Let's Remake Star Wars
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
It's his movie, a franchise he created, thus it shall be as he damn well pleases. If you can make a better Star Wars movie, please, oblige us. I'll be waiting for the announcement.disgruntledgamer said:
Oh, what's that? You're not a director? No experience in movie making and any of its fields? I guess I'll settle for Lucas' horrible ideas and you can ***** about said actual work on the internet.
To be honest, despite all the talk of Stars Wars being a universal hero?s journey, I don?t think it would ?work? in today?s world, at least not with American audiences. The originals were something of a product of their times. The USSR was a looming threat and the Second World War was more present in people?s minds to escape to.
Since then the social narrative has moved on. The Soviet Union doesn?t exist anymore, Nazis imagery has been way overused and all of those Al-Qaida types are a bunch of losers living in caves. There just aren?t any credible external threats left.
That isn?t to say good writers and directors couldn?t think of something. I while ago I remember seeing a scene from some modern war movie. It started with an American cruiser was chasing after a small boat filled with terrorists and ended with the marines boarding it and ruthlessly killing everyone on board. There always seemed to be something familiar about it, and then I realized that it was unintentionally an almost an exact match for the opening scene of a New Hope.
This is the main problem, in the current climate there?s is no way of creating a new version without addressing unfortunate implications, being completely tone deaf or pissing a lot of people off. And it?s not just politics, basic movie criticism has gotten a lot harsher, Avatar for example, while having a viewpoint that most people probably shared still got raked over the coals.
But anyway, with all that has happened to the franchise in the last decade, the kindest thing we could do for it is take it behind the woodshed and tearfully give it both barrels.
Since then the social narrative has moved on. The Soviet Union doesn?t exist anymore, Nazis imagery has been way overused and all of those Al-Qaida types are a bunch of losers living in caves. There just aren?t any credible external threats left.
That isn?t to say good writers and directors couldn?t think of something. I while ago I remember seeing a scene from some modern war movie. It started with an American cruiser was chasing after a small boat filled with terrorists and ended with the marines boarding it and ruthlessly killing everyone on board. There always seemed to be something familiar about it, and then I realized that it was unintentionally an almost an exact match for the opening scene of a New Hope.
This is the main problem, in the current climate there?s is no way of creating a new version without addressing unfortunate implications, being completely tone deaf or pissing a lot of people off. And it?s not just politics, basic movie criticism has gotten a lot harsher, Avatar for example, while having a viewpoint that most people probably shared still got raked over the coals.
But anyway, with all that has happened to the franchise in the last decade, the kindest thing we could do for it is take it behind the woodshed and tearfully give it both barrels.
Here's an idea, make some films set in the post Six era. Namely Adapting the following games into films:
Dark Forces 2, Mysteries of the Sith, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.
That way we can declare some of the stupider stuff of the Expanded Universe non canon and finally put the badassitude of Kyle Katarn on Screen and deal with the fact that there's still remnants of the Empire around. Also, we can finally say that Emperor Palpatine DID NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD! IT NEVER HAPPENED I TELL YOU! *Blocks ears* LALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! LALALALALALA!
Dark Forces 2, Mysteries of the Sith, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.
That way we can declare some of the stupider stuff of the Expanded Universe non canon and finally put the badassitude of Kyle Katarn on Screen and deal with the fact that there's still remnants of the Empire around. Also, we can finally say that Emperor Palpatine DID NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD! IT NEVER HAPPENED I TELL YOU! *Blocks ears* LALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! LALALALALALA!
Even without reading the other comments I'm pretty sure I'm joining the chorus here: remake it AFTER Lucas is dead, with someone else - anyone else - in charge.
Why a remake would be a bad idea:
It would be made for money, so who would be the director?
Michael Bay probably.
Who would be Luke, the guy we are supposed to identify with?
Shia LaBoeuf.
Who would be Darth Vader?
CGI.
Does that sound like something you would want?
It would be made for money, so who would be the director?
Michael Bay probably.
Who would be Luke, the guy we are supposed to identify with?
Shia LaBoeuf.
Who would be Darth Vader?
CGI.
Does that sound like something you would want?
Yeah why not, everything else is going to get remade eventually. Sigh. Plus this one doesn't sound like a terrible idea. Leave 'Empire' alone (that's pretty much the only truly great SW film) but the first one was always kind of meh to me. Not as meh as 'Jedi' but still.
Also in terms of sacred sci-fi that must never, ever EVER be remade, Star Wars isn't close to the top of that list. If they remake '2001', ever, for any reason, even if it's in the future and they have a future-science zombie Kubrick... That is the day the streets will run red with blood.
