Which spoiled Boba Fett the most?

[Khev]

It was awesome in ROTJ when Vader valiantly blocked Luke's blade preventing Palpatine from inhabiting Luke's body along with all the other Sith.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

Then has an asthma attack and dies 10 seconds later.

He’s a little ***** who couldn’t make up his mind.

Palpatine's force lightning destroys Vader's breathing apparatus in his suit. Vader knew the consequences of attacking Palpatine but did it anyway to save his son. Hardly acting like a little *****.

 

[TheClient]

I voted “none of the above” for Boba because what really brought him down in my eyes was the ANH SE.

Here I had been thinking he was a free agent, roaming the galaxy as his own independent contractor, beholden to nothing and no one but himself. What adventures he could have, what possibilities! Then it turns out he was a lacky for Jabba on retainer? What is he even doing there?

I guess as a kid I accepted him hanging out at Jabba’s palace in ROTJ because I thought he was just sticking around for awhile after delivering Solo (also did not know how much time was supposed to take place between movies) and also figured they had no where else to fit Boba into the story.

But man, anything Boba does can never be less cool than working a steady gig as Jabba’s hench. Hated it.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The Vader back and forth is hilarious.

I liked Vader best when he was a reckless henchman and agent of the Empire in ANH -- the Death Star is Tarkin's turf so Vader 'obeys', sometimes, but in the end its Vader's idea to track the Falcon that is successful. He proves he's not just a powerful physical force, but also a dangerous intelligent enemy.

Most people like him best as the James Bond-type villain he became in ESB, where he commanded an entire fleet, maybe all the Imperial Forces just beneath the Emperor himself, and killed officers without a care. I still prefer the Vader who joined the dogfight in ANH over the super-commander who hangs back until the rebel base's power is knocked out and Veers says he can come down.

In ROTJ, there is very little left of the old Vader. He's subservient, he's stopped killing people, he's lost in regret, he whines about it being 'too late', he's way too shiny, he throws his lightsaber (childish)... and he saves his son, but never apologizes for hacking off his hand.

 

[Khev]

I agree with all of the above except for the implication that Vader lost a step from the TIE fighter flying version of ANH. He still entered Echo Base before it was fully secure and even approached the Falcon with his troops in formation behind him.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I agree with all of the above except for the implication that Vader lost a step from the TIE fighter flying version of ANH. He still entered Echo Base before it was fully secure and even approached the Falcon with his troops in formation behind him.

No doubt Vader was cool in ESB. I used to go back and forth on which Vader style I preferred: ANH mad-dog henchman or ESP evil commander.

But ultimate, in my waning years, I have decided to go back to the one that started it all for me. The Vader that shaped me. The ANH Vader. Before Ben's lie, before the sister, before the pod race, before the hate for sand.

I do respect Vader for going down to personally lead his troopers on Hoth after the battle... but ANH Vader would have hopped into his personal X-19 Stealth-Walker and joined the first walker assault on Hoth.

 

[DiFabio]

Palpatine's force lightning destroys Vader's breathing apparatus in his suit. Vader knew the consequences of attacking Palpatine but did it anyway to save his son. Hardly acting like a little *****.

Yeah, after he lets his son fry for a minute. Seriously, Luke should have been deformed after that.

Then we have little Vader indirectly taking Palpatine’s electricity for only a couple of seconds and it completely ruins his life support system. Guess that insulated suit he wears is just for show. He’s a ***** . . . and a marshmallow man.

 

[DiFabio]

But ultimate, in my waning years, I have decided to go back to the one that started it all for me. The Vader that shaped me. The ANH Vader. Before Ben's lie, before the sister, before the pod race, before the hate for sand.

I do respect Vader for going down to personally lead his troopers on Hoth after the battle... but ANH Vader would have hopped into his personal X-19 Stealth-Walker and joined the first walker assault on Hoth.

Yes. He also looks the coolest out of the three movies.

By ROTJ, he’s way too polished.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Yeah, it was weird, he kept getting shinier and shinier with each OT sequel.

If he survived ROTJ and they made a 4th OT film, he would have been so shiny he'd look chromed.

 

[Khev]

Vader not so much as flinching when one of his loyal Star Destroyer captains gets obliterated by an asteroid right in front of him is one of his most badass moments in the trilogy IMO.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Vader not so much as flinching when one of his loyal Star Destroyer captains gets obliterated by an asteroid right in front of him is one of his most badass moments in the trilogy IMO.

I have to agree, I always loved that moment... and I went nuts when ESB finally got televised and that corner of the shot got blocked out.

 

[Khev]

I have to agree, I always loved that moment... and I went nuts when ESB finally got televised and that corner of the shot got blocked out.

I only saw each OT film once in the theaters so those bits didn't jump out for me on VHS...until I watched the widescreen versions and was blown away all over again.

My first big "aha" moment was with Die Hard. That one I did see four times in the theater. Then watching it on VHS when Al investigates the lobby and the frame crops out the guy with the submachine gun hiding around the corner I was all "what the hell???" It totally negated the ominous nature of that moment.

 

[DiFabio]

Yeah, it was weird, he kept getting shinier and shinier with each OT sequel.

