Star Wars

[GlockSpock]

So, not really seen any good talks around here about Star Wars. I have to say, I have always enjoyed Star Wars. That being said, I was 9 when The Phantom Menace came out so maybe that causes me to see the prequel trilogy entirely differently that most. I bought the whole saga on iTunes last Friday and so far have watched I-IV again (watched IV twice in the same day).

 

Sure, the digital versions are of course the "redone" editions that so many on the internet hate (want proof, look at the Blu-Ray Saga on Amazon). But hey, I'm here to ask what the big deal is. This may be bigger than Glock vs. 1911, AR-15 vs. AK-47, or 9mm Luger vs. .40 S&W (items in bold to show they are clearly superior).

 

1. Jar Jar Binks - So many hate him. Maybe because I was 9 when I first saw it, but I think he is exceedingly funny. Annoying? I'll tell you who was annoying -- Luke Skywalker. "Hey, why aren't we going? Why is that light blinking? Hey, I don't wanna stay here ON Tatooine and help I wanna PAARTY!".  (Ok, the last one wasn't 100% accurate).
2. Comedy - So many hate that the prequels have some comedy in them, such as Jar Jar. Well, the original trilogy was filled with lots and lots of humor. R2 and 3PO were always causing a good laugh back in the day.
3. Solo Shoots First - Sure, I get that maybe that is what original happened. But really, which is more stupid, Han Solo shooting second (or now at the same time) or the fact that a galactic bounty hunter is foolish and lets Solo shoot him at all.
4. CGI - It does annoy me that some things, such as Atilla have been replaced with CGI or Hayden Christensen's ghost in Return of the Jedi. Hey, one thing I really liked about the original trilogy is how much can be done with lots of time, puppets, and models. CGI, although impressive, just isn't as creative to me.
5. In Episode III, I think they did very well in showing the emotions -- jealousy, fear, hate, loathing, etc -- that pushed Anakin to the dark-side. Hayden Christensen on the other hand was mostly lousy. His best parts were becoming Vader. I guess he plays a better bad guy than good guy?

 

Ultimately, I am so glad I bought the digital copies, even if they are the edited versions. They are still WONDERFUL, and all of them will always be some of my favorite movies. I think V is my favorite, if for no other reasons than AT-AT's winy Luke getting his hand cut off.

Edited April 15, 2015 by CZ9MM

[monkeylizard]

1. Jar Jar sucks more than whiny Luke because he's a moron. Luke's an inexperienced farm hand who wants to see the galaxy. He's over excited on the Falcon when things get tense, but he's not a blithering idiot. Jar Jar is a blithering idiot.\

 

2. The light and sometimes subtle verbal sparing between C-3PO, R2-D2, Han, Luke, and Chewy is funny. The slapstick comedy of Jar Jar is not funny.

 

3. Han shooting first is critical. It establishes that he's, at best, a neutral character on the good-evil scale, and at worst downright dangerous. Tatooine is the first time we meet Han. Luke and Ben are hiring this guy and he just blasted a hole in Greedo. What are they getting themselves into? Rewriting the scene later because we want Han to always be a "good guy" misses the mark. He's a selfish scoundrel when they find him. To make him something else diminshes the journey he has to make for himself from that guy in the cantina to General Solo of the Rebel Alliance. Greedo letting Han get the drop on him just shows how inept Greedo was at the bounty hunting job. I don't think the same thing would have happened if it had been Bossk, IG-88, or Boba Fett in the cantina.

 

4. CGI has its place, but it's not great for living things yet. Puppet Yoda in V and VI is a little stiff and lacks the fine muscle movements of a real living thing, but it is "real" in the sense that it actually exists. The way the light plays off the puppet is the same way it plays off every other real object on the set. CGI yoda has more realistic fine movements (except for the crazy lightsaber fights designed by a 7 year old) but loses the presence of actually being in the shot. Changing the ghosts was just stupid. All of the others are still as old as they were when they died. How come Ben gets stuck in Sir Alec Guiness' body instead of Ewan McGregor's, but Darth Vader gets to go back to being young again? Much like cheapening the redemption of Han by having him shoot second, this cheapens the redemption of Anakin by Luke. It says "Darth Vader never happened. I get to go back to being the good guy I was before that darkness" rather than saying "I survived being Darth Vader and have returned to being a good man after passing through that darkness."

 

5. III was the best of the prequels, particularly the final scenes on Mustafar. Agree that H.C. couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. The only thing that ruined the final part of III was the Dr. Frankenstein's monster setup for creating Vader. Cheesy to say the least.

