how would you redo the prequals

[Darth Yan]

I felt that Obi wan could have tried. And killing women and children is pretty hard to justify; even the israeli fanwhores try to downplay the deaths of palestinian civillians when they themselves are partly racist. Also Anakin came across as sociopathic in films two and three; he did not appear to be a fundamentally good individual, but a whiny jerk at best and a sociopath at worst EVEN BEFORE joining the Sith. In Episode I he was TOO perfect; little children are not altruists. And Anakin wasn't charming; he was creepy. I can get that he's socially awkward, but Padme didn't seem comftorable at all with his lines. Her rejection seemed to come from the fact that he was being creepy. If it was wierdly charming i'd buy it, but if it's creepy there is NO way the woman will love the guy. and qui gon's existence is a plot hole to those that don't know the eu and while the eu isn't bad, it's not good when the eu has to fix the hole.

[Jim Raynor]

I felt that Obi wan could have tried.

Obi-Wan saw Anakin murdering younglings, and knew for certain that his former student had just helped Palpatine destroy the Republic that he had sworn to protect. He's also a traditional Jedi and has been taught that you can't come back from turning to the Dark Side; Luke is the one person who believes that Vader can be redeemed in the original trilogy.

And killing women and children is pretty hard to justify; even the israeli fanwhores try to downplay the deaths of palestinian civillians when they themselves are partly racist.

Not justify, but excuse. Anakin himself expressed regrets over his killings. But when Padme knows of the Sand People as nothing but violent killers, is personally close with Anakin, and has a big Galactic crisis on her hands, I can see her giving Anakin some slack.

Also Anakin came across as sociopathic in films two and three; he did not appear to be a fundamentally good individual, but a whiny jerk at best and a sociopath at worst EVEN BEFORE joining the Sith.

Anakin is protective and fights for the security of the galaxy. He saves Obi-Wan's life several times, even with Palpatine telling him to just abandon Obi-Wan. He almost jeopardizes his mission because he's concerned about the safety of his clone comrades. He loses faith in the Jedi when it seems like they're working behind the Chancellor's back. Anakin is deeply flawed and screwed up, but he did have some good in him.

In Episode I he was TOO perfect; little children are not altruists.

How did you come to this generalization?

and qui gon's existence is a plot hole to those that don't know the eu and while the eu isn't bad, it's not good when the eu has to fix the hole.

What the hell? I have never, ever read any EU with Qui-Gon in it. I'm sure it's out there but I've never even looked into it myself. How is Qui-Gon merely existing a "plot hole?"

[Srelex]

I think he's referring to Obi-Wan's comment in ESB about Yoda being the 'Jedi master who taught me', even though that doesn't mean that Yoda was the only one to teach him.

[Darth Yan]

I felt that it created inconsistency. And children play tricks, they make mean jokes, they aren't evil, but they can be cruel at times. Anakin's lines felt like they came from a soap opera. My other issue is that his lines were CREEPY; they weren't awkward and charming; they would make a girl think "get away from me you fucking pervert."

[JME2]

The ironic thing about the Prequels is that Episode I was really the only film which actually felt like it had an organic plot-line. Yeah, it was a pretty bad movie, but the storyline actually seemed to move along organically, whereas Episode II and III felt more like Lucas was just going down a checklist of plot-points.

You the hit the nail on the head there. This is one of my biggest problems with the PT. It should have felt like an organic set-up for the events of the OT and in the hands of a more capable director, it might have. But it didn't and I try to ignore it as best as possible anytime I watch them.

[Agent Sorchus]

Yan, how many times did Luke try to redeem Vader? Only Once by my recollection. Obi Wan tries just as sincerely, but when Anakin murders Padme there is really nothing that he could do. Anakin already called him his enemy, despite their former brotherhood, Anakin casts aside the things that he held dear. It was only later when Vader held hope for his own son joining him that he could be turned. That hope is what Luke has that Obiwan didn't, Vader hopes for his sons future and seeing that Palpatine is denying it totally turns to save what he hopes for.

In essence the PT has Vader/Anakin fearing for the future and the OT has Vader hoping for the future.

[Darth Yan]

Bullshit. Luke makes several entreaties during the fight as well as before. obi tries twice and says Oh you're lost. It seemed so half assed. And he didn't have to leave him burning. If your friends you don't simply leave him burning alive. I've seen people who LIKE the PT who utterly loath episode 1. the idea of kid anakin growing up to marry and bang natalie portman is wierd; and the love lines were creepy and the romance would never happen in real life. I like the prequals, but they do not fit with the rest of star wars. His motivation is utterly shallow (I'm sorry any fucker would realize a c section could work) and palpatine's manipulation is so fucking obvious only a retard would fail to notice.

[Agent Sorchus]

You are right Yan, Luke does try more persistently. But I still don't think Obiwan could have done more. What weapon of words could he have called upon that Anakin hadn't already steeled himself for? He had already denied their brotherhood, their loyalty to the republic, and their personal friendship. What more can Obiwan call upon? He was already tricked out, and he is so out classed as a swordsman that he has no chance to continue his attempt to turn Anakin.

As for saving Anakin, Obiwan has a moral choice. Put effort toward saving Anakin, or effort toward saving Padme and the children. He did what he could and what he knew Anakin should have chosen, saving Padme and the children. Ultimately Vader was going to resist throughout, and all Obiwan had to help save either of them was R2 and C3PO, neither of which are good in a medical situation. So no I deny that Obiwan did the wrong thing.

[Jim Raynor]

And children play tricks, they make mean jokes, they aren't evil, but they can be cruel at times.

Again you're generalizing. And young Anakin wasn't all sweetness either, he trash talked Sebulba.

Bullshit. Luke makes several entreaties during the fight as well as before. obi tries twice and says Oh you're lost. It seemed so half assed. And he didn't have to leave him burning. If your friends you don't simply leave him burning alive. I've seen people who LIKE the PT who utterly loath episode 1. the idea of kid anakin growing up to marry and bang natalie portman is wierd; and the love lines were creepy and the romance would never happen in real life. I like the prequals, but they do not fit with the rest of star wars. His motivation is utterly shallow (I'm sorry any fucker would realize a c section could work) and palpatine's manipulation is so fucking obvious only a retard would fail to notice.

Luke was giving Vader more of a chance than either Obi-Wan or Yoda did, probably because he's an optimistic youth, or because of his direct blood relation. Both of his mentors discouraged him from trying, and Yoda even told him that once you turn to the Dark Side, it will "forever dominate your destiny." It's not "half-assed" for Obi-Wan not to naively try to turn Vader on Mustafar, because he saw everything that he did and was explicitly sent on a mission to kill him. The minute Obi-Wan stepped out of the ship, he saw Anakin strangling his beloved wife.

