Be willing to let go of most of your feelings of nostalgia when watching this new sequel trilogy

If I might add some of my feelings to the whole story, there is nothing to ruin left, the PT did the job very well, it can only get better in my opinion.
Please no heat and don't get me wrong, I even own the PT trilogy on DvD. I supported George Lucas.
The ST will be a different beast, we get the OT cast, for me it's win/win situation to see the old heroes back on the screen even if the movie is mediocre.
I have he gut feeling that the movie will be good and a huge success, it will be 10 times better as the Star Trek reboot.
I enjoyed the two movies, but be fair they are shallow and emtpy rip off's of the TOS without that certain something that TOS made so special.

 

Y'know, that was (and remains) just about my same experience with the PT. Like you, it's because of my love of the OT that the PT films even ended up on my radar. I gave it an honest try with all three, and they've just never done it for me, and for precisely the reasons you mention. Were it not for their connection to three of my all-time favorite movies, I probably wouldn't even remember them now.

And it's not because I had already mentally written the PT story or any of that nonsense that people have tried to lay on me about this. The only preconceived notions I had about the PT was that it would incorporate the backstory elements that we knew from what Lucas had written into the OT (and in the end, sadly, too often the PT ignored even these) and that I'd connect with and care about the characters (which rarely ended up happening.) Try as I might, I was never able to really get past the fact that the PT films fell unbelievably flat for me on just about every level, from storytelling and characterization to overwrought CGI and battles that were often all flash and precious little drama.

I can't tell you how many times I've had people try to tell me that I'm not a real Star Wars fan because of this. But as irritating as I find that attitude to be, I would never even think to suggest that expressing such opinions be prohibited on this or any other Star Wars fan forum. To me, quashing opinion simply because it's not the same as my own is the very antithesis of what an online discussion forum should be about.

 

Even the fight at the end of PT is intercut with Anakins yippeeees :'(

 

They definitely have to make this film with the future in mind as well as now, i'm worried there may be certain plot devices/filming styles used which are IN today, but will be laughed at in a few years time.. The original trilogy has a timeless filming style, but things like shaky cam and digital zoom-in shots will age the film over the time.

 

Agreed i'm being picky, just want it to be as good as possible.

 

I agree with you. The camerawork is really the one aspect of the new films that I'm somewhat worried about. I'm ok with incorporating modern techniques, I just hope that JJ isn't afraid to let the camera sit still every now and then.
I honestly think that relatively static, "traditional" camerawork better serves the Star Wars universe and helps it feel more mythic and emotionally involved.

 

I agree. Things like the snap-zoom on the Falcon in the second trailer and the Falcon follow-cam from the first kind of bug me. But there are plenty of other shots in the trailers that look a little more static/Star Warsy. I'm sure they'll just mix it up a bit. I'm ok with that. The cinematography was evolving during the OT as well. By the time they got to Jedi, there were some pretty dynamic busy space combat shots. I'm mainly hoping they keep the lightsabering to a minimum.

 

Yes.

 

Absolutely, it's possible Star Wars would be even more revered by the geek community now if it wasn't for the prequels. Though not so much by the general public.

 

<cough>bb-8<cough>revolution<cough>movie isn't even out yet.<cough>

 

I think you need one of these for that cough.

 

this I like...

 

Variety article looked more Farscape than Star Wars.

 

yes, traditional camerawork is better for star wars but i am certain those movements will be used
for only a percentage of some of the action sequences only. that snap zoom in Into darkness was used very well
and it sort of works like the lens flare in order to make the cgi look even more real or to distract you so you don't
have to stare at it in a " less is more " kinda way.



i keep thinking that if in 1977 - 1983 George and his crew had 10x the resources and every newest cinematography
trick from 2015 at their disposition, they could have been using more of the exact same methods of camera work as those supposedly used in TFA.

i think the space pirate photo shoot is amazing, and that blue beard buddy looks cool.but if people think the photo is weird its simply because of the photo shoot, jj & dan mindel had nothing to do with it, the lighting isn't even remotely similar,the contrast and the color temperature .those ingredients can greatly modify how objects and people look. just look at the color temperature in the desert sequence from the trailer im sure mindel used a " colder" 10 000 kelvin type of color temp in order to compensate for outdoor shoots as opposed to using a "hot" color temperature 3500 kelvin to compensate for indoor shoots like the bar scenes in star trek.

 

I'm pretty sure the camera follow the falcon in ROTJ

There's plenty of stuff in the PT that could have been shot without a blast load of CGI. I mean plenty.

 

I'm not a PT hater...I just like good movies...the PT are not good movies if examined objectively and they've aged badly too.

That doesn't mean they don't have their devotees...many many people like all sorts of stuff I would consider garbage...junk food - Daytime TV - most modern pop music...yet they are consumed in their millions.

Which just goes to show there's no accounting for taste..Maybe I should say the OT is a Gourmet Handmade italian pizza..and the PT are like Pizza Rolls..I know which I prefer but some may like both equally.

Anyways....I'm hungry for another slice come 18th Dec, and it may not be like Papa used to make but I reckon JJ has cooked it with all the right ingredients.

 

The visual FX have dated them...I think when Lucas made ANH he simply developed new techniques to tell his story because he had to. The story drove the FX and revolutionised film making.

In the PT I think he wanted to outdo himself or at least live up to what he'd acheived before. So he set to make a set of movies that pushed what was possible at the time ..a totally CG main character..hundreds of things on screen at once..entire sequences entirely rendered in CG. Problem is as time goes by these things age far more than the more practical fx in the OT..the CG Clone Troopers being a good example. Also over subsequent rewatches you start to notice the acting / dialogue / plot problems far more than the first couple of viewings (when you're not distractd by the sheer amount of "stuff" onscreen ) and they just don't hold up on closer examination.

I have the advantage of seeing the OT in cinema aged between 7 - 12 ...then I took my now wife to the Special Editions when we were dating as she'd never seen them on the big screen...and we went to see each PT movie as they came out and can now take our own kids to see TFA in December.

But did I like the PT at the time? I kinda liked them but they fell short...I think I tried to look for stuff to like in them...because it was Star Wars....I remember talking about TPM on the drive home...saying how I enjoyed the Pod Race..and the Duel of Fates. I think I came out saying that "bits" of it were cool and the production design was great as was the music. I'm probably less of a fan of the PT now than the first time I saw them, I'd have probably scored them 7 out 10 on the night and maybe only 5.5 out of 10 with hindsight.