Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

HaloZero writes "The title was publicly revealed today in a special presentation to a packed audience of Star Wars fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. The title wasn't the only surprise for those in attendance at the presentation. Click here for news about even more Star Wars DVDs in 2004 and 2005, surprise celebrity guests, new planets in Episode III, and more."

Comments

Revenge?

[Nurgled]

What exactly are the Sith "avenging"? I can't think of anything the "good guys" have done so far that wasn't provoked by the "bad guys", so as far as I can see there's no revenge here -- just business as usual for the bad guys.

Re:Revenge?

[Jugalator]

Hmm... But for something like a movie title, you'd think they referred to something happening in the movies. All the other 5 titles do.

Re:Revenge?

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Obviously, they are avenging the reluctance of american consumers to buy into the entire merchandising gearup of TPM. My god, Lucas sold the entire fast food plastic cup rights to KFC/Pizza Hut, and those restaurants didn't see their marketshare or short-term revenue go up 100fold at all!. Fuck, they didn't even quadruple. What was wrong with people? Where were the ravening hordes of foaming at the mouth plastic cup collectors that just had to have 62 copies of the Jaba the Hut Anus cups (week 11)? Where were they? Were their basements full from all the collecting they did during the 70s and 80s? Unlikely. Besides, storage space is easily available, often for less than $200 a month for the 40' x 40' that the modest Star Wars fans require.

You people let George Lucas down. All of you.

The title...

[KoshClassic]

I don't care if he calls it Gigli Part 2, just so long as the movie is actually good this time.

Re:How about more plot coherrence

[slavetrade55]

I dunno how much the plot of the first episode resembled a sunday morning cartoon (maybe the characters did)...Seriously, what do kids know about trade sanctions, diplomatic engagements and senate politics? Except that they make for a boring setup for a movie that's supposed to be an exciting epic space opera.

Still, I liked it more than Ep.2.

Re:he just had to have revenge

[GuyMannDude]

So now they have 'Revenge od the Sith'. Fine Sith is all about revenge, but what is it a revenge of? did a Jedi knock up palpatines sister and Now he wnats to get even? Did Obi-One park in the 'Sith of the months' parking spot?

I know you're just joking around, but I think you're making a good point here. At no point have we seen any motivation for why the Sith are the way they are. I think this signficantly detracts from the movies. If Lucas decides to explain the source of the Sith's hatred in this final film, I would definitely appreciate the effort (as long as he doesn't reduce it to something as stupid as mitochlorians).

In the 2-on-1 lightsabre duel from Epsiode I there is a moment where the fighting has ceased. Gui-Con and Darth Maul are separated by a plasma wall and Obi-won is even further away. Maul walks around like a caged tiger while Gui-Con just sits there meditating. This is not exciting! This does not build suspense! This does not move the story foward! I couldn't believe that they would just sit there like that. That was the perfect opportunity for a short conversation between warriors to take place and give the audience insight into the conflict! Doesn't Maul have anything to say? Doesn't he even want to mock the jedi? Is Gui-Con so dead to the world that he's not even remotely curious why this guy has appeared out of nowhere to kill him?

I, too, would like to know what this "revenge" the Sith want is all about. Here's hoping that Lucas will finally answer this question in the new film. Otherwise, it just becomes a stupid white hats vs. black hats space western. Aren't we a little old for that?

GMD

Re:What's better than owning a Stormtooper suit?

[Anonymous Coward]

or getting laid in your own stormtrooper suit

Re:Damn it, damn it, damn it

[rppp01]

I think this is the draw for me, with regards to the franchise.

I loved the evil evil person that darth vader was. He scared me. His empire scared me. And there was this small group of people fighting this monolith of evil.

The prequels have been about 'nobility' as it slowly falls to this rise of this evil. But it hasn't done anything to make me feel like the 'evil' side of things did in the first 3.

And I just watched them 2 weeks ago. I saw them as a kid, and Vader still is 'the man' when it comes to bad guys. No amount of R2D2, or Boba Fett or Yoda will change that.

Where's the Firefly update?

[NormanEinstein]

News about the Firefly movie is what I'm waiting to hear about from Comic-Con. I simply can't get excited about Star Wars anymore after the last movie. *sigh*

I just ebayed the original trilogy on LaserDisc

[maynard]

The new original trilogy Star Wars DVDs are going to contain further changes beyond what was in the 'Special Edition' releases. Rumors are that Christian Haydensen will be digitally added in, replacing the original actor for Darth Vader (whose name I don't know and won't bother to look up). I'm sure there will be more changes. Whatever Lucas releases, it won't be what I saw as a nine year old child in 1977. Star Wars is an important cultural phenomenon which radically affected the late seventies. I remember seeing the film something like ten times with all my friends that summer, bugging our parents 'til they absolutely hated the movie. Empire was just as big, and I remember seeing that a bunch of times with friends too. None of us much liked Return of the Jedi though.

Lucas refuses to release his originals, as if by removing them from market they will cease to exist. A filmmaker who destroyed his own work in a Quixotic search for the continuing perfection of his one significant piece; without any new ideas, paths, or art to express. What about future historians who wish to research the cultural shifts the movie set in force or effects technology of that era? Lets hope there's a 35mm print somewhere in the Library of Congress somewhere safe. Yeah, he owns it. It's his copyrighted work. He should have every right to change it as he sees fit. But he shouldn't have the right to revoke history in the process. Yet another example of IP trampling culture.

