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Episode III Baddie

It gets worse...

A few more details from <a href="http://www.cinescape.com" target="_blank">www.cinescape.com</a>

Sounds like Greivous is a half-alien, half-cyborg Jedi killer.

Jar Jar Binks
Qui-Gon Jinn
Darth Sidious
Count Dooku
General Greivous

What is up with Lucas and the crazy character names? If he's got young kids, I think they must be the ones coming up with these names for him. Dooku sounds like what an infant would say when its diaper is full.
 
I don't understand what people expect from George Lucas...

I think that many people were so impressed with the originality, to say nothing of the amazing acting, in the first 3 movies that they frequently overlook how ridiculous many of their aspects were.

Let's be honest here:
Skywalker
Darth Vader
Yoda

These are *not* thoughtful, creative names. And let's not forget the best part, the stereotypical "loner" character gets to have the last name "Solo". Also, is anyone here forgetting that the "Death Start" (another GREAT name) is a giant sphere with a dent in it?

Seriously, names like General Grievous and Darth Sidious are really par-for-the-course when you begin to pick apart the first 3 movies.
 
I see your point, to a certain extent. The name Skywalker is especially odd. Why is it most of the Star War names sound alien or at least like exotic extrapolations of human names, but Skywalker is very clearly the joining of two English words. At least Anakin is a somewhat alien-sounding first name, but Luke is yet another common Earth name.

AT-ATs AT-STs? X-Wing Fighters? Y-Wings? B-Wings? R2-D2? C3PO? Why would people in a galaxy far, far away be using common Earth letters as acronymns, as descriptions of the shape of their ships, and as names of droids?

Millenium Falcon? Do falcons exist in a galaxy far, far away? For that matter, why do Humans in our galaxy look just like Humans from another galaxy, and why are the ones from the other galaxy also called Humans.

However, Darth Vader is a cool name. Knowing what we know now about other bad guy names (Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, General Greivous), it's obvious that Darth is a title, possibly a combination of the words "dark" and "death", and Vader could likely be short for "invader". However, when the name Darth Vader stood alone, before these other oddball names demonstrated a trend, it just sounded cool (and still does).

Yoda? I can accept that too.

Luke Skywalker and Millenium Falcon? Logic problems aside, those names sound cool.

Greivous just doesn't sound cool. Dooku just sounds too close to "dookie" or "doo doo".

Maybe Lucas's naming conventions have never been super, but I think the point is that they're gradually (or perhaps, rapidly) getting less and less super along the way.
 
First of all, to think of logic like that in a fantasy story is pointless. However, even if you do, it's not silly once you account for the possibility of them actually speaking in alien languages and we're just watching a "translated" version of the story. They do that in movies about real countries and events all the time.
 
The new name isn't bad but Dooku does lean a bit too much towards the fecal.

Darth Vader= Dark Father
Sidious-Insidious
Skywalker-great pilot, space hero etc etc
You don't have to think too much to see where the names came from
 
At least Anakin is a somewhat alien-sounding first name,

True enough, but Lucas actually got Anakin from British director Ken Annakin:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002175/

I have to agree with GKE that we have to accept some things as translations, but also with you and others, that Lucas wasn't particularly creative with names. But, I actually think that is intentional. Remember, StarWars is sort of patterened after the old movie serials, and I think he wanted the names to be a rather obvious, even if that seems cheesy to some of us. ;)
 
Remember, StarWars is sort of patterened after the old movie serials, and I think he wanted the names to be a rather obvious, even if that seems cheesy to some of us. ;)

Klaatu, Barada, Nikto were all taken from some early sci-fi movie or show, the name of which escapes me right now. Lucas used those as the names for a few different races from members of Jabba's men in Return of the Jedi.

I cringed when I heard the name General Greivous. I'm sure they're going to make him look all badass and stuff. You can't have a movie without some outrageous bad guy. :rolleyes:
 
I always though it was Vader who hunted down most of the Jedi. Of course I'm not a Star Wars wonk and he could still hunt down a few after turning so search me.

As long as Grevious doesn't speak pidgin english or kill Jedi by slipping and creating a wacky domino effect bonking the Jedi on the head it should be ok.
 
Remember, StarWars is sort of patterened after the old movie serials, and I think he wanted the names to be a rather obvious, even if that seems cheesy to some of us. ;)

Klaatu, Barada, Nikto were all taken from some early sci-fi movie or show, the name of which escapes me right now. Lucas used those as the names for a few different races from members of Jabba's men in Return of the Jedi.

"Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!" Is the immortal line that Patricia Neal said to Gort, the robot, to tell him that Klaatu (Michael Rennie) wasn't dead, so he shouldn't destroy Earth, in The Day The Earth Stood Still.
 
Count Dooku comes from Count Dracula, he named that because Christopher Lee played Dracula so much. I saw some behind the scenes documentary where Lucas mentioned that...
 
Stupid names aside, I'm tired of hearing excuses for GL's horrid writing and directing...the names are simply a symptom of the disease. He took a wonderful universe and has turned into a laughing stock. He's a good idea man, but he should leave the writing and directing to more talented people. I thank him for giving us the SW universe, but I regret the fact that he's the one most destroying it. I've actually posted a long rant on this over at JMSnews.com if you wanna go check it out.

http://www.jmsnews.com/Forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82

I could write a book on that and Trek. Yick! Now JMS and Peter Jackson...there's some freakin' talent!

CE
 
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