Star Wars TV-series Confirmed

[Wedge]

Ananova (http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_1763134.html?menu=) has the scoop.

The Force is getting a whole new lease of life in the shape of a brand new TV series.

Star Wars creator George Lucas has agreed to make 100 episodes, covering the years between prequel Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith and the first 1977 Star Wars movie.

Series producer Rick McCullum told the Daily Mirror: "We're very excited - we just got confirmation George Lucas has committed himself to writing the Star Wars TV series.
Well, Lucas is going to write it, so it might be just more of Star Wars that I have to pretend doesn't exist.

[Heretic Machine]

George Lucas confirmed this a LONG time ago...

[Citizen Philip]

Dear George,

GIVE. IT. UP.

Your last three movies should have been the CLUE. If want to drag down all your remaining fans in some multi-billion dollar mid-life crisis, please get another convertible and maybe 2-3 more mistressess instead, you'd get more respect.

This is just shameful.

Put the pen down and step away from the script.

[gzsfrk]

Actually, I have hopes that this might turn out to be pretty good. There's currently a bit of a void in the episodic SciFi genre on TV. It will all depend on the writers (I'm quite certain Lucas won't be the sole writer for the series--more of a creative director type) and the production values. Star Trek: TNG was able to do some great things with a comparatively limited budget and excellent writing. The SW universe certainly has similiar opportunities.

Of course, what I would really be concerned about is whether or not there's still enough of an audience to support episodic SciFi. I mean, Enterprise just couldn't pull the audience needed to justify the production costs, and that certainly wasn't a bad show. Maybe it's just the ebb and flow of public tastes.

Of course, the public at large may likewise be burned out on the Star Wars universe to some extent, after all the hype and hoopla that came with the prequels being spaced out over 7 years.

[Furtive]

While I have to agree the 3 prequels were obviously not up to par, I wouldn't count this tv series out yet. I doubt that Lucas is writing 100 scripts. I would instead think he is providing the series with an overall story arc and I'm hoping that the additional writers will be able to flesh it out. All i really hope for is some decent actors and that they have actual dialog to work with. Oh, and say what you will about the last 3 movies but seriously how many of us went and saw them? I would guess a lot of people here were even midnight screeners.

[Roc Ingersol]

Who in the hell is dumb enough to agree to 100 episodes?

I hope the break clause isn't a big number, 'cuz they're gonna be payin it.

[Heretic Machine]

Of course, what I would really be concerned about is whether or not there's still enough of an audience to support episodic SciFi. I mean, Enterprise just couldn't pull the audience needed to justify the production costs, and that certainly wasn't a bad show. Maybe it's just the ebb and flow of public tastes.


No, it wasn't a bad show. It was a terrible show, worst in the whole franchise.

As for Star Wars... I don't get why people don't like Episodes I-III, and can still say that they enjoy IV-VI. It's the same pulp scifi crap, it's just newer and shinier. If you think that the original triliogy had some grand story or acting then you're kidding yourself. People went into Episode I wanting it to suck, even the people who waited in line for days before it's release. It was never going to be good for them.

Those of us who enjoyed the old triliogy for what it was, and not what people imagine it to be, also enjoy the new triliogy.

[Voodoo]

Hey! I got an idea! How about a TV series following a regular group of guys and gals that join the Empire's military not knowing they are on the "evil" side. The progress of their trials and tribulations is told ala Band of Brothers style. Eventually they learn of the true nature of the Empire which could cause infighting amoung those in the story. Hell some of them could even go off to help the rebels.

Here is hoping that we get to see a side of the Star Wars universe that many people want to know about but is hardly played out. I've had it up to here (finger at top of forehead) with the damn Jedi focusing.

[Schnoogs]

Isnt this old news??

[Roc Ingersol]

As for Star Wars... I don't get why people don't like Episodes I-III, and can still say that they enjoy IV-VI. It's the same pulp scifi crap, it's just newer and shinier.
There is a difference between good pulp scifi, and comically bad pulp scifi. Just because you don't seem to like anything in the general neighborhood doesn't mean it's all the same.

[Porkfry]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/04/27

[boratika]

I mean, Enterprise just couldn't pull the audience needed to justify the production costs, and that certainly wasn't a bad show.

You forgot one of these: :rolleyes: .

[Hg-203]

As an avid fan of the Star Wars novels, I just hope that Lucas won’t destroy current continuity with this new series.

[Donut11]

As an avid fan of the Star Wars novels, I just hope that Lucas won’t destroy current continuity with this new series.

Doesn't Harlan Ellison write those books?

[Heretic Machine]

There is a difference between good pulp scifi, and comically bad pulp scifi. Just because you don't seem to like anything in the general neighborhood doesn't mean it's all the same.

Ya, go ahead and find a reason to justify this statement. You tell me why the original triliogy was so great, and the new one sucks. You aren't going to find any real reason, besides a bias that has been drilled into you by fanboys.

And yes, I enjoy Star Wars, I'm just not blind to the reality of what the original triliogy was. People are just as blind when it comes to LOTR, they say it's the best fantasy triliogy ever written. In reality, it was just the best available for it's time, it has been surpassed again and again.

Oh well, no sense trying to convert you, your mind is made up and will never change.

[Yeti2005]

Actually, I have hopes that this might turn out to be pretty good. There's currently a bit of a void in the episodic SciFi genre on TV.

What about Battlestar Galactica? That show is getting some serious attention both in DVD sales and people watching it on TV.

[Porkfry]

As an avid fan of the Star Wars novels, I just hope that Lucas won’t destroy current continuity with this new series.

Woudln't "Destroying the current continuity" require him first having continuity to destroy?

