What could have been a great addition to Star Wars, and why the PT is not needed in the saga

I LOVE THE PREQUELS!
THIS IS NOT A PT BASHING THREAD!

With that said, I was watching TESB the other night and it really had me thinking. While watching the scenes with Luke and Yoda on Dagobah, I realized something......the prequels simply were not needed in order for this story to flourish.

The original trilogy was a well told story that didn't need explaination. We were thrown into the middle of this rebellion, and we were introduced to the story's central characters. No one complained for years. The forumla worked.

I say this because while watching TESB, there was this whole sense of mystery that engulfed the atmosphere from beginning to end. We learned about the force through Yoda, how the dark side consumed Obi Wan's apprentice, and what Luke must do to prevent the same thing from happening to him. We, the viewers, were just as clueless as Luke was with same questions clouding our own minds. With the prequels out, this aura simply isn't there anymore....and TESB is not as powerful because of it.

Imagine if Lucas never planned on writing the prequels and had wrote an entirley new trilogy altogether.

Imagine a trilogy set in the Star Wars universe hundreds of years after the events of ROTJ. Lucas could have let his imagination go wild. An entirley new story dealing with new characters, new dangers, and new visuals.

There would be no boundaries to what Lucas could have done. He would have no confines in terms of story or compatability. The second Star Wars trilogy could have been magnificent!

I was curious to see if anyone here agrees that a new trilogy would have better benefited the saga rather than that of a story we already knew.

I just don't think we needed these prequels!

 

I think a new trilogy would be a great idea (and one I've fantasized about for long), but I don't think the prequels are unneccissary. What I refer to as "The Journal of the Whills", specifically Ep I-VI (no more, no less) is the story of a man's decent into hatred and redemption of and for his son's love. By not making the prequels, we don't get that story, we only get a bad guy who becomes good. Sure, we knew he used to be good, but it was never a part of the immediate tale...see where I'm going? Anyway, that's what I think.

 

I think a prequel to any saga is necessary because it show a beginning.I do think that the prequels could have been better written however.

 

If this had happened... why bother making it SW at all? Lucas could have done whatever he wanted, his own space adventure of whatever sort he wanted, without the Force or lightsabers or other such things.

He didn't choose to make more SW movies because he likes doing sci-fi movies in general. He chose to make more SW movies because he was interested in this one specific story of Anakin/Vader.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

The prequels are good, but they are NOT necessary. If they were, the OT would have flopped because people didn't have the 'necessary' back story. They are interesting and nice to have, but they certainly were not necessary.

 

I just think that the timeline of the PT is uncomfortable. We see Luke grow up over only 5-10 years. With Anakin in the PT, we don't get as close to him after missing ten years between TPM and AoTC. GL tried to explain every little bit of the OT and every character. That is what we didn't need. I dont' think we needed to see Yoda fight(it was cool though) or see a young Boba(Jangos the man!). All we needed to see was a young ObiWan and his troublesome yet talented apprentice, and the Clone Wars.

I still like the PT.

 

The prequels are good, but they are NOT necessary. If they were, the OT would have flopped because people didn't have the 'necessary' back story. They are interesting and nice to have, but they certainly were not necessary.

going by your logic, The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi weren't necessary too

 

I don't think a PT was neccessary, though certainly we all clamoured for the details of the Clone Wars and to have all those evocative hints of Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship fleshed out.

I think it's a very challanging thing to write a prequel, but Star Wars compounds matters by expecting us to believe that the PT aren't really prequels at all, but are actually the honest-to-god first chapters of this one, cohesive story, when, quite simply, they are not. The idea that the 'saga' is about Anakin's fall and redemption is a relatively new one. It's the best story and the most interesting, epic focus for the saga, but the details of the PT part of the saga have never been thought out ahead of time, and I think it suffers because of that.

For the PT to really work as intended, as the first chapters of the Star Wars saga, I think the entire saga should have been fully and completely plotted out at once. To make the PTs fit into the GFFA just right would require a very exacting vision, and this stuff is obviously just being made up as it goes along.

I think a Sequel Trilogy would have been even more fascinating than a PT, given the way the PT ties the hands of the filmmakers with regards to story and technology.

 

It's the best story and the most interesting, epic focus for the saga, but the details of the PT part of the saga have never been thought out ahead of time, and I think it suffers because of that.

i understand what you are saying, but what in the Prequels do you think is handled so badly for the saga to suffer because of it ??

