Topic: Star Wars Fanhouse, Chewie, we're home!

[TrueNerd]

There were always going to be more Star Wars movies. They made too much money and are too eternally popular. I just thought they wouldn't happen while Lucas was still alive. This is a more graceful transition though.

Based on how Disney has let Pixar and Marvel run after Disney acquired those studios, it's logical to assume Disney will let LucasFilm run pretty independently. This means that Kathleen Kennedy is now the keeper of the Star Wars franchise. You should look her up on IMDb, she's produced a great deal of good stuff including a ton of Spielberg movies. At this point I trust her a lot more than I trust George. Obviously who they put in the director's chair will have the largest bearing on whether or not this new trilogy will be any good. Who knows what they'll do there. Btw Kathleen, I hear Brad Bird is also a Disney employee. Just sayin. 

And MOST IMPORTANTLY I think this bodes very well for the original, unbastardized versions of the Original Trilogy finally getting a proper restoration and bluray release. Lucas is no longer in charge to continue his perversion of film history and I'm sure Disney will want a new home video release to make good on their $4B investment and build some goodwill with fans. So, for now, I think only good things can come from this news!

[Plugabugz]

The same year Disney makes John Carter, they buy the studio that makes Star Wars.

Total faith.

Before anybody brings up Marvel, the work to unify their properties into a universe was started long before Disney bought them

I have never watched any of the Star Wars - it's still a franchise that reached the peak of popularity about 40 years before technology allowed it to actually flourish on screen. Exactly how F-Zero X looks incredibly dated when you think about how it could look on Wii U.

[toddra]

The same year Disney makes John Carter, they buy the studio that makes Star Wars.

Total faith.

Before anybody brings up Marvel, the work to unify their properties into a universe was started long before Disney bought them

I have never watched any of the Star Wars - it's still a franchise that reached the peak of popularity about 40 years before technology allowed it to actually flourish on screen. Exactly how F-Zero X looks incredibly dated when you think about how it could look on Wii U.

If you have never seen Star Wars, then you can't make those kind of assumptions, they basically invented all the technology everyone else is using today to make sure those films looked damn good. What's ironic is Lucas was the guy who invented Pixar.

[Stratos]

They sure better follow the Extended Universe material. I still read those books and they are about to pass the reigns of the series to Luke, Leia and Han's kids. There is also a comic book series that takes place 125 years after Return of the Jedi and they have stated that they are going to start tying those two stories together.

So make the movies new stories that fit in or steal from the EU material. I always thought Zahn's trilogy would make a great film series.

No word on that live action TV series? I've pretty much assumed that was stalled to the point of death.

[Plugabugz]

The same year Disney makes John Carter, they buy the studio that makes Star Wars.

Total faith.

Before anybody brings up Marvel, the work to unify their properties into a universe was started long before Disney bought them

I have never watched any of the Star Wars - it's still a franchise that reached the peak of popularity about 40 years before technology allowed it to actually flourish on screen. Exactly how F-Zero X looks incredibly dated when you think about how it could look on Wii U.

If you have never seen Star Wars, then you can't make those kind of assumptions, they basically invented all the technology everyone else is using today to make sure those films looked damn good. What's ironic is Lucas was the guy who invented Pixar.

Inventing the technology is not the same as the technology being at a state that can richly create the universe the script material is trying to create.

Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who are the three that are basically responsible for modern sci-fi.

[gbuell]

So make the movies new stories that fit in or steal from the EU material. I always thought Zahn's trilogy would make a great film series.

That's great and all, but who's going to play Luke, Leia, Han etc.? Certainly not the original actors, and recasting new actors in those roles would be equally insane IMO.

[gbuell]

I have never watched any of the Star Wars - it's still a franchise that reached the peak of popularity about 40 years before technology allowed it to actually flourish on screen.

This is nonsense.

[Adrock]

I'd be surprised if the new movie isn't an original story despite how popular the Zahn books are to fans. Focusing on a new generation of Skywalkers seems like the natural progression if they're calling it Episode VII. Even if they don't follow any specific story from the expanded universe, I hope nothing gets retconned though I believe Lucas is on record as saying the movies take precendence and the Expanded Universe is separate so maybe there are no issues with rofl-stomping the Expanded Universe. He's not in charge anymore so perhaps that has changed.

As far as the movies go, collectively the original and prequel trilogies tell a complete story with a fitting conclusion. Return of the Jedi doesn't lead into an Episode VII as naturally as Revenge of the Sith leads into A New Hope. Additional stories can always be told and with the Expanded Universe, they have. As a movie franchise, I'd rather see Disney and Lucasfilm "start over" like Knights of the Old Republic did so they don't have to adhere so closely to the movies that Lucas made.

