Hayden Christensen Possibly Vader Again??

Agreed. It's easy to bash Hayden's performance in AOTC and ROTS. I took me some years to realise that he was asked or told to play it that way. He was F'ed over by GL's poor dialogue, direction and general bitterness for his own failed relationships. If HC is willing to get involved with SW again I feel he could be redeemed.
The new trilogy is still continuing the Skywalker saga and with rumours of Yoda and Obi wans' force ghosts making an appearance, Anakin's absense would be more awkward to explain away. It would help tie all three trilogies together and, as a whole possibly improve the PT.

Side note: as I write this I'm imagining the potential for a well written and directed Clone Wars/buddy movie with both Hayden and Ewan, showing us the friendship sadly lacking in the PT. As it was in TCW cartoon.
 
CT1138 said:
Personally, I liked Hayden. He's not a bad actor, he just had bad dialogue and direction on the Prequels. He made a great Vader, and a pretty good Anakin after he got through his moody teenage years. I'd like to see him in a role akin to Guinness's in the OT. Would be an interesting premise. Also, I find it heartbreaking to think about how Anakin must be devastated to see his grandson idolize every mistake he'd ever made.
Click to expand...
He's a bad actor. In every scene with Portman it's even more obvious. And it's not because her part was better written.
 
dascoyne said:
He's a bad actor. In every scene with Portman it's even more obvious. And it's not because her part was better written.
Click to expand...

Sorry, disagree with every point. Hayden is a fine actor - check out "Shattered Glass". As far as Portman - it is unquestionable that she is a fine actress, but she is terrible in the prequels; she had nothing no work with, no good direction or script and comes across as really wooden. People have accused her of "not trying', as if she was being snobbish to being in a SW film or was just taking the cash - but she's been fine in other "popcorn" movies such as the Thor films. In fact, with the exception of Ian McDiarmid, I can't think of any actor in the prequels whose work on those films transcended the poor scripts and direction (though I still cringe atthe confrontation with WIndu: "Nooo.. nooo. NOOOOOO!" and "unlimited.... POOOOWWWWWEERRRR!" Even Ewan, who had flashes of "his old self" from time to time, seemed embarrassed by lines like "Another happy landing" and "Sith lords are our specialty".

M
 
mkstewartesq said:
Sorry, disagree with every point. Hayden is a fine actor - check out "Shattered Glass". As far as Portman - it is unquestionable that she is a fine actress, but she is terrible in the prequels; she had nothing no work with, no good direction or script and comes across as really wooden. People have accused her of "not trying', as if she was being snobbish to being in a SW film or was just taking the cash - but she's been fine in other "popcorn" movies such as the Thor films. In fact, with the exception of Ian McDiarmid, I can't think of any actor in the prequels whose work on those films transcended the poor scripts and direction (though I still cringe atthe confrontation with WIndu: "Nooo.. nooo. NOOOOOO!" and "unlimited.... POOOOWWWWWEERRRR!" Even Ewan, who had flashes of "his old self" from time to time, seemed embarrassed by lines like "Another happy landing" and "Sith lords are our specialty".

M
Click to expand...
I agree she was terrible in the prequels compared with her other roles but she still overshadowed Hayden in their scenes together. Maybe his capacity is good (I'll have to check out Shattered Glass) but his part as Anakin in the awful prequels is already tainted for me. The new interpretation of Star Wars films needs to divorce itself as much as possible from the prequels and that includes shedding folks like Christensen and, yes, McGregor IMO.
 
Bryancd said:
They did make a replica of Hayden for the bacta scene in Rogue One although they barely showed it in the film.
Click to expand...

I admit to being more than a little disappointed with this decision to barely show it - especially after the leaked pic that showed the detailed prop. I get the "air of mystery" in ESB, with only the brief glance in the meditation chamber - we barely knew anything about Vader at that point and ESB was just a tantalizing glimpse. But ROTS went into excruciating detail about what Anakin looked like going into the suit, so there really wasn't much of a need for "mystery" anymore.

And - though this may sound odd - I'd actually like a stronger connection between Vader and Anakin (not necessary in Ep VII-IX). The point of the prequels (for better or worse) was to change our conception of Vader form a faceless automaton to a character we knew encased in the armor. And (again, for better or worse), now whenever I see Vader, I try to reconcile a mental image of Anakin being behind the mask, saying the words that are coming out of Vader's mouth. (Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not so). But, after they took three prequel films to establish Vader as being a living breathing "person" stuck in there, no good reason to go back to the "faceless man with no history" persona of ANH and ESB. And the bacta scene in Rogue One smacked of that - we saw Anakin "before and during the fall" in Ep I-III and we saw Anakin "old and redeemed" in Ep VI - why not give a glimpse (either visually or through dialogue) of Anakin while he is "trapped within Vader"?

M
 
It was a curious creative choice to pull away from showing more in that sequence. It's possible it looked a bit too artificial.
 
