but isn't that a problem on the whole anyway? The Prequel films have been 'improved' on all kinds of fronts. Stylistically, ILM have made the worlds slick and smooth, bursting with detail and content, all the ships are curved and rounded, rendered generally in a shiny material, characters are computer generated, lighsabers are varied and the fight sequences are fast paced and action packed. What's it going to be like for Kids who watch all the films in chronological order for the first time? That jump from Episode 3 to Episode 4 is going to be a hard one. There's no way I'd be satisfied with the Obi-Wan/Vader duel at the end of ANH having watched Darth Maul in Episode 1 and whatever George has planned for us in Episode 3.
Good point. It IS possible to see the progression of machinery/vehicles/architecture from before to after the galactic civil war. I suppose it demonstrates how devatstating the effect of the Empire was on the Star Wars universe - but I still think young kids will have difficulty accepting the enormous jump from the PT to the OT. Things like the CG-Yoda to the puppet Yoda in TESB are quite blatant, for example.
I suppose it all depends on how George handles Episode 3. Bearing in mind that this will be after the Clone Wars, one of the biggest full-scale wars in Star Wars history, if he decideds to start making the design of the film significantly more in line with the OT, as a result of a brutal 3 year war, it would make the transaction into Episode 4 a little easier to swallow, not to mention make more sense.
Special Editions.
That's true. I would say Bespin, for one, certainly has a feel for the PT in the Special Editions. The activity outside the windows etc. And Coruscant makes a brief cameo at the end of ROTJ-SE.
Bare in mind, also, that Lucas will most probably make Special-Special editions of the original films after Episode 3 has been released, for DVD - so they will probably be adjusted to fit in with the PT too.
Who thinks, for example, that should Alderaan end up being one of the new planets visited in Epsode 3, it will end up being inserted into Ep4, just before it gets blown up?
To be honest, with Star Wars I welcome anything new. When the Special Editions came out, I loved them, and should Lucas release new tinkered-with versions every 5 years I GUARENTEE I'd hand over the cash for the latest version every single time. However, having had time to think about the films - in truth, I probably wish the Special Editions hadn't come out. I like the way sound and picture quality is improved, but to insert new 'improved' scenes such as Greedo shooting first or Jabba the Hut in Episode 4 is just sort of unnecesary - especially when most of the new stuff stands out a mile because the quality and 'look' of the new special effects are tons better than the originals. I'm particualry bitter about the 'improved' ROTJ dance sequence at Jabba's palace!
I don't on the whole, like it when director's re-release a film with 're-inserted' material as a blatant cash-in. E.T for example - what was that all about with the walkie-talkies?!?! Having said that, I liked the way Peter Jackson released the extended edition of FOTR. In fact, the 3 and half hour cut is now my preferred version of the movie. I think what bothers me most about the Star Wars SE's, is that George claims that these are now the 'true vision' of star wars and all the other versions before it are now obsolete. I mean, can any of us ever truely remove the Ewok "Nub Yub" song from the original ROTJ from our memories? I know it holds a special place in my heart!! It kind of annoys me that George will never release the OT on DVD in their original form.
Still. I completely look forward to the 'deleted scenes' included with the OT DVDS. Fingers crossed for the Biggs Darklighter scenes on Tatooine, and the 'desert storm' finally presented for us all to enjoy! Roll on 2007!
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Films are never finished, only abandoned...Anyway, no-one MAKES you watch the new ones.
True... but still. It seems like the original work is bad once modified.
And about films only being abandoned... One might expect that that would work for a book too then. But who can imagine SE of Shakespeare's work or of The Great Gatsby, Catcher in Rye etc etc...?
As for the OT, I can see that it neede some changes to fit in the original vision. But to modify it again is a bit odd (I'll forgive him if he fixes the Rancor scene though 😉 ).
And also, when you manage not to make it the way you had envisioned it, you make sure you do a better job next time. So far I think GL is failing at that with the PT's. The effects are better, but the films are not, so far, IMHO OC.
