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What was George Lucas's worst decision with the Star Wars franchise?

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What was the worst decision Lucas has ever made with the Star Wars franchise?

I used to think it was the Special Editions, but in light of TFA and Rogue One, I might say it was maybe selling the franchise to Disney.

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generalfrevious said:

I used to think it was the special editions, but in light of TFA and Rogue One I might say it was maybe selling the franchise to Disney.

You were much closer with the first answer there, but to be more specific his worst decision was not making the special editions, but rather using it to bury the original editions. Nothing else he’s done has even come close, not even the PT.

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Lord Haseo said:

Not watching the OT before writing the PT.

Lol, true, but I think his worst decision with the PT was not letting someone else direct it. He’s a big picture story guy, but he’s no good with actors or dialogue.

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generalfrevious said:

What was the worst decision Lucas has ever made with the Star Wars franchise?

I used to think it was the special editions, but in light of TFA and Rogue One I might say it was maybe selling the franchise to Disney.

I thought you liked TFA?

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He changed his mind when he read some bad reviews, IIRC.

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His worst decision was not to release all versions of OT in HD.

真実

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TV’s Frink said:

Lord Haseo said:

Not watching the OT before writing the PT.

Lol, true, but I think his worst decision with the PT was not letting someone else direct it. He’s a big picture story guy, but he’s no good with actors or dialogue.

The fundamental problems with the PT lie within their scripts…they’re broken on essentially every level. Hand a blind squirrel a camera and as long as the scripts are solid you would end up with a better PT than what we got.

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Lord Haseo said:

The fundamental problems with the PT lie within their scripts…they’re broken on essentially every level. Hand a blind squirrel a camera and as long as the scripts are solid you would end up with a better PT than what we got.

Actually, I think it’s even more basic than that. Underneath the script there is “the story”. The script is the execution of the story. But in the PT case, the fundamental story is the problem. I think George’s vision of Star Wars is very different than what we got in the Original Trilogy, and I think he harbors a lot of animosity because of it. He considers it his story, his universe, but all of these other ideas and conceits from Kersh and Kurtz and studio execs and actors got in the way and messed up his baby.

I think the Special Edition, including the ridiculous editing mistakes, and the prequels and the midichlorians and Yoda spinning around with a lightsaber, are all very much more in tune with George Lucas’s vision of Star Wars than what we got in the OOT.

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TV’s Frink said:

generalfrevious said:

I used to think it was the special editions, but in light of TFA and Rogue One I might say it was maybe selling the franchise to Disney.

You were much closer with the first answer there, but to be more specific his worst decision was not making the special editions, but rather using it to bury the original editions. Nothing else he’s done has even come close, not even the PT.

There are not words to express the depths to which I agree with this statement. Well put, sir.

“That Darth Vader, man. Sure does love eating Jedi.”

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Alderaan said:

Lord Haseo said:

The fundamental problems with the PT lie within their scripts…they’re broken on essentially every level. Hand a blind squirrel a camera and as long as the scripts are solid you would end up with a better PT than what we got.

Actually, I think it’s even more basic than that. Underneath the script there is “the story”. The script is the execution of the story. But in the PT case, the fundamental story is the problem. I think George’s vision of Star Wars is very different than what we got in the Original Trilogy, and I think he harbors a lot of animosity because of it. He considers it his story, his universe, but all of these other ideas and conceits from Kersh and Kurtz and studio execs and actors got in the way and messed up his baby.

I think the Special Edition, including the ridiculous editing mistakes, and the prequels and the midichlorians and Yoda spinning around with a lightsaber, are all very much more in tune with George Lucas’s vision of Star Wars than what we got in the OOT.

I think if George’s vision was so skewed from the beginning STAR WARS wouldn’t be as great as it is. The universe aligned itself in a lot of ways to make that film what it is but George was the sole writer of the story and it’s one of the greatest stories ever told.

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Another vote for the SE’s. Not for doing them, but using them to erase something that had and still has a worldwide cultural impact. I will never support rewriting history.

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TV’s Frink said:

Lord Haseo said:

Not watching the OT before writing the PT.

Lol, true, but I think his worst decision with the PT was not letting someone else direct it. He’s a big picture story guy, but he’s no good with actors or dialogue.

This is absolutely spot on. To this day I will defend that the general story of the prequels is really strong but the execution was so awful. If he chose skilled directors then I think the prequel trilogy would have been loads better.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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Another ‘bash George’ opportunity. Okay, I’ll bite. 😉

As some have said, the fact that GL has managed to make his flawed SE versions the effective ‘default’ versions of the Original Trilogy for the masses, is just the pits.

