How to make Star Wars Episode 1 2 and 3 better

[VoidWanderer]

Given that all 6 of these movies are going to be in 3D soon, and as a person who did not like the 'prequel trilogy' I am curious...

Could it be made better?

If you, my fellow escapists could change these movies what would you do and why.

Rule of this thread: The movies HAVE to be made.

For me I would return the Force to its mystical element by NOT EXPLAINING it, especially in away where you could cure Jedism!

 

[FalloutJack]

Rule of this thread: The movies HAVE to be made.

Oh, you're no fun.

OT: Very well. The obvious choice is that you lose all of the idiot characters. I know this could be a tall list, but I think actual big-time Star Wars fans will back me up that if we dropped anyone closely as bad as Jar Jar Binks, we could actually have a winner.

You might also try starting with an Anakin who has already hit puberty and doesn't go Vader until he's actually an adult. Darth Vader was never a man-child. Watching the movies just once shows that he is a dark and ominous and ruthless man who will kill his own officers if they fail him, or even sneer at him.

These are things that just your basic sci-fi fan notices. You want details, talk to a real Star Wars fan.

 

[Kolby Jack]

I feel like this topic would've been more relevant in 2005.

Seriously, the movies are between 7-12 years old now, why are people still talking about this? Wouldn't it be more pertinent to talk about how a more recent franchise could be improved, like the Marvel movieverse or Twilight or something? I guarantee you that every point someone makes in this thread will be the same points people have made 10^23 times over the past decade.

I'm not trying to flame your topic for being pointless, TC, because pointless topics are pretty much the norm around here. I'm just trying to point out that it's not interesting because it's been done many, many times before, just like any "dead horse" metaphor I could try to use to describe it would be.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Right, I'm just going to copy-paste the response I gave to a similar thread about a year ago (spoiler'd for length. You have been warned).

Spoiler

If I was in charge, "Episode I" would actually be where Episode II starts. Stuff that happened in The Phantom Menace wouldn't be brought up, or if it did it would only be through vague allusions. The character of Anakin would be radically different from how he was portrayed in the "official" prequels. First off, there would be no bullshit "Chosen One" prophesy. None of that "virgin birth" stuff either, as I just thought that was creepy (I still like to think Shmi just didn't want to discuss the father, and Qui-Gon was gullible enough to believe her lie).

After watching the Thor movie last week, I couldn't help but think to myself that the main character was almost exactly how I envisioned Anakin to be before the prequels ruined my image of him. I imagined a brave, strong warrior that relished action and excitement, yet still cared about those around him. He would exude confidence and charisma, easily forming lasting bonds with his friends and colleagues. He would be prone to theatrical displays, yet still manage to deliver genuine words of wisdom and stir the hearts of those who heard them.

There would be one major weakness however; he would have a burning need to see justice prevail. To that end, he would begin to dabble with powers of the Dark side, tempted by its promise of power. Thinking he could control it, he would delve deeper and deeper until it would ultimately consume him. By the time anyone realized the full extent of his fall, it would be too late.

When it comes to the Jedi Order, I would definitely change a few major things about it. First off, they would be cool with love and raising families. As Jolee Bindo pointed out in KOTOR, love doesn't lead to the Dark side. Passion can, but only if you let it. Indeed, was it not love that ultimately redeemed Anakin in the end? Also, the Order wouldn't be snatching babies away for training. I always felt that such actions were tantamount to kidnapping, something you wouldn't expect a supposedly noble organization like the Jedi to practice. At least wait until they're adolescents before you begin training.

Oh yeah, and no midichlorians either.

Warning: the following is kind of long.

As for the story, it would begin with the Clone Wars. Palpatine secretly creates a vast clone army to fight (not protect) the Republic and begins by launching devastating assaults on many key worlds. Faced with such a ferocious onslaught, the Senate grants Palpatine emergency powers to enact such measures as drafting vast numbers of soldiers from the population to bolster defenses and increasingly invasive monitoring of Republic citizens in the interest of "security." The effects of the war begin to take their toll, and soon the Republic is faced with additional crises like an influx of refugees along with hunger and poverty. Appalled with this turn of events, the Jedi Order agrees to assist the Republic in their military endeavors, but it's still an uphill battle. As the war drags on, Palpatine continues to consolidate his position as supreme ruler.

