OT - STAR WARS SAGA - It's not complete...

[BaumerJet]

Lucas to make 'Star Wars' prequel

Indo-Asian News Service

London, May 27, 2005

There's great news for Star Wars fans - a seventh blockbuster is being planned for the series, although director George Lucas had previously said the current Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith would be the last.

Lucas now appears to have changed his mind and is reportedly developing a prequel to the 1999 flick, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, reports Internet portal Femalefirst.

"George believes there are even more stories to tell. His latest idea would feature an almost all-new cast, apart from the Jedi master Yoda, who would be the hero of the new movie," an insider said.

According to reports, the film would be set 100 years before the current movies. Lucas will reportedly try to take a backseat throughout the next production.

[TaborJet]

from cinescape's website

More STARS WARS Before PHANTOM?

I asked him if STAR WARS was going to end with this next installment and.

He said, "'Star Wars' will never end. My involvement may, but the story will go on...."

I said what do you think would be more interesting.... telling a story prior to PHANTOM MENANCE or after RETURN OF THE JEDI?

(Lucas) said, no question about it, prior to PHANTOM MENACE. He said, that if he did ever do another storyline.... that he would do when the Jedi regained control of the universe from the Dark Lords (there were many of them) 800 years before PHANTOM MENACE. And a young Jedi named Yoda was instrumental in the effort.

None of these stories are (or can truly be) confirmed at this moment, so only time will tell.

Personally, I would like to see the trilogy that starts with the conclusion of Return of the Jedi. Lucas has already written them, but has the story locked up somewhere. It would be neat to see Luke, Leia, and Han Solo come back.

[Bob]

I remember, years ago, Lucas said there were nine movies, in all.

I like the pre-quel idea.

[Bugg]

Pretty funny he has the nerve to squawk about how he wants to make high art films. And yet, there's 2 full aisles of Star Wars toy in Toy R Us, and Nick has ads for Burger King Star Wars toys happy meals.

The Saga continues-comingt soon-the Star Wars Prequel-The Search for More Money.

[Jetheelz]

I wouldn't be surprised if we had another movie, if not a couple more movies....as long as there is a demand I don't see how Lucas & Co. would not do it. It's a total cash machine, and I do not blame him for wanting to do more. I know I would love to see more, just as long as the stories are solid and the films are quality.

[Panzer Division Marduk]

http://www.cinematical.com/2005/05/27/star-wars-prequel-prequel-update/

The scoop originated from Cinescape, where we now find out the conversation apparently took place at a resort last year, so it's nothing new

Guess that's been superseded by the tv series?

[Bugg]

I saw "3" yesterday with the tyke, to get it over with. By the way-he already has light sabers, Darth helmet, etc. .

As someone else pointed out-this society is so sophisticated that they can travel across galaxies and rebuild a guy like Vader, yet they don't know Padme is having twins and can't figure out how to give a woman an epidural during childbirth? And Obi wan and Darth fight practically in a river of lava but have no trouble breathing. When General Grievous flees, he breaks the windows, in which case every breathing creature would either be sucked out into space or suffocate immediately-but all the main characters live. There's whole websites devoted to the ridiculousness of the science in this series.

Lucas is entitled to make all the money he can suck in-even mine. These movies are well-made (it's said so much of it is computer-generated graphics that it will qualify for the animation Oscar).But he could stop pretending he's making anything more sophisticated than an Adam West-era "Batman" morality play/space travel story with better effects than anyone else.

[Big Dave]

Yep, I saw the 3rd episode last week. Excellent movie. Darker than the rest but full of action. I had heard that it was the most violent, but to be honest, I didn't think it was any worst than the others in the series.

I hope they continue to create more of them.

[Jetheelz]

Yep, I saw the 3rd episode last week. Excellent movie. Darker than the rest but full of action. I had heard that it was the most violent, but to be honest, I didn't think it was any worst than the others in the series.

I hope they continue to create more of them.

Nice to see another local person on board here, even if you are a Dolphins fan!!

[Big Dave]

Nice to see another local person on board here, even if you are a Dolphins fan!!

Jetheelz, I work at God's university ... NCSU Wolfpack, baby!!

[Jetheelz]

Jetheelz, I work at God's university ... NCSU Wolfpack, baby!!

I don't serve the same God you do, and besides if God were a state fan the sky would be red.

But you can always come down the road and admire our National Championship trophy.....

[Big Dave]

But you can always come down the road and admire our National Championship trophy.....

