Animated Yoda

Will Lucas ever put a digital Yoda in the classic films? I like him better than the original.

 

It'll never happen. The puppet was a groundbreaking cinematic achievement. Removing that would probably be the closest thing to sacrilegious in a movie that you could get. Having an animated Yoda in the original films would just make the movies lose some of their magic, especially 'Empire'.

 

I think it would be nice to slightly redo him, keeping him essentially the same, but making him look less "muppet" like.

 

In what way? You mean something like animating the mouth a bit more?

 

It's possible that Yoda could be animated and placed in additional footage
just as Sy Snootles and the Rebo Band were in RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Whether or not that's a good thing...

 

I agree 100 percent to this.

Also, there is no reason to change him what so ever, in fact it looks more realistic as a puppet.

 

You mean something like animating the mouth a bit more?
Yeah, and some touch up on the eye movements too, like some blinking. Of course, the Ewoks with their non-blinking eyes and stuffed toy fur are the prime candidates for CGI improvement.

 

Yeah, I'd prefer it too, and I don't see how it would ruin the movies at all.

 

You can;t replace Yoda in TESB. I think he is great. As said it would definitely be sacrilege, up there with replacing JEJ as Vader's Voice

TPM Puppet yes; TESB no

 

As much as I love the CGI Yoda in the prequels, I think the puppet Yoda in ESB is just fine the way it is.

 

Yoda in the original trilogy is ten times better than digital Yoda.

 

I don't mind the puppet Yoda at all. But I DO agree, I'd REALLY like to see some simple improvements in facial expressions-like mentioned above, just enhanced mouth and eye/eyebrow movements. Yoda is full of facial expression in I-III, it would be nice for his eyes and mouth to move abit more in ESB and ROTJ.

Also, it'd be nice to give him a bit of a deeper green color. In ESB he is a much lighter shade of green than in I-III...(maybe that's just from not getting any sun, there on Dagobah... )

Also, did anyone get the impression that in ROTJ Yoda's eyes look a little bit "cross-eyed?" I think that could stand to be adjusted, IMO.

 

maybe because he was dying, and his vision was blurry, as you do when you die I imagine. I think this was done on purpose.

 

I could see Lucas adding a CGI Yoda to a new scene in ANH.

 

I think it was established that an added Yoda scene in ANH would serve no purpose as he's meant to be introduced in ESB at the same time as the Emperor. I also don't know what scene could they do with him, except some random stuff like showing his sad face when Vader kills Obi.

 

I don't think he will. It would really tick off the people who grew up with the OT. You don't mess with your fan base.

 

I think that the CGI Yoda looks nice in the PT, but would feel really out of place in the OT. It just wouldn't be the same.

 

Agreed. Adding Yoda into ANH serves no purpose whatsoever. It'd be a costly expenditure for something that would really only detract from the movie. I mean, in order to do a scene like that so it would fit with the style of the film and the rest of the OT, they'd have to build the entire Dagobah set again, remake the puppet (and we saw how "well" THAT worked in TPM, lol), and then film the scene entirely with sets, puppets, and matte paintings. A CGI planet and a CGI Yoda would stick out like the worst sore thumb you've ever seen, and it'd break continuity with the rest of the trilogy. It's just not something that's even remotely worth it.

 

All six movies are to be viewed as one whole saga. Not two separate trilogies. Lucas could "introduce" Palpatine in ANH by disbanding the Senate in a scene sometime before Tarkin mentions it.

Agreed. I would rather see puppet Yoda be brought back, if the scene fit of course.

 

Just because it's meant to be viewed as one whole saga doesn't mean that additions like that wouldn't feel forced. Having Palpatine as a shadowy unknown presence in the OT works wonders. Having him seen in ANH disbanding the Senate would kill all sense of mystery as to what he's been up to. The gradual reintroduction of Palpatine in 'Empire' and 'Jedi' works much better than forcing a scene filmed in 2009 or later to a movie filmed in 1976.

 

It won't have to take long. Palpatine wouldn't even have to be there in person. Palpatine can disband the Senate via hologram shown in the middle of the Senate for all senators to see, like when he talked with Vader in TESB. It would be cool. ANH and TESB, he won't be seen in person. Then the audience finally sees him in person coming down the ramp in ROTJ for the first time since ROTS.

 

Actually, I always thought a perfect way to "introduce" the Emperor in ANH would be at the end, right before the throne room scene. It would have Darth Vader meeting with him on Coruscant, talking about what has just happened, and what it may mean for them.

The scene could begin with Vader coming to him in his office-the Emperor is in his chair, back turned, and for a moment, we only hear his voice. Then at the end of the scene he turns around to face Vader, and after saying something, the shot cuts to the throne room scene on Yavin IV.

I think that would be the PERFECT way to show the emperor in an effective way in ANH, as well as show Coruscant in ANH (and by extention, in Ep. IV-VI...other than the end of ROTJ). It would be the perfect place to put it, and it would not take away from any part of the story, and it would add a bit of scope to this episode. Of course I'm sure this will NEVER happen...

But I agree, Yoda should not be in ANH...

 

That still kills the gradual re-introduction.

The beauty of the emperor in the OT is that in ANH, you hear about this mysterious person. You don't see him, especially not in anything political. Seeing him involved in politics in any sense would kill his evil persona, because the OT shows him as a Dark Lord instead of a political figure. So after ANH, when all you hear about is this mysterious emperor who apparently has amassed so much power he can disband a Senate, you finally see him in Empire, but it's not about politics. It's about the Son of Skywalker. Whether it's the original version or the version with Ian McDiarmid, it's downright creepy. Then you finally see him in ROTJ in all his glory.

OT drama shouldn't be changed for the sake of the prequels, especially when such a scene would be utterly unnecessary and distract from the rest of the movie.

That's what the scene in Empire is about. We don't really need to know any political implications of the destruction of the Death Star. The important implication for these two characters is that it was Luke Skywalker who destroyed the Death Star. We get that conversation in Empire and we find out that they know there could be serious consequences.

I strongly disagree with that. Anything that distracts an audience takes away from the story. A scene filmed in 2009 or later simply doesn't mesh with a movie filmed in 1976, even if that movie has been given a high definition upgrade. It doesn't add anything to the story, and all it does is stick out like a sore thumb. It'd be 2 minutes of pointless talking with a different style of filming, set design, special effects (especially if Coruscant is shown), etc. that takes away from the exciting transition from the celebration in the Yavin hangar to the throne room celebration.

 

****** on a bike! Why did Lucas have to validate this ridiculous notion of adding superfluous scenes & new SFX to the Saga through his half baked 'Special Editions'!!??. Leave the films be, they have worked fantastically well for 30+ years..Everything is explained with great economy in the OT, we don't need a huge establishing shot of Coruscant shoved into the middle of ANH, we don't NEED to see Palpatine disband the Senate..CGI YODA..CGI BEN VS VADER..CGI EWOKS..CGI..CGI..CGI..ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

That said, as long as we are able to choose between the OOT & the SE, I don't really mind what changes are made.

 

That still kills the gradual re-introduction.

The beauty of the emperor in the OT is that in ANH, you hear about this mysterious person. You don't see him, especially not in anything political.

But now the movies are supposed to be seen 1 to 6, so we already know about Palpatine.

I agree though, he shouldnt be put in just for the sake of putting him in.