It is against this backdrop that the tale of Anakin Skywalker is told. While campaigning with his master Obi-Wan, he takes pity on a sick and weak refugee woman and nurses her back to health. Pity turns to friendship, and eventually blossoms into genuine love. With the Council's blessing, they are married. War calls Anakin away however, and is forced to leave his pregnant wife back on Coruscant. It is while he's away that he eventually succumbs to the Dark side and becomes Darth Vader. When he returns for a brief home leave, she is horrified at the man he has become. After he leaves again she flees to a faraway planet and gives birth to twins.

It is around the same time that the full extent of Palpatine's plan finally reveals itself. Knowing that the Jedi Order will challenge any attempt at complete power, Palpatine orders his secret police to destroy the Senate building. Claiming that the Jedi were responsible for this act of sabotage (along with phony evidence to bolster his claims), Palpatine declares them to be enemies of the Republic and orders that they be hunted down and annihilated. The Jedi, already severely weakened by the war, find themselves caught in the crossfire. The remaining number scatter to the far corners of the galaxy, where most of them will eventually be hunted down by Vader.

With the Jedi seemingly out of the way, Palpatine declares that the Republic will be reformed into an Empire in the interest of maintaining security. All of his "temporary" powers are now permanent, along with a whole slew of new ones that grant him total control of the Empire. Palpatine secretly orders the production of clones to be stopped, resulting in the cessation of hostilities (Imperial propagandists are quick to label it a victory). One conflict leads to another though, as a small group of appalled Senators and activists secretly form a Rebel Alliance to stop Palpatine's tyranny. In some ways this plays to Palpatine's advantage however, as it provides the necessary pretext for maintaining his iron grip on the galaxy. Warfare simply becomes a way of life in the Empire.

To wrap up Anakin's personal story, Obi-Wan tracks him down to Mustafar in order to confront his former pupil. The resulting fight plays out much like the one in Revenge of the Sith, but much shorter and more of a focus on the emotions at play than the set pieces. Vader is left for dead, but manages to survive due to his new Dark side powers. Donning his iconic suit of armor, he becomes the Emperor's second-in-command and a not-so-subtle reminder for the military commanders to remain loyal. On a final tragic note, Anakin's wife is unable to support her children while in hiding. She makes the heartbreaking decision to give the twins to foster parents on Tatooine and Alderaan. The deed done, she dies shortly thereafter due to hunger brought about by abject poverty. Knowing that he can do no more at this time, Obi-Wan decides to keep an eye on the boy Luke, for he may yet be the galaxy's new hope...

 

[JesterRaiin]

I have better, more elegant solution :

http://huiswerkmuziek.ru/upload/information_system_16/1/1/3/item_113/information_items_113.png

Seriously, these movies are beyond redemption.

 

[Captain Pirate]

snip

I agree nearly entirely.
After watching the recent Clone Wars series, it's made me realise how badly Anakin was scripted in the movies. In the Clone Wars Animations, he is as you describe: A hero; just, selfless, charismatic, and likeable. He is, in my opinion, portrayed truly perfectly, as while he is all of those things, he does delve into the Dark Side to achieve goals with good intentions; for one example when a Separatist refuses to give information on his Padawan's whereabouts, he starts choking him until he gives in. This is how it should've been. It's like you said, passion is what can lead to the Dark Side, and in this case the passion he has for safeguarding his Padawan leads him to go go temporarily un-Jedi.

I also think your version would've been the best one, in hindsight, albeit with the original war participants. I always thought it worked out for the best, dramatically, as the Clones were originally the stalwart defenders of peace and freedom in the Galaxy, and the ever-loyal allies in wartime to the Jedi. To see them suddenly annihilate the Jedi they served with for years, and at the same time turn into the faceless enforcers of the evil Empire I think is one of the most saddening things about Episode 3, especially after seeing the Clone Wars where Cody and Obi-Wan are such good friends.

I think the droids should also be kept as the antagonist, as they seemed the perfect throwaway villain for Sidious: Mass-production meant they could be constantly created to keep up the war as long as necessary, and then simply shut down as they are in the films.
I also think for this re-imagined prequel trilogy Grievous should be given the consistency and final battle he deserves. In his first appearance in the 2D Clone Wars, I thought he was perfect. Unstoppable, brutal, yet still honourable. He took on seven Jedi, four of which were masters, kiled three and wounded four, one of which was so badly hurt they left him, assuming he was dead. Two of the survivors were recovering for weeks. This is all done in the space of five minutes.

