Favourite Star Wars film - and why?

[keysofanxiety]

American Graffitti is a wonderful film that put Lucas in a position to make Star Wars. It's possible that I relate to this movie because it takes place during my youth, but it's like cruising the strip takes me on a magical journey. I first saw it in college.

I never watched American Graffitti. Any good?

I saw THX 1138. That sucked.

 

[Huntn]

I never watched American Graffitti. Any good?

I saw THX 1138. That sucked.

Yes...it's a WONDERFUL film. The story of a couple of teens transistioning to adults wistful about lost youth, cruising the strip in Modesto, California on the night before they leave for college. There is a magic, nostalgic feeling imbued with this film, tied with the music. If you are too young, you may not feel it, but maybe you will, looking the girl in the white Vette. Excluding Ron Howard, first time I remember seeing Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Paul LeMatt.

​

 

[tshrimp]

Easy one for me....Episode IV. My life was forever changed and my spiral into geekdom started.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Easy one for me....Episode IV. My life was forever changed and my spiral into geekdom started.

I don't blame you. What a film. Still holds up today, without doubt - certainly looks better than the prequels. And judging against the films of the time, I can't even begin to imagine how brilliant it must have been to see back in 1977.

 

[MacAlien]

Man, I nearly went ballistic when I bought the series on iTunes when it released and watched it all (minus Episode 1 dur) and saw how they completely f'd up the ending of Episode VI.

Also, my heart will always be forever part of Episode VI, Return of the Jedi. EWOKS!

 

[Savor]

First movie I ever saw in the theater that I liked and remembered is Willow (1988). I was 7. I just loved Val Kilmer in it. So my first George Lucas story wasn't Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but little Warwick Davis in Willow. I see Willow a few months ago and while it doesn't age well, it still has its charms and decent special effects for a 1988 movie. I never saw Howard the Duck and Red Tails.

George Lucas can't direct himself out of a paper bag. He directed only two Top 100 AFI-ranked films (American Graffiti & Star Wars) and only two movies I liked (A New Hope & Revenge of the Sith). He can't write a great screenplay either. But he can be a great storyteller in cinema penning two of the greatest mythologies and several iconic characters in cinematic history.

Lucas has his influences like Kurosawa, Buck Rogers, or reading about different cultures and religions especially in the Far East to create his motif. So does every inspiring filmmaker. That's evolution. But guess who's franchises and characters are still being talked about today? You can dress up as several Star Wars characters or Indiana Jones and most people who never saw any of those movies would be able to recognize the characters and where they are from.

There are better screenplay writers and better directors. Even his friends in Coppola and Spielberg are far better directors. But very few can claim they created multiple major cinematic mythologies and characters the way Lucas did.


MCU vs Star Wars

I don't see Star Wars ever being as popular as MCU. Marvel's roster is just too deep with characters and new stories which the Star Wars universe won't be able to match. I can't wait to see Black Panther and Spider-Man in Civil War. A shame the SW prequels had one good character in all three (Ewan McGregor/Obi-wan Kenobi) while the OT had 7+ (Darth, Yoda, Han, Luke, Leia, Chewy, Ben/Obi-wan Kenobi) not including the droids, Boba Fett, and Palpatine. The PT's biggest issues other than the reliance on CG is what a twit Anakin really was and the characters were boring. Hayden Christensen deserved his worst actor Razzie award for AOTC. "I will become the greatest Jedi of them all!" LOL. And Jake Lloyd already showed his bad acting as early in Jingle All The Way (1996). Turboman!

A bad MCU film like say The Incredible Hulk or Iron Man 2 is still better than a bad Star Wars film although a good SW is better than most of the good MCU films . The biggest problem with MCU is potential OVERKILL. Ant-Man which still made good money but not quite like Galaxy last year could be the start of a decline for too much comic-book movie exposure. People will eventually stop caring about another comic-book movie which defined summer blockbusters in this decade. SW is generally critic-proof. A bad SW can still make $300M domestically. And an origin story for Han Solo sounds like a good idea for a movie. Expand on characters we already know and love instead of interesting new ones like MCU that most people may not care for.

