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My Light Saber for Some Decent Screenwriters

I can’t really call myself a Star Wars nerd. Maybe I’m more of a nerd for Mr. Lucas’s galactic opera than some but I have certainly never been to, nor pondered going to, any sort of convention, I don’t buy the Star Wars magazines or novels or comics. I grew up on the original three. It’s in my blood. That’s my story. I am stickin’ to it.

When the second/first three Star Wars prequals came out, though, I, along with many other fans of the originals was greatly disappointed. After I watched the first prequel I pinned my hopes on an improved second installment. Given both the critical and popular bashing the first received, I fully expected the second to kick ass (it, of course didn’t). I even had some ideas running around in my head as to how, given that Annakin’s eventual move to the dark side was just around the corner, one could have used, to dramatic advantage, the tension that was building up as the audience, over the course of the first and second films, waited for the moment Annakin finally turned.

Specifically, I was thinking of a possible opening sequence for the second film that would take place on a dark, jungle-like planet or a remote region of whatever planet on which all of the main action took place in the prequels. As the frame zoomed, in classic Star Wars opening scene fashion, down onto the surface of the planet, the scene would slowly be set up so that it would appear that Anniken and young Obi-Wan were in a fight to the death. Imagine lots of dark, action packed, dramatic cuts as both of the Jedis ran through the jungle with Annakin on the chase and Obi-Wan on the run, desperately trying to out run and get away from the, now, murderous and wrath-filled but cunning Annakin. The sequence would culminate with a final battle scene, ending as Annakin’s wild and rage-filled saber fighting style eventually wears down Obi-Wan and, showing no mercy, Annakin kills his mentor.

Pause. And, now, cut to Obi-Wan getting up from his “death bed”, cracking some jokes about how Annakin has come a long way but still could use some finesse or something and the audience realizes this was all a trick, that they were merely watching an, albeit intense, training session.

My girlfriend, my brother and myself have finally gotten around to watching The Wire on DVD. It is, of course, an incredible series; a methodically plotted and incredibly well acted “police precedural”. It’s what every cop show on network TV would love to be but can’t.

In some small way it is, as well, and maybe only to me, what the Star Wars prequels could have been but were not:

Even if you don’t know anything about The Wire (and why don’t you, by the way?), replace, in the scene I laid out, Obi-Wan with either Snoop or Chris (the chasers). Replace Michael (the young man on the run) with Annakin. Pretty close. And just as effective as I imagined it would be. Kinda spooky. And yet, satisfying.

23 September 2008 | Comments |