Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18/15)

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Here I am trying really hard to find something nice to say about the PT when BAM, you come and cut me down like a kid at a Jedi temple!

That was cool.



In order to get that reaction I think Lucas was giving some off-camera advice:

"Look scared, kid, or you'll be back to playing the rear end of the donkey in the school nativity again."

That kid looks like Jake Lloyd. Coincidence? Is it some kind of metaphor, or did Lucas really want to kill Jake Lloyd after the Phantom Menace?

 

[DiFabio]

Force Awakens looks like it has just as much CGI and filters as all the other modern blockbusters I've seen.

What practicality are we talking about? The girl sitting in the desert looking at the camera? The black kid pulling off his helmet? The prequels had those too. Force Awakens looks just as sterile as the Prequels, or hell more recently Age of Ultron and Jurassic World. That's not a fault, that's just how modern cinema looks.

The visuals and effects shouldn't be the focus, it should be the story and characters. The prequels have a lot of great shots, real and digital, those weren't really the point of contention so much as the script and writing.

 

[jye4ever]

It's surreal that JL's real life is going sour just like Anakin's.

 

[jye4ever]

Force Awakens looks like it has just as much CGI and filters as all the other modern blockbusters I've seen.

What practicality are we talking about? The girl sitting in the desert looking at the camera? The black kid pulling off his helmet? The prequels had those too. Force Awakens looks just as sterile as the Prequels, or hell more recently Age of Ultron and Jurassic World. That's not a fault, that's just how modern cinema looks.

I see sanitary, not sterile.

I do see more LOTR than Hobbit.

Even the cgi flying stuff looks closer to OT for me.

I could be wrong on all this

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Force Awakens looks like it has just as much CGI and filters as all the other modern blockbusters I've seen.

What practicality are we talking about? The girl sitting in the desert looking at the camera? The black kid pulling off his helmet? The prequels had those too. Force Awakens looks just as sterile as the Prequels, or hell more recently Age of Ultron and Jurassic World. That's not a fault, that's just how modern cinema looks.

Well, to be fair, the girl and the desert are real this time, and the black kid's helmet is also real this time Remmber those fake deserts and clone troopers in AOTC

 

[jye4ever]

Maybe DiFabio cat will listen to a fellow bat freak.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I'll try.

Difabio

I know there is good in you. The prequels hasn't driven it from you fully.That was why you couldn't destroy me. Come with me, Difabio. Search your feelings. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you! Let go of the hate!

 

[DiFabio]

Well, to be fair, the girl and the desert are real this time, and the black kid's helmet is also real this time Remmber those fake deserts and clone troopers in AOTC

 

[a-dev]

Well, that's one reason TPM is the best of the PT.

 

[DiFabio]

I'll try.

Difabio

I know there is good in you. The prequels hasn't driven it from you fully.That was why you couldn't destroy me. Come with me, Difabio. Search your feelings. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you! Let go of the hate!

I don't even love the prequels, at all. I've had my rants about them in the past (tell them about the Kiwi Jye). It just feels like some people are being too harsh on them (and Lucas) because the Force Awakens is a shiny new toy! The practical stuff is nonsense, a note and a message that Disney is enforcing on the marketing of the the movie. Look how many times Abrams, the cast, crew and production have brought it up. Force Awakens looks just as "fake" as the prequels, from the troopers in front of the banner, to the dog fights to that distracting weird robot alien thing in the foreground when Han and Co. are walking into the temple.

If it has a great story though, the effects (practical or CGI) won't matter. They're just tools. That's all I'm saying. The Prequels have some beautiful shots, designs and art direction, real and fake. Miniature/bigautre and green screen. The problem with those movies was the writing.

 

[jye4ever]

Then the emporer has already won.......

 

[xipotec]

I don't even love the prequels, at all. I've had my rants about them in the past (tell them about the Kiwi Jye). It just feels like some people are being too harsh on them (and Lucas) because the Force Awakens is a shiny new toy! The practical stuff is nonsense, a note and a message that Disney is enforcing on the marketing of the the movie. Look how many times Abrams, the cast, crew and production have brought it up. Force Awakens looks just as "fake" as the prequels, from the troopers in front of the banner, to the dog fights to that distracting weird robot alien thing in the foreground when Han and Co. are walking into the temple.

If it has a great story though, the effects (practical or CGI) won't matter. They're just tools. That's all I'm saying. The Prequels have some beautiful shots, designs and art direction, real and fake. Miniature/bigautre and green screen. The problem with those movies was the writing.

There are quite a few god awful CGI background shots in the PT , just about every hanger scene look atrocious. Even TPM epic Maul scenes are seriously marred by terrible Cgi backgrounds. The are almost worse to me than the Endor speeder bike backgrounds...

 

[jye4ever]

I think that the cgi in TFA trailers look flawless and more importantly, inviting.

 

[DiFabio]

Then the emporer has already won.......

