PT The Ideal Prequel Trilogy

Here are my improvements/ideals in a nutshell:

Jedi

1. The prequels do not concern themselves with the Clone Wars. In fact, that war occurred many years prior to the events of the films and are only important in their influence; renegade clones ravaged the Outer Rim after poor management by the Core-dominated Republic. As a result, tensions between Rim and Core worlds are at an all time high.

2. There is little Yoda. Yoda, due to the horrors of the Clone Wars, has undertaken a twenty year long pilgrimage to various worlds to ponder the true nature of the Force and the Jedi. In his stead, Mace Windu has assumed command of the Jedi Council.

3. Obi-Wan Kenobi is the last student of Yoda, preserving the line in the OT that Yoda was "the Jedi who trained [him]. Great things are expected of Obi-Wan as a result; he is ambitious and eager to train a disciple, despite his own rebellious past.

4. Mace Windu is a more militant Jedi Master, hardened by the Clone Wars, determined to never again let the Jedi be unprepared for war. As tensions in the Republic continue to escalate, Mace increases Jedi training regimens to enable them to properly defend the Republic.

5. Anakin Skywalker is a prodigy and one of the Temple's most advanced students. His enormous skills have made him something of an icon amongst the other Jedi apprentices, but Jedi his age dislike him for his arrogance and ruthlessly pragmatic approach to combat.

6. Believing that the time has come to bring Anakin under control, Mace Windu rewards Obi-Wan for his years of service with the rank of Jedi Master. The student they select for the formerly wayward son-turned-esteemed and respected Jedi? Why the unruly and impetuous Anakin, of course.

Republic

1. Valorum is Chancellor, but is much more of a charismatic playboy who uses corruption for his own ends. He isn't a political strategist, but has a keen eye for public relations. Affable, but much more malevolent in nature than canon!Valorum in order to help the audience understand that the Republic is hardly a gathering of saints. He's more concerned with covering his political ass than anything; in this regard, he is a cunning politician.

2. Palpatine is Valorum's thankless advisor and not Senator of the Chommell sector. Palpatine has no real love for Valorum but is desperate to keep the Republic from splitting, a situation that he foresees will occur. Palpatine's reputation is similar to one in the films: He's quiet, unassuming, and practical; willing to skirt the law if he believes it's necessary to achieve the greater good. Something of an ivory tower rebel. Valorum constantly underestimates Palpatine and views him somewhat condescendingly.

3. Padme is not a Senator but an ex-Republic operative-turned-outlaw. This helps somewhat subvert the damsel in distress trope by making Padme independent, formidable, and capable of holding her own against Jedi (in strength of character, if not fighting skills). This also adds a Han Solo roguish element, a wise mistrust of authority. Even Anakin, the apparent rogue of the piece, is a firm believer in authority and rules -- just not ones he perceives to be useless or obsolete. Padme, on the other hand, doesn't want to live under anyone's thumb and wants to stay as far away from the Republic/Separatist powderkeg as possible. She's not like canon!Padme or Leia, duty-bound and stoic; that's a trope played to death with women in power. Let's undermine it as much as we can without making it ridiculous.



More to come

 

1. More Clone Wars, ideally start them in Episode I. Not because I want all the cool action with the clone troopers (ok, I do ), but because it would provide more opportunity for developing character and relationships, especially of the Jedi and clones. Show us how war and PTSD might have affected Anakin who went off "to an idealistic crusade".

2. Make the Separatists (at least some of them) a more credible threat. No need to know it's all a fake war until a big reveal in Episode III, it would potentially make Episodes I & II more dramatic.

3. I'll say it again: Make Obi-Wan the main character in Episode I, keep Qui-Gon as a cool older mentor. This relates to:

4. More friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Since Qui-Gon takes so much of a spotlight in TPM, their relationship suffers as a result.

 

I would leave Episode One and Episode Three how they are. AOTC, however, would benefit (IMO) from a complete overhaul.

Firstly, seeing as I don't have a problem with the Ep3 incarnation of Anakin (and Hayden), I would say move Anakin's characterisation closer to this. He is more mature in 'Revenge', and far more Jedi-like. While I'm sure this was partially intended on Lucas's part, the span of the movies the way they are means Anakin needed to be shown like this before Ep3. What I mean is, if you are going to have Anakin arrogant and disrespectful to Obi-Wan, show him as noble first.

Secondly, there is the issue of almost no scenes with Sidious in them, and Palpatine is at his most corny. Adding some Ep3-esque seduction, or Ep1-esque political talk, and the movie would be far stronger.

Thirdly, the un-Jedi-like Jedi. What happened to the wisdom of Qui-Gon, or Yoda in ESB? Yoda in AOTC doesn't hardly says anything wise, he states the obvious. There are a couple of okay Yoda lines, for example "A flaw more and more common amongst Jedi" and the discussion with Mace about the Jedis' diminishing ability to use the force (off-topic, I find it ironic Yoda states "Only the dark lord of the Sith knows of out weakness. If informed the Senate is, multiply our adversaries will." when the Sith is leading the Senate). But then we get lines like "Only a Jedi could have erased those files, but who, or why, harder to answer". That line pisses me off. The obviousness of it, and they don't sound like Jedi at all.

