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Happy 10 Year Anniversary "The Phantom Menace"


Shem

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Midichlorians? WTF?
If you're a Star Wars fanatic like I was way before the Prequels came out, it actually answered questions I had, especially how the Force works genetically.

 

The one thing that was talked about in the Original Trilogy was how some people were stronger in the Force than others. The Skywalker family was exceptionally strong, yet no explanation how that worked.

 

In anything mythology you create that isn't real, there needs to be an explanation how that works. All the midi-chlorians did was explain why some people were stronger in the Force than others and why the Skywalker family was exceptionally strong. Basically it explained the biological part of the Force.

 

"Luke, the Force runs strong in your family" -- Yoda to Luke
When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot, but I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. -- Obi-Wan to Luke

 

Another I should add to the list while watching the movie was the soundtrack. There was some music that gave me a great sense of peace, then there was music that got me really excited when hearing like Duel of the Fates.

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Im amazed to think that people think "an energy field that surrounds us and binds us" from ESB was more acceptable as an explanation of the force.

 

I dunno... I think it loses some of it's power when it can be explained away so simply. I mean we're explaining away magical powers here. Why does it need a logical explanation?

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Midichlorians just reminded me somewhat of mitochondria, so that concept worked for me.

 

All the midi-chlorians did was explain why some people were stronger in the Force than others and why the Skywalker family was exceptionally strong. Basically it explained the biological part of the Force.

 

Pretty much summed it up. A genetic "mutation" would be a natural explanation (like ESP) for why some people had it and others didn't.

 

I dunno... I think it loses some of it's power when it can be explained away so simply. I mean we're explaining away magical powers here. Why does it need a logical explanation?

 

Given that it's scifi fantasy, you're right. Still, people like their explanations.

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Let's see...I was a teenager and a freshman in HS at the time. I was most interested in Seeing Darth Maul with his double bladed lightsaber in action... If I recall it was a bit of a cheer up b/c a friend of mine had comitted suicide with a rope hanging...I was beginning to realize the power of being an individual and for once in my life telling "crowds" "groups" and "cliques" to basically go **** themselves b/c I didn't care what they thought of me anymore. I started growing out my hair back then.

 

I also got really into my Odyssey legend of nemesis demo, but b/c the game wasn't available anymore I could not purchase it. (now it's freeware)

 

I was still using my old Mac Performa 6300CD.

 

Gotten into sword fighting and weight lifting.

 

 

Over the past 10 years since then...listed in no particular order

I graduated high school.

I've gone through one car (died), and gotten my second...

I have gotten some college education though not a degree yet

I have learned a lot of life lessons according to many older adults, "much sooner than most people do"

Seen friends come and go

Seen a major remodel on my parents' house

Gone from believing in God, to atheist agnostic, and back

built a laser

Learned about electrical engineering and although I like it, that I am a bit frightened of doing research (more that investing a sizable chunk of my time and energy/period of life will not pay off)...and that I will end up working for someone as opposed to self employed if I go this direction...:(

Seen a job opportunity as a potential laser technician stolen out form under me

Gotten in the best shape of my life and let it go and am still on the revolving cycle...

Accquired and maintained a good credit record

Fixed the carburetor on my first car and got it successfully running again--where most professional techs would not even TOUCH it. (the remaining 8 months of that car's life were like gold to me--and I'm not even an auto freak)

Found LF and my friends here.

Come to understand the true nature of people in several respects

Enlightened to some of life's secrets

 

That's all I care to speak of for now.

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I took my mom to see it, as she is the major Star Wars fan... has Star Wars stuff all over the place. So I come from a long line of geeks! :p

 

Saw it later on quite a few times, but never wore a costume or anything, why you might ask? Because popcorn butter, some types of soda, and candy do not wash out of those materials too easily! :xp:

 

It also struck me as funny when at the beginning of the duel everyone took off their outer robes, like they take off their coats before a sword fight in an episode of Highlander. I could have just heard Darth Maul saying "There can be only one!" then taking Qui-Gon's head! ;)

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To be Honest I always though Darth maul was Crap haha, his robes were too clean and his tattoos looked like bad make up (Which they were) and I have always found double bladed lightsabers to be a bit meh TBH. I would of preferred a more used future feel ala the OT but I guess the clean un-war torn feel was what GL was going for. Don't get me wrong the end fight is 2nd only to Luke Vader in ESB. Just dont like Maul :)

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....I mean we're explaining away magical powers here. Why does it need a logical explanation?

 

Back in the Dark Ages, anything that was not understood was either put down to the work of God(s) or magic or some sort... eg. like the Aurora Borealis :p When science came along and proved it was gas molecules colliding with each other and emmitting light, I'm sure there were a bunch of folk that were mad. These are the same type of people that prefer explanations like ''the Force=inexplicable energy field'' :D

 

Midichlorians just reminded me somewhat of mitochondria, so that concept worked for me.