Based on IMDb
1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. The Avengers (2012)
4. Return of the Jedi (1980)
5. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)

^^^ Then Episode III and a bunch of Marvel Studios films ranked below. TPM and AOTC are the obvious bottom feeders. Winter Soldier is my personal fav Marvel film over The Avengers but only slightly. I love both franchises anyway and both are still more entertaining for me than LotR, Harry Potter, Twilight, Pirates of the Carribean, and Transformers. My personal favorite movie series is still Back To The Future and Indiana Jones. But BTTF doesn't need a Part IV or reboot, and Indy doesn't need a 5th movie with Harrison at age 75+, a reboot with Chris Pratt, or prequels since it has the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. A reboot of that TV show would be pretty cool though.

 

[Huntn]

This is what I focused on regarding Lucas: But he can be a great storyteller in cinema penning two of the greatest mythologies and several iconic characters in cinematic history.

Absolutely! There are cases where some of his movies as director sucked and twice he struck gold. I have no idea of how the SW Episodes I-III were developed, but I wish he had drawn on a team of creative experts to fleshout the specifics of this portion of the story. There were some outstanding scenes in these movies, but overall the vision went astray, and I was disgusted by the transistion of Anakin to Darth Vader. In other words I was not convinced. And I was pissed that Obiwan could not maintain perspective and do what had to be done. But, ah yes, the benefit of hindsight.

As far as Marvel Comic Universe, (and any of the other comic-based franchises) I find these movies to be hit and miss too. Yes, there is a large quantity of source material, but I'll emphasis that generally the source material was rather shallow, and on some occasions the movies have been fantastic with rich presentations, while others have been dogs, which depends on the screen writers and I'll admit to some degree boils down to personal preference. For example I usually prefer a focus on an individual's story versus general ensemble group conflict.

First movie I ever saw in the theater that I liked and remembered is Willow (1988). I was 7. I just loved Val Kilmer in it. So my first George Lucas story wasn't Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but little Warwick Davis in Willow. I see Willow a few months ago and while it doesn't age well, it still has its charms and decent special effects for a 1988 movie. I never saw Howard the Duck and Red Tails.

George Lucas can't direct himself out of a paper bag. He directed only two Top 100 AFI-ranked films (American Graffiti & Star Wars) and only two movies I liked (A New Hope & Revenge of the Sith). He can't write a great screenplay either. But he can be a great storyteller in cinema penning two of the greatest mythologies and several iconic characters in cinematic history.

Lucas has his influences like Kurosawa, Buck Rogers, or reading about different cultures and religions especially in the Far East to create his motif. So does every inspiring filmmaker. That's evolution. But guess who's franchises and characters are still being talked about today? You can dress up as several Star Wars characters or Indiana Jones and most people who never saw any of those movies would be able to recognize the characters and where they are from.

There are better screenplay writers and better directors. Even his friends in Coppola and Spielberg are far better directors. But very few can claim they created multiple major cinematic mythologies and characters the way Lucas did.


MCU vs Star Wars

I don't see Star Wars ever being as popular as MCU. Marvel's roster is just too deep with characters and new stories which the Star Wars universe won't be able to match. I can't wait to see Black Panther and Spider-Man in Civil War. A shame the SW prequels had one good character in all three (Ewan McGregor/Obi-wan Kenobi) while the OT had 7+ (Darth, Yoda, Han, Luke, Leia, Chewy, Ben/Obi-wan Kenobi) not including the droids, Boba Fett, and Palpatine. The PT's biggest issues other than the reliance on CG is what a twit Anakin really was and the characters were boring. Hayden Christensen deserved his worst actor Razzie award for AOTC. "I will become the greatest Jedi of them all!" LOL. And Jake Lloyd already showed his bad acting as early in Jingle All The Way (1996). Turboman!

A bad MCU film like say The Incredible Hulk or Iron Man 2 is still better than a bad Star Wars film although a good SW is better than most of the good MCU films . The biggest problem with MCU is potential OVERKILL. Ant-Man which still made good money but not quite like Galaxy last year could be the start of a decline for too much comic-book movie exposure. People will eventually stop caring about another comic-book movie which defined summer blockbusters in this decade. SW is generally critic-proof. A bad SW can still make $300M domestically. And an origin story for Han Solo sounds like a good idea for a movie. Expand on characters we already know and love instead of interesting new ones like MCU that most people may not care for.

Based on IMDb
1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. The Avengers (2012)
4. Return of the Jedi (1980)
5. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)

^^^ Then Episode III and a bunch of Marvel Studios films ranked below. TPM and AOTC are the obvious bottom feeders. Winter Soldier is my personal fav Marvel film over The Avengers but only slightly. I love both franchises anyway and both are still more entertaining for me than LotR, Harry Potter, Twilight, Pirates of the Carribean, and Transformers. My personal favorite movie series is still Back To The Future and Indiana Jones. But BTTF doesn't need a Part IV or reboot, and Indy doesn't need a 5th movie with Harrison at age 75+, a reboot with Chris Pratt, or prequels since it has the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. A reboot of that TV show would be pretty cool though.

