The Star Wars Saga

[Danny Franks]

Hopefully these new movies will touch on what happens after ROTJ. In the immediate aftermath of the Emperor's death. Because presumably that huge fleet of Star Destroyers, all those Stormtroopers and pilots and guys in daft helmets didn't just give up because Old Wrinkly was dead. I know this has been explored in novels, but I don't think that stuff is official canon, so I want to see what happens in the Disney/Abrams version of Star Wars.

 

Who took over? Who was the Emperor's Donitz? There must have been one. They didn't all just say, "okay Rebels, you win", surely? There must have been more battles to fight. Did it all descend into galactic anarchy? Was the Republic eventually reestablished? Did another dictator rise in the power vacuum? Is Mara Jade canon, or can Luke not fall in love now because of the nonsense in the prequels?

[Dandesun]

 

I heard GL say once that the prequel trilogy was about Anakin Skywalker and the classic trilogy is how are we going to get him back.  ANH and ESB certainly wasn't about how do we get Anakin Skywalker back.

 

Exactly, that just illustrates how completely wrong-headed Lucas is/was about the whole thing. Anakin isn't the story. Or least, he shouldn't have been. Why would I have given a shit about 'getting Anakin back' when there was one mere mention of a vague connection between Anakin and Vader in IV and that's when Ben says that Vader betrayed and murdered Anakin. Oh, and Ben said that Anakin was a 'great pilot and a good friend' but, as has been mentioned, we never really saw Anakin be a good friend to Ben.

 

The relationships in the original trilogy were believable. Han was obviously the jaded dude who just wanted his payoff but desperation breeds strange companions and, by the time they escaped the Death Star there was a bond, and a certain trust, between Han, Luke, Chewie and Leia... which is why Luke's admonishment of Han later had merit. Luke, the kid, took the old pro to task. "Take a look around you. You know what they're up against." And those bonds continued through the rest of the movies... that first film established relationships well enough that it was believable that Han would risk his life to go find Luke,

 

I mean, we don't even find out that Anakin is still... "alive" until the end of the second part of the trilogy... and this is right after he's tortured Han, Chewie and Leia, frozen Han as a test subject to prepare to do the same to Luke, then kicked Luke's ass, cut off his hand and Luke preferred to kill himself then join up. Why would I give a shit about Anakin's redemption? Hell, why was I supposed to give a shit when Luke was blathering on about it in Jedi? It wasn't Anakin's redemption I cared about, it was Luke's triumph! (And Han/Leia... they're my OTP, y'all.)

 

So the first three movies are all about Anakin's shallow fall from twerp to bigger twerp to raging douchenozzle?

 

It happens a lot, when creators are a little too close to their creations... it's kind of a shame but it's not uncommon.

[Joe]

So, two new castmembers. You know what's interesting, this brings it to five women and three POCs. Assuming they're actual characters with names and speaking parts, that makes it more than either trilogy so far. Good to see more of this coming in. I'm a white man myself, but I've never demanded my characters look like me. Hey, I'd watch a whole movie with nothing but aliens if looked any good.

 

Edit. So one of the new people is a parkour expert. That should make for a fun action scene. They probably wouldn't mention it if it wasn't a relevant skill.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Joe

[thuganomics85]

Another actor from the original trilogy will be back: Warwick Davis, who played Wicket the main Ewok from Return of the Jedi.  Of course, it doesn't say who he is playing in Episode VII, so he could be playing another character instead (he played other characters in The Phantom Menace.) 

[ribboninthesky1]

Willow!

[Joe]

We have a title! The Force Awakens. Okay. I really don't know what to think of it at all.

[AimingforYoko]

So after defeating their enemies, the Jedi went into hibernation? Or are they trying to be meta?

[Joe]

I've read spoilers, but they're contradictory. Essentially, I have no idea what to expect or what this means.

[Rick Kitchen]

"The Force Awakens" sounds like a spoiler.

[Joe]

Please tell me I'm not the only one hanging out on and refreshing multiple sites and twitter feeds. With my luck, I fully expect it to go up after I go to bed. It's only a teaser, seriously. Probably won't show anything. I don't even want to be spoiled. And yet.

[Ariah]

Wow, it's here!

 

...and what kind of light-sword was that?!

[ApathyMonger]

 

Just a teaser, as expected, but I like the look of it.

[blixie]

I want to know if that was Lupita with the sword!

[VCRTracking]

 

...and what kind of light-sword was that?!