OK- slightly off-topic, but not so:

Does the Dark Side also give one a sense of humor?

Vader can be prone to a sly jab or one-liner (and on occasion, even a pun). Anakin - not so much (at least not that I remember. The closest I can recall is "You'll find I'm full of surprises" when attacking the Separatists on Mustafar - but he'd fallen to the Dark Side by that time. (Edit - actually I think that line came from Luke in ESB. Maybe Anakin had a similar line on Mustafar?)

Anyhow - makes it harder to reconcile Anakain with Vader.

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. But also funny. You'll be a hit at parties." - Chancellor Palpatine.

M
 
mkstewartesq said:
Vader can be prone to a sly jab or one-liner (and on occasion, even a pun). Anakin - not so much (at least not that I remember. The closest I can recall is "You'll find I'm full of surprises" when attacking the Separatists on Mustafar - but he'd fallen to the Dark Side by that time. (Edit - actually I think that line came from Luke in ESB. Maybe Anakin had a similar line on Mustafar?)
Click to expand...

When he was killing the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, he didn't say anything.
 
Jeyl said:
When he was killing the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, he didn't say anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I was thinking of the novelization, where Nute Gunray (or another Separatist) said "But Lord Sidious promised us we would be rewarded" and Anakin replied "I am your reward. Don't you find me pleasing?" or similar. There was also an exchange in that same sequence where a Separatist said "Lord Sidious said we would be left in peace" and Anakin replied along the lines of "You must have misheard him. He said you would be left in pieces."

But - again - not in the film.

M
 
The prequels are bad movies as stated on and on by several people, but I have grown to feel that Hayden dialog's are written to be spoken with Darth vaders (james earl jones) voice. Watch the movies and imagine it being said by vader. I feel that all the awkwardness and pauses in the dialog's are just because of that reason. It just feels awkward when spoken by a "real" human and not someone behind a robotic mask.
I would like him to appear again as anakin/vader.
 
mkstewartesq said:
OK- slightly off-topic, but not so:

Does the Dark Side also give one a sense of humor?

Vader can be prone to a sly jab or one-liner (and on occasion, even a pun). Anakin - not so much (at least not that I remember. The closest I can recall is "You'll find I'm full of surprises" when attacking the Separatists on Mustafar - but he'd fallen to the Dark Side by that time. (Edit - actually I think that line came from Luke in ESB. Maybe Anakin had a similar line on Mustafar?)

Anyhow - makes it harder to reconcile Anakain with Vader.

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. But also funny. You'll be a hit at parties." - Chancellor Palpatine.

M
Click to expand...
I would think it does. Jedi try to stay proper and upright to fulfill their missions. Sith are sloppy and don't care. Thus making them funny. I love starwars lol
 
Jeyl said:
When he was killing the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, he didn't say anything.
Click to expand...

But he also looked like he was very conflicted in what he was doing and could see in his face the confusion, unless it was just a really good cover for Hayden being confused in George's direction. To me it looked like he was under the influence of the darkside and wasn't fully mentally on board with it, but was slaughtering the council anyway. By the time he was done he appeared more transformed.

I think Christensen is a wonderful actor. He was given poor direction like many of the great actors also in the movie. Ewan MacGregor, Samuel Jackson, Portman, McDiarmid.... All among some great actors in there just given some VERY stale direction. I don't blame them one bit for doing what they were told. They executed George's vision and that's their job as actors. It unfortunately made them look like bad actors.

One thing that bugs me is wondering how Luke wasn't aware what was about to happen to his academy when the Knights of Ren came in and killed everyone. Are Yoda, Anakin, and Obi-Wan forbidden to give a little heads up if they notice something is fishy? Is that not within their capacity to monitor and can only act as guides, but not interfere with the present? But then that statement would be false because Obi-Wan continued to convince Luke after death that he must face Vader. There is some explaining that is needed there.

And man stop knocking on Kylo... I think we have yet to see how powerful he could become. I believe we got to only see him in his Episode III stage of transformation and will become more cold in this next film.

OR yes it is very possible there could be a HUGE twist and Rey falls to the dark side temporarily, but then returns to the light in the next film. And who knows maybe Kylo will somehow redeem himself.
 
niennumb1 said:
And man stop knocking on Kylo... I think we have yet to see how powerful he could become. I believe we got to only see him in his Episode III stage of transformation and will become more cold in this next film.

OR yes it is very possible there could be a HUGE twist and Rey falls to the dark side temporarily, but then returns to the light in the next film. And who knows maybe Kylo will somehow redeem himself.
Click to expand...

Im ready to see Kylo go full steam and show people he is not to be messed with. I love his character and the conflict he has when he killed han or tortured rey in TFA. Looks alot like Hayden in ep III.
 
Celtic007 said:
The Art of the Force Awakens book mentioned how there was an idea for a force ghost Anakin/Vader that would change back and forth between the two.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vgo5n.jpg
Click to expand...

