Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Star Wars VII

  Yep, you read that right. Star Wars 7. 
  Apparently, Disney spent 4.05 billion to acquire Skywalker Sound, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and the Indiana franchise, they announced a tentative release date of 2015. 
  Apparently a Disney representative mentioned that they had every intention of making more than one film. He said to the effect of episode 7 in 2015, and then episode 8 the next year, and 9 the year after, and see where they go from there then. 
   I admit that getting Lucas away from Star Wars is probably one of the best things that could happen. However, will it now get even more childish, or will they actually try and do something with that space fantasy.
  I was a fan myself, but I saw it for what it was even then. It wasn't science fiction, not even back when it came out. Lucas himself called it a Space Fantasy, and that is what it was. But after the first one, (episode 4), it just kind of went to shit. Everything could be seen coming so easily, and then when he got to the prequels, he went totally off base. The man goes from a mystical energy field, to symbiotic creatures in the blood as an explanation of the Force. Doesn't work. You can turn sci-fi into space fantasy, or science fantasy, but you can't do it the other way around. 
  And as for Disney, look what they did back then to a great movie, or could have been, called The Black Hole. We ended up with this nonsense about a black hole leading to heaven or hell. 
  And no folks, it isn't that I grew up when it comes to star wars. I'm an avid follower of bad movies, and anime of all types, even that childish Super Hero Squad that I watched every episode of.  Still Love Astro Boy too. So maybe this will be a good thing.
   Then again, if they go from what Lucas originally had planned, (which was the rebuilding of the old republic) and would decide to pick up shortly after the original 3, where would you get the people to play those characters now. And would they be accepted. 
  You know, I think I will be waiting much more anxiously for season 10 of Red Dwarf, (which is airing now in Britain) before I m ever waiting for episode 7.
  Anyway, here's a link for all interested. And also have 1 web series review later this week, and maybe 2. Depends what breaks, blows up, or blows out (my back again) next.  Meant to have those two watched and up here almost 2 weeks ago. Hell, I'm even an episode behind on Arrow. And the CW site sucks for playback usually.




4 comments:

Beam Me Up said...

I think I sat still for The Empire Strikes Back because the first three or so were in series and bought right into "there is another" and the heavy handed who is Luke's father. But when they started to redo, remaster back story fill and that freak with the big floppy ears, I was out.

Disney? I really don't hold any hope that the end product will be anything but mindless mush. But George selling out? What am I missing here?

kallamis said...

Honestly, I think he will still be heading things in a lot of places, but he said he wanted to move away from star wars, and hand it over to a new generation. Yeah, I think we're doomed.
I made it through the original 3 pretty much okay, to a point. And as for the prequels, I sat through them on dvd for one reason. The fight. After the first one of those I knew Lucas had lost it on that series.
And as for floppy ear, I know everyone hates him. However, considering the wooden acting by most of the rest of the cast, he was a welcome relief. Now you know how far I slipped at what he did to it. It's also usually the fastest way to really set of certain fans. Okay, I admit it. I have a small evil streak in me.

Dave Tackett said...

I certainly understand the concern here and agree with you both on virtually all points. But (you knew, contrarian that I am, that there would be a “but”) this is not a cause for worry; It’s a cause for hope, not a lot of hope, but some.

First as you noted in part, during the initial success of the Star Wars movie (episode IV) Lucas said he planned to make three trilogies, a central trilogy (episodes IV-VI), a fall of the Old Republic trilogy (episodes I-III), and a last stand of the Empire trilogy (episodes VII-IX) which would center on the children of Luke and Leia – adult decedents we assumed. More movies is just following the original plan from before Lucas decided that he was too rich to care about his fans. They won’t be starring the characters from the classic films (except maybe C3PO and R2D2), but their decedents.

Second, what could be done to hurt the franchise that Lucas hasn’t already done to it. Four fatally flawed movies in a row, Star Wars Christmas special and Ewok movies, so much licensing that the big budget episode one had made a profit before it was even released.

Third, Lucas has sucked for years at filmmaking and writing (Willow, Howard the Duck, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, etc.) Disney wants to make money, they will find someone better.

Fourth, Yes The Black Hole sucked, but more because it tried, and failed, to capitalize on Lucas’ formula – steal random ideas from better, but disparate, stories, mix them together, add lots of dumb comic relief, and hope you get lucky. Disney learned their lesson, when The Black Hole bombed. Lucas stayed with his formula even after Howard the Duck and Willow bombed because it is all he ever had.

Fifth, as Yogi Berra might say “it’s Déjà vu all over again.” These worries are almost the exact same as those expressed when Disney bought Marvel. Snarky fanboys were expecting The Hulk and Thor to get singing animal buddies and worse. It didn’t happen. Look at the big budget Marvel films released by other studios [X-Men (1-3, origins – wolverine, first class), The Hulk, Daredevil, Elektra, Fantastic Four 1-2, Spiderman 1-3] vs those by Disney owned Marvel Studios (Iron Man 1-2, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Avengers, Thor).

Now all taste is subject, but the average Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating of the thirteen non-Disney Marvels is 60, the average for the six Disney Marvel movies is 81, with every one above 60. For comparison, the average critics’ rating of Star Wars episodes 1-3 is 68.

The same pattern is true for fan ratings at IMDb. The thirteen non-Disney Marvels average 6.5, the six Disney Marvel movies average 7.4, and SW Episodes 1-3 average 7.0.

While none of this guarantees anything, it does seem likely that any Disney made Star Wars movie will be significantly better received by fans and critics than the latest SW trilogy.

Beam Me Up said...

excellently put Dave. Boy I wish I could get you and Kall on audio with this point and counterpoint, is really thought out. Excellent point both! Anytime you gents decide to put your thoughts into audio, please let me know! Thanks so much for your input Dave!