Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

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CinematicFusion

Well-Known Member
It is a fascinating article. I have read it several times before and I'm re-reading it again now. Essential reading for any true Star Wars fan.

Great Read,
Few things I picked up.
First Lucas is very good at creating story ideas...he isn't very good at putting them on paper. It's like a student who waits to the last minute to study.
He should have fleshed out the ideas of episodes 1-3 and storyboarded them all together to find the moments that worked, didn't work. It's what Walt Disney started, Pixar and all animation companies do.
There was an amazing story in the prequels but Lucas kept backing himself into a corner with each movie. He wasn't prepared, he had the great ideas in his mind, had visualized them...but hadn't taken the time and put them all together when he still had a chance.
I loved this scene, "As Anakin waits in the chamber, Palpatine's telepathic thoughts echo to him stating that if the Jedi kill him, Padme will die. Anakin rises and he and Padme tearfully gaze at each other from across the city--Anakin knows he must prevent Palpatine from being killed if he is to save her. He runs to a speeder and arrives just as it seems Mace has beaten the Dark Lord."
Great emotion, Anakin gazing across the city and accepting the call. It's the first step in the hero's journey and relates back to Luke gazing at the twin suns and wanting to accepted the call for adventure.

But Lucas didn't take enough time with the turn scene and it just isn't believable and ultimately very disappointing. No Way Anakin goes off to kill children so soon after accepting Palpatine. I believe the dark side is like a drug (once you get a taste of the power...it's hard to quit), as Lucas describes it...but Lucas didn't give enough time for the audience to buy into that. I could go on and on but...

It's why I believe in this new Star Wars trilogy. Lucas has given over his story notes, ideas and basic outline of the story. Something he has always been good at. Before he sold to Disney they were working on the overall outline and story structure. Something they didn't do in the prequels. Lucas just had a basic rough concept and rolled with it from picture to picture and it caused all sorts of continuity problems.
With Lucas handing over his ideas to guys like Michael Arndt and Lawerence Kasdan and creating an overall 3 story script before they start filming. With one of the best producers in Hollywood overseeing the production in Kathleen Kennedy, a director in JJ Abrams that might be hitting his peak at just the right time, and Disney throwing 200 million at the project not to mention the team at ILM creating the magic...I think fans are in for one amazing trilogy.

This is an A-team that has been put together...if they can't make this work...well, It really is that hard to make a good movie.
I think fans are going to be blown away.
 
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FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
That's one of the things the novelization did better. Padme had some tracheal damage that the robots didn't quite detect on their first scans. They weren't able to assemble a better medical team on time as most of the aliens (descended from some sort of space dolphins) at that asteroid base were archaeologists rather then medics.
 

magicallactose

Well-Known Member
I think a ride that combines dark ride and coaster like Uni's Mummy would be a good course for Star Wars

Well from what we've been hearing, the upcoming Gringotts ride is going to be exactly that: a dark ride elaborately themed with huge sets and also animatronics using a coaster track.
I'd think WDI should do something as different from that as possible. I have a sense that the comparison wouldn't be flattering for Disney.
 

lebeau

Well-Known Member
Great Read,
Few things I picked up.
First Lucas is very good at creating story ideas...he isn't very good at putting them on paper. It's like a student who waits to the last minute to study.
He should have fleshed out the ideas of episodes 1-3 and storyboarded them all together to find the moments that worked, didn't work. It's what Walt Disney started, Pixar and all animation companies do.
There was an amazing story in the prequels but Lucas kept backing himself into a corner with each movie. He wasn't prepared, he had the great ideas in his mind, had visualized them...but hadn't taken the time and put them all together when he still had a chance.
I loved this scene, "As Anakin waits in the chamber, Palpatine's telepathic thoughts echo to him stating that if the Jedi kill him, Padme will die. Anakin rises and he and Padme tearfully gaze at each other from across the city--Anakin knows he must prevent Palpatine from being killed if he is to save her. He runs to a speeder and arrives just as it seems Mace has beaten the Dark Lord."
Great emotion, Anakin gazing across the city and accepting the call. It's the first step in the hero's journey and relates back to Luke gazing at the twin suns and wanting to accepted the call for adventure.