Dear God, that is a terrible idea. It's bad enough that Lucas screwed with continuity and such by replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden, but to have him show up as a Force ghost again....I mean, really, just leave it the hell alone. I think Vader's absence is way, way more interesting because it acts much truer to life: Kylo can invest whatever he wants into this idea of who Vader was and what he stood for, and it's really all just Kylo's own crap at work.

CT1138 said:
Personally, I liked Hayden. He's not a bad actor, he just had bad dialogue and direction on the Prequels. He made a great Vader, and a pretty good Anakin after he got through his moody teenage years. I'd like to see him in a role akin to Guinness's in the OT. Would be an interesting premise. Also, I find it heartbreaking to think about how Anakin must be devastated to see his grandson idolize every mistake he'd ever made.
Click to expand...

mkstewartesq said:
Sorry, disagree with every point. Hayden is a fine actor - check out "Shattered Glass". As far as Portman - it is unquestionable that she is a fine actress, but she is terrible in the prequels; she had nothing no work with, no good direction or script and comes across as really wooden. People have accused her of "not trying', as if she was being snobbish to being in a SW film or was just taking the cash - but she's been fine in other "popcorn" movies such as the Thor films. In fact, with the exception of Ian McDiarmid, I can't think of any actor in the prequels whose work on those films transcended the poor scripts and direction (though I still cringe atthe confrontation with WIndu: "Nooo.. nooo. NOOOOOO!" and "unlimited.... POOOOWWWWWEERRRR!" Even Ewan, who had flashes of "his old self" from time to time, seemed embarrassed by lines like "Another happy landing" and "Sith lords are our specialty".

M
Click to expand...

niennumb1 said:
But he also looked like he was very conflicted in what he was doing and could see in his face the confusion, unless it was just a really good cover for Hayden being confused in George's direction. To me it looked like he was under the influence of the darkside and wasn't fully mentally on board with it, but was slaughtering the council anyway. By the time he was done he appeared more transformed.

I think Christensen is a wonderful actor. He was given poor direction like many of the great actors also in the movie. Ewan MacGregor, Samuel Jackson, Portman, McDiarmid.... All among some great actors in there just given some VERY stale direction. I don't blame them one bit for doing what they were told. They executed George's vision and that's their job as actors. It unfortunately made them look like bad actors.

One thing that bugs me is wondering how Luke wasn't aware what was about to happen to his academy when the Knights of Ren came in and killed everyone. Are Yoda, Anakin, and Obi-Wan forbidden to give a little heads up if they notice something is fishy? Is that not within their capacity to monitor and can only act as guides, but not interfere with the present? But then that statement would be false because Obi-Wan continued to convince Luke after death that he must face Vader. There is some explaining that is needed there.

And man stop knocking on Kylo... I think we have yet to see how powerful he could become. I believe we got to only see him in his Episode III stage of transformation and will become more cold in this next film.

OR yes it is very possible there could be a HUGE twist and Rey falls to the dark side temporarily, but then returns to the light in the next film. And who knows maybe Kylo will somehow redeem himself.
Click to expand...

Pretty much all of the above. I repeatedly cite to Shattered Glass as proof that Christensen can act. He has, unfortunately, been saddled with his more visible work being some of his worst, but watching his performance...I think he genuinely tries his level best with what is simply terrible dialogue and direction.

Really, just about everyone in the Prequels is a solid actor if you catch them in other stuff. But for some strange reason....they just suck in the Prequels. Even MacGregor, who is the best of the lot, has some cringe-worthy bits, and it's all down to dialogue and delivery.


Regardless, I'd really prefer if Hayden not be involved anymore. He should focus on doing dramatic work that actually shows off his acting chops.
 
I think switching back and forth is ridiculous because Lucas clearly meant (at SE time anyway) for Anakin to revert to how he looked when he stopped being a Jedi. It's kind of dumb, but we have to deal with it. Anyway that gave me an idea. What if Kylo tries to summon Vader, Vader shows up, but the image shatters and Anakin comes through and then tries to stop Kylo? That would be cool, but I still think Anakin would just show up. I think he'd be spending eternity trying to atone for what he has done as Vader.
 
This thread is more than 7 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

bwayne64
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
Replies
3
Views
477
bwayne64
bwayne64
Sundowner
Mephisto possibly joining the MCU
Replies
14
Views
1,053
Mottrex
Mottrex
blewis17
Photographer uses advanced AI to show deceased celebrities "alive" again
2 3
Replies
49
Views
2,549
drusselmeyer
drusselmeyer
Egon Spengler
Would you be for or against a Ghostbusters 2 Special Edition? If for, what you would like to see done?
Replies
8
Views
402
batguy
B
Kevin Hall
James Webb Space Telescope launch is rescheduled again
5 6 7
Replies
128
Views
7,144
gedmac66
gedmac66
Back
Top