Edited April 15, 2015 by monkeylizard

[monkeylizard]

FYI - the trailer for the new movie will be paired up with the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

[Garufa]

Just like the original movies were remade to add special effects I have hope the newer ones will one day be remade to remove Jar Jar.

[ironsniper1]

im a big star wars fan and hope to one day join the the rebel legion costume group, anyway I-III to me were bad and it will always be han shot first

[Caster]

What sucks for me is the books of the expanded universe. I've read a little over 200 of the paper back novels and it does as any other book will do.....ruin movies.
It's not so much the actual movie that's ruined. It's the ability of the characters. Even Yoda is a bit of a candy ass by comparison to force users in the expanded universe.

If you think Yoda had a hard time fighting Darth Sidious, try reading about Bane. Bane could have killed both of them. Other Sith Lords such as Darth Caedus makes Anakin look like an alter boy. Darth Caedus by the way was first known as Jacen Solo. Eldest son of Han and Leia.

There was a Jedi (can't recall his name right now) who pulled a starship out of a star using nothing but the force. Hmph, and poor little Luke struggled with his fighter stuck in the mud.

I hope, I hope, I hope!!!! They take the expanded universe into account with the new movie. After Luke reaches the age of about 50 he is a BAD SUMM BEECH! He completely redesigns the Jedi Order and does away with all the silly BS of the old order. He can actually use the Dark Side without succumbing to it. It was a long struggle though.

My biggest fear of the new movies is that they will botch the Mandalorians completely. Boba brings them back to the forefront and they are feared by the whole of the Galaxy once more. Mandalore is a thriving planet again and Mandalmotors builds the finest fighters and weaponry money can buy.


Ohh damn, someone hand me a mop, my nerd spilled out everywhere. Edited April 15, 2015 by Caster

[GlockSpock]

What sucks for me is the books of the expanded universe. I've read a little over 200 of the paper back novels and it does as any other book will do.....ruin movies.
It's not so much the actual movie that's ruined. It's the ability of the characters. Even Yoda is a bit of a candy ass by comparison to force users in the expanded universe.

If you think Yoda had a hard time fighting Darth Sidious, try reading about Bane. Bane could have killed both of them. Other Sith Lords such as Darth Caedus makes Anakin look like an alter boy. Darth Caedus by the way was first known as Jacen Solo. Eldest son of Han and Leia.

There was a Jedi (can't recall his name right now) who pulled a starship out of a star using nothing but the force. Hmph, and poor little Luke struggled with his fighter stuck in the mud.

I hope, I hope, I hope!!!! They take the expanded universe into account with the new movie. After Luke reaches the age of about 50 he is a BAD SUMM BEECH! He completely redesigns the Jedi Order and does away with all the silly BS of the old order. He can actually use the Dark Side without succumbing to it. It was a long struggle though.

My biggest fear of the new movies is that they will botch the Mandalorians completely. Boba brings them back to the forefront and they are feared by the whole of the Galaxy once more. Mandalore is a thriving planet again and Mandalmotors builds the finest fighters and weaponry money can buy.


Ohh damn, someone hand me a mop, my nerd spilled out everywhere.

 

:dropjaw:

 

Maybe I should start reading those books. Any suggestions on how or where to start with those?

[ironsniper1]

a good book to read is the dark forces and shadows of the empire

[GlockSpock]

Just like the original movies were remade to add special effects I have hope the newer ones will one day be remade to remove Jar Jar.

 

Already technically done, in a way.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_Edit

[Caster]

......if you didn't live so far far away. I have them all.

The Darth Bane books can be jumped right into.
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction tells of his rise to power.
It's followed by The Rule of Two and goes from there.

It's hard to get started but once you do, you won't wanna stop. Prepare yourself to spend at least a year or more though. I spent over 9 months reading most of them and I can squeeze an easy 4 hours a day in at work.


Also, you WILL NOT wanna miss Karen Traviss's books "Republic Commando" series. They follow Clone Army special forces through the Clone Wars. Friggin AWESOME!!!

[Chucktshoes]

The EU is no longer canon. Disney/Lucasfilm announced that at the outset of the filming of VII. The story told by the new trilogy will be unencumbered by having to hold to EU lore.

[Handsome Rob]

1. Jar Jar sucks more than whiny Luke because he's a moron. Luke's an inexperienced farm hand who wants to see the galaxy. He's over excited on the Falcon when things get tense, but he's not a blithering idiot. Jar Jar is a blithering idiot.\

2. The light and sometimes subtle verbal sparing between C-3PO, R2-D2, Han, Luke, and Chewy is funny. The slapstick comedy of Jar Jar is not funny.

