Relive the Magic: Share your favorite AOTC memories here

Ok, since I'm relatively young, AOTC was the first true experience I had with theartical SW. I was so excited because dad got opening day tickets to the first showing. I was so revved. A local radio station was there and everything. We waled past the long line at the box office and got in. The rest of course, is just plain AOTC.

Whats your story?

 

when it said "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" (it was opening night) someone yelled "No ****!"

 

when i saw count dooku's lightsabre handle, i thought it was the coolest thing ever. its curved and, it adds to the coolness of the dark side's ingenuity

 

I remember when I saw AoTC. I went opening day and I waited so long just to get into the theater. It was really cool because every one was screaming and claping when the movie started.

 

When Obi-Wan jumped out of the apartment window, it unconstipated me.

 

I got to wait through a long local line with friends and family to enjoy the midnight showing. Man was it great. But...

...not as great as seeing it on a digitally projected screen at the massive Chinese theater in Hollywood later that month when I went to the E3 show in LA.

 

When Jar Jar came on screen for the first time, a lot of the crowd starting mumbling/grumbling to themselves. Then, one guy yelled out 'JAR JAR RULZ'. It was classic.

And yeah, the whole movie was awesome, but when the Jedi came to the rescue it was the most perfect moment ever. I can't even explain how good that feeling was.

 

When the Imperial march played while Palpatine and the senators where watching the clones be loaded up, Gave me goosebumps.

Favourite memory of the first time seeing aotc in theaters.

 

For some reason, seeing the guy who says "We're making our final approach into Couruscant," in the very beginning just geeked me out to no end. I guess it was the thought that I would finally get to see the whole movie. No more watching trailers endlessly, I would actually get to see the whole thing. A very cool, if slightly dorky, moment.

 

Yoda flipping back his robe and grabbing his sabre with the Force.

 

^ditto as above.

My favorite scene is the clonetroopers going off to fight the seperatists.

The Republic is dead, long live the Empire!

 

When Obi-Wan jumped out of the apartment window, it unconstipated me.

You and me both. Equally great moment for me: When every Jedi in the arena charges across the screen, hundreds of lightsabers swinging at once. Gives me chills thinking about it now, and it remains one of my favorite images of the saga.

Audience participation is also a wonderful thing. Examples being everyone cheering at Yoda, laughing at "I love democracy, I love the Republic" and "Why do I get the feeling you'll be the death of me", and during the IMAX presentation, one woman who shouted "Yeah!" when Mace decapitated Jango.

I saw it for the first time two days after release. I can't imagine what it would have been like opening day. I hope to see in 2005.

 

THX sound and picture test: Cheering.

Fox and Lucasfilm Logo: Louder cheering.

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away": Even louder cheering.

STAR WARS: All hell broke loose.

Mean green fighting machine scene: That's the reason why I'm wearing a hearingdevice...(Just Kidding)

MasterObi-Wan-Kenobi

 

On opening night we were sitting next to a guy dressed up as a gangsta. When Yoda fought Dooku, he was hopping on his seat, swinging his arms, and making lightsaber sounds. It was great!

 

Just after Dooku took down Anakin and Obi-Wan, you see this little shadow and hear the grunts and shuffling of an ooooold Jedi...

the whole theater erupted! It was like "Hell yeah!!! You stepped in it now, Dooku!"

Sent chills down my spine.

 

One word: Yoda

The audience went absolutely insane when Yoda did his magic with Count Dooku. I've never experienced that much excitement in a movie theater ever.

 

Seeing Yoda fight on the big screen was absolutely crazy.

 

My audience went insane for thwe Yoda/Dooku scene as well. We were all laughing, cheering, totally blown away. I coutn that as one of the greatest moments in cinema history.

Scene analysis:

Count Dooku has just dispatched Anakin. He takes a breath, and then he heres a click..click..click from the entryway.
Is it a velociraptor?
No..it's YODA.

I love the looks Dooku has here-right after he takes down Anakin, he takes a breath and he was like "whoa, trhat was a bit much," and then he hears Yoda and he's instantly fresh and alert.

