Phantom Menace and bad writing

[Anguirus]

Except that the explosives, according to Anakin, are set to blow if they leave the planet. Which means at the very least they have GPS level or some other form of transmitting/receiving electronics to some point probably in Watto's garage. At this point it's just a matter of finding a way to either replicate that signal so it doesn't go off, or disabling/removing the bomb itself.

Imagine a device that blows up when it ceases to receive a signal from an outside source, as you say. What exactly do you do with the Force in that case? You can't replicate the signal with the Force AFAIK. If you tamper with the bomb and interrupt the signal, it will go off. If you broadcast your own signal, well, you're broadcasting a signal and I imagine the Hutts would frown on that (it is a low profile mission after all). And that's assuming the bomb doesn't respond to a specific frequency that you don't know.

Qui-Gon's not omniscient, nor omnipotent; almost no Force users use telekinesis with such subtlety. He has no idea what will happen if he starts poking around with those things.

[Channel72]

Imagine a device that blows up when it ceases to receive a signal from an outside source, as you say. What exactly do you do with the Force in that case? You can't replicate the signal with the Force AFAIK. If you tamper with the bomb and interrupt the signal, it will go off. If you broadcast your own signal, well, you're broadcasting a signal and I imagine the Hutts would frown on that (it is a low profile mission after all). And that's assuming the bomb doesn't respond to a specific frequency that you don't know.

I agree; removing a device like that would probably be next to impossible without specialized equipment. But I think the overall point is that having Anakin compete in a dangerous podrace seems like a horrible idea. Surely, there would have been a better solution. For example, why doesn't Qui Gon sell the Queen's luxury spaceship to Watto, in return for Anakin and a reasonable amount of local currency? The ship is obviously worth more than a single slave. Qui Gon could then take the currency and hire a transport to get to Coruscant. Granted, that wouldn't be interesting to watch, but the point is that the whole Tatooine sequence really needed to be rethought.

[Anguirus]

But I think the overall point is that having Anakin compete in a dangerous podrace seems like a horrible idea. Surely, there would have been a better solution.

Absolutely. This is the screenwriter having his cake and eating it too. He gets to justify Qui-Gon's lunacy by having Anakin win, and then portray Qui-Gon as the bold, wise, right rebel in contrast with the council because he's the one in touch with the "will of the Force."

Since 1976, the will of the Force has meant "whatever moves the story along in the most convenient way."

BTW, you seem like the kind of person who would enjoy Darths & Droids, presuming you don't already.

[adam_grif]

Darths & Droids explains the weird and stupid shit that goes on in the plot far better than the actual movie does

[Tiriol]

Except that the explosives, according to Anakin, are set to blow if they leave the planet. Which means at the very least they have GPS level or some other form of transmitting/receiving electronics to some point probably in Watto's garage. At this point it's just a matter of finding a way to either replicate that signal so it doesn't go off, or disabling/removing the bomb itself.

Imagine a device that blows up when it ceases to receive a signal from an outside source, as you say. What exactly do you do with the Force in that case? You can't replicate the signal with the Force AFAIK. If you tamper with the bomb and interrupt the signal, it will go off. If you broadcast your own signal, well, you're broadcasting a signal and I imagine the Hutts would frown on that (it is a low profile mission after all). And that's assuming the bomb doesn't respond to a specific frequency that you don't know.

Qui-Gon's not omniscient, nor omnipotent; almost no Force users use telekinesis with such subtlety. He has no idea what will happen if he starts poking around with those things.

Strangely enough, Lord Vader himself has proven to be capable of such fine manipulation of the Force. He neutralized and disarmed a bomb planted inside a Rebel agent's head during the events of Rebellion comic. One might presume that he developed such finesse exactly because of his own experiences with such devices.

[Stofsk]

almost no Force users use telekinesis with such subtlety. He has no idea what will happen if he starts poking around with those things.

Bear in mind that Qui-gon's control of TK was subtle enough to cheat a die roll (without making it obvious either, as in it bounced and so on without jerkiness). The Emperor also unlocked Luke's cuffs without a key - think about how much TK control you'd need for that. (in the alternative, he may have used TK to 'snap' the restraints - its still fine control at a distance because he'd have to be precise enough to target the cuffs and not, say, Luke's wristbone or a major artery)

That has no bearing on what you were replying to though, I just thought I'd mention it as an aside.

[Galvatron]

Much more straightforward and guaranteed to work would be going to another junk dealer and using mind trick to swap out credits for local currency, or going to some kind of exchange place on the planet, or going to some kind of smuggler who would have use for the credits to get them.

I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, it makes perfect sense, foreshadows Han Solo and provides the opportunity to introduce an interesting roguish non-Jedi hero into the prequels. On the other hand, it smacks of a blatant retread.

And given his track record, I fear Lucas would have made the character into Lando's dad, captain of the Millennium Falcon.

[Havok]

Well they did need some more black guys and some more suave in the PT as far as I am concerned. What better way to provide that than Lando Calrissian Sr.

Edit: Oh man, that reminds me... I totally designed a character when I was a kid... Lando's brother. I'm gonna see if I still have that drawing when I get home.

[Channel72]

Well they did need some more black guys and some more suave in the PT as far as I am concerned. What better way to provide that than Lando Calrissian Sr.

