Why doesn't George Lucas just reshoot Episodes IV-VI (1 Viewer)

[Coressel]

Howdy Mike!

I don't think they're going to REMOVE Frank Oz's work from the original. In fact all it says is "...new footage and new FX including the CGI Yoda from the next two films - all six will be out in theatres again in Summer 2006..."

Maybe there will be one or two bits with Yoda (or maybe not, I haven't read GL's exact quote), but I doubt they'll replace the existing performance.

 

[Carlo_M]

Damn, now I really gotta spring for a laserdisc player--since I bought the last non-SE incarnation of the OT on LD without even owning a player.

I hold out hope that the originals will see the light of day on DVD...but not much.

Anyone selling an LD player cheap?

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Perhaps we'll see the Emperor actually dissolve the Senate on Coruscant...

I imagine he'd use some hydroflouric acid or something. That stuff eats through almost anything. Surely the Galactic Senate wouldn't stand a chance...

 

[Seth Paxton]

Geez, give TPM a LITTLE credit.

That's fair, Richard.

I was just making a general point that the complaint between the OT and TPM that people like me are making is that TPM contains a much more kid-oriented tone to it.

Example:

Serious discussions are going on between Qui-Gon and the Queen. For no apparent narrative reason we have a MAJOR interuption by Jar-Jar. Some have argued that it's to show how quick a Jedi is, but that is unlikely since that has already been done AND because the focus of this scene is exposition.

It plays much more like a disruptive child bored with the adult stuff.

Star Wars did not interrupt Obi teaching Luke/Han with C3PO pulling some Jerry Lewis physical joke right in the middle. The nearest joke was an understated verbal joke about the "chess" game and was to the side of the serious discussion rather than interruptive.

That's where Lucas failed IMO. Story concept - GREAT. Putting it into an adventure narrative for the whole family, not so great. I felt like the script was written BY a kid as much as for a kid, primarily due to those awkward "hey look at me" moments.

And to defend TPM a bit, I thought one of the best jokes was ruined by a scene pacing/direction. When Obi tells Qui-Gon that he was "right about one thing. The negotiations were short," that is classic SW adventure/humor. Unfortunately, instead of letting the scene play out in a medium shot for facial reaction and audable dialog, Lucas cuts to them dropping out of the vent from far away. He steps right on top of his own joke.

To me, TPM could be VERY fixable utilizing the same characters/story, but with the dialog and direction modified.

So I agree with you, storywise Lucas still had the same focus group as before, with stories in place for the whole family. Application of that story is where I thought he failed.

 

[Greg_S_H]

They actually dropped out of the vent before he said that. They cut from Obi-Wan to a scene on the bridge. And it works fine. No need to beat a dead horse when Obi-Wan's impish delivery is what brings the humor.

As for the Jar Jar scene, it is definitely to show his Jedi speed. Qui-Gon is talking about Jedi speed and Anakin asks him if he is a Jedi. That's his demonstration. It takes about 30 seconds, and then you have a long scene where Jar Jar simply disappears into the background.

 

[Gruson]

I AM SO GLAD I HAVE MY LD PLAYER!!!!

I hate the SEs and now it is looking even worse.

Horrible news that Lucas is adding new scenes (yet again) to the OT.

 

[Pete-D]

No he shouldn't reshoot the originals. Empire and Jedi don't need much work done anyway (say what you want, but the Jedi space battle destroys the Episode I battle).

Also, who *cares* if it looks different? The "digital sheen"

is something I'm not a big fan of in the prequels. I like the look of the older films. The only thing that sticks out IMO is the a few scenes in A New Hope, which probably can't be helped.

Also I'm not exactly looking forward to seeing someone else other than Harrison Ford play Han Solo (no way) or someone other than Alec Guiness protray the old Obi-Wan Kenobi. If Lucas wanted to do that fine, but there's no way in hell I would ever pay $8 for that. It would be a disgrace in my opinion. Star Wars isn't ALL Lucas, there are a lot of actors, writers, etc. who helped make it special.

If they really want to go all the way, why not do this -- look at the Final Fantasy Movie. Its getting pretty close to photorealism. Just scrap shooting with actors period, and make them CG animated films. That way it would be completely consistent and Lucas would have all the "control" he wants.

Also this is like totally changing a part of movie history, hell a part of pop-culture American history period. It just wouldn't fly with the public, I can gauruntee you this. If you thought the Jar-Jar backlash was terrible...

Lucas should just work on making Episode II and III really good movies instead of obsessing about whehter or not it all matches up. If Ep.2 and 3 are significantly more interesting than Episode I, than most people will probably just watch the original trilogy because that's where the real meat of the story is anyway.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Yaaaahhhhhhooooooo.

