Annnnnnnnnnd Episode III is off to a ridiculous start!

[Romão 2,274]

And "attention to detail" Strilo, how's this for continuity problems:

1) C3PO and R2D2 do not recognize Obi-Wan Kenobi. IN AOTC they all went to save Obi-Wan, they where in the same battlefield, General Obi-wan is famous, yet when R2D2 wants to deliver a message to him, C3PO says it's silly, says to Luke it must be a malfunction, there is not a hint of recognition of the name and the importance of the mission

2) R2D2 and C3PO fails to recognize the name Skywalker. When they meet a Luke Skywalker in Tatooine, the more talkative than a parrot C3PO does not show a hint of recognition of the name of his creator, nor R2D2 of the boy he battled with. C3PO doesn't seem to be familiar with the planet in which he was born.

3) R2D2 does not recognize Yoda in Empire. Yoda is the Master of Jedi, even thought they battled together and probably R2D2 never saw Yoda in all those years (unlikely), he has to know about him, and probably how he looks like. Yet in Empire, for R2D2, Yoda was a hideous creature that tried to steal stuff from Luke's bag.

And wait, because the future will get us more. If they are going to put Chewbacca in EP3, it is very likely that C3PO and R2D2 will get to know him, and yet they will fail to recognize him in ANH.  

Pushing old characters into the prequels can lead to thousands of problems like this. But Lucas is still on time to fix the continuity problem by making the robots have a memory loss (yeah, the cheap old 'soap opera' trick). But already, Anakin's mother died 'soap opera' style, so what the heck.

Charles

The droids memories were erased between Episode III and ANH and this has been known for quite a while.

[tpigeon 3]

SPOILERS....

Lucas has one on record saying that at the end of Episode III, Artoo and Threepio will have their memories erased. I know this details doesn't solve all the things you pointed out charles, but it clears up a couple of things.

END SPOILER.

Ted

[tpigeon 3]

And "attention to detail" Strilo, how's this for continuity problems:

1) C3PO and R2D2 do not recognize Obi-Wan Kenobi. IN AOTC they all went to save Obi-Wan, they where in the same battlefield, General Obi-wan is famous, yet when R2D2 wants to deliver a message to him, C3PO says it's silly, says to Luke it must be a malfunction, there is not a hint of recognition of the name and the importance of the mission

2) R2D2 and C3PO fails to recognize the name Skywalker. When they meet a Luke Skywalker in Tatooine, the more talkative than a parrot C3PO does not show a hint of recognition of the name of his creator, nor R2D2 of the boy he battled with. C3PO doesn't seem to be familiar with the planet in which he was born.

3) R2D2 does not recognize Yoda in Empire. Yoda is the Master of Jedi, even thought they battled together and probably R2D2 never saw Yoda in all those years (unlikely), he has to know about him, and probably how he looks like. Yet in Empire, for R2D2, Yoda was a hideous creature that tried to steal stuff from Luke's bag.

And wait, because the future will get us more. If they are going to put Chewbacca in EP3, it is very likely that C3PO and R2D2 will get to know him, and yet they will fail to recognize him in ANH.  

Pushing old characters into the prequels can lead to thousands of problems like this. But Lucas is still on time to fix the continuity problem by making the robots have a memory loss (yeah, the cheap old 'soap opera' trick). But already, Anakin's mother died 'soap opera' style, so what the heck.

Charles

The droids memories were erased between Episode III and ANH and this has been known for quite a while.

You beat me to it, Merkel.

Ted

[Romão 2,274]

Just barely

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Heh, I posted and that too because I forgot about page 3 of this post and didn't read that both of you already had. Good thing we have 'delete' as an option.

Ray Barnsbury

[charlesk 0]

Thanks, guys. This doesn't help me with the image of Lucas, though. The memory loss resource to solve incongruencies is a method despised in good scriptwriting... it's cheap and unimaginative. I've got several ideas in the trash can because the only solution is 'memory loss'.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I agree; although it makes sense, it seems a tad weak.

Ray Barnsbury

[Guest]

I think if done right it could be pretty dark and effect the younger members of the audience. Even the DROIDS lose in Episode III. Artoo gets so badly damaged that his rocket legs are blown off and both droids get their memories wiped. I think it could be very emotional if done well.

