Chronological viewing of the Star Wars Saga through new eyes

Borsk

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The Phantom Menace

The Phantom Menace

1)On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate "STAR WARS Episode I The Phantom Menace"?

"5". She goes on to explain that she is more into romantic comedies.

2)What was your favorite part?

The Pod Race, and the other action sequences, but specifically The Pod Race. She also went on to say she really liked how the queen had the DECOY and used her to catch the bad guys at the end.

3)Least favorite moment?

She first said "When Qui Gon Jin died", but I had to let her know that it was regarding a disappointment in the "make" of the movie. So she answered with, "When Anakin's friends were making fun of him before the race. She felt it was too much of a set up for the race itself, and it gave away that Anakin would win."

4)Who is your favorite character?

Qui Gon Jinn.

5)Who is your least favorite character?

Again she misunderstood at first. Anakin's mother. She felt she was really mysterious at times and has a weird feeling about her. So then I asked again like before. She said, "The Viceroy. She didn't like how they were just so dumb about everything." I bet you thought she was going to say Jar Jar, didn't you? I did.

6)Did you feel you understood the movie?

Yes.

7)Are you looking forward to seeing Episode 2?

Yes. She's curious to see what happens to Anakin. She feels he's going to turn into a bad guy after how Yoda spoke to him. He also misses his mother and Qui Gon (father-like) is gone. How he will train to be a Jedi. I was trying so hard to keep a straight face when she didn't know about the Anakin/Vader thing.

8)What did you think of Jar Jar?

He was good, funny in some parts, but it made me cringe when he just kept getting into trouble, but then he would correct some things which was good.

9)Was "STAR WARS Episode I The Phantom Menace" better or worse than you expected?

better

---

After she answered with a "5" rating, I thought she was going to kill me for making her watch it, but really, all in all she thought it was ok.

It's so interesting to see a person's point of view, though it is just one person, that has no real expectations.

Some more notes: She felt it dragged in spots when she wanted to turn it off and go to sleep, but when there was action and certain plot points, she really liked it.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate ATTACK OF THE CLONES?

7. Too much action and not enough character development. Thought Obi-wan and Anakin weren't developed enough.

2. Favorite part?

The wedding. She felt it was a beautiful scene. All the Kamino scenes. Yoda comes to the rescue with the Clones.

3. Least favorite part?

The Jedi bringing ALL of the Jedi to fight in the arena. They could've all gotten wiped out. It wasn't so smart of them.

4. Favorite character?

Padme. She took charge of every situation she was in. She was powerful and independent, and didn't mess around.

5. Least favorite character?

Anakin. She said she hates seeing him do wrong and get more evil. He should be more of a hero. The way she was talking about Anakin makes me believe that someone spilled the beans about him turning into Vader. She thinks he's going to turn to the darkside.

6. Did you understand the movie?

I think so. I couldn't keep up with all of the names. She also wondered why there wasn't 2 Sith in this one. I had to explain the ending when Dooku meets Sidious that HE was now his apprentice. Maybe Sifo-dias saw into the future and went on to build the clone army. I'll let her think that since the Palpatine/Sidious thing seems to be intact still.

7. Are you looking forward to Episode III?

Yes. She should like it the best of the PT. I wouldn't be suprised if she liked it the best of all since it's the only one she'll be seeing on the big-screen in comparison to a 27inch TV.

8. What did you think about the love story?

Abrupt. Rushed. It needed more love scenes, more build up. She never mentioned the acting or dialog, but she did say that the time it took for them to get married wasn't believable. She felt that Padme should've known more about Anakin, especially because he's kind of messed up.

9. What do you know about the Sith?

She already answered this one. It was clear to her who they were. I hear people ask "What's a Sith?" as if it was never mentioned in the movies, but she knew about it, she just got confused at a couple spots.

Some of the confusion for her was because of the complexity, some were because she needed more explaination, and the rest is simply because there are unanswered questions.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Revenge of the Sith

Revenge of the Sith

After seeing Ep 1 and 2 on a 27 inch tube television (wide-screen DVD version), the subject, I, and some work friends took a half day on Friday May 20th to see the digital projection version of ROTS.

