Sunday, July 1, 2012
Phantom Menace: Through the Underwater Core
As we continue our journey through the Phantom Menace Screenplay, we come to the Jedis' little adventure as they navigate the underwater "core" of the planet Naboo.
See below!
Script copyright George Lucas. Excertped from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
EXT. NABOO CITY - UNDERWATER - SUB (FX)
A strange little submarine propels itself away from the Otoh
Gunga, leaving the glow of the settlement in the distance.
INT. SUB COCKPIT - UNDERWATER
OBI-WAN in the co-pilots seat, JAR JAR guides the craft.
JAR JAR
Dis is nusen.
OBI-WAN
Master, why do you keep dragging
these pathetic life forms along with
us?...Here, take over.
JAR JAR
Hey, ho? Where wesa goen??
QUI-GON
You're the navigator.
JAR JAR
Yo dreamen mesa hopen...
QUI-GON
Just relax, the Force will guide
us...
JAR JAR
Ooooh, maxibig..."da Force"...Wellen,
dat smells stinkowiff.
JAR JAR veers the craft to the left and turns the lights on.
The coral vistas are grand, fantastic, and wonderous.
OBI-WAN
Why were you banished, Jar Jar?
JAR JAR
Tis a long tale, buta small part
wawdabe mesa... ooooh... aaaa...
clumsy.
OBI-WAN
They banished you because you're
clumsy?
As the little sub glides into the planet core, a large dark
shape begins to follow.
JAR JAR
Mesa cause-ed mabee one or duey lettal
bitty axadentes...yud-say boom da
gasser, un crash Der Bosses
heyblibber...den banished.
Suddenly there is a loud CRASH, and the little craft lurches
to one side.
QUI-GON looks around and sees a huge, lumimnous OPEE SEA
KILLER has hooked them with its long gooey tongue.
QUI-GON
Full speed ahead.
Instead of full ahead, JAR JAR jams the controls into reverse.
The sub flies into the mouth of the creature.
JAR JAR
Oooops.
OBI-WAN
Give me the controls.
OBI-WAN takes over the controls and the OPEE SEA KILLER
instantly releases the sub from its mouth.
JAR JAR
Wesa free!
As the sub zooms away they see a larger set of jaws, munching
on the hapless KILLER. The jaws belong to the incredible
SANDO AQUA MONSTER. The lights on the tiny sub begin to
flicker as they cruise deeper into the gloom.
QUI-GON
There's always a bigger fish.
INT. FEDERATION BATTLESHIP - BRIDGE
NUTE and RUNE stand before a hologram of DARTH SIDIOUS.
NUTE
The invasion is on schedule, My Lord.
DARTH SIDIOUS
Good. I have the Senate bogged down
in procedures. By the time this
incident comes up for a vote, they
will have no choice but to accept
your control of the system.
NUTE
The Queen has great faith the Senate
will side with her.
DARTH SIDIOUS
Queen Amidala is yound and naive.
You will find controlling her will
not be difficult. You have done well,
Viceroy.
NUTE
Thank you, My Lord.
DARTH SIDIOUS fades away.
RUNE
You didn't tell him about the missing
Jedi?
NUTE
No need to report that to him, until
we have something to report.
INT. SUB COCKPIT - UNDERWATER
Sparks are flying, and water is leaking into the cabin. The
sound of the power drive drops.
OBI-WAN
...we're losing power.
OBI-WAN is working with the sparking wires. JAR JAR panics.
QUI-GON
Stay calm. We're not in trouble yet.
JAR JAR
What yet? Monstairs out dare! Leak'n
in here, all'n sink'n, and nooooo
power! You nutsen! WHEN YOUSA TINK
WESA IN TROUBLE?!!!?
OBI-WAN
Power's back.
The lights flicker on, revealing an ugly COLO CLAW FISH right
in front of them.
JAR JAR
Monstairs back!
The large COLO CLAW FISH is surprised and rears back. The
sub turns around and speeds away.
JAR JAR
Wesa in trouble now??
QUI-GON
Relax.
QUI-GON puts his hand on JAR JAR's shoulder. JAR JAR relaxes
into a coma.
OBI-WAN
You overdid it.
The COLO CLAW FISH leaps after the fleeing sub as it shoots
out of the tunnel and into the waiting jaws of the SANDO
AQUA MONSTER.
OBI-WAN
This is not good!
JAR JAR regains consciousness.
JAR JAR
Wesa dead yet?? Oie Boie!
JAR JAR's eyes bulge, and he faints again. The sub narrowly
avoids the deadly teeth of the AQUA MONSTER. The COLO CLAW
FISH chasing them isn't so lucky. It is munched in half by
the larger predator. The little sub slips away.
QUI-GON
Head for that outcropping.
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So... are we to assume that everyone is using "core" in the same way that they're using "symbiote"? Because, seriously... we're a 5 minute sub ride from the planet's liquid water core? What?!?
ReplyDeleteMore gunganspeak, so that can't be good. But we've covered that. Does JJ speak more clearly in future eps? I don't remember it being quite this impenetrable.
There's a little too much excitement here... surely one deep sea critter would have been enough?
