Did ‘Star Wars’ become a toy story? Producer Gary Kurtz looks back

[devilof76]

It also balances ESB's gravity, bringing things back in line with the totality of the atmosphere that defined ANH. While the original had a lot dark moments, it also had a lot of the levity that came to dominate ROTJ. I've always liked the way the whole thing ended. It felt (and still feels) complete.

Which is now even heavier with the PT.

For all its faults, it still has that effect for me too.

 

[karamazov80]

If Lucas had the technology in the mid-70s that he has today, I don't think the old films would have "looked like" the prequels. Most artists have a period where they create amazing work, then they fizzle out. This happened with Lucas IMO. He would have known better than to fill the shot with unnecessary clutter and to stick all the stupid, cartoony jokes and characters into the original films back in those days (well, the first two anyway). This isn't to say Yoda wouldn't have been CG, but there's a lot more to distinguish the look and use of effects in the prequels from the original films than that.

I don't have an opinion on Solo being killed. I like the character, so I'm glad he lived. But if they had killed him off then we would all be accepting it as part of "what made the story so great."

 

[DarthNeil]

It's George's sandbox now, but in the days of ANH and TESB it was obviously much more collaborative.

The Emperor Has New Clothes... It's muh better when someone is able (and willing) to speak up on areas of concerns rather than nodding their head enthusiastically...

I too agree that ANH and ESB are untouchable while the truth about what ROTJ could have been always makes me wishful.

 

[Darthrazz]

I always enjoyed ROTJ, but it was such a ANH rehash.


Plot wise:
Prisoner Rescue
Death Star stolen plans reveal weakness-again?
Battle in space, destruction of death star-


Other things:


Luke and Leia swing from a rope
Han in Imperial disguise speaks into intercom
R2-D2 gets shot
Jedi Knight disappears
Tatooine-that one might be a stretch
Disabling a deflector/tractor beam
Chewbacca poses as a prisoner

I'm sure there are more I can't recall.

 

[OSCORP]

He did bring it up earlier. Actually, Kurtz was fairly outspoken from the beginning. Ever read "Skywalking" or "Empire Building"? He made some of the very same points/complaints, way before the Special Editions or prequels.

This was just the first time that an outlet like the L.A. Times talked to him and gave him a mainstream forum.

 

[a-dev]

I just don't think Star Wars is the kind of film where main hero characters have to die. Joss Whedon insisted on infusing Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a dose of harsh reality and made season 6 the most depressing and unwatchable series of that show. Star Wars never needed to be that. Empire and the key story contents of ROTS (because the execution was generally _____) were as dark as it needed to go.

And again how stupid and pointless would it have seemed that the heroes rescue Han in the beginning of ROTJ and then he gets killed 20 minutes of film-time later. It'd have you thinking that they should have just killed him at the end of ESB if they insisted on drama like that.

 

[OSCORP]

I know Harrison wanted Han to die. But personally, it wouldn't have bothered me either way.

 

[Scarrack]

ROTJ would have been better if Han died, even Han thinks so. Look at the size of the explosion of the shield generator, it's huge!
I could see Han getting in, with no way out, and having to blow the shield generator up himself. The lines just sound so much more meaningful, "Han will have that shield down, we got to give him more time!"

Star Wars starts out emphasizing the importance of sacrifice. The rebel troops in the beginning, Ben Kenobi, and all the rebel pilots sacrifice their lives for their cause.

In ESB, Yoda warns Luke not to go to Bespin because he will destroy all for which his friends have fought & suffered. They've been fighting to defeat the Empire, and Luke is the key element in making that happen. They all know it, including Vader & the Emperor. If Luke is turned to the dark side or defeated, then he fails and his friends sacrifice will have meant nothing.

If Han died, there would also be no need for Luke & Leia to be brother & sister and have an awkward incest moment in ESB. Biggest WTF moment in the classic trilogy.

ROTJ touches on sacrifice, with some of the anonymous rebel pilots being killed, and Vader but that's it.

Lando should have been sacrificed in the Death Star II destruction. When you watch that scene, you know that there is no way they are going to make it out alive. This goes back to the original article, if somebody dies, that will probably hurt toy sales for that character.

Never liked the ewoks either. The excuse that Lucas has always put out there was that ESB showed Chewbacca as technologically intelligent, so it couldn't be a primitive society anymore. I call BS, he was technologically proficient in ANH. They just went with cute & cuddly ewoks, I blame Care Bears.

Enslaved wookiee's would need to be technologically advanced if they were put to work on Death Star II, and it would not only have created an opportunity to expand on why Chewbacca has a life debt to Han (something never even mentioned in the movies), but also the needed uprising to help Han do his job after being captured.

The alternate ROTJ concept sounds like it would have been much better.

 

[devilof76]

Sacrifice is gay.

 

[King Darkness]

So is Elton John.

 

[OSCORP]

Sacrifice is sexy.

 

[King Darkness]

So is Elton John.

 

[devilof76]

So the moral of this story is, killing Han Solo at the end of ROTJ would have made Star Wars as sexy as Elton John.

Thank you George Lucas.

 

[King Darkness]

The logic is irrefutable and undeniable

 

[EVILFACE]

Money will always win out. Everyone here would've done the same thing, sell that merchandise.

 

[King Darkness]

Merchandising is far more important than quality or content of a particular property in an medium of entertainment.


Just look at KISS. Most craptacular band of all time, yet worth billions in merchandising.

 

[EVILFACE]

And they have love guns.

 

[King Darkness]

And.......super awesome chest hair......

 

[Khev]

The OT was about Luke and to a lesser extent Vader. I think it would have been very strange for Han or Lando to all of a sudden be the sacrifical heroes of the Rebellion. It was much better with Luke allowing himself to be tortured and Vader giving up the ghost.

I don't buy "toy sales would have suffered if Han or Lando died" for a second. Boba Fett not only died but died stupidly and he remained of the most popular figures in the entire line.

 

[jkno]

Merchandising is far more important than quality or content of a particular property in an medium of entertainment.

Merchandising


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