From: moso199@gmail.com   
      
   On 2010-08-24 11:53:58 -0700, Sandman  said:   
      
   > I just watched Revenge of the Sith, and... I really didn't like it.   
   >   
   > I mean, was I just very forgiving at its release because it was Star   
   > Wars or have I become more demanding? It's not like there was a   
   > revelation, I just found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with pretty   
   > much all the critique at the time (of all the prequel movies); poor   
   > actors, poor acting, poor story, stupid effects, CGI overuse and all   
   > that. That was all in there back than and I remember that ROTS was the   
   > prequel episode I liked the most. Pffft.   
   >   
   > Are we back in the pre-prequel days hoping for someone to make a Star   
   > Wars prequel story while we all try to forget all three movies? Was   
   > there nothing there?   
   >   
   > Maybe I just dislike the entire Anakin story starting when he was   
   > eight years old. Maybe it should have started with Attack of the   
   > Clones - right into the action. But Anakin being played by an actual,   
   > you know, actor. That can act.   
   >   
   > Don't get me wrong, I really like Ewan McGregor, but he was stale in   
   > all the prequel movies, and I don't know if I should blame George   
   > Lucas or the overuse of CGI, or both.   
   >   
   > But how can this be a problem? The original trilogy was shock-filled   
   > with bad acting by non-actors at the time. Surely Star Wars isn't   
   > known for it's supreme acting. So it's the story then? The character   
   > development? Lucas did direct the original movie that started it all   
   > and while its story is simple it's still very captivating and carries   
   > the viewer along, thirty years later. Did he just loose the ability to   
   > direct a movie? Or was it the entire merchandise circus? But I can't   
   > believe that either, that circus was in full-blown mode by the Empire   
   > Strikes Back, and the only backlash back then was those hideous Ewoks   
   > in Return of the Jedi.   
   >   
   > Maybe it's just the combination of the astounding work of Ralph   
   > McQuarrie and the originality of the hero saga set in space that made   
   > the original trilogy what it was. Maybe that's not something that can   
   > be recreated by anyone? It most surely can't be done by throwing CGI   
   > at it, so who could take on the job? Who could direct a Star Wars   
   > prequel trilogy that feels true to the original while still bringing   
   > that child-like excitement you get when the Millenium Falcon takes off   
   > from Mos Eisley?   
   >   
   > That sort of begs the question - what space sci fi movies HAVE been   
   > good ever since Star Wars? Pitch Black? Too stylish. I sort of liked   
   > the new Star Trek movie - but it was probably because it was so   
   > similar in "tone" to a Star Wars movie. I'm note sure what movies of   
   > this calibre that can be found out there.   
   >   
   > I just want my Star Wars back!   
      
   George Lucas had enough Flash Gordon-style material for only one movie   
   - Star Wars, a low-budget sci-fi sendup.  The writing was amateurish,   
   the acting was serviceable (esp veterans Alec Guinness and Peter   
   Cushing), but it had a basic tried-and-true story, slam-bang film and   
   sound editing, great music, imaginative special effects (e.g. the chess   
   game), and enough heart to keep viewers happy.   
      
   It was also helped by the times - the dark days of post-Watergate,   
   post-Vietnam, post-energy crisis, stagflation, etc., etc., etc.  In   
   Star Wars, the good guys won for a change, end of story.   
      
   The Empire Strikes Back was a patchwork of discarded story elements   
   from Star Wars (asteroid field chase, city in the clouds), a further   
   look at the mysterious Force, and an adaptation of the climactic   
   lightsaber duel from Splinter of the Mind's Eye.  It worked because   
   Irving Kirshner allowed a collaborative effort with his actors to   
   maximize what was there, and he understood the movie was supposed to be   
   lyrical and dark, but still fun, like when Vader kept bumping off his   
   incompetent admirals.  For me, those two are the only good movies of   
   the series.   
      
   The story changed when Darth Vader became Luke's father, instead of his   
   father's killer; bye-bye Flash Gordon.  For that matter, bye-bye   
   Princess Leia, who no longer figured into the new father-and-son story.   
      
   By Return of the Jedi, Lucas was tired of the whole thing and ended his   
   9-part series after 3.  Luke's long-lost sister got conveniently   
   reduced into a non-factor, and with it, the Gone-with-the-Wind-style   
   romantic triangle.  The Death Star was a rehash, so was the lightsaber   
   duel.   The Wookie slave revolt got shrunk down to cute teddy bears ala   
   E.T.  Bring in the Emperor so that he could die and end the war.  BTW -   
   wasn't Luke supposed to defeat the Emperor, originally, rather than get   
   rescued from him?   
      
   After that, the rest of the story is an exercise in more-is-not-more.   
   Bigger Star Wars universe, with more special effects, toys, and budget.   
    And, it tried to take itself too seriously.  Unfortunately, the lack   
   of story, writing, and serviceable acting and directing didn't improve   
   with the budget.  I think it would have worked much better as a low   
   budget flick made for fun, like the original movie.   
      
   I'll get off my soapbox, now.  Thanks.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)