Star Wars Politics

[steve12553]

I saw this a while ago and I had to share:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/why-star-wars-prequels-better-original-trilogy-160300514.html

This irks me two ways: first, as a conservative (the word meaning: less government, less taxes and more freedom rather than a political association), the liberal bias of the article makes me want to puke. And second, the characters in the original trilogy were likable and heroic. The special effects were new and creative and the stories, though simple, were wonderfully escapist making the audience feel good at the end. The second trilogy (Parts I-III) stories, were wooden, the most important characters, Annikin and Amadala, were played by actors who, apparently, had not learned how to act yet. And the special effects were not origianl and creative, they were just obtrusive.

On the other hand, this must be true because I read it on the internet.

 

[Interference]

I've watched the prequel trilogy only once and the abiding memory is of battlefields and robots and a pointless race.

I've seen the original trilogy a few more times than that and the abiding memory is fun, frolic and good guys being heroic.

Now, I'm not the most politically astute observer in the known Universe, but I have to say I didn't cheer for democracy at the end. I cheered for Luke and Han and Princess Leia.

Now, tell me again why the second trilogy is better?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

so shallow here, but Han Solo being my answer. He has a lot to answer for, not least a very dodgy sci-fi addict and a belief that space ships just fly. Like that. And shoot. And the good guys get the best lines.

 

[Interference]

I've a baaaad feeling about this thread

 

[Huttman]

What an incredible article. It was absolutely correct, the story being so much more complex than the original trilogy seemed cramped to tell in the same two hour format for each movie. The things that make the original trilogy superior will always stand the test of time, but this article pointed out the strengths of why I love the prequels as well. I have often said that if these movies came out in there proper 'episode' order, the world would have had a hugely different outlook on this saga. So much of the originals had very wooden acting too, it just had things we had never seen before and it had a certain charm and innocence about it.
I just saw TPM in 3D last night and still enjoyed little Annie's innocence, Jar-Jar's stupidity, Qui-Gon's wonderful insight, and a political story that was happening every time I watch the news. The 1970's were a rather dark time for the world and as a result cinema. Star Wars (the 1st one) was a breath of fresh air with it's heroics. You knew from the start who was good and who was bad. It was a no brainer. It was fun and it had the element of having never been done before like that. That cannot be bottled or repeated on a whim. The worlds outllok is not as innocent as it was 30 years ago. Corruption everywhere is more in your face than it has been before and the prequels show that. According to so many people, if the magic that made the original movies has not been reproduced, at least we have a new set of films that shows us, the audience, of why we can't enjoy that innocence as much anymore, in my humble opinion.

 

[steve12553]

What an incredible article. It was absolutely correct, the story being so much more complex than the original trilogy seemed cramped to tell in the same two hour format for each movie. The things that make the original trilogy superior will always stand the test of time, but this article pointed out the strengths of why I love the prequels as well. I have often said that if these movies came out in there proper 'episode' order, the world would have had a hugely different outlook on this saga. So much of the originals had very wooden acting too, it just had things we had never seen before and it had a certain charm and innocence about it.

Except, they came out in the order that they did. Episodes I, II, and III were an unnecessary backstory with the only suprises being the mistakes in continuity that contradicteded the original stories. Less is frequently more. I watched the prequel trilogy but I could never sympathize with Annikin because I knew where he would end up. As far as the politics of the article, The original trilogy had much more to do with the politics of Lucas' childhood (my own as well) cold war, post WWII feelings than the politics of the times it was made. It was the politics of no politics. Not so much simplistic as not clouded with political correctness. The world has always been a dark place. The news media as always slanted the news to the benefit of someone (government, industry, religion, or even the controlling bleeding hearts.) Cluttered special effects and a confusing story that everybody knows the ending to does not in any way, shape or form make the prequels anywhere near as good as the originals.

(Steps down off soap box and exits stage right)

 

[clovis-man]

I watched the prequel trilogy but I could never sympathize with Annikin because I knew where he would end up.

