Back in 2003, my friend Nathan Butler penned quite a few guest reviews for this site including a complete, episode by episode review of The Clone Wars mirco-series by Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on Cartoon Network. Lucasfilm had ventured into animation before with the likes of Ewoks and Droids, not to mention the Star Wars Holiday Special, but this series of shorts was different. Nathan’s reviews were posted as individual articles dated November 2003 to March 2005, but I’m going to compile them all here into one big retro-review. Here’s Nathan…
Tag: palpatine
Order 66 Numerology
When I first heard about Order 66, the number intrigued me. Why would George Lucas choose the number 66 to represent this genocidal order? Let’s take a look a possible explanation.
In Biblical numerology, the number 6 can be used to represent spiritual imperfection in man, the devil, or the spirit of the devil in mankind. It is an imperfect number. Hence, the reason 666 is considered to be the Number of the Beast (well known to Iron Maiden fans).
The number 666 (originally 616 in early texts) in Biblical terms is the “Unholy Trinity” or also the perfection of imperfection, just as 777 represents the “Holy Trinity” or actual perfection and holiness.
The number 11 in Biblical terms represents disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration. So 6 X 11 (imperfection X destruction) equals Order 66. The evil in man (The Sith/Darth Sidious) combined with destruction (of the Republic) is exemplified in this number.
This same formula can be used to represent the 66 books of the King James Bible but without as serious an end result. The spirit of Satan (6) X destruction (11) = Satan destroyed by God’s Word (66).
Lucas has been known to reference all kinds of historical, spiritual and religious imagery throughout his career. It would not surprise me to find out there was something behind the number 66.
On the other hand, it could all just be a freaky coincidence and the number 66 could refer to the year of a car or something.
The Path of Luke Skywalker
George Lucas has stated in many interviews that the heart of the Star Wars saga revolves around the relationship between a father and a son. He might not have had those roles clearly defined at the onset or writing, as evident in the old drafts of the script, but he eventually got his characters there. The role of the son eventually went to young Luke Skywalker, who went on to embark on his “Hero’s Journey” throughout the original trilogy of films. He starts out as a young boy, is thrown into adventure with a wizard-like mentor, defies the odds, pulls off the unexpected, and becomes a hero. The path was not an easy one, however.
The Crumbling Empire
It was Episode VI when things really started to fall apart for the Empire, though they were too blind to see it. The Emperor and his minions were so confident and drunk with power that they couldn’t see it coming. Always in motion, is the future.
Rescue and Transformation
It’s true that Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader before he was badly disfigured on Mustafar, but most people associate Vader with the black suit. That final transformation took place after Palpatine’s search and rescue mission was a success. Vader was rebuilt, and the rest was cinematic history. The shots discussed here are not all full scenes loaded with dialogue, but mostly extra bits from or changes to the existing shots.
Meanwhile, Back on Coruscant…
Episode III turned out to be one of the most galaxy-spanning films of the series, mostly due to the fact that the Clone Wars were still happening. It became necessary to show Jedi and other characters at war all over. Our main characters also traveled heavily. Meanwhile, the puppet master and phantom menace himself – the soon to be Emperor Palpatine – was cementing his place of power on Coruscant, the heart of the galaxy. Here are a few more scenes we didn’t get to see concerning Coruscant.
To Mustafar and Back
Much like Tatooine, Mustafar was a seemingly insignificant planet, yet would be the location of galaxy-defining events. Drenched in deep reds and molten imagery, it provided the rich and hell-like backdrop needed for Anakin’s final fall into darkness. Here are some of the deleted scenes that revolve around this crimson planet.
Tainted Love
George Lucas has stated many times that he feels the Prequels are more than just the story of Anakin Skywalker and his fall, but also a true love story, albeit a tainted one. The love between Anakin and Padmé is a rocky one, built upon deceit and hiding from different angles. It’s clear they love each other but there is so much happening so quickly that things were bound to fall apart at the seams. Let’s explore this tainted love story a little more closely through some deleted material.
The Politics of Rebellion
One of the subplots that was just about entirely removed from the final film has to do with the beginnings of what would later be known as The Rebellion (AKA The Rebel Alliance). The seeds of that organization started by Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Padmé Amidala, and a secret group of other senators were originally supposed to be planted in this film. Three of these scenes can be found on the Episode III DVD. To see them all, all you have to do is pop it in and check them out.
Rescuing Palpatine
You have to hand it to Palpatine. Organizing his own capture and rescue to reinforce his cover as a phantom menace to the galaxy was a stroke of pure evil genius. Poor Dooku probably thought so too until he had two lightsabers criss-crossing his neckline. I’m not sure that even Palpatine foresaw what a troublesome rescue it would be, however. What we saw in the finished film was a trimmed down version. Let’s take a look at some of the deleted/altered bits from the opening space battle to the big crash landing.
Jedi Detective Work – Geonosis
All of Obi-Wan’s detective work points him to one last planet: the rocky, bug-infested Geonosis. After this day is done, Obi-Wan will have wished he stayed home. He was having a bad enough day as it was, but add in all these deleted and altered shots and his day just gets worse and worse.
Representative Binks
Senator Amidala seems like a very smart woman. Therefore, I can only attribute her appointing a buffoon like Jar Jar Binks as her representative in the Senate to the stress of dual assassination attempts. That, and the fact that George Lucas is a twisted individual who when faced with the knowledge that people above the age of 13 really despise Jar Jar Binks, gives him a more important role. Whenever we’re talking deleted scenes, anything to do with Jar Jar Binks is something we’re glad to talk about. Let’s have a look at some of his deleted goodness from Episode II while we solemnly wish all of his scenes were deleted.
To Kill a Senator – Part 1
Five minutes into Attack of the Clones, one thing is perfectly clear. Someone is trying to kill Senator Amidala. Two major attempts to assassinate her are made early in the film. The first takes place on a Coruscant landing platform. Let’s take a look at some of the deleted/altered scenes involving this first attack in the film.