3. Han shooting first is critical. It establishes that he's, at best, a neutral character on the good-evil scale, and at worst downright dangerous. Tatooine is the first time we meet Han. Luke and Ben are hiring this guy and he just blasted a hole in Greedo. What are they getting themselves into? Rewriting the scene later because we want Han to always be a "good guy" misses the mark. He's a selfish scoundrel when they find him. To make him something else diminshes the journey he has to make for himself from that guy in the cantina to General Solo of the Rebel Alliance. Greedo letting Han get the drop on him just shows how inept Greedo was at the bounty hunting job. I don't think the same thing would have happened if it had been Bossk, IG-88, or Boba Fett in the cantina.

4. CGI has its place, but it's not great for living things yet. Puppet Yoda in V and VI is a little stiff and lacks the fine muscle movements of a real living thing, but it is "real" in the sense that it actually exists. The way the light plays off the puppet is the same way it plays off every other real object on the set. CGI yoda has more realistic fine movements (except for the crazy lightsaber fights designed by a 7 year old) but loses the presence of actually being in the shot. Changing the ghosts was just stupid. All of the others are still as old as they were when they died. How come Ben gets stuck in Sir Alec Guiness' body instead of Ewan McGregor's, but Darth Vader gets to go back to being young again? Much like cheapening the redemption of Han by having him shoot second, this cheapens the redemption of Anakin by Luke. It says "Darth Vader never happened. I get to go back to being the good guy I was before that darkness" rather than saying "I survived being Darth Vader and have returned to being a good man after passing through that darkness."

5. III was the best of the prequels, particularly the final scenes on Mustafar. Agree that H.C. couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. The only thing that ruined the final part of III was the Dr. Frankenstein's monster setup for creating Vader. Cheesy to say the least.

I like this post so much I just blacked out a little.

[monkeylizard]

There was a Jedi (can't recall his name right now) who pulled a starship out of a star using nothing but the force. Hmph, and poor little Luke struggled with his fighter stuck in the mud.
 

 

Are you thinking of Kyp Durron pulling the Sun Crusher out of Yavin?

 

 

....and hand me that mop.

Edited April 15, 2015 by monkeylizard

[ironsniper1]

......if you didn't live so far far away. I have them all.

The Darth Bane books can be jumped right into.
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction tells of his rise to power.
It's followed by The Rule of Two and goes from there.

It's hard to get started but once you do, you won't wanna stop. Prepare yourself to spend at least a year or more though. I spent over 9 months reading most of them and I can squeeze an easy 4 hours a day in at work.


Also, you WILL NOT wanna miss Karen Traviss's books "Republic Commando" series. They follow Clone Army special forces through the Clone Wars. Friggin AWESOME!!!

have you played the republic commando video game? its awesome!

[atlas3025]

So, not really seen any good talks around here about Star Wars. I have to say, I have always enjoyed Star Wars. That being said, I was 9 when The Phantom Menace came out so maybe that causes me to see the prequel trilogy entirely differently that most. I bought the whole saga on iTunes last Friday and so far have watched I-IV again (watched IV twice in the same day).

 

Sure, the digital versions are of course the "redone" editions that so many on the internet hate (want proof, look at the Blu-Ray Saga on Amazon). But hey, I'm here to ask what the big deal is. This may be bigger than Glock vs. 1911, AR-15 vs. AK-47, or 9mm Luger vs. .40 S&W (items in bold to show they are clearly superior).

 

1. Jar Jar Binks - So many hate him. Maybe because I was 9 when I first saw it, but I think he is exceedingly funny. Annoying? I'll tell you who was annoying -- Luke Skywalker. "Hey, why aren't we going? Why is that light blinking? Hey, I don't wanna stay here ON Tatooine and help I wanna PAARTY!".  (Ok, the last one wasn't 100% accurate).
2. Comedy - So many hate that the prequels have some comedy in them, such as Jar Jar. Well, the original trilogy was filled with lots and lots of humor. R2 and 3PO were always causing a good laugh back in the day.
3. Solo Shoots First - Sure, I get that maybe that is what original happened. But really, which is more stupid, Han Solo shooting second (or now at the same time) or the fact that a galactic bounty hunter is foolish and lets Solo shoot him at all.
4. CGI - It does annoy me that some things, such as Atilla have been replaced with CGI or Hayden Christensen's ghost in Return of the Jedi. Hey, one thing I really liked about the original trilogy is how much can be done with lots of time, puppets, and models. CGI, although impressive, just isn't as creative to me.
5. In Episode III, I think they did very well in showing the emotions -- jealousy, fear, hate, loathing, etc -- that pushed Anakin to the dark-side. Hayden Christensen on the other hand was mostly lousy. His best parts were becoming Vader. I guess he plays a better bad guy than good guy?

