Star Wars eps. 1-3 - a change of view

[BenM77]

The original films were betrayed for flashy fight scenes to bring in a new audience, the gulf between them proves that the success of the original films had as much to do with the quality of the acting and directing as the then cutting edge effects.

For me the new films are watchable action sci-fi films, but they don't hold a candle to the original classics

[DuncanM]

The worst bit, by a country F een mile is in Revenge of the Sith.

Anakin, struggling with his inner battle of good and evil/right and wrong, finally succumbs to the dark side.

Then he pops off to chop up some little Jedi kids .

How can anyone make that transition? Yeah, I'll be bad to save my Mrs. What's that you say? Chop up those kiddies with my light saber? Sure, no problem!

Unbelievably crap.

[Pesty]

DuncanM said:

Then he pops off to chop up some little Jedi kids .

Not jedi kids

YOUNGLINGS

and of course thebest scene in the world eva.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

Plot went like this

"be a Sith"
"no Im a Jedi"
"be a Sith "
"ok then"

[Halb]

One of the 'younglings' does something I find amusing but I cannot remember what it is!

[JonRB]

Obi-Wan to Luke in Ep4:
"Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force"

Actual story according to the prequels:
"Your father was a dumbass who was tricked into the Dark Side of the Force. He was trying to save your mum and the Emperor told him he had the power to save her. Only he then said that actually he didn't have that power but that he and your dad could find it together. And instead of saying 'wait, WHAT?' your father not only accepted that but then said "okie dokie" when immediately sent out to murder children. Sorry, 'Younglings'"
"Blimey, Ben. My father sounds like a bit of a retard"
"You said it, Luke"

[Halb]

Just seen Yoda in an advert, got the biggest smile on my face, helping a geek with a girl.
Yoda where are you when I need you!?!?!?

[Eighteeteewhy]

Right that's it, I'm watching the original trilogy now.

[darth_pies]

Halb said:

Just seen Yoda in an advert, got the biggest smile on my face, helping a geek with a girl.
Yoda where are you when I need you!?!?!?

Can it be a coincidence that suddenly Star wars is being licensed for loads of advertising over the last couple of years? Probably a sign of a fading and desperate Lucas looking to wring every last drop from the franchise before it is totally devalued.

On the one hand that gives us the lovely VW superbowl commercials from the US (everybody seen the latest 'Bark Side' one? Lovely ) and that quite good Adidas 'cantina' one from the world cup.

On the other we have the terrible (IMHO) Currys and Vodafone ads where they've just inserted the characters in an otherwise very average ad to flog tellies/washing machines/phone contracts....I don't remember Star Wars being used like this in the 90's before the prequels, but I guess Lucas just doesn't care anymore.

[chris watton]

darth_pies said:

Halb said:

Just seen Yoda in an advert, got the biggest smile on my face, helping a geek with a girl.
Yoda where are you when I need you!?!?!?

Can it be a coincidence that suddenly Star wars is being licensed for loads of advertising over the last couple of years? Probably a sign of a fading and desperate Lucas looking to wring every last drop from the franchise before it is totally devalued.

On the one hand that gives us the lovely VW superbowl commercials from the US (everybody seen the latest 'Bark Side' one? Lovely ) and that quite good Adidas 'cantina' one from the world cup.

On the other we have the terrible (IMHO) Currys and Vodafone ads where they've just inserted the characters in an otherwise very average ad to flog tellies/washing machines/phone contracts....I don't remember Star Wars being used like this in the 90's before the prequels, but I guess Lucas just doesn't care anymore.

I even had a Yoda email from Lovefilm, trying to entice me back to re-subscribe- failed on every level.

Anyone who pays good money to see the prequels again must be mad - I love Star Wars, grew up with it, but Lucas hasn't really done anything of note since the Empire strikes back (ROTJ is just Muppets in space....)

[JonRB]

chris watton said:

Anyone who pays good money to see the prequels again must be mad - I love Star Wars, grew up with it, but Lucas hasn't really done anything of note since the Empire strikes back (ROTJ is just Muppets in space....)

The irony being that Empire isn't one that Lucas directed.

[chris watton]

JonRB said:

chris watton said:

Anyone who pays good money to see the prequels again must be mad - I love Star Wars, grew up with it, but Lucas hasn't really done anything of note since the Empire strikes back (ROTJ is just Muppets in space....)

The irony being that Empire isn't one that Lucas directed.

I know - and it is one of the best sci-fi films of all times, IMOHO.

I remember well looking forward to ROTJ, and leaving the cimema feeling slightly disappointed and underwhelmed - I assume Lucas had more directorial input with that one? it was almost as big a disappointment as the prequels, but at least ROTJ, for all of its muppetry faults, still had protagonists you cared about, and a clear story line and plot - all of which were missing from the prequels - CGI overload does not always make for a good movie.....

[y2blade]

vladcjelli said:

Halb said:

Crossflow Kid said:

Nom de ploom said:

episode three of 1-3 stands up to repeated viewing more than the others I reckon.

