...other than being the token black guy?

Cartoons aside, he just sat and yapped for the first 2 movies, and got his butt whooped in the 3rd.

Billy Dee Williams was a good choice for Lando...looked and played the part well.

If they wanted more diversity on the Jedi Council, Morgan Freeman would've been a better choice...distinguised and believeable as a Jedi...not Samuel "Mutha F$%#$" Jackson.

From what I remember from a long time ago (i.e. grain of salt time), Jackson talked to Lucas about being in it. Said he'd be anything, even a no-name storm-trooper. Lucas wrote him in as a Jedi. His light-saber is purple b/c that's Jackson's favorite color.

[This message has been edited by Ol Jock 99 (edited 6/2/2005 11:57p).]

Lucas himself had a cameo in Ep. III. I had read somewhere he was going to be a "bearded guy" in a bar/club, but the latest from imdb.com says that he was the blue Twi'lek sitting next to Palpatine at the opera before he gets told to leave.

(Correction) found some pictures and he doesn't look much like a Twi'lek, but is blue.

http://www.thegreenhead.com/entertainment/2005/02/baron-papanoida-george-lucas-cameo-in.php

[This message has been edited by rjhtamu (edited 6/3/2005 12:16a).]

got aliens and droids - why not a black guy?

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If they wanted more diversity on the Jedi Council, Morgan Freeman would've been a better choice...distinguised and believeable as a Jedi...not Samuel "Mutha F$%#$" Jackson.

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Hmm....interesting...

I've also heard that James Earl Jones was cast for the voice of Darth Vader not only because of the great voice, but because after filming Ep IV, Lucas realized he didn't have any black people in the film.

"Numerical superiority is of no consequence. In battle, victory will always go to the best tactician." - Gen. G. A. Custer

I'll go on record for saying I don't care what color the actors are (see my comment re: Williams/Calrissian).

I just think Sam Jackson was a poor choice, and the character of Mace Windu was a huge disappointment....hence, being stuck with the token black guy arguement.

Personally, I'd much rather have seen Sam Jack wielding the lightsaber during his duel with Palpatine. I can't imagine seeing Morgan Freeman doing that.

Answer: No.

I've always said that if I ever become an actor, I want Samuel Jackson's agent.

Jackson seems to be in 40% of all movies coming out.

Bill, well if a younger guy would fight better, Denzel would be a great choice.

Chapelle should have gotten the part.

Although Morgan Freeman or even Morpheus himself, Lawrence Fishburne might have played a better Mace, I think Sam did a good job. I think his character's primary function was to show that even "good" jedi could be overconfident pompous a-holes sometimes too. In my opinion Mace's arrogance and hostility towards Anakin made it more believable when Anakin is forced to choose between Mace and Palpatine.




"Which lightsaber is yours?"
"Its the one that says Bad Mother ******** on it."

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Chapelle should have gotten the part.

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On a side note, a little trivia...

Did you know the reason James Earl Jones' voice is so strong and powerful is because he had some serious speech impediment and had to basically learn how to talk in his teens, so he took voice therapy and got all the articulations down real technically, which is why his voice is so good.

I don't know why it just popped into my head, but for pure entertainment value, what about Chris Tucker as Mace?

"Numerical superiority is of no consequence. In battle, victory will always go to the best tactician." - Gen. G. A. Custer

Maaaaaan....you ain't got the Force, you ain't got no lightsaber, you ain't got s h i t to do.

I didnt like Jimmy Smits in there either. Not that I dont like him, but I find it distracting when known stars are in movies like the Star Wars series.

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Lawrence Fishburne might have played a better Mace

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I agree. Fishburne would have been much better. Jackson just came across as too "In your face" to be a jedi.

Lucas looks at Mace Windu as a serious bad-@$$. Every thing your read talks about how powerful he is, and how he and Yoda were the top two Jedi. This isn't really conveyed by the movie.

Also, he had the emperor dead to rights(something even Yoda couldn't do), it to a suprise attack from Vader to take him out.

i think the emporer was playing possum.

Not having read the book, I can't say for sure, but I doubt Palpatine was playing possum. Mace was supposedly the most bad@$$ Jedi warrior. If Anakin doesn't show up, no more Sith.

"Numerical superiority is of no consequence. In battle, victory will always go to the best tactician." - Gen. G. A. Custer

In regards to Billy Dee Williams casting in Empire:

After Star Wars came out, Richard Pryor had a joke in his act that said "You notice that there not any brothers in Star Wars? You know what they are trying to tell us? We ain't going to be around in the future!" (I'm generalizing the routine).

Lucas responded to the criticism with the casting of Billy Dee Williams.

The answer is yes.

As others have pointed out, Mace Windu/Sam Jackson provided a force powerful enough to destroy the Sith which forced Anakin to make the choice.

I thought he played the part nicely and fit in well with the movie.

He's the baddest Jedi in the movie. Badder than Anakin and Sidious and Yoda.

His light sabre is the one that says "Bad Mutha Fuc*a" on it.

I am a partial Star Wars geek, as I have read all the books and some of the comics. However, I have not lost my grip on reality and dress up as a Stormtrooper #11 from ROTJ.

All is aside, the character of Mace Windu is deveolped much more in the book, "Shatterpoint" and several others. Mace is very powerful warrior who has to struggle with controlling his anger, much like Anakin. He also is torn up inside by not ending the "war" on Geonosis by killing Count Dooku when he had the chance. In the movies by themselves, Jackson seems a less than adequate fit for Mace Windu, but after reading the interlude books, he is actually a very good fit.

I don't think the emperor was completely playing possum... I'd guess that he did have a lot of trouble with Mace since that fight turned him from a normal looking person to that wrinkled green dude.

honestly, i go back and forth on the possum issue. what does the book say?

The book doesn't really say. By my guess it was a little bit of possum but also he was having a tough time with Mace. The book indicates that Mace was using a style of fighting called "Vaapaad" which brings him pretty close to the dark side when he's fighting. I think it allowed him to absorb the Sidious lightning and channel it back.

IMO, the fight was basically a stalemate, Windu might have had the upper hand a bit, and Sidious hammed it up a bit to get sympathy from Anakin. As soon as Anakin cut Windu's hand off, Sidious was up really fast with more powerful lightning so I don't think he was totally beaten down.

I didnt like Jimmy Smits in there either. Not that I dont like him, but I find it distracting when known stars are in movies like the Star Wars series.

Are you telling me you had a problem with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor!?!?!

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I didnt like Jimmy Smits in there either. Not that I dont like him, but I find it distracting when known stars are in movies like the Star Wars series.


Are you telling me you had a problem with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor!?!?!

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What about Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Sir Alec Guinness?

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I didnt like Jimmy Smits in there either. Not that I dont like him, but I find it distracting when known stars are in movies like the Star Wars series.

Are you telling me you had a problem with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor!?!?!

What about Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Sir Alec Guinness?

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What about Grover cast as the Jedi Yoda? Never could figure out how a 4' tall blue guy could fit in a 2' tall green suit. I kept on wanting Yoda to break into a Near-Far routine.

Well, he did serve a purpose, as other than Yoda he is the most powerful Jedi ever. He would have killed the emperor if Anakin wasnt such a b*tch.