I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate the Star Wars Prequel trilogy. It's an unmitigated disaster. From plot to characterization and even setting, it's a perfect example of how NOT to make a good film and stands forever in stark contrast as to why the Original trilogy is better even without all the digital doodads.
The above video doesn't really have anything to do with this article, I just think it's funny. However, if we were to glean anything from it's presence it must be that Lucas has undoubtedly fallen from grace.
George Lucas didn't rape my childhood. Regardless of how I feel about the man, I've never liked this saying. My childhood and memories are intact. I got to grow up with the Original trilogy! Nothing wrong with that. I feel sorry for this most recent generation and even the one before it. The kids that grew up only knowing Star Wars for the Prequels and the horrible Clone Wars cartoon. Now these kids' childhoods haven't necessarily been raped, but they've been deprived of the good stuff. Could that be worse? Eventually I'm sure they'll get around to it, and like the generations before, they'll toss their copies of Episode I aside and grasp all the more tightly onto the Empire Strikes Back, but until that day, I feel sorry for them.
If you have never checked out Redlettermedia's BRILLIANT analysis of Episodes I-III, I sincerely hope you will do so now. Here is the link to the start.
But I picked out this segment which I hope you will watch, because I think it's an amazingly insightful segment into what's going on with George Lucas, fast forward to 4:45 to get to the point, if you're impatient:
The truth is that the Prequels have polarized Star Wars fans into two basic camps. Those of us who detach ourselves from the recent stuff and acknowledge Lucas' shortcomings and those who don't.
Personally, I don't regard anything Lucas has done with Star Wars since Return of the Jedi as canon. When you come down to it, the Prequels are just BAD movies. We could get very specific into why they suck as both Star Wars movies and just as movies in general, but that would take forever because there is a plethora of reasoning as to how and why they are so bad we almost need a new word to describe how bad they truly are. I think this would be counter-productive.
I'd rather just get into the meat of Mr. Lucas.
I think it's obvious that the guy is first and foremost a business man. In so many ways, the Prequel trilogy was OBVIOUSLY made to sell toys. I think this is a painful fact. But if you look at the movies and the merchandising objectively it's hard not to see the blatant truth to the matter. When no-name characters are being sold as action figures and action figures have scenes in movies only to look cool and don't further the plot you have to ask yourself, why?
In many ways everything Lucas has done since the Empire Strikes Back has been about keeping his own Empire afloat. Every so often in interviews and such, you get the impression that this has been about keeping his people employed. He might be a billionaire now but at first he was just a normal guy trying to take care of his friends, peers, and beloved co-workers. Especially during the making of the Empire Strikes Back.
During that time period Lucas risked it all. He was starting up multiple businesses and self-financing SO MUCH of the film himself that you can almost break out in a sweat of your own when you dive into the details of how much stress he must have been under. I think this is the time period that irrevocably changed the man. He went from budding and fledgling artist/filmmaker to all-and-out businessman. He almost lost everything, and that changes people.
Of course we must stop here and acknowledge that while Lucas was indeed once a gifted artist, he did NOT make Star Wars alone. It was a collaboration and many of his most insane, and indeed, retarded ideas never made it past the page because there were people around to tell him NO.
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| Original Star Wars concept art... |
I've long felt that total artistic freedom is almost always a bad thing when it comes to film. You get pictures like King Kong (the Peter Jackson version). Film SHOULD be a collaboration because it ultimately and unavoidably IS a collaboration.
The sad fact is that either George let go of his artistic instincts a long time ago or they were never all that strong to begin with. It's entirely possible that he's only ever been a decent idea man. A guy that should be producing the movie (or just producing the money) and letting talented people run with the basic concepts that he's presented.
It saddens me that Lucas thinks he still has some sort of artistic integrity. This is just not possible when you stand in front of congress and defend a film from future tinkering and then tinker with your own movie like you're the sole owner.
The reality is that Lucas doesn't OWN Star Wars.
This might be a hard concept for some. But George Lucas does not own Star Wars. Sure, he mostly paid for it to be released all by his lonesome, but it isn't HIS.
He released it to the public while accepting PAYMENT for his endeavors. He gave it to me, my kids, your kids, and future generations. It doesn't belong to any one person, nor should it. Once you put something out there it's done, gone. And rightfully so. Especially when you factor that people have PAID for it time and time again. I've bought multiple copies of Star Wars on VHS and DVD. I've bought tons of merchandise. So don't I own it?
Definitely not...
However, the point is that while I may not own it, neither does Lucas. You put it out there, man. You gave it to us. And we embraced it. You should be proud. You shouldn't edit and re-edit. It's the equivalent of a Chef making a gourmet meal, you paying for it and eating it but lo and behold the Chef comes out of the kitchen and demands that you regurgitate what you enjoyed in order for him to change some spices and ingredients because he didn't feel like it was the finished product. Where would this fly? NOWHERE.
Star Wars, like anything that is great and good does not belong to any one single individual.
