One of the quotes that always makes me laugh is when Anakin says in the Geonosis arena "We are here to rescue you." Or something like that and Obiwan looks up at his bounds hands and simply says "Good job" Ewan McGregor's delivery is always on point!
@@ThinWhiteAxe It's funny that Lucas call himself the "king of wooden dialogue", when i always thought that McGregor was the most wooden actor ever. A perfect fit, if you ask me.
@@Steak818 oh ok sorry I misunderstood "wooden acting" is usually not considered a good thing and so I read sarcasm into your comment where there was none, my bad
@@theunknowncommenter725 Do you genuinely want examples? I know u don't because u will suck the cock of Lucas and give some shitty excuse for how deep and meaningful objectively horrible dialogue is good. STFU
@@theunknowncommenter725 I'll give one. It's bad because the dialogue is too direct. There's nothing nuanced or poetic being said, it's just Anakin saying he is so in love with Padme or that he killed everyone in a village which we as an audience already saw and so being told about it again makes it less interesting. I know it shows his regret, but the choice of words were mediocre. In my opinion the best choice would've been to cut that scene out entirely and just show Anakins descent into the dark side rather than have him monologue about it. I don't really blame the actors either for the wooden performances, Lucas has never been too patient with the process of acting (according to Harrison Ford).
The Empire was based on the rise of fascism in Germany under Hitler. Everything that the prequels cover is so important it should be classics. Lucas said he only did the prequels to explore the roots of fascism.
@@rickardkaufman3988 well fascism is an Italian word... but the prequals scene where she says that, is represented to every totalitarian state ever, they were all welcomed at one point with applause. Even communism, and the german socialist party of the 30s.
@@Robert53area True. It could even mean totalitarianism but Lucas's intentions were on fascism. Also, the Nazis weren't socialists. They just used the name socialist to divert votes and later purged all the left-wing parties and Hitler hated Marx to the point that if his party adopted Marxist language, he would leave the party. It was a state-capitalist party under the control of private industrialists that busted unions.
I have always loved Anakin and Obi-Wan’s banter. Obi-Wan: “Do you know how to pilot this thing?” Anakin: “Well given the circumstances, I would say the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant. Strap yourselves in.”
There is nothing better in the galaxy than Anakin & Obi-Wan bantering for the entire first section of ROTS. Which I suppose is why they created a whole show to highlight Anakin and Obi-Wan bantering.
@@unHolyEvelyn It's a little on the nose. The line is written as if it's supposed to land hard. The only problem being that she's just saying what we are shown: dictatorship is introduced by Palpatine and everybody's clapping. Not exactly insightful, it's just spelling things out, which is fine, but it is made to sound like it's more than that.
@@ac3ravenpersonally I never disliked anakins dialogue EXCEPT for the scene by the fire where padme is in her black busty breast dress. It immediately follows the pear scene and it’s too jarring. Either another scene needed to be added or the fire scene needed to be changed
My favorite lime from the prequels has to be “you were my brother Anakin. I loved you!” This is probably the most emotional moment of the entire trilogy, and is delivered as perfectly as it could possibly be by Ewen McGreggor
Favorite line: “So this is how liberty dies . . . with thunderous applause". This phrase is not only chilling and heartbreaking in the movie context, but can be applied to the world today. I just love it.
Yea, through insincere memes...In fact, they have only recently started to crop up at a large scale. Before that, I only remember "Now, THIS is pod-racing" or "I'll try spinning, that's a good trick" both of which tend to make fun of the movie. Padme had one good line about democracy dying. The OT, on the other hand, had much more memorable quotes that have been used with sincerity and heart, Yoda's quotes themselves have been used as inspiration for decades, and Vader's as a cultural icon in a much more monumental scale than anything in the prequels.
It's the way he screams like a real person, rather than bassy yelling like is usually used in movies. The vocal chords failing to handle the way he's using them, the way it becomes throaty, it's akin to screaming vocals done by singers like Kurt Cobain that damage singers' throats over time than a line delivery.
@@ertymexx Stupid, frail, non-compartmentalized organic meat bag doesn't realize HK-47 is at least 5 hyperspace lanes away for talking unsophisticated like that.
It really wasnt that bad of a line, it was played as mostly a joke.there were far worse actual lines in the sequels. That's like calling yodas dialogue in Tesb bad dialogue.
I actually liked Padme's dialogue in the "couch scene." I thought the whole point was that she was trying to convince them not to get involved in a romantic relationship, and she just went into "Senator mode," speaking as if she were addressing the Galactic Senate and persuading them to see her point of view. I actually thought she was speaking this way to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Anakin.
I agree, most people hear the lines and receive the tone incorrectly or find it cringe but every line has purpose that fits with the overarching tone and story of the movie, trilogy, and stars wars as a whole.
If I remember from an interview, she first read the lines as genuine and Lucas instructed her to read them like she does in the final take. I'm pretty sure it's because of that, because even if Lucas' dialogue is WRITTEN as somewhat wooden, he clearly understands that having it read as if is isn't good.
An interesting interpretation, but you have to keep in mind movies need to establish things like that for the audience in order for it to pay off, and since we see no scenes with the explicit intent of focusing on the contrast between 'senator' Padme and 'real' Padme it becomes background noise. It boils down to a problem of direction.
@@hyperspeedfox6181 We did see her address the Senate in the first movie as Queen of Naboo, so I would imagine that as a senator she would speak in a similarly formal way. Also, at the very beginning of the movie she speaks that way to the politicians and Jedi around her who are concerned for her safety, and they all address her as Senator Amadala. We are reminded that she chose a political path at a young age when she's telling Anakin about a boy she had a crush on long ago. So, I don't think anymore scenes are really necessary.
Rebekah, I do not know if you actually read the now non-canon novelizations of the prequel trilogy, but each one was written by a high fantasy author such as Matthew Stover(ROTS), RA Salvatore(AOTC), and Terry Brooks(TPM). On top of including deleted scenes that are not in the Final Cut(such as Anakin racing Sebulba in Watto's pod, Cleig and Owen going after Beru, or Yoda speaking to Qui-Gon on Polis Massa before Bail talks about Obi-Wan making contact) , they also go deep into the internal monologue of every character. Two of my favorites are from episode 2 and episode 3 respectively, one being Cody been moaning the fact that the order 66 came in just after he returned Obi-Wan his lightsaber. The other ends up being a tie because they are too related seems that happen only a few minutes apart and that is Padme taking comfort when Anakin says that her presence is soothing and then she scolds herself that she took comfort in that. Which reinforces what you were saying that she had gone into senatorial mode. And you actually see that in the scene because Padme is fighting with herself trying not to fall for Anakin as hard as she does, and when she snaps it Anakin telling him to listen she is basically reached her limit of okay I have to put a stop to this now or the damage that can be done is incalculable. And I know that while George is not exactly the greatest with dialogue the subtext is in there if like myself you tend to read too much into these things
???? Chills? Yeah hearing a shrill male voice yell "I hate you" in the most emo bitch way possible would give any man chills. Like the kind you get with nails on a chalkboard....
@@veteran0121 “emo bitch” really? Dude had his limbs chopped off and was on hot lava ground. What do you expect? Presidential speech? And this “shrill voice”, so? Not everyone has deep voice. It was supposed to be opposite of Obi Wan’s “I loved you” shout; no one complains about that. Why? Because he has a smooth non-shrill voice? Really it’s just feels odd to you guys because of your biased expectations of what feels “normal” (and typical Hollywood dialog). You guys are so fake.
It's a metaphore about the sand on Tattoine, which is a desert sand reminding him his slave past, and contrasting to the beach sand of Naboo. It's an allusion to the two characters and their differences...
Interesting. When she goes on and on about the water and Anakin blurts out that Sand bit, it doesn't sound as unnatural as it does when the Sand bit viewed out of context.
Honestly, the “sand” line is one of my favourite. It’s a rare moment of deep character reflection we see from Anakin, where he drops trying to impress Padme with his tough, competent Jedi facade and instead just tells her something honest and deeply real about himself. It’s him reflecting on Tatooine, and his childhood, and probably about how if Qui-Gonn hadn’t found him he would still be in that dry, irritating sand filled place, and probably still a slave.
It's not a terrible idea on the face of it, I agree. It just doesn't really work in this form -- it doesn't feel like a natural thing for him say. I think that's why people focus on it.
@@samuelwebb2404 What would be natural for him to say? You can say it's unnatural but that is literally an experience that deeply effected him and he in one way is pouring his heart out for Padme.
@@CloneLoli it would of been more natural if the line was delivered with more underling anger and iteration. It would of sounded more natural and cue in on Anakin’s anger problem. That or delivering the line a with humererous self deprecating tone.
@@tsiefhtes It's awkward on purpose, Hayden is not a bad actor and he delivers lines fine in many other scenes. We already get to hear his deeper frustrations in scenes before and after. Again, it seems natural to me with the context we have by the time that scene rolls around.
More precise, to be a young guy on a date the first time he fell in love. I absolutely see myself with my first girlfriend in there. First love never dies and all that. It's over the top and super-dramatic and you will be more lowkey and wise the older you get (hopefully) but man if it ain't relatable lol
People feel awkward for that dialogue because when were Anakin's age in Episode II, 19/20, we were awkward like that talking to or crushed. Hell, some of us still are like that. People feel embarassed, so instad of admiting that it's embarassment, not, it's somehow "bad dialogue". A lot of people don't watch films because they really want to get involved in a story and actually get to know the characters, no, they just want a power fantasy.
@@lefishe6611 The Room dialogue are quoted from very different reason. And they are much more forgettable, without any emotions attached to them, they just are funny, because they are incompetent, they are not part of the story, just every dialogue is floating involuntarily in the room, without any direction
If you've created the most quotable franchise of films in existance then you're clearly doing something right with the dialogue. Whatever that something may be.
Favorite line: "Anakin's the father, isn't he? I'm so sorry." heartbreaking every time. Thanks for making so many great videos about Star Wars. Brilliant stuff.
@@BioGoji-zm5ph "What is it Obi-Wan?" "It's Palpatine . He's the phantom menace behind the attack of the clones in order to exact the revenge of the Sith" "OMG he's behind all the movies!" Lol 🤣🤣
@@gumdeo Oh yeah, it's a great line due to how it can be viewed in multiple ways. "I'm so sorry" that you won't have a husband anymore. "I'm so sorry" that your children won't have a father. "I'm so sorry" that I have to do this :/
Everybody clowns on “I don’t like sand”, by what Anakin is really saying is “I was brought up as a slave in harsh conditions on a desert planet. While your memories of sand are of playing at the beach of your vacation home, mine were of toiling under the hot sun.” It just gets easy to overlook the real meaning when the line is taken out of context.
The problem is, he doesn't *say* that. He whines about sand like he's talking about a bad day at the beach. He doesn't talk about toiling, or being a slave. He talks about sand as an object.
@@chrismanaloe3507 Lucas certainly didn't have an ear for dialogue. A lot of the readings are terrible. Portman has won an Oscar. It takes a lot to get her to do a shitty reading. But the line itself is terrible, no matter how you read it. There's nothing deep, introspective, or character-building about it. It just comes off as a teenager whining about a bad day at the beach.
You are reading into it way too much. The fact he ended it with "but I like you" means that it didn't have some deep meaning, but was just a way of setting up that line.
"You could hear it in a foreign language and still understand it" How right you are. When I first saw Star Wars in a US theater in 1978, I was 10 and hardly spoke a word of English. Yet that movie was the most exciting thing I ever saw.
Which is funny because Star Wars is one of the few SPACE settings with multiple species and cultures that actually bothers having and fleshing out several distinct languages for various cultures and species, this also includes droid binary talk like with R2-D2 and yet despite these suppose language barriers we can often infer what characters speaking in a strange tongue are saying, guess with reasonable accuracy their meanings and intentions just by body language or tone alone!
@@VibingMeike The context of the original quote is literally "I remember telling George 'You can write this shit but you can't say it' then I watched the film and obviously I was wrong"
I physically can't cringe when I hear the "Sand Scene". r/prequelmemes and years of TH-cam Poop has conditioned me to grin uncontrollably or chuckle to myself.
If you watch the line in context of the scene it sounds fine, that's something these "critics" love to do, play these scenes out of context, you can do that too any movie good or bad. It's extremely bad faith
@@quatreraberbawinner2628 Oh absolutely! It's a fine scene in context. Full disclosure: I was six years old when RotS came out and I distinctly remember my parents being nervous about taking kindergarten me into a PG13 movie, having only seen Attack of the Clones on DVD. But never did I once think it was weird or odd. It was only as a teenager years later did I even realize how many people hated the prequels. I'm so glad to see people are coming around. Fandoms can be unimaginably toxic. When I heard that Ahmed Best almost killed himself over the fan backlash to Jar Jar it made me really upset. He told this story of taking his son to the bridge that he was going to jump off of and was glad that he didn't because of his kid. That's fucking horrifying.
The more I think of that line, the more it makes sense. He's basically a teenage monk, probably no experience with girls, and therefore awkward (and kinda creepy) as fuck. It's just a terrible pickup line - in space. The way he fidget around with the pebble made me pretty sure Anakin knows that line is rubbish but shot it anyway. Just don't ask how I know.
I always considered Lucas the most talented child to ever be allowed to direct a movie. There is a sincerity and cleverness to his work that you will never see in a more "mature" and "well-developed" writer because he is not afraid of his work feeling childlish. That's why we get this very special feeling for dialogues and designs that we don't find anywhere else. The Disney movies tried so hard to become a "more mature" Star Wars that they ironically lost all the cleverness and charm behind that childish ankwardness.
Lucas states that his movies are written for children. Of course his dialogue will be plain and unsophisticated. His movies are, for the most part, showing and not telling.
OP I'm not sure you watched the same movies if you thought Disney was trying to be mature with their takes. Disney for all they do good in the fun and adventurous animation world, can't write for shit when it comes to anything adult oriented. They also don't know how to let a scene play out with words for more than a few seconds and that's a reflection of how they've built their brand on animation style story telling.
@@Ricardo-cl3vs I think it's easy to confuse the fact that Speilberg movies host a lot of child center rolls but Speilbergs style is more notorious for being parental than nessesarly childlike. His movies have very loud maternal instinct arcs when it comes to the adult rolls and when centered around children are more written in the eyes what it's like to be a child figuring life out without a parent figure in the picture. It's pretty well documented that he intentionally writes his movies this way because of how he grew up so I wouldn't really call his writing style childlike, that's definitely more of a signature of Lucas.
Honestly, Anakin's dialogue is so believable it's baffling people hate on it so much, he's an awkward, orphan, slave kid raised by monks who tell him to forget about his mother, the only connection he ever had and tell him not to fear, or hate, or love. If he was an eloquent, witty speaker like Obi-Wan it would make far less sense, so yeah his dialogue is clunky and straightforward, but it's honest and believable.
Its all about presentation. You can have cheesy dialogue on purpose without making it creepy. Anakin’s dialouge was just unintentionally creepy. George should’ve gone the empire strikes back route and had somebody else direct it and edit it
@@youtubeistryingtocensorme Maybe, but I think we're ignoring that Anakin IS kind of creepy. He's not a guy who reacts to emotions in a normal way. He eventually helps slaughter the only society he knows in order to alleviate his fears of loss. It would be weird if someone with healthy emotional expression did that
I wholeheartedly agree: whether it was intended or not, the way Anakin is presented is genius. Now if the other characters weren't all like that, maybe that would make it more obvious
I must say as a kid growing up with Asperger's I appreciated *Wooden dialogue* because I didn't have to try figure out how characters felt. Something I struggled a lot as a kid was understanding body language. So having the characters tell me what they are feeling was much easier for me to immerse myself in star wars and empathize with the cast.
