What went wrong with Star Wars?

[Inertia]

http://filmdrunk.upr...stical-gangster

"People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians" Who said that? George Lucas

Its telling that he didn't have much to do with the best one of the bunch (Empire), however I will always be grateful he dreamed up star wars and he is free to do what he wants with it. The 2nd trilogy suffered from having to measure up to the old one which was impossible.


Clone wars is pretty good though

 

[ColinJ]

What went wrong with Star Wars?

Two words.

Star and Wars?

I was probably too old when the first one came out and never really got into the whole thing. Star Trek, yes, I loved that.

 

[Christopher]

I remember being really excited going to see 'Return of the Jedi' when it came out in ~1981... and being bitterly disappointed. It was far from rubbish, just not very good. Haven't seen any of the other films, not even free on tv.

 

[mr_cellophane]

I only ever saw the first one...

One more than me.

 

[coffeejo]

Sith is my favourite of the 6, though I can't bear the young Anakin. Brat.

 

[BrumJim]

Harrison Ford.
Not for the same reason as the others, but Han Solo added a cynical edge to the whole story. Without him, or someone similar, episodes 1-3 just take themselves far, far too seriously. Which is the main reason why Star Trek is so pants, as it just thinks far too much of itself, without being able to justify it.
(takes cover...)

 

[HLaB]

[QUOTE 1584613"]
What went wrong? They didn't leave it at 3.
[/quote]

+ Another 1

 

[Maz]

And CGI. I know the original films will have had some, but when they started designing characters like Jah Jah, and those roll-up robots that seemed to be designed purely to show off that they weren't men in suits, the magic went.

I'll watch episodes IV, V and VI over and over, if I happen across them on telly. I won't bother with Episodes I, II and III. In fact, I've never seen III, so I don't know how it all connects up, so I might watch it once, but I don't expect to enjoy it.

Same here, I've still not seen Episode III.

Those imperfections in the original films added warmth to them...I remember a scene in the Catina in Mos Isley, where you could see through the head of one of the aliens, in through one eye and out the other. The Storm Trooper banging his head on the door, etc.

 

[Hover Fly]

Laurel and Hardy weren't in it.

 

[MontyVeda]

The problem with the star Wars saga is that it didn't grow with it's audience. I was 8 when i saw the 1st one. 10 when i went to see 'Empire' (best of the bunch IMO) and 11 or 12 when the 3rd (6th) one came out. Star Wars & Empire: fine, the latter darker than its predecessor, but Return of the Jedi was like watching a film for 5 year olds once those bluddy Ewoks came on screen.

What really winds me up about Jedi is (so I've heard, might be twaddle) Endor was originally cast as the Wookie's home planet, but george decided he wanted to attract a younger audience and hence, the Ewoks were created. Even if that's bull... the idea of loads of big angry Wookies in place of the cute cuddly Ewoks sounds great!

I'm not a fan of the Harry Potter films, although I've sat through most of them... but at least they mature with their audience rather than aiming for a new batch of toddlers.

 

[jig-sore]

[QUOTE 1584613"]
What went wrong? They didn't leave it at 3.
[/quote]

+1

episode 1= pointless and unnecessary. could have just started where 2 started. only good thing was Darth Maul and they killed him off !!

episode 2= terrible acting all round, stupid nonsense with robot production line. only 1/2 of story worth bothering with

episode 3= the long awaited moment when anakin becomes Vader and why ??? cos he's a sulky, moody spoilt brat !!!! yeah well done George, just what we'd been waiting for

 

[jig-sore]

What really winds me up about Jedi is (so I've heard, might be twaddle) Endor was originally cast as the Wookie's home planet, but george decided he wanted to attract a younger audience and hence, the Ewoks were created. Even if that's bull... the idea of loads of big angry Wookies in place of the cute cuddly Ewoks sounds great!

sort of.

the the battle at the end of the original film was supposed to be more like the one in ROTJ, space and ground etc. with wookies being primitive like the ewoks. but lack of funds meant it was scrapped and the wookie became the co-pilot / no longer primitive.

move to ROTJ, up the budget and bring back the battle on 3 levels... space, vader/luke and on the ground. but wookie already being used as co-pilot so turn wookie on its head ( ie-wook) and you have the Ewoks, small instead of tall.

plus you get the grand wookie battle in episode 3

 

[jig-sore]

episode * = pointless and unnecessary.

what ???

 

[PBancroft]

IMHO the only reason Star Wars is remembered as fondly as it is is because of Empire. ANH is a good romp, with exceptional special effects for the time, but there's no substance. Empire added the substance, the back story, the characterisation. What does everyone remember about the original trilogy? Yoda, Hoth, that kiss, Vader telling Luke he is his father; its all from Empire. Jedi was another romp - a good romp, but a romp nonetheless and didn't really add anything new. Empire is the very being of the original three films.

The new trilogy was the same - it was all flash bang but no substance, except, possibly, the last 30 minutes of ROTS.

 

[machew]

Han shot first