Count Dooku: "Master Yoda."
Yoda: "Count Dooku."
Count Dooku: "You have meddled in our affairs for the last time."
He proceeds to tear a large piece of machinery off the wall and throws it at Yoda. Nope, try again, Yoda stops it. Dooku does this again, with about as much effectiveness.
This was cool, too; you can almost see the struggle within the Force as Yoda and Dooku try to wrest control of the machinery pieces.
Also, I like the way Yoda says "Count Dooku." It sounds cool!
Yoda: "much to learn, you still have."
Count Dooku: "I am more powerful than any Jedi. *Force Lightning ensues* Even you."
No such luck. Yoda catches the blast of Force Lightning like a softball, and deflects it back at Dooku, who bouncest into the ceiling. Dooku looks shocked, and then fires off another blast. Yoda continues to deflect, and finally Dooku decides this isn't worth the effort.
This scene is awesome. It's George's way of showing us that the Dark Side really isn't more powerful in the long term.
Quicker, easier, and more seductive, yes..but ultimately, the benign way proves to be stronger.
Count Dooku: "it is clear that this contest cannont be decided by our skills with the Force, but by our mastery of the lightsabre."
Dooku takes out his lightsabre, and salutes Yoda.
And now, the coolest scene in movie history: Yoda takes out the littlesabre.
He pulls back his robe, the tiny lightsabre flips off his belt and into his hand, and after a sublime moment, it ignites.
Yoda and Dooku leap at eachother, and Cirque Du Jedi ensues.
After a few minutes of the most energetic swordfight ever, Dooku and Yoda lock sabres, and the chat again.

Yoda: "Fought well, you have, my old Padawan."
Dooku: "This is just the beginning!"
Dooku drops a crane towards the down-and-out Obi-Wan and Anakin, forcing Yoda to disengage. He saves them, naturally, and Dooku sails off on his ship.

To sum it up: Wow.

 

lots

when Palpatine makes his first speech to the Jedi someone yelled "use your force lightning stupid" & hella people were like "huh, HE'S the emperor !?!", it was priceless

Anakin going crazy, same dude started humming the Darth Vader theme out loud

Mace asking Yoda "What is it ??", someone went "SHAFT! Ohhhhhhhyeeeeeaaaahhh"

Padme's "truly deeply love you", some dude went "PADME...YOU BROKE MY HEART !!"

then Yoda came

awwman people started jumping, running around, yelling, it was quiet at first, i thought Ani would go DV again, but then you hear the "tap...tap...tap" & all hell broke loose

some quotes

"HOLY CRAP"
"NO WAY"
"GEORGE IS GOD"
"NO, YODA IS GOD"

there's this rapper(one of the best actually) named Nas, he has this song where the chorus goes "you're da man, you're da man" it's called You're da man too, so my brother stood on his chair while chanting "YODA MAN, YODA MAN, YODA MAN""

& most of them were women and men of around 30 too it was unbelievable

the runner up was the final Darth Vader theme, everybody was tired of the energy that spawned from the Yoda fight but this theme literally exhausted the room

everybody sat there through the credits, regaining there strength

it was unbelievable & if i had the power i would choose the same audience for Episode 3

 

its funny how the same people who claim to be more in touch with public thought (bashers) are the same people who dont like the yoda fight (most of em' anyway)

 

Love the description, DarthBoba

For me, it would be when the Naboo cruiser blows up right at the start of the film. It instantly gave me a feeling that this was going to be darker. Killing several people almost right away really set the mood for me and that remains one of my fondest memories.

Also, the ripple of amusement that went around the theatre after Palpatine's classic "I love democracy...I love the Republic..." line.

 

Thankyou, DamonD.

My hands-down favorite, though, has got to be the Dawn Of The Empire sequence. You know how Lucas says he thinks of these as silent movies, where what's going on is explained by the music and imagery? IMO, this scene is the pinnacle of that concept.

We have 4 elements:

1. Palpatine and his cronies on the balcony. They're ultimately responsible for..

2. The clonetroopers assembled below, who will tear the galaxy apart and reassemable in Palpatine's image, which leads to..

3. The sunset of many things-the Jedi, the Senate, the Republic itself..

4. And this is all made brutally clear by the most powerful statement ever of the music we all identify with Darth Vader, the Empire, and evil: The Imperial March.

Wow.

