TPM Chapter 44: Control Ship Destroyed 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 44: Control Ship Destroyed
DISCUSSION: March 22, 2005 - March 26, 2005
DVD TIME INDEX: 122:16 - 123:48

Synopsis:
Back in the hangar of Trade Federation cruiser, Anakin's N-1 Starfighter powers up. The battle droids fire at the ship, but nothing happens. Anakin strikes back wiping out his captive and a few laserblasts, hitting the ship's main reactor. On the bridge Tey How tells his superior, Daultay Dofine that they're losing power from the main reactor. Dofine does not believe it. Anakin pilots the ship through the hangar bay, trying to cheat death. From the space battle, the Naboo pilots watch as the cruiser blows up from the inside. Anakin escapes and everyone cheers as the enemy ship is destroyed. On the plains of battle, the droids are deactivated. Captain Tarpals says that the control ship has been destroyed. Jar Jar pushes over the 1138 droid and they all cheer. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
Two segments of the battle are wrapped up in this chapter. Probably my two least favorite parts of the battle as a whole, but the way they end forgive the previous effect they may have had.

The finale in the Trade Federation cruiser is a cheap man's version of destroying the Death Star. But I still mark out the ship blows to bits. Anakin still shows his essence of being a child and in a scene like that makes me want to be in the same spot. I love the arrogance of the Neimoidans. "Nothing can get past our shield." But a certain Chosen One can.

Even "Now this is podracing," works even though it's too cute. But after this last viewing, I noticed that the music played when the reactor is destroyed matches the last thirty seconds of the Sith teaser trailer. Interesting to say the least. Then we get to the Gungan battle. The last part of the chain reaction finale. I felt nothing for the Gungans there except that they were a diversion.

But you have to love the 1138 on the back of the battle droid Jar Jar pushes over. I like the part on the Trade Federation ship, not to big on the Gungan finale, but that's pretty much the Battle of Naboo. Good chapter.

 

This sequence is a different story. I liked it, but I wish that Anakin hadn't been so...well, stupid, with the controls of the fighter. He blew everything up on accident, and you really didn't feel for him when he nearly got blew up himself. The Gungan battle is sad, really. It had so much potential to be a Jar Jar growing up and not being stupid for once thing, but it turned into a CGI slapstick mess.

I still love this movie. I just don't like the way George made the Gungans.

 

I agree with you mostly. However, remember, that's what was said about the Ewoks.

 

Jake Lloyd makes me cringe so I wasn't overly thrilled with the scene. I don't mind it mirroring the Death Star but at least Luke knew what he was doing. Anakin was just like "oops! did i do that?" whoa what does this do?" It was bothering me.

I loved the music though. Good job Mr. Williams.

Before the droid ship was destroyed though, Padme had already captured Gunray. They should have kept the dialogue with Gunray thinking his droids would save them, then shown a reaction shot after the droids break. Oh well.

 

^ I agree. I never really sensed the same impending
doom with this sequence the way you do with the
Death Star raid. Now of course the DS was going to
destroy the planet, but surely GL could have made the
objective of destroying the control ship more
important.

The way Anakin destroys the ship is a bit weak, but
when he jets out to the stains of the fanfare it's
hard not to smile a bit. Also, Jake's "Now this is
pod racing" is maybe his best acting moment in the
film for me.

 

Anakin accidently destroying the Tradefederation ship was supposed to mirror Lukes destroying the Death Star except for ONE major difference.

Luke MENT to use the force.. Anakin did it by instincts. This is a sign of thngs to come... he is doing it off of feelings and not considering his actions and their effects

 

I think it could have been done without comedy, though.

 

moleman you are priceless:
cheap man's version of destroying the death star ... and yet i understand exactly.
i know people carp on jake's acting and there are certain scenes in phantom that aren't his best - but here he was true to the script. perhaps george was letting us discover the innocence of the very young anakin who still doesn't know he's special.



edit: i always have trouble with sp "innocence" - not that there's anything wrong in that

 

I really liked this scene and of course loved the enitre battle segment.

I thought Anakin was very realisitc as a pod racing pilot trying to figure out how to use a star craft. Of course he was pushing random buttons and blowing things up, that was natural to me. Him blowing up the ship was also good, it was very ANHish and the Nemodians went out with a spectacular bang. Awesome miniture or CGI work on the explosion.

I liked the end of the Gungan battle with JarJar, "My give up! My give up!!" it was one of the few memorable lines he gave and gave me a chuckle.

 

I wish Anakin had actually figured to destory the control ship, rather than doing it by accident, but it's still a good scene.

 

I liked how they showed the insides of the ship exploding with Daltauy and the ugly looking things exploding.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). TPM Chapter 45: A Sith Vanquished DISCUSSION will be made available 9:45 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

 

This chapter is, for me, almost remarkably underwhelming. The entire segment seems phoned in and contrived, seemingly indicative of some lazy screenwriting. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it certainly didn't feel otherwise. As I have mentioned before, while the visuals in the space battle are of course wonderful to behold, the extraordinarily convenient manner in which Anakin is able to destroy the Droid Control Ship simply undermines any sort of tension that might have otherwise existed within the scene. While overly derivative, one of the pleasures of the Death Star assault in "A New Hope" was that we were able to regard a very clear trajectory or path as to what was occuring and why - there was an arc which was layed out for the characters to carefully negotiate. In "The Phantom Menace", all of these sorts of events seem arbitrary and thrown together without a great deal of thought; one gets the sense that Lucas sat around, having written himself into a corner, and then thinking "how can I resolve this in the most economical fashion possible?" While it might have been economical, it wasn't terribly ingenious either, and consequently leaves a lot to be desired. The resolution to the Gungan battle is likewise sort of straightforward.

Jake Lloyd isn't spectacular in this film, by any means, but his incessant "whooping" in this chapter makes it appear as though he would like to make a counterfeit version of that Whitney Huston song from "Waiting to Exhale" (yes, I understand, it's "shoop", but you get the point, I think). I might have accepted some of these antics if the delivery was perhaps a little more convincing, but as it stands, it is a bit annoying. Also, I didn't appreciate the cutaways to the various pilots exclaiming "Yeah!" as the Control Ship exploded, but in fairness, it is consistent with the routine or banal supporting character work in each of the other four films.

Also, Jake Lloyd's "Now this is pod racing!" is maybe his best acting moment in the film for me.

I appreciate what you are saying, JUKE-SKYWALKER, although I do feel that Lloyd had some nice scenes in "Menace", particularly as he left his mother on Tatooine, and some of the moments that he shared with Qui-Gon, and with Padme, and in front of the Jedi Council, etc. I have already stated that I take issue with some of his work in the film, but there are moments in which he is able to effectively communicate subtlety and even depth.

 

I do not totally agree with you, although i also feel like "why isn't that kid gonna cry when he saw the droids coming at him, and his fighter was broken. And then suddenly everything is working again, and he is acting like playing a video game while firing the lasers.Like "take this - and this whhhhoooooo. Lets get out of here." But after firing, there wasn't any panic, even though he was in risk of being burned down in the explosiens. kinda weird...