Rinzler's "The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi"
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Jedi-72
Sr Member
It's funny that he compares the Force and Jedi to Yoga or martial arts and their practitioners. Anyone can do it if they take the time to study. That's exactly how I always thought of the Jedi and the Force. Also, his description of Yoda as a guru, a teacher and NOT warrior is EXACTLY what Yoda is and how he should've been portrayed in the prequels. Lucas should've stuck with all of his initial ideas, especially the progression of Anakin's turn. Dragging it out a bit and knowing that Jedi are being killed but holding back on the fact that Anakin is the culprit would've made for a more compelling and believable story as opposed to squeezing everything into a ridiculous montage sequence and one goofy Vader slaughter scene. If only. With the story out of Lucas' hands there is always hope that those stories will be retold properly.
Much better concept than what we actually got...
Probe Droid
Master Member
Oh come on, you all don't love the midichlorians?:lol
So much time passed betwen the two strings of films that Lucas seems like he forgot what his original concepts were and went with all this wacko stuff. Too bad.
So much time passed betwen the two strings of films that Lucas seems like he forgot what his original concepts were and went with all this wacko stuff. Too bad.
I think they should have kept the bit about Padme surviving and going with Leia to fit with Leia's ROTJ comments. The other stuff I'm glad they changed. Having Jedi Masters not fight? Totally stupid. I'm a martial artist and I wouldn't trust one thing someone taught me if I didn't know they were extremely good at it beforehand! It would be like a chef teaching you how to cook, yet they couldn't taste food.
Ya, the Jedi Master thing threw me. Although I'm a firm believer that we never should have seen Yoda wield a lightsaber. If he fought it should have been with the force, not a blade.
As for the martial artist and chef example I don't think that's entirely valid. Yoda never once instructed Luke how to fight. As a matter of fact one of the first things he tells him is that wars don't make one great. The one time that Luke picks up his lightsaber on Dagobah Yoda tells him he doesn't need it so I see where GL was coming from.
What Yoda DID teach, and obviously from a point of knowledge was how to be more in tune with the force. He was certainly a Jedi. :lol
As for the martial artist and chef example I don't think that's entirely valid. Yoda never once instructed Luke how to fight. As a matter of fact one of the first things he tells him is that wars don't make one great. The one time that Luke picks up his lightsaber on Dagobah Yoda tells him he doesn't need it so I see where GL was coming from.
What Yoda DID teach, and obviously from a point of knowledge was how to be more in tune with the force. He was certainly a Jedi. :lol
When does this book go on sale?
Jedi-72
Sr Member
He describes Yoda as a "guru". You can be a master of Yoga and yet know nothing of hand-to-hand combat. I always saw Yoda as just that, a master of spirituality and philosophy, not a master of combat or the warrior arts. His name, which I'm sure was born of "Yoga" implies a spiritual not a physical (combat arts) master. He would've been a mentor in the proper mindset and ways of thinking in order to attune oneself to the Force which would make one a more formidable warrior. His comments and demeanor in training Luke even convey a disdain for combat and a disapproving attitude toward weapons. Almost as if their presence tainted or made impossible spiritual development. The instruction in combat would've been left to other types of Masters...Master warriors.
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Yeah, I felt that Anakin shouldn't have known about the twins, that once Ben knew Padme was pregnant, he hid her and the twins from Anakin, because Anakin was making attempts to use the dark side, which he thought he could handle. Ben knew Anakin was on the path to self destruction, and could not be redeemed, Anakin was power hungry, and sought to not only master the light side, but also the Dark side. After the Clone wars were close to an end, Anakin wanted Padme to join him, but Ben told Anakin that she was dead. Anakin knew Ben was lying, and attacked him. Ben did what he could to defend himself, but when Anakin begins to use the dark side against him, he has no choice but to cut him down, and leave him for dead.
Bigdaddy
Master Member
:lol Yoda not fighting? :facepalm The only 2 moments I enjoy in AOTC are Dooku talking to Obi in the cell, and Dooku fighting Yoda. :cool The things I liked better in the "concept", the drawn out fall of Anakin, and married Jedi. :thumbsup I've always been partial to the idea of Jedi "Knights" rather than the Jedi "monks" of the PT :lol
NO Midiwhatsitcalleds? I really wish he had stayed with that!
NO Midiwhatsitcalleds? I really wish he had stayed with that!
I don't know you anymore man... :lol
Thought the article said October
Totally agree. It kinda breaks up the continuity to have Leia mention that she remembers her mother, that she died when she was very young, and then have Padme die at childbirth.
Same with the Yoda/Jedi thing. I disagree that Yoda should've been but a mere teacher and not skilled at fighting, but I can understand where that comes from. Your high school english teacher shouldn't be expected to be awesome at math and basketball too, right?
I think the biggest reason for GL to change some of these things is, by that time, he was surrounded with "yes" men and not the quality collaborators he had with the original trilogy. I remember reading somewhere that GL was interviewed as saying that he was terrible at writing dialogue, yet (I'm pretty sure) he wrote the dialogue for the prequels.
Either way, I think I might have to pick up that book. Looks interesting.
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Ya, that never really sat right with me. Such an obvious flub.
Luke has always had an incest streak in him I suppose. :lol
Honestly though, I don't think he was quite in tune with the force enough to be able to sense others at that point. By "I've always known" I took it as more of a "I always knew we had a connection". In ANH he's clearly enamored with her and that continues through the beginning of ESB.
From what I've heard he wasn't sure if he was going to commit to them being siblings until he was actually writing ROTJ so ANH and ESB were written without that as a cemented plan. Made for better films and some doubt as to whether or not Han & Leia would get together. In all honesty in hindsight I would have left the Leia revelation out of the script.
I was generalizing there, not being specific to Yoda/Luke. I meant that a chef who can't taste can't teach you how to make good food. Likewise a martial arts master, needs to know how to employ the techniques he's teaching, or you can't trust that they work or are effective.
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