 

[mscriv]

There were some outstanding scenes in these movies, but overall the vision went astray, and I was disgusted by the transistion of Anakin to Darth Vader. In other words I was not convinced. And I was pissed that Obiwan could not maintain perspective and do what had to be done.

Really?!? I can understand not liking the "vision" of I-III, but having watched IV-VI first you already knew that Obi Wan wouldn't be able to "do what had to be done". That part of the story is a tragedy after all. It's supposed to outrage, sadden, or disturb us. If seeing it play out on screen upset/frustrated you then I would say the movie did its job well in bringing out that emotional response in you.

 

[Huntn]

Really?!? I can understand not liking the "vision" of I-III, but having watched IV-VI first you already knew that Obi Wan wouldn't be able to "do what had to be done". That part of the story is a tragedy after all. It's supposed to outrage, sadden, or disturb us. If seeing it play out on screen upset/frustrated you then I would say the movie did it's job well in bringing out that emotional response in you.

Really! It's all about presentation and plausibility. We knew Vader was alive, "duh" , but what we did not know, if I remember correctly, no references made to the fact that Obiwan ever had the chance to kill Vader until we saw it in Episide III.

Yes it was the writers prerogative, yes Obiwan could have failed in a major way, but after realizing that Anakin had become a monster, murdering all those aspiring Jedi students and after fighting for his life, based on his character, I have a hard time seeing him allowing such a chance like this to pass him by. And when combined with the unsatisfying emotional interplay between Anakin and Padme Amadala, I just threw my hands up and stomped off, lol. The key is that they did not make me believe that he'd (Obiwan) chose to do that, he just did it.

 

[D.T.]

I guess this is marginally appropriate, it IS Star Wars related and didn't seem like it warranted a dedicated thread:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/243742...id=243742896&gclid=CLOG1-S4uscCFQ6raQodvsAKEA

Must have ...

 

[Savor]

Timelessness & Memorable Characters

Star Wars has a timeless feeling. A child 50 years from now can watch them and they can still hold up because it functions on a completely different universe than say Independence Day or Men In Black with their real-time Earth setting. I laugh everytime I see an outdated computer, CG effect, or defunct product in other movies while SW runs on its own timeline in its own galaxy far, far away. Enduring the test of time.

Some blockbuster hits age like milk, most spoofs, and Mike Myers comedies. Wayne's World and Austin Powers tends to rely on pop culture references which becomes outdated like SNL skits and yesterday's newspaper. A kid born in 2000 would never understand the grey poupon joke in Wayne's World unless they Google it or watch the ad on YouTube. I prefer movies in different time settings than the year they were released in and prefer not to see too many product placements and jokes poking fun of pop culture. This is why Casino and Goodfellas didn't age bad for me since their dark humor didn't rely on pop culture references and I didn't live in those 60's-70's times to understand them. Perhaps MCU films will start feeling dated too after 20-30 years while SW will still age gracefully because it looks futuristic and doesn't depend on the current times they were released in.

The darkest Star Wars tends to be my favorites for drama and tension. The Empire Strikes Back is like The Godfather I & II of the entire series. It ends on a downer like every Godfather entry while the lone PG-13 rated SW Revenge of the Sith ends bittersweet with Order 66 and Anakin getting burned alive but twinkles some optimism after the twins' birth. I used to watch my OT 1997 SE VHS silver box (widesceen) set while baked. Since everything feels slowed down, you can really catch the weak moments and hokey scenes. Computer screen in ANH is laughable. Like Atari graphics. The least flawed is really Empire and is why it is the least retouched. Mostly cosmetic and didn't defer the story. Vader at his most bad***. Yoda at his most philosophical. It taught us the most about the mysteries of The Force which wasn't ruined yet by Midichlorians.

