Star Wars Lives!

@CWO:

My feeling about to the Hobbit trilogy is that it too was, in a strange sort of way, a true artistic triumph because it achieved the impossible: it made the original LOTR trilogy look realistic.  I loved the original three films, and I like the extended DVD edition even more, but to my great disappontment I found the Hobbit prequel to be a bloated monstrosity.

Never thought about it that way, but it is definitely true. LoTR Extended Editions are probably the best home film experience ever made. The films themselves are superb and the attention to detail, quality and sheer volume of extra items is utterly unsurpassed.

There is 122 minutes of total (very good and substantial) extended and added footage in the film itself (that is like a whole extra freaking movie!) - which adds up to 683 minutes of total movie time, (4) Commentary tracks for the total length of the film including all principal actors (which is a massive number in these films), directors, producers, writers, artists and designers! - that alone is unheard of - plus you have the seemingly endless labyrinth of special feature documentaries which spend a great deal of time showcasing behind the scenes development, production, writing, history of the books and Tolkien, geography of filming locations, new and old filming techniques, costumes, weapons, set design, adaptation process, pre-visualization, editing, musical scoring, sound effects, theatrical premiers… the list just goes on and on. It is insane.  Plus, if you get the blu-ray extended versions you also get an extra 305 minutes of unique-footage documentary on all three films from Costa Botes.

For $50 on Amazon… this is a total steal. http://www.amazon.com/The-Lord-Rings-Fellowship-Extended/dp/B0026L7H20

Obviously, I cannot recommend this highly enough. All other great film experiences I compare to The Lord of the Rings and, unfortunately, each and every one is going to fall far, far short.

Heh heh heh… back to Star Wars.

Read this:  http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/what-if-the-new-star-wars-sucks-too-1737539377

Then read this:  http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/return-of-the-jedi-was-great-you-ewok-slandering-fools-1738290933

Pretty funny if you are a Star Wars fan and operate in a segment of society that references the movies. I don’t necessarily agree with all gripes in the first article, but the second is an amusing counterpoint.

ROTJ is a great movie. All three films work up to this payoff. Luke looks down at his father’s severed arm. And stops. Looks at his own hand. Decides he will not become that and delivers THE line of the whole trilogy. “Never. I’ll never turn to the dark side. You’ve failed your highness. I am a Jedi. Like my father before me.”

Whatever sins ROTJ may commit are redeemed then and there and we see it when Anakin is inspired by it to stand up make his penance and claim his redemption. Everyone bags on ROTJ because they won’t let go of their cynicism. Because they can’t believe like Luke does.

Haha, glad you linked those LHoffman. Both writers make decent points, but Drew (one of my favorite online columnists) reinforces Jedi is the kind of movie where the sum is greater than all it’s parts. I for one enjoy the Tatooine act as it finally introduces Jabba’s lair to us (he is referenced in both preceding films) and demonstrates Luke’s new skills. It even includes a humorous reconciliation between Han and Lando.

However I do feel the shoehorning of Leia as Luke’s brother is still a compromise of compressing future storylines (like Luke going AWOL looking for his sister - it does seem like he is AWOL in the new movie) into one film that never feels right. Then again as Drew said Obi-Wan is a failure.

Ewoks are still a tough sell for me, I also just can’t believe how dumb the Imperial commanders were: their task was to defend the shield generator and they have the firepower advantage. It’s not like the Rebel commandos and Ewoks could stage a siege or frontal assault of some kind. Chasing them into the woods is exactly what the Rebels wanted!

The space battle is an amazing accomplishment of special effects, it holds up very well. I just wish the final battle of the series was fought over Coruscant or a critical core system, not another Death Star. Also I find it hard to believe the flagship of the Imperial fleet didn’t have a battle bridge set up for the specific event of the main bridge going down. Minor gripe there.

There’s no doubting the excellence of the Throne Room/Duel scenes, especially the work of Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor.

@frimmel:

ROTJ is a great movie. All three films work up to this payoff. Luke looks down at his father’s severed arm. And stops. Looks at his own hand. Decides he will not become that and delivers THE line of the whole trilogy. “Never. I’ll never turn to the dark side. You’ve failed your highness. I am a Jedi. Like my father before me.”