GREEDO DID NOT SHOOT FIRST!

[Heretic Machine]

Doesn't Harlan Ellison write those books?

You need to die.

EDIT: Seriously, roll over and die -.-

[Sloth]

The books aren't cannon anyway, there is no real continuity. Might as well accept the fact that they are paralell universes.

As for the series, I liked all the movies and I'm a big star wars fan and i'll probably like the series. Assuming it is a space series that doesn't revolve around one ship and its crew.

[Vjornaxx]

I'm not going to get into anything about the story, but one of the big differences I saw between the new ones and the old one is how well integrated the effects are. The newer ones are done mainly in green screen and you can tell. The CG looks like CG. In the originals, they built the Millennium Falcon and the various fighters and so when the actors are walking around on them, it looks like they are walking around on them. In my opinion, because of the approach to effects, the originals had a more gritty, lived in feel.

[OldBrownShoe]

As for Star Wars... I don't get why people don't like Episodes I-III, and can still say that they enjoy IV-VI. It's the same pulp scifi crap, it's just newer and shinier. If you think that the original triliogy had some grand story or acting then you're kidding yourself.

The differences between I-III and IV-VI is greater than just that. A New Hope had a guerilla film making quality to it; they were working with a shoestring budget on a project most thought was doomed to fail. Lucas had to fight uphill to make it happen, and it shows in the attention paid to it. Empire kept some of this, while Return now feels like it foreshadowed what to expect in the prequels.

By Eps I-III Lucas had oodles of money in which to make the movies of his dreams, but it turns out no one else really likes that dream. Seeing how much of a commercial success Star Wars is he made Eps I-III with that, and not art, as the goal. Or something like that.

[Zanzibar]

There's currently a bit of a void in the episodic SciFi genre on TV.
*cough*BATTLESTAR GALACTICA*cough*

[Hemalin]

You tell me why the original triliogy was so great, and the new one sucks.

Does anyone else notice that George Lucas didn't direct the two greatest Star Wars films?

[Zanzibar]

I'm not going to get into anything about the story, but one of the big differences I saw between the new ones and the old one is how well integrated the effects are. The newer ones are done mainly in green screen and you can tell. The CG looks like CG. In the originals, they built the Millennium Falcon and the various fighters and so when the actors are walking around on them, it looks like they are walking around on them. In my opinion, because of the approach to effects, the originals had a more gritty, lived in feel.

Hell, I thought that in Return of the Jedi. That shot where Lando basically walks into a green screen when he's supposed to be walking towards the Falcon...wow. That was bad news. That's why I like BSG, honestly. There's very few places where you feel like the characters are talking in front of a matte painting.

[CrashCart]

Since we're bitching about new vs. old trilogy, I'll throw my two cents in. The reason I like IV-VI more than I-III is because I like the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Give me more smugglers, catinas, and rebels. Political intrigue? Yawn.

[Schnoogs]

As an avid fan of the Star Wars novels, I just hope that Lucas won’t destroy current continuity with this new series.

Star Wars Canon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_canon)

[Vjornaxx]

Exactly, Zanzibar. In BSG, they built the Vipers and the Raptors, and so all the scenes where actors are interacting with the ships look credible. I could imagine climbing into one of those, just like I could imagine climbing into a snow speeder or an X-wing or the Falcon... I don't get that sense of volume and mass and even texture with CG.

[Schnoogs]

Does anyone else notice that George Lucas didn't direct the two greatest Star Wars films?

Return of the Jedi, although good, is not one of the best two.

[Deadend]

The Original Star Wars movies had a more intersting storyline, it was pulpy, but it was full of adventure about rag-tag group of heros.

The new ones... Well, the plot is boring. It is epic in scale, but it's about nothing, and the heros are all epic and shit.

[Heretic Machine]

The differences between I-III and IV-VI is greater than just that. A New Hope had a guerilla film making quality to it; they were working with a shoestring budget on a project most thought was doomed to fail.

There it is... you liked it because it was an underdog. Because it became popular, and the sequels were sure to succeed, it was too mainstream for you to enjoy.

[ddbrown30]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

[devicelimit]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

HAHAHAHHAAHHA

[Schnoogs]

This is CNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (http://cnnoooooooo.ytmnd.com/)!!

[Magnanimous Gnome]

Ugh, what kind of news day is this? It's nothing but strange announcements out of the twilight zone.

"Mario and Sonic to marry in civil ceremony."

That's what I expect to see up by midnight. :p

[Schnoogs]

Ugh, what kind of news day is this? It's nothing but strange announcements out of the twilight zone.

"Mario and Sonic to marry in civil ceremony."

That's what I expect to see up by midnight. :p


This is far from strange especially since this news is close to a year old...nostalgic would be a better choice!!

[Citizen Philip]

Ya, go ahead and find a reason to justify this statement. You tell me why the original triliogy was so great, and the new one sucks. You aren't going to find any real reason, besides a bias that has been drilled into you by fanboys.


I will try in as few words as possible tell you why it is bad.

Mitocondrians (or whatever). Mitochlorines. That is terrible.

A clone army of Boba Fett. That is terrible.

Anakin made C3P0. Terrible.

Whoring out the movie merchandising for E1. Which still infest stores to this day.

Handing a bartender a dart, who can look at it for 10 seconds, and tell you the penis length, bank account balance of the person who designed the machine that made it. A terrible ugly plot device.

The first three movies were suppose to be about the corruption of the "noble" Anakin and his pervsion to the dark side. Instead we get:

E1: A goddam kid.
E2: An aggrogant snotty teenager
E3: An evil 20 something.