Her immediate response to it afterwards was "It was good".
She said she liked the "Anti-Bush" overtones in the film. I doubt she would have seen this if she hadn't heard or read it somewhere.

We split up after the show almost immediately and I got back to her on Monday with some questions.

1)On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate "STAR WARS Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"?

She said it was really well done, but she hated seeing Anakin fall. She gave it a 7.5. The best one so far, but she said it made her feel so empty afterwards. So it seems the movie being tragic didn't help the score.

2)What was your favorite part?

Anakin and Padme meeting at the beginning. Most of the action scenes.

3)Least favorite moment?

Anakin burning. She had to look away during that whole seen. Things like that scare her. The killing of the younglings. Padme getting choked. These are all tragic things compared to criticisms, but after pushing more she said that the dialog could have been better at times.

4)Who is your favorite character?

Padme and Obi-Wan

5)Who is your least favorite character?

Mace Windu. She hated the fact that he was aiding Anakin's fall by being too tough on him. She really didn't have negative criticisms towards a character.

6)Were you suprised by anything?

Palpatine was the Sith Lord. The younglings getting slaughtered. Luke and Leia being twins. Luke being the son of Vader had been ruined somewhere down the line, but she didn't know about Leia being his sister.

7)Though she didn't cry, I asked her if she was moved emotionally.

Yes. The younglings deaths, Obi-Wan at the end talking to burnt Vader, and a little bit from the birth of the twins.

8)Was Anakin's turn to the darkside done well? Convincing?

Yes. This may need more explaination. Our boss broke up our conversation.

9)Was it better or worse than you expected?

The action was better. The fall was more tragic. Again, not a tragedy type of person. So I think this is a yes, but I could be wrong.

10)Are you looking forward to seeing "STAR WARS Episode IV - A NEW HOPE"?

Sort of. She wasn't totally exited. Her fear is that she will not appreciate them as much because of when they were made. So I told her they will make you feel better when you see them and they are straightforward GOOD vs. EVIL movies. I told her that she won't be disappointed.

11)Would you watch ROTS again?

No. I have a feeling she has never seen a horror movie in her life.

Anyway, here's where the fun begins. I really hope she catches the subtle connections between the two trilogies, eg:Obi-wan's look to Luke just before he gets sliced.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
A New Hope

A New Hope

1)On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate "STAR WARS Episode IV - A New Hope"?

8

2)What was your favorite part?

when Luke takes the shot that blows up the space station and parts with Obi-Wan Kenobi

3)Least favorite moment?

The fight scene with ObiWan and Darth Vadar - it seemed lame in comparison to other fight scenes, kind of like they were two old men - it seemed ridiculous that ObiWan would die from such a silly fight

4)Who is your favorite character?

Princess Leia

5)Who is your least favorite character?

Darth Vadar (because he had no personality and didn't come across as the slightest bit like Anakin

6)Was there anything that you didn't understand?

Did ObiWan die on his own or did Darth Vadar strike him?

7)Was it as suspenseful or exiting as any of the first 3?

I would say no, because the movie was so much older in comparison for fight scenes and such AND it wasn't as "heavy" in that it seemed like a "lighter" film. Although it was quite suspenseful when the trash compactor was coming in on them and at the very end when they are trying to blow up the space station.

8)How was the acting and dialog in this movie compared to the first 3?

a)Way better
b)Better
c)About the same XXXX
d)Worse

9)Was the movie better or worse than you expected?

better than expected, they did a pretty good job for way back then.

10)Are you looking forward to seeing "STAR WARS Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back"?

yes, i want to see what happens next.

What are differences you see between the first three movies and "A New Hope"?

The first three are very serious. A New Hope seems like a lighter, amusing film that's just there to enjoy. A New Hope looks like it was created for all audiences. The first three are for a more male audience in mind (fighting, little character development/love story) and some (third) were definitely not for kids. Also, obviously 'A New Hope' was created much earlier so the graphics aren't the same quality. And 'A New Hope' could be a standalone move just by itself, whereas the other three make you want to see the others because it doesn't tell a whole story.

