Okay, big, big news, theforce.net's editor Josh Griffen has seen whole swathes of a RotS cut.
Now, before anyone starts shouting bullshit, this guy has been running the biggest, most credible, and most successful SW fansite intheworldevar for the last 6 years. Historically Josh's approach to the SW rumour mill has always been cautious and thoughtful.
As an ex rabid, SW spoiler hunter, with a good nose for bollocks, I've gotta say, I believe the guy, and I think you should too.
The following is a post from the TFN message boards that collects all the little nuggets that Josh has let slip in the last few days (apparently he will publish a full review on Monday), hence the rather confusing presentation.
So then, whilst Josh has only seen an early cut, and only a chunk of that, minus a score, minus much of the FX, minus much of the sound, what he has seen is riddled with humungo spoilers.
Read on at your peril
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
BEWARE!
BEWARE!
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LAST CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As much as I love digging into all these new spoiler threads to find the juicy bits, I thought it might be convenient to have one place we can keep it all together.
Comments and updates are always welcome.
***There is another Darth ... one we've never heard of before in the Star Wars to my knowledge. How could he tie into the film? If they doesn't appear in person, perhaps the character is part of the backstory? And on a related note, did you know the Journal of the Whills is in Episode III?
-DARTH PLAGUEIS- there are scores of legends about this Sith. But was he was powerful enought to cheat death? Certainly he could at least use the power of the Force to lengthen his life.
-****** of the Whills will also be mentioned, and ******** of the Whills will be mentioned, too.
***One of these is not like the other: Saleucami, Cato Neimoidia, Mygeeto.
-All 3 are planets, but one of them is very different.
-Cato Neimoidia is also described as a Neimoidian colony world. Well done!
-We all know that GL likes to use mytholgy and all that good stuff. I noticed that mygeeto sounds very close to Megiddo. If I'm not mistaken, the second word is a word used in the bible that refers to armageddon. Exactly the observation I was looking for!
-The birth planet of the twins is not on that list.
-All 3 are planets. The events on the planets are what is different. Think montage.
-This montage is in the middle of the film.
-On Cato Neimoidia the bad guys win.
-On Mygeeto the bad guys win
-But at Saleucami, the Jedi win
-Polis Massa is "the birth planet."
-Utapau: "it is a sinkhole planet."
***Yoda hitches a ride on a dragonfly creature called a Can-cell.
-There is also a toy coming out with Yoda riding the Can-Cell, too, I just learned.
***Odd Ball is a clone pilot that defends Obi-Wan's crippled ship after he is hit by flak.
-There is FLAK in the movie. Obi-Wan flys through it and gets hit.
***Order 66 is the directive Palpatine gives to wipe out the Jedi. The Clones turn at this point.
***Delegation of 2000 is the united Senators and politicians against Palpatine. They are concerned about his powers. This is the start of the Rebellion, before the Empire even takes shape.
***Confirmation: Yoda and Sidious duel
-Impressive enough of a sequence that he did not wish to give any additional details.
-We have "no idea" of the power of the Dark Side.
-You have no idea how bad Sidious is going to get. I didn't think George had it in him. HE DOES.
-Shots of the Yoda vs. Sidious fight have been complete, so it seems unlikely the scene will be cut. Yoda again does the karate pose to begin like in Episode III.
-
***Confirmation of Anakin choking Padme?
-I'd bet he chokes her so hard her feet leave the ground.
-In the original cut, Anakin even threw her against the wall. Deleted scene!
-Did you mean Anakin threw Padme against the wall while choking her? Or that he threw her against the wall after he was done?
"Yeah, after. Man, you guys are watching VERY closely.
***Cin Drallig is played by Nick Gillard and he is a old Jedi lightsaber teacher.
***Suited Vader will not be seen killing off the remaining Jedi.
-Noted that there is still a surprise at the end.
***Dooku gets owned, I can tell you that.
***Mace falls a long way down. Kit Fisto is in this scene as well.
-"Yes, Mace goes through the window."
***Nos Monster
***Anakin's murder of the Younglings is not on-screen but implied
-Yeah, not shown on screen. In fact, none of it is, from a certain point of view. Dead bodies everywhere.
***The end of the Clone Wars, the Separatists were hoping a frontal assault (on Coruscant) would catch the Jedi weak and thin.