I think it's true about pre-teens in general, even the "neurotypical" ones. It takes a long time to learn to read body language and intonation and it's still not always easy.
That is very interesting! George often says he made Star Wars for the kids. That epic tales should be told for everyone to understand. Perhaps that is why he wrote things the way he did. Very complex situations that could be easily distilled for all ages and people to consume. Honestly, how does one make a trade blockade interesting for kids too?
Funnily enough, I often called the Prequels his Shakespearean dialogue. Its flowery written but written with clear intent and poetry. It sometimes rubs people off the wrong way but to me it feels like it works great for the Universe it is.
The dialog in these movies is one of the major reasons they've become so timeless. There's no buzzwords, no trendy phrases, nothing that places them in a specific time in history. He takes what he wants the characters to say, and breaks it down into it's simplest form.
Couldn't agree more. Disney's sequels sound so modern that it takes away the feeling of Star Wars. Things like "They fly now? They fly now!" and the cringe beginning of the last jedi with Poe vs Hux screams of modern humour that will become outdated in 10 years.
@@xshxr Literally means that it is objective reality that everyone thinks the dialogue sucks. Which this video has proven false. This guy doesn't agree and he is part of everyone. Therefore it isn't literal.
@@dannyliftsweights2125 I was so scared that you're talking about Jake Floyd, tapped deeper into Floyd that you're talking about and now i am furious at Chauvin and Minnisoda Police.
Lucas' dialogue works because it sounds legendary: like something from an acient tale of a long long time ago, far far away; not like a bunch of American guys from the 20th/21st century.
It can even be compared to works far younger than that. Plenty of works from the 19th century such as those of Jane Austen as well as direct translations of The Count of Monte Cristo or the works of Dostoyevsky are even more verbose and transparent when it comes to character dialogue and their intentions than any line a prequel detractor would point to. The fact that people accept those examples because of their time period or setting yet don't do the same for the dialogue of a series set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away shows a great level of cognitive dissonance; or, more likely, that those who criticise prequel dialogue from a false sense of authority have never read any classical literature.
It seems like he based it more on archaic story telling and characters rather than modern cinema and script writing. Something that is either undervalued or just not understood nowadays, at least by the critics.
@@zonefreakman You are correct with it not just seeming like that, but being outright confirmed by Lucas himself who makes it no secret the Monomyth/Hero's Journey is what influenced the structure and ideas of Star Wars (there's actually a great documentary made on this from back before Disney bought the franchise), as well as him saying the dialogue between Anakin and Padme in AotC was very much inspired by Shakespearean drama.
@@choueriito2548 I do like reading about Joseph Campbell's ideas, you could say the origin point of how Lucas created Star Wars. These ancient stories are immortal in a spiritual sense because they tell stories that are always relatable in our personal lives. They tell a philosophical story of how personal growth happens, and what happens tragically when we don't learn from our mistakes. So many movies made today will be forgotten in short order because they don't tell a relatable and meaningful story, unlike George Lucas' movies. It just seems to me that many Hollywood critics are completely uninformed or detached from classical education, including classical literature.
@@SonicMegaKing Exactly. Just because it was intended does not make it good or acceptable. These people are really out here making up excuses for how poorly written Star Wars dialogue is.
@Xd Dx I do not hate the movies. I hate certain aspects of the movies. I can still enjoy something while being critical of it. Go be overly hostile somewhere else, buddy.
One thing I've heard about the Prequels that always stuck with me. "The Prequels don't get worse the more you think about them, they get better". And stuff like that Dooku line and Jango Fett line just kinda goes to prove it more. I recently watched the classic Flash Gordon shorts and while in no way have they withstood the test or time or were really that enjoyable to watch honestly. They definitely gave me an appreciation for George's style and how he can actually use it effectively.
Same here. I’ve recently watched THX(1138) and it’s a weird film. I found parts of it were hard to watch! Yet I can see the themes in the story and the beauty and uniqueness in some of the visuals. Parts of it clearly tie in with Star Wars.
Prequel haters are smooth brain people who are incapable of immersion. Genuinely shocks me how anyone can think soulless disney cash grabs are "better written." Find plot holes in the PT. Do it. Now find plot holes in the ST.
@@AImighty_Loaf First of all I'm gonna say that by no means do I think the sequels are good and I hate them just as much so please don't get this twisted. However, there are some plot holes in prequels and there are plenty of poorly explained motivations for actions or motivations that don't make sense at all. There is also so much shit going on in the opening crawl that shouldn't be off-camera and then there's nothing interesting happening in the actual movies (this doesn't really apply to the revenge of the sith but I have also one problem with the opening crawl there... "There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere." What tf does that even mean? I have analysed very difficult texts but this has to be a joke.) And then there is the problem with dialogue... The prequel dialogue just shows that George Lucas has never felt the touch of a woman in his life. Now yall maybe enjoy cringing at a movie convincing yourselves those lines are iconic or whatever but I find 2,5h of this horrible dialogue unwatchable because even if he intends to be awkward, nobody speaks like that and I know this because I am a very awkward person in real life. These movies don't make me feel any emotions and if the movie didn't specifically tell me what emotions the characters experience (e.g. those scenes where Anakin straight up says he's angry) I would have no clue at all. I also hate Anakin in these movies because he is a total piece of shit for no reason at all. I love his portrait in the animated series The Clone Wars where you can clearly see how he experiences his inner conflict between the sides of the force and his corrupted actions are pretty reasonable but in the movies, he just acts like a total psychopath. I could write a lot more but hopefully, you realize by now that those movies are not as great as you think.
The most peculiar thing to me about George’s “wooden dialogue” is, while from the casual, sensical ear, it definitely doesn’t sound like any way normal people would talk. But in a universe where thousands of species are spread out amongst multiple planets and systems. The dialogue still “communicates” “Stiff” and “awkward” is sometimes the only way some people can communicate when their feeling anxiety, unfamiliarity, tension, or confusion.
Feeling of awkwardness is a defensive system. It protects you from sharing your true thoughts with other people. They seem awkward because they are honest.
@@Bodzio2M It's almost like it's hard and uncomfortable to share one's unfiltered feelings because they are afraid of rejection or ridicule or being seen as weak because apparently being honest about ourselves even for a brief moment is weirdly taboo despite how dumb that is.
All this talk is besides the point - go through the films, and the different dialogue in different contexts, and compare it to other comparable movies, and you'll quickly find that this whole "stiff (and especially awkward) dialogue" notion is just a myth and a circlejerk - based on a few examples here and there from I-III, some correctly, others tone-deaf, and then thoughtlessly applied to the whole movie. Epic fantasy characters often make simple, declarative statements in a regal tone of voice - the phrasings need to be aesthetically appealing and fitting, which most of these are. "Epic romance" can use a mixture of these (like, uh, "I love you" or something) and flowery poetry - which that fireplace scene does; in fact ppl mostly hate it BECAUSE of the latter lol Agents, cops, soldiers often speak in clear laconic fashion - for utilitarian purposes, or to show how cool and no-nonsense they are. Normal human interaction and dialogue features a good portion of direct starements; so do angry exclamations, or sarcastic quips. So a lot of that supposedly "wooden dialogue" or "direct statements" in these movies, fall into that category, and are only noticed here and not elsewhere by the circlejerkers because they're actively (and sloppily) looking for confirmations for their take. There are of course plenty of counter-examples to those that people selectively miss; as well as proper cases of wooden lines delivered woodenly in unfitting contexts - like Padme in the Tpm dinner scene for instance. So yeah lots of bs all in all
"I miss you so much" you can feel the pain and anguish in Anakin's voice. A mother who he was taken away from at such a young age, tormented by dreams of her suffering and the very order he devoted his life to refusing to let him go save her. Such a brilliant line
I won't deny that Anakin's love confession to Padmé is very over-the-top and melodramatic, but I think in the context of Lucas' style of filmmaking, it's not entirely without merit. Being a drama king is just part of who Anakin is, and as a teenager with little experience in positive casual socializing (let alone in flirting), he's inevitably going to sound very silly and inarticulate. Although his dialogue pushes things to the extreme, it's entirely in character for Anakin to sound as dumb and cheesy as he does. And frankly, the sentiment behind what he says is actually quite cute and sweet in my opinion.
The prequels were better than the originals to me. If you were raised as a slave in a world filled with sand and then brought to be trained as a Jedi and learn to have no attachments you would be awkward and “cringe” too. Anakin isn’t a drama king??? What do you expect him to say after his mother is killed?
@@thereyougoagain1280 Padme is not a drama queen. She's the sensible one. Which dialogue of Padme's are you referring to? If it's Queen Amidala's dialogue you meant, that's 'stately dialogue' in line with her position as a political leader of Naboo.
Exactly. The Jedi brought him in and tought him to repress his emotions just as his hormones started raging. Then he met Padme and fell head over heels for her. What was he going to be, some sort of suave James Bond type? He was awkward nad cringeworthy. So were most Star Wars fans, and I think they didnt like that being refelcted back at them...
Almost every single prequel line is a legendary meme. And that's because the dialog is great. Anakin speaks awkwardly not because the dialogues are bad, but because he's a young introvert man who never really interacted with women before.
@C man Man It's amazing how many parallels can be drawn from the criticisms of the OT vs the criticisms of the PT. "I like the main villains but those comic sidekicks and politics are really unnecessary" was a common complaint I see looking through old ANH reviews. Suddenly when TPM came out everyone forgot how C-3PO and R2-D2 did essentially the same thing as Jar-Jar.
@@VinVonVoom well. Both the droids and Jar Jar are used as comic relief, yes. But the latter was overused to a point that many viewers were really annoyed and kicked out of the narration suspension. R2D2 to me had some mildly annoying moments - but also good ones.
@@NotaNazgul this. The big battle(s) at the end of TPM were a worse version of Endor, when they try to make us be in suspense and laugh at the same time. It can work, but Jar-Jar crosses that fine line by a galactic mile, completely murdering the suspense.
@@ertymexx Depends on the viewer. I thought it was fine for the most part in regards to juxtaposing between the more intense battle (the duels) and the childish one (Ewoks and Gungans)
@@VinVonVoom It's funny, I remember reading an interview from Lucas about the droids being compared to Jar Jar. He stated that while there were definitely some criticisms of C-3PO in ANH, they were drowned out by the films overall positivity. There was a similar backlash to the Ewoks in Jedi, but that died down too. Lucas believed that Jar Jar only got a more extreme response due to the proliferation of the internet, where opinions could be voiced louder and be picked upon by more media outlets. Though funnily enough, Lucas responded to the C-3PO/Jar Jar criticisms in a similar way -by being almost self aware of the criticisms. In Empire, virtually all the characters make fun of C-3PO's mannerisms and his irritations are played off for laughs. In Clones, there's a brief moment were Jar Jar smiles towards the camera, as if saying 'yeah bitch I'm back!' 😂
That montage at the end was dope. This is probably the most perfectly articulated video on Lucas’ dialogue Favorite line: “There’s always a bigger fish” by Qui Gon. It has quite a deep meaning, really
@@benparsons4979 the idea that sometimes things are more layered than they appear. For instance in the Phantom Menace I always thought it was Maul but the bigger fish was Sheev and the even bigger fish was Jar Jar. Even in real life we think Gates or Fauci or a secret group or organization rules the world but then you realize there’s a bigger fish
I think that line is powerful and genius, because it is established earlier that anakin thinks of obi wan as his father, yet in episode 3 obi describes anakin as his brother twice, and tells him "you have become a greater jedi than I could ever hope to" Anakin sees obi as his mentor, pretty much his father, because he is his master. However, obi wan has nothing but respect for anakin and had by that point started to see him as an equal or a superior, not as his padawan anymore. Obi wan didnt just love anakin, he looked up to him, all the while anakin was accusing obi wan of holding him back. When Yoda tasks obi wan to hunt down and kill anakin, his heart literally breaks. The truth is obi wan died alongside anakin on that terrible day of betrayal, so much so that he started calling himself Ben and became reclusive, his only purpose being to watch over his lost brother's son until he met anakin one last time.
I really don't understand why people hate the i don't like sand... She literally just got done explaining swimming across the lake, and laying out on the beach half naked on the sand. She painted a perfect image in his mind of something enjoyable. As someone who has lived in the desert for several years. It makes alot of since I hate the sand too, its annoying and rough, unlike the smooth refreshing water. Like that of a woman's touch. How hard is it to understand the lines...??? It really isn't hard.
hyper-critical people who cant enjoy the movie for what it is. good plot, good character development, but they need something to dislike and mock because it's either boomers who want to be loyal to the original trilogy, or its pretentious "intellectuals"
Anakin's line 'I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new empire' as he stands three feet from the woman he loves and has just choked into unconsciousness always gives me chills. He has literally denied all four of those to the one person whom this all was supposed to be for. His goal was to save Padme, but as a Jedi master once said, the dark side will consume you.
It's interesting that you say that, but it's not something that really registers with me (because it's shot as a closeup). If we actually saw her in the same frame as him when he says that, that would be horrifying.
When he finally realizes that peace is a lie, and instead follows his passions (the love he has for his son) things will go right... He will gain the power he needs... His chains will be broken, and the force shall free him.
@@urktheturtle2988 Nice reference to and interpretation of the Sith Code. Honestly, being a Sith isn't automatically a bad thing. Dooku was a well-meaning man (until Dave Fuckloni ruined him in TCW) who resorted to drastic measures because the Republic was rotten to the core. And unlike Vader, Dooku actually had self-control.
The dialogue it's part of the charm, it always has been. People say he is a terrible director but, this is the same guy who shadowed Spielberg himself in college, the same guy who directed THX-1138 and American Graffiti, the same guy who made Sci-fi mainstream and cool again with a movie everyone thought it would fail, the guy who has pushed the boundaries of movie making and animation so far that what was thought "impossible" to do, now any major studio can do it. It's absolutely saddening that George gets to be so underappreciated and underrecognized by so many people even the ones who were supposed to cherish his work and continue his legacy.
The original trilogy was a knight, wizard, and princess story. The Prequels were a tragic space opera with ever relevant politics. Both with organic flowing stories.
the truth is every single director, (and by extension every single creator, but let's not touch that can of worms) no matter how great, has weak spots. areas of directing where he's just not as amazing as others. The only mistake George did was not hiring someone who could fill in on that. Literally EVERYTHING ELSE he's done perfectly, and you just cant argue with that simply beacuse we wouldn't even have this conversation if he did not.
I've never had a problem with the dialogue in these movies. Star Wars in all its aspects is an operatic epic, the music, the visuals, and the dialogue. It doesn't try to feel grounded, it's being artistic, and like that segment of foreshadowing showed, the dialogue has deeper meaning, making it so much more rewarding to watch again. And Anakin was a little boy born in slavery, with terrible social interactions, and then when finally free he's put into the Jedi Order. He's always been a puppet, with people telling him what to do, never has he gotten the time to understand his emotions, he just had them. So he's awkward, and bad socially, so obviously he says weird stuff. I unironicly have had similar sentences escape my mouth. The scenes are supposed to be awkward, and those lines aren't what solidifies the romance between Ani and Padmé, they love each other, and a monologue about sand isn't gonna change that, not in a good nor bad way.
