xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on May 10, 2007 21:44:38 GMT -5
Darth Vader is one of the most loved villains in cinematic history.
Why? Why do you think this is?
Do you think Vader's cold, murderous nature, and his sinister evil heart (or lack of) made him as famous as he is?
Or is it simply the suit?
Does that fact that he did have some good in him, was stuck in an internal struggle between right and wrong make him appealing? With the good coming out in the end?
What is about Darth Vader that you think gave him such the fanbase and legacy he has?
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Post by wildmaven on May 11, 2007 10:44:20 GMT -5
It was the really cool music that played as he walked down the hallway of the ship in the first scene. I love Vader. He is my favorite villain of all time (well, Ming the Merciless is pretty close). When I was little, I wanted to be his daughter, hee hee... The suit is perfect, his voice is amazing (thanks James!) and his story is intriguing.
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Bones
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Post by Bones on May 11, 2007 15:21:39 GMT -5
Darth Vader is one of the most loved villains in cinematic history. Why? Why do you think this is? Do you think Vader's cold, murderous nature, and his sinister evil heart (or lack of) made him as famous as he is? Or is it simply the suit? Does that fact that he did have some good in him, was stuck in an internal struggle between right and wrong make him appealing? With the good coming out in the end? What is about Darth Vader that you think gave him such the fanbase and legacy he has? All of the above? Let's face it, for an evil guy he was pretty damn enegmatic and charismatic without meaning to be! And that was even being in a mask! One example i can give is in Return of the Jedi, when Luke goes down and gives himself to Vader, calls him father, the whole "so you've accepted the truth" scene. Vader doesn't given to Luke's notions of they're being good in him still and Luke replies that his father is truley dead then. At the end of the scene Luke is taken away and Vader pauces on the walkway hunched over the balcony, and everytime i see that i always wonder what exactly he IS thinking about at the moment! I always ponder that alot when i see it. And it's because you can't read his emotions and facial expreessions behind that damn mask, that made him so goddamn intruiging! Yes there is a look to him, I mean although he's a walking respirator, he is all in black, looks very cool, has a snazzy/awesome imperial march, and that is a big facotr too(!) But there is so much to him. Because it's that good trying to overcome evil and trapped inside a body, though he's more machine now, it just adds to it. Of course he's very dominating and commanding, too much power corrupts and absolute power courrupts absolutetly! I could go on and on all day, but those are some of my reasons anyway!
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Post by Mystique Sorcerer on May 12, 2007 6:48:10 GMT -5
Darth Vader was a classic villain, i think all of those characteristics made him one of the most famous villains in sci fi history.
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Shockeye
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Post by Shockeye on May 12, 2007 13:23:55 GMT -5
Maybe he was famous because of his personally and his mysterious history when he appeared.
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on May 12, 2007 18:33:12 GMT -5
I caught Empire Strikes Back today on Cinemax or HBO or one of those channels, and it reminded me of this thread when Vader was on... especially in the scenes with Lando...
Lando: Lord Vader, what about Leia and the Wookie? Darth Vader: They must never again leave this city. Lando: That was never a condition of our agreement, nor was giving Han to this bounty hunter. Darth Vader: Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly? Lando: No. Darth Vader: Good, because it would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here
and
Darth Vader: Calrissian. Take the princess and the Wookie to my ship. Lando: You said they'd be left at the city under my supervision. Darth Vader: I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.
Vader had some great lines that just reflected the evil within. I also enjoy when The Millennium Falcon escaped and Vader walks off the bridge of the Star Destroyer in silences the guard at the door was in fear for his life, and turned around and looked at Vader as he passed - although to be honest I cannot remember if that was part of the original film, or the re-release. They were playing the re-release today.
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Mara
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Post by Mara on May 14, 2007 17:30:38 GMT -5
I think one of the main reasons that Vader is so well- known around the world, even to people who have never seen Star Wars, is because his appearance is so unique (who else has a giant black rebreather and cape) and because he has such large presence whenever he enters a scene and also because he has so many good lines. I mean, who hasn't spoked into a fan, saying "Luke, I am your father."
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charlie
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Post by charlie on May 15, 2007 18:59:58 GMT -5
Apart from many of the points raised; for me, it's the voice. James Earl Jones does a fantastic job, his vocal work is brilliant. It's not particularly scary or chilling to hear and watch... but it's an entirely memorable feature for a baddy - which I think is hugely important when creating villains for film and TV.
Chaz
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Gradle
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Post by Gradle on May 17, 2007 5:30:56 GMT -5
I think there is no need to say more. Darth Vader is just...... Darth Vader. That cool big guy in that black suit with a cape. Looks evil, but is kinda good inside. Has that super powers and a lightsaber *fđživanjuou* A classic super villain.
