Saga The little things you love about each movie...

I: "We will watch your career with great interest." Palps is such an evil jerk.

II: The look on Mace's face right after he force pulls his lightsaber to himself as Jango goes for it. Poor bounty hunter never had a prayer.

III: The single, automated breath Vader takes after his helmet is lowered into place before the shot cuts away. That's a genius sound design choice.

IV: The slight inhale, and the look on Obi's face before he answers Luke's question of, "Hpw did my father die?"

V: The shot in the carbon freezing chamber in which the smoke clears to reveal a close-up of Vader's face. Yeah, the Empire hands our heros their butts in ESB.

VI: The moment that Anakin decides to save his son, he makes a quick, dramatic turning movement just before he lifts up Palps. I love that half second.

 

ANH - the moment after Luke discovers the remains of his aunt & uncle and the JW music plays,a hero is born.

ESB - the big Vader reveal...."noooooo!"

ROTJ - The main players celebrating on Endor.

 

In ANH, Han Solo running at the stormtroopers and yelling.

In ROTJ, Malakili coming out after Luke kills the rancor and crying like a little girl. Before I discovered Wookieepedia and everything, I was always just like "Who the heck is the fat guy who crys?" but now it's easily one of the best parts. Ever.

 

ROTJ: This is more an unintentionally-funny part, buuut... the dead animal the Ewoks use to bait their trap (that Chewie springs)? It's a white-tailed deer butt with teeth. I kid you not.

I saw that one day, and now every time I watch ROTJ, I can't UNsee it.

 

Annie did cry out on the balcony, the crocodile tears before Padme's ship arrives. To me, that's the moment the door backwards is closed. And again IMO he's crying for himself, not for his victims.

 

That whole sequence -- except for the wimpy shot by the Falcon (squirt squirt, and the whole reactor blows up), is awesome. Wedge's engines glowing red hot on the way out. The way the camera pulls back from the interior chamber to the inside of the tunnel. I'd love to see it improved just a bit as the Falcon is engulfed in flames -- make the engines sound like they're failing, and have the canopy glass start to crack and some electronics short circuiting, to hammer impending failure home, when WHOOOSH out they fly. But that scene is great.

 

"In ROTJ, Malakili coming out after Luke kills the rancor and crying like a little girl. Before I discovered Wookieepedia and everything, I was always just like "Who the heck is the fat guy who crys?" but now it's easily one of the best parts. Ever."

Not funny man.

 

PT: Duel of the fates track that accompanies the lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul. It's the first track(maybe only track) on a star wars soundtrack that actually has vocals. It sets the stage for the first of many awesome lightsaber battles through the next two prequel films. In a word it's epic.

AOTC: Lightsaber duel between Anakin and Dooku after Obi Wan is injured. The part right after Anakin cuts the power to the lights. The blades and the reflections of their colors flashing on the faces of both combatants. Maybe the most visually pleasing lightsaber fight in the entire PT.

 

I agree about DotF, but The Dark Side Beckons, from ROTJ, also has a choir, so DotF is not the first.

 

You know what, you are right about the vocals. Can't believe I missed that. However I will say that Duel of the fates is one of the few tracks on the PT that really stands in with the classic tracks from the OT.

 

I think he's crying because he knows the door backwards is closed. He was told that this is what he had to do to save Padme's life--shed innocent blood--and it doesn't matter if he's remorseful or not, "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."

 

I can't say that I really love that scene though. After the point when Anakin disobeys Mace and leaves the Council chambers, the only ROTS scene that I love is the scene in which the twins are born and Bail agrees to adopt Leia. "We've always talked of adopting a little girl..." I was just glad someone got some happiness out of that whole hellish situation.

I sort of like Obi-Wan's line, "Anakin is the father, isn't he?" Although there is a part of me that thinks, Really, Obi-Wan? You hadn't figured that out yet?

 

I'm pretty sure Obi-Wan figured it out long before that, but chose to say nothing. But when he failed to get Padme to tell him where Anakin was, he said that (followed by "I'm so sorry") to let her know that he knew.

 

I thought he was crying because the acrid heat of the Mustafar atmosphere irritated his eyes.

 

Pay attention to the little droid who approaches Qui-Gon and little Anakin as they leave the slave quarters on Tattooine. It checks out Master Qui-Gon, looks at lil Vader and runs away shrieking.

 

RotS:
- Obi-wan telling the fallen Anakin that he loves him and he's like a brother to him. Ewan did an amazing job.
- Everything about the 'disfigured' Palpy. 'Disfigured' ... chuckles!

RotJ:
- Everything about Palpy
- The conversation between Luke and teh redeemed Anakin

 

I like how the Millenium Falcon goes from having 3 to 5 landing gear in between ANH and ESB.

 

The Phantom Menace: Everything about Darth Maul. Man is he so sexy!
Obi-wan's cutting remark, "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent." Or something to that effect.
Sidious's line to the complaining Neimoidians: "I will MAKE it legal." Really hints strongly at his double identity as a politician.
Getting to see the Jedi and Sith use their Force powers in battle. It was neat seeing what they would do when in a fight.

Attack of the Clones: I liked the Kaminoans. I thought they were really pretty looking with their glowy wight skin.
The unborn clones: I found that part really fascinating.

Revenge of the Sith: When Anakin turns towards the camera, and you see his yellow eyes for the first time. Oh. My. Goodness. His face has just that cold expression. There is nothing I could say that could adequately describe just how evil he looks.

