Will this change the way you view Star Wars?

The empire served a good purpose bc the republic sucked arse anyway.

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Cliff notes? ETA: I've always maintained the Empire was really the "good guys" Yoda = Bill Clinton allowing 9/11 to be planned for eight years after the first twin tower bombing

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I was talking with my kids about this the other day (who love Star Wars and are getting to the age where we can talk about this) and I floated the idea that Darth Vader always thought he was doing the right thing - all the way up until in Episode 6 when the Emperor was about to kill Luke. Then he woke up and defended Luke the way he could not defend Padme or his mother. He was finally able to save his family that he loved. But, up until then, he thought he was good and Obi Won and the Jedi had turned against the Republic/Empire.

It is really all that makes sense. The Empire was the Republic and they were actually the good guys - in their own minds.

It is a parable, really.

What do you mean they wiped out the EU? They're not taking any ideas from it at all?

No, that sounds about as shitty as the prequels

Compare that to the simple, but awesome story of the OT

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It is really all that makes sense. The Empire was the Republic and they were actually the good guys - in their own minds.

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I started a thread earlier this summer asking what made the empire so evil. Yea, they show them blow up Alderan in the beginning, but it was more a show of power towards the rebellion. They really don't show them doing much else in the OT other than try and crush the rebel forces.

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That said, all of that is way over my Star Wars head.

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Essentially saying the Emperor knew of the impending doom from outside enemies so even though it appears evil from the inside the Empire, the only way to save as much of the Empire as possible he had to become ruthless and use the resources to build and army strong enough to defeat the invading horde.

The Golden Path from Dune. The only way to save humanity was to take steps that would kill billions of lives but those steps would ensure the survival long term.

Oh god, now someone is going to go all Wicked on the Emperor.

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Essentially saying the Emperor knew of the impending doom from outside enemies so even though it appears evil from the inside the Empire, the only way to save as much of the Empire as possible he had to become ruthless and use the resources to build and army strong enough to defeat the invading horde.

The Golden Path from Dune. The only way to save humanity was to take steps that would kill billions of lives but those steps would ensure the survival long term.

Oh god, now someone is going to go all Wicked on the Emperor.

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this is how lucas ruined star wars...this is the kind of shite lucas likes...when he kicked Kurtz to the the curb, he no longer had a normal person to feed his ideas through and throw things back at him...

compare what you just wrote with a similarly brief explanation of star wars, empire or jedi

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Cliff notes?

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Emperor saw into the future and was getting ready for an invasion that happened 30+ years after ROTJ. Republic without a dictator wouldn't have been ready. Jedi's suck. The end.

I'm not, it is frustrating though because I love empire so much

I have the poster in my office

why did lucas eff this up...if you listen to the director's commentary or any of the behind the scenes features, it's incredible because it's interesting for all the wrong reasons

what the cast says about lucas (in a nice way which is weird)

lucas is also pretty frank about saying some things, but he doesn't quite get what is interesting about what he's saying

after watching this stuff, you're really left with the impression that gary Kurtz is for all intents and purposes the co creator of star wars/co director of the first movie as well...lucas really lucked into a few things with the original film that helped make it great. And Kershner and Kurtz and the writers were entirely responsible for empire...and lucas does come across as a very good businessman and producer and just a gifted businessman/not filmmaker

he financed the second movie with his newfound fortune from the first...ballsy, he basically made a better producer/executive than a director.

watch it all...it's awesome stuff

watching the prequels, and hearing about the EU (even though I know he doesn't write the books) it all sounds like unfiltered nerd creativity...it's an unedited book of ideas, some good, some terrible, but in desperate need of editing

gary Kurtz was that filter...

watching the making of the phantom menace, you get annoyed and yet you have so much respect for lucas' natural business sense...I'm pretty torn about the guy.

In the end, my favorite movie ever made (and it's not close) is not available as the original...I can watch the laserdisc print on the dvd, but if I want to watch it with any screen quality, I have to see all of his "additions"

yeah, I'm mad