The EU, and why I hate it — Page 3

I've always had a tough time following a canon in the SW universe because George keeps changing the movies.  If he isn't going to take the contents of his movies seriously, why should I?  If I get used to Jabba as a guy in a fur coat only to have him turn into a giant slug, or if Uncle Owen is Ben's brother one minute and not the next, then why should I bother figure out what creature, ship or story is canon when it could change the next time George wants to reinvent the franchise.

Gaffer, that was my favorite part of the story.

See, there you go again!  If you keep mentioning his name, he will for sure.

thecolorsblend said:

  

Like Superman, I think it would be swell if Star Wars had a seperate continuity for each property.

I do too but, again, that's not how movie-based franchises work.  Everything serves the movies.  Books and such are never (or rarely) treated as "adaptations".  "Extension" seems to be the watch word. 

 

Be careful what you wish for.  Between saga fans vs. OOT fans, prequel lovers vs. prequel bashers, weirdos like me who dig on the prequels but also prefer the OOT over the SE/2004, etc, I'd say that SW's fanbase is just about fractured enough.

 

 I see where you're comng from, but I'm not sure there is another movie based franchise that's comparable to "Star Wars" in terms of the volume, longevity, or popularity of the franchise materials built around it.

Multiple smash hit comics, best selling game after best selling game (including several that added signifantly to the mythos rather than be based on the films), dozens of bestseller novels, a hit TV show, and a holiday special.

I can't think of another film+media franchise that even comes close to touching the EU.

skyjedi2005 said:

In my opinion the prequels are the worst of the expanded universe by far.

George Lucas can call them canon until he is blue in the face and it does not make them canon just because he says so.

They don't match up with the oot the one and only true star wars canon.

I would venture even further to say the prequels are not just EU but an alternate universe continuity, for example Hayden Skywalker/Vader does not match the mentality of the original star wars trilogy, nor do the jedi.  It is Star Wars in name only sure you have these dudes in robes who have the same names and carry a lightsaber but they are completely out of character.

The Hayden version of Anakin Skywalker is no more the true version than Chris Pine's alternate universe Captain Kirk.  Both belong to a false backstory and not the true origin story of said fictional universes.

I reject the prequels as the true origin story of how the empire came to power and how darth vader came to be who he is.  I'm still waiting for a version that fits with what we saw in the originals.  If no real version is ever made i can imagine my own thats better than georges cartoon cgi and jar jar binks and whiny wooden hayden crap.

I find it helps to note there are only 3 star wars films and 3 indiana jones films, that way my memories are not destroyed.

Hear hear. The ARE only 3 true Star Wars movies. The prequels and Clone Wars movie are counterfeit Star Wars, cheap knockoff imitations. Indy 4 isn't as bad but it's certainly not classic Indy. Trek's new Kirk isn't Kirk, but he's a lot better than Hayden's Annie Skywalker. If you want a Trek character from the new Trek to compare to Annie, pick the new Spock. Zachary Quinto totally didn't get Spock right. His performance was an insult to the character just like Hayden's performance was an insult to Star Wars. Certainly I agree that the OOT is the only true canon. Anything outside the films is not canon, the SE is anti-canon and the prequels and Clone movie are not the real thing.

It is definitely true that the prequel Anakin and the prequel jedi do not match up with the OOT. The Anakin we met at the end of the OOT would never have been the sort of bland, petty wimp that the prequel Anakin was and Darth Vader could never have been such a weakling. The jedi in the OOT were admirable, while in the prequels they so often come off like a bunch of posers and Yoda comes off like a totally different character from his OT self. Would you see OT Yoda howling in a fight and striking macho poses?

Canon is about what's the real thing. Thus to be canon something has to be the real thing. It's that principle that decides true canon, not companies and individuals who own entertainment properties. As such, the prequels and special editions are not canon, because they're not the real thing, no matter what Lucas might say. Same goes for the EU, no matter what Lucasfilm might say.

George Lucas broke from canon in the 90s when he rejected the OOT and tried to replace it with the SE, and nothing he's done since has been canon and nor could it be. If he wants to make canon Star Wars he has to admit the OOT is the real thing and stop pushing his revised version.

TheBoost said:

thecolorsblend said:

  

Like Superman, I think it would be swell if Star Wars had a seperate continuity for each property.

I do too but, again, that's not how movie-based franchises work.  Everything serves the movies.  Books and such are never (or rarely) treated as "adaptations".  "Extension" seems to be the watch word. 

 

Be careful what you wish for.  Between saga fans vs. OOT fans, prequel lovers vs. prequel bashers, weirdos like me who dig on the prequels but also prefer the OOT over the SE/2004, etc, I'd say that SW's fanbase is just about fractured enough.

 

 I see where you're comng from, but I'm not sure there is another movie based franchise that's comparable to "Star Wars" in terms of the volume, longevity, or popularity of the franchise materials built around it.

Multiple smash hit comics, best selling game after best selling game (including several that added signifantly to the mythos rather than be based on the films), dozens of bestseller novels, a hit TV show, and a holiday special.

I can't think of another film+media franchise that even comes close to touching the EU.

 

 Star Trek probably. You have OTS vs NG, NG vs DS9, people who like the dread "odd numbered movies" (ST 1,3,5, Insurrection and Nemesis), Kirk vs Picard debates, plus I'm sure that back in the day there was debates about whether the animated series was "canon", and don't forget, theres enough ST literature (some written by the cast members themselves) to give SW a run for its money (though it doesn't come close to the LFL money-making machine of today), plus a bunch of video games. I think the difference is that a) a lot of the old timers moved on because the original audience is now in their 50s and 60s, and b) most of us don't frequent ST forums, and c) even if we did, the fanbase isn't as big or popular as SW so as to not have enough people fighting.

Vaderisnothayden said:

skyjedi2005 said:

In my opinion the prequels are the worst of the expanded universe by far.

George Lucas can call them canon until he is blue in the face and it does not make them canon just because he says so.

They don't match up with the oot the one and only true star wars canon.

Hear hear. The ARE only 3 true Star Wars movies. The prequels and Clone Wars movie are counterfeit Star Wars, cheap knockoff imitations.

Ric Olie is sad :-(

22 minutes ago . Comment . Like

Ric Olie said:

Vaderisnothayden said:

skyjedi2005 said:

In my opinion the prequels are the worst of the expanded universe by far.

George Lucas can call them canon until he is blue in the face and it does not make them canon just because he says so.

They don't match up with the oot the one and only true star wars canon.

Hear hear. The ARE only 3 true Star Wars movies. The prequels and Clone Wars movie are counterfeit Star Wars, cheap knockoff imitations.

 

Ric Olie is sad :-(

22 minutes ago . Comment . Like

Ric, why aren't you in the classic trilogy anyway?  You survived the prequels as far as I can tell.

Sluggo said:

Ric, why aren't you in the classic trilogy anyway?

I was too handsome in TPM and kept drawing focus away from the story.

Yes.

To me, the only SW universe that exists is the one presented in the 6 films. No "Darth Vader lost his hand because of his failure at Yavin" bullshit. Hell, as a tremendous Boba Fett fanboy I loathe the notion of him surviving Sarlacc.

There's only 3 Star Wars films.

TPM, TPM:EE, and TPM:Revisited.  Got it.

fishmanlee said:

ric olie is the pilot of the star destroyer that captures leia's blockade runner and the avenger in ESB and the executor in ROTJ and escaped to live on to a ripe old age- he was handsome to the end though.

All wrong except the last bit.  Why would I join the Empire?

Ok, but I'm not in it for the power and corruption.  I'm in it for the chicks.  Dig?