Revenge of the Sith might only be one-third of the prequels but it carried like two-thirds of the actual story for Anakin which makes Episode I & II pointless to watch. Those two are like a 4-hour prologue to the real script Lucas originally conceived for the prequels. George was mostly making up stuff along the way with Ep 1 & 2. I like the darkest Star Wars because I would rather be a Sith than a Jedi. Both Empire and Sith are the least funniest and happy but drew the most tension and attention for me. Forbidden to love or marry? I don't want to die a 900-year old virgin like Yoda did. I usually prefer to watch good triumph over evil but sometimes I like seeing the bad guys win at the end too. Sith happens and alot more in real life.

Will Ep 7 bring back SW back as the premiere blockbuster franchise it once held heading into the next decade? Or will MCU still rule?

It depends really on two simple things and if it can excel in them - Characters and story.

The prequels did poor in those areas along with the main male lead's horrid acting. The only things the PT did better other than add another $1B for the franchise was the fight choreography were much better and made all the lightsaber duels in the OT look very dated. Watching Sir Alec Guiness vs David Prowse in a lightsaber is as awful as Ian McDiarmid and obvious body double dueling Mace Windu while flipping around. To Hayden's credit, he looks cooler than Ewan when twirling his lightsaber from behind in Ep 3. And PT expanded the musical score (like "Duel of Fates") and improved the overall ambiance of the SW universe. Naboo and Coruscant are more interesting to look at than Dagobah, Hoth, Cloud City, and Endor. But two-thirds of the prequels were generally pointless. They could have easily made it into two entries and be done with it. TPM can be cut into 15 minutes long like the Young Indy scene in Last Crusade and we wouldn't need useless roles from Padmé, Jar Jar, and all that political mumbo jumbo on trade federations nobody cares about. Lucas was trying to expand a 3-4 hr story into a 6.5 hr trilogy and the first two suffered from it.

Darth Maul really symbolizes the entire PT for me. Fun to look and watch at times but lacking any real personality and depth. Anyone can skip the entire prequels like a useless 6.5 hr prologue or at least start by Episode III and they wouldn't miss much if they never ever see TPM and AOTC in their life. Lucas' priorities was special effects first and characters and story fell way behind. While OT excelled equally well in all three areas. Thank goodness J.J. Abrams seems to prioritize characters and story much higher again.

For LucasFilm to match strides with Marvel Studios, these new SW characters need to be interesting enough that they can have their own standalone movies. Star Wars needs to emulate Marvel and come up with their own cinematic universe. Does anyone dress up like characters from Avatar or Titanic even though they rank #1 & #2 in box office globally ever? Avatar has got me one of the most overrated movies during the past decade. Unmemorable characters. Weak on story. Still made the most money thanks to 3D and special effects.

Characters is the most important ingredient for me when it comes to a great SW film and why they endure. Not story or dialogue and definitely not special effects. If the characters are unlikeable, then the story becomes less involving. I didn't even like most of the stories in the MCU films but the cast were perfect in their roles and the ambiance was scenic especially in Asgard that I can overlook the flaws. Indiana Jones isn't as character-driven like SW and MCU. I only look for a fun adventure, nice action sequences, and nice locations. I only liked four characters (Indy, his dad/Henry Sr., Short Round, and Marcus Brody) in that entire series. With BTTF, I only liked Marty, Doc, Lorraine, and every role Tom Wilson played especially 17-year old Biff. While the SW OT and MCU can go 8-10+ deep with some of the greatest heroes and villians in entertainment history...

The Phantom Menace - 7/10
Attack of the Clones - 6/10
Revenge of the Sith - 8/10

PT Characters - 5/10
PT Story - 7/10
PT Ambiance - 9/10
PT Acting - 6/10 (thx to Jake & Hayden!)
PT Pacing - 8/10
PT Replay Value - 7.5/10
PT Overall - 7/10

PT memorable characters
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi - 9/10
2. Yoda - 9/10
3. Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious - 9/10
4. Qui-Gon Jinn - 8/10
5. R2-D2 - 8/10
6. Queen Amidala/Padmé - 7/10
7. Mace Windu - 7/10
8. Count Dooku - 6/10
9. Bail Organa - 6/10
10. Darth Maul - 6/10

I don't want to remember Anakin Skywalker (5/10) in it. Lucas took the best character in OT and made him pathetic. The six-part saga, it is really is about his rise, fall, and redemption. Chewbacca was barely in it. General Grievous was ok and probably was more interesting than Maul, Jar Jar, and Jango. Watto was funny. About less than five "developed" characters if you swap R2 for Anakin. I didn't find Padmé, Mace, and so forth to be fleshed out or even likeable. I like Natalie Portman but how she acts in the Thor films is the same way in SW.

