Entertainment editor in “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” and we asked you what elements were most important to you. Here are some of your responses:
Chewy's story
I'm shocked that nobody is talking about the role that Chewbacca is going to have in this movie. Han Solo was always my favorite character, and I'd like to see the origin of their relationship. Since Chewy has a life debt to Han, I'd like to see Han's father die while saving Chewy's life and then have the wookiee save young Solo. —Ed, Lubbock Texas
Vader built C-3POLucas has always said that “Star Wars” is written from the point of the view of the droids. But how in the world does C-3PO and R2-D2 fail to remember Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, Tatooine, etc.? In “Episode IV,” Obi-Wan tells Luke “Interesting, I don't recall ever owning a droid.” Is Obi-Wan lying? Maybe. “Episode III” has to show the droids' memories being erased to protect the twins or some event that explains why the droids do not remember anything. After all, Vader built C-3PO. —Marc Jason, New York, N.Y.
Return of Qui-Gon?As is rumored on many fan sites, we all want to see Qui-Gon Jinn (the Jedi who "found" Anakin on Tatooine, decreeing him the chosen one) return in some form in the final film. According to both the novel and the leaked script Qui-Gon does return in at least voiceover form explaining the central theme of “Star Wars.” We NEED to see him physically in force ghost form as we see Obi-Wan in the original trilogy. This will help bridge the two trilogies into one masterpiece for the ages. —Eric English, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
What do those droids know?Lucas needs to explain why C-3PO and R2-D2 have no prior knowledge even though they were there. I mean, you think they at least could have filled Luke in about his father and whatnot. —Name withheld
That devil, jealousyI think essentially jealousy is what pushes him over. He begins to feel insecure about Obi-Wan and Padme, in much the same way Othello felt. He buys into lies which the emperor/senator spins him. It ties into his frustration with Obi-Wan that he is being held back in “Clones.” He starts feeling that she is unfaithful, or has feelings for Obi-Wan. So jealousy, frustration, etc. —A true fan, Norman, Okla.
Anakin at death's doorI'd have Anakin Skywalker become aggressive, taking greater and greater risks for whatever side he happens to be on at the moment, fogging and deceiving subtle minds like Yoda, Mace Windu and the rest of the Jedi Council. I'd even have him plot this early against Palpatine, and trying to sway Obi-Wan to join him so they can bring order to the galaxy. I'd have him toss his blue lightsaber away and pull out his red one when he finally does go all entirely evil and out in the open.
At one point, I'd have him battling both the Emperor and Obi-Wan so that he has a black and white choice between siding with duty and honor or supposedly saving his wife and baby.
Before the Emperor's stooges rescue Anakin on the molten planet and put him in the black armor and helmet, I'd have him lingering at death's door. The Force itself will give him visions of the next 20 years of his miserable mechanical existence so he can relive his evil again and again, but visions devoid of Luke and Leia, which is why later when he discovers they outlived their mother, it'll be easier for him to turn to the good side in the end. His children will be hope he'd never have on his own. —Darth Mojo Risin, Los Angeles, Calif.
Padme ready to fightOne of the things that bugs me about almost everyone's review of the first two prequels is the fact that Anakin is whining and sounding like a rebellious teenager. Well, hello! He is! By the time that Episode IV comes along he's had around 15 to 20 years to mature into this dark brooding baddie that you see in the original trilogy. And no one complains about Luke whining... he's worse than his father. I for one will be seeing it opening night. I also share the concern for the storyline. I believe that George really botched the first two, they were enjoyable, but the story didn't match the originals. As for Padme, if you see the trailers you do see her confronting Anakin on Mustafar — and he warns her not to betray her — ooooh it's the good stuff. —William Lowther, Redlands Calif.
Padme lives!
Padme cannot die in “Revenge of the Sith” because she is briefly mentioned in “Return of the Jedi.” Luke asked Leia if she remembered her mother, and Leia responded with: “Very little. I remember brushing her hair and there was some sadness in her eyes.” Leia would have to be at least three or four years old to remember that. —Steven Emery, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Obi-Wan can’t know about LeiaOne thing that George Lucas has to remember is that Obi-Wan does not know that Leia exists. In “The Empire Strikes Back,” Obi-Wan says that Luke was their only hope as he flies off to Cloud City. Yoda tells them that their is another. Also, Anakin can know about the twins. The catch is that he becomes so succumb by the Dark Side, especially after his fight with Obi-Wan, that he forgets all about his life as Anakin Skywalker. He starts his new life as Darth Vader and forgets about his old life. This also gives Lucas a way to not make Anakin totally evil. Third, Anakin should be led to think that Obi-Wan is the reason that Padme leaves him and goes into hiding. This finally pushes him over to the Dark Side. Fourth, Obi-Wan and Yoda need to talk about where they will be hiding and why they are there in the first place. Obi-Wan needs to know where to find Yoda so he can send Luke there. Lastly, Anakin needs to torture and kill Jar-Jar Binks. George Lucas owes the Star Wars fans that much. —Angelo Belli, Columbus, Ohio
No more whinny Anakinwow. that couldn't have been more similar to my exact thoughts and concerns with Revenge of the Sith then if I wrote this article myself. I liked your comment that Anakin sounded like a whinny brat in “Clones,” because that is exactly what he was. However, you make an excellent point that he must grow out of that whininess in “Revenge” and become the ultimate evil that we see in the original series.
