To think Anakin Skywalker is the most tedious character in the history of film?

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

DS(10) has inflicted a Star Wars marathon on us for the last few weekends. The old Star Wars, 4,5 and 6 were harmless hoakum, much enlivened by the lovely Harrisson Ford; Episode 1 was okay, (Liam Neeson is my favourite Jedi). But last nights Episode 2 and tonight's 3 are just dire.

Anakin is whingey, arrogant, humourless and creepy. His love scenes with Padme are like they were written by someone who has never actually spoken to a member of the opposite sex, let alone had a relationship. And his scenes with Ewan McGregor are not much better.

The actor is just so so poor. DD(17) and I are just sitting here cringing. DH has gone to sleep. DS is loving it.

Agree Duel of the Fates is a terrific piece of music.

The Lego versions of the movies are fantastic. The Droid Tales series in particular is genius.

FFS. I've just spent the last hour reading ikloo's link and will now have to rewatch those three shite films just in case Jar Jar Binks is the real Phantom Menace. Thanks for the thread OP.

Sugarcoat - I've been saying that for ages! DH says that Anakin is too whiny and I always counter with "Just like his son then"!

Sorry, Sugarcoma, not coat.

I actually agree that Obi Wan isn't boring - or at least he's not supposed to be. But the insistence that Ewan Macgregor slavishly copy Alec Guiness scuppers the portrayal. The audience would have coped if the two actors didn't sound exactly the same!

Also agree that the Darth Maul fight scene is fantastic. I have seen it pointed out that in the original films we never see a battle involving Jedi in their prime and that sequence makes up for it!

Upthread someone mentions that Obi Wan ssys he doesn't remember owning a droid. That's fair enough as he never owns R2D2, it belongs to Padme then Anakin. And there is a specific reference to C3PO having a memory wipe at the end of ROTS. I rather enjoyed that R2 didn't get wiped and wonder how often in the original films it was beeping "whiny just like his dad", "no don't do that she's your sister FFS", "that IS Yoda" etc...

Oh and isn't there a fanwank that Leia is referring to her adoptive mother when she says the line about her dying when Leia was small? But that's generous IMO.

I will argue to my death that Qui Gon and Obi Wan vs Darth Maul is a stand out moment in the whole franchise.

Really? I thought it was one of the shittest parts of an already shire film.

I think Star Wars is the most tedious film series out there.

OldBooks, no. When Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother, he specifically says 'Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?'.

Was obsessed with SW as a teen and the memorisation of all the lines not left me yet

Interjecting to say I don't buy that whole "padme died of a broken heart" bullshit.

Padme died at the same time as Anakin was being reborn. I agree with the fan theory that Palpatine used the power of the dark side (remember the conversation in the theatre about a sixth lord who could stop people from dying/bring them back to life) to save Anakin (who was crispified) and used Padme's life force to do so.

He certainly needed rid of her and she wasn't the type of character to give up and die and leave her child/children to an unknown fate.

He certainly needed rid of her and she wasn't the type of character to give up and die and leave her child/children to an unknown fate.

I think it just comes down to poor writing and storytelling - George Lucas needed rid of the character and that was the best he could come up with.

I've come round to the idea that the series really went off the rails with Return of the Jedi, and that the prequels merely had more of the same weaknesses of that film. The poor storytelling, over-reliance on effects, lazy writing and characterisation, and recycling of plot elements are all in there. The revelation that Luke and Leia are brother and sister is a really poor plot twist, and was just a lazy way to resolve the Han/Leia/Luke love triangle.

Still like the Ewoks, though...

There's a great video about how Rogue One altered Star Wars.

Just imagine. You've just had an awful battle. Loads of your friends have been killed. Then this young 'pilot' who's never been in a fight tells you that the target on the Death Star is easy to hit - it's just like shooting animals.

How would that go down?

ISay, do you know I remembered that about 5 mins after posting. I too have memorised most of the films

Chaircat that's an interesting theory. I always took the theatre conversation to be Palpatine implying that he is Anakin's father/creator as well as reeling him in by playing on his fears of Padme dying. It would make me less pissed off with the portrayal if that was the case, I was very annoyed that a woman presented as strong etc was shown as giving up like that rather than going into tiger mode for her babies

I always disliked the whole thing of padme dying of broken heart. Just wasn't fitting of the character.

Maybe the new films will mop up some of the crapness of episodes 1-3.

I only watched ROTS once and once was enough. I thought Anakin ''jedi'd' Padme and threw her across the floor (just before she said he was breaking her heart) and that's why she was dying?

BTW............ I LOVE JAR JAR BINKS ! seriously.

(despite the fact his face looks like Sarah Jessica Parker and he runs like Matt Smith in Doctor Who!! ).