Also in terms of sacred sci-fi that must never, ever EVER be remade, Star Wars isn't close to the top of that list. If they remake '2001', ever, for any reason, even if it's in the future and they have a future-science zombie Kubrick... That is the day the streets will run red with blood.
I think this is reading too deeply into the material even though it fits the sociopolitical mindset of the era the original films were made in. Call me a clueless plebeian who wasn't alive at that time, and who shouldn't comment, but I just don't see any reconciliation of Vietnam in this, and only the most general bits of WW2.MovieBob said:
OK, "Lets kill space Nazis together, go Rebels!" is an overarching theme, but not directly equatable to WW2.
I can see it most clearly in the X-Wing dogfights and even a bit in the character descriptions provided for Luke and Leia, but nowhere else; especially not Han (who ends up marrying Leia in the end...and I don't think many European nations consensually joined the USSR following WW2).
No analogy is perfect.
Star Wars works because the conflict in general is very very clearly defined.
Empire = Bad. Rebels = Good. This works brilliantly with Lucas's direction paying an homage to those old Sci-Fi and adventure serials.
As an analog for WW2, the US's involvement was justified and necessary.
The current War on Terror; particularly in the Middle East, isn't so cut and dry.
If Luke and Leia are the United States and Europe, then they are the new authority. They are the New Empire; a superpower collective with a powerful military force who intervenes in the affairs of smaller countries.
Remaking the Star Wars films would require a total rewrite of the roles; made worse by the complex social-political element deeply tied to the ongoing conflict.
We've already seen Lucas' attempts at political intrigue in the prequel trilogy (*snore*), and we got just a little taste of how he handles topical political bullshit in Crystal Skull.
I'm not afraid of social commentary in film (it is a very necessary, and powerful form of freedom of expression), but to date, I have yet to watch a movie that pulls off topical political bullshit without coming across as condescending, pretentious, and irritating.
It always ends up just dragging the film through the mud.
At best, it's incidental comedy.
At worst, it's insane raving like The Trial of Billy Jack.
The first four Rogue Squadron books by Stackpole are among my favorite books series.LobsterFeng said:
They aren't deep, but they are fun and have this shit called "Character development" that's in terribly short supply in the prequel trilogy.
Two random thoughts:
1. All these reboots only proves that Hollywood is completely bankrupt of ideas. It used to be they'd at least try to combine the best aspects of some previous hits in a new IP, but now it's just "redo this, but grittier and with more angst".
2. The prequels prove what happens when Lucas is given his "freedom": "Quirky" characters that lend next to nothing to the plot, an overreliance on CGI (I'd argue that the limitations of technology with the original trilogy forced a LOT of creativity) to show grand events that somehow manage to avoid any real emotional investment, and flat-out dereliction of duty to the actual story to the point where the principal romantic pair have all the chemistry of a lead ingot next to a plank of wood.
Also, were the lightsaber duels in the prequels any good? Sometimes it was hard to tell, what with the MTV-style "don't hold a shot on anything for longer than half a second" editing. (Pinball Yoda was entertaining, though.) The final duel in Return might not have had the same choreographed fanciness, but at least it could hold a damn shot for more than a couple of seconds and actually show some drama.
1. All these reboots only proves that Hollywood is completely bankrupt of ideas. It used to be they'd at least try to combine the best aspects of some previous hits in a new IP, but now it's just "redo this, but grittier and with more angst".
2. The prequels prove what happens when Lucas is given his "freedom": "Quirky" characters that lend next to nothing to the plot, an overreliance on CGI (I'd argue that the limitations of technology with the original trilogy forced a LOT of creativity) to show grand events that somehow manage to avoid any real emotional investment, and flat-out dereliction of duty to the actual story to the point where the principal romantic pair have all the chemistry of a lead ingot next to a plank of wood.
Also, were the lightsaber duels in the prequels any good? Sometimes it was hard to tell, what with the MTV-style "don't hold a shot on anything for longer than half a second" editing. (Pinball Yoda was entertaining, though.) The final duel in Return might not have had the same choreographed fanciness, but at least it could hold a damn shot for more than a couple of seconds and actually show some drama.
NO. Hell no. That scene shat all over the character of Yoda and changed him from being the wise teacher to another crappy gimmick. Yoda didn't need to be a powerful combatant to be respected. In fact that's one of the first things he says.DVS BSTrD said:
OT: I don't want George Lucas to touch anything Star Wars again, ever. He obviously hated everything about the original trilogy that made it worth watching. Christopher Nolan on the other hand... I'm forseeing zero gravity light saber duels, and i'm liking them.