Get your stuff, and get out. Just go.

Exactly. I thought trolling was frowned upon?

This^^^^

[Halb]

I think Lucas took over some of the smaller sequences from Marquand.
Also don't forget ROTJ is the one where Kurtz walked out.

I can recall when Yoda was off limits, he wasn't allowed to be touched by anyone in the SW universe, now he shills for Vodafone....even so, I did let out a small cry of geekinness...

[chris watton]

Halb said:

I think Lucas took over some of the smaller sequences from Marquand.
Also don't forget ROTJ is the one where Kurtz walked out.

That’s when the rot started with the cringe worthy ‘knowing’ in-jokes that started to filter into films, along with ridiculous OTT special effects. IIRC, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was another huge let down – where the first film was, and still is fantastic, the second film was too full of impossible scenarios (the raft falling from the waterfall and staying upright throughout, and the stupid mine cart chase – both physics defying and eliminating any sense of impending doom for the viewer)

The latest Star Wars films (and that silly 4th Indiana Jones film) are just extensions of all that was bad in ROTJ and the second Indiana Jones films, but with the badness and lack of care for any character in any silly and contrived situation non-existent. I know they are fantasy, but physics defying just don’t work…. Impossible to think of yourself in their shoes.

[Pesty]

chris watton said:

That’s when the rot started with the cringe worthy ‘knowing’ in-jokes that started to filter into films, along with ridiculous OTT special effects. IIRC, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was another huge let down – where the first film was, and still is fantastic, the second film was too full of impossible scenarios (the raft falling from the waterfall and staying upright throughout, and the stupid mine cart chase – both physics defying and eliminating any sense of impending doom for the viewer)

The latest Star Wars films (and that silly 4th Indiana Jones film) are just extensions of all that was bad in ROTJ and the second Indiana Jones films, but with the badness and lack of care for any character in any silly and contrived situation non-existent. I know they are fantasy, but physics defying just don’t work…. Impossible to think of yourself in their shoes.

Star wars came out in 1977ish. You can draw a direct line from that to transformers.

As much as i love star wars (1-3) it started a trend of big money blockbusters with style over substance. Just think about a few films that came out in the 70s. It was agolden age, then star wars came out and everyone wanted bigger better so they could sell toys.

French conection
Paillion
Marathon man
China town
Clockwork orange
dear hunter
jaws
Godfather

etc etc etc

Now we get fking kids films like fking Avatar and transformers ste.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Eighteeteewhy said:

Right that's it, I'm watching the original trilogy now.

Ok, I watched 1V A new hope last night, probably a bit of a noobie question, I have the versions with the extra bit of CGI in. They don't spoil it but don't really need it. What I'm wondering is how was the bit with Han Solo and Jabba done? I can't remember that scene in the original.
Thanks

[Twincam16]

JonRB said:

Twincam16 said:

Frankly, the only decent prequel is Episode III. It's the only one with that sense of bleak tragedy that adds extra depth to the original Star Wars trilogy and lifts it out of Flash Gordon territory.

That's ironic because the charm of the original trilogy is that they are in the Flash Gordon territory and the prequel trilogy moves away from that and is worse for it.

I think the main problem with the prequels is they suffer from "MOAR!!!" syndrome.

MOAR LIGHTSABERS!!
MOAR space battles!
MOAR lasers!
MOAR pew pew pew!
MOAR special effects!

There is so much st happening on screen at any one time you just go "meh" and become numb to it.

And another one - in ROTJ, Leia can distantly remember her 'real' mother.

So why did she die in childbirth in ROTS?

[Pesty]

There was an original scene, It was some fat bloke dressed like henry the 8th. It was st and quite rightly cut out. So they had the scene.

IIRC they just mapped and cgi'd the young Jabba over the top of henry the 8th so it fit in with han talking etc etc

[TheHeretic]

Pesty said:

Star wars came out in 1977ish. You can draw a direct line from that to transformers.

As much as i love star wars (1-3) it started a trend of big money blockbusters with style over substance. Just think about a few films that came out in the 70s. It was agolden age, then star wars came out and everyone wanted bigger better so they could sell toys.

French conection
Paillion
Marathon man
China town
Clockwork orange
dear hunter
jaws
Godfather

etc etc etc

Now we get fking kids films like fking Avatar and transformers ste.

Not really fair. Plenty of excellent films nowadays, they just don't get the limelight the summer blockbuster media gets. Plenty of gash films back then too!

[KB_S1]

Eighteeteewhy said:

Ok, I watched 1V A new hope last night, probably a bit of a noobie question, I have the versions with the extra bit of CGI in. They don't spoil it but don't really need it. What I'm wondering is how was the bit with Han Solo and Jabba done? I can't remember that scene in the original.
Thanks

As said it was CGI'd over the original scene with a fat man. Interesting that thy had to animate Solo in a way that it looked like he stepped on Jabba's tail when circling around him.