 

[jye4ever]

Oh man, I wish I could find the wrestler with the gun gif.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I don't even love the prequels, at all. I've had my rants about them in the past (tell them about the Kiwi Jye). It just feels like some people are being too harsh on them (and Lucas) because the Force Awakens is a shiny new toy! The practical stuff is nonsense, a note and a message that Disney is enforcing on the marketing of the the movie. Look how many times Abrams, the cast, crew and production have brought it up. Force Awakens looks just as "fake" as the prequels, from the troopers in front of the banner, to the dog fights to that distracting weird robot alien thing in the foreground when Han and Co. are walking into the temple.

If it has a great story though, the effects (practical or CGI) won't matter. They're just tools. That's all I'm saying. The Prequels have some beautiful shots, designs and art direction, real and fake. Miniature/bigautre and green screen. The problem with those movies was the writing.

Yeah, I pretty much feel the same way, but I'm still giving TFA a chance.

Then the emporer has already won.......

Yes, he did. Goodbye, Jye

 

[JAWS]

Well, that's one reason TPM is the best of the PT.

I was going to say the same thing.

I don't even love the prequels, at all. I've had my rants about them in the past (tell them about the Kiwi Jye). It just feels like some people are being too harsh on them (and Lucas) because the Force Awakens is a shiny new toy! The practical stuff is nonsense, a note and a message that Disney is enforcing on the marketing of the the movie. Look how many times Abrams, the cast, crew and production have brought it up. Force Awakens looks just as "fake" as the prequels, from the troopers in front of the banner, to the dog fights to that distracting weird robot alien thing in the foreground when Han and Co. are walking into the temple.

If it has a great story though, the effects (practical or CGI) won't matter. They're just tools. That's all I'm saying. The Prequels have some beautiful shots, designs and art direction, real and fake. Miniature/bigautre and green screen. The problem with those movies was the writing.

PT is being bashed because we are talking SW and the New film is not out yet... So it stands to reason people are going to talk about what they know... Which are the 6 original films. The new trailer looks good and has an old SW feel... Having said that people should go back and watch the PT trailers. All of them made the films look great. Much of that is the use of JW OT score used for back drop music. So the same thing could be said for this film.

As for the USE of CGI and practical effects... Well at least many of the Stormtroopers are real actors this time.. Not one clone trooper was a real person. All CGI. The sets do looks better IMO The shots on the ships and the some of the outdoor shots. I agree with Jye it looks more LOTR then PT or Hobbit.



Here is a great example... Look at the background. I assume its all real.. If not it is much better then the CGI used in the PT

Granted here we are in the Falcon but it's all real and dingy... PT was lacking this lived in feeling.

most if not all the troopers are real here. Looks like Set and green screen used... Much better then anything in PT

This shot would not exist in the PT

Again this looks like a real location.

Another example of a shot that would never exist in PT

Just compare any of those... To these

Anyways if the film is good or great then prepare for a bit more dumping on the PT but I think people will then finally be able to move on and maybe even accept the PT for what they are.

I know much of my dislike came from the finality of it. That this was it. No more SW. We wait years for new films and we get handed a crapfest that ends up actually ruining some of fandom and enjoyment of the OT.

 

[jye4ever]

I hope that you agree with me since I stole that analogy from you lol.

But you definitely hit the nail on the head JAWS, The perceived finality of the prequel trilogy definitely makes it much more painful than it has to be.

So yes everything is riding on episode seven, that movie really needs to deliver the goods!

If not, well then there is always episode eight, nine and the anthologies to look forward too.

Man are we getting a ton more SW, one of them will eventually have to be great!

 

[DiFabio]

I know much of my dislike came from the finality of it. That this was it. No more SW. We wait years for new films and we get handed a crapfest that ends up actually ruining some of fandom and enjoyment of the OT.

That's a great point, I agree.

I think the thing that rubbed me the wrong about the prequels the most were the DVD/Blu Ray changes that were made to the Original Trilogy in an attempt to unify them. I hated that. When I look at them all seperately, not just by "Trilogy" but film by film, I can appreciate each one more. From Star Wars to Empire, to Jedi to Menace to Sith. And hey, we got like 50 more Star Wars movies to look forward to! There is no end! No, the journey doesn't end here.


As for Jye's comment about this feeling like LOTR, it doesn't for me at all. The last trailer reminds me of the very first Hobbit Unexpected Journey trailer with the Misty Mountain and sentimental feels as well as the TDKR trailer and Jurassic World final trailer with the same exact piano key suspense/build up. That's not a bad thing either, because those were great theatrical trailers.

 

[JAWS]

Force Awakens looks just as "fake" as the prequels, from the troopers in front of the banner, to the dog fights to that distracting weird robot alien thing in the foreground when Han and Co. are walking into the temple.
.

ummmm I have to disagree my good friend . I am not sure if the Troopers in TFA shots are all CGI or real or both... But that's just it... I can't tell. But crooked helmets and body posture make them look more human. Back ground looks better in TFA but modern CGI will do that... Either way TFA shot looks much better and not so... well CGI.

As for the weirs Alien thing... Well all I can say is I will take that over