by Nick - 06.11.08
I know Rumas will defend them until his fanboy heart bursts, but the new Star Wars movies just aren’t that good. Sure, if I’m in a forgiving mood I can following along and not really pay attention and enjoy the overall story and scope, but that’s hard to do sometimes.
Just in the last week I have watched both Empire Strikes Back and Revenge of the Sith and I figured out one of the major problems that I have with the films… their visuals. In Episodes 1-3 (although more so in in 2 and 3) everything just feels… fake. Why is it that almost every floor in the movie was green screen and has a weird surface on it? Characters don’t even look like they are standing on anything. And why is it that there isn’t a single real Stormtrooper suit? I mean really, even if you had 10 practical stormtroopers to interact with the real actors it would have been so much better. Come on people, build some stuff out of metal and wood!
Looking at this new trailer for the all CG Clone Wars movie I instantly feel like the world is more real. Odd, but true. When everything is set in the same world (this one being all CG) it just feels better. It also doesn’t hurt that the acting seems to be better and coming off the awesome Star Wars: Clone Wars series by Tartakovsky (although I’m extremely confused as to why the whole 2003 series seems to have been wiped from the mind of the Lucas) this should be an action packed adventure.
Anyway, check out the new trailer. Sweet. The movie hits theaters on August 15th and a new weekly computer-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series on Cartoon Network will follow in the fall.
I totally agree. There was a similar post to this about puppets Vs. CG and this is like a sequel to that one.
However, I don’t like the way this new show (show or movie?) looks. I LOVED the Samurai Jack guy’s Clone Wars and I don’t think this will live up to that.
rbelmont - 06.12.08 1:08 am
Unfortunatelly it looks and moves more like a game than a movie…
Games Bargains! - 06.12.08 1:31 am
Paraphrased from the Episode 1 RiffTrax: Hey Mike, you know what I really like in my action movies? Lots and lots of talking about trade disputes.
I forgave Lucas for too long for the prequels and for totally fucking up the original trilogy. After watching the prequels with the Rifftrax accompanying them, I can’t defend anything about them whatsoever. I’d much rather watch Troll 2 or Manos: The Hands of Fate than the Star Wars prequels.
Shaun Hatton - 06.12.08 9:10 am
Well.. the colors look a lot more saturated and better than they did in the last trailer for this.
It just looks like bad video game cg cutscenes though.. Anyone else think the animation looks rather stiff?
Namssorg - 06.12.08 9:22 am
I’m keeping my hopes up…still not quite sure what to think, but I’m keeping my hopes up.
N Rumas - 06.12.08 11:10 am
I concur Nick. Too much CG…too much fakeness in the prequels.
The battle scene on Naboo looked less real than that grassy field desktop that came packaged with Windows XP.
Drew Kora - 06.12.08 1:34 pm
Personally, I think it SHOULD look more like a game than a movie. What made the Clone Wars series was that it was larger than life. Mace Windu leaping 200 feet, force-blasting hundreds of robots at once…THAT is what I want the Clone Wars to be about! I think they have the right idea with this one, and I hope it is as good as it looks.
And Nick, why do you think Lucas forgot the 2003 series? As far as I can tell, this takes place before that one (or somewhere in the middle), since the events of the cartoon series lead directly into Episode III. You have to give Lucas credit: He can spin out the Clone Wars for years, since you have no idea how long it lasted. Plus, that’s what every has wanted to see since the original Star Wars.
Andy Bates - 06.12.08 1:51 pm
I agree with Shaun.
See the Rifftrax (new MST3K) version…..it’s worth it (so is the Rifftrax Matrix #2…..funniest yet).
Robotron - 06.12.08 6:13 pm
I think it is really stupid how Gennedy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars is apparently null and void. I bet it’s because it made Lucas look bad…it’s better than all three prequels combined, and it made General Grievous look BAD ASS instead of making him out to be a whiny coward we are somehow supposed to be afraid of.
9th Sage - 06.12.08 9:30 pm
Where did you read the animated is wiped from george lucas head? this is a continuation of the same thing, using the same character designs,and chronological timing the only thing missing is tartakovsky who is doing a Samurai Jack movie…
ridgecity - 06.13.08 5:04 am
Am I the only one that thinks this will be really good? I think it looks fantastic.
DCSimian - 06.13.08 10:26 am
Tartakovsky needs to make a Dexter’s Lab movie.
jam - 06.13.08 7:53 pm
I agree, overall. The prequels weren’t as good, a lot could have been done to make them great but Lucas has lost his touch as a storyteller.
That being said, I think Revenge of the Sith is pretty darn good. If only they started with that quality and built up.
For technological/visual/storytelling perfection of the epic/fantasy look no further than Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson did an amazing job from top to bottom on those movies.
Still, I’ll fight to the death that the original Star Wars > Lord of the Rings.
benny - 06.13.08 9:40 pm
I get quite annoyed when people complain about the prequels having too much political gibber-gabber to them, and not enough action. Lucas himself has said since the original came out over 30 years ago that he made the last 3, because the first 3 (ie, prequels) were so political/dialog heavy, that the studio wasn’t signing off on it.
It was only after decades of people BEGGING for new Star Wars that he went back to those original drafts for I-III and put the prequels together. If you read the Making of… A New Hope book, you’ll get a much better understanding of why the prequels are the way they are.
Amrcanpoet - 06.14.08 1:09 am
Actually, now that you mention it, I’m not sure where I got the notion…but still, the General Grievous comment stands. I was so dissappointed by him in the movies after watching him be awesome in the animated series.
9th Sage - 06.14.08 9:44 am
I think this looks amazing, and I can’t wait. But what does Yoda say in the trailer? It sounds like he says “Anakin Skywalker is the Republic’s only hope.” but he doesn’t quite get the “Anakin” out. It sounds like “An Skywalker.” Is he saying “young Skywalker?” I need to know!
davey - 07.03.08 3:03 pm