2005-05-18 - 8:57 a.m. Star Wars: Top Ten Fights Why is the new Stars Wars the best movie out of any of the prequels? The Jedi fights. Listen, anyone who says they loved Star Wars for the witty dialog has really missed Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher who provide most the good banter in the first three movies. Lucas was unable to replace their talent except for perhaps Ewen McGregor who is shaping up to be better than Alex Guinness in the role of Obi Wan Kenobi. As for Anakin, lots of people hate him and his performance in the second movie (and I like to deny he was in the first one). But I don�t mind him. Have we so quickly forgotten how whiney Luke was? Tashi Station? Power Converters? This is how we were introduced the last hope for the Jedis and the Rebels? Face it -- Luke was a wimpy whiney baby until he got his hand chopped off. Lets give Haden some room and see how he does now that he too is limbless. While I will agree that Lucas has been mad with power (a flying R2D2? Gee. Too bad he didn�t fly off Jaba�s Cruise ship. WTF?) I will say that I haven�t been utterly blown away with hate for the prequals. I recognize that Carrie Fischer and Ford made the love work. Harrison Ford Ad libbed a ton of lines. Haden and Natalie just don�t have it. And honestly it hurts the prequals franchise alot. While all this is true, I would like to present to you the reason why I think that the third movie will be the good, without ever seeing it. The Jedi Fights. Top Ten Star Wars Fights 10.) Obi Wan and Anakin vs Dooku Part 1 This is the one at the End of Attack of the Clones where Obi Wan and Anakin get their asses handed to them by Old Man Dooku with a fancy lightsaber. Its comes in at number 10 for the following reasons � 1) Dooku laid waste to two Jedi. Obi Wan has fought someone like this before who wasn�t 93 and had the coolest lightsaber ever. He needed to really pull it out. Meanwhile Anakin was so not Darth Vader like and totally got Luked by Dooku as his hand is still somewhere on Genosia. 9.) Yodo vs The Emperor Here is why this is number 9. I don�t know if it�s really going to happen. And I haven�t seen it. But just for the THREAT of getting the two Star Wars heavy hitters into the same room with both their lightsabers out HAS to make the list. And since neither of them ever use lightsabers in the movies again, I salavating over seeing what happens when they do. 8.) Obi Wan vs Darth Vader Part 1 I love Star Wars the original, but as far as fights go, this one was more dramatic than cinematic. I loved this fight because when you watched it you knew there was a lot of history between both of these men, and there was just tension as this mysterious evil villain struck down Luke�s mentor. Its also the fist time good really squared off against evil in the series, and you are left not sure if good or evil won. It built the mystery of star wars, but honestly the action was lacking.
The Episode 3 rematch. Anakin learns that it takes a village to raise a child, and a Sith to kill a Count. Dooku owes Anakin a hand, and I think you're crazy if you aren't looking forward to the alternate version of the Luke Vader Fight where Luke finishes Vader off? I mean I am just giddy over the idea of the emperor turning Anakin to the dark side. Plus I hate Dooku�s fancy lightsaber.
6.) Yoda vs Dooko Speaking of Dooku, Mr. Old man Fancy pants was in too deep as it was Yoda who made this fight. I mean when everything seemed lost, as 1 armed Anakin was flopping like a fish, and Obi Wan was lying there like an empty cape, it was Yoda who saved the day. I liked it because they set it up well earlier in the movie, everyone loves Yoda, and it made me realize that they CGI�d Yoda for a reason. And the sheer fact that he bounced around Dooku like a green flubber ball of death really delighted me. I know some people didn�t like this fight, but I really thought that it worked. Hey Dooku, why don't you go take your space ship sailing.
5.) The Emperor vs Mace Windu and Crew Even better than biggest good guy whipping out the lightsaber and saving the day, is when the biggest baddest Villain decides to take Mace Windu and his Merry Men to town. You see the 3 aliens and Mace Windu. Those 3 aliens mine as well be wearing Star Trek red shirts because they are dead. I have a feeling that this fight will be epic, violent, and really awesome. I haven�t seen it and I am doing a little dance over it in my brain. Prediction: The one on the right. His face is awful. He's the first dead. I hate his face.
