CatBus said:

Same with Lucas, really. Maybe Lucas WANTED to make a trashy slapstick derivative space adventure with terrible dialogue and a backstory that's somewhere between inconsistent and incomprehensible. Honestly that DOES describe Buck Rogers, oft-cited as a SW inspiration. Maybe that WAS the "original vision" he's always going on about.

yes but the real reason he wanted to make a trashy derivative poorly scripted film is not because of some sentimental attachment or homage. its because it requires less work and less talent - 2 requirements for anything lucas is involved with. later on, after the TPM backlash, he did it intentionally to spite the fans.

So when Star Wars became a huge phenomenon, Lucas thought it was a validation of his "derivative slapstick" philosophy. He completely failed to grasp that it was the other stuff people liked. It's not a matter of his having hated Star Wars all along, it's a matter of him never comprehending what Star Wars was about to begin with (as far as its fans were concerned).

not really, he knew all along. His closing comments in the Making of TPM book prove he knew he was making a worthless movie. for the OT, he just internally and publicly accepted credit for it. and its also one thing to know and recognize a good thing and entirely another to try and recreate it yourself if you dont have the talent.