And they clearly weren't "friends" anymore by the time Anakin was burning. There's that whole wiping out the Jedi, overthrowing the Republic, and trying to kill you thing. Maybe Obi-Wan wasn't feeling merciful. But it doesn't even matter either way; maybe Obi-Wan chickened out of dealing the killing blow because they were former friends and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

EDIT:

What more can Obiwan call upon? He was already tricked out, and he is so out classed as a swordsman that he has no chance to continue his attempt to turn Anakin.

This is another good point. Anakin attacked him, and Obi-Wan was barely able to hold his own against the younger and more powerful "Chosen One." For most of the fight he was backing away just trying to stay alive. When he did talk to Anakin, Anakin showed that he was completely twisted.

[The Romulan Republic]

And they clearly weren't "friends" anymore by the time Anakin was burning. There's that whole wiping out the Jedi, overthrowing the Republic, and trying to kill you thing. Maybe Obi-Wan wasn't feeling merciful.

The novelization says he wasn't in basically those exact words.

But it doesn't even matter either way; maybe Obi-Wan chickened out of dealing the killing blow because they were former friends and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

I think the novel also supports this interpretation. So, a combination of factors.

[Knife]

Episode One

[*]Republic ship arrives at Naboo to negotiate an end to the Numoidian assault on the planet. Nabooian ships move to escort the Republic ship to the surface and the Numoidian Battleships open fire on the ambassador's ship. The Republic ship is hit and crashes on the planet, a squadron of Nabooian fighters are tasked to follow and search for survivors.

[*]Anakin Skywalker, captain of a Nabooian fighter squadron, lands his squad and searches for survivors. Pulls out two Jedi ambassadors from the wreckage as an enemy flight strafes their position, damaging most of Anakin's fighters and destroying the remaining Republic wreckage. Anakin orders those with ships left to launch and rejoin the fight as he and the Jedi move into the forest for protection.

[*]Trade Federation Viceroy contacts Lord Sidious to tell him the Republic ambassadors have been dealt with. Sidious tells him he needs to accelerate his plans and begin the invasion. A massive invasion force launches from the battleships and lands all around Naboo.

[*]Droid Army lands on Naboo, heads toward Theed, the capital of Naboo. Anakin and the two Jedi struggle to hide from the Army as they pass by. Jedi display awesome fighting skill saving Anakin and the young pilot is intrigued by them.

[*]Droid army takes Theed and the Queen, fake Queen with real Queen disguised as a handmaiden. Anakin and Jedi make a desperate rescue attempt and free the Queen and her entourage and flee to a ship and take off. The Queen's ship runs the blockade and escapes to Coruscant.

[*]Political intrigue on Courscant pretty much the same as movie except Anakin petitions to be a Jedi, Qui Gon supports it but his padawan Obi Wan doesn't. Anakin is a bit old for the process, usual age of acceptance being coming into manhood.

[*]End of movie is about the same except Anakin is leader of Naboo fighter force sent to destroy Battleship. At the end, Anakin is accepted into the Order as Obi Wan's apprentice.

Episode Two

[*]the Trade Federations war against the Republic expands with the siege of the Outer Rim and new commerce guilds joining against the Republic. Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with breaking the siege on one of the planets. Anakin, with his new powers and skills, is brash and wants to free the planet quickly to save more lives. Obi Wan wants to take longer and ends up saving Anakin from danger. Duo free the planet and then are ordered back to Coruscant.

[*]There has been an assassination attempt on the Senator from Naboo. Obi Wan and Anakin are ordered to protect Senator Padme and protect her from another attempt from some sort of super soldier in old Mandalorian armor. Obi Wan is ordered to investigate the origin of the warrior while Anakin is ordered to take Padme to Naboo to protect her from further attempts on her life.

[*]Anakin takes her to Naboo and falls in love.

[*]Obi Wan uncovers a cloning facility on [whatever planet] but is discovered and captured by Dooku, Sidious apprentice and leader of the Sepertists. Explains the Separatist movement to Obi Wan and tries to convert him. Obi Wan does not and gets a message out to the Republic.

[*]Jedi takes a Republic fleet to planet X to save Obi Wan. Anakin intercepts Obi Wan's message to the Republic and disembarks to planet X with Padme to save his mentor.

[*]Battle of Geonosis is pretty much the same but instead of only droids versus clones, it is Sepertist Clones (super soldiers) against Jedi and Republic troops (stormtrooper-ish armor).

Episode Three

[*]Mostly the same but Republic troops are not clones, rather just troops and the Separatists have droids and clones (mandalore armor). Jedi increasingly want peace at any cost while Anakin wants the Sepertists to pay for all the hurt and evil they've done. Anakin wants to kill Dooku and wants to do everything and anything to hunt down the Sith to stop the war. Jedi Order would rather make a treaty with the Separatists to end the war.

[*]Chancellor Palpatine wants to lure the Sepertists into a trap but doesn't think a minor world would work, needs a large and famous Republic world like Alderaan to lure the Separatists into a trap. Senator Organa disagrees but goes along with it for the Republic.

[*]Sidious dispactes Dooku to lure Anakin and tempt him into the Darkside. Dooku has captured Padme and Anakin follows Dooku to the volcano planet. What Anakin doesn't know is Obi Wan found out about it and beats Anakin there and finds Dooku and the clone troopers. Obi Wan defeats the clonetroopers and fights Dooku. Dooku has set the stage with some dead Republic soldiers as he taunts Obi Wan.

[*]As Anakin approaches, Dooku flees hoping Anakin will believe Obi Wan has had something to do with Padme's disappearance. Anakin takes the bait and fights Obi Wan in a rage.

[*]Anakin v Obi Wan fight

[*]Meanwhile, Separatists take the bait and attack Alderaan. Jedi and Republic forces fight and bitter fight, and finally defeat the enemy. As the battle winds down, Republic reinforcements land and Count Dooku walks out with fresh Republic Stormtroopers (clones but not known at the time) and annouces that Palpatine has accepted Dooku's surrender and that the war was over.

[*]Dooku baits Windu into fighting him and the Stormtroopers attack the Jedi in turn. End of fight, a lot of dead Republic soldiers, Dooku died from Windu but Windu is also slain by clones. Alderaan is war torn and half destroyed.

