UPDATE 2! EW Adds Additional Detail and Quotes from Abrams. George Lucas Discusses Why He Stopped Directing Star Wars Movies and His Lack of Involvement in the New Films
Vanity Fair has a brief but illuminating interview today with the creator, George Lucas. It it Lucas opens up about why exactly he won’t be directing any more Star Wars movies. It seems he just didn’t want to deal with the criticism and backlash anymore.
“You go to make a movie and all you do is get criticized,” is how George explains why he stepped away from the world-famous franchise he created. “And it’s not much fun. You can’t experiment.”
Lucas created Star Wars, and gave us all that we gather here to appreciate day in and day out, so if he doesn’t want to deal with the negative aspects of that responsibility anymore, then that is his right. But that doesn’t mean he’s done worrying about the universe he created.
“There’s more to it than just spaceships,” he says. But his biggest concern about the ever-expanding universe? That “the Force doesn’t get muddled into a bunch of gobbledygook.” But Lucas can have faith in Star Wars padawan J.J. Abrams. At the Summit, Abrams acknowledged that Star Wars is “a religion for some people.” A religion that, Lucas would probably tell him, you have to remember to have fun with.
Good to see George still cares about not just what happens to his empire, but that the stories stay focused where they were originally intended.
Check out Vanity Fair for the full article.
UPDATE!
CBS also has a big interview with George Lucas coming up, and they gave a preview this morning of what to expect. In it Lucas discusses in detail the long rumored but never confirmed split between Lucas and Disney over the direction of Star Wars going forward.
Right around the time of Michael Arndt’s departure there were rumors of a split between Lucas/Arndt and Kennedy/Abrams over how they were going to approach the new trilogy. Subsequent rumors had Lucas’s treatments focusing on the teen-aged offspring of the original trilogy heroes. Kennedy and Abrams apparently wanted to go in another direction and eventually won out.
Some will see Lucas’s comments as bitter here, but what I see is an honest man telling like it is without pretense. A man who cared greatly for this thing he had created, but has the wisdom to step away when he realizes that it is no longer his to protect. I take what Lucas says at face value. That he had a vision for the next trilogy, that this film isn’t following that path, so he doesn’t want to cling to a production that is not using his ideas. I don’t read any animosity here. Just a man who has let go and moved on. It comes through that he obviously still cares about what happens in that galaxy far far away, but that he knows it isn’t his galaxy to control and protect any more.
Check out the clip below.
UPDATE 2!
Entertainment Weekly added some details and context to the controversy that has been stirred by the comments made by Lucas.
Although the team behind The Force Awakens acknowledges they’re taking the story in a different direction from what Lucas intended, they maintain affection for his original creations and the man himself. The dispute almost sounds like new parents, rejecting advice being offered by the now-grandparents, which is its own kind of timeless tale.
They also have a quote from Abrams himself which seems to kill the idea that there was some sort of dramatic divide between his ideas and Lucas. Instead, according to Abrams, it appears Kennedy and Disney had decided to move in another direction from the initial Lucas treatments very early in pre-production.
Director J.J. Abrams says he hopes The Force Awakens honors what Lucas originated decades ago, and adds that he had nothing to do with the decision not to move forward with Lucas’s story treatments. “Before I showed up, it was already something that Disney had decided they wanted to go a different way with,” Abrams said in an interview with EW (conducted before the CBS interview). “But the spirit of what he wrote, both in those pages and prior, is everything that this movie is built upon.”
The article also goes in depth on Kennedy’s process in driving the broader story of the Saga as the new head of Lucasfilm. From hers and Abrams’ comments, it sounds less like a complete rejection of Lucas and more like they wanted to pursue their own vision for the saga while attempting to recapture the magic of the approach and tone Lucas had during his time at the helm of the original film.
Check out the full article at Entertainment Weekly.
George is the creator and I will forever be grateful to him for the gift of Star Wars that he has given us. However, I look at him like I would a man who built a spectacular sports car, but after the last few road trips with him, you realize he isn’t necessarily the best driver for the car he built.
And that’s good actually, because prequel trilogy really IS bad. It’s not that those films are widely criticised for nothing and poor Lucas made great movies which were not understood properly. George – you made really bad movies and ruined good material for your fans. That’s why you were criticized.
The prequels get way too much hate. They are not good movies overall but the hate is ridiculous. People have become cruel natured and that is why Lucas’ innocent story telling has come to an end.
If anything they don’t get enough hate. Those films literally failed at everything they attempted to do (both in terms of storytelling/narrative and all aspects of film-making).
They were really bad. Granted, I wish it didn’t totally discourage George from releasing new films to the public. A lot of people would probably be interested to see his new experimental films, but now he’s just going to use his billions to make movies for his own enjoyment and never let them see the light of day out of fear of being torn apart like he was because of the prequels.
That said, it’s pretty tough to defend the prequels considering how terrible they are.
However, if you need further proof (outside of the prequels) that George has just completely lost it as a story-teller/artist… look no further than “Red Tails”.
The dude is DONE.
“But his biggest concern about the ever-expanding universe? That ‘the Force doesn’t get muddled into a bunch of gobbledygook.'”
Midichlorians, anyone? George, we love ya. We really do. But the best Star Wars-related decision you made in the past 20 years was selling the rights to Disney and letting others play in your cinematic universe. You are the Maker, but it was 20 years past time to let others take the reins.
Peoples’ failure to understand the reasoning of the midichlorians proves how shallow minded modern audiences are. Lucas put in this scientific explanations to show that the Jedi Order was arrogant and had got away from their spiritual beliefs. Qui Gon’s interest in this crap got him killed.
That’s not at all how it was presented in the films. Rationalizing 101. You are retroactively making stuff up in an effort to show that the prequels contained more depth/nuance/irony than there actually was. Nice try.
People acts the same with the OT but for gloryfying it. Midichlorians are the scientific explanation of the Force. Like science today can explain strange phenomens that faitful people take for God miracles. IMO All the PT bashers are people who only see the half empty glass.
the problem with that is that star wars isn’t sci fi, its fantasy and by adding that explanation(which almost immediately got swept under the rug) the force loses its mysticism and mystery.
Bingo!
We have a winner.
It’s a fantasy universe, but with strong elemments of sci-fi. For me it’s between a steam punk techno universe, so fantasy and sci-fi are involved IMO
In Prequels Jedis were established since 1000 years, so we can assume they develop a way to quantify the Force one guy owns. The Force is the Force. The Midi-chlorians are micro-organisms in your blood that interact with the Force. So the explanation Yoda and Obi Wan give in 4 and 5 is still valable IMO. Science and religion can coexist.
If he had shown that then audiences would have gotten it. As it was, Qui-Gon was portrayed as a well-grounded Jedi. I don’t buy your explanation.
Um, no I think you just made that up
George, your ideas are brilliant. It’s your execution that’s bad. Having others direct your ideas is the best formula for Star Wars.
Never agreed with the whole “George has brilliant ideas” defense. Sure, his initial ideas were the genesis of what the OT became – although he was surrounded by talented folks who were not afraid to say “no” and were able to corral George and his hit and miss ideas and turn them into something great. But the prequels exposed just how poor some of his ideas were:
Jar-Jar Binks (to start with the obvious)
Anakin as a 10 year old boy in the first act of the trilogy
Not develop/show Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s relationship on screen
Basically everything regarding the Jedi in the PT (living in the capital of the Republic, being involved with politics, using tech, etc.)
Anakin building C-3PO
Pod-Racing
TRADE DISPUTES
Killing Darth Maul off at the end of Ep 1
Shoehorning/not developing villains like Dooku and Grevious
Yoda FIGHTING
Overuse of green screen and CGI
I could go on. Not all of the prequels failings were in “execution”. There were some legitimately awful IDEAS.
No one telling him no was a huge issue. I always felt that Rick McCallum held a lot of the blame for the PT. He should have been telling Lucas that some of his ideas were ridiculous.
All your points are part of the execution. The overall ideas of the prequels could’ve been good if executed properly. Jar Jar could’ve been a cool character if designed better and behaved cooler. The politics of the prequels could’ve been cool if there wasn’t so much of it. The prequels were 100% executed poorly in my opinion but the ideas its based on could’ve been really cool. I will bet money that a talented writer and directer could take the ideas of the prequels and make them into a great trilogy.
Actually none of those points are related to execution. These are all IDEAS. Jar-Jar is executed exactly as George envisioned him. I think you need to think a bit about the difference between an idea and execution of said ideas.
The fact that you’re even on this website commenting on Star Wars is proof George is a genius and you’re not haha. And you’re wrong.
*sigh*
Based on the response above, the terrorists have already won.
It’s on ly your point of view. Why the building of C3Po by Anakin is a poor idea ? It looks like Prequels have broke your child imagination. Jedis should not use tech ? Erm, the lightsaber is not tech then ? to take an exemple of villains in OT, we learn nothing on Bobba Fett, Jabba backstory, or Greedo. You are clearly not impartial
Anakin building C-3PO is an examples of making the universe feel small. The prequels were full of that kind of stuff. And no I don’t consider lightsabers “tech” in the same sense that holograms, anti-gravity chairs, etc. are. The jedi should have existed in the shadows, outer rim, lived simply, in caves, “off the grid”, almost mythic in nature. Not in the public eye, the center of the universe, literally next door to the capitol of the republic, intervening with political affairs and whatnot. Terrible idea, even worse execution (in the details, character development, dialogue, etc.).
Fett, Jabba, and Greedo, along with basically every peripheral character worked perfectly well in the OT. The lack of backstory works especially well for Fett and Greedo as they are mysterious bounty hunter characters. The less we know the better. We learn everything we need to know about Jabba to make him an effective antagonist. Dooku, nor grevious was ever mentioned in prior films. That is especially egregious for Dooku as he (was supposed to play) a pivotal role in Ep 2. “I was a high ranking member of the Jedi as well as your master Qui-Gon’s closest ally and friend but was conveniently never mentioned or referred too before and now I am a big bad villain, huzzah!” And Grevious was another poorly conceived, disposable villain.
Same for Maul. Even the name is here to tell you the guy is a tool/weapon. Same for Dooku or Grievous, the guys hade their role and that’s itI think you take what you want into account and put it what you want. Maybe i act the same, but for me it’s a sterile debate. There is good/bad ideas in OT/PT. Point.
“There is good/bad ideas in OT/PT”
Fallacious argument. False equivalence fallacy (as well as argument to moderation/false compromise). The implication that there are an equal number of good and bad ideas between the two trilogies is ridiculous.
Fallacious… Telling my point of view is not fallacious. And i never talked about quantity in OT or PT. There is boring scenes in 4 and 6 aswell in 2 and 3. i mean, none movies are perfect. You are just rotting on the 10-year-old PT-bash bandwagon. I am a guy who prefers to see the glass half-full
“…The argument is this: ‘well the originals weren’t perfect either. They had flaws just like the new one(s). They’re equal. One is no better than the other. They’re all part of a singular whole and must be judged as such.’ Which is a silly, intellectually lazy, naive, unobjective, fanboyish argument.”
Straw man much?
The formal rules of argument DO NOT apply.
You reprimanded someone for an entirely FAIR comment (that ’there is good and bad’ in something is almost THE definition of equanimity and fairness!) And you call that being “fallacious”? “False equivalency”?
Look, this is an INFORMAL comment thread!
It is NOT a debate, so stop acting like some anal debate judge.
Who died without bequeathing YOU the laxative you need?
I would dispute that. Most of your examples are ideas George had for the SCRIPT – and later also the way it should be made/filmed. Writing a script, to me, falls under the category of ‘execution’ and ‘process’; and that’s not his strongest suit as we all know.
The CONCEPTUAL, CONTEXTUAL STORY ideas (what is the context, story, from beginning to end) seemed always very nice to me. It’s the EXECUTION-ideas (how are we going to tell/show that?) that fail. Let me give an example:
“Not develop/show Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s relationship on screen”
–> I think you are 100% correct. That’s poorly written, more scenes should give you a chance to see that relationship develop. That’s a poor choice of execution (or lack of screenwriting abilities)
BUT the idea that they become very good friends, is fine
“Anakin as a 10 year old boy in the first act of the trilogy”
–> maybe there was a better option to start telling Anakins story. But again, that’s knowing what to include in your script and what not. Script-writing execution. But the idea of Anakin being born fatherless on Tatooine, growing up as a slave, is fine by me. Maybe it should not be included in the actual script, but to me, that’s a good idea.
Of course the prequel story wasn’t perfect. But neither was the original trilogy. But imagine the prequel films being remaked with a totaly different execution.
Though, on a final note, I must agree with you about Yoda fighting and a few other agruments. Just bad, bad idea’s. (Not unlike the Ewoks I might add)
That’s alot of nonsense and bullshit. George Lucas sat down and wrote Star Wars. He got the financing for it. As director he sheparded every single solitary creative decision of what you see on screen that results in the film Star Wars, from costumes to props to editing to every single frame of film that we have watched since May 1977 George Lucas is responsible for that and for some people to try to suggest otherwise is disingenuous hogshit. You didn’t like the Prequel trilogy, oh well, plenty of people did, but to slight George Lucas and try to douchebag minimalize his contribution to CREATING Star Wars is the epitome of assholishness. It’s hipster armchair critic revisionist nonsense.
Well thank you for that biased, vitriol filled rant, Joshua. You even threw in the term “hipster” for good measure. That definitely legitimizes your opinion and gives you credibility. Well done, sir.
In contrast to the incessent tired bemoaning of what, 15 year old films now? I mean really, 15 years later and people still crying and ragging on about fictional films? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to save such butthurt for far more important and releveant things in life as opposed to fictional movies?
Hey look at that, another fallacious argument! Who’da thunk? The old “this film has been out for so long and you are STILL talking about it?!?” argument. Then something about being “butthurt” and there are more relevant things to concern your time with and yadda yadda. In other words, you concede the argument. Viggeo wins. As per usual. And to answer your thoughtful question, no, I don’t think I could be spending my time more wisely at the present moment. Winning an online debate about a movie and asserting my intellectual (not to mention artistic) superiority is of the utmost importance. It’s more of a philosophical thing as opposed to a practical thing. But I thank you for your genuine concern for my well being 🙂
Well, you know, some people relish reading their own typing. Or smelling their own shit. Perhaps it would be beneficial to look up the definition of Sophist mentality, since it’s more than applicable here to insipid tirades about how badly George Lucas’ Prequels hurt feelings.
Are you saying that you do NOT smell your own s**t?
A flush, air freshener, a candle, dispenses malodourous intent.
“hipster” means: in tune with your contemporaries’ behaviours and attitudes, so yeah, “hipster” armchair critic revisionist nonsense is spot on!
So many of you sit around talking like somehow you know better how to get movies made than Lucas WHO HAS ALREADY DONE IT!
It is so easy for those that haven’t accomplished getting a motion picture made (let alone 6!), to ramble and criticize, isn’t it?
Unless you’ve made a better theatrically released 6-film saga.
That was a passionate plea to show some f**king RESPECT for what Lucas accomplished! Investing TWENTY YEARS OF HIS LIFE getting those six films made!
I think you don’t show Lucas respect because y’all just don’t know how.
Nah, the Prequels were just fine.
A most insightful retort. About what one would expect from a prequelite.
Unless that was supposed to be ironic… Sarcasm? In that case, pretty darn funny, sir.
The Prequels are just fine, if a person understands the context and intention of what Star Wars films are, rather than attempting to ascribe their own personal preferences to the films. Star Wars films are George Lucas’ homages to films he enjoyed as a child, 1930’s Saturday afternoon matinee serial adventures such as Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers. Most of the bullshit “criticisms” of the Prequels are derived from not understanding that aspect. If anybody bothers to sit down and watch a 1930’s Saturday afternoon action adventure serial film, they have all the same basic tropes – wooden acting, shit script, etc etc. Star Wars and Indiana Jones films are multi-million dollar homages to films Lucas liked when he was a kid. While a person may not appreciate or enjoy the “style” Lucas applied to the films, make no mistake, it was quite deliberate.
No s*** it was “deliberate”. That’s my point you knucklehead. It was deliberate. And it was awful. A terrible misfire. The prequels as they were presented to audiences were EXACTLY as he had envisioned them. An abundance of bad ideas (and worse execution). Abandoning nearly everything that made the original trilogy great.
I particularly enjoyed your “context” argument. That the prequels are fine films if you just understand the appropriate “context”…. That was gold, man. Almost spit out my coffee when I read that. Apologist rhetoric 101.
You didnt like the Prequels,I enjoyed them. Next.
Unlike the usual RLM line of baloney — the extremely condescending view of Lucas that he is almost like a genius savant who must be steered or is chaos — I think Lucas’ ideas and execution are both great. Here’s the thing — the prequels or any of the films weren’t for you. They weren’t for any of us. Lucas is an artist with a certain style that is evolving and that’s what he does. I wouldn’t want it any other way. His way of crafting audiovisual tone poems is pretty unique and is distinct in the film industry. He’s an independent filmmaker from the late 60s who has always done things his way. He had many people around him helping him in the prequels, he often sought advice and information, sometimes people told him ‘no’ and he listened. As long as it was in keeping with the main focus, he was very open. People who think otherwise on this either cherrypick or ignore history.
The prequels and originals have different tones, and they are meant to be that way. Unfortunately, although many people liked the prequels at first, a backlash of those who didn’t like it began and just picked up more steam. People are pretty dumb when it comes to peer pressure and usually conform, and so now certain prevailing views of Lucas exist which are not only incorrect but sometimes downright insulting. From a film analysis point of view, he does a lot of innovative things with the story and how it is presented. And on an emotional level, nearly everyone I’ve introduced to Star Wars has loved it all, including the prequels. Reading all these comments is the sort of thing that makes me tired and want to just retreat from the fandom. Having so many people just get on the bash train is unbelievable, for films of great quality. But I wash my hands of it for now. I don’t expect a response to this because human beings rarely are open enough to listen to ideas they don’t already agree with ahead of time. And nothing has shown this to me more than fandom. In the end it’s just sad.
Ahhhh the tired “Artist-can-do-no-wrong” argument. The go-to “argument” for an apologist. By that logic, ALL ART IS OF EQUAL QUALITY. There is no such thing as “bad art”. There are no objective standards or qualities to a piece of art, especially one as complex as film. Great. So nobody can be critical of any film, period. “’cause why don’t YOU go make a movie if you’re so awesome.” Fact is boss, that you are merely an undiscerning viewer/interpreter of art. Since you lack the ability to view art in a discerning manner, you genuinely believe both trilogies are of equal merit. You are not able to view art objectively. Not everyone can. You just see the words “Star” and “Wars” attached to something and it is all automatically wonderful and equally magical. You live in a very simple, naïve bubble, friend. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
So if anyone derides Michael Bay….or Paul W.S. Anderson, or M. Night Shyamalan or J.J. Abrams…… cut it out! All directors (and all artists for that matter) are PEOPLE, first and foremost. Do not criticize them or especially their work. All art is equal. All art is good. No bad. Bad no good. Additionally, all OPINIONS are equal. No opinions (especially concerning art) are any better than anyone elses. There is no such thing as an uninformed opinion or a “bad” opinion. ‘Cause everything is equal. Hooray reality! For being….totally equal and such! Equality FTW!!
That previous post was satire btw. But that is almost exactly how these people sound to me. And it is essentially what these people are saying. I deconstructed their wonky, silly, naive beliefs and world views. In a humorous, witty, and satirical manner.
Ha.
Haha.
Hahaha.
.
.
.
Ha.
You definitely like to hear yourself talking, indeed
Right, I don’t discern films. Thank you for telling me something I didn’t know! I guess all that time in film classes and watching hundreds of films made from the 1910s to now, from all over the world, had no impact. I guess seeing all of Lucas’ influences firsthand and realizing how he weaves them together was worthless. Please, educate me on the visual and symbolic parallels between “Attack of the Clones” and “The Searchers.” Oh, I know, please educate me on how Lucas changes the plot structure of the prequels from the normal format — can you tell me how the protagonist of the prequel trilogy is? Oh, I know, show me the influences Lucas uses for framing and composing shots — or maybe how he uses color and shadow in the prequel trilogy? Oh, I know, please educate me on the psychological, sociological, political parallels of Anakin’s fall and the fall of the Republic. I must have missed all these things! And there are dozens; more. I am thankful you are here to explain these things to us, friend. Without you, I guess I’m just lost, a naive viewer without any perspective. Please, don’t hold back, share with us your astounding wisdom on these films!
Awww someone DID respond to you, buddy. Yippee. But in all seriousness, you are correct. You are not a discerning fellow when it comes to art (or at least in this case, film). However, I wager that your unrefined taste is not exclusive to film. Really not trying to be mean here, just a bit of brutal honesty. By the way, listing your “credentials” does not help your case at all. I don’t care how MANY films you’ve watched or how many “film classes” you’ve attended or whatever you are going on about. You either have good (discerning) taste in art…..or you don’t. You can try to develop it a bit, but some people are just lost causes unfortunately. By defending the prequels as vehemently as you have here is all I need to know about how you view cinema as an art form. You merely lack the ability to discern quality of writing/acting/direction/etc. So I feel that you sincerely believe the PT and OT are of equal artistic merit. It’s more……. how do I put it. “ignorance”, than anything else. Perhaps a brain defect. You lack the ability to appreciate the subtlety and nuance of a well told story or a well staged/shot scene, or a particularly good performance. Could it be autism? Who knows. Sadly, I am no doctor nor a psychologist. Just a mature, objective, discerning, art loving cinephile 🙂
Wow. I need not argue with you when you argue yourself out of coherence so well. Nice to see you answered none of my questions, either. You know nothing about me or my views, yet somehow you got everything figured out. You don’t understand at all how your notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are shaped by your particular time and influences?
You say: ‘By defending the prequels as vehemently as you have here’ — I have defended them once, maybe twice, and I haven’t even said how good I think they are. I just said they aren’t as bad as people say. It is you who is going around posting many comments bashing against the prequels. Look in the mirror.
You say: ‘So I feel that you sincerely believe the PT and OT are of equal artistic merit.’ I did not say that and yet, somehow, you know it! Isn’t that magical.
You say: ‘You lack the ability to appreciate the subtlety and nuance of a well told story or a well staged/shot scene, or a particularly good performance. Could it be autism? Who knows.’ Okay. So, I see you enjoy using personal attacks instead of nuanced discussion. You accuse me of autism. And you in the process attack people who are autistic as being ignorant about art. Doesn’t sound mature, discerning, or worth sympathy, really.
You are really a golden star of humanity. Don’t bother to respond. The fact that no one seems to be moderating comments like yours is painfully obvious.
“Look in the mirror.”
Oh I do. Believe it. Are you familiar with selfy-sticks? I actually use a selfy stick but not the way they are normally used. I don’t put a phone at the end of the stick. I put a mirror. I literally put a mirror at the end of a selfy stick so that I can always look at (and admire) my reflection as I walk down the street, at the shopping mall, in the grocery store, etc.
