Prequel Trilogy Opinion Poll (2 years later)

Originally posted by queeq
So a long post after all.... hehehehe.

I remember talking to non-SW fans after TPM came out. who knew I was a big fan. They all said: it looks great but there's no story.

i had the same experiance but they just said: JAR JAR
and laughed
nothing else
a true story

im tired of dissing the PT and ill leave you with these
as i like to post pics heres some images from the PT to explain my hatred a little more

and these are actual stills from a "live action" flick
its TOY STORY in outer space!

Originally posted by sithsaber408
Suppose I should've clarified that post.

I know that for example Minority Report is better acted, directed, etc... than TPM and probably AOTC, and I loved it when I saw it in the theater.

But, I've seen it only once or twice since and while good, I've no desire to keep watching it.

Not so with any of the Starwars films.

You've already contradicted yourself with your opening statement, and have conceded your point.

"Seriously, the worst Prequel kicks the shit out most other sci-fi/action/comic book films."

That is what you said, but it is simply not the case. As you agreed, Minority Report's cinematography boasted more than any Star Wars film could achieve, it was cleverer, and the acting was far superior to anything in the PT.

True, Minority Report does not have the replay value of the Original Trilogy, but lets just clarify terms a minute here. Star Wars is a space opera and borrows more from fables of fantasy than it does from the science fiction genre. It's a western in space and it has all the traits that suck the viewer into the films reality; the Star Wars galaxy. What I stated in another recent post was that the Prequel Trilogy lacked the wonderment at the size and expanse of the universe, while the OT heralded it as its finest feature.

When we looked into the front canopy of the Falcon, we realised just how big this galaxy was, and how small our heroes were in comparison. We saw the galaxy through there eyes. Another example I gave is Serenity, for that too, builds upon the themes that the original trilogy adhered too.

This theme is simply disregarded in the prequels, as we watch through the clouded eyes of Anakin, as he appears at one end of the galaxy and then at another, completely oblvious to the simple illusions Lucas first created when audiences saw the opening titles in 19977.

Minority Report does not give a notion of a wide, perculiar galaxy, it simply keeps things on a realistic level, and keeps us within the frame of mini action man Tom Cruise. The same could be said for Blade Runner, albeit the world of Los Angeles in 2018 is drastically different.

Originally posted by Schecter
if your simply talking about related plots, then fine. it just seemed strongly suggested that serenety was of the same quality as the PT. although the PT disappoints me, i was still able to enjoy a few viewings of it.

No, it is little to nothing to do with the plot. It is these archetypal characters that inhabit these pieces of metal in space, a kind of analysis on human nature as they drift through the blackness of space in a great chunk of metal.

The Falcon had Chewie, Han, C3PO and others, conflicting with each other, arguing, humurous banter developed and we gazed in wonder at the size of the galaxy Lucas had created.

Who remembers the wonderful moment in Empire when Han realises C3PO is completely right, and whispers C3PO's advice through the corner of his mouth to Chewie? That was when C3PO was funny.

Remember the look as Han, Chewie, Ben and Luke peer up through the Falcons canopy at the the "small moon". It created space, size and expanse which had never been realised in the cinema before.

Serenity builds upon this idea, one that Ridley Scott twisted as did James Cameron with Alien and Aliens. Joss Whedon isn't a great, revolutionary director or writer, but he knows how to right a solid script, and thats exactly what Serenity has. It's B-movie material with no self deception, like the original Star Wars. Whedon sees Han, Chewie and the Falcon's other passengers, expands them alot, and creates 8 different, interesting and entertaining characters. You get the few minutes on the Falcon with the crew expanded into a 2hour piece of fun and enjoyment. It's nothing more, but it does it well.

Why the original Star Wars is better? The Mos Eisley cantina scene. The original Star Wars is just Firefly/Serenity with a more interesting galaxy to hang around in, plus a few celabite monks to add to the mezra. Don't kid yourself that Star Wars is any more. The PT is proff that it's not the case.

Originally posted by sithsaber408
[B]
Don't let the popular backlash fool you, most reviewers praised TPM. AOTC was given so-so's, and ROTS ruled with just about every reviewer.

So critics opinions were fair to fantastic, of all three films.

A critics opinion on The Phantom Menace - http://www.slate.com/id/28553

A critics opinion of The Attack of the Clones -
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020510/REVIEWS/205100305/1023

A critics opinion of Revenge of the Sith -
http://www.slate.com/id/2118604

As a note to anyone who may think I generally hate the Prequels, I'll tell you now that the last half of Revenge of the Sith is generally some of the best stuff since Empire Strikes Back. I don't "hate" any movie, nor do I feel there's any point wasting time "hating" a film. I am just gobsmacked by how such a visionary director like Lucas managed to come up with Episodes 1,2 and the first half of 3, especially with the resources he had at his disposal. It's a great disapointment.

Originally posted by sithsaber408

Regular folks liked it.

The only people that feel the PT is some god-awful bastard child of the OT are the hardcore SW fans.... and that camp is split right down the middle, with some praising the PT and some bemoaning it.

So lets cut all the crap about "everybody hated the PT."

Bullshit.