[*]Back on Coruscant, Palpatine shows video of Jedi attacking Republic troops and hangs the entire war on their shoulders. Denounces the Jedi and disbands their Order and reorganizes Republic into the Empire. Has the battered and pregnant Padme, who was never really kidnapped, sign the documents telling her Anakin is dead and he would never tell anyone of her secret marriage if she signs the treaty; then is banished to Alderaan for the rest of her life (killed by the Deathstar some 20 years later).

[*]Palpatine then walks back into his secret office where Anakin is still alive, barely, on a table being put in his armor. Tells Anakin of all the betrayal of the Jedi and that they did kill Padme. Utter rage against the Jedi consumes Anakin and he becomes Darth Vader.

[dworkin]

Ninjas, there are armies of ninjas in every scene waging a secret shadow war in complete secrecy and silence. Their lives, their loves, their desires and most importantly, their deaths are all there in the background. But you can't see (or hear) them. Why? They're ninjas.

The ninjas are niether Jedi or Sith, Repulic or CIS. They battle over their own matters and divisions. Most of this is explained by various ninjas throughout the movie in their secret sign language. Various critics of the 'ninja edit', as it is known maintain that silent exposition by unseen actors is kind of pointless. However they are missing the point of this subtle, hidden drama.

Study and appreciation of the 'ninja edit' requires concentration, dedication and usually inebriation. A truly dedicated connoissuer is one who realises the truth. The ninja edit exits on all movies, everywhere.

[adam_grif]

Episode One

...

[*]Political intrigue on Courscant pretty much the same as movie except Anakin petitions to be a Jedi, Qui Gon supports it but his padawan Obi Wan doesn't. Anakin is a bit old for the process, usual age of acceptance being coming into manhood.

Once again, I think a reversal in this role, with Qui Gon not supporting it but Obi Wan empathizing with him and wanting to train him fits the bill better.

Episode Two

[*]Anakin takes her to Naboo and falls in love.

This step is completely unnecessary. The OT romance never needed anything this forced - all we need are for the duo to be in contact with each other, put through adversity, and fall in love. Them getting their own C plot in the film adds unnecessary complication and wastes time that could be better spent in scenes that didn't feel ultra-contrived, obviously existing only so they will fall in love.

[*]Obi Wan uncovers a cloning facility on [whatever planet] but is discovered and captured by Dooku, Sidious apprentice and leader of the Sepertists. Explains the Separatist movement to Obi Wan and tries to convert him. Obi Wan does not and gets a message out to the Republic.

As a note, I think "cloner planet" should be changed to "star system(s)". Big orbitals, multiple planets, multiple stars would be just grand. Averting minimalism, etc. Specify tens of billions of clones or more, and make it clear that this is intended to be an elite force of shock troops, not the body of an army (which would presumably consist of local recruits etc).

[lordofchange13]

gungans, they made me hate episode one. they should of not be there and if they had to be there, they should have been killed by the droids off screen.

[Channel72]

Once again, I think a reversal in this role, with Qui Gon not supporting it but Obi Wan empathizing with him and wanting to train him fits the bill better.

Or just expunge Qui-Gon entirely. He dies in the first movie and his character basically has zero impact on the rest of the films. It would be better to simply have Obi-Wan be the character who discovers Anakin and pushes for his training. It makes his later feelings of regret and failure all the more tragic that way.

If Qui-Gon has to stay, at least give him some significant role in Anakin's character arc, rather than killing him off at the end of Episode I. (I know the idea was to mirror the role of Alec Guinness in the first Trilogy, but at least Guinness reappeared from beyond the grave to play pivotal roles in Luke's ongoing development.) Perhaps Qui-Gon could absorb the role of Mace Windu, and ultimately die at the hand of Anakin before Palpatine in ROTS? That might work, since as it stands now Mace's death isn't that interesting because he's mostly a pointless character.

[Srelex]

Don't forget that Qui-Gon indirectly crops up in the last scenes of ROTS, and this was shown directly in a deleted scene. Novel also does this.

[adam_grif]

There isn't anything really wrong with Mace as a minor character, except that I didn't buy Jackson in the role for a single second.

Qui Gon might be able to appear to some of the characters once or twice, Obi Wan style. In RotS they mention that he found a way to "overcome death", so it's certainly possible.

[Jim Raynor]

Once again, I think a reversal in this role, with Qui Gon not supporting it but Obi Wan empathizing with him and wanting to train him fits the bill better.

Or just expunge Qui-Gon entirely. He dies in the first movie and his character basically has zero impact on the rest of the films. It would be better to simply have Obi-Wan be the character who discovers Anakin and pushes for his training. It makes his later feelings of regret and failure all the more tragic that way.

If Qui-Gon has to stay, at least give him some significant role in Anakin's character arc, rather than killing him off at the end of Episode I. (I know the idea was to mirror the role of Alec Guinness in the first Trilogy, but at least Guinness reappeared from beyond the grave to play pivotal roles in Luke's ongoing development.) Perhaps Qui-Gon could absorb the role of Mace Windu, and ultimately die at the hand of Anakin before Palpatine in ROTS? That might work, since as it stands now Mace's death isn't that interesting because he's mostly a pointless character.

Qui-Gon was the example of what the other Jedi should have been. His gentle and encouraging mentoring style was contrasted with Obi-Wan's critical style, and his free-thinking independence was in opposition to the Jedi's arrogant, close-minded group think. As a good father figure that Anakin knew but quickly lost, he adds more weight to Anakin's attachment issues and feelings of resentment for Obi-Wan's overbearing attitude. Star Wars is about breaking free from the constraints of your parents or authority figures to find your own way.

Take Qui-Gon away, and make Obi-Wan want to train Anakin from the start, and the story loses a bit of nuance and meaning. Instead of Obi-Wan going wrong because of a natural tendency for fathers to be critical and untrusting, compounded with his loyal devotion to insensitive Jedi doctrines, the story instead becomes Obi-Wan just screwing up. If Obi-Wan is the one Jedi pushing for Anakin's training against all the others...then wouldn't that mean that the others were right to shut Anakin out? What is the theme supposed to be then?

[Einzige]

I'll do this character by character and film by film, so that it's cohesive throughout

The Phantom Menace:

Anakin:

When Luke first meets Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda initially seems hesitant about training Luke - "too old to begin the training" and all that. Whether or not those reservations are genuine or a mere ploy to force Luke into a deeper consideration of his role is moot; the implication is that a student who begins late, and too fixed in his ways, runs a much greater risk of failure.

