I agree, the whole set up of the window/Windu scene is very sophisticated. Horribly framed, terribly directed. Even stalwart actor of the prequels Ian McDiarmid loses his mojo. But the situation is impressively sophisticated. Makes you wonder how it would played out in JJ’s hands.
This is the problem with Star Wars and Terminator and just about any film that is in a ‘franchise’ as opposed to a series of stories.
People are so nervous about screwing it up that they swerve from one form of less than satisfaction to another.
Lucas’ whimsy and energy (creative not physical, he barely moved the camera) worked in a team of people where he had to fight to keep his ideas and notions in the mix. Once he became the Emperor and anyone that might obstruct him was removed he had nothing to steer him on course.
With Disney they want to make a film for the ‘masses’ so everything is either a variation on or a call back to something that already worked and the audience might remember and feel included and happy with themselves for getting it.
That Vincent Ward’s Alien 3 ever got green lit after the money Aliens made is astonishing. That it was watered down and smashed into the unrecognisable mess that is the theatrical cut of Fincher’s film is less of a surprise.
At least TFA makes the same amount of narrative sense as ANH.