I personally did not say anyone hated the PT. But there's no denying that the PT was recieved with sheer indifference by the majority of cinema goers. When in the topic in conversation, you hear people say "They're OK. Not as good as the originals though." That's not bias, that's pretty much lifted straight from the mouth of little Joey Bloggs who takes advantage of Orange Wednesdays to see his supplement of American on screen garbage.

A little information here on me, as I'd hate to give the impression I'm one of these people that go all gung ho on Star Wars and take the bus wearing a Vader mask and flanked by subordinates in Stormie customes. I enjoy films, I also enjoy Star Wars films. I would consider myself a fan, yes, I have all the DVDs apart from the Phantom Menace (had it on VHS), but excessive viewing of any Star Wars film can just lead to people becoming jaded. Star Wars is a great achievment of a visonary director, yes, but it's not the be all and end all of cinema.

Anakin's pod race isn't the highest staple of cinema, Death From Above and the other choppers of Robert Duvalls squadron riding to war along to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, is.

imho:
terminator > prequels
aliens > prequels
star trek (wrath of khan + undiscovered country + first contact) > prequels
dune > prequels

i may think of more scifi later, but you get the picture
its not about 'hating', thats just the way i am. i will grab any of
those movies before grabbing a PT movie to watch, not out of some
corny fanboy hatred and something to prove, but rather how i would
genuinely feel like spending a couple of hours in front of the tube.

Ahh, I leave Star Trek alone. I have a feeling I just wouldn't get on with Star Trek.

But yes, Dune, Alien (sequels) and Terminator 1 and 2 would certainly come above any of the PT for me.

[offtopic]i think too many people rob themselves of enriching scifi when denying star trek (as well as trekkies avoiding star wars).

deep space nine and next generation were awesome series. imho its just like star wars in the respect that your experience is greatly hindered if you cant take the good with the bad. (thus why i pity people who cant recognise RotJ for the great film that it is, just because of a few teddy bears) thats why i accept ewoks just as i accept shatner's bad acting.[/offtopic]

my problem with the PT doesnt focus on moments. granted there are some really crap filler moments just as there are awesome moments in all three films. what really matters to me is how i feel overall when the credits roll.
"was that worth yet another 2 hours of my life".

like i said, a dream come true for me would be a complete re-cut of the PT, all the best and plot relevant parts minus every bit of CGI candy filler and horribly dry romance. imho it would be 2-3 hours long and downright awesome.

i dont get the fuss over Serenity at all
i caught episodes of Firefly and they were ok compared to the usual tv sci fi dredge
but as for the movie it didnt work for me
some typical Wheedonesque dialogue and a couple of witty moments as per but what did i miss?

Wow even Dune? I thought most people didn't like it (I did!).

Originally posted by vintageSW77
i dont get the fuss over Serinity at all
what am i missing

from my point of view its a ten minute flick. 10 minutes
of watching and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and then
when i wake up the credits are rolling 😛 ok i'll stop teehehe

:edit:

Originally posted by queeq
Wow even Dune? I thought most people didn't like it (I did!).

i loved it. its just the hardcore fanboys who hate it due to all the alterations lynch made. i somewhat agree that the story was butchered, but i still think its a terriffic film

Great for the sleepless nights.

Not much of a dream come true, but more of a neccesity for the sake of Lucas' reputation woul;d be reason to completely rewrite the PT from conception. I'm not just talking about little scenes here, but drastically removing or changing certain things. One thing I remember realising was that the Jedi Council being such an indifferent, impartial entity, didn't really allow me to sympathise with them. I actually wanted to leave the cinema witnessing there death as though they recieved just cause.

But then again, that's an opinion, and I have no real idea whether it would have worked or not.

Originally posted by vintageSW77
i dont get the fuss over Serinity at all
i caught episodes of Firefly and they were ok
but as for the movie it didnt work

It's nothing special, but it was well written, entertaining and exhilirating for what it was. Two hours of harmless fun.

Originally posted by Schecter
i loved it. its just the hardcore fanboys who hate it due to all the alterations lynch made. i somewhat agree that the story was butchered, but i still think its a terriffic film

Me too. Especially seeing the latest tv-series of Dune it is so clear what a great visionist Lynch is in adapting that novel. Hope he one day gets a chance to cut the very long version he had in mind.

i want to see it remade as a series of films and the full story told (up till god emporer)

:edit: HEY!!! i know what you're doing!!! 😠

Me?????

Well, don't spoil it for me, I was advised to dismiss the other books by a friend. But there is a series?

Whenever I watch/read Dune though, I cannot help but smile at the thought of the spice, and how it's been used in Star Wars (that'd be EU mind). Adds alot of fun dimensions to the Star Wars galaxy.

there are many parallels between dune and starwars. its obvious that lucas at least read the books (at least the first) and was inluenced by them. there was a thread about it at TF.net if i remember correctly.

He was? Can you remember any of them off hand?

I remember this from my time when I played Star Wars Galaxies (between the usual at university); that the Spice idea as the illegal contraband in the SW universe was not a product of anything to do with Lucas. This was about the Smuggler profession, when all the nerds went up in uproar when they couldn't actually smuggle in the game.