And thus MY argument is over and my hatred over the many Lucas apologists begins.
You see, some fans believe in being fans regardless of how much they are abused. They cannot differentiate between the product and the representative behind the product. You see, I'm a Star Wars fan. That does NOT make me a Lucas fan. Of course I WANT to be a Lucas fan, but if he fucks up, he fucks up. That doesn't make me any less of a Star Wars fan. Not that it matters.
But to some asshats, you have to be all or none.
I hear it all the time, "in Nolan we trust" when talking about the recent Batman movies. Well, sorry, I've never met Christopher Nolan, so no I don't TRUST him. At the end of the day, he's made a ton of great movies, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I do not blindly TRUST him. I'm a BATMAN fan, not a NOLAN fan.
I use this analogy to help me make it clear that there is a dividing line within fandom between idiocy and intelligence.
The Lucas Apologist seems to have to main arguments that rub me the WRONG FRAKKIN' WAY:
1. Star Wars didn't change, we did.
2. George gave us the Original trilogy so be nice.
Let's attack this number by number shall we?
First up, Star Wars didn't change but somehow the people who grew up with it DID.
Okay, this is bullshit reasoning right off the bat. It's so stupid it just makes me see nothing but red. The fact that some moron uttered this makes me lose another gigantic dose of faith in humanity. It's so retarded that I have trouble even knowing where to start attacking it.
I could start with the obvious. This idea is basically saying that the Original trilogy is just as kiddy as the Prequel trilogy but I can't see it clearly because I was a kid then and am not now, right?
I could sit here and argue that while PARTS of Revenge of the Sith are as dark and serious as the Empire Strikes Back it never comes even remotely close to the level of depth or maturity that is seen in just any one scene (take your pick) within the film, but that would be too obvious. I think the fact that I can still find things to praise and enjoy about Empire as an ADULT while still loathing ROTS for it's horrible dialogue, acting, plot holes, and ridiculous effects is proof enough.
Yet even in this, I fear that I am falling into an argument that is subjective and could go on forever. I'd rather CRUSH the argument.
So because I'm an adult the basic idea here is that I would not like the Original trilogy any more than I would the Prequel trilogy having seen it fresh.
This is flawed because I've shown adults who've never seen either and LOVE the Original trilogy and hate the Prequels...but let's take that out of the equation.
By the rationale of this argument, I shouldn't like anything that's made for kids. Because you have to understand, that's the defining rule here. Lucas apologists are looking to protect the Bearded One because he FAMOUSLY said (when the Phantom Menace was VERY poorly received by fans) that Star Wars is for kids. They're trying to say that we betrayed Lucas and not the other way around.
So by their standard, I should hate anything done by Disney and/or Pixar. In fact, all animation is probably too juvenile for me. Kung Fu Panda was great, but I should just ignore that I loved it because it was made for kids so because I'm an adult I must have missed something.
I should hate the MANY Star Wars books that have come along over the years (even though I'm still reading them in CONTINUITY, I might add) and the video games like Jedi Academy and the Force Unleashed that I totally DIDN'T OBSESS over for years at a time...just like the The Old Republic MMORPG which I am LOVING.
Yeah, it's ME and my age that is the problem...
KISS. MY. ASS.
Forget that I record shows like Young Justice and/or the new Avengers animated series.
I probably shouldn't love Harry Potter? I thought they were kids books, but wait, I've read them all!
Maybe the more things change, the more they stay the same? Yes, we all get older, but with good fiction we see get to view multiple sides to the stories as the years go by and our various perspectives change. When we were kids we saw something in Star Wars, just as we are adults we see things that our parents and grandparents saw. The reality is that the Original trilogy was accessible for everyone.
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| 1977...that looks like an eclectic mix of people. |
The above image thankfully blows the argument completely out of the water. Star Wars isn't JUST for kids...it's for everyone. Great fiction always is. This is standard Lucas apologist bullshit. The reality is Lucas fucked up with the Phantom Menace and instead of admitting it, he tried to cover his ass with a disgraceful comment about how Star Wars is for kids. Way to demean your audience, asshole.
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| Yeah, because this crawl and plot SCREAM just for kids... |
The secondary point we come to next is that, 'Lucas gave us Star Wars, so be nice!'
Well that's basically like giving someone a free pass.
Okay...if you do something great, I'll agree you should kind of have a free pass. Until you fuck up enough times that the free pass is revoked. Then you're just excusing bad behavior, and I don't do that.
Joel Schumacher has made some good flicks. The Lost Boys comes to mind right away. But he's also the mother fucker who made Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Sure, he's gone on to make some decent flicks like 8MM, Phone Booth, and the Phantom of the Opera. This doesn't excuse what he's done nor does it mean I will just believe every movie he makes from here on in will be decent and/or good.
You see, Lucas apologists want to just live and let live. They WANT to like the Prequels because they simply don't have the intelligence or rationality to come to terms with a world where there are bad Star Wars movies and Lucas has sold them out. Believe me, I understand this plight.