I just attributed it to poor acting and a lame script. Lucas was so obsessed with the special effects that he just mailed in the story. What should have been angst simply became a lot of yelling.

 

[Metryq]

I'll give you Star Wars politics:

 

[reiver33]

Damn straight Han shot first, and no one is going to tell me otherwise...

 

[Warren_Paul]

Except, they came out in the order that they did. Episodes I, II, and III were an unnecessary backstory with the only suprises being the mistakes in continuity that contradicteded the original stories. Less is frequently more.

I too had gripes with the inconsistencies between the two trilogies. Especially with R2-D2 being more technologically advanced in the prequels. He can fly! Why did he never do that in the originals! huh?

Now, I'm not the most politically astute observer in the known Universe, but I have to say I didn't cheer for democracy at the end. I cheered for Luke and Han and Princess Leia.

Me too, because you can actually form feelings for the originals character. Their stories and relationships were believable. Anakin+Padme's was not.

And the good guys get the best lines.

Good guys do get the best lines...

First comment in reply to that article linked said it all:

"Move along....this is not the journalistic article you are looking for..."

 

[James Coote]

I understand the argument, but it's hardly like I - III are especially subtle or sophisticated

The jedi council, these guys are supposed to be the leaders of the most powerful group of warriors in the galaxy. They have an innate political function within the republic yet act like total noobs in the political game.

Said political game is severely dumbed down. I'll admit it is a while since I watched I - III, but you could see exactly where it was going, even more so if you'd watched IV-VI

Also they killed Darth Maul at the end of Ep1. When I first watched it, I was like 'meh, that was stupid'. They had this character who looked totally bad-ass on all the posters, but they never fleshed him out. Fine, leave him mysterious, but just randomly killing him off served little purpose, especially where IV-VI, all the main characters had story arcs that evolved over the 3 episodes

 

[Darth Angelus]

I understand the argument, but it's hardly like I - III are especially subtle or sophisticated

The jedi council, these guys are supposed to be the leaders of the most powerful group of warriors in the galaxy. They have an innate political function within the republic yet act like total noobs in the political game.

Said political game is severely dumbed down. I'll admit it is a while since I watched I - III, but you could see exactly where it was going, even more so if you'd watched IV-VI

Well put. That article has a point in theory, but in reality the Prequels are too poorly written to ever surpass the Original Trilogy. Episodes IV-VI may not have been a masterpiece in complex political messages, but at least it worked for what it was, an exciting saga. The Prequels can't seem to decide what they are. Trying to make this political message with far too blunt instruments to come across well. One of the worst love stories in cinematic history. A mascot pathetic excuse for comic relief that every fan above the age of five loathes.

Also they killed Darth Maul at the end of Ep1. When I first watched it, I was like 'meh, that was stupid'. They had this character who looked totally bad-ass on all the posters, but they never fleshed him out. Fine, leave him mysterious, but just randomly killing him off served little purpose, especially where IV-VI, all the main characters had story arcs that evolved over the 3 episodes

Aye, killing him off was dumb, when you could not make an equivalent villain later. Dooku was just Christopher Lee, Jango was Boba with polished armour, Palpatine was not new to this trilogy and Grievous was just terrible.
Darth Maul was actually cool, and the best thing in Episode I, if not the whole trilogy, despite being one dimensional.

 

[The Procrastinator]

What annoyed me was the whole Anakin becomes Darth Vader thing. Basically he became Vader because he was an idiot and a jerk. It made me want to send a message to Future Luke - don't bother saving your father, Luke! Noooo! And this is how you bring balance to the Force? Good god.

I wish they had just left the untold legends of long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away untold. My imagination did a much better job of filling in the gaps. Unfortunately, what has been filled cannot be unfilled.

 

[Parson]

I liked them all, but each successive film was noticeably poorer IMO then the previous one. Star Wars was like a breath of fresh air in morass of the 70s. But as the stories became more complex and the characters less pure, my enjoyment of them went down correspondingly. The center story of the human race is a passion play where good beats overwhelming evil, not by compromise but by sacrifice. No better telling of that in cinema than Star Wars.