Star Wars: Then and Now. Love it/Hate it?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I saw The Phantom Menance several months after its release to theatres. (I don’t like driving 30 minutes, paying 10 bucks (x2) to sit in lousy seats in a crowded theatre.)
Why was it lousy? It wasn’t, in my opinion. But it wasn’t great either.

Having said that, I’d like to ask: are we (those of us who were around for the original release of Star Wars) comparing TPM experience to the original releases, thus fealing let down?

When I saw episodes 4, 5 and 6 as a teenager “computer animation, generated characters, space ships, etc.” was NEW and too cool. These episodes’ were tooted as awesome, special effects brilliant, original story idea, characters we could care for, etc., etc.

Today it’s more of a “been there, done that” concept. Really, when you think about it, whats original to TPM as compared to 90% of the movies released today? Audiences are not sitting in awe of the technology used and an original idea? please. TPTB wouldn’t know a good idea if it were etched on their foreheads.

I managed to catch a scene or two of episide 4 the other day. Know what? It wasn’t as great as I remembered.

2

The whole problem with the Star Wars phenomenom is that the movie itself is merely okay. Sure, the effects are impressive, but effects don’t (or shouldn’t) make the movie). The actual story is old (Lucas pretty much admitted he “borrowed” it from Akira Kurasawa’s “The Hidden Fortress”, among other sources), the dialogue is lame, and the acting is acceptable.

“Phatom Menance” succeeded because it had a 22 year build up of anticipation. It would have had to have sucked giant rocks not to have succeeded. Lucas got a bit of a boost in the acting department by being able to hire a lot of big guns (Liam Neeson, Ewen McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Stamp, etc.), then promptly wasted them by giving them typical lame Lucasian dialogue, plus the appalling addition of Jar Jar Binks.

Here’s hoping that Binks bites it in SW2, Ewan McGregor and Sam Jackson get more lines, and someone incredible is cast as Anakin Skywalker.

3

I was soo damn excited before episode 1 came out, I really love star wars, I love the whole concept. The original movies were simply great movies, regardless of how technologically advanced they were. I dont really go to see movies for graphics.

TPM continued what lucas threw in at the end of Return of the Jedi… he made it marketable. The dumbass ewoks were originally supposed to be wookies, but he changed it to ewoks cause he sold out.

In TPM, he completely sold out, that movie was more like a comercial than a star wars movie. The worst part was, Maul had one fricking line in the entire movie. He is arguably the coolest character ever made, and we dont know jack about him, and we wont.

I thought the lightsaber scenese were done superbly… especially with the 2-sided lightsaber, but that wont make up for a complete sell out movie.

jarjar, hell all the gungans, the “oops im a dumbass but i messed up something and it turned out great” was horrid. same with the kid, and the announcers at the pod race, i almost threw up when i saw that. but the worst part of all was that whole thing about the genetic testing… the whole genetics topic is hot now, so lucas thought he’d score some points with that shit… i think it made the force stupid.

here’s hoping that lucas doesnt have any control over the next 2… (hey, i can wish)

‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this’

4

slaveone–the good news, I’ve read elsewhere that Lucas has bailed on writing the script for Epi2, and is seeking a collaborator. That may reduce the ripoffs a bit.

Yes, I said ripoff. Go to the “Phantom Menace” page at IMDB at look at all the movies Lucas “pays homage” to. Jar Jar’s antics were much funnier when Buster Keaton was doing them–75 years ago.

5

Guy, not exactly. Lucas himself has finished the E2 script, and has hired Jonathan hales to help revise and punch it up. Hales worked previously with Lucas on “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” and was also the screenwriter for the movie “The Mirror Crack’d,” among others.

Keep in mind, though, that Lucas showed the E1 script, prior to filming, to several screenwriter and director friends on an informal basis. (Among them was Hollywood script doctor and SW alum Carrie Fisher.) IMHO, all the problems with TPM can be traced to direction and casting. Lucas has been out of the saddle far too long as a director, Jake Lloyd was completely wrong for the part of Anakin (too young and too stiff), and Lucas always works better with script collaborators and strong producers.

FTR, I had no problem with Jar Jar, and in fact found him one of the more enjoyable parts of the movie. Darth Maul was a convenient villain, but little more than that; I’m sure fanboys were crying in pain when he didn’t make it.

6

I’m sure Maul will return. After all, the reason for the fall of the Republic was the Clone Wars. Why not clone Maul and bring him back?

IMO, the key scene as yet to be written will be whatever causes Anakin to start down the path to the Dark Side. I’m betting it’ll involve his mother somehow. (And Freud will be laughing his dead ass off)

7

It’ll be just like “Dark Shadows”–everytime you kill off a character, they just come back as a ghost or vampire or something. Which may be fun for the little kiddies, but totally drains away any tension from the film. If a character can never really be killed, where’s the drama? What you have then is Wile Coyote Syndrome–smash him, bash him, he just comes back for more.