No one cares if your movies are digital. The story is hollow, the characters two dimensional.

A New Hope wasn't a great movie. When A New Hope is combined with 5 & 6 it's okay to have a corny begining because it ends well. 1-3 is just corny, through and through.

Edit. Han shot first. we don't need any guerrila revisionism. Thanks.

[fastnoid]

The goodness of this show will be based upon how well it compares to BSG. Seriously, it is probably the best sci fi show I have seen in a long while.

[Luagsch]

Since we're bitching about new vs. old trilogy, I'll throw my two cents in. The reason I like IV-VI more than I-III is because I like the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Give me more smugglers, catinas, and rebels. Political intrigue? Yawn.
You mean something like Firefly? (Yeah, I had to...)

[Citizen Philip]

You mean something like Firefly? (Yeah, I had to...)

Firefly. I miss you.

[bKangy]

E1: A goddam kid.
E2: An aggrogant snotty teenager
E3: An evil 20 something.


I thought in E3 he was the least likeable yet. The whole Anakin thing just pissed me off throughout.

[Kamalot]

My inner child is being murdered.

[Grimgrock]

*cough*BATTLESTAR GALACTICA*cough*

Ditto.

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

[Zanzibar]

You mean something like Firefly? (Yeah, I had to...)
I got a hot friend of mine to start watching them with me. Saw 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' last night. She was laughing like a mad fool.

[GrinR]

I will try in as few words as possible tell you why it is bad.

Mitocondrians (or whatever). Mitochlorines. That is terrible.

A clone army of Boba Fett. That is terrible.

Anakin made C3P0. Terrible.

Whoring out the movie merchandising for E1. Which still infest stores to this day.

Handing a bartender a dart, who can look at it for 10 seconds, and tell you the penis length, bank account balance of the person who designed the machine that made it. A terrible ugly plot device.

The first three movies were suppose to be about the corruption of the "noble" Anakin and his pervsion to the dark side. Instead we get:

E1: A goddam kid.
E2: An aggrogant snotty teenager
E3: An evil 20 something.

No one cares if your movies are digital. The story is hollow, the characters two dimensional.

A New Hope wasn't a great movie. When A New Hope is combined with 5 & 6 it's okay to have a corny begining because it ends well. 1-3 is just corny, through and through.

Edit. Han shot first. we don't need any guerrila revisionism. Thanks.


http://images.art.com/images/-/Jar-Jar-Binks-oversized-postcard--C10227315.jpeg

[Luagsch]

I got a hot friend of mine to start watching them with me. Saw 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' last night. She was laughing like a mad fool.
so 14 episodes and 1 movie left to score;)

[Schnoogs]

I will try in as few words as possible tell you why it is bad.

Mitocondrians (or whatever). Mitochlorines. That is terrible.

A clone army of Boba Fett. That is terrible.

Anakin made C3P0. Terrible.

Whoring out the movie merchandising for E1. Which still infest stores to this day.

Handing a bartender a dart, who can look at it for 10 seconds, and tell you the penis length, bank account balance of the person who designed the machine that made it. A terrible ugly plot device.

The first three movies were suppose to be about the corruption of the "noble" Anakin and his pervsion to the dark side. Instead we get:

E1: A goddam kid.
E2: An aggrogant snotty teenager
E3: An evil 20 something.

No one cares if your movies are digital. The story is hollow, the characters two dimensional.

A New Hope wasn't a great movie. When A New Hope is combined with 5 & 6 it's okay to have a corny begining because it ends well. 1-3 is just corny, through and through.

Edit. Han shot first. we don't need any guerrila revisionism. Thanks.

You take the time to write this up and you fail to mention the only flaw that people will agree on...Jar Jar.

Your other points are debatable though.

To each their own I suppose.

[Axiom]

http://holycrap.denmark.com/jar%20jar.jpg

ROFL. That says it all.

[Heretic Machine]

Thank you GrinR, for another of your enlightening posts.

[Hg-203]

Star Wars Canon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_canon)

true enough, but some of us fans like to have some kind of continuity between the two, hence all the G,C,S Cannon categories and the N/infinity cannon

[PhilR8]

Oh well, no sense trying to convert you, your mind is made up and will never change.

Look who's talking, hoss!

[Zeal]

Man, we don't care.

[ddbrown30]

I got a hot friend of mine to start watching them with me. Saw 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' last night. She was laughing like a mad fool.

I like how you felt the need to slip in the word "hot," as if it somehow adds to the point you're trying to make.

[Schnoogs]

true enough, but some of us fans like to have some kind of continuity between the two, hence all the G,C,S Cannon categories and the N/infinity cannon

Lucas traditionally has had the attitude that if its not in the movies its not official canon.

I think he also said the TV series would be canon so there is the possibility for him going against what ever has been established in the Extended Universe (books, games, etc)

[Citizen Philip]

You take the time to write this up and you fail to mention the only flaw that people will agree on...Jar Jar.

Your other points are debatable though.

To each their own I suppose.

i thought mentioning Jar Jar was too obvious. Like adding the additional comment that not only are turds stinky, they frequently float too!

[OldBrownShoe]

There it is... you liked it because it was an underdog. Because it became popular, and the sequels were sure to succeed, it was too mainstream for you to enjoy.

It had nothing to do with it being an underdog. I wasn't even born until after ROTJ was out and Star Wars was definetly not an underdog when I finally saw it in the early 90's. Lucas had a different mentality in the 70's when he made Star War and it shows. Just compare his movies from the 70's (Star Wars/American Grafitti/THX 1183) with the ones he did in the 80's (ROTJ/Willow/Temple of Doom). Add another 10 years and you have a very different GL directing Eps I-III, and I'm not talking about the number of chins.