Are any of these differences bothersome?

Assuming you know that the fourth was made before the other three then it is okay, to realize that the special effects will not flow/increase 'forwards' through all of the movies, even though time is going forward.

Does "A New Hope" seem to 'fit' with what you've seen from the prequels? (story, characters, mythos, general 'feel' of the film)

yes

Do you think that Alec Guinness makes a fairly seamless older version of Ewan MacGregors's ObiWan?

yes, the character traits seemed the same (nice guy that is for 'good')

Were you surprised Han came back at the end?

yes, i didn't see that coming.

Did the death of ObiWan have any emotion for you?

not really because he is still there as a ghost to advise Luke. they didn't make it super emotional, so it didn't bother me. besides, he was getting up there in years.

Describe your impressions of Anakin/Vader now.

i don't believe that they were ever the same person. Vader has no personality that is even a glimmer of what Anakin was. i find it very unrealistic that they were ever the same. i don't believe that even if Anakin had gone to the dark side that he would have lost that much of his personality. Vader in the 4th had no personality whatsoever.

Any thoughts on what might happen with the characters in the future?

well, originally i had thought that Luke and Leia would hook-up. But, not that I know better... Luke will become a great warrior/Jedi knight even though no one is there to teach him (which seems ridiculous to me). Leia will be more and more like her mother. Leia may hook-up with Han, although I think they're terrible for eachother.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back

On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate "STAR WARS Episode V The Empire Strikes Back"?

I'll give it an 8.5. (I think that makes it the highest so far).

What was your favorite part?

the part with Yoda and Luke working together - you can see in these parts how much he is like his father

Least favorite moment?

when Darth Vadar cut off Luke's forearm - how can you cut off your kid's arm?

Who is your favorite character?

Yoda

ho is your least favorite character?

Han

Did you feel you understood the movie?

yes

re you looking forward to seeing STAR WARS Episode VI Return of the Jedi?

yes, i want to see what happens next.

Which Yoda did you like the best? Puppet or CGI?

CGI, even though I liked his character best, he was not very believeable as a puppet after seeing him in the newer movies. AND he sounded too much like Kermit the Frog.

How did Vader telling luke he was his father affect you? what did it mean to you?

since i knew it already, it didn't really affect me at all. no shock, surprise, or any real emotion. i was focused on that part on how Luke was reacting to the news. i did find it interesting how Vadar was trying to get them to team up together to rule the republic/universe.

Ask her, due to the years they were made, how do the locations that shes seen from both the PT and OT compare both visually, creativity, and uniqueness. Also hint at if either style is better and why.

The PT locations are much better visually. (Obviously computers were used to graphically create the scenes, so they were much more elaborate and detailed). In the OT the scenes are very minimal, like they were on a small budget and tried to keep it simple. and you don't get much of a feeling for the planets themselves.

Hehe... ask for a comparison on the Asteroid chase from AOTC to this one.

Can't totally remember the AOTC chase scene. But, i'm pretty sure that I liked this one (movie 5) better. They were in a less fancy ship, so it was more intense and impressive when they are dodging asteroids.

If she saw more of Anakin in Vader this bout, as opposed to A New Hope. Also maybe, if she felt this lightsaber battle had more meaning to it than some previous ones.

Yes, I saw more of Anakin in Vader. Vadar definitly seemed more human in this movie. You were able to see the softer side of Anakin in Vader when Vader was trying to get Luke to team up with him.

And of course, how she feels about Leia making out with Luke! haha

gross. AND she's two-timing Han and Luke. Pick one - of course I think she should pick neither. If she wasn't related to Luke, I think she should pick him. Han is way out of her league.

Ask her how she felt about the Han/Leia romance (since she said she thought they were bad for each other in ANH), and I guess ask how it compares to the one in AOTC.