A New Hope: The various electronic displays of the Death Star. Just so cool.
Han's sarcastic line when Chewie discovers the trash compactor: "Wow, what a wonderful smell you've discovered!"

Empire Strikes back: There are just too many moments in this film.

Return of the Jedi: Same as with TESB.

 

ROTJ has got to be Malakili crying after Luke kills the rancor....

 

TPM - Darth Maul's all-too-brief antics.

AOTC - The sonic charges in the Obi-Jango chase.

ROTS - Vader's first mechanical breath.

ANH - The "lived-in" look of the entire movie.

TESB - The asteroid chase.

ROTJ - Death Star 2 battle.




Okay, I guess some of those aren't little, but there ya go.

 

Some "behavourial" moments that I enjoy:

TPM
In his home on Tatooine, Anakin takes Padme by the hand to (C) Threepio, and she affectedly runs along like a little girl. The youngsters of the saga -- future Senator and future Jedi -- being young.

AOTC
Jango's reaction to having a lightsaber suddenly appear across his throat. Very well-played by Temuera Morrison; exudes a good mixture of shock and cool.

ROTS
Yoda's look of annoyance when Bail Organa interrupts his meditation on Polis Massa. This may well qualify as the best piece of CG animation committed to film.

ANH
Obi-Wan's sympathetic, knowing look when Luke declares, "I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father" after seeing his foster parents smoldering carcasses. Sums up the obligations of Obi-Wan's post-ROTS life in one expression.

TESB
Han's defensive reaction of putting his arms up when Lando goes to embrace him on Bespin. For a moment, the Han Solo character really doesn't know what's coming; a moment of great vulnerability that emphasizes the character's checkered past and foreshadows later events on the same planet.

ROTJ
The Emperor's cocked head when Luke throws away his lightsaber and tells him that he's failed. The guy with all that foresight and planning has finally come up against an unknown. "If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist" AND "This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans ... "

 

TPM - The camera panning to Palpatine, Padme, Obiwan, and Anakin during QuiGon's funeral, THESE are the main players for the next 2 movies.

AOTC - Dooku saying to Obiwan, "Join me and together....we can destroy the Sith!" You gotta love Christopher Lee!

ROTS - Obiwan saying to Padme, "Anakin is the father..." And Padme looks away.

ANH - Luke and Leia flying across the chasm in the Death Star to John Williams great score.

ESB - Leia's look of horror when Boba Fetts ship flies away with Han, possibly never seeing him again.

ROTJ - When Han, Chewy, Leia, Luke, C3PO, and R2 take off to Endor in the stolen ship one last time in the SW universe....

 

TPM - Palpatine's manipulation of Amidala during the Senate scene. The way he guide's her through the Senates next actions, like he knows the procedure so well (which of course he does, as he's set all this up)

AOTC - Anakin's speech at his mothers graveside juxtaposed to Cleig Lars speech. Anakin is all me, me, me, whilst Lars is actually about Shmi. Kamino. The closing montage and Anakin and Padme turning their backs to the camera as R2 and 3PO look on. The most dark, ominous and depressing ending of all the films.

ROTS - (So many) Palpatine declaring the Empire and Padme's bitter remark about Liberty dying. Obi-Wan telling Padme he's "so sorry" as he leaves to kill Anakin and the change from Padme's apartment to Mustafar, literally changing from heaven to hell. Padme desperately holding Anakin and stroking his hair as she tries to bring him back from the Dark Side just before he chokes her. The close up of the Japor Snippit as Padme lays Opheila like in her coffin, followed by the cut to the proto Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters in the cold, blackness of Space. Palpatine really has driven the beauty out of the Star Wars universe at this moment..

Star Wars - The creepiness of the Jawas. Han Solo running through the Death Star corridors screaming. Still cracks me up. Obi-Wans knowing smile as he gives himself up to the force. Han Solo returning to save Luke from Darth Vader. "The force will be with you. Always."

ESB - (So many) Banter between Han Solo and C3PO. The Bounty Hunters. The total feeling of despair as Han Solo is lowered into the freezing pit. Luke calling out to Leia as he hangs on the weather vain and Leia hearing him. That final shot of Luke, Leia and the Droids as they watch the Millenium Falcon flying off to find Han.

ROTJ - After almost killing his Father, Luke steps back and finally breaks the cycle. Looking at his fathers mechanical arm and then his own mechanical hand he realise's where he is heading. And he stops. Turns off his lightsaber, throws it away and declares "Never. I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." The single most moving moment of the entire Saga, IMO.

 

This is actually twinned up with Palpatine's seduction of Anakin in ROTS. In both, he contrives a situation that he knows will go a certain way, and he tells the younger, fretful, impatient, desperate victim that things are bound to go this way, planting doubt and dismay in their minds. This is the sweetening up. Then, when the moment arrives, he offers the behaviour of those opposite him (Valorum and the bureaucrats, Mace and the Jedi) -- the very people he's been talking about and the very people he's virtually forced into acting a certain way -- as "proof" of what he previously said. This is the reveal. In TPM, Valorum *is*, in that moment, capitulating to the bureaucrats (going through the motions and yielding to protocol); in ROTS, Mace *is*, in that moment, being a traitor (of the Senate and the Jedi Code). Palpatine manipulates the wife, then the husband. And his manipulation of the husband cynically incorporates the previously-manipulated wife for full effect. BANZAI!

 

When I see that scene I always feel like Obi-Wan is silently cringing at the "like my father" part.