Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by Arawn

I agree.

But that's a low bar.

How is it a low bar? All of his movies have gotten very positive reviews.

[Jakdonark]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Lucas on the set of Return to Oz...

[Show spoiler]

So just because Lucas was on the set means he was directing? That's like saying a picture of Spielberg on the set of Poltergeist means he directed that. Or if Quentin Tarantino was on the set of Sin City...

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by SuperFlyHighGuy

But you don't have to "over-analyze" the PT to realize they aren't a fraction of what the OT was. You just have to watch, then think a little. I mean they came out 20 years later, so Lucas wasn't the same, the viewers weren't the same, I wasn't the same, etc., I understand all that.

But many people were extremely disappointed by them, and you can't just dismiss those views by saying people are over-analyzing, nit-picking, looking for flaws, looking for reasons to hate them, and so forth. We all wanted them to be as fantastic as the originals. If you enjoy them, great - but don't belittle the people who don't because you choose to shut off your brain while watching them.

I don't need the PT to be as good as the OT. It's very rare that one sequel is as good, or better, than the original....let alone several "sequels"
Everything I've seen that is even remotely tied to the Star Wars brand, I have found to be enjoyable.
I'm not belittling anyone. I'm saying what I like. If you find my liking something offensive, that's a YOU problem.

[spanky87]

Hoping for an option via seamless branching to watch the theatrical version of Star Wars with the '81 crawl that says "Episode IV: A New Hope".

[JoshKelhoffer]

Originally Posted by iamsometal

And I agree, not discounting GL's intelligence, but his choices and getting caught up in the crafting of the film nearly entirely in the editing bay, relying on digital manipulation of everything in the frame, including and most detrimental to, his actors performances.

That's the thing though. The editing is bad. Not choppy like a Michael Bay film. But in the way of indulgence. A lot of screenplays overkill their dialogue, which eventually gets whittled down in editing or even during principal photography. It's not that characters talk too much. They just say the same things over and over again. "Obi Wan is a meanie." Over and over again.

Also, the films have some awkward beats that would be clear dismissals to most editors. When Anakin and Obi Wan are trapped in a force field. Obi Wan says "Wait a minute, we are smarter than this." It's so awkward and weird. Goodbye dialogue, maybe keep "It's okay, R2 will come." Cut to the R2 moment. Scene is good. Pace is kept. Nothing of substance is lost.

But forget the editing. The human side of the film is just very bland. In fact, AOTC and ROTS are at times incredibly bland. Even the action gets to be boring because my investment in the characters is slim. In fact, the characters feel like the hosts from Westworld, drawn to their paths because they have to. I can't seem to understand what Padme sees in Anakin. He is creepy. Like stalker-ish creepy. He admits to killing Sandpeople, including the women and the children. Padme seems to love him because the story calls for it, not that Anakin is actually charismatic.

It's the same for when he completely turns. That's a moment that should have been powerful, but it just wasn't emotionally compelling. It was flat and lifeless.

When Obi Wan and Anakin fight, it should mean something. It should feel tragic. Two friends now trying to kill each other. But they pushed the bossy Obi Wan too much in AOTC. They barely seemed like friends.

They're a lot of cool theories about Anakin's psychology and even Palpatine possibly drawing Padme's life to keep Anakin alive. But those aren't in the films. That conflict would have been cool. That is just stuff people add to it.

I personally don't think it's nitpicking when a movie feels so bland. I actually envy those who love the prequels. I have tried over and over again. I just can't connect to them. Not the way I do all of Lucas' other films.

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Every time I think about picking it up again I'm reminded of the hyper-unnecessary additions to Eps IV and VI plus the DNR of Ep I and the useless little micro-editing changes in Ep II.

With that in mind I'd buy the Complete Saga set again but for no more than 20 sovs.


Star Trek '09 for me. Hell, that opening scene alone is the best thing JJ's ever done.

I remember reading that one of the differences between the theatrical version of ROTS and the DVD was that the transition used showing Anakin covered in lava and cutting to the next scene was a normal cut in the theatrical and then changed to a wipe for the DVD, but then for the blu-ray it was changed back to a straight cut (I might have this mixed up. Can't totally remember). And when I read this I was thinking "What the hell would make someone decide to change that transition for the home video release? Why would they even be thinking about that? And then Lucas decided he actually liked the original transition better? So at one point in his life he liked having a straight cut, then decided it should be a wipe, then years later wanted the straight cut back. Whaaaaaat???"

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by JoshKelhoffer

I personally don't think it's nitpicking when a movie feels so bland. I actually envy those who love the prequels. I have tried over and over again. I just can't connect to them. Not the way I do all of Lucas' other films.

Edited for Geoff:

I personally don't think it's nitpicking when a movie feels so bland. I actually envy those who love TFA. I have tried over and over again. I just can't connect to it. Not the way I do all of Lucas' other films.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Edited for Geoff:

I personally don't think it's nitpicking when a movie feels so bland. I actually envy those who love TFA. I have tried over and over again. I just can't connect to it. Not the way I do all of Lucas' other films.