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Post by willen on Jun 1, 2007 10:08:35 GMT -5
Darth Vader is one of the most loved villains in cinematic history. Why? Why do you think this is? Do you think Vader's cold, murderous nature, and his sinister evil heart (or lack of) made him as famous as he is? Or is it simply the suit? Does that fact that he did have some good in him, was stuck in an internal struggle between right and wrong make him appealing? With the good coming out in the end? What is about Darth Vader that you think gave him such the fanbase and legacy he has? All of the above? Let's face it, for an evil guy he was pretty damn enegmatic and charismatic without meaning to be! And that was even being in a mask! One example i can give is in Return of the Jedi, when Luke goes down and gives himself to Vader, calls him father, the whole "so you've accepted the truth" scene. Vader doesn't given to Luke's notions of they're being good in him still and Luke replies that his father is truley dead then. At the end of the scene Luke is taken away and Vader pauces on the walkway hunched over the balcony, and everytime i see that i always wonder what exactly he IS thinking about at the moment! I always ponder that alot when i see it. And it's because you can't read his emotions and facial expreessions behind that damn mask, that made him so goddamn intruiging! Yes there is a look to him, I mean although he's a walking respirator, he is all in black, looks very cool, has a snazzy/awesome imperial march, and that is a big facotr too(!) But there is so much to him. Because it's that good trying to overcome evil and trapped inside a body, though he's more machine now, it just adds to it. Of course he's very dominating and commanding, too much power corrupts and absolute power courrupts absolutetly! I could go on and on all day, but those are some of my reasons anyway! I think you pretty much covered a lot of the reasons I like him. It's partly the suit itself, it's also the fact you can't see his face or his expressions. He's so unpredicatable in that regard.
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Kmylove
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Post by Kmylove on Apr 9, 2008 4:41:44 GMT -5
I didn't really think much of him as a villain. He didn't manage to impress me too much. Sure, the suit was scary, the voice was scary, the music that played when he entered gave me the creeps, plus the way he could kill people who got him mad. But despite all of this, I don't really see him as a bad guy, but more as a troubled good guy, who has to figure himself out.
But yeah, I think that was makes him impressive is a combination of suit, music, voice and powers.
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Oliver
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Post by Oliver on Aug 13, 2008 22:04:21 GMT -5
It was the really cool music that played as he walked. Spot on
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Aug 19, 2008 15:14:35 GMT -5
I didn't really think much of him as a villain. He didn't manage to impress me too much. Sure, the suit was scary, the voice was scary, the music that played when he entered gave me the creeps, plus the way he could kill people who got him mad. But despite all of this, I don't really see him as a bad guy, but more as a troubled good guy, who has to figure himself out. But yeah, I think that was makes him impressive is a combination of suit, music, voice and powers. That's actually a very accurate impression.
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Oliver
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Post by Oliver on Nov 13, 2008 8:06:36 GMT -5
I must admit, after seeing Anakin in the new trilogy, when Vader turns to the good side at the end of ROTJ, it's kind of not as sad anymore, because you think of who he's turned back into, and.... well... meh. Plus, having Hayden Christianson at the end, SUPER LAME!! Luke never knew Anakin when he was young! For all he knows the guy who appears with Obi wan and Yoda is his long lost brother or something?!
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Speed
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Post by Speed on Nov 14, 2008 2:54:48 GMT -5
I guess I'll throw my two cents in as well.
As a kid, I was always fascinated by Vader because I wondered what was behind his mask. Also, he had a lightsaber, and as a kid, who didn't want a lightsaber? Previous posters have mentioned John Williams' "Imperial March." Yes, that music was epic and grandiose and had just enough of a sinister quality to make me slightly afraid, yet exhilirated when I heard it. Another thing that made Vader so cool was his ability to seemingly conjur things out of thin air with the Force. He choked that Captain in the Death Star Briefing room. He hurled a bunch of machinery at Luke in Cloud City. He killed a bumbling Captain with the Force. There are other examples, but I think you get my point. Finally, to drive it home, I always wondered how Luke Skywalker could have such a mean, evil guy for his father. In the end, it was uplifting to see Vader finally reject his hatred and save his son's life. It sent a powerful message that even the worst of us can rise up against what we've become and make a change if we really want to. To know that Vader could be redeemed was a very powerful moment in the films.
That being said, a lot of things changed after I saw the 3 Prequel films. As a kid, when I watched the original trilogy, I was always focused on Han, Leia, and Luke and their adventures. When I saw the Prequels, my next viewing of the original films was completely different. Especially after watching "Revenge of the Sith." My focus when watching the original films was always on Vader and the Emperor. Knowing Palpatine and Anakin's backstories made watching the original films take on new life because I was constantly wondering, "What the Hell are these guys thinking?" "Is Anakin really so blinded by hatred that he can't see what Palpatine's doing is wrong?" "Does he still think about Padme?" There were a ton of new questions to be answered.
Basically, those are the reasons why I find Vader so compelling as a villian. To know that someone who was essentially a good person, albeit a bit impetuous and hot-headed at times, could be so manipulated and twisted into becoming something so dark and evil, yet at the end find a way to redeem himself is just a very powerful story. And even though it takes place in a galaxy far, far way with spaceships and blasters, it's essentially a very Human story about the paths we choose in life and how they can affect us.
Vader's story could very well be the story of us all when you look at it from that standpoint.
(One more thing for Oliver: I was mad when they stuck young Anakin in at the end of ROTJ, too. I was also mad they took out the cool Ewok music. Anyways, I have a theory on why we saw Young Anakin as opposed to Old Anakin. You may not buy this at all, but it's kind of how I explain it.
Maybe Jedis are the only ones that can have eternal life through the Force. When Anakin became Vader, this was no longer an option. Perhaps the Sith cannot tap into that ability. When Luke helped Vader turn back to the good side, Vader became Anakin once more. The way I see it, is that perhaps Anakin, or the Force itself had a hand in displaying Anakin as a Young Jedi Knight. His older form was associated with evil and Vader so his "Living Force Self" was seen as young, good Anakin. I dunno. It's just a theory I came up with.)
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