George Lucas is "Retiring" From Film

[ThunderCavalier]

... I cannot tell whether to be saddened by this or not.

On one hand, I do feel guilty a bit now that we've been restricting Lucas's original vision.

At the same time, though... some of this stuff feel like idiotic CGI-esque crap that took away from the real elements that made the original Star Wars great.



So...

 

[The Floating Nose]

Im glad he's finally pulling the plug on Star Wars...i mean, it's been almost 40 years (already ? Geez...)... so it's time to move on. Don't be upset George you made yourself a Billionaire out of Star Wars.

Im honestly looking forward to his next project, after such a long time without directing a movie, im looking forward to what he will do.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

And people always say complaining never accomplished anything! Well SUCK IT!!! WE WON!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*ahem*

I do believe this is generally good thing for the film industry. Though Redtails appears to be quite good, he has simply done too much damage for myself or others to ignore.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

You made your universe, now live with it!
Oh right, it wasn't good enough for you.
I feel as if a million fanboys suddenly cried out in joy
The thing George Lucas never really appreciated was that after he released the Star Wars to the public, it wasn't just a part of his life anymore, it became a part of OUR lives. And as the obscene amounts of money he made off the original Trilogy showed, WE liked it just fine. So when you start going back and altering/ruining with other people's memories for your own selfish reasons, you shouldn't be surprised that we got A LITTLE UPSET ABOUT IT!

Self-entitled nonsense like this is why I can't blame him, frankly.

I didn't think the latest works were any good either, but aside from the fact that I've always thought Lucas was a mediocre director, I didn't take it personally, because it's not about me. It isn't about you, either.

 

[Blizzard36]

If he's stepping away from the business, does that mean that someone else will take over control of Star Wars? Someone else who could finally re-release the ORIGINALS?! Becuase that's what I've been waiting for ever since the 25th aniversarry versions.

 

[Baresark]

You're missing the point of the change. Lucas felt that as a hero character in his universe, Han could not be allowed to do something so despicable as to shoot first. It's complete nonsense of course, the guy is a smuggler. He hides and transports illegal goods. By definition, he is a bad guy.

I think you are referring to an "antihero".

an·ti·he·ro
A main character in a dramatic or narrative work who is characterized by a lack of traditional heroic qualities, such as idealism or courage.

This is actually what makes the character of Han so valuable to the first movie imo. We already have an assortment of heroes - a determined, fearless heroine, a legendary hero from the past, two unlikely heroes (Luke and R2) - so Han as an antihero makes all of the others shine a little brighter in contrast to him. In addition, every one of the protagonists had a different relationship with him, and this gave them more definition - not only did we see how they pursued their goals, we saw how they dealt with someone who wasn't really on "their side" and honestly thought they were all crazy and doomed.

Well done Mr. Lucas.

I think you are giving Lucas way too much credit. I don't think he even knows what an antihero is. He didn't write Han as an antihero, he wrote him as a reluctant hero.

An antihero isn't someone who lacks courage or other heroic qualities, but someone who is willing to embrace the tools of their enemy (the bad guys) in name of good. So, if you look at Punisher, it's not that he lacked traditional heroic qualities, they were there in spades, but he was willing to kill those he felt deserved it. He embraced the tools of terror and conquest that those same criminals he fights, used.

The character Han didn't lack heroic qualities, he was lazy and didn't want to be bothered with them. But when push came to shove, he had them. It's because he was a "hero" character type that he could not (in Lucas' opinion) have shot first. So he "fixed" the scene. In the original cut, it could give him that antihero lean, but then there isn't anything else in the movie to reinforce that. It's that same reasoning as to why smugglers are always good guys for Lucas and bounty hunters are always bad guys. Han was the archetypal smuggler while Greedo was the archetypal bounty hunter. Which he felt the need to push through all the "canon" literature.

If you think about it, he didn't know what a hero was either. I mean, Han couldn't shoot first, but they could all kill storm troopers left and right without any thought about them.

 

[almostgold]

I've never really understood the rage about him re-releasing the movies with extra content. Yes, the newer version are always absolute shit, but so what? You can still watch the originals. Yes, its a shameless cash grab, but so what? Some people obviously still want to go see them, who am I to tell them not to?

I literally cannot think of a single way in which him releasing shittier versions of movies I liked affects me. I have no reason to get mad.

