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Rive's Uncharted Settlements

by: Rive Caedo

date posted: Aug 29, 2005 5:21 PM | updated: Jan 25, 2006 2:41 PM

Wow Dad, did you put on some weight?

Hopefully you saw the Original Trilogy sometime before the 2004 DVD's came out, but I realize for some of the new fans coming in with the Prequels that might not be the case, so in a nutshell, the final scene of the saga where Luke glances at the Force Ghosts of Yoda and Obi-wan and then Anakin appears beside them used to be played by the same man who played Vader when he's unmasked near the end of the film Sebastian Shaw, in the 2004 DVD's his head was replaced with Hayden Christensen's, Anakin from Episode's II and III.

At first I was fairly set against the change from Sebastian Shaw to Hayden Christensen, but over time I've grown to agree it was a needed change.

So unlike many my issue is not with the change itself, but with the way it was done.

Hayden was not brought in and filmed specifically for insertion in the scene, they cut his head off existing stock footage and placed it on Shaw's body.

I don't even mind that it's the same robe, since it makes sense for Anakin after redemption to realize the error of his ways and wear Obi-wan style robes. (Even if the robe seems to be a little too big for an Episode III Anakin to me, hence the title)

The actual problem for me lies in the original version being so great in that Shaw looks over at Obi-wan for about 2 seconds then turns and smiles at Luke while Obi-wan looks over Anakin's new ghostly presence. In the Hayden version they meet eyes for approximately 0.000025 seconds, it kinda ruins the emotional content and feeling of the saga coming full circle.

I don't have a link to Shaw's footage, but you can see Hayden's here:
http://www.filmhobbit.com/moviereviews/movie-images/news/reporters/rotj.mov

I'd be interested if anyone feels Hayden's inserted movements are superior to Shaw's and why.
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	Lord__Sidious33 The Revelation of Sidious
date Posted: Aug 29, 2005 5:26 PM I'm against the .0000025 second thing, too. What's with the title?

	Rive Caedo Rive's Uncharted Settlements
date Posted: Aug 29, 2005 6:16 PM I editted the entry to provide a bit of backing for those that didn't know the history of the change, and an explanation of the title. =)

salaciouslq
Jedi Counsel Help 5�

date Posted: Aug 29, 2005 8:46 PM

I was very disapointed with the change. I could totally understand changing the emperors so that Ian McDiarmid played all of them, but replacing Sebastian Shaw really was a little too much. It kind of reminded me of what Ted Turner did in the late 80s by colorizing classic films. There's just some things you don't mess with. I felt that since Anakin redeemed himself in the end, he should return as himself as he was in the end, of course minus the battle dammage. Plus, Hayden looks kinda dorky in that scene. Sir Alec Guinness and Yoda look weathered and as they should at the end of the saga.

Sol Kassar
Ramblings from the Detention Center (Startled)

date Posted: Aug 30, 2005 7:41 AM

I thought it was an amazing switch, and it blew my mind on how they snuck it in there. But watching it some more, Rive Caedo is right - the glance is rather short, taking away some of the old school flavor, but I also noticed that Hayden doesn't look directly at Luke or Obi-Wan, kinda like just glancing around the room or looking at someone who's not in the movie. I like his image in there, but it looks rushed, they could've done a better job, especially with the eye contact.

PrincessJessieSkywalker
The Tatooine Dream

date Posted: Aug 30, 2005 8:35 AM

I feel it was a good change to make, adding Hayden. I think his force ghost should be who he was when he was a great Jedi Knight before he turned into his crispy, burnt, evil Sith self. We knew what he looked like as a Jedi. We don't know what he would have looked like had he not have been crispy & getting old underneath the helmet. However, the scene lost some feeling like stated above. Maybe if we are lucky, it will be redone & more feeling will be added in time for the 6 disc set!

	Darth Rex0 So be it....
date Posted: Aug 30, 2005 1:19 PM I do like the addition of Hayden and I agree with PrincessJessieSkywalker, the big boxset would be a great time to insert a new Hayden. Just pay him a little dough and shoot him in costume on a green screen. They have done that alot before (shot actors not present during principle photography) and added them to a scene.

	shatterpoint282 ''This Party's Over ''
date Posted: Sep 24, 2005 1:44 PM I LOVE that they put in Hayden Christensen as Anakin , he looks so much better than Shaw.

	thetorp
date Posted: Sep 29, 2005 5:59 PM send a petition to an oficial

	jediman200 jediMAN
date Posted: Oct 04, 2005 8:59 AM Hayden is much better than 78-year old Shaw.

	AnAkAiNsOlO Star Wars: The Final Frontier
date Posted: Dec 29, 2005 4:39 AM I agree, I loved the change, it seems to be the biggest change to flow with the prequels, besides the addition of Naboo to the celebrations. I have no complaints whatsoever, Anakin looks happy at how hes come back to good, but almost embarrassed at alll the pain and suffering he has caused, yet can smile about it because he has destroyed the epitome of all evil.

	jkelly There Is No Conflict
date Posted: Jan 25, 2006 3:06 PM Rive, I posted a response to your comment on my blog, so I won't repeat it here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could have sworn Anakin was shifting his body weight uneasily, as well. Something not in the first version of ROTJ.

jkelly
There Is No Conflict

date Posted: Jan 25, 2006 4:10 PM

You can't be telling me that Lucas couldn't have yanked Christensen back into the studio to do exactly what Lucas wanted? Unlikely.

That's precisely what I'm saying... Why didn't he?

Rive -- so we agree on this point. Therefore, the question is "Why?" There are only two answers: (1) Lucas is lazy, or (2) Lucas liked it that way. I'm going with the latter.

Fire up your VCR and let me know what you think; I haven't hooked mine up since I moved.

Jedi Mistress Billaba

date Posted: Jan 26, 2006 7:41 AM

Oh my goodness! I had no idea they put in Hayden's head at the end! I tend to watch my original VHS's over the new DVD's. True, I was always vastly disappointed in the face of Darth Vader at the end of VI, but at the time, it was probably to show how such an evil monster was really a fragile, old man. That being said, why not put in Ewan McGregor's face? Why not add Natalie Portman, too, since it was Anakin's love for her that started this mess? What about Qui Quon? Throw him in there also! George is a little too anal-retentive for my tastes. If he's going to be that way about it, just shoot the first three movies all over again! He added Jabba, and made Greedo shoot first (which ruins the whole Han Solo as a mercenary mood).

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