George Lucas makes best Dune rip-off ever

[Edric O]

Ok, maybe not the best, and it's certainly not a complete Dune rip-off, but Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the best of the SW prequels, and copies Dune more than any other SW movie.

Don't worry, I won't give you any spoilers (if the fact that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father is a spoiler to you, then you couldn't be reading this anyway, since you don't have a computer with you under your rock ;) ). I'll just briefly explain the things Revenge of the Sith has in common with Dune (or, more specifically, Dune Messiah):

- The hero, who is a messiah according to some prophecy, fails in his mission. And by the way, the hero was born on a water world (according to the Star Wars expanded universe, Anakin Skywalker was born on the "watery island world" of Thessius), but lived his youth on a desert planet.

- Hero has a forbidden relationship with his wife/concubine (Padm

[ps501]

well you know what "they" say...  There aren't really any new books/movies/ideas anymore, just re-works of previous works.

[Anathema]

Chani knew that she'd have twins and Paul didn't. She didn't tell him because she thought that Paul surely would have seen this in his vision. He didn't, and was surprised when the couple was born.

- Hero ends up causing a massive genocide.

No, he already had (Paul that is), and ended up taking a walk in the desert.

- Hero is believed to be dead at the end, but survives and later returns under a different personality.

Wouldn't this qualify as a spoiler? :-

[Khan]

Wouldn't this qualify as a spoiler? :-

But like he says, everyone knows that one already.

I've championed the Dune-ness of star wars for ages, and if what I suspect about Ep III is true then its just the Icing on the cake.

[Anathema]

Who says Anakin has to appear dead at the end before becoming Darth Vader? All we know is that he is crippled so much that he's getting artificial limbs.

[Edric O]

Well, I've seen the movie, and...

*spoiler!*

[hide]Obi-Wan fights Anakin, cuts off his arms and legs and watches him being consumed by flames before turning and leaving. At the end of the movie, all the "good guys" think Anakin is dead, and I suspect none of the "bad guys" - except Palpatine - know that Anakin is Darth Vader, either. Of course, Obi-Wan and Yoda know that Darth Vader is Anakin's Sith name, so it can be assumed that they learn about his survival sometime between EpIII and the original EpIV.[/hide]

[Apollyon]

Anakin doesn't fail in his mission; he brings balance to the force by killing Darth Sidious in the last film.

And those are things that are similar to many, many traits in many, many films and books. Everything rips everything else off. That's what 'creation' is.

[Edric O]

Anakin doesn't fail in his mission; he brings balance to the force by killing Darth Sidious in the last film.

Well, true, I suppose he does... but you sure get the impression that he failed utterly if you watch EpIII alone.

And those are things that are similar to many, many traits in many, many films and books.

Such as? No, really, name one other series of books/movies that has all those features. I don't know any...

[Apollyon]

I didn't say ubiquitously similar. You are using several (all of seven) similarities to claim one as a rip off of the other, but what of all the dissimilarities (of which, if one were sufficiently pedantic about it, there are far, far more). If you reverse your position on it, it would seem that they unequivocally prove them to be movies independent of one another. In short, recognising the odd similarity proves little in regard to 'ripping off' and similar.

[Megashrap]

Sorry to go a little off topic, but speaking of rip-offs, has anyone watched this free version of Star Wars  knock-off?  http://www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations/revelations.html I did watch some of the trailer for it, and noticed some cheesy acting, but it's DVD quality and not too long to download. Just curious if anyone  actually watched the movie or not.

[slaphapy]

Star wars is a knock off of all the western cliches and any great epic (look at any mythological epic, oddysey for example) ... simple as that, George lucas has even stated it himself.

[GUNWOUNDS]

sometimes i think people get carried away with "similarities"

[Jack Leaf]

Of course it's stupid to search similarities just for the sake of blaming Lucas, but you have to agree that Dune and Star Wars are rather similiar in some sense. I myself believe that Lucas really did "copy" Dune.

[Cyborg]

...oh look vader and paul both have two legs and two arms...

But Vader lost his legs...  ;D

[GUNWOUNDS]

i didnt say what type of legs  :D

[GUNWOUNDS]

Well one thing that isnt "similar" is the success of the two different Stories.  George Lucas and the Star Wars Series are definately more popular and publicly acclaimed than Frank Herbet and Dune. So George did something "right" or "original" whatever it was.

[erjin999]

- Hero's wife/concubine dies in childbirth, hero feels guilty for it.

Isnt that a small spoiler ?

[Dante]

Well one thing that isnt "similar" is the success of the two different Stories.

[TMA_1]

a lot of these connections have already been made. But still pretty insightful edric. :)

[Jack Leaf]

He was less vague and spelled everything out to the dimwits that are the general public, that's what he did. A marketing ploy that is now used the world over. That and he didn't skip the 'interesting bits,' aka violence.

*cough* There are also similarities in the Imperium and Nazi-Germany. *cough*

[GUNWOUNDS]

ya i think storm troopers is a dead give away

[GUNWOUNDS]

He was less vague and spelled everything out to the dimwits that are the general public, that's what he did. A marketing ploy that is now used the world over. That and he didn't skip the 'interesting bits,' aka violence.

Its more than just that.... Star Wars has more of a sci-fi flavor which appeals to the geeks a little bit more.... Star Destroyers, AT-ST's, light sabers, blasters, doom stars, etc... much more sci-fi and hi-tech than a bunch of guys running around in the desert with knives.

[Edric O]

I didn't say ubiquitously similar. You are using several (all of seven) similarities to claim one as a rip off of the other, but what of all the dissimilarities (of which, if one were sufficiently pedantic about it, there are far, far more). If you reverse your position on it, it would seem that they unequivocally prove them to be movies independent of one another. In short, recognising the odd similarity proves little in regard to 'ripping off' and similar.

Alright, I admit I was wrong. I wrote this topic just a few hours after seeing the movie, when I was under the distinct impression that it had far too many things in common with Dune Messiah. Now that I think about it, there are very many differences as well (even beyond the obvious difference in the setting).

[TMA_1]

starwars is more of a space opera/fantasy tale. Dune is much more adult. It is hard science fiction, and deals with speculations on the future that have never been thought of before. Much less conventional than starwars. I do love starwars though.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Dune is much more adult.

Yea except for the Baron who is basically the equivalent of Jar Jar Binks.