The Problem with Star Wars

[Nuclear Platypus]

There is also the uh.. 'cut' line from EpIII (first seen in someone's sig):

"Hello. My name is Boba Fett. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

But I'm fond of:

You call this a diplomatic solution? (Anakin)
No, I call it an aggressive negotiation. (Padme)

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I love all of the Star Wars movies. I think they are ALL good. Strange, huh? I don't believe the prequels are noticably worse than the OT.

Yes, there are elements in nearly every movie that aren't the greatest. Luke being way too whiney all the time, cheesy dialog from almost every character in every movie, the queasiness that comes to mind when I realize that Luke was lusting after his sister for an entire movie, Luke overacting, (NOO!! You're not my father!!) being unable to understand Jar Jar properly so most of his humour was lost, poor execution in explaining the story correctly, and the romantic scenes in AoTC.

Now, I may be weird or something in that I hold no ill will for Ewoks, Jar Jar, and that RoTJ is my favorite movie (Although it is in a close war with AoTC). To me Star Wars has always been about cool fight scenes with blaster bolts flying, fast paced action, and once I had seen RoTJ about the use of cool force powers. I just love the idea of people commanding others with the force, deflecting blaster bolts, throwing around parts of the wall, jumping really high. I love magic and cool powers. To me, that's what Star Wars is about anyways. That and cheesy dialogue.

So in that vain. Someone asked for it...lines that stick out in my head as truely classic. I know, because I'm that guy who can't stop quoting Star Wars movies during inapporpriate moments and ones from the prequels that have entered my vocabulary are:

TPM:
"You're right master, the negotiations WERE short"
"Wipe them out. ALL of them"
"The ability to speak does not make one intelligent"
"Greed can be a powerful ally"
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering"
"Yousa not-a thinking yousa better than the Gungans.....Meesa like dis"

AoTC:
"You want to go home and rethink your life"
"If a system is not listed in the Jedi archives, then it doesn't exist"
"You call this a diplomatic solution?" "No, I call it agressive negotiations"

There's more from AoTC, but I haven't seen it in a while and my brain hurts right now.

Still, I suggest enjoying the movies for what they are. I prefer the attitude of "Star Wars comes from Lucas, whatever Lucas gives us IS Star Wars. I can either like Star Wars or I can rant about how it isn't MY Star Wars." I prefer the former. I love every moment of it and wouldn't trade it for anything else. As a side note, something for everything to think about: I organized about 14 friends to see TPM when it first came out, got into the 3 am show. When we came out, basically we had 13 out of 14 people saying how great the movie was ano how unbelievable it was. Then all of them talked to their other friends and got online and started discussing it. The general opinion amongst everyone else was that the movie was a horrible perversion of Star Wars and Lucas didn't deserve to live for creating it. 2 weeks later, I was being shunned by all of my friends who had changed their mind and decided they agreed with everyone else and that I was an idiot for liking a crappy movie.

 

[Rayndeon]

There is also the uh.. 'cut' line from EpIII (first seen in someone's sig):

"Hello. My name is Boba Fett. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

But I'm fond of:

A little Inigo Montoya action? (The Princess Bride by Simon Morgenstern)

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

As a side note, something for everything to think about: I organized about 14 friends to see TPM when it first came out, got into the 3 am show. When we came out, basically we had 13 out of 14 people saying how great the movie was ano how unbelievable it was. Then all of them talked to their other friends and got online and started discussing it. The general opinion amongst everyone else was that the movie was a horrible perversion of Star Wars and Lucas didn't deserve to live for creating it. 2 weeks later, I was being shunned by all of my friends who had changed their mind and decided they agreed with everyone else and that I was an idiot for liking a crappy movie.

My first viewing of TPM was pretty much the same, right down to the number of people. I had fewer with me for AotC, if only because a lot of the original crew had scattered all over the country, but the same thing happened. We all walked out of the theater saying, "That rocked!" With just a couple people saying, "Yes, except for the love story." Incidentally, my fiancee and I were the ones saying that. 2 weeks later, my fiancee and I were the only ones who weren't vilifying Lucas and ranting about its craptasticy. Groupthink? Power of the media? I don't know.

 

[Desdichado]

I think the world is different now. When I watch most current tv shows or movies, I don't think they waste a second. There never seems to be a point where I can talk because missing anything will mean I missed something important. However, thirty years ago, it seemed as if that wasn't the case. There were vast tracts of some (not all, but most) tv shows or movies where it was "easy" to talk because it was obvious nothing important to the plot was happening. Star Wars is that way for me. The first ten minutes are so visual that no matter how much I like the soundtrack, I can talk and others will respond and we don't feel as if we are missing anything. So, I think Star Wars had to "adapt" to the current style of movies that we have today. And, in that, I think they did lose a lot of the themes of the movie, which others have said better than I.