I still think that Han and Leia are bad for eachother. Leia comes across as a warm, intelligent, good person. Han just seems trashy and uneducated in comparison. He is a thief (smuggling goods on his ship) and kind of jerky. When she tells him that she loves him, his response is so cocky. And yet, it wouldn't have been in his character to reply back that he loves her too. He's just not a nice enough or smart enough guy for her.

Also what did she think when Yoda first showed up and was acting crazy?

it was very unlike Yoda. BUT, he had been living by himself in a swamp - I guess that could make anyone crazy. I think it was a bad way to introduce him though, since they had him calm down considerably when he was teaching Luke AND they should want Yoda to be taken seriously.

If you were offered the job of Admiral in Vader's fleet, would you take it?

god no. you're never going to please Vader, and he kills everyone that doesn't please him. It's best to be at the bottom/middle of the food chain on that fleet.

Who's the hottest guy in SW so far?

get rid of the facial hair on ObiWan when he was younger and it would be him. Although...I think ObiWan is the cutest (the one I would go for), but for hottest...probably Anakin since he would fall into the bad guy category and he was pretty good looking himself, although a little big young for my tastes.

How would you rank the 5 movies you've seen so far?

Pretty good. Definitly worth watching. If I was going to watch sci-fi films, these would rate at the top for me since they're not bloody or creepy. So far, I actually like the older movies the best - less hollywood glitz and glamour with the fight scenes.

Han - dead or alive?

what is this referring to? At the end of this movie they said he was alive, so I will go with alive.

How did you like Yoda's first scene?

it was very unlike Yoda. he didn't seem like himself. he wasn't calm or entered, he seemed like a crazy old man.

Do you like the mellower spiritual Yoda, or the more decisive man of action Yoda better?

mellower spiritual Yoda

Give us your interpretation of the "Vader in a Cave" scene

foreshadowing that Luke will behead Vader. (of course he'll probably need therapy in the long run for killing his father if that is true);-)

What's your impression of Lando Calrissian?

He gave me the creeps when he checked Leia out. He seemed right up the same alley as Han when it comes to character. I do give him credit for warning the city/planet that the imperial ships had landed and that "his" people should take cover.

Millennium Falcon - baddest ship in the universe, or just bad?

just bad/old. (this is Han's ship right?)

Which love story do you like better - Anakin/Padme or Han/Leia?

definitely Anakin/Padme because their love was so great. it was so obvious how much they cared for eachother and loved eachother. you could see it in their embraces and how they looked at eachother. Whereas I don't believe that Han loves Leia - if so, it's a childish kind of love, not the real thing.

Now that all the pieces are in place, let your imagination run free and tell us what you think will happen for each character in the final movie.

Leia is going to have a huge part in saving the universe, quite possibly by training/being a Jedi Knight herself. She is strong enough that she will not be tempted by the dark side. I think that Luke will waiver, but will not go to the dark side either. Darth Vader will be killed by Luke. And Leia will unfortuntely end up with Han. Ultimately, I think that both Leia and Luke will bring peace to the republic.

What did she think was gonna happen to Han Solo? Did she think they were going to save him before the end of the movie?

I think Han Solo will either end up escaping somehow or Leia will come and pay off his debts. I did not think that they would save him before the end of the movie because I knew there was another one after this one.

Ask her how Luke's journey compare's to Anakin's, and if she thinks Luke will go to the dark side too.

I don't believe that Luke will go to the dark side. I think he will be tempted because of his father's role in it. But, Luke is not conflicted with hate and fear like his father was. So, the dark side will not be able to entice him.

Did she realise Yoda was just testing Luke when he was pretending to be someone else?

No. Testing him? What do you mean? I figured that Yoda didn't want Luke to know yet what/who he was.

Does she miss Jar Jar and his wacky antics? Does she find Threepio to be suitable comic relief in his place? Better/worse?

I don't miss Jar Jar, but I do feel that he was better comic relief than Threepio. Threepio makes the movie more of a joke and he can be annoying at times.

Does she know who Boba Fett is? Does she remember Jabba?

obviously, I had to ask you, (sanoma6), who they were. I only remember
who they were by having someone explain their characters to me.

