[Ferris Wiel]

I reckon have the rebels strike an Imperial Ship Yard - that would be excellent!

Wait, that's what I've got planned for my alternative Episode VI.

Man, I haven't done anything on that... I'm so lazy (actually I'm so buggered after work each day that I don't feel like doing anything)....

I've got the blurb down and a little bit of the start. Maybe I might try to write some more later.

I'd like to meet Vwing's challenge. He gave me an interesting thought to think about - how would I tie up the Star Wars saga in just one instalment and how would I deal with the other.

I've got the perfect idea for the other but I better keep it under wraps so when I do eventually finish this thing, it will have some surprise factor.

I swore I posted this, but:

Did you read my version of Ep VI? I'll post the link to it and my version of Ep I on my next post in here.

--FW

[Just your average movie goer]

No, I had no idea you had done that. I'd love to have a look at that, Ferris. That'd be great.

[Ferris Wiel]

Episode VI - I wrote this over a VERY short period of time and posted it about 2 years ago to GalacticSenate.com -- where I was swiftly beaten about the face and scrotum for my blasphemous and traitorous opposition to Lucas' vision.

Episode I - My version of Ep I. Regarded by a few as a better non-SW story, but still pretty well liked.

The Tale of Jek Porkins - Little side story about the Battle of Yavin

--FW

[Just your average movie goer]

Thanks. I will check them out shortly. I'm looking forward to it.

[Just your average movie goer]

I've just read the alternative version to Episode VI... well blow me down but there is a hell of a coincidence there. You titled yours "The Final Stand" - I've title my work in progress as "The Last Stand". Great minds, hey?

Anyway, on with a review. I think it borrows a lot from Timothy Zahn's stuff... which is cool. If you're going to borrow somebody's ideas, Timothy Zahn is a good one to swipe them from.

For my own work in progress, I have made myself a rule that I have to act as if I only had the knowledge that George Lucas had back before 1983. That means, as much as I would like to, I am not allowed to use Mara Jade or the Noghri.

But had I not forced this rule on myself, I'd be borrowing from Timothy Zahn too, for sure!

I was intrigued by a few of your ideas - certainly, the Emperor as a clone of Obi Wan Kenobi was a lot more interesting than what we got in Return of the Jedi.

And I liked your idea of Yoda being long-dead. That was quite a nice twist.

The idea of incorporating Jabba into the story more was very well thought out.

And I read what Mike said about you making Jabba a human and he is dead wrong (no offence, Mike). Jabba as a human is right on. I am with you 100% on this.

Actually Mike said that having Jabba as a human was a missed chance to use special effects - that's a bad argument. It was Lucas' desire to use more special effects that led to Jar Jar Binks and all the cartoon characters of the prequels. A bad train of thinking indeed!

I liked Admiral Gormas as well - it is good to have a Grand Admiral Thrawn finally. It shows us how the Empire can practically stay in power. Because frankly, the Emperor in Return of the Jedi was an idiot and the Imperials did not show any strategic thinking skills at all....

... and his best troops getting Han and his buddies? Why did they not kill them when they had the chance? And if they were the best of the best, how the hell were they done in by a bunch of Ewoks?

The other thing I liked about it is that everyone's character was still intact. And hell, you even made Threepio actually USEFUL for once.

Very good job, Ferris. For a one hour brainstorm, that is a lot better than what Lucas came up with in the three years after The Empire Strikes Back.

I'll let you know when I get my own version finished - maybe we can compare notes, make a final version, clone the ageing actors we need so we can have the young versions again, do some trickery to get the rights to Star Wars away from George Lucas and into the hands of people who actually know something about good films... and then make some movie magic!

[Just your average movie goer]

I just read your version of Episode I... that was EXCELLENT!

I wish 20th Century Fox could have commissioned you to pen the prequels. I liked it very much. Maybe some of the names could be changed (Mace Boontoo) but other than that - very good.

And it was a very original idea. I like your style, Ferris.

You should write some of your own stuff as well. I reckon you must have a lot of really good ideas in your head.

[Just your average movie goer]

Just read about poor old Jek Porkins. I learn something new everyday...

The guy who played Jek Porkins also appeared in Raiders as a government official at the beginning.