And hey, I love autistic people. They can’t help it if they aren’t discerning of art. It’s a physiological thing. They wouldn’t be able to perceive acting as being natural as opposed to wooden since they have trouble deciphering emotions and the nuances of body language. But i’m sure they could appreciate a nicely composed shot or something technical in nature, you know? Don’t turn me into the bad guy here, accusing me of being anti-autism. You’re shamelessly misrepresenting my position and I do not appreciate that good sir.
Wow. It’s hard to misrepresent you when you say what you just said. You don’t even realize what you are saying, do you? Not surprising, considering before you went into your autistic tirade you prefaced it by saying liking the prequels was equal to having ‘Perhaps a brain defect.’ Which was your transition into talking about autism. I have no words for you. Who cares what you appreciate? You can f*** right off.
Star Wars is not mean to be an philosophical essay, or the best dramaturgic movie in the century. It’s for dreaming, entertainment. It’s obvious the PT and OT are not on the same level. Why you think Jar-jar exist. To please to the10-20 years old. Star Wars is designed to be mass media and population. You expect way to much IMO. The OT was created when making movie was still an art. The PT were made for business and entertainment. All the movie industry have changed, not only Star Wars. And people complain on Lucas because he has followed this way. Do you really think there is good dialogues in Transformers, Hunger Games or Jurassic World. I put my hand to cut, the 7 will not match your standards.
I do love George Lucas. Star Wars was an epic, once in a hundred years event that was hugely down to him. It wouldn’t exist without him! To follow that up with two perfectly crafted sequels and handing the reigns over to just the right people was down to him. Sadly the prequels to me feel like made for to movies made by someone milking the franchise and not quite getting it. How he managed that I don’t know. The prequels feel like the films we worried Disney might have made with their purchase. Fortunately we seem to know that won’t be the case.
He’s a semi retired billionaire now and has given us all an amazing gift, so he shouldn’t feel disappointed in life haha.
we have all this because of him all the love we have for this crazy story in a galaxy far far away is because of him.No amount of jar jar,cgi crap,and all the bad things in the prequels can replace the magic he created out of his imagination. All the hype and anticipation for this new movie is because of his 3 amazing movies. This site we love and share our views on the great saga is all because of him forever thank the maker!!! and F the prequels 🙂
I can’t imagine having to deal with the constant hate and criticism and snide remarks and put-downs from the prequel haters. That’s no fun for anyone. I think George is a bigger man than we give him credit for, for taking it pretty well. And as for people like Simon Pegg, who have the nerve to star in a movie franchise like Star Wars and then say such awful things about its creator, all I can is “what goes around, comes around”.
I saw each of the prequels on opening day, and while I found the Phantom Menace a little bit lacking, I honestly really enjoyed Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. They weren’t as magical as the original trilogy, but I think some of that had to do with the fact that we knew the story already, we knew where everything was heading. I think even the best movies would suffer if you went in to them knowing exactly how everything was going to end. I often wonder what it would have been like if George had done Episode 7 in 1999, with the original cast.
Anyway, a big thanks to George Lucas for bringing us Star Wars, and a big thank you to JJ Abrams for having the courage to make a Star Wars film.
if you want to be a prequel hipster thats fine, but don’t hate on pegg for having an opinion just because its different then your own.
There’s a difference between Simon Pegg not liking, or criticizing the films (he could have just said “I didn’t like those films, here is why”) and saying “I have no respect for anyone who thinks they were good”, and “George Lucas committed infanticide”.
I don’t believe my post was criticizing people for not liking the prequels, or for any other opinion (if it was, I apologize). But I do take issue with people who want to express their hatred of the prequels (and anyone who even remotely enjoyed them) over and over again, and persist with personal attacks and name calling. I’m not asking anyone to like or dislike the prequels, or telling them what to think.
He is still right, from a movie makers perspective (his) the PTs are God awful. Criticising him because you lack his talent and vision only makes his argument stronger.
I’m not criticizing Pegg’s talent or vision, but his lack of tact and lack of respect for others.
the thing people need to understand about pegg is that he is prone to hyperbole and is most likely trying to get a rise out of the prequel fans. its just what he does, for better or worse.
If I liked the Prequels, I wouldn’t at all care what Simon Pegg thought.
Well Luca$ has been known to have an effect on he weak-minded.
Considering how much time you spend complaining about him, I’d say he most certainly does.
Considering how much time you spend worshiping him, I’d say he most certainly does.
I worship nothing.
Except Luca$.
Do I need to post your “Black Planet” profile again? I suggest you make yourself scarce and return to trolling professional-wrestling boards.
And do I need to post a picture of you and that ugly little kid on your shoulders. I suggest you get that long delayed plastic surgery on your face.
Man, you post all the pictures of that little cutie that you want. If I didn’t want them around, I wouldn’t have posted them to social media for the world to see. You, on the other hand….
Well then, let test that theory..you go first.
Kid is ugly (and you already know you’re ugly so…).
You’re a paper tiger. And a toothless one at that.
Okay Bobby, you grizzly bear looking motherf—-er.
Anyway, how’s your day going thus far? We are 30 days away…are you getting excited?
I am a grizzly bear. It’s the cost of being such a paragon of manliness. But it sure beats your paltry attempt at appearing to have some sort of street swagger. That’s a fake “gangsta” facade if I ever saw one. If you’re shooting for ‘on fleek’, you’re sadly ‘off target’. Heh heh.
Am I excited? You know it. It’s surreal how close the movie is. But I’ve had enough of trailers and TV spots. I don’t want any more of this film shown. It’s less than a month away and I can wait. I mean…I could just stay away from websites like this until the premiere date, but I admittedly lack the self discipline. God help me if I stumble across a movie book or something tossed onto a store shelf before the film comes out. I’ll read the thing standing there.
Glad you acknowledged your ugliness…it the first step, the first win.
I definitely feel that they are overdoing it with all of the TV spots and trailers. It’s funny, there is a site with spoilers and pictures from the movie backing up the spoilers ( i can link it to you if you want to read) but even with knowing how the movie will go…I’m still beyond excited to see it.
Are you doing IMAX or will you watch it traditionally?
Yeah. I’d love the link. If you can’t post it here, contact me through Facebook.
I definitely want to see it in IMAX, but I’ve yet to secure any tickets. I’ll probably get to that a week or two after the movie premiers. As of now, I just have tickets to a 7:00 showing on the 17th. After that, I’ll wait for the crowds to abate a bit.
I don’t have Facebook unfortunately.
Here my email: Johnnydarwin13@gmail.com
Just shoot me a email and I’ll hit you back with the link.
It’s crazy, I had ticket to the 12/17 viewing and then I had to change it on Fandango to the 18th because my job at the last minute decided to have our X-Mas holiday party on the 12/17.
But I have a 7:15 pm showing as well…I’ll have to be at the theater at 5:pm just to find parking.
“I can’t imagine having to deal with the constant hate and criticism and snide remarks and put-downs from the prequel haters.”
Then make better films.
Gee I guess Mr. Lucas needs a “safe place” from all the meanies out there in the world. Boo-hoo.
Thanks, liberals.
Thanks for………. everything.
No one is saying that criticism is off limits. I have my own criticisms of the prequels, and the originals too in places. But there is a difference between expressing disappointment and criticizing a film and a campaign of relentless hatred.
“a campaign of relentless hatred”
That pretty much sums up my first marriage!
*rimshot*
Firstly, I don’t make films. Secondly, I am pretty sure that you are not perfect, Mr Awakens. How would you like it if people abused you and yelled at you for the rest of your life over mistakes that you made in your workplace? How much is too much?
haha i loved the way you phrased it
“How would you like it if people abused you and yelled at you for the rest of your life over mistakes that you made in your workplace?”
Oh trust me, THEY DO.
We know the story of Titanic, but that doesn’t change how good or bad a movie is. The PTs are dreadful in just about every way, the few highlights in the movie only emphasise what could have been.
That’s true about Titanic, but we don’t know what’s going to happen the characters. It’s a bit different knowing that pretty much every single Jedi is going to die, and that Anakin will end up evil and wearing a suit.
And that’s why the entire story of the movies could’ve been written differently. Right now, we’ve gotten spoiled brat Anakin for a couple of movies, where Obi-Wan always presented him as a good friend, noble Jedi and best Starfighter.
That’s what’s irking people, that the story, his character was “changed” so much for the PT.
Say all you want about those prequels, that were bad….he IS Star Wars and created all of this. Abrams can only dream of having an INCH of his creativity.
No he IS NOT “Star Wars”, you idol-worshipping zealot. A film is a COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
THESE PEOPLE are “Star Wars”:
Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
Alec Guinness
James Earl Jones
Ian McDiarmid
Frank Oz
Ralph McQuarrie
Joe Johnston
Ben Burtt
John Williams
Gary Kurtz
Marcia Lucas
Lawrence Kasdan
Irvin Kershner
Richard Marquand
and George Lucas
you left out alot of people
Did you honestly expect me to type out the entire cast and crew for the OT? I listed the key players, champ. I almost put a line in there about all of the other artists, editors, producers involved but figured it would be implied.
Yeh but if Lucas hadn’t been born, no star wars.
You measure your creativity in inches, huh? But seriously, George did us all a huge favor getting Star Wars made but he isn’t the embodiment of it. There were a LOT of creative and talented people who made Star Wars what it turned out to be. Had he been allowed to design, write and create everything as he originally saw it, it wouldn’t have been the great franchise it turned out to be.
George might have done us all a huge favor, but Disney certainly didn’t by choosing Abrams to direct the first SW film since Ep. III. Inches, centimeters, gallons, litters, IQ…choose the measuring stick you like, but the truth is that Have Hope is absolutely correct about Abrams’ creativity next to Lucas’
He was a big part in creating all of this, but there have been smart people guiding him since day 1.
Yep, nobody does it all in their own, but he created the very core of it…..and my guy….Darth Vader
Wasn’t gobbledygook the original name for midi-chlorians?
My thoughts exactly.
I sense that a lot of people feel bad for him. I would say that we should keep some perspective. Though the man has to put up with a lot of criticism, he has had an adult life full of praise and wealth…not to mention the fact that he actually worked doing what he’s most passionate about. How many of us can say that? I don’t hate him, nor do I pity him. I love his earlier work, I respect some of the chances he took on the PT, and I am very glad he sold the rights to a company that is willing to run with the franchise’s potential.
As Liberace liked to say, he “cried all the way to the bank.” But I do feel a little sorry for him having to put up with everyone talking about these new films being so much better than the prequels (assuming they are).
It does you credit to empathize. I just feel that, if the criticism from movie goers affects him, he, more than basically anyone, has all the resources in the world to cope and improve his life in just about any conceivable way. He has received far more praise and love than he has hate. He probably has more to be proud of professionally than most people who ever lived. And, perhaps more importantly, much to be proud of philanthropically. We working class cannot even conceive of how amazing his life is, so it’s always a little weird for me to hear people feel bad for him.
Pretty well said.
Funny how 10 years after being done with Star Wars he still hasn’t made a single one of these “independent, artistic” movies that he keeps talking about. Unless Red Tails was supposed to be it?
I like Lucas but he sounds really bitter.
Twice Upon A Time, Mishima, Tucker, Young Indiana Jones, Radioland Murders, The Clone Wars series, Strange Magic — all smaller than SW and experimental compared to other H-wood movies and shows in those genres.He sounds honest here, not bitter. And look at his actual output of what he created and was working on all those years — people make it sound like he was dozing in the backyard. He accomplished more than most people could in several lifetimes.
Only Red Tails, Strange Magic, and Clone Wars were created post Sith. So yeah, Pretty lazy.
Its sad what happened to Lucas he poured his heart and soul into the movies but we rightfully criticized them though these are his children they will grow beyond a man in the striped shirt yelling faster more intense.
He poured his money into the prequels. His heart and mind, I’m not so sure. Instead of the edgy, creative visionary who made the original Star Wars, prequel George was an out-of-practice businessman who turned in a shoddy script late, without the necessary rewrites, and then sat on his pudgy ass and directed most of the films on green-screen stages, explaining that the effects team would make these scenes interesting in post-production.
Well i agree with you but he really did put his heart and mind into it during these times he thought writing those movies was his true vision. After the original trilogy no one said no to him he was freaking George Lucas so when he wrote the scripts he thought in his heart that those were the movies he wanted.
Boo Hoo, George. The fans made you a multi-billionaire and bought up everything you slapped a Star Wars logo on for 35 years – including buying 15 different versions of the same movies. So God forbid they not like your new movies when they turn out to be boring political dramas with a bunch of clueless characters and unengaging stories. And if Jar Jar is your idea of experimentation, then we’re all better off without them.
Wait to see the 7. Maybe you ll be more indulgent with PT after. i know the filmography of Abrams and it’s all for entertainment movies not much good story telling (apart for Fringe tv-serie). I see already people ranting and yelling “Boohoo !! that’s not Star wars, a black and woman stormtroppers, boohoo a stormtrooper with a lightsaber. it’s already the case, no ? Whatever industry brings on you, it’s just boohoo. Annoying.
Gonna refer to you as “Captain Strawman” from now on.
I m not native english so please spare me your expressions. idk what it means but i guess it’s not a compliment. i don’t swallow all the industry is feeding us. I am strong in criticism too, but far less when it comes to Star Wars. At least i don’t experiment the fact to dislike half of my favourite universe. Maybe you are not agree but prequels are in our reality. What you gonna do ? Going to Skywalker ranch and burning the original pellicule ? XD
Of course there will always be complainers. There were complainers back with the originals. That doesn’t mean we should be required to love substandard movies – which frankly, the prequels were. If Abrams makes a fun, engaging and satisfying movie, I’ll be right there to praise it. But nothing will make me pretend to like the prequels just because it has the Star Wars logo in front of it.
Telling Prequels are substandard movie is quite extreme. Maybe i ve weak standards then. For me prequels do the job. i was entertained and focused on the movie the first time i ve seen it. but with time, the interest is less present, there are lenght in the movies, but when i rewatch a tar wars, i deal with the flaws. ok Jar-jar sucks, ok some lines sounds cheesy or over the top. but when Palpatine say to luke “You ll be eliminated”. It’s not the higher show of creative dialogue here. Star wars IS a cheesy and fantasy universe by definition. It’s meant for all audiences. i think people should be afraid and prepared for cheesy dialogues in 7, ’cause it’s Disney, you know.
Not extreme at all. They were substandard – because the standard was undeniably set high by the originals and that’s why they are so well-liked. So if you set out to make a new trilogy, you have a tall order to achieve the level of quality set by those movies. And Lucas simply didn’t do what was necessary to approach that level. He could’ve brought on other people to help write and direct the films like Kershner and Kasdan did before. But he chose to do it all himself – and Lucas’ obvious weaknesses and lack of creative input from other collaborators hurt those movies and made them the obvious weaker movies of the saga.
Your taste in art is as poor as your diction.
What is substandard to one person is different to another. Some of them were very personal. People act like their opinion is scientific fact. When it is mere opinion. It’s judging art, not a science.
You’re correct – they are opinions. But the collective critical opinions of people form a consensus over time – either positive, negative, or mixed. And there’s no doubting that peoples’ opinions the prequels were decidedly more mixed than the originals, which are revered as classics of American cinema. And as a culture, we view the prequel trilogy as the less critically-received and liked of the two trilogies.
I never have been one to jump on the consensus bandwagon, and I always thought the originals would always be regarded as classics and better no matter who make the later movies. People are the same way about Star Trek.
To be fair, if it wasn’t for Lucas experimenting with Jar Jar, we might never have gotten Andy Serkis playing Golum and performance capture may not have been an art form yet.
I doubt that Jar Jar Binks was the sole reason for that technology to be developed. If not ILM, then another effects house would’ve developed it. All 3 Lord of the Rings films were being shot in 1999.
Yeah, old Georgie Lucas is gonna be at TFA midnight screening. The curiosity is killing him
The problem was he kept tinkering and lost touch with what made him a good filmmaker. The most maligned line in Revenge of the Sith was Vader’s “noooooo”. So what does George do? He adds it to the end of Jedi not once, but twice. Hard to feel sorry for him. Of course he doesn’t have to listen to the fans, but the fans are what keeps the franchise going. It was time for him to move on.
I love the fact he added the ‘NOOOOOOOO’ to Return of The Jedi – because it doesn’t fundamentally change the scene but it pisses off all the brats who bang on and on and on about how much they hate the prequels!
I actually like the prequels for the most part. I just think that line in Sith is awful and it ruins the final scene in Jedi. It’s like he did intentionally to piss fans off. I think all of the Blu Ray changes were unnecessary. Although I do like digital Yoda in TPM.
Yes, I think he did it to annoy critics of the prequels too…but I find that amusing! I read so many horrible comments about him on forums, in articles etc that I felt sorry for the guy. He came up with such a magnificent storytelling universe and so many excellent concepts in both the OT and the PT – I always felt sad that people were so cruel to an artist who essentially just made the films he wanted to make while people who claimed to love Star Wars tried to utterly destroy his morale.
wait, did we break george lucas? i feel kinda bad now… although if his idea of “experimenting” is jar jar binks and indiana jones vs terrible cgi aliens, i think he might have been right in stepping aside. still, much respect to the godfather of modern cinema.
Criticized when you make a movie? Yes George, especially when you make really terrible movies.
All his Star Wars movies are great.
Except the bad ones.
So we are left with none.
for all the prequel haters here,
how many extraordinary films have YOU made? how many vast, expansive universes have YOU created? how much money do YOU all have in your bank accounts? how many hundreds of jobs have YOU created for other people, based on your own creation? how have YOU completely revolutionized the film industry?
it’s easy to sit behind a computer and spew hate towards the person that is responsible for the incredible universe that is stars wars. i’d like to see any of you smack-talkers get off of your computer chairs and defeat george lucas at everything he’s accomplished..
no one forced any one of you to watch any of the prequels, much less sit behind your screens and create mindless hate about them and spread it about like wildfire. again, i’d like you to do everything that george lucas has done in his entire life, and then we can sit down and have a conversation about how you did a better job than he did.
love,
a respectful human being.
I made a pretty bad movie once. And I could tell you exactly why it was bad.
Ok, but can I still criticize Schumacher’s Batman and Robin, even though I’ve never made a movie?
you can criticize properly. the prequel hate isn’t proper criticism. it’s the result of whiny, single, middle-aged men who were disappointed that *GASP* star wars was shown from a different perspective. god forbid that you weren’t able to relive your childhood 20 years later. what terrible lives you all have.. i feel really bad.
Actually, he can criticize it any way he wants.
of course he can. but it’s still wrong.
Not necessarily. Your post suggested that any criticism against Lucas/the Prequels is unfounded because it’s “mindless hate” and we probably couldn’t have done a better job had any one of us made the movies. Granted, there is a lot of anti-Lucas drivel floating around. That being said, I’ve read quite a few articulate, reasoned pieces of criticism directed at Lucas and his later films.
Sonofjay was simply pointing out that one does not need to have made a movie in order to criticize a movie. And he’s absolutely right. I’m free to criticize movies, albums, presidents, and a variety of other things that I’ve never done or been.
If you’re saying that sonofjay isn’t able to criticize the Prequels because he’s never made a film, why should you be able to praise films if you’ve never made one?
Just tossing it out there. I think the Prequels are okay. Not great – not terrible – but okay.
what i’m saying is that nobody should be equating criticism to what has become this phenomenon of prequel hate. they aren’t the same thing. of course you have a right to criticize what you’d like.. but my opinion, (and many others’), is that there isn’t any point whining about those films nowadays.. they’re movies.. they shouldn’t affect your life so much that you feel the need to groan about how low quality they were over ten years later.
Well, people do love to complain. That’s just human nature, mostly. And while it is odd that folks are still fuming about Jar Jar Binks over 15 years since the movie premiered, there is plenty of merit in a lot of the gripes that folks have about those movies.
I’m definitely not of the “Lucas stole my childhood” and “Lucas ruined Star Wars” camp. That’s just hyperbole. If you feel that your younger years were invalided because of a movie, then you’ve got much deeper issues and laying the blame at the feet of a dude from California who makes science-fiction movies is destined to be rather poor therapy.
I didn’t think the Prequels were that good, but I can think of no reason to be upset by that. The worst thing that came as a result of me seeing them was that I saw some mediocre movies. That’s it. I won’t blame George Lucas for the “time and effort” I spent seeing them (what entitled, victimist garbage that is). Nor did I head home after seeing Episode 1 for the first time only to be confronted with a living room filled with $4,000 worth of E1 collectibles that I now needed to find homes for.
But again, there are some Prequel haters that are coming from an informed place and their perspectives aren’t simply those of bitter whiners.
“the prequel hate isn’t proper criticism.”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
#LMFAO
So because his holiness George Lucas made good movies 30 years ago, it makes him immune from criticism of his more recent ones? And because we haven’t personally duplicated his success we can’t have an opinion about what he does unless it’s complete adoration? I haven’t won a Super Bowl, can I also not say that Peyton Manning played badly on Sunday?
of course you’re entitled to an opinion.. but there’s quite a distinction between an honest opinion and the cultural trend that is prequel hate. my statement was directed more towards the people that despise the prequels and claim they’re the worst movies ever made and act like they’ve been physically damaged because the prequels didn’t live up to their expectations.
“Cultural trend”, eh? You mean the majority of people being objective, mature, and intellectually/emotionally secure enough to admit that he made 3 terrible films?
1.) it’s not a majority of people. i know many people who actually prefer the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy. you have no right to say they’re right or wrong.
2.) you’re now implying that people who like the prequels are non-objective, immature, and intellectually/emotionally insecure people.
at no point did i attack anyone for their opinions on any of the films. bravo. you’re really displaying your stupidity now.
“oh no people don’t agree with my opinion?! they’re all insecure and immature.”
why don’t you do something about it, adolf?
“you’re now implying that people who like the prequels are non-objective, immature, and intellectually/emotionally insecure people.”
You would be correct in your assumption about my implication.
Oh and i’d appreciate if you wouldn’t refer to me as Adolf. That was my birth name and I no longer answer to that. I am Viggeo Morgenstein!
Yes, there are certainly whiners like that, but the prequel fans tend to lump anyone who has any negative opinion about the movies into the same boat. They don’t really consider negative opinions to be valid, as honest and clearly expressed as they may be. To them, you either love all the movies or are a whiny crybaby who is not a “true fan.”
i see where you’re coming from. my overall point here is that we should at least have the decency to let one another enjoy whichever films we want, without being subject to vile criticism for our own personal decisions. “Viggeo Morgenstein Awakens” thinks that all the people who don’t despise the prequels are non-objective, immature, and intellectually/emotionally insecure.. which is absolutely ridiculous. even further, all six films have done well, regardless of anyone’s personal beliefs. we should all accept that for what it is and enjoy the fact that star wars even exists..
What PT-haters do is not just say that Peyton played terrible on Sunday. That’s the equivalent to calling Manning a worthless piece of shit, throwing his almost 20 brilliant years out the window.
