This article isn't here to bash the Star Wars prequels. I mean they are bad but we already know that. Episode 1 was something fan boys dreamed of. It was to be another masterpiece to the greatest story every told. If it was written correctly it could have possibly achieved that. Now bare with me. I know the Star Wars universe is sacred and all the films, TV shows, books, comics follow a very strict timeline. But for the sake of my article I am altering the timeline for 1, 2 and 3. This needs to be done in order to tell a better story.
First of all the story of Anakin as a child should be either a cartoon or a seperate kids movie. It is just too childish and episode 1 is clearly aimed for a younger audience to cash in. My Episode 1 starts with the battle of Naboo.
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace - 2 hours 30 minutes
The first act of the story starts with the battle of Naboo. The audience is transported right into the battle after the rolling storyline informs them of how the events have transpired. We get an epic battle between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul. Darth Maul kills Qui-Gon and barely escapes Obi-Wan's vengeance. The first 20-30 minutes are intense and really get the audience back into Star Wars.
The second act then skips to Anakin as a young teen. It goes into Anakin's training with Obi-Wan and the relationship developed. I also thinks its important to showcase some scenes where Obi-Wan's training actually introduces the dark side to a teenage Anakin. We always here about Obi-Wan not being wise enough to train Anakin correctly so lets get some screen time for that. We can also see Anakin's love for the Queen blossom during his training as well as finding and avenging his mother's death. We also see Darth Maul continuing to hunt Anakin and Obi-Wan during this time.
The last third act starts the Clones Wars. Count Dooku is introduced and leads the trade federation into battle against the Jedi's and Republic. Massive battles takes place and Anakin and Obi-Wan are huge heroes saving thousands of lives while battling Count Dooku and Darth Maul. Darth Maul is finally killed but Count Dooku survives. The battle could be Genosis like in Ep 2 or a completely different battle not shown.
The story of Anakin as a child is an interesting story. However, one that I feel is best served as a seperate movie/cartoon for a younger audience. I really feel that Lucas aimed his movie at children rather than his loyal fans and it set the entire trilogy up for failure. If we could get Episode 1 done correctly I think 2 and 3 would have been stories for the ages.
Some bullet points to make Episode 1 better
- Not aimed at children
- More Darth Maul
- Showcase the training of Anakin
- Introduce the Clone Wars
- Open up more screen time in 2 and 3 for Anakin's turning to the dark side
My next post will introduce the story of Episode 2 and the beginning of the end for Anakin.
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.