Porkins is, as someone mentioned the first Rebel to die in the battle (he is also the guy who played Lt. Eckhardt (sp) in the first Batman movie with Micheal Keaton).

I can't believe it! I have watched these movies more times than I care to remember and never once made the connection but yet, the resemblance is unmistakeable now that you brought it to my attention.


And reading more on the post.... I did know about General Veers later becoming Walter Donavan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

I just read the best line from a review on that note. The reviewer was not too keen on his performance as a Nazi collaborator and thought he made a pretty lame bad guy in the movie and finished that section of the review with a great line...

"Get back in your AT-AT, General Veers!"

It probably won't crack everyone up but it did it for this average movie going sucker.

[CowboyCurtis]

I don't know. Your Ep. I script is still to fan-ish and I guess the only thing is that too many people see Anakin as already being in the service of the Republic navies, already pilot. I guess my only qualm with that is that how did he make it that far without anyone else (especially other Jedi) realizing he had Jedi abilities?

I sort of agree with Anakin being on Tatooine, inaccessible to those who'd recruit him to be a Jedi, that he'd reach an age (according to Yoda) that was "too old" to train. I don't mind him being on Tatooine, I just wish he had been older, closer to Luke's age. Age nine is just too friggin' young to decide whether you'd be a Jedi Knight or not (I'd get into this whole new-agey nonsense of children being wise and being able to make decisions so young--yeah, right).

Anakin could STILL be a pilot. In fact, in my revised script, Anakin sneaks on board freighter ships against his step-dad's wishes (Cliegg Lars), but he'd get caught and brought back. But, he'd learn how to pilot from the freighter pilots.

[Vwing]

Your Episode VI script is pretty good Ferris, considering it is a 1-hour brainstorm. You certainly did borrow a lot from Zahn, but that's ok. A few things, I will be brutally honest, but don't take offense, to what I didn't like

1. The Emperor - At this point I think you ran out of ideas, because having the Emperor a clone of Obi-Wan, is well, just plain silly. Having Owen Lars, who really isn't that important a character, be the inventor of clone technology is ridiculous. Not only have we not heard his name for 2 movies, it just isn't in his character to be that. He is a simple moisture farmer. He should be nothing more, nothing less. You don't need a stunning revelation here. Make the Emperor the Emperor, but don't make an unnecessarily complex plot which is probably the most blatant use of Zahn's writings about Joruus C'baoth and tries to explain the Clone Wars, Anakin's seduction and the fall of the rebellion in 5 minutes. Keep it simple.

2. Boba Fett vs. Han Solo - I know fans wanted to see a duel between them, and I would have too, but not an ACTUAL duel. Not when they actually say, Boba Fett will face off with Han Solo in a duel. First of all, as a bounty hunter, Fett would never do this, he would get nothing from it and would not risk his life for Jabba's sport. Second of all, it just seems like a contrived moment where many people in the theater would groan. I would much rather see an impromptu face-off between the two, or just have Han kill him to save Luke's life. This just seems like it's on par with some of the prequel stuff, much like "It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the force, but by our skills with a lightsaber."

3. Jabba - I don't care that he's human, you want him like that fine, but don't make him a good guy. It seems you made him more like Talon Karrde (again from Zahn's books) than the Jabba I would've imagined. In the first 2 movies, we've gotten so that we really don't like Jabba. Even though we've never seen him, we really don't like him. Don't have a sudden turnaround because of a favor he owed someone (which he really didn't by the way) so that he makes the difference with the rebels.

4. Lando dying - I realize sacrifices must be made in war, but I wouldn't kill of Lando. Maybe this is just personal opinion, but I just don't think he should die.

5. Love traingle - Not a problem, because it's not in the story You have to address this at some point.

6. The "other" - Same as 5.

7. Vader dying because he is sustained by the Emperor - This just seems like ROTJ, only a much more extreme version. This seems just too much. Just have Vader be mortally wounded by the Emperor while he's killing him. Again, much simpler, especially since you would have to explain in the movie that Vader collapsed because he was sustained byt he Emperor, and that would be an awkward scene.