That's great and all, but who's going to play Luke, Leia, Han etc.? Certainly not the original actors, and recasting new actors in those roles would be equally insane IMO.

Tron: Legacy had a CG young Jeff Bridges. Like I said above, I'd rather see a new movie set in a completely different era as Lucas' films. If they insist on picking up after Return of the Jedi with Luke, Leia, and Han, I'd imagine CG is the way they'd go with it. Not saying I advocate it, but that's the likeliest scenario rather than recasting.

[Plugabugz]

I have never watched any of the Star Wars - it's still a franchise that reached the peak of popularity about 40 years before technology allowed it to actually flourish on screen.

This is nonsense.

All other aspects remaining the same, just update the visuals, audio and set design to modern standards and it would be a better film for it. It doesn't make the film (how it is) bad in any way, just simply what was available then limited the experience hence my 40 years comment.

[gbuell]

Updating the visuals to modern standards (aka CGI) would not make the original films better, in fact it would probably make them considerably worse. There's a reason people hate the updates Lucas has been adding to the original films over the last 15 years.

[UncleBob]

The main reason is that people are whiny brats that can't stand change...

That's not to say I agree with every single change made, but some of what folks complain about is plum ridiculous.  Oh noes, the Ewoks are blinking!!!

[Fatty The Hutt]

I have never watched any of the Star Wars

Sorry fella, right there invalidates any observations you have on the films. Let's chat again when you have had a chance to view them.
I like you F-Zero comment!
 
Also, plenty of old movies are really great, regrdless of the technical limitations of their times. (Trite observation, to be sure). In fact, they often are a reflection of their times, which adds to my enjoyment of them. I don't need or want an update Casablanca.

[gbuell]

The main reason is that people are whiny brats that can't stand change...

That's not to say I agree with every single change made, but some of what folks complain about is plum ridiculous.  Oh noes, the Ewoks are blinking!!!

Some of it's ridiculous, some of it isn't. I've defended some of the changes myself - I think it actually made sense to swap in ghost Hayden Christensen at the end of Return of the Jedi - but overall, I think the idea that modern CGI effects are objectively better than what they did in the original films is fallacious. I think creativity and good taste are often borne of limitation, and removing the limitations on what you can do visually has led to a lot of unfocused visual clutter in the prequels and in the special editions, as well as lots of other CGI-heavy modern films.

[UncleBob]

I don't disagree - and I still think to this day that the use of puppetry and props combined with appropriate use of CGI made the effects of Terminator 2 something that hasn't really been topped to this day.

I think a movie (Star Wars or otherwise) created with the appropriate blend of new-age CGI and old school prop effects has the potential to be something spectacular.  Unfortunately, when you can just CGI special effects for pennies on the dollar of what props can cost, no studio is willing to make the investments needed to make the special effects spiritual successor to T2.

[Plugabugz]

I don't disagree - and I still think to this day that the use of puppetry and props combined with appropriate use of CGI made the effects of Terminator 2 something that hasn't really been topped to this day.

This best serves my point. T2 couldn't really have been done 20 years earlier. Apparently, John Carter took 100 years to reach the screen because of the perceived expense in the Barsoom novels and the universe it creates.

DS9 went off air 13 years ago. I'm watching it through again for the fourth time and still think the latter 16:9 years look fantastic. And a lot of it is a blend of models and CGI. If it was made in 2012 all i would change is cameras for better quality. Little else. Some films i'm perfectly OK with in their "aged" state, Star Wars is not one of them. Each time i've tried to watch i tend to get distracted by something on screen that jars me out of it. Something about a big budget script that didn't - simply owing to the time - didn't have the resources to follow through to the screen.

I realise what i'm asking for isn't exactly reasonable or even possible (we aint getting a young Harrison Ford again!). But that's all i would want.

[Ceric]

I don't disagree - and I still think to this day that the use of puppetry and props combined with appropriate use of CGI made the effects of Terminator 2 something that hasn't really been topped to this day.

This best serves my point. T2 couldn't really have been done 20 years earlier. Apparently, John Carter took 100 years to reach the screen because of the perceived expense in the Barsoom novels and the universe it creates.

DS9 went off air 13 years ago. I'm watching it through again for the fourth time and still think the latter 16:9 years look fantastic. And a lot of it is a blend of models and CGI. If it was made in 2012 all i would change is cameras for better quality. Little else. Some films i'm perfectly OK with in their "aged" state, Star Wars is not one of them. Each time i've tried to watch i tend to get distracted by something on screen that jars me out of it. Something about a big budget script that didn't - simply owing to the time - didn't have the resources to follow through to the screen.