However, in the film, he is skinny, pathetic, and easily destroyed by Kenobi.
In the 3D Clone Wars, he's a cross between the two: Sometimes he is powerful, but he is always cowardly and deceptive, which I hate, as he was originally a Khaleesh warlord, something I imagine having far more honour.
In my opinion, in this re-imagining he should be the unstoppable warlord he was originally, and the arch-nemesis of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Therefore when they finally fight on Utapau, there will be the feeling of gravitas that should have been there in the first place; the feeling of this being the end of the war, and the final duel between fierce enemies.

Whew, ranted a bit there, sorry.

 

[WolfThomas]

Lets see:
-Lose Qui-gon Jinn, rolls elements of his character and scenes into Obi-Wan, he's the character we know from the originals and are going to spending some time. Save Liam Neeson though.
-Make Anakin Luke's age when they find him, it reinforces the fact he's too old to learn to be a Jedi (also not indoctrinated) and parallels the original movies
-Cast an actor who is actually genuinely likeable and talented as Anakin (maybe Matt Damon circa that time), this makes his fall more tragic
-Make a love triangle between Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme, or at least elements of it
-Replace Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu with Liam Neeson. Samuel L Jackson should be reserved for emotional characters not stoic monks. Make him Jango Fett, this basically retcons Boba Fett into being Samuel L Jackson, which is awesome.
-Tone down the racial caricatures of Jar Jar Binks, Nemoidians and Watto.
-Make the seduction of Anakin to the darkside more gradual and understandable, he abandons the Jedi because he thinks they're emotionless fascists secretly ruling the republic and that the Sith are the real good guys (not true, but he's tricked). Keep the worrying about Padme's death bit though, that kind of works, make his lashing out and killing her arise from deep-seated jealousy/paranoia (because he has given into pure emotion as a Sith) about her and Obi-Wan.
-Make the light saber fights less about choreography and more about emotions and drama. Luke hammering Vader's saber again and again out of rage was far better than all the dancing and flips of the prequels
-If possible work in the fan theory that Obi-Wan Kenobi actually is OB1, a clone of Ben Kenobi a Jedi Knight.
-Have Darth Maul killed by Anakin who has used the force for the first time to snatch up part of his cut in half dual light saber and stab him. Make the audience think Obi-Wan is grabbing it as it slides along the ground until the reveal.

 

[zombie711]

I thought they were pretty good to begin with. Some more Darth Maul would be nice, and perhapse a little more Darth Vader. But most importantly of all, DONT KILL MACE WINDEW!

 

[The Salty Vulcan]

I have a few ideas.

Don't kill Darth Maul till Revenge of the Sith. Seriously, Maul was pretty much a perfect villain; he was visually interesting, he had presence and was pretty damn enjoyable character to watch in combat. Just imagine what would have happened if he escaped after killing Qui Gon Jin: Obi Wan would've taken on Anakin while secretly wanting revenge on the man who killed his mentor and friend. Where Obi Wan would ultimately decide not to kill him (because that would lead to the darkside) Anakin falls into temptation, defeats Maul and then comes under the influence of Palpaltine.

Drop the romance. The Jedi are warrior monks right? So rather than have this secret marriage, why not just have Anakin and Padme be friends who just had one special night together during a moment of weakness rather than having to hide everything? It would save the people the trouble of seeing a meandering romance that went nowhere, but still show them how human and fallible Anakin was despite his best intentions.

No midiclorians. I don't need to explain this one.

Don't give the Clone Army to the Jedi. In fact, have the Jedi time and time again try to point out the unethicality of using clones to fight only to then have there influence replaced by those in charge of said army. Would certainly make the Sith's revenge all the more devious.

Drop any talk of prophecies. It cheapens everything.

Don't involve C-3P0. We don't care if Anakin built him no do we need him.

NO GUNGANS!!

 

[WorldofHarvis]

I'm gonna get a lot of hate for this but seriously, originals better then the prequels, not by much. Yes as you guessed I did grow up by first watching The Phantom Menace as a child and therefore am not blinded by nostalgia. *Quickly runs for cover behind a fanboy proof wall*

OT. Even as someone who prefers the prequels they still overall suck arse.

No midiclorians because that is pretty much the only time they ever talk about the so there is no point to its inclusion.

Don't kill Darth Maul he's a baddass. (It's funny because I saw a poster for the 3D Phatom Menace film and it was basically Darth Maul and the Pod0racers. Seems Lucas has realised that they were the only good things in it).

Kill Jar Jar Binks.

Get someone who can act for Padme and Anakin in Episodes 2 and 3.

Do something useful with Jango Fett in Episode 2.