Oh and Charles there is nothing to calm down from. I am not angry or upset or anything. Try not to read too much into text on a screen. With the exception of Frosty, we're all just chatting here.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I'm with you, Strilo. I believe that Episode III has great potential. It really *should* be the best in the series, given its bill as the darkest film and the 'connector' of the trilogies. I really hope Lucas and everyone involved get their acts together to make it happen, but frankly, how AOTC turned out overall (IMO) doesn't bode well for the final installment.

Ray Barnsbury-who likes the prequels, but thinks they could have been so much more

[Justin 2]

The fall of the republic will consist of Padme sniffling.

Justin - Being overyly cynical now so that it might seem good when it is released.

[Ollie 1,059]

To me it's more ridiculous to have R2D2 & C3PO appear in the prequels than Chewie. They haven't really served any function other than having something familiar appear and bad comic relief. Yeah Artoo saved them in TPM, but other than that Lucas could have left them out.

Frankly I would rather see a young Tarkin appear since we've seen the Death Star, a little too early. I guess it takes some 20 years to build it. Either that or the Emperor sat on this all powerful weapon for 15-17 years.

[charlesk 0]

May Lucas hear you, Strilo. The art of scriptwriting is solving these plot problems in a cinematically satisfactory way.

[Frosty 0]

As I said, I apologize for what I said, but not for why I said them. Some people need a kick in their complacency.

And others need to learn some manners. I look forward to actually enjoying some of your posts. I'm sure you might actually have something worth reading at some point.

Neil

Thank You.

I hope there's a little substance in what I write.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

The fall of the republic will consist of Padme sniffling.

Yes, and in a forced and overly dramatic way at that.

Ray Barnsbury

[IrishCal24 0]

The fall of the republic will consist of Padme sniffling.

Yes, and in a forced and overly dramatic way at that.

Ray Barnsbury

Ray did you see the same prequels we're talking about? Portman would have to do a 180 in terms of acting for Episode III. There's nothing overly done about her rather monotonous performance at all. In fact, if she were any more subdued, she'd be a freakin' corpse!

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Yeah, you're right. But I said overly dramatic, not overly done. I was just thinking that if such a climactic event was reduced to a portrayal as noted by Justin, it would probably be meant to be very dramatic and serious. Similar to the love scenes in Episode III where things are meant to be dramatic but come off as silly. It was more of a reference to the tone of previous parts of the prequels than to Portman's acting.

Ray Barnsbury

[Rogue_Leader 2]

it's cheap and unimaginative

Perfectly sums up my feelings of the way this whole new Trilogy is turning out.

-Rogue Leader who would like to have his memories of Episodes I and II erased.

[Morn 8]

Thanks, guys. This doesn't help me with the image of Lucas, though. The memory loss resource to solve incongruencies is a method despised in good scriptwriting... it's cheap and unimaginative. I've got several ideas in the trash can because the only solution is 'memory loss'.  

Memory loss for people sure, memory loss for droids will be more easy to swallow and probably more comman and more interesting.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

I think if done right it could be pretty dark and effect the younger members of the audience.  Even the DROIDS lose in Episode III.  Artoo gets so badly damaged that his rocket legs are blown off and both droids get their memories wiped.  I think it could be very emotional if done well.

Don't get your hopes up. I have the ghastly suspicion Lucas will just use the memory thing as a comedy element, having Threepio constantly loosing his memory during the final battle, and getting all, "oh dear, where am I? who am I?" while incidentally destroying some Federation Droids.

Good old Lucas.

[Romão 2,274]

Geez, am I noly one that trusts GL skills around here?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Skills?

Stefancos- ???

[Romão 2,274]

Well, believe or not, he is one the persons that wrote movie history.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That was over 20 years ago.

People change, Lucas has.

Stefancos- who really wanted the prequels to be good.

[Lurker 5]

Anakin should be the one that erases 3PO's memory. Imagine 3PO almost begging Anakin, his "maker, not to do it. This could be a great scene. It probably won't happen.

Neil

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Good idea, Neil. Maybe Anakin could just blast them away with a laser or something. They would be repaired (to gold instead of copper) and with new memory chips.