Otherwise, I actually don't think this is all that bad. Yes, I just "otherwised" the entire scene. I mentioned the bisque.
Here's my problem with this scene: There's no time for tension to build up. There's no suspense.
ReplyDeleteOne second, it's an ordinary scene. Next second, the sub's under attack. There's no hint of danger coming--it hits you before you know what's going on, and it's over just as fast. Looking back on it you're like "wow, that must have been scary." Then it happens again thirty seconds later. Same Big Fish problem. Another rapid solution, again all over before you realize it's happening.
Then at the end, Qui Gon is all cool and is like "head for that outcropping." I get the whole Jedi being calm stuff, but you just drained what energy there is out of the scene.
So let's compare this AGAIN to monster scenes in the original trilogy.
1. Empire Strikes Back asteroid field: The Falcon eludes some Tie Fighters in an asteroid field and slips into a seemingly safe cave. The ship shudders a bit after landing, the heroes glance around at each other, tensely. Finally discover the Mynocks. Wander outside. See dozens of the things. Cave rumbles. Tension builds. The viewer is thinking "dang that's a lot of Mynocks, that could damage the Falcon." More serious rumbles. Han shoots the floor, the action picks up and they escape by the skin of their (or the worm's) teeth. Nicely rendered scene. Tension builds, action mounts, and even the escape lasts a good twenty or thirty seconds. Time enough to wonder if they'll make it.
2. Return of the Jedi Rancor pit - The Rancor gets established as a threat long before Luke is thrown into its clutches, when it consumes an unlikely Piggy Guard. So when Luke strolls in and stands on top of the pit grate, you're like "oh no Luke don't stand there! It's a threat!" And then 3PO tries to warn him. Tension is building. Then he gets dumped in there, and the Rancor chases him around for what seems like FOREVER the first time you see it. Luke has to think his way out of the situation, use his force jumping, use a bone as toothpick, bring the gate down on top of the Rancor...it takes a long time. It's tense.
As for the "core" thing....I'm going with symbiote. Lucas just doesn't have a clue. Heck, I'd have been way MORE interested if the Gungans had said, instead of "core," "secret underwater subworld loaded with dangerous fish. Fastest way to the Naboo, but very dangerous!"
Question: are you rewatching this crap? I honestly have no recollection of the pace of this scene, but assuming that it happens as fast as the dialog, then you're obviously right.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the dancer that gets eaten by the Rancor! That scene was SW at its best. Hell, even the trash compactor snake was really good.
This scene is really not. But on the prequel scale, there are lots worse.
Where'd my adorable little picture go? Boo!
ReplyDeleteI just watched it two or three months ago with Finn.
ReplyDeleteGreat memory with the scene from Star Wars! The trash compactor snake was one of those "terrifying because you can't see it things." Cheap filmmaking. Very scary. Tension builds in that scene as well. You hear a clunk as the door lets the snake, they realize something's in there. Then Luke disappears, and he's down for a long time.
I really am going to rewatch them at some point. I'll just FF through the worst of it. And drink heavily.
ReplyDeleteIf you take away the love scenes and the ridiculous R2D2 leg rockets and the stupid cartoon Yoda lightsaber scene, the second one is not bad.
ReplyDeleteOH!!!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to say what else bugs me about the core scene. The fact that they're Jedi seems to have nothing to do with their escape. It appears to be pure luck.
We are left infer, I THINK, that Qui Gon is somehow manipulating the force to bring the bigger fish in every time, but there's no sign of him actually doing it. If he can control the bloody creatures of the forest, that would be a cool skill to show.
OR, you could have hinted at it earlier in the Meet Jar Jar scene when all the animals are running crazy through the woods. You could have had Qui Gon guid a couple of elephant things together right in front of whatever version of the AT-ST the robot army has, bringing it crashing to the ground and spilling droids everywhere. Qui Gon's control of animalia thus established, you would understand his calm in the deeps of the core when freaking Moby Dick latches onto the back of his scooter.
Yes. I agree that we're supposed to think that. But they should make it more explicit, because I don't think we see ANY Jedi go all Aquaman in any of the movies. Again, this scene is a throwaway. I wonder if there's a much longer/better scene on the cutting room floor.
ReplyDeleteAs to Jar Jar's dialect, it's definitely toned down in the other two prequels. 'Course, by then he's a senator and all. Because that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteRight.
ReplyDeleteThis scene is a total waste. This movie has a big story to tell and does a poor job of it. This scene is one reason why. How much money and time was spent on this wasted 5 minute scene that does absolutely nothing to advance the plot? We already know that
ReplyDelete- Jar Jar is a cowardly idiot
- Jedi can fix electronics when R2D2 is not around
- Jedi don't get killed by fish
Is it important to know that Jar-Jar is banished for being a clumsy doof????? We already know he is a clumsy doof!! Banish him for anything clever and useful to the plot! How about an affair with Amidallah?
I vote to cut this scene in the rewrite.
I like how Invisible Hand has independently evolved to the same Jar Jar-Amidala affair that you suggest later, Heezlebub.
ReplyDeleteStrong work.