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Originally posted by monkey:
is Palpatine the same person as Darth Sith as seen at the end of AOTC?

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Indeed he is. It think his name is mentioned exactly once in the original trilogy (in ESB as far as I recall). That's why most people probably didn't realize that TPM in fact DOES have a story - and a rather complex one at that, compared to the first three films. The whole Darh Maul "plot" was just there for those who didn't know about the connection.

Interestingly, the official site lists them as 2 separate people, but that's probably just for now untill we get outright confirmation in Episode 3.

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Originally posted by monkey:
So Palpatine has been manipulating the senate from the beginning of TPM, including sending MAUL after after the Jedi?

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Exactly. He persuaded Amidala to cast a vote of no confidence in the previous supreme chancellor so he'd get more power. At the end of the film, he let them celebrate him as the friendly politician who brought peace to Naboo. (Though I still haven't figured out his original plans with the blockade, since he obviously wasn't pleased at first that Amidala became active).

Having read the Zahn trilogy and played the games, I knew who Palpatine is. But I guess when you just watch the original three films, it's very easy to miss the one mention of his name. Though McDiarmid's voice is rather characteristic, as is the shape of his mouth (which is all you see of Darth Sidious in the first two films )

it's all very cool.

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Originally posted by monkey:
Thanks Marian. I was aware of Mc Dermitt playing all three characters: Palpatine, Sidious and the Emperor, but was under the impression that Palpatine was yet to transform into the Emperor. Makes sense now

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Yeah... Palpatine's evil alter-ego is Sidious.... and when he becomes the Emperor, there's no need to "hide" his true self.

Dan

But I think it gets even better. I don't know if Williams was aware that Luke and Leia are twins when he scored ANH. But since Leia's theme opens very similar to the main theme, Across the Stars sounds like the Skywalker theme, Anakin's theme, Vader's theme AND Leia's theme.

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Originally posted by Marian Schedenig:

I think there'll be some VERY nice bits in Ep.3 - which I now expect to be a really impressive film.

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... and an equally impressive score too, we all hope.

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Originally posted by Camillu:
... and an equally impressive score too, we all hope.

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Which will be chopped up in an equally impressive way.....

And here's a nerdy little question: when Anakin and Amidala are standing outside the moisture farm casting shadows in the sunset...why don't they cast TWO shadows? Tatooine has two suns, remember?

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Originally posted by Good King Harry:
Anybody ever see Mark and/or Carrie in anything else that was even remotely good?!?

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I don't believe I'm exaggerating when I say that any time he's doing voice acting Mark Hamill is absolutely brilliant. Watch Batman: Mask of the Phantasm some time. Hamill's Joker is a scream, and I think he gives the best interpretation of that character yet committed to the large or small screen. It's the best theatrical Batman film thus far, as well.

I still say the only weakness in Christensen's performance is that much of it is too strong for the dialogue. And I can't even really buy into that, particularly in the love confession scene; I know I've said things that were far cheesier and more melodramatic and I've been dead serious about them. I thought he perfectly captured the behavior and attitude of someone his age in his position, relationship-wise.

Natalie Portman, on the other hand, was completely lifeless. She was the only aspect of the film that really drew me away.

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Originally posted by MattStar:
What if Palpatine is a clone of Sidious (Sidious is the original)

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I don't think so. Remember, they said they managed to speed up the clones' aging to double speed. I doubt Sidious could have cloned himself and still live to see the clone getting that old.

They said that the dark side clouds their perception. I guess that's just it. (Besides, Palpatine being just a helper of Sidious would be him far less mean)

But that's an interesting observation about Sifo Dious. Didn't notice that, but it sounds very likely. I wonder why they don't recognize him?

In fact when I first saw the TPM trailer, I said to myself, "Hey, isn't that the Emperor?!"

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Originally posted by Will:
C'mon guys, Sidious IS Palpatine! I have a friend who disagrees to this, but it is SO obvious that the guy in the black cloak and hood is the evil Supreme Chancellor.

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Well, it's "Emperor Palpatine", that's for sure. And I doubt he just thought he'd dress himself up like a Sith clones of his. They're one and the same, that's for sure.

It's true, if he was Sifo Dious, the council should have noticed it. I do wonder though, since I don't know anything about the Sith except what's said in the films: How do you become a Sith - do you have to have some Jedi training first? Palpatine obviously isn't a Jedi, can he simply have learned everything from the Sith? And if so, who was his master?

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Originally posted by Marian Schedenig:
I don't know if Williams was aware that Luke and Leia are twins when he scored ANH. But since Leia's theme opens very similar to the main theme, Across the Stars sounds like the Skywalker theme, Anakin's theme, Vader's theme AND Leia's theme.

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Marian,

Since even Lucas didn't know at the time of Star Wars (I refuse to call it by it's non-original name ), it's a darn safe bet that Williams didn't know about the Luke & Leia situation.

Heck, there wouldn't have been ESB and ROTJ if SW had bombed. Lucas himself even admits that.

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Originally posted by Lancelot:
Actually....I'd rather not speculate, at this point....but isn't it a good time to go back and watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon again? The dark master (Jade Fox), the dark apprentice (Jen), --apprentice excels beyond the master, so the master attempts to kill the apprentice...? Gives you something to think about. The broken romance, the failed pupil...?

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Hmm... Is it time to bring out the "Lucas ripped off CTHD" thread?

Albeit very badly from all I've heard (I still haven't seen AOTC).

Kevin

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Originally posted by Mark Olivarez:
If I'm not mistaken Sifo Dious is shown in TPM Jedi Council scenes. He is the same species as the Kaminoans. So maybe that's who he is.

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I thought so too, but according to StarWars.com the long-necked Jedi Council member seen in TPM is Yarael Poof, from a planet called Quermia.

Curiously, StarWars.com also says that the Death Star was the brainchild of Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing). I wonder if we'll get to see a bit of him in Episode III...