Star Wars
#376
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re: Star Wars
I think its just going to be announcing the official release date for the set come 4th qtr.
#378
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars
I have a bad feeling about this.
#379
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars
My prediction: Lucas will announce brand new HD restorations for all films, but only the 3D conversions. The 2D versions will be relegated to SD on the same discs. Star Wars in 2D is a "bonus feature," not a real movie, now that George Lucas has decided that he always wanted Star Wars in 3D all along.
I have a bad feeling about this.
I have a bad feeling about this.
#380
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re: Star Wars
#381
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I compare quality with the terms "better" or "worse". Whether one film is more "sophisticated" than the other in certain areas is only tangentially related to the actual quality of the film. As I pointed out with the storyline example, something can be more "sophisticated" without actually being better.
It's interesting you left off some pretty important factors that people use to judge a film:
As for the things you did comment on:
It's interesting you left off some pretty important factors that people use to judge a film:
- Acting - James Earl Jones is Darth Vader, despite being just a voice over. Add in the stellar performances in Empire, and the original trilogy owns over the wooden perfomances in the prequels (which I mostly blame the director for).
- Story/Pacing - Although I described the plots for the prequels as more "sophisticated", the execution of said plots is overly convoluted with uneven pacing. In contrast, the OT have simpler plots, but are well executed with breakneck pacing.
As for the things you did comment on:
- visual effects - overdone in the prequels. Lucas likes to fill the frame with stuff, which makes it busy and unfocused. The opening starship dogfight in Ep III left me bored, while the Death Star trench battle in Star Wars is tension-packed. The pod race in ep 1 looks like a video game (which it soon was).
- dialog - Empire trumps all others in terms of dialogue, which means OT wins by default. Even then, I think the prequels had more cringe-inducing dialogue in each film than the other two originals combined.
- stunts - Does it count as a "stunt" if it's on a green-screen with wires? The stunts were probably more "dynamic" in the prequels, but I'm not sure if they were as realistic or as interesting.
- production design - gritty and real in the OT, shiny and fake looking in the prequels.
- costuming - I think you're forgetting that in the OT, the aliens and droids count as costuming, versus the CGI creations of the prequels. Plus, the OT has so many iconic outfits, like Leia's "headphone" hairdo, and the aforementioned bikini. I can't even remember any of Amidala's outfits. Also, don't forget Darth Vader's costume, which originated in the OT and beats out any of the other Darth's costumes in the OT.
- cinematography - I don't think being "more dynamic" equates to "better." The shot of Luke staring out at two suns on Tatooine is completely static, yet stays burned in your brain.
- music - As pointed out, the prequels recycled a lot of themes. However, the original sequels did the same, yet added new themes that are instantly recognizable, like the Imperial March and Love Theme in Empire. Aside from Dual of the Fates, which is excellent, I can't think of any other recognizable themes originating from the prequels.
I agree with you on every single point.
#382
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re: Star Wars
from what I understand, any sequels would be years after Luke and Leia and wouldn't include the original cast.
#383
Banned by request
re: Star Wars
#384
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Well, considering that Lucas has publicly changed his mind about what any sequels would consist of and whether or not they will ever come to be more times than grains of sand that irritate Anakin's jockey shorts, I will be sure to put some appropriate perspective on what you "understand".
#385
Banned
re: Star Wars
As do I. And it's more than an opinion; it's the truth.
That might be the only thing that would sway me to 3-D in the home....but I doubt it. I'm likely to be disinterested in 3-D until they can do it sans the glasses.Oh, and it has to be established as the new standard of television, too. That's going to take quite some time, I'm sure....if it ever happens.
But I did see a news report today that said that 3-D sales are down, enough to warrant...a news report.
But I did see a news report today that said that 3-D sales are down, enough to warrant...a news report.
![Shrug](/images/smilies/shrug.gif)
#387
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
re: Star Wars
Says the guy who is actively hoping that a 90 minute rant ruins the prequels for the fans content to like 'em. Did George Lucas steal your girlfriend at some point?
#388
re: Star Wars
The only points in the bullet point post above I disagree with is the one about the battles. I think the podrace is fun, the sonic-bomb sequence in Episode II is kinda neat and the space battle that opens Episode III is legitimately thrilling.
#389
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re: Star Wars
Ultimately I'm all for a "Close Encounters" or "Blade Runner"-style archival presentation in which the viewer is allowed to chose their preferred version but what you and I want are insignificant drops in the bucket compared to what Lucas wants. The sense of entitlement among OT nerds is pretty arrogant in that respect, and you can't really make the case that Lucas is the one being stubborn and hurting the franchise because none of the bitching and moaning has had any real impact on sales or popularity. For every vocal OT purist online there are ten people who don't give a crap who are more than willing to fork over the dough for the altered versions... and then there are the "I'll buy it but I don't have to be happy about it!" people, a portion of the OT purists that I think is a lot bigger than anyone knows.
Last edited by Guru Askew; 01-05-11 at 06:46 PM.
#396
DVD Talk Legend
#400
DVD Talk Legend