How do you like your lightsaber battles--fancy or more realistic?

[SuperiorIronman]

Another thing to note about the difference in fighting is that it's well documented that the costume on Vader was constrictive, and even required a separate helmet for the guy who would play Vader while he was dueling. So not only do you have guys who don't really know what to do but your guy who is going to do much of the fighting is doing it clumsily at that. If anything I take away from the OT is that taken as a whole of this franchise, its a trial by fire when it comes to what it accomplished. Technically it's a night and day difference as CGI, proper stunt fighters, and better costumes result in a more streamlined experience, but takes away the heaviness of the duels. Pretty much due to them no longer being literally weighed down by costumes. CGI can make a giant monster, but it can make a Muppet doing flips look silly even when its composited correctly.

This thread kind of makes me want to go back into the sequel trilogy lightsaber duels to see how this sort of thing advanced.

[Punisher007]

I buy the older Vader and Luke a lot more as awesome Jedi/Sith warriors than I do anybody in the prequels, at least when it came to swordplay.
New Hope Obi-Wan is on his own, not because he's old and out of shape, but because Lucas didn't have a clue what he was doing when filming that and the Lightsaber special effects were still a work in progress.

I am going to make an exception for Count Dooku, he's a master. It helped of course that sir Christopher Lee knew how to hold a sword.

The problem with Sir Christopher is that it was really obvious where his stunt double was, and his fights were poorly-choreographed overall imo. Like the Obi Wan/Anakin vs. Dooku duel in AOTC is the worst one in any of these films for me.

[Buried Alien]

The problem with Sir Christopher is that it was really obvious where his stunt double was, and his fights were poorly-choreographed overall imo. Like the Obi Wan/Anakin vs. Dooku duel in AOTC is the worst one in any of these films for me.

Too many closeup shots in the dark make this duel less visually compelling than it could have been.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Ken Ashcroft]

I buy the older Vader and Luke a lot more as awesome Jedi/Sith warriors than I do anybody in the prequels, at least when it came to swordplay.
New Hope Obi-Wan is on his own, not because he's old and out of shape, but because Lucas didn't have a clue what he was doing when filming that and the Lightsaber special effects were still a work in progress.

I am going to make an exception for Count Dooku, he's a master. It helped of course that sir Christopher Lee knew how to hold a sword.

Lucas had said that the prequels were the first chance that he could show the Jedi in their fighting primes.up to then (in the OT) it was done by old men pass their physical primes, fighters crippled by past injuries and young inexperienced Jedi.

[Carabas]

Lucas had said that the prequels were the first chance that he could show the Jedi in their fighting primes.up to then (in the OT) it was done by old men pass their physical primes, fighters crippled by past injuries and young inexperienced Jedi.

And as often with Lucas, intent and execution were not exactly similar.

[BeastieRunner]

My favorite lightsaber battles are Vader vs. Luke on Bespin, Maul vs. Qui-Gon on Tatooine, Rey vs. Kylo on Starkiller, and Anakin vs. Dooku above Coruscant. Kylo/Rey vs. the Elite Praetorian was pretty cool, too.

I guess I like simple fights that tell stories over the flashy stuff.

Maul vs. Ginn/Kenobi and Anakin vs. Obi on Mustafar are fun with some flash but not the best, IMHO.

[Sacred Knight]

Hmmm....This is difficult. Luke/Vader in ESB and Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan/Maul are the best duals in the series, but they are very different stylistically. Its just that both styles are freaking awesome. The prequels did a lot wrong, but the lightsaber fights were not one of them.

[Ken Ashcroft]

And as often with Lucas, intent and execution were not exactly similar.

I think most people including Lucas were happy with how the lightsaber duels were executed in the prequels even if there was nothing else in them that they liked.

Personally I thought they were great. My favourite was the Anakin/Dooku dual in ROTS which while short was, well choreographed and brutally conclusive in the ending.

[Carabas]

I think most people including Lucas were happy with how the lightsaber duels were executed in the prequels even if there was nothing else in them that they liked.

I liked them well enough initially until I started to really pay attention to the choreography. They're usually not even pretending to try and hit each other.

[KOSLOX]

I want them to look like fights from old Samurai movies.

[The Whovian]

I thought this last one with Rey and Kylo against Snoke's personal guard just fantastic. It was choreographed and shot well. Plus, the red and black background of the room really enhanced the scene.

[Grind]

I liked them well enough initially until I started to really pay attention to the choreography. They're usually not even pretending to try and hit each other.

isn't that our problem? we put everything under a microscope. ROTJ Luke vs Vader, Luke holds his saber up and waits for Vader to strike it.

[Grind]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1l5m-h6Ugo

You're welcome.

[the nomad]

I thought this last one with Rey and Kylo against Snoke's personal guard just fantastic. It was choreographed and shot well. Plus, the red and black background of the room really enhanced the scene.

That whole fight was the weakest part of the movie for me. I was sitting there thinking....so this is the lightsaber battle for this movie. Ugh...hard pass. In spite of my issues with the Force Awakens and JJ abrams. The very short and brief fight btwn Kylo and Finn was pretty good.

It was intense, no music, the lighting was perfect (Only the glow from the blue and Red saber illuminating the dark snowy Forrest), and the choreography while not fast-paced and so called flashy like the prequels still entertained me. I would not have mind to see that in TLJ.

[Soubhagya]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1l5m-h6Ugo

You're welcome.

That was awesome! Enjoyed it. Thanks!

A bow to Tarantino. A love song. Yet fantastic for sword fights.