We have a couple ourselves, but I'd have to get a leafblower to blow off the dust off of them:) I actually attended NCSU when we last won our last one.

Glad the Heels won this year. I attended the U of I before transferring to NCSU, but I always pull ACC in the tournament. I'm a big Roy Williams fan. Excellent coach.

[Jetheelz]

We have a couple ourselves, but I'd have to get a leafblower to blow off the dust off of them:) I actually attended NCSU when we last won our last one.

Glad the Heels won this year. I attended the U of I before transferring to NCSU, but I always pull ACC in the tournament. I'm a big Roy Williams fan. Excellent coach.

Its all good man, just busting your chops...gotta love the rivalry between the big 3 down here in the Triangle area.

Again, welcome..good to see Raleigh representing!!

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

Wow another boring ass movie. That's great

[PFSIKH]

Wow another boring a$$ movie. That's great

Really.

Timothy Zahn did an excellent series starting about 5-10 years after the fall of the empire.

While I enjoyed most of Yoda's fight scences, which begs the question how does he do from super high flying Jedi Knight to old Jedi Knight in the space of 20 or so years as Luke grows up, he is hardly a compelling character.

[Jetheelz]

While I enjoyed most of Yoda's fight scences, which begs the question how does he do from super high flying Jedi Knight to old Jedi Knight in the space of 20 or so years as Luke grows up, he is hardly a compelling character.

Good question. What comes to mind reading your post is in AOTC after he fights Dooku so impressively he simply hobbles back to get his cane. I thought that was very funny. I guess it is then that we as fans realized Yoda was powerful but wasn't flashy about it. That may be what he was doing in the OT while training Luke. No real enemies on his home planet of Degobah, so why fight?

[Bugg]

The Case for the Empire

From the May 16, 2002 Daily Standard: Everything you think you know about Star Wars is wrong.

by Jonathan V. Last

12/26/2002 12:00:00 AM

Jonathan V. Last, online editor

STAR WARS RETURNS today with its fifth installment, "Attack of the Clones." There will be talk of the Force and the Dark Side and the epic morality of George Lucas's series. But the truth is that from the beginning, Lucas confused the good guys with the bad. The deep lesson of Star Wars is that the Empire is good.

It's a difficult leap to make--embracing Darth Vader and the Emperor over the plucky and attractive Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia--but a careful examination of the facts, sorted apart from Lucas's off-the-shelf moral cues, makes a quite convincing case.

First, an aside: For the sake of this discussion, I've considered only the history gleaned from the actual Star Wars films, not the Expanded Universe. If you know what the Expanded Universe is and want to argue that no discussion of Star Wars can be complete without considering material outside the canon, that's fine. However, it's always been my view that the comic books and novels largely serve to clean up Lucas's narrative and philosophical messes. Therefore, discussions of intrinsic intent must necessarily revolve around the movies alone. You may disagree, but please don't e-mail me about it.

If you don't know what the Expanded Universe is, well, uh, neither do I.

I. The Problems with the Galactic Republic

At the beginning of the Star Wars saga, the known universe is governed by the Galactic Republic. The Republic is controlled by a Senate, which is, in turn, run by an elected chancellor who's in charge of procedure, but has little real power.

Scores of thousands of planets are represented in the Galactic Senate, and as we first encounter it, it is sclerotic and ineffectual. The Republic has grown over many millennia to the point where there are so many factions and disparate interests, that it is simply too big to be governable. Even the Republic's staunchest supporters recognize this failing: In "The Phantom Menace," Queen Amidala admits, "It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions." In "Attack of the Clones," young Anakin Skywalker observes that it simply "doesn't work."

The Senate moves so slowly that it is powerless to stop aggression between member states. In "The Phantom Menace" a supra-planetary alliance, the Trade Federation (think of it as OPEC to the Galactic Republic's United Nations), invades a planet and all the Senate can agree to do is call for an investigation.

Like the United Nations, the Republic has no armed forces of its own, but instead relies on a group of warriors, the Jedi knights, to "keep the peace." The Jedi, while autonomous, often work in tandem with the Senate, trying to smooth over quarrels and avoid conflicts. But the Jedi number only in the thousands--they cannot protect everyone.