So I bought the original trilogy in widescreen on Laserdisc. It's not anamorphic DVD, so I suppose it could look better. But it's what I remember as a kid. Cheesy model effects, the Guido murder Han, and all. Wonder if these old LDs will be worth something soon...

--Maynard

Re:I just ebayed the original trilogy on LaserDisc

[SemperUbi]

"Lucas refuses to release his originals, as if by removing them from market they will cease to exist."

This felt so unfair to me at first. I've still got the original VHS tapes of the original movies. I thought, wow, how lucky I am to have something that will probably never make it out onto DVD.

But then I came to my senses. Lucas knows full well how many people want to own the original films on DVD. I predict that after the altered original trilogy goes on sale, the REAL originals will too, after a few years, and probably in 2007, just in time for the first movie's 30th anniversary.

This would squeeze the maximum amount of money out of us fans. So, it MUST be true!

Don't Buy the DVD's

[irving47]

Don't buy the special edition DVD's and make a point of it to let them know why. Greedo does NOT FIRE FIRST!

Re:he just had to have revenge

[bckrispi]

Because there were more Sith. Like Count Doku. I find it hard to believe he was only converted to the dark side after the demise of Darth Maul. The Clone War was a long time in preparation.

Like who?? And why can't you believe he didn't succumb to the dark side after Maul's fall?? There were 10 years between the two prequels. Dooku was an "idealist". Like his apprentice, Qui-gon, he had misgivings about the senate. At some point (presumably between ep1 & 2), this drove him away from the Jedi order and the republic. At some point, Dooku meets Sidious. His political idealism is corrupted by his lust for the power the Dark Side offers. So he becomes the apprentice to Sidious.

Dunno. Maybe he wasn't officially Sith. Like he didn't complete the paperwork or something.

Just because you have a tendancy to use the Dark Side doesn't make you a sith lord, any more than the ability to shoot a rifle makes you a Marine.

And then, in the cartoon series, Doku is recruiting his own apprentice (the freaky bald chick). And in the mean time, Palpatine is recruiting Skywalker. The series, BTW, is supposed to be occuring in between Ep2 and Ep3.

Grrrrphhh. I'm sorry, but I am really tired of people calling events like this a contradiction. You're educated people; read between the lines already! Vader tried recruting Luke. Why?? So, as his Apprentice, Vader would be the Sith Master, and together, they would overthrow palpatine/sidious. Two Sith: no more, no less. Palpatine tried to recruit Luke as his apprentice. Why? Because Vader had become too powerful and ambitious and had revealed his desire to become the Master. He even explains this in the film: Now, fulfil your destiny, and take your father's place at my side!. Again, exactly two sith! What I think is totally brilliant (if not accidental) is the scene in ESB where Vader is in contact with Palpatine, discussing Luke. With what we know now, both Vader and Palp knew what was going to happen. Luke needed to be turned; as a Jedi, he would be a risk that could undo all of their schemes. They could simply kill him, but they both know that he may be worth more to each of their personal agendas alive. They know that one of the three of them will have to die. The Apprentice will always try to take the place of his master, and the Master will need to eliminate his apprentice before he gains enough power and ambition to do so. We see this in AOTC as well, as Dooku, ready to give himself a promotion, tries luring Obi-wan to the Dark side with the pretence of "Destroying the sith". He does this again in the CN series. Meanwhile, Palpatine has had Anakin on deck for over a decade ready to take Dooku's place.

Please explain how any of this is a contradition?

How much money do you have?

[MacFury]

It depends...would you consider yourself rich? If you are poor (or black) then it's illegal for you. If you are rich, then they will look the other way.

Has anyone else noticed?

[Razzak]

He gets ripped for making things different in Ep 1-3, and gets ripped for making them the same as well?

They're movies. The first series was great because of its special effects at the time and people still like them because of their Coke-like qualities (familiarity, reminds us of childhood, etc).

The new ones are just sci-fi movies in a time where there are too many sci-fi movies. I like'em, but they're not amazing. The bar was set too high.

Re:Damn it, damn it, damn it

[ultranova]

I'm still confused as to why Lucas is attempting to "bury" the original theatrical versions of the films.

Propably because he thinks that the new versions are better and wants to be remembered by his best work ?

"Forget the buggy beta, this is the final release !"

as a kid, i grew up watching the original trilogy, and the presence of late-90's computer graphics in the so-called "special editions" is just distracting.

Forget the computer graphics. What I found really distracting is that in ESB, they've added more dialogue for Vader ("Bring my shuttle" - after Luke jumps to the rift - Lukes scream is a bad addition too, IMHO silent falling worked better) . Well, that's all fine and good, but the voice is different. I'd propably not had noticed if I didn't have the rest of Vaders scenes to compare to, but now it leaves me wondering if Luke didn't hit him where it hurts ;).

thankfully, I managed to pull the pre-special-edition laserdisc rips off of bittorrent a few weeks ago.

Carefull ! You never know when copyright infringement is retroactively made into a death penalty offense !