I have to say that I really love technology. Thank you, thank you Mr. Lucas for advancing the digital technology…..…. So that I can now make my own DVDs from my original LDs before you ruin your three classic movies again!

PS - Unless he does like what Spielberg is going to do with E.T., to preserve and release the original version too.

 

[Hubert]

Unfortunately, instead of letting the scene play out in a medium shot for facial reaction and audable dialog, Lucas cuts to them dropping out of the vent from far away. He steps right on top of his own joke.

Seth, Lucas did let the joke play out. They dropped out of the vent before Obi-Wan made that sarcastic statement. They dropped out of the vent, then he looked at Qui-Gon and said "You were right about one thing. The negotiations were short."

I've come to realize one thing. Fans of the original trilogy are never going to cut the prequels any slack, even if they equal or surpass the originals. Not that TPM has. They're going to nitpick everything to death. They'll never be happy with anything regarding these new movies, unless Lucas gives us an exact duplicate of the originals.

Now I'm a huge fan of the original trilogies. My favorite movies are Gladiator and the original 3 Star Wars films. Yes, they are classics and incredible movies. But I'm gonna be happy and not nitpick these new movies to death, simply because I realize I'm an adult 16 years later. I realize that the new trilogy will not hold the same place in my heart as the originals. Mainly because they are a part of our culture, and of my childhood. They impacted the movie industry and an entire generation of people like no other films have.

Having said that, I'm not going to criticize every little flaw in the prequels. Because I know that there's not going to be anything new to see, as there was in the first films. I know I won't get that same feeling. However, I throughly enjoyed TPM and thought it was a good movie, regardless of some flaws. I don't obsess over the flaws because I'm not so anal about them. People weren't so anal about the originals either. So whatever George gives me, I'm gonna be happy. Because he didn't have to make them to begin with.

 

[Carlo_M]

I've come to realize one thing. Fans of the original trilogy are never going to cut the prequels any slack, even if they equal or surpass the originals. Not that TPM has. They're going to nitpick everything to death. They'll never be happy with anything regarding these new movies, unless Lucas gives us an exact duplicate of the originals.

So you didn't like the original trilogy? And neither did anyone who liked TPM? You contradict that in the next sentence. You should avoid blanket statements like this. Can you not see that people who are critical of TPM may have valid points? And I, as a critic of TPM, still have reserved judgment on II until I see the movie. I just have concerns generated by Ep1 that are valid and I fear seeing them in the next movie, but I will still see it when it comes out and see for myself.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Because I know that there's not going to be anything new to see, as there was in the first films.

I'm seeing a lot of new and cool stuff. To paraphrase Ebert, "hidden underwater cities and hollow senatorial spheres" are not something I've seen before. And, frankly, everything about the AOTC teasers looks great. It almost cannot miss with me.

 

[Hubert]

Carlo, I wasn't even addressing you. I was making an observation over the general feeling of people and the new trilogies. And did you not read my post? I said flat out I was a huge fan of the original trilogy, and that they along with Gladiator are my favorite films. I'm judging by a lot of negativity and nitpicking by people of even the new AOTC trailers. They're never going to be happy unless they get the original trilogies all over again. It sure seems that way. If you disagree, fine.

Can you not see that people who are critical of TPM may have valid points?

Did you hear me say those points weren't valid? No, because at least 3 times I've given my criticisms of TPM. I even mentioned in my post above there were flaws, but I still throughly enjoyed the movie. But all of the negativity gets old.

 

[Carlo_M]

cool. I did note your message that you were a fan which is why I said you contradicted yourself. I just wanted to make it known that you can be a fan of the OT and be a fan of the new NT, just make us some good movies. And they do not need to be carbon copies at all. Empire was nothing like Star Wars.

FWIW, I am also hopeful from the looks of the new trailers. No JJB, that's a bonus! But of course he didn't have much screen time in Ep.1 trailers, so we'll see. However prelim word is that this is indeed a more serious in tone movie and that is fine by me. I don't mind if it appeals to all gens (kids, adults) but I just don't want what I thought was "too much for the kids" tone in Ep.1. Just my wishes, of course, he can do what he wishes.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Howdy Mike!
I don't think they're going to REMOVE Frank Oz's work from the original. In fact all it says is "...new footage and new FX including the CGI Yoda from the next two films - all six will be out in theatres again in Summer 2006..."
Maybe there will be one or two bits with Yoda (or maybe not, I haven't read GL's exact quote), but I doubt they'll replace the existing performance.

