I get the impression that whatever Lucas had originally envisioned doing with SW, that he lost real interest in it by ROTJ. Once his fortune was made, he wanted to move onto other things, but was only marginally successful. So now he’s going through the motions because the franchise is still too lucrative to abandon but his heart isn’t really in it.
yoda, darth and qui gons ghost, they took a transport to the coast the day that star wars died.
And it’s staying lucrative because people like us who enjoyed the originals keep going to the theaters, with the feeble hope that maybe these new ones will redeem themselves.
I would suggest boycotting, but it won’t change a thing. He’ll make tons of money off the next one no matter how horrible it is, because it’s “Star Wars”.
I prefer reading the Star Wars books, personally. Not that they’d necessarily all make great movies, but most of them seem to do a decent job staying true to the characters and to the feel of the original stuff.
Gee, I did not mean to offend you. I was interested in an answer and since I do not (and cannot) follow film news from Saudi Arabia, I came here for answers.
Odd, that: A web server that allows access to the SDMB but not the IMDB?
(chill, I was just joking. 
)
Hell, there was even a story in 1977 that Lucas intended to make a grand total of TWELVE Star Wars movies. (That way, fans could sit through a non-stop 24 hour marathon of all the movies when they were finished.)
Lucas has pretty much caused my to lose any interest I had in Star Wars. With all his nonsense that “it wasn’t the movie I wanted to make…” and the like. If he doesn’t like the way it was, then why not just re-make it like they did with the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I prefer the original as just an enjoyable little movie that I saw when I was a kid. The two latest movies were dull special effects driven stories that ignore plot, characters and dialog. I doubt I will see the next movie when it comes out, and I probably won’t end up buying the original trilogy when it comes out because I just don’t care anymore.
I also feel the same way about the Star Trek franchise, although to be honest, the last season of Enterprise has redeemed it somewhat.
But … but … but, there’s a new episode of Enterprise airing this week!
Yeah, I remember an interview in (I think) the Chicago Tribune with Lucas in 77 or so in which he mentioned 9 episodes and that SW was the 4th one. So it’s not like he’s not on the record or anything.
And anyone who thinks the numbers were bad for TPM is foolish. Even with the movies numbers (which were high) there was books, comic books, action figures, video games, and so forth and so on.
One of the LucasArts folks told me they’d booked more than one billion dollars before the movie was even released.
This is depressing.
Am I the ONLY one who truly still loves SW, including the prequels?
Yeah, it’s hokey. It’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to be cheesy and simplistic.
I dunno, maybe I’m just not that picky, or maybe I came into being a SW fan late (when I was 17, in 1995); but I like the prequels. I even like Jar Jar. Yeah, some of the parts annoy me (midichlorians, some of the acting, some contradictions), but overall, I’m still hooked. I STILL get chills every time I sat in the theater and heard the opening fanfare. (Heck, I get chills listening to it on my CDs!)
I am anxiously awaiting Episode III. I guess I’m just an easy to please fangirl.
Guin, I feel the exact same way about Star Trek, and Nemesis.
I feel your pain.
I liked Episode II: Attack of the Clones quite a bit. (Even the title! ) I had seen Episode I: The Phantom Menace three times in the theatre, with three different friends. (They all live in different places.) I got used to Jar Jar pretty quick. I know real people who, on first meeting, are as annoying as him. But, after a while, you get used to their quirks and personalities.
However, I can’t sit through a whole sitting of Episode I any more, and for one reason - the kid who plays young Anakin. He’s a terrible actor. So unnatural and forced in his performance. I can watch any scene in Episode I in which Anakin is nowhere to be found (or just not saying anything). But, as soon as he comes on the scene, I have to turn the channel.
The guy who plays the older Anakin in Episode II wasn’t that great either, but doesn’t suck and/or ruin the film. Hopefully, he’ll be better in Episode III: The Erotic Adventures of Chewbacca the Wookie. Still, if George Lucas’ plan was to make the audience hate what Anakin Skywalker gradually becomes, he failed. I hated Anakin Skywalker from the beginning. I’d rather hang out with Darth Vader.
