made by others that the PT should parallel the OT more. In that case, the Clone Wars should be the central conflict, with its breakout around the end of Episode I and its conclusion around the climax in Episode III. The Battle of Naboo is the flash point of that conflict (or "shatterpoint" in Mace Windu's words). Anakin is brought in because he's too powerful not to be on the Jedi's side when the war starts, although I can see the Jedi Council not accepting that he's "the Chosen One" at first. Anakin's development should more closely mirror Luke's in the OT, but obviously with darker and more tragic results.

    How old is Anakin when he meets Obi-Wan?

    I would actually have him be in his early to mid-teens, but not quite as old as when we first met Luke. I think having Anakin begin his training while dealing with adolescence and all the emotional turbulence that it involves would foreshadow his fall--not to mention give a better start to his infatuation with Padme.

    What's Anakin's profession?

    I'm not against him being a slave, although a local mechanic would also work.

    Do we even need Qui-Gon?

    Yes.

    Do you meet Yoda in the new prequels?

    Yes.

    How does Anakin turn to the dark side?

    There would be two factors, one long-term and one short-term. Long-term is his obsession with being "the Chosen One" and deserving all the recognition and authority of a Jedi Master since he's more powerful than anyone on the Council. Palpatine feeds into this by giving him accolades, honors, and titles that the Jedi Council would disapprove of. Short-term is the need to save Padme's life from his nightmares and to make up for his failure to save his mother's life.

    Do we keep Anakin's identity as Vader secret?

    I think most Jedi would immediately recognize or sense Vader to be Anakin, but as time goes on, he grows more attuned to the dark side and distorts the original aura that Anakin had, thus making it harder to connect the two.

    What are the Clone Wars? Who are the "bad guys" in the Clone Wars?

    About the same as they are in the films, but with a blend of battle droids and organic soldiers fighting for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The CIS should have corporate backing, but not be corporate-dominated like it is in the films.

    How does Palpatine eventually gain power as Emperor? What is his background?

    Same as in the films.

    What are the jedi like? What do they wear? Where is the temple (if there is a temple)? Are the jedi galactic policemen who are automatically generals in war efforts, or are they more secretive, ronin warrior types?

    I would picture the Jedi as being a kind of advanced warrior class in the Republic. There would be a standing military force (albeit depleted by a millennium of peace), which can't do much without Jedi involvement. But the Jedi are more of a symbol than a police force. More like negotiators and covert operatives used for the most extreme situations, and otherwise left to their own designs.

    What OT characters (besides Obi-wan and Anakin) are essential to the new PT?

    Mon Mothma could be a little more visible to give her the impression of being one of the main leaders of the future Rebellion.

    What is Artoo's relationship with Obi-Wan?

    They're on good terms. And Obi-Wan's doesn't need to be disdainful of droids all the time.

    Do we need to meet Threepio?

    Yes, but I would switch the roles so that Threepio is already serving Padme as a protocol droid, whereas Artoo was built by Anakin.

    What is Anakin's love interest like? Who is she?

    Padme, but as a more involved fighter and leader. I would have her do more in
     
  21. MrFantastic74

    MrFantastic74 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2010
     
  22. MasterKenobi1138

    MasterKenobi1138 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 24, 2008
    I suppose I wasn't as disappointed as some were with the prequels. I'll admit that I was very disappointed with the portrayal of Anakin's fall in ROTS (having read Matt Stover's novelization and found it to be much, much stronger), and in retrospect, TPM doesn't stick with me the way the other two films did. That's why I think there needed to be more of an emphasis on the Clone Wars throughout the whole trilogy instead of showing us snippets of the conflict (and no, I don't think putting all the good stuff in TV shows counts). I don't know if that alone counts as what you'd call a "radical change," but it's certainly something I would much rather have seen than the other plotlines in Episodes I and II.
     
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