When Vader reveals himself to Luke, was it powerful, or even surprising?

definitely not surprising. i wouldn't consider it powerful either - maybe a little.

Very, very interesting.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

What rating do you give "Return of the Jedi"?

8.5, the same as the last one.

Fav. character.

Luke

Least Fav. character.

Darth Sideous

Fav. moment.

The end where Anakin joins Obi Wan and Yoda during the celebration party.

Least Fav. moment.

When Darth Sideous was attempting to kill Luke and Darth Vadar was just standing there watching.

Who is the chosen one?

Luke

Which Death Star battle was better? The one at the end of this movie, or the one in "A New Hope" when Luke destroyed it?

definitely the one in 'A New Hope'

Was it better or worse than you expected?

it was better than expected, I liked how they had everything end up

What did you think about the Ewoks?

I think they were pretty cute looking - just like teddy bears or koala bears. And it was too funny how they are such cute looking creatures, but they were the ones who helped fight at the end. Some of the filming of them wasn't the best though, because in a few parts they looked like cheap costumes and weren't realistic enough.

Do you prefer Jar Jar Binks over Ewoks?

I think the Ewoks were funnier. Part of it is just because of the costumes. It was comical how they would throw rocks at the StormTroopers and somehow that would knock them out.

What did you think of Boba Fett after seeing "Return of the Jedi"? - Good or Bad Character?

He's the bounty hunter, correct? He didn't seem to have to much of a part. He just stood there and then he got eaten by the giant Venus Flytrap plant. So, bad character?

Were you surprised to see Anakin from the prequels at the end?

Yes. I watched it a couple of times to make sure that that was him. They must have digitally touched up that part. I thought it really made the ending so much better to have him there!

Do you finally feel that Han and Leia are in love, or does it still seem fake/childish?

Their love seemed less fake in this movie. I'm still not totally convinced though. Han did gain big points when he turned around and came back to Leia after he almost walked out on her because she wouldn't tell him what she and Luke were talking about.

As a casual viewer, did you notice some of Luke's subtle uses of the Dark Side? (i.e., choking the pig guards in the beginning)

Apparently not. He used the Dark Side? How? Who taught him that?

When Luke asked Leia if she remembered her REAL mother, what did you think of Leia's response?

Well, since I've seen the third movie, it didn't seem valid. Her mom died when she was born, so I knew that it couldn't be correct. But, maybe her adopted parents told her that. Or when Leia said the part that she knew her in a dream - that seemed possible.

How does THE EMPEROR's performance in "Return of the Jedi" compare to his performance from "Revenge of the Sith"?

They seemed pretty comparable. He had a much bigger role in 'Revenge
of the Sith'. The zapping parts looked about the same.

How do you feel about the song and dance number in Jabba's palace?

It was way too corny. It didn't seem to fit at all. I was like, "Is this Star Wars I'm watching?"

What about the look/special effects/costumes of this film? How does it compare to the other films?

It seemed a huge improvement since IV. Seemed roughly similar to V. Obviously it was way behind I, II, and III. As I stated before, the costumes of the Ewoks seemed corny, but they were cute.

Who's journey do you think was better? Harder/More challenging? Luke or Anakin?

Anakin, because he was so conflicted. Mentally he had a much harder journey. However, Luke proably had a difficult journey also because there was hardly anyone around to teach and lead him (except for Yoda). Anakin had hundreds of people being Jedi Knights and had other people around him in training too. However, Luke was never conflicted about joining the Dark Side - even towards the end when Darth Sideous was convinced that Luke had "turned", Luke was still like, "No. I'm not turning to the Dark Side."

Did the ending surprise you?

No, I had figured it would probably have a happy ending overall. I was very pleased with how Luke got Darth Vadar to be somewhat good. It was a very satisying ending. Although, I was disappointed that Leia didn't play a bigger role in it.

Were you expecting The Emperor to fight Luke with a lightsaber?

I had expected the Emperor to do something more than just zapping him. It's pretty wimpy on his part to not even confront him. But, that seems like part of his character.