[Schnoogs]

i thought mentioning Jar Jar was too obvious. Like adding the additional comment that not only are turds stinky, they frequently float too!

Mentioning Jar Jar is like telling a George Bush joke...it's just too easy! ;)

[Heretic Machine]

t had nothing to do with it being an underdog. I wasn't even born until after ROTJ was out and Star Wars was definetly not an underdog when I finally saw it in the early 90's. Lucas had a different mentality in the 70's when he made Star War and it shows. Just compare his movies from the 70's (Star Wars/American Grafitti/THX 1183) with the ones he did in the 80's (ROTJ/Willow/Temple of Doom). Add another 10 years and you have a very different GL directing Eps I-III, and I'm not talking about the number of chins.

Excuse me, did you just bad mouth Indiana Jones and Willow...?

[Schnoogs]

It had nothing to do with it being an underdog. I wasn't even born until after ROTJ was out and Star Wars was definetly not an underdog when I finally saw it in the early 90's. Lucas had a different mentality in the 70's when he made Star War and it shows. Just compare his movies from the 70's (Star Wars/American Grafitti/THX 1183) with the ones he did in the 80's (ROTJ/Willow/Temple of Doom). Add another 10 years and you have a very different GL directing Eps I-III, and I'm not talking about the number of chins.

I think you're overstating his contribution to Willow and Temple of Doom. Those were directed by Ron Howard and Stephen Spielberg respectively so whatever strengths or faults they may have had were influenced by the directors as well as the script writer.

People have debated this to no end at the theforce.net. I'm having deja vu big time.

[xoanon]

Excuse me, did you just bad mouth Indiana Jones and Willow...?

Come on, man. Temple of Doom? It's not awful, but it's clearly the weakest of the three.

[OldBrownShoe]

Ignoring Temple and Willow (done and done), comparing his 70's movies with his 90s/00s movies is plenty proof. I only have one demand of a movie: entertain me. Eps I-III didn't (other than the Darth Maul fight and Yoda fight) while Eps IV-VI did. I may analyze the specifics of why it didn't entertain me later, but the bottom line is I have to actually be able to get through the movie first.

[GrinR]

Thank you GrinR, for another of your enlightening posts.

I have promised to be a kinder and gentler GrinR.

[Heretic Machine]

Come on, man. Temple of Doom? It's not awful, but it's clearly the weakest of the three.

Agreed... but still.

[GrinR]

Excuse me, did you just bad mouth Indiana Jones and Willow...?

No, he was illustrating that GL's creativity had changed from the previous decade and springboarding from there to the current movies GL's made.

[Wedge]

Isnt this old news??

Well, sort of. There was talk about a series, but I have not seen it confirmed as an actual 100 episode mammoth written by Lucas (and that other stuff). Which is why I posted it as news.

As for the old star wars vs the new, I think most of the problem is that Lucas is a quite shitty director (Faster and more intense!). If he had given the reins to someone else I truly believe the new movies would have been alot better.

I just bought the indiana jones box set, and man those movies are still great fun. They spring from Lucas' mind, but are harnessed and crafted into great movies by Spielberg. When they say this series is written by Lucas I truly hope that means he writes the general grand storyline and leaves it up to other people to fill in the blanks.

[easi]

I really don't know what to make of this. It's incredibly old news though, btw.

I always wondered how Star Wars would work, if at all, inside the confines of a cheap-looking SF tv-show. Is the budget known?

[Heretic Machine]

Ignoring Temple and Willow (done and done), comparing his 70's movies with his 90s/00s movies is plenty proof. I only have one demand of a movie: entertain me. Eps I-III didn't (other than the Darth Maul fight and Yoda fight) while Eps IV-VI did. I may analyze the specifics of why it didn't entertain me later, but the bottom line is I have to actually be able to get through the movie first.

So... your complaint is your proof?

[OldBrownShoe]

The proof is in the pudding (the movies). But I guess it's all up to taste, so the pudding I like, say bread pudding, might not be the pudding you like, rice pudding. Pretty obvious I'm jonesin' for some pudding?

[GrinR]

I really don't know what to make of this. It's incredibly old news though, btw.

I always wondered how Star Wars would work, if at all, inside the confines of a cheap-looking SF tv-show. Is the budget known?

Frankly, Babylon 5 had the crappiest budget of all time, as did Farscape, and both of those shows managed to produce sci-fi ambrosia many, many times. I think BSG is another obvious example of budget not being as important as character and story.

"Star Wars" is merely the milieu (I had to look it up) - it is the story and characters that make (Empire Strikes Back) or break (Mee'sa Phantom Menace) the movie. The same goes for the TV show as far as I'm concerned.

Personally, I want to see Boba Fett grow up.

[GrinR]

The proof is in the pudding (the movies). But I guess it's all up to taste, so the pudding I like, say bread pudding, might not be the pudding you like, rice pudding. Pretty obvious I'm jonesin' for some pudding?

Close enough?

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/549/ththassgrab0kb.gif

[Everlost_MI]

I will try in as few words as possible tell you why it is bad.

Mitocondrians (or whatever). Mitochlorines. That is terrible.

A clone army of Boba Fett. That is terrible.

Anakin made C3P0. Terrible.

Whoring out the movie merchandising for E1. Which still infest stores to this day.

Handing a bartender a dart, who can look at it for 10 seconds, and tell you the penis length, bank account balance of the person who designed the machine that made it. A terrible ugly plot device.

The first three movies were suppose to be about the corruption of the "noble" Anakin and his pervsion to the dark side. Instead we get:

E1: A goddam kid.
E2: An aggrogant snotty teenager
E3: An evil 20 something.

