Full Series Which is better? PT or TCW?

I really used to thing of the PT as decent popcorn flicks. TCW even increased my enjoyment of AOTC and ROTS.

 

How about offering your own opinion rather than just leaving a blunt "discuss" without a hook?

 

TCW. I'd take Rookies, the Ryloth Trilogy, the Umbara arc, or this Asohka finale over any or all of the PT movies

The characters are better done, and as a result I really can bring myself to care more about the plot and the fates of said characters.

 

Nah...

 

ROTS > microseries > TCW > TPM >>>> AOTC

TCW has the benefit of greater characterization, but having many, many more hours to dedicate to character development vs. some couple hour long films will do that. However, I also don't think TCW makes the best use of its time in that regard and about half of the series seems like it's spinning its wheels on topics or characters that don't matter, during the time frame of a staged war, where Palpatine is winning, has always been winning, and will ultimately win (in ROTS). Learning that Obi-Wan had a pseudo-girlfriend, and that Maul survived, or that Anakin had an apprentice all just seem like filler. They were not necessary to understand the films eight years ago.

ROTS is one of my favorite Star Wars films in general, up there with ESB and ANH. The microseries, albeit short, really offered everything I needed to know about the Clone Wars. They were miscellaneous adventures, allowed us to see large scale battles that were largely skipped over in the films, showed Anakin as the increasingly arrogant hero, foreshadowed his fall to the dark side, established a growing sense of partnership between him and Obi-Wan, introduced Grievous, etc.

The Phantom Menace is sort of a "meh" film to me. It's the most consistent in tone with the more lighthearted adventures of the OT IMO, but was also riddled with annoying Jar Jar, kid Anakin, and subpar acting from actors that I know could do better, so I'm tempted to blame Lucas for being able to get the most out of them.

And Attack of the Clones was just a boring mess IMO.

TCW falls somewhere in between all of this.

+characterization
+some exciting stories
+Anakin is more likeable
+Maul was pretty cool

-feels like filler
-heroes have no chance of winning and can't even come close, since they would need to realize Palpatine is a Sith to do so (which can't happen until ROTS)
-Just as many bad stories as good ones
-Repeated misuse of villains and degradation that makes them feel like something out of Power Rangers
-Maul was pretty cool... While they used Maul well, the fact that they had to resort to bringing him back to provide an interesting villain is just sad and speaks to the missed potential of developing Sidious, Dooku, Grievous, Gunray, etc. Or even new original characters with some depth.

 

So spot on.

 

Thank you

 

I put both as I love'em both. But TCW really is a massive expansion to the PT. Even doing some things better and developing the characters far more than they were in the PT. TCW can even make Jar Jar almost likable, almost.

 

I chose both because it's really hard to compare the two being two different mediums. To me it would be like comparing OT with the 1980's Star Wars Ewok's and Driods cartoons.

 

PT, for the epic grandeur, painterly visuals, and gut-wrenching human drama moments. TCW is more about fun action and mapping out various corners of the universe, and while I think it does this well and in a decidedly more Star Warsy manner than the micro-series or something like the Knights of the Old Republic game series, I don't think it can quite live up to the full-blown cinematic experience of the films.

 

The PT had some awesome stuff - the first view of Coruscant, the overall structure of what the Jedi Order was like, the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan, cool stuff. But I just can't get out of my head... I wish I could just wish away... away the bad things....

TCW, though I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 initially... really isn't that impressive now that I go back and rewatch things. Some animation is pretty laughable and it's bad in some parts. However, the more recent stuff is better I think. Even if we hate the droid arc, I think the storytelling itself is better than say the story of a mad scientist with the blue shadow virus.

I really want to answer with the PT, but all I can picture is Anakin rolling around in a field laughing.

 

Can't have TCW without the PT, and to be honest my favorite moments in TCW are when they tie into PT characters, locations and situations. The Mortis arc and Maul arcs made me want to rewatch TPM, the Second Battle of Geonosis made me want to rewatch AOTC, and I'm certain the final season will make me want to rewatch ROTS. And by rewatch I mean put the movie on immediately. For me, TCW is the butter to the PT's bread and I can't have one without the other or prefer one over another.

 

On the whole (and especially these last couple seasons) The Clone Wars has far better dialogue, characterization, fun, and STAR WARS than the PT. As good as the PT was, it undeniably felt inconsistent with the universe established in the OT. The Clone Wars is much more compatible with the OT through its characterization of Anakin Skywalker and his friendship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Using the Ben Kenobi Dialogue from A New Hope, Anakin was a great star pilot, a cunning warrior, and a good friend, not a power-hungry, awkward, lovestruck nut. Now that The Clone Wars is more refined both in the writing and the animation it has surpassed the PT in importance and consequence in the overall Skywalker Saga.