 

This choice of name was quite deliberate by GL(as in all names he chooses, good or bad). What better way to drive home the point of midichlorians being intracellular organisms then by naming them after an intracellular component we all learn in basic biology class? ;)

 

mtfbwya

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The force didn't need and explanation. Same way superhero superpowers don't need one. How does Superman fly? Who cares? It's cool, and that's all that matters. By explaining away the force biologically, it took away it's mysticism. It was fine how it was. But hey, either way it doesn't matter now. What's done is done.

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I'm impressed to look back and realize that me, as a little kid, loved the movie so much back then to even blink. I was simply immune to the movie's numerous flaws, so it was a great day for me.

 

If the movie premiered now, though, I'd probably just sleep though half of it.

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The force didn't need and explanation. Same way superhero superpowers don't need one. How does Superman fly? Who cares? It's cool, and that's all that matters.
How Superman flies is explained. It's not mysterious. A lot of things are explained when it comes to supernatural mythology.
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How Superman flies is explained. It's not mysterious. A lot of things are explained when it comes to supernatural mythology.

 

You missed the point. Does it need to be explained where super powers came from. Maybe... They live in OUR world and live by our physical rules. BUT the magical powers we see in Star wars are closer to fantasy stories. They don't need to be defined in where they came from and how they came to be. It demystifies the Jedi. Did we need an explanation of where a wizard got his power? Would it improve the story if we heard that Samantha from Bewitched got her power from Magic Nose Goblins?(sorry Jae..*hands Jae a towel*)

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You missed the point. Does it need to be explained where super powers came from. Maybe... They live in OUR world and live by our physical rules. BUT the magical powers we see in Star wars are closer to fantasy stories. They don't need to be defined in where they came from and how they came to be. It demystifies the Jedi. Did we need an explanation of where a wizard got his power? Would it improve the story if we heard that Samantha from Bewitched got her power from Magic Nose Goblins?(sorry Jae..*hands Jae a towel*)
Well, look at the story? Explaining the Midi-chlorians in TPM connected Anakin Skywalker's role in the Star Wars saga. He was conceived by them and became a child of prophecy that would bring balance to the Force. It basically explained why he was special and exceptionally powerful. Basically it connected the dots.

 

If you ever had taken a Mythology class in college, virgin births are common and are explained how and why they happen. If anything, Lucas followed the rules of mythological stories.

 

Just saying that Anakin is special would have been to vague. Lots people don't realize that a lot of what happened in the Prequels were things Lucas had in mind since the 1970's. The problem was having the technology to make it. Lots of things were left unexplained in the OT because it left something to do in the Prequels. Now if you watch the Prequels and you see the OT, to me it actually connects the dots very well on why things were the way they were in so many levels.

 

The thing was Lucas had a vision and when Fox Studios were on board for what he wanted to do, he had to start from the middle act because of the technology issues back then. So he started in the middle of a story with lots of mysteries unexplained. Things he had the answers to and waiting until he was able to go back and explain.

 

The biggest issues of a movie series is people start having their own imaginations take over and start speculating. Then that speculation becomes assumption of what they think it should be. Then it becomes a personal law and if their law is broken, the movie becomes a failure because the viewer totally forgot that it was the creator's vision, not theirs.

 

Then the more movies you do of that storyline, the harder it is to became a success that is why a lot of movies with fresh plot with no expectations do much better than sequels and yet and the Prequels did very well at the box office. That's saying something.

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I don't really have a problem with the story of Anakin. I just think the Midichlorians thing was hokey. The Force itself made more sense in a Karmic and Aural frame of reference than micro-bugs.

 

We are on exactly the same page. I couldn't agree more.

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I was 12 years old back then. I was highly anticipating the movie (been a SW fan since the Special Edition), collecting every article I found, photos and all. I loved it when it came out, hated uterly by the time AOTC hit the screens. In general, Anakin's arc is the biggest letdown for me in the PT. Hyden's horrible performance made it only worse.

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The midichlorian thing bothered me at first because I thought that GL was trying to put the Force in a bottle. But when they were used as a plot device for how Anakin was conceived without a father by their manipulation (perhaps by Plagueis?), they suddenly made more sense and the Force still remained mysterious.

 

Believe me: I have a lot bigger gripes about the PT than the midichlorians. :p

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As an older Star Wars fan I didn't like this new Star Wars (Trek) Explainer stuff about Midichlorians, though this has changed somewhat as I revamped all my PnP RPG stuff to bring them in-line with the prequels and actually the Midichlorians made my first PnP character possible, so I've decided to just shut up and live with it. :D

 

And for 40 character points you too can attune yourself to your Midichlorians and learn to use the Force. ;)

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