No one cares if your movies are digital. The story is hollow, the characters two dimensional.

A New Hope wasn't a great movie. When A New Hope is combined with 5 & 6 it's okay to have a corny begining because it ends well. 1-3 is just corny, through and through.

Edit. Han shot first. we don't need any guerrila revisionism. Thanks.


You know, I am old and set in my ways. So I agree with all of this. But now, as others have said, I've moved on to other sci-fi with the memories of how much I enjoyed 4-6.

[laggerific]

Ya, go ahead and find a reason to justify this statement. You tell me why the original triliogy was so great, and the new one sucks. You aren't going to find any real reason, besides a bias that has been drilled into you by fanboys.

And yes, I enjoy Star Wars, I'm just not blind to the reality of what the original triliogy was. People are just as blind when it comes to LOTR, they say it's the best fantasy triliogy ever written. In reality, it was just the best available for it's time, it has been surpassed again and again.

Oh well, no sense trying to convert you, your mind is made up and will never change.

Damn straight...you'll never convince me on that topic either. I don't love the star wars universe like so many of my geek brothers, but I definitely see the difference between the old trilogy and the new one. It's just like the difference between Return of the Jedi and the rerelease of it late last century...he took a good movie, and then added a completely horrific song and dance scene. Now a few years later a new trilogy begins, but in that instance we don't even get treated to something we can fondly remember as being good...we get a 2-hour song and dance for Jabba the Hut, metaphorically speaking.

[PixelSamurai]

Dear George Lucas,
Two words: Darth Vader. Do the Vader chronicles. What more needs to be said?

[camberiu]

I will try in as few words as possible tell you why it is bad.

Mitocondrians (or whatever). Mitochlorines. That is terrible.

A clone army of Boba Fett. That is terrible.

Anakin made C3P0. Terrible.


How about a fatherless Anakin? A FLYING R2-D2? Jar-Jar? An ELECTED Queen? Combat droids that run away trying to save their lives? C3PO and a combat droid having their heads switched? The absolutelly horrible dialog? Do I need to say more?

[Wedge]

How about a fatherless Anakin? A FLYING R2-D2? Jar-Jar? An ELECTED Queen? Combat droids that run away trying to save their lives? C3PO and a combat droid having their heads switched? The absolutelly horrible dialog? Do I need to say more?

Illustrated for convenience! (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=150)

[camberiu]

As for the old star wars vs the new, I think most of the problem is that Lucas is a quite shitty director (Faster and more intense!). If he had given the reins to someone else I truly believe the new movies would have been alot better.



*cough* James Cameron *cough*

[bean19]

Firefly. I miss you.

I'd totally be salivating for the 100 Star Wars episodes if Joss Whedon was writing and directing them with the backing of Lucas Arts for special effects.

[Rifter]

We just got confirmation George Lucas has committed himself to writing the Star Wars TV series.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)

[AversionFX]

As for Star Wars... I don't get why people don't like Episodes I-III, and can still say that they enjoy IV-VI.

Episodes IV - VI didn't have Jar Jar.

[laggerific]

I'd totally be salivating for the 100 Star Wars episodes if Joss Whedon was writing and directing them with the backing of Lucas Arts for special effects.

I second that. I was going to follow this up with a quip about the other voices in my head following up with their own vote of approval, but there are a couple of things wrong with that. Schizophrenia is no laughing matter, and secondly why would their vote count, they wouldn't have any more spending capital than I do.

But seriously...how brilliant could that show be? I ponder the wonders of the Star Wars universe that could be so brilliantly forged on his anvil. I'm no Star Wars fanboy...but I am a Joss Whedon one. I'd like to see him direct an episode of Arrested Development.

[Chimpbot]

I just watched Episodes 1-6 and the Clone Wars in two sittings over Tuesday and Wednesday.
I enjoyed Episodes 2 and 3 much more the second time through, especially going through the series chronologically. Episode 1 was still painful, at parts...but I can still sit through it.

I guess I'm just one of the few that actually likes the prequel trilogy.

[Pigeon]

I'd totally be salivating for the 100 Star Wars episodes if Joss Whedon was writing and directing them with the backing of Lucas Arts for special effects.
Hell, give the eps to Ira Steven Behr or even Genndy Tartakovsky!

[Pigeon]

Episodes IV - VI didn't have Jar Jar.

Episodes IV - VI didn't have Jar Jar.... yet

[laggerific]

I just watched Episodes 1-6 and the Clone Wars in two sittings over Tuesday and Wednesday.
I enjoyed Episodes 2 and 3 much more the second time through, especially going through the series chronologically. Episode 1 was still painful, at parts...but I can still sit through it.

I guess I'm just one of the few that actually likes the prequel trilogy.


I'll admit that episode II and III progressed better than Episode I, but I cannot sit through episode I...I could barely sit through it when I saw it in the theatres...I was shocked when my roommate clapped at the end...I was relieved many years later when he gave in and admitted episode I was sorely dissappointing.

[aversion2k]

I'm going to get a beating for this but...

I enjoyed episode 3 the most.
Its hard to expalin.. I can see that the old movies are smarter, I can see all the flaws and retarded ideas in the new 3, but despite that I enjoyed episode 3 the most.
And I'm usually very picky when it comes to movies.

Of course I never really liked starwars that much...
*Curls up in a defensive position*

[Rifter]

Episodes IV - VI didn't have Jar Jar.
And Han shoots first. It wouldn't be the first time that Lucas would re-write history.

