A bit extreme, Caine. A bit extreme.
thx3876 wrote:The only difference between the new Star Wars movies and the old ones is the age at which you first viewed them (and the special FX, of course). The dialouge in the original Star Wars films was every bit as cheesy. Time has merely given a golden sheen on the classics.
Yes and no. After being disappointed by I and II, I did go back and rewatch the originals with a more objective viewpoint than usual. Yes, a lot of the dialogue was cheesy. Yes, there was some silly/unnecessary stuff. But I do think that the limitations the special FX of the day posed upon Lucas kept the original films somewhat more focused. The visuals that were there were important, but just as much of the films were carried by the characterization and plot.
I feel considerably more emotionally invested in IV~VI than I do with I and II when I watch them. I and II seem to go out of their way to dazzle our eyes and, at the same time, make me groan with a deluge of pointless visual gags and attempts at "humor". C3PO, while an amusing but loveable annoyance in IV~VI, falls to the abysmal levels of Disney-esque "comic relief" in II. It might have gotten some chuckles out of little kids and fans of hackneyed puns, but all I could ask myself is, "So when does it end!?"
Speaking of C3PO... I personally think Lucas also goes out of his way to make references to IV~VI, all at the expense of the prequels' integrity. Sure, it's nice to see some of our "old friends" again, but do they really need to be there? And doesn't a lot of the information in IV~VI pretty much indicate that they SHOULDN'T be?
Plus I'm boggled by the combination of exquisite design work... and lamentable flops. The Trade Federation aliens and Boss Nass never cease to make me cringe. At the same time, a lot of great design work is put to complete waste -- I like the way Jar-Jar looks, but that's about the only nice thing I can say about him.
They are far superior in context of storytelling, theme, & filmmaking in general.
I'd need to hear some compelling arguments before I would let myself believe that, though feel free to try. This "Live-Action Evangelion" thread is more or less a free-for-all, anyway.
Originally posted on: 09-Jan-2004, 23:18 GMT