 

One with a crossguard apparently.

 

I like seeing the Falcon(with a new dish to replace the one that got knocked off in Jedi) and the shot of the X-Wings skimming the water was beautiful.

Edited November 28, 2014 by VCRTracking

[benteen]

Seemed like fan wank and CGI to me.  The Empire is still around...how original, JJ.

[Danny Franks]

Seemed like fan wank and CGI to me.  The Empire is still around...how original, JJ.

 

That's pretty much how all of the post-Jedi novels have continued the story.

 

And when you think about it, why wouldn't the Empire still be around? Because the Emperor is dead? Because Vader is dead? There's still a galaxy full of Star Destroyers and ambitious military commanders (remember Tarkin?) who won't roll over just because some farmboy and his friends and their tiny furry allies managed to score a direct hit on Imperial HQ. That's one of the many reasons that those added shots of Coruscant in celebration at the end of Jedi are so goofy. Nothing's changed, for them. The Empire might break into factions, but it wouldn't just disappear.

 

Given the title of the movie, I would think that it's about the beginnings of a revival of the Jedi Order, and a more concerted effort to unseat the Imperial authorities that built up around Palpatine. And while I do not want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed, this trailer works for me. Big time.

 

That lightsaber is even sillier than Darth Maul's though.

[benteen]

Because Star Wars is a fantasy.  Fantasy is you defeat the bad guys and you live happily ever after.  The end.

 

Now I understand that conflict has to return to the galaxy.  I never thought Luke and company stopped having adventures after ROTJ.  But the idea that what they accomplished in the original trilogy meant nothing (and I am NOT basing this on any spoilers) is a complete disregard of the movies that JJ claims to cherish.  If the galaxy has been continuing to fight a war non-stop over the past 30 years it means what Luke and company did in the original trilogy meant NOTHING.  Nothing.  That is why the implication of the Empire still being around 30 years after ROTJ bothers me so much.

 

I think the Empire that Palpatine built would have collapsed with him.  I don't think there was a great loyalty to the Empire.  I think the military governors would have been more concerned with keeping their own territory than they would have been about keeping the Empire together.

Edited November 28, 2014 by benteen

[VCRTracking]

 

Seemed like fan wank and CGI to me.  The Empire is still around...how original, JJ.

 

It's CGI but it's really beautiful CGI. Like the shot of the X-Wings and the Falcon at the end were great.  Also besides the last shot actually less nostalgia reliant than I thought it would be.

[bunnyblue]

I happened to stumble upon the teaser this morning. It was a pleasant surprise since I haven't been following any news about the movie since the initial casting news broke early this year. So far he CGI looks better than that of the awful prequels. My long dormant fangirl squeed with delight at the sight of the Falcon. 

 

Anyone have any idea who the woman on the speeder is at 0:39? Or who is the X-wing pilot at 0:44? Skywalkers or Solos perhaps?

[Danny Franks]

I happened to stumble upon the teaser this morning. It was a pleasant surprise since I haven't been following any news about the movie since the initial casting news broke early this year. So far he CGI looks better than that of the awful prequels. My long dormant fangirl squeed with delight at the sight of the Falcon. 

 

Anyone have any idea who the woman on the speeder is at 0:39? Or who is the X-wing pilot at 0:44? Skywalkers or Solos perhaps?

 

It's been speculated that Daisy Ridley (the woman on the speeder) is playing a Leia/Han offspring (I kind of hope they ignore Jaina and the rest of the Star Wars: The Next Generation characters). It's more likely than it being Luke's kid, given that Jedi are supposed to be monks now. Don't know about the X-Wing guy or the Stormtrooper on Tatooine.

[benteen]

I think Daisy is supposed to be Han and Leia's daughter.  Either/or, she looks a LOT like Natalie Portman.  Which totally works for a granddaughter of Anakin and Padme.

If there's one saving grace, the old EU is gone and these films won't be beholden to them.

Edited November 28, 2014 by benteen

[Oreo2234]

 

Now I understand that conflict has to return to the galaxy.  I never thought Luke and company stopped having adventures after ROTJ.  But the idea that what they accomplished in the original trilogy meant nothing (and I am NOT basing this on any spoilers) is a complete disregard of the movies that JJ claims to cherish.  If the galaxy has been continuing to fight a war non-stop over the past 30 years it means what Luke and company did in the original trilogy meant NOTHING.  Nothing.

