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What was George Lucas's worst decision with the Star Wars franchise? — Page 2

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SilverWook said:

he did work on…

That’s different from being in complete creative control.

George Lucas undoubtedly has strengths as a filmmaker, even to this day. But he has a lot of weaknesses, and I don’t think his vision of Star Wars was ever the same as the one that got portrayed in the OT.

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CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

ImperialFighter said:

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.

Well, I’m certainly operating under the assumption that even if they had turned out as awful as his prequels did, then at least we might have had the core cast involved in their prime.

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I generally agree with a lot of this thread. Burying the OOT is probably the worst thing he’s done.

I think the issue with a Lucas-directed Sequel Trilogy in the 90s-2000s is that there would have been a massive chance to ruin three characters we all love. As it is, he just ruined a bunch of new characters or older characters that change so much by the time of ANH that it doesn’t matter, so all of that can be safely disregarded. With a really bad 90s Sequel Trilogy, we would have just had to deal with the fact that a lot of our favorite characters would have just been trashed.

If Lucasfilm had been more collaborative at the time, I’d have been down with seeing the Big Three back in their primes, but there’s a reason they call those years the Dark Ages.

Keep Circulating the Tapes.

END OF LINE

(It hasn’t happened yet)

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Tyrphanax said:

I generally agree with a lot of this thread. Burying the OOT is probably the worst thing he’s done.

I think the issue with a Lucas-directed Sequel Trilogy in the 90s-2000s is that there would have been a massive chance to ruin three characters we all love.

In before they were ruined by Disney nonsense.

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Tyrphanax said:

If Lucasfilm had been more collaborative at the time, I’d have been down with seeing the Big Three back in their primes, but there’s a reason they call those years the Dark Ages.

It doesn’t matter. We are in the new Dark Ages. I used to think Lucas was the worst thing to happen to Star Wars, but now I know it’s Disney. Soon OOT fans won’t even be allowed to own Star Wars merchandise. Disney will send out people to break into our houses and replace our Darth Vader toys with Kylo Ren toys, and the same with Luke and Rey, and all the other Rehash Wars characters. The OT will be a distant memory. Disney will destroy every copy of those films that exist. Enjoy them while they last.

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DominicCobb said:

Tyrphanax said:

If Lucasfilm had been more collaborative at the time, I’d have been down with seeing the Big Three back in their primes, but there’s a reason they call those years the Dark Ages.

It doesn’t matter. We are in the new Dark Ages. I used to think Lucas was the worst thing to happen to Star Wars, but now I know it’s Disney. Soon OOT fans won’t even be allowed to own Star Wars merchandise. Disney will send out people to break into our houses and replace our Darth Vader toys with Kylo Ren toys, and the same with Luke and Rey, and all the other Rehash Wars characters. The OT will be a distant memory. Disney will destroy every copy of those films that exist. Enjoy them while they last.

B+ frevious parody. You needed a few Holocaust references to get it up to an A.

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TV’s Frink said:

Tyrphanax said:

I generally agree with a lot of this thread. Burying the OOT is probably the worst thing he’s done.

I think the issue with a Lucas-directed Sequel Trilogy in the 90s-2000s is that there would have been a massive chance to ruin three characters we all love.

In before they were ruined by Disney nonsense.

I am afraid you were too late.

真実

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TV’s Frink said:

DominicCobb said:

Tyrphanax said:

If Lucasfilm had been more collaborative at the time, I’d have been down with seeing the Big Three back in their primes, but there’s a reason they call those years the Dark Ages.

It doesn’t matter. We are in the new Dark Ages. I used to think Lucas was the worst thing to happen to Star Wars, but now I know it’s Disney. Soon OOT fans won’t even be allowed to own Star Wars merchandise. Disney will send out people to break into our houses and replace our Darth Vader toys with Kylo Ren toys, and the same with Luke and Rey, and all the other Rehash Wars characters. The OT will be a distant memory. Disney will destroy every copy of those films that exist. Enjoy them while they last.

B+ frevious parody. You needed a few Holocaust references to get it up to an A.

HOW DARE YOU, I NEVER MAKE LIGHT OF THE HOLOCAUST, I JUST POINT OUT ITS PARALLELS IN OUR DAY AND AGE.

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I don’t think Disney is going to take away people’s OT merchandise or stop people from watching the OOT. What could happen is that they pollute the franchise with studio mandated films with the same elements from ANH/ESB. Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

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generalfrevious said:
Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

I would rather have a film that’s watchable than to watch a bad film that’s only somewhat enjoyable when talking about how it could have been better in retrospect. But hey…

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imperialscum said:

TV’s Frink said:

Tyrphanax said:

I generally agree with a lot of this thread. Burying the OOT is probably the worst thing he’s done.

I think the issue with a Lucas-directed Sequel Trilogy in the 90s-2000s is that there would have been a massive chance to ruin three characters we all love.

In before they were ruined by Disney nonsense.

I am afraid you were too late.

No you aren’t and no I wasn’t. But thanks for your usual obvious comment that I called ahead of time. Which, granted, deserves no kudos considering how obvious it was that you would make it.