4.) Luke vs Vader Part 2 This was the rematch where 1 handed Luke gets a little payback on his father. The emperor sits there and giggles and claps as he makes Luke madder and more angry, slowly turning him to the dark side. Unlike his father, Luke doesn�t succumb, and instead �must die� as the emperor barley bothers to get out his chair to dispatch young Skywalker. The nice thing about this fight was just the drama and rage and depth behind the fight. When anyone fought Dooku there was just nothing behind it. He was the bad guy. Sure, the Dooku fights looked cooler, but in this fight you really knew Luke and Vader and because of that you were a lot more into the fight than with Dooko.
3.) Darth Maul vs Obi Wan and Qui Gon Jin This was the only genuinely good part of Episode 1. This was the greatest Jedi fight that has been caught on film. The sheer chorography, action, and coolness of the situation was great. Darth Maul said very few words, but he could fight like no other. The twin lightsabers was not only the best idea to lure me in, but also the final situation where Obi Wan is trapped in the shields as he watches Darth Maul and Qui Gon fight is excellent. Lucas got this scene right and to me ranks as one of the best all time star wars fights. 2.) Obi Wan vs Darth Vader Part 1 This is the money fight in the entire Star Wars series, save one. This is the fight where Obi Wan realizes he�s failed as a master. This is the fight where Anakin becomes Darth Vader. This is the fight that builds the tension between Vader and Obi Wan in the original star wars. This is why episode 3 will be good. No matter what else happens in the movie, this fight is worth watching. None of the fights in the first 3 movies has been personal up until this point and the drama here will make it that much more intense. We care about Obi Wan. We should learn to hate Darth Vader. This is the final fight between good and evil and without ever seeing it, I know that its not likely that they got it wrong.
1.) Luke vs Vader Part 1 This is the best.fight.ever. It�s the reason why Star Wars is Star Wars. If just the first movie was good, and the next two sucked, well you�d have the Matrix sequels vs the original. The sheer fact that The Empire Strikes Back brings such a good story in this one, is captured as we see for the first time two people fighting with lightsabers. In the original star wars, Ben Kenobi never really fought to be anything more a distraction. This fight brought it to a new level as Darth Vader tried to capture Luke. The lighting and the darkness just added to the mystery as they fought in cloud city. Then, the culmination in what will forever be a part of cinematic history, Vader, the most evil villain to appear in a PG film, reveals that not only has he killed the mentor of Luke, but that the man who we believed killed Luke�s father, is Luke�s father. That was the moment that made the franchise. And that�s why I am looking forward to Episode III.
Honorable Mentions Luke vs Rangor � I just liked it when he stuffed the fake bone into his mouth and then the fat guy came in and cried. Obi Wan vs Jango Fett � This was the only real fight between a Jedi and a Bounty Hunter. Yeah, Boba Fett fought Luke in Return of the Jedi, but this was an all out fight where Obi Wan didn�t win easily.
Mace Windu vs Jango Fett � And its over. Its.just.that.easy. Ben vs Strange Bar Creature -- Remember when Ben chopped that crazy creature guys his arm off? That was cool. Jack Llyod vs The Back of my Hand -- Who would pay to have me slap that little kid around? Horrible. Leia vs Jabba -- Leia in the Slave outfit killing a evil crimelord? I mean it was over quick, but I really didn�t think you could choke a fat slug. Man did Jaba not see that coming. General Grevious vs Anyone � I don�t know if you know this but there is another villain in the Episode 3 named General Grevious. Do we need him? Do we really need ANOTHER villain? We�ve got Dooku, the Emperor, and Darth freaking Vader. Why have some throw away asshat robot dude? I mean maybe he�ll be cool and I�ll eat my hat, but I just think that when the bad guys (Emperor, GG, Vader, Dooku) outnumber the good guys (Yoda, Windu, Obi Wan, � Jimmy Smits) you added an unnecessary bad guy. Anyway. I haven�t seen it yet. SHHHHHHHH don�t tell me anything about it. | |||||||||||