It’s one thing to criticize something from a mature, adult point of
view, and a totally different thing to whine like a little kid who just
got his favorite toy ripped to pieces by the neighborhood bully.
And the prequel apologists say that Peyton was perfect and played amazingly when he threw 4 picks and was benched, and that everyone who suggests that he played badly is a stupid meanie, childish and immature. I recognize that a lot of people liked the prequels. I have no idea why, but I understand that they still do like them. Why is it so hard to accept that a lot people did not like the prequels for any number of reasons – reasons that they’ve explained thoroughly in precisely a mature, adult point of view? Why is an opinion of them only valid if it is a positive one?
Nah, they’d say he threw 2 TDs and therefore its ok he threw the 4 picks.
Ok, first off, I’m no PT apologist. I’m a simple fan of the SW films, is all.
Now, I never said that the PT is a great example of film making. What I said is that most comments about the PT are usually childish rants, pointing at the same flaws, over and over again, as if Lucas had committed the worst kind of offense, as opposed to making simple mistakes. It’s a series of films, no more, no less. It’s time for these people to start acting like the grownups they’re supposed to be and move on.
I never said this was your case or that your opinion isn’t valid. I merely wanted to illustrate how most PT-haters will behave and how absurd this is. Simple as that. My apologies if you felt like I was referring to you personally.
Riiiiiiight (ala dr. evil) ’cause nobody has ever criticized the prequels from a “mature, adult” point of view. It’s all merely juvenile Jar-Jar/Jake Lloyd bashing.
Strawman much??
So, as long as I think that a movie good, it doesn’t matter if I made a movie and/or created a universe myself. But if I find a movie bad, this opinion is somehow invalid, because of the aforementioned reason?
Or does it apply only on things, that you like? Bullcrap double standards.
no double standards. you’re always entitled to your opinion. this is less about the quality of movie making but the constant hate towards george lucas. trust me, i have no personal interest in defending the guy. i just find it ridiculous that a small minority of people who have seen the star wars movies all bond over continuously shunning the prequel films, especially now that they’re over ten years old. if george’s vision doesn’t jive with your own, state your opinion at the time and move on with life.. these are movies, not some life-altering drug that’s being shoved down your throat.
Your brain don’t work too good do it?
Boom. Logic FTW.
Lucas made a terrible movie, not once, but three times. If he can’t take criticism then he should never have made movies. I’m enterally grateful for the OT and Raiders of the Lost Ark, it shaped my childhood way back in the late ’70s/early to mid ’80s. However, the PT was very poor. That is my opinion, I devoted time and effort to watch these movies, so I’m entitled to express my disappointment.
You devoted “time and effort” to watch the movies? I’m not a huge fan of the Prequels either, but all I did was drive to the theatre and warm my butt in a cushioned seat. I’m guessing that you didn’t do much more than that.
Effort as in earning the money to be able to watch the movies.
Some of them were very personal. People act like their opinion is
scientific fact. When it is mere opinion. It’s judging art, not a
science!
well that’s fine. but to criticize other people for their positive feelings towards the prequels would be wrong..
I agree. But that cuts both ways.
fair enough. we should all respect one another for whichever star wars films we liked or didn’t like.
Except you. ‘Cause you’re a doo-doo head.
So you’re saying that if I did not make any movie myself I can’t say which movies I consider bad? Seems legit.
I heard some people saying that the ultimate responsible for the quality of E4 and E5 was Gary Kurtz and that Jedi was not that good because Kurtz left. I may remember him saying things like that as well….who knows the truth?
I love ROTJ. I think it’s as good as any of the OT movies. I believe the only reason people don’t like it is Ewoks. I was 7 when ROTJ came out so I had no problem with Ewoks, and even now think they’re ok. I guess if I was watching the movie for the first time at an older age my opinion might be different.
ROTJ could of been much better. In hindsight that movie was a precursor to the PT. It wasn’t a patch on 4 and 5. It was too silly in spots with the ewoks, the humour should of been more sublime not comical. Its a 2 act play, the first, rescue of Han which seems to go on forever and then the attack on the death star which also goes on forever with little in between. I like parts of the movie, but not the movie as a whole.
I agree that ROTJ is a very flawed movie. I think the reason that it held up for more people is that we already cared about all of the characters because they were developed so well in ANH and ESB. On the flip side, ROTS is (IMO) a better movie than the previous two prequels, but it was too late to appreciate it because the characters were developed poorly in TPM and AOTC. I remember going to see ROTS more out of obligation than excitement, as I figured the story from irredeemable.
all three had some good parts that would of made 1 good movie. Anakin, Jar Jar and badly performed dialogue ruin TPM, the love story ruins AOTC (I can barely watch that one) along with further bad dialogue and acting. ROTS I didn’t mind in the theatre (the only one I seen) but I don’t even enjoy that now (with even worse horrible dialogue between Anakin and Padme) Anakin’s pathetic turn to Darth Vader and order 66 is a joke. The clone wars nothing and better left to the imagination, so to ultimately why Anakin became Darth Vader. His back story ruined a great evil presence. The saga was about family I get that, but it was played out so much better in the OT and just become corny and irritating (like sand!) If you watch the original Buck Rogers on you tube you’ll find where GL got a lot of his idea’s (Flash Gordon is always mentioned and they weren’t too dissimilar) In some ways I think he wanted stiff and wooden acting.
I was 9 and it was my first star wars movie, and my most beloved even now 🙂 I never had any problems with Ewoks and I´m happy Han survived 🙂
Exactly. I was 10. Everyone liked the ewoks. It wasn’t until the internet that I ever heard anything negative. Jedi may be the weakest of the OT but it’s still far better than the PT.
Yeah, well, Gary Kurtz says that at least. Can’t think of a single other source apart from the internet echo chamber. It’s a lot like how Darabont’s Indy script was teh bezt skript evah…at least according to Darabont, who otherwise seems to spend a LOT of time lately getting fired for having all the storytelling skill of a particularly flatulent hamster.
Now, Gary Kurtz is an equally silent and relaxed person like George Lucas but I’m confident there were plenty of occasions during the making of ANH and ESB where he went to George and probably asked “Do you really want to do it like this? Did you consider …?”.
At the Hamburg convention in 2002 I hosted the panel featuring him, and while he is a really a great person, humble, nice and a perfect gentleman, he still had strong opinions about various aspects of the saga which suggested that he did go to George when he thought some idea was bad..
Fact is that Gary Kurtz gave the artists that contributed to the first two films quite some freedom that resulted in increasing costs and Lucas was very unhappy about that. Lucas philosophy was “if it’s good enough than leave it at that” while Kersh & Kurtz followed a “let’s make it better than good” philosophy (which I think shows in ESB but forced Lucas reluctantly to go to Fox when he ran out of money – and Kurtz had to pay the price for that).
Ever since Lucas was probably surrounded by yes-sayers with nobody telling him frankly “George, with all respect, this is not a good idea”.
I’m pretty certain that if Kurtz hadn’t been there during the first two films, we would have gotten something quite different – and quite possibly not as appealing as it turned out to be.
And did George Lucas say anything bad against Gary Kurtz in public, ever?
Nothing I’m aware of, same goes for Kurtz. I was positively surprised that Gary Kurtz got considerable screen time in the S.E. DVD box documentary Empire of Dreams. On the other hand Marcia Lucas was absent, but that’s a different story.
Thank you, Bluemilk7, for that immature, inarticulate, fallacy-ridden b*tchfit. ‘Cause apparently you have to literally have MADE A FILM to be able to criticize any film. Brilliant logic, bub. Additionally, you have to be worth MILLIONS to be able to critique a film. An intellectual titan you are, sir. Keep spouting that same, tired, intellectually lazy, fallacious apologist rhetoric.
like i’ve said, there’s a difference between criticism and the disease that is prequel hate. criticism can be done very maturely and respectfully. clearly you’re one of the middle aged, whiny men that had their dreams crushed when the prequels came out. i genuinely feel bad that you go to such lengths to continually destroy a trilogy of films that are 10-14 years old. i also feel bad that those three movies have ruined your life so much that they’ve led you to this point. my premise was that lucas had a vision and maybe some folks weren’t on board. i don’t understand how that has become this cult of people who go around and spread their hate like wildfire. i find it ridiculous that people ridicule lucas for doing his job. my statements were directed towards those folks who, apparently by the way they talk about him and his prequel films, SHOULD be able to do a better job than he did. apparently for keeping things fair, my post is labeled as a “b*itchfit”. get a life, bro.
u mad, bro?
u sound mad, bro. do u even lift?
i bet u don’t even lift
I agree. There are a lot of armchair filmmakers here posting on the SWNN comment sections.
I’ve made zero bad films I can tell you that.
Nonsense. None of that precludes Lucas from criticism. Lucas’s life and accomplishments and wealth are utterly irrelevant to the validity of criticisms directed at his films. The “oh yeah well what have you done?” argument is not valid. He made his art and made it public. The fact that he is/was ostensibly one of the worlds top filmmakers only amplifies his legitimacy as a target for criticism.
i don’t disagree with you. there is criticism and there is prequel hate. they are two COMPLETELY different things. criticism towards film shouldn’t be constant condemnation over TEN years later. the world gets your point.. you’re crotchety about the films not meeting your expectations.. great. it’s time to grow up and move on. i don’t understand why continuing to bash those films is helping anyone’s cause..
More nonsense. Art criticism does not have an expiry date. The fact the the prequel films were among the most awaited films in history, and subsequently the most divisive, justifies the criticism even more. As for “grow up and move on”: you are saying my criticism is pointless, but in saying that you are criticizing my pointless criticism. Oh the irony!
Who is more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?
i’ll accept the nonsense. at least i won’t be grumbling until the day i die about how a few movies ruined my entire life. keep on crying, dude.
Hyperbolic, ad hominem resignation accepted. xo
Star Wars is definitely not just “his” anymore, but we should all thank him half to death for that. I will be glad for every iota of intrest he still has for it.
GL has had the same gripe about how his films are viewed ever since Willow. The Young Indiana Jones series “didn’t move at the speed of MTV” for people to appreciate it. The new Indy movie: people forgot it was a B movie style type serial…and that unless you edit your movie in a Cuisinart like the Bourne movies well noone will pay attention..he’s not wrong!
I think his downfall was his success…money..look at the OT special editions..with money came extra garbage that distracted from an already good film. Had he had unlimited funds in 1977 would Star Wars be what is?
Does this even make a lick of sense? I digress..
TFA is going to be very good.
This hits on a very real problem in today’s film and even music industry. One of the greatest things any artist can have while creating are limitations. Limitations force an artist to be even more creative to solve problems. When you have no limitations (i.e. endless CGI), things get bloated very quickly. Why do a lot of the records from the 70s, 80s, and 90s sound so damn good? It’s because they were limited in their track counts to analog tape and they had to get it right on the way in, not “Well, we’ll fix this later with Pro Tools.”
The same can be said with the OT. The technical limitations of the time forced the filmmakers to be more creative to solve problems on camera, not later in post production. Not so much with the PT.
George took the criticism of the prequels personally. And none of it was. His films indeed made the childhood of us and so many others more beautiful and fun. He had (and has) more good will than almost anyone out there. And it wasn’t about him experimenting, which earned him the criticism. It was the fact that the prequels simply weren’t good films. And it hurts to admit that. He probably never will.
I hope he finds happiness directing experimental films. THX was a great film and I’m looking forward to watching a anything he comes up with.
Some of them were very personal. People act like their opinion is scientific fact. When it is mere opinion. It’s judging art, not a science.
Nonsense. When you’re being compared to a child rapist for making some movies that didn’t deliver what a bunch of angry nerds wanted, that’s personal. Good on Lucas – he’s earned his retirement and the right not to be treated like a leper for making some mediocre movies.
No one called him a child rapist. You are referring to the South Park episode, and there is something very wrong with you, if you take anything in South Park literally.
I dunno what Lucas “deserves”. I know he would have profited immensely from having someone around him during the making of the Episode 1 who openly criticized him and told him “Sorry George, you know I love you, but this shit needs to go back to the drawing board.”
Honest criticism is important for artists, who sometimes get lost in an idea or concept. In music production, we call it “to listen yourself stupid” while making a song. Say you have a great idea, you lay out the basics and you start editing it while your patterns play in a loop. Eventually your ear becomes bored with what is actually a great sound and you start changing things or experimenting just because you are hungry for something else. But who wouldn’t be, after listening for the same loop for 10 hours? And in the end, you make so many changes that you destroy what was initially an intuitively great song. (And then you realize you didn’t save the first version).
Artists need knowledgible people disconnected from their work to give them criticism. When you watch the making of EP 1-3, the people around lucas treat him the emperor in his new clothes. They all see he’s not wearing any, but no one says anything.
Someone should have stood up and said “These CGI backgrounds are bland, you have no main character, that Jar Jar is effing annoying and that new Yoda puppet looks like a retarded mix between E.T. and a green elf.”
I think, in whatever job you do, you would profit immensely from having someone around to criticize every decision you make, all day. It would strengthen your work and character. You wouldn’t find it annoying at all to have a peanut gallery of people questioning every little thing you do all day long! If you don’t like that idea then you clearly have a character flaw, a weakness. You’re not really interested in doing the best job possible. And let’s just open up a forum dedicated to each every workday you put in. You will be filmed and videos will be posted. Now complete strangers can also “help” you do a better job 🙂 You’d love it, I know! A great recipe for personal happiness and productivity.
“And in the end, you make so many changes that you destroy what was initially an intuitively great song.”
This reminds me, I once read a quote where Lucas admitted he scrapped his old outlines for the prequels right before he started pre-production on Episode 1, and started over from scratch.
I can’t help but wonder how Episode 1 and the other two prequels might have turned out had Lucas stuck to his original outlines from the ’80’s, and perhaps also if he had filmed the prequel trilogy in the late 80’s to early 90’s time period, utilizing the technical limitations of the times to the advantage of the films instead of to their detriment (making lemonade out of sour lemons)….
Yes, I wondered the same. Maybe they would have turned out better. But from what I read, he went through some pretty bad times in the 80s (personal, not financial obviously). Maybe he wouldn’t have been ready.
I’m quite certain his first draft was probably better than what was filmed in the end.
Yep, agreed on all counts…
When you criticize art you criticize the artist. And George Lucas is not a good artist.
Well said. And I’ve read before how he is somehow restricted from making experimental films…?? He has more money than many small countries — he can go forth and make as many personal films as he wants, who’s stopping him? Just don’t make mediocre ones and expect people to part with their hard-earned money for them.
I don’t think he took it “personally” that’s not really what he’s saying. The nature of the whinging led him to believe that what “fans” want is a rehash of something he already did, whereas he tried to keep SW fresh for himself by trying new things with each different incarnation. If, as an artist, he can’t do what excites him, what’s the point? Why does everyone assume he’s talking about internet forums etc.? Look at the professionally published reviews. They’re full of the same whining for Lucas to just repeat himself, verbatim. That’s more than enough to get you down after a while.
That is true. People always want more of the same, which is why studios are all about remakes, sequels and shared universes nowadays. And which is why all pop music sounds the same.
This is the essence of commercialism and it is ruining art. But it’s not about art anymore, it’s about marketing and “reaching people”. Because these days, people must be motivated to go to the movie theatre. It’s not like 20-30 years ago, before the internet, when people WANTED to go to the movies. Now you basically have to drag them by their heels saying “this is a cultural happening, you gotta be there”.
I blame social media.
I think Lucas did the right thing trying to go in a different direction with the prequels. Very commendable. But that’s not what I was criticizing. I merely criticized the exection.
Supreme Leader Snoke: “There’s been an awakening….. have you felt it?”
Kylo Ren: “Yes, my Lord. I have felt it. The chosen one has awoken from a long slumber……The Great………..The One and Only…………..The Magnificent, Viggeo Morgenstein.”
*Snoke pees himself a little*
We all have our own opinions on the PT. Only mine is the correct one.
Everytime there is a post on Lucas or Prequels, then this sub goes in a crazy war. Glad there is soon a new movie the haters will bash, and leave my PT alone. Bitches !
#leavemyPTalone
Au contraire… the only “haters” of the new films will be you zealot-like prequel/lucas defenders/apologists as you will claim it’s not really “Star Wars” since your diety, The Almighty Lucas was not involved.
#stopwhining
and/or #growapair
I think your prediction is probably correct.
I’m looking at the TFA countdown clock as a gate for the Sequel hating to begin once the new film comes out. I love the OT, PT and I am sure I will love the ST. Just give me new Stars Wars content and let me escape into the Galaxy Far Far Away.
I genuinely feel bad for the guy, but the PT wasn’t experimental at all. And that was definitely not the problem with it.
IMHO, the problems were mostly from the fact that (by the time he made them) nobody would question him. Lucas is a brilliant idea man, and he made special effects what they are today … but the OT was a collaboration. The editors improved the movies, and the actors weren’t afraid to alter dialogue (which was the weakest part of the PT for me).
Like Harrison Ford said long ago, “George, you can type this shit, but you can’t say it!”
But when the PT was made, nobody would dare say such a thing. He’s George Lucas, he built an entertainment empire and made many billions of dollars for himself and others. Movies (like so many other things) work best when they are a team effort. The PT was not, and it suffered as a result.
Also, he’d forgotten his own advice regarding effects: “A special effect is a tool, a means of telling a story. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.”
But watch any interview from around the time of the PT, and all he talks about, all he thinks about are the effects.
I don’t hate the PT—all three movies have good moments, and the overall plot is not bad—but they were sub-par films, and a tremendous disappointment to many of us who’d been waiting since 1983.
I do feel bad for the guy; he did create this universe we all love, and he is by all accounts a pretty good guy. But he earned the criticism that he received.
The prequel trilogy was extremely experimental.
How, exactly? Aside from the effects (which is a given with anything Lucas touches), I see nothing above average in the directing, scripting, plotting or acting. Certainly nothing that can be called experimental, daring or innovative.
I’m not trying to knock anyone who loves the PT. I just honestly cannot understand why anyone would. I’d genuinely like folks who love the PT to explain to me why they do, because I don’t get it.
I don’t hate them, but to me they are all mediocre movies with great effects and a scattered handful of good scenes.
I see the haters are out in full force here today. I guess they must not have productive lives if they devote their lives to hating 24/7…
And by haters and armchair filmmakers you mean “people with taste who are able the discern the difference between films with well told stories, good scripts, great characters and fine acting and films utterly devoid of these things”.
Umm, yeah, enough with the “universally” and “absolute” statements of the negative nature. Also, enough with the distortion of facts and the spread of misinformation.
I remember seeing another article stating that Lucasfilm thought Red Tails was a good movie too.
^This. Its not just the prequels, but also Red Tails, Howard the Duck, Indy 4, SW special editions. Everything Lucas made after the 80s was crap. The best thing what he could’ve done was to sell Star Wars.
Post-Divorce. 🙁
^This. As a horror movie fan, I also think divorce is partially what did in George Romero and Dario Argento, as well…
THX was a BOMB. A certified BOMB. I’m sorry, but that animation you saw at the beginning of People vs. George is wrong. People weren’t hopping up and down over THX.
The ‘difference’ is Gary Kurtz. Lucas and Kurtz worked together on Graffiti, Star Wars, and Empire. They parted ways, and things went downhill. Fast.
My son was 7 years old when we watch Red Tails on T.V. He loved the movie. I didn’t think Red Tails was as bad as everyone said. It was simplified for kids, but what a great way to tell a WWII story to children.
People also think their opinion means more than others when they really just have equal value because they are just opinions. Meanwhile none of these other people have earned a dime for making a movie themselves but feel they are entitled and deserve a Yelp Gold Elite Critic badge. Let them suffer in their pessimism, they clearly hate life enough to talk down others achievements.
Good. The criticism was well-deserved, and if it lead him to sell off Star Wars rather than making the ST as bad as the PT, then it saved Star Wars.
You’ve been to the near future and seen the new Disney films? Come on, details man, details already!
Some, yes. But when it turned to vitriol and started to become personal attacks on him and others who like the PT, yeah, that’s when it crossed the line from contructive criticism to downright hate fueled by misguided feeling of nostalgia and delusion and irrationally.
this man speaks true words^^
It all is Star Wars.
I think the problem with the PT was fan expectation. I think we all went to the cinema in 1999 expecting the Phantom Menace to be awesome. I felt confused at the end as to how it wasn’t great. It took me a few minutes afterward even to work out that I didn’t like it very much. I think the why is at least partially nostalgia.
I thought star wars was cool when I was 4 years old before I’d even seen the movie. I saw the toys in the stores and they looked epic. Stormtroopers looked like the coolest thing I’d ever seen. When I first saw Star Wars I was already half sold as a fan. The scale of everything and the wonder with which I watched it was unlike anything I experienced before or since in movies, and I don’t expect to because I’m not 4 anymore.
There is almost a hope when a new Star Wars movie comes out that it will rekindle those awestruck feelings and take me back to my childhood. Even if episode 7 was somehow superior to the OT movies, there is no way I’d like it as much. I suspect the same is true for most fans. It’s impossible for any future movie to be viewed fairly alongside the OT. That’s probably why we judge the PT so harshly. Oh, and also because they do suck a little bit.
I do these days feel the prequel movies are ok. I actually enjoy them somewhat. The real main thing that ruins the PT for me, is the darn CGI. There’s so much of it and it’s so obvious in episodes 2 and 3 that it feels like watching a computer game. I can’t immerse myself in escapism when what I’m watching doesn’t look real.
Just force yourself to suspend your disbelief!!!
Also, back in 2005 when ROTS premiered, I don’t recall a lot of people complaining about the special effects back then. Heck, for all three movies, many movie experts and fans praised the visual effects of all 3 PT movies (they even where nominated for awards on the special effects (though I believe that ROTS got robbed of a nomination for special effects that year in the Academy Awards)). If you feel indifferent about the visuals, it’s probably because you forgot to keep perspective in the fact that those movies are a product of their times and you gotta keep in perspective that their effects were done as best as they could during their times.
No prequel won any oscars. Not for visuals, and not for anything else. And Rots wasnt even nominated for best visuals so what are you talking about?
Expectations were high, and lets face it Georges expiriments failed. He cant always get it right. Where he hit a home run with the cast in ANH his choice for annakin flopped. His choice to use green screens and jar jar didnt pan out. He tried new things, and they just didnt work. I dont blame him for trying new things, but hes still in denial about their quality now.
You know, back in 2005 when ROTS came out, I don’t recall reading a lot of criticism and controversy on that movie. In fact, I read mostly praises from fans and critics on that movies (after all the a Rotten Tomatoes score is 80%). Just saying…
i think it’s ironic that everyone is so quick to point out how dated and unrealistic the CGI is in the prequels.. but those exact people are the last to admit how outdated the originals look nowadays, 40 years later. In both instances, OT and PT, the effects were revolutionary for their time and were absolutely cutting edge technology. It’s stupid that anyone looks back on films that are 40 years old and 15 years old and judges them for how they look today in 2015.
Its not how unrealistic it is. Its that it enabled the scene to get overlong and almost boring for a certain stretch. And people get glazed over a but during the Grievous-Kenobi chase.
