Ziz said:
But that's Lucas' point - are the prequels really as bad as people say they are, or do people THINK they're bad because of all the build-up to what fans were expecting over the years?
With each series - SW or Indy - you've got 20 years of familiarity and maturity in between there. No matter how hard you try, you're not looking at the new film thru the same eyes or with the same attitude as you did the originals, so naturally you're going to be more critical of it.
I'm not saying the PT or Crystal Skull are flawless - sure they have their rough spots, But are those the fault of the film making process or is the audience just better at finding the faults than they were 20 years ago?
But that's Lucas' point - are the prequels really as bad as people say they are, or do people THINK they're bad because of all the build-up to what fans were expecting over the years?
With each series - SW or Indy - you've got 20 years of familiarity and maturity in between there. No matter how hard you try, you're not looking at the new film thru the same eyes or with the same attitude as you did the originals, so naturally you're going to be more critical of it.
I'm not saying the PT or Crystal Skull are flawless - sure they have their rough spots, But are those the fault of the film making process or is the audience just better at finding the faults than they were 20 years ago?
No, but these movies are living off their names, and that is why people are going to see them, despite being average movies. Do you think that Lucas could have put out a movie like TPM as the first SW movie, and it would be as popular as SW? Do you think Lucas/Spielberg could have put out The Crystal Skull and it would be as popular as Raiders?
I saw Temple of Doom back in '84, and after the first viewing didn't think it was a great as Raiders. I didn't even see Last Crusade in '89, cause I wasn't juiced for it, and when I finallly saw it on HBO, it was the 3rd best. I still havent' seen Indy IV, cause I know it will be more of the same, so I will wait for DVD and rent it one night.
What Lucas doesn't get is that we always thought the sequels were inferior!!!! Except Empire, most sequels are not as good, and if anyone was around in the 80's/90's, people unloaded on sequels that sucked: Superman III & IV, Jurassic Park II & III, Batman & Robin, Rocky V, I could go on and on. And the most controversial Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions, where many thought they were brilliant, and just as many think they are pure shit.
Nothing has changed in assessing these movies, only Lucas is more on the defensive because this was the first time HIS movies were getting criticized by the fans. Just tell Lucas to ask Stallone about how fans felt about Rocky V. Fans like myself really hated that movie so much he almost ruined the series, and redeemed himself with Rocky VI.
What Lucas doesn't get is nobody goes into these sequels/prequels expecting a classic movie like the original, it is so rare (Aliens, Empire, GodfatherII), but there are really good sequels like Rocky II, Superman II, and T2 that don't rely on the brand name to sell the movie. I don't think the PT is crap but I don't think they are good movies either, and if it didn't have Star Wars slapped in front of it, I probably would have never given it a second viewing.