Star Wars: Ep. III tidbit

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

In the latest issue of the Star Wars Insider, they had Rick McCallum respond to various rumors about Ep. III. One response in particular was a bit disconcerting.

 

Rumor: "Episode III will be significantly longer than the previous 2 movies."

McCallum: "No, not true. It'll probably be the shortest. Who knows, though, what'll h appen in the next 18 months? We're planning for it to be the shortest."

 

WTF? Ep. 1 and 2 both clocked in around 2 hours and change, which is pretty much the same length as each of the original trilogy films. So that would mean Ep. 3 would be the shortest of all 6 Star Wars movies. The last SW movie ever will be the shortest.

 

With the amount of stuff that needs to get covered (i.e. Anakin -> Vader, Anakin/Kenobi confrontation, Senator Palpatine -> Emperor, killing off of the Jedi, birth of the twins(?), death of Amidala(?), Yoda and Obi-Wan into hiding, set up for ANH), how can they possibly make this the shortest movie? They need to go balls-out to make this movie "right", and I can't see them doing it if this movie is going to be the shortest movie out of all 6.

[Guest MrRant]

Better get to the evil and killing quick. I DEMAND at least an hour of Obi-Wan trying to defeat a turned Anakin before having to go into hiding.

 

DEMAND it.

[Guest Kagato Otaku]

It's because they think it'll turn their target audience off if the last movie of their new trilogy is "depressing".

 

Lucas has been harping on that for some time now.

[Guest razazteca]

I bet Jar Jar Binks will still have a big part in the movie. Me-sa thinks that he will have a part in turning Ani or killing of the Jedi.

[Guest El Satanico]

It's because they think it'll turn their target audience off if the last movie of their new trilogy is "depressing".

 

Lucas has been harping on that for some time now.

The hell...

 

The movie is suppose to end with the Empire getting the hands up in the war and with a Jedi making the turn to the darkside.

 

How the hell is Lucas going to make it a happy ending. There's no way the movie can end on a postive note. It's impossible...right...right...right?

[Guest MrRant]

Especially considering the BEGINNING of A New Hope!

 

Was it hunky dory until then or something?

[Guest razazteca]

If it ends on a sad note then Lucas can not pimp out all of the kiddie toys and the action figures that all marks must stand in line for at midnight sales at Toys R Us.

 

Remember the movie is only a 2 hour commercial to push merchandise.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Watch the last scene be Anakin & Amidala holding hands, all lovey-dovey, right after the birth of the twins.

 

I'd be throwing my $6 soda at the screen.

[Guest Mole]

No way, the last scene will be Anakin becoming Darth Vader. That is the ONLY way the movie can end right, if not, I will be VERY pissed.

 

I am sure Lucas knows what he is doing, but I hope he has someone help him with writing the actually movie because the last two sucked in that way.

[Guest El Satanico]

I am sure Lucas knows what he is doing, but I hope he has someone help him with writing the actually movie because the last two sucked in that way.

He's been working with a co writer for all three movies, and I believe it's been the same guy for all three.

[Guest redbaron51]

last scene would be Vader confronting Obi-Wan. (there would be two fight scenes)

[Guest Flyboy]

Watch the last scene be Anakin & Amidala holding hands, all lovey-dovey, right after the birth of the twins.

 

I'd be throwing my $6 soda at the screen.

There would be an uproar/riot.

[Guest SP-1]

If Lucas goes cheap with the happy ending, I lose all respect for him as a storyteller. That's the worst sellout he could possibly do, toys and tie-in merchandise be damned. I don't care if he makes billions in Jar-Jar figures, I better hear the Vader March and see that helmeted badass walking through an Empire ship's cooridoors before the credits roll.

[Guest Kagato Otaku]

Well supposedly they've already contacted James Earl Jones to let him know he'll be needed for AT LEAST a few minutes for the Vader voice-over.

 

So -- little Anni goes dark what, a good hour or so into the film?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

It's because they think it'll turn their target audience off if the last movie of their new trilogy is "depressing".

 

Lucas has been harping on that for some time now.

Yeah, heaven forbid Episode III only rakes in $250 million or something.

 

Who cares if a Star Wars ending isn't "happy?" Many people think the Empire Strikes Back is the best out of all them, and that has the "saddest" ending...

[Guest SP-1]

Well . . . dramatically speaking, it can't be happy. There's no real way that can happen. It has to be a setup for the darkness that A NEW HOPE starts out in. I mean, really, STAR WARS has never, ever been about the Republic/Empire war. That's always just been a mirror for the rise, fall, and redemption of one Anakin Skywalker.

 

It can't end happy. Otherwise, you start out with Anaking suddenly a full heel and that just doesn't work at all.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I can't help but wonder if audienes will cheer if Jar-Jar bites the big one in Episode III...

[Guest Sakura]

The ending can be happy and still set up ANH. It's not like there's just one year inbetween or something. An ending where Obiwan beats Anakin and takes the twins away would be happy and the viewer would still know what goes down and what not to set up ANH.