‘Unrealistic CGI’ is a lazy and ultimately incorrect way of stating the problem we now have with most CGI, like Age of Ultron.
yeah, i see what you’re saying. i rewatched attack of the clones the other day and some of the CGI was really taking me out of the scene. that being said, i don’t remember paying one ounce of attention to that when i saw it in the theater.. it just goes to show how technology has developed since then. and yeah.. i didn’t enjoy age of ultron one bit, nor did i like the first avengers film.
The OT effects were more integrated into the characters’ actions.
The character’s existed alongside the effects, convincing or no, there was still an interplay between the two mediums.
The problem with the PT wasn’t the effects, it was HOW the effects were used in relation to the characters.
There were many scenes where they are just standing in a room, and then the FX team just throws “stuff” in the background to make it look “interesting”. So what you get in the end result is A Scene where A talks to B, with the “Space Alien” Filter 2.7 applied over the background. And the films are poorer for it.
Compared, if you’re still reading, to the Tattoine scenes in ANH where people are actually picking up and interacting and re-acting to their surroundings.
Phantom Menace is all right though, graphics-wise, in fact I think Phantom Menace is actually the BEST Film-to-Graphics of the WHOLE SAGA – from a purely objective level, it’s rivalled only by the effects in ROTJedi, and this is counting ESB, AOTC, and ROTS.
For all the flak Jar Jar gets, his seemless interaction with Qui-Gon and Ben is masterfully done, considering this was pre-Gollum. That and the use miniatures was so seamless that most people didn’t realize how much was used when they criticized the “bad graphics”.
Hate Jar Jar all you want, but don’t blame the graphics designer.
The problems only emerge in AOTC and ROTS, but bear in mind, the graphics themselves are not bad per se, it’s just that they are so obviously separated and removed from the live-action aspects that they are distracting, as opposed to improving. Effects should always strive to be A – convincing; or B – likeable.
The way CG was implemented in II and III was just, artificial and odd. It didn’t click.
To be fair, ROTS had issues too, lest we forget the horrible, horrible rotoscoping on the Rancor VS. Luke fight, with those big, blurry outlines around the rancor’s legs [thankfully they’ve FINALLY done something to help that in the newer Special Editions].
If you asked me, the best use of graphics in the PT are: Phantom Menace’s backgrounds / Jar Jar, AOTC’s Jango Fett fight on Kamino – that scene is very convincing, a masterpiece of effects, and…. nope, that’s it. ROTS was a big steaming trainwreck of Human-Graphics Relations.
You completely dismissed my original posting. Go back and re-read about what I posted on ROTS and if you still can’t think otherwise, well then, well will have to agree to disagree.
People didn’t respond as negatively to ROTS initially, me included. When I first saw it, I liked it. But upon walking out, thinking about the film on the way home, the more I realized it wasn’t really good. It looks good, but there’s not much staying power.
Regarding the general “PT < OT" attitude, people always like to say: "Well, the Originals weren't THAT good, people only like it because of nostalgia…"
I think this assumption is flawed. Yes, people feel nostalgia for the OT, but that's only a by-product of why the films are classics: The films are classics because of the harmony between Characters and Environment.
Han and Luke are cool, and they are pretty seamlessly INSIDE the Galaxy Far Far Away. That is THEIR home, and TGFFA is also cool in its own right. Everything is flawed, but likable, and everything is IN SYNC with each other.
Resulting in quite a special, little world created on the screen, and it is THIS that got people watching it 4 times in a row in '77.
The prequels have a lot of strong points, in fact, their good points outweigh the bad. But none of these things are properly in sync with each other.
The characters seem to have no place in the world around them, and vice versa. Luke was a farmboy, and you could tell. People treated him like a farmboy.
Anakin, on the other hand, is the Main Character. People treat him like The Main Character, which means we the audience are never given much point of reference to him.
The characters in the PT are not part of their environment, rendering the World non-important, but also meaning the Characters have no point of reference from which we the audience can relate to, rendering the Characters as also non-important. In other words, there is no emotional glue to give the story purpose, turning the whole thing into a cutscene in between fights. The PT would have been better if they just made a video-game, because that's essentially what the films most resemble.
*eats snacks and sips juice box while reading*
Yeah, I think this who “dated/holds up” talk is not really a strong and substantial argument as it dismisses relativity in the sense that all movies capture a snapshot of the times they were produced.
which nobody seems to realize, for some reason.
jar jar was never revolutionary. he looked like crap. the OT while dated now looked believable then.
Your avatar looks like crap, looks dated and not really believable.
Effects quality is insignificant next to the power of a well told story and compelling characters. The OT had these things. The PT did not.
Its on 79% not 80 (and audience score is 65%). Its a huge difference, and lying about something to justify your opinion is the worst tactic of arguing, just saying…
I might not be popular for saying it, but ROTJ is my favorite movie of all time. Every moment of it is an adventure.
it just shows you how big his ego is and what a fucking cry baby Lucas has become….How dare you disagree with me and not like one of my characters? Fine…I am going home and I am taking my Jar Jar toys with me!…~~~~~~ SEE YA GEORGE! Thanks for the memories buddy!..now….where were we? Oh yes…quite right then…Welcome Back Star Wars!
Actually, Mr Lucas didn’t take anything home. He is allowing Star Wars to continue.
“the Force doesn’t get muddled into a bunch of gobbledygook.” this was the best part. Hey George, “Midi-chlorian” much?
All I will say is… I’m glad he handed it over. It’s a new era… and I’m excited!
Well, I will always be grateful to him for giving me one of the highlights of my childhood….Lucas is a technical visionary and great initiator – getting people to work for something that only exists in your imagination is just amazing.
But at the same time I think it’s a shame that Lucas doesn’t recognize his own weaknesses, which have prevented him from making the prequels three movie classics.
He’s a Taurus, What can I say?
Thank the maker
I respect Lucas for the universe he created, although I tend to disagree with him about the prequels, the use of CGI and OT re-releases. Honestly though, as much as I’m looking forward for the new Star Wars, I’m getting more excited for Rian Johnson’s take on Episode VIII. I want to see what the director of Brick and Looper is capable of.
All the Lucas haters in my opinion don’t deserve to watch The Force Awakens. They should be told that Lucas created Star Wars and if they have a problem with that to move on and find something other than hating Lucas for a hobby. Our society has a big problem with haters in general. These people lives suck so much that they have to put down others. Can’t find a good article anywhere to write nice stuff about. These people think they can make a better movie, well where is it? Thank you George Lucas for making Star Wars a reality.
Lucas didn’t create Star Wars. Many people collaborated to make Star Wars what it was – he just came up with the initial idea. Sadly, he has taken credit for the work of hundreds of different people.
Of course he didn’t create Star Wars all by himself. No movie is made just by one person, nothing really new there. And of course as a matter effect there are changes having to be made to whatever the creator originally intented. He also didn’t do the PT by himself and there where lots of changes being made to their story as well.
Still:
No George = No Star Wars
The initial idea, is all that matters. I don’t think anyone thinks a person makes a movie by themselves.
Bullshit. He hand crafted that universe.
Maybe…but there are a handful of late 90’s Cinefantastique articles that tell a rather different and far more nuanced story..
Cinefantastique had a long history of tearing into George. Not a trustworthy source of info.
Alright then, fair enough. Alas, I love George Lucas but I also used to really enjoy reading Cinefantastique. I guess I’ll just have to respect and admire them both for different reasons.
Thanks for the clarification, what you say here does shed a little light on these matters. That being said, I still believe Cinefantastique to have been a top notch quality zine in most respects and an invaluable source of film information and astute criticism for the better part of three deacdes, even if I happen to disagree with much of their overly harsh assessments of Lucas…
Yes, he created Star Wars, and for that, we are grateful. But that doesn’t make him an infallible God, nor does it make him immune from criticism of his newer ones, – and there is a clear difference between criticism and hate. He has continually spurned the fans who have given so much to make him immensely wealthy and keep the franchise popular for 38 years. And now he whines about the fans not loving all his bad ideas and his terrible prequel trilogy.
You don’t get it. Nobody is saying he’s infallible. Technology when the prequel came out offered at the time state of the art CGI and tools to make the thing look the way they did. Even the OT was state of the art. Dolby Surround was introduced. Clone Wars was the first time theaters used digital screens. It may not live up to the standards of some. But the story of Anakin was a story George Lucas wanted to tell himself. He may as well be the god of Star Wars, just as Steve Jobs was to Apple and Bill Gates was to Microsoft. You people want to destroy what was otherwise a great story arc because crybabies didn’t get the story they wanted, or didn’t like a particular element to the movie. GGI, Jar Jar, the list goes on. There is a lot of negativity in this world, people don’t appreciate shit. With Thanksgiving just a week away, it’s sad how many people aren’t thankful, they are just hateful.
It’s not about the technical elements – Put all the technical elements aside – the story of the prequels was awful. It boils down to a whiny idiot being tricked by a politician who seeks power and a bunch of other idiots do nothing to oppose or challenge him until it’s too late. It featured unlikable, boring characters that sucked all the life and fun out of Star Wars. There definitely is a segment of the fans who think that Lucas is the infallible holy father and that any one who thinks that his more recent ideas are bad are committing outrageous blasphemy.
Let’s not forget how completely moronic the Jedi were. They were like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Saddest of all, the Jedi were stupid, because George needed them to be for his story to work, plain and simple.
Lucas did not create Star Wars alone. He just happens to be the guy who gets the most credit.
Any artist in any medium has to deal with criticism. You either absorb it and learn from it, or develop a thick enough skin that you soldier on and keep doing things as you want to. IMO, he made some very poor artistic decisions in his latter day films. And he still made a ridiculous amount of money off the franchise. He has no reason to complain.
I seriously think he’s gone senile in the last 15 years or so and is in the early stages of Ahlzeimers.
bitter… and twisted, bwahahaha
Much like the dark side of the Force.
This is nothing new. First of all he lied in the past about “never reading what people say online” second of all he made exactly TWO non-Star Wars films post Sith even though he did nothing but bitch during the PT how the saga was holding him back from making edgy experiemental films. After Red Tails and Strange Magic both were DOA at the box office, He took his ball home and sold it all off to Disney in spite of saying it was always “his” thing. He’s a massive hypocrite. I respect him for everything he did up until the 90’s but his 21st century self is a betrayal of all he stood for as a filmmaker.
A friend of mine’s Grandpa was one of the Tuskegee Airmen btw and even he was put to sleep by Red Tails but don’t tell that to George who thinks it was all due to “racism”.
He didn’t have to go online. There were plenty of negative things in print media and TV not to mention an entire documentary The People V. GL. That would be enough for anyone.
Yeah from the critics. Are you saying there was a vast conspiracy to give the film bad reviews? Take a look at RT, Metacritic, and it’s not hard to see how unanimous the opinion was among fans and non-fans that the PT was weak compared to the OT.
Luca$ should be beaten within a inch of his life for his crimes against humanity but a few things can be taken from his movie molestation escapades over the past 30 years-
1. The PT are canon (obviously) but JJ has simply ignore them. They sucked tremendously and were bad ideas.
*We don’t want to hear about what happened to Rastafarian Stinks and the
rest of the ethnically based aliens from the Presucks in Epi 7*
*We don’t want to hear any more nonsense about Midiflorides or STD’s being behind the Force in Epi 7 *
And this is just to name a few.
2. Anything with Star Wars will make money even the Presucks…the Mouse
brought the Star Wars brand and unfortunate for them, The PT were apart
of that deal. if the Mouse could offload the PT without losing any money, I know they would…what a stain on cinema history they are.
I bet if the PT were independent films not associated with Star Wars in anyway…all three films would have only made 800,000 combined at the
box office. The PT are fecal matter.
3. Yes the PT is Luca$ story but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell him they
suck if they suck. No one is telling him what to do, he envisioned it but the directing (DISGRACEFUL), producing (SUCKED), acting (REPREHENSIBLE), plotholes (GALORE), execution (ABYSMAL), overuse of CGI (XBOX 360) were intolerable.
Again no one is disputing that the PT is canon but JJ has ignored them because that what good directors do…Luca$ is not a director,he is a cashmongerer/toymaker and he didn’t create the PT because his creative juices were flowing. He only created the PT to add more coinage to his money vault so he can laugh at us and go swimming in it like Scrooge McDuck.
You idiot
He created it, so he has all rights to play with it the way he wants. It´s up to you to leave it.
No.
However if he didn’t want fans criticism or praises, he should have kept his movies to himself. But he made it and distributed throughout the world and therefore his body of work is subject to analysis and ridicule.
Just because he created something doesn’t mean he has the right to be a horrible writer, a horrible director and a horrible everything. If he wants the world to love his work, he should take proud in his work.
He’s disgusting.
JJ is not ignoreing the PT. There were already plenty of references to them just by what can be seen in trailers, pictures and so on.
Like what?
Give an example please.
Dude, no one can ignore the PT. Like it or not, the whole saga revolves around the PT now.
No PT=no Empire. No Empire=no First Order.
No Anakin=no Darth Vader. No Vader=no Kylo Ren obsession with the character.
If Abrams and co. are truly looking to “recapture the spirit of the OT” then they have to make a reference or 2 to the days of the Old Republic or the Jedi Order or the Clone Wars or something along those lines.
It might be an obscure reference if you will, just like in the OT, but you can be sure that the PT will NOT be ignored outright.
Dude, I read the script and the movie treatment for TFA…If you have a email address, we can take it offline and I can link you to the site with the spoilers..
JJ and the Mouse completely ignore the Prequels, there is not even a mention of them in The Force Awakens at all.
They realized that the Prequel sucked and they are pretending that that it didn’t happened. The Force Awaken is using the OT for its underlining layers.
The prequels are great. I don’t get the hate.
Really? What’s so great about them?
Their content is so much cool. And the story is also very nice. The movies and the way they told the story it is the real problem. If you read the novelizations you will see it is “at least” nicer then the movies.
The story? About how a whiny jerk gets tricked into betraying his Jedi order and ends up getting them all killed because of some promise that is supposed to save his wife yet can’t because he isn’t able to do it in time? Or the political maneuvering of a senator who is able to trick the galaxy’s stupidest people into achieving power? That story was great?
Yes, it was. It mirrored how people like George W. Bush do the exact same thing in real life and most people are not only oblivious to it, but support it.
But you know, you’d probably prefer the distractions of how perfect good guy defeats pure evil guy. It’s simpler.
That´s the same story of our world…
They have a better story, a very fitting and timely political allegory and characters that display shades of grey and make errors.
They also expand the mythology beautifully.
Everything is great about them.
I like prequels too.
What’s not so great about them? the complaints I’ve seen are minor gripes. Hardly worth writing off the whole damn thing.
He’s a talentless hack who always got more credit than he was due. The Original Trilogy was only good because he had very little involvement in it, and collaborated with many different people – despite the fact that he always got credit for being a “visionary” or even a “genius.” He didn’t even direct them all, and the one that he DID partially direct (save for the second unit photography) was a cheap scifi B-movie flop that was saved in editing, thanks to the efforts of Marcia Lucas – a truly talented woman whom he has done his best to erase from history.
The Prequels, where he personally had direct and absolute control over every single aspect of production – from writing to directing to editing – was his attempt to finally prove himself as a filmmaker and create something that he COULD legitimately take credit for. But it backfired, because all it did was shine a spotlight on his lack of talent and total inability to make quality films.
Lack of talent you say? Why don’t you do a little research and you will see he was nominated as best director for “American Grafitti”. That movie was nominated for 5 or 6 Oscars all together..
Plus he was instrumental in the development of different techniques to enhance our theatre movie experience such as the THX sound system.
Talentles….??? Get a clue!!!!
F*** that clown. Absolute power over his “vision” showed how bad he could be. That guy said back in the 70’s he had no interest in normal films with cohesive narratives which weren’t going to make $$$.
He created SW and had some great ideas. ANH was awesome thanks to him and lots of help not to mention luck.
After 1983, that guy did nothing but milk fans wallets until 1999, when he released a vanity project/money grab that even his carefully selected sycophants recognized with horror as a ball of crap batter dipped in stupidity and deepfried in obvious CGI.
Lucas has no shame and no regard for the facts.
He’s basically warning against the people he sold SW to against making mistakes he himself made…while pretending like he never made them. Go away George.
The main problem I have with his reasons is that he never made any serious effort to defend his work. It is shameful that prequel fans have actually made a better effort to defend those films than the man who made them. Lucas just sat there and let a cottage industry of vitriol profit off of his works. Lucas has a lot of money; he could have very easily have dragged these individuals through legal hell like Marv did in Sin City. I’ve seen this done before, folks. It’s nothing for a good team of high priced lawyers to drain a small business into bankruptcy with legal fees from frivolous lawsuits.
But instead he permitted this to continue unabated.
I find it humorous that for as much as George Lucas hated George Bush, they both made the same exact error when dealing with their critics. They both chose to ride the high horse and avoid the low road. And we see where both of their reputations are today as a result of that doctorine.. destroyed.
You have to deal with criticism, yes. And with the prequels, rightfully so. But you cannot ignore your critics in the age of social media and hope they will eventually just go away. You have to go out there and do battle with them. And when people use the knives in your back as a ladder to financial sucess.. you gotta take the gloves off. Rothchild said it best: If they can’t love you, let them fear you.
George Lucas talking about why he isn’t involved with the Force Awakens
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/George-Lucas-Finally-Reveals-Why-He-Broke-Up-With-Star-Wars-95347.html
George may have created something amazing with Star Wars, but he clearly doesn’t understand what Star Wars really is to the fans.
I’m not sure what the hostility in the comments below is attributed to. If any of you doubt his chops as a filmmaker I recommend you read Rinzler’s The Making of The Empire Strikes Back or any of his books about the original films. George put everything he had on the line to make TESB and almost lost it all. It was a tremendous gamble when, at that point, he could have sold Star Wars to 20th Century Fox for a fortune and walked. George was a pioneer in independent filmmaking and fighting an archaic Hollywood system of studio control.
You all should have a little more respect for the man. Your opinion of the prequels should not negate that without his vision we would not be here, having these discussions.
Bullshit, everybody knew that ESB will pay out even tho he put his own money in it. Star Wars was good because it was a collaborative work. If you read things like how C3PO was originally like a used car sales man type, or the death Star Was originally a crucible for the booger (the dark side’s original name), or Han supposed to be an old alien. Lucas is actually the one who gets too much credit for it. ANH was originally a disaster after the first rough cut, and it was recut by people who actually knew how to make movies (like Marcia Lucas).
Lucas was indeed a pioneer who fought against the system, just to become the system later. The way that episode 7 is beeing made (a collaboration from the best star wars enhusiast professionals from all over the world) is how star wars should be made, and it is the reason why it is going to be good.
I’m so elated to learn that you’ve already watched the film to claim that it’s going to be good with such authority.
As for enthusiastic professionals making films about stuff they love, I’d like you to ask Tolkien fans how they feel about Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, since the guy happens to be one of the world’s biggest Tolkien fans. See how that turned out for them.
Im pretty sure its gonna be good. I mean if it dosent despite the hard work of JJ, Kasdan and all the original cast and crew than im 100% that nothing will. And Hobbit was a book adaptaion not an original work. And it mostly wasnt that great because the story itself wasnt as epic as Lotr’s, but imo Jackson did everything he could from the source material which was possible so blaming him personaly is a stupid thing.
I think it’s more accurate to say it wasn’t great, because Peter Jackson would not accept, that is isn’t as epic as LOTR. A story does not have to be epic, to be great.
Yeah well, since I happen to put ALL of Abrams’ films at the same level as the PT at its best, I’m not so sure that this film will be as good as many of you are expecting it to be.
At best, I’m sure it’ll be an entertaining film (because of Kasdan, not Abrams) but nothing special. And I’m sure there will be countless people who feel terribly disappointed with the film because of their impossibly high expectations for TFA, as was the case for many with the PT.
As for my Hobbit comparison, the original idea for the films has got nothing to do with what I was saying. The point is that just because you happen to be a fan of something this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to make a good story because of your love for this or that story.
That is why your Hobbit comparsion wasnt acurate. Because it was a story which has already been told, and not a story which has to told yet.
And puting JJ’s works on the same level as the prequels isnt acurate aswell. All of JJ’s work are 1000000% better than the prequels, there hasnt been any big blockbuster since 99 which was as bad as the prequels imo. Even tho Into Darkness wasnt as good as Star Terk, it was still way better than any prequel.
Jackson was working on a story that had already been told. Exactly. All the more to my favor. Because at least Jackson wasn’t trying to come up with a brand-new story of his own, set in an already existing universe, the way Abrams is trying to do. This is obviously a much more challenging task.
I applaud Abrams for his courage at taking on this endeavor. If he succeeds, TFA might very well cement his place as one of cinema’s brightest directors today. And if he fails, TFA might derail his career (see Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher after their respective Batman films, for example). I sure hope that TFA turns out to be Abrams’ masterpiece and that I thoroughly enjoy the film. But I’d be stupid not to admit that the risk of failure is there.
I really dont envy the guy. The last two years must have been the most stressful period of his life. But imo, from what I know and asume TFA is very good. I think that is why Disney started to think about the expanding SW universe, because they know that TFA will blow. 26 days and we will see. I already have my ticket so lets hope…
Yeah, Abrams took a major chance here, no doubt. But again, the reward could be far bigger than the risk if the film’s a hit. I’m also hoping that this is the case.
Davis, are you really defending the Hobbit Trilogy? Are you saying it´s not Jackson´s fault? :-)))))) You are so funny :-))) Jackson in the first place convinced himself the studio to do 3 movies instead of 2, argumenting that he has so much material he could do 3. I hardly saw a worst movie then Desolation of Smaug. And I didn´t see (and have no intention to) The Battle of Five armies. I had enough with what iˇve read through the internet. Peter Jackson did a great movie – Fellowship of The Ring. Then he made two good movies. And starsting with King Kong I don´t take this person seriously anymore. And Hobbit???? There is no Hobbit. Therre is a wonderful book and that´s it.
I disliked the Hobbit trigoy as well tbh (not as hard as I dislike the prequels tho), but Imo it dosent really matter if if he did 2 movies or 3, the source material just wasnt good enough to make a new Lotr. However I enjoyed the first one pretty much. The second one was too boring, and the third one was crap imo. But it wasnt Jackson’s fault if you ask me…
Your first sentence is not true. At the time, sequels to blockbusters did not have a track record for surpassing the original in terms of box office. In order for George to keep control of the franchise, TESB had to blow the doors off of the box office.
Collaboration or not, George had the final say over everything that came out of the original trilogy. It takes just as much talent to work in collaboration on a project and pool together ideas. I didn’t mean to imply George came up with each good idea on his own.
I’m just surprised this interview stirred up so much negativity. George seems very much at peace with the fact he is no longer involved in the franchise. He could have kept a stake in Lucasfilm or written in a clause to have some amount of control or approval. He did not. He walked away and has been very hands off and respectful of Abrams and Kennedy, in my opinion.
