We see Coruscant and get a face-to-face with Palpatine.
Script copyright George Lucas
Script excerpted from this site:
http://www.supershadow.com/star_wars/episode_1/the_phantom_menace/script.html
EXT. SPACE - PLANET CORUSCANT (FX)
MOVE with the ship as it heads toward Coruscant.
INT. CORUSCANT - CITYSCAPE - NABOO SPACECRAFT - DAY (FX)
The spacecraft dlies over the endlesscityscape of Coruscant,
the capital of the galaxy.
INT. NABOO SPACECRAFT - COCKPIT
ANAKIN looks out the cockpit window in awe.
RIC OLIE
Coruscant...the capital of the
Republic...the entire planet is one
big city.
ANAKIN
Wow! It's so huge!
INT. NABOO SPACECRAFT - DAY (FX)
The ship flies through the cityscape of Coruscant.
EXT. CORUSCANT - SENATE LANDING PLATFORM - DAY
Supreme Chancellor VALORUM, SEVERAL GUARDS, and SENATOR
PALPATINE stand on a landing platform.
The sleek Naboo spacecraft lands on the platform high above
the street level of the galactic capital. The ramp lowers.
OBI-WAN, QUI-GON, JAR JAR and ANAKIN descend the ramp first
and bow before PALPATINE and VALORUM.
Capt. Panaka, TWO GUARDS, QUEEN AMIDALA, then PADME, RABE,
EIRTAE, and MORE GUARDS descend the ramp. QUEEN AMIDALA stops
before the group.
ANAKIN and JAR JAR stand to one side, looking at the huge
city. PADME smiles at ANAKIN. PALPATINE bows before the Queen.
PALPATINE
It is a great gift to see you alive,
Your Majesty. May I present Supreme
Chancellor Valorum.
VALORUM
Welcome, Your Highness. It is an
honor to finally meet you in person.
I must relay to you how distressed
everyone is over the currant
situation. I've called for a special
session of the Senate to hear your
position.
AMIDALA
I am grateful for your concern,
Chancellor.
PALPATINE starts to lead QUEEN AMIDALA and her RETINUE off
the platform toward a waiting air taxi.
PALPATINE
There is a question of precedure,
but I feel confident we can overcome
it...
JAR JAR and ANAKIN start to follow, then stop, noticing that
OBI-WAN and QUI-GON are staying with the SUPREME CHANCELLOR.
QUEEN AMIDALA waves to the duo to follow her. ANAKIN looks
back to QUI-GON, and he nods to go ahead.
ANAKIN and JAR JAR join the QUEEN, PALPATINE, PADME, RABE
and EIRTAE in the taxi. PALPATINE gives the Gungan and the
boy in the back of the taxi a skeptical look. JAR JAR leans
over to ANAKIN.
JAR JAR
Da Queens- a bein grossly nice, mesa
tinks.
(he looks around)
Pitty hot!
VALORUM and the JEDI watch the taxi move off into the city.
QUI-GON
I must speak with the Jei Council
immediately, Your Honor. The situation
has become more complicated.
The flight over Coruscant is good. We de-kiddify Anakin's comment, but otherwise I like it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we've already moved the first scene with Palpatine to his or Padme's chambers, so that reveal would not be happening here. Keeping Chancellor Valorum in the welcoming party is good--Lucas has set up Valorum as someone who cares about Naboo, and then Padme's going to rip his legs out from under him after manipulation by Palpatine.
Why the crap is Qui-Gon telling the chancellor he has to speak to the Jedi High Council? Isn't that Jedi business? Or is he about to tell the Chancellor about the Sith? That doesn't seem to make sense.
Replace Palpatine with some Jedi functionary and that's fixed.
So, as a placeholder scene this is fine. I think it's important to see Coruscant, even if it is just a cartoon. But not much else happens here.
The pacing of the scene is too slow. Compare it to, for instance, the scene in Empire where Vader orders the ground assault on Hoth. That scene moves fast, culminating in the "nothing to stop us this time" line, after which you can easily envision Vader walking briskly off to do some task or another in preparation. That doesn't exactly crackle, but it gets us rapidly to the next plot point.
Incidentally, I find it impossible to reconcile the Darth Vader of that scene with this annoying little eight-year-old who says Gosh! and Gee!
So, scene easily fixed and likely shortened, with Palpatine put on hold.
As Anakin and our Gungan rogue survey the city, Gungan nudges Anakin and whispers "nightlife."
Instead, we get treated to more of Jar Jar's incomprehensible and insulting gibberish.
Agreed. This is a pleasant and easily fixed interlude. I'll sign off on all of your corrections. But can I just add that I literally lolled at:
ReplyDeleteI must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the currant situation.
Too many? Too few?
Oh, THAT's where that currant comment came from.
ReplyDeleteonward and upward.