What's more, it's not clear that they should be "protecting" anyone. The Jedi are Lucas's great heroes, full of Zen wisdom and righteous power. They encourage people to "use the Force"--the mystical energy which is the source of their power--but the truth, revealed in "The Phantom Menace," is that the Force isn't available to the rabble. The Force comes from midi-chlorians, tiny symbiotic organisms in people's blood, like mitochondria. The Force, it turns out, is an inherited, genetic trait. If you don't have the blood, you don't get the Force. Which makes the Jedi not a democratic militia, but a royalist Swiss guard.

And an arrogant royalist Swiss guard, at that. With one or two notable exceptions, the Jedi we meet in Star Wars are full of themselves. They ignore the counsel of others (often with terrible consequences), and seem honestly to believe that they are at the center of the universe. When the chief Jedi record-keeper is asked in "Attack of the Clones" about a planet she has never heard of, she replies that if it's not in the Jedi archives, it doesn't exist. (The planet in question does exist, again, with terrible consequences.)

In "Attack of the Clones," a mysterious figure, Count Dooku, leads a separatist movement of planets that want to secede from the Republic. Dooku promises these confederates smaller government, unlimited free trade, and an "absolute commitment to capitalism." Dooku's motives are suspect--it's not clear whether or not he believes in these causes. However, there's no reason to doubt the motives of the other separatists--they seem genuinely to want to make a fresh start with a government that isn't bloated and dysfunctional.

The Republic, of course, is eager to quash these separatists, but they never make a compelling case--or any case, for that matter--as to why, if they are such a freedom-loving regime, these planets should not be allowed to check out of the Republic and take control of their own destinies.

II. The Empire

We do not yet know the exact how's and why's, but we do know this: At some point between the end of Episode II and the beginning of Episode IV, the Republic is replaced by an Empire. The first hint comes in "Attack of the Clones," when the Senate's Chancellor Palpatine is granted emergency powers to deal with the separatists. It spoils very little to tell you that Palpatine eventually becomes the Emperor. For a time, he keeps the Senate in place, functioning as a rubber-stamp, much like the Roman imperial senate, but a few minutes into Episode IV, we are informed that the he has dissolved the Senate, and that "the last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."

Lucas wants the Empire to stand for evil, so he tells us that the Emperor and Darth Vader have gone over to the Dark Side and dresses them in black.

But look closer. When Palpatine is still a senator, he says, "The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good." At one point he laments that "the bureaucrats are in charge now."

Palpatine believes that the political order must be manipulated to produce peace and stability. When he mutters, "There is no civility, there is only politics," we see that at heart, he's an esoteric Straussian.

Make no mistake, as emperor, Palpatine is a dictator--but a relatively benign one, like Pinochet. It's a dictatorship people can do business with. They collect taxes and patrol the skies. They try to stop organized crime (in the form of the smuggling rings run by the Hutts). The Empire has virtually no effect on the daily life of the average, law-abiding citizen.

Also, unlike the divine-right Jedi, the Empire is a meritocracy. The Empire runs academies throughout the galaxy (Han Solo begins his career at an Imperial academy), and those who show promise are promoted, often rapidly. In "The Empire Strikes Back" Captain Piett is quickly promoted to admiral when his predecessor "falls down on the job."

And while it's a small point, the Empire's manners and decorum speak well of it. When Darth Vader is forced to employ bounty hunters to track down Han Solo, he refuses to address them by name. Even Boba Fett, the greatest of all trackers, is referred to icily as "bounty hunter." And yet Fett understands the protocol. When he captures Solo, he calls him "Captain Solo." (Whether this is in deference to Han's former rank in the Imperial starfleet, or simply because Han owns and pilots his own ship, we don't know. I suspect it's the former.)

But the most compelling evidence that the Empire isn't evil comes in "The Empire Strikes Back" when Darth Vader is battling Luke Skywalker. After an exhausting fight, Vader is poised to finish Luke off, but he stays his hand. He tries to convert Luke to the Dark Side with this simple plea: "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. . . . Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy." It is here we find the real controlling impulse for the Dark Side and the Empire. The Empire doesn't want slaves or destruction or "evil." It wants order.

None of which is to say that the Empire isn't sometimes brutal. In Episode IV, Imperial stormtroopers kill Luke's aunt and uncle and Grand Moff Tarkin orders the destruction of an entire planet, Alderaan. But viewed in context, these acts are less brutal than they initially appear. Poor Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen reach a grisly end, but only after they aid the rebellion by hiding Luke and harboring two fugitive droids. They aren't given due process, but they are traitors.

The destruction of Alderaan is often cited as ipso facto proof of the Empire's "evilness" because it seems like mass murder--planeticide, even. As Tarkin prepares to fire the Death Star, Princess Leia implores him to spare the planet, saying, "Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons." Her plea is important, if true.

