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[Rolan7]

I mean
sand IS awful

Episode 2 is pretty weird.  My most recent watching was probably improved by watching with a die-hard fan who pointed out a lot of plot points which the movie... more references than shows.  The political intrigue which follows from the first movie and builds up to the third movie.

The movie fails to deliver it properly, and should be judged for that.  Much like Boba Fett in 4-6:  He's narratively crucial, basically the reason the Empire is able to track the Falcon, but in his actual *appearances* just stands around and eventually falls into a big mouth.

Movies are supposed to hold the audience's hand to some extent, or at least eventually a clear explanation which reveals the earlier mystery points.  The Prequels technically foreshadow Anakin's fall, but it's usually... kinda like dogwhistles.  Signals that most people won't pick up on, unless you already *way* understand the lore.  So to a normal viewer, it looks like he goes straight from "I had a bad dream" to "Kill all the younglings" to "Oh no I'm evil".

[Telgin]

I've read some explanations of his fall that did make it a little bit more natural, but I'm not sure a single movie could possibly have covered it all in a natural way.  There almost had to be an info dump explaining it, which is the problem.

The pacing of all three prequels feels terrible in that sense.  They really needed three movies with Anakin as an adult and working through all of his problems to get to that point.  Spending one on him as a kid didn't set them up to succeed on that front, and I don't even remember what Anakin did in Episode II other than get his hand cut off.  At least I think that was in Episode II.

[Teneb]

I mean
sand IS awful

Episode 2 is pretty weird.  My most recent watching was probably improved by watching with a die-hard fan who pointed out a lot of plot points which the movie... more references than shows.  The political intrigue which follows from the first movie and builds up to the third movie.

The movie fails to deliver it properly, and should be judged for that.  Much like Boba Fett in 4-6:  He's narratively crucial, basically the reason the Empire is able to track the Falcon, but in his actual *appearances* just stands around and eventually falls into a big mouth.

Movies are supposed to hold the audience's hand to some extent, or at least eventually a clear explanation which reveals the earlier mystery points.  The Prequels technically foreshadow Anakin's fall, but it's usually... kinda like dogwhistles.  Signals that most people won't pick up on, unless you already *way* understand the lore.  So to a normal viewer, it looks like he goes straight from "I had a bad dream" to "Kill all the younglings" to "Oh no I'm evil".

Some cut scenes also would've helped, like Anakin outright murdering another child in Ep1.

That movie probably would've worked better if Anakin started as a teenager, and would make the Anakin-Padmé romance less... problematic, since both would've been around the same age.

I don't even remember what Anakin did in Episode II other than get his hand cut off.  At least I think that was in Episode II.

It was.

[Persus13]

I don't think I've seen Episode 2, outside of the big battle at the end and the Deathsticks scene.

Does reading Darths & Droids count?

[Egan_BW]

Clone Wars 2003 handled Anakin pretty well IMO. :V
Whole prequel trilogy shoulda been like that TBH~

[Teneb]

The other Clone Wars also has a pretty decent Anakin.

[Rolan7]

The other Clone Wars also has a pretty decent Anakin.

Quoted for truth.  I'm pretty sure I've talked about that before, but the Clone Wars series was *exactly* the content which the Prequels needed between dramatic moments (and... filler hijinks).

Obviously the Clone Wars has filler/action content too, but as a TV show it was able to actually build the characters.  Show their humanity, their virtues, and also their weaknesses.  If a remake can "ruin" childhoods, this is an addition which redeemed the Prequels.

almost as much as darth darth binks would have but waaa

[Egan_BW]

I've never watched that one, no doubt partially due to a distaste for 3D animation. Like, gross.

[Grim Portent]

I've never watched that one, no doubt partially due to a distaste for 3D animation. Like, gross.

Main highlights: Padme does more stuff to try and stall the inevitable rise of the Empire and broker peace with the CIS. Anakin gets an actual gradual decline from hotheaded hero to being pretty ruthless. Obi-Wan is a sarcastic quiplord with a more fleshed out personality and a tragic character arc. Darth Maul comes back and is pretty cool though rather OTT at times. Sadistic Palpatine comes out to play a few times. The Confederacy is fleshed out so it's not entirely maniacal idiots, though it is still run largely by maniacal idiots. The conflict within the Republic about the war is explored a bit, as well as anti-Jedi sentiment. Clones with actual distinct personalities and emotional moments. Star Wars Vietnam was a thing.

C3-P0 gets tortured. 

Bad stuff: Jar Jar is still in it, and he looks even more terrible than normal. Droid humour usually falls flat. Lots of jumping the shark moments. Names are often very silly, but hey, that's Star Wars for you. It's rare for a battle to hold tension unless it involves one of the few characters you know can actually die before the Empire rises, which basically means clones and non-movie Jedi. Grievous is horribly incompetent compared to most depictions, including the movie version.

The entire first season. 

[MrRoboto75]

relevant(?)

[Dunamisdeos]

Relevant: The Auralnauts Star Wars Parodies.

"It's Heroin."

EDIT: Conversely, the Ep.2 version of these is my favorite.
EDIT2: More NSFW audio than I recall lol.

[Teneb]

snip

Hey now, you take the Jar Jar stuff back. He's actually pretty damn good in the series. Trolls a lot, too.

[Grim Portent]

snip

Hey now, you take the Jar Jar stuff back. He's actually pretty damn good in the series. Trolls a lot, too.

I will admit he's more useful than in the movies. Still looks atrocious in the style.

[Teneb]

snip

Hey now, you take the Jar Jar stuff back. He's actually pretty damn good in the series. Trolls a lot, too.

I will admit he's more useful than in the movies. Still looks atrocious in the style.

That's because all gungans have stupid design.

[Max™]

Episode 3 by itself isn't quite as cringey on the padnakinme scale as Episode 2, BUT, Episode 2 has the only cute interaction between the two of them, when she busts out the aggressive negotiations line and for that instant they make sense as a budding couple, slightly lifting the rest of the movie above 3 on the cringe meter.