[vivafletcher]

Since we're bitching about new vs. old trilogy, I'll throw my two cents in. The reason I like IV-VI more than I-III is because I like the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Give me more smugglers, catinas, and rebels. Political intrigue? Yawn.

For me it's a lot simpler than that. The reason IV-VI was more entertaining was that I was seven-years-old when "Star Wars" came out. When "Empire" was released I thought that the dialogue of

"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee"

"I can arrange that."

was the coolest in movie history. When you're 10 or 11, that's about as good as it gets.

So yeah-- as an adult, simple plots and silly dialogue bother me, or at least take away from the experience. But I'll bet younger kids would have loved the new trilogy if their annoying parents didn't ruin it for them by telling them how they "aren't as good as the original ones." It's hard to please nine-year-old kids AND thirty-five year olds nerds at the same time.

Then the kids watch the late 70s special effects and rubber masks of "Star Wars." and think their parents are weird.

And they're right.

[Novacaine]

If Lucas has any real input on this show it will suck. The only thing I like about I, II, and III was the footage of Lucas showing Steven Spielberg a model of a droid. Lucas goes on about isn't it cool, blah blah. You can see the pity in Spielberg's eyes. He looks at Lucas as if he knows that Lucas doesn't care about the story or characaters and that his movies are going to suck ass. But he replies like a father to a small child, "Yes George, that's a very nice droid."

Lucas sucks balls and so will his retarded TV show. Maybe he will get his daughter and son to star in it?

[dr_wily]

im in book 2 of the zahn trilogy (heir to the empire, dark force rising..) since i found them for a quarter at a garage sale and i must say im pretty impressed. Definitely higher and more thoughtful than most trite serial garbage. I'd suggest people still hangin onto the SW universe give them a shot. Lots of Han and Lando too, wheelin and dealin.

and, btw, the clone wars cartoon was the best of the prequels.. go genndy

man i just wish theyd pop in another good solid 15 min into ep 3 to flesh out some extra characters and just fill in the plot. It still irks me that NO one knows why Grevious coughs. Not 1 line referencing the clone wars cartoon. argh.

but then again, i can think of TONS of 2-3 star sci fi movies needing another 15 min.. constantine, hellboy, underworld (havent seen the dir cut).. just too fucking fast and loose. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE, ITS OK, WE ONLY PARTIALLY HAVE ADD

[Schnoogs]

If Lucas has any real input on this show it will suck. The only thing I like about I, II, and III was the footage of Lucas showing Steven Spielberg a model of a droid. Lucas goes on about isn't it cool, blah blah. You can see the pity in Spielberg's eyes. He looks at Lucas as if he knows that Lucas doesn't care about the story or characaters and that his movies are going to suck ass. But he replies like a father to a small child, "Yes George, that's a very nice droid."

Lucas sucks balls and so will his retarded TV show. Maybe he will get his daughter and son to star in it?

7 posts and I can already tell you'll fit in well here... :rolleyes:

[Rifter]

im in book 2 of the zahn trilogy (heir to the empire, dark force rising..) since i found them for a quarter at a garage sale and i must say im pretty impressed. Definitely higher and more thoughtful than most trite serial garbage. I'd suggest people still hangin onto the SW universe give them a shot. Lots of Han and Lando too, wheelin and dealin.

and, btw, the clone wars cartoon was the best of the prequels.. go genndy


GREAT series... I would LOVE to see it turned into a movie. :-)
I agree about Clone Wars. CW rocks.


man i just wish theyd pop in another good solid 15 min into ep 3 to flesh out some extra characters and just fill in the plot. It still irks me that NO one knows why Grevious coughs. Not 1 line referencing the clone wars cartoon. argh.

I thought from reading the book, he coughed because the process of turning him into a cyborg didn't work perfectly. Even though, it seems cooler to have what happend in CW to cause it.

From what I understand, the scar on Anikin's face, is the only real carry-over from Clone Wars.

[LogainAblar]

I'm sorry, but every person I know who loved Star Wars wanted very badly for eps I-III to be good, and yet all were sorely disappointed. They won't even admit the movies were bad for at least 6 months after seeing it.

A subconscious bias against the movies? Bull shit. There are innumerable reasons as to why the movies weren't good, or even as good as the original trilogy.

It was too digitalized, to the point where nothing was actually believable. If all the movies were done in CGI, including the characters, I would have had less of a problem. But in trying to use real actors in a completely digitized environment, any real believability is lost, because computerized backgrounds, being 2D images, by their very nature contrast with 3D objects. It worked in Sin City only because the entire movie was designed to recapture a story which originally was depicted in 2D images.

That, and a bunch of other retarded elements (Jar-Jar quickly comes to mind), are responsible for the mess that is the latest trilogy.

[vivafletcher]

I'm sorry, but every person I know who loved Star Wars wanted very badly for eps I-III to be good, and yet all were sorely disappointed. They won't even admit the movies were bad for at least 6 months after seeing it.

A subconscious bias against the movies? Bull shit. There are innumerable reasons as to why the movies weren't good, or even as good as the original trilogy.

It was too digitalized, to the point where nothing was actually believable. If all the movies were done in CGI, including the characters, I would have had less of a problem. But in trying to use real actors in a completely digitized environment, any real believability is lost, because computerized backgrounds, being 2D images, by their very nature contrast with 3D objects. It worked in Sin City only because the entire movie was designed to recapture a story which originally was depicted in 2D images.

That, and a bunch of other retarded elements (Jar-Jar quickly comes to mind), are responsible for the mess that is the latest trilogy.

Yeah, Jar Jar sucks...but the Ewoks didn't suck? The CGI hurt the "believability" of I-III but the crappy-looking masks on the bounty hunters in "Empire" were believable? Come on.