In a strange way George is practically Lynchian . Not “good” in a conventional sense - more of an abstract, regal way. It’s hard to identify. Lucas and Spielberg are similar in that way too in that they’re good with catching a certain emotion and letting John Williams spin it into diamonds. I suppose that plays into one of the points in this video (George doesn’t really give a shit about the dialogue). One of the strongest aspects of the prequels are it’s visuals . Obviously to many faults as well, but the most memorable moments of those films are the music stings attached to say, Darth Maul or entering Mustafar, the arena scene in Clones. Food for thought!
A tip for appreciating Hayden's dialogue is to imagine him saying it in Vader's voice. You may laugh at the mental image of Darth Vader trying to romance Padmé by bluntly stating "I am haunted by the kiss that you never should have given me," but that is exactly the stilted formal way Vader talks. Once you learn to appreciate Anakin's faux-cool speech patterns, you'll actually be disappointed with Matt Lanter's performance.
It works the other way too. Try imagining Hayden saying “The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am” or “I am altering the deal; pray I don’t alter it further.”
@@waltascher holy shit this is genius. I've heard about the Hayden imitating Vader but never thought of him saying the actual dialogue and it totally works.
After 10 years of the "Marvel Snarky Universe" that has dripped into EVERY kind of movie....it is extremely refreshing to go back to the original Star Wars Saga and get dialogue handled with a sense of clarity, and earnestness....without a constant sense of cynicism or a need to be constantly humorous.
@@SuperGreyWulf True, the films aren't devoid of humor...but Obi-Wan's material is timed so well and placed properly. In Star Wars, he is sort of the one who makes a snarky quip every now and then...in the Marvel movies, it feels like that is EVERY character. Obi-Wan also knows when there is room for a bit of a joke and when it is time to be dead serious.
Whenever I hear Anakin scream "I hate you" to Obi-Wan, I feel so many emotions, the fear I had watching him as a kid, the sadness it brings, their relationship destroyed and the hurt Obi-Wan recieves. I personally feel Revenge of the Sith no matter how many people dislike it, you have to admit, it had some powerful, hard hitting moments!
i just watched rots for the first time last night, and i really enjoyed it! it was tough going from anakin and obi wan joking and teasing each other at the beginning, to 2 hours later trying to kill each other
Honestly, the scene with Anakin and Padme by the fireplace is one of my most genuinely favorite scenes of dialogue. They are both trying so hard to hide and yet convey their true feelings while desperately trying to maintain their stoic, professional facades even as they completely collapse. The pain of their public positions colliding with their deep yearning is what produces their stilted dialogue, making their inner turmoil so awkward, and palpable. It is probably the most maligned and misunderstood and underappreciated scene of all time.
I have a feeling that many people dislike it because it reminds them of how awkward and cringeworthy THEY were around their first love. Or makes them aware of how awkward and cringeworthy they probably will be if/when they find a person that they love romantically. Of course, few of them will ever admit it because their ego's won't allow it. The scene is so brutally honest with how uncomfortable love can be that people lashed out but frankly, I think that just makes it all the more sincere.
@@tomnorton4277 Or...maybe it's just not a very well written scene? Could your ego cope with that explanation? Cause plenty of movies have captured the awkwardness of first love without such lines as "I wish that I could wish away my feelings." Like, it's all very well to be going on about other people's egos, but it seems like you're the one with the ego if you can't admit something is a bit schlocky, or mediocre. It's okay! Star Wars is made for kids, it always has been. You don't have to be so insecure that you try and turn it into some sort of Chaucer-esque misunderstood genius that you alone (of course) understand. Sometimes it helps gain a little perspective to poke fun at the things you enjoy. I know the prequels have appalling dialogue. But I still enjoy them. I've never been quite sure WHY so many people feel like they need Star Wars to be something more than it is. Is it the insecurity of enjoying childish things? That in itself is a sign of immaturity.
@@clutteryfluttery6391 So you were Mr Smooth around your first love? I've never been in a relationship but my ego can cope with the knowledge that I would probably be an awkward wreck too. And if I was ashamed of watching stuff for children, I'd have to be ashamed of still being a Pokemon fan at the age of 28.
@@clutteryfluttery6391 Likely the best and most accurate comment on this channel. These people read excessively into crap dialogue, and add themes and depth that aren't there, and were never there to begin with. Lucas - and many of his colleagues, contemporaries, and close contacts - have routinely and bluntly remarked upon how poor his dialogue is. Lucas has admitted it time, and time again. He's just a bad writer. There's nothing more to it than that. Those who feel they must defend the dialogue and turn it into "the best writing ever" (as I've seen some commenters state) are only saying that, because they adore Lucas and cannot fathom that he'd be a bad writer. But he is. He's even said it's worst attribute, in respect of filmmaking.
6:27 What I actually like about this line is the part you cut out: "The thought of not being with you... I can't breath." Because once he becomes Darth Vader, he loses her, and after he loses her, he has a hard time breathing.
Anakin’s dialogue at least makes sense for his character in the prequels. He was ripped from his mother during the most developmental time of his life and told to shut off his emotions despite them being a key part of his identity, resulting in emotional stunting and his awkwardness when interacting with others. It would be genius aside from the fact everyone in the prequels is like that
Jedi aren't "most" of the characters in a single film. If only the Jedi dialogue was terrible, that would be one thing (explained as you indicate), but that's just not the case.
@@inarencommander4663 This doesn't require wooden characters! Royalty are a large part of the cast of Game of Thrones, or The Crown, or any number of "palace intrigue" stories. Politicians also don't have to be flat and wooden (this is fiction, after all), which is why West Wing / House of Cards /The Crown (which is both, actually) are popular and interesting.
He's a slave on a desert planet he's probably never seen someone so clean before, and thus it's not too far fetched that he thinks it's because she's some sort of hyper beautiful alien.
To me it looked quite natural. Anakin is not even 10 in that movie, he's just a kid, and kids are pretty honest and don't think about what they're saying as much as adults do
My favourite line will always be “I am a Jedi like my father before me” it’s simple and effective and I love how it perfectly captures Luke’s and anakins story, accepting that he can be a Jedi, that he can be good again. Though I will always love “ask this is how liberty die, with thunderous applause” it’s so good. I will never not love the prequels (also if you ask me, the Disney trilogy have by far the worst dialogue out of all of Star Wars movies)
True the only piece of dialogue I can remember from the sequels is "blow that piece of junk out of the sky!" Cause Adams delivery is so cool! Oh and "REEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
The genius of George Lucas is also his way of filming: the shots are often long, wide and allow the context to be easily defined. Special effects are important but Lucas takes the time to show us each scene in detail, without adding tons of action or unnecessary fast movements. The same goes for the duels, the centerpieces of each film: the choreographies are always neat without trying to change plan every second to impress us.
@@jimcorleone7861 Are you trying to insult him? You just said that he is now focused and strong. But also he's right, most of the shots in the prequels were literally wide-shots of two characters casually pacing towards the camera with a CGI backdrop. It's laziness, and has been present in cinematography since the beginning and is often used in cheap productions with low budget or productions meant to make a quick buck. Why would Lucas using this cheap, uninspired and lazy technique make his use of it better?
Since Star Wars is in the space opera genre, the melodramatic dialogue that is accompanied with the theatrical acting style fits the franchise very well. George Lucas has mentioned how he wants his actors and actresses to act in a way that is reminiscent of the 1930s style of acting as he really enjoys that type of acting in classic films of the 30s as well as the old 30s serials that he enjoyed watching as a kid and served as some of his many influences for Star Wars.
I get it now. It's just a sound effect. It's why the old Lego Star Wars fit the Lego format so well with zero words and only muttering. It's easy for any 5 year old to understand, but genius with its emotional tones. Paired with the music, visuals, and sound effects, Star Wars is a sensory experience unlike anything ever created.
After studying Shakespeare in high school, I think I've gained a new appreciation for Lucas' dialogue. it's almost as if it were being performed in a theatre, just with actual sets and a bigger budget. to look at the dialogue from a modern lens is to be blind. it is an opera, a piece of theatre, like you said it encompasses emotion.
@@SDfan2002 I could point to various other characters who display such emotion , be that joy, pain, grief, fury, or curiosity. This applies to the core 3 of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme as well as others depending on the necessary context. Just look at the Mustafar exchange between the three of them. So much emotion is conveyed not just through the dialogue, but you could practically name the emotions they're feeling without sound. :)
@@onemoreminute0543 I mean, if you have to repeatedly scramble back to the same scene on Mustafar to point out how emotional the movies were, they probably weren't terribly emotive at all.
6:00 - 7:00 has got to be the cleanest sequence I've ever *experienced* in a video essay. Your editing provided understanding beyond words. Lucas is the King of Wooden Dialogue!
Its ridiculous to say that Ewan is the only reason people remember Obi-Wan's lines, George Lucas intentionally wanted to show Obi-Wan to be a swashbuckling wise guy with a quip for every scenario because it lines up with the ESB scene where Yoda protests that Luke is reckless and Obi responds with "So was I, if you remember." It wasn't a situation where Obi-Wan's lines are grave and serious but they are written so badly that people laugh at the bad craftsmanship, everything was intentional.
@@coleeckerman1390 Ewan isn't the _only_ reason the lines stick in memory, granted. Still, this is a Hamlet-style tragedy where the main tragic fallen hero consistently has wonky dialogue.
I always thought the dialogue gave the feeling of "space opera, melodrama" feeling very well. It was corny but poetic and very memorable. I think I ve memorized more than half of the dialogue of first 6 movies
I love the dialogue during the death star attack. It sounds like actual comms chatter, and it makes the scene more realistic, and less stylized. I could recite half of it from memory, even though most of it is meaningless. George Lucas plays his dialogue straight, without stylization, no irony or cynical self-awareness. It really helps to establish suspension of disbelief, because the characters say their lines the way you'd actually expect a real person to.
Agree. In the MCU it would all be cynical banter because everyone knows no one actually dies (accept for the Big Finale) in these movies. In Star Wars, they know they are all about to die. Not really a time for light-hearted banter.
People seem to forget that Star Wars is essentially a soap opera! The Manichee light vs. dark duality seems to make people forget that it is a cheesy soap opera about a messed up family. People take it too seriously, but not sincerely, as is the intention, like you said. Another excellent video!
Exactly! From surprise siblings to secret love affairs, Star Wars has a lot in common with soap operas, or at least media that satirizes them. The films are campy and larger than life, which is part of why they're so lovable.
@@divergenttardis7378 Something I said many times is: the movies aren't afraid to take risks, doing things different than 'normal' movies, not as in randomly subverting expectations every time (cough The Last Jedi), but with creating a different world where everything would be 'strange' in real life, but makes sense with the context of the world it takes place in.
“You could probably watch them in a foreign language and still understand what’s happening.” Wow, that put the entire saga into a completely new perspective for me.
Various characters, aliens, droids and even some humans speaking in strange languages in-universe but we can still understand the jist of what they're saying most of the time by their tone, body language and other non verbal signs!
I've heard the star wars movies described as being akin to silent films, where the score provides a lot of the context, and I totally agree! It also does make things feel more natural when there are a ton of alien languages and droids to communicate with
I agree. It just isn’t a space opera without cheesy dialogue. People have to remember that besides all of the special effects and modern technology, the prequels are 1950s adventure serials. It’s a shame the dialogue in the prequels is as misunderstood as it is.
The prequels: Deemed clunky on the surface but with so much heart underneath The sequels: Super flashy on the surface but with absolutely no heart underneath
That "storytelling with sound effects" is a really good point, I never thought about it like that. But yes, that is absolutely something that made Star Wars under George Lucas so special and memorable in a way the sequels are not
My favorite line is "You were the Chosen One" it's such a line that has so much meaning and emotion like how amazing can a line be that when you hear it it gives you chills
For me this dialogue has its own style and atmosphere, like... You listen to that and you know: "That's Star Wars! That's legendary tale about knights in a galaxy far far away!". If they did not speak so elegant, straight-forward and awkward in the same time, it would not be so iconic and characteristic. And, of course, so mematic!
I think that's why you see the best performances out of the more classic theatric actors in the cast, Ian Mckellan, Alec Guiness, Ian McDiarmid, James Earl Jones and Peter Cushing all give absolutely knockout performances that feel so much larger than what's actually on the page. It reminds me a lot of Star Trek captains, the captains are usually best when played by the same sort of actors who can deliver these grand speeches and feel like bold heroes of virtue without feeling cheesy or insincere. One of the things I was so saddened to see was the new Dune lacking that sense of grandiosity, while it's a mess of a film I adore the casting of Lynch's film (some obvious exceptions aside), Patrick Stewart as Guerney gave such an air of gravitas and theater to the role that the grittiness of the new film doesnt even try to capture.
There plenty of debate about both. The original film was only good because of the editing, not because of Lucas. The best movie is the one he didn’t direct. The story is literally the heroes journey, the single most retold story ever. Where is the genius exactly? The series only became popular because of other people.
@@Auzzie015 I would’ve agreed, once upon a time. More recently I’ve been listening to him actually talk about it in interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff, and damn his mind is incredible. I agree that Star Wars was a success because of other people, that’s clear as day. But when I listen to him talking about it all....He is wicked smart.
@@adammyers7383 People should read the Making of Star Wars or at least some documentaries. Lucas WAS one of the editors, he actually fired the guy who did the first cut and then he, Marcia and and two other guys did the editing under Lucas's supervision. Not to mention, he wrote the whole thing from scratch and directed it. Even with TESB and ROTJ, he still wrote most of the script and was heavily involved in special effects and editing. He was also a co-director of ROTJ. He's not perfect (who is?) but he did have vision that's non-existent in the sequels.
I always thought this was a trick to make Star Wars accessible to everyone. When you have themes and emotions as strong as the ones in the prequels making the dialogue simple yet memorable is a good way to make sure everyone from adults to children can understand and are invested
Can I just take a minute to say that Ewan McFregor’s line delivery is so wonderful that nothing sounds wooden no matter the actual content of what is spoken
This is the real issue. Sure the writing is corny, but the right delivery makes it charming. This was the case of the OG movies because of the great chemistry among the leads, seasoned stage actors, some small improv and tweaking of the script and excellent editing. The prequels are pure George, for good and bad. He is genuinely terrible at giving his actors direction. It's why you had scene stealers like Obi Wan and Palpatine, but stinkers like Anakin and Padme. People can argue back and forth about the wooden dialog until the end of time, but Hayden and Padme had ZERO chemistry. I never believed for a moment they were ever in love.
I can't believe it has taken until now for me to see a video that actually understands why George's dialogue is so great. This is a space OPERA. The dialogue shakespearean, poetic, clear, and more memorable than the dialogue of any other writer. It's right at home in the retelling of tales from "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars without it, and nobody but George could pull it off.
I will say though, I feel like Hammil was right about that one line he apparently convinced Lucas to not use. Trying to explain a long line of military bases or whatever in one line is a bit much.
