Lightsaber fighting in the prequil trilogy

[SuperSword]

While the lightsaber fighting styles in the prequil trilogy is perhaps more refined, more controlled, and displays a higher degree of skill, there are some things I like better about the fighting styles in the OT. For one thing, in the prequil the fighting styles are sometimes too fancy, too flashy, and more of an emphasis is made on looking cool rather than being effective in a lightsaber fight. For instance, too much twirling, all too often they twirl the lightsabers around like cheerleader batons, even when they draw out and ignite the lightsabers they will sometimes twirl them. This has been adopted to video games such as Jedi Knight II and Jedi Academy, where the lightsaber is twirled whenever you activate and deactivate it, something I find annoying about the games. In the OT, the fighting styles are much more simple, straightforward, and even if they are more sloppy at times they're more practical. You don't see Luke twirl the lightsaber when he ignites it, when Obi Wan goes up against the thugs in the Mos Eisley Cantina he doesn't twirl the lightsaber as he ignites it, he simply draws and ignites, blocks a baster shot, and slashes once taking an arm off. In the Luke vs Vader lightsaber fights, although Luke is sometimes sloppy, you don't see any attempt at looking "showy." Although this is movies we're talking about and the whole idea is to look showy and get the audience's attention, looking too flashy is overdoing it.

[Master BStone]

i do like when lightsabers make their appearance on screen in an "old samurai movie" style...like something you'd see by Akira Kurosawa. the flashy moves have their place, but i'm a big fan of BOTH obi-wan cantina scenes.  i enjoy when a judicious use of force is bridled by unrivalled control of the weapon.

[Master Nero Attoru]

Each style has its perks, and I see your point.  I also sort of prefer the original trilogy duels, but for a slightly different reason.  To me, many of the PT fights were sort of... empty.  Swordfights are awesome in and of themselves, but they also tell a story - the choreography is supposed to be more telling than any lines or acting.  You have ESB, where Luke is fighting with all his might and Vader is just kinda toying with him... until the end of the fight when Vader cuts loose.  Then you have ROTJ where Luke lets loose on Vader, and attacks with reckless abandon.  You can see, even feel his anger radiating as he bashes away.  The only PT fight that has this kind of passion is the final Anakin vs Obi Wan in ROTS, and like you said it's a bit too flashy to really let you focus on the character emotions.

[Yega]

I totally understand what you are saying. I personally would get very bored with the fights though if they were all like the ones in the OT. I love the fight scenes in the newer ones. Though they are not practical and lack a reality in effectiveness, you have to remember, Star Wars is a fictional world. And if I'm watching something fictional, I want to watch something that wouldn't happen like it would here. The fight scenes provide that. The fight scenes in the movie, are effective and practical in "that" world.

You can also chew on this if it suits your fancy, it suits mine (though I highly doubt that it was intended). Luke Skywalker was never trained in Lightsaber to lightsaber combat, therefore, he lacks that "style" you are talking about. Darth Vader can barley move his arms, so he is restricted to moves that are only (in our world) effective. So, the fight scenes are not as elaborate.

As for real life fighting, twirls and spins can be effective if done correctly. For me personally, Im the guy that likes to smash at you and keep on smashing at you, with style..... (Two handed sword, Sir William Wallace kinda guy) Im kinda like Darth Malgus in the deceived trailer, only with a tad bit more, "flash" if you will. It's fun.

[Master Nero Attoru]

I know what you're saying Yega, I love a little flash myself.  Truthfully when I duel I rarely use a whole lot of practicality - it's really more fun that way!  IF I wanted to I could use a very economical style, but that would get boring fast (especially since Artorius is one of my only friends that would be able to keep up with me on a swordsmanship level - that's not me bragging, it's just my other friends have very little experience in such things).

I love the duels in the prequels (save perhaps the crappy stuff in AOTC), the flash really does contribute to the fun.  I was mostly pointing out that the emotion of the duel is what really gives it flavor.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

I may as well go use boffers if I'm just going to use a lightsaber practically,

But I find doing the crossover figure eights (like when I duel wield) is really off putting to, well everyone but my wife.

[darth tratus]

you also should think about this. i real lightsaber has no weight on the blade. dont you think it would be easier and effective while fighting? i know they just used them in the movies to make it seem cool. it does make it fun. thats what i like about both trilogies though. they provide you with a lot of different kind of duels and other stuff.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

you also should think about this. i real lightsaber has no weight on the blade. dont you think it would be easier and effective while fighting? i know they just used them in the movies to make it seem cool. it does make it fun. thats what i like about both trilogies though. they provide you with a lot of different kind of duels and other stuff.

The weight is what I enjoy about the US blades, since there is no string of lights it's super light.

The midgrade on my Raven feels like nothing.

I love that feeling it makes it feel more like what it should be like.

[Yega]

The weight is what I enjoy about the US blades, since there is no string of lights it's super light.

The midgrade on my Raven feels like nothing.

I love that feeling it makes it feel more like what it should be like.

Really? From what I have experienced, my standard Raven with it's mid-grade blade is VERY heavy in comparison to string blades (the only ones I have held are MR's and Hasbro's). I personally like weight though in swords. They add to my crushing fighting style. So the weight does not bother me at all.

[Gaius]

The Raven is heavy even without a blade. 

Interesting that none of the light saber hilts we see in Star Wars are huge in the same way the Raven is.  It would be fun to see how they potrayed the greater power that would make the large, harder to wield blade worthwhile.  In Star Wars all of the light sabers themselves seem to be pretty much equals.

I agree, btw, that the fancy fighting is more fun.  Also, since the Jedi have so much control over their entire bodies, it serves to get across the message that the fighters themselves are extraordinary (because of the Force) and not just their weapons.

[Master Nero Attoru]

I may as well go use boffers if I'm just going to use a lightsaber practically,

But I find doing the crossover figure eights (like when I duel wield) is really off putting to, well everyone but my wife.

Hahaha they really have a way of seeing through the BS don't they?  I can't intimidate my gf either... I try to be flashy and goof around and she just stabs me (she has fencing experience too, in fact we met at school when we both joined the team).

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

Hahaha they really have a way of seeing through the BS don't they?  I can't intimidate my gf either... I try to be flashy and goof around and she just stabs me (she has fencing experience too, in fact we met at school when we both joined the team).

That made Megan laugh really hard.

Then she said AWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. When she read the rest.