 

Well for one, I think the character of Darth Vader is far more interesting than Anakin Skywalker.

He was originally introduced as Darth Vader, formerly known as Anakin Skywalker and the father of Luke Skywalker. He was a dark, mysterious, and interesting figure with tremendous screen presence.

With the PT's inclusion he is now Anakin Skywalker, a jedi who falls to the dark side and becomes a sith named Darth Vader. Anakin is nowhere near as charismatic as the Vader character.

 

You're right. ESB and ROTJ aren't necessary either, but I'm glad we have them.

 

i understand what you are saying, but what in the Prequels do you think is handled so badly for the saga to suffer because of it??

Overall, I would have to echo what The_Deal_Alterer said.

I think the PT has mishandled the Anakin character. Everyone probably doesn't feel this way, but I don't think he's a sympathetic character. I don't really like him, I don't get the sense that he's a good friend, etc. I don't even really feel for him about his relationship with his mother or Padme. The only genuine emotion I get from the character is anger.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that so far, I'm not seeing a fall from grace at all, just sort of a slide into what we know is coming. I don't know if there's enough time, given everything that has to happen in III to make me care about Anakin, but it seems like it might possibly reverse this trend for the PT.

But that's my whole point. The entire PT should have Anakin's fall from grace in the foreground. In both of the movies we've seen so far, it's either entirely absent (TPM) or just bubbling beneath the surface (AOTC). I think things are compounded by a lack of any strong protagonist.

 

The best addition to the saga would have been to go back in time and undo the prequels.

 

Wheather you like the PT or hellbent on hating it, you can't deny that the PT has made the OT better.

 

you can't deny that the PT has made the OT better.

Uh...yes I can. I don't think the PT has added anything onto the OT at all. I will admit, the idea of seeing how and what exactly turned Anakin to the Darkside is intersting, but other then that, I don't see how the PT added to anything, more like taking away. Like The_Deal_Alterer , explained.....

It most certainly takes away from the revelation that Darth Vader is Lukes father after all. It takes away from the mystery that everyone experianced when they first watched the OT. It was amazing because we, just as Luke had no clue what to expect next, or how the adventure would turn out.

In all honesty, I feel the PT could have simply bveen written to satisfy the appitiets of those that wanted to know about the Clone Wars, or Anakins fall. They probably woudl have done great in book format, but comign to the screen, takes away from the magic that was the OT. Because all the questiosn you had after the OT, are all answered, leaving that "on the edge", "not sure whats comign next" feel totally missing in the OT now. It isn't as enjoyable anymore to watch the OT, because you already know everything, and sometimes not knowing everything is the best way to go.

So yes, I will deny that the PT has made the OT better, because in my eyes at least, it has done nothign for the trilogy besides drag it and bring it down from what it once was.

 

Does the PT detract from Vaders statement ?? perhaps, we witness the OT from Luke's adventure so the revelation will still have it's power

BUT the PT has given Star Wars even bigger plottwists

OMG ANAKIN IS IN THAT SUIT

OMG THAT PALPATINE DUDE IS EVIL

OMG THEY KILLED ALL THE JEDI

OMG THAT WOMAN IN THE SLAVE-OUTFIT IS EVEN HOTTER THAN PADME

OMG THAT'S THE UNALTERED CLONE OF JANGO FETT

OMG THAT'S THE DUDE WHO WAS WATCHING THE POD-RACE

OMG THAT'S THE PLACE ANAKIN WENT TO FIND HIS MOM

OMG ANAKIN ACTUALLY KILLED OBI

OMG THAT'S YODA

OMG YODA'S DEAD

OMG ANAKIN CAME BACK TO THE LIGHTSIDE

OMG JAR JAR ISN'T THE MOST ANNOYING CREATURE EVER

the PT is breathing new life into Star Wars, wether we like it or not it's pretty hard to deny that

 

"OMG ANAKIN IS IN THAT SUIT" -Obi Frans

That is not a good thing. If the viewer sees the character as Anakin Skywalker with a mask on rather than Darth Vader, the evil and mysterious figure he was originally introduced as, then the last three films of the saga have been greatly reduced.

Like I said previousley, Darth Vader is more interesting than Anakin Skywalker.