@@brentcrosby7109 Yeah. It's like in movies that take place in a time long before ours, like "Pride And Prejudice" or "Nicholas Nickleby". The dialogue feels awkward, alien, cheesy, wooden and foreign to us, because it's from a different time, where people spoke in a manner much different than ours. It seems weird to us, because no one talks like this in our time, and if they did, they'd be a sheer minority, they would look weird and out of place. This dialogue is, however, right at home "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". The examples are all around, but let's take...Padme's confession of her love for Anakin, or his unfairly maligned line about sand. The contents of what they say is not weird or out of place - a woman confessing to the man she loves how she feels, or said man telling her that while she associates sand with fun times on the beach, he associates it with his time as a slave on a desert planet, owning to the two of them coming from two very different backgrounds. It's the delivery that feels odd to us, but imagine Padme and Anakin were characters in something like "Pride And Prejudice" or "Nicholas Nickleby". Their "cheesy", "wooden" lines suddenly sound way less awkward, right? We judge the delivery of their lines based on our world and our time, and we forget that this story...takes place "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". It's okay if people in it don't speak in a manner like the one we speak in.
That ending was a beautiful homage to the prequels, amazing stuff. Favourite line is probably underrated but simple by Qui Gonn 'Your focus determines your reality'
The dialogue is very much like the movies and serials that George Lucas grew up with and were an influence for Star Wars. "Your focus determines your reality." Is a favourite of mine.
Also has the feeling of novels from the 1800s to early 1900s that are even more straightforward, expository, and "awkward". It's not bad dialogue, just a different style.
God damn, your editing is on point. I especially love the "They'll do their job well" smash cut to Cody ordering his troops to fire on Obi-Wan. An association I'd never thought of before.
3:48 "The problem with that conclusion is that it doesn't give justice to the way that Lucas uses sound effects." I was legit in chills for the next twenty seconds.
@@quatreraberbawinner2628 Not just the lines, but the combination of lines, music and visuals as well. For example: Shmi to Anakin in TPM: 'You can't stop the change, like you can't stop the suns from setting.' And in AOTC Anakin goes to find his mother, with the setting suns in the background and Dual of the Fates starts to play. Dual of the Fates also plays in the background during the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin in ROTS.
Having recently rewatched the prequels I noticed something I hadnt when watching them as a a kid. Theres a dynamic character change that happens within anakin in the finale of RotS that I love. The whole Trilogy he tries to restrain himself. Of course his dialogue is wooden, because he went into the jedi order at a later age than any other jedi. The whole Trilogy you witness him trying to suppress his emotions and be the "model jedi" when that's just not how he grew up. He's putting on an act. In Phantom Menace he's cocky, arrogant, and impulsive, something that any 9 or 10 year old boy ahead of his peers in every way would be like, especially on a competitive desert planet like Tatooine. Then suddenly he's thrust into this monastic order that tells him to suppress everything he's felt until then, to forget his mother, etc, to be completely humble, while at the same time telling him he's "The Chosen One", essentially the Jedi messiah, a position that should automatically grant him the highest respect and power amongst the jedi. But it doesn't. Instead he's denied the title of Jedi Master, while being berated and even ridiculed by his master. But then he's presented with a different path. Someone comes along and says "the jedi have lost their way, the republic is crumbling, your only chance to be anything more than what you are is to side with me." So he takes it. He takes the opportunity to side with Palpatine and let his emotions guide him, not realizing, until later, that that option was much worse than reforming the jedi order from the inside, which is what he would have done had he stayed behind when Mace said to, and subsequently been promoted to master. In an alternate timeline he could have been the one to succeed Yoda and return the Jedi Order to its peacekeeping roots. And then, at the very end, he stills speaks in an arrogant and aloof manner right up until Obi Wan chops his limbs off. Then, in that fateful moment when he yells at Obi Wan that he hates him, that's when he allows all that emotion out. Theres not just hate but also love in those words. He realizes that Obi Wan is right in a way, through his actions he's allowed himself to become Palpatines puppet, has allowed himself to have his "heart twisted by this dark lord". He's acknowledging that, although he still believes the old republic was inefficient and the jedi "evil from his point of view", it would probably be better than being ruled by Palpatine. Then, once he's in the suit, he can't fight Palpatine on his own anymore, as (I believe it's cannon) that Palpatine deliberately had the suit made in such a way as to constantly keep Anakin in a weaker state than Palpatine and in pain so the rage and hatred that fuels the dark side would more easily flow through him. Which is why in the OT he goes so soft on Luke, he's trying to train him up, so he really can depose Palpatine and create an Empire with "Peace, Freedom, Justice, and Security", ruling alongside his son. What he doesn't expect is for Palpatine to try to kill the only candidate who could possibly succeed the aging Anakin as his successor, hence why he throws him down the shaft.
I dobut the part about training him. otherwise he wouldn't chop his son's arm off. He, at the point of the Empire Strikes Back, still has a twisted set of values. He has conflicted feeling for both Luke and Palpatine. For the later he definitely remained loyal to and he if he truly want to rule the galaxy with his son, he would just disposed of Palpatine, but rule in the same autocratic style as him.
Anakin is a horny teen in the second movie having been told the last near decade to stop being emotional. Then he gets thrust into an assignment with as he puts it 'an angel,' and someone he was incredibly attracted to. He's going to be a dumb awkward teen saying weird things. Hayden's acting was accidentally brilliant and basically perfectly portrayed what a person going through that sort of thing would act and talk like. When he was talking about killing the tuskans, he was breaking inside. Being emotional and realizi g what he had done, trying to supress it with jedi training, and mentally snapping at the inner conflict.
@@williampan29 Luke lost his hand while Anakin lost half his arm. Along with the rest of his limbs and had to live in a life support suit. Compared to what Vader/Anakin went through, he was going easy on Luke.
The saddest part is the misunderstanding a lot of fans have for the "I don't like sand" line. Fans who misunderstand this line tend to think Anakin starts talking about sand out of the blue like a weird conversation starter. But they forget it was Padme talking about her past as a kid going swimming with friends and drying out on the sand. Which prompts Anakin to talk about his crappy past as a kid through the allegory of sand.
@@larrote6467 what on Earth you talking about lol. Many people online thinks Anakin says "I don't like sand" out of the blue. I'm pointing out Padme mentions sand first. Idk if you meant to reply to someone else.
I don't think hayden christensen is a bad actor, I don't think he's written badly either, he captures the essence of an awkward love struck teen, it's supposed to be corny
Hayden literally played Anakin to complete PERFECTION. It’s honestly unbelievable people call him a bad actor, you can see how much emotion and thought he puts into every line he says
It’s like the main character in Catwoman. No matter what scene your watching you physically can’t tell if it’s a really good actor with a really bad script or a really bad actor with a really bad script. A lot of people confused the script and the acting and hated Hayden Christensen.
@@Venom5970. His delivery of "I'm not leaving without you, master." at the beginning of RotS was competely soulless though. As if they were having fun in a VR flight simulator. He wasn't aware of the context behind it. Ewan McGregor is the one that puts emotion in every line he says.
The way George Lucas write dialogues reminds me of the theatrical way, in which a character can explain his feelings to the audience And personally, I never watched any other movies doing such a thing, which makes Star Wars more unique
If it wasn’t for the special dialogue my ringtone wouldn’t be “hello there”
General Kenobi! You are a bold one!
But what "hello there"?
Same dude!
Best sms ringtone there is.
YOU LOSE GENERAL KENOBI!
You were right about one thing, master:
The negotiations _were_ short.
And you, general Grievous, too are shorter than expected.
Thered always a bigger fish
Begun, the clone war has
"How could this happen? We're smarter than this!"
"Did you press the stop button?" "No, did you?"
HA HA ... STOBBIT!!!
@@FerDeLance06 “so uncivilized…”
One of the quotes that always makes me laugh is when Anakin says in the Geonosis arena "We are here to rescue you." Or something like that and Obiwan looks up at his bounds hands and simply says "Good job"
Ewan McGregor's delivery is always on point!
I haven't met anyone who doesn't love his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He has the perfect voice and bearing for the role and the dialogue.
@@ThinWhiteAxe It's funny that Lucas call himself the "king of wooden dialogue", when i always thought that McGregor was the most wooden actor ever.
A perfect fit, if you ask me.
@@Steak818 well I guess my previous statement has to be modified to "I haven't met very many people who..." etc. 🙃
@@ThinWhiteAxe But I love his performance as Obi Wan. As i wrote, it fits.
@@Steak818 oh ok sorry I misunderstood
"wooden acting" is usually not considered a good thing and so I read sarcasm into your comment where there was none, my bad
"You write without a doubt the worst dialogue I can recall."
George Lucas: "But you can recall it."
Nice Pirates reference
Because it's bad.
You don't recall average dialogue, only great and terrible.
@@VisconitiKingfr and you can give no examples of why the dialogue is "bad".
@@theunknowncommenter725 Do you genuinely want examples? I know u don't because u will suck the cock of Lucas and give some shitty excuse for how deep and meaningful objectively horrible dialogue is good. STFU
@@theunknowncommenter725 I'll give one. It's bad because the dialogue is too direct. There's nothing nuanced or poetic being said, it's just Anakin saying he is so in love with Padme or that he killed everyone in a village which we as an audience already saw and so being told about it again makes it less interesting. I know it shows his regret, but the choice of words were mediocre. In my opinion the best choice would've been to cut that scene out entirely and just show Anakins descent into the dark side rather than have him monologue about it. I don't really blame the actors either for the wooden performances, Lucas has never been too patient with the process of acting (according to Harrison Ford).
Favorite line: Padme: So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.
The fictional Space politics from 20 years ago is still relevant in lower, underlying tones.
The Empire was based on the rise of fascism in Germany under Hitler. Everything that the prequels cover is so important it should be classics. Lucas said he only did the prequels to explore the roots of fascism.
@@rickardkaufman3988 well fascism is an Italian word... but the prequals scene where she says that, is represented to every totalitarian state ever, they were all welcomed at one point with applause. Even communism, and the german socialist party of the 30s.
@@Robert53area True. It could even mean totalitarianism but Lucas's intentions were on fascism. Also, the Nazis weren't socialists. They just used the name socialist to divert votes and later purged all the left-wing parties and Hitler hated Marx to the point that if his party adopted Marxist language, he would leave the party. It was a state-capitalist party under the control of private industrialists that busted unions.
But that is a legitimately good line, she sounds like she's probably quoting some in universe author.
I have always loved Anakin and Obi-Wan’s banter.
Obi-Wan: “Do you know how to pilot this thing?”
Anakin: “Well given the circumstances, I would say the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant. Strap yourselves in.”
That line is the cockiest line I've ever heard.
Not to mention the Clone Wars banter.. some of the best theater IMO
There is nothing better in the galaxy than Anakin & Obi-Wan bantering for the entire first section of ROTS. Which I suppose is why they created a whole show to highlight Anakin and Obi-Wan bantering.
- Well, R2 was...
- Hey, hey, hey. No loose wire jokes.
- Did I say anything?
- He's _trying._
- I didn't say anything!
"We're still flying HALF a ship!"
My top 3 are:
"This is where the fun begins"
"Another happy landing"
"Hello There"
funny that they're all in RoTS
GENERAL KENOBI
Not to worry, we're still flying half a ship
What about "it's over Anakin!,I have the high ground?"
From my point of view the jedi are evil
“This is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause” is actually the best line ever
I think that's such a bomb line, people don't like it?
@@unHolyEvelyn It's a little on the nose. The line is written as if it's supposed to land hard. The only problem being that she's just saying what we are shown: dictatorship is introduced by Palpatine and everybody's clapping. Not exactly insightful, it's just spelling things out, which is fine, but it is made to sound like it's more than that.
This is how Star Wars dies, with the Sequels.
@@unHolyEvelyn I think it is mostly just some of Hayden Christensen's lines that people remember as being "bad".
@@ac3ravenpersonally I never disliked anakins dialogue EXCEPT for the scene by the fire where padme is in her black busty breast dress. It immediately follows the pear scene and it’s too jarring. Either another scene needed to be added or the fire scene needed to be changed
My favorite lime from the prequels has to be “you were my brother Anakin. I loved you!” This is probably the most emotional moment of the entire trilogy, and is delivered as perfectly as it could possibly be by Ewen McGreggor
This right here ☝☝☝
I award you the title of 'based and prequel-pilled' ;)
@@onemoreminute0543 I mean I guess. I’m not a fan of them overall, but there is some great stuff in there
@@NimTV Fair enough 👍
My favorite would be "So this is how liberty dies - with thunderous applause.."
Favorite line: “So this is how liberty dies . . . with thunderous applause". This phrase is not only chilling and heartbreaking in the movie context, but can be applied to the world today. I just love it.
It could be applied to the world anytime.
th-cam.com/video/cVa4MwXl4WA/w-d-xo.html
I use it A LOT. I swear that the Sith have had a stranglehold on our country. It's sickening.
That shit gives me goosebumps every time I hear it no matter what
I know another line like that “Army or not, you must realize, you are doomed”
Let's be honest, it's one of the most quotable franchises in history. He's doing something right
Yea, through insincere memes...In fact, they have only recently started to crop up at a large scale. Before that, I only remember "Now, THIS is pod-racing" or "I'll try spinning, that's a good trick" both of which tend to make fun of the movie. Padme had one good line about democracy dying.
The OT, on the other hand, had much more memorable quotes that have been used with sincerity and heart, Yoda's quotes themselves have been used as inspiration for decades, and Vader's as a cultural icon in a much more monumental scale than anything in the prequels.
@@lotanowo I said franchises which I meant the OT and the PT. The OT has tonnes or god awful dialogue. Still like it
Well no. It's quotable like "you're tearing me apart Lisa" is quotable.
@@bobhill6561 it's treason, then
Love or hate it we’re talking about it so Star Wars wins
I think that "I HATE YOU!" is one of the greatest lines of dialogue ever delivered in a movie. Props to Hayden for that.
It's the way he screams like a real person, rather than bassy yelling like is usually used in movies. The vocal chords failing to handle the way he's using them, the way it becomes throaty, it's akin to screaming vocals done by singers like Kurt Cobain that damage singers' throats over time than a line delivery.
Agree wholeheartedly. Excellent way of putting it.
The delivery of that one line alone tells me he's actually an incredible actor despite his subpar acting in much of the prequels.
@@TheRenegade... He could give the director whatever was asked...
The only reason people make fun of that line is because they kept an absurd amount of silence before cutting to Obi-Wan
That, “If droids could think, there’d by none of us left would there?” Parallel with the Clones just blew my mind.
I can see, in the background, a VERY offended R2 and Threepio. ;-)
The clones were designed to be basically *"organic droids",* capable of thinking yes, but ultimately just puppets to someone else's will.
@@ertymexx yeah
@@ertymexx Stupid, frail, non-compartmentalized organic meat bag doesn't realize HK-47 is at least 5 hyperspace lanes away for talking unsophisticated like that.
You know what IS bad dialogue? "Somehow Palpatine has returned".
Lmfao every line in the prequels are infinitely more superior than that shit
No, that was just a bad idea.
@@ZogDaMegnivizint If it's a bad idea then it's by definition bad dialogue.
Don't forget "This is how we win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love" as the rebel base is blown.
It really wasnt that bad of a line, it was played as mostly a joke.there were far worse actual lines in the sequels.