Fourthly, the editing. Re-insert the scenes with Padme's family and the arrival on Naboo, to name a couple. These exclusions, and probably others, hurt the characters and their development harshly. Sigh, the movie had so much potential.

Fifthly, inconsistencies with action scenes. The Jedi dropping like flies in the arena is starkly contrasting to the way the other movies make them appear.
Obi-Wan's ship being shot by Jango about fifteen times makes me cringe when you see the one-shot kills in A New Hope.

Well, that's all I can think of for now.

 

Actually, a Palpatine reveal could work. When TPM came out my 9 year old brain teased the notion that Palpatine and Darth Sidious may not have been the same person. So after the PT was finally over with I imagined how the movies would have been had this been the case. We are led to believe all along that Sidious and Palpatine are the same person. Perhaps we don't necessarily see Sidious but there are subtle hints that make us believe that it is Palpatine. Then all of a sudden, in Episode II or III, it turns out that Palpatine and Darth Sidious were separate people. Sidious becomes the public symbol of evil, a symbol that rallies the Republic's enemies. When he is killed, the Republic believes they have won. Palpatine helps make peace with the Republic's enemies and names himself Emperor.

 

I've toyed with this idea as well. Perhaps when the Chancellor is captured, Sidious transfers his consciousness into Palpatine's body, thus seeming "dead." It incorporates the EU idea that the Emperor was capable of transferring his consciousness into clone bodies (an idea I really don't care for). It also lends credence to the promise that Sidious could help Anakin save Padme from death. Sidious may not be able to prevent death, but the ability to transfer consciousness is a crucial step towards that goal.

 

I couldn't have summed up the biggest potential improvements any better.

 

That's actually a really neat way to approach that idea. I like it. It's really out there but it could work.

 

I agree with most of these items- we must share a part of our brain!
However:
-I'd make Anakin a little older, perhaps 19-22.
-I'd only introduce Threepio near the end of Episode III, where he meets R2. Actually, neither droid would appear in my version until Ep III.
-I'd disguise the fact that Palpatine is Sidious to the extent of not even showing Darth Sidious until perhaps Episode III (in a big reveal). The main antagonist in Episodes I and II would be Darth Maul, and perhaps one other Sith Lord with whom he confers (but not Sidious). Obi-Wan eventually kills Maul, and Anakin kills the other Sith Lord out of hatred as one of his steps toward the darkside. But yes, absolutely keep Maul alive for a while.

 

I didn't harbor any assumptions of what the Prequel Trilogy was going to be. And I'm glad that I didn't.




Yes. That is exactly how I feel. Make the Clone Wars about a struggle against a real credible threat to the galaxy, and have the wars already in progress at the start of Ep I. I can't emphasize enough how it should have been Obi-Wan who discovered Anakin and decided to train him.


One, why does Obi-Wan have to be the one who had discovered Anakin? He never said that he did in ANH. So, I don't get this desire for this to happen. And what played out between Anakin, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was a great setup for the unsaid emotional problems and lack of trust between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Making the Clones Wars a "real threat" takes away the lesson provided in the Prequel Trilogy . . . namely that we are our worst enemies. I liked the idea of the Republic and the Jedi setting themselves up for their downfall by overreacting to the Separatists' "threat". It makes the story a lot more ambiguous and complex, instead of the one-dimensional "good vs. evil" that many people seem to prefer.

 

It makes more sense for Obi-Wan to be the one to discover Skywalker giving the dialogue we get in the OT. As much as I love the Qui-Gon character, he was completely unnecessary and Obi-Wan was better off for that role.

 

Obi-Wan to Luke in Episode IV: "I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong."

Although Ben does not specify that he discovered Anakin, this line certainly implies that it was his idea all along to train him. I feel, as do many others, that it would have made the Obi-Wan/ Anakin dynamic much more interesting had Obi-Wan been the one to discover Anakin's potential. It would have made his decision to train Anakin more understandable, given the council's misgivings, and it would have increased the level of the on screen relationship of the two characters. In addition, it would have added to the overall tragedy of Obi-Wan in view of his failings as a mentor. In Episode V, Obi-Wan reminds Yoda of how reckless he was when Yoda had been his instructor; discovering Anakin and making the decision to train him against the council's approval is certainly a reckless act.

It's not so much about rehashing the age old "good vs. evil" theme as it is about creating tension and suspense in film. I found myself not caring about the outcome of on-screen battles in the PT, when it was essentially Palpatine vs. Palpatine, and disposable mechanical droids vs. disposable biological clones, fighting for an ambiguous, unclear cause. On the other hand, I cared about the Rebel Alliance's struggles against the seemingly indomitable Galactic Empire-- those battles made sense to me.

