45 replies to this topic

[Windu]

If I'm not mistaken, Jackson also requested that he have a purple lightsaber as Mace Windu

[True Lakers Fan]

If I'm not mistaken, Jackson also requested that he have a purple lightsaber as Mace Windu

Yes he did

[fido]

Not a bad thing at all.

Good to see George willing to hand the reigns over to a new regime of filmmaker. I get the feeling maybe he recognized the prequel trilogy being flawed and with some time was able to step back and realize it's time for new blood to revive the franchise. In a quick interview he said the treatments for Episodes 7, 8 & 9 are all done and have been handed to Kathleen Kennedy, the now President of Lucasfilm. She then said that they are in the midst of getting writers in and hashing out the stories. Fun times ahead!

The lessons learned from the prequels will hopefully lead to much better films than those 3 disappointments.

Very excited to see where the Star Wars universe is heading.

Also, I expected it to sell for much more than 4.5 billion.

[Mr Terrific]

[DTIII™]

I love Star Wars and I hope they don't mess up, but I've heard Episode 7 will take place decades after ROTJ with Luke rebuilding the Republic.

[Mr Terrific]

There Is No Try

How do the 'Star Wars' films stack up these days?



Everyone views the "Star Wars" movies -- the original ones, that is -- through the prism of childhood, it seems. Whether that's because they viewed the films originally as children, or because the movies brought back memories of earlier films they had seen as kids, there's a certain innocence attached to the first three movies that makes them almost above criticism (well, at least the first two anyway) and perhaps much better than they actually are.



The prequels, made 20 years later, suffer in comparison, but they don't help their cause by being largely mediocre efforts. Yet even in the six years since the release of the last one ("Revenge of the Sith"), the thinking on those films has shifted somewhat as well, with two of them switching places in the order of preference.


So with the Blu-ray box set available now, let's take a quick, fresh look at the six "Star Wars" episodes, shall we? And let's do it in order of release:

"Episode IV: A New Hope" (1977): As simple and fun as a movie can come, the original "Star Wars" (before it was burdened with its clumsy subtitle) either took the movies to a new level or brought them to ruin (needless to say, we don't agree with that view). Yes, a lot of the dialogue is silly and clunky, and some of the acting matches the simplistic nature of the script, but the effect of seeing the first modern space opera on the big screen was simply mind-blowing. Wholesome, sincere, funny and exciting, "Star Wars" featured visuals never before seen, one of the greatest scores of all time, and a love for its genre that was undeniable and infectious.



"Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980): If "A New Hope" was a spectacular delight, "The Empire Strikes Back" is the franchise's brush with greatness. It is one of the best modern science-fiction films ever, and one of the rare sequels that improves in leaps and bounds on its predecessor. "Empire" not only expands upon and adds shading to the basic good-vs.-evil story line of "A New Hope," but fleshes out its four primary characters and adds depth to their relationships with each other. It's a darker, more complex film, and there's no way to describe the ripple of shock that went through the theater when Vader revealed his true connection to Luke. "The Empire Strikes Back" is not just a genre milestone; it's one of the great films, period.

"Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" (1983): Parts of "Return" work really, really work: mainly the final space battle between the rebels and the Empire, and the climactic confrontation between Luke, Vader and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). We also like the opening rescue of Han from Jabba the Hut's fortress. But there's that long, long stretch in the middle, mostly set on the forest moon of Endor, which drives us up the wall -- we can't wait to get past the Ewoks and the awful Luke/Leia/Han scenes and move into the story's conclusion. The lightsaber rematch between Luke and Vader, the gradual revelation of the Emperor's corruption of the Force, and the titular "return of the Jedi" in the form of Vader's redemption are as great as anything in "Empire," but, man, do we have to earn our way there.