That's like calling yodas dialogue in Tesb bad dialogue.
“I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.”
Greatest tongue-in-cheek line in the series.
And yet kinda true, just a man in a big ole'galaxy making a living...by being a deadly bounty hunter.
I actually liked Padme's dialogue in the "couch scene." I thought the whole point was that she was trying to convince them not to get involved in a romantic relationship, and she just went into "Senator mode," speaking as if she were addressing the Galactic Senate and persuading them to see her point of view. I actually thought she was speaking this way to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Anakin.
I agree, most people hear the lines and receive the tone incorrectly or find it cringe but every line has purpose that fits with the overarching tone and story of the movie, trilogy, and stars wars as a whole.
If I remember from an interview, she first read the lines as genuine and Lucas instructed her to read them like she does in the final take. I'm pretty sure it's because of that, because even if Lucas' dialogue is WRITTEN as somewhat wooden, he clearly understands that having it read as if is isn't good.
An interesting interpretation, but you have to keep in mind movies need to establish things like that for the audience in order for it to pay off, and since we see no scenes with the explicit intent of focusing on the contrast between 'senator' Padme and 'real' Padme it becomes background noise. It boils down to a problem of direction.
@@hyperspeedfox6181 We did see her address the Senate in the first movie as Queen of Naboo, so I would imagine that as a senator she would speak in a similarly formal way. Also, at the very beginning of the movie she speaks that way to the politicians and Jedi around her who are concerned for her safety, and they all address her as Senator Amadala. We are reminded that she chose a political path at a young age when she's telling Anakin about a boy she had a crush on long ago. So, I don't think anymore scenes are really necessary.
Rebekah, I do not know if you actually read the now non-canon novelizations of the prequel trilogy, but each one was written by a high fantasy author such as Matthew Stover(ROTS), RA Salvatore(AOTC), and Terry Brooks(TPM). On top of including deleted scenes that are not in the Final Cut(such as Anakin racing Sebulba in Watto's pod, Cleig and Owen going after Beru, or Yoda speaking to Qui-Gon on Polis Massa before Bail talks about Obi-Wan making contact) , they also go deep into the internal monologue of every character. Two of my favorites are from episode 2 and episode 3 respectively, one being Cody been moaning the fact that the order 66 came in just after he returned Obi-Wan his lightsaber. The other ends up being a tie because they are too related seems that happen only a few minutes apart and that is Padme taking comfort when Anakin says that her presence is soothing and then she scolds herself that she took comfort in that. Which reinforces what you were saying that she had gone into senatorial mode. And you actually see that in the scene because Padme is fighting with herself trying not to fall for Anakin as hard as she does, and when she snaps it Anakin telling him to listen she is basically reached her limit of okay I have to put a stop to this now or the damage that can be done is incalculable. And I know that while George is not exactly the greatest with dialogue the subtext is in there if like myself you tend to read too much into these things
The Anakin's "I HATE YOU!" still gives me chills
That scene wrecks me every time.
???? Chills? Yeah hearing a shrill male voice yell "I hate you" in the most emo bitch way possible would give any man chills. Like the kind you get with nails on a chalkboard....
@@veteran0121 “emo bitch” really? Dude had his limbs chopped off and was on hot lava ground. What do you expect? Presidential speech? And this “shrill voice”, so? Not everyone has deep voice. It was supposed to be opposite of Obi Wan’s “I loved you” shout; no one complains about that. Why? Because he has a smooth non-shrill voice? Really it’s just feels odd to you guys because of your biased expectations of what feels “normal” (and typical Hollywood dialog). You guys are so fake.
@@veteran0121 Thankfully there is a second version of this scene that's not as "edgy", enjoy: th-cam.com/video/RUq0sZx6ssE/w-d-xo.html
@@cornbreadloverrr I like this 3rd version of events
th-cam.com/video/4EtCGR2M_oU/w-d-xo.html
One thing people ignore is that Anakin's 'sand line' is a direct contrast to Padme's line about the water.
It's a metaphore about the sand on Tattoine, which is a desert sand reminding him his slave past, and contrasting to the beach sand of Naboo. It's an allusion to the two characters and their differences...
Interesting. When she goes on and on about the water and Anakin blurts out that Sand bit, it doesn't sound as unnatural as it does when the Sand bit viewed out of context.
@@jackalope2302 Yep. Most people take the prequel lines out of context and then complain
@@LordVader1094 For the same reason the FF X laughing scene is used... taken out of context.
Honestly, the “sand” line is one of my favourite. It’s a rare moment of deep character reflection we see from Anakin, where he drops trying to impress Padme with his tough, competent Jedi facade and instead just tells her something honest and deeply real about himself. It’s him reflecting on Tatooine, and his childhood, and probably about how if Qui-Gonn hadn’t found him he would still be in that dry, irritating sand filled place, and probably still a slave.
It's not a terrible idea on the face of it, I agree. It just doesn't really work in this form -- it doesn't feel like a natural thing for him say. I think that's why people focus on it.
@@samuelwebb2404 What would be natural for him to say? You can say it's unnatural but that is literally an experience that deeply effected him and he in one way is pouring his heart out for Padme.
@@CloneLoli it would of been more natural if the line was delivered with more underling anger and iteration. It would of sounded more natural and cue in on Anakin’s anger problem. That or delivering the line a with humererous self deprecating tone.
It is one of the most hilarious lines in any movie I know and I genuinely love it.
@@tsiefhtes It's awkward on purpose, Hayden is not a bad actor and he delivers lines fine in many other scenes. We already get to hear his deeper frustrations in scenes before and after.
Again, it seems natural to me with the context we have by the time that scene rolls around.
The dialogue of Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones perfectly captures what it feels like to be a guy on a date. It is immensely relatable!
Wow, this is a good comment.
More precise, to be a young guy on a date the first time he fell in love. I absolutely see myself with my first girlfriend in there. First love never dies and all that. It's over the top and super-dramatic and you will be more lowkey and wise the older you get (hopefully) but man if it ain't relatable lol
True that. "So have you. You're grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, for a senator, I mean."
People feel awkward for that dialogue because when were Anakin's age in Episode II, 19/20, we were awkward like that talking to or crushed. Hell, some of us still are like that. People feel embarassed, so instad of admiting that it's embarassment, not, it's somehow "bad dialogue". A lot of people don't watch films because they really want to get involved in a story and actually get to know the characters, no, they just want a power fantasy.
@@emoxvxtruth
There's a reason over 90% of the prequels' lines became legendary memes. There's magic in the dialogue.
Everyone quotes dialogue from The Room, does that make The Room good?
@@lefishe6611 The Room dialogue are quoted from very different reason. And they are much more forgettable, without any emotions attached to them, they just are funny, because they are incompetent, they are not part of the story, just every dialogue is floating involuntarily in the room, without any direction
It doesn't work like that, many lines from bad movies have become iconic because of how bad they are, and because of the meme potential
His dialogue works in a cheesy way as it often did in the original trilogy, but it fails on serious scenes.
@@Obi-WanKannabis Actually it works well in serious scenes
If you've created the most quotable franchise of films in existance then you're clearly doing something right with the dialogue. Whatever that something may be.
Hello there.
Yes, it's amazing how we all know sand is coarse and rough and irritating...
@@Olivia-W And that it gets everywhere. I've never been a dessert planet, but I feel like I have....
Quotable as memes though, I don't think memes are an example of high art someone should strive to emulate...
......
"Oh hi Mark"
@@yawgmoth6568 Exactly
Favorite line: "Anakin's the father, isn't he? I'm so sorry." heartbreaking every time.
Thanks for making so many great videos about Star Wars. Brilliant stuff.
"Anakin's the father? I'm so sorry, Padme. I thought you had standards."
@@BioGoji-zm5ph "What is it Obi-Wan?"
"It's Palpatine . He's the phantom menace behind the attack of the clones in order to exact the revenge of the Sith"
"OMG he's behind all the movies!" Lol 🤣🤣
That line was like a punch to the gut.
@@gumdeo Oh yeah, it's a great line due to how it can be viewed in multiple ways.
"I'm so sorry" that you won't have a husband anymore.
"I'm so sorry" that your children won't have a father.
"I'm so sorry" that I have to do this
:/
And that music... just pure... tragedy (the whole film is pure tragedy, the most grandiose and beautiful tragedy ever made for the "silver-screen").
Everybody clowns on “I don’t like sand”, by what Anakin is really saying is “I was brought up as a slave in harsh conditions on a desert planet. While your memories of sand are of playing at the beach of your vacation home, mine were of toiling under the hot sun.” It just gets easy to overlook the real meaning when the line is taken out of context.
It's like people didn't watched The Phantom Menace.
It was still a bad read. But its not haydens fault. Lucas kept directing him to read it bad
The problem is, he doesn't *say* that. He whines about sand like he's talking about a bad day at the beach. He doesn't talk about toiling, or being a slave. He talks about sand as an object.
@@chrismanaloe3507 Lucas certainly didn't have an ear for dialogue. A lot of the readings are terrible. Portman has won an Oscar. It takes a lot to get her to do a shitty reading.
But the line itself is terrible, no matter how you read it. There's nothing deep, introspective, or character-building about it. It just comes off as a teenager whining about a bad day at the beach.
You are reading into it way too much. The fact he ended it with "but I like you" means that it didn't have some deep meaning, but was just a way of setting up that line.
"You could hear it in a foreign language and still understand it"
How right you are.
When I first saw Star Wars in a US theater in 1978, I was 10 and hardly spoke a word of English. Yet that movie was the most exciting thing I ever saw.
Which is funny because Star Wars is one of the few SPACE settings with multiple species and cultures that actually bothers having and fleshing out several distinct languages for various cultures and species, this also includes droid binary talk like with R2-D2 and yet despite these suppose language barriers we can often infer what characters speaking in a strange tongue are saying, guess with reasonable accuracy their meanings and intentions just by body language or tone alone!
"You can write this shit, George, but you sure as hell can't say it." -- Harrison Ford.
Funny, because in his later interviews, he said that he was wrong and the dialogue worked.
@@soundwave252 I was already thinking: context? Context please?
@@soundwave252 He said that after reading the script during filming A New Hope. Without seeing the movie as a whole, of course it would sound awkward.
@@VibingMeike The context of the original quote is literally "I remember telling George 'You can write this shit but you can't say it' then I watched the film and obviously I was wrong"
@@VinVonVoom Okay thank you!
I physically can't cringe when I hear the "Sand Scene". r/prequelmemes and years of TH-cam Poop has conditioned me to grin uncontrollably or chuckle to myself.
Haha same. I mean, I understand what he's saying but I just kind of laugh at it idk
If you watch the line in context of the scene it sounds fine, that's something these "critics" love to do, play these scenes out of context, you can do that too any movie good or bad. It's extremely bad faith
@@quatreraberbawinner2628 Oh absolutely! It's a fine scene in context. Full disclosure: I was six years old when RotS came out and I distinctly remember my parents being nervous about taking kindergarten me into a PG13 movie, having only seen Attack of the Clones on DVD.
But never did I once think it was weird or odd. It was only as a teenager years later did I even realize how many people hated the prequels. I'm so glad to see people are coming around.
Fandoms can be unimaginably toxic.
When I heard that Ahmed Best almost killed himself over the fan backlash to Jar Jar it made me really upset. He told this story of taking his son to the bridge that he was going to jump off of and was glad that he didn't because of his kid. That's fucking horrifying.
At this point the memes have conditioned me to quote that scene line by line whenever I see it
The more I think of that line, the more it makes sense. He's basically a teenage monk, probably no experience with girls, and therefore awkward (and kinda creepy) as fuck. It's just a terrible pickup line - in space. The way he fidget around with the pebble made me pretty sure Anakin knows that line is rubbish but shot it anyway. Just don't ask how I know.
I always considered Lucas the most talented child to ever be allowed to direct a movie. There is a sincerity and cleverness to his work that you will never see in a more "mature" and "well-developed" writer because he is not afraid of his work feeling childlish. That's why we get this very special feeling for dialogues and designs that we don't find anywhere else. The Disney movies tried so hard to become a "more mature" Star Wars that they ironically lost all the cleverness and charm behind that childish ankwardness.
Lucas states that his movies are written for children. Of course his dialogue will be plain and unsophisticated. His movies are, for the most part, showing and not telling.
I mostly agree. But "the most talented child to ever be allowed to direct a movie" would be Spielberg.
OP I'm not sure you watched the same movies if you thought Disney was trying to be mature with their takes. Disney for all they do good in the fun and adventurous animation world, can't write for shit when it comes to anything adult oriented. They also don't know how to let a scene play out with words for more than a few seconds and that's a reflection of how they've built their brand on animation style story telling.
@@Ricardo-cl3vs I think it's easy to confuse the fact that Speilberg movies host a lot of child center rolls but Speilbergs style is more notorious for being parental than nessesarly childlike. His movies have very loud maternal instinct arcs when it comes to the adult rolls and when centered around children are more written in the eyes what it's like to be a child figuring life out without a parent figure in the picture. It's pretty well documented that he intentionally writes his movies this way because of how he grew up so I wouldn't really call his writing style childlike, that's definitely more of a signature of Lucas.
@@TamaHawkLive
Well, that's your opinion and you're entitled to have it, I guess. I don't think you really understood what I was trying to say though.
Honestly, Anakin's dialogue is so believable it's baffling people hate on it so much, he's an awkward, orphan, slave kid raised by monks who tell him to forget about his mother, the only connection he ever had and tell him not to fear, or hate, or love.
If he was an eloquent, witty speaker like Obi-Wan it would make far less sense, so yeah his dialogue is clunky and straightforward, but it's honest and believable.
Add that his father figure Quin Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who understood him, was killed.
Its all about presentation. You can have cheesy dialogue on purpose without making it creepy. Anakin’s dialouge was just unintentionally creepy. George should’ve gone the empire strikes back route and had somebody else direct it and edit it
@@youtubeistryingtocensorme Maybe, but I think we're ignoring that Anakin IS kind of creepy. He's not a guy who reacts to emotions in a normal way. He eventually helps slaughter the only society he knows in order to alleviate his fears of loss. It would be weird if someone with healthy emotional expression did that
I wholeheartedly agree: whether it was intended or not, the way Anakin is presented is genius. Now if the other characters weren't all like that, maybe that would make it more obvious
I think Anakin's portrayal is actually accurate - question is how Padme could possibly find it attractive
I must say as a kid growing up with Asperger's I appreciated *Wooden dialogue* because I didn't have to try figure out how characters felt. Something I struggled a lot as a kid was understanding body language. So having the characters tell me what they are feeling was much easier for me to immerse myself in star wars and empathize with the cast.
I have Aspergers too and I agree with this
I think it's true about pre-teens in general, even the "neurotypical" ones. It takes a long time to learn to read body language and intonation and it's still not always easy.
@@sukiosartchannel3689 True! Not that I always liked prequels’ dialogue but some of it is fine to me as an autie lol
That is very interesting! George often says he made Star Wars for the kids. That epic tales should be told for everyone to understand. Perhaps that is why he wrote things the way he did. Very complex situations that could be easily distilled for all ages and people to consume. Honestly, how does one make a trade blockade interesting for kids too?