 

I thought I would offer my perspective on the Prequels disregarding the existing films completely (i.e. If you were to just watch the OT). I wasn't born during the releases of the Original Trilogy so I have always had the PT era filled in for the most part - however none-the-less it is not impossible to imagine the PT if you had only seen the OT.

Much of this is taking into account both the impressions I got from the Original Drafts of A New Hope as well as the original Ralph McQuarrie artwork. Because in 1999 George could essentially create any environment or scene he envisaged I would have imagined the Prequels would have encapsulated Ralph's artwork and the vibe of the initial drafts.

1. The overall setting could have been more ancient than the OT when removed from the Republic Capital of Coruscant and the other 'civilised' worlds. The many 'Tatooine-like' settings would have drawn inspiration of East-Asian culture with ancient temples, monks and a wild yet barren landscape. In many respects the world which Obi-Wan at least begins his journey (see below) would have been like the mountainous regions of Tibet. This would create a cultured yet mythic atmosphere for the Prequels:

[image=http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1848/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1848R-351227.jpg] [image=http://www.sevensummittreks.com/admin/images/113111.jpg] [image=http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1848/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1848R-338322.jpg]

2. The Jedi would not necessarily have been centralised on Coruscant with a Temple, etc. They would be spread throughout the galaxy much like Yoda and Obi-Wan were. In this way there were not necessarily in exile but had rather just retreated to even more backwater worlds. In this way, in some respects, Vader having 'hunted down' the Jedi Knights is given new meaning. Furthermore the Jedi would have been like wizards or mystics living on worlds keeping peace and order. Obi-Wan as such would have been much like Gandalf in the Tibettan-like environment shown above, probably with a few other masters and apprentises.

3. In earlier drafts of the A New Hope an old general trained a group of disciples (many Luke's in this respect) to be Jedi. If this concept had been carried forward many young men and women would have sought out Jedi like Luke had Yoda, seeking to be trained as Jedi.

4. Anakin would have been introduced as a spice-freighter pilot as Owen had told Luke. He would inevitably have been found by Obi-Wan and Anakin would have been trained as one of Obi-Wan's students. When the Clone Wars erupted Obi-Wan, as well as Anakin, would have gone on a 'Fellowship of the Ring' type adventure with a clear, and seemingly Holy, objective - this would have more clearly aligned with the 'idealistic crusade'. Eventually they would have reached Alderaan and would have been employed by Bail Organa as Generals to defend the Republic.

5. Palpatine would have ascended through the ranks of the Senate employing political tactics (such as the corruption of 'trader barons' as mentioned in one of the Drafts of A New Hope) and would have ascended to the office of President of the Republic. Inevitably he would have seized power and corrupted Anakin Skywalker to aid in this quest to destroy the Jedi Knights.

6. The Clone Wars would have centralised around cloning technology of some kind, however the clones would not have been the Republics military. It would either be a war to prevent some evil force from obtaining the technology or it would have been a war between the Republic and cloned soldiers.

7. Padme Amidala would have been, as she is in the established films, one of the Republic leaders would sided with Bail Organa and Mon Mothma opposed to Palpatine's growing power. She would have met Skywalker on Alderaan and they would have developed a relationship throughout the trilogy, marry, and eventually the twins (Luke and Leia) are born.

8. Luke and Leia would have been born immediately after the birth of the Empire and Obi-Wan and Yoda would be battling Vader as the Jedi are beginning to be eliminated.

 

I remember buying that magazine when it came out back then (I still have it, in fact) and thinking that's exactly what was going to happen, more or less. Boy, was I wrong thinking that's how things would play out. It's obvious from the material we were given before that time Lucas decided to give us something entirely different from his original idea. I don't know if he was arrogantly trying to just prove we were wrong in thinking we knew what would happen beforehand and decided to make up new things that he thought would surprise us and like better, instead. Regardless, he should have just stuck with what he told us before and came out with something that we all knew anyway, and that would have showed us the awesome legacy of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the three films we thought we would get. Instead, we get a poorly acted and poorly edited trilogy that should have been as good as the original.

 

I'm not sure he had a definitive original idea for the Prequels - I think he had a vague outline however only began fleshing it out when he began writing The Phantom Menace. I think the ideas for the Prequels are excellent however it was poorly executed. While I enjoy and accept the Prequels I think they are somewhat disconnected from the original mythic genesis of Star Wars.

 

For me, the prequels worked. I thought they were good movies, and I thought the actors did a good job. But I came up with how I would've wanted the story to be told a long time ago. I started a thread on it in the Television forum but I guess I could talk about it here. When I was a kid I loved to watch the Young Indiana Jones series. I thought they were a lot of fun, and I'd always imagined in recent memory (now that all three films have been released) how the stories would've been told if they had been released as a television series along the lines of Young Indiana Jones. I think it would've been fun. Granted, Episode IV would probably become Episode XXXVI, but oh well. Originally they didn't have Episode counters anyway.