The ideas behind the prequels were interesting but manifestation of the ideas on the screen was a bunch of turds. Yeah it's theoretically cool to have a plot about trade routes or gungans among 50 other random universe building plot lines but it doesn't change the fact that it's a movie and you have to watch it.

the prequels are like an alien made them. they are fascinating movies to talk about but dreadful to watch. i don't have an emotional attachment to star wars like a lot of people so i can maybe approach them less nostalgia blinded. i liked them as a kid but wasn't obsessed or anything and saw the first 2 prequels in theaters, the 2nd one completely killed my interest in the franchise. later on i watched em all in chronological order and the prequels were so unbearable they actually dragged down my experience of watching the original movies and i thought star wars was just meh/bad for a while. but before watching the new movie i rewatched the original trilogy and for the first time since i was a child saw the real beauty in them. the first 2 are probably masterpieces and return of the jedi is weird and boring at points but hits great emotional beats, i never realized how perfect darth vader's death scene is. the force awakens was fun and i liked all the new actors and characters. the prequels were bad but george lucas is a unfairly maligned genius. a new hope is my favorite one.

You know, I wonder if you got rid of all the stuff people don't like about the prequels--Jar jar, the long ass pod race, the impossible to follow political maneuvering, and so forth, and just focused on how Anakin became Darth Vader and how he betrayed the Jedi--would you have one really strong movie?

aging up anakin from the beginning would have been good. at least it would have spared an innocent child actor's life.

TenuredVulture wrote:You know, I wonder if you got rid of all the stuff people don't like about the prequels--Jar jar, the long ass pod race, the impossible to follow political maneuvering, and so forth, and just focused on how Anakin became Darth Vader and how he betrayed the Jedi--would you have one really strong movie?

Not with what's already been done because the directing and writing was still godawful. Is there story there to make a good movie? Sure, but it didn't land on the screen.

If Darth Jar Jar ended up panning out, it would have made the original trilogy watchable.

bleh wrote:You think it's absurd that those ep IV ideas were original? The idea that they aren't original is absurd. And there were dozens of other original characters and stuff in there. And my point with the ep I ideas is that being original doesn't really matter if the ideas suck.

No, I think it's absurd that you're boiling down the original ideas of the prequels to midichlorians and Jar Jar Binks* just because you happen to hate those. They're the obvious whipping boys of prequel haters. (It's also ironically unoriginal, but whatever.)

It's fair to criticize the execution of those films--I'll agree to disagree somewhat on that point--and especially target certain dialogue. But the ideas of the PT are quite expansive.

For the record, the argument of originality as it pertains to Star Wars is bizarre. The films were originally conceived as a throwback to the Flash Gordon/John Carter/pulp serials of Lucas's childhood. Criticizing Ep VII for being "unoriginal" when it presents new characters and storylines by couching them in the comfort of familiar conceits and devices--especially in a climate where the popular consensus is that the new trilogy needs to "redeem" SW after the prequels--is completely missing the point.



*Jar Jar Binks is probably the least original aspect of the prequels, even if the character is unfairly maligned IMO. He's not even original in the SW universe. He's an amalgamation of the Ewoks and C-3PO--the message of "even the seemingly insignificant creature can have a massive impact on civilization" combined with the awkward dialogue and pratfall comedy--albeit with weaker execution.

TenuredVulture wrote:You know, I wonder if you got rid of all the stuff people don't like about the prequels--Jar jar, the long ass pod race, the impossible to follow political maneuvering, and so forth, and just focused on how Anakin became Darth Vader and how he betrayed the Jedi--would you have one really strong movie?

If that's all you're interested in, sure. But then you miss the machinations of Sidious and the slow descent from a Republic into an Empire, which are brilliant stories. If you watch all three prequels and all six seasons of the Clone Wars, the scope of the story is captivating.

I just rewatched the final four episodes of Clone Wars S5 last night. The hybrid Republic/Imperial imagery combined with Ahsoka's storyline is so well done.

Yeah, my son has been rewarching the close wars and over the weekend he watched the Ahsoka storyline where she is framed for murder. It was really entertaining.

Not a big deal, but Ep VIII has been moved from May 2017 to December 2017.

it is a big deal for speilberg and cameron, who had ready player one and avatar 2 slated to come out that same day.

CalvinBall wrote:it is a big deal for speilberg and cameron, who had ready player one and avatar 2 slated to come out that same day.

Would love to catch a Ready Player One/Ep VIII double feature. Too perfect.

This looks pretty cool to me.....

New Star Wars Nighttime show announced for Disney World

Holy shit.

Any of you who aren't watching Star Wars Rebels...

The S2 finale was tonight. Just... Holy shit.

SideshowBob wrote:Up to 10 more Star Wars films may be released

Now that Star Wars is divorced from the creative vision / impetus of one particular person, I am quite certain they will keep releasing Star Wars movies until people stop buying tickets. That is, there is no practical limit on the number of Star Wars movies we can now expect.

Which is a shame, really.

This picture...

I really, really hate JJ Abrams, probably to an unreasonable degree.

mozartpc27 wrote:

SideshowBob wrote:Up to 10 more Star Wars films may be released

Now that Star Wars is divorced from the creative vision / impetus of one particular person, I am quite certain they will keep releasing Star Wars movies until people stop buying tickets. That is, there is no practical limit on the number of Star Wars movies we can now expect.

Which is a shame, really.

I don't get this stance. First, new installments can't ruin the old ones. The prequels basically prove that. The first trilogy is still great despite the second! Now JJ comes in and makes Star Wars fun again and there could be more new good fun ones! Star Wars is ruined! I wish luke skywalker never existed!

mozartpc27 wrote:

SideshowBob wrote:Up to 10 more Star Wars films may be released

Now that Star Wars is divorced from the creative vision / impetus of one particular person, I am quite certain they will keep releasing Star Wars movies until people stop buying tickets. That is, there is no practical limit on the number of Star Wars movies we can now expect.

Which is a shame, really.

I'm fine with it!