MovieChat Forums > Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Discussion > Anyone else find it a little ironic that...

Anyone else find it a little ironic that everyone is on George Lucas' side now?

posted 5 years ago by h-oates (172)
18 replies | jump to latest

Honestly, I find this really funny. You see, as a longtime Star Wars fan (practically been a fan since my birth in 94), I can honestly say that I've always enjoyed the Prequels. True, I grew up with them, but that doesn't mean to say they get special treatment. I know that in many ways the Original Trilogy is superior, but I still love the Prequels... But so many, many, many people hated them. I mean outright despised them. You go back in time 5 years or so and Lucas was the Devil in everyone's eyes. They hated him for the Prequels and for messing with the Original Trilogy.

But now...everyone is saying all is forgiven. Nearly everyone seems to want him back and now have newfound appreciation for the Prequels. And that's because there was never anything that much wrong with them. As you can plainly see, The Last Jedi is how not to make a Star Wars film. Far worse than the Prequels ever were.

And for the record, I haven't given up hope on the Sequel Trilogy. I really enjoyed The Force Awakens. But unfortunately, since then it's been downhill all the way with The Last Jedi been the nadir.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

No, I don't find it ironic at all. George's stories were never, EVER the issue... only the execution of them. At least George HAD a plan for the Sequels, but KK chucked them out and proclaimed "hey, we've got the perfect opportunity here to push our PC/SJW/IP agenda, so let's get rid of George's Midichlorian Trilogy and do our own thing! Hell, we OWN Star Wars now, so WHY NOT?" And then they released the lame rehash that was TFA and the derailment that was TLJ. Case. Closed.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Threadkiller (2952) 5 years ago

I was with you all the way until the part about enjoying TFA. It's of course fine for you to enjoy something and I appreciate you making that distinction instead of saying it was a well made film. The ST was going downhill from the start. TFA set the ST on a downward trajectory all on it's own with it's disjointed, sloppy, & astonishingly unimaginative writing. A cheap soft reboot cash grab with no soul.

[–] h-oates (172) 5 years ago

I get what you're saying, and I admit that The Force Awakens has many faults. But then so does The Phantom Menace, and yet that's my third favourite Star Wars film (shocking, I know). I don't believe The Force Awakens betrayed the audience in the way The Last Jedi did with Luke. That's the difference. I hated the Canto Bight sequence in TLJ, along with Poe's rebellion and a whole other host of stuff, but it was the treatment of Luke that made it my least favourite Star Wars film. It's the biggest problem I have (and many others also have) with the ST. It's what really sent it over the edge for me.

[–] mikethemartian (6066) 5 years ago

I know Mark Hamil didn’t like the way Luke was portrayed in TLJ but his interaction with Rey was the only part I actually liked. I’m not saying making him a hermit was the best story they could have come up with but they sort of laid that track in TFA. I don’t have a problem accepting Luke acting differently as a 60 year old vs the bright eyed optimistic 20 year old in SW.

[–] h-oates (172) 5 years ago

I don't think Luke being a hermit was the problem, it was the reason why he'd become a hermit, and his total unwillingness to come back and help until the very last moment. But yes, the main problem was Luke even considering killing Ben. Actually igniting the lightsaber while standing over his bed was just so surreal and weird. #notmyluke haha.

[–] mcqueen (1150) 5 years ago

if people think they are worse than the prequels, that tells you just how shitty the disney films have been

[–] furiousstyles (4359) 5 years ago

The issue with Lucas isnt his story telling , it was his insistence on pushing the boundaries of technology when making the prequels, almostt as if the visuals came first , screw the dialogue etc.

I dislike the prequels, i hate most of the actors such as hayden christiansen, sam jackson and the over use of CGI for sone , jar jar , dax etc , however the story is fantastic , i wish that he just wrote the prequels and got his buddies to direct.

