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

PT Did Hayden do a good job as Anakin?

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by Rotticus, Oct 25, 2012.

  1. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    He got nominated for a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in Life as a House, but he was playing his "specialty" role, an angsty *****y teenager.

    I don't know how he does in other roles; I wasn't that impressed with Jumper and haven't seen anything of his since.
     
    Samnz likes this.
  2. KilroyMcFadden

    KilroyMcFadden Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    He seemed better in Jumper. His acting, or lack of ability to do so, wasn't something that took you out of the movie the way it did in the PT.
     
  3. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    I think he's great in Sith, Life As A House was kind of blah in general across the board, and he's compellingly liar-ish in Shattered Glass.
     
  4. Darkskar95

    Darkskar95 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2013
    In my opinion, yes.
     
  5. Darth kRud

    Darth kRud Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    The video below is Anakin as Vader just after the swift personality change from Anakin to Vader (bad acting)


    This is good acting with a swift personality change
     
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  6. PiettsHat

    PiettsHat Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2011
    Darth kRud

    Those scenes are not comparable by my estimation. (Spoilers!) Edward Norton's character is pretending to have multiple personality disorder and thus a violent and abrupt change in personality is necessary in order to promote his story.

    Anakin does not have multiple personality disorder, nor is he attempting to display symptoms of this. Anakin is a person pushed to extremes, yes, but the core of who he is remains -- he doesn't have a fractured psyche but rather is fully aware of "Darth Vader" and who he is and what he has done.
     
  7. Darth kRud

    Darth kRud Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    Sure seemed like it to me and this is because his transition to the dark side was way to fast and way to simplistic with him doing some way phucked up stuff at the snap of a finger. He went from Anakin to the Darth Vader personality in a matter of what? 30 minutes? Ten minutes? How long did it take him to drive over to the temple and slaughter a bunch of kids? Lucas messed up. That's all there is to it. He shouldn't have even made The Phantom Menace, that film was totally unnecessary- it tied his hands artistically for the next two films. It's like Anakin had a mental break with reality. He was just a mentally i'll child man who wanted to get his way. The real villain that rose from the ashes of the prequels wasn't Vader but Palpatine.
     
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  8. PiettsHat

    PiettsHat Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2011
    For you, Lucas messed up. For me, it was very close to perfect. So that may be "all there is to it" for you, but I've elaborated on why I very much enjoy the way Anakin's fall plays out in other threads, if you're interested in continuing this line of discourse. That you believe TPM is unnecessary may be why you are having difficulty with the turn.

    Regardless, I don't see how your issues come down to Hayden's acting. Lucas wasn't going for multiple personality disorder and the rapid switches it entails (such as in Norton's character), so I don't see why you would fault Christensen for that.

    And of course the real villain wasn't Vader -- it was Palpatine, it was always Palpatine. Or did you miss the ending of ROTJ where Anakin is redeemed and Palpatine is chucked down the Death Start shaft to his death? That's always been pretty clear to me.
     
  9. Darth_Pevra

    Darth_Pevra Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 21, 2008
    Of course Vader was a villain. Or did you miss the parts were he slaughtered the Jedi kids or hunted the rebellion?

    He was not a pathetic pseudovillain "waiting" for redemption. He was a true villain which makes his redemption all the more special.

    Pseudovillains are redeemed all the time. True villains on the other hand ... doesn't happen often.
     
  10. PiettsHat

    PiettsHat Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2011
    Apologies. I should have been more specific with my terminology. By "real villain," I meant that it was really Palpatine who was the driving force behind the evil in Star Wars, the "Big Bad" I guess you would say.

    That's not to say that Anakin isn't a villain, but he isn't, ultimately, the source of corruption in the same manner that Palpatine is.
     
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  11. Darth_Pevra

    Darth_Pevra Chosen One star 6

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    May 21, 2008
    Actually Vader is a masterful manipulator like seen in TESB when he almost broke Luke and manipulated the Emperor to let Luke live. In ROTJ he caused a homicidal rage in Luke. During the entire OT he is an extremely corrupting force.

    But including the PT I'd say Palps is still the better manipulator, yes.
     
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  12. Darth kRud

    Darth kRud Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    I don't think Haden is a bad actor per say I think he was the wrong actor for the role. He's too young looking, too innocent looking. That combined with the writing set the stage for some rather, well, some things just could have had better quality. It's still Star Wars and I'll watch the prequels when they come on TV as they're more entertaining than a lot junk out there but the entire approach to telling the Darth Vader story, to me at least, was wrong. It wasn't just Haden's acting but we can see how Lucas' constricted otherwise great actor/actresses in the film. Just look at Portmans performance. It looked like she was handcuffed to some robotic script with no artistic leeway. Almost as if Lucas was behind the camera holding up cue cards while shooting poisonous darts at her feet.
     