Anyhoo…
I agree however, I place the blame squarely on Lucas. He has said before that he does not like directing people, and it shows. Natalie Portman’s performance in Episode I was nothing to be proud of. In fact, when she dropped on her knees to beg for help from Jar Jars people, it looked more like she was just running through the lines and didn’t know it was being filmed. It was incredibly wooden and flowed awkwardly. In other movies she has proven she can act, but in this her performance seemed straight out of Plan 9 From Outer Space.
While I agree that the original Star Wars had less than great acting, I was still able to enjoy the show and cared about the characters. For the latest two flicks the poor story and acting get in the way of me enjoying it, and to be honest I really don’t care about the characters. I saw let the empire win.
So what? I have bowel movements every day! 
Anyway, Star Wars as a movie or TV franchise is, indeed, dead. Even the books and such aren’t nearly as popular (or as good) as they were five years ago.
The only thing that’ll survive will be the games. Let’s hear it for a KOTOR sequel!
Hey, say what you will about Portman and Christensen, as well as Lloyd, but you cannot attack Liam Neeson and especially Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiamid. They MADE the prequels! Ewan is a natural, and Ian’s Palpatine is so twisted and evil, but so much fun! His speech to the Senate, “I love democracy, I love the Republic…” oooh, it’s just KILLER!
I thought Lloyd was less than stellar, but I do think he did well when he was acting with Pernilla August, another great actress! He was just so cute!
You’re right though, about Natalie Portman, although I thought she did better in the first one than in the second. I couldn’t care less about Padme, although I’m sure that I’ll cry something fierce in episode III.
I think John Williams did a fantastic job-especially with Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars.
I recently read Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, a book which discusses the new breed of film directors who turned Hollywood around in the late 60’s and 70’s. It focused on directors/actors like Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorscese, William Friedkin, George Lucas, and Steven Spielburg.
At the time, Lucas was Coppola’s apprentice, shy and introverted while Coppola was open and outgoing. Lucas wasn’t really part of the wunderkind crowd. He was somebody who really enjoyed movies and wanted to make his own, but like now, he didn’t like dealing with actors, particularly the ones who demanded constant attention.
While the other directors were breaking new ground, they all slid at some point to where they were making films that appealed to other directors. Lucas wanted to make films Joe Six Pack and his family would go to. Lucas was so introverted, he went to Hawaii in seclusion while Star Wars was being released so he wouldn’t have to face any potentially bad reviews or news of low turnout.
The book pretty much sums up how he and Spielburg “ruined” Hollywood. The film industry saw how blockbusters could generate zillions of bucks and wanted more of them. Thought-provoking films were being turned down in favor of action/adventure flicks with small scripts and big budgets.
Lucas may have reached a burnout point many years ago, but he shrewdly held on to what he built. He knows he made a classic that stood the test of time. He’s not going to let go of that, ever.
what was the last thing that flew out of Pandora’s box ?
(…) It was a dove, for hope, right?
Lucas made money on the merchandising for Ep. 1, (he drove a hard bargain,) but the manufacturers of the stuff lost their shirts.
Guin I have the same feelings, and I wonder if I’m gullible, easy-to-please or whatever. And I often wonder if I’m the only StarWars fan left. But I do know The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones are not nearly as bad as the cool kids want to make out, and I do know that -I- am eagerly awaiting episode 3.
So there’s folks who didn’t like the prequels, so what? there’s folks who didn’t like the original movies too. Hell, there’s folks who didn’t like Citizen Kane or Zatoichi!
This next bit is for those few who still enjoy the SWUniverse: Wasn’t there a thread a few months back that was basically a ‘play nice’ thread? With none of the usual bitching and moaning about StarWars? I forgot to link to it and the search isn’t turning anything up for mem can we resurrect that thread? It was… nice. It was fun!
(I know my opinions will all be refuted by someone who points out all the flaws in the prequels, but mine is an opinion, not a statement of fact, in exactly the same way that the usual criticisms are also opinions. We are all entitled to that much).
So, all love aside, I will concede to one cringe-worthy moment in both of the prequels. TPM: ‘Yippeee’ is NOT Tatooine slave-boy language and ATOC: riding that animal during the picnic scene NEEDS to be tweaked just like George insists on tweaking other bits and pieces.
So, say what you will, but we’ll always have Yavin!