That's all I've got currently by I may return, if I haven't been slaughtered.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

Start the series with Anakin as an adult, a fully functioning member of the Jedi Order. Have the clones as the enemy (pretty much what everyone assumed until the prequels). Over the course of the series, he becomes more evil because of the nature of the threat. He turns to the dark side as a means to an end (to defeat the evil clones) rather than save Padame. Exactly how this plays out, I have no idea, but this is a base to start form.

Palpatine could use the war to make appeals to the populace like "making the ultimate sacrifice for the Republic" and all that, under the backdrop of a war weary populace, until he has enough support to establish himself as Emperor, like dictators do in real life, rather than a convoluted plan to play factions against one another.

No Jar Jar

The Force works because it does, not "miticlorians" or whatever. It just works, the mystery is the appeal.

I also don't see why the Jedi can't get married. I can see the whole warrior monk thing, but having a family may raise the stakes and justify more brutal actions from Anakin keep them safe

Like I said earlier, have the clones the enemy. There is more at stake, and the audience cares more if the hundreds of deaths are actual people with families and histories rather than purpose built disposable soldiers that were created to die in a factory.

One more minor thing. Can combat be realistic? I know light sabers and blasters aren't realistic, but charging straight in with guns blazing is stupid. Try covering fire, fire and maneuver, and indirect fire support rather than WWI style human waves.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Hoo boy...that's a tall order. Subtracting the commercial-rape from Star Wars and hoping to end up with something cohesive? Not a chance. There'd be no movies left! It'd have to be slashed, burned, and rebuilt from the ashes.

Remove focus from Anakin Skywalker, focus equally on Palpatine and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Anakin's involvement should be as an important secondary character, rather than as the star; we get plenty of Darth Vader later, and without any sort of bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin (real bonds; not the monkey shit Lucas flung at the screen in Ep2 and Ep3).

Eliminate Naboo from the story completely. It ultimately served little purpose except to get Queen Amidala and Anakin to meet while providing some sort of retarded plot hook for war in the first film.
Politics are flexible. Palpatine's rise to power should result from his ingenuity, not just his "I can mind control the Senate and have the entire Jedi Order down the hall not even notice."

Make the Jedi Order less involved in the public eye. Remember; there are people who genuinely don't believe in the power of the Force in Ep4-6. The Alliance even treats it as a mystical entity, rather than a daily interaction.

If you saw the Jedi Order in action, you'd be hard-pressed to not believe it yourself.
And these fuckers are out and at it EVERY DAMN DAY, in the prequels.

 

[Phlakes]

Don't market them to kids, don't whip out lightsabers and force powers every minute, hire decent writers.

 

[VanTesla]

Given that all 6 of these movies are going to be in 3D soon, and as a person who did not like the 'prequel trilogy' I am curious...

Could it be made better?

If you, my fellow escapists could change these movies what would you do and why.

Rule of this thread: The movies HAVE to be made.

For me I would return the Force to its mystical element by NOT EXPLAINING it, especially in away where you could cure Jedism!

Well for one don't make such a silly convoluted plot with little explenation and also say it is for kids because CGI cartoon characters (Jar Jar...) and children are in it... Less CGI and Green Screen for eviroments and do it like the older days wen they where actually in a desert, hills, and etc. This would make it feel more real and actually make the actors have a better time at knowing what they are looking at or how they should react.

First movie should center mostly with Obi Wan and at the mid to end have a bit of Anikan, Second should be about Anakin being the great hero and get you invested and to sympathise with his fall to the Dark side slowly growing by the end, three should be the climax of both characters story.

 

[Jonluw]

I have an easy way to make the prequels better that doesn't even involve changing them.
Just watch the Star wars holiday special.

 

[SycoMantis91]

Let Bioware make them. Though i like the prequels. Theyre not near the the original trilogy. But theyre still good on their own

 

[SCHABIQ]

Let Bioware make them.

NO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Bioware are probably the only people who write worse than Lucas
http://branchingdialogue.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1300474624648.jpg
'nuff said

 

[Sexy Devil]

The first two prequels just can't be saved without a complete overhaul. They need better characterisation, pacing, and they just generally lack anything that would make a film interesting. The entire premise of the Phantom Menace was flawed too; it was basically just made to make Palpatine into chancellor.

Revenge of the Sith, however, is legitimately great. The fights actually have meaning and portray Anakin's descent into the dark side. The film manages to have some twists and turns which can catch you off guard. Everyone is well characterised (except Greivous or however you spell it), and the pacing is good. Truthfully the only issue I have with it is Anakin's occasionally stupid dialogue. The one that stood out to me was "Love won't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that!"

So yeah, clean that crap up and I think it rivals the originals.