Star Wars Franchise Discussion

[Mattdotcom]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

I seem to recall the Star Wars thread being huge at the old board, and since we just passed the tenth anniversary of Episode I's release, I figured why not jump start it here. Just think, ten years ago today is when you probably realized the most hyped movie of all time was a turd. With bad editing. So let's reminisce and ask questions about the fabled Extended Universe, such as what was the name of the moon that killed Chewbacca. Also, here's an old Tribute magazine hyping Revenge of the Jedi. EDIT I'll try and get these scans where they're readable.

Dobido

Haha thanks. So back to Ewoks, I just want to note that I know a guy who cries every time the one Ewok on the hang glider gets shot down.

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

What the prequels suffer from is twofold: George Lucas did everything and didn't have his writer/director friends telling him what was stupid. Lucas the filmmaker is a scientist as opposed to someone like Spielberg who, for lack of a better term for the analogy, is a magician. Spielberg hardly ever does commentary so as to let his work stand on its own. Lucas is only making movies to see what he can do with effects. That's the type of guy who shouldn't be making fantasy movies. Look at what he did on his own to all of the mythical nuances that had formed from the original trilogy. Everything was either overly explained (Midichlorians) or the result of some kind of vaguely defined trade embargo sprung from political dealings.

While I agree with you, to be fair- Lucas had Spielbgerg assist him on a few scenes on Episode 3- most notably when Anakin and Obi Wan pilot the droid ship to the landing pad, and I believe parts of the final battle between Vader and Obi Wan.

 

[CBright7831]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

What the prequels suffer from is twofold: George Lucas did everything and didn't have his writer/director friends telling him what was stupid. Lucas the filmmaker is a scientist as opposed to someone like Spielberg who, for lack of a better term for the analogy, is a magician. Spielberg hardly ever does commentary so as to let his work stand on its own. Lucas is only making movies to see what he can do with effects. That's the type of guy who shouldn't be making fantasy movies. Look at what he did on his own to all of the mythical nuances that had formed from the original trilogy. Everything was either overly explained (Midichlorians) or the result of some kind of vaguely defined trade embargo sprung from political dealings.

And the Yoda/Palpatine fight.



While I agree with you, to be fair- Lucas had Spielbgerg assist him on a few scenes on Episode 3- most notably when Anakin and Obi Wan pilot the droid ship to the landing pad, and I believe parts of the final battle between Vader and Obi Wan.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

What the prequels suffer from is twofold: George Lucas did everything and didn't have his writer/director friends telling him what was stupid. Lucas the filmmaker is a scientist as opposed to someone like Spielberg who, for lack of a better term for the analogy, is a magician. Spielberg hardly ever does commentary so as to let his work stand on its own. Lucas is only making movies to see what he can do with effects. That's the type of guy who shouldn't be making fantasy movies. Look at what he did on his own to all of the mythical nuances that had formed from the original trilogy. Everything was either overly explained (Midichlorians) or the result of some kind of vaguely defined trade embargo sprung from political dealings.

While I agree with you, to be fair- Lucas had Spielberg assist him on a few scenes on Episode 3- most notably when Anakin and Obi Wan pilot the droid ship to the landing pad, and I believe parts of the final battle between Vader and Obi Wan.

True, but this was mostly staging action beats and not plotting or scripting. Unlike the 70s, when people were telling Lucas "please don't call him Starkiller" and "Windu-Bindu searching the galaxy for vaguely defined crystals doesn't make a good film", no one associated with Lucas and Lucasfilm head the balls to say "Bad idea, George".

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

What the prequels suffer from is twofold: George Lucas did everything and didn't have his writer/director friends telling him what was stupid. Lucas the filmmaker is a scientist as opposed to someone like Spielberg who, for lack of a better term for the analogy, is a magician. Spielberg hardly ever does commentary so as to let his work stand on its own. Lucas is only making movies to see what he can do with effects. That's the type of guy who shouldn't be making fantasy movies. Look at what he did on his own to all of the mythical nuances that had formed from the original trilogy. Everything was either overly explained (Midichlorians) or the result of some kind of vaguely defined trade embargo sprung from political dealings.

While I agree with you, to be fair- Lucas had Spielberg assist him on a few scenes on Episode 3- most notably when Anakin and Obi Wan pilot the droid ship to the landing pad, and I believe parts of the final battle between Vader and Obi Wan.

