OT: An Open Letter To George Lucas

[Jarena]

That's pretty harsh.
Given, of course, Lucas has become business-minded (as many successful artists do) I don't really think that these three new movies were made only to line the pockets of a man who, really, had more money than God from the get-go.
EVERYONE wanted more Star Wars. Lord knows I did. Everyone wanted him to make them, and he said he was going to, and he did. The problem, however, was that he was completey unable. He lost what made the Trilogy incredible. There's an old quote that basically attests to the fact that truly moving art is born of pain and struggle. Lucas is a well-established industry god. He's not trying to prove anything to anyone any more. He's not working within a budget with a team of only what he can afford being stifled by the technology of the day that he had to struggle to work around. He doesn't have any of those pressures or hardships any more. He can squeeze out a half-assed script and turn three movies into a uninteractive video game because, basically, he's all alone. Who's to tell him otherwise? There's never a time where he has to revert to a creative camera angle in some back-studio set that's carefully painted to give the impression that they're in a space ship - he says the word and a multimillion-dollar team of 3D artists makes him any starship he could ever want.
Everything in this universe takes the path of least resistance. It's why planets are round, it's why water collects at the lowest point, and it's why the new trilogy sucked balls - Lucas didn't have anything to prove, he had nothing to give us.
I wouldn't be too quick to blame the man, though. If anything it's sad. HE can't do it. The creator of Star Wars can't revive his creation. It's gone.

[Renegade 13]

Jarena said:
It's why planets are round, it's why water collects at the lowest point...

I hate to be pedantic, and your point is well made, but gravity might argue with you about it being the path of least resistance that leads water to the lowest point or planets to be round.

I know, I know, a moronic point to make, but I'm tired and felt like typing something.

[dogscoff]

OK, get onto your favourite torrent site, and download "Changes", which is episode two of season two of "Spaced". That sums up a great many people's feelings about the Phantom Menace right there. Watch it, p:ss yourself laughing at what I consider the funniest thiry minutes ever committed to film, change your underwear and then go buy both series on DVD (currently just six quid for them both here *). I promise you'll never regret it.

*Yes, I get a referal payment if anyone buys from that link, but it's a good deal and believe me I would be recommending it anyway: Spaced is my all time favourite TV program of all time ever. Please buy it, not because I get a few pence, but because it's sheer genius and I want everyone to laugh as much as I do every time I watch it.

[Raging Deadstar]

dogscoff said:
Spaced is my all time favourite TV program of all time ever. Please buy it, not because I get a few pence, but because it's sheer genius and I want everyone to laugh as much as I do every time I watch it.

This man is an oracle of truth, along with Stephen Colbert. I finally picked up both seasons of Spaced on DVD.

If you haven't heard of it the show stars and was made by the same guy who stars and made Shaun of the Dead.

[Hugh Manatee]

I don't get why people are so pissy about the new trilogy, I liked it, I had fun, it was a good enough movie, just like the OT. The only real difference was it had about 30 years of hype that it could never live up to where the original kinda came outa nowhere with new visual FX technuques that stunned audiences. The OT was just as cheesey(alien swing band, glowy light swords, aerodynamically retarded fighters, man-bear-thing called of all things "wookie"), poorly acted(I mean come on carrie looks lude'd up in every scene, harrison was practically phoning it in, and I'm sorry, I like the guy's voice acting but hammill is not good in movies) and had as much bad turns of phrase as the new(in whiney "aww I wanted to go to the toshi station and pick up some power converters"). Also I'd say the sand people, jawas and ewoks are about as insensitive to certain ethnic and handicapped groups as as jar jar.

Star Wars has always been a large budget cutting edge FX film with a cheesey space epic story line, Jarena was right, everyone asked for it, they begged for it. They got it it wasn't good enough. I think being that the original star wars was worked out to stand on it's own more or less helped it, helped it become a phenomanon in it's own right, and peopleshould consider themselves lucky that the guy still has an interest in telling more of the story after about 30 years.

If anyone else was in GL's shoes, they'd do the exact same thing, with all the matketing, editing and exploitation, anyone who says otherwise is a liar.

[Jarena]

Renegade 13 said:

I know, I know, a moronic point to make, but I'm tired and felt like typing something.

Haha, I thought that was the point - it wuld take more energy for a planet to make itself square or for water to flow uphill because of gravity.

[RonGianti]

I would have been with you, except that EPIII blew me away. I and II were disappointing, but III was awesome. To each his own I guess...

[Renegade 13]

Jarena said:
Haha, I thought that was the point - it wuld take more energy for a planet to make itself square or for water to flow uphill because of gravity.

You are indeed correct...that'll teach me to type while tired

[NullAshton]

Yeah, Episode III was awesome. Episode I and II... eh, II has too much mushy love stuff. I was okay, but the ending battle kind of sucked.

[Atrocities]

EP III had very bad timing issues. Little things that just annoyed me too no end. The flow and timing was off and bits of it seemed contrived and way too unimaginative for my tastes. Overall the movie is better than EP I or II but falls way way short of EP VI. EP IV was the best, V was awsome, VI was ok but better than EP I.