Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Pre-release)

[Riceball]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I thought that The Clone Wars did a good job with that in showing Y-Wings just entering Republic service looking very neat and clean and with extra paneling on them, that was a nice way of blending the tech of the OT & PT together. They really should have picked a few ships from the OT to include in the PT as sort of a bridge, the Corellian corvette would have been a good one to use instead designing a brand new ship that sort of resembles the old one.

 

[Archive&Future]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

As far as Chiang goes, I'm not a fan. He doesn't get Star Wars and even said in interviews that when he watched it as a kid he always felt things didn't look quite right. That alone says he doesn't get the aesthetic and explains to some extent why the prequels look as lame as they do. [...] It really isn't a high bar that J.J. has to rise past.

Yeah I'm surprised as well that Chiang and McCaig are back on....I grew up with the prequels, "The Phantom Menace" came out when I was 4 and it wasn't til I was 8 that I actually saw ANH.....and not until about 14 that the love of the OT kicked in and i "got" the brilliance of them.
Looking at it now, neither Chiang or McCaig have the true Star Wars 'feel' to their work, lovely as it is. You really, really, really have to go back to McQuarrie's thought process to "get" Star Wars....
In fairness, I totally understand (read: not agree) why Lucas decided to go with Chiang, his designs are great looking and futuristic, and we all know that Lucas desperately wanted to re-live the success of the groundbreaking work that the OT laid. It's all about the dosh with Lucas

 

[cboath]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Just to play devil's advocate - there COULD be a reason for the de-evolution of tech. The problem is, we were never given one in the OT. We know the empire is opressive, but that's about it. They could have used their power/place to confiscate all tech and leave the masses with junk far inferior to theirs or inferior in general. Thing is we see both sides have the same tech and it's woefully behind the PT. We all know the reason is both sets of tech were far superior to the tech of the day they were made in. But I don't think it'd have been hard to do the PT and keep the tech similar. I can buy sleek ships vs the industrial designs of the OT, but the tech is just too obvious.

I suppose a few lines in e7 could explain it, but that's way too little too late. You can't fault the OT as they never expected there'd be any more, but i think you could have easily adjusted scenes in the PT so the tech didn't look so advanced. However, I guess they wanted to make it believable to new audiences or something who wouldn't by in world tech looking inferior to our current day stuff. Like I said, i think it could have been done better. Some of the stuff just seemed a bit over the top

Maybe so, but that's revisionist history so to speak. Basically it's something that SHOULD be explained in the movies, not elsewhere.

Plus, like I said, i get the shiny to beat up thing over 30 years. It's the replacing your Pentium 27 onboard computer with a 1980 casio calcuator watch 30 years later that needs the explanation

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Maybe so, but that's revisionist history so to speak. Basically it's something that SHOULD be explained in the movies, not elsewhere.

Plus, like I said, i get the shiny to beat up thing over 30 years. It's the replacing your Pentium 27 onboard computer with a 1980 casio calcuator watch 30 years later that needs the explanation

It only needs explaining if you acknowledge the prequels as canon. I like parts of the prequels, but I consider them more like fan films, just as I consider the special editions as fan edits. Hopefully JJ will add to the canon, but as it is right now, only the OT is canon (to me). I really like the fan films and fan edits, like Troops, but I don't try to reconcile them with the OT.

 

[Archive&Future]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

It only needs explaining if you acknowledge the prequels as canon. I like parts of the prequels, but I consider them more like fan films, just as I consider the special editions as fan edits. Hopefully JJ will add to the canon, but as it is right now, only the OT is canon (to me). I really like the fan films and fan edits, like Troops, but I don't try to reconcile them with the OT.

I agree with you on regarding them as fan films in many ways but as much as most of us would like to disregard the prequels, they are unfortunately confirmed canon. Debating the future of the franchise means you really have to include the prequels, as currently they make up half of the definite canon saga. Not sure where the Clone Wars stands on its canonicity but by and large they don't seem to be included in these discussions

 

[Bryancd]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

The prequels are canon. They ARE Star Wars. This equivocating is pointless. Let the story flow Episode 1-9 and lets stop with the hating.

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure where the Clone Wars stands on its canonicity but by and large they don't seem to be included in these discussions

Clone Wars ARE canon, if you want to know the true story of SW, I suggest you watch them. They are on Netflix, enjoy.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Just to play devil's advocate - there COULD be a reason for the de-evolution of tech. The problem is, we were never given one in the OT. We know the empire is opressive, but that's about it. They could have used their power/place to confiscate all tech and leave the masses with junk far inferior to theirs or inferior in general. Thing is we see both sides have the same tech and it's woefully behind the PT. We all know the reason is both sets of tech were far superior to the tech of the day they were made in. But I don't think it'd have been hard to do the PT and keep the tech similar. I can buy sleek ships vs the industrial designs of the OT, but the tech is just too obvious.

I guess the idea was that the galaxy went into a period like the Dark Ages in our history when the Empire took over. That's why the ships looked really artsy in the Prequels. I had no problem with that. Overall I liked Doug Chiang's Prequel designs. The thing he designed for SW that is definitely not SW is the Virago from Shadows of the Empire. It looks like something out of a manga cartoon.

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

My canon is whatever I say it is. Caddyshack 2 never happend.

I have fond memories regarding the prequels. I don't hate them. The hype in 1999 was so great. I've seen them multiple times, I gave them a fair chance, but I don't feel the need to see them ever again.

I'm moving on. All I want is the unaltered original trilogy in HD, and hopefully Episode VII has the spirit of the original trilogy. Bring it on!

The Force is strong with JJ.

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Sometimes you have to take suspension of disbelief a step further and ignore entire sections of something you don't like. I think many people do this to some extent. I think the Disney deal was good for Star Wars, but I'll continue to pick and choose what I want in my Star Wars. Most of it takes place in our own heads anyway, and I don't want jarjar in my head.

 

[Jedi-72]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

My canon is whatever I say it is. Caddyshack 2 never happened.

:lol Awesome quote. I feel the same way about the prequels. They never happened and I don't factor them in at all in the story. As far as I'm concerned, the backstory has yet to be told.

 

[jcoffman99]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

No Caddyshack 2. No Rocky V. No Superman IV. No Ghostbusters 2.

 

[jlee562]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Look, I'm not saying you can't enjoy SW or anything else in any way you like; but, don't expect everyone else to adhere to your definition.

Prequels are canon.

 

[Jedi-72]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

"Canon" seems to be decided somewhat arbitrarily these days. They were not part of the "screen" canon", but Disney has discarded the entire EU for all intents and purposes. They and LFL define "canon" one way. We define it another. The prequels are discarded along with the EU as far as many are concerned. It resides in the canon of crap, to be sure. The OT stands alone. And if I were a betting man, I'd bet that one day, you'll see the PT ditched completely and remade with a series of films that officially replaces it. Until that day, "we" remain ahead of the times.

 

[JD]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

...actually, canon is the standard, the official word. Anything else is fan fiction and selective memory.

 

[Jaitea]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

The prequels are canon. They ARE Star Wars. This equivocating is pointless. Let the story flow Episode 1-9 and lets stop with the hating.

Clone Wars ARE canon, if you want to know the true story of SW, I suggest you watch them. They are on Netflix, enjoy.

Ii don't hate the prequels & the Clone Wars cartoons, I just don't like them
I don't like mushrooms, I don't hate them......if there's a meal with mushrooms in them I try and move the pieces to the side of the plate and don't eat them.
I know there are lots of people in the world who like mushrooms and I'm cool with that, I don't hate them

Ive tried to watch the Clone cartoons several times, but to me it is dull and uninteresting, there are so many better things to watch on Netflix

J

 

[seelsa73]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

It only needs explaining if you acknowledge the prequels as canon. . . . only the OT is canon (to me).

I feel the same way about the prequels. They never happened and I don't factor them in at all in the story.

This is all well and good, but what happens when you love the ST and the prequels are heavily referenced within the movies? (I'm not saying this is the case, I obviously don't know, just speculating.) If the prequels are intertwined with this new trilogy, how do you reconcile that with your personal canon?

 

[Jaitea]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

As it stands now, the ST could indeed refer to events in the PT&CW and link the entire SW group together,......but I may be wrong when I say that looking at the way Disney is approaching SW.....on one hand, they acknowledge that a lot of time & money has been spent on the PT&CW and they are leaving it where it is,.....but they are focussing on what the world sees as Star Wars which is the OT

Disney is aiming for the general public to go and see their new movies

The PT&CW has isolated Star Wars into its own group of fans, which Disney can't afford to focus on, they need everyone to want to watch SW

J

 

[robn1]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

 

[gizmo]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Nice one.

 

[Jedi-72]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

This is all well and good, but what happens when you love the ST and the prequels are heavily referenced within the movies? (I'm not saying this is the case, I obviously don't know, just speculating.) If the prequels are intertwined with this new trilogy, how do you reconcile that with your personal canon?

Given the fact that Disney, Kennedy, and Abrams all very diplomatically acknowledge the disappointment and failure that the prequels were ad have been working overtime to ensure that they don't repeat, I'm confident that any references that MIGHT be made to the PT will be few and far between. That philosophy and distancing themselves from the PT bodes well for us. Why would they need to reference the PT in any but the most vague ways? This new story focuses on the characters of the OT, which was a much smaller and more focused story. There's no need to reference any of it. New movies. New story. Clean break.