@@umiluv I personally didn’t find the trade blockade compelling lol. I just liked Padmé and her personality when I was little
Funnily enough, I often called the Prequels his Shakespearean dialogue. Its flowery written but written with clear intent and poetry. It sometimes rubs people off the wrong way but to me it feels like it works great for the Universe it is.
The dialog in these movies is one of the major reasons they've become so timeless. There's no buzzwords, no trendy phrases, nothing that places them in a specific time in history. He takes what he wants the characters to say, and breaks it down into it's simplest form.
Thank god the dialogue picks up wherethe cg left them.
Couldn't agree more. Disney's sequels sound so modern that it takes away the feeling of Star Wars. Things like "They fly now? They fly now!" and the cringe beginning of the last jedi with Poe vs Hux screams of modern humour that will become outdated in 10 years.
@@AlexKurilovMusic if not already
@@AlexKurilovMusic it was outdated when I was sitting in the theater enduring it.
@@JosephSmith-lm4ri 😂 same
I like to think that the prequels are memes because of the dialogue being unconventional, not because the dialogue is bad.
@@xshxr You clearly don't know what the word "literally" means considering you unironically put that comment under THIS video.
@@xshxr Literally means that it is objective reality that everyone thinks the dialogue sucks. Which this video has proven false. This guy doesn't agree and he is part of everyone. Therefore it isn't literal.
It's surreal, but endlessly relatable on an emotional level. It's like a well told joke, but played dead straight. That's the magic of it.
@@xshxr your opinion is invalid you scruffy looking nerf herder
@@xshxr No one can make this dialogue sound good
I find the "I can't breathe" foreshadowing mind-blowing. Can't believe I've never noticed that
Yeah, me too. Genius.
Who are not with me get no air!
predicted floyds death
@@dannyliftsweights2125 wot
@@dannyliftsweights2125 I was so scared that you're talking about Jake Floyd, tapped deeper into Floyd that you're talking about and now i am furious at Chauvin and Minnisoda Police.
Lucas' dialogue works because it sounds legendary: like something from an acient tale of a long long time ago, far far away; not like a bunch of American guys from the 20th/21st century.
It can even be compared to works far younger than that. Plenty of works from the 19th century such as those of Jane Austen as well as direct translations of The Count of Monte Cristo or the works of Dostoyevsky are even more verbose and transparent when it comes to character dialogue and their intentions than any line a prequel detractor would point to. The fact that people accept those examples because of their time period or setting yet don't do the same for the dialogue of a series set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away shows a great level of cognitive dissonance; or, more likely, that those who criticise prequel dialogue from a false sense of authority have never read any classical literature.
It seems like he based it more on archaic story telling and characters rather than modern cinema and script writing. Something that is either undervalued or just not understood nowadays, at least by the critics.
@@zonefreakman You are correct with it not just seeming like that, but being outright confirmed by Lucas himself who makes it no secret the Monomyth/Hero's Journey is what influenced the structure and ideas of Star Wars (there's actually a great documentary made on this from back before Disney bought the franchise), as well as him saying the dialogue between Anakin and Padme in AotC was very much inspired by Shakespearean drama.
@@choueriito2548 I do like reading about Joseph Campbell's ideas, you could say the origin point of how Lucas created Star Wars. These ancient stories are immortal in a spiritual sense because they tell stories that are always relatable in our personal lives. They tell a philosophical story of how personal growth happens, and what happens tragically when we don't learn from our mistakes. So many movies made today will be forgotten in short order because they don't tell a relatable and meaningful story, unlike George Lucas' movies. It just seems to me that many Hollywood critics are completely uninformed or detached from classical education, including classical literature.
And that is why It is so iconic. The dialogue sounds like It could have been written 100 years ago or yesterday
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." is up there for me.
**Remembering all the BS Force abilities and shenanigans from the Expanded Universe..**
"Your overconfidence is your weakness."
"Your faith in your friends is yours!"
That's some George Lucas dialogue right there
@@navilluscire2567probably never read an eu book
@@iamjamal3610it is pretty BS. You remember flow walking?
@@KingKayro87that’s outstanding dialogue (no sarcasm here)
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent." - Qui-Gon Jinn
Starwars wouldn’t be as quoted and as popular without the “corny” dialogue.
Why'd you put quotes around Corny? It is corny. It's awful. That's why it's so quotable and memeable. Like The Room.
@@SonicMegaKing Exactly. Just because it was intended does not make it good or acceptable. These people are really out here making up excuses for how poorly written Star Wars dialogue is.
@Xd Dx I do not hate the movies. I hate certain aspects of the movies. I can still enjoy something while being critical of it. Go be overly hostile somewhere else, buddy.
It’s popular because it’s Star Wars
@@SonicMegaKing it’s different than that. Starwars fans know this.
One thing I've heard about the Prequels that always stuck with me. "The Prequels don't get worse the more you think about them, they get better". And stuff like that Dooku line and Jango Fett line just kinda goes to prove it more. I recently watched the classic Flash Gordon shorts and while in no way have they withstood the test or time or were really that enjoyable to watch honestly. They definitely gave me an appreciation for George's style and how he can actually use it effectively.
Anomaly Inc said that.
Unlike the Sequels. The more you think of them, the worse they get.
Same here. I’ve recently watched THX(1138) and it’s a weird film. I found parts of it were hard to watch! Yet I can see the themes in the story and the beauty and uniqueness in some of the visuals. Parts of it clearly tie in with Star Wars.
Prequel haters are smooth brain people who are incapable of immersion. Genuinely shocks me how anyone can think soulless disney cash grabs are "better written." Find plot holes in the PT. Do it.
Now find plot holes in the ST.
@@AImighty_Loaf First of all I'm gonna say that by no means do I think the sequels are good and I hate them just as much so please don't get this twisted. However, there are some plot holes in prequels and there are plenty of poorly explained motivations for actions or motivations that don't make sense at all. There is also so much shit going on in the opening crawl that shouldn't be off-camera and then there's nothing interesting happening in the actual movies (this doesn't really apply to the revenge of the sith but I have also one problem with the opening crawl there... "There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere." What tf does that even mean? I have analysed very difficult texts but this has to be a joke.) And then there is the problem with dialogue... The prequel dialogue just shows that George Lucas has never felt the touch of a woman in his life. Now yall maybe enjoy cringing at a movie convincing yourselves those lines are iconic or whatever but I find 2,5h of this horrible dialogue unwatchable because even if he intends to be awkward, nobody speaks like that and I know this because I am a very awkward person in real life. These movies don't make me feel any emotions and if the movie didn't specifically tell me what emotions the characters experience (e.g. those scenes where Anakin straight up says he's angry) I would have no clue at all. I also hate Anakin in these movies because he is a total piece of shit for no reason at all. I love his portrait in the animated series The Clone Wars where you can clearly see how he experiences his inner conflict between the sides of the force and his corrupted actions are pretty reasonable but in the movies, he just acts like a total psychopath. I could write a lot more but hopefully, you realize by now that those movies are not as great as you think.
The most peculiar thing to me about George’s “wooden dialogue” is, while from the casual, sensical ear, it definitely doesn’t sound like any way normal people would talk. But in a universe where thousands of species are spread out amongst multiple planets and systems. The dialogue still “communicates”
“Stiff” and “awkward” is sometimes the only way some people can communicate when their feeling anxiety, unfamiliarity, tension, or confusion.
I don't think George Lucas meant it that way but if your headcannon works I won't judge
Feeling of awkwardness is a defensive system. It protects you from sharing your true thoughts with other people. They seem awkward because they are honest.
@@Bodzio2M
It's almost like it's hard and uncomfortable to share one's unfiltered feelings because they are afraid of rejection or ridicule or being seen as weak because apparently being honest about ourselves even for a brief moment is weirdly taboo despite how dumb that is.
@@lefishe6611 You could say that about a lot of SW stuff but I'm ok with it
All this talk is besides the point - go through the films, and the different dialogue in different contexts, and compare it to other comparable movies, and you'll quickly find that this whole "stiff (and especially awkward) dialogue" notion is just a myth and a circlejerk - based on a few examples here and there from I-III, some correctly, others tone-deaf, and then thoughtlessly applied to the whole movie.
Epic fantasy characters often make simple, declarative statements in a regal tone of voice - the phrasings need to be aesthetically appealing and fitting, which most of these are.
"Epic romance" can use a mixture of these (like, uh, "I love you" or something) and flowery poetry - which that fireplace scene does; in fact ppl mostly hate it BECAUSE of the latter lol
Agents, cops, soldiers often speak in clear laconic fashion - for utilitarian purposes, or to show how cool and no-nonsense they are.
Normal human interaction and dialogue features a good portion of direct starements;
so do angry exclamations, or sarcastic quips.
So a lot of that supposedly "wooden dialogue" or "direct statements" in these movies, fall into that category, and are only noticed here and not elsewhere by the circlejerkers because they're actively (and sloppily) looking for confirmations for their take.
There are of course plenty of counter-examples to those that people selectively miss;
as well as proper cases of wooden lines delivered woodenly in unfitting contexts - like Padme in the Tpm dinner scene for instance.
So yeah lots of bs all in all
"I miss you so much" you can feel the pain and anguish in Anakin's voice. A mother who he was taken away from at such a young age, tormented by dreams of her suffering and the very order he devoted his life to refusing to let him go save her. Such a brilliant line
My Wife and I watched this and just subscribed.
We will follow your career with great interest.
God bless you and your wife.
I understood this reference
Same
@@k.u.m.o.r indeed
I won't deny that Anakin's love confession to Padmé is very over-the-top and melodramatic, but I think in the context of Lucas' style of filmmaking, it's not entirely without merit. Being a drama king is just part of who Anakin is, and as a teenager with little experience in positive casual socializing (let alone in flirting), he's inevitably going to sound very silly and inarticulate. Although his dialogue pushes things to the extreme, it's entirely in character for Anakin to sound as dumb and cheesy as he does. And frankly, the sentiment behind what he says is actually quite cute and sweet in my opinion.
The prequels were better than the originals to me. If you were raised as a slave in a world filled with sand and then brought to be trained as a Jedi and learn to have no attachments you would be awkward and “cringe” too. Anakin isn’t a drama king??? What do you expect him to say after his mother is killed?
Maybe, but why does Padme speak the same way?
@@thereyougoagain1280 Padme is not a drama queen. She's the sensible one. Which dialogue of Padme's are you referring to? If it's Queen Amidala's dialogue you meant, that's 'stately dialogue' in line with her position as a political leader of Naboo.
Exactly my thoughts 💯
Exactly. The Jedi brought him in and tought him to repress his emotions just as his hormones started raging. Then he met Padme and fell head over heels for her. What was he going to be, some sort of suave James Bond type? He was awkward nad cringeworthy. So were most Star Wars fans, and I think they didnt like that being refelcted back at them...
Almost every single prequel line is a legendary meme. And that's because the dialog is great. Anakin speaks awkwardly not because the dialogues are bad, but because he's a young introvert man who never really interacted with women before.
This video has flipped my original viewpoint of "the dialogue is the worst part of the prequels." You convinced me! Bravo!
@C man Man It's amazing how many parallels can be drawn from the criticisms of the OT vs the criticisms of the PT. "I like the main villains but those comic sidekicks and politics are really unnecessary" was a common complaint I see looking through old ANH reviews. Suddenly when TPM came out everyone forgot how C-3PO and R2-D2 did essentially the same thing as Jar-Jar.
@@VinVonVoom well. Both the droids and Jar Jar are used as comic relief, yes. But the latter was overused to a point that many viewers were really annoyed and kicked out of the narration suspension. R2D2 to me had some mildly annoying moments - but also good ones.
@@NotaNazgul this. The big battle(s) at the end of TPM were a worse version of Endor, when they try to make us be in suspense and laugh at the same time. It can work, but Jar-Jar crosses that fine line by a galactic mile, completely murdering the suspense.
@@ertymexx Depends on the viewer. I thought it was fine for the most part in regards to juxtaposing between the more intense battle (the duels) and the childish one (Ewoks and Gungans)
@@VinVonVoom It's funny, I remember reading an interview from Lucas about the droids being compared to Jar Jar.
He stated that while there were definitely some criticisms of C-3PO in ANH, they were drowned out by the films overall positivity. There was a similar backlash to the Ewoks in Jedi, but that died down too.
Lucas believed that Jar Jar only got a more extreme response due to the proliferation of the internet, where opinions could be voiced louder and be picked upon by more media outlets.
Though funnily enough, Lucas responded to the C-3PO/Jar Jar criticisms in a similar way -by being almost self aware of the criticisms.
In Empire, virtually all the characters make fun of C-3PO's mannerisms and his irritations are played off for laughs. In Clones, there's a brief moment were Jar Jar smiles towards the camera, as if saying 'yeah bitch I'm back!' 😂
That montage at the end was dope. This is probably the most perfectly articulated video on Lucas’ dialogue
Favorite line: “There’s always a bigger fish” by Qui Gon. It has quite a deep meaning, really
YES
and that meaning is?
@@benparsons4979 ew
@@benparsons4979 the idea that sometimes things are more layered than they appear. For instance in the Phantom Menace I always thought it was Maul but the bigger fish was Sheev and the even bigger fish was Jar Jar. Even in real life we think Gates or Fauci or a secret group or organization rules the world but then you realize there’s a bigger fish
@@hopefullyanonymous3466 surely at one point there cannot be a bigger fish? There's only so large a fish can become
"You were my brother Anakin, I loved you"
That line always makes me tear up
hrhrhrrrhaaayyyee khkhkhkkhhhh8 U!
I think that line is powerful and genius, because it is established earlier that anakin thinks of obi wan as his father, yet in episode 3 obi describes anakin as his brother twice, and tells him "you have become a greater jedi than I could ever hope to"
Anakin sees obi as his mentor, pretty much his father, because he is his master. However, obi wan has nothing but respect for anakin and had by that point started to see him as an equal or a superior, not as his padawan anymore.
Obi wan didnt just love anakin, he looked up to him, all the while anakin was accusing obi wan of holding him back.
When Yoda tasks obi wan to hunt down and kill anakin, his heart literally breaks. The truth is obi wan died alongside anakin on that terrible day of betrayal, so much so that he started calling himself Ben and became reclusive, his only purpose being to watch over his lost brother's son until he met anakin one last time.
Same
It’s ironic because obi wan never really did care about him. If you notice in his later years- he calls him a “good friend” not a “brother.”
@@articxunodorseggnej8016 Well, anakin did kill most of the people Obi wan knew. It would be a little hard to call him a brother after that lmao
"The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural" Epic line!
Keep the likes to 66
I really don't understand why people hate the i don't like sand...
She literally just got done explaining swimming across the lake, and laying out on the beach half naked on the sand. She painted a perfect image in his mind of something enjoyable.
As someone who has lived in the desert for several years. It makes alot of since I hate the sand too, its annoying and rough, unlike the smooth refreshing water. Like that of a woman's touch. How hard is it to understand the lines...??? It really isn't hard.
Its irretating
she paints a perfect image of something she likes, then he proceeds to tell her how he doesn't like it... smooth
It’s bad because it is cringey and was meant to be emotional and serious when in actuality it’s a meme.
Beach sand is very different from desert sand. I should know. I LIVE IN A DESERT
hyper-critical people who cant enjoy the movie for what it is. good plot, good character development, but they need something to dislike and mock because it's either boomers who want to be loyal to the original trilogy, or its pretentious "intellectuals"
Anakin's line 'I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new empire' as he stands three feet from the woman he loves and has just choked into unconsciousness always gives me chills.
