PT Just rewatched all the prequels...

The prequels were great! The problem is that they could have been so much better! The acting was fine, but the writing and dialogue was not well done. You can clearly see that Lucas was more interested in visual/cgi scenes than character development. The story was awesome, but Lucas failed to portray it correctly. Of all the prequel movies, I liked the Revenge of the Sith the most. Attack of the Clones was the first SW movie I saw, so I have a special connection with that movie too, I was 15 years old then.

But after the prequel trilogy, I watched the Original Trilogy (4/5/6), and I was just blown away, they are brilliant.

 

No the way Lucas portrayed the story was perfect you just failed to view it properly. You are going on typical anti-PT talking points and you are not using critical thinking. The dialogue was fine, Anakin has the dialogue of a whiney teenager in Episode 2 and 3 to me his dialogue is perfectly realistic and indicative of a brash arrogant jedi who has had little interaction with people having grown up as a slave as a child. If you want to bring up a criticism expand on why you think the way you do, and try to have your own thoughts not brainwashed basher talking points...

 

Some of the dialogue, and line delivery in the PT is absolutely terrible IMO. Just because many people agree on this view point, does not invalidate these opinions, as if it was arrived at through some kind of mass hypnosis or wanting to belong to a group. Even GL himself admits his dialogue isn't very good:

http://www.avclub.com/article/george-lucas-admitted-stephen-colbert-his-dialogue-218286

 

As it is also in the OT.

You honestly can't tell me that the Nerfherder line, or "My hands are dirty too", or "I know, I've always known" are examples of flawless dialogue.

Ackbar refers to Endor as 'The Forest Moon of Endor' 2 sentences in a row for goodness sake.

Luke whines just as much as Anakin.

It would also be nice if you actually gave some examples of this so-called terrible delivery.

It seems highly hypocritical to suggest that one trilogy has worse or better dialogue than the other. It's not like Star Wars has ever been high art in regards to the dialogue.

 

No, it's not. Sure there were a few corny lines in the OT, but nothing, and I mean nothing comes close to the terrible dialogue and delivery during the courtship between Anakin and Padme:

Anakin: From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm with you again€ I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you - I can't breathe. I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating, €hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me€. What can I do? I will do anything you ask. If you are suffering as much as I am, please, tell me.

Anakin: Don't be afraid.
Padme: I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.
Anakin: What are you talking about?
Padme: I love you.
Anakin: You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love. That we'd be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives.
Padme: I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. I truly... deeply... love you and before we die I want you to know.

...or how about this sequence:



The dialogue and delivery by Hayden Christensen is absolutely atrocious. Just take the line: "I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire." To be honest, I think, apart from Ewan McGregor, the entire sequence is poorly acted.

I remember watching the TPM trailer for the first time, and being surprised by the poor delivery of Samuel L. Jackson on the line: "You refer to the prophesy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this BOY?"

In short I don't agree that the OT and PT are comparable when it comes to dialogue and delivery. All of Star Wars best known quotes come from the OT, implying that while it's hardly Shakespeare, at least the dialogue was memorable in a good way.

 

But what's actually wrong with those lines? They come from a young man with no experience of love, who's been in a closeted temple for the last 10 years. Why shouldn't his dialogue be rusty? In the Mustafar scene he's genuinely disturbing, fluctuating wildly between emotions, like any normal person who's sacrificed there entire life would be.

Hayden's delivery is perfect at capturing Anakin's youth and inexperience. It wouldn't work if Anakin was made out to be a smooth-talker like Han. But he isn't. He's awkward and shy. How many other overly-romantic 19 year-olds wouldn't resort to clunky poetry in their first encounter with love?

And what's wrong with Jackson's line? It's totally subjective. There's not actual reason for hating the line. I don't hate the OT for it's clunky dialogue. That's a part of Star Wars' roots in pulpy Sci-Fi movies. Why is that fine for the OT, but abhorred in the PT?

Whether or not Pop Culture has decided to immortalise some lines or not has nothing to do with the actual quality of the lines.

 

Let's agree to disagree, but in IMO most of Hayden Christensen's akward delivery is the result of bad acting and directing, and not representative of a real person fluctuating between emotions. With regards to Mace Windu's dialogue, I don't hate the line. I simply feel there's something off about the way it's delivered. Anyway, it's just my opinion. I'm glad you enjoy these performances, even if I cannot.

 

This is the most annoyingly dismissive response I've ever seen on here. This same person said "The prequels were great!" Did you miss that part? They're not "anti-POT" or brainwashed by "basher talking points." They have an opinion that differs from yours, while and think the films are great while not perfect. Like... really?

 

That same poster called a new member "a dyslexic first grader" simply for categorizing the films. It's sad that new members have to deal with personal attacks simply for sharing their opinion.

 

The PR was all about character development by an audiovisual artist who used CGI.

 

Personally I prefer the Machete Order (http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/). One of my friends turned me on to it a few years back and it is SOOO GOOOD! Read the article first and then enjoy the series as it should be!

 

He's majorly wrong in one area on machete order:

Ummm...complete bull. There's this little twist about Luke and Leia being brother and sister that's revealed in ROTS and was the surprise for ROTJ when it was originally released. The article is full of bunk in terms of why leaving out Episode I is a great idea (it's completely laughable that he claims that you don't need the virgin birth in TPM even though it's directly referenced in the opera sequence in ROTS) and implying overall that the prequels have no story.

Dude must be watching the movies with his eyes closed and his ears plugged. I've wanted to try IV, V, I, II, III, VI myself (have only done episodic order, which is fun in itself), but the idea of leaving out Episode I when there are important characters like Qui-Gon or the revelation that Anakin has no father, or even the damn japor snippet that Anakin makes for Padme is utterly ridiculous.