Whatever sins ROTJ may commit are redeemed then and there and we see it when Anakin is inspired by it to stand up make his penance and claim his redemption. Everyone bags on ROTJ because they won’t let go of their cynicism. Because they can’t believe like Luke does.

Very well said and I agree. Your point about Luke cutting off Vader’s arm is spot on. There are some flaws in the movie (and the trilogy) - and in what film are there not flaws? - but this is the heart of the story that so many people overlook. They look at the plot holes and ancillary characters to render judgement while ignoring what is overall a very good fantasy epic. I think that is true even of Ep I-III. The overall story arc and plot is actually quite good. The implementation often fails, but as a story it is both grand and classic.

Purely as a film, I think ROTJ is better than Empire Strikes Back. ROTJ has its own pacing issues, but I think those in Empire are far worse. Empire is a much weightier film thematically and artistically, but the entire middle (75% of the movie) is literally bogged down. ROTJ has that, but gets out of it pretty quick and moves right into the buildup for the (2) final battle(s).

@General:

Haha, glad you linked those LHoffman. Both writers make decent points, but Drew (one of my favorite online columnists) reinforces Jedi is the kind of movie where the sum is greater than all it’s parts. I for one enjoy the Tatooine act as it finally introduces Jabba’s lair to us (he is referenced in both preceding films) and demonstrates Luke’s new skills. It even includes a humorous reconciliation between Han and Lando.

However I do feel the shoehorning of Leia as Luke’s brother is still a compromise of compressing future storylines (like Luke going AWOL looking for his sister - it does seem like he is AWOL in the new movie) into one film that never feels right. Then again as Drew said Obi-Wan is a failure.

Ewoks are still a tough sell for me, I also just can’t believe how dumb the Imperial commanders were: their task was to defend the shield generator and they have the firepower advantage. It’s not like the Rebel commandos and Ewoks could stage a siege or frontal assault of some kind. Chasing them into the woods is exactly what the Rebels wanted!

The space battle is an amazing accomplishment of special effects, it holds up very well. I just wish the final battle of the series was fought over Coruscant or a critical core system, not another Death Star. Also I find it hard to believe the flagship of the Imperial fleet didn’t have a battle bridge set up for the specific event of the main bridge going down. Minor gripe there.

There’s no doubting the excellence of the Throne Room/Duel scenes, especially the work of Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor.

Yes. ROTJ has some of the best Star Wars moments. I love the Jabba’s palace act; it has become iconic and reinforces the dirty, used-future of Star Wars. Bounty Hunters, gangsters, slime of the earth guys, evil droids, fat crime boss, dancing women; it’s all rather edgy. It is exciting too.

The space battle over Endor is easily the best one in any of the Star Wars films. A New Hope is classic, but the Endor one is just massive and the omnipresent destruction is palpable. Not only that, but the models and digital techniques of the day make it look far more realistic than anything in Ep. I-III. It completely surpasses today’s special effects, which I find amazing.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/11/03/mark-hamill-and-john-boyega-support-terminally-ill-star-wars-fans-bid-to-see/?intcmp=hpff

If it were not so sad, I would make a joke about why they would want a huge disappointment to be one of the last things they experience in life. But I wouldn’t do that…

Don’t want to make light of a dying person’s wish but what will be the surprise?

Desert planet but NOT Tatooine.

Ice planet but NOT Hoth.

Cute spunky droid but NOT R2-D2.

Planetoid sized super-weapon but NOT a Death Star.

Black clad villain in a mask with a red lightsaber but NOT Darth Vader.

Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, Star Destroyer

Spunky force-sensitive farm boy scavenger girl long to leave hisher subsistence farming scavenging life, finds droid with secret plans to the villain’s dread Death StarStarkiller.

Refugee from Space Battle also with vital information about the villain’s Death StarStarkiller finds his way to farm scavenger camp and meets farm boyscavenger girl.

Villains destroy everything farm boyscavenger girl has ever known trying to recover the information.