8. The ending - Don't hate it, but it's exactly the same as ROTJ.

9. Yoda - Again, just too complicated for the movie. And how are you going to explain this? In a book maybe it could work, but in the movie it would just be another pointlessly complicated scene that would have to be explained by out-of-place dialogue. If you don't like Yoda's death fine, but I think it would be better to just leave him there than it would to have the whole planet vanish (also conflicts just a bit with the laws of nature and physics and everything, afterall, where was Luke standing? What was he eating if it was all Force-generated?). I think Yoda's death makes sense in this kind of movie, since his purpose is done and he can now go peacefully into the Force, since he now has nothing left to accomplish in the universe, but I won't get into that.

What I find funny about this is that for someone who hates ROTJ vehemently, you seem to have MANY elements of ROTJ in this, combined with some of Zahn's ideas. Again considering this was written in an hour, it's fine, and I really didn't mean to be this critical on something like that, but just giving you my 2 cents.

This post has been edited by Vwing: 14 May 2004 - 02:20 PM

[Vwing]

Your Episode I script is decent, but it doesn't solve the main problem the original Ep I had. Neither advances the story. Yours is still 2 hours of background information, which just introduces Anakin as a little older and already a pilot. It's basically what the real Episode I would be if it wasn't juvenile, which still would not be great. I do, however, completely agree that Christian Bale should have been Anakin, I've said a lot that he would have been perfect.

Again, sorry about being so critical. If it's any consolation, if I write something and tell you about it, you can tear it apart

[Ferris Wiel]

Your Episode I script is decent, but it doesn't solve the main problem the original Ep I had. Neither advances the story. Yours is still 2 hours of background information, which just introduces Anakin as a little older and already a pilot. It's basically what the real Episode I would be if it wasn't juvenile, which still would not be great. I do, however, completely agree that Christian Bale should have been Anakin, I've said a lot that he would have been perfect.

Again, sorry about being so critical. If it's any consolation, if I write something and tell you about it, you can tear it apart

The buildup is there. I just haven't written my Ep II script. I'm attempting to develop characters and backplot while at the same time demonstrating elements of The Fall - both of the Republic and of Anakin. Anyhow, there are some lesser plot points which will be important (and not forgotten) later on... like the ships and such.

I appreciate the criticism, though.

--FW

[Just your average movie goer]

I think your Episode I treatment set a very nice background for the trilogy. And the ideas were very original. No, it doesn't advance the story but it advances it a hell of a lot further than it went with Lucas' own Episodes I and II combined.

I would personally start the prequels with the Clone Wars already in motion and have them as the backdrop for the trilogy.

But it's a personal thing. I have my ideas. You have yours and I think yours were pretty cool.

[Jordan]

We need this new movie and fast. I think we have squeezed all the life out of the last 5 movies. This forum is starting to repeat it's self.

[Just your average movie goer]

Don't worry - it'll be here soon enough. And we're all going to hate it.

In the meantime, take a look at the Movie Theatre section. You could always do a Grill a Movie post.

Grill Die Another Day. You wouldn't get any arguments from anyone on that.

[CowboyCurtis]

This is probably some serious nit-picking, but Anakin's "leather outfit" in AOTC really bothers me. I tried watching this film again, and after the chase scene, I couldn't watch anymore, but this was another thing that bothered me, and if I think about it, so far, all of the costumes seem so 'garrish' and unnatural. In the O-OT, they seemed like they fit, like they were part of the environment, that they were designed out of necessity with their respective uses. Luke and Ben's loose tunic for keeping cool in the desert, even Ben's cape is like what Bedouins wear to keep shaded...

The same costumes just don't fit while they're standing in the gleaming chrome and steel surroundings of the council.

Vader's dark outfit is perfect for the mechanical, emotionless atmosphere of the empire, and so on and so on.

Amidala's is superfulously unnecessary. I had to laugh at her "peasant" out fit for when she and Anakin left onboard the freighter (BTW, did the frieghter look like something more out of Star Trek or out of traditional Star Wars?), or perhaps that was Lucas's "incredible vision" in that a rich girl wouldn't know HOW to dress like a peasant---ooh, I'm all so impressed down here...

Enough snarkiness out of me.

This post has been edited by CowboyCurtis: 17 May 2004 - 06:40 PM