I don’t understand why you guys are so worked up about him.
That would’ve been true about any other movie, but Star Wars. Everybody knew it was a grand hit. And ESB had rly no competition at all back then. ESB was guaranted to be a box office success regardless of the outcome (like with the prequels).
“He could have kept a stake in Lucasfilm or written in a clause to have some amount of control or approval.”
I kind of wonder why he didn’t do this. Early reports around the time of the Disney acquisition were that the studio was VERY pleased with the Lucas outlines they inherited from the sale, and that it was the obtainment of said outlines that sealed the deal for them. It seems George had some degree of blind faith that they would honor these outlines, and had every reason to believe (at the time) that they would.
Probably because he trusted Kathleen Kennedy to keep things on the straight and narrow, to be somewhat of his mouthpiece at LucasFilm. But he should’ve protected his creative property more before handing it over, with certain clauses added to the contract by his legal team. Not sure why this wasn’t done, other than perhaps George was too trusting. He seems genuinely surprised and more than a little disappointed that they have chosen to discard those outlines and the early drafts.
But he has only himself to blame for not better protecting his creative properties from a strictly legal standpoint. I love the guy, but being the successful businessman that he is and having endured the machinations of Hollywood for as long as he has, I am a bit baffled by his oversights here. I think maybe he just wanted to be rid be of Star Wars at that point, and maybe rushed negotiations a bit due to how burnt out he was feeling at the time. He may have handled things in a bit of a hasty fashion, looking at everything now with the benefit of hindsight…
At the time sequels generally made half what the previous film made. The closest comparison would be the PLANET OF THE APES movies where this was exactly true. Lucas had already made a sequel to AMERICAN GRAFITTI in 1979. The original was the most profitable independent film in history, the sequel which he financed bombed. Also, If it was such a sure thing why did he have so many problems securing financing throughout production? Read Rinzler’s book on that.
Lucas didn’t do the first cut of ANH. There was an editor that started when he was shooting on location. Once he saw the first cut he fired them and started over. He hired 3 more editors to finish on time. Marcia Lucas worked on the Toshi Station stuff ( you know the terrible stuff that was cut) and the end battle which all the editors worked on, including Lucas who did not take a credit.
And those weren’t aliens… they were inter-dimensional beings.
Even with half, it would’ ve been enormously succesful (as it was). And yea, I know those were interdimensional beings. Lucas said that exact same sentece to Spielberg to convince him…
$650 million is the gross which you then deduct production, print, and advertising cost. He earned 40% of the profit but that would be after a 50% split with theater owners and after sketchy studio accounting. He then has to give away another 50% to Uncle Sam. Plus he also shared some of his points with the actors, staff, and even Spielberg!
Having already made a huge investment in Skywalker Ranch, that 20 million would be pretty much every single dollar he had left. Which in actuality was money he didn’t yet really have. Fox was slow on payouts trying to force him back to the table to negotiate sequel rights. They knew that bank financing for an individual would be extremely difficult and if a sequel wasn’t started within a certain amount of time that they could seize the rights.
We now know that STAR WARS as timeless as Micky Mouse but many at the time thought it was fluke, flash in the pan. There was no guarantee there would still be any audience 3 years later.
Then take into account his previous attempt at a sequel for AMERICAN GRAFFITI. The original grossed 115 million, the sequel only made 14 million. It was huge risk, describing it any other way is ridiculous.
Dont forget that the 650 million was only the revenue of the movie! The merchantising rights to Star Wars was exclusively Lucas’s right aswell. And Star Wars had really no huge ad costs (compared to ep 7 which has an estimated 450 million dollar ad cost + 200 the movie itself), in 77 barely any theatres even agreed to show the movie. The 11 million budget is including ad costs (the movie was only 8), as ESB’s 23 million cost also did (only 18 was the movie’s)
And comparing Star Wars to American Graffiti or Planet Apes is an incorrect comparsion. You couldn’t really compare SW to any other movie franchises back then. It was so enormously successful that it is actually curruculum to modern US sociology. In the 80s there was nothing but SW, Idk if you were in the theatres back then, but it was a success you cant even imagine nowadays (beacuse movies arent such big things today), people talked about it at home, at the workplace, everywhere and it was a huge success in europe (especially UK and Germany) and Japan aswell. ESB made around 480 million revenue (not counting the special edition again), and it was even better than Star Wars (or ANH as it was called after 78). You really didnt need have an MBA to know that ESB will pay out. Heck, if I had 20 million back then to invest, Star Wars would’ve been the first I’d invest in, without any question. Studios nowadays do way riskier investments (like John Carter’s 250 million budget, or Waterworld’ 175 million).
Of course Lucas hoped he might have a hit with a Star Wars sequel. But there is huge difference between doubling down from EMPIRE to JEDI than where he was on SW to EMPIRE.
Lucas took out a personal bank loan of 33 million to make EMPIRE.
The movie was running over budget and the first installments were due. Fortunately the merchandise sales from ANH were far better than expected and payments started coming in and helped keep everything afloat, but for a while it was like spinning plates…plates that could have all crashed down at any moment.
check this out…
http://www.megomuseum.com/megolibrary/adarchive/1980/empire.html
Here is an article from July, 1980. You can tell there is a tone of relief. While people thought it could be a success nobody was convinced yet that a SW sequel was a sure thing. Even after the enormous success of SW merchandise, retailers were hesitant to even dedicate much shelf space for EMPIRE toys. SW was the MOST SUCCESSFUL MOVIE MERCHANDISING OF ALL TIME and retailers are still not convinced to put the sequel products on their shelves! That says a lot.
EMPIRE’s box office eventually proved the first films success was no fluke, but until those numbers actually came in NOBODY knew for sure.
Exactly. Star Wars is the most successful merchandising of all time. And this is why I will never understand why he made the prequels basically kids movies only for merchandising toys or other stuff. Dont tell me it was the story he always wanted to tell… Or maybe it was and he just simply lost the Thing… Well anyways imo Star Wars is the most creative thing ever created. Even tho he recycled other stories and movies ( like The hidden fortress) those were really just inspiration and not copy-pasting, and he magaged to raise the bar to a new level noone ever matched to date imho. The Force, the Jedi the whole universe is really a work of genious, and I will always respect Lucas for the original Star Wars.. Nowadays ,,artists” just simply steal japanese stuff, whitewash them and make a crappier version of it. Like the now ongoing Hunger Games is basically a ripoff from Battle Royale.
OK let me put this straight:
– Lucas saying that “You go to make a movie and all you do is get criticized, And it’s not much fun. You can’t experiment”, is just like Miyamoto and Nintendo: they want to do what THEY WANT TO DO (as Malstrom says), they want to do what THEY THINK IT IS FUNNY FOR THEM! They do not think about “oh I am gonna do this cuz the audience is asking…”. NO! It seems that neither George nor Nintendo did their stuff because of the money, but just for their own fun!
– Nevertheless this takes us to the fact that DISNEY IS INDEED DRAGGING STAR WARS AWAY from its former path, Lucas’s designed path, which is the original one. So this “Episode 7” is not a “REAL Episode 7”. Thus said NOTHING FROM DISNEY IS CANON FOR ME, it is the EU that is the true canon!
If we can each have our own personal canons, then I chose to remove Episodes 1-3 from canon for how utterly terrible they were.
Someone should remove your comments for the same reason.
Oh, snap.
Just pretend they don’t exist. A lot of people have been trying to do that since 1999 with these movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1pmr_Ird4
Thretosix, actually, I agree wholeheartedly with his comment, as do at least 50% of Star Wars fans (though probably much more than that), and like 99% of the general audience. Deal with it.
This argument assumes there is such a thing as an original path. There never was one. Lucas and his collaborators were making it up as they go. Remember, Darth Vader only became Luke’s father during the development of TESB. So the original designed path is a case of revisionism, pure and simple. Create something as you go, and then pretend it was part of some giant scheme.
I know Lucas drove Star Wars development on-the-fly, but at least he kept to his ideas. Disney is not anywhere there, they just want to mimick Ep4 with Ep7, almost a reboot for money. It is not expanding the saga mythos but rather mimicking it.
Since nobody alive has seen TFA, outside of it’s creators, I think we should reserve judgement until december 18th. The marketing is certainly geared towards nostalgia, but that’s understandable. Even if Ep7 mirrors Ep4, the outcome can still be new and refreshing. Here’s an interesting perspective on this point:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/08/star-wars-the-force-awakens-kylo-ren-the-post-modern-darth-vader/401225/
Great advice. I’d suggest also telling this to the countless people who are already assuming that TFA will be amazing, only because Lucas has absolutely nothing to do with it.
The man who created the Prequels is not the same man who created the OT. George Lucas got older and developed new perspectives. As a younger man he wrote fun stories because that’s what he was into. As an older man he (tried to) write more philosophical stories. The problem is that, as an older man, he tried to create a character who is young and conflicted. A character type that he no longer understands.
Just keep that in mind as you trash him and the Prequels.
He created a character who was an unlikable, whining jackass who stupidly got tricked into betraying his order for a promise that couldn’t even be fulfilled in the time he needed it to.
You seem like an unlikable whining jackass. Just saying. When I read comments from people like you all I see is wah wah wah, prequel, Lucas, Jar Jar, CGI, wah wah wah.
And when we see comments from people like you all we see is some dude who is either too young, or dosent understand movies at all. Except for John Williams nothing was good in the prequels, one day you might see it yourself (or not).
I don’t have to explain myself, your the judgmental person. Now your attacking me. Saw all the original movies in the theater. Then saw the prequels and enjoyed them. Just because you disagree your the name calling childish. My suggestion is give up on Star Wars, don’t watch the new movie. George Lucas is the visionary for Star Wars. What part don’t you understand. I don’t really care what it is either.
I think you should take some english classes first…
What the fuck is your problem asshole? I speak good English have multiple degrees. Make a good wage. Have a great family. You’re just a trolling narcissistic asshole who attacks people for their opinion. Go kill yourself.
Why so offensive bro? Someone didnt drink his morning milk? You were the one who started insulting others… I think the reason why you enjoy the preqels is because you are incredibly stupid. However if you insult someone in english, at least try to do it grammatically correct..
You are the one finding comments that differ from your opinion then calling them names and saying childish shit like your stupid, grammar, etc. Get a fucking life man. You seriously have issues. My comments aren’t the only ones. If your so fucking unhappy with life that you have to troll people your the one who needs to grow the fuck up. I am offended. Your really are a shit stain on this Earth. This is a Star Wars comment section not school. People have opinions, telling someone their opinion is wrong makes no sense at all. Only cowards like yourself make fun of others on line. Come find me, I’ll kick your fucking ass.
Right, because criticizing movies for not making any sense, having unlikable characters or being an enjoyable experience makes me a jackass and are not valid opinions to hold. Why do you think that the only valid opinions are positive ones?
They made sense to me. Perhaps your brain couldn’t figure it out.
Let me see…
In other words, what you’re trying to say is that Lucas screwed up by creating a young man with lots of power at his disposal EXACTLY as most people Anakin’s age behave when they are fully aware of the power or the money or the status that they wield?
How dare he!
He screwed up by creating a young man who was a violent jerk from the start- there was nothing likable about Anakin in the beginning to make his fall to the dark side a tragic event at the end. And the reason for his fall was pure stupidity more than a lust for power. And if the audience has no reason to care about the main character – it’s a poorly written story.
Nothing said there had to be anything likable about Anakin, except for the image of the hero that we all had in our heads, based on Obi-Wan’s words to Luke in ANH.
Ditto for his fall to the dark side. Nothing said that was supposed to be a tragic event in and of itself. The tragedy was the chain of events that it unleashed upon the galaxy as a whole.
The PT has LOTS of problems. I’m not blind to this fact. But a big part of it were the expectations that many fans had for the films, based on their own version of what should’ve happened in the prequels.
Since Lucas’ vision turned out to be different to what most of these people imagined, that’s why his concepts get so much heat. And that’s not Lucas’ fault. That’s the direct result of not wanting to understand where he was coming from, whether we agree with his vision or not.
I don’t think the fact that it’s different is the biggest problem. GL admitted himself that he actually had to much story to tell in ep3, and he pretty much changed, and condensed the entire story of Anakin’s fall during post-production. As a consequence Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side is very abrupt, and ultimately ended up being less than satisfactory to many viewers.
I never said Lucas’ execution of Anakin’s fall worked. Even if Anakin had been the great, likable hero that many had pictured in their heads for many a year, his turn would’ve been unsatisfying. This is because the problem was execution, not the character’s personality as pictured by Lucas.
Usually in order to enjoy a movie you need to be able to like the main character and hope he succeeds, otherwise you have no emotional investment in what happens to him in the movie and are not at all effected by his success or failure. This is basic moviemaking and storytelling. If you want me to be engaged in this story, give me a reason to care about what happens in it.
The expectation for Anakin, based on old Obi Wan’s reminisces, was that he was a great warrior and a good man who was tragically seduced by the dark side and became Darth Vader. But instead, we got an unlikable whiner who went on a killing spree and was stupidly tricked, not seduced, into joining the dark side.
I wasn’t speaking of liking/disliking the PT. That’s a matter of personal taste. That’s also irrelevant to my point, which was the way that Lucas conceived Anakin’s personality traits.
I know what the expectation for the character was. I also thought at first that he’d be a strong, courageous, confident Jedi, a la Obi-Wan or Luke near the end of the OT. I said as much in my last post. But then I came to realize that in order for his fall to the dark side to work, the guy had to be the total opposite; he had to be an insecure, immature, gullible fool, easy for Palpatine to mold like clay in his hands. That’s exactly what we got.
Now, if the PT was a completely new story then I would agree with you: the protagonist would have to be likable and we had to root for him to succeed. But in this case, we knew what was going to happen to Anakin, even long before TPM came out. So, in my book, anyone who expected for him to be likable and to succeed was even more gullible and naive than the character himself.
Anakin was not a violent jerk in episode I. So he wasn’t that way from the start.
Boy Anakin and young man Anakin are basically two different people. (not talking about the actors) He was just a little boy in that first movie – he had no real character. He didn’t have much to do except win the podrace and then he was basically taken from place to place by the Jedi – with everything out of his control. When we next see him, he’s 19, and there is nothing that ties his character to the boy version. That’s when we really needed to see the good guy he was that was corrupted and fell – but we don’t see that at all. We see a whiner who goes on a killing spree. There is no well-developed arc.
There was. You missed it.
Someone who was born a slave, separated from his mother while young to train to be a warrior only to come home and see her die in his arms. Who then lives a love affair forbidden by the institution to whom he left his mother for and dedicated his life to. And then he is put down again and again by said institution, who makes it clear he is not one of them, holding him at an arm’s length all along.
Amid all this turmoil he meets someone who seems to understand him, mentor him and value him. He falls for this man’s promises, but, so did, basically, most of the Galaxy. At this point, Palpatine isn’t the evil emperor; he’s the Galaxy’s saviour.
Years later, when he has visions of his secret wife dying soon, something actually plausible for someone with his gifts, he turns to that trusted mentor, who suggest there is a way for his life not to die, like his mother had.
All of this is enough to incite the dangerous rage and fear that could lead a user of the force to the dark side, when he crosses, so paranoid and overtaken by the power he is blinded to anything and almost murders the one person he risked everything to protect. He then faces a final battle with a life-long friend where he comes out barely human. He believes he murdered his own family.
He’s now the ruthless Darth Vader.
It was all there and it was quite clear.
A bratty teenager who does nothing but constantly complain about his mentor who has spent the last decade training him to be a Jedi decides to reject his training and go on a killing spree, murdering women and children. He marries a woman who inexplicably falls in love with him, knowing full well that he is a confessed child murderer. He then tries to save his wife’s life by trusting a man who is clearly trying to take over the galaxy by anyone who isn’t braindead or possesses an ounce of common sense. He is told to kill his entire Jedi order so that a promise can be fulfilled saving his wife’s life, even though he tries to choke her and the wife dies before he can even begin to discover the secret of saving her. Despite this, he then simply goes along as a servant of the Emperor for the next 20 years. So Anakin as an a adult was always a bad apple, there was no real good guy to begin with to tragically fall to being a bad guy, And he was an idiot to boot to go along with the whole thing. All this makes him a character that no one wants to get behind as the main character of a movie that we are supposed to feel bad for in his tragic fall.
As I said, you missed it. It flew over your head.
I even gave you the break down.
Stick to uncomplicated pure heroes and pure villains.
You might enjoy Power Rangers.
Bratty teenager. How dare him resent slavery, being taken from his mother, have her die in his arms after murder, have no support from the institution he left her for, have his love affair condemned and so on…
I understand the prequel haters, from a certain point of view. But let’s be honest here. The prequels were okay and have some redeeming merit…
In the case of Ep I, however, he wrote a movie intended primarily for a young audience hungry for action, engaging characters and plot twists, and filled it with plot points involving diplomacy, trade disputes, a lot of planning, and a less than thrilling CGI battlefield scene. The seemingly forced dialogue didn’t engage me on an emotional level as much as the OT and make me care about the characters. He missed the mark completely with his audience, in that regard. On the other side…Liam Neeson was good, Darth Maul was cool and the lightsaber battle was epic. John Williams did the music, and gave us “Duel of the Fates”.
Episode II had forced love scenes with no soul, and a lot of pretty scenery…Anakin had major creepy stalker face every time he stared at Padme…where is the “I love you…” and “I know” type of relationship from ESB?
Episode III is forever dubbed “the re-watchable prequel” because it was the story of descent into darkness we all wanted to see when we signed up as fans. Again, though…it has good points and bad points.
George was in the worst position ever. If he had done a prequel trilogy like OT, people would have criticized him for lack of “something”. If he had done a prequel trilogy avoiding OT references, people would have criticized him too.
He did what he want.
And I only see a big problem with prequel trilogy: George did not have the best supporters and workers and professionals for the new trilogy (Thank God John Williams gave power in all images and Burtt a good editing). They were people without passion (Seing McCallum, laying over a table, deciding important things, was so shoking, for exemple, in that video of problems with episode 1). People, i think, who didn’t understand what Star Wars represented.
Imagine Kasdan polishing the script, or Kennedy producing instead of McCallum…
Prequels are not as good as OT. Yes. But i really enjoy some moments. George created Star Wars. Many thanks! But in the same way i’m really excited to see what this “new generation” has to offer. And it seems so good.
if they’re not using Lucas idea of the offsprings…then…is Rey or Kylo a Skywalker? From his comments, I can expect ZERO offsprings o grandsons. So….
what about Finn Skywalker or Finn Solo!
I had the same thought. I really hope we’re wrong!
The movies have been said to continue the Skywalker saga, so unless sixty something Luke gets himself some rumpy pumpy in Episode 8 and father’s a sprog, then one of the new big three will continue the line, although I reckon they will be Skywalkers via Leia and not Luke. Just my hunch.
I understand why GL feels this way. I plan on seeing TFA we should all honor GL and see the movie. We knew once GL sold Star Wars to Disney in 2012 that this is where we as fans where headed. Star Wars Films without GL at the helm was going to be tough to get use to. We must still respect Star Wars as a hole and GL
How dare you call Star Wars a hole. You’re a hole!
(kidding :p)
Andy I hope you where joking I think you where
I was indeed. Hence the: (kidding :p)
I praise George Lucas for creating Star Wars amongst other things, and I also praise him for handing over the reigns to Disney. I praise Disney for realising the George Lucas of today is not the same guy that he was in the 1970s. I see the prequel era George Lucas like I see Muhammad Ali during his last fights. He was once the Greatest, but by then well past his prime.
hes a film maker …. wanted to make his film for him … the fans have other ideas , they think its all about them . so you dont get anything new or differemt just more of the same ….. the biggest problem with return of the jedi and pt in the hearts of “fans” is they wanted empire strikes back part 2 and strying from that ibcures their wrath. …. sad . no innovation , just the same thing a different way.
You absolutely got it! ESB was a amazing film, but the biggest problem was to George and the studios it was a film with no beginning and end to anything plot and story wise. There is so much prequel hate cause to the fans, it wasn’t the film they envisioned.
Or, the films have a mangled pacing, undercooked characters, tedious scripts, lackluster performances, cringeworthy dialogue, no cohesiveness, change the established backstory in the original trilogy, relied too much on digital effects, lacked subtlety, repeated the originals in all the wrong ways, had uninteresting villain scenes, lightsaber overkill, messy plots that don’t make sense, ruined already established characterization, and gods I haven’t even needed to mention Jar Jar Binks or Anakin Skywalker. I don’t know, it could just be that the prequels are turds eh?
to you and me yes , to the kids that saw them first , they are great , my kids love jar jar , ive tried hitting them with sticks but they still like him . …. and turds they may be , but very high grossing , still selling toys /dvds by the truck load turds all the same.
Or you’re just pissy cause they weren’t the movies you envisioned. Respect the creator as these were his stories, not our stories. We’re just along for the ride. I’ve been repeating this forever now cause people don’t research and enjoy reacting to people’s comments. Watch the commentary on the original trilogy. You will understand their frustrations and why they went the direction they did with the prequels. Hint: 1930s serial movies…google them…it’s what Star Wars is inspired of.
Its not surprising to me that Disney went in a different direction with Kasdan involved. Rumors have always been prevalent that Lucas and Kasdan disagreed on a lot of things Star Wars related.
Although critisism has been harsh towards GL, there actually has been praise as well that he seems to have forgotten. ROTS was well recieved when it was released. To be honest GL’s stubborness with respect to the theatrical versions of the OT hasn’t done him any favours.
If you watch the commentary of the OT, it wasn’t his vision at all with the theatrical versions. The theatrical versions of those films were incomplete because the technology limit him to do things he wanted to do. It wasn’t stubbornness at all. It wasn’t his vision to release films like that.
I read both A New Hope and Empire’s making of books and it seemed like he was wholly unsatisfied with what A New Hope became which is probably why that movie has so much added CGI. But seemed a lot more satisfied with how Empire turned out, which could be why that film doesn’t seem to have as much added in the original special editions.
Yea he said that in the commentary in both films. A New Hope got a heavy dose of CGI work cause it was an incomplete film. George didn’t finish half of his shots he originally wanted during production. With it being the first film and the studio having a hard time with the idea of Star Wars, he couldn’t delay production and make use of what he got. It was all good editing honestly. Even George comments how the film was “fast paced” for the audience in 1970s and 1980s compared to now. Interesting perspective and acknowledgment on his part.
Empire Strikes Back, he poured everything into that film, it was his make or break film. He put himself into a worser situation than A New Hope, but it paid off. He let Irvin direct cause he wanted to oversee the budgets, but George’s teacher into learning film was Irvin.
I know it wasn’t his vision, but a lot of people love that incomplete set of films, and his unwillingness to compromise (in other words release both versions in high definition) earned him IMO a lot of deserved critisism. Nobody wants to deny him his vision, but he clearly has control issues. Those films became part of the fabric of Western culture, and he just didn’t care.