 

The ending of AOTC is undoubtedly one of the best sequences of the entire saga so far, in my mind. Just brilliant, it's the fusing of the music and the images that always enthrall me about Star Wars.

 

I'm gonna do what I just did for Dawn of The Empire for The Dark Side Beckons and Anakin rushing off to save Shmi.

I. The Dark Side Beckons. Here, the same effect is accomplished, but with three elements: Vader's taunts and threatening of Leia, shadow, and a highly modified Emperor's Theme.

1. At the start of the scene, Luke is shown almost engulfed by shadow. This shows us how close he is to slipping into the Dark Side. This leads to..

2. Vader threatening Leia. As noted by Lord Vader several seconds later, this is a bad move as it leads to..

3. Luke slipping entirely into the shadows, and brutally attacking his father. This is accompanied by a modified version of the Emperor's Theme; this makes it very clear that Luke is not winning here; the victor, if Luke follows his actions to their logical conclusion, will be the Emperor.

Note that once Luke actually forces Vader to the ground and has a moment to think about what he's doing, Luke is fully in the lights of the set again. He's come through the Dark Side and made his choice: He will not turn, no matter the consequences.

Anakin going to save his mom. This has quite a few descending-into-hell symbols and ties to the OT.

1. The scene starts with Anakin facing the setting suns as he ponders what to do. The Force Theme is playing loudly and triumphantly as he says goodbye to Padme and leaves. The galaxy is about to undergo a sea change, just as it will 20 years later when Luke is standing close to here, pondering the suns.

2. However, the loud, triumphant Force Theme suddenly and turbulently switches to the onimous Duel of The Fates, which, when translated, means something like, "In the tongue-root a fight most dread, and another, raging, behind, in the head." This refers, IMO, to Anakin warring emotions and conflictions. We've seen earlier that he tries to be devoted to his duty, but he is not undistractable,. Padme, and later concern for his mother cloud his judgment.

3. The suns are swiftly setting on many things as Anakin races for his mother's life; On the Jedi, on the Republic, on Anakin as a person (as opposed to Vader), even on the Sith. (This, oddly, is the event that will eventually doom them to extinction.)

4. it's night when Anakin reaches the Tusken Raider village; he comes as a wraith in the night, without warning or quarter, and upon seeing his mother die, exterminates them all.

5. It's day when Anakin returns to the Lars home. Many things have died in the night: Anakin's innocence, his trust that things will always turn out right..
He really isn't a boy anymore after this scene. He's a man, and has taken his destiny.

 

On the first day advanced tickets were available, I announced that everyone who wanted to come to opening day with me should give me the money to buy the tickets. I ended up filling the whole theater with people from my school. I got to the theater a bit late on May 16, but I found out they'd saved the center seat for me.

Reposted from an old thread I made:

I just remembered that for most of my life I'd never had any friends and I didn't talk to people much. I was pretty much feeling dead, and suicidal.

When TPM came out in 10th grade, things changed. I liked the movie and so I became a fan. So then I actually had something to talk about that a few people were also interested in it. So I became friends with them. Other people were interested in how big a fan I was and would talk to me about things. And it was cool to be such a big Star Wars fan, at least in that circle. So for the next 3 years, 11th, 12th and 13th grade, I had friends. With AOTC coming out in 2002, people were talking again and I was able to book an entire theater for everyone who wanted to see it with me. I was a little late going to the theater, but I found out that the people who went there first had saved me the best spot in the theater.

When TPM came out, it was the first time I could ever connect with anyone. I could talk. I could make people laugh. That was all that mattered to me then. I wasn't suicidal for the most part.

TPM inspired me to make a short film with my friends, with some visual effects and a pretty cheesy story line. That was the most fun I ever had. We took it to a conference and it won an award for my school. People in my school knew who I was and they elected me an executive member of the club.

TPM was the catalyst for me to at least be a little happy. The elements that people hate, like Jar Jar and the kid-oriented themes, were the good parts for me. I can't explain it, but the emotions that the film evoked in me were good enough to get me talking. And I loved the way Qui-Gon sort of saved Jar Jar and took him on an adventure. I wanted something like that to happen to me. I guess TPM played that role.

Now that I'm in university, I have no such luck. But TPM played the key role in the best times of my life and prevented a downward decline that was spiraling out of control.