However, one of my biggest bugbears against him is his decision to do a woeful PREQUEL storyline back in 1999…instead of doing a SEQUEL trilogy first…with a much older Luke, Han, and Leia…but who all still looked in prime condition back in that year, so long after ROTJ was done with! - his damned ‘tragic fall of Anakin’ storyline could have waited, and been done anytime after that.

I’ve seen footage of Carrie being interviewed back in 1999, and she was looking really fabulous. I’ve always wished that George had continued his ‘Luke Skywalker’ storyline in some way instead of the ‘prequels’ at that point…and retrospectively, wish that even more so now, considering that Carrie was sadly unable to reach the last of the current GL-free ‘sequel’ trilogy…

To be honest, I’d find it a jarring leap to go directly from watching ROTJ (Episode 6) to then watching TFA (Episode 7) afterwards, if I was doing the chapter ‘viewing order’ - and this is due to the great leap in age difference of the characters involved at this point. But luckily for me, I’m content to watch heavily-edited versions of the Prequel Trilogy as a ‘flashback storyline’ placed inbetween the Original Trilogy and Sequel Trilogy instalments instead…as a way to ease into the ‘age’ transition much better for myself. 😃

So yeah, the fact that George DIDN’T end up doing a SEQUEL trilogy where Carrie and the gang could have featured throughout at their marvellous best (even if Harrison STILL demanded to die at some point!), is one of his worst decisions as far as I’m concerned.

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ImperialFighter said:

Another ‘bash George’ opportunity. Okay, I’ll bite. 😉

As some have said, the fact that GL has managed to make his flawed SE versions the effective ‘default’ versions of the Original Trilogy for the masses, is just the pits.

However, one of my biggest bugbears against him is his decision to do a woeful PREQUEL storyline back in 1999…instead of doing a SEQUEL trilogy first…with a much older Luke, Han, and Leia…but who all still looked in prime condition back in that year, so long after ROTJ was done with! - his damned ‘tragic fall of Anakin’ storyline could have waited, and been done anytime after that.

I’ve seen footage of Carrie being interviewed back in 1999, and she was looking really fabulous. I’ve always wished that George had continued his ‘Luke Skywalker’ storyline in some way instead of the ‘prequels’ at that point…and retrospectively, wish that even more so now, considering that Carrie was sadly unable to reach the last of the current GL-free ‘sequel’ trilogy…

To be honest, I’d find it a jarring leap to go directly from watching ROTJ (Episode 6) to then watching TFA (Episode 7) afterwards, if I was doing the chapter ‘viewing order’ - and this is due to the great leap in age difference of the characters involved at this point. But luckily for me, I’m content to watch heavily-edited versions of the Prequel Trilogy as a ‘flashback storyline’ placed inbetween the Original Trilogy and Sequel Trilogy instalments instead…as a way to ease into the ‘age’ transition much better for myself. 😃

So yeah, the fact that George DIDN’T end up doing a SEQUEL trilogy where Carrie and the gang could have featured throughout at their marvellous best (even if Harrison STILL demanded to die at some point!), is one of his worst decisions as far as I’m concerned.

you’re operating under the most likely false assumption that those movies would have been good.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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If Lucas had gone the ST Trilogy route in the late 1990’s- Harrison wouldn’t have been in it. Han Solo would have been MIA.

Mine is cutting up the original negative to create the Special Edition. That pisses me off to no end.

It seems like people are really embracing the new characters. In fact, the big question people ask me now about Star Wars is, “Are Finn and Poe gay lovers?” And really how the f*ck would I know? My second husband left me for a man, so my gaydar isn’t exactly what you’d call Death Star level quality. ----Carrie Fisher

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Anything made by George Lucas 1990s and beyond would have been a terrible movie. He did his best to ruin Return of the Jedi, and spent most of the 1980s making the terrible Ewoks and Droids TV shows and cartoons.

The man had a lot of positive attributes as a filmmaker, and when working in collaboration with others who brought their own skill sets and talents to the production, he was able to make a few brilliant films. Once he gained the power and money to do whatever he wanted, his limitations went on full display.

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I liked Droids, but the degree of Lucas’ hands on involvement in the overall production I’m unsure of. (Droids only ran one season, and Ewoks two.) In any case, he did work on two more Indiana Jones movies that same decade, (plus Willow) and co produced Labyrinth and the animated film Twice Upon A Time. Not to mention Captain Eo and Star Tours for Disney.
In before Alderaan invokes Howard The Duck. 😉

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