The same carries over to Anakin's interactions with the Jedi Order in this film -- and needlessly. How much older can young Jake Lloyd be than the munchkin Padawans we see running all over the Jedi Temple in The Phantom Menace? Certainly not much more than three or four years. Yoda's resistance to permitting Anakin from entering the Order prove to be well-founded, but not because of anything relating to his age.

Therefore I concur with previous posters: Anakin must be introduced at least as a teenager for this concern to really factor in. With Jake being a young child, Yoda's hesitance seems misplaced. But with an older Anakin - say, one in his 'tweener' years, the dark years of pubescence - it becomes much more a relevant factor in the debate. The central thesis of Skywalker's later transformation into Vader is that he wasn't emotionally stable enough to handle the cloistered, monastic life of a Jedi. Grounding this in his late induction to the Order is a much better way to establish off-the-bat that his abnormal training may be responsible for it.

Padme:

I, personally, was fine with Padme's characterization in the film. I think it's pretty easy to see that she's a young and inexperienced ruler in the position of a figurehead being forced to make decisions better left to an older, wiser official.

Handled properly, this characterization could in fact be made the lynchpin of all her subsequent interactions with Anakin. Her youthful naivety would contrast perfectly with an Anakin who was "too old to begin the training"; he would envy her position as a child-queen, and she would sympathize with his difficulties as a Jedi novice. Instead, what we got was an Anakin who essentially latched onto the ideal of Amidala as a surrogate mother figure, which, while perhaps psychologically tenable, reduces Anakin's plight to essentially a childhood fantasy and not something bourne out of the character himself, insofar as it's dependent on what is essentially an Oedipal complex and therefore external to Anakin.

Obi-wan: Obi-wan's character in the prequels is much less open ended. In the Original Trilogy he serves the dual role of a semi-omniscient narrator relaying (select) pieces of the backstory to the audience and a mentor for the upcoming hero. It therefore naturally follows that his arc in the prequels ought to build towards that point, showing him gain the knowledge that he will subsequently pass on to Luke in the future.

Unfortunately, this was, in my mind, the single biggest failing of the prequel trilogy from the perspective of the characters. In The Phantom Menace in particular, precious little time is devoted to his relationship with Anakin; they interact very little, and when they do Obi-wan speaks in an almost uniformly neutral tone. Of course, Lucas had to play catch-up in Attack of the Clones and establish a friendly relationship between the pair that wasn't even hinted at over the course of the first film.

Again, the issue relates back to the decision to introduce Anakin as a child rather than a teenager or young adult. Adults in the real world often have a difficult time relating to children that are not their own, and this difficulty is compounded in our case by the fact that Obi-wan is not (initially) presented as a possible mentor to Anakin. All this also ties into the character of...

Qui-Gon:

I like the character concept, but I don't like the role he played. I concur with Channel72: the idea of a rogue Jedi is perfectly fine, but it subtracts from the development of Obi-wan by forcing him to play squire for an entire film. I much prefer an idea that I've read elsewhere, in which Qui-Gon would serve in the Dooku role, a powerful Jedi ostracized from the Council by virtue of his morally-neutral stances. Qui-Gon would have best been built up as a Jedi general sent to Naboo with a squadron of knights that included Kenobi who made the choice to sacrifice the Naboo people temporarily so as to secure a more strategic position from which to force the breaking of the blockade. The Jedi Council would reprimand him, and he would gradually fall from grace after perceiving that the council had become to ossified to "do what needs doing".


And so the structure of my version of The Phantom Menace would look roughly like this:

The Clone Wars are already in their opening stages, and Naboo or its equivalent is the target of the first major action, a blockade designed to intercept the shipment of (insert-much-needed-supply-here) to the Republican forces. General Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi master noted for his dubious interpretation of Jedi canon, is sent in to relieve the native forces. Among his coterie is a young Obi-wan Kenobi, fresh out of the Jedi Academy and eager to prove himself.

Meanwhile, Queen Amidala, the young queen of the Naboo, is faced with a dilemma: attempt to hold out and threaten the lives of her citizens or accede to the demands of the Trade Federation until her reinforcements arrive. The Jedi Council suggests the latter, hoping to avoid a civilian catastrophe, but Qui-Gon urges her to mount a resistance against the invaders. Amidala agrees - and the results are devastating, barely buying enough time for the Naboo to escape into the hinterland. The Naboo armed forces are decimated, and as a last resort turn to conscripting civilians, including a poor dirt farmer named Anakin Skywalker who is barely old enough to hold a pilot's license.

The Jedi starfleet arrives and pushes through the blockade, then lands troops on the planet. Over the course of the battle, the Republican forces detect a few deeply-encrypted transmissions emanating from a Trade Federation ship into the heart of Republic space. Intrigued, Qui-Gon secrets the information for himself.

Meanwhile, the Jedi army meets up with the ragtag Naboo forces in a final push towards Theed. Obi-wan's commanding officer - a Republic official, Bail Organa - is wounded, and entrusts the unproven Obi-wan Kenobi with command of his squadron. Desperately outnumbered and out-gunned, his forces are decimated until a squadron of Naboo fightercraft arrive and bomb the Federation military into oblivion. Impressed, Kenobi insists he meet with their captain, who introduces himself as Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi immediately likes the brash young hero, and senses something more from the boy...

The film would end with Kenobi returning to Coruscant to lobby the Jedi Council for permission to train Skywalker, while Qui-Gon, broken in rank for insubordination, is sent with his fleet into the far reaches of space to search for the object of the transmission. The final scene would intercut the Council's tepid approval of Skywalker into their ranks with Qui-Gon communicating with a hooded figure via hologram in orbit around a dying star.

[Jim Raynor]

Anakin:

When Luke first meets Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda initially seems hesitant about training Luke - "too old to begin the training" and all that. Whether or not those reservations are genuine or a mere ploy to force Luke into a deeper consideration of his role is moot; the implication is that a student who begins late, and too fixed in his ways, runs a much greater risk of failure.

The same carries over to Anakin's interactions with the Jedi Order in this film -- and needlessly. How much older can young Jake Lloyd be than the munchkin Padawans we see running all over the Jedi Temple in The Phantom Menace? Certainly not much more than three or four years. Yoda's resistance to permitting Anakin from entering the Order prove to be well-founded, but not because of anything relating to his age.

Earlier in this thread, I posted an article where researchers believed that people's personalities can be set as early as seven years old. By TPM, Anakin has already been influenced by a childhood as a slave. Three or four years is a lot in terms of child development; furthermore there is nothing suggesting that the younglings seen in the Temple have just begun their training. In fact Qui-Gon stated that Anakin would have been identified early he was born in the Republic.