That's an ironic observation, since the Star Wars movies have generally been credited with creating that whole fast-paced summer blockbuster formula in the first place.

 

[billd91]

My first viewing of TPM was pretty much the same, right down to the number of people. I had fewer with me for AotC, if only because a lot of the original crew had scattered all over the country, but the same thing happened. We all walked out of the theater saying, "That rocked!" With just a couple people saying, "Yes, except for the love story." Incidentally, my fiancee and I were the ones saying that. 2 weeks later, my fiancee and I were the only ones who weren't vilifying Lucas and ranting about its craptasticy. Groupthink? Power of the media? I don't know.

It might also be longer reflection taking over after the blush of the first impression wears off.

I was vaguely dissatisfied with Menace. And now my vague feelings are considerably more concrete in my mind after several more viewings on DVD. Hey, if you have kids in the house, you'll end up with them on DVD even if you personally don't like the movies much.

My first impression of Clones as I walked out of the theater was that it was better than Menace. Having watched it a few more times, I firmly believe that it is, by far, the weakest of the Star Wars movies for a number of reasons.

Sometimes, it just take a little time to really evaluate a movie and make up a long-lasting opinion of it.

 

[Empress]

Oops, forgot the quote

That's an ironic observation, since the Star Wars movies have generally been credited with creating that whole fast-paced summer blockbuster formula in the first place.

Together with Jaws.

But it became a formula only because of the massive financial success. Indeed, this was when studios took note that there was a lot, and I mean a lot, of money to be made in movies. After Star Wars and Jaws swept multiplexes, popcorn movies became a summer staple.

That's one of the interesting and paradox notions about the 70's. It gave birth to movies so good, so imaginative and so succesful that it led to an ever-increasing stream of copycats. In a way, the era of free filmmaking and powerful directors directly caused our times of limited creativity and powerful studios.

You still can't blame the movies back then; it's just a shame that the only directors that still have that freedom, the same directors that had the freedom back then (save for a handful of exemptions like Peter Jackson, at most), utilize that freedom to produce the same crap as everyone.

I mean, George Lucas is probably the most powerful filmmaker of the world (maybe except for Kim Jong-Il). Not only would he be allowed to do anything he wanted, he would also be able to finance it, and to produce the movie all by himself (utilizing his companies's staff, of course). That's the biggest disappointment I feel with regards to Star Wars. Lucas could have tried to revolutionize storytelling and filmmaking, and instead he chose to go the pedestrian route.

 

[Mercule]

My first viewing of TPM was pretty much the same, right down to the number of people. I had fewer with me for AotC, if only because a lot of the original crew had scattered all over the country, but the same thing happened. We all walked out of the theater saying, "That rocked!" With just a couple people saying, "Yes, except for the love story." Incidentally, my fiancee and I were the ones saying that. 2 weeks later, my fiancee and I were the only ones who weren't vilifying Lucas and ranting about its craptasticy. Groupthink? Power of the media? I don't know.

My experience was that I hated TPM the first time I saw it. Then my sister wanted to see it and drug me with her. I liked it better. What I discovered was that part of what defines a Star Wars to me is having seen it 100+ times and knowing everything that's going to happen. Therefore, seeing TPM a second time made it feel more "right".

That said, I've still only seen TPM twice and AotC once. I wouldn't mind seeing AotC again, though.

 

[Desdichado]

I mean, George Lucas is probably the most powerful filmmaker of the world (maybe except for Kim Jong-Il). Not only would he be allowed to do anything he wanted, he would also be able to finance it, and to produce the movie all by himself (utilizing his companies's staff, of course). That's the biggest disappointment I feel with regards to Star Wars. Lucas could have tried to revolutionize storytelling and filmmaking, and instead he chose to go the pedestrian route.

For what it's worth, I saw him briefly somewhere the other night (ET, maybe?) and he said that after Sith he wants to go back and make small movies of a completely different kind. Star Wars was the unexpected 30 year detour for him, and now he says he can afford to fail financially making whatever the hell he wants.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

For what it's worth, I saw him briefly somewhere the other night (ET, maybe?) and he said that after Sith he wants to go back and make small movies of a completely different kind. Star Wars was the unexpected 30 year detour for him, and now he says he can afford to fail financially making whatever the hell he wants.

That was on 60 Minutes last night.

And with RotS behind him, the main story for SW is over. Anakin's tale will be told completely and that's really what the whole thing has been about. Of course, that doesn't mean SW will be gone...there is that TV Show coming.