 

[mega48man]

LOL he let the fanbase get to him, that's rich. what the hell did he think was gonna happen when he released phantom menace 3-D in theatres? "it's in 3D now! all damage is undone!" and after 3 minutes into the movie "oh that's right, i just remembered why i hated this movie"

And then thousands of fanboys who have an overdeveloped sense of identity in other people's work literally ripped the artist out of his artwork with there complaining. Congratulations internet you whined so hard you made an artist give up. You sad sacks can go and be happy in your notions of purity over a series of films that you in no way contributed and yet are so central to your life that you still ***** about them after decades. Ah but why do I even bother clearly bitching louder makes you more important and I'm sure I'll hear plenty of that in response to this post.

On a less deeply cynical and blind rage filled note, in an alternate universe somewhere where people support what George Lucas did with the movie the internet is weeping right now.

i think it's important to keep in mind that the original movies were well done good vs evil stories that were forced to work around a tight budget and not so advanced technology back in a time inspired by the space race and an evil communist threat. then Lucas spoiled himself, with shit loads of money and so much CGI that it could of just been an animated film, making the movies that earned him the title of "fuck up" in an age where we reeeeeally don't want to sit through scene after scene where they talk about politics and bullshit where we can't tell good vs. evil right before the Bush junior era.

i mean, the bad guys were the green dudes with the big eyes right? then later in that stupid senate meeting scene, they're back floating around not being stopped or arrested by the good guys. yes, there was some political mumbo jumbo that protected them but that right there is a reason it sucked. darth vader? you can't touch him, he rules the galaxy cuz he's evil, and when they did go after him they blew up his big death star thingy. these green guys? hell, jedi needs a court order to stop a genocide, what the hell? it sounds like our senate today! i don't wanna watch a movie about that!!!

also; i think it's kind of funny that joke lyod, the child actor for anakin in phantom menace, had pretty good child acting career starting out until phantom menace. it was the last thing he did. this happened to a lot of other actors from the original movies and the new ones. hell, did you hear about the stunt double for darth vader who died a while ago? george lucas didn't want a whole lot of people knowing about it, for some reason, until Mark Hammil came out and wanted to tell the world what a great guy he was and he had a great time working with him.

so you see, it's not just that the fanboys hate him, he's just a jerk.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Not to dash your hopes, but he's still executive producer of the upcoming "Star Wars Underground" TV series. And he was supposed to just be executive producer of Indy IV too but he butted his way into every single creative process of creating the film.

So now he'll just ruin Star Wars further on TV really. Like a really crappy Torchwood.

 

[mega48man]

I've never really understood the rage about him re-releasing the movies with extra content. Yes, the newer version are always absolute shit, but so what? You can still watch the originals. Yes, its a shameless cash grab, but so what? Some people obviously still want to go see them, who am I to tell them not to?

I literally cannot think of a single way in which him releasing shittier versions of movies I liked affects me. I have no reason to get mad.

because it looks like lucas has no respect for the integrity of the original films and treats them like an ATM machine. lucas wants to buy something? he just shakes his big star wars jar until some shit video game or movie release and some money falls out.

 

[w00tage]

You're missing the point of the change. Lucas felt that as a hero character in his universe, Han could not be allowed to do something so despicable as to shoot first. It's complete nonsense of course, the guy is a smuggler. He hides and transports illegal goods. By definition, he is a bad guy.

I think you are referring to an "antihero".

an·ti·he·ro
A main character in a dramatic or narrative work who is characterized by a lack of traditional heroic qualities, such as idealism or courage.

This is actually what makes the character of Han so valuable to the first movie imo. We already have an assortment of heroes - a determined, fearless heroine, a legendary hero from the past, two unlikely heroes (Luke and R2) - so Han as an antihero makes all of the others shine a little brighter in contrast to him. In addition, every one of the protagonists had a different relationship with him, and this gave them more definition - not only did we see how they pursued their goals, we saw how they dealt with someone who wasn't really on "their side" and honestly thought they were all crazy and doomed.

Well done Mr. Lucas.

I think you are giving Lucas way too much credit. I don't think he even knows what an antihero is. He didn't write Han as an antihero, he wrote him as a reluctant hero.

An antihero isn't someone who lacks courage or other heroic qualities, but someone who is willing to embrace the tools of their enemy (the bad guys) in name of good. So, if you look at Punisher, it's not that he lacked traditional heroic qualities, they were there in spades, but he was willing to kill those he felt deserved it. He embraced the tools of terror and conquest that those same criminals he fights, used.

The character Han didn't lack heroic qualities, he was lazy and didn't want to be bothered with them. But when push came to shove, he had them. It's because he was a "hero" character type that he could not (in Lucas' opinion) have shot first. So he "fixed" the scene. In the original cut, it could give him that antihero lean, but then there isn't anything else in the movie to reinforce that. It's that same reasoning as to why smugglers are always good guys for Lucas and bounty hunters are always bad guys. Han was the archetypal smuggler while Greedo was the archetypal bounty hunter. Which he felt the need to push through all the "canon" literature.

If you think about it, he didn't know what a hero was either. I mean, Han couldn't shoot first, but they could all kill storm troopers left and right without any thought about them.

Well, per the definition, an antihero IS someone who lacks qualities, so I don't know if I agree with your interpretation. But regardless, the presentation of the character throughout the story pretty much shouts "I'm not a hero". He refuses to help anyone unless it's in his best interest, he runs drugs for black marketeers, he has to be bribed into helping free the princess, etc. It's during the course of the story that the character is forced to transition to a reluctant hero by being drawn into situations he'd normally have avoided while forming attachments to the other characters. We see the final conversion at the end of Ep4, and it's part of what makes the movie so good - Han's character arc is completed with a big, in-character splash.

So antihero at the beginning, reluctant hero at the end imo.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

What if he out of spite decides to utterly murder Star Wars? As in no more novels, no more movies, no more video games. Period. Please don't say it can't be done because there are artists who have cut their own ears off over less.

Well it's not like the games and novels are doing too well either. The Force Unleashed II demonstrated it best when they decided to clone the main character in order to resurrect him. The novels have even killed off Mara Jade who was a shining icon to many on how good the novels could be. And reactions to The Old Republic have been very mixed at best.

 

[KeyMaster45]

If he's stepping away from the business, does that mean that someone else will take over control of Star Wars? Someone else who could finally re-release the ORIGINALS?! Becuase that's what I've been waiting for ever since the 25th aniversarry versions.

Long as George draws breath he's still head of Lucas Arts Ltd. and I believe it's them that hold the copyright to the franchise. Basically we just have to wait till he either steps down or dies of old age. Once he's gone someone else will step in and probably release the original cuts since he'll no longer be around to object.

 

[SteewpidZombie]

"And the balance was restored to the force. It was not the struggle of a rebellion against a empire, or a farmboy becoming a hero and defeating a force of darkness, no...it was the retirement of George Lucas!"

 

[MrPeanut]

And this, is why idiotic fanboys should be hated.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Who the hell cares that Lucas altered his films? Is he not entitled to create his stories as he wishes? Further, his edits are so minor that they're barely noticeable at all, and any person who hasn't seen the unaltered versions wouldn't think any less of the altered versions. I really don't see why Lucas is so hated despite everything he has accomplished.

1. Because they aren't HIS films, they're OUR films. Once you release a movie/game/etc to the public, it's no longer just YOUR movie/game/etc. Same reason that (some) fans of TF2 got so annoyed when it turned into "Hat Fortress 2". Because THEIR game (regardless of who made it) was given a dramatic shift in its focus. So why do I hate that Lucas keeps altering "his" films? Because as a result, he's altering MY film. Hence why I still don't own a single Star Wars DVD.

2. Because after years and years and years, Lucas FINALLY gives Star Wars fans what they want (Star Wars on DVD), but then pisses on our years of looking forward to it by forcing the changes down our throats. At least in the VHS days you had the option of watching the originals, watching the remastered versions without changes, or watching the brand new versions with the new scenes tossed-in. These days it's either the new versions with ALL the changes in them, or dusting-off your old VCR to watch the originals.

Oh, and don't give me this "minor changes" BS. Yeah sure, on their own each change isn't that big of a deal, but we're talking about at least a dozen changes. Not to mention that as minor as I might admit to them being, they're still niggling annoyances that I shouldn't have to deal with when wanting to enjoy a movie.

 

[Pandaman1911]

Wow. At first, I was going to just comment on how I support Mr. Lucas in attempting to get away from all the negative attention he's gotten over the years. But now I think I'll just say this to everyone who's raging at him with a sense of entitlement- you're dicks. Of the highest magnitude. It's his property and his alone, and he can do whatever he wants with it, and he doesn't need approval from his fans to do what he wants with his intellectual property. If you don't like it, write your own fanfic, call it canon, and rub your temples and think happy thoughts until you forget all about everything you don't like about the Star Wars franchise.