A New Hope - 9/10
The Empire Strikes Back - 9.5/10
Return of the Jedi - 8/10

OT Characters - 10/10
OT Story - 9/10
OT Ambiance - 8/10 (based on SE)
OT Acting - 7.5/10
OT Pacing - 8/10
OT Replay Value - 9/10
OT Overall - 9/10

OT's Memorable Characters
1. Darth Vader - 10/10
2. Luke Skywalker - 9/10
3. Yoda - 9/10
4. Ben/Obi-Wan Kenobi - 9/10
5. Han Solo - 9/10
6. Princess Leia - 9/10
7. Chewbacca - 8/10
8. R2-D2 - 8/10
9. Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious - 8/10
10. (tied) Boba Fett, Lando Calrissian - 7/10

I don't really include C-3PO as he is just a tag along character who had that terrible scene in the conveyer belt in AOTC and the really only time he was useful is in ROTJ. Even if he is a translator, he is the weakest link with the og cast. No wonder Anthony Daniels and Ahmed Best stood next to each other in that Coruscant nightclub. TESB featured all these characters and most of them were useful to their side of the group.

Ep 7 will lose four major characters in Vader, Yoda, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan. So the future may really depend on how good and interesting this new cast will be by filling the void left by the pair of Jedis and Siths while bringing back the three main human roles for the nostalgic fans. The most intriguing newest character (to me) is Kylo Ren, the so-called Darth Vader fanboy. He could either be superficial like Darth Maul or the next great character in the SW universe. It is Adam Driver. I believe he will be the next great bad*** for the franchise whether he stays with the dark.

The Force Awakens Characters
1. Kylo Ren
2. Finn
3. Rey
4. Poe Dameron
5. Supreme Leader Snoke
6. General Hux
7. Captain Phasma

Familar faces
8. Han Solo
9. Luke Skywalker
10. Princess Leia
11. Chewbacca
12. R2-D2
13. C-3PO

I will never forget the cheers R2-D2 got in Episode I when he was first introduced. Artoo has always been heroic when the cast needs to escape. The anticipation to finally see Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker on screen for the first time after 32.5 years is going to be sky high. I can imagine bigger applause for each one.

SW Ep (III-VI) have some of the highest replay value next to Back To The Future and Indiana Jones series.

My Favorite Movie Series/Franchises
1. Back To The Future (1985-1990)
2. Indiana Jones (1981-2008)
3. Star Wars (1977-Present)
4. The Godfather (1972-1990)
5. Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-Present)

I consider The Godfather Trilogy technically the greatest series on the strengths of Part I & II alone. Like The Shawshank Redemption, alot of scenes makes sense and excels well in all areas whether characters, acting, story, music, choreography, etc. The Godfather Trilogy can be superior in all areas but it can be downer to watch. But my favs doesn't always equal to the highest scores. I can say The Dark Knight is technically a better film than The Avengers and Captain America: Winter Soldier but it doesn't mean it is my #1 fav even though Batman is my all-time favorite comic-book hero. The dialogue in TDK Trilogy sounds unrealistic to me. Like Nolan trying to write Shakespeare for a Batman film! The Dark Knight (2008) is still a fav of mines but his first and third films are extremely overrated and lower replay value like most Chris Nolan and even David Fincher films. Higher scores on technicalities doesn't always equal preferences or replay value.

 

[Huntn]

Ref previous post: Overload, TILT, lol. While they all want your movie dollars, I don't see Starwars in the same market as Marvel Comic Studios as if I would choose one over the other. Hopefully only the deserving titles of both franchises get my movie dollars and both will.

Just who are these people who voted I, II, or III as their favorites, hmm?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Star Trek fans I think.

 

[bobob]

At least ep. VII looks like it could restore balance in the universe

Might even be the best one yet (though that sort of talk is dangerous!)

JJ Abrams has yet to make a good movie - - I'm fully expecting him to turn gold into lead like he did with the Star Trek reboot.

As to my personal favorite Star Wars movie - - it is easily Return of the Jedi. I have loved it since I saw it opening weekend, Ewoks and all!

(Also, the only bad film in the prequels was Episode I. Episodes II & III are true Star Wars movies.)

 

[Huntn]

JJ Abrams has yet to make a good movie - - I'm fully expecting him to turn gold into lead like he did with the Star Trek reboot.

As to my personal favorite Star Wars movie - - it is easily Return of the Jedi. I have loved it since I saw it opening weekend, Ewoks and all!

(Also, the only bad film in the prequels was Episode I. Episodes II & III are true Star Wars movies.)

There seems to be a wide spectrum of opinions on the abilities of JJ.

 

[Savor]

Been shuffling my Top 70 favorite movies for the last month. It shuffles almost every day like The Billboard 100 depending on my mood. The more I thought about it, the more I realize Revenge of the Sith is my #4 all-time fav and my fav theater experience in the 21st century. My fav era in my life was between 2003-2005, so that helps. It wasn't perfect by any means but it was what The Phantom Menace should've been. It also is the most beautiful Star Wars film. We finally saw the home planets of Leia and Chewbacca as well as the Mustanfar duel after nearly 30 years. And the best action sequences with SW revolves lightsaber duels and not space battles. And Lucas delivered the most of those lightsaber scenes with Ep 3 along with a terrific space battle sequence in the beginning. It is the FASTEST moving Star Wars where alot happens in the first 30 minutes. Perfect for the ADHD generation who grew up on MTV and YouTube. And it had a very sweet ending. The only PG-13 SW.

This was the first SW when George Lucas had his vision completely fulfilled and wasn't held back with ancient technology. It looks epic seeing the longshots and aerial view of different planets. And the frames in the Palatine's room and customes look fantastic. When I watch the SW OT SE, it looks too bland. The art design is too inferior. Coruscant with the aquarium-like spaceships backgrounds feels more epic than close shots in Endor or doesn't seem hokey like the scenes from Hoth. We know the prequels have mostly blue backgrounds and can feel a little fake. But compare it side by side with OT SE, and difference is like night and day. Lucas didn't have the advantage like Pete Jackson where can have the same production team. TLoTR feels more cohesive because it is a 10+ hr movie sliced into three films with no long droughts in between filming.

Where OT will always shine is the characters and story. While I know people hated Hayden Christensen's performances in Ep 2 & 3, some forget how solid Ewan MacGregor and Ian McDiarmid were. Or how great of a CGI character Yoda was rivaling Gollum in TLotR. Frank Oz doesn't get enough credit for voicing one of the best puppet and all-CGI character ever. Fans should check out all the DVD extras and you can appreciate how hard everyone worked on the film. Revenge of the Sith is like Tron: Legacy to me. Beautiful framing but with a much better story and characters.

I am NOT hyping myself much with The Force Awakens anymore. I saw the trailers to ROTS again and most of the memorable scenes were in both trailers.

My concerns with Ep 7 -

I truly believe JJ Abrams will nail the atmosphere right after rewatching Super 8. Practical effects and puppets. He is a fanboy and Bad Robot will get it. This will be the most organic-looking SW since ROTJ (pre-SE). I don't know from his film credits if he can get the characters and story right. It might be Star Wars by name only. I don't have high hopes after being disappointed by JJ's Star Trek reboot in 2009. The action was forgettable. TFA could be as good as Star Trek but with the SW galaxy.

Will people really care to know about another evil Nazi-like organization that still supports the old Empire considering the only thing appealing from it was Darth Vader and he's gone. I mean, the Clone Wars cartoons didn't exactly set the world on fire. They were generally awful that most didn't pay attention to except the biggest SW dorks. Nobody watches SW for politics and armies of Clone/Storm Troopers shooting our heroes and usually missing. Silly now. We want to see Jedis duel Siths with a lightsaber and Han, Luke, and Leia in Ep 7 for nostalgia. This is why MCU surpasses SW in characters and action sequences.

The majority of the trailer shows Tatooine. The majority of the first hour of The Phantom Menace and A New Hope was like that too although the former did show us Naboo. I don't want to be looking at Tunisia during most of the movie. Boring atmosphere. I can watch Mad Max: Fury Road if I want to see desert for two hours. I read about a forestry planet similar to a moon like Endor. I'm curious where Han and Leia reside now. Ep 7 better offer some escapism, immersion, and witty dialogue.

I believe Mark Hamill can replace the void left by the late-Sir Alec Guiness as Luke will become the next Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi. I don't believe they can ever replace the void left by Darth Vader, Yoda, and Emperor Palpatine no matter how bad*** Kylo Ren or Captain Phasma might turn out. I will miss Ian McDiarmid and the voices of James Earl Jones and Frank Oz. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels directed by Oz and has McDiarmid in it is one of my Top 40 favorites ever.

