Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Original & Prequel Trilogy - Sept 16, 2011 - Review

[Lemmy Lugosi]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

TPM is a great movie.

No, it's not.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Lemmy Lugosi

No, it's not.

There's a lot of great stuff in all of the PT, even if they're just "popcorn movies". What's really wonderful is that Lucas managed to pay homage to the stuff kids enjoyed in the 30s and 40s and, at the same time, he has put in a lot of other stuff that is likely to sail over kids' heads, but that they may enjoy when they're older and revisit the movies. You know he liked "Flash Gordon", but as a film student he also came to appreciate Kurosawa, Bergman and other great directors from that era.

I certainly do think of "The Phantom Menace" as one of the very best films of the last 20 years, even though evidently there are those who wouldn't agree...

[dcowboy7]

Originally Posted by riverbelow

Those figures arent adjusted for inflation. Which they really should be.

Adjusting for inflation also is a problem too though.

Years ago people had actually go to the movies....now theres premium channels, rentals, bluray etc.

I never go to the movies anymore whats the point.

So your adjusting for inflation gives a huge advantage to older movies.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

Adjusting for inflation also is a problem too though.

Years ago people had actually go to the movies....now theres premium channels, rentals, bluray etc.

I never go to the movies anymore whats the point.

So your adjusting for inflation gives a huge advantage to older movies.

But movie attendance actually started to drop off since the 50s, because of television.

Before there was TV, about 90% of all Americans went to the movies every week. It never got even close to that again, once TVs became commonplace in American homes.

Still, without adjusting for inflation you end up with charts that are pretty much dominated by recent films.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by riverbelow

Those figures arent adjusted for inflation. Which they really should be.

Definitely the studios like it this way, they can say theatres are just as popular.

Look what happens when you do this

http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

[Show spoiler]
1 Gone with the Wind MGM $1,582,009,400 1939^
2 Star Wars Fox $1,394,676,400 1977^
3 The Sound of Music Fox $1,115,112,400 1965
4 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Uni. $1,110,719,400 1982^
5 The Ten Commandments Par. $1,025,730,000 1956
6 Titanic Par. $1,004,948,300 1997^
7 Jaws Uni. $1,002,857,100 1975
8 Doctor Zhivago MGM $971,980,600 1965
9 The Exorcist WB $865,991,500 1973^
10 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Dis. $853,470,000 1937^
11 101 Dalmatians Dis. $782,352,100 1961^
12 The Empire Strikes Back Fox $768,754,400 1980^
13 Ben-Hur MGM $767,340,000 1959
14 Avatar Fox $761,508,800 2009^
15 Return of the Jedi Fox $736,485,200 1983^
16 The Sting Uni. $697,988,600 1973
17 Star Wars The Phantom Menace Fox $697,924,100 1999^

Star wars ep 1 becomes 17 all time. Proving it's inferior numbers to all other original trilogy theatrically.

Whatever, man. Phantom Menace is only just behind Jedi, and it's not far off Empire either. People are conveniently forgetting that the OT's box office figures have also benefitted from several re-releases (as have many other movies in that list), not least the '97 SEs which saw at least another $100 million added to Star Wars' domestic total alone.

So glad Phantom Menace will soon top the magic $1 billion mark worldwide, if only because that'll piss off the haters even more. At least you can take solace in the fact that the 3D release of Star Wars will once again raise it above Phantom Menace in the domestic all-time list.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

So glad Phantom Menace will soon top the magic $1 billion mark worldwide, if only because that'll piss off the haters even more.

The fact that the haters spend so much time and energy focusing on their own negative emotions is probably their own worst punishment, imho.

But, regardless of what the nay-sayers say or don't say, I'm just really glad to hear it has passed the $1 billion mark.

[NYorker]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

There's a lot of great stuff in all of the PT, even if they're just "popcorn movies". What's really wonderful is that Lucas managed to pay homage to the stuff kids enjoyed in the 30s and 40s and, at the same time, he has put in a lot of other stuff that is likely to sail over kids' heads, but that they may enjoy when they're older and revisit the movies. You know he liked "Flash Gordon", but as a film student he also came to appreciate Kurosawa, Bergman and other great directors from that era.

I certainly do think of "The Phantom Menace" as one of the very best films of the last 20 years, even though evidently there are those who wouldn't agree...

If most of the movies released in the past 20 years were Saw films or stuff like Freddy Got Fingered - then, yeah, TPM would certainly top the list by a long mile...

