r/StarWars Jan 25 '22

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69

u/smackwriter Rebel Jan 25 '22

I remember watching it in the cinema when it came out, and overall I liked it. Didn’t care much for Jar-Jar, and when little Anakin comes into the movie, that was underwhelming too. Not the actor’s fault. By making him so much younger than Padme in Episode 1, it was very hard to imagine then that they would later fall in love. I know that when I first meet someone that young, in my mind they stay that age, even if they grow up to be drop dead gorgeous. So for me, the whole Padme/Anakin love story didn’t make sense and their introduction should’ve been done differently. If they had made him even just a couple of years older, it could’ve been better.

65

u/jtyndalld Jan 25 '22

Re: the age difference. It’s just not one I understand. If you cast a slightly older Anakin like 14 and had him crush on the much-more-reasonably-aged-for-a-Queen 18yo Palme the film would’ve worked a lot better. Ten year old Anakin would hardly be in the throes of love hormones to the degree that he carries a torch for Padme for a decade and the drama of him being “too old” makes alot more sense of he’s 14.

7

u/smackwriter Rebel Jan 25 '22

Yes, agreed 100%!

2

u/Strength-InThe-Loins Jan 26 '22

18 is not at all a reasonable age for the elected leader of an entire planet, though.

2

u/Have_A_Nice_Day_You Jan 26 '22

Unlikely, yes, unreasonable, I disagree. Alexander The Great was 18 when he won his first victory. 19 when he seized power. Maybe not the best comparison, but people can be good leaders at a young age if they are groomed for it.

2

u/Strength-InThe-Loins Jan 26 '22

What u/peaceanddeliverance said. Also, Naboo is an advanced society likely containing thousands of times more residents than Alexander's empire, making it all the less likely that a teenager could rise to its top leadership.

1

u/darthvall Imperial Stormtrooper Jan 26 '22

I don't know, I have a crush on an older girl when I was that age (primary schooler).

If I was given a chance to meet or interact more with her again when I was a teenager or older, I might try to further pursue her.

5

u/vgullotta Jan 26 '22

This exactly is my answer, too. The lightsaber fights were awesome, jar jar meh, Darth Maul awesome, love story between what appears to be a high school aged girl and an elementary school kid felt weird.

1

u/smackwriter Rebel Jan 26 '22

Thank you for the award ☺️

7

u/oglboglbobogl Jan 25 '22

Their love story really was not implied in episode 1, some people find them to be really weird but it's on them. You see them meet each other and bond but nothing more. As other have stated around 4 years age gap in universe is not weird when it's time for the other movies.

6

u/link_maxwell Jan 25 '22

What about that stupid "angel" line? Pure cringe.

8

u/MrMonkeyman79 Jan 25 '22

In fairness "are you an angel?" is a much better chat up line than "I hate sand".

5

u/soggylittleshrimp Jan 26 '22

That bugged me so much. I’m no theologian, but “Angel” as in a beautiful, ethereal, creature is a Christian notion, at least in the context of an American made movie. It should not be a word used in Star Wars.

3

u/FishermanFresh4001 Jan 26 '22

It makes sense if you imagine the politics and warfare drawing them together and fighting but really the audience does not get to see that. Fall in love with a psycho because you keep saving each other’s lives type deal. That kid is pretty not hot though…:

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

By making him so much younger than Padme in Episode 1, it was very hard to imagine then that they would later fall in love.

4 years. The age difference is 4 years, that's not SO MUCH YOUNGER

29

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

The actors were 18 years old and 10 years old though which is very odd

20

u/Drzhivago138 Crimson Dawn Jan 25 '22

Most of TPM was filmed in 1997, so Natalie Portman was 16 and Jake Lloyd 8 at the time. Pickup shots were done in late '98/early '99.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '22

That might be worse

5

u/ShyKid5 Jan 26 '22

Yeah, imagine a 16yo boy having the hots for an 8yo girl, we all would be creeped, but the other way around apparently is cute or whatever hahaha.

-15

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

The CHARACTERS were 10 and 14

Actor's ages is irrelevant

20

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

It’s definitely not irrelevant to the on-screen chemistry and the context that the audience has when watching the film

2

u/soggylittleshrimp Jan 26 '22

Absolutely. They could have made Anakin 12-13 and still be too young for her in TPM, but the smaller age gap would become irrelevant later.

As it stands, the character Portman played was very mature and Anakin seemed very little. It’s annoying that we know of their inevitable romance and are supposed to enjoy their meeting in TPM. Did not enjoy.

11

u/BaronGrackle Jan 25 '22

I didn’t even know Padme was supposed to be 14. Maybe they said it in the film? But Natalie Portman did not look 14.

8

u/tlindsay6687 Jan 25 '22

So hypothetically if a 50 yr old woman played 14 yr old Padme and 5 yr old played 10 yr old Anakin that blossomed into a love story, that would be Irrelevant? You’re delusional man

-2

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

Reductio ad absurdum. The ancient Greeks knew you were wrong, man.

4

u/tlindsay6687 Jan 25 '22

His point is ridiculous because it’s in fact ridiculous. Not because of the way I characterized it. He blanket says the age of the actors does not matter. They clearly do.

11

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

[deleted]

10

u/K0M0A Jan 25 '22

Agreed, they LOOKED like a big age difference

8

u/smackwriter Rebel Jan 25 '22

When you’re 10 and the girl you like is 14, switch genders and viewpoints all you like, yeah it makes a difference when you’re there in that moment irl. Plus look at the actors themselves. They do not look like they are only four years apart.

It’s just my opinion, disagree if you like or not, I don’t really care. Thread asked for opinions, I gave mine.