Vader and Yoda truly had the best parts in Ep 5. Yoda also had a couple moments of applause in Ep 3 when he beheaded a pair of Clone Troopers and knocked down a pair of guards using The Force once he confronted Palpatine. I remember the crowd went crazy each of the three times I saw Ep 3 in the theater. Will any of the new characters ever be as great and iconic as them?

I don't believe Boyega can replace Ford's charisma. The latter is Han Solo AND Indiana Jones. Iconic. Boyega can either be a Han Solo replacement or failed wannabe. They can use Chris Pratt in an Indiana Jones reboot but Harrison Ford will always be my Han Solo and Indiana Jones just like Robert Downey Jr will always be Tony Stark/Iron Man to me. It isn't like James Bond.

Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back To The Future, those classic films don't need a reboot or another sequel. Most remakes is if the content wasn't truly great that can be improved much more. Can reboots or newer sequels truly ever replace the charms of the older films with several decades worth of nostalgia? Can they ever truly recapture the magic again with this new crew? Probably not. But I am happy SW is diversifying with ethnicities.

I really hope they don't just kill off Luke, Leia, and Han. Give them a send-off like Paul Walker's character in Furious 7. But don't kill those beloved characters for shock value unless it is absolutely integral to the overall story. This isn't LOST where they kill off main characters to shock us.

It might end up worse than PT now that George Lucas will no longer write the story. I believe a young-Lucas was a better story writer (not screenplay writer) than JJ Abrams and any of these new guys hired to write and direct the sequels. I read that once Lucas told the background story of Indiana Jones and most folks wanted to listen to it and didn't realize how deep Indy's timeline and stories really were.

Disney and possible PG-rated again. I think PG-13 is a good balance. You can say a few curse words, say the f-word once, and show brief nudity. You can see beheadings and blood. But I believe TFW will go back to its scruffy-looking nerve herder/wholesome ways.

Perhaps I am also like Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon series. I am getting a little too old for this s**t. This new SW SE, MCU, and DC films is really catered for the kiddies. Watch it, enjoy it, forget about it the next day.

 

[Porco]

I love all six (yes, including the prequels, and I don't care what anyone thinks, they are all great films to me) but The Empire Strikes Back is my favourite Star Wars film, perhaps my favourite film outright.

(Voted remastered, because most I think most of the updated changes are for the better).

 

[keysofanxiety]

I love all six (yes, including the prequels, and I don't care what anyone thinks, they are all great films to me) but The Empire Strikes Back is my favourite Star Wars film, perhaps my favourite film outright.

(Voted remastered, because most I think most of the updated changes are for the better).

Hmm, Luke's scream as he falls down the pit on Cloud City (that to me sounds identical to the Emperor's in VI when Vader throws him, not sure if it's the same sound clip) - not a fan.

And in the more recent remaster with the new Emperor popping up and talking to Vader, they changed the dialogue which I think was worse than the original.

Though I will agree with you, ESB remastered is easily the less offensive of the three. Nothing close to CGI Jabba in IV and Max Rebo's band's horrible (CGI) song change in VI.

 

[Savor]

Fans should read this link about how much Star Wars did George Lucas actually write?

movies.stackexchange.com/questions/10555/how-much-of-star-wars-did-george-lucas-actually-write?__=1450042369

I still LOVE Revenge of the Sith. I have fond memories of that movie seeing it in film, digital, and IMAX that week before heading to Manhattan. It has the fastest pace with the most interesting action scenes in SW films - the most lightsaber duels. It isn't the perfect movie and it created plot holes. But it is entertaining and the one good SW that George Lucas envisioned without any dramatic changes to his writing or technical limitation. Maybe 10 minutes of the movie I didn't like the dialogue between Mace v Sidious and some other hokey moments and acting by Hayden or Natalie. With Attack of the Clones, there wasn't anything memorable beyond 5 minutes other than the chase scene in Coruscant. The Jedis fighting at the end was as horrendous as Moonraker. And The Phantom Menace had a good final 20 minutes. The rest of it was forgettable.

To me, some problems I find in movies isn't with the directors or actors but the editors. The editing is really what handles pacing and how the story will be represented to us.
And some great parts do get taken out that a director's cut "usually" makes the films better. I watch Star Wars OT, and while the nostalgia in me keeps it in high regard, it is very hard to go back to it. But no doubt it had the BEST SW characters and more interesting story. But it is like going back to iPhone 2G. So ahead of its time but so many other movies have surpassed it when it comes to entertainment value. In a few years, some people will start thinking how boring and overrated it is like The Godfather Trilogy and the hack, Quentin Tarantino, really is. I saw Deathproof yesterday. Awful.