What Lucas basically did with TPM is restart the SW saga as a kiddie franchise, ignoring what made the originals so successful.

[Howdy]

Originally Posted by NYorker

If most of the movies released in the past 20 years were Saw films or stuff like Freddy Got Fingered - then, yeah, TPM would certainly top the list by a long mile...

What Lucas basically did with TPM is restart the SW saga as a kiddie franchise, ignoring what made the originals so successful.

Where have you been the last 35 years? The Star Wars films have always been "kiddie" friendly. The prequel trilogy also has the darkest chapter of the entire saga with ROTS.

[Jay444]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Whatever, man. Phantom Menace is only just behind Jedi, and it's not far off Empire either. People are conveniently forgetting that the OT's box office figures have also benefitted from several re-releases (as have many other movies in that list), not least the '97 SEs which saw at least another $100 million added to Star Wars' domestic total alone.

So glad Phantom Menace will soon top the magic $1 billion mark worldwide, if only because that'll piss off the haters even more. At least you can take solace in the fact that the 3D release of Star Wars will once again raise it above Phantom Menace in the domestic all-time list.

I don't really care how much a movie makes. All that matters to me is that the film is good. TPM was a good movie. Not great, but it wasn't horrible. I think it benefited (greatly) as being the first offering of anything 'new' from the Star Wars universe when it first came out (thus why it has a gross figure bigger than its two follow up films). TPM did okay on its 3D re-release but it will close nowhere near the 1997 re-release of Star Wars, and that is with the benefit of inflated 3D ticket prices.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

Adjusting for inflation also is a problem too though.

Years ago people had actually go to the movies....now theres premium channels, rentals, bluray etc.

I never go to the movies anymore whats the point.

So your adjusting for inflation gives a huge advantage to older movies.

Do basically you're saying you it's difficult to compare one set of box office results to another set of box office results?

Then why did you even bring it up?

[nmycon]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

Adjusting for inflation also is a problem too though.

Years ago people had actually go to the movies....now theres premium channels, rentals, bluray etc.

I never go to the movies anymore whats the point.

So your adjusting for inflation gives a huge advantage to older movies.

I don't think there will EVER come a time when I'd rather stay at home to watch Star Wars when I could see it in a theatre.

That goes for a lot of other movies as well.

Not accounting for admission prices, if I had the choice between a theatre or staying at home and watching a movie on a TV screen, I'd choose the theatre 100% of the time.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

TPM is a great movie, regardless of the box-office results. As for releasing all other movies multiple times... most of them were, at one point or another.

You've seen the 3D version three times?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by NYorker

What Lucas basically did with TPM is restart the SW saga as a kiddie franchise, ignoring what made the originals so successful.

As someone else already pointed out, "Star Wars" has ALWAYS been a series aimed primarily at younger viewers. The fact that in less cynical days, many older viewers could enjoy it just as much probably did contribute to the success of the OT.

Lucas never said he was making a new trilogy of SW films aimed at viewers in their 30s or 40s. Never.

Originally Posted by Jay444

I don't really care how much a movie makes. All that matters to me is that the film is good. TPM was a good movie. Not great, but it wasn't horrible. I think it benefited (greatly) as being the first offering of anything 'new' from the Star Wars universe when it first came out (thus why it has a gross figure bigger than its two follow up films). TPM did okay on its 3D re-release but it will close nowhere near the 1997 re-release of Star Wars, and that is with the benefit of inflated 3D ticket prices.

The main difference there being that in 1997, the SW movies were not available in any home video format more advanced than VHS tapes and Laserdiscs. And only the laserdisc versions were letterboxed, even. With the latest re-issues, the whole SW Saga came out on blu-ray -- the most advanced home video system ever - just a few months earlier.

I don't think any reissue of an older movie that's aimed primarily at younger viewers is going to make much more than TPM or the Disney animated classics... because for a lot of people it's just much easier to stay with the kids and watch movies at home, on DVD or blu-ray or even streaming. There's never been so many options available for home viewers!

So it's certainly possible that "Titanic" will make more than any of this family films when it is reissued as a 3-D film.

Even "Titanic" may have a harder time making a huge splash at the box office, considering that the young girls who were so into DiCaprio way back then are more likely to be into Justin Bieber these days...

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

You've seen the 3D version three times?