The central thesis of Skywalker's later transformation into Vader is that he wasn't emotionally stable enough to handle the cloistered, monastic life of a Jedi. Grounding this in his late induction to the Order is a much better way to establish off-the-bat that his abnormal training may be responsible for it.

The point of the movies was that Anakin wasn't given a supportive upbringing, being mentored by an overbearing conservative who followed the stagnant Council's teachings too closely and didn't open his mind. Anakin was also at fault for not letting go of the fears and insecurities stemming from his crappy childhood, which was also determined by others. The themes are to free yourself, and to support others and see the good in them. This matches the messages from the original trilogy. It also makes the prequels a tragedy - Anakn is the Chosen One and COULD have been a great hero, if only he, Obi-Wan, and the other Jedi had been more perceptive to their own flaws.

As I said before, the idea that Anakin was a crappy recruit and that Obi-Wan was wrong to even take him in does not fit these themes. What's supposed to be the message if that's the case? Listen to your elders? Be really cautious and distrusting? That's the opposite of what the original trilogy says.

Obi-wan: Obi-wan's character in the prequels is much less open ended. In the Original Trilogy he serves the dual role of a semi-omniscient narrator relaying (select) pieces of the backstory to the audience and a mentor for the upcoming hero. It therefore naturally follows that his arc in the prequels ought to build towards that point, showing him gain the knowledge that he will subsequently pass on to Luke in the future.

The movies already do that. In ANH, Obi-Wan is a kindly mentor to Luke, who treats him well and encourages him to achieve his potential. We still knew as early as ANH that he utterly screwed up some time in the past, with Vader. The prequels show an Obi-Wan who's not as wise or mellow yet. He does screw up, which he admits by the end of ROTS. At the end of ROTS he's set to receive training from Qui-Gon's ghost. Somewhere between then and the original trilogy, he learns to be more like his old mentor.

Unfortunately, this was, in my mind, the single biggest failing of the prequel trilogy from the perspective of the characters. In The Phantom Menace in particular, precious little time is devoted to his relationship with Anakin; they interact very little, and when they do Obi-wan speaks in an almost uniformly neutral tone. Of course, Lucas had to play catch-up in Attack of the Clones and establish a friendly relationship between the pair that wasn't even hinted at over the course of the first film.

Obi-Wan was definitely underused in TPM. But as I said before, all of his character building in that movie was done in his interactions with Qui-Gon. The story didn't intend for him to have a great relationship with Anakin; the fact that he reluctantly decided to mentor Anakin as a favor to Qui-Gon is why he doesn't trust him. Obi-Wan treats Anakin with distrust, just as the Council treats him.

Qui-Gon:

I like the character concept, but I don't like the role he played. I concur with Channel72: the idea of a rogue Jedi is perfectly fine, but it subtracts from the development of Obi-wan by forcing him to play squire for an entire film. I much prefer an idea that I've read elsewhere, in which Qui-Gon would serve in the Dooku role, a powerful Jedi ostracized from the Council by virtue of his morally-neutral stances. Qui-Gon would have best been built up as a Jedi general sent to Naboo with a squadron of knights that included Kenobi who made the choice to sacrifice the Naboo people temporarily so as to secure a more strategic position from which to force the breaking of the blockade. The Jedi Council would reprimand him, and he would gradually fall from grace after perceiving that the council had become to ossified to "do what needs doing".

Qui-Gon isn't a rogue Jedi; he's a Jedi with a mind of his own who just disagrees with the Council a lot. He's the good guy, and the example against settling into your ways and being a slave to tradition. I don't see how he reduces Obi-Wan to a "squire," when prequel Obi-Wan is portrayed as a polar opposite to him. Keeping Qui-Gon around and giving him his own fall to the Dark Side distracts from Anakin's fall, while also undercutting the message that you should think for yourself.

EDIT: Nevermind about that "squire" bit, I see that you said that you're talking about Obi-Wan in the first film.

[Einzige]

Earlier in this thread, I posted an article where researchers believed that people's personalities can be set as early as seven years old. By TPM, Anakin has already been influenced by a childhood as a slave. Three or four years is a lot in terms of child development; furthermore there is nothing suggesting that the younglings seen in the Temple have just begun their training. In fact Qui-Gon stated that Anakin would have been identified early he was born in the Republic.

Is it plausible? Sure. Is it, in my opinion, dramatically effective? Not at all. The main point of a prequel (or a sequel) is to be as entertaining as possible within the context of a story that has already been written, at least to some extent. My opinion is that, by introducing Anakin at so early an age, Lucas undercut the potential he had to build him up as a fully-fledged character.

The point of the movies was that Anakin wasn't given a supportive upbringing, being mentored by an overbearing conservative who followed the stagnant Council's teachings too closely and didn't open his mind. Anakin was also at fault for not letting go of the fears and insecurities stemming from his crappy childhood, which was also determined by others. The themes are to free yourself, and to support others and see the good in them. This matches the messages from the original trilogy. It also makes the prequels a tragedy - Anakn is the Chosen One and COULD have been a great hero, if only he, Obi-Wan, and the other Jedi had been more perceptive to their own flaws.

Another theme of the original trilogy is that individuals rise or fall by their own choices. Luke chooses to become "a Jedi, like [his] father before [him]". Anakin chose to follow a different path. While I hardly deny that his sheltered life as a Jedi and harsh existence as a slave before it undoubtedly influenced that path to some degree, I feel it detrimentally impacts the dramatic possibility behind the fall of Anakin Skywalker.

As I said before, the idea that Anakin was a crappy recruit and that Obi-Wan was wrong to even take him in does not fit these themes. What's supposed to be the message if that's the case? Listen to your elders? Be really cautious and distrusting? That's the opposite of what the original trilogy says.

As against the idea that Anakin's fall was predetermined from the moment of his birth, and that he had no say in the matter, and that all responsibility for it can be shifted off onto Watto/Yoda/Obi-wan?

The movies already do that. In ANH, Obi-Wan is a kindly mentor to Luke, who treats him well and encourages him to achieve his potential. We still knew as early as ANH that he utterly screwed up some time in the past, with Vader. The prequels show an Obi-Wan who's not as wise or mellow yet. He does screw up, which he admits by the end of ROTS. At the end of ROTS he's set to receive training from Qui-Gon's ghost. Somewhere between then and the original trilogy, he learns to be more like his old mentor.

What the movies don't do is a good job of establishing just why Anakin's left so deep a scar on Obi-wan. They hint at it - "you were my brother" - but they fail in establishing that fact on-screen. It isn't enough to tell an audience, "These guys really care about one another"; that has to be built, to make the effect that much more powerful.

I believe that, had Anakin been introduced at an age closer to Kenobi's, the foundations of that friendship could have been lain on-screen as early as the first film, freeing up time in the later sequels for elements more central to the story itself.

[Jim Raynor]

Is it plausible? Sure. Is it, in my opinion, dramatically effective? Not at all. The main point of a prequel (or a sequel) is to be as entertaining as possible within the context of a story that has already been written, at least to some extent. My opinion is that, by introducing Anakin at so early an age, Lucas undercut the potential he had to build him up as a fully-fledged character.

9 years old is not the little kid that you're making him out to be, especially when the Jedi are control freaks who want to raise kids from the start, their way. Luke turned out well despite that dogma about being "too old." The prequel trilogy is supposed to show the Jedi being close-minded and adhering too much to flawed doctrine.

Another theme of the original trilogy is that individuals rise or fall by their own choices. Luke chooses to become "a Jedi, like [his] father before [him]". Anakin chose to follow a different path.

Anakin "chose" by unknowingly becoming a puppet of someone else. Basically, he traded in his overbearing and insensitive mentors...for another mentor who was downright manipulative and evil. He didn't really choose at all. He was a slave to his own insecurities, which were used by Palpatine to deceive him.

As against the idea that Anakin's fall was predetermined from the moment of his birth, and that he had no say in the matter, and that all responsibility for it can be shifted off onto Watto/Yoda/Obi-wan?

The movies are not that stupid, they're more nuanced than that. The movies do not portray Anakin as a blameless little victim; by the end of ROTS he's clearly the villain. As I said before, all his mentors screwed up along the way, but Anakin also reacted badly to what happened to him and refused to let go. Anakin, Obi-Wan, etc. all have legitimate gripes. They are also all wrong in some ways.

What the movies don't do is a good job of establishing just why Anakin's left so deep a scar on Obi-wan. They hint at it - "you were my brother" - but they fail in establishing that fact on-screen. It isn't enough to tell an audience, "These guys really care about one another"; that has to be built, to make the effect that much more powerful.

What? Raising Anakin to adulthood isn't enough to explain why Obi-Wan would be upset at him turning to the Dark Side and trying to kill him? Obi-Wan acts just like a lot of real fathers I know. Obi-Wan talks down to Anakin because he gives a damn. If he didn't care then why would he? Obi-Wan means well but doesn't know better (or should know better, if he listened to Qui-Gon instead of just the Council).

I believe that, had Anakin been introduced at an age closer to Kenobi's, the foundations of that friendship could have been lain on-screen as early as the first film, freeing up time in the later sequels for elements more central to the story itself.

It's not like AOTC or ROTS spend all that much time trying to convince people that they're such great pals. They talk and banter a little bit, but the movies are about how strained their father-son relationship is. That, and how it leads to Anakin's fall, is the story.

[Darth Yan]

the reason the nine year old bothered me was because it made the knowledge that he and padme would do the dirty seem rather squick

[Channel72]

Qui-Gon was the example of what the other Jedi should have been. His gentle and encouraging mentoring style was contrasted with Obi-Wan's critical style, and his free-thinking independence was in opposition to the Jedi's arrogant, close-minded group think. As a good father figure that Anakin knew but quickly lost, he adds more weight to Anakin's attachment issues and feelings of resentment for Obi-Wan's overbearing attitude. Star Wars is about breaking free from the constraints of your parents or authority figures to find your own way.

Qui-Gon adds very little to Anakin's character development at all, because for all intents and purposes the first film is about entirely different characters. Qui-Gon is unique to Episode I, and child Anakin is a completely different character from adult Anakin. Whatever Qui-Gon contributed to child Anakin is moot by Episode 2. You might claim to see some remnants of Qui-Gon's influence on adult Anakin, but even if you're right it's too subtle to be of any real significance.

Take Qui-Gon away, and make Obi-Wan want to train Anakin from the start, and the story loses a bit of nuance and meaning. Instead of Obi-Wan going wrong because of a natural tendency for fathers to be critical and untrusting, compounded with his loyal devotion to insensitive Jedi doctrines, the story instead becomes Obi-Wan just screwing up. If Obi-Wan is the one Jedi pushing for Anakin's training against all the others...then wouldn't that mean that the others were right to shut Anakin out? What is the theme supposed to be then?

But the others obviously were right to shut Anakin out, regardless of whether it's Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan who pushes for the training. The tragedy of Anakin Skywalker isn't supposed to be about Obi-Wan screwing up, or Anakin missing out on a father figure like Qui-Gon, but rather a good man making his own decision to turn to evil. But more importantly, with Qui-Gon out of the way, there's more time to flesh out the critical friendship between Obi Wan and Anakin, which, in my opinion, was sorely underdeveloped in the actual films.

[LopEaredGaloot]

1. Anakin dies a hero. The series needs a twist. And ROTJ needs an excuse for Vader's mindless zombie mode and Luke's absurd moral high grounding. Given Lucas' penchant for describing Palpatine as 'Satanic' and alluding to 'possession' of Anakin by Vader after his own death, this fits the bill. It also gives you a reason for Anakin to _start out_ moody and broody. Yet show hints of honor and integrity around the edges. Indeed, make him a small time thug. Perhaps one whose father didn't run away quite fast enough from a more serious underworld connection.

2. No babysitter Padme`. A worse casting decision (and director pairing) I don't think could have been made. To call Amidala incompetet as a Queen is to damn water for being wet. Better to have Amidala be the bad girl who Anastasia's her way through life as a junior diplomatic whatsit assigned to Coruscant because she will never be more than a 5th child in the ruling family back home. Except Anastatia girl is lonely and rejected shows it by acting out. The Jedi who are sigh..."It's Friday, she's slumming" used to her antics get a little PO'd when they find she's gotten into a lethal fight (grrrl skilz!) and the fact that it was real doesn't matter. You're fired! And she goes home. Which doesn't actually displease her because Coruscant is like Washington DC. Scum surrounded by Crime.