***When asked about Tarkin's role in RotS Josh replied: "He's in it for about a second."
***Ewan finally gets to act in this one. There's more emotion in 10 minutes of ROTS than all of the prequels combined.
***When asked about Boba Fett's role in RotS and the pictures floating around the net Josh stated: "All fake. Lucas doesn't waste time with this stuff this time."
-Is Boba Fett in Episode III at all?
"Nope."
***"I can tell you that Bene is a teenage Jedi apprentice that is killed in the Temple raid."
***"I was told the other day the most or all of the "fuel" scenes were cut from ROTS. For whatever that is worth."
***"BOGA is the name of Obi-Wan's lizard. I've been messing that name up I think. The BARC is the clonetroopers speeder, right?"
Some quick Q&A Updates:
Are there any scenes so far which are disappointing or not up to snuff?
"The BARG is a bit odd. "
When you say, "You have no idea how BAD Sidious gets" do you mean that in terms of his actions....and if so, does that come across in the dialogue too?
"BOTH."
Speaking of the dialogue, how is it this time around?
"MUCH BETTER. There's a few dumb lines between Anakin and Padme, but other than that ... YEAH."
Your reaction has been this strong WITHOUT an accompanying score. How much more drama will the music add to these scenes? "
"A+ I hope."
I've seen that now you rank it just below Empire...which is encouring, given you've not seen a final product yet. That being said, if the final product is that much better, might it surpass ESB in your mind? And also, if you think not, why not? What does ESB have right now that is lacking in Sith....(other than nearly 25 years of reverence behind it..LOL)?
"I hope so, but that would be very hard. ESB is an icon."
Will the individual planets be pretty memorable, visually? Star Wars landscapes have always had very distinctive characteristics.
"Yeah, Utapau is memorable ... the landing platform is in the middle of a sinkhole."
Are the performances in Ep. III amped up? In other words, from what you've seen, are we getting good stuff from the actors....(say by comparison to the previous two)?
"Yes 100% improved."
What specific elements might make this PG-13? Anakin's body? The "scare" factor if it's more intense? Name some broad-but-specific reasons....
"EVERYTHING. Especially Sidious"
It is safe to say tarkin is not in this movie?
"Tarkin is in. There is a cool unpublished tidbit about him though... "
Is Tarkin's role in the film in any sort of capacity or just a cameo?
"At best a cameo. JG"
Does Yoda really fart in the movie?
"In the rough cut, he did."
Can you give me a little hint or clue about Grievous?
Thanks.
"He hunches more than you would think. He is very different from the Clone Wars cartoon. Titi Jukassa is a young Jedi apprentice seen in the raid on the Temple."
Hey Josh, In The final duel between Anakin/Vader and Obi-Wan, are the two blue lightsabers the only ones used throughout the whole thing, or is a third (possibly red) saber thrown into the mix? Twelve minutes seems like an awful long time to go with just two lightsabers.
"Hmmm ... let me just tell you this. Most of the marketing from Frito Lay will be red vs blue. J"
Does Anakin/Vader use a Red Lightsaber at anytime during RotS?
"Yes."
When asked about Grievous' role and his sinister smart-ass attitude
"He only speaks a little, and honestly in the big story arc of the movie he plays a footnote. Also, he is one of the last pieces of the SW3 puzzle to be completed, so most people will actually "see him" late in the game."
A hint/tidbit about Palpy's revelation about being Sidious/a Sith Lord? Like, is his "transformation" literal? A literal physical transition the audience sees on screen? Maybe during the Mace duel?
"You have no idea about that you are about to see. The simple answer is YES. Heck, yes ... "
" ...when you SEE this, you'll understand my energy in loving this scene. Almost shockingly cool ..."
Is it safe to say tarkin is not in this movie?
"Tarkin is in. There is a cool unpublished tidbit about him though"
During the Duel on Mustafar does the fight go through the beginning stages of the structures of the Death Star?
"I'd prefer to not answer that."
Is the whole Sifo-Dyas/erasing of the Jedi archive file that important or that surprising? Any hints please?
"Nah, it isn't important. Sidious should have erased the survelliance tapes!"
I was wondering if you could give me a rough estimate as to how long the Mace vs Sidious fight is going to be? How much screen time do you think this fight will get? Will it be a very brief confrontation or will it span several minutes?
"It isn't much of a fight, but those moments are central to the whole rest of the film. It will satisfy."
Do I bring my children see EPISODE III?
"There is 2 versions (or more) of EPISODE III filmed, one PG version."
Any hint on the number of ships in the duel?
"Lots and lots. You can even see them in the background of Anakin - Dooku duel."