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Lord Haseo said:

generalfrevious said:
Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

I would rather have a film that’s watchable than to watch a bad film that’s only somewhat enjoyable when talking about how it could have been better in retrospect. But hey…

The prequels at least weren’t some cinematic universe with no end in sight like today. As unwatchable as they were, we knew Lucas couldn’t make more than three of them, and we had three years to recover from the trauma. Now Disney wants to make a film a year, based on a franchise (everybody admits) that was running out of steam by the the third installment. At least with Marvel they had decades of stories and dozens of superheroes to work with. All SW has are the elements from ANH/ESB that fanboys would be upset over if they were left out (TIE FIGHTERS!!! X-WINGS!!! AT-ATS AT-ATS!!!). Finally, at least Lucas ruined franchises he created; it’s not like a media conglomerate that buys up everything not nailed to the floor, and hired yes men who have ruined previous franchises (Jar Jar Abrams) to helm their corporate art. That why I think Lucas selling the franchise to Disney might be one of the worst thing he has ever done, behind the SE of course.

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generalfrevious said:

Lord Haseo said:

generalfrevious said:
Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

I would rather have a film that’s watchable than to watch a bad film that’s only somewhat enjoyable when talking about how it could have been better in retrospect. But hey…

we had three years to recover from the TRAUMA.

So sick of seeing people talk about the PT as if it was actually something that scarred them. Or maybe it’s just evidence of individuals who’ve done nothing with their lives and have no barometer of reality.
They were terrible films and that was very disappointing, but if the disappointment over some stupid movies caused you trauma, you gots problems.

Now Disney wants to make a film a year, based on a franchise (everybody admits) that was running out of steam by the the third installment.

I dunno who this movie reviewer whose opinion you cling so blindly to is, but this person is wrong. Many people consider ROTJ the weakest of the OT, but few thought the franchise was near “out of steam” after it’s release. When the PT was officially announced, you could hardly find anybody with even a slight concern that it might not turn out great.

Finally, at least Lucas ruined franchises he created… That why I think Lucas selling the franchise to Disney might be one of the worst thing he has ever done, behind the SE of course.

The creator ruining their own art doesn’t make the destruction any better than if if was done by a random vandal.

Ray’s Lounge
Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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Watch some of the worst movies MST3K ever did, uncut, and then we can talk about trauma. 😉

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Yeah. Red Zone Cuba left me suffering Bay of Pigs flashbacks, which should be impossible considering my age.

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ray_afraid said:

generalfrevious said:

Lord Haseo said:

generalfrevious said:
Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

I would rather have a film that’s watchable than to watch a bad film that’s only somewhat enjoyable when talking about how it could have been better in retrospect. But hey…

we had three years to recover from the TRAUMA.

So sick of seeing people talk about the PT as if it was actually something that scared them. Or maybe it’s just evidence of individuals who’ve done nothing with their lives and have no barometer of reality.
They were terrible films and that was very disappointing, but if the disappointment over some stupid movies caused you trauma, you gots problems.

Personally, I was never traumatized by the PT. But a lot of fanboys were, and I don’t want people here thinking I’m going soft on the prequels or saying they were good movies.

Now Disney wants to make a film a year, based on a franchise (everybody admits) that was running out of steam by the the third installment.

I dunno who this movie reviewer whose opinion you cling so blindly to is, but this person is wrong. Many people consider ROTJ the weakest of the OT, but few thought the franchise was near “out of steam” after it’s release. When the PT was officially announce, you could hardly find anybody with even a slight concern that it might not turn out great.

Hindsight proves that the franchise ran out of steam years before Episode I came out. The prequels have nothing in them to justify a two-hour running time, when they’re not stealing elements from the OT to make them “like poetry.” I’ll be proven right when this whole cinematic universe trend collapses on itself in a few years, and all that’s left are half a dozen glorified fan films that just repeat all the plot beats from ANH/ESB. No one will remember TFA or Rogue One as fondly as ESB in twenty years.

Finally, at least Lucas ruined franchises he created… That why I think Lucas selling the franchise to Disney might be one of the worst thing he has ever done, behind the SE of course.

The creator ruining their own art doesn’t make the destruction any better than if if was done by a random vandal.

I’d rather have an artist ruin his own work in an act of madness that see some corporate boardroom churn out half a million tons of garbage no one will care about a week later.

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DuracellEnergizer said:

Yeah. Red Zone Cuba left me suffering Bay of Pigs flashbacks, which should be impossible considering my age.

I once tried watching Beast Of Yucca Flats uncut. Big mistake. Never has there been a director with such a soul sucking bleak cinematic vision like Coleman Francis. 😉

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Where were you in '77?

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ray_afraid said:

generalfrevious said:

Lord Haseo said:

generalfrevious said:
Say what you want about the prequels, they were at least interesting failures as opposed to passable filler.

I would rather have a film that’s watchable than to watch a bad film that’s only somewhat enjoyable when talking about how it could have been better in retrospect. But hey…

we had three years to recover from the TRAUMA.

