Phantom menace yoda, why did they change him?

[Tan Djarka]

I believe in the Making of Episode III book (or somewhere like that) it mentions that Rob Coleman had his animators bone up on animating Yoda by replacing him in TPM scenes. It was during the lull of principle photography when his animation department didn't have much to do. Not sure how many scenes they did or what but I think that statement always lead people to think they might replace the puppet in Episode I.

In the ROTS bonus material, the featurette "The One" provides a brief glimpse of the digital Yoda in TPM. If they replaced him in the entire film? We'll find out in August, when they release the BluRay box set, or maybe in the 3D theatrical release version.

 

[OldKen]

I always wonder what happened with that, it is just so bad.

I prefer the final digital Yoda over the muppets in ESB. Face it folks he still looks like a muppet, if you're not 12 years old.

Although I do not want to see them do that to ESB at all.

He may look like a PUPPET. But I don't think he looks like a MUPPET. Muppets look like they are made from cut up blankets/fabric from Jo Annes. Yoda looked like he had skin. And although he was a puppet. He absolutely had more emotion in ESB and ROTJ than most of the human actors in the PT! :lol

Why did they make ep1 yoda look like that? EASY. So people would be thankfull for the "better" CGI version instead of up in arms about it.

It worked.

The new CGI ep1 yoda DOES look more like the ESB puppet than the ROTS CGI though. So I am really hoping they update him in all of the PT.

 

[GlazyUK]

The Phantom Menace Yoda was sculpted by a guy named Gary Pollard, a story I heard through a mate was they showed Lucas the sculpt more as a concept of how Yoda might look and he simply turned around and said, yeah we'll go with this, much to their suprise !!

 

[frosty]

it is a great sculpt, lots of texture, nice paintjob, but its just not yoda

 

[darthgordon]

One thing we didn't know about Yoda was that he was addicted to plastic surgery. In fact... he used to look like this:

 

[Matches Malone]

That scene shows the real power of the force more than being the Tazmanian Devil with a lightsaber.

LOL!!!

 

[GotWookiee]

Yoda died at the age 900, and TPM took place 36 years earlier. If Yoda lives 10 times as long as a human, then he was the equivalent of a 90 year old man. So 36 years for him would be about 3 and a half "human years."

The Episode II/III digital Yoda was a vast improvement over the TPM puppet. He looks like Yoda with nice clothes, combed hair, and a good hygiene. TPM looks like a completely different character.

To hear that he had access to the original molds and didn't use them is a shame. They really should have started from there. As the head of the Jedi Order he enjoys a much higher standard of living then as a hermit roughing it in the swamp, so his skin should have a bit more color, his head a bit more hair, etc. But nothing beyond that.

If they replace the puppet in Episode I with the CGI version that would be good.

The lightsabre battle was fun in a fanboyish sort of way but backwards. At their level Dooku and Yoda should really view lightsabres as toys. They are practically on the level of gods. If Yoda was to fight with his sabre it should start with the duel and then proceed to a demonstration of Force powers, like the duel between Luke and Vader in Empire or the Emperor in Jedi.

 

[Hirohawa]

The Phantom Menace Yoda was sculpted by a guy named Gary Pollard, a story I heard through a mate was they showed Lucas the sculpt more as a concept of how Yoda might look and he simply turned around and said, yeah we'll go with this, much to their suprise !!

What! Lucas made a bad decision on the prequels? I find that hard to believe.

 

[firesprite]

That's exactly what it was.

What I never understood was the idea that he was supposed to look "younger" at all. In ESB/ROTJ, he was around 900 years old. That means he would be, what.. 860-870 in the prequels? Come on, how much is he really going to change there? That's like one of us aging six months, there's no discernible change at all.

As for CG Yoda, there is a quick snapshot of CG Yoda in TPM, which we assume will be part of the upcoming Blu-ray and 3D releases, but there's been no confirmation that I'm aware of.

Well, let us not forget that stress is a HUGE ager of people too. Compare people of similar genetics who have had a relatively easy life vs someone who's done hard labor or been through a lot of stress in their life you'll see major differences in their aging.

Let's be honest: Yoda survived the murder of all of his friends, his students, people who were his family. He survived the annialation of his religion and his entire way of life. That's bound to age someone significantly.

Still, the TPM yoda was CREEPY in the extreme! Poor decision-making all the way around on that sculpt.

 

[micdavis]

Yoda to me is defined by pulling the X Wing out of the swamp on Degobah after he poetically explains the Force to Luke and it's limitless possibilities.

But how much better would that have been if he put it BACK the swamp and said "When get it out you can then leave you may."

Then when Luke sees the visions, he runs to the swamp and lifts is out.

 

[jcoffman99]

Why, if Yoda can jump around like an animal does he need a cane? That's what bothered me. ESB is my Yoda. Episode I Yoda can suck it.

 

[Timmythekid]

The animation and compositing for the TPM Yoda is done. Anyone who's checked out Star Wars in concert can tell you the scene has been redone with the AotC Yoda, and that's all HD footage, so probably what we're getting in September. It's an improvement from whatever the hell that thing was in TPM (man, wrong material, wrong weight, wrong shape, and to me the TPM Yoda actually looks more decrepit than ESB Yoda - more crazy old grampa you should be take bakc to the home), I guess, but still a far cry from ESB Yoda. And did anyone else feel Oz's performance was a bit....i dunno, stiffer? in TPM?

 

[frosty]

yup, probably because the puppet weighed a ton, silicone is a heavy material factor in the skull, the body hands feet, thats a lot of material to fight against and try and get a performance out of, i wonder what Franks thoughts on the redesign were?

 

[micdavis]

ESB is my Yoda. Episode I Yoda can suck it.

Thanks, just spit soda on my monitor. lol

 

[nickytea]

But how much better would that have been if he put it BACK the swamp and said "When get it out you can then leave you may."

Then when Luke sees the visions, he runs to the swamp and lifts is out.

I like that.

 

[dbalschi]

Why, if Yoda can jump around like an animal does he need a cane? That's what bothered me. ESB is my Yoda. Episode I Yoda can suck it.

I just always assumed that he was older and hobbled but when pressed into action he could channel the force hence why when he is done fighting he limps away again with his cane

 

[Cobalt60]

I give kirshner a lot of credit for ESB yoda. at no point in the film does he simply point the camera at the puppet and expect it to "act" like a person. the scenes in ESB are all very crafty; the camera never lingers directly on the puppet; for most of his dialog, we watch Luke's reaction to his words; etc.

in TPM, the biggest mistake was simply pointing the camera AT the puppet and leaving it there while he talks. I think the director had a LOT to do, with the 'success' of ESB yoda.

 

[cayman shen]

Episode I Yoda can suck it.

Well, he'd be the perfect height.

Mmmmm hmmmm hmmmm hmmmm, brush my teeth now, I must.

:lol

 

[clancampbell]

Well, he'd be the perfect height.

Mmmmm hmmmm hmmmm hmmmm, brush my teeth now, I must.

:lol

sick:sick

 

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