Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18/15)

[Morgul Matt]

You are very, erm.... passionate.

*gulps*

I think you'll find that the correct term is 'mentally unstable.'

Passionate! Bah! Bah, I say!

 

[Magpie 7]

Better live action female stormies than cgi male stormies.

 

[Morgul Matt]

Better live action female stormies than cgi male stormies.

Is what a misogynist would be expected to say.

 

[Rorywan]

I'm pretty convinced myself that this will NOT be awful. In fact I think it looks like it will be a great sci-fi movie.

However, will it feel like Star Wars, thats the real question I have. Love or hate Lucas, every creative decision (for better or worse) came from his impulses. The editing, the ship design, the wardrobe, sound, look and feel of the world. It was his, even the prequels. And there was a kinda thematic unity to it because of that. He brought completely diverse elements together and made them work. Thankfully some of the same designers and crew are on this. The crew by the way (even poster artists) were veto'd by Lucas. They are still his gang, but working for a new boss. If you read the Making of Books (original trilogy, you get to understand just how deep a control freak meddler he was) this is Star Wars, this isn't Star Wars. It was subjective. And a nightmare for JJ to deal with i would imagine. Why do you think they are reusing so many design elements created for the OT since Lucas left the scene? To capture that Star Wars "magic".

So, I think we will get a really cool movie in December, time will tell if Star Wars itself can survive without Lucas pushing the buttons though. We will have a lot of movies and TV coming out of Disney with Star Wars characters in them. But that's all they might be, a brand exercise. His subjectivity made Star Wars what it is. All you have to do is look at one of the video's where he is reviewing a wall full of amazing artwork, concepts for creatures, robots whatever. He picks something that talks to him. And it was generally not the obvious.

 

[Magpie 7]

Is what a misogynist would be expected to say.

Nope, just someone who doesn't believe in CGI just save time and money. I would be overjoyed if Leia stole the film as the main Jedi Master.

 

[Rorywan]

Just saw this on slash film, kind of sums up my concerns.



"Lucas: The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn’t really want to do those. So they made up their own. So it’s not the ones that I originally wrote [on screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens].

/Film: That sounds very much like the narrative described above, the one we’d heard rumors of everywhere. That Lucas wanted to put his characters – Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa – in the background and give the fans something new. The Force Awakens certainly seems to do that, with new characters Finn, Rey, Poe, and others, but they’ll be co-starring with the older characters in this first chapter, leaving the story open to the younger generation going ahead.

To be fair, if this is all true, I don’t think J.J. Abrams or Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, are the bad guys. Lucas might sound upset and while his idea to go young is admirable, there really was only one shot with the older actors. The fact Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and the rest are alive and well now is something Abrams obviously felt he needed to take advantage of."


So if the craggy old versions of Luke, Han and especially Leia "rape your childhood" this time you can't blame Lucas. I'm still not sure I want that scene where Luke watches the twin sunsets.. and wonders about his future, forever tarnished by a crazy old Jedi tramp version. It could all be wonderful, and I hope it is. But I keep thinking there is something much more damaging about sequels than prequels for affecting how we view the OT (if they get it wrong).

 

[karamazov80]

After the Star Wars Holiday Special, the Ewoks TV movies, and the prequels, I'm pretty sure nothing else that comes will be able to spoil my affinity for the original films. No matter how atrocious.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

So if the craggy old versions of Luke, Han and especially Leia "rape your childhood" this time you can't blame Lucas. I'm still not sure I want that scene where Luke watches the twin sunsets.. and wonders about his future, forever tarnished by a crazy old Jedi tramp version. It could all be wonderful, and I hope it is. But I keep thinking there is something much more damaging about sequels than prequels for affecting how we view the OT (if they get it wrong).

I don't think TFA can be more damaging than Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader and all the crap they had in the TPT

 

[a-dev]

After the Star Wars Holiday Special, the Ewoks TV movies, and the prequels, I'm pretty sure nothing else that comes will be able to spoil my affinity for the original films. No matter how atrocious.

Sometimes I think they did at least reduce my affinity for the originals. I used to watch the OT at least once a year.....can't remember the last time I did nor do I particularly feel like doing so now.

 

[Rorywan]

I don't think TFA can be more damaging than Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader and all the crap they had in the TPT

It can. The Prequel trilogy didn't have any of the OT actors in and didn't deal with what happened AFTER the OT. If you didn't like them they very much felt like a separate thing. They are going out of their way on these to do the opposite, but as Lucas said many times. the Skywalker story is/was/should be over at ROTJ. This could drastically change your perception of the OT.