8

I hated E1. Hated it. The trilogy was such a part of my childhood (yea, I know…) that it ranks right up there with Seasme Street on the nostalgia scale. I’m not the type of person who can tell an x-wing from a rebel ship, but am more of a passive fan.

And E2 doesn’t look that promising. They did a blurb in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, and I am afraid. Joshua Jackson as Anakin? James Van Der Beek? Come ON! Natalie Portman is believable, Ewan McGregor is perfect, Samuel has a more active part, with is great. I’m really hoping Maul comes back; (though he was severed…mmmm) he was the best part of E1 and underused, IMHO.

A little persistance goes a long way. Announcing:

“I go on guilt trips a couple of time a year. Mom books them for me.” A custom made Wally .sig!

9

I was in my mid-20s when Episode IV came out – not exactly the core high-school young male audience, but close enough, and I have to tell you, we had NEVER EVER seen anything like it on screen. That was enough to lock it in our hearts forever.

Now, of course, nearly every movie is a special effects Land of Oz. Even when something comes along that IS impressive (like the pod race) it takes more than just effects to be a success.

Weak story, lame acting and really bad characterizations beat good-but-not-groundbreaking special effects every day of the week.

I understand all the words, they just don’t make sense together like that.

10

The sole reason and purpose, IMO, for incorporating the pod race into the film was to have a vehicle for the marketing of video games.

The sole reason and purpose, IMO, for incorporating the characters of Darth Maul and Jar Jar Binks into the film was to have a vehicle for the marketing of posters, stuffed toys, tee shirts etc.

They (pod race, Jar Jar, and DM) add very little, if not anything, to the storyline.

Lucas sold out? Nahhhhh.

11

I really hope that Lucas finds someone decent to edit the script (personally I think he should hire me!)

I stated earlier that I wished Maul had a much bigger role, but I really hope he * doesn’t * come back in the second one via cloning or whatever. That would make it just another cheesy damn sequel. That is one of the things that made the first ones great - the second and third were great movies of their own. Bringing back a dead villian is something * I know what you did last summer * or some other trashy movie would do.

As for the pod race scene… I believe the main point of that was to establish Anakin as a good mechanic/pilot and sensitive to the force. It said that he was the only human able to race (I think), most likely due to force reflexes, good pilot skills, and small size. This made it more believable later when he flew the Naboo fighter. ** But ** I think that is probably the single worst part of the movie. “OK, lets go left!” and “Let’s try spinning, thats a good move!”. I get embarassed just watching that part, and I had no part of making the movie (again, I think I should have, it would have been better :slight_smile: )

Since writing my last post, I have seen the movie two more times, decided I would give it a chance, because, well… its still Star Wars. I think it grows on you. I kinda got over all the shortcomings and just accepted that he sold out and that it was more of a kids movie than the other three, and I enjoyed it alot more. Sometimes not caring is better than getting all worked up.

However, overall I think I was most dissapointed because it could have been so much better than it was. I have read almost all of the published Star Wars books (man, i’m a nerd) and most of those are very good stories. Maybe Lucas should go to one of those writers to edit the script. Lucas needs to understand that he doesnt need to make the movie marketable… if he makes a good movie, it will be marketable. I mean, its Star Wars. BTW, I’m also really dissapointed with Lucasarts… the makers of all the SW video games. I think they are unimaginitive and do not know how to make a good video game.

oh, and SwimmingRiddles… an X-Wing is a rebel * is * a rebel ship, fyi… (yeah, I know… nerd)

“That’s no moon. It’s a space station.” - Seriously, the first time you saw the movie, how sweet was that?!

12

IMHO: Star Wars has been going steadily down hill since those damned Ewoks in ROTJ.

Too much cutesy/cuddly kiddie appeal.

J. Michael Straczynski did soooo much better with Babylon 5

And so far, it looks like both Farscape and Lexx will be better than Star Wars.

ExTank

13

I see a great deal of things like “I wish”, or “I wanted” with regards to TPM. The fact is that it wasn’t the movie that I wanted to see either. But the fact remains that Star Wars is Lucas’ baby and he can make of it what ever he wants. I think that the main problem was the 16 years between ROTJ and TPM. For young kids who didn’t get to see the movies when they originally came out, it wasn’t a big deal, they’d rent them and the movie would be fresh in their minds. 16 years of anticipation led to the movie being a huge let-down for me.

“And so he says to me, I don’t like the cut of your jib. And I go, I says, but it’s the only jib I’ve got baby.”