Also, people give Episodes I and II a hard time, but really there is a lot going on in those movies that is lost upon most people. Particularly regarding Palpatine and his manipulation of the system to slowly gain more and more power.
one minor thing is you left out, what happens to R2 and C-3PO? But who cares, they're minor characters and more comic relief then anything. —Bryan
Ego not angerIf I had any control of this series, Anakin would have been “killed” or captured by the Emperor at the end of “Clones.” In "Sith" he would have been a secret — hidden away somewhere while the Emperor worked to convert him through lies, manipulations and mind tricks. The surprise would have been in what little of a push it would have taken to send him over. Anakin comes off as a frustrated idealist in “Clones,” and I would have played on his becoming Darth Vader out of the sense that what he was doing was truly right — a benefit for the galaxy. His true tragic flaw would be his ego, not his anger. Darth would be revealed to the Jedi about half way through “Sith” as an assassin sent to kill them all, but not out of hatred — out of a sense of just taking charge of the sinking ship that he believes the Republic to be and making things “right.”
Lucas has gone too Saturday Matinee with this. Hatred and anger equals bad is so one-dimensional and cookie cutter. People do not cast themselves as the villains in their lives — when they do something wrong it is because they feel they are justified — even if only while they are doing it. Anakin's motivation should be one of setting things right — not just destruction and anger. Vader shouldn't play a role in taking over the galaxy simply because he's having a tantrum. He should be more complex than that.
The best villains (and here I'm particularly thinking of Hannibal Lecter) are the ones we have a grudging sympathy for because we can understand what their motivations are, however flawed they may be. Because we can see ourselves in them, they scare us even more. A bad guy who is just simply “bad” for the sake of being bad is boring and completely hateable with no real depth — they lack believability. Make them human (or in Darth's case, at least half human), and you have a villain that is truly frightening, because we can see ourselves reflected darkly. —Carlton Fisher, Watertown, N.Y.
What’s Anakin’s motivation?The most essential element to the story of Anakin Skywalker is why he became Darth Vader? What could cause a young boy to set out and betray everyone around him, ultimately becoming the most feared figure in the universe? Was it power, love, or something else?
If I were to have written “Revenge of the Sith,” I would have to ask myself what were Anakin's motivations? He ultimately wants peace throughout the galaxy. He just wants a utilitarian peace and thinks that someone should enforce the idea of equality. The path to hell, as they say.
He had everything of his life stripped at such a young age including his home, his mother, and his childhood. He left home, leaving his mother to eventually meet her doom in his absence. He couldn't save her. If the Jedi would have left him alone, she'd be alive because he would have been there. He has a forbidden love with the one pure and warm person he has encountered in the corrupted cold of space. That is to be ultimately taken away from him as well. Now, he finds that the power he seeks, the goal he wants to achieve, is beyond him and the skills he has honed under the tutelage of the Jedi.
The Jedi are now in his mind to blame for all his unhappiness. He feels they are responsible for his mother's death, his inability to pursue a relationship, and even though they all claim that he is the chosen one, they tell him to wait, think, don't react, slow down, etc.
These are the things that we need to see at the heart of “Sith.” The special effects are just window dressing. We have to see that even though Anakin is supposedly the chosen one, it's his actions that defy the order of Jedi that ultimately lead to bringing balance to the force.
The final shot should be a montage of four ideas. A young Leia being dropped off in Alderaan before her mother dies. There is a moment in Jedi where Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother. “Just a little bit.” She said, “She died when I was very young. She was... very beautiful. Kind, but sad.”
Yoda retreating to the swamps of Degobah which become his new home. And ultimately, Ben Kenobi leaving Luke in the hands of Owen and Beru Lars. And as he walks towards the horizon and the caves beyond the Dune Sea. He then turns and takes one last look at the boy. A voice over between him and Yoda comes across. “Qui Gon really thought that boy was our last hope.” Yoda then answers as a toddler Luke precariously stands and walks into the scene of the twin setting suns of Tatooine, “No there is another.” —Michael Puskar, Pittsburgh, Penn.
Yoda gets busy with the lightsaberThere are some definite elements that I would personally love to see in this movie. The first thing that I would love to see in this film is the actually birth of Luke and Leia. I think that the film should really show the birthing process. The only other thing that I think this film needs to show us is Yoda in a more intense lightsaber sequence, possibly in an attempt to save the Jedi council. I would also like to see exactly how, in great detail, Anakin ends up wearing the Darth Vader suit. I mean, is it something that he wears for intimidation or was it a really bad accident that made him have to wear that suit. I believe just with those two elements in the film it would make it one hell of a ride to watch and see. As an added bonus, I personally would love to see Jar Jar die the worst death in Star Wars history. —Thomas Hawkins, Frostburg, Md.
Smuggling storySomehow, you have to add in the beginnings of the smuggling operations. You don't necessarily have to introduce Han Solo, but some back story as to why the smugglers exist in episodes IV, V, and VI would be nice. —Dan, Brimfield, Mass.
Yoda on the ropesI think we have to see Yoda as left for dead. Even though the Emperor knows how much more powerful he and Vader are, he would still have to consider Yoda as a threat if left alive and would one day begin training Jedi again. For this reason we must see a powerful fall of confidence in his abilities of being a Jedi Master as he goes off to hide in the swamps of Dagobah. —Tom the Star Wars fan, Milwaukee, Wis.
Keep us excitedDespite all of us knowing what will happen, “Revenge” needs to have underlying tension throughout the entire film. Hopefully the exposition will be limited and instead the film will flow instead of looking like some type of chopping block for special effects. Tension is why the Lord of the Rings films worked so well. Let's hope that Episode III has this as well. —Thy Nguyen, Chicago, Ill.
Leave some of that CGI on the shelfHave some shots with "real" stormtroopers. And remember in "A New Hope", the space battle at the end of the movie, almost each one of those pilots had a name. You can relate more to a movie when you can feel it's almost true. —Manny S., Ill.