3. Don't waste my time tooling around the galaxy. Half or more of TPM is getting there. Drop us into a WAR on Not-Naboo (did I mention a convention against dumb names?) and don't let up. For some reason, N2 is important to the Sith. Maybe it's a major hubworld on the Rim closest to the Sith Empire or controls a major star cluster or something (trade routes in spaaaaaace, roll your eyes...). It is NOT BFE pastoral ville. Don't tell me about death camps. Death Camps are for pussies that are so embarrassed they have to take their victims off into the woods before clubbing them. Show me how the land burns and the people yearn for a hero. And Dad and Mom and all the little Romanovs get axed. Because this is the start of a MAJOR war.

4. Make the Imperials a rival galactic arm or something. Make the Jedi Knights a kind of generational Janissaries, each attached to their houses but going out on Crusade when the bad guys come. Make the Sith a rival band of Jedi that wanted to go out and kick some A and take some N in the Imperial half the galaxy so that, in this hopelessly introverted, staid, entropic society, they could have some new-worlds conquests of their own. Make them get put down less than century ago (1,000 year unfulfilled vendettas make you look weak) for being too 'adventurist' in their attempted military police-state coup. Let the Ancient Republic, rotten to the core, be yet big enough (think China facing the Mongols) that the constant incursions on the edge of space seem too remote to be important and have instilled a serious 'it can't happen here' ostrich psychosis. Indeed, what has kept the galaxy together has been their Jedi's Force Magic and the fact that few know exactly how powerful that is. Except for the Enemy, they well know the sting of The Force. Make the reason the Empire has never succeeded before is that they couldn't clone whatever it was that made the Jedi what they were. Make the Sith (actually named after a Jedi who was head of the uprising) decide to switch sides and bring with him the 'midichlorian' cellular microorganism which pumps up the metabolic efficiency of Jedi neurons/axons enough to channel this 'Force'. Make the public 'shocked' to see these Force based warriors raise a little hell against the fairly few in number Jedi with the same skills. Setting up the scenario where 'the difference between them is?' a vulnerability to _immitation_ as not just the sincerest form of flattery but a way for 'Sith' clones to look and act like Jedi Knights while doing their horrible deeds.

5. Recognize that Droids and Humans are utterly unequal as combattants. Droids carry more armor. Don't get tired. Have more powerful (heavier or onboard charging) weapons. Run faster. Are possessed of superior sensors and particularly eyesight. Have stabilized weapons arms that can fire on the move. And can both be constructed more quickly and be cannibalized for spares. Less anorexic 3PO, more T800. Only a Jedi should come close to matching these capabilties.
Perhaps most importantly, droids can be cut to pieces without blood or body part amputational issues. So they are also a ratings control which permit the Jedi to show their talents without getting an R rating.
Indeed, as the Imperials steal Jediness, so too do the Jedi steal Imperial Droid Tech. Leading to yet more suspicion by the wary public that maybe these guys are on the same side and this is all a scam. Something Palpatine should play up. Humans in combat are all in the Navy.

6. Palpatine should not be the CMIC, Dooku (another New Name candidate) should be the high Imperal/Sith Muckety. Leading to a situation where Palpatine plays his own side as well as the Republic and the final treachery is of his rival in the Imperium. He -never- rises above Senator himself. And he -does- specifically program the Imperial Clones to 'activate hidden programming' upon his voice printed command.

7. Romance: keep it simple. Anakin holds her hand after Padme` the wise ass discovers 'where the bodies are' as the audience understands that here is another person who knows what it's like to have a family you love but don't respect. Or who don't respect you. BAM. Ep2 opens with Anakin practicing a full form with his saber that ends as the sunrises (Jedi see in more colors than most humans) so we know he's a Jedi. And the naked arms that wrap him from behind as a shape steps quickly out of The Big Castle tells you what he and Padme` are up to. Naked from the shoulders up, we get a playful lover's conversation "So that's what we did last night." that shows you their's is a physical love. But one which has deepened by a decade or more of association and doesn't need to be advertised. Just as Anakin has become a Jedi, so too has he become a man. And we can now move on to him being assigned to protect her as the 'Senator' who is tracking down whatever the source of the new Imperial Jedi-ness might be. Kind've like the Knights Templar supposedly made it to Switzerland with their loot after Friday the 13th. Or the Nazis took off for South America.
Surprise, surprise, the big hulking Jedi (did I mention Christiansen is a runt?) and the quick thinking little politician are quite good together. As we get to see the background for the war and the Sith playout as a minimovie with different (sympathetic) characters from 100 years ago, kind've like 'All the President's Men' ideal.
We also discover that there are those who don't want this war. Want to negotiate a truce. Or want themselves to secede and are using the war as a means to further their own ends. And it's all connected together as something which the Jedi have also _brutally_ put down before.
Padme` finds a picture of a man that could be Palpatine's twin and goes to see him. He offers her tea. "I know who you are. Or at least were." And they have at it because he is one of the Sith Jedi who revolted. He admits that the Separatists were how he or a prior clone escaped before and he did end up in Imperial Space.
She out and out accuses him of being the vector by which the Imperials infiltrating the Republic are now winning so many battles. At which point we here the reason for Palpatine's secret hate: "You see the corruption every day and you ignore it! I saw it a century ago when they killed my whole family for trying to instigate change!"
At which point Padme` screams and points at him: "Mine too!"
And Palpatine chuckles. "Don't you just love the Jedi! Never there when you need them. Always telling you whom you owe loyalty to and how to act the rest of the time." Palpatine leans forwards to hiss: "And all the while covering up a corruption that extends for centuries! They keep the Republic from collapsing alright. They also keep it in line."
And so Padme` discovers how much oppression is really being undertaken and how long the Jedi have acted as the gauntled fist for the Senate in sustaining this institution nominally called a Republic. Disturbed, she takes off to go chat up Anakin.
As Palpatine quickly, through a patsy, implements martial law even as the Imperials penetrate a hypernull generator which keeps unwanted ships from entering a given system's Lagrange point.
And the Jedi suffer a massive defeat.
Anakin and Kenobi head off to save the day and miss Padme`, who comes home and feints or throws up or feels weak or whatever is the current 'significant indication' that she is knocked up.
And so, not sure of anything, decides to retreat to Naboo as she feels her loyalties sway between husband Jedi (revealed as she opens a box and puts on a ring she previously put away at the beginning) and Separatist victims of a corrupt system whose manipulation and viciousness stretches back Centuries.
Or so Palpatine tells her: "What? You think this was the -first time-?"