So sick of seeing people talk about the PT as if it was actually something that scarred them. Or maybe it’s just evidence of individuals who’ve done nothing with their lives and have no barometer of reality.
They were terrible films and that was very disappointing, but if the disappointment over some stupid movies caused you trauma, you gots problems.

I guess this is partially referring to my post in the other thread. I put the word traumatic in “” to indicate it was not actually traumatic but just memorable enough in a bad way.

Besides, I do not see the reason why would you be upset by how someone feels about some film. It affects you in no way whatsoever. Being upset by something like this is actually way more pathetic than being scarred by a film.

真実

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Well some people like Star Wars more than others. Given that my obsession is dwarfed by the love and devotion of others I can see why someone might see the PT has being somewhat traumatic. But is it anywhere close to seeing someone beheaded by a plastic knife? Fuck no. There has been more than enough time to “grieve” and if you can’t get passed that it does speak to some level of immaturity.

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Not letting go of SW in the sense of how it became a project to generate funds and abandoning the general ideas of why he started making films in the first place.

But moreover selling to disney if I’m perfectly honest.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
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I think George’s worst decission was not to trust himself enough.

Unlike what most of people think, at times (and only at times) I believe he failed on looking and caring way too much what other people (the industry) was doing when he engaged the prequels. The chosen one thing was taken from Matrix. The Coliseum in AOTC from Gladiator. Qui Gonn came out of someone’s suggestion.

In his initial schemes for TPM back in '97, the Jedi duo was supposed to be ObiWan and a teen Anakin. Had it gone that way without caring about loosing market (sorry, audience) with Matrix or Lord of the Rings, the PT would have turned out a better arc. But from there on, a chain reaction of bad choices took place, of which Jar Jar was just the least important (though perhaps the most evident) of all (if there was no baby Anakin, there was no need of going to Tatooine, or at least not in the same terms where comic releaf was needed to make a light-hearted middle act in a dull desert planet).

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captainsolo said:

But moreover selling to disney if I’m perfectly honest.

Somehow if Star Wars was just over that would be better? I’ll never understand how people can’t just ignore what they don’t like.

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Mithrandir said:

I think George’s worst decission was not to trust himself enough.

Unlike what most of people think, at times (and only at times) I believe he failed on looking and caring way too much what other people (the industry) was doing when he engaged the prequels. The chosen one thing was taken from Matrix. The Coliseum in AOTC from Gladiator. Qui Gonn came out of someone’s suggestion.

In his initial schemes for TPM back in '97, the Jedi duo was supposed to be ObiWan and a teen Anakin. Had it gone that way without caring about loosing market (sorry, audience) with Matrix or Lord of the Rings, the PT would have turned out a better arc. But from there on, a chain reaction of bad choices took place, of which Jar Jar was just the least important (though perhaps the most evident) of all (if there was no baby Anakin, there was no need of going to Tatooine, or at least not in the same terms where comic releaf was needed to make a light-hearted middle act in a dull desert planet).

There are chosen one types in ancient mythology though, and Edgar Rice Burroughs was having John Carter battle Martians in a gladitorial arena over a century ago. So much has been outright lifted from ERB’s books, that when Disney made John Carter, it seemed like a rehash of those concepts to the uninitiated.

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SilverWook said:

Mithrandir said:

I think George’s worst decission was not to trust himself enough.

Unlike what most of people think, at times (and only at times) I believe he failed on looking and caring way too much what other people (the industry) was doing when he engaged the prequels. The chosen one thing was taken from Matrix. The Coliseum in AOTC from Gladiator. Qui Gonn came out of someone’s suggestion.

In his initial schemes for TPM back in '97, the Jedi duo was supposed to be ObiWan and a teen Anakin. Had it gone that way without caring about loosing market (sorry, audience) with Matrix or Lord of the Rings, the PT would have turned out a better arc. But from there on, a chain reaction of bad choices took place, of which Jar Jar was just the least important (though perhaps the most evident) of all (if there was no baby Anakin, there was no need of going to Tatooine, or at least not in the same terms where comic releaf was needed to make a light-hearted middle act in a dull desert planet).

There are chosen one types in ancient mythology though, and Edgar Rice Burroughs was having John Carter battle Martians in a gladitorial arena over a century ago. So much has been outright lifted from ERB’s books, that when Disney made John Carter, it seemed like a rehash of those concepts to the uninitiated.

I don’t know about the casting of kid Anakin, since any reasonable director who was listening to the input of writers/fans/other people in general, would have gone with the troubled teenager from the first draft. I suspect that George wanted to be edgy and buck the expectation with his casting of Jake Lloyd as the most Leave It To Beaver innocent youth he could find. I believe his stated reason was that Darth Vader is only a tragic tale if he begins as an inherently good person who is nevertheless corrupted by evil, and if that story were well told, it could have been true. However, child Anakin has little relation to teenage Anakin, who has little relation to Darth Vader. It is a bridge too far, and what really felled Lucas was an inability to recognize and correct his directoral deficiencies.

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

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Yeah. I always contend that (beyond behind the scenes choices like who wrote the scripts and directed) the single biggest mistake that was made on the prequels was starting off with kid Anakin, for oh so many reasons.