This would also have some symbolism, because Threepio represented the "good Anakin", because he created the droid to help his mom, and now he destroys it. And Artoo -- well, who cares, it's not like this is happening or anything.

[UCFKevin 0]

Damn Neil.....that would be great. A chance for Tony Daniels to really shine. That'd be awesome. Good idea.

[Trumpeteer 302]

When I first saw 3PO and Artoo around characters they would seem to meet for the first time 30 years later, I initially thought the droids would have a major memory erase.

Actually, it's probably not all that uncommon. Uncle Owen wants Artoo's memory erased in Ep. 4, so it probably happens when droids get new owners, or something.

Jeff -- feeling a little ill, and probably won't remember writing this post in the morning

[Guest]

Merkel you are not alone. I too have faith in his abilities.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I hold out hope against hope that Lucas will prevail, but I won't hold my breath.

As for Chewie being in the film, I have always thought that Obi-Wan, and Chewbacca knew each other, prior to the original film.

I also want the Falcon to make her first appearance as Obi-Wan's ship.

It always struck me as odd the way Obi-Wan stated "Should I have" when Han asked if he had never heard of the Millenium Falcon.

[Wojo 2,453]

There's also a remote possibility that C3PO and R2D2 would be ordered to forget everything that they experience in the years leading up to and including the events in Episode III. The only way for this to work is that no one ever asks them about their past, but since C3PO is so loose-lipped, it'd probably never work.

This technique was used in an episode of Star Trek TNG when the Enterprise finds a planet of extremely xenophobic aliens and convinces them to just erase their memories and computer banks, and ordering Data to never reveal what happened, rather than have the aliens simply kill them all.

But that'd never work, so yea, the droids will have to have their memories erased. It's not so farfetched or blindingly convenient as one would think, since Owen Lars was going to have their memories erased anyways before sending them away to vaporator duties on Tatooine. Thus it can be assumed that erasing a droid's memory would be standard procedure before committing them to another duty, like formatting an old hard drive once you get it.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

the one point everyone is forgetting is why would Owen Lars not remember, unless Obi-Wan uses the force on him

[Many 0]

why would Owen Lars not remember

Just speculation, and probably a little far-fectched, but:

If memory serves me, Owen didn't seem too interested in either C3PO or R2D2 (he tried to take the other R2 unit first), and only took the droids after some minor persuading from Luke. Perhaps Owen recognized the droids and didn't want to take them, but couldn't not take them without reason. He gave in, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be a bad decision. And when R2 started acting strange, Owen insists that the droids have their memories erased (most likely for the second time, just to be sure).

If this is a valid scenario, I can only imagine the terror that Owen might have felt at the thought of the droid built by Anakin Skywalker in the hand's of Anakin's son.

Anthony, hoping his point is not too obtuse, and feeling like an amatuer conspiracy theorist

[AHerrera83 0]

Actually, Owen openly rejects R2-D2 at first, which helps support your theory. As for 3PO, he hasn't had his paint job yet in EpII, so there's a considerable difference between his two incarnations and may account for Owen's lack of concern.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

What sadness me is that in the books, C-3PO and R2-D2 were not supposed to had had any memory wipe ever. That's why they have personality...

But as long as the movies do not contradict themselves, i'm fine.

[Lurker 5]

What sadness me is that in the books, C-3PO and R2-D2 were not supposed to had had any memory wipe ever.

Maybe they just don't remember having their memories wiped.

Neil

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Yeah, that could be...

[ymenard 54]

Ben Burtt won't edit E3...

YAY!

[lacxox 0]

Come on... I just can't understand why you did not complain when it was revealed that Leia is also Darth Vader's little child. If you could swallow that, you should not be worried because of other coincidences like Vader making Threepio, father of Boba Fett being the model for all stormtroopers and chewie doing who knows what.

You could swallow this forced Leia-thing when you were a child. Now you are not.

[A24 4,337]

To whom are you replying?

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Morn 8]

I couldn't even swallow Luke being Vaders son...

[King Mark 3,631]

Ben Burtt won't edit E3...  

YAY!

now that's good news.I blame him more than anybody else for hacking up Williams scores and relegating the music to the distant background.

K.M.

[tpigeon 3]

I agree K.M. This might be a good sign for the score.

Ted