Agreed. I can see the empire continuing to exist in a severely diminished form or rebuilding only in recent years but if they have been still fighting a major war for 3 decades its disrespectful to the original trilogy. 

[benteen]

Yeah, I mean, even the Empire got almost 20 years before heavy fighting broke up.  The Rebels (New Republic?) deserve that and more.

[Joe]

I like the new lightsabre, but I think the metal of the crossguard should be a bit wider.

[Danny Franks]

Agreed. I can see the empire continuing to exist in a severely diminished form or rebuilding only in recent years but if they have been still fighting a major war for 3 decades its disrespectful to the original trilogy. 

 

But however disrespectful JJ Abrams might be considered to the original trilogy, his hands are kind of tied in terms of having to set it years later. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are all very old, so it's either set it later, recast them, or don't include the characters at all.

 

This was a galaxy-wide empire, with those regional governors and that huge navy, against a rebellion that was relatively piddly. What plans did Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma have for a form of government that would replace the Empire? How were they going to implement and enforce it? How were they going to root out and remove all Imperial forces and supporters? The original trilogy never answered any of these questions, so speculating on what happened afterwards is not disrespectful at all, in my view.

 

They could have been fighting for thirty years, they could have settled into a sort of cold war with remaining Imperial systems, which is about to reignite, they could have believed all Imperial forces gone, only to be proved wrong. If it gives me Star Destroyers and Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters again, I'm not really too fussed. 

[jennifer6973]

It's been speculated that Daisy Ridley (the woman on the speeder) is playing a Leia/Han offspring (I kind of hope they ignore Jaina and the rest of the Star Wars: The Next Generation characters). It's more likely than it being Luke's kid, given that Jedi are supposed to be monks now. Don't know about the X-Wing guy or the Stormtrooper on Tatooine.

 

 

As someone who liked Jaina, what did you find particularly wrong?

 

 

As for the teaser - I loved it.

[Joe]

On another note. There's the sound of a probe droid during the stormtrooper scene, and possibly some kind of engine. So could he be a renegade trooper, hunted by the Empire for defecting or just plain running away? That could explain why he looks so scared.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Joe

[Jamoche]

I'm amazed - there's only one lensflare :)

[Oreo2234]

 

he original trilogy never answered any of these questions, so speculating on what happened afterwards is not disrespectful at all, in my view.

I never said speculating was disrespectful. My point was that if the actions of the third movie hardly changed anything than it dampens the impact of the original trilogy. 

[Joe]

I'm amazed - there's only one lensflare :)

Perhaps all the jokes have got to him and he's easing back. In other news, I hope the camera holds still. It would be really annoying for the bulk of the movie to be in shakycam.

[jennifer6973]

Pardon my ignorance, but why all the fuss over the lensflare?

[VCRTracking]

See the Star Trek movies and Super 8.

 

I grant you there are legitimate criticisms about all the movies but that Millennium Falcon was amazing. Seeing some people complaining about even that on Twitter "It's too modern!" "They should be using models!"  "It's not the same style as the original tr-" Aaargh! !  I'm thinking, Christ, just don't f@#king bother to see it. The only way you'll be happy is to reverse age and send you back thirty years.

Edited November 29, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Jamoche]

Pardon my ignorance, but why all the fuss over the lensflare?

 

Once you see it, you can't unsee it. It's everywhere.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Jamoche

[JBC344]

Pardon my ignorance, but why all the fuss over the lensflare?

Lensflare is JJ Abrams biggest complaint as a director.  He relies on it in a lot of his movies, and has become a big eyesore and annoyance when watching his movies.

[Joe]

See the Star Trek movies and Super 8.

 

I grant you there are legitimate criticisms about all the movies but that Millennium Falcon was amazing. Seeing some people complaining about even that on Twitter "It's too modern!" "They should be using models!"  "It's not the same style as the original tr-" Aaargh! !  I'm thinking, Christ, just don't f@#king bother to see it. The only way you'll be happy is to reverse age and send you back thirty years.

I once read a quote about fans that stuck with me. Give them the world on a stick and they'll complain that the stick is too brown. That was back in the early 90's, and has become more relevant every day, it seems.

[Danny Franks]

As someone who liked Jaina, what did you find particularly wrong?

 

Two reasons, really. One, I was never a fan of any of the post-ROTJ extended universe, and I hated how tied to Luke, Han and Leia it always continued to be. I'm much more of a fan of Star Wars stories set in the distant past, in the Old Republic era.