 

Ultimately, I am so glad I bought the digital copies, even if they are the edited versions. They are still WONDERFUL, and all of them will always be some of my favorite movies. I think V is my favorite, if for no other reasons than AT-AT's winy Luke getting his hand cut off.

 

1. Jar Jar was a the unfortunate outcome of a PC attempt at inclusion.  His presence is worse than Vader's "NOOOOOOOOO" at the end of III.  Both are despicable.

 

2.  Comedy is fine.  What is funnier than Admiral Piet giving the nod to whomever is off scene to collect Ozzel's cooling corpse after he is "relieved" by Vader?  Maybe it is funnier that an entire legion of the Emperor's best troops were routed by a tribe of teddybears.

 

3.  Screw Greedo.

 

4.  The Imperial Walker attack on on Hoth was not CGI.  There is nothing better.  The Legion of Alderaan fought bravely.

 

5.  III was the best of the prequels, which is to say it is 5th in the live action Star Wars universe, just behind the Star Wars Muppets Special.

 

 

Look, there is a strong theory out there that Lucas is pretty awful left to his own devices and that any time he directs these moves, disappointment will follow. The only reason the "A New Hope" was great is because his wife at the time really ran the show.  Empire and Jedi were not directed by him.  Not coincidentally, they are the best...in spite of the teddybears.

Edited April 15, 2015 by atlas3025

[Caster]

Are you thinking of Kyp Durron pulling the Sun Crusher out of Yavin?
 
 
....and hand me that mop.

I can only like this post one time.

[suspiciousmind]

It's pretty well known that George Lucas is a complete buffoon and gives zero sh!ts about his fans.

JJ is gonna revitalize the series like it needs to
be.

[hipower]

Ok...I'm old and gonna show it. The orginal Star Wars movies are the only ones worth watching for me. Tried the " First 3 Episodes" and was bored out of my mind. Didn't like them at all.

 

So sue me.

[ironsniper1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z2Xpj64Z2w

[2.ooohhh]

Yeah there will be a lot of fun fan videos released in the coming days as we get closer to celebration.

 

Many of my friends from the 501st are out there for it. I couldn't be convinced to step foot in California again star wars convention or not.

 

http://www.starwarscelebration.com/

[Ugly]

I think President Reagan was a visionary to implement he Star Wars program :)

[peejman]

Think Jedi's ever did bayonet charges? My little one decided his light saber needed a bayonet. :)

 

Edited April 16, 2015 by peejman

[Jonnin]

the issue I have with it is Disney.  I will not provide one cent to that empire, as I disagree with their indoctrination of children and overall politics and outlook on life.  That and they are not doing the next set of movies right -- they skipped or are modifying the timeline created by *hundreds* of books.

 

 

Jarjar is annoying at times.  Its not any one thing, just too much of all of it.   C3po's muttered humor fit in better and was even easy to miss the first time you watched because there was action going on usually and a lot of it was subtle.  

 

The computer generated edits to the originals was extremely poorly done, esp 1/5 sized jabba. 

Edited April 16, 2015 by Jonnin

[Murgatroy]

The OP is trolling us. He has to be...

 

 

Jar Jar was an abomination. 

 

The dynamic between Han and Chewie was superb. R2D2 was an is still the funniest of the whole bunch. Han and Leia were hilarious together "Scruffy looking nerf herder!" Need I say anything beyond 'Let the Wookie win,' to prove the vast superiority of the original trilogy for comedy?

 

If you can't grasp the tatamount importance of Han shooting first, I am not sure anything we say can impress upon you that Han WAS NOT a good guy. He was in it for the money, then the girl. Only at the end did he become a good guy.

 

The CGI was acceptable to me. It allowed a greater depth of realism to the characters, though puppetry has never bothered me and I consider Labyrinth to be an American Classic.

 

Now, and this might get me some flaming from others, I will agree that III was a good film. In fact, I will go as far to say that III was my favorite of the entire series. It is my opinion that the story was always about Darth Vader. Han may have been the hero (not Luke, Han) but Vader was always the main character. The completeness that was granted to his character in III from his fall, his defeat and then his rebirth, that to me was what I always wanted in watching the story. 

[Caster]

I would tell you that Chewbacca is dead now but I've just been informed all written texts no longer matter.

Which I find to be BS!


Chewie died saving Anakin Solo.