Re-Write the Prequels

[GregMcduck]

Re; Emperor...I think he has to be part OF the Republic, not "invading" from the outside.  One thing I really liked about the prequels is the way he manufactured a war to seize control; I thought that was quite clever.  Make him someone who manipulates the hell out of things from the inside.

Agreed, but for the love of god, make this new Republic a tougher nut to crack. In Episode 1, one vote of no-confidence got Palpatine into office. In Episode 2, one speech gave him special military power. That was one weakass Republic.

[BBQ Platypus]

I think Jar-Jar should die in it.  It would be worth having Jar-Jar in it just to watch him die.

[GregMcduck]

For those who need a good rundown on all the "what not to do"s, ConfusedMatthew made a great nine-part rundown of pretty much every problem with the prequals

http://www.youtube.com/user/confusedmatthew

[Tripe]

Re; Emperor...I think he has to be part OF the Republic, not "invading" from the outside.  One thing I really liked about the prequels is the way he manufactured a war to seize control; I thought that was quite clever.  Make him someone who manipulates the hell out of things from the inside.

Agreed, but for the love of god, make this new Republic a tougher nut to crack. In Episode 1, one vote of no-confidence got Palpatine into office. In Episode 2, one speech gave him special military power. That was one weakass Republic.

So we have a republic that is less UN and more Holy Roman Empire then.

When it's portrayed like the UN is makes no sense but if it is a republic that is ruled by an aristocracy of a sorts who choose a chief executive from amongst themselves, Empire is always just a few steps away.

[Junkyard]

EDIT: OK I like the "got himself out" idea better, but I'm still fond of my Romanian orphanage idea because I don't need crap about Anakin's mother and shite like that.

I like my Anti/ tragic heroes to have a bit of mystery about their origins.

Hmm... I guess it would have to have gone one way or the other. Either mystery or explination. Lucas tried to do both with the virgin birth.

Personally, as the prequel is basically made to explain things, I'd prefer the more personal Anakin. He fights, gets to know Obi Wan and his own potential, his mother dies, the conflict ends, and Anakin goes off with Obi Wan, feeling there's nothing left for him on his own planet.
But that's just my take.

[Tripe]

If you can kill her off in the first film and not use worries about moms as a stepping stone to perdition then sure why not.

[Junkyard]

As for the Republic- As much as I'd prefer a UN style setup for the Republic, I can't see it working all that well, so something like a Senate with maybe 7 "Presidents" from 7 areas, with overriding power, one of which is Palpatine, apeals to me.

Now as for the Jedi- I'm not sure how I feel about the strict organization and rules housed in the giant modern temple thing. Should they be a more humbly- financed, informal organization? I'm honestly not sure what works better.

[Tripe]

As for the Republic- As much as I'd prefer a UN style setup for the Republic, I can't see it working all that well, so something like a Senate with maybe 7 "Presidents" from 7 areas, with overriding power, one of which is Palpatine, apeals to me.

So like my "Holy Roman Empire" suggestion then. Here's an explanation of how their system worked. One of the Prince electors was the Elector Palatine. I've wondered sometimes if Lucas didn't originally have something like this in mind when he chose the name Palpatine.


The Jedi evidently were supposed to be something like the Samurai so let's make that more explicit. I'm not too au fait with Samurai (not my kind of fencing) but weren't they essentially solitary in there general existence while adhering to a code of conduct?

That would be how I'd imagine them being in the Improved Prequels

[RobtheBarbarian]

Of course, Samurai were aristocrats in the private armies of warlords, so that may not gel with the whole philosopher warrior monk thing. I would see their codes coming from more of a quasi-religious type thing than anything else.

Just... you know... thinking out-loud.

[Junkyard]

So,

Galactic Republic- To make the takeover make more sense, The Republic is a Senate like setup that's given veto power to 7 of it's wisest and fairest.

Jedi- A group of spread out warriors held together by bands of brotherhood and purpose.

Anakin- Slave turned rebel turned jedi turned Darth Vader.