But the audience has no reason to believe that Leia is telling the truth. In Episode IV, every bit of information she gives the Empire is willfully untrue. In the opening, she tells Darth Vader that she is on a diplomatic mission of mercy, when in fact she is on a spy mission, trying to deliver schematics of the Death Star to the Rebel Alliance. When asked where the Alliance is headquartered, she lies again.

Leia's lies are perfectly defensible--she thinks she's serving the greater good--but they make her wholly unreliable on the question of whether or not Alderaan really is peaceful and defenseless. If anything, since Leia is a high-ranking member of the rebellion and the princess of Alderaan, it would be reasonable to suspect that Alderaan is a front for Rebel activity or at least home to many more spies and insurgents like Leia.

Whatever the case, the important thing to recognize is that the Empire is not committing random acts of terror. It is engaged in a fight for the survival of its regime against a violent group of rebels who are committed to its destruction.

III. After the Rebellion

As we all know from the final Star Wars installment, "Return of the Jedi," the rebellion is eventually successful. The Emperor is assassinated, Darth Vader abdicates his post and dies, the central governing apparatus of the Empire is destroyed in a spectacular space battle, and the rebels rejoice with their small, annoying Ewok friends. But what happens next?

(There is a raft of literature on this point, but, as I said at the beginning, I'm going to ignore it because it doesn't speak to Lucas's original intent.)

In Episode IV, after Grand Moff Tarkin announces that the Imperial Senate has been abolished, he's asked how the Emperor can possibly hope to keep control of the galaxy. "The regional governors now have direct control over territories," he says. "Fear will keep the local systems in line."

So under Imperial rule, a large group of regional potentates, each with access to a sizable army and star destroyers, runs local affairs. These governors owe their fealty to the Emperor. And once the Emperor is dead, the galaxy will be plunged into chaos.

In all of the time we spend observing the Rebel Alliance, we never hear of their governing strategy or their plans for a post-Imperial universe. All we see are plots and fighting. Their victory over the Empire doesn't liberate the galaxy--it turns the galaxy into Somalia writ large: dominated by local warlords who are answerable to no one.

Which makes the rebels--Lucas's heroes--an unimpressive crew of anarchic royals who wreck the galaxy so that Princess Leia can have her tiara back.

I'll take the Empire.

Jonathan V. Last is online editor of The Weekly Standard.

[Alk]

My only problem with this whole prequel crap is if you were to watch the movies in order, it's downright comical. You start out with the most recent movies with great special effects and then you go into the old shows and see the damn ships hanging by fishing line. It just ain't right.

[PFSIKH]

My only problem with this whole prequel crap is if you were to watch the movies in order, it's downright comical. You start out with the most recent movies with great special effects and then you go into the old shows and see the damn ships hanging by fishing line. It just ain't right.

Not to mention R2-D2's little rocket boosters.

Techology should not have regressed.

[Alk]

Not to mention R2-D2's little rocket boosters.

Techology should not have regressed.

I'm sure Gameface will have a perfectly logical explanation for all of this though.

[Jetheelz]

My only problem with this whole prequel crap is if you were to watch the movies in order, it's downright comical. You start out with the most recent movies with great special effects and then you go into the old shows and see the damn ships hanging by fishing line. It just ain't right.

The Empire Strikes Back: Greatest movie of the entire saga

[Alk]

The Empire Strikes Back: Greatest movie of the entire saga

I would probably agree with you even though I haven't seen that most recent one. That doesn't change the fact that the special effects in Empire is laughable compared to any of the prequels. IMO, Lucas never had any intention of making more than 3 movies but realized that he could whore out the franchise for endless $$$ and didn't give a damn how silly it looked by making the prequels look more advanced than the originals.

[Jetheelz]

I would probably agree with you even though I haven't seen that most recent one. That doesn't change the fact that the special effects in Empire is laughable compared to any of the prequels. IMO, Lucas never had any intention of making more than 3 movies but realized that he could whore out the franchise for endless $$$ and didn't give a damn how silly it looked by making the prequels look more advanced than the originals.

You are right, the use of cgi and other effects in the prequels make the OT look like a local cable access channel. However the plot, storylines, etc...are superb in the OT. I am not saying I didn't like the prequels (I am a fan of SW so I still am enthused about them) but for me the OT is so much better because of the writing and acting performances. Plus the prequels have so much "eye candy" with overuse of CGI and animation, it kind of takes away from the simplicity we saw in the original 3.

