Mister Pterodactyl: More Star Wars Thoughts

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

More Star Wars Thoughts
I’ve read several comments to the effect that, having not seen some of the ‘interim’ material available (most notably the fantastic Cartoon Network “Clone Wars” series), one might miss out on some stuff. The Anakin Skywalker of ‘Return of the Sith’ is not the awkward, petulant teenager he was in ‘Attack of the Clones.’ He’s a veteran of many battles and sieges. He’s grown. He was granted Jedi Knight status on the weight of his experiences in war; ‘the trials,’ whatever those are, were waived for him. He still addresses Obi-Wan as ‘Master,’ but now it’s because Obi-Wan is a Council member, not because Anakin is still his padawon (sp?).

On Naboo biology. [I confess I’ve always thought of them as ‘Nabootians.’] I’ve noted before that these people seem unusually well-aged. Padme was the ruler of her people, when she looked like a teenager. In the ten years (or so) between ‘Phantom Menace’ and ‘Clones,’ Obi-Wan visibly aged. Anakin visibly aged. Mace Windu and Yoda didn’t, but hey, “when 870 years you reach, look as good you will not.” Padme, on the other hand, still looked like a teenager. I suspect that Nabootians are very long lived, and so age slowly.
Consider, though, the gestation process. It’s been repeatedly noted that Padme’s pregnancy seems to progress rapidly; she’s still slim in the beginning of the film, but very quickly begins to show. At first I suspected that this was meant to depict the length of time that Anakin was actually present on Coruscant, rather than an unusually quick fetal development. [Being away from the action could have added to his frustration with the Council, as well.] However, I wonder: just when was it that she was impregnated? It’s not explicitly stated but it seems that Anakin must have been away for a long time. At least several months. When, exactly, did this coupling take place? And why was the result so long in coming?
I conclude that Luke and Leia are only half human and exceptionally long-lived, which will bode well for the (eventual) future Republic but will likely cause some chagrin to the (eventual) scruffy-looking Nerf herder.

I feel not enough attention has been paid to the Romeo-and-Juliet quality of Anakin and Padme’s relationship. Palpatine lies, leading Anakin to believe that the dark side can prevent Padme’s death. Anakin gives in to the pain (that started with the loss of his mother) and joins Palpatine. That choice breaks Padme’s heart and in the end causes her death. All Anakin had to do was let Windu do the thing, and he could have left the Jedi to live with Padme in the lake country.
It occurs to me that Palpatine didn’t entirely lie; he also said that (paraphrase) ‘only one practitioner of the Force has ever defeated Death.’ He left out that the one was Qui-Gon Jinn.
It further occurs to me that Windu did a hell of a lot better against Palpatine than Yoda did. How about that.

One more thing: Chewbacca knew Yoda! I suppose ‘Chewbacca’ could be the Wookiee (two E’s!) version of ‘Smith,’ but somehow I doubt it. [Come on, they have the same bandolier.] This suggests several things. Only four characters (good guys, anyway) knew the whole story: Yoda and Obi-Wan, who ain’t talking, and Chewie and R2D2, who nobody can understand. Further, can it be a coincidence that Vader’s ship caught up with Leia’s while passing by Tatooine? Unlikely. Could it, then, be a coincidence that Chewie left his home planet, got a job as first mate on the Millennium Falcon, and later was interviewed by Obi-Wan as a possible ride out of that hellhole? And got the fare? I doubt it, yo.

Imagine the following conversation:
Yoda: “Leave this planet, Chewbacca, you must.”
Chewbacca: “Rrraaagh!”
Y: “Join a starship crew and defy the Empire as a smuggler, you shall. Han Solo, the captain’s name will be.”
C: “Gaauraah!”
Y: “Yes, many adventures you will have. And twenty years hence, when grown to adulthood are Anakin’s children, to Tatooine you must go. There, my fellow Jedi will you find.”
C: “Aauuraaruagh!”
Y: “A boy he will have with him. And an Astrodroid. With you, they must go. And with them, avenge the subjugation of your people, you will.”

It’s the only possible conclusion. Yoda sent Chewie to Tatooine. Now that I think of it, Chewie probably convinced Han to return to the Death Star fight just in time to help Luke, too.

Could Chewie be Force-sensitive? Communing with Yoda across space? Hmm. “Strong with the Force, is this walking carpet. Yet much fleas do I sense in him.”

Finally, what’s with the big black Darth suit, anyway? They have warp drives and planet-destroying ray guns, but not skin grafts and organ replacements? I find it hard to believe that Anakin would be content to live inside that thing for the rest of his life. After all his real redeeming feature throughout the films was his love of action; he lived for the fight. My defining image of him is from E2: the Jedi surrounded in the arena, Windu shouts defiance, the droids raise their weapons, and Anakin twirls his lightsaber and lifts it over his head in readiness. I can’t believe he’d be happy commanding an Imperial fleet, and that’s the best argument I can think of for why he should have stuck with the Jedi. More action.

FYI, MS Windows 03 let’s you add words to it’s dictionary. It now recognizes ‘Wookiee,’ ‘Jedi,’ ‘Sith,’ and ‘Tatooine,’ among others. Cool.
- posted by Dactyl @ 7:07 PM

Comments:

Dude, please, Palpatine was letting Windu beat him so Anakin would think he had to act. He was never in any real danger.

# posted by

Lance Burri : 8:56 AM

Good point. I must have been blinded by the bald-pated charisma of Mister Samuel L. Jackson.

Seriously, is anyone else experiencing the Blogger weirdness on my site?

# posted by

Dactyl : 8:34 PM

I've seen it in one other place.

# posted by

Lance Burri : 9:58 AM