He has literally denied all four of those to the one person whom this all was supposed to be for. His goal was to save Padme, but as a Jedi master once said, the dark side will consume you.
It's interesting that you say that, but it's not something that really registers with me (because it's shot as a closeup). If we actually saw her in the same frame as him when he says that, that would be horrifying.
When he finally realizes that peace is a lie, and instead follows his passions (the love he has for his son) things will go right...
He will gain the power he needs...
His chains will be broken, and the force shall free him.
@@urktheturtle2988 edgy take when him falling to the Dark side is exactly what took what he loved from him
@@urktheturtle2988 Nice reference to and interpretation of the Sith Code.
Honestly, being a Sith isn't automatically a bad thing. Dooku was a well-meaning man (until Dave Fuckloni ruined him in TCW) who resorted to drastic measures because the Republic was rotten to the core. And unlike Vader, Dooku actually had self-control.
The dialogue it's part of the charm, it always has been.
People say he is a terrible director but, this is the same guy who shadowed Spielberg himself in college, the same guy who directed THX-1138 and American Graffiti, the same guy who made Sci-fi mainstream and cool again with a movie everyone thought it would fail, the guy who has pushed the boundaries of movie making and animation so far that what was thought "impossible" to do, now any major studio can do it.
It's absolutely saddening that George gets to be so underappreciated and underrecognized by so many people even the ones who were supposed to cherish his work and continue his legacy.
It was Francis Ford Coppola he shadowed, but point taken.
a very good description of George - the new films just don't have the same resonance
Theres just something about so many Star Wars fans, I just dont get it. They have to find SOMETHING to be upset about
The original trilogy was a knight, wizard, and princess story. The Prequels were a tragic space opera with ever relevant politics. Both with organic flowing stories.
the truth is every single director, (and by extension every single creator, but let's not touch that can of worms) no matter how great, has weak spots. areas of directing where he's just not as amazing as others. The only mistake George did was not hiring someone who could fill in on that. Literally EVERYTHING ELSE he's done perfectly, and you just cant argue with that simply beacuse we wouldn't even have this conversation if he did not.
I've never had a problem with the dialogue in these movies. Star Wars in all its aspects is an operatic epic, the music, the visuals, and the dialogue. It doesn't try to feel grounded, it's being artistic, and like that segment of foreshadowing showed, the dialogue has deeper meaning, making it so much more rewarding to watch again. And Anakin was a little boy born in slavery, with terrible social interactions, and then when finally free he's put into the Jedi Order. He's always been a puppet, with people telling him what to do, never has he gotten the time to understand his emotions, he just had them. So he's awkward, and bad socially, so obviously he says weird stuff. I unironicly have had similar sentences escape my mouth. The scenes are supposed to be awkward, and those lines aren't what solidifies the romance between Ani and Padmé, they love each other, and a monologue about sand isn't gonna change that, not in a good nor bad way.
He has Borderline Personality Disorder.
Perfectly said thank u👏👏👏
In a strange way George is practically Lynchian . Not “good” in a conventional sense - more of an abstract, regal way. It’s hard to identify.
Lucas and Spielberg are similar in that way too in that they’re good with catching a certain emotion and letting John Williams spin it into diamonds. I suppose that plays into one of the points in this video (George doesn’t really give a shit about the dialogue).
One of the strongest aspects of the prequels are it’s visuals . Obviously to many faults as well, but the most memorable moments of those films are the music stings attached to say, Darth Maul or entering Mustafar, the arena scene in Clones.
Food for thought!
A tip for appreciating Hayden's dialogue is to imagine him saying it in Vader's voice. You may laugh at the mental image of Darth Vader trying to romance Padmé by bluntly stating "I am haunted by the kiss that you never should have given me," but that is exactly the stilted formal way Vader talks. Once you learn to appreciate Anakin's faux-cool speech patterns, you'll actually be disappointed with Matt Lanter's performance.
Ngl I heard Vader say that in my head and it sounds so awesome. I can picture him looking at a Padmé hologram and repeating that line.
It works the other way too. Try imagining Hayden saying “The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am” or “I am altering the deal; pray I don’t alter it further.”
Or how many things Luke says were said by Anakin as well
@@waltascher holy shit this is genius. I've heard about the Hayden imitating Vader but never thought of him saying the actual dialogue and it totally works.
After 10 years of the "Marvel Snarky Universe" that has dripped into EVERY kind of movie....it is extremely refreshing to go back to the original Star Wars Saga and get dialogue handled with a sense of clarity, and earnestness....without a constant sense of cynicism or a need to be constantly humorous.
Cant agree more .
Obi would like a word with you. lol.
@@SuperGreyWulf I m ready ... how about you ?
@@SuperGreyWulf True, the films aren't devoid of humor...but Obi-Wan's material is timed so well and placed properly. In Star Wars, he is sort of the one who makes a snarky quip every now and then...in the Marvel movies, it feels like that is EVERY character.
Obi-Wan also knows when there is room for a bit of a joke and when it is time to be dead serious.
Love this comment.. thank you
Whenever I hear Anakin scream "I hate you" to Obi-Wan, I feel so many emotions, the fear I had watching him as a kid, the sadness it brings, their relationship destroyed and the hurt Obi-Wan recieves. I personally feel Revenge of the Sith no matter how many people dislike it, you have to admit, it had some powerful, hard hitting moments!
i just watched rots for the first time last night, and i really enjoyed it! it was tough going from anakin and obi wan joking and teasing each other at the beginning, to 2 hours later trying to kill each other
Honestly, the scene with Anakin and Padme by the fireplace is one of my most genuinely favorite scenes of dialogue. They are both trying so hard to hide and yet convey their true feelings while desperately trying to maintain their stoic, professional facades even as they completely collapse. The pain of their public positions colliding with their deep yearning is what produces their stilted dialogue, making their inner turmoil so awkward, and palpable. It is probably the most maligned and misunderstood and underappreciated scene of all time.
I have a feeling that many people dislike it because it reminds them of how awkward and cringeworthy THEY were around their first love. Or makes them aware of how awkward and cringeworthy they probably will be if/when they find a person that they love romantically. Of course, few of them will ever admit it because their ego's won't allow it. The scene is so brutally honest with how uncomfortable love can be that people lashed out but frankly, I think that just makes it all the more sincere.
@@tomnorton4277 Or...maybe it's just not a very well written scene? Could your ego cope with that explanation? Cause plenty of movies have captured the awkwardness of first love without such lines as "I wish that I could wish away my feelings." Like, it's all very well to be going on about other people's egos, but it seems like you're the one with the ego if you can't admit something is a bit schlocky, or mediocre. It's okay! Star Wars is made for kids, it always has been. You don't have to be so insecure that you try and turn it into some sort of Chaucer-esque misunderstood genius that you alone (of course) understand.
Sometimes it helps gain a little perspective to poke fun at the things you enjoy. I know the prequels have appalling dialogue. But I still enjoy them. I've never been quite sure WHY so many people feel like they need Star Wars to be something more than it is. Is it the insecurity of enjoying childish things? That in itself is a sign of immaturity.
@@clutteryfluttery6391 So you were Mr Smooth around your first love? I've never been in a relationship but my ego can cope with the knowledge that I would probably be an awkward wreck too. And if I was ashamed of watching stuff for children, I'd have to be ashamed of still being a Pokemon fan at the age of 28.
@@clutteryfluttery6391 Likely the best and most accurate comment on this channel. These people read excessively into crap dialogue, and add themes and depth that aren't there, and were never there to begin with. Lucas - and many of his colleagues, contemporaries, and close contacts - have routinely and bluntly remarked upon how poor his dialogue is. Lucas has admitted it time, and time again. He's just a bad writer. There's nothing more to it than that. Those who feel they must defend the dialogue and turn it into "the best writing ever" (as I've seen some commenters state) are only saying that, because they adore Lucas and cannot fathom that he'd be a bad writer. But he is. He's even said it's worst attribute, in respect of filmmaking.
@@jimreily7538At least he's no Kennedy lol
6:27 What I actually like about this line is the part you cut out: "The thought of not being with you... I can't breath." Because once he becomes Darth Vader, he loses her, and after he loses her, he has a hard time breathing.
Anakin’s dialogue at least makes sense for his character in the prequels. He was ripped from his mother during the most developmental time of his life and told to shut off his emotions despite them being a key part of his identity, resulting in emotional stunting and his awkwardness when interacting with others. It would be genius aside from the fact everyone in the prequels is like that
Most of the characters are antisocial, emotionally suppressed monks yet everyone criticizes them for being wooden. *OF COURSE THEY'D BE WOODEN!!!*
Jedi aren't "most" of the characters in a single film. If only the Jedi dialogue was terrible, that would be one thing (explained as you indicate), but that's just not the case.
@@nightcross1030 Jedi, royalty, and galactic politicians.
@@inarencommander4663 This doesn't require wooden characters! Royalty are a large part of the cast of Game of Thrones, or The Crown, or any number of "palace intrigue" stories. Politicians also don't have to be flat and wooden (this is fiction, after all), which is why West Wing / House of Cards /The Crown (which is both, actually) are popular and interesting.
Yeah but they aren't wooden for that reason, they are wooden because Lucas sucks at writing dialogue.
@@nightcross1030 Well it makes sense because Lucas's characters are more interesting (and more realistic I suppose) than GoTs characters.
Anakin asking Padmé if she's an Angel is infinetly superior to the sequel's "Somehow Palpatine has returned"
He's a slave on a desert planet he's probably never seen someone so clean before, and thus it's not too far fetched that he thinks it's because she's some sort of hyper beautiful alien.
@@alexanderackerman3807 At first maybe he thought they were but a myth. That whatever mommy told him was a motivational bullshit
No it isn't
@@cash5512it is
To me it looked quite natural. Anakin is not even 10 in that movie, he's just a kid, and kids are pretty honest and don't think about what they're saying as much as adults do
My favourite line will always be “I am a Jedi like my father before me” it’s simple and effective and I love how it perfectly captures Luke’s and anakins story, accepting that he can be a Jedi, that he can be good again. Though I will always love “ask this is how liberty die, with thunderous applause” it’s so good. I will never not love the prequels (also if you ask me, the Disney trilogy have by far the worst dialogue out of all of Star Wars movies)
True the only piece of dialogue I can remember from the sequels is "blow that piece of junk out of the sky!" Cause Adams delivery is so cool! Oh and "REEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
@@FunnieApple best line is they fly now?
@@EckhartsAuspice "Somehow, Palpatine returned.."
;)
Kylo Ren screaming *more more* was by far the cringiest scene in the sequels
@@FunnieApple I can actually remember a few kinda neat lines
The genius of George Lucas is also his way of filming: the shots are often long, wide and allow the context to be easily defined. Special effects are important but Lucas takes the time to show us each scene in detail, without adding tons of action or unnecessary fast movements. The same goes for the duels, the centerpieces of each film: the choreographies are always neat without trying to change plan every second to impress us.
Bingo
The way he arranges a scene with characters is almost like a stage play
@Surfyun I can feel your anger, it gives you focus, makes you stronger
@@jimcorleone7861 Are you trying to insult him? You just said that he is now focused and strong. But also he's right, most of the shots in the prequels were literally wide-shots of two characters casually pacing towards the camera with a CGI backdrop. It's laziness, and has been present in cinematography since the beginning and is often used in cheap productions with low budget or productions meant to make a quick buck. Why would Lucas using this cheap, uninspired and lazy technique make his use of it better?
@@lotanowo LOL you missed the joke. Saying the anger makes him stronger and focused is something the Emperor says.
Since Star Wars is in the space opera genre, the melodramatic dialogue that is accompanied with the theatrical acting style fits the franchise very well. George Lucas has mentioned how he wants his actors and actresses to act in a way that is reminiscent of the 1930s style of acting as he really enjoys that type of acting in classic films of the 30s as well as the old 30s serials that he enjoyed watching as a kid and served as some of his many influences for Star Wars.
I get it now. It's just a sound effect. It's why the old Lego Star Wars fit the Lego format so well with zero words and only muttering. It's easy for any 5 year old to understand, but genius with its emotional tones. Paired with the music, visuals, and sound effects, Star Wars is a sensory experience unlike anything ever created.
After studying Shakespeare in high school, I think I've gained a new appreciation for Lucas' dialogue. it's almost as if it were being performed in a theatre, just with actual sets and a bigger budget. to look at the dialogue from a modern lens is to be blind. it is an opera, a piece of theatre, like you said it encompasses emotion.
If this were Shakespeare dialogue, characters would actually be showing emotion
@@SDfan2002 They are. Last I checked , Obi-Wans face was distraught when shouting 'You were the Chosen One!" ;)
@@onemoreminute0543 One character carrying 2 movies. He barely did anything at all in Episode 1.
@@SDfan2002 I could point to various other characters who display such emotion , be that joy, pain, grief, fury, or curiosity. This applies to the core 3 of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme as well as others depending on the necessary context.
Just look at the Mustafar exchange between the three of them. So much emotion is conveyed not just through the dialogue, but you could practically name the emotions they're feeling without sound.
:)
@@onemoreminute0543 I mean, if you have to repeatedly scramble back to the same scene on Mustafar to point out how emotional the movies were, they probably weren't terribly emotive at all.
6:00 - 7:00 has got to be the cleanest sequence I've ever *experienced* in a video essay. Your editing provided understanding beyond words. Lucas is the King of Wooden Dialogue!
Btw this made me think of the expository landfills of the Disney sequels
It's a testament to Ewan McGregor's chops that he could consistently take subpar dialogue and deliver them as solid gold memes.
Hes an acting god
"Hello there"
Another happy landing!
Its ridiculous to say that Ewan is the only reason people remember Obi-Wan's lines, George Lucas intentionally wanted to show Obi-Wan to be a swashbuckling wise guy with a quip for every scenario because it lines up with the ESB scene where Yoda protests that Luke is reckless and Obi responds with "So was I, if you remember." It wasn't a situation where Obi-Wan's lines are grave and serious but they are written so badly that people laugh at the bad craftsmanship, everything was intentional.
@@coleeckerman1390 Ewan isn't the _only_ reason the lines stick in memory, granted. Still, this is a Hamlet-style tragedy where the main tragic fallen hero consistently has wonky dialogue.
I always thought the dialogue gave the feeling of "space opera, melodrama" feeling very well. It was corny but poetic and very memorable. I think I ve memorized more than half of the dialogue of first 6 movies
So all of the movies, then.
I love the dialogue during the death star attack. It sounds like actual comms chatter, and it makes the scene more realistic, and less stylized. I could recite half of it from memory, even though most of it is meaningless. George Lucas plays his dialogue straight, without stylization, no irony or cynical self-awareness. It really helps to establish suspension of disbelief, because the characters say their lines the way you'd actually expect a real person to.
Agree. In the MCU it would all be cynical banter because everyone knows no one actually dies (accept for the Big Finale) in these movies. In Star Wars, they know they are all about to die. Not really a time for light-hearted banter.
People seem to forget that Star Wars is essentially a soap opera! The Manichee light vs. dark duality seems to make people forget that it is a cheesy soap opera about a messed up family. People take it too seriously, but not sincerely, as is the intention, like you said. Another excellent video!
