Star Wars: Episode VII to be directed by J.J. Abrams **NON SPOILER THREAD** — Page 69

they even used giant landscape models for the se.

and it doesn't help that lucas was always trumpeting everything being digital before and all through the making of the prequels.

I've seen some bad 'shops, but that one might take the cake.

I know Michael Pennington can act but he is comically awful in ROTJ (he looked like he was going to pee his pants all the time Vader was onscreen).

Julian Glover who is my favorite Who villain...probably...and perfectly fine in ESB is similarly awful in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade but Denholm Elliott and John Rhys-Davies are pretty awful in that film too and there are no doubts about their talent.

imperialscum said:

And I have never really understood fans complaining about CGI. CGI isn't inherently bad. It can be a very useful tool.

did anyone think the cg, especially things like the clone uniforms, look better when projected on 35mm film?

imperialscum said:

Bingowings said:

I know Michael Pennington can act but he is comically awful in ROTJ (he looked like he was going to pee his pants all the time Vader was onscreen).

That's not awful, that was exactly what he had to act. The whole purpose of Vader's arrival was to "put him back on schedule" and Vader had a particular reputation by that time. The point of the first scene is to establish Emperor's reputation through Vader's reputation. Pennington did a great job in that scene. He acted a bit unconcerned when only Vader was in the picture, but when Vader mentioned Emperor he did almost pee himself.

That's how the five year olds in the audience are meant to act.

The officer class have always been disdainful or cautious around Vader but never comedicaly cowardly.

Originally Jejerrod was meant to be a rival for Vader to spar against (a Tarkin on the up) but in the final version he is a joke.

It might have paid off if it was shown to be an act and he double crossed Vader who was now seen as a bit of a pathetic choke-joke (there are hints of this in the deleted scenes) but as it stands his performance is one I would remove if I were doing an SE not Seb Shaw's ghost.

You don't put a guy like that in charge of getting a space station completed 10 times faster than the last time.

imperialscum said:

Bingowings said:

imperialscum said:

Bingowings said:

I know Michael Pennington can act but he is comically awful in ROTJ (he looked like he was going to pee his pants all the time Vader was onscreen).

That's not awful, that was exactly what he had to act. The whole purpose of Vader's arrival was to "put him back on schedule" and Vader had a particular reputation by that time. The point of the first scene is to establish Emperor's reputation through Vader's reputation. Pennington did a great job in that scene. He acted a bit unconcerned when only Vader was in the picture, but when Vader mentioned Emperor he did almost pee himself.

The officer class have always been disdainful or cautious around Vader but never comedicaly cowardly.

That is just false. He isn't sacred of Vader. You just didn't read what I wrote? I pointed out that he did not seem to be concerned, intimidated or scared when it was just about Vader, despite the reputation Vader had. On the other hand, he only freaked out when Vader mentioned Emperor.

That is how it was supposed to be and that is how it is in the film. Unless you watched some other film. :)

He is clearly sacred of Vader, I remember the last time I saw it in a picture palace and some little kid near me said something along the lines of' "Look he is sacred of Darth Vader...Why?" and his dad (presumably) whispered, "yes Vader is scary even to the other bad guys".

He is just even more sacred of the Emperor which makes the scene even more comical.

Piett is sacred of Vader too only he is a bit less obvious about showing Vader that.

Ozzel wasn't sacred of Vader at all and probably paid the price for his lack of vision.

I think the boy read the actors well enough, the actors were just acting weirdly (thanks to the director probably).

Caroline Blakiston sometimes gives Ackbar some very strange looks (almost like fear) probably down to bad stage direction too.

The lesson for JJ is not only get good actors but have a good idea why people are doing things and make sure the actors act accordingly.

It's not complex. It's a basic exposition scene.

There is a new Death Star that we are meant to believe isn't working yet.

Vader has been sent to speed things up and the Emperor is on his way.

Vader is meant to be intimidating but the Emperor more so.

Pennington plays it all on one note (terror) which breaks the scene and renders it comedic.

If there had been some nuance to the performance the scene might have worked better and feel more realistic instead of playing for what it is (the opening exposition scene in a film).

It's a sign of things to come because the PT is littered with worse examples of blank unnatural exposition.

Hopefully JJ will not have too many scenes like it.

Story telling uses certain mechanisms but if the mechanism shows it breaks the functioning of the story. Paying no attention to the man behind the curtain is impossible once you notice him.

It doesn't feel real.

Fantasy needs to feel real more than stories grounded in the trappings of reality to compensate for the alienation created by the exotica of the fantastic.

In this respect I'm very earnest.

ROTJ was a shape of things to come (in the SE and the PT).

The ST if it is to work should take it's cue from the naturalistic fantasy of ESB and ANH.

Bingowings said:

The ST if it is to work should take it's cue from the naturalistic fantasy of ESB and ANH.

yes, and while you're at it bring in some of the designers from LOTR, or maybe peter jackson and bring some of that grit and dark fantasy back into star wars.