8. Bam. Ep3. Anakin will 'steal home' from a war that is going very badly and we will meet the twins. Awwwh family moment as we get to see what Force endowed rugrats are like. A 'retired' Padme` is radiant even though the kids are a secret while the war rages on and Jedi are becoming increasingly distrusted.
Padme` will begin negotiating with the hidden Separatist network in the Senate to stop the incursions before it is too late, hoping for a separate peace or government-after-Republic conditional split. But time will be against her again as a massive outbreak of violence and draconianism by supposed Jedi and Senators signals another downturn in the war. Jedi butcher innocents, commandeer equipment and pressgang recruits on wartorn worlds. Senators (who are all royalty at home) enact brutal demands for the war effort, arresting any who argue etc. etc..
Several times we will see the same person in several places at the same time. Some of them may even be known dead.
All of them will be clones.
Palpatine will of course know about Padme`'s little sidebar diplomacy and will conveniently spill the beans because he's just using the Seps himself, on the way to ultimate power.
Anakin will be -so- embarrassed when Padme` is named a traitor. And Palpatine will show him compromising romantic proof of his collusion with her as "I know you didn't know my boy. You couldn't be so stupid as to fight an enemy your wife was secretly making deals with. But I wonder if you know this..." And we will see another holoimage of a clone Obiwan going -with her- to these meeting."
At which point Anakin wants to go do some more judicious 'fact finding' and Palpatine will clap and cheer and then say "You see, I don't know how deep this thing goes, and so that I can keep the low level traitors (wink wink) from becoming scape goats, I need an ear on the Jedi Council..."
Anakin refuses. And Palpatine says something like "How noble of you. Strange how you don't seem to recall all the -other- things you've done for me...".
And stretching forth his hand, we see memory after memory of when Anakin has been Palpatine's 'right man, right moment' in several prior scenes where prominent politicians, diplomats and even other Jedi have died.
At which point Palpatine roars "Kneel 2234!" and the scene closes.
The latest fighting will get perilously nearer to the capital as sector after sector falls as Jedi are no longer trusted and systems begin to declare independence or neutrality.
Some of the Jedi, seeing how extreme things have become, decide to join the Seps or even just get out of Dodge noteably ol' irascible Yoda, to whom Anakin has a private talk. Palpatine declares the Jedi Order to be "Outlaaaaw!"
The struggle to fight a burgeoning insurgency and a full scale war will reach a peak when 'debate in the Senate' over the latest holovid Jedi outrages is suddenly interrupted by Invasion. Big Fight. Jedi driven back and finally trapped.
Dooku/Palpatine have their "Howdy stranger!" reunion moment. Palpatine activates the hidden programming in the Sith Clones. And Dooku goes down in a huge threeway fight. The Jedi are nearly annihilated until Anakin, himself of course a clone, 'finally figures out what is important' (in the memories of a smiling wife and children) and with a little gift from Yoda, defeats his programming to save the remnant Jedi.
I like the idea that this fight will happen deep underground in the heart of the power facility we see only hints of in TPM. A MASSIVE geo-fusion system which penetrates deep into the core of the otherwise depleted and dead Coruscant.
Teek-wall saving his friends from a hail of lava which Palpatine astonishingly kicks up (think tidal wave) just as they are about to catch him, Anakin catches a good bit of it himself and falls, mortally hurt. Napalm scene from 'We Were Soldiers Once'. Telling a shocked Obiwan to "Save her, save my family..." and Obwian leaves his friend for dead to head off to Not Naboo to rescue the wife and kidlings, accomplishing his final wish.
Anakin, with a traitor wife, a bad disposition and a genetic scriptor in his brain thus dies a hero. Until Palpatine sprinkles some magic fairy dust or whatever and 'suffuses the midis with life' to bring back his all powerful killer. Who, zombified, doesn't remember a thing.
Obiwan goes to Not Naboo and convinces Padme` not to kill him out of hand by telling her what has happened. Palpatine helps the process by storming in after him, beginning an orbital bombardment of the castle. They each take a kid. Separated by a blast which is quickly reducing the building to rubble, each adult thinks the other dead or lost. And each takes a child to a separate ship. Obiwan drops off Luke with his step brother on Tatooin, first erasing his memory to Force-dull him as protection from the locals who now hate what they once admired. Obiwan then takes off to help start the Rebellion.
While Padme` goes to her Separatist contact Bael Organa on Alderaan. Palpatine sees her in a vid there and hits a button which sends a microbot crawling out of Padme's stomach to begin it's way to her heart where it will release a slow acting toxin. A shattered Leiallin cries over her mother's grave. Bael nods and walks off as Obiwan stands quietly behind her, ready to help her 'forget' all her memories and bury her abilities because it is just too dangerous to be a Jedi now.
Vader stands alone on a huge ship staring out at the stars. Wondering who he is. "Ana, ana..." "Lord Vader!" Comes from behind him, startling him from his introspection.

9. ALL Jedi Knights move like leaping Jar Jar and warrior Yoda do. So quickly they almost seem to slip out of sequence with the rest of the scene. They can cross hundreds of feet to bring their weapons to bear and they are NOT limited to Sabers (though they are very good with them when things get close, something that should happen at the end of the film). Sabers are simply a ritual weapon like a Marine dress sword and 'oh, this old thing...' -underplayed- for most of the film to save up the drama. Jedi also use body armor with adaptive camouflage like any other SANE person would and they don't block mass blaster or slugthrower fire with the sword (though they can catch the odd shot or three) but with The Force. Outside of combat, Jedi _do not_ dress in hooded bathrobes like monks but rather wear something closer to what our own European knights would wear. A talbard over a bodysuit with a weapons belt. Simple, elegant, like their blades. Not a uniform but a lot more practical and trim looking.

10. Hmmmm, no Gungans. No polished dildo or SR-71 or B-2 lookalike starships. No yellow-cab fighters. More Star Wars and less Trash Gordon stylization in terms of a _working universe_. No idiot ethnic stereotypes. No cameos just to be doing cameos. No Wookiee War. No 'like a father to me' face palm lines. No endless visual exposition. Anakin is a great pilot and a cunning warrior. No Padme` in look-at-my-T&A suits. No little girls dressed up as geisha (in fact no little girl oriented commercialism at all). No podraces. No useless twits standing around filling an guy-in-facial-prosthetic Jedi Ethnic Quota or half the film before suddenly being characters I'm supposed to be all cut up about at the very end. No one named Fett. NO KIDS. Except Luke and Leia. Who should be way cool and totally precious all at once. Again without having any more lines than happy-to-see-you "Afa!" absolutely necessary. No hogging all the CGI to do useless stuff. No digi-pixelated blurry theater screens. No obsession with deserts. No choral themes. No saber staffs (dumbest SW weapon _ever_). No horned clowns.


LEG