TPM Chapter 35: Battle Plans DISCUSSION

Until the release of ROTS on 5/19/05, I would like to discuss TPM chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 47 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 1: Opening Logos, Chapter 2: The Phantom Menace and Chapter 50: End Credits.

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 35: Battle Plans
DISCUSSION: February 5, 2005 - February 9, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 102:27 - 104:34

Synopsis:
A Gungan scout atop a giant head tells Anankin that his people are coming. Anakin rushes across the plains to camp, telling the leaders the current status. Speeders come to the edge of the forest. Boss Nass congratulates Jar Jar for bring the Naboo and Gungans together and names him Bombard General. Astonished with this new command, Jar Jar faints as the Gungan leader enters the meeting. The situation is revealed. The loyalists are in camps, very few remain uncaught. The Federation army has grown since leaving the planet. Panaka suggests that they cannot win the battle against the Trade Federation. Padme says that the battle is a diversion. The Gungans will draw out the enemy, while the Naboo take back the palace, starting at the waterfall side. A hologram of the palace and the plan is provided by Artoo. Qui-Gon and Panaka express their concerns. Qui-Gon says there's a change many Gungans will die. Boss Nass does not care, he will help reclaim the planet for Padme and the Gungans at any cost. Padme adds that her starships will attack the Droid Control Ships and immobilize the army. Qui-Gon expresses more concern. But capturing the Viceroy is the main concern according to the queen. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
We're moving towards the first battle in the saga, well chronologically of course. Here we get to see where the alliance plotline goes as well as Padme's leadership as the pacifist queen of Naboo.

This is a functional chapter, working in places and not working in others. First of all, I'm not too crazy about the upbeat music or Jake's poor performance. They could have easy altered the audio to make it better. The conversation with Nass and Jar Jar is growing on me, even the fainting. I'm just glad the alliance arc is pushed further in the story.

It' s also good to see Padme more in a command role. But as usual, we have our good friend Panaka always speaking the negative. Padme seems wise beyond her years planning out this entire strategy. A scene like this makes you forget that she's supposed to be portraying a queen who is fourteen years of age. Also it's a plus to have Artoo functioning displaying the battle plans.

It's an okay chapter. It gets us ready for the final battle between the Naboo/Gungans and the Trade Federation. What we have is something to reflect the beginning of the story, but works more as a transitional chapter.

 

I've never liked Jar Jar's fainting & I never will. Since this is a serious part of the film, with the final battle being planned & about to commence, Lucas simply could have had Jar Jar give a happy response to Boss Nass, then have Nass leave, & then so Jar Jar either with his head down, or with a WT*/holy crap look on his face, clearly showing that he is not ready to lead a mass number of his fellow Gungans into battle with the Trade Federation driod army. Besides that, it's a good chapter, Llyod's performance is average, could be better, could be worse & it was great to see how Amidala is able to think of a clear strategy to get into Theed & recapture the Palace, despite her young age at being Queen of Naboo.

 

Just like in AOTC this is the calm right before the storm.

 

the endlessly negative panaka - bet he never tried out for cheerleader. and now we discover just why amidala was elected queen. smart cookie. and no wonder jar jar fainted - he has now stumbled into leadership...again

 

Well, I would think that Panaka looks upon himself perhaps as the voice of caution, care and above all, real sound *planning* in the fact of what could very well be a disastrous battle....maybe he thinks that since (from his perspective) no one else is really giving the risks they face enough grave, serious weight....for instance, the Jedi seem quite ready and willing to plunge headlong into the conflict and take the Naboo with 'em - though *not* exactly true, that may very well be how Panaka views it, considering that he's sworn to protect the queen with his very life, and now she's deliberately, willfully putting her own life in danger....yet *again*. For the man whose job it is to protect her, that's got to be rather confounding and even downright maddening. So, taking it from Panaka's overprotective perspective, is it any wonder that he's focussing far more on the eggregious, extreme risks of the plan, more than anything else?

After all, it's his job to think of all the potential risks and how to effectively eliminate them....every day he lives with that, knowing full well that things may seem perfectly diplomatic and serene one moment, entirely calm and manageable - but the next instant, they could of course explode out of all proportion, and the danger could be far too great to be borne. He knows full well how badly even the best-laid plans can go....which is why it only behooves him, and Padme, to be pointing out the very grave risks in the plan....in a very real way, it effectively forces Padme and the others to consistently think of contingency plans....it means that they must ever be ready, willing and able to address the unexpected elements, the seriously deadly and foreboding potentialities that are indeed out there. From where he's standing, it's his duty to warn them, to be more than ready for anything that may arise - so if that means he may be coming across as negative at times, well, so be it.

Anything to effectively do his job....anything to keep safe his charge, to ensure that he can protect her, above all else....it's what he's sworn to do, it's his job and his honour....and clearly, he's gonna take any tack necessary, pursue any angle, to be sure that the job is done and lives are spared. Because they're *all* at stake by this point....


Dawn.

 

As usual, Qui-Dawn, your writing is lovely. However, I simply have a problem with Hugh Quarshie's portrayal of Panaka, rather than the character itself. There are scenes in which he appears to be adequately formal ("This is a battle I do not think that we can win."), and yet others in which he could rival both Luke and Anakin combined in terms of his pragmatic whining ("You can't take her royal highness there! The Hutts are gangsters! If they discovered her..."). Panaka's dialogue delivery is also quite inconsistent: Quarshie seems to alternate between the appropriate formalism necessary for maintaining a tonal rhythm with the other actors in the picture, and a quasi-urban pouting routine which would be more suited to "The Brother From Another Planet".

lovelucas - ROTFL! That was hilarious!

The scene in this chapter in which R2-D2 projects the battle plans is an obvious nod to the Death Star battle plans which were displayed in the conference room on Yavin in "A New Hope". This corresponding sequence in "The Phantom Menace" slightly edges out "A New Hope" in terms of overall clunkiness. Both scenes leave a little to be desired.

 

I always liked the Jar Jar and Boss Nass exchange. Jar Jar's humbleness was a nice touch. His fainting was a bit over the top. I especially liked how Nass simply walks over Jar Jar's limp body and laughs

 

Didn't care for the exchange between Boss Nass and Jar Jar Binks. Probably because at this point in the film I was done with Jar Jar.

Panaka of course is right on cue with his negative approach to the situation.

So the battle plan is capturing the Viceroy. Not as easy as it sounds. You have to wonder if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could have interfered in the planning, if they would have found an easier way to do so. But under the circumstances all they could do was protect Padme.

 

I hate to keep ringing the same bell, but what
sinks this scene for me is/are the wooden performances
and the stilted dialolg. Compare this to the scene
from ANH when Dadonna is giving the briefing before
the Death Star assault and it's like turning the
lights on after last call at a bar. You look over at
the girl/guy you're with (Let's call them 'Menace')
and realize that they aren't as hot as you thought.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). TPM Chapter 36: "Wipe Them Out" DISCUSSION will be made available 4:30 PM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138