Exactly! From surprise siblings to secret love affairs, Star Wars has a lot in common with soap operas, or at least media that satirizes them. The films are campy and larger than life, which is part of why they're so lovable.
@@divergenttardis7378 Something I said many times is: the movies aren't afraid to take risks, doing things different than 'normal' movies, not as in randomly subverting expectations every time (cough The Last Jedi), but with creating a different world where everything would be 'strange' in real life, but makes sense with the context of the world it takes place in.
@@VibingMeike Another film like that which comes to mind is Avatar (the blue people one lol).
@@user-vr5zk9ox8d Oh yeah that one! I still need to see the whole movie lol
@@VibingMeike I would recommend it. It’s a fun watch overall and there’s apparently some sequels along the way soon.
We should have all realised Padme clearly loved Anakin all along after she sat through that speech and was still happy to go with him to Tatooine.
"Twice the Pride, double the Fall" - my absolute favorite line from prequel trilogy.
I just love how hammill completely perfectly acts out Lucas‘ line
“You could probably watch them in a foreign language and still understand what’s happening.”
Wow, that put the entire saga into a completely new perspective for me.
Various characters, aliens, droids and even some humans speaking in strange languages in-universe but we can still understand the jist of what they're saying most of the time by their tone, body language and other non verbal signs!
I've heard the star wars movies described as being akin to silent films, where the score provides a lot of the context, and I totally agree! It also does make things feel more natural when there are a ton of alien languages and droids to communicate with
I agree. It just isn’t a space opera without cheesy dialogue. People have to remember that besides all of the special effects and modern technology, the prequels are 1950s adventure serials. It’s a shame the dialogue in the prequels is as misunderstood as it is.
The prequels: Deemed clunky on the surface but with so much heart underneath
The sequels: Super flashy on the surface but with absolutely no heart underneath
perfectly said. btw sequels are not Star Wars, it's just Disney turd.
@@Zed-fq3ljthe prequels are trash.
@@DDD-qt8bw No they aren't, you're blinded by nostalgia.
If you put a darth vader voice mod on haden’s performance, you’ll understand why his acting is the way it is
Brilliant!
Lucas' style isn't for everyone and I understand that, but for me it's perfect
Never feel shame for what you like. th-cam.com/video/5lJaKoMf6As/w-d-xo.html this video summarizes it perfectly
Same
Not a ladies man I see
Stefan mesaric that's pretty weird
I can hardly watch the dialogue in these scenes but I understand why it is what it is.
That "storytelling with sound effects" is a really good point, I never thought about it like that. But yes, that is absolutely something that made Star Wars under George Lucas so special and memorable in a way the sequels are not
My favorite line is "You were the Chosen One" it's such a line that has so much meaning and emotion like how amazing can a line be that when you hear it it gives you chills
Crap all those scenes mades me tear up. So sad we won't see anymore Lucas Star Wars :(
The mandalorian is Lucas influenced star wars
Good lol. Dave filoni and Jon faverau are MUCH better writers and pretty much saving the franchise.
@@Morimoto94 you realize Disney’s trash sequels are why the franchise went to shit?
@@revengeofthesith. I don't like sand was probably the start
@@Morimoto94 You mean mandalorian? S1 was meh, S2 was better but still not the thing. But people love it, so who cares about my opinion.
For me this dialogue has its own style and atmosphere, like... You listen to that and you know: "That's Star Wars! That's legendary tale about knights in a galaxy far far away!". If they did not speak so elegant, straight-forward and awkward in the same time, it would not be so iconic and characteristic.
And, of course, so mematic!
A hint: watch "Harvey", the old version with James Stewart. You will very much recognise the acting style and voice, I think. :-)
I think that's why you see the best performances out of the more classic theatric actors in the cast, Ian Mckellan, Alec Guiness, Ian McDiarmid, James Earl Jones and Peter Cushing all give absolutely knockout performances that feel so much larger than what's actually on the page. It reminds me a lot of Star Trek captains, the captains are usually best when played by the same sort of actors who can deliver these grand speeches and feel like bold heroes of virtue without feeling cheesy or insincere.
One of the things I was so saddened to see was the new Dune lacking that sense of grandiosity, while it's a mess of a film I adore the casting of Lynch's film (some obvious exceptions aside), Patrick Stewart as Guerney gave such an air of gravitas and theater to the role that the grittiness of the new film doesnt even try to capture.
The man, regardless of what anyone thinks of his writing or directing, is an absolute genius. There’s no debating that.
There plenty of debate about both. The original film was only good because of the editing, not because of Lucas. The best movie is the one he didn’t direct. The story is literally the heroes journey, the single most retold story ever.
Where is the genius exactly? The series only became popular because of other people.
@@Auzzie015 I would’ve agreed, once upon a time. More recently I’ve been listening to him actually talk about it in interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff, and damn his mind is incredible. I agree that Star Wars was a success because of other people, that’s clear as day. But when I listen to him talking about it all....He is wicked smart.
I think you're giving him waaaay too much credit.
Yeah, it is a shame how he lost his touch.
@@adammyers7383 People should read the Making of Star Wars or at least some documentaries. Lucas WAS one of the editors, he actually fired the guy who did the first cut and then he, Marcia and and two other guys did the editing under Lucas's supervision. Not to mention, he wrote the whole thing from scratch and directed it. Even with TESB and ROTJ, he still wrote most of the script and was heavily involved in special effects and editing. He was also a co-director of ROTJ. He's not perfect (who is?) but he did have vision that's non-existent in the sequels.
I always thought this was a trick to make Star Wars accessible to everyone. When you have themes and emotions as strong as the ones in the prequels making the dialogue simple yet memorable is a good way to make sure everyone from adults to children can understand and are invested
Thank you! Finally, someone who understood Star Wars and George Lucas' style.
Can I just take a minute to say that Ewan McFregor’s line delivery is so wonderful that nothing sounds wooden no matter the actual content of what is spoken
This is the real issue. Sure the writing is corny, but the right delivery makes it charming. This was the case of the OG movies because of the great chemistry among the leads, seasoned stage actors, some small improv and tweaking of the script and excellent editing.
The prequels are pure George, for good and bad. He is genuinely terrible at giving his actors direction. It's why you had scene stealers like Obi Wan and Palpatine, but stinkers like Anakin and Padme.
People can argue back and forth about the wooden dialog until the end of time, but Hayden and Padme had ZERO chemistry. I never believed for a moment they were ever in love.
You guys have no idea how much it makes me happy to see so many people understanding George Lucas and the amazing work he has done for us
I can't believe it has taken until now for me to see a video that actually understands why George's dialogue is so great.
This is a space OPERA. The dialogue shakespearean, poetic, clear, and more memorable than the dialogue of any other writer. It's right at home in the retelling of tales from "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away".
Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars without it, and nobody but George could pull it off.
Ah I see it now. It's a space opera so that's why nobody speaks in that style or tone. 😉😁
@@brentcrosby7109 the point has been missed in plain sight
I will say though, I feel like Hammil was right about that one line he apparently convinced Lucas to not use. Trying to explain a long line of military bases or whatever in one line is a bit much.
@@brentcrosby7109 Yeah. It's like in movies that take place in a time long before ours, like "Pride And Prejudice" or "Nicholas Nickleby". The dialogue feels awkward, alien, cheesy, wooden and foreign to us, because it's from a different time, where people spoke in a manner much different than ours. It seems weird to us, because no one talks like this in our time, and if they did, they'd be a sheer minority, they would look weird and out of place. This dialogue is, however, right at home "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". The examples are all around, but let's take...Padme's confession of her love for Anakin, or his unfairly maligned line about sand. The contents of what they say is not weird or out of place - a woman confessing to the man she loves how she feels, or said man telling her that while she associates sand with fun times on the beach, he associates it with his time as a slave on a desert planet, owning to the two of them coming from two very different backgrounds. It's the delivery that feels odd to us, but imagine Padme and Anakin were characters in something like "Pride And Prejudice" or "Nicholas Nickleby". Their "cheesy", "wooden" lines suddenly sound way less awkward, right? We judge the delivery of their lines based on our world and our time, and we forget that this story...takes place "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". It's okay if people in it don't speak in a manner like the one we speak in.
@@brentcrosby7109 it's absurd how high that flew over your head. Did you drop out of school?
Jesus... you did a sound clip of his sound effects and my heart skipped a beat. Time for another star wars marathon
That ending was a beautiful homage to the prequels, amazing stuff. Favourite line is probably underrated but simple by Qui Gonn 'Your focus determines your reality'
The dialogue is very much like the movies and serials that George Lucas grew up with and were an influence for Star Wars.
"Your focus determines your reality." Is a favourite of mine.
Also has the feeling of novels from the 1800s to early 1900s that are even more straightforward, expository, and "awkward". It's not bad dialogue, just a different style.
God damn, your editing is on point. I especially love the "They'll do their job well" smash cut to Cody ordering his troops to fire on Obi-Wan. An association I'd never thought of before.
This has to be one of the best videos analysing the Prequel dialogue.
3:48
"The problem with that conclusion is that it doesn't give justice to the way that Lucas uses sound effects."
I was legit in chills for the next twenty seconds.
I never thought about it like that, the lines have a rhythm, and cadence that fit with the atmosphere
@@quatreraberbawinner2628 Not just the lines, but the combination of lines, music and visuals as well. For example:
Shmi to Anakin in TPM: 'You can't stop the change, like you can't stop the suns from setting.'
And in AOTC Anakin goes to find his mother, with the setting suns in the background and Dual of the Fates starts to play.
Dual of the Fates also plays in the background during the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin in ROTS.
Same! My jaw hit the floor in realization.
Having recently rewatched the prequels I noticed something I hadnt when watching them as a a kid. Theres a dynamic character change that happens within anakin in the finale of RotS that I love.
The whole Trilogy he tries to restrain himself. Of course his dialogue is wooden, because he went into the jedi order at a later age than any other jedi. The whole Trilogy you witness him trying to suppress his emotions and be the "model jedi" when that's just not how he grew up. He's putting on an act. In Phantom Menace he's cocky, arrogant, and impulsive, something that any 9 or 10 year old boy ahead of his peers in every way would be like, especially on a competitive desert planet like Tatooine.
Then suddenly he's thrust into this monastic order that tells him to suppress everything he's felt until then, to forget his mother, etc, to be completely humble, while at the same time telling him he's "The Chosen One", essentially the Jedi messiah, a position that should automatically grant him the highest respect and power amongst the jedi.
But it doesn't. Instead he's denied the title of Jedi Master, while being berated and even ridiculed by his master. But then he's presented with a different path. Someone comes along and says "the jedi have lost their way, the republic is crumbling, your only chance to be anything more than what you are is to side with me." So he takes it. He takes the opportunity to side with Palpatine and let his emotions guide him, not realizing, until later, that that option was much worse than reforming the jedi order from the inside, which is what he would have done had he stayed behind when Mace said to, and subsequently been promoted to master. In an alternate timeline he could have been the one to succeed Yoda and return the Jedi Order to its peacekeeping roots.
And then, at the very end, he stills speaks in an arrogant and aloof manner right up until Obi Wan chops his limbs off. Then, in that fateful moment when he yells at Obi Wan that he hates him, that's when he allows all that emotion out. Theres not just hate but also love in those words. He realizes that Obi Wan is right in a way, through his actions he's allowed himself to become Palpatines puppet, has allowed himself to have his "heart twisted by this dark lord". He's acknowledging that, although he still believes the old republic was inefficient and the jedi "evil from his point of view", it would probably be better than being ruled by Palpatine. Then, once he's in the suit, he can't fight Palpatine on his own anymore, as (I believe it's cannon) that Palpatine deliberately had the suit made in such a way as to constantly keep Anakin in a weaker state than Palpatine and in pain so the rage and hatred that fuels the dark side would more easily flow through him.
Which is why in the OT he goes so soft on Luke, he's trying to train him up, so he really can depose Palpatine and create an Empire with "Peace, Freedom, Justice, and Security", ruling alongside his son. What he doesn't expect is for Palpatine to try to kill the only candidate who could possibly succeed the aging Anakin as his successor, hence why he throws him down the shaft.
Completely agree man
Spot on!
I dobut the part about training him. otherwise he wouldn't chop his son's arm off.
He, at the point of the Empire Strikes Back, still has a twisted set of values. He has conflicted feeling for both Luke and Palpatine. For the later he definitely remained loyal to and he if he truly want to rule the galaxy with his son, he would just disposed of Palpatine, but rule in the same autocratic style as him.
Anakin is a horny teen in the second movie having been told the last near decade to stop being emotional. Then he gets thrust into an assignment with as he puts it 'an angel,' and someone he was incredibly attracted to. He's going to be a dumb awkward teen saying weird things. Hayden's acting was accidentally brilliant and basically perfectly portrayed what a person going through that sort of thing would act and talk like.
When he was talking about killing the tuskans, he was breaking inside. Being emotional and realizi g what he had done, trying to supress it with jedi training, and mentally snapping at the inner conflict.
@@williampan29 Luke lost his hand while Anakin lost half his arm. Along with the rest of his limbs and had to live in a life support suit. Compared to what Vader/Anakin went through, he was going easy on Luke.
The saddest part is the misunderstanding a lot of fans have for the "I don't like sand" line.
Fans who misunderstand this line tend to think Anakin starts talking about sand out of the blue like a weird conversation starter.
But they forget it was Padme talking about her past as a kid going swimming with friends and drying out on the sand.
Which prompts Anakin to talk about his crappy past as a kid through the allegory of sand.
If any person in the universe would be justified in having a blanket hatred of sand, it would be somebody from Tatooine.
@@RoyalFusilier as someone who doesn't like the beach, I sympathize with Anakin.
Fucking sand, cleaning out of everything for weeks.
I don't like sand, I like this line.
that's not an allegory; you're just looking too much into it (and it's also not the worst thing ever, both sides take it too far)
@@larrote6467 what on Earth you talking about lol. Many people online thinks Anakin says "I don't like sand" out of the blue. I'm pointing out Padme mentions sand first. Idk if you meant to reply to someone else.
I don't think hayden christensen is a bad actor, I don't think he's written badly either, he captures the essence of an awkward love struck teen, it's supposed to be corny
Hayden literally played Anakin to complete PERFECTION. It’s honestly unbelievable people call him a bad actor, you can see how much emotion and thought he puts into every line he says
Exactly
Hayden will always be Anakin for me
It’s like the main character in Catwoman. No matter what scene your watching you physically can’t tell if it’s a really good actor with a really bad script or a really bad actor with a really bad script. A lot of people confused the script and the acting and hated Hayden Christensen.
@@Venom5970. His delivery of "I'm not leaving without you, master." at the beginning of RotS was competely soulless though. As if they were having fun in a VR flight simulator. He wasn't aware of the context behind it. Ewan McGregor is the one that puts emotion in every line he says.
I love how at the end it just turns into an Anakin Padme Love Theme AMV
You got an lol when I looked up that acronym. Basically.
@@SoUncivilized414 he does it in all of his vids and it just makes it so cinematic🤩
I mean, I'm not complaining :P
The way George Lucas write dialogues reminds me of the theatrical way, in which a character can explain his feelings to the audience
And personally, I never watched any other movies doing such a thing, which makes Star Wars more unique
Man that first clip really demonstrates how great of an actor Mark Hamill is