I realise what i'm asking for isn't exactly reasonable or even possible (we aint getting a young Harrison Ford again!). But that's all i would want.

Actually talk about DS9 on NFR.  I still say for my money Voyager is just better looking from start to finish.  Though DS9 has some really nice set pieces with the Station.  I strongly think a good portion of that in the first half is because of the Camera's used weren't that good if for that time.

[Stratos]

Why are people so hung up on having the original actors (or CGI to look like them)? Just cast new actors. Other movies do this.

Or just focus on other parts of the story. The entire X-Wing series is fairly separate from the core crew.

I'm fine with making it farther in the future but I would fear viewers who did not keep up with the books would be thoroughly lost.

[TJ Spyke]

Who cares about the Extended Universe? The movies are canon, the EU has to fit itself around them. If the movies say somethings that contradicts the EU, then the EU version is rendered moot. I do not want the next movie (which Lucas has said for years he wants to do) to have to try and fit into the EU. The writers just need to make sure it fits into the six live action movies. **** the EU. They are just meant to fit around the actual canon stuff. Even dating back 30 years ago, the 2nd-6th movies would contradict the EU and render them moot. It is on record that the movies are canon and the EU only counts when they don't contradict the movies (and when they do, the movie is considered correct and the EU is wrong). So if the new trilogy has stuff that goes against the EU, then the EU stuff will be considered wrong.

TrueNerd, the original versions are bad. The CG enhancements make them better.

Plug, it's not true that the Star Wars was most popular 40 years ago (especially since it is only 35 years old). The franchise was more popular in the last 10 years.

[toddra]

I don't disagree - and I still think to this day that the use of puppetry and props combined with appropriate use of CGI made the effects of Terminator 2 something that hasn't really been topped to this day.

This best serves my point. T2 couldn't really have been done 20 years earlier. Apparently, John Carter took 100 years to reach the screen because of the perceived expense in the Barsoom novels and the universe it creates.

DS9 went off air 13 years ago. I'm watching it through again for the fourth time and still think the latter 16:9 years look fantastic. And a lot of it is a blend of models and CGI. If it was made in 2012 all i would change is cameras for better quality. Little else. Some films i'm perfectly OK with in their "aged" state, Star Wars is not one of them. Each time i've tried to watch i tend to get distracted by something on screen that jars me out of it. Something about a big budget script that didn't - simply owing to the time - didn't have the resources to follow through to the screen.

I realise what i'm asking for isn't exactly reasonable or even possible (we aint getting a young Harrison Ford again!). But that's all i would want.

ONLY can you say that about the first one even die hard fans think it looks dated, but NOT Empire or Jedi, there might be tiny little things but they are  not where near as bad as you are making them out to be. And it has nothing to do with inventing the technology it has everything to do with being able to pull it off despite the limits. Seriously do you think Alien looks dated or Aliens? Sure they don't look as shiny as modern movies but they in no way look jarring or Wizard of Oz bad.

[TJ Spyke]

Empire and Jedi do look dated, especially when you watch the original un-touched versions.

[toddra]

dated maybe, but not fake.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't understand the hatred for the special editions of the original trilogy. For the most part, the changes improved the films. The whole "Han shot first" thing is a legitimate gripe, because it changes his character and lessens the transformation he went through, and I could do without the CGI dance sequence in Jabba's palace in RotJ, but for the most part I thought the cleaned up effects were a good thing. I'd like to see a cut of them more like what we saw with the remastered Star Trek episodes, with the footage cleaned up and some of the effects updated, but without any other changes.

[toddra]

The whole "Han shot first" thing is a legitimate gripe, because it changes his character and lessens the transformation he went through,

I disagree with this sentiment entirely, as it makes no sense. How does it change his character? Greedo already has the gun pulled on him, even if Greedo never fired a shot it was STILL self defense. Even taking it a step further, he shoots a guy in a bar and walks away coldly like a guy who just finished his dinner and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Either way the Han Shot first thing is blown way out of proportion. I agree other changes were unnecessary but that one changes nothing. I would like to see the originals released, but that is because I am a collector, not because I think he bastardized his baby, or raped my childhood or whatever other complaint can be made.

The only changes I really can't stand are the new Jedi dance scene, and the altered dialog between Emperor and Vader in Empire, everything else is fine by me.

[TJ Spyke]

If Han shoots first, he is a murderer. If he Greedo shoots first, he is just acting in self defense. It totally changes who he is. With the former, it further illustrates how much he changes over the course of the movie an trilogy since he redeems himself.

[NWR_insanolord]

For once, TJ and I are on the same page. Han was originally a much darker character, which made him even more likable as he was swayed to the noble cause of the Rebellion.