No, Lucas already tried that. Theoretically, there's nothing cooler than Samuel L. Jackson with a lightsabre. The important word here being theoretically.

[Simon_Jester]

I agree; removing a device like that would probably be next to impossible without specialized equipment. But I think the overall point is that having Anakin compete in a dangerous podrace seems like a horrible idea. Surely, there would have been a better solution. For example, why doesn't Qui Gon sell the Queen's luxury spaceship to Watto, in return for Anakin and a reasonable amount of local currency? The ship is obviously worth more than a single slave. Qui Gon could then take the currency and hire a transport to get to Coruscant. Granted, that wouldn't be interesting to watch, but the point is that the whole Tatooine sequence really needed to be rethought.

I see what you mean.

On the other hand, remember that there's a strong correlation between skill in the Force and the ability to achieve superhuman feats of luck and (what would otherwise be) skill. Anakin is stronger in the Force than anyone Qui-Gon has ever come across; Qui-Gon may be supremely confident in Anakin's ability to win the race.

Strangely enough, Lord Vader himself has proven to be capable of such fine manipulation of the Force. He neutralized and disarmed a bomb planted inside a Rebel agent's head during the events of Rebellion comic. One might presume that he developed such finesse exactly because of his own experiences with such devices.

Also, Vader is a much better electrical engineer than the average Jedi Knight or Master; he may be able to identify the relevant components and disable them more easily than an ordinary Force user of equal power could.

No, Lucas already tried that. Theoretically, there's nothing cooler than Samuel L. Jackson with a lightsabre. The important word here being theoretically.

Well, I wouldn't say only theoretically. I mean, Jackson did achieve a certain level of cool. It just wasn't enough to carry the whole rest of the movie on his shoulders.

[Galvatron]

No, Lucas already tried that. Theoretically, there's nothing cooler than Samuel L. Jackson with a lightsabre. The important word here being theoretically.

Well, I wouldn't say only theoretically. I mean, Jackson did achieve a certain level of cool. It just wasn't enough to carry the whole rest of the movie on his shoulders.

Am I the only who otherwise likes Sam Jackson but thinks he was horribly miscast as a Jedi?

[Havok]

Well yeah...
"Hey lets get Samuel L. Jackson to be in the movie, he said he would play anything."
"OK. Lets make him a Jedi."
"Oh awesome."
"And he will be based on one of the first characters I conceived."
"Double awesome!"
"And he can have a sweet purple bladed lightsaber with a gold trimmed handle."
"Holy shit! That will be soo cool!"
"And then he can sit in a room talking."
"OH FUCK YEA- Wait... what?"

:facepalm:

I mean, he wasn't miscast as a Jedi, just miscast as THAT Jedi.

[Galvatron]

Additionally, some fans actually wanted a fan-servicy "Snakes on a Plane" moment for Jackson. The dork I worked with back in 2000 thought this would be "hilarious" and "awesome."

[Crazedwraith]

You mean 'This party's over... mother fucker!" type thing? I recall a serious thread here, suggesting that that would have made the film better...

[Galvatron]

Yeah...that.

[Havok]

Actually, swapping Liam and Sam might have made the film a little better.

[Galvatron]

Replacing Sam with Morgan Freeman would have made it even better than that, IMO.

[Havok]

Bleh. I love Morgan Freeman, but I am sick of him in the wise old man role. It would have been far too cliche.

[Galvatron]

It wouldn't have been so cliche back in '99 though. Hell, why not an Asian Mace Windu? Star Wars was heavily influenced by Kurosawa and samurai, but I can't remember seeing an Asian castmember in any of the movies.

[Srelex]

It wouldn't have been so cliche back in '99 though. Hell, why not an Asian Mace Windu? Star Wars was heavily influenced by Kurosawa and samurai, but I can't remember seeing an Asian castmember in any of the movies.

There was an Asian Jedi visible in the AOTC arena fight.

[Havok]

There is just the one A-Wing pilot IIRC, that blows up in ROTJ.

[Channel72]

Actually, swapping Liam and Sam might have made the film a little better.

That could work. If nothing else, it would make his death in RotS at the hand of Anakin really impactful. But it's difficult to say. If you ask me, out of all the actors in the Prequels, the only person who managed to turn out a decent performance was Liam Neeson.

[Havok]

I was thinking just swapping actors, not anything else. Then you have SLJ dead after TPM and Liam Nieson in all three prequels.

[Stofsk]

No, Lucas already tried that. Theoretically, there's nothing cooler than Samuel L. Jackson with a lightsabre. The important word here being theoretically.

Well, I wouldn't say only theoretically. I mean, Jackson did achieve a certain level of cool. It just wasn't enough to carry the whole rest of the movie on his shoulders.

Am I the only who otherwise likes Sam Jackson but thinks he was horribly miscast as a Jedi?

No, I feel the same way. I thought it was pretty pathetic how they got someone as cool as Samuel L Jackson in the film and all he does is talk for a bit.

[Knife]

No, I feel the same way. I thought it was pretty pathetic how they got someone as cool as Samuel L Jackson in the film and all he does is talk for a bit.

Perhaps it is urban legend, but I heard Samuel L. Jackson pretty much begged Lucas to be in a SW film, even going as far to say he'd be a Stormtrooper and uncredited if that's what it took.