Star Wars: A New Hope, Or A Lost Relic?

I waited in line for Episode I, for 2 days to get tickets. I had all the excitement and enthusiasm that I had as a kid watching the original 3. But with the use of all the CG characters, ships, and other things now commonplace in the new movies, Star Wars seems to have lost it's luster. I'm still a fan at heart, and I'm sorry to see the Star Wars universe come to an end in 2005. Part of me says it's time to put it to bed, however, another part of me wants to know that universe will live on forever. Will the 3rd and final installment be worth the wait? Or will it be good riddence?

All comments welcome.

- Nachtkriechen

I want to see Natalie Portman slap Hayden Christensen. Other than that, I just want to see an end to the whole thing.

I get the feeling that most people want to see Star Wars go away. I mean you still have the died in the wool Star Wars fans that will swallow what ever Lucas throws at them, but I think even some of the die hard true blue fans, have been disappointed since episode I. I'm not sure that it was one specific thing or another... but I really do hope that George decides to go out with a bang. If episode III doesn't kick some serious butt, I think he can forget about his DVD sales.

- Nachtkriechen

For me, it's always been a matter of family. In the first three original episodes, meaning volumes 4-6, Lucas created a family of characters, good and evil, that we all loved and related to in one way or another. Luke and Han and Obi Wan and the Princess and Yoda and even old Darth Vader became our own extended family. They were characters one could warm up to.

No such feeling of warmth or famiiarity developed for me in the next two, latest episodes. All we could look forward to was the main character becoming the most hated man in the universe. It didn't help, too, that the main character was a rather cold fish, leaving only the special effects to carry the day, which, to some degree, they did. Enough to keep die-hard fans like me satisfied, if not not entirely happy.

If Lucas could or would go back to the old formula, emphasizing characterization over technology, I'd be happy to see the series continue with the final three episodes that Lucas envisioned. If it's more of what he's been giving us lately, the series can go away.

John

yeah, and it didn't help that lucas killed off qui-gon in episode 1 (liam neeson did the best acting job so far in episodes 1 and 2).

Totally, Qui-Gon was the man. I think Ewen is doing the best he can with Obi-Won.

Other than that, I'm strongly tempted to just rent this last one. The first one was sort of bad, the second one was very bad. It seems that, by that rule, the third will be unredeemable horse shit. And how not? The story up till now has been flat and uninteresting, the dialogue horrible, and Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen are hands down the worst on screen couple I have ever seen. And it's not just me, I have polled numerous women, and they all agree that you can't go from uber-stalker "I've dreamt of you every night for 10 years" to love interest, period. Lucas should just issue a press release apologizing for these last films, offer a rebate on the DVDs, and not do the last one.

It occurs to me that Lucas has become increasingly misinformed as to what his audience wants or has just lost touch with his own initial concepts on moviemaking. Early on, Lucas stated that you can have as many special effects as you want, but if you don't have a story, you don't have a good movie. It's seems obvious that Lucas has become engrossed in the technical advancements in moviemaking (i.e., shooting digitally, sound enhancement) which, while it's great for us to have those achievements, don't alone lend to making a good movie (case in point: Reloaded was visually and aurally stunning, but I still didn't like it).

Also, Lucas harps on how he is tapping into the Saturday Matinee feel that he experienced as a child when he went to the movies. I'm sorry, but I've yet to come across a serial from that era that started out with a trade negotiation gone bad, and then moved on to the decisions made by the senate of whatever government was being illustrated in the serial. It's as though he doesn't really recall the feel he is attempting to recreate. I understand that Lucas wants us all to understand how a Republic could turn into what it does as portrayed in episodes 4-6, but that isn't as important as the real story: how does Anakin become Vader?

Lucas often stated during the production of episodes 4-6 that he had the prequels already thought out. I found it interesting when watching the bonus material on the Indy Trilogy, that Spielberg referred to Lucas saying he already had 3 Indy movies in mind when he really didn't. I think it's the same with Star Wars. I think he really got himself in over his head.

Finance the movies, let someone else write, let someone else direct, give your stamp of approval, and move on. Hopefully Episode 3 will redeem some of what has been lost, but it should end at that point if Lucas wants to stay as involved as he has.

I find it hard to believe that Lucas will just drop his billion-dollar+ enterprise. Episode 3 is that last installment for now, just like every release of the original trilogy was on video. With most of the original cast out of work (except Harrison Ford) and their ages being right, I would love to see an adaptation of some of the novels, perhaps the new jedi series that was just concluded...who knows.
I wouldn't mind eeing a well-done tv series based on the rouge squadron books, a la space above and beyond.
By the way, I hated episode one, and tolerate episode 2 just for the last 45 minutes. (ESB is the high point of the original trilogy, although I still get shivers during the final battle between luke and vader.)

A few things in the Episode III "teaser" have restored hope that "Revenge Of The Sith" might not be crap. (1) Some of the scenes (as brief as they were) are amazing looking. (2) It looks as though we may finally get to see the much talked about "Wookie" planet. (3) 1st generation "Tie Fighters" and "X-wings" were displayed. (4) Yoda is brandishing his lightsaber again. (5) Palpatine fights with a lightsaber (that should be interesting). (6) And last (but certainly not least), James Earl Jones is back to wrap things up!!

Now, if we could just get time to move a little more quickly towards May... ;)

- Josh