Is Anakin Darth Vader before the suit?
"Yes."
Will Darth Sidious use a lightsaber?
"Heck Yeah."
Can you tell me anything at all about what causes Sidious's look to change?
"He gets p**sed at Mace and the confrontation squad."
Will Qui-Gon appear in any form in RotS?
"Nope, and thanks for the kind words."
Will we feel remorse for Anakin when he meets his "demise" or is he just the bad guy at this point we want to see taken out? In other words, is there ever a spark of uncertainty in Anakin during the duel, that perhaps he made a big mistake? A moment where he might BEGIN see the light?
"You DEFINITELY see this in the Mace/Sidious deal. AWESOME. By the lava, he's pretty much gone."
Do Obi-Wan and Yoda still believe that Anakin is redeemable by the very end of ROTS? That he can be brought back to the light side through either of his children. Do they still believe in the Prophecy by movie's end?
"Yoda and Obi-Wan are DESTROYED at the end of the prequels. If the twins can't save them, no one can. He is truly the last hope. By the end, I would say they have all but given up."
In the big "reveal" scene, is it Sidious that takes off his hood to reveal he is really Palpatine, or is it Palpatine who somehow reveals he is sidious? Also when he fights, does he fight in his Chancellor clothes or his sith robes as Sidious?
"1/1. And Sidious=Palpatine will be cemented once and for all ... by Yoda of all people."
So, are you saying that he reveals who he really is during the yoda duel? or are you saying that Yoda figures it out earlier in the film? I thought Pablo said in one of his hyperspace chats that we would see Sidious without his hood on. Is there still a scene were Sidious reveals who he really is to Mace or whoever?
"The answer is yes."
What exactly is Sidious hiding under that hood? Is it something out of the ordinary or just a bald Palpatine?
"Palpatine is shockingly evil looking. We've seen him old and evil, but never this way."
Are there any sequences (you mentioned Yoda vs. Sidious) that we'll want to refrain from knowing about before we see ROTS?
"Yoda vs Sidious is this. There's several more, actually. I was BLOWN AWAY when I saw the parts of the film that these rumors have been circulating for a while. They got it SO right."
Obi-Wan gets knocked out on the TF ship and later luckily beats Grievous with a blaster?
"Yup."
If Anakin is wiping the floor with everybody and then suddenly Obi-Wan is lasting against him, how will that be believable?
"It is. Obi-Wan is passionate about stopping Anakin once he realizes he can't be turned. Perhaps Anakin is weak or distracted, too."
Is Obi-Wan going to be seen as powerful enough to last around 12 minutes against Anakin?
"Actually THE DUEL is a misleading term. Maybe it should be THE DUELS."
What did you mean by Duels?
"The basic journey of the movie, once the dark side is unveiled, is to send Yoda to find Sidious and Obi-Wan to find Vader"
Although obviously you haven't seen the absolutely finished 100% ROTS, with what you've seen and heard right now, where would you rank ROTS in the Saga?
"#2 behind Empire, and it is darker and moodier than ESB."
How cool is Grievous going to be? Can LFL actually pull off a CG villain? Is the Obi-Wan & Grievous duel going to kick butt?
"It will. This is being finished REALLY LATE in the vfx cycle, so we'll see."
Will Owen tell Obi-Wan "He should of stayed out of it and not gotten involved"? If not then how does Obi-Wan know Owen's opinion on Anakin's involvement in the Clone Wars?
"More that he was impatient, cocky, etc. than anything else."
In terms of screen time, what are the approximate lengths of the ROTS duels?
"More than any other SW movie to date for sure."
How does the Kashyyyk battle(s) in ROTS stack up against the Geonosis sequence in AOTC?
"Dunno, that's one sequence I didn't get to see."
Pablo recently stated that Palpatine ‘didn’t get what he expected out of Anakin?’ Can you shed some light on this comment?
"No clue. He sure seems to get it to me."
Will we see Yoda use his lightsaber any time beside the fight with Sidious?
"Heck, yes. Yoda even cuts someone's head off!"
Will we see any unique outer space scenery other than the usual SW stuff?
"Well, there's a upper atmosphere opening battle, which includes the upper layer of the sky and the beginning of space. It is sweet, in the far distance below you can see the cityscapes and everything."
Is R2 with Anakin the whole film? If not when do they part ways?
"R2 is with Anakin during the crash landing."
SPOILER SPACE!
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ENOUGH BLOODY SPOILER SPACE! |