 

And the second reason is that I think there's just too much baggage. Fan expectations, pre-conceived notions of who characters are and how they should behave and what should happen. Throw it all out, I say. Start afresh, a clean slate in a post-ROTJ Star Wars universe.

 

io9 have done the predictable shot-by-shot dissection of the teaser. Plenty of whining in the responses as well, for those looking for that. Me? I want to be excited about Star Wars for the first time in fifteen years, and this teaser really did that.

 

I also think JJ Abrams is perfectly fine, and his movies have been very enjoyable. I loved Super 8, and his take on Star Trek was more fun and less sterile than any take before. Was it authentic Star Trek? Maybe not, but I find authentic Star Trek complete dreck, most of the time. Lens flare doesn't bother me.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Danny Franks

[cynic]

Lens flare doesn't bother me either. I'm not a fan though of shaky cam though, so hopefully the won't be much of that.

As for the trailer - Squeeeeee! I'm so excited. I didn't realize how excited I was for this movie until the Falcon soared into view and that gorgeous Williams score started. Is is December 2015 yet?

[VCRTracking]

There are also comments about how The Phantom Menace teaser was great too and look how that turned out. "It fooled us." Look at it again though now in context that we see it in context it wasn't really dishonest. We got what was in it. It wasn't so much what was in the trailer that was exciting, more that it was because it was new Star Wars, period. In 16 years, which was a long time then.Now it's the same time between that movie's premiere and The Force Awakens, which freaks me out!  

 

Most of the teaser was Amidala in her kabuki makeup, underwater stuff, future looking city Darth Maul(which still does look cool), podracers and of course Jar Jar. Back then we cheered everything and were willing to overlook everything because it was like the first sip of water after a trek through the desert. The only thing familiar was Yoda and even at the time looked weird. We tried to tell ourselves that it was because he was "younger". Real reason as I read later was they used the original mold but used silicone for his skin instead of foam latex like the original puppet. Big mistake of course. I mean if you replaced my skin with flesh toned leather I wouldn't look the same either!

 

I do remember seeing the Episode I teaser(had to see The Siege afterwards). It was on a Tuesday during the day(later that night I watched the first airing of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Revelations".

Edited November 29, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Danny Franks]

There are also comments about how The Phantom Menace teaser was great too and look how that turned out. "It fooled us." Look at it again though now in context that we see it in context it wasn't really dishonest. We got what was in it. It wasn't so much what was in the trailer that was exciting, more that it was because it was new Star Wars, period. In 16 years, which was a long time then.Now it's the same time between that movie's premiere and The Force Awakens, which freaks me out!  

 

Most of the teaser was Amidala in her kabuki makeup, underwater stuff, future looking city Darth Maul(which still does look cool), podracers and of course Jar Jar. Back then we cheered everything and were willing to overlook everything because it was like the first sip of water after a trek through the desert. The only thing familiar was Yoda and even at the time looked weird. We tried to tell ourselves that it was because he was "younger". Real reason as I read later was they used the original mold but used silicone for his skin instead of foam latex like the original puppet. Big mistake of course. I mean if you replaced my skin with flesh toned leather I wouldn't look the same either!

 

I do remember seeing the Episode I teaser(had to see The Siege afterwards). It was on a Tuesday during the day(later that night I watched the first airing of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Revelations".

 

Yeah, I guess we can blame John Williams for that too. His Duel of the Fates score was nearly as good as the rest of his Star Wars stuff, and gets you caught up in the excitement. What you say about those Phantom Menace teasers is pretty accurate, in retrospect. We did get what was in them, but what really ruined it was that it was all delivered in such dry, unimaginative, dull fashion. There was no passion for the story or the characters, from anyone involved in creating them.

 

There was no way the movie could ever live up to expectations, even if it had been good. With this one, expectations are already tempered with the fear that we'll get bitten again, so I think it has a better shot. Also, being made by a Star Wars fan instead of the guy who created the franchise yet seemed to care little for it beyond the monetary benefits, might help.

[Kel Varnsen]

Lensflare is JJ Abrams biggest complaint as a director.  He relies on it in a lot of his movies, and has become a big eyesore and annoyance when watching his movies.

The lensflare jokes always bug me since to me they aren't even JJ's biggest go to thing as a director. His biggest thing is that whole "in media res" storytelling device where at the beginning of the movie or show you see something really cool and then it cuts to an earlier scene before that happened and it says "48 hours earlier". He did it all the time on Alias, on his Mission Impossible movie, and it was kind of the basis for the flashbacks on Lost and I think he used it on his Undercovers show. Not sure if he used it on Fringe since I only watched like 3 episodes.