But I have some hopes (and concerns) for the SW ST. I still prefer Star Wars over the mostly forgettable MCU films. While MCU has more cooler characters and more spectacular action and fight sequences between superheroes and supervillians while SW only has lightsaber duels and some boring space battles, I grew up on Star Wars next to Back To The Future and Indiana Jones so it will always be a part of my youth. I CARE more about the SW characters and story than I do with superhero films. Vader, Yoda, and Han are icons to me and will always be my three favorites along with Obi-Wan, Artoo, Chewie, and Leia. Not the biggest Luke fan here.

But it is weird how my fav SW is Episode III without Han and Leia. I still have the limited edition coin/medallion it came with from Target. I love how we saw Kashyyk, Alderan, and Mustanfar. I love the custome designs and aerial shots above Coruscant. I love General Grevious' alien/droid design. I loved how Yoda kicked ***. I love the ending. It looks like a high budget film worth $200M while the OT looks cheap by comparison. George Lucas stated they are ALL films catered to CHILDREN. But Sith seems the most bad*** for me. We know Anakin isn't going to die a virgin. We saw him slaughter Dooku (while Obi-Wan was knocked out again), The Trade Federation, and Jedi Temple. Anakin was the greatest Jedi/Sith of them all with some of the most important killings in the entire universe including Sidious at the end of VI.

We just have to wait and see what Episode VII will bring. I already go to a toy store to check out the action figures and try to imagine what the characters will be like? We can bring Han back but tough to fill a void when Vader, Yoda, and Palpatine are gone. I know JJ will nail the ambiance. I saw the trailers again today and figure Rey is Han and Leia's daughter and Hamill was talking to her. Isn't it obvious when you Han & Rey together in the Millennium Falcon in that Comic-Con vid? And we likely won't see Luke much until the end only for him to be more prominent in VIII. I expect Star Wars 7 to be pretty good but a general setup like Episode 1 & 4 were. The real meat and potatoes of the story will likely come from 8 and 9. Since Disney is trying to have SW emulate MCU, it could be pretty good but not as legendary like the OT. But I doubt Ep 7, 8, and 9 will be any worse than 1 & 2 were.

 

[Bdub12]

For me, the original Star Wars hype peaked with Empire. I was 10 years old and went on a road trip with my sister to Toronto and saw it there (from the East Coast of Canada). It would only play in my hometown in the autumn. There were still lots of drive-ins then, so you'd see C3P0 across a field while driving down the highway at night. They were playing the Meco Empire theme on the radio all the time too.

Added to this hype was the fact that it's such a great flick. It looks beautiful, is really different than Ep IV, and has so much drama. Also, you had the big reveal with Vader being Luke's father.

 

[bobob]

With Trevorrow fired as director of Episode IX, it looks like George Lucas' 1977 prophecy in Rolling Stone magazine may end up coming true!

"What I want to do is direct the last sequel. I could do the first one and the last one and let everyone else do the ones in between."

 

[Apple fanboy]

With Trevorrow fired as director of Episode IX, it looks like George Lucas' 1977 prophecy in Rolling Stone magazine may end up coming true!

"What I want to do is direct the last sequel. I could do the first one and the last one and let everyone else do the ones in between."

If you think IX ends up being the last sequel you're dreaming!
Disney will be milking that cash cow for years to come.

 

[Crazy Badger]

I've worked this out scientifically:

4 = 5 > 6 > 7 = 3.5 > 3 >> 2 > 1

 

[twietee]

I've worked this out scientifically:

4 = 5 > 6 > 7 = 3.5 > 3 >> 2 > 1

Sounds correct although I have a personal theory that 3.5 > 7 (by a notch).

 

[maflynn]

I've worked this out scientifically:

4 = 5 > 6 > 7 = 3.5 > 3 >> 2 > 1

I have to disagree. While Star Wars a new Hope was awesome, The Empire Strikes back was better in a lot of ways.

With Trevorrow fired as director of Episode IX, it looks like George Lucas' 1977 prophecy in Rolling Stone magazine may end up coming true!

Disney already stated that the Star Wars universe is so rich it can make movies indefinitely. Episode IX will wrap up the story line of Skywalker family, but its not the end of star wars by any stretch of the imagination.