[–] Keelai (31890) 5 years ago

Lucas said the Star Wars films were always experimental. The OT had groundbreaking SFX and sound because of that. The prequels were an experiment in CGI SFX, animated CGI characters, and digital filmmaking which lead the way for other films.

Granted there were some cringe-worthy moments in the prequels, especially TPM, but there was plenty for me to enjoy like the lightsaber battles, villains, music, costumes, designs, story, etc.

If he had made the sequel trilogy, they would have at least been original. Disney is just rehashing Lucas' ideas. Even Solo and Rogue One have nothing new in them.

[–] Threadkiller (2952) 5 years ago

Well said but it's pretty obvious in retrospect that Di$ney bought the rights to Star Wars to cash in on the OT as much as possible rather than "risk" doing something original and inspired.

[–] Keelai (31890) 5 years ago

Absolutely. I only acknowledge SW:Lucas and I respect him for his creativity, innovation and risk-taking.

Disney used to be more artistic and innovative but that boat had sailed which caught Lucas off-guard. Me too.

Bob Iger:
"Following a private screening, Iger recalls, Lucas "didn't hide his disappointment. 'There's nothing new,' he said. In each of the films in the original trilogy, it was important to him to present new worlds, new stories, new characters, and new technologies. In this one, he said, 'There weren't enough visual or technical leaps forward.' He wasn't wrong, but he also wasn't appreciating the pressure we were under to give ardent fans a film that felt quintessentially Star Wars."

The problem, Iger suggests, is that Lucas didn't fully appreciate what Lucasfilm and Disney were trying to do with the new trilogy, and specifically The Force Awakens. "We'd intentionally created a world that was visually and tonally connected to the earlier films, to not stray too far from what people loved and expected," Iger explains, "and George was criticizing us for the very thing we were trying to do.""
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/disneys-bob-iger-says-george-lucas-felt-betrayed-by-star-wars-plans-1242953

[–] SpikeMike (470) 5 years ago

You have a very low bar then if that's all you want. The SFX in the OT served to aid the story Lucas wanted to tell. In the PT the effects were the primary concern, with the story being secondary.

If Lucas had made the ST, it would have had all the same problems that the PT did, accept Lucas would be even more out of touch than when making the PT.

The Disney films have been far from perfect, but are leagues better than anything Lucas has made since the 80s.

[–] Keelai (31890) 5 years ago

"You have a very low bar then if that's all you want."

It's easy to take the SFX for granted if you didn't see it in the theater in 1977 because quality SFX is so common now. My shock at seeing the realistic starship (Vader's) cross the huge screen in pursuit is still fresh in my mind decades later. I became a SW fan within those first five minutes.

Millions felt the same way and repeatedly saw the movie to rewatch the amazing SFX. It was still in the theater over a year later. I always considered Lucas to be both a writer and a visual artist.

Story, characters, originality, innovation, creativity, message, music and dialogue are also important otherwise I would've enjoyed the horrible Last Jedi movie which has good cinematography.

Anyway, I have an art background so the visuals in a movie/TV series are especially important to me.

[–] Martoto (4173) 5 years ago

Everyone?

Sure.

[–] howgamer (3645) 5 years ago

I do think it is kind of funny too. I enjoyed the prequels for what they were, kids movies. Just like George always said, Star Wars are kids movies, but when the prequels came out, a lot of the fan base had grown up so I think they wanted a much more adult type of film. They didn't get that, instead, they got goofy Jar Jar and a CGI fest. As a result much of the fan base despised him and the films for it. Now don't get me wrong, there were plenty of other elements that could have been improved upon such as the cringy dialogue, some shotty CGI especially in AOTC, and a much more developed love story, but I think most people wanted less cartoon characters and more adult themes. Not surprisingly, ROTS, the first PG-13 SW, was the most well received.

[–] Hans-Wilhelm (1320) 5 years ago

I was never upset at George. I just didn't think the prequels were that good.
Star Wars wasn't broken.