Story-wise, I-III is just as absurd as IV-VI. Special effects-wise, they're much better. But I like the things that remember from my childhood. They don't sell tons of Atari retro compliations because the games are so awesome. They sell them because people remember them fondly-- probably better than they really were.

I think people like to protect what they grew up with. I don't read a lot of fantasy novels, but the Geroge R.R. Martin books are waaaaay better than LOTR. Nobody wants to admit that, but at the end of the day I don't think it's even close. Still, I like LOTR because I read it in the sixth grade.

On another nerd tangent, Venom might be the greatest thing to ever happen to the Spiderman series, but I'll always hate it. You know why? Because Spiderman wears red and blue-- that's it. That's how it was when I was five, and that's how it should be. So I'll always find reasons to hate Venom and Carnage and all that crap, I'll always defend LOTR to some extent and I'll always prefer IV-VI to I-III.

The difference is, I know why I'm doing it. You can always find superficial reasons for disliking the "new" thing, but it's really more about you than the thing itself. Just my .02.

[bean19]

Yeah, Jar Jar sucks...but the Ewoks didn't suck? The CGI hurt the "believability" of I-III but the crappy-looking masks on the bounty hunters in "Empire" were believable? Come on.

Actually, the Ewoks TOTALLY didn't suck.

Jar-Jar was a dumbass clown with a very annoying voice pattern.

The Ewoks were adorable, but they were also a believable tribal people populating Endor. They were believable because they were taken seriously. . . first, they were going to cook and eat Han and Luke before Luke stopped it by levitating C3PO. Then, they used booby traps that allowed the Rebels to win a decisive battle against the small Imperial base. Many of them died.

It was the plotting, not the CG. Buzz-fucking-Lightyear is a move believable and likeable character than Jar-Jar. We didn't respect Jar-Jar because obviously Lucas didn't respect him either and wrote him as a spineless coward and clown.

[Carnifex]

Illustrated for convenience! (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=150)
Pure brilliance :D

[bapenguin]

I still think Episode 1-3 are fine....for kids ages 6-14 or 15.

They never got to expierence of Episodes 4-6 like us 20/30/40 something year olds did. We have the whole nostalgia thing going. A lot of the younger audience never had that. So they see 1-3 as the original, they really like it. They see the effects, they hear the music for the first time, they see these characters. It belongs to them. They don't care much for 4-6 because things seem so flat and empty compared to the colorful cartoony 1-3.

[Schnoogs]

I still think Episode 1-3 are fine....for kids ages 6-14 or 15.

They never got to expierence of Episodes 4-6 like us 20/30/40 something year olds did. We have the whole nostalgia thing going. A lot of the younger audience never had that. So they see 1-3 as the original, they really like it. They see the effects, they hear the music for the first time, they see these characters. It belongs to them. They don't care much for 4-6 because things seem so flat and empty compared to the colorful cartoony 1-3.

I guess the millions older than 15 who enjoyed them didnt get the memo stating that we shouldnt like them! ;)

[CrashCart]

You mean something like Firefly? (Yeah, I had to...)
Yes! I love Firefly and Serenity for those same reasons. That should return to TV before Star Wars, in my opinion. But maybe something good will come of this show. Have to wait and see.

[John Mirra]

I'm actually looking forward to this. It can't be too bad.

I see far too many people with the opinion of either "ARRRRGTH! I blindy HATE prequels!" or "ARRRRGTH! I blindly like them all!!".
The truth is, it's perfectly fine to hate the films. I just think it's a little silly to clump them all together. Star Wars is a mighty rollercoster, and some people are missing out just because the nostalgia makes them feel as though nothing could ever compare.

Here's how I feel about the films.

A New Hope: Fantastic.
The Empire Strikes Back: On par with IV.
Return of the Jedi: Not so great, but at least it's over.
The Phantom Menace: Terrible. Absolutely terrible. (Well, the last fight was pretty great.)
Attack of the Clones: Not as bad, but still pretty stank.
Revenge of the Sith: I liked it. They managed to repair Anakin's character.

[Roc Ingersol]

Ya, go ahead and find a reason to justify this statement. You tell me why the original triliogy was so great, and the new one sucks.
Can you honestly not tell the difference between good writing and bad writing? You seem to pooh-pooh pulp in general, so I guess you can't see a difference between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom either.

Oh well, no sense trying to convert you, your mind is made up and will never change.
Convert? Try making a case. ALl you're doing is saying "The entire genre is crap, why are you surprised by crap?"

There's no point in even having a conversation with you on the topic.
Why waste my time itemizing how I-III are worse, if you're gonna just say 'it's all the same crap how can some of it smell worse?'

[Morratut]

Hey! I got an idea! How about a TV series following a regular group of guys and gals that join the Empire's military not knowing they are on the "evil" side. The progress of their trials and tribulations is told ala Band of Brothers style. Eventually they learn of the true nature of the Empire which could cause infighting amoung those in the story. Hell some of them could even go off to help the rebels.

Here is hoping that we get to see a side of the Star Wars universe that many people want to know about but is hardly played out. I've had it up to here (finger at top of forehead) with the damn Jedi focusing.

Good idea Voodoo. I'd be up for that.

[Morratut]

im in book 2 of the zahn trilogy (heir to the empire, dark force rising..) since i found them for a quarter at a garage sale and i must say im pretty impressed. Definitely higher and more thoughtful than most trite serial garbage. I'd suggest people still hangin onto the SW universe give them a shot. Lots of Han and Lando too, wheelin and dealin.