If he survived ROTJ and they made a 4th OT film, he would have been so shiny he'd look chromed.

That’s exactly what they did to him in Revenge of the Sith. They took out all of the “flaws” of the original suit, made his helmet and mask perfectly symmetrical and glossed him up. So dumb.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Here I had been thinking he was a free agent, roaming the galaxy as his own independent contractor, beholden to nothing and no one but himself. What adventures he could have, what possibilities! Then it turns out he was a lacky for Jabba on retainer? What is he even doing there?

When Lucas, Spielberg, Coppola, DePalma and others were just starting out, they all dreamed of a system where they could "self finance" their own films. That would give them true creative control over what they were making.

For Lucas, that path was merchandising. Hence why The Phantom Menace has Padme/Amidala doing about 45 different costume changes. Lucas wanted to sell figures/merchandise of Padme/Amidala to appeal to girls, young girls, and essentially create a pseudo "Barbie" kind of line within Star Wars. I'm not saying I think it was a good idea. But I can see where he was going with it all. The 4-5 inch Power Of The Force line in the mid 90s was a ramp in to the Prequel Trilogy. But also fundraising to finance the PT.

Boba Fett being there means you can sell another toy. Or another statue. Or another poster. Etc, etc. You've already made some investment in the character in ESB and you've already designed and created the gear, costume, etc, etc. The physical actor and voice actor are now known quantities to you, you know what you are getting, etc, etc.

A lot of Lucas' decisions in the Holy Trilogy were based on money. Either workarounds to money he didn't have ( he got railroaded pretty badly trying to finance ESB) or intentional designs to create more merchandising so he could buy his own form of creative freedom. A huge problem is a lot of the toys sucked. Most of the Phantom Menace merchandise just plain sucked. Most of the current Disney releases now that are Star Wars also have major suckage in the merchandising potential.

Bad movie but cool damn toys is one thing.

But bad movie and pathetic toys is just unforgiveable.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Obviously it's not quite fair to compare a higher tier designed figure in modern times ( Black Series) to a figure made over 20 years ago. But just look at the raw aesthetic.

If Hot Toys made Hoth Rebel Troopers, they'd sell all day. It's literally a license to print money at this point. But if they made a Captain Panaka? Or even any variation of the Naboo pilots, troopers or guards?

I'm not here to be blasphemous to the Holy Trilogy in any way. Also I understand the tone and theme of the Holy Trilogy is much beloved. But if you are going to make a modern series and you can't make a well written one with well developed characters, then at least give us spectacle. Give us lots of gun fights, graphic sex scenes, carnage, inappropriate humor and cool aesthetics to make cool merchandise.

If you grew up in the 80's, the toys were made first, then the cartoons were created as 22 minute advertisements for the toys. To saturate the minds of kids day after day when they came home from school. I hate to say this, but at this point, just come up with some cool visual concepts for figures / merchandise, then build a story around it. At this point, what does the Kathleen Kennedy led Stars Wars regime really have to lose?

The Bad Batch Crosshair is as cool figure and a cool character. What's so hard about this on a conceptual level for Kennedy? Crosshair has a cool gun, he has a cool helmet, he has a cool face sculpt, he has a cool scar, he has a cool backpack, he has cool armor. He had a hard edge unpleasant personality. He has a rifle and a pistol. Wrecker is much different. Bigger and a little dim. But with a huge knife, a backpack, big gun and pistol. Also a cool sculpt, armor and face sculpt.

What was more fertile ground to make cool stuff? An aging overweight limping version of geriatric Boba Fett where half his aesthetic is in bath robes to hide the pudginess? Or go do a series that flash backs to a young lean angry hungry Fett going after big score after big score and taking down impossible bounties in chaotic and crowd pleasing adventures? The John Wick franchise succeeds, in large part, because it understands what it is in reality, and what it is not. It's being designed and produced by guys who do action. Their background is action and spectacle. The lead star is no Daniel Day Lewis. But Reeves is a committed hard working physical actor. They play to those strengths. They aren't trying to become an action version of The Notebook. They are under no illusions that they are going to serve up dialogue that sounds like Aaron Sorkin or David Mamet.

Boba Fett is a character with A LOT of room to breathe. If he just started executing prisoners, if he got desperate enough, then that's not completely out of bounds for a free lancing bounty hunter. Assassinations? Why not. Kidnapping? Why not. Extortion? Why not. He's not in the hero mold, so don't make him out to be that. Play to the character's potential ( had a "code" but there is a lot of moral ambiguity) and also his strengths. And if you have an actor who can't hold the mantle to where the practical fertile story ground needs to go ( unfortunately Morrison) , then be willing to recast the role.

David Simon with Omar Little ( Michael K Williams) basically created a Baltimore version of Boba Fett. While the character had a real life counterpart and inspiration, it's not hard to see the vast potential of a well developed free lancer who was clever, bold but had an element of detached civility that rooted in basic pragmatism. Kennedy could have just ordered that new Boba Fett just copy The Wire's Omar and most of the real heavy lifting would have done already. I just fail to understand how you screw up a character like Boba Fett. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed a lot of BOBF, but I'm not blind to the clear flaws inherent in it that would clearly incite legacy fans to no end.

 

[MeatHookGekko]