Has Lucas changed his Direction for Episode 2? (1 Viewer)

[Norm]

"Steve mentioned that George hasn't started writing the script to episode III yet... and like Chris McElroy said in his review, Steve wanted to make it very clear that this film would be for adults and they would love it. He compared the edginess of this film to Empire and said that even the editors are in awe of it."
http://www.theforce.net/episode2/index.html#12178
"Another guy who asked a question, a portly guy, was very angry and confrontational. He wanted to know if Lucas would stick to his guns in presenting Anakin's fall from grace, or if he would "sell out" to political correctness and sugarcoat it. I don't quite remember if that was his answer to that question, but I do remember it said that this movie would have a bit of an edge, adults characters in more adults situations. (and no, not the XXX-rated kind.)"
http://cgi.theforce.net/theforce/tfn.cgi?storyID=12157
I am honestly not sure. I alway felt that when Lucas changed Anakin's age for Episode 1, we were going to get a more kid friendly movie. I had hoped Lucas would get back on track, and do a regular more mature Star Wars movie, which he seems to be doing, if we take into account the reports above. In a way I feel we are getting the true Episode 1 in Episode 2. The question is, did Lucas bow to pressure or was this the plan all along?
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[Tom-G]

I alway felt that when Lucas changed Anakin's age for Episode 1, we were going to get a more kid friendly movie.

Norm, I don't recall Lucas ever changing the age of Anakin strictly for Episode I. George has said that he wanted to start the story while Anakin was 10 years old because Anakin being taken away from his mother at such an early age would be one of the factors in his fall to the dark side.
I didn't find The Phantom Menace more kid-friendly solely because a child was featured in the movie. Using that logic, one could say that The Sixth Sense was kid-friendly. Star Wars has always been geared towards everyone not just kids.
As for caving to pressure, I don't believe that to be the case. Many in these parts have criticized George Lucas for being too stubborn more than anything (mostly because they don't have the DVDs). I'm guessing his plan all along was to have two trilogies that mirrored one another.
Except for the Title "Attack of the Clones," everything about Episode II is positive. Even Ewan McGregor, who has been vocal in his criticisms, has said the script for Episode II was terrific. Although George has tweaked things as he's gone along, I do believe that the current direction was mapped out.
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[Norm]

quote: George has said that he wanted to start the story while Anakin was 10 years old because Anakin being taken away from his mother at such an early age would be one of the factors in his fall to the dark side. [/quote]
If thats the case then why do all the other young Jedi's have no problem leaving at a young age?
I want to add that the reason I heard Lucas changed the age of Anakin, was he wanted Anakins leaving his mother to have a more emotional impact with the audience.
Also, you can tell Anakin was going to be older, when Ben says your father was a great pilot in Episode 4, it was meant as an older pilot, in the Clone Wars, then Lucas invented the Pod Race as a way to show an even younger Anakin as a great pilot.
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[Edited last by Norm on September 03, 2001 at 08:10 PM]
[Edited last by Norm on September 03, 2001 at 08:10 PM]

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The queen of the planet is not even 20, so who says that Anakin can't be a pilot before that age?
Anakin was older than the other Jedi's. They are supposed to be found when they are VERY young and raised by their master. Anakin was created by those thingies, so he is pure "the force" and doesn't need as much time to become a Jedi Knight as the other children.
I wasn't aware of a change in his age either.
I think that Episode I was more of a "family film" and had a lighter tone than the rest of the series. This is actually really good filmmaking because the series could suddenyl shift from "happy young Ani" to "evil, 20-something Darth." Changing the mood of the films allows the viewers to see the change in Anakin and experience it.

 

[Coressel]

"...it was meant as an older pilot, in the Clone Wars, then Lucas invented the Pod Race as a way to show an even younger Anakin as a great pilot."
Uhh... ok. I don't recall Sir Alec saying "Your father was a great pilot, in his mid-30's during the Clone Wars..."
He says "he was the best star pilot in the galaxy," and later, "when I first KNEW him..." (not first MET him)... "your father was already a great pilot..."
You could interpret those lines any way you want, but what it boils down to is that our interpretations of what MIGHT have happened a generation earlier are subject to being contradicted, considering we hadn't seen any part of the first half of the story until now. That doesn't make the films themselves wrong, just different than expected.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

If thats the case then why do all the other young Jedi's have no problem leaving at a young age?

Because they we're all taken to the Temple as infants.
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[Tom-G]

If thats the case then why do all the other young Jedi's have no problem leaving at a young age?

As Adam said, the potential jedi knights begin their training at a much younger age. There was even mention that Anakin was too old to be tranied.
You are correct. George did want an emotional impact with Anakin leaving his mother. Ben Kenobi did say that Anakin was already a "great pilot" when he (Kenobi) met him, so yes, it is possible that Anakin was to be older.
I don't doubt that George Lucas changes things as he goes along. Qui-Gon was a late addition to the Episode I story. Originally it was supposed to be Obi-Wan by his lonesome as a jedi knight, not a jedi padawan.
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[Coressel]

What I was trying to get at was that by "when I first knew him" Obi-Wan could well be refering to the events we have yet to see in Episode 2, or even what happened between 1 and 2. Obi-Wan and Anakin met in TPM, but hardly "knew" each other yet.