[Tripe]

Yep that all sounds good, I'd maybe play with the number a bit on the Princes of the Republic (12 is also a good number) but yeah it all sounds good to me

So that's the basic background of the stories, next some of the details, let's start with some of the other characters:

Most importantly "Padme" (for want of a better name), how does she figure in and what's her arc like. And no Child Queens since this is going to be a teen meeting then grown up romance.

Daughter of one of the PotR? - Might explain Leia's royal status

Fellow slave/rebel? - It would ensure their close bond.

Fellow Jedi? - Which might not be the worst way to go really and would explain the kids strength in the force.

[Tripe]

Well I think there was a touch of Herbert to the original story idea anyway, might as well mix a dash more in, since it's simply works better vis a vis storytelling. 

[Natureboy]

All I care about is the complete retcon of midichlorians.  Terrible.

You mean you didn't like the fact that all of the good in the galaxy was do to a virus?

[Tron]

Just my thoughts on the preqs....

1. it was total bullshit to have anakin's mother left as a slave. You'd think after saving naboo someone there could have taken some petty cash from the palace and freed her, but annakin apparently never asked anyone to go free his mother.

2. Maybe after her death, annakin could have asked himself what he thought of a republic that allowed slavery to exist in it. That might have had something to do with his feelings towards the republic. Maybe he could have even asked padme, with her greater political knowledge,  why the republic tolerated slavery, and gotten an answer that was similar to why america tolerated it in it's first century, it was a political compromise made to get the republic founded.

3. I'd have liked to see palpatine be responsible for padme's death, while making it look like the jedi were behind it, THAT ALONE would have made skywalker's turn to the dark side look more believable.

4. I'd have had a lot more jar jar binks in it.

5. I'd have at least explained the "celibate jedi" thing as being based on the force being hereditary, and the founders of the republic not wanting the jedi to breed a hereditary "jedi class" that would become a problem for a free society. (This could have tied in to point 3 above.) "Oh, Annakin, the jedi killed padme to prevent you passing on your gifts, it's a political compromise made at the foundation of the republic because it was feared the jedi, if allowed to breed, would have created a permanent jedi caste that would have seized power from the politicians! That's why jedi are not allowed to have families! We could change that, and punish the jedi if you joined me. The sith don't believe in not passing their gifts on to a new generation..."

[Tripe]

1. it was total bullshit to have anakin's mother left as a slave. You'd think after saving naboo someone there could have taken some petty cash from the palace and freed her, but annakin apparently never asked anyone to go free his mother.

Which is why she has to die in the first film (Episode I : The Mulligan) perhaps on the brink of liberty.

2. Maybe after her death, annakin could have asked himself what he thought of a republic that allowed slavery to exist in it. That might have had something to do with his feelings towards the republic. Maybe he could have even asked padme, with her greater political knowledge,  why the republic tolerated slavery, and gotten an answer that was similar to why america tolerated it in it's first century, it was a political compromise made to get the republic founded.

Now that's a good plot point and a fair explanation of it. And This is why I lean towards her being the child of a PotR (maybe the honorific here is Darth, is the status of that as a sith term actually in the OT or is it EU that was just  canonized in the PT?).

3. I'd have liked to see palpatine be responsible for padme's death, while making it look like the jedi were behind it, THAT ALONE would have made skywalker's turn to the dark side look more believable.

Yep Vader's fall is due to pride and/or personal reasons so i could see something like that.

4. I'd have had a lot more jar jar binks in it.

5. I'd have at least explained the "celibate jedi" thing as being based on the force being hereditary, and the founders of the republic not wanting the jedi to breed a hereditary "jedi class" that would become a problem for a free society. (This could have tied in to point 3 above.) "Oh, Annakin, the jedi killed padme to prevent you passing on your gifts, it's a political compromise made at the foundation of the republic because it was feared the jedi, if allowed to breed, would have created a permanent jedi caste that would have seized power from the politicians! That's why jedi are not allowed to have families! We could change that, and punish the jedi if you joined me. The sith don't believe in not passing their gifts on to a new generation..."

Something along those lines but maybe not exactly cause you know I'm not keen at all on the Celibacy thing.

But basically good discussion points