Hopefully in a good way.

After the Star Wars Holiday Special, the Ewoks TV movies, and the prequels, I'm pretty sure nothing else that comes will be able to spoil my affinity for the original films. No matter how atrocious.

The prequels were like a very expensive version of those though? They felt disconnected from the actual "main" movies. Lets see what happens when we finally see the old cast in the next trailer. It could be "**** yeah" or "Noooooo"

 

[RIDDICK]

And I'm just over SW. At long last.

JJ as the director, disregard of EU for the sake of using same things in these "new trilogy and spin-offs", that blegh teaser, unreasonably higher prices for new 1/6 figures... Way too much to handle at once. I don't feel anything for this series anymore.

Will see TFA as a casual viewer.

 

[a-dev]

unreasonably higher prices for new 1/6 figures...

Oooh yeah my vastly reduced fandom of Star Wars couldn't have come at a better time now that Hot Toys is pumping out figures for it. I actually wouldn't be able to buy them anyway but at least now I won't really care.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

It can. The Prequel trilogy didn't have any of the OT actors in and didn't deal with what happened AFTER the OT. If you didn't like them they very much felt like a separate thing. They are going out of their way on these to do the opposite, but as Lucas said many times. the Skywalker story is/was/should be over at ROTJ. This could drastically change your perception of the OT.

Hopefully in a good way.


"

Then again, Luke's last scene in ROTJ, is him surrounded by teddy bears and looking at Hayden Christensen So maybe old Luke won't be so bad after all.

 

[abake]

I'm pretty convinced myself that this will NOT be awful. In fact I think it looks like it will be a great sci-fi movie.

However, will it feel like Star Wars, thats the real question I have. Love or hate Lucas, every creative decision (for better or worse) came from his impulses. The editing, the ship design, the wardrobe, sound, look and feel of the world. It was his, even the prequels. And there was a kinda thematic unity to it because of that. He brought completely diverse elements together and made them work. Thankfully some of the same designers and crew are on this. The crew by the way (even poster artists) were veto'd by Lucas. They are still his gang, but working for a new boss. If you read the Making of Books (original trilogy, you get to understand just how deep a control freak meddler he was) this is Star Wars, this isn't Star Wars. It was subjective. And a nightmare for JJ to deal with i would imagine. Why do you think they are reusing so many design elements created for the OT since Lucas left the scene? To capture that Star Wars "magic".

So, I think we will get a really cool movie in December, time will tell if Star Wars itself can survive without Lucas pushing the buttons though. We will have a lot of movies and TV coming out of Disney with Star Wars characters in them. But that's all they might be, a brand exercise. His subjectivity made Star Wars what it is. All you have to do is look at one of the video's where he is reviewing a wall full of amazing artwork, concepts for creatures, robots whatever. He picks something that talks to him. And it was generally not the obvious.

Great post Rory, my feelings exactly.

 

[jye4ever]

I always wondered who was responsible for the great moments in ROTJ, Lucas or Marquand.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I know that the silly teddy bears was Lucas' idea as well as the Empire building a second death star with the same incredible design flaw. He responsible for that and all the other plot holes in that movie

 

[Darth Madden]

tis true?, female Storm Trooper? aren't they're suppose to be clones? and like the empire supposed to be like all sterile male?

I would think by now the empire would take anyone they can get. Their two top leaders are dead and they just lost ANOTHER Death Star... can't imagine there are many people wanting to be Stormtroopers anymore.

 

[Rorywan]

I know that the silly teddy bears was Lucas' idea as well as the Empire building a second death star with the same incredible design flaw. He responsible for that and all the other plot holes in that movie

He was also responsible for the Luke/Vader/Emperor Scenes. The forest chase, the end battle and Jabba's court.
If you want to hold him responsible at least make it fair and balanced.

Marquand was a gun for hire that Lucas basically sat on for the whole production. It must have been a nightmare for him. Lucas hired him as a director but basically used him as a second unit director. The Making of books are very enlightening. As are the raw shoot footage on the iPad versions. There is one shot where Marquand is telling everyone what he wants and Lucas is lurking behind. Then steps up, ignores Marquand and gives new direction. Jedi was 90% Lucas IMO. He then took the edit away after seeing Marquands cut and re-edited himself.

 

[creature4000]

I'm fine with the OT as is... whomever was responsible for the OT re-mastered versions is the one needing to be shot!

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

Good couple of posts there Rory.

It'll be intriguing to see how it all pans out. As you say, uncle George made some big mistakes, but that's what overprotective parents tend to be like.

Will there be life after JJ.........