Saga Best PT/ST opening episode: TPM or TFA? *POLL included*

Originality TPM is hands down the better of the 2. For sheer wow factor to make $$ and rehash ANH, then it's TFA. Different strokes for different folks as you can say .

 

I am thrilled at all the TPM love in this thread!

 

As much as trade disputes and taxes aren't interesting, the opening is great. The Trade Federation was a better villain than the First Order. There I said it.
There seemed to be more tension and actual stakes and we understood what was going on.

TFA it didn't seem like Lor's death had much effect on the film.

 

Well I would disagree with that. The FO could do with some improvement, Hux isn't very interesting and Phasma totally uninteresting.

But I found the TF very lacking. They are bumbling, inept and cowardly. The battle droids as well.
And their actions don't make sense from their pow. The crawls says that the TF are unhappy about some trade tax and they blockade Naboo to strong arm the senate into doing what they want.
So they are basically holding Naboo hostage to enforce their demands. Aside for wondering how this can be legal, it makes some sense so far.
But then they invade Naboo and want some treaty signed that makes their illegal act, legal.
Ok but what does this have to do with the trade tax? If Naboo is controlled by the TF, the blockade is gone and the TF loose their hostage. How will control over Naboo remove the trade tax? It wasn't put there by the Naboo people and they can't make the senate remove it.
Is Naboo very valuable? Nothing in the film suggests this.
Also Sidious tells them that he will keep things as they are in the senate, at a standstill. But that is not what the TF wants, they want the senate to remove the trade tax.
Does any of the TF people even mention the trade tax in the film?

Sure, they are Sith goons and they do what they do because the Sith tells them to. But in general, I prefer villains that have an understandable and independent motivation and don't just do everything because the main bad guy says so.
The seps in AotC have a similar problem, they have demands but what those are is never said.

The FO have a simple goal, gain control over the galaxy again and kill the last Jedi. Not deep but clear enough.

Bye for now.
Blackboard Monitor

 

They are both a little underdeveloped to be perfectly honest.

The TF I can accept because they are really just pawns - anything they may be initially setting out to achieve is really dwarfed by Sidious and his own motivations. To me they make a suitable antagonist who will later turn out to be just as expendable in the grand scheme as the Jedi and any truly good people remaining in the Republic.

The First Order is interesting, but like some others I think some political expository dialogue was sorely lacking. I do think it is interesting that they are sort of like a cult in a way - representing the worst aspects of the previous Empire.

 

Actually, the original SW does all of that, not TPM. Obiwan explains the lightsaber to Luke. Obiwan gives a quick explanation of the Jedi Mind Trick after he uses it on Stormtrooper on Mos Eisley, where QuiGon uses it without explanation cause the audience has already seen Episodes 4,5,6. Obiwan explains that there is a disturbance in the force when Alderran blows up, Yoda says nothing during Order 66 cause the audience saw Obiwan do it in Episode 4.

The PT is made with the intention that the viewer saw 4,5,6 or there would be more explanation of certain things in it.

To answer the OP, TFA is better then TPM, but ANH is better then both as that is the best introduction to all the SW movies.

 

Watto explains what the mid trick is, immediately after Qui-Gon tries to use it.

Additionally, the PT doesn't need a speech from Obi-Wan explaining the role of the Jedi, because it shows us the role of the Jedi directly. The Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi knight, the film shows us this, instead of Obi-Wan just telling Luke this. The midichlorian discussion also covers some of the details of the force as an energy field. The Repbulic is shown after Obi-Wan's brief talk about the 'old Repbulic' in ANH.

TFA introduces nothing. It doesn't tell you what the force is, what the Jedi do or did, what the Republic is like, or who the First Order is or who the Empire was, or the significance of Luke Skywalker, or anything.

 

QuiGon uses the Jedi mind trick on Boss Nass at the beginning of the movie and the only way the viewer would have any idea what he did was if they saw 4,5,6.

 

Or, if they remembered him using it, then saw him attempt to apply the same power on Watto.

 

How would they remember him trying it on Watto, when that comes after he uses it on Boss Nass?

 

Revelation.

 

Hmm... Let's see: an actual original story that expanded on what came before broadened the uniqueness of a galaxy far, far away, or an unoriginal cheap and bland rip-off that feeds on nostalgia and was made to pander the vocal crowd? I'll take the former (also known as TPM) anyday, anytime.

 

I think once the newness of TFA fades it wont be as liked.

 

TFA is far superior to TPM. The villain is more compelling, the heroes are more fun and relatable, the mixture of practical effects and CGI is well done, and it's just a lot of fun. The only thing TPM has over TFA is the score, which is actually my favorite of the entire series.

 

I go with TPM.

 

TFA, by a million miles.

 

TPM. Better locations, better score, better duel, better battle, and I love little Anakin and Qui Gon. The villains in TPM could be better but TFA didn't have much either. I was bored of TFO compared to the TF so the TF takes it.



So yep. TPM. Which happens to be my 3rd favorite of the saga.

 

What I think stands out as interesting in this thread is the reasoning that voters have provided for their choices. I see a lot of lush detail and love from persons who chose TPM, and mostly single lines from persons who chose TFA, though they also seem excitable and genuine. Food for thought.

 

That was a cool post. My favorite is Eccleston

 

Wait what?

 

TFA by some margin, but I don't hate TPM.

 

I sort of figured out for myself that the saga works best in reverse order (as a countdown), i.e., "as if" it was "meant" to be "viewed that way." The last moment of TPM at the end of the credits is the breathing sound of Darth Vader, and I treat that as one of many thousands of "proofs," at least to myself in my own head canon, that that moment is "supposed to be" the final thing in SW and that they should be considered from a reversed POV. For example, if you watch the OT in reverse order, the first line of ROTJ is "This is ST-321." Which is to say that you will watch the PT 3, 2, 1 and you will be on approach to...whatever you want to watch next? Episode Zero? Starting with Darth Vader breathing? IDK. LOL! My interpretations make sense to me! Another example would be TFA ending with a moment that teases the "Return of the Jedi" as if you were supposed to watch that one next and go back in time. Etc. Thousands of examples that have not yet been articulated.

 

TFA, No question. With the exception of the music, TFA did everything better: better characters, better story, better directing, better acting, better writing, etc.

Most importantly, TFA actually feels like Star Wars to me.

 

war: ORIGIN late Old English werre, from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French guerre, from a Germanic base shared by worse.

 

TFA has the Star but not the War. It is now considered, TFA to Star Awakens I

Because WARS no longer exist in the equation.
Disney took that out.