But Lucas didn't take enough time with the turn scene and it just isn't believable and ultimately very disappointing. No Way Anakin goes off to kill children so soon after accepting Palpatine. I believe the dark side is like a drug (once you get a taste of the power...it's hard to quit), as Lucas describes it...but Lucas didn't give enough time for the audience to buy into that. I could go on and on but...

It's why I believe in this new Star Wars trilogy. Lucas has given over his story notes, ideas and basic outline of the story. Something he has always been good at. Before he sold to Disney they were working on the overall outline and story structure. Something they didn't do in the prequels. Lucas just had a basic rough concept and rolled with it from picture to picture and it caused all sorts of continuity problems.
With Lucas handing over his ideas to guys like Michael Arndt and Lawerence Kasdan and creating an overall 3 story script before they start filming. With one of the best producers in Hollywood overseeing the production in Kathleen Kennedy, a director in JJ Abrams that might be hitting his peak at just the right time, and Disney throwing 200 million at the project not to mention the team at ILM creating the magic...I think fans are in for one amazing trilogy.

This is an A-team that has been put together...if they can't make this work...well, It really is that hard to make a good movie.
I think fans are going to be blown away.

Great points.

There are some other great articles on the Secret History of Star Wars that paint a very detailed picture of Lucas' strengths and weaknesses. He's an idea man. But by his own admission, he's a lousy writer. When he collaborates, the results can be very good. But when he is the final word, you get the prequels. Empire was practically filmed behind his back which is part of why it worked out so well.

Lucas is also a procrastinator. He kept putting off working out the story details with each movie. With no one there to make him figure out details in advance, he ended up just winging it and calling it "visual jazz" whatever that means. The end result is that he spent two movies setting up subplots he never paid off.

If you're a Star Wars nut, you owe it to yourself to spend some time reading these well-researched articles.
 

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
They talk about the trench run. Or the Hoth Battle. Or the battle of the second Death Star.
They should use the Gatekeeper at Cedar Point as the basis for an indoor ride with a lift for each story segment. This would be an entire new class of coaster. Truly an F-ticket ride.
 

CinematicFusion

Well-Known Member
Great points.

There are some other great articles on the Secret History of Star Wars that paint a very detailed picture of Lucas' strengths and weaknesses. He's an idea man. But by his own admission, he's a lousy writer. When he collaborates, the results can be very good. But when he is the final word, you get the prequels. Empire was practically filmed behind his back which is part of why it worked out so well.

Lucas is also a procrastinator. He kept putting off working out the story details with each movie. With no one there to make him figure out details in advance, he ended up just winging it and calling it "visual jazz" whatever that means. The end result is that he spent two movies setting up subplots he never paid off.

If you're a Star Wars nut, you owe it to yourself to spend some time reading these well-researched articles.
Thanks, I'll take a look. Should be fun reading in the morning with my coffee.
 

Cody5242

Well-Known Member
vader.jpg
My order would be:
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Revenge if the Sith
3. Return of the Jedi
4. A New Hope
5. Phantom of Menace
6. Attack of the Clones
 

Turtle

Well-Known Member
My Star Wars List:
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Return of the Jedi
3. A New Hope
3. Revenge of the Sith
6. Attack of the Clones
6. The Phantom Menace
 

Beholder

Well-Known Member
Revenge of the Sith is at least watchable and somewhat enjoyable unlike Phantom and Clones, but if you still think that its legitimately good and made the prequels worth it, I highly recommend watching the Red Letter Media/Plinkett review of it, as well as for Episode I and II:



(wow this thread has really gotten off topic)


WDW1974, you're our only hope!
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Revenge of the Sith is at least watchable and somewhat enjoyable unlike Phantom and Clones, but if you still think that its legitimately good and made the prequels worth it, I highly recommend watching the Red Letter Media/Plinkett review of it, as well as for Episode I and II:


(wow this thread has really gotten off topic)
Off topic? No, it's just that Star Wars is infinitely more exciting to talk about than anything Universal. Which means UNI loses by default. Which is very much an on-topic answer to the subject of this thread. :D

jaba_2.gif



Edit: and the only correct order is VI V IV III II I
 
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