With the PT, the OT is viewed from an entirley different perspective. One where we, the viewers, know all of the secrets, all of the answers, and all of the twists. We are no longer experiencing the thrill ride along side Luke.

GL should have just put his time, effort, and money on a new trilogy. It would have been so great.

 

That is not a good thing. If the viewer sees the character as Anakin Skywalker with a mask on rather than Darth Vader, the evil and mysterious figure he was originally introduced as, then the last three films of the saga have been greatly reduced

i really don't agree, they'll look at them differently than we did - sure

but that doesn't reduce the thrillfactor of the OT

to see Anakin(Vader) picking up people by their throats, force choking people, torturing people, striking down Obi-Wan will probably have more impact on them compared with when we saw this mysterious character doing those things for us

the showdown in ROTJ & particularly Anakins final act of defiance by turning against his Master(yet again) will be that much more powerfull(imagine how powerfull it already is to us)

to see how badly he wanted to break free from Obi-wan but in contrast how he could not defy his Emperor

i cannot see any damage the PT has/will done/do to the Saga(Vader) for the future

 

I agree with Obi_Frans and plus, there's no point in keeping Darth Vader's identity a secret when the whole world (and no doubt the future generations) already knows who he is.

That damn revelation scene has been repeated numerous times in movies, television, music, and newspapers and when future generations hear those famous words, "I am your father", they will immediately learn who Darth Vader is so it is futile to hide his true name from future viewers. Plus, just because we already know what happens in the OT is no excuse to not enjoy the prequals because the LOTR fans know what will happen in Return of the King but that's not stopping them from enjoying the film.

Nobody complained about knowing what happens to Batman and Robin when they're always being put in a death trap in one episode and then escapes in the next episode.

 

I agree, for all that the PT ruins in the OT, the PT won't ruin the reveal in ESB for future generations because ESB and the rest of the OT is supposed to be watched before the PT... The PT is obviously made for an audience who has already seen the OT and is familar with the concepts and characters.

Besides, a good story isn't about shock value. I happen to be spoiler-free for EP3, but I do believe that a good movie is more than just its plot. (Perhaps that explains why I want to avoid spoilers?) Ultimately, what makes movies good films are interesting characters and well-placed story beats. A shocking reveal or OMG moment is transitory.

 

Besides, a good story isn't about shock value.

of course it isn't, but the people who say the PT is detracting from the main revelation in OT seem to forget/overlook how many more/bigger it has also brought with it

storywise the PT has more going on for it than the OT, it deals with a republics smooth transition from being a democracy to a dictatorship, the story of powerfull Jedi Knights & how they fit in with it, the growing up of a boy who is supposedly the Chosen One, Master/Aprentice relations, a War, the mysterious Sith, forbidden love, a phantom menace pulling all the strings

& that is just in the first 2 episodes

i'm not saying it's better than the OT but it certainly offers more(more of what people might not find interesting but more nonetheless)

wether George has handled all those things correctly of course comes down to personal opinion

 

I believe that the prequel story is far more interesting than the OT one.
It is far more mature,you can see that Lucas has gained a lot more wisdom in the past 20 years.
The execution of the story however is not what it should be;
some poor casting choices and of course the frequent use of CGI(I am sure Lucas should have waited a couple of years untill the effects could be done better)
The OT on the other hand is pretty much the opposite;great execution with a nice(but pretty simple)story.

 

If you didn´t know that Anakin will fall, you would like him better. In AOTC, he´s no more evil than Luke in TESB.
Qui-Gon said it best: "Your focus determines your reality".
The future audience, who won´t know of Anakin´s fall beforehand, won´t be paying extra attention to the factors that will turn Anakin to the dark side. That´s what we´re doing and that´s why we see him as a darker character than Luke.

And after Vader has killed Obi-Wan in cold blood, noone will view him as the good kid Anakin Skywalker.

 

Luke had definite moments along the way that were touched by the Dark Side. After all is said and done, he came down on the Light Side but we all know just how close it was to him repeating his father's mistakes.

But anyway, this is all drifting way off topic. Looks like the tiresome basher/gusher stuff is screwing this up as well.

 

Yes the revelation of Vader's identity is ruined, but that is not my main gripe. The story doesn't play out like an adventure anymore, but rather a story told from a third party perspective. The PT detracts heavily from the OT, especially from TESB. The entire atmosphere is dead.

BTW, I like the prequels