Did the ending of this movie emotionally move you? Was Anakin redeemed in your eyes?

I wouldn't really say that I was emotionally moved. I think the most moving part was when Obi Wan and Yoda appeared to Luke and then a few seconds later, Anakin appeared to. The look on Anakin's face was great too when he appeared. As I've said before, I don't see Anakin as Darth Vadar. But, I do believe that Darth Vadar was somewhat redeemed. I cannot say that he was totally redeemed, because the only reason why he saved Luke was because he was his son - if it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have saved him. But, in the process of saving Luke it did seem like he got back in touch with his former self, as Anakin and was more human-like.

Was the movie more or less emotional to you than "Revenge of the Sith"?

Less emotional definitely. 'Revenge of the Sith' was terrible for me emotionally.

Does it feel like the saga has come full circle at this point?

Yes, it seems complete now. Nothing else needs to be answered.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
I thought this was a cool idea. It would be nice to do a similar interview with different types of people that hadn't seen Star Wars before.
 

Jedi_Joel

Agent
Since she's never seen them before, I think I can forgive her for liking the replacement of Sebastian Shaw.

I'd really like to try this experiment out on someone, unfortunatly I don't know anyone who hasn't seen a single SW episode.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Jedi_Joel said:
Since she's never seen them before, I think I can forgive her for liking the replacement of Sebastian Shaw.

I'd really like to try this experiment out on someone, unfortunatly I don't know anyone who hasn't seen a single SW episode.
Me either. I think this might be kinda interesting with a little kid too (and I think the odds of finding a little kid who watched them in order or hasn't seen them is probably easier).
 

Jedi_Joel

Agent
Ok- If you were to conduct this experiment, would you use the Original Theatrical Release or the Special Special Edition?
 

AmShak

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Jedi_Joel said:
Ok- If you were to conduct this experiment, would you use the Original Theatrical Release or the Special Special Edition?

i think you have to use the SSE if you're trying to figure out if it works the way lucas wants it to work.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
In the case of this girl, they used the Special Edition. And I also think that's what you should use if you did something like this yourself.
 

darthskellington

Dark Lord of the Typos
Fascinating. You have to remember, Sebastian Shaw, Boba Fett, Vader, han, all these characters and imagery are ingrained into us since childhood. For someone to walk in blind and form opinions off of basically one showing, that's pretty amazing.
 

Jedi_Joel

Agent
How do you feel about the song and dance number in Jabba's palace?
It was way too corny. It didn't seem to fit at all. I was like, "Is this Star Wars I'm watching?"
woot.gif
woot.gif
woot.gif

Yay! Someone agrees with me! Bring back Lapti Nek! :toed:
 

Nightwing

New Recruit
Re: A New Hope

Borsk said:
A New Hope

2)What was your favorite part?

when Luke takes the shot that blows up the space station and parts with Obei One Canobi
could someone tell me who this character is?
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Re: A New Hope

Nightwing said:
could someone tell me who this character is?
Heh. I actually corrected that in a few places. Guess I missed that one.
 

Jedi_Joel

Agent
Re: A New Hope

I came up with this twist for the experiment, what if they showed the movies to the subject in theatrical release order? Because to me, that would help leave the shock of ESB's revelation of parethood intact instead just being a ho-hum already knew that thing.
 

Borsk

Administrator
Staff member
Re: A New Hope

Jedi_Joel said:
I came up with this twist for the experiment, what if they showed the movies to the subject in theatrical release order? Because to me, that would help leave the shock of ESB's revelation of parethood intact instead just being a ho-hum already knew that thing.
Yeah, except that's the way we've all seen the movies.

The point of the experiment is to show the movies in the order Lucas has them and to see how that changes someone's view of the OT. It's interesting to see what people think of Yoda in ESB, for instance, after they've already seen him flying around in Ep2 and Ep3. It's interesting to see what people think of Vader in ANH after seeing Ep3.

The rest of us can't exactly "wipe our memories" are restart at the new beginning.
 
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