I'm interested in these books. Although Iive been put though trying to find out which book is the first etc. I don't want to buy a book and think afterwards it's the third in the series.

Any pointers?

[dr_wily]

I'm interested in these books. Although Iive been put though trying to find out which book is the first etc. I don't want to buy a book and think afterwards it's the third in the series.

Any pointers?

start with the ones i mentioned.. heir to the empire then dark force rising (dont remember the 3rd.. think timothy zahn,
ah wiki says 3rd is last command..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Zahn

i have a freak of a friend thats read nearly all the SW books.. alot of the books have the whole story arc all mapped out like a flow chart in the first few pages, and im sure there are some links out there that would help.

[endrom]

its going to be ulternating episodes between young yoda in the past, and young boba fett becoming a bounty hunter in the future. This was announced along time ago like perigon said.

[vivafletcher]

its going to be ulternating episodes between young yoda in the past, and young boba fett becoming a bounty hunter in the future. This was announced along time ago like perigon said.

I'm so over fandom's Boba Fettish. What's the big deal about him?

[Schnoogs]

I'm so over fandom's Boba Fettish. What's the big deal about him?

Anyone that Vader has to say "And no disintegrations" too has to be a freaken bad ass! ;)

He was the ultimate mysterious anti-hero. And he had a cool ride!! ;)

[bean19]

I'm so over fandom's Boba Fettish. What's the big deal about him?

He's the guy all the "cool" nerds like. :)

[Megalith]

I like how Boba Fett is Mexican.

[Schnoogs]

I like how Boba Fett is Mexican.

Maori's aren't from Mexico ;)

Daniel Logan (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517535/)

[bboy]

With 100 episodes due our way I take it the pace will be somewhat slowed compared to the rush rush of the movies. So now we will get to see the idle ponderings, love affairs, and daily dramas of our favorite SW characters.

examples:

- R2D2 and C3P0 going on an all gay droid interstellar vacation cruise.
- Boba Fett's high school years (90210 in the SW universe).
- Vader's daily difficulties with adjusting to wearing diapers.
- Lando in his early pimp years.
- Luke and Leia doing the "Full house" thang.
- JarJar's life as a crack addict who will suck anything for credits.
- Chewbacca and young Han's love affair.
- Yoda talking to worms on Dagobah.

I wanna see IG-88 kicking some ass throughout the galaxy!

[LogainAblar]

Yeah, Jar Jar sucks...but the Ewoks didn't suck? The CGI hurt the "believability" of I-III but the crappy-looking masks on the bounty hunters in "Empire" were believable? Come on.

Story-wise, I-III is just as absurd as IV-VI. Special effects-wise, they're much better. But I like the things that remember from my childhood. They don't sell tons of Atari retro compliations because the games are so awesome. They sell them because people remember them fondly-- probably better than they really were.

I think people like to protect what they grew up with. I don't read a lot of fantasy novels, but the Geroge R.R. Martin books are waaaaay better than LOTR. Nobody wants to admit that, but at the end of the day I don't think it's even close. Still, I like LOTR because I read it in the sixth grade.

On another nerd tangent, Venom might be the greatest thing to ever happen to the Spiderman series, but I'll always hate it. You know why? Because Spiderman wears red and blue-- that's it. That's how it was when I was five, and that's how it should be. So I'll always find reasons to hate Venom and Carnage and all that crap, I'll always defend LOTR to some extent and I'll always prefer IV-VI to I-III.

The difference is, I know why I'm doing it. You can always find superficial reasons for disliking the "new" thing, but it's really more about you than the thing itself. Just my .02.

First of all, yes Jar-Jar sucked, because he was dull, whiny, and served no real purpose. I'm not a big fan of the Ewoks, but you know, as cute as they are, nobody really expected they would be into eating humans. Did Jar-Jar try to eat people?

Ewoks: 1, Jar-Jar: 0

Regarding the masks: no, they weren't "believable" in the sense that I could completely suspend disbelief, but by default they were more interesting than the horribly fake animated droids. Ridiculous movement animations aside, they basically made the droids into slapstick, cartoon characters. Those scenes were clearly designed for the LOWEST common denominator, and I sometimes wondered during the movies if I was really as dumb as the movie was treating me.

And yes, nostalgia will always play a role for the generation that grew up watching the original trilogy. But that doesn't change the fact that there are MANY reasons as to why the latest trilogy is complete crap in comparison to the original. If you can't see those differences, then you're exactly the type of person GL made the latest trilogy for.

[overdrivechao]

I like how Boba Fett is Mexican.

Well, at least you aren't bashing Japanese this time. Please continue posting as it is one of the highpoints of my day to come home from working and read your brainfarts so eloquently displayed. Try to get your posts up to about 4 or 5 a day, please. A little more PS3 bashing, a bit more racism, and I'll enjoy you much more.

[vivafletcher]

He's the guy all the "cool" nerds like. :)

Man, that's depressing. Even when I'm at the bottom of the food chain...I'm at the bottom part of the bottom.

I hate you, Boba Fett.

[Wyrm]

I have wished for a long time that George Lucas would just hand the franchise over to someone who can do a better job and let it go from there. That, or just edit out all the stupid political commentary, any acting with Anakin's character, all the C3PO crap, all the stupid droids doing human things, and just give me fights. That's all the Clone Wars cartoons were, and those were freaking awesome.

And, it has already been said many times, but Battlestar Galactica is the way to go if you have to fill a Sci-Fi hunger. Even if you're just looking for a decent show to watch, it's there, it's well acted and well written. Look into it. I've purchased both seasons with iTunes and have not been dissapointed with a single episode. Do yourself a favor and find some way to watch, it's good stuff.