No, 4 times.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

That's fine. IMHO ROTJ is the best, and if it wasn't for the ewoks, I think most ppl would agree (they don't bother me that much). I also don't think many people would like ESB as much if it wasn't for the "No, I am your father line." Now that is blasphemy! :P

Empire was most certainly the most superior Star Wars film in terms of acting, sequence of events, and directing. It was also an excellent opening to the 'greater' Star Wars universe with Hoth, Cloud City, Dagaboh (sp), etc. It really exemplified sci-fi fantasy on a greater level than A New Hope - although that movie being the first deserves almost as much credit.

It's a bit sad and superficial you cannot see past the "No, I am your father line." That had nothing to do with Empire's greatness.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

No, 4 times.

Sweet.

I won't be seeing it and I will admit, Phantom Menace is my least favorite SW film, but I did enjoy it better than I ever have when I watched it on BD. I recently upgraded my display so I will have to revisit it again here at some point.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Sweet.

I won't be seeing it and I will admit, Phantom Menace is my least favorite SW film, but I did enjoy it better than I ever have when I watched it on BD. I recently upgraded my display so I will have to revisit it again here at some point.

I have to say I did as well. Some of the Bad Stuff was still pretty awful but knowing it was coming made most of it more tolerable and the Cool Stuff was still pretty cool.

In fact, Jedi was even a little better this time around. Not good. Not really even all that close to good. But better.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by octagon

I have to say I did as well. Some of the Bad Stuff was still pretty awful but knowing it was coming made most of it more tolerable and the Cool Stuff was still pretty cool.

In fact, Jedi was even a little better this time around. Not good. Not really even all that close to good. But better.

I watched Jedi last week actually. For me, Jedi has dropped down a bit. I've become a bit more critical of it in the most obvious areas, but perhaps that's the wrong approach to take. I was 11 when it came out, and sometimes I considered it my favorite SW movie until later in years.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Empire was most certainly the most superior Star Wars film in terms of acting, sequence of events, and directing. It was also an excellent opening to the 'greater' Star Wars universe with Hoth, Cloud City, Dagaboh (sp), etc. It really exemplified sci-fi fantasy on a greater level than A New Hope - although that movie being the first deserves almost as much credit.

It's a bit sad and superficial you cannot see past the "No, I am your father line." That had nothing to do with Empire's greatness.

The line is not the sole reason ESB is a great movie; however it is certainly one of the reasons it became such a memorable film for those of us who were caught completely by surprise by that revelation - and by the movie's cliffhanger ending, which leaves Han's fate up in the air.

There are also several other reasons that are not frequently mentioned. I thought the whole bunch of bounty hunters was a terrifically cool idea, and not just because of Boba. Also, the new themes that JW wrote, and especially the Imperial March - maybe the coolest theme ever for a screen villain. The cinematography is also frequently underrated. Peter Suschitzky's name is hardly ever mentioned by any SW fans that I know. The look of the movie is way more artistic than either of the other 2 films in the OT, imho. There's beautiful use of color and subtle lighting schemes - ANH and ROTJ tended to favor more harsh lighting in the majority of the scenes. I always felt the overall effect was to make ESB seem somehow "more otherworldly" than the other two movies.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

The line is not the sole reason ESB is a great movie; however it is certainly one of the reasons it became such a memorable film for those of us who were caught completely by surprise by that revelation - and by the movie's cliffhanger ending, which leaves Han's fate up in the air.

There are also several other reasons that are not frequently mentioned. I thought the whole bunch of bounty hunters was a terrifically cool idea, and not just because of Boba. Also, the new themes that JW wrote, and especially the Imperial March - maybe the coolest theme ever for a screen villain. The cinematography is also frequently underrated. Peter Suschitzky's name is hardly ever mentioned by any SW fans that I know. The look of the movie is way more artistic than either of the other 2 films in the OT, imho. There's beautiful use of color and subtle lighting schemes - ANH and ROTJ tended to favor more harsh lighting in the majority of the scenes. I always felt the overall effect was to make ESB seem somehow "more otherworldly" than the other two movies.

Agreed on all points. That line was indeed shocking and memorable, however, even if it never happened or emerged my thoughts of Empire would remain the same based on what we're talking about - that movie had SO much great stuff going on in it.

I also really like the conceptual artwork that was done - awesome they put a lot of it on the Blu-ray extras disc. I remember having the original Empire Strikes Back trading cards and that is where I first saw it back in the day.