Poll of the Day > Just rewatched Star Wars: episode 1 and... *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I noticed a lot of small details that I don't think people did the first time around. Doesn't improve the movie enough but certainly shows that there was an idea present. For example, the entire Republic can't stop the blockade because it doesn't have a military and relies exclusively on the jedi for both it's military and diplomatic needs despite the jedi not being part of the NR government. Or how Tatoonie openly allowed slavery despite its complete inability to do anything to protect it. Or how Watto knew that the jedi used mind tricks but then tried to use a dice roll to cheat out Qui-Gonn. When I was younger I thought that was a plot hole but then I thought about it and it may not be. Watto may have simply never met or even really known anything about the jedi beyond rumors. Known he was able to resist the mind trick because of his species but not actually known anything about them because he had never even seen one so he didn't think anything about them possibly being able to manipulate the dice. The Gungans inhabit the same planet as the Naboo yet the Naboo only have a volunteer security force while the Gungans have an entire army. The Gungans could have taken over the planet easily but either were uninterested or kept in place diplomatically before. Oh. And as weird as it sounds, a democratic monarchy can work. We basically see one in England today but you could also have one in which, upon the abdication of the prior ruler, the people vote for the next one from among the viable candidates (most likely their children or other noble houses).

Not enough to save the movie by any means, but it does show just... how things were seemingly so good yet primed for fall if a small blockade like what the TF pulled can't be resolved by the Republic and the TF just wheels right around into open rebellion after.

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Re the the dice roll.

Been awhile since I've watched, but as I recall they where weighted dice, so Wato was cheating. Qui Gon knew this, so he cheated using the force. Wato in turn knew Qui Gon was cheating, but couldn't do anything about, as that would reveal to everyone that he was trying to cheat.
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Plot holes were never the issue with the prequels

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The prequel trilogy really did have some interesting story elements to it, many of which are delightfully subtle and nuanced. There's just so much bad writing and other issues that one has to wade through to get to the good stuff that it's hard to appreciate them.

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The problem is George is much more an ideas man than an execution guy.
The OT was largely saved my people not named George in the editing room and re-writing the screenplays IIRC.

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