Refugee and farm boy scavenger girl meet Han and Chewie and fly away from TatooineJakku in Millennium Falcon.

Exposition outlining assault on Death StarStarkiller.

Battle to destroy super-weapon.

Everyone get medals.

Roll credits.

I like that, again :)

@frimmel:

Everyone get medals.

Roll credits.

:lol:

More new stuff…

http://io9.com/holy-cow-this-international-star-wars-the-force-awake-1740954520

At this point I feel like I am only interested in following the film to confirm my well founded biases and criticisms.

And this trailer more than any of the others really annoys me with the planet/environmental settings. As Frimmel said, desert planet not Tatooine, Ice planet not Hoth, now jungle planet not Endor… its as if the writers feel they have to include all these throwback images and settings to remind people that they are watching Star Wars. It is fan service of the worst sort. And how can anyone get away with this Jakku Tatooine-ripoff? There are freaking moisture vaporators and towns that look exactly like Tatooine. Ridiculous.

I think it was Tatooine and when they heard the bad feedback they just changed the name. I hear/read “Frak You” every time I see/hear Jakku.

For every cinematic visual there some sort of bouncy framing or vibrations. And what’s with the motion blur in the Falcon rip off from Empire scene?

The Darth Revan ripoff’s lightsaber is annoying too. Looks like it has fire blades.

I can’t tell if this is going to be a standard thing they are doing for all lightsabers to give them extra ‘character’ or if it’s just for the bad guy. Either way, I think it looks cartoonish. Like a graphic novel on film.

I do have one thing I like though: Poe Dameron. He actually seems like a good character, what little they have shown. He looks the part anyway: Rebel fighter pilot.

http://www.geek.com/news/settled-new-star-wars-lightsaber-has-exhaust-not-crossguard-blades-1639618/

The article is mostly good, but the official explanation is rather poor. Exhaust? Lightsabers don’t have exhaust. And the metal guards around the crossguard cannot be to protect the bearer from heat… Lightsabers also do not emit heat.

I should say that they didn’t used to have exhaust. Since this movie is canon, I guess they do now.

Spin. Nothing more than spin. It was in no way that thought out. The hack director with genitalia for a nose did it because it was cool and left everyone else to sort out why.

@frimmel:

Spin. Nothing more than spin. It was in no way that thought out. The hack director with genitalia for a nose did it because it was cool and left everyone else to sort out why.

My thoughts exactly. I hate it when objects or vehicles are designed to look good first with little or no thought to legacy or functionality;leaving it up to others to just make up crap why it is like it is. It’s different in a not-meant -to-be-believable total fantasy, but Star Wars is not that.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10543196/star-wars-the-force-awakens-a-new-hope-nostalgia

No spoilers… but exactly as predicted.

Aaaannd one more for good measure.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/17/superfan-star-wars-force-awakens-creative

I’ve been reading more or less “Re-hash of Episode IV with some V and VI thrown in.” Basically a typical JJ movie. Moving to fast to explain anything and so that you hopefully won’t notice the chasms in the story. Grasps for unearned emotion from the audience.

Most seem to like the new girl though but who doesn’t like a slender pretty girl with a posh accent?

On the one hand I’m digging all the justification of my cynicism. On the other it is so terribly sad to be right in this case.

@frimmel:

On the one hand I’m digging all the justification of my cynicism. On the other it is so terribly sad to be right in this case.

True. It could have been a great thing for the Star Wars universe/franchise, but it is sad to think that not just this film, but what proceeds from it, could ruin Star Wars to some degree.

I wonder how long it will take for people in general to realize how hollow this film is. Someone suggested that Disney/Abrams was playing it safe on this film; trying to hit all the correct cues and avoid all of the prequel stumbles. The hypothesis (or hope) was that after this film gains warm acceptance the writers/directors/studio will have the fan’s trust and blessing to actually become creative. I can understand that thought, but I find it hard to believe that it is THE PLAN. I just doubt any studio’s ability to shy away from a formula to make money these days.

When the TIE fighter got destroyed did a guy in a parachute drop? Disney does this in their cartoons to show nobody can die