  13. PiettsHat

    PiettsHat Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2011
    We can just agree to disagree.

    Personally, I don't think that Hayden is too young looking or too innocent looking. I mean, he's the same age as the character he's playing. Plus, neither Luke nor Leia are particularly menacing in appearance and thus I think it only follows that Anakin wouldn't be either. In regards to the age thing, I do think the films acknowledge Anakin's youth and play on it -- even in ROTS, he's referred to as "boy" by a number of people (Mace Windu and Palpatine immediately spring to mind). But that's just me.

    Regarding Portman's performance, I actually think that Padmé is one of the more layered characters she's played and I've seen her in quite a number of films (Cold Mountain, Closer, V for Vendetta, The Other Boleyn Girl, Brothers, and Black Swan). Her turn in Black Swan particularly disappointed me as I felt it was very one note (her character Nina could be readily summarized in three words -- sexually repressed perfectionist -- which is not a good thing in my book). But again, your mileage may vary.
     
  14. Darth kRud

    Darth kRud Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    That happens a lot on this forum concerning the prequels.
     
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  15. Arawn_Fenn

    Arawn_Fenn Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 2, 2004
    I thought it was just Mace ( and maybe Yoda though in that case it can be taken as a past tense thing ).
     
  16. PiettsHat

    PiettsHat Force Ghost star 4

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    Jan 1, 2011
    I think you're right. The scene with Palpatine I was thinking of was actually behind-the-scenes footage where Lucas is showing Hayden and Ian how Palpatine comes up and places his hand on Anakin's shoulder -- I think he rather humorously imitates Palpatine and calls Anakin "my boy." Anyone else remember that?

    I think the sentiment remains though, but you're right -- Mace is the only to call Anakin "boy" then.
     
  17. wookiedookie

    wookiedookie Jedi Knight

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    Feb 24, 2013
    I've never understood why some people hated Hayden as Anakin to be honest..
     
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  18. janstett

    janstett Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 29, 2004
    I can't blame Hayden too much for his performance (although I do think James Franco could have made an interesting Anakin).

    It's not like the PT is loaded with great acting performances, everybody came off bad. We've seen Ewan and Natalie in other films giving pretty good performances. I think Hayden did OK with what he was given, and having to obey Lucas' direction.... In fact in all the behind the scenes footage, it seems like Lucas sat around in his chair looking at monitors, but the one time he got up and actually gave direction was to Hayden during "the turn".
     
  19. Chainmail_Jedi

    Chainmail_Jedi Jedi Padawan star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 26, 2013
    People don't like the character of Anakin, because he's a whiny scumbag.

    Hayden is just guilty by association.
     
  20. Samnz

    Samnz Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2012
    Do you actually believe what you wrote here? I can't believe you do. But I don't recall the "behind the scenes footage" you refered to.
    If you're really interested (but I doubt that's the case) in what happened on set, read this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Making-St...-1&keywords=The+Making+of+Revenge+Of+The+Sith
    Most of their interactions during filming are precisely recorded.

    Because they need someone to blame for their lack of enjoyment of the film.
    Now, why do they need someone to blame? That's above me. Or below. Or whatever.
     
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  21. Darth Claire

    Darth Claire Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2012
    Well I've kinda mentally recast somebody else as Anakin so......but on the plus side...Hayden is cute so....[face_dunno]
     
  22. Chainmail_Jedi

    Chainmail_Jedi Jedi Padawan star 2

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    Jan 26, 2013
    Like I said earlier, it's really not a question of whether people don't like or like Hayden, it's that they don't like/like Anakin.

    I have not met one person who likes Anakin as is, but also dislikes Hayden.

    And I have not met anyone who dislikes Anakin, but also likes Hayden.

    Except for myself. I don't like Anakin, but I think Hayden did the best he could. I mean come on, I can't think of any actor that could pull of the dialogue in AotC.
     
  23. Scars Unseen

    Scars Unseen Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2013
    I may have to agree with you on that point. After all, Natalie Portman is pretty amazing actress with some great movies under her belt, and even she couldn't do anything with Lucas' terrible script. It's entirely possible that -given good writing and directing- Hayden could have done as good a job as anyone.

    *looks at Hayden Christensen's IMDb page*

    You know what? Never mind. He may just be that bad... Hilariously, under "related lists" the only ones visible on his page are lists of hot men and bad actors.
     
  24. Placeholder

    Placeholder Jedi Master star 4

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    Jan 30, 2013
    I don't think the script called for him to act like a piece of wood for 2 hours.
     
  25. DARTHVENGERDARTHSEAR

    DARTHVENGERDARTHSEAR Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2002
    Did any of you guys see Vanishing on 7th Street? Hayden really shines in that movie...



























    ...not!