EU and the Prequels...

This is a thought I've been having for a while now...

Maybe I'm he only one, but I'd really like to see some of the better published EU material refrenced on the big screen. I know, it's Lucas's universe, and that what the EU writers contribute really is only 'canon' so far as Lucas decides not to contradict what it has said. Having said that, though...I think it'd bring a real sense of 'unity' into the whole endevour just to do a few throw away cameoes/lines about established EU stuff. They're doing it on the HolonetNews.com website, so why not in the movies too?

Some of the bigger EU occurences that are set to happen in this general period of E1-E3 (Jorus C'boath and the "Outbound Flight" project, the Bothan sabotage of Camaas). So, I guess what I'm wondering is what does everyone think about some of this stuff making appearences? Is it just Lucas's playground, or should some props be given to the guys who were keeping it current back in the '90s?

-Matt "The Stampede"
^- Thinks it'd be kickin' if Mara Jade finally made it on the big screen.

 

I think it would be cool to mention something from the EU. It'd give us EUers something to use in aruments, at least, and would make the books seem that much better.

 

The problem with having EU in the movies is that it's way too debateable, even among EU fans. Some characters that many people love are flat and "cliche", like Mara Jade IMO. A lot of the plots of the books are also very common.

That's not to say they're bad, but no Star Wars film has had a plot or anything that was something the mainstream had seen over and over, except for the overall story of good versus evil.

Thus, I would like to keep EU at a very small level in the films, simply because we already have our characters for the PT, if more made it in it would simply be to make unneccesary storylines (i.e. Mara Jade appearing).

 

I did think it was interesting to see the Outrider taking off in ANH Special Edition, even though I was dissapointed with Shadows of the Empire.

 

Let Lucas do what he wants with his universe...Sorry I have to be so negative but it's the way I've always felt...

5D2M1

 

it IS lucas's deal to decided what to put in the movies. And i think since he's done such a good job in coming up with the sw universe, he'd be a better judge of what does and doesn't fit into the movie plot's EU wise.

 

Eu=not his story

 

Wasn't there a massive inconsistency about Yoda in one of the Zahn novels? Something about the piece of technology Luke finds when he goes back to Dagobah, and a huge battle between Yoda and C'Baoth that directly contradicts what the prequels set up? I know the books aren't "official" continuity or whatever, but still...

 

Um ya,because eu is all made up by the author,Lucas dosent tell them what to write,its all made up in there little heads.Thats why it sucks

 

Darthfunk....is your icon actually a scene from the movie...? Obiwan kissing Jango.....ow jeez..i never knew they get frisky in SW movies...

 

Ya mr bra will love this.Eu sucks bad,bad.It has nothing to do with the movies,not cannon

 

...yeah EU sucks...i read one EU novel the approaching storm and it sucked....the vision was so wrong...anakin singing...obi wan telling stories...great distinction between padawans and jedi knights...which is the one that really killed me because the author tries to make a huge distinction by having anakin and bariss offee come across as borderline incompetent in some ways...which is rediculous because obiwan kenobi, while still a padawan learner, defeated darth maul...

...and yes i think the entire EU sucks based on that one novel...the idea is simple and indisputable...i am able to judge th EU based on one novel because it would be rediculous to say "ok this book wasnt good so it didnt really happen, but this book was great so it did happen" [all subconsciously of course] once you except one EU novel you must except them all...i also think it sucks because each author has a different perspective of "star wars"...and it seems a bit watered down to me...

...i just had two beers so i hope all of that made sense...hah...

 

Post-OT Novels are not all bad. Except for the Zahn novels and the NJO some of them are actually good.

Pre-PT are crap. The only ones worth reading is some of the Jedi Appentice books. Some are good and some are very predictable.

As for EU cameos in the Prequels. I think George is gonna keep the cameos to a minimum. I don't mind them much though.

 

Come on, if it wasn't for the EU you folks would miss out on all the cool things about Star Wars. Like how Luke Skywalker gets beat down on a regular basis by lame villans or how Luke, Han and the rest of the gang manage to single handily save the galaxy book after book after book, year after year. Or the clones of The Emperor. Or the Empires consistant need for a new super doomsday weapon. Great stuff.

 

I think we owe the EU authors a thank you for all that stuff Owen mentioned.

 

I think you also owe them a thank you for bringing Star Wars back to life when it was out of most people's minds.

 

I've only read the Zahn books, but as far as I'm concerned, EU is just plain awful. Books are okay for something like Star Trek, where each novel is like a television episode. For Star Wars, however, it just doesn't work. Somehow, the stories don't seem grand enough. I'll stick with the movies, and hope that Lucas doesn't include any EU stuff in the movies, other than some vehicles, I suppose.

 

Nevermind the link, I'll just give you a quote: "Her appearance in the film marks the first time one of the characters created specifically for the "Expanded Universe" has made the leap..."

So, basically, there will be an EU character in AOTC, for those who didn't know.

 

I would have to agree with most people when they say that The EU is, for the most part, pretty bad. A good majority of the writing is very cliched, borrowing heavily on formuelic Sci-Fi writings and just adapting characters from the Star Wars universe over to mundane plots.

The real reason that the EU falters, IMO, is because the writers are unwilling (or unable, by agreement with Lucasfilm) to have the characters change and grow. They shift slightly, but the Han Solo of the EU (from what I've read) is pretty much the same as the Han Solo of the OT. Things happen to the characters, but they don't change as a result of them, which makes for fairly boring reading. That, of course, and the whole 'sueprweapon of the month' got old really quickly. By the time they hit the "Sun Crusher" I just had to laugh.

However, I personally found the 5 books that Timothy Zahn wrote to be quite interesting, and pretty good reads. I liked