AOTC Chapter 46: Master Yoda DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss AOTC chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: Attack of the Clones and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 46: Master Yoda
DISCUSSION: April 1, 2005 - April 5, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 127:35 - 131:15

Synopsis:
Dooku has defeated Anakin and Obi-Wan. Entering the hangar is Master Yoda. Dooku says that the Great Warrior has interfered with the Sith's plan for the last time. Using the Force, he tries to bring down the ceiling of the hangar cave as well as many other objects. Yoda throws the debris off to the side and tells his adversary that he senses the dark side in him. Dooku says that he's more powerful than any Jedi, even Yoda. The Sith Lord shoots Force Lightning as the Great Warrior. They each block lightning, which bounces at strikes part of the ceiling. At the end, Yoda absorbs it into his hand unaffected. Dooku decides to end this with a classic lightsaber duel. Dooku ignites his curved lightsaber. Yoda pulls back his robes and ignites his. They fight, turning into a colorful blur inside the hangar. They clash with every swing. Yoda jumps all around from all directions, but Dooku doesn't miss a beat. In a powerful endgame, Dooku uses the Force to bring down more objects and manages to escape as Yoda stops it from crushing Anakin and Obi-Wan. Padme's gunship arrives. She shoots at the Solar Sailer, but the ship managed to enter space, surrounded by Trade Federation battlecruiser. Back in the hangar, Yoda is saddened as Padme embraces a defeated Anakin. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
Probably one of most memorable and humorous scenes of Attack of the Clones. Yoda fights. When I first heard of this scene while AOTC was in production, I thought there would be no way possible that they could capture Yoda to fight and not be ridiculous.

Some of the duel in a normal person's mind would think a duel between a 800 year old alien and a suave 80 year old man would seem ridiculous, but this is Star Wars so we can forgive some of the far-fetched ideas like these. I like the duel. It takes a lot away from Obi-Wan vs. Dooku and Anakin vs. Dooku that this is the only duel that is memorable.

The Force Lightning seemed awkward at first, but since this is the first time in ages that two Great Warriors go at it, it seems only right to bump the lightning up four films. The fight seemed realistic to some degree. Yoda surely compensated for his size. Dooku was less impressive than Yoda, but don't get me wrong Chris Lee's stunt double did a good job acting to the choreography.

After seeing AOTC for the first time, I as well as many other probably talked about this scene the most. It worked on so many levels and yet it gives us a taste of what is to come for ROTS. There are some Jedi and Sith who can really fight. Good chapter.

 

I didn't like this scene too much to be honest. And not because I don't like seeing Yoda fight, but because I think that they handled it wrong.

 

The funny thing about the Yoda/Dooku duel is that I know it's silly, and a bit out of character for Yoda, but I love it!
The CG looks amazing; not only the CG on Yoda, but also how they managed to seamlessly put Christopher Lee's head on the body of his stuntdouble.
I also love the hangar, (I love most of the Geonosian designs) especially in the dark.

What I didn't quite like is how Dooku's ship takes off after Yoda drops the crane. I think they paced it wrong, and Dooku's ship should've left at the moment Yoda catches and holds the crane, and thus is unable to stop Dooku from escaping.
I also think Padme shouldn't have kissed Anakin when she comes running in. Their love is supposed to be a secret, and kissing your secret love in public is not my idea of keeping a secret.

 

I loved the scene...it shows that, when he had to throw down, Yoda could step up and do it. Whereas he's usually reserved and slow, he can find it in himself to jump around like that...good stuff.

 

It depends on the mood I'm in.

What I think I've come down to is, it's a scene I can laugh at if I feel like laughing (try getting drunk before it...HAHA!), but I can take it seriously if I want to, too.

So, it's a fine scene in my book.

 

I remember marking out for this scene in the theater. When Yoda opened his robe and took out his saber. Wow. We got to see the great warrior, and no longer simply a teacher. Loved this scene.


Also Dooku's ship was really awesome.

 

"Great warrior? Wars not make one great."

 

I think this scene is ok, but it could have been longer.

 

I really appreciated this scene in the film, and not solely for Yoda's dynamic acrobatics. The scene really gives fans a first-look at what a high-level Jedi can do with the Force and simulataneously dispelled all of the speculation of what Yoda would do if confronted in a lightsaber battle.

For years I would always be treated to fan speculation that consisted of this:

"Yoda would just Force BLAST everyone to bits!"
"Yoda would just levitate objects and hurl them all over the place, duh."
"Yoda would levitate his lightsaber and just hurl it at his opponents without having to move a muscle."
"Yoda doesn't need a lightsaber, he'd use the Force to attack."

Basically, Lucas gave us the warrior Yoda people had been dreaming about, but he also avoided all of the little tricks I think some fans were hoping to see. And what's most disappointing as that those tricks I listed above are all essentially practices of the Dark Side, or using the Force to do the work for you instead of helping you.

Some laugh at this scene because of the absurdity of a liliputian frog leaping and flipping around with a lightsaber. I get goosebumps from this scene though. To me, that scene was the ultimate expression of Force through a Jedi (besides becoming One with the Force). Lucas did everything right with Yoda in my opinion. Yes, looking at AOTC now I'll admit that I'm spoiled by 3-D action sequences like the Burly Brawl in The Matrix: Reloaded, but the storytelling for Yoda was spot on in this scene.

When Dooku hurls the fragments of the ceiling at Yoda, followed by various hangar objects, Yoda fights in the precise Jedi method by absorbing the Force of the attack and then hurdling it aside. This was done to the Force Lightning technique as well. It was exactly what I had hoped to see in Yoda as he completely dispelled the offensive nature of the Dark Side with his knowledge.

But watching the old, broken body of the Jedi Master come alive with sudden vitality is what both startled and impressed me. Rather than have the "Ancient Wizard" Yoda, we got one who once again proved that you could do nearly anything with the Force as your ally. Yoda's bold leap to confront Dooku in a contest of saber skills was the equivalent of his demonstration to Luke on Degabah with the lifting of the X-Wing from the swamps. We, the audience, expected Yoda to defuse all of Dooku's Dark Side attacks. In fact, we would have been shocked if Dooku had defeated Yoda with those impressive Sith techniques. But after watching him hobble from one scene to the next for years, who would have thought that he'd ignite a lightsaber and actually fight a man more than twice his height, perhaps more than four times his weight, and wielding a weapon that had more than twice the reach?

But that's the true power of the Force to me right there. His duel with Dooku has often been declared a draw by some viewers, but if all of the elements of the match-up are considered, it's exceeedingly clear that Yoda was fighting an opponent with significant advantages in terms of physicality, Force-alignment, and weapon-reach. Dooku's elegant escape is not an indication of "draw" in manner. For a tall-warrior, that is most definitely a conceded loss. He understood that if he could not match such a diminutive and aged master, then he had no business staying any longer.

A great, but unfortunately brief scene.

 

^Agree totally Doctor_SuperJedi. The only quirk I had with the scene was that it was very short, although I don't think it should have been anywhere near the length of the duel in TPM. But in truth, I think this was more just a teaser for what is to come in ROTS. Don't forget that Sidious' and Yoda's battle is coming. This duel was more to demonstrate that indeed Yoda can duel, and the next duel will define just how powerful both Yoda and Sidious really are in terms of the force.
I was immensly pleased with it overall despite it's shortness. It could have very easily been extremly ridiculous, and it instead became very deep and well choreographed.

 

I don't have a major problem with the scene or anything, it just doesn't do much for me. It was ok the first few times, but it's really heavy on the CGI fighting and just not as interesting. I would have liked to see a better Obi-Wan/Anakin v. Dooku duel instead.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

This chapter is just amazing, but the Dooku v. Yoda is a short duel. Yoda whirls around Dooku, seemingly going to beat him-but is stopped, and Dooku cowardly runs away. I think this shows both Yoda as a fighter and Dooku as more of a coward.

 

The lightning once again is made to look obsolete in AOTC when Yoda catches it and reflects it back with his hands. Though I accept that better than the lightsaber shot. But it was weakening the final moments of ROTJ. Making the Emperor's powers look feeble. Though I realize there was no other way Lucas could show what Dooku gained from joining the dark side in terms of power.

The salute at the start of the duel by Dooku was awesome. The duel itself was short but okay.

Dooku's ship was pretty neat though.

Yoda going back into old mode was funny after the duel.

 

I liked the duel in general. My two main complaints:

1) Some great shots, some really bad editing (a common flaw with AOTC)

2) "It is obvious that this contest cannot be determined by our knowledge of the force but by our skills with a lightsaber"

Unnecessary, horrible grammar, and just a poorly written and awkward line. There's better ways to get their sabers out than that.

 

"Though I accept that better than the lightsaber shot. But it was weakening the final moments of ROTJ. Making the Emperor's powers look feeble."

I disagree. I think that the fact that Obi-Wan was able to absorb Dooku's lightning blast with his saber makes the final moments of ROTJ more powerful. Luke's decision to throw away his saber is suddenly more significant. Had he held onto it, he may have had a chance against the Emperor's final attack.



Mace Windy,
too windy for spoilers!

 

This is definately an epic scene. When Yoda enters, it's complete bliss.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). AOTC Chapter 47: "Well Done, Lord Tyranus" DISCUSSION will be made available 11:45 PM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Yoda should not fight with a sabre. He certainly should not leap around like a frog.

I didn't want to see lightning either.

Overall, a silly scene that is there to showcase CGI rather than benefit character or story.

 

Yoda should not fight with a sabre. He certainly should not leap around like a frog.

I didn't want to see lightning either.

Overall, a silly scene that is there to showcase CGI rather than benefit character or story.


This is how GL has always wanted Yoda to be like this. You think there is a good reason why we don't get to see Luke lightsaber training on ESB? It's because puppets don't use lightsabers. This scene only helps Yoda's character because we can finally see the true nature of the wisest man on Coruscant.

 

MANDALORIAN what a stupid comment,

Overall, a silly scene that is there to showcase CGI rather than benefit character or story.

Every Star Wars film released has been about the effects. How can you say it does not benefit the character or story when Yoda deflects and absorbs force lightning (Something we have not seen before). Does this not demonstarte Yoda's true knowledge of the Force.

 

Mandalorian:

Just how would a Jedi fight without his or her lightsaber? Their hands? Yoda beating on Dooku with his walking stick? What were you looking for.

If it was something akin to using the Force... well Jedi don't attack with the Force. So that's a no go. Sure, Yoda could theoretically throw Dooku back or something, but that would hardly be effective in the end, and anything is borderline Dark Side.

So yeah, it's silly to think he wouldn't fight with a lightsaber. I guess the leaping part made it slightly over-the-top, but regardless, I can't see Yoda fighting any other way. The lightsaber is just too powerful a weapon to ignore.

 

How would Yoda fight without a saber? Since he's a Master and not a mere knight, he wouldn't have to use some puny lasersword.

I see him using the powers of his opponent against him. Turning all that negative energy aimed at him around and turning it to his advantage.