 

[Richard Kim]

Lucas has publicly stated that he intentionally made Episode I as lighthearted as possible, since Episode II and especally Episode III will be pretty dark and grim.

 

[Marc Colella]

Of course Episode I was geared towards kids.
Why else would Lucas include Jar Jar Binks?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Jar Jar is supposed to be a big character in the series and has an emotional death in Episode II or III. If it weren't for Jar Jar, none of the events would have taken place in Episode I.
I heard that Qui-Gon was originally part of the story. Without him, a lot of events in Episode I wouldn't have happened (like Obi-Wan being Anakin's master since Qui-Gon wanted him to be and Obi-Wan going psycho on Darth Maul). There is also a story about how Qui-Gon's first apprentice died so he took Obi-Wan as his second apprentice.

 

[Kenneth English]

Steve wanted to make it very clear that this film would be for adults...

Then why did he title it ATTACK OF THE CLONES?
Just an observation, but if APOCALYPSE NOW had been called QUEST FOR THE FAT GUY ON THE RIVER OF DEATH I seriously doubt too many people would take it very seriously. Not that the STAR WARS films are in the same category but you see what I'm saying...

 

[Richard Kim]

Here we go again...

 

[Michael Boyd]

Of course Lucas changed his mind about the direction of the prequels. The stated timeline was changed a couple of times the few years before the movie came out. I think it went from being set about 45 yrs before New Hope to 29 years before it.
Anyway, an older Anakin would have made more sense for E1. Look at Sebastian Shaw's screen age in Jedi. He looks about about a passable 55-60 and I think the actor was probably around 70. Okay Okay, maybe the darkside prematurely aged him.
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Michael Boyd

 

[DavidAC]

quote: Not that the STAR WARS films are in the same category but you see what I'm saying...[/quote]
Actually no I dont, your comparing two totally different movies in all aspects. EpII wasnt meant to have some every day dramatic title it was meant to have a chapter title to a 6 part saga, anyways this issue is very old.
Also Lucas is not looking to make the next 2 Ep to appeal to adults just as he wasnt looking to make TPM to appeal to kids. People percieve the films the way they want to, all Lucas is doing is continuing the prequels in the storyline that he has fashioned out. Besides how adult do you think its going to get with a PG rating, basically any PG movie thats comes out today are on the same grounds as a G movie. The MPAA is to strict and is not hesitant to toss out a PG-13 rating. So if anything the MPAA will keep Lucas from completing his story in full.
[Edited last by DavidAC on September 04, 2001 at 04:50 PM]

 

[Morgan Jolley]

First of all, Darth Vader has something happen to him in EpIII that makes him into the half-robot that he is in the end, so if he looks older, it would make sense. Also, EpI takes place more than just a few years before EpII. Look at Ben Kenobi in EpIV. He looks like he's in his 50s or 60s, and since Anakin is younger (since he is Obi-wan's apprentice) the actor in EpVI would be more of an inconsitancy because he looks too old.
The films are made as films, not family films, not kiddie films, and not adult films. Just made to be Star Wars movies that continue to tell the saga.
The MPAA will keep Lucas from making the movie rated R for theaters, but a home DVD release could be NC-17 and they wouldn't be able to stop him. If there is just a little bit cut out of the theatrical version, it will still be on the DVD, and the theatrical version will allow you to make sense of what is happening and still be a complete movie.
I don't think the title is that big of a deal. Attack of the Clones doesn't sound that bad and could be changed before the movie comes out if Lucas wants to. I just want to see how they display this on the movie poster. Also, the title doesn't make the film any better or worse.

 

[Dwayne]

All this talk about Episode II and III having substancially darker themes is really getting my hopes up. If this is true, then I would appreciate TPM more for it's contrast to the other two films. But all this remains to be seen. I don't see how they could be "lighter" given the natural progression that's suppose to transpire. I'm thinking that we will probably witness the Jedi Purge in III.
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-Dwayne
"And vidi films I would."

 

[Dave F]

Lucas had changed his mind all along. Geez, do you really think Luke & Leia would've smootched like that if ol' Georgie had planned on them being siblings?

-Dave
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[Sam Davatchi]

Dave is right. Don’t count on what Lucas says. Just count on what you see. I clearly remember many years ago when he announced the prequel trilogy, he said that the new three movies will be much more darker than the classic trilogy. Look what TPM turned out to be. Don’t get high hopes for the rest. Just try a wait and see attitude. There is always the possibility of Episode II turning out to be the biggest turkey of all time. Nothing is for sure.
[Edited last by Sam Davatchi on September 05, 2001 at 04:27 AM]

 

[SteveMc]

quote:
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Steve wanted to make it very clear that this film would be for adults...
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Then why did he title it ATTACK OF THE CLONES?

Because Lucas is following a proven formula:
Attack of the Clones = serious Adult movie
Attack of the Killer Tomatos = serious Adult movie
oh, wait...that can't be right

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Crash
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