If he had no control over these films, then they become a fan service by the studio, rather than stories being told as originally intended by the creator himself. These are his stories, let’s not forget that, and he is expressing his stories on the screen. He absolutely cares about the films, that’s why he added the scenes he truly wanted. The theatrical release were magical, but heavily nostalgic now to demand films that weren’t his vision.
The problem with that argument is that it assumes GL had a singular vision, which is simply not true. He may have been unsatisfied with some aspects of the original films, but that’s not the whole story. He changed the Han/Greedo scene for example, which has nothing to do with his original vision for SW. His original vision is exactly as it is depicted in the theatrical version. However, as is the case with all of us, over a twenty year period our experiences change our view of the world, and the mid 90s GL did not agree with the mid 70s GL, so he changed the film. That’s no vision, that revisionsm. The SE are full of such changes, which have nothing to do with technical limitations, but with the simple fact that GL is not the same man today, that he was almost 40 years ago. This is a slippery slope, as is evident from the continued changes he’s made to the films over the years. GL said that the 1997 SE represented his vision, however with the release of the DVD he decided to change the films again to bring it in line with the prequels. This has nothing to do with his original vision for the films, but with his prequel era vision for Star Wars. So, the argument about his vision is just a pretext to continue molesting a classic set of films.
I suggest you watch the commentary on the original trilogy. I’m not gonna get in a cat and mouse argument with you. All your points about George are very judgmental, subjective, and lack context. In that interview in 1997, George said SE represented his vision at the time BECAUSE that was how far they can push the visual effects technology. He wanted more, but it couldn’t be done. Since you brought up A New Hope, he didn’t complete most of his shots during production. He was desperate getting last second scenes and more money from people to have something presentable and somewhat finished. Highly recommend you watch the commentary, you may look at George Lucas a different way. He is not a revisionist, he is a perfectionist.
He is a revisionist and a perfectionist. George himself is hardly an objective source. Remember he also said there would not be a sequel trilogy, and look where we’re at now. So, his view has been far from consistent over the years. You are free to take George Lucas his comments, which I have heard by the way, at face value. However, just watching the 1997, 2004, and 2011 versions of these films paints a different picture, He didn’t just change shots that were limited by visual effects at the time. He changed character moments in the films, for example the Han/Greedo scene or the redemption of Darth Vader. The scenes could have been shot that way back in the 70s and 80s, but they weren’t. Changing those scenes decades later is revisionism. Altering the original films to tie in with the prequels is revisionism. The changing of the OT’s color palette to make them seem more modern is revisionism. The definition of revisionism is: “the retelling of a story with substantial alterations in character or environment, to “revise” the view shown in the original work”. There’s no denying that these films were altered in a substantial way, both in character and environment.
He is both a revisionist and a perfectionist. George Lucas is far from an objective source to base an argument on, but you are free to take those commentaries, that I’ve heard by the way, at face value. However, watching the 1997, 2004, and 2011 versions of these films paints a different picture. He did not just change shots that were limited by visual effects technology. He changed character moments, like the Han/Greedo scene, and Vader’s redemption. These shots could have been done the way they are currently in the movies back in the 1970s and 1980s. To change them decades later is revisionism. To change the OT to fit in with the prequels is revisionism. To change the color palette of the OT to be more modern is revisionism. The definition of revisionism is: “the retelling of a story with substantial alterations in character or environment, to “revise” the view shown in the original work”. There’s no denying OT was substantially altered both in terms of character and environment.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you got to remember, these are movies, works of art presented in motion. It’s this artist (director/creator) interpretation of that art. You can criticize him all you want, but you know what, it’s on film and you can’t take that away from him.
He actually compromised A LOT…even in the prequels. He did win his battles though and rightfully so cause you know what…these are his stories…not ours…we’re just along for the ride. The control issues fabricated from him not liking hollywood having control over director’s visions of films. It happens all the time. He wanted films to be made, vision and told his way. Also there are a lot of scenes he looks back on and said what he was thinking at the time, but didn’t changed those either. If he was a “revisionist” according to you, he would have changed those too. He left them because it express an emotional tone. Like I told you before, watch the commentary instead of listening to haters bark on Lucas.
To be critical of someone is not the same as hating them. GL has done a lot of great things. However, he created works of art decades earlier. This work of art became part of our cultural heritage. GL is the only film major maker that has literally attempted to replace his earlier work with what many critics and fans have considered to be an inferior product. From a histioric perspective it’s the 1970s and 1980s films that are relevant. These are the films that recieved the accolades, and are remembered for their innovations. The Libary of Congress and the National Film Registry have correctly refused a copy of the SE, because it simply is not the film that is historically important. GL had the right to alter them any way he wanted, but history will have it’s say nonetheless, and it has IMO rightfully been very critical of GL’s actions with respect to the OT.
I had expected as much from the moment it was announced that Arndt had left the project. I was almost positive that George’s treatments and outlines were deemed unsatisfactory to Abrams, Kennedy, and Disney, and eventually put the foot down and said NO we’re gonna go THIS way, so that the FANS are happy. Now here we are, with absolute confirmation that George’s outlines were thrown out altogether because they focused on stories that George wanted to tell rather than stories that would please fans (you know, the ones who count in all of this hoopla). Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if George’s outlines walked very closely to Prequel-era convolution and campiness.
George stories would probably be fresh. But a lot of people just want nostalgia and rethread.
The prequels had very good stories and allegories. They are really smart. The fact was those scripts could have used a heavy polish on dialogue and the films suffered from not having a director that could direct actors well, specially acting against nothing.
But, as a storyteller, Lucas has always been a master.
Not just the dialogues, but everything needed a heavy polish in the script. For example it always bothered me in TPM, that if Palpatine’s plan was to make Amidala to stat a vote for no confidence, than wtf would’ve he done if all of them die on the Naboo ship from the Trade Fedaration? And why was he trying to kill and make them stop the jedi in TPM at all? Why didnt he just tell they dont negotiate, so the Jedi would go to Coruscant and start the whole process. And how was Amidala supposed get to Coruscant if the jedi die at the beginning? And why couldnt the jedi make their testimony on what they saw on Naboo? And srsly, what would’ve happen if Amidala signs the treaty at beginning and decides not to go to Coruscant? And so on…
I don’t see any of that as actual problems. Just nitpicking. We could go on and on, but, just to be simple, he could either force her hand or let her die and use her as a martyr, since he was also from Naboo.
How is that only nitpicking? That was the main storyline, and it makes no sense…
None of your complaints are actual problems and all of them have workarounds. You are just trying to nitpick.
I just gave you one example of how Palpatine could have manoeuvred above.
But I won’t go hours and hours of back and forth. I can agree in disagreeing.
You could try to pick apart The Empire Strikes Back too and, actually, you’d find even more at fault. Or any film.
But the prequels had a very good story and, so plausible, George W. Bush pulled something very similar not much longer later, using fear to gather support and expand his powers to wage a war that was unmerited and expand his party’s influence.
So, the films stories, allegories and messages were actually deep and current.
Again how was it only nitpick? Palpatine’s plan was to let Amidala go to Coruscant to start the damn vote, but he seems to try to stop her and jedi during the enitre movie every way possible. E.G: What if Amidala and the jedi die on the Naboo ship from the Trade Fedaration, or If Maul kills the jedi and captures Amidala then what? Then how was Amidala supposed to start the fcking vote? Does Palpatine have multiple personalities? Or what is your explanation?
I won’t reply to what I have already replied to. Including an answer to your questions above, story-wise.
Feel free to re-read my last response.
Feel free to disagree as well.
You didnt provide anything, all you did was just claiming that my questions about the main plot’s logic were only nitpicks, when they arent. Nitpicking would be: Where did the whole blockade go at the end of the movie, why was there only one droid controller ship? But my questions were about the main plot of the movie, not small things.
I did. Go back and re-read it.
Anyway, I think you are wrong. I explained why Palpatine would have benefited from both scenarios. I’m not interested in a petty argument, especially when you don’t even acknowledges my actual main points and only nitpicks.
If to feel validated you need to win against strangers on the internet, I won’t stand in the way of you feeling good about yourself. You win. There you go. But, again, I was looking for actual conversation, not petty arguments, therefore, you and I are not a match and I respectfully bow out.
Evjoy you win and however that helps you get through. We all need something.
I wasnt trying to win an argument (as my real life profession is a lawyer, so I have to argue so much I dont look for it intentionally). I think verybody on this website are star wars fans, so I thougt we can have an intelligent conversation about star wars, a movie franchise which is very close to my hearth. And tho many people here seems to hate Lucas and the prequels I dont hate neither. I always admired Lucas as a filmmaker and I dont hate the prequels. I think they are bad movies, but they still give me some nostalgia feelings from 99, when after a long period of intensive waiting I finally was able to watch the movie. I still have this felling now, but I hope the outcome will be different this time…
Guys, don’t you remember Emperor’s line from ROTJ?
”As I have foreseen” – Luke also saw visions of his friends in danger, so force users are in a way a clairvoyants.
This takes his planning to whole new level.
I dont know man, imo both outcome make really no sense. I mean Amidala alive would’ve been only good for him if she decides to go to Coruscant, but he was trying to stop her in doing that every way possible (EVEN after she started the vote for no confidence he wanted the treaty for some unexplainable reason), so he really wanted her to sign the damn treaty. If she dies I dont hink she could’ve been a martyr, as the whole invasion was in secrret, so noone can really blame Valorum for things he dont even know a stingle thing about. I mean in a political position which deals with galaxy sized problems, the Naboo fiasco wouldnt really matter at all, and especially not under secret…
The war-politik stuff would have been better if AOTC came out today, when we can more comfortably talk about some mistakes that were being made regarding war back in 2003. (Notwithstanding recent events, of course)
1977 was perfect because it was at that moment where we were ready to understand that Vietnam may had been a big mistake.
I can’t disagree. Lucas is always ahead of his time.
There’s a big difference from ‘good and relevant story’ and a ‘good movie’. There are great novels that people make films out of, and some of those movies are good, some of them suck.
The quality of the movie is what ultimately matters.
I always thought the No Confidence vote was an adjustment to his plan when Amidala showed up there alive. Take Naboo over, get her to sign the treaty(maybe kill her too), as senator of Naboo complain that she was forced to sign it since there was no help from the Republic and show that the Chancellor has no real power and then move from there, but she survives, shows up and he then manipulates her to do the no confidence vote. However, Lucas did a poor job outlining what Palpatines plans were anyway.
It still makes no sense. If he’s plan was to make her to sign the treaty, then let her fly to Coruscant, than why was the whole treaty necessary? He could’ve let her to go to Curscant without the treaty. Invade the planet and let her go, so simple. Why is the treaty so important?
I never said the original plan was for her to go back to Coruscant. Like I say Lucas did a poor job illustrating Palpatine’s plans. However, I think his plan was to have her sign it and kill her. Then as Senator of Naboo come forward with evidence that the federation did this, killed her and the republic could do nothing about it because of poor leadership. Using the sympathy of what happened, get the vote for no confidence and become the chancellor. When, instead she escapes and ends up on Coruscant, he pivots and manipulates her into doing the no confidence.
That idea is still problematic imo. If he wanted to kill her than why the treaty at all? Why not just simply kill her? If she dies after she signs the treaty, that would mean she died during a legal invasion, so her death could even be considered as accident by the Trade Fedaration…
But srsy how was that treaty supposed to help his plans? He even forced that fckin treaty after Amidala started the vote for no confidence! But why (other than to fight a ridiculous end fight ofc)? And using her as martyr is not gonna work either imo, because the whole invasion was under secret, so noone can really blame Valorum for something he didnt even know about. As supreme chancellor he has to deal with galaxy sized problems, so the Naboo fiasco wouldnt really be relevant at all, especially not under secret…
Yup. The spine of the story of the prequels is vastly superior to TFA (if the spoilers out there are to be believed). In some respects. TFA’s story feels like exacty what you expect to happen if one were to ask a fans what they think they want, namely a retread of the OT arc.
George stories would probably be fresh. But a lot of people just want nostalgia and rethread.
And yet I bring up this absolutely wonderful quote that Mr. Plinkett had a field day making fun of at every turn. Again it’s like poetry its so that they rhyme, every stanza kind of rhymes with the last one. How would his treatment have been any more different or unique than any of the stories he had told over the course of the last six films he had created?
The prequels were very different from the original trilogy. Which is the main reason why they are hated.
She pushed technology so much farther that independent film wouldn’t exist today if he hadn’t championed and paid the bill for digital. Motion capture wouldn’t have happened.
The prequels brought forth new worlds, characters, mythology and ideas. What in The Force Awakens is not a rejected McQuarrie design?
You know, words that rhyme are not the same word…
The OT is simple. Black and white. Good and evil. The prequels are the shares of grey. But nuances aren’t for everyone.
Every single single in the prequels has come to pass in real world politics, so I guess the real world mass can’t really appreciate or grasp nuance.
The prequels were very different from the original trilogy. Which is the main reason why they are hated.
While I can’t speak for everyone, I personally didn’t like the films because because of George’s Uninspired direction of basically having his shots composed with the same blocking as a soap opera. Film is a visual medium, not a literal one, and George’s direction has never been particularly good or inspiring even when he was doing the Original Star Wars (a film that was saved in the editing room due to the talents of Richard Chew, Paul Hirsch, and Marcia Lucas)
Also, while I agree that the political machinations of the Emperor are nuanced and many of the events that occurred in the films have carried out, it also doesn’t translate into any actual groundwork that allows the audience to feel for our characters. Anakin is a slave on Tatooine, but he doesn’t live in a horrible little hovel alongside any other slaves; He lives in a nice comfy little hut, no different than luke’s in A new Hope. Again show, don’t tell. The most subtle and nuanced films like 2001: A Space Odyssey visually show us what is going on and then allows us to interpret the scene based on our own understanding, but again we don’t have the ape from the opening scene basically screaming that I can use this bone to kill animals for Food! all of it is told to us visually because again this is cinema not literature.
Yes while George did usher us into the digital age where we have been able to see characters such as Ceaser and Gollum brought to life and where independent filmmaking is thriving, it has also led to a lot of films being not only visually similar to looking like expensive television, it has also allowed for plenty of other horrible filmmakers to rely on computer graphics to sell their film rather than a well told story with decent characters, set ups and pay offs, and being thematically coherent.
So Yes George brought about a new era for filmmakers and gave them a much bigger tool box to play with, but he also created an environment where now the driving force of creativity is based solely on the commercialization and branding of films. Originality and creativity has never been part of the hollywood system (aside from the golden era during the early 30s through the 40s) but ever since george showed them that you can create plenty of safely made garbage using less costly tools, we now live in a world where a movie as fun as Pacific Rim was only getting a sequel solely because it was big smash in China.
Actually for a good view of how you a film can be thematically inert and absolutely confused as to who it wants to approach it’s characters, check out Film Critic Hulk’s take on Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2013/07/03/film-crit-hulk-man-of-steel
Honestly, if you are going to argue George Lucas is a horrible film-maker and that Star Wars happened in spite of him. no one can take you seriously.
No editing saves a truly bad film, which Fantastic Four proved this year, and George himself revolutionised editing cutting together World War dog fights to set a template for Star Wars editing and editing as a whole.
Read Chris Taylor’s How Star Wars Conquered The Universe and stop drinking the hatorade that George Lucas had nothing to do with Star Wars. He had everything to do with it and more. Film-making is divided before Spielberg and Lucas and after. For better and for worse.
Lucas also lead revolutions in special effects, digital photography, sound, independent financing, animation and so many areas. He created THX, Pixar, Industrial Light and Magic and so many technologies that make possible films from a 100,000 dollars indie to a 250,000,000 blockbuster.
To this day people copycat his visual style, his story structure, his pacing, his editing, his script-writing.
Even if you hate the prequels (which also revolutionised film-making in several ways), the fact you are following the internet hate hive mind shouldn’t make you oblivious to the fact that, even if they were bad films, making bad films don’t negate the good you made before.
It’s like saying Brando couldn’t act at all because of his later performances.
First off, my apologies if I came off as Rude. What George was able to achieve in the 70s even to the early 80s was nothing short of an achievement. Secondly, where in everything that I had posted did I say that George had nothing to do with Star Wars? he was the one who wrote the thing, had a final say in who was casted, as well has as to what showed up in the film. What I was referring to was in the filmmaking merits of his last three films. Every single point I brought afterwards had to do with the films themselves, points that you failed to even try to address. Oh and by the way, it doesn’t help your argument when you not only make a blanket statement that everyone hates or likes something based on a particular reason, but you decide to articulate your responses with such vitriol as if I was personally attacking you. Everyone has a singular unique experience when they go to the movies. Generalizing it in such a black and white form is, as Obi-wan Kenobi would say, dealing in absolutes. As one final note, how do you know if TFA isn’t using the familiar settings and tropes of the original films to tell a story that has a morally ambiguous theme to it? a theme that could include what do we leave behind as our legacy? how maybe being nostalgic for certain things in the past can have dreadful consequences in the future (such as what seems to be the case with Kylo Ren and buildin another Death Star) Because that’s certainly what Kasdan and Abrams have been saying since they started writing the script. Ultimately speaking, nobody can say what we will be getting is anything greater or less than what George would be giving us because we haven’t even seen the blasted movie yet! what do we have to go by? some internet schlub posting rumors that may or may not be true? J.J. Abrams has been known to tease you with his trailers allowing us to project what we think what we’ll be seeing, only to get something entirely different (just look at all the people who thought super 8 was a prequel to cloverfield before the film was even released). Can’t we just agree to be happy for the man now that he has retired and moved on from the series and that we will all be excited to be sharing our thoughts and opinions on the film come Dec 17th? 🙂
You seem to indicate that Star Wars happened not because of him but in spite of him, as the film had to be saved from him in the editing bay. Don’t believe what the internet hive mind tells you. There’s a very fair, very well researched book called How Star Wars Conquered The Universe that shows how Star Wars came to be and how hard it was for Lucas to pull it off. Everything that could have gone wrong did and it took a very good director to pull off what was a landmark film.
He had clear visions for every department and that film was nothing short of revolutionary to the art form technically.
So, no, it wasn’t a film saved by editing. It also goes through every single draft of the script, how it evolved, how much research went into it and what it came to be. It shows you George is extremely creative and actually a good writer. Perhaps he doesn’t write dialogue like Aaron Sorkin, but Sorkin doesn’t build worlds like Lucas does.
I am very excited for The Force Awakens and beyond and I have no doubt it will be a great film. But, clearly, from mostly slightly updated designs and new worlds that heavily resemble the ones from the original trilogy, they are not breaking much ground here. Which is OK. More of the same can be very good.
Still, I’d like to read what Lucas would have done as well.
Yeah it was probably all about building a new democracy or something.
The recent wave of articles with JJ and Kasdan also made it pretty clear that they started from scratch. This video makes it completely unambiguous.
Which would have been actually very interesting.
The reason why they introduce politics was to get you front and center on Palpatine’s intentions. Also, to show you how democratic the Galactic Republic society was before the Galactic Empire.
” stories that would please fans (you know, the ones who count in all of this hoopla)”
I ma be misinterpreting this, but are you saying that the desire of the fans is more important than the vision of the artist?
If Aniken Skywalker could give birth to Luke and Leia, now that, that would be a Soap Opera
Maury Povich is Snoke!!!
I suggest everyone watch the commentary for all 6 Star Wars films. It really puts all the misinformation into rest. I’ll point out some things that drive me nuts from the fanbase.
– People didn’t challenged George’s direction in the prequels. –
False, A LOT of people in production and post-production challenged George’s direction with scenes and story in both trilogies. At the end of the day, he caved on a few things, but said screw it “I’m going with this direction cause it’s the story I want to tell.”
– “A special effect is a tool, a means of telling a story. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.” –
He used it as a tool to tell HIS story. One of the biggest complains Lucasfilms and George himself had in the original trilogy, the technology was so limited to what they had to do to make it work. The effects in both trilogies are cheesy at best. George said it best in the commentary of Return of the Jedi, here I’m paraphrasing, “People complain CGI is fake, but all the puppets we used was fake and lifeless in the film. At least CGI brought emotions to the characters and their environment.” The man has a point. He wanted CGI in the prequels cause it’s cheaper and he can get exactly what he wanted with ease.
These movies are soap operas! He classified them as space operas in the commentary. They’re also based on 1930s serials, which were extremely cheesy in the story and acting. All of choices were very deliberate and with reason. All of these films are literally outlines of old fairy tale stories, which were very predictable. With Disney saying they want to make a film for the fans and not go with George’s vision of the sequel trilogy is okay, but now hearing that, I want to Star Wars the way it was suppose to be told, not a film for the fans. The man has a point. It’s gonna be interesting seeing the reactions to Force Awakens if the departure actually pays off.
In a way, I am very sad not to have seen what his vision for the sequels would be. As much as I am looking forward to TFA, in some respects it feels like a bit of a cheat. Like an imposter.
I agree. Arndt is getting writing credits so I am curious of what they kept from George’s original ideas.
The writing credit might simply be out of respect for his prior efforts, much like like the Lucas credit as “creative consultant” will be. It wouldn’t be the first time.
That’s very true! Either way well deserve credit for both of them.
I agree with all this. But if Star Wars is to live on, truly live on past our lives or the life of George, it has to inevitably be handed over to someone else. I knew this would happen some day, since I believe Star Wars is forever. Just feel sad that it happened this soon. 🙁
Yea it’s sad. Let’s just hope and rejoice if The Force Awakens is the movie that pushes the Star Wars legacy.
If you look at his life you can see why he made a lot of the mistakes he did in the PT. To the best of my knowledge, He had not actively dated since the 80’s when he wrote Clones which is why the love story felt so fake and pretty much sank the entire film. He’s also always been terrible in terms of getting along with other people from a creative standpoint and a bit anti-social which is why he is so overtly sensitive to any form of creative criticism no matter how sugar coated. Like many great film makers of the past – Money, fame and family fundamentally changed who he was forever. He may not be able to admit it but anyone with eyes can clearly see that’s the case.
I think having a stubborn “my way or the highway” did not do him any favors either. He could have had a sense of humor about all this in the years since but instead he chose to play the victim and will go to the grave thinking that he made no mistakes with the PT.
Not dating for 20 years means one doesn’t know what love it?
Okaaay….
If he’s taken himself out of personal relationships for that period of time, yeah I would think it would have an affect on most people.
His marriage to Marcia was always rocky at best by all accounts so it was pretty difficult for him to write a convincing love story seeing as how he’d probably never really been in love himself which is why his dialogue was so flat. Kind of like all those teeny boppers who write cringe inducing love lyrics because they never been in a real adult relationship before. Lucas has been described as many things but a ladies man is not one of them.
His whole life was changed by that divorce.
Having been through one myself, I can tell you it doesn’t rob you of the capacity to understand or experience love.
It does however, affect your ability TO EFFECTIVELY EDIT A MOVIE lol
The problems with the love story in AOTC are just the editing my friend.
lol, no doubt lol
Should have read “aren’t”!!!