[VCRTracking]

And there's always a party. And not a rocking one either, the lame yuppie kind.

[RapBert]

I must have watched this trailer about a dozen times now and I love every second of it. It seems to have been designed to say "Do you see how unlike the prequels this is?", from the first shot even: real actor in a real costume in a real location looking sweaty and dirty. That's in such a stark contrast to the lifeless, artificial scenes of the prequels that they must have done this on purpose.

I really like the "used future" look of the desert planet. Again, in contrast to the shiny, polished stuff in the prequels, an a lot more in line with the original trilogy.

The lightsaber was a bit silly, but it doesn't bother me that much.

I was also surprised at how restrained the fanservice was. Besides the shot of the X-Wings and the scene with the Falcon at the end, there was none of it. They could have gone all out, but they didn't, and I personally really like that.

 

TL;DR: I liked it, I'm hyped, and I'm sure it's going to be a good movie. Especially since JJ Abrams has already made a really good Star Wars Movie (called Star Trek).

[Joe]

So, the new Stormtroopers. As soon as I saw them I knew they looked familiar. Took me a while, but Apocalypse from the X-Men. It's the line of the mouth. Anyone else see it?

[vibeology]

I must have watched this trailer about a dozen times now and I love every second of it. It seems to have been designed to say "Do you see how unlike the prequels this is?", from the first shot even: real actor in a real costume in a real location looking sweaty and dirty. That's in such a stark contrast to the lifeless, artificial scenes of the prequels that they must have done this on purpose.

 

This! The thing that got me most excited about the film is that it used real places and real people. (Not that Portman and the others weren't real, only there was so much CGI.) Obviously there has to be CGI in a space movie nowadays but they've clearly also used real sets, real locations and it feels so much more grounded as a result. 

 

When you look at the behind the scenes from Eps 1-3 and see that the actors were standing in front of miles of green screen for every shot, its no wonder their performances were often lifeless. They had nothing to work with. This looks different and it gives me so much more hope that the characters will be realized people since the actors won't be hampered with such a challenge.

[Danny Franks]

I was also surprised at how restrained the fanservice was. Besides the shot of the X-Wings and the scene with the Falcon at the end, there was none of it. They could have gone all out, but they didn't, and I personally really like that.

This is something I found refreshing as well. I expected the teaser to start with something iconic from Star Wars; a lightsaber sparking up, a TIE Fighter's engines (one of my favourite Star Wars noises. There was just something so sinister about that sound, and the shape of them), the score in full flow. Something that would immediately scream "STAR WARS!" at the audience. The restraint of showing a desert landscape (which is clearly Star Wars, once you know it is) and then a guy in a Stormtrooper uniform, is an interesting way of approaching it. Hopefully it means that, while they will rely on the old iconography, they won't feel like slaves to it.

It's a cool way of doing it, because it does leave you guessing, the first time. 'Is this what I think it is? That looks like Tatooine.... Is that guy dressed as a Stormtrooper? Wait, that looks like R2....' It's not until the X-Wings appear that you know for sure what you're watching.

 

When you look at the behind the scenes from Eps 1-3 and see that the actors were standing in front of miles of green screen for every shot, its no wonder their performances were often lifeless. They had nothing to work with. This looks different and it gives me so much more hope that the characters will be realized people since the actors won't be hampered with such a challenge.

 

John Boyega was even sweating and out of breath. Something that I'm not sure ever happened in the prequels. No one ran, no one got dirty, no one got tired. Natalie Portman's top was artfully ripped to display her attractive midriff, but that's about it. It was all so lifeless and artificial. So you've got him in his worn-looking uniform, you've got Daisy Ridley on a knackered looking speeder-bike, and they're both clearly in the desert. It already looks more real than any of the prequels did. Star Wars was always a universe that felt old and lived in, that gave you a sense of age and depth, wherever you turned. The prequels didn't do that, despite all the grandiose talk about "a thousand generations".

 

Also, that teaser has garnered almost nine million views on youtube, in just two days. Far more likely to break the internet than whatshername's airbrushed arse.

[DollEyes]

  Loved the trailer. If the goal was to make me count the days until December 18th, 2015, then mission accomplished. I don't give a shit about lens flare or whether or not they should have used models for the spaceships. As long as the film has a great script, great direction, great characters, great performances, the Millennium Falcon, light sabers, John Williams' score and doesn't have Jar Jar Binks, I'm good.

