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SPOILERS: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Discussion Thread SPOILERS

Christensen wasn't the problem with the prequels, IMO. It was the script/direction. When I did the marathon before TFA, I kept noticing during the prequels that there are decent movies hidden in there, and I think that's something that's lost when you're not watching them for ~9 hours straight. Christensen had really good chemistry with McGregor and McDiarmid, but literally none with Portman, which is a problem given how much focus Lucas ended up giving to Anakin's relationship with Padme.

I think the biggest issue with the prequels was that they shot themselves in the foot by keeping Christensen away from actors with whom he actually shared chemistry.
 
anakin and the emperor try to seduce obi-wan, things get weird (no spoilers)
 
Shooshmoo said:
Opening crawl, pan down from space all the way to CGI Leia, falling into Sarlacc maw, freeze frame, looks at camera, "I bet you're wondering how I got here", unfreeze frame, Sarlacc tears her to pieces, C3P0 spontaneously combusts.
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RedSoxFaithful said:
Christensen wasn't the problem with the prequels, IMO. It was the script/direction. When I did the marathon before TFA, I kept noticing during the prequels that there are decent movies hidden in there, and I think that's something that's lost when you're not watching them for ~9 hours straight. Christensen had really good chemistry with McGregor and McDiarmid, but literally none with Portman, which is a problem given how much focus Lucas ended up giving to Anakin's relationship with Padme.

I think the biggest issue with the prequels was that they shot themselves in the foot by keeping Christensen away from actors with whom he actually shared chemistry.
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Are you sold on Christensen's acting chops because of his work in Jumper or Life as a House?

McGregor was the biggest victim of the prequels. He was great. I wish they would give Obi-Wan a standalone film to give him some redemption.
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Are you sold on Christensen's acting chops because of his work in Jumper or Life as a House?

McGregor was the biggest victim of the prequels. He was great. I wish they would give Obi-Wan a standalone film to give him some redemption.
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Agreed.
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Are you sold on Christensen's acting chops because of his work in Jumper or Life as a House?

McGregor was the biggest victim of the prequels. He was great. I wish they would give Obi-Wan a standalone film to give him some redemption.
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I mean, I'm not sold on Christensen's acting chops, I just don't think that they were so bad that they doomed the prequels.
 
RedSoxFaithful said:
I mean, I'm not sold on Christensen's acting chops, I just don't think that they were so bad that they doomed the prequels.
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Natalie Portman's acting was garbage in those movies too -- I blame Lucas for the way he made the two of them read their shitty lines. I think Ewan was just like, fuck it, I'll read the lines the way I want to.
 
Shooshmoo said:
Natalie Portman's acting was garbage in those movies too -- I blame Lucas for the way he made the two of them read their shitty lines. I think Ewan was just like, fuck it, I'll read the lines the way I want to.
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But that's the thing, isn't it? When you take Christensen out of his scenes with Portman, he gets a lot better. I maintain that the scenes where Palpatine tries to turn him are a lot of fun, and his banter with Obi-Wan at the start of Ep 3 is entertaining enough. It's the way the script and direction handle Anakin's emotional beats that really brings everything to a screeching halt, and I don't know how much Christensen is to blame there.
 
RedSoxFaithful said:
But that's the thing, isn't it? When you take Christensen out of his scenes with Portman, he gets a lot better. I maintain that the scenes where Palpatine tries to turn him are a lot of fun, and his banter with Obi-Wan at the start of Ep 3 is entertaining enough. It's the way the script and direction handle Anakin's emotional beats that really brings everything to a screeching halt, and I don't know how much Christensen is to blame there.
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Christensen just couldn't handle any emotional beats. Just came off as whiny. This is surely some of Lucas' fault, but it's not like Christensen has been redeemed as a dramatic actor through other endeavors either. I haven't seen the prequels in a long time, but what was your read of Portman in E1 this watch through?
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Christensen just couldn't handle any emotional beats. Just came off as whiny. This is surely some of Lucas' fault, but it's not like Christensen has been redeemed as a dramatic actor through other endeavors either. I haven't seen the prequels in a long time, but what was your read of Portman in E1 this watch through?
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That's probably fair. The prequels got a few things right (the scores, the lightsaber duels, and most of Palpatine), but you're right that Anakin's emotional beats were pretty consistently ham-fisted. I'm still more willing to blame the script/pacing on that end, but to each his own.

I feel more strongly about Lucas wasting Portman; she's obviously a great actress, and her characterization was so clunky in all 3 movies (a problem made worse by the deeply stupid queen/servant fake-out in Ep 1).
 
Anakin is meant to be portrayed as having a darkness within him, but the whinyness overshadows it all. there's no line between where we see him at the end of III and beginning of IV (and now, also, with how badass he is at the end of Rogue One).
 
BarcaDeac said:
Anakin is meant to be portrayed as having a darkness within him, but the whinyness overshadows it all. there's no line between where we see him at the end of III and beginning of IV (and now, also, with how badass he is at the end of Rogue One).
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Driver does a much better job with Anakin’s potential as Kylo Ren IMO.
 
I'm not defending Christensen by any means, but he didn't doom the prequels. The requisite bar for acting chops is pretty low for a movie about space wizards (see 90% of sci-fi pre y2k). Gregory Peck himself couldn't save a scene where he had to whine about how much he hates sand.
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Driver does a much better job with Anakin’s potential as Kylo Ren IMO.
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Yes. Even though I hate the petulant attitudes of Kylo and Anakin, it's easy to forget that Luke was the same way in the original trilogy. His acting was probably the worst of the three, actually. The difference was he was more pouty than angry.
 
the casting in the prequels was atrocious, period. Christensen couldn't act his way out of a paper sack. Ewan, Portman, Jackson, Smits, etc. a virtual collection of OK actors put in crap roles and totally eliminated any aspect of validity. Lucas fucked it up royally...they all sucked.
 
EatLeadCommie said:
Yes. Even though I hate the petulant attitudes of Kylo and Anakin, it's easy to forget that Luke was the same way in the original trilogy. His acting was probably the worst of the three, actually. The difference was he was more pouty than angry.
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