True, but this was mostly staging action beats and not plotting or scripting. Unlike the 70s, when people were telling Lucas "please don't call him Starkiller" and "Windu-Bindu searching the galaxy for vaguely defined crystals doesn't make a good film", no one associated with Lucas and Lucasfilm head the balls to say "Bad idea, George".

Oh, I agree. Too many yes men can ruin a production.

See WWE, The

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Some Japanese posters:

 

[Sabre]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Episode 1: I saw this in the cinema 3 fucking times and thought it was great seeing properly young Obi-wan and Co starting out. Then i got the dvd and wondered why the hell i liked it. Yes it set up why Anakin has every right to not want to go back to Tatooine and how shit his life was but big deal.

Episode 2: I waited till this was on DVD and even now find it hard to watch in one sitting. The story just drags and drags the fuck out until the awsome 5 mins UBER jedi battle at the end of the film. And this is the first time i have ever heard a directors commentry big up a scene so much as CGI yoda and the ONLY reason he is pimping it is because how real they got CGI yoda to look. Not the fact that we finally get to see Yoda open some 480 years worth of WHOOPASS, no it was LOLZ we are awsumz with teh effetcz.

Episode 3: Saw it in the cinema, downloaded the workprint, bought the DVD. Loved it except for one scene.

Anakins turn to the darkside. My god i hated how the so called most feared man in the galaxy was actually just an EMO.

Palps: Use my teachings and i can save padme
Ani: No, im telling
Palps: K lulz
Ani: BRB

Ani has went offline

Windu: And i shall strike down upon thee with vengence and furious ange...
Palps has attacked Windu
Windu: Mother Fu...

Ani has entered the room

Ani: WTF
Windu: He must DIE
Ani: Um no

Windu has left the building

Palps: Join me
Ani: Um K
Palps: ^_^

Anakin had no reason to belive that Palpatine could save Padme, hell even palpatine stated that he doesnt have the mojo to stop death, and being a jedi and all shouldnt anakin have known that with palps being a sith lord that no matter what he cant be trusted?

Then the end....... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The OT are awsome and shall not be discussed.... as long as its the DVD version of the non special editioned triliogy..

Oh one more thing... did R2 just think it best to keep everything to himself in the OT and forget how to fly? Weak.

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

My rankings:

V
III
IV
VI
I
II- while I don't HATE this movie, this is the only one I find that I must watch with the commentary track on, because the acting in most scenes is HORRIBLE. And I've watched it enough that I have sections of the commentary track memorized.

 

[Aero]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Oh one more thing... did R2 just think it best to keep everything to himself in the OT and forget how to fly? Weak.

I haven't seen the movie in a while, but I definitely remember someone at the end of the movie saying that they would have the droids memories wiped out, which C3P0 didn't like hearing. I've got nothing on the flying, though.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

C-3PO's mind was ordered to be wiped, but not R2's.

 

[Aero]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Oh, that's right, my mistake.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin had no reason to belive that Palpatine could save Padme, hell even palpatine stated that he doesnt have the mojo to stop death, and being a jedi and all shouldnt anakin have known that with palps being a sith lord that no matter what he cant be trusted?

Palpatine has been somewhat of a mentor for Anakin since he was a kid, while the Jedi have been giving him shit for years despite being the chosen one. That he sides with Palpatine over Windu isn't my problem so much as how quickly he goes from being conflicted about it to slaughtering little kids. I would have liked a more gradual change from Anakin joining Palpatine to Anakin becoming Darth Vader. Had they not wasted the first film on an era that nobody cares about, the ending needn't be so rushed.

 

[CBright7831]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

There was a 28 page thread on R2's rockets a few years ago on theforce.net. The best conclusion was...he just didnt want to use them. Although they couldve been help to him in Empire (swamp scene) and ROTJ (sail barge scene). And I agree with the commentary track for Episode II makes me go ??? sometimes:

Rob Coleman: Look at how real that creature looks!
Me: But it doesnt look real at all.

Rob Coleman: We used a CGI Jango for this scene and you cant tell the difference
Me: Yes you can and why did you even CGI Jango in this scene? All he is doing is pointing a gun at Anakin! Was Temuera Morrison to busy riding his motorcycle to film this scene?

 

[AntiLeaf33]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

When episode 2 came out I was still going to college doing a digital animation, special effects course and that movie just annoyed the shit out of me. I always thought that CGI works best when it allows you to show something on screen that would be be impossible, or unfeasible. With that in mind, why the hell were one of the very human looking kids with Yoda a CGI character? Also, I dubbed the movie "Attack of the Green Screen" since it is painfully obvious that very few sets were built and George Lucas leaned on CGI far too much that it took some of the charm away. That said, CGI Yoda made sense and you could tell that they wanted to do it right.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Is there still talk about re-releasing Episode I with a digital Yoda replacing the puppet?