 

The machete order, like "cheese free" edits, or trying to hide the films from your kids - is for cowards.

There must be something about these films you like, so just go with it - or have the courage of your convictions and walk away.

It's like just having highlights of Wagner's Ring - all the stirring music, but not the sometimes tedious narrations of Wotan. Yeah it needs editing, there are scenes that don't come off so well, but if you you can't take the 'gesamptkunstwerk' - maybe walk away. Accept that you can only stomach 'bleeding' chunks and quit thinking there is something wrong with others who can digest every bar no problem, putting the work in to meet the composer at least half way.

 

Hmm....Thats a bit much there kiddo...While disagreeing is fine, this isn't an argument about objectivity. It's subjective about what he thinks, and you seem to not respect this...

 

Normally I would not go into a PT/OT debate but isn't this true to also the OT if we go by this? Doesn't make sense to use it at the PT but can't be used on the OT either..

 

Not really, because while I would argue that while the dialogue in the OT is corny at times, the acting ranges from passable to good. In short whatever the shortcomings in the writing, the actors are able to overcome it, and sell the dialogue to the audience. The dialogue in the romance scenes are beyond corny imo. Additionally, I felt the acting was subpar, with the two romantic leads having zero onscreen chemistry, and as a consequence the actors are not able to sell the dialogue.

 

So it comes down to the acting then.....

That pretty much means that all of the SW dialogue from 1-6 isn't very good correct? But it's the acting that does it, and makes everyone love that said actor/acting..

But that still makes the OT dialogue script just as "not very good"....

 

There's good and corny dialogue in both trilogies, but I also said that I felt the romance dialogue was beyond corny, and represents a low point in the saga. However, if two actors would have been able to sell the dialogue (to me, I'm sure there are others who bought it), I might be less inclined to call it bad dialogue, and simply see it as corny like some of the other examples in the two trilogies.

 

The machete order is a total and utter crap. And so are those idiotic "anti-cheese edits".

 

This is correct.

 

I'm someone who took a long break from the movies after their theater runs. I pretty much detested TPM in the theater, thought AOTC was "meh", and thought ROTS was "OK." Did my first rewatch of them maybe 5 years ago and found I liked them a lot better after I worked out my feelings about them. They are still deeply flawed movies, IMO, but I came to be able to suprss in my mind what I did not like, and engage with what I did. I now think ROTS is a damned good movie despite Hayden's relatively weak performance and some odd story decisions. AOTC I like except for the weak love stroy, and well, TPM has Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Maul, so there's that.

I've encouraged other folks less enamored to give the,ma rewatch. They really do improve with perspective and time, IMO.

 

I have to say that I had a similar experience with AOTC. The first time I've watched this movie on DVD, after having watched both TPM and ROTS and played a lot with TCW video game, I was very disappointed by this movie.

Recently, after having not watched this movie for 10 years, when I was doing a marathon of all the Star Wars movies before TFA, I realized that I now really liked this movie.

 

Speaking of 'romantic' dialogue 'I love you-I know' is the chief-de-oeuvre of the dialogue writing in the world as the French would say . Or "you like me, because I'm scoundrel". I'm sorry, but those lines make me cringe every time I see them; but if I hear them in the real movie, is even worse. To say that is better than ‘The thought not being with you.. I can breathe" I'm sorry to say it, but as a woman I prefer to hear that someone cannot breathe without me, because no matter if I'm in love with that person or not, it is a huge compliment to my person at least. And “I know” what is this exactly: meh, you love me and I just don't care. Is the dialogue of PT melodramatic? Of course it is, this is a space opera and also this is the time of the golden past. It should look antiquated not only melodramatic and it is.

Speaking about acting in similar moments of the movies... I'm sorry to say it, but no matter how much I like the character of princess Lea, the performance of Carry Fisher on the bridge of the Ewoks makes me cringe. It is crucial moment in the Saga and she is the one who must bring the drama (the others are supporters so it doesn't matter how they play it) and she couldn't: first with Luke and then with Han. And I'm sorry to say it, but I cannot feel anything: I cannot feel her horror knowing about Vader being her father or what exactly she feels about Luke knowing the true and when Han comes, it becomes even worse. She had to be in conflict but still, in my opinion she couldn't show it. She almost has no lines in those scenes, so she must show what's going on in her mind. Well, she couldn’t. And she is not an exception (Harrison Ford is, but maybe because of his character who is easy going type). In PT the actors have enough bad moments too, but never fail in those scenes without words.

 

I disagree about the latter. To me the Anakin/Padme romance doesn't work, because imo the two actors had no chemistry in any shape or form. Portman always looks like she would rather be on another planet, a sentiment later confirmed, by her disdain for the films that she blames for almost ruining her career. Hayden is just akward, the kind of guy a girl would feel sympathy for, but would never fall in love with, as he clearly has some serious issues. This was always my main problem with AOTC, as GL seemed to believe, that if he has the characters saying the most cliche prose, with meadows and waterfalls in the background, the viewers would buy this "love story". Yet, the actors seemed just as uncomfortable as a large part of the viewers. Natalie Portman's increasingly sexy attire punctuates the bizarre nature of this imo failed attempt at an onscreen romance, with her SM outfit at the fireplace, while rejecting Anakin's outlandish attempt of courtship the lowpoint of the saga from my point of view. So, while I agree that the Leia/Luke exchanges in ROTJ are less than convincing, I feel the TESB romance is far more believable than any of the scenes I witnessed in AOTC, if only because it doesn't continually rub your nose in it.

 

Portman said what?

Where is this source bruh? I'm pretty sure that statement is a bit misinformed.


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