 

 

I seriously doubt the movie is going to be "dark" and what not. All that talk sounds like the same hype Korn fans do when they claim every new cd will be "heavy, like the first cd".

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Bah. Anakin gives in to the Dark side by killing Dooku and becoming Palpatine's new Sith lord. Starts killing off Jedi. Has great big fight with Mace Windu, killing him off after they tear apart most of a small planetoid. Obi Wan tries to turn him back or stop him, ends up tossing him in lava or whatever it was that scarred him (memory's a bit hazy). Yoda flees to Degobah to await "The Jedi's Rebirth" or some such mystical sounding nonsense. Anakin is saved by Palapatine and given the black armor pimp suit. Movie ends with Obi taking baby Luke to Tatooine and Bail jetting off to Alderaan with baby Leia while Amidala cries (since apparently she doesn't die in the end, despite Leia's assertion that her mother died when she was very young in ROTJ).

 

That's just how I'd do it, anyway.

[Guest Smues]

Agreed. The jedi get wiped out, anakin kills most of them, the emperor takes full power yadda yadda, but they end with obi-wan knocking anakin into a volanco or whatever injuries him into needing the vader gear, takes the twins, and badda bing episode 4 is set up with a happy ending that works.

[Guest SP-1]

Well, they could conceivably swerve everyone.

 

Have Obi-Wan win the duel, go on to explain the Twins leaving, perhaps with Amidala going to Alderaan with Leia (where she will presumably die later on).

 

Then, just when you think the credits can roll . . . cut to the lava pit. A shuttle sets down, and Palpatine lifts a bloodied and deformed Anakin from the pit. Final scene is the helmet lowering down over Anakin's head, with a thunderous blast of the Vader March playing.

 

Roll Credits.

 

THAT is how you end Ep 3.

[Guest What?]

SP....

 

 

 

Holy shit, that is the EXACT ending I was thinking of! My god, man...

[Guest gthureson]

No matter how it ends, this triology has to be seen as a failure in trying to tell the story of a fallen hero if only for this reason:

 

There is never a reason to like Anakin Skywalker. Or even respect him, really.

 

The character is self-centred, sullen, whining and generally unlikeable. It would be a happy ending if he becomes Darth Vader because people actually *like* that character, and the response will be enormous because they will be done with the little prat that is Anakin Skywalker and finally have the character they know and love.

[Guest Marshall]

Lucas can't tell a story at all. Such a hack! He made his money from selling toys, now he and his money and his poor film making skills should go away. Then he should give episode 3 to SOMEBODY else. Spielberg (sp) maybe?

[Guest cabbageboy]

The main problem with this series is that it's already written in stone as to where it has to end. So basically there is an anti suspense to it....why should we cheer for Anakin to win the race and be set free? Why should we want to see him hone his skills and become a Jedi?

 

He's going to be VADER for god's sake.

[Guest SP-1]

Haha, What?, that's awesome.

 

One way to kind of complete Anakin's heel turn would be for him to go and exterminate Amidala about 2/3'd of the way through if you wanted to have him go Vader early on. There's so many ways 3 can be played. Personally, I think the Obi-Wan/Anakin duel has to be very long and very, very intense. Not so much with wire-fu and loads of Jedi powers. But just a big, intense battle between two men trying to save one another's souls . . . one way or another.

[Guest El Satanico]

Knowing how it would end doesn't excuse the lazy film making we've seen from the new trilogy. I don't dislike the movies from the new trilogy as much as some people do, but the lazy film making is evident.

 

Somewhere between Jedi and Episode One Lucas must've joined the darkside...of lazy film makers.

[Guest DrTom]

There is never a reason to like Anakin Skywalker. Or even respect him, really.

That has been my problem with the first two movies. Well, there are a good number of problems with them, but that's the biggest one. I just don't care about Anakin Skywalker at all. He was an annoyingly precocious child in the first movie, and became a whiny, petulant spoiled brat in the second one. It's supposed to be devastating when he turns to the Dark Side, but I'll be cheering for it, because I *like* Darth Vader and I despise Anakin.

 

Lucas can't tell a story at all.

Lucas has never been a particularly adept storyteller, and his weaknesses are really showing these last tw movies. On sheer storytelling merit, I think THX 1137 might have been the best story he's told, and the best movie he's made.

[Guest Narcoleptic Jumper]

How in the bloody fuck would Anakin survive being thrown into a PIT OF FUCKING LAVA? The lava would DISINTEGRATE HIS BODY. There would be nothing left. No deformed body to drag out.

 

They should not show Anakin becoming Vader. It would ruin ESB. Instead of it being "Watch as the viewer and Luke discover the awful truth, that Vader is actually his father." it would become "Watch as Luke discovers Vader is his father, even though you already knew it in the first place." The shock would be gone. It would ruin the biggest revelation this side of Rosebud.

 

However, there's no way Lucas would do that. He isn't clever enough.

[Guest SP-1]

I disagree, Narcoleptic. It is still a powerful visual for us because we're attached to the character of Luke. HE doesn't know anything, and I believe the old movies stand up well enough that showing it in Episode III might even ENHANCE Luke finding out.