An SE of the works you say would not be much good as the authors are dead.
As it is, most of Shakespeare's plays as we have them are probably on their third or fourth editions. There was never any sacredness attached to the original versions in those times.
If GL says the SE's are closer to the original vision then that is absolutely his right to say so; I tire of the argument (advanced clumsily in South Park) that the original versions somehow 'belong to all the fans' as well (trotting out the tiresome argument about them being the ones who put him where he is) and so he should not tinker with them.
He can and if he wants to he should. And if then viewers in return want to say that the 'true vision' is actually not as good as the incomplete one, then that is THEIR right as well, of course...
And let's be clear here, it is the VISUAL side of the films that GL said were incomplete. This time around they are not, so he HAS improved in the terms he was talking. Plot is something entirely different.
Fair point, Ush.
Who is to say that George doesn't truely feel as though his films are incomplete and wants to take advantage of the advances in technology and make them as close to his original version as possible?
Who can say except George himself? The fans obviously reacted exceptionally well to the original films, so there was no real need to re-release the films as special editions EXCEPT to improve on what George feels are the flaws of the films (unless of course, it really WAS just a way of cashing in on an already popular franchise.) Personally I think that that SEs were made as a kind of trial run for the PT films, to see what ILM were capable of.
A lot of directors tend to dislike the idea of 'improving' on a film (all except those mocked recently in South Park - such as Speilberg, Lucas and Ford Coppola). I respect their decision to not want to tamper with a film that was made years ago - Terry Gillingham for example, is quite vocal about his bitterness towards 'directors cuts' of films, because he claims he makes HIS directors's cut first time round, he makes the film he wants to make. I respect that.
In fact, sometimes (although of course, you can never say for sure what is exaggerated or fabricated over the internet) I can't believe some of the things Lucas comes out with. I heard recently that he says if he could go back in time he would write and direct TESB and ROTJ himself! That sounds like ignorance to me. We've all heard the fans moan that George should not be allowed to write or direct ANY star wars film seeing what he has done with Episode's 1 and 2, right? (not neccesarily my opinion BTW) Well, regardless, I feel some of the best Star Wars stuff has been the stuff he has produced, and NOT directed. He should at least be grateful to the directors that made great films from his vision, and created arguably the BEST star wars movie (ESB). Apparantly George is still really bitter at Irvin Kershnaw for going over-budget with that film!! Personally, I'd give him a healthy slap on the back for making the most critically-acclaimed SW movie to date, and adding to my millions! (Saying that, George does seemed to have lightened up a lot in recent years. He seems to be kicking back and just enjoying himself in the AOTC DVD documentaries. He seems like a decent guy)
Anyway. I would think that by this time, George would be pretty fed up with Star Wars - each film takes up 3 years of his life, and he's still got the DVDs to work on! I imagine he'll be glad to spend time indulging in other projects. Personally I can't wait to see what sort of movies he directs after Episode 3.
We've gone a bit off topic. But I'd just like to drop in this little anecdote. Curren;ty I am directing a talk show for Dutch tv with well-known Dutch people. And a while ago we had a novelist. She was talking about her latest book which was about to be published and then I asked her if she ever felt like going back to previous novels to change stuff. And she said, no. When she hands it in, that is it. It wouldn't work otherwise. She felt it's like a baby and she hands in the final manuscript only when she's really done with it. So taht's why I was wondering about Lucas.
I mean, I'll be honest, with documentaries or programmes I made in the past I sometimes would like to modify stuff, but I can't. So in a way that's a tad frustrating, on the other hand, that's what I did, that's what I made. And I still believe the original release of the OT stands the test of time.... Well, perhaps ANH as an exception. I really liked that SE.
I doubt it. I haven't made any world wide spread docs yet. A few that have been sold to Ireland, Israel, Austria and some other broadcasters here an there. Nothing major. besides the last doc I actually MADE was about three years ago. Have been developing like crazy, but my boss doesn't seem too adequate in selling them.