 

And now, here's LEGO's adorable take on the trailer, which apparently was done in 24 hours:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BKHhP8sUR8

Edited December 2, 2014 by DollEyes

[Joe]

Here's something interesting. I rewatched the trailer, pausing and restarting. The Falcon dives towards the ground, it's the camera that does all kinds of fancy moves. Very tricky. Fooled me first dozen times. Was it heading up? Spinning? No. Dive and then flatten out. Possibly because the TIEs are close to the ground themselves, and it's a clever way of getting on roughly the same plane. The next 54 weeks are going to be really long.

[VCRTracking]

 

When you look at the behind the scenes from Eps 1-3 and see that the actors were standing in front of miles of green screen for every shot, its no wonder their performances were often lifeless. They had nothing to work with. This looks different and it gives me so much more hope that the characters will be realized people since the actors won't be hampered with such a challenge.

 

I'm tired of this critique because on the show Once Upon a Time most of the scenes taking place in "fairy tale land" that have grand sets are really shot in front of a greenscreen because of the limited TV budget. The acting might be cheesy sometimes but it's not "lifeless". The actors their chew the (imaginary scenery). Any actor, especially coming from theater and working on stages with the minimum of sets is supposed to be able to pretend. Also most of the cringeworthy scenes in Attack of the Clones take place on real sets or on location in Lake Como.

 

It's the same with the "There's too much CGI" complaint. Well the best shots in the TFA teaser were CGI, the difference was one, they were of familiar things like X-Wings and the Falcon. And two, they were shot in a dynamic way and realistic-looking way, with shaking camera and water droplets with the X-wings, and the camera trying to follow the falcon and the sunlight causing a lensflare(yes JJ actually used it correctly).

Edited December 2, 2014 by VCRTracking

[absnow54]

I think the biggest issue with Episodes 1-3 was that Lucas was more interested in the visual effects than he was in telling a story. Yes, actors can do fine in front of a green screen, but when you hand them a script that has stilted dialogue and the only direction notes you can give is "faster" and "louder", you're not going to get the best performance. Yes, actors have to pretend, but to make a movie work, they all have to be on the same page, and in my opinion, Lucas failed to give them that page. That's not to say that his directing was the entirety of the problem. Hayden Christensen was pretty terrible at everything but walking menacingly.

 

As for the CGI, I think there's a balance. It's a space movie, so there's going to be special effects, and George Lucas set the bar with his imaginative effects and has been raising it ever since. It wouldn't be Star Wars without those sorts of effects. Too much CGI territory, to me, is when 90% of the sets and characters have to be CGI. The original trilogy felt more grounded because the actors were in the snow or the trees or the desert. They were effected by the elements, they gave visceral reactions because they were witnessing things. You could pay attention to what they were doing because there weren't 400 other critters taking up the frame. I think some of the tweaks Lucas made to the visual effects in the earlier trilogy worked. He added life to some scenes that were originally barren, so I do think that it has a place in the films, but again, he was building on scenes that were filmed in natural environments, and not worlds created entirely through a computer. 

[Danny Franks]

It's not CGI effects themselves that were the problem with the prequels, it's the way they were used and the way they dictated the structure of the movies.

 

Because so much of it was filmed on small, green screen stages, the movie was static and distinctly un-dynamic, from start to finish. You'd have two people standing in a room, talking, two people walking down a corridor, talking. The shots are usually from locked cameras, there's just nothing happening to keep the eye on the screen. And when all you've got is the dialogue and acting, it's so much easier to see that both sucked, in those movies.

 

The action scenes were impressive technical feats, but what's the point if you're not connected to the characters involved? I never gave the tiniest shit what happened to Anakin, so why would I care if some droids were shooting lasers at his ship? It's all sound and fury, signifying nothing.

 

Plenty of movies have used lots of CGI, and still managed to tell compelling stories with much loved characters. LOTR being a perfect example, in my view, of how CGI should be used within the confines of your story, to enhance it rather than swamp it. So much CGI in that movie, yet all of it was about drawing the audience in, about selling the plight of the characters that you'd come to love. Take the Battle of Helm's Deep (which still used lots of practical sets and effects, too). By that stage, you're rooting for Aragorn, Theoden and pals because you like them. You identify with them and you see their enemies as evil villains who need to be defeated. The CGI is great, but if you didn't care about the old king making the grand speeches, would it hold your interest? It wouldn't hold mine.