Spot on…oh, apart from the fact that he’s not antisocial in the least, and, after spending his energy raising his three kids on his own, surrounded himself with a group of opinionated, talented creative people, dated a number of people until recently getting remarried. APART from that though…
Um yeah, It usually helps to know what you are talking about commenting…
Antisocial = Even he admits that he’s a homebody and others who know him say he can’t stand anyon that doesn’t completly agree with his views which is why he had a falling out with Gary Kurtz and a lot of the BTS talent on the OT.
Kids = Speilburg did it too and he’s still an A-List director. That’s like saying women cannot work and raise children.
Opinionated and takented people = He did for the first trilogy, Not so much the PT unless Rick McCallum has developed some talent other than asslicking for cash.
A true artist composes for his or her self. Artists do not pander to popular opinion. I get it. Lucas wants to believe he is still an artist. He was at one time when he was younger, more hungry and more in tune with his story. A lifetime of adulation bordering on god-worship has diminished his talents. I can honestly say that GL is one of the most important people in my life. I can’t imagine my childhood without the original Star Wars trilogy, and I thank him and respect him very much. However, one skill every good artist has and GL seems to lack is shaking off critics. Nobody is above criticism, especially in the movie industry. There is a whole other industry based on critiquing movies alone. This is not new George. It’s great to be the darling of the ball, but most of the time we’re the valet out front. Love you Mr. Lucas, and thanks for knowing when to step aside. In a way Star Wars now belongs to us. Disney will pander to us. They will monitor social media and forums like these to keep a finger on the pulse of the fans. In a way, if Disney pumps out crap Star Wars movies we may have had a hand in that.
Yes, nobody is above criticism. But the thing is, with his vast wealth and the control he had over his own production company at the time, he had the luxury of not having to pander to popular opinion if he didn’t want to. He had that much control. In that respect he remains an artist, it’s just that you don’t personally care for his later output, and I can understand that spending years working on something, when you don’t really have to financially, only to then get slated for it, makes it feel like it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
I think the fan pandering that Disney in embarking on will wear off after a while and they will be faced with having to be a lot more creative. I just hope that by then Star Wars fatigue hasn’t set in.
Most artists are terrible with dealing with criticism. Being insecure and needing to vent through art is a trait many geniuses have.
And, by your definition, he is a true artist, since he is now making films that he has no intention of releasing outside his family and friends circle, for the pure joy of making them.
For all those here who have decided to bring up the Prequels when Lucas is clearly talking about how he honestly understood Disney’s decision and peacefully stepped away, do remember that as flawed as TPM and AOTC were, as their rating fairly shows, ROTS was highly rated by critics, and after the movies were over, hew helped created the award winning Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While there were so many writers and those involved with the work, Dave Filoni, one of the bigger names in the cast, and Executive Director of Star Wars: Rebels, has frequently said in behind-the-scenes how George was always around, helping form and polish up the stories, and helped guide the series into hitting its stride. He also mentioned without Lucas’ love for the story, money from his own pockets would not have gone to improved animation for every season, and the later arcs of the stories would not have developed as well if not for his direct input at times. The man from the OT was different than the man from the PT. But to say his talent was missing ignores what he has done for Star Wars after the Prequel movies.
Also, who sells a company for 4 BILLION and donates it ALL TO CHARITY? A rich man, yes, but also the most thoughtful man.
His comment about them “wanting to make a movie for the fans” confirms everything that I have been saying for months, namely that this effort has been about giving the fans what (they think) they want rather than being truly creative.
I like his honesty and part of me is a little sad we are seemingly getting play it safe Star Wars rather than his vision (even if that vision would’ve created something akin to the prequels). I feel a little bittersweet about the whole thing.
Me too.
But people just want fan-service and they’ll get it. Maybe it’s good fan-service and I think I’ll love it. But we won’t really being getting an expanded universe and a new story.
Yup. I am sure I will enjoy Force Awakens very much. But I think upon reflection it will be found to be very derivative of the OT once the dust has settled.
I would hope so since it’s much closer to the OT on the timeline that the PT. Let me say this. I do not hate the prequels. They are hard to watch, but I love some of the shots and Ewan and Ian. I even loved Yoda kicking ass with a lightsaber and most fans I run into cringe at the thought of it. Clone Wars was great! It started slow, like Rebels, but when it left it was knocking it out of the park. Storywise Clone Wars is better than the Prequel Trilogy to me. So don’t peg me as some bitter middle aged troll burping tears into his glass of beer whining about how GL ruined his childhood.
Don’t disagree with any of that.
I’m waiting until I’ve seen it before I judge. I don’t think it will be on a level with what GL was doing, especially toward the end with the PT and TCW, in terms of depth, breadth and complexity. But it might be creative in other ways that are interesting and could never have come from GL simply because he has his own style and interests. Fingers crossed it’s the best of bother worlds! But I do miss George. I look back fondly at a time when we had the sprawl of Young Indy, a massive Willow book trilogy, new games from LucasArts and the PT still on the way. . .I just love his work so much. I hope he changes his mind about showing his new films to the public.
Yup. As much as I felt the PT was a let down, this is nonetheless how I feel.
The PT was pretty derivaitve as well. Anakin was downtrodden from Tatooine, gets swept up by Obi-Wan, save the royal female lead in a dogfight with a spherical ship.
It was another version of ANH. It rhymed.
We get new characters and new planets AND we haven’t seen the 109 minutes of scenes not shown in the trailers. Trailers and teasers which, I must add, has everybody in the know excited as if the PT did not exist.
The “new” planets, however, feature Earth-like landscapes (desert, temperate forest, ice/snow), which was also the case in the OT (due to the limitations of the technology at the time). In the prequels, Lucas tried to come up with truly “alien” worlds using CGI, but he couldn’t quite pull it off the way James Cameron was able to do, mit for example with Pandora on Avatar.
Yes. We get a female Luke, who lives in a planet that looks a lot like Tatooine. She wants more and knows nothing about her true heritage. She has a droid that seems like the next-gen R2D2.
The journey proceeds to planets that look a lot like Yavin 4 and Hoth and the Rebe.. er, Resistance, has to stop the Empi… err, First Order plans to unveil the new Death St… err, Starkiller base. While facing a Darth Vader copycat.
Everyone pilots either the exact same ships they did 30 years ago or slightly tweaked versions. Everyone wears slightly updated designs of what we’ve seen before.
Look, in all honesty, more of something that I loved isn’t necessarily bad. I’m excited and I’ll likely love The Force Awakens. But JJ is basically paying homage to a master and catering to nostalgia. When Lucas made Star Wars it was ground-breaking. It changed cinema profoundly. And whether people like the prequels or not, they brought something new and fresh. Every single one of them had new environments, costume designs, prop-designs, sets (virtual or not). New ideas.
We are not getting new ideas now.
I get Disney paid money for this and wants profit. They got JJ to ape George Lucas circa 1977 and re-establish the faith in the franchise by sticking to the original as much as he could. But using discarded McQuarrie concepts isn’t bring something new to the table.
That’s OK, though. If The Force Awakens reenergises the franchise, Rian Jonhson will have a chance to really break new ground.
This is the first movie in what will be one every year for… ever. And you haven’t even seen this one.
There is plenty of time and opportunity for new and old ideas.
It’s not like there won’t be other opportunities to be more original once the whole re-boot is a success.
It’s a bit like a band playing their favourite hits instead of new material
Oh, absolutely it is…and I would certainly hope that further entries go in an interesting new direction. That said, the spin off movies aren’t inspiring me in that regard. The SW universe is so expansive, yet the spin offs, it seems, are all directly linked to the OT, which is….frustrating. I’d love to have seen them go off on a tangent with the spin offs and do something like an Old Republic movie.
While I disagree with you on most things, I do agree with this. They should use the off shoot movies to explore more of the galaxy and new stories.
Like Lucas never engaged in fan pandering. Lil Vader built Threepio! Artoo was also Vader’s astromech! Millions of Bobas! Yoda and Chewie were besties! Maul never died!
If TFA is giving fans what they think they want, rather than a proper sequel, then why hasn’t the original cast been featured more prominently? Where’s Luke?
THIS!!!!!!
More PT/GL revisionism.
Luke isn’t there for very good reasons, and he’ll be in the sequels prominently. Harrison Ford certainly is featured predominantly, but their place is very much akin to Obi-Wan’s in the OT.
Tell me some things you have seen to do with TFA so far that are truly original. I suspect it might not be so easy…
Harrison Ford confirmed in a interview with Empire that his character isn’t akin to Obi-Wan. He answered that question boldly. It’s just a older Han Solo that understands the force and is a wise ass.
What I meant was that the focus is on the younger generation and the OT leads are now the veterans more in the background.
Rather safe and cool with good acting, tense pacing and a good dialogue-smith than experimental with wooden acting, uneven pacing and atrocious diaolgue
That’s exactly what they’re banking on. At the very least, that makes a palatable movie…but a movie with laser swords and starfighter dogfights and space pirates and evil wizards!!!! Why can’t we just be happy with those two things!?!?!
Why not good acting, tense pacing and good dialogue AND something original and creative? Since when were the two mutually exclusive?
I believe his “vision” would have been very akin to the old EU and woud visually look like the prequels. That doesn’t excite me at all.
I don’t see how it could look like the prequels – especially since he was unlikely to direct his treatments once Disney bought them. The interview suggests that he decided on a clean break once Disney binned his treatments.
yeah, because Lucas is known for copying EU, right? 🙂
Your really not this stupid are you? You can give fan service WHILE STILL BEING CREATIVE. Geezus. You still have to write a story, develop characters, find good fits for the parts, direct, produce….The idea that this movie cant be creative just because its tailored to fans is absolutely nonsense.
Yeah I don’t need a fan service love letter. A want a Star Wars story the way it was suppose to be told, not giving me things cause it’s nostalgic. Original ideas. You have to realize George didn’t give the fans what they want. He told us stories the way he wanted them told and people followed. If you give the fans what they want, you’re gonna lose creativity. It’s just logic…not stupidity.
For the people dumping on this video. George never called the press to air his opinions. They have hounded him about this for 3 years, nonstop. He stepped away and disappeared. He tried to be diplomatic. But they keep on asking him. So he spilled the beans and it’s what we already suspected was true. And it’s not like he made 1 movie and gave up because of bad reviews. He kept on going to the end, never stopping. The media has made him a constant target. What did he do? Did he hurt someone, kill someone, steal something? He made a few movies that didn’t make everyone happy. Spielberg, Coppola, Tarantino (and on and on) have all made stinkers and they don’t get attacked every time their name is mentioned. You don’t get to where he is by being thin skinned. But he’s being honest. He’s had enough of the unfair attacks – not even criticisms – outright attacks, calling him every name in the book. But he didn’t advertise his feelings, people just keep insisting on a statement.
So poor George was hounded by the mean ole press into giving an interview about Star Wars…a mere month before the release of TFA? Please.
Did he call a press conference? Write an editorial? Yeah he’s been hounded to go on record.
No, mostly by asshole fanboys with absolutely no sense of proportion
My opinion remains unchanged. Glad it’s in new hands. Excited for a new era. I’m totally onboard for a spiritual successor to A New Hope.
People are going to complain no matter what is done with the franchise. The only way to shut the whiners up is to just not make any Star Wars related content ever again, problem solved. Do we want that? Hell no
I feel kind of sorry for Lucas. He probably had some interesting ideas that might help and work great for the next movies. I’m not defending the prequels in any way, I just hope that Kennedy/Abrams aren’t going too far with their own vision for new movies like what Abrams/Lindelof/Kurtzmann&Orti did with Star Trek when they destroyed planet Vulcan, Spock+Uhura relationship (yeah I do honestly think their relationship was forced and came out of nowhere) and ripping off the same ending from Wrath of Khan. When Lucas is doing on his own he does make some ridiculous nonsense that confuses the audience but in collaboration he can actually come up with generally good ideas. After all Star Wars was never meant to be a super serious and pretentious work of art, it was inspired by old cheesy Flash Gordon TV show, old sci-fi stories in general and samurai movies. I just hope Abrams doesn’t go way too far with the new movie and that we regret it later on.
He did have some great ideas…Jedi Jar Jar could have been EPIC !!!!
No….just…no.
If it was done with subtlety, it might have been epic.
But after the first poop joke….it was done.
No…they were inspired by 1930 serial movies that were episodic and cheesy at best. It wasn’t Flash Gordon TV shows LMAO. Lucas repeatedly says these movies aren’t sci-fi…they’re soap operas classified as space operas. Watch the commentary on the original films so you listen to real and true information.
Flash Gordon was an episodic serial that can be categorized as a cheesy space opera show. It had 13 episodes and each was around 10-20 minutes. George originally wanted to remake Flash Gordon but he didn’t get the rights because he wasn’t taken seriously enough so he decided to make his own version of Flash Gordon.
I really hope we get to hear his vision one day.
Yeah a comic book or novel based on his version would be most welcome.
Think American Graffiti with laser swords.
But with less talented actors.
Love Richard Dreyfuss in Amer. Graf.!
You mean one of the best American films made in the last 50 years, showing off impeccable direction, flawless characterization, and innovative style? Yeah, tragic – that Lucas is such a hack.
I didn’t say American Graffiti was bad or that Lucas was a hack. Given what we’ve seen in the previous Star Wars films I don’t think my description would be far off. Think about it:
drag racing –> pod racing
Mel’s Diner –> Dexter Jettster’s Diner (or Tosche Station)
going (or not) to college –> going (or not) to the Academy
Wolfman Jack –> Wookiee Jack (that one’s a joke)
Anakin’s speeder in AOTC is even the same canary yellow as the Deuce Coupe in American Graffiti. So was the N-1 star fighter. I can’t believe Lucas would make a sequel based on teenaged Skywalkers and Solos that wouldn’t have similar elements.
more emo teenagers
More exciting sessions of the newly reestablished senate.
If you didn’t get the politics in the prequels then you didn’t watch the movies at all. Why did you think they introduce the politics in that film?
Boring ass sessions of political maneuvering do not need to be in Star Wars films. If you don’t get that than you didn’t watch the originals at all.
Watch the original and love the originals! You got to realize two different trilogies with two different scenarios playing out. The reason why George showed the politics was to give you a glimpse on how the Galactic Republic was full of order and democracy compared to the age of the Galactic Empire, chaotic and barbaric. Star Wars films are about a universe and how that universe evolves, it’s just about fairly tale. The problem it wasn’t the way you wanted the prequels to be.
You can explain political events in a few lines of dialogue. You do not need to bore people with the actual sessions of the senate or meetings of people sitting around in conference rooms talking. Star Wars should be a lot more fun and exciting than that, and should take place out in the wilderness, not in the corridors of political chambers.
Different time and different place in the Star Wars universe timeline. That’s all I need to say. He is showing what it was in the beginning. What the republic is like.
This whole bit has raised a red flag with me in the fear that this is just going to be a fan service love letter film.
Cheer up it’s already better than the prequel trilogy. “Fan service” is what Lucas tried to do with the PT (and failed)
A lot of the PT generation fail to remember that the protagonist of the PT is found downtrodden on Tatooine, gets swept up in Jedi-Dark Side drama, and saves a royal female lead.
And that the bad guys ultimately win in AOTC, just like Empire. And Boba Fett is in AOTC, just like Empire.
Nothings original, it all rhymes. And that’s fine with me.
I think the main difference will be that none of the main cast are related to the OT cast by blood, they’ll just be their spiritual successors, inspired by them, instead of their direct successors.
I’m pretty sure that at least one of the new characters will be related to the OT characters by blood.
Kathleen Kennedy has said as much, that the new Episodes will continue the Skywalker saga.
You didn’t get these movies were the Skywalker saga after 6 episodes? It took Kennedy’s comment for you to realize that? Seriously lol
No, it didn’t.
In fact, my comment had nothing to do with the 6 released films. It was about the films to come. It has to do with the fact that Kennedy has confirmed that the new saga films will be about the new Skywalker generation. Which we all suspected, but that is the only confirmation on record and very appropriate here, where the possibility none of new the characters is related to anybody was raised.
Did you have any reason to be demeaning and aggressive towards a complete stranger? It makes you feel bigger and gets you through the day?
Because, unless you self-esteem really needs it, it’s unnecessary and uncalled for.
I’m pretty sure that at least one of the new characters will be related to the OT characters by blood
Lucas said at Tribecca that he hoped they would go in different direction than what he had in mind. He keeps contradicting himself.
People give Lucas way too much credit sometimes.
As in: YES, he is responsible for creating Star Wars, but a lot of things we love about Star Wars is because people changed what Lucas as thinking, a lot of things we hate about Star Wars is because people followed him.
Exactly right.
He had a good idea with ANH, the restrictions and the people he had to work with combined to create a great movie. With TESB he had to good sense to hire Kirshner to direct, which made it great also. Then whent back to his old habits for ROTJ, then really got into his comfort zone with the prequels. He had too much power and freedom with the prequels, and with people like Rick McCallum around him – too many ‘yes men’. The second trilogy are true Lucas movies as a result – simiar in style to his first THX 1138.
I’m not a prequel hater, its just they’re so different in feel to the originals that they’re not really loveable.
Lucas is smart, so he may have learnt some lessons from the second trilogy. It would have been interesting to see what movies he’d have made.
I think about it this way:
During the OT, Lucas had real filmmakers telling his stories.
During the PT, Lucas was telling his stories, period.
We like his stories, for sure, but we don’t have to like the films made from those stories.
Lucas is a revisionist, he has repeatedly changed his story on the way things come about relating to SW. The special editions is a concrete example of this trait.
The special editions came to be cause the movies were incomplete to him. If you listen to the commentary, the reason why he made the special editions cause they had the technology to finished the shots and add life to some of the scenes. He is a idealist and a visionary. He is not a “revisionist” whatever the hell that means LOL
Yeah. I know why he did it. By revisionist, I mean he changes things after the fact. Like re-doing the movies, or changing his story on how events have happened.
please post the evidence here, otherwise I call it BS
Really too bad. I’d love it if Lucas’stories–the real sequel trilogy–became public one day. Undoubtedly that’s better than what we’re going to get with these movies. It’s a real shame.
I’m sure if they were so brilliant as everyone seems to think the are, Disney would not be passing them over. But George Lucas’ days of having good ideas ended a long time ago.
Lucas’ “days of having good ideas” never ended, AFAIK. The last thing I saw that he had a large hands in was TCW, which was pretty great. Before that, the PT, which was considerably better, even.
Admittedly I never saw that Indiana Jones movie or that animated film he had some kind of hand in. Dunno what else he’s been up to.
But let’s face it; most people who will enjoy the upcoming film will be the same audience who enjoy those superhero movies. A lot of them are made by Disney, so according to some, they’re full of “quality.”
I thought he had a hand in every Indiana Jones movie – from the begining of them.
Indeed he did. It’s just that I’ve never gotten around to watching the fourth one so I can’t comment on it.
Yeah, they have.
The prequels were a terrible mess.
Indy 4 was also a disappointment
Strange Magic – story by GL – box office and critical bomb.
I agree. I would love to see his version of the story someday. Can he write a book on it? Just put it in the legends category.
I would like to read George’s treatment as an artifact in his museum. It would be interesting to compare with what we’ll be seeing on the big screen over the next few years.
you need to stop bogarting the crack pipe and pass it to someone else, because obviously you have smoked enough
No need to go to the dark side buddy.
You’re obviously a sophisticated person.
What ever happened to Lucas not having any real story after 6? Weren’t we told the whole Skywalker saga had been wrapped up with Revenge of the Sith, and that movie would be the last one? Does anyone else remember this? We were told 7-9 would never happen because there was no story. But all of a sudden there is a brilliant Lucas sequel trilogy that is being passed over because it so…good? I find that hard to believe.
Agreed. There was a 7-9, then there wasn’t, now there is. Does he get burned out, then bored and decides I’ll do the next round? Regardless, I have a lot of respect for GL.
thats exactly what happened with george lucas. after return of the jedi he was burnt out he explained that the movies are made over 9-10 years including writing thats 10 years on one thing that would burn anyone out. he stepped away a few years and did teh special editions for the 20 year anniversary of the orginal release he was reneergized because people loved it. he went and did the rpequels because thats what everyone wanted tehy wanted to see how vader became vader he gave us that. its rather pathetic people b***h and moan about it and saying itw as too predictable well no sh*t we already knew the story before it came out hence why it was a prequel. i feel bad for george lucas guy gets too much crap for something the fans foreced him into doing i enjoyed the prequels except attack of the clones had it been a different name for the movie it woudve made more sense and been more enjoyable. shouldve been called teh courtship of anakin and padme in all honesty a nod to the courtship of han and leia book back in the 90’s
LOL nice try. People didnt hate the PT’s because they already knew the story. They hated them because they were total horse shit. Bad directing/acting/script/producing…etc …etc..
All the movies are based on 1930s serial movies. They’re very episodic and cheesy in directing, acting, etc. It was deliberate and on purpose. I suggest you watch the commentary of all the films to understand why he made Star Wars. Prequels are no difference from the original movies honestly. They’re very cheesy too. I don’t remember them winning awards for best picture or even a nom for it.
Yes, I remember that too. But with George everything is up for revision.
Actually, the ST’s biggest challenge will be to explain what the hell happened after RotJ, because Lucas did wrap it up on a “And they live happily ever after” note. I also remember how he clearly said that RotS would be the last ever live-action SW film (he was already planning to release the animated Clone Wars flick that kick-started the TV show, IIRC) and that he would probably never hand the reins to other filmmakers so that more SW movies could be made.
But he sold his company to Disney 7 years after RotS, plenty of time for Lucas to change his mind about the sequel trilogy and even to begin writing a rough draft for the films. In this case, since he didn’t want to be blamed for another SW disaster, he might have come up with the idea of selling his entire company to Disney, and do as he did with TESB and RotJ: let others do the films based on his original story while he remained on the background. But then, the people who own the rights to SW now must’ve learned what Lucas had in mind for the ST and they didn’t like it. So they told him to take a hike.
This makes so much sense, in fact, that I’m willing to bet that this is what happened. Yet, even if my speculation is wrong, the fact remains that the whole world is about to enjoy a new SW trilogy thanks to one George Walton Lucas. If he hadn’t changed his mind, he probably would’ve stuck to his original post-RotS plan and we may have never gotten to see another SW film.
So instead of questioning Lucas’ honesty or integrity, be grateful that he has the same right as all of us to change his mind whenever he pleases, or stop watching SW films altogether, because according to your logic, Lucas doesn’t have the right to change his heart and so we should never have gotten another SW film.
I agree with everything you said, but I also think that it’s real unprofessional for someone who fully endorsed J.J. Abrams to be the filmmaker to take up the mantle (the guy even invited him to his wedding for goodness sake) and didn’t even make much of a big deal when he told everyone earlier this year that they didn’t use his original ideas for the film, to suddenly be upset about where they ultimately decided to go with this new trilogy.
I haven’t watched the entire interview, so IDK if Lucas took a shot at Abrams personally, Kennedy or Kasdan, for that matter. But based on what I’ve seen, I think he’s frustrated with the situation as a whole, more than anything else.