[Alk]

Okay, I just got back from finally seeing it. All in all, it was a pretty darn good movie but when I look at the films as a whole I still say it's just all wrong and Lucas is a money grubbing whore who destroyed a real good thing. The only way to really correct this whole thing is by redoing the original trilogy with today's technology.

[Panzer Division Marduk]

Okay, I just got back from finally seeing it. All in all, it was a pretty darn good movie but when I look at the films as a whole I still say it's just all wrong and Lucas is a money grubbing whore who destroyed a real good thing. The only way to really correct this whole thing is by redoing the original trilogy with today's technology.

Which will happen once enough people have bought the Special Super Duper Enhanced versions of the originals.

[Alk]

Which will happen once enough people have bought the Special Super Duper Enhanced versions of the originals.

Yeah, after I got done ranting to my wife about how ridiculous the order of the movies is, she said "well maybe they'll redo the originals" I thought she meant just enhance the original movies which they already did (which look like crap I might add) and then she said "No, I mean completely remake them." Then it hit me. That's exactly what Money Grubbing Whore will do next. People will eat it up they really can't go any further into the past since they have already done episode one. Then again, at this point anything is possible because Money Grubbing Whore knows that if it says Star Wars on it, there are millions of people that will buy it.

[Jetheelz]

Good lord, if he did somehow redo the original trilogy completely, I doubt I would even pay to see it. Those 3 movies were a big part of my childhood and I would hate to see something like that get tarnished. Although I went to see the special editions in 1996, I did not really like them. I wish he could just leave them alone...if anything just do some digital remastering of the sound or sharpen the picture quality, but thats it.

Times like these I am happy to have the original, NON-SPECIAL EDITION trilogy box set in my posession.

[Alk]

Good lord, if he did somehow redo the original trilogy completely, I doubt I would even pay to see it. Those 3 movies were a big part of my childhood and I would hate to see something like that get tarnished. Although I went to see the special editions in 1996, I did not really like them. I wish he could just leave them alone...if anything just do some digital remastering of the sound or sharpen the picture quality, but thats it.

Times like these I am happy to have the original, NON-SPECIAL EDITION trilogy box set in my posession.

Those three movies were a huge part of my childhood too and I would be really excited to see them redone. They tried sharpening the movies up to no avail and IMO, they have lost alot over time, especially after the recent trilogy was released. I just think it would really make the series look complete if they were all at least shot with the same technology. Hell, they could even add more to the original trilogy to help the movies tie together a little better.

[Jetheelz]

Now that you have seen Episode 3, do you agree with me that "Empire" is still the best of the saga?

[Alk]

Now that you have seen Episode 3, do you agree with me that "Empire" is still the best of the saga?

I would probably say so, especially if they remade it. Sorry dude but I compare movies like Star Wars to today's movies and the original trilogy just doesn't do a whole lot for me anymore. I tried sitting down with my son and watching them and just couldn't do it.

[Jetheelz]

I would probably say so, especially if they remade it. Sorry dude but I compare movies like Star Wars to today's movies and the original trilogy just doesn't do a whole lot for me anymore. I tried sitting down with my son and watching them and just couldn't do it.

It's all good. Like I said at least I have the original for me to view. I am actually the opposite of you on the originals...I can watch them in a sitting no problem. I actually watch "Empire" more than the other 2 just because like I said I think its the best and is definately my favorite.

[Jetsfan80]

An interesting opinion on Star Wars:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=episode3

[BaumerJet]

My only problem with this whole prequel crap is if you were to watch the movies in order, it's downright comical. You start out with the most recent movies with great special effects and then you go into the old shows and see the damn ships hanging by fishing line. It just ain't right.

Then you haven't heard. He intends to RE-Release the entire saga in 2007 as an IMAX 3-D version of all 6 films. With ALL NEW special effects, replacing all of the previous blue screen effects.

More than likely, there will definitely be a DVD collection in November of that year - way to go George - next, it's a re-tooling of THX-1138. Oh wait, he did that LAST YEAR!

[Panzer Division Marduk]

That South Park epsidoe where the kids try to save the films from being redone by Lucas and Spielberg gets ever closer to becoming reality......

Someone give Butters his rocket launcher, please.

[JetFanTransplant]

An interesting opinion on Star Wars:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=episode3

LOL --

"Sell them hookers in a vagina storm"

I'm going to have to remember that one.