 

A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father.

In OT Anakin killed Obi Wan without any hesitation.

Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force.

You don't know the power of the Dark Side.

A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.

What?

The EP VI novel clearly showed Anakin put his wife before Obi Wan.

 

I really don't understand why when people talk about how Anakin should be base on OT's information, they only take out Obi Wan's quote in EP IV when he was lying to Luke, ignored the next quote he said about Vader, how did he speak to Vader, how did he ask Luke to do in EP VI, what Yoda said about Vader, and most importantly, Darth Vader himself in OT.

 

That's Darth Vader Obi-Wan is talking about. In The Clone Wars we haven't seen much of dark side Anakin, that comes later. the Clone Wars has fleshed out the Jedi Knight that was Anakin and establishes a stronger character that makes his fall all the more tragic. And yes I stand by that he was awkward. Primarily in Attack of the Clones: "I hate sand" "I wish I could just wish away my feelings" that dialogue literally makes me cringe. The "young Jedi named Darth Vader" is Obi-Wan's view of the fallen Anakin, not the Anakin we are seeing in The Clone Wars. The Anakin we are seeing in TCW is the good friend and cunning warrior. Episode II Anakin was NOT a good friend and arguably not a very cunning warrior rather he was an arrogant and poorly written character saved only by phenomenal lightsaber scenes.

 

Darth Vader is Anakin. To see what kind of person Anakin is, Vader is what we should look at first, not Obi Wan's lie in EP IV.

He was a rebellious padawan at that time, yes, but most of the people in that age have such time, even Obi Wan and Palpatine.

Yes, in OT we saw Obi Wan pushed Luke, the son of Anakin to kill his "old friend", we saw Vader killed his "old friend" after Obi Wan gave up the fight without any hesitation and never showed any remorse after that, these are all powerless before Obi Wan's words in EP IV even though he was lying to Luke?

Of course he's not, he was just a padawan who had not experienced the war yet, in TCW he was already knighted and experienced war, that's very logical development of the character.

 

TCW.

The Prequel Trilogy was hard for me to enjoy at first, now it's even harder after watching TCW.

 

The problem is that TCW begins most likely within a few months after Ep. II. So there is contradiction in the characterization of Anakin. I choose to view Anakin in the light of the Clone Wars simply because I like it better. As far as Darth Vader is concerned I don't believe that 20 years of being poisoned by the Dark Side and by Sidious that the two sides of Anakin can be directly compared. There was a HUGE shift in Ep. III that was compounded in between Ep. III and Ep. IV. He becomes more machine than man. The machine is Vader the man was TCW Anakin. At least that is how I choose to see it.

 

He's still Anakin, the end proved it. Dark Side does not reshape people, it expand the darkness, the desire people already have in their heart to the maximum. Even in OT Yoda confirmed Anakin has "Much anger" and several lines confirmed Anakin was power-hungry. Even as Vader, Anakin himself is more of a fact than Obi Wan's lies.

 

I picked the PT. I like the story. It just has more epicness, complexity, and, obviously, more impact.

The best of TCW may be as good, or better, than the PT, but it's usually not at it's best, so.. yeah.

 

The PT is an essential of the SW trilogy. TCW is not.
The fall of Anakin Skywalker and his transformation in Darth Vader is what SW is all about.
His story is symbolic and shows everyone can be corrupted by evil.
What is the morale of TCW?
I agree that TCW has some good episodes, but it has also some very bad episodes.
The overall quality of the PT is better.

Still, I think the OT is way better than the PT.

 

TCW can only retroactively add exposition to a story that's already been told, and unfortunately the majority of things it creates on its own do not feature anywhere else in that story. As such, original innovations like Ahsoka, which are most certainly its strongest points, are limited in how they can develop outside of the show. They cannot become too prominent or else we would question why they do not appear in the features. In that sense their fates are predetermined.

In terms of existing characters, TCW is constrained by that which has come before it. Characters need to be recognisably similar to their film counterparts, so their mannerisms, etc. are already set in stone. We can't have too much character development as things need to ultimately be as they are in ROTS. This leads to a lot of magic resets. So for example, Obi Wan having a girlfriend, or Anakin having a Padawan. The best places for them to build on existing characters is where the films themselves do not give so much exposition, such as Anakin and Obi Wan being best buds or Anakin and Tarkin being best buds Anakin and Palpatine being best buds. In these cases they add to the relationships and make their interactions in ROTS (and beyond) more believable. But the films still function fine without this added exposition.

That's not to say either is better by any means, merely that TCW is, through no fault of its own, of diminished importance.

 

TCW makes the PT better

 

I'd go so far as to say TCW enhances both trilogies. Atleast AOTC, ROTS, and ROTJ even.