Still, these movies are SO bad and were waited on for SO long that some people simply cannot fathom the awfulness. They make all sorts of excuses and justifications for why they like and/or love them. These people do not want to face facts.
You could argue that they love Star Wars too much, but I don't agree with this because I LOVE Star Wars and I protect it by cutting out the crap and acknowledging the weakness. They are simply slow. They'll come around eventually, but for now we can all write them off as being stupid for the moment.
No one LIKES these movies except maybe kids. If you're over 13 and you claim to like these movies you're either an apologist who cannot be reasoned with because you are blinded by what you are obsessed with or you grew up with them and haven't revisited them recently or had anything to compare them to, i.e. the Original trilogy!
What the Lucas apologist fails to realize (besides the FUCKING OBVIOUS) is that no one would hate on George Lucas if he just did two very simple and logical things:
1. Release the original cuts of the movies on all formats from here on in along or as separate versions of the Special Editions. Wouldn't matter how he sold it, fans wouldn't bitch if they had the option to stay away from his revisions.
2. Admitted the Prequel trilogy was not what it could have been.
I realize that Point 2 is asking a bit. But it's not.
You see, I'm not asking him to remake the Prequel trilogy. Although I think he should.
I'm not even asking him to flat-out admit it sucks or that he failed. Although he would earn back my respect instantly by doing so.
I'm just asking him to be honest. Because the truth is that what COULD have been and what SHOULD have been is SO much better than what IS.
And he knows it.
Why do you think he antagonizes the fans so much? Because deep down he knows he fucked up and doesn't want to admit to it. His ego won't allow that, but he's being publicly crucified for it so he lashes out the only way he can.
I'm asking him to stop acting like the Prequel trilogy is the end-all-be-all. Stop treating the Original trilogy (the good son) like the poor step cousin. This more than ANYTHING is what infuriates me. He acts like the saga that made the Clone Wars animated series and all the merchandise possible was nothing more than a fluke.
He'll sit there and swear that everything was mapped out...but did you ever imagine when Luke and Obi-Wan talked about the Clone Wars that the clones would be the good guys? How does that even make sense? It's not like we would call any war we were in the Marine Wars. We all envisioned the Clones as the enemy and as some sort of horrible by-product. Not a war where the Clones fought Droids. And even if it were, there was a point lost there. Part of Star Wars is about putting charm and character into robotics from C-3PO to the Millennium Falcon, if the good guys had to have an army wouldn't have been more affectionate and interesting to make it these hapless droids rather than the mask-faced Clone troopers?
Honestly, if the Prequel trilogy is truly George Lucas' VISION and he feels that the Originals are NOT...well folks, if that's not a DAMNING position to take than I don't know what is? Because regardless of whether you like, love, or loathe the Prequels you cannot deny that the Original trilogy is better...
But Lucas does.
Think about that.
If the Prequels are the movies he wanted the Originals to be from the beginning then I am DAMN glad they were made with other people.
Think about it. Of COURSE he doesn't like the Original trilogy, he barely made any of them! Lucas made the Prequels. Kershner made the Empire Strikes Back (this is just an example, I know Lucas made A New Hope). Think about it.
I think this is my underlying problem with George.
He acts like his shit don't stink (even though I can see in his eyes he knows it does) and that his TRUE MASTERPIECE (the saga that will be remembered forever) is abhorrent while he shoves Prequel SHITE down our throats.
One of my favorite cousins recently asked me what I think will happen when Lucas dies...well, I'm hoping he can be like Scrooge and change...but like Marley says, if everything remains the same, it's very simple:
The Prequel trilogy will fail. The emphasis and glamour that has been placed upon it will wane. It will be around but it will take it's RIGHTFUL place, BEHIND the Original trilogy in terms of everything from quality to emotion and taste.
Designers, computer artists, producers, writers, actors, and all manner of people will eventually begin to voice their true opinions and thoughts on the awfulness that is Episodes I-III. Sure, some people will stick to their guns, but most won't. Some people will even try to make a case for how they fought and tried to make changes to the story (I'm looking at you Rick McCallum).
Hopefully, the rights to Star Wars will be released and Hollywood can dive in. This will lead to a number of GREAT films, TV series, and video game projects but will also incur a GINORMOUS amount of horrible films, TV series, and video game projects...but that's okay. A Star Wars fan must learn to take the good and ignore the bad.
But I'm not counting on it.
My hope is that before he goes, Lucas will embrace the fans the way that we have embraced him for so long and just do some very simple, honest things. He'll give us the original editions, and at the very least remove emphasis off of the Prequels and shed some glorious light back on the Original's that he so seemingly hates (yet we all love).
I guess even if he doesn't do any of that he's still done some amazing things and kept food on the table for so many people. He's a brilliant entrepreneur, producer, and idea man.
Artist?
I think he let go of that a long time ago. Maybe that's where ultimately the apologists and I formerly disagree.
That and they're all morons.
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