I see just one flaw in remaking Star Wars, 4 to 6 especially. Who would play Han Solo? Ford is kinda old now. I don't know if theres anyone to fill his shoes.
If you are saying that Star Wars mirrored and should mirror the wars close to the time of its production, then the most fitting would be to turn the EMPIRE into the GOOD guys and fit the REBELS with TURBANS.
(i actually think this and im not attempting to create a flamewar)
(i actually think this and im not attempting to create a flamewar)
wait till lucas dies. it is the only way star wars will get some of the care and respect it needs.
and keep it out of the hands of hollywood, they suck almost as hard.
and yes from the empires perspective rebels would be terrorists. but then again there are rebels and there are rebels, if the sw rebels suddenly just started blowing up innocents for the lulz, they would not be very good guys anymore.
could just base stuff out of the old republic era seems to be far more wiggle room for lore and characters, without touching the core of the series that is still relatively recent.
except retcon all of episode 1 2 and 3 out of there and metacholorians or wth ever that lame ass stuff was.
and kill off every cute pandering kiddy creature, you know all the species that were made to sell toys and toys alone. so no more teddy bears beating the hell out of the empire forces.
star wars was never high art, nor was it great scifi. it just popularized scifi for the masses. then lucas just went bat crap crazy and completely motivated by merchandizing over substance, which was not helped by the fact that everyone around him kissed his ass.
heck most of the good stuff about 4, 5 and 6 lucas hated period. he was forced to make better movies by the people around him at the time. he was never a visionary or a great film maker.
and keep it out of the hands of hollywood, they suck almost as hard.
and yes from the empires perspective rebels would be terrorists. but then again there are rebels and there are rebels, if the sw rebels suddenly just started blowing up innocents for the lulz, they would not be very good guys anymore.
could just base stuff out of the old republic era seems to be far more wiggle room for lore and characters, without touching the core of the series that is still relatively recent.
except retcon all of episode 1 2 and 3 out of there and metacholorians or wth ever that lame ass stuff was.
and kill off every cute pandering kiddy creature, you know all the species that were made to sell toys and toys alone. so no more teddy bears beating the hell out of the empire forces.
star wars was never high art, nor was it great scifi. it just popularized scifi for the masses. then lucas just went bat crap crazy and completely motivated by merchandizing over substance, which was not helped by the fact that everyone around him kissed his ass.
heck most of the good stuff about 4, 5 and 6 lucas hated period. he was forced to make better movies by the people around him at the time. he was never a visionary or a great film maker.
If Lucas would actually let someone write a decent script and have some semblance of creative control (ie the power to veto things like Jar Jar Binks), I would actually support this. Let's face it, after all the nostalgia, the Star Wars movies really aren't that great. It's not really their fault, just the scope of movies and themes of the modern audience have evolved over the years. Get someone like Joss Whedon to give the story the love, respect, balance and fines it deserves, and I'd be willing to bet it would be a good series of movies. I mean, yeah it still can't possibly live up to the imagined bar been set, but it'd still probably be pretty damn good.
Honestly, I never cared for the remake concept and, though much of what you bring up is very interesting as a concept, I don't think a remake is the right path. To put it another way, exploring how the current generation is radically removed from its predecessors is the very essence of the New Jedi Order series of books. Now, I'll be the first to say that I never, ever, want to see a NJO film series, but I would hold them up as an interesting, if imperfect, follow up piece.
That being said, if they ever did make more live action SW films, I would love to see a KotOR series, or better, the Thrawn trilogy. First reason, excellent book series already well framed in the SW style. Second reason, character development. Reasons 3 through 1,000,000, Mara Jade. 'Nuff said.
Also,
That being said, if they ever did make more live action SW films, I would love to see a KotOR series, or better, the Thrawn trilogy. First reason, excellent book series already well framed in the SW style. Second reason, character development. Reasons 3 through 1,000,000, Mara Jade. 'Nuff said.
Also,
Read the novel Dark Lord, The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno. It isn't perfect, but it does a hell of a job of turning the whining child Anakin into Darth ******* Vader from the original movies, mostly through the Emperor constantly doing little things to make Vader angrier and angrier until he just enjoys taking out his pain and frustration on anything nearby because he can't reconcile how much of a moron he was when he was younger (ie: in Ep.3).Bhaalspawn said:
