"Star Wars" Episode VII Cast announced/revealed

[Zombie_61]

George Lucas said last year "I don't even like science fiction". Which is probably just as well, given that he really isn't good at it.

Thx was grand, but the more tripe Lucas writes and directs, the more it looks like anything passable was an accident.

George Lucas is an "idea guy". He's creative and inventive, but he really needs someone to tell him when he's going off the rails. When he was writing the story that would eventually become Star Wars (Episode IV, A New Hope) he had friends like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese read and critique it, and he listened to their suggestions to simplify the story because he trusted them. And when he was developing The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, his then-wife Marcia, Gary Kurtz, and Lawrence Kasdan filled that role (though Marcia Lucas and Gary Kurtz would leave Lucasfilm before Return of the Jedi began filming). After that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he really didn't have anyone near him who would or could stand up to him and tell him not to do something, and when he doesn't have someone to rein him in the results speak for themselves.

As for his directing "skills", a number of actors who have worked for/with him have said he really isn't an "actor's director"; he wants them to hit their marks and say their lines, but doesn't really seem to understand acting is much more than that. I think that's why he is so fond of CGI--he can control computer generated characters, vehicles, and environments, and make them do exactly what he wants, which is something he can't do with live actors.

 

[Stearmen]

What ever you think of old George and his Star Wars Empire, he's laugh all the way to the bank! But, he got my money for two tickets back in 77 and that's all he's getting from me!

 

[a2jacketpatches]

What ever you think of old George and his Star Wars Empire, he's laugh all the way to the bank! But, he got my money for two tickets back in 77 and that's all he's getting from me!

You got that right, and for every one here that refuses to see, bad mouths, etc. there's millions that think otherwise. That began A long time ago............And will likely continue Long after you're gone.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Remembered in history, Lucas will be. Forgotten forever, you will be.

LOL something like this......Hehehahahehehaha in a weird little voice

 

[Edward]

Yes, that's his problem in a nutshell. Nobody to tell him no, and eleventy million, unquestioning fanboys who will line up to proclaim the genius of any old rubbish to which he attaches his name. Sadly Steven Moffat is ruining Doctor Who in the same way.

 

[Stearmen]

Remembered in history, Lucas will be. Forgotten forever, you will be.

LOL something like this......Hehehahahehehaha in a weird little voice

“The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the light, the future is.”

 

[Edward]

Saw it this afternoon. It has its faults (not least how emotionally ineffectual the Big Death Scene is), but it's Disney doing what Lucas failed to do for the last 32 (arguably 34) years: making a decent Star Wars release. A lot of the plot is a rip of of the original Star Wars (that is, Star Wars; I'll have none of this "A New Hope" revisionist nonsense), and the old characters are basically phoned in, but it works, it's fun, the new heroes and villains are grand, and it sets us up nicely for the next one, bridging the gap between rhe originals and these, without falling into the pit of excrement tgat is the prequel trilogy in between. A solid 7 out of 10.

 

[AmateisGal]

Daughter and I saw The Force Awakens at the matinee today. Our family loved all the (original) Star Wars movies. I didn't much bother with Episodes I, II, and III as the acting was SO terrible I couldn't stomach it (especially in III).

I liked the new one, though would have liked more explanation of what has been going on in the galaxy the last 30 years (i.e. after Return of the Jedi).

 

[a2jacketpatches]

" though would have liked more explanation of what has been going on in the galaxy the last 30 years (i.e. after Return of the Jedi) "

Maybe they'll fill that in with an animated series at some point like the Clone Wars. I'm sure that'll be torn apart here as well but I enjoyed watching while I work at home. Not something I was diligent enough to catch every week for each episode. But caught up with it one after the other over a week when it came to Netflix with my boy, he loved it. Looking forward to "Rebels" hopefully coming up soon.

 

[Zombie_61]

" though would have liked more explanation of what has been going on in the galaxy the last 30 years (i.e. after Return of the Jedi) "

Maybe they'll fill that in with an animated series at some point like the Clone Wars...

As much as I like The Clone Wars (more on that below) most of it is interesting but really has little or nothing to do with the stories told in the live action movies. It does explain to some degree why Obi-Wan thought Anakin was a good pilot, a "cunning warrior", and so on, and it helps to "flesh out" the backstories of other characters as well, but that kind of information really should have been in the Prequel Trilogy movies.

...I'm sure that'll be torn apart here as well but I enjoyed watching while I work at home. Not something I was diligent enough to catch every week for each episode. But caught up with it one after the other over a week when it came to Netflix with my boy, he loved it. Looking forward to "Rebels" hopefully coming up soon.

We had problems with our cable/satellite receiver while The Clone Wars was being broadcast weekly (somewhere around the beginning of the second season, as best as I can remember) and, because so much time had passed before that situation was rectified, I stopped watching. I'm getting caught up now by watching it on Netflix and, having just started the fifth season, I've noticed an overall change in the tone of the show. What started out as, in my opinion, a "kid's show" evolved into something that was somewhat more sophisticated and complex with themes that might be considered a bit too mature for a five-year-old to fully understand.

Star Wars Rebels is still in it's "kid's show" phase after two seasons, and I'm hoping it will also evolve into something more, but at this point that seems uncertain.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

My 5 year old filters out most everything that doesn't include Light sabers and blasters anyway. And after all is said and done, it's all really just fantasy kids stuff any way, just that some of us kids are 40 plus years old. Some of us let our actual age seriously influence our ideas of fun, and some don't.

 

[Otter]

Saw it yesterday and enjoyed it, even my wife who is not a fan enjoyed it. I liked the nods to the original trilogy, particularly when the X Wings were attacking the relay. But what I liked best was the total absence of Jar Jar Bunks.

 

[Frunobulax]

Finally saw a showing Wednesday. Yeah, it was fairly derivative, but it was also big fun. I think we'll get more back story in the next two movies. It was good to see "the old gang" back together, too. I was made to care enough about the new characters that I'll likely at least see the next one.

All I wanted was a big ol' swashbuckling Space Opera like I got in '77. I got that, so I'm happy.

 

[Bushman]

As much as I like The Clone Wars (more on that below) most of it is interesting but really has little or nothing to do with the stories told in the live action movies. It does explain to some degree why Obi-Wan thought Anakin was a good pilot, a "cunning warrior", and so on, and it helps to "flesh out" the backstories of other characters as well, but that kind of information really should have been in the Prequel Trilogy movies.

We had problems with our cable/satellite receiver while The Clone Wars was being broadcast weekly (somewhere around the beginning of the second season, as best as I can remember) and, because so much time had passed before that situation was rectified, I stopped watching. I'm getting caught up now by watching it on Netflix and, having just started the fifth season, I've noticed an overall change in the tone of the show. What started out as, in my opinion, a "kid's show" evolved into something that was somewhat more sophisticated and complex with themes that might be considered a bit too mature for a five-year-old to fully understand.

Star Wars Rebels is still in it's "kid's show" phase after two seasons, and I'm hoping it will also evolve into something more, but at this point that seems uncertain.

Definitely agreed. The Clone Wars I was very uncertain going into, and mostly brushed it off as just a kids show and thus not worth my time. However, my curiosity as a Star Wars fan got the better of me, and I found myself an adamant fan. For them, the show didn't really pick up until it's third season, and really evolved into something far greater than I ever expected to be. I not only began to marvel at the complexity of the themes of war it began portraying, or at least portrayed as well as a TV show on Cartoon Network can be portrayed. Obviously it couldn't go as far as, say, Saving Private Ryan in terms of explicitness, but the story group found ways to introduce themes like friendly fire, the ideas of the way war budgets effect everybody (one character introduced was very characteristic of the "war time mother" you'd find from the WWII era), war profiteering, and even went so far as to humanize and put of face on the "enemy" so to speak. In one episode in the 3rd season, characters visited the Separatist home world, and showed how the Separatists weren't just war generals and battle droids, but real life people. Mothers, children, politicians, idealists. They were just as human as the heroes of the Republic. It turned into a very impressive show.

Rebels, I agree, is still in it's infancy. Part of the reason that I've been unable to bond with it the way I did with The Clone Wars is because The Clone Wars ended on such a high note, that when the same production team moved to work on Rebels, I expected high hopes that weren't met. I was met with "The Clone Wars Season 1" when I expected quality on the level of The Clone Wars Seasons 4 and 5. I'm still holding out hoping that it finds its spark, but I've only seen glimmers of it thus far. Part of the problem is Disney's refusal to "go dark", so to speak. Cartoon Network allotted a decent amount of leash for the director and his team. Now that he's under the Mouse, the director has insinuated in several interviews that Disney keeps a taught leash and refuses to allow the production team create anything that may be deemed "too serious for Disney Channel".

 

[Zombie_61]

My 5 year old filters out most everything that doesn't include Light sabers and blasters anyway. And after all is said and done, it's all really just fantasy kids stuff any way, just that some of us kids are 40 plus years old. Some of us let our actual age seriously influence our ideas of fun, and some don't.

Just to clarify, when I used the term "kid's show" what I meant was that the plots and stories have been kept relatively simple so that young children could understand them. My problem (and I'm aware that it is my problem) is that even when I was watching shows like that when I was five years old, I felt as if I was being "talked down to" and disrespected. I honestly believe most children are more aware and intelligent than some adults give them credit for, and they shouldn't be denied the opportunity to figure things out for themselves.

...The Clone Wars...Obviously it couldn't go as far as, say, Saving Private Ryan in terms of explicitness, but the story group found ways to introduce themes like friendly fire, the ideas of the way war budgets effect everybody (one character introduced was very characteristic of the "war time mother" you'd find from the WWII era), war profiteering, and even went so far as to humanize and put of face on the "enemy" so to speak. In one episode in the 3rd season, characters visited the Separatist home world, and showed how the Separatists weren't just war generals and battle droids, but real life people. Mothers, children, politicians, idealists. They were just as human as the heroes of the Republic. It turned into a very impressive show...

Absolutely. In my opinion, the best "villains" are the ones who are doing what they do because they believe what they're doing is right, even though their motivation(s) might not be "honorable". And in the later seasons The Clone Wars managed to provide some insight into the actions of characters like Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress and make them more than the "one note" characters they were in previous productions.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Thanks Zombie, wasn't a dig and I appreciate you outlook on the whole thing. A positive attitude is rare in this thread.

 

[Zombie_61]

Thanks Zombie, wasn't a dig and I appreciate you outlook on the whole thing. A positive attitude is rare in this thread.

You're very welcome, and I agree. One of the things I enjoy most about movies (or any other form of entertainment) is discussing them with other people. A group of people can watch the same movie yet have very different opinions about it, so I'm always interested in hearing the opinions of others regardless of whether or not I agree with them. Besides, quite often someone will have a perspective on a movie that I hadn't considered, so it can be interesting to re-watch a movie with a different mindset.

That being said, some people take this stuff far too seriously, and when they encounter an opinion that differs from their own they seem to take it as a personal insult. I can appreciate people being passionate about their particular fascinations, but I'd much rather share the moviegoing experience than argue about it.

 

[MisterCairo]

Simplistic kids stuff (I to IV and perhaps VII), over-wrought complex politics (I, II and III).

Maybe there's no pleasing some people?

Looking forward to the new one.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

 

[Stearmen]

Well, Lucas is laughing all the way to the bank, Star Wars overtook Avatar for number one film of all times, money wise that is! I don't get it either!