"Episode I: The Phantom Menace" (1999): You could almost hear the collective sigh of dashed expectations as "Phantom Menace" unspooled in theaters in the summer of '99. There was no question that the movie looked dazzling -- Lucas' oft-repeated claim that he was waiting for technology to leap to the next level before making more "Star Wars" films seemed to have been borne out. Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson also make for believable and credible Jedi Knights. Where "Menace" falls down, however, is in the story. There is a lot going on, but none of it is very clear and there's no indication of what purpose it all serves. The one clear plotline -- the discovery that little slave boy Anakin Skywalker is immensely strong with the Force -- is nearly sunk by poor little Jake Lloyd's woeful acting. And let's not even get into Jar Jar Binks, shall we?

"Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (2002): For a long time, it was conventional wisdom that "Clones" was an improvement on "Menace," mainly because you saw a lot more lightsaber fights in this one (including one where a CG Yoda leaps around like a frog on coke). But the truth is that "Clones" is worse: a whole lot of sound and fury that truly signifies nothing. As in "Menace," its one strong story arc -- the forbidden romance between Anakin (Hayden Christensen, not much better than Jake Lloyd) and Amidala (Natalie Portman) -- is sabotaged by bad writing and awkward acting. The rest of the movie adds little to the overall saga, merely killing time by racing from one planet to another until we can get to the stuff everyone wants to see in the next one. Hell, how can you hire Christopher Lee and waste him with a confusing and pointless role?

"Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" (2005): A lot of the first half of "Sith" feels just like its two predecessors, and gives one the same sinking feeling. But then as the movie heads toward its inevitable destination -- the rise of the Emperor and the fall of Anakin Skywalker -- something happens: The story finally clicks into place, the characters take on tragic dimensions, and "Sith" finds itself possibly surpassing "Return of the Jedi" as the third best film in the saga. The film also confirms that the acting award for all three prequels goes to Ian McDiarmid, who gradually transforms subtle malevolence into a cackling, grand manifestation of evil.

The Force

Edited by Mr Terrific, October 30, 2012 - 05:46 PM.

[Mr Terrific]

^ Hah!

[Clutch]

instead of episode 7, i would much rather they explore the story before the the 2 trilogies...ala the old republic games

I've always wished they could make a 'Shadows of The Empire' movie with Dash Rendar.

[Artest37]

Oh great, I hope this doesn't mean a series of Jar Jar Binks plushy dolls and backpacks.

[True Lakers Fan]

I've always wished they could make a 'Shadows of The Empire' movie with Dash Rendar.

that game was soo cool

[Windu]

instead of episode 7, i would much rather they explore the story before the the 2 trilogies...ala the old republic games

that would take us back to the days of Darth Plagueis and Darth Bane

that game was soo cool

One of my favorite games of all-time and easily one of the best ever on that old N64. Music was ill too. I wish they could somehow re-release it for these newer systems with improved graphics. Keep everything else the same, don't care. I enjoyed it that much.

Oh great, I hope this doesn't mean a series of Jar Jar Binks plushy dolls and backpacks.

Damn, didn't think of that. I sure hope not.

[True Lakers Fan]

One of my favorite games of all-time and easily one of the best ever on that old N64. Music was ill too. I wish they could somehow re-release it for these newer systems with improved graphics. Keep everything else the same, don't care. I enjoyed it that much.Damn, didn't think of that. I sure hope not.

Game was underrated as well, not sure if people knew/knows about it

^ Agree. People did, but not as many as there should've been nor enough.

[WhatUSaid]

Lucas believes the worlds ending. It's his final cash grab so he can finish building his space ship

So does that mean Skywalker Ranch belongs to Disney now as well? Is it possible they'll add anything more to Disneyland now regarding Star Wars other than that super old ride?

[Majesty]

So there will be a 3D star wars movie coming soon? Made by Pixar? Hmm....could be interesting if they stay true to source...

[bigfetz]

instead of episode 7, i would much rather they explore the story before the the 2 trilogies...ala the old republic games

Me too. Get into the whole prevous siths and that stuff. Who knows they might