Either way, what I get from him is that his ideas and Disney’s were different, so he decided to quietly step to the side. He seemed disappointed and even a bit bitter to me, perhaps, but not upset.
Why? Actually nobody knows if Disney and Lucasfilm decided to ditch his story treatments completely or not. At some point though, I think George’s original treatments will be brought into the light, and then we’ll eventually find out if George did tell the truth or not. My gut feeling tells me that George is telling the truth. Even though Kennedy is assuring the audience that they’re continuing the generational Skywalker saga, it all comes down to what sort of people and relationships are involved in that saga. Besides, TFA looks like a complete rehash of the OT both in terms of visuals, character roles and politics – at least George would have tried to do something different, that’s unlike BOTH the OT and PT. But as George said, they’ve decided to make a film “for the fans”.
There were talks about 7, 8, and 9 for YEARS since the original trilogies were being made. I have no idea where you got your misinformation. Mark mentions it in a 1980s interview. George’s biographer talks about it seeing outlines and some story treatment and had to sign a NDA. The ideas existed, but randomly decided he didn’t want to make them.
I got my information from one of the 2 sources mentioned in this very article: Vanity Fair.
In the magazine’s January 2005 issue there was an interview with Lucas, titled “Star Wars: the Last Battle”. In the interview, VF clearly states that Lucas had said that RotS would be the last Star Wars film.
The article in question is here: http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2005/02/star-wars-george-lucas-story
So if someone was “misinformed” that would be Vanity Fair, not me. Now, let’s see the evidence behind your claims, just to see if it isn’t you who’s been terribly misinformed.
“The uploader has not made this video available in your Country” So says the video link in the article (Australia that is).
What is wrong with GL? Up until recently I felt people were too hard on him, especially in regards to the PT. But these recent comments make him seem out of touch. It’s a shame…
If he felt so strongly about Star Wars, why did he sell it to Disney ? With all due respect, it is hypocritical of him to criticize JJ Abrams and Disney after having profited immensely from the deal.
Money is a powerful drug.
Or you’re out of touch with what he was trying to do with Star Wars and you didn’t get the big picture?
.Force Awakens is gonna suck because you were all so willing to boot Lucas out the door and take whatever came next…well now you have JJ……woohoo…..cuz he does such an AWESOME job at making GOOD ORIGINAL SMART movies…..no…..and I’m gonna be there on DEC 18 saying I told you so…not giving a FUCK about Star Wars any longer,…its dead….it died when Lucas sold it. Quit hyping yourself into believing this new movie and new director will save everything….NOTHING needed to be saved. Star Wars is Star Wars….it has its good and bad…..But everything Lucas did with that franchise was interesting and it definitely made money. It even became a religion to some. Lucas didnt mess up anything…and now he’s gone. and you’re gonna feel it after this movie comes out
TL;DR
Go back and light another candle on your Lucas shrine. The man is out of good ideas for Star Wars. It has been that way since 1983. The prequels were awful and obviously enough people feel the same way to warrant this new movie being made and marketed as a return to the classic Star Wars look and feel. As long as the Force Awakens isn’t as boring, insulting and horribly written as Lucas’ last trilogy, we’ll be fine.
You’re the greatest sith lord to ever grace the internet.
I pray your force ghost ends up looking like a sea cucumber.
Sith Lords do not become force ghost’s
I doubt he knows this.
Actually, according to canon Clone Wars, Darth Bane did speak to Yoda as a Force ghost
“Uploader has not made video available in your country.”
hm, okay, guess I’ll search around for a transcript.
I hope that they still use Georges ideas at some point,or just pick his mind once in a while.He is Star Wars.
well when abrahams is done after episode 7 i could see them going back in george lucas’s direction. i think kathleen kennedy only went with abrahams because hes a big shot director they didnt want to lose.
Hope you’re right
Hahaha what? Abrams is the one taking orders. He is Kathleen Kennedy’s water boy.
Yeah, but George’s mind is so obviously still full of great ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSrJiaZnPuU
just watched the video of his VF interview. imho he talks out of his ars*
How I see it, Lucas wanted to go in a different direction of telling a story that fans didn’t like. I didn’t like the prequels but I wasn’t hysterical over it. If anything, I’m glad they turned out the way they did because it can be seen as a list of what not to do in a Star Wars film. I never had any ill feelings over Lucas and I owe him all the happiness he gave me growing up in the 80’s. I am glad that the torched has been passed.
i wish hed ghost write some books on his vision
I am really not sure how much Lucasfilm and Disney has strayed from Lucas’ original story. To hear Kennedy talk, she says it is still about the Skywalker family and the changes were nothing more than you would get in normal development. George makes it sound like they totally trashed his story and started with something else. I wonder where the truth is. I think we will probably find out at some point.
I want to see George’s original story. This is his creation and I think it is really the story of his own family’s issues. I want to see how he sees the next generation. I think the PT has a great story, it just was not told very well. You take the exact same story, have someone else write the scripts and direct the movies, and you could have had great movies.
It worries me that George said Disney and Lucasfilm wanted to make a movie “for the fans.” Honestly, that is not what I want and I don’t think it is what makes the OT so great. I don’t want a set of blockbuster movies that don’t really mean anything and will be forgotten. I want George’s timeless tale of family struggles, something that harkens back to ancient mythology.
THIS! Even though I think that George sounds a bit too butthurt in this interview, I’m sure the quote about Disney wanting to make a movie “for the fans” is 100 % true.
The only thing we can hope for is that TFA is both the first and last movie simply “made for the fans”. It’s meant to kickstart the franchise. However, if Ep VIII, IX and all the anthology movies continues down the same path, it will be worse than the prequels.
Absolutely what I feel as well. Disney is going to go all out commercial with this. Commercial in the sense of giving people what they think the people want to see.
Now Lucas never went that route. His story is genuine and comes from the heart. Not from a marketing department. It makes me sad that he sold the rights to Disney. Maybe he should have gone with Warner instead and gotten Christopher Nolan involved.
The PT had a good basic story and in the hands of a more competent director could have been great.
Christopher Nolan drags out story, leaves plot holes, has bad editing. His movie are honestly experimental indie flicks and less than stellar. Dark Knight movies are some of his worst.
Subjective, The Dark Knight movies made Batman popular with a newer generation and has a major fan following although not as big as Star Wars or LoTR.
I hated Nolan´s Batman. Too boring, too “serious” (regarding plot). The first and second Batmans were far more entertaining.
They have that indie feel to them. He does tend to have plot holes, but it doesn’t matter, since the plot is secondary to the themes. I prefer an intelligent story with plot holes over a predictable 3 act bs thrown together by a marketing department.
Wow marketing department…you are that delusional. His movies aren’t intelligent at all and present nothing new to the table. Yes he presents themes, but that’s the problem, there is no context to the story. It’s like brainstorming a great concept, but no knowing how to execute it aka Nolan in a nutshell. If it makes you feel smart to say those things you said, go ahead Nolanist. You guys comment how Dark Knight was so great, but fail to realize it’s just as good as Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises. They’re just mediocre films.
His movies, along with Paul Thomas Anderson’s, are by far the best this generation of directors has to offer.
It’s quite telling when the only thing people criticize about the movies are nitpicking about story inconsistencies (which tells me the story is memorable). The lighting, the staging, the acting, the dialogue, the music are all top notch. Countless other directors are copying him.
Ever since his Dark Knight trilogy, directors have been
-using string arpeggios for action scenes
-going back to “practical effects”
-outright copying the way he films car chases
-copying his slow approaching camera shots (itself an inversion of the old kubrick trademark)
-copying his entire movie (Bond Skyfall)
and last but not least, every comic book movie from 2005 on has tried to be “dark”.
That’s pretty damn influential if you ask me.
People may not get all the thematic connections, the classical literature references (like how the Joker is essentially Mephisto from Goethe’s Faust), and so they only understand half the story.
Granted, Nolan has stumbled. The Dark Knight Rises was ridiculous, poorly paced and thematically dull, Inception was purely experimental and too concerned with explaining every plot detail to a commercial audience. But I defy you to find one fault or inconsistency with “The Prestige”.
The main thing Nolan must be credited for is brining auteur cinema back into the mainstream. It offers directors a chance to do what they believe in without too much studio or marketing department interference. Mad Max would not have been possible without Nolan. Sure, sometimes directors will mess up with too much creative freedom (Lucas and the prequels), but the risk is worth it. The worst thing that’s happening to cinema right now is the whole “shared universe” trend where no story really begins or ends anymore and the studios limit director’s creativity to an established format.
Wow don’t you dare compare Paul Thomas Anderson to Christopher Nolan. Two directors with a major difference, one makes cinematic movies and other makes artistic movies. The artistic movies, while beautiful, are utter s*** in terms of writing and editing aka Christopher Nolan movies.
Story inconsistencies are one problem! No it doesn’t make the story memorable, actually more forgettable. Maybe memorable to you cause you’re a Nolanist defending his mediocre work. I will agree the lighting, staging, acting, and music are top notch. The dialogue is dry cause of Nolan not polishing the script. That is mostly the actors doing the best they can do with the lines provided.
Yeah no director copies another directors style or methods, cause like an artist, they have their own way painting the canvas. Now let’s discredit your points:
Ever since The Dark Knight, not saying trilogy cause Nolanist fans didn’t exist until Health Ledger’s death and after The Dark Knight released. All you Nolanists model everything after The Dark Knight:
– Using string arpeggios for action scenes. False, Hans Zimmer has been using this method in movies YEARS before the Dark Knight Trilogy. Example: Crimson Tides, The Last Samurai, King Arthur. It’s his own style.
– Going back to “practical effects.” False, a lot of movies have gone back and forth with practical effects with mixture of CGI before Dark Knight and after. Nolan didn’t start no trend with this. Mind you CGI started way back in 1982 with Tron.
– Outright copying the way he films car chases. False, explain to me Death Race, Transporter 3, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and even Cars? They have great choreography and cinematography of car scenes that actually outpace The Dark Knight.
– Copying his slow approaching camera shots. False, this style is no different from any random TV show. There are no creative differences in how they approach shooting. The prime motivation is simplicity in Nolan. He not inventing anything new in any of his shots. Often his shots are questionable and if the methods are even necessary.
– Copying his entire movie (Bond Skyfall). Are you kidding me? Skyfall’s script, story, character interaction, outline, and the damn plot are complete different from The Dark Knight. You’re digging straws on this one. All movies have similarities, but this movies isn’t copying The Dark Knight by any means.
– Comic book movie from 2005 on has tried to be “dark.” This wasn’t Nolan’s goal. His goal was to make the movie as realistic as possible and having realistic themes, which made it seem very dark, feel real and disturbing, cause he was describing Batman’s world. This is the only thing Nolan get’s right in The Dark Knight. The idea of making the movie realistic (to a degree). Other DC and Marvel movies have the own theme and reason to be the way they are. No way they’re not imitating The Dark Knight on achieving the same darkness.
Not other words: Not as damn influential as you think he is. A good illusion never the less from his noticeable film of The Dark Knight to make him a mainstream director.
Sure there were two major plotholes in the film The Prestige and countless continuity mistakes. One scene shows equipment from the film, example: When Angier goes to Tesla’s laboratory and walks to the gate, on the far right side of the fence a figure can be seen, apparently holding something ahead.
Plothole mistake: When Angier and Cutter show the machine to Ackerman in the abandoned theater, it is shown that, after Angier enters the machine, he completely disappears. No duplicate is left behind. Since it is not a completed scenario, there is no trap door for a duplicate to fall in. He is seen disappearing, leaving none behind, and appearing at the other side of the theater to Ackerman’s surprise. However, in the end of the movie it is revealed that this machine never disappeared anybody, it just created duplicates at a certain distance. So why didn’t a duplicate remain in the machine when they showed it to Ackerman? And if the reason is that they could fix it, so a duplicatewouldn’t remain, then why would they still create duplicates for the rest of the film? This little scenebreaks all the logic of the film.
Nolan is credit for making an okay Batman movie. He is just an indie director that made it mainstream in hollywood of the Batman movies. His best movies are Memento and Inception (which is a spiritual sequel of Memento). False on Mad Max Fury Road, production was so bad, Warner Bros executive had to step in to complete the film in time. Mind you filming started in 2012, they released it in 2015. George Miller has been working on the 4th Mad Max movie since 2001…way before anyone knew of Nolan, and it went through development hell. Studio and marketing department all interfere with films. The biggest popular movies that never got any interference with Studios was Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi cause George Lucas personally financed these films and is against hollywood studios changing films, also the two films where George Lucas didn’t direct.
Shared universe isn’t the worst thing happening right now. Yes in these universe, oh for example: The Dark Knight, that is an example of a story with no beginning or end for Batman. Studio limits and limitations in general should boast Director’s creativity. If a director can’t be creative in limited environment, which happens 99.9% of the time in hollywood, shouldn’t be director in the first place. I’m sorry, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson have influence movies WAY MORE by MILES than Nolan. Thanks for the bulls*** speech on Nolan that made no sense at all. One Nolanist down, another million more to go.
So much hate…. you know it leads to the dark side, don’t you? 😉
Now let’s have a closer look at your points:
-string arpeggios: Hans Zimmer’s style has evolved over time. However, there are no arpeggios in Crimson Tide, King Arthur or Last Samurai. The first time I heard him use one was during the finale or Pirates of the Caribbean 3. The way action films and even video games have been scored has changed significantly since 2005. Where before it was mostly choral and french horn overkill, it’s now mostly strings and electronic percussions. If you can’t hear the difference, you oughta train your ears.
-of course people have been doing practical effects long before Nolan. But he started a trend away from cgi overkill. Someone send the guys at Marvel the memo.
-copying his shooting style: Another fine example is his use of the rotated camera. He uses this in the scene where Harvey Dent’s face is covered in oil or also during the Joker’s final speech, where the camera turns upside down. Inception, Interstellar also have such shots. I haven’t seen those done before. Now all of a sudden, even a film like Furios 7 had a shot like it.
-Skyfall is a thematic and visual remake of Dark Knight. Aside from the lighting techniques being almost exactly the same, many of the thematic themes are also copied. Among them:
A villain who is essentially an inversion of the hero.
A love interest unexpectedly killed in the middle of the film.
The villain allows himself to be captured in order to escape in a spectacular fashion.
The hero is an orphan,
with a butler who raised him,
and his parent’s mansion,which is then set on fire by the villain,
only for the hero to escape in an old underground tunnel.
Also, there’s this interview with Sam Mendes: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/interview-sam-mendes-talks-the-challenges-of-directing-skyfall-pursuing-javier-bardem-for-the-villain-the-misconception-about-the-bond-producers-control-20121106?page=2
“That did help give me the confidence to take this movie in directions
that, without “The Dark Knight,” might not have been possible. ”
Finall about the Prestige, I don’t think you really understand how the machine works. The machine transports him. The theme of the movie is ambition vs passion. Angier is not much of a magician (his craftsmanship is lousy), but he’s a great showman. The Christian Bale character is a passionate artist who truly lives his art (24/7 with himself and his twin sharing their life).
Angier seeks the machine to finally trump his rival, and he has someone else do the work for him. Much like a ghostwriter would. Countless artists out there, especially in music, have ghostwriters. And while it’s a great way to be successful, it’s not fulfilling. For this success, you sacrifice the one thing that could make you an artist: your soul / your integrity.
Angier “kills” his soul. if the machine really did create copies of him, he would only have needed one live clone for the trick. No need to kill oneself over and over again.
Angier ultimately destroys his soul when he frames his rival for murder. And he kills his soul again and again, each time he performs.
When he just demonstrates the machine, it doesn’t kill his soul. He just demonstrates that it works. It only kills it when he performs for an audience. An extension of the dissatisfaction he felt earlier having to take his bows beneath the stage where no one could see him, while his drunkhead double was on stage. Making a poor trick hurt him. Making a trick that was not his own killed him.
Sure, you could bring up the fact that the cat and hats were cloned. But this is a movie about magic and illusion. Not science. It’s without a doubt a brilliant movie, but that’s not something you would recognize if you approach it with an irrational hate for its director.
I don’t understand where the hate for him comes from. No other director except maybe Michael Bay gets the level of hate Nolan gets (unfairly I might add, Michael Bay knows exactly what he’s doing).
While Nolan’s reach may exceed his grasp, I prefer a director who aims for the stars and slightly misses to one who aims at the ground and hits the mark.
Nolanists never give up! I’m done with this, cause you’re mind is so on the other side of the fence, we are not gonna agree with any of the point we’re trying to make. You can believe what you want to believe. The moment you talked about the Prestige and transportation, I fell off my chair. That is not even true at all! Believe that if you will, but the whole point of the movie it wasn’t magic, it was a illusion, which is what magic is. You take small things and tailor them to your argument and try to make them fact. The michael bay thing and why so many people hate him, cause he makes so many production errors, it’s not even funny at all! Nolan might be reaching for the stars, but he falls flat. Interstellar proves my point on why he is not as great as a director as most of you guys make him out to be. There are way better directors than him!
I second to you. When Lucas said that “Disney and Lucasfilm wanted to make a movie “for the fans.”, I read that as they made it for the big audience, not for the hardcore fans.
And George manages to anger his remaining fans by comparing Star Wars to a soap opera.
You have to admit, He’s pretty damn good at it.
Actually it was referred to as a “Space Opera” back in the late 70’s early 80’s. I don’t know why that should anger anyone?
It ANSOBLUTELY is a soap opera, are you insane?
Are you serious right now? They’re soap operas. Common sense man.
http://www.quickmeme.com/img/8f/8fe0e195dddf5b0981738a3d3d452794383b6c414a13453330f5c6fa0c2bae76.jpg
Star Was is SO much more than a soap opera. It’s a space opera. It has spanned across all possible media and has touched millions of people around the world. I personally don’t get the “soap opera feel” when I kill dozens with my Watchman Sentinel Jedi Knight in SWTOR. So yea, George’s comment completely made me be thankfull that the franchise is now in the hands of people who know what SW is all about, and believe it’s more than “family issues”, so much more. George failed to understand that SW WAS his child but now it’s a 40-year old adult, so yea, I am glad he moved on. I do hope this movie will indeed keep the soap opera core but let us also see how much Star Wars has expanded. And we will see it, dod you know of a little movie called “Rogue One?” I am willing to bet that this will be the first SW film without soap opera elements in it. And when it does great on sales you will see how much SW has progressed and why George fails to understand this.
That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Soap opera but since it’s a space genre, it’s a space opera. Read my previous post before you go on this rant telling me something I already know. We’re on the same side. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8fe0e195dddf5b0981738a3d3d452794383b6c414a13453330f5c6fa0c2bae76.jpg
Still this guy influenced cinema for a looong time. I mean, it was when star wars came out that various film directors decided to go on that path and filmed some of the best films in the sci-fi genre and in other genres too… you have to give him that. He did start something great and if it wasnt for him we wouldnt be here waiting super-excited for an episode VII to come out; also you’ll have to admit that episode III wasn’t that bad afterall.
“…you’ll have to admit that episode III wasn’t that bad afterall.”
Do you have a gun to my head? 😉
Blasted smuggler! knew he couldn’t be trusted 😉
No George, ‘You’ go to make a movie and get criticized. IMO, he got lucky with Ep.IV with the help of a lot of talented people, then got real directors and writers to finish the Saga. Same goes with Indiana Joenes. Lucas could have Never made Raiders of the Lost Ark by himself. He needed the best in the business at the time to pull it off.
He might actually have a point if he was the ONLY director in cinema history to ever get criticized for bringing down a franchise. At least George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, and Joel Schumacher can have a smile about their failures in the superhero genre and not be such an uptight, pompous asshole like he is.
No respect for George.
It’s less about the PT sucking and more of his shitty entitled attitude that galls his detractors. Like someone on here said, His politcs may be the opposite of Dumbya but they have the same tone deaf ham handed approach in interviews like this.
“Disney wanted to make a movie for the fans”…..I can’t believe he even said that. Wtf is he so biitter about anyway? If he wanted it his way, he shouldn’t have sold the franchise. I love the guy, but I am glad they told him to get lost. his new trilogy would have been terrible on more levels than the prequels, because in his mind the prequels were masterpieces. Harrison Ford probably wouldn’t be in the movie. You would have seen a Cameo of Leia in a hologram calling her kids to make sure they were taking their vitamins and Luke Skywalker would have just sat around telling war stories. Harrison Ford agreed to do this because of Disney/Kennedy’s new vision, and that right there should tell you all you need to know. GEorge wants to criticize what they are doing, but even he has admitted that he has NO CLUE what the new story is…….stfu george
It’s the same thing as with the prequels. He earned his place in the film industry and he wanted to play with his brainchild franchise.
Unlike everyone else who thinks of it as a phenomenon that is so much bigger than just him, he just sees it as it’s his and he should just be able to experiment with it. That’s all he’s ever done. That’s what made Star Wars the hit it was.
But that’s the reason the prequels failed. Any one man that’s given carte blanche making a movie is bound to be problematic. Books have editors. Movies have whole departments. For a great movie, you need everyone contributing, offering criticism, and suggesting improvements. No man is an Island, as they say.
Anybody who knows anything about film making knows it is a COLLABORATIVE process with hundreds and sometimes thousands of people working on the film. We seen what happens in politics when one person tries to take on everything at once single handedly like Lucas did with the PT rather than actually have trust in who you hire and properly delegate certain tasks to the most capable people like a true leader does.
I mean he even fucked with the score at the end to II and John Williams is argubly a greater creative visionary than he is.
Papa G should ave had sense, or at least someone at Disney, to keep him(self) at bay until maybe January. He can have his opinion, but as a major stockholder, he risks damaging the film saying it now. And what, out of bitterness?
He has been bought out already. He has nothing to lose, really.
And I’m all for people being honest instead of corporation puppets.
Wow the amount of vitriol towards George Lucas on this Star Wars “fan” comment section amazes me. I think Goerge was being candid about his feelings about how you let go of life’s love and work and put it in other peoples hands. You had one direction on how the story should proceed and the studio has another. This happens all the time in the movie business and I thought it was refreshing to hear original visionary’s feelings on the matter. Most of the time creative differences are swept under the rug by the studios and you don’t get to hear about what the original vision of the film was supposed to be. I don’t think GL was dissing on the fans, I think he was concerned that Disney may be focused on giving the Fans A New Hope 2.0 verses the continuation of the story telling of the Skywalker story. We will see on Dec.17th. Personally I would love to see a blood related next generation Skywalker (Leia’s or Luke’s kid) in this next sequel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_iSQ65ZDAE
Just a little worried after this interview, I hope the new film retains a strong Skywalker focus ( i think it will be a mistake to turn away from that). I know we have to hand over to a new generation but i hope they retain strong connections to the past.
He can say whatever he wants its his baby and he created it but I do think he will be completely surprised and satisfied when he sees it himself. It’s better that Disney owns it now. They actually know how to create and sell it and not just horde it and release remasters every year.