 

[Sabre]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

I believe they gave up on it, tho the story of anakin on the ROTS dvd shows the "fear leads to anger" scene from Ep1 with CGI yoda.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Random defense of the prequels: There are often complaints about Padme's stupid death from heartbreak, but the biggest gripe seems to be the line from ROTJ where Leia says she remembers her mother despite the fact that she died when she was very young. Am I the only person who assumed that Leia was talking about her adoptive mother and never knew her birth mother had in fact died.

 

[daileyxplanet]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

That's what I thought, but people are just looking for stuff to complain about.

 

[Jingus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Except that Luke specified "your real mother" when he asked her. It is a fuckup, but it's not an important one. George Lucas in 1983 just plain didn't know that he'd decide to have Leia's mom die in childbirth in 2005.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

(From Wookiepedia) Rick "Yes, George" McCallum was asked "How can Leia claim to remember her mother when Padmé dies in childbirth in Sith?", to which he replied "I think that could only be answered in the television series". In a 2006 interview, when asked about the show, McCallum replied, "Think about bounty hunter, that’s all I can tell you."

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Except that Luke specified "your real mother" when he asked her. It is a fuckup, but it's not an important one. George Lucas in 1983 just plain didn't know that he'd decide to have Leia's mom die in childbirth in 2005.

That never really bothered me either. Leia was coked out of her mind in ROTJ anyways.

 

[Black Lushus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Leia can see/feel her mother through the Force or something but never realized it was actually the Force that was allowing her to see/feel her was all I could come up with for that one.

CBright, how can R2 use his rockets if he's actually inside the swamp? My thought? He must have been somewhat demodified somewhere down the line. Maybe because of his habit for wandering?

 

[BorneAgain]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Just getting peace at any cost, to ensure what he believes to be a better future for him, Padme, and their children, would have worked fairly well I think. It gives him a sympathetic motive beyond just protecting his family (achieving order for everyone in the galaxy) and would help to explain why the guy's such a complete bastard later even to his own men (Vader won't tolerate failure in the war against the Rebellion, not when galactic peace is at stake.)

 

[Black Lushus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Isn't that how he was portrayed? Hayden Christiansen just did a poor job acting the part.

 

[DCH]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Am I the only person that loved the Ewoks and marked out like a little bitch whenever they were on screen. Also parts of II were so terribad I had to fat forward through the DVD, like the Anakin/Padme love affair. That shit sucked.

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Isn't that how he was portrayed? Hayden Christiansen just did a poor job acting the part.

In his defense, I think Hayden's poor performance was more due to Lucas' direction than due to his own abilities.

 

[Anakin Flair]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Just getting peace at any cost, to ensure what he believes to be a better future for him, Padme, and their children, would have worked fairly well I think. It gives him a sympathetic motive beyond just protecting his family (achieving order for everyone in the galaxy) and would help to explain why the guy's such a complete bastard later even to his own men (Vader won't tolerate failure in the war against the Rebellion, not when galactic peace is at stake.)

Actually, they did this with the Legacy of the Force storyline with Jacen Solo in the EU.

 

[Black Lushus]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Isn't that how he was portrayed? Hayden Christiansen just did a poor job acting the part.

In his defense, I think Hayden's poor performance was more due to Lucas' direction than due to his own abilities.

That may be the case here, but what's his excuse for Life As A House and Jumper? People give him a pass for Shattered Glass, but he's just not a very good actor.

 

[Sabre]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Isn't that how he was portrayed? Hayden Christiansen just did a poor job acting the part.

In his defense, I think Hayden's poor performance was more due to Lucas' direction than due to his own abilities.

Cant remember where i read it, but i distintly remember reading that Hayden would often nail a scene but lucas would reshoot it because it was acted too well.

 

[Smues]

Star Wars Thread II: A Lack of the Posts

Anakin, to me, would have worked better if had been presented as someone generally disturbed and remarkably bothered by the continuing Clone War and its subsequent effects, to the point where he starts seeing a strong empire controlled by the likes of Palpatine as a better alternative.

Isn't that how he was portrayed? Hayden Christiansen just did a poor job acting the part.

In his defense, I think Hayden's poor performance was more due to Lucas' direction than due to his own abilities.

I thought maybe that was the case, then I watched Jumper.