LAWL.

I really liked it the first time I watched it, flaws aside, but revisiting it on Blu-ray, I was just bored the entire time. Everything felt so manufactured and derivative. I'm praying that a third viewing might make me magically like it again because I'm weird like that. Until that day maybe possibly potentially hopefully comes, I'm gonna categorise the film under 'meh'.

[bobbyh64]

They should release a box set with the original versions of the OT and updated versions of the PT using CGI to replace Hayden Christiansen's face with a younger Sebastian Shaw.

[Hardback247]

http://myvideostore.myvideostore.com...re-derivative/

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

I remember reading that one of the differences between the theatrical version of ROTS and the DVD was that the transition used showing Anakin covered in lava and cutting to the next scene was a normal cut in the theatrical and then changed to a wipe for the DVD, but then for the blu-ray it was changed back to a straight cut (I might have this mixed up. Can't totally remember). And when I read this I was thinking "What the hell would make someone decide to change that transition for the home video release? Why would they even be thinking about that? And then Lucas decided he actually liked the original transition better? So at one point in his life he liked having a straight cut, then decided it should be a wipe, then years later wanted the straight cut back. Whaaaaaat???"

Just speculating here, but it could have something to do with the issue of the travel time in hyperspace between Coruscant and Mustafar. Generally speaking, in these films a wipe signifies the passage of an indeterminate period of time, while a straight cut leans more toward creating an impression of temporal immediacy.

The novelization has Obi-Wan see Palpatine's ship arriving even while he's still standing there on the banks of the lava river, but we don't actually see that happen in the film and IMO that makes the hyperspace travel in question too fast. On the other hand, we don't know that there is a hard upper limit to hyperspace speed. But given some of the other examples we have for parameters of travel time during the saga ( such as Tatooine to Alderaan or Coruscant to Geonosis ) it seems arguable that at least a little more time should have passed.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by captveg

I lean towards Super 8 being his best, but I acknowledge that's a minority opinion.

MI:III is often ignored...re-watched last month on Netflix, it's surprisingly better than I remembered.

[Mighty Max]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

http://myvideostore.myvideostore.com...re-derivative/

ugh...
No, it isn't dark and bleak.
It is a hollow, vapid, empty shell.
There is no life in Force Awakens.
It has no heart or soul.
No likeable characters. Not even the stupid, forced into your face so that you have to like it, BB8. It just makes me hate that thing even more.
R2 and 3PO were never shoved upon us like that.

They were there, they were seamless characters.

[Mighty Max]

Originally Posted by Arawn

Just speculating here, but it could have something to do with the issue of the travel time in hyperspace between Coruscant and Mustafar. Generally speaking, in these films a wipe signifies the passage of an indeterminate period of time, while a straight cut leans more toward creating an impression of temporal immediacy.

The novelization has Obi-Wan see Palpatine's ship arriving even while he's still standing there on the banks of the lava river, but we don't actually see that happen in the film and IMO that makes the hyperspace travel in question too fast. On the other hand, we don't know that there is a hard upper limit to hyperspace speed. But given some of the other examples we have for parameters of travel time during the saga ( such as Tatooine to Alderaan or Coruscant to Geonosis ) it seems arguable that at least a little more time should have passed.

The Empire Strikes Back has the WORST offense of travel time and time discrepancy ...
Hours for Han and Leia
Luke is training for days or a week or two?
No...
That movie is so terrible with how time was presented...

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by Mighty Max

ugh...
No, it isn't dark and bleak.
It is a hollow, vapid, empty shell.
There is no life in Force Awakens.
It has no heart or soul.
No likeable characters. Not even the stupid, forced into your face so that you have to like it, BB8. It just makes me hate that thing even more.

You are a sad, strange little man.

[Mighty Max]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

You are a sad, strange little man.

Sad... maybe...
Strange... yes... Also a Dr.

[Hardback247]

Why not embrace the derivativeness of The Force Awakens? Life and history repeats itself all the time. World War I directly led to World War II just as the aggressive foreign policy stances of the United States led to the Cold War, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

[Mighty Max]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

Why not embrace the derivativeness of The Force Awakens? Life and history repeats itself all the time. World War I directly led to World War II just as the aggressive foreign policy stances of the United States led to the Cold War, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

Did you write that article?
Cause that was lifted whole from it...
Besides, The Great War did not lead directly into World War 2!

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by Mighty Max

Sad... maybe...
Strange... yes... Also a Dr.

You forgot to say whether you're little or not.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Mighty Max

Did you write that article?
Cause that was lifted whole from it...
Besides, The Great War did not lead directly into World War 2!

Actually, it did. WWII happened because of Hitler and it took him from 1918 to 1933 to form the Nazi party and become Chancellor of Germany. From 1933 to 1939 was when he started beefing up the military.