Hey Larry,
The way it is written is certainly ambiguous. Hopefully you are right.
I'm no fan of post-release tampering at all, except in EXTREME situations (Brazil and Blade Runner come to mind), but the thought of removing puppet Yoda is particularly distasteful to me.
Insert purist rantings and subsequent flaming retorts here.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Hubert, I stand corrected. And yet I wish I had the LD back to compare to. I guess it's just a fuzzy memory.

I clearly remember something about that sequence bugging me, I just don't know what it was now.

And as much as you think it's just sour grapes, it's not. I wanted to love TPM. Hell, I LOVED Dark Forces. One of my all-time fav games. The mood, the music, the settings, the story. I loved the 3 books from a few years back (in which the Han/Leia have twins).

TPM is the FIRST SW anything to let me down at all.

On a side note, is it just me or does TPM CGI seem even more computery on the DVD? For some reason I feel much more aware of the CGI than I even did with the LD, and certainly more than with the film. For example, at times stuff like Watto seemed to blend right in, but on the DVD it all seems to stand out. Since DVD does not have the clarity of DVD I don't think it's that. Maybe it's the LOWER resolution that's the problem, ida know.

 

[Seth Paxton]

As dumb as Stormtroopers were, they were never Seseme Street dumb enough to say "uh, that doesn't compute, uh wait, uh, your under arrest".
Oh really. Yeah, your guarding some pilots and here comes the 2 Jedi's that a bit earlier beat the hell out of a bunch of guards and you let them walk right up then come up with that line...ugh.
At least in ANH they faked it so that they were NOT rebels but instead Stormtroopers with a wookie prisoner. Is a little INTELLIGENCE too much to ask, especially from elite fighting droids that are all link to a master CPU (as depicted at the end of the film when they all go down by losing the master control signal).
Now that is a real example that I didn't get wrong.
You know another problem I'm starting to agree with...Liam sucks. Stoic my eye, he's just no Alec Guiness. In fact I think Ewan wipes the floor with him in TPM. In that respect I am more hopeful for the Clones.
"Are you an angel?" Jake Lloyd is pretty awful as well. Not a news flash I know, but I'm sitting here watching since Hubert called me out. He really ruins scenes as much as JJ. It wasn't just Lucas, and Hamill could act circles around Jake.
And scenes with Ewan and Parks are some of my favorite, totally due to their on-screen presence as actors.

 

[Seth Paxton]

One thing Hubert...
So whatever Tom Green gives me, I'm gonna be happy. Because he didn't have to make them to begin with.
I'm not going to argue and bicker about who killed...er, about the nitpicking of Freddy Got Fingered. I'm not so anal that I could not sit back and just enjoy it...
except that it sucked. And upon noticing the suckage, a thoughtful person might be inclined to wonder WHY they felt it sucked. Thus the "anal" nitpicking.
Analysis and enjoyment are seperate entities in my world, and I analyze both films I enjoy and don't enjoy for sheer love of filmmaking, not because I want to tear one film down.
The long debates over TPM are simply because it is such a hotly debated subject by BOTH SIDES.

 

[Hubert]

You hated it Seth, I liked it. That's the way it goes. And if you understood what I was, I did not simply say it was sour grapes. I don't even think I brought that up. I said some people aren't going to like anything Lucas gives us, unless he gives us the originals all over again. If you didn't like it, then don't spend your money on AOTC. You may not like it either. Don't buy the DVDs. Find something more worthwhile to spend your money on. May I ask if you bought TPM DVD?

 

[Alistair Paterson]

My opinion on TPM is this:
1) The film is good (watched it 3 times now)
2) The special effects are excellent but didnt integrate 100% with the actors (this is expecially noticable when watching the DVD)
3) Ja-Ja anoyed the hell out of me
4) Parts of the film had to much of a Disney feel to it (probably to appeal to the younger audience)
5) It Was all far to easy for the good guys.
6) Acting was stale in parts
7) I like cheese but to much of it makes me ill!
I am not a Star Wars fanatic or a huge fan however I do like the movies including TPM. However I do feel that TPM felt more like a Disney movie based on Star Wars than a movie that was made to be in line with what went before it.
As for a re-make I dont think that is going to ever happen (well not in the next 20 years anyway). But if it ever did happen I would certainly pay £5 to go see it. (Hey I paid £5 to see "Legally Blond" and it couldnt be much worse than that! )
SE I dont have a problem with as long as the originals remain available.
As for the Next installement I hope that there is less Disney and more of the FORCE

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Just info seeking here. I once read that Lucas and co. destroyed all the film prints to the non-SE original trilogy. Can anyone confirm or reject this? Thanks.