PT Best and worst scene of the prequels?

Which scenes do you consider the best and worst scenes of the prequel trilogy?

Although I'm no fan of the prequels, there's one scene that I consider cinematic genius, on par with the double sunset scene in ANH. If only GL had put more of such scenes in this trilogy. Which scene am I talking about? It's the scene, where both Anakin and Padme look out of the window in ROTS. It's the pivotal moment in the PT, where Anakin makes a decision that will shape the state of the SW universe. It's a subtle, quiet, understated scene with a brilliant eerie score. This is the scene I consider the best of the PT.



The courtship between Anakin and Padme in AOTC is to me the worst scene in the PT. "My heart is beating... hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul tormenting me..." That has to be some of the worst dialogue ever written, especially considering we're dealing with a teenage boy. There's also this really odd bit that follows that scene, where Anakin feeds Padme this fake CGI pear, where it clearly looks like Padme is biting into thin air. Ugh...



These are my best and worst. Which are yours?

 

I think that "courtship" is definitely the low point, but the different scenes there are of varying quality and I certainly wouldn't have picked that one.
The ones that are just idyllic and kitschy and there's no bad attempts at gravitas or awkward uncomfortable moments, are definitely among the better ones - this and the meadow scene prrobably. Christensen's acting in the fireplace scene, or both of the "kiss scenes" would definitely qualify.

But you know what I think the absolute worst moment is, or very much up there? That great funeral scene, but "I miss you. So. MMMMMUCH" = worst acting ever put to film.

 

I like the courtship scenes.

And I love Anakin's dialogue and acting at his mother's grave.

Clones is a very underrated film, in my opinion.

 

Hard to say with many choices for both. I love in EP3 when the Palpatine responds to Anakin when asked if its "possible to learn this power(to save life)" and Palp just says "Not from a Jedi" The way he answers him , the tone of his voice, etc. Awesomeness.

As for bad? The waterfall "love scene" is basically fast-forward material. The robot factory "video-game sequence" is also terrible and skippable.

 

Best: Definitely the opening of TPM. Here we get to see the Trade Federation and their droids for the first time and we're introduced to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

Then there's the brief but great first appearance of Sidious, followed by an incredibly exciting action sequence, ending with the debut of the Droidekas, a brilliant design.

Then there's the ethereal weirdness of the viewscreen in the control room, that ripples and undulates.

Finally, the act is wrapped up by the ships of the Trade Federation landing to the first use of their epic theme song.


Worst: I think that the section of TPM on Tatooine is a tad too long, with little action going on for the most part.

 

Best: The opera scene, Ian McDiarmid just kills it as a sly sith.

Worst: The scene where Anakin confesses to killing of the tuskens. Worst scene in the saga for the over the top acting from Hayden, Padme not really doing anything in the scene and just for the fact that it made AOTC Anakin one of my least favorite characters in the saga.

 

Best:
I think, especially along with the music, that Anakin walking into the Council Chambers to take out the Jedi younglings is the most emotionally impactful scene.
Worst:
Probably something with Yoda in AOTC, tbh.

 

Best scene: it's hard for me to pick, I have many favorite scenes in the PT as I've already describe it in this thread: http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...prequel-trilogy.50034551/page-3#post-52869735

Worst scene: the last scene during the battle of Naboo which was too focused on Jar Jar Binks which a little bit too much. But I do not hate Jar Jar, nor do I like him... But it was supposed to be an action sequence and most of the scenes were focused on him being a fool.

 

Best:

1) Yoda vs Sidious
2) Mace vs Sidious
3) The Jedi army arrives
4) Yoda vs Dooku
5) Duel of the Fates

I could keep going all day...

Worst:

None, although I could do without one or two of the Anakin/Padme scenes in AOTC. Doesn't matter which ones, at times they just slowed the pacing down. At least they were well done though.

 

A favourite of mine is the fireplace scene in Clones.

It burns with an unusual intensity and rawness for Star Wars.

Beautiful cinematography, set design, costuming, scripting, acting, and tasteful direction.

I also see it as Anakin asymptotically rising into "full confession" mode after he has run every other trick on Padme. It's do or die for the character; and quite poignant in that regard.

Obviously, we also have allusions to the lovers' fates, and the intimacy of the scene supports this dark turn, where eros and thanatos are intractably intertwined like never before in the series.

And I like how the scene illustrates the failing nature of pragmatism; plus the mirroring that occurs to illustrate the motif. Padme resists Anakin's advances with a non-sequitur ("We live in a real world, come back to it!"), utilizes some of her diplomatic training to try and argue herself (as much as Anakin) out of a relationship ("If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, it'll take us to a place we cannot go, regardless of the way we feel about each other"), defiantly claims she "will not give in to this" ("this": a word that keeps cropping up in the movies in a rather sneaky, symphonic fashion; including being an ana(kin)gram of "Sith"), and then, in both her most and least convincing gambit, tries to appeal directly to Anakin's inner self ("Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?"), which is mirrored later in the film when Padme falls out of the gunship and Obi-Wan's last attempt to reach Anakin relies on him trying to get Anakin to see the world from Padme's POV.

So, I find it cool, actually, that both Padme and Obi-Wan (padawan) rebuff Anakin by attempting a sort of inverted "theory of mind" technique (Padme asks Anakin if he could live a lie, Obi-Wan asks Anakin to imagine what Padme would do "if she were in your position"), and we see Anakin struggling in both situations to fully convince himself; emerging, for me, as the most honest, the most raw, and the most troubled character (all intended, I think) in the whole movie and trilogy. I'm not articulating this too well, but I like how Anakin is afflicted and doesn't quite buy their brittle appeals. The lover and the mentor don't quite have the mettle to ultimately disarm Anakin's (paradoxical) machinic determination and white-hot animal passion. There is an unsettling estrangement that Clones explores really well. It's close to a wordless condition. I don't think the language quite exists to describe this film or its strange (and morbidly acidic) view of human nature.

Probably one reason the love scenes aren't always so well-liked is that they go to the crux of the movie's themes; and embody a sort of atonal awkwardness, or cultivated incongruity (e.g., throwaway "sand" dialogue in a setting of great beauty), which is a microcosm for the radically aloof intermingling of all the different "colours" and "textures" in the film generally. "Attack Of The Clones", if studied etymologically, actually means, "attachment of the sticks"; or "stickiness of sticks". This itself is a sort of synecdoche for the awkwardly-duplicative and proximate meaning of words; or symbols used to describe or convey something. "It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away." Dex knows that symbols have their limitations. There is something else going on in this film. It harasses my soul. Lucas' finest two hours?

 

I agree. The noir elements with Obi Wan are also highlights.

 

I'm not gonna lie, some of that went over my head. But interesting stuff.

 

Best for me is the opening flyby of the Radiant VII or when it is blown up in the hangar. It's a really nice looking ship and the latter of these is a great moment to kick things off.

There are a lot of bad scenes for me. But the worst is Vader getting off the table and shouting No. It convinced me that none of this was an accident, Lucas was deliberately making a bad movie. He took a moment of a dark transformation and personal torment and added this moment of utter cheese just so that he could make a homage. Generally, the last 20 minutes or so of ROTS is some of the worst stuff.

 

I agree that the opening of TPM is fantastic. Might even be my favourite opening of all six movies.

Also agree with you that Tatooine goes on a little too long.

 

Worst: Jar-Jar stepping in something.

Best: When Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme are on the gunship chasing Count Dooku.

 

I always laugh at people who say that TPM's opening scenes are boring and the slowest in the whole saga . They're probably the fastest 30 minutes of any Star Wars movie and live up to the series name .
BTW the first appearance of Darth Sidious is just amazing .

 

Its just such a weird complaint in my opinion. How is it boring? Apparently im missing something because i dont see it, where is the lack of action they complain about? And yes, Sidious first appearance is great.

 

I don't know . I really have no idea ... but I really saw such weird complaints and even weirder ones about TPM . (which is a masterpiece btw)

 

Best: Mace vs. Sidious
Worst: Anakin accidentally destroying the Federation control ship at the end of Episode I.

 

Best: too many to choose one from

Worst: the scene with Queen Jamillia on Naboo. Unnecessary and made Anakin look like an ass again.

 

Oh, man. I have to say, I'm very neutral on the fireplace scene in II. A lot of you have said you love or hate it but here's how I feel:
It's a brilliant piece of foreshadowing and highly artistic: here he is confessing his love for Padme, with a raging fire in the background, and in tears he cries "I can't breathe!" ; in the next movie as he enflamed on mustafar and truly becomes Vader now he can't breathe.

As much as I'll defend the ridiculous dialogue of II and III, that scene just sounds too awkward. Most of the time I find the terribleness kind of charming because as many have pointed out, 1 he has no experience with females so it makes sense he says bizarre and un-romantic things, 2 as the boy who will grow up to do all the horrible things Vader did in the OT it fits his personality to be so creepy. Anakin's ridiculous lines in that scene still kind of fit to me, a very desperate and possibly depressed or otherwise mentally ill teenager is going on about "this kiss does not become a scar" and it fits with the way I interpret him, a sort of almost pathetic and very unstable person. But Padme speaks just as if she was in a Senate session and it doesn't fit. IMO as much heat as Christensen gets I like what he did and am less happy with Portman's performance. So while artistically I find the scene really well done in how it relates to the larger saga, I just kind of hate Natalie.

I can't say one of each moment, but here's some from each:

Best:

• I: Anakin leaving his mom
• I: Qui-Gon's funeral
• I: Padme brining Anakin a blanket, great reference to Leia bringing Luke a blanket in IV. Also that trinket which shows up in III.
• II: I don't like sand. Yes, I think this is a great moment: Anakin is trying too hard, which is just what a messed up and desperate teenager would do. Especially the way his eyes dart up and down her... it's just unsettling, which is the way a young Vader should make me feel.
• II: Palpatine looking out at the newly assembled Clones
• II: Anakin and Padme's wedding, the movie ending with that kiss. I like Anakins skeleton-hand - it's more primitive than Luke's fake hand which looks real, which makes sense since these movies are in the past.
• II: Padme jumping onto Anakin's... alien rhino monster thing... and that little cheek peck. Love it.
• II: I killed them. And not just the men - the women, and the children. I slaughtered them like animals.
• II: Yoda VS Dooku: I love how Yoda is screaming as he jumps around. His tiny, 900 year old body is just screaming with pain as this peaceful educator takes to the sword to try to defend the system he's pledged his life to and now sees falling apart. Aside from the final battle of VI, it's the most emotional in the series IMO.
• II: Padme's belly > Leia's bikini
• III: The opening scenes with R2 on comlink setting the elevator in the wrong direction. Great link to IV, and funny. It's cute how Anakin defends him "He's trying" as if he's a person, and you kind of feel bad for the droid trying to help his master while the battle droids mess with him.
• III: Anakin crying under his hood on Mustafar- shows he's regretful of what he's done. He may be mentally ill but he's not pure evil (yet? or maybe he never was). Those tears run down and you think all he wants is to be with Padme and despite just watching him kill kids you feel bad for him.
• III: Not from a Jedi.
• III: YOung Owen and Beru looking into the sunset at the very end may be the most emotional part of the saga for me.

Worst:

• I: At fist I didn't mind him but every time I watch it, I find Jar Jar more irritating.
• I: Jabba looks like crap.
• I: You have brought hope to those who have none. It's not a bad line but her delivery is so flat, I don't even know the actress's name but I'm really not impressed with Shmi, also why does she have this vague accent.
• II: I like the droid factory because I like watching Anaking jump around and I think getting his arm stuck in the template was a cool way to foreshadow him losing his arm later (and his later cyborg limbs), but I hate how Padme just kind of helplessly doesn't even try to climb out of the bronze mold or anything. Comparisons to Leia are inevitable and she kicks so much more #$% than Padme who has to be rescued by someone else.
• II: the four-armed frycook looks like craaaaaaap.
• II: Shmi's death is a great, well done, well acted, well shot scene by why is she hanging on a cross?!? Virgin mother I can live with by why is this completely unnecessary reference to Christianity thrown in there and how does she relate to Jesus?
• II: When Anakin and Padme go to look for Shmi, Padme is wearing this very modest gown with a hijab. But then on the inside it has this vibrant, tacky animal print and it looks dumb and doesn't fit.
• II: I don't mind Mace's purple saber. What I don't like is that everyone else is either blue or green. This wouldn't even be a problem except for the Colosseum rescue when you see a hundred freaking sabers all light up and Windu sticks out. I guess what I mean is other characters should have had weird colors too - gimme a yellow or pink saber somewhere!
• III: I don't mind the idea of Anakin killing the kids - OK that sounds messed up but in terms of the film some people said "that went too far" but for me it didn't. The problem I have is that it doesn't even show anything, just him lighting his saber and the kids looking confused. The implication is clear but it just doesn't gel right, and as weird as this is I think it would flow better to actually show them being killed, although that would have probably resulted in the movie being rated R.
• III: Chopping up the droids in the very beginning. They aren't even firing or putting up a fight and it's not like anything else in SW - there's no music during the battle. Weird camera angles and everything moving too fast makes it hard to even tell what's going on.
• III: I don't like that Mace wants to kill Palpatine - throughout the rest of the movie Mace is very by-the-book and has a sort of "tough #### those are the rules" attitude, but all of the sudden He's too dangerous to be left alive! is just out of character.
• III: In that same scene Anakin all of the sudden sells his soul to Palpatine, when five seconds ago he was ready to arrest him. It's too quick of a change and I'm not the first to say that.
• III: NOT ENOUGH WOOKIES!

 

Best scene: The opera house scene,
Worst scene: Anything with Jar Jar

 

It's brilliant how many people have favourites that others hate and vice versa - it's proof that there is no universal 'hatred' out there.

Cryogenic - you truly have excelled yourself in prolixity there. I think the fireside scene is tricky since the references - essentially film noir, are a few generations back now. Listen to Williams's score - it's straight out of The Black Dahlia or Build My Gallows High. Who watches those movies now? However even the dialog from that genre was rarely so dark and confessional.

Like others I like the whole opening sequence of TPM up to Jar Jar - nothing personal - (that's just the first real pause.) TPM is now my favorite prequel, I watched it one night after ESB and didn't really notice any awkward comparison effect.

There is nothing to bad that I like to make a thing about it - I even like the picnic scene - the dialog is great and they seam cute together.

There is a bit in AOTC when Obi-Wan gives Anakin his sabre back and says 'this is your life' - it sticks out as odd - the delivary.

Oh, and when they all rise with the ascension guns on the Naboo palace. A few slower ascenders or some staggering would make that shot look less silly.

Favorite - I suppose the beginning of ROTS as the cruiser and fighters come into view - just for it's fantastic call back to the beginning of ANH, and that this is the beginning of the end of the beginning. The big ship - it's what everyone remembers.

 

Best: the final 2-3 min montage in RotS. Love this section set to the incredible music. Among the best sequences of the Saga.
Worst: "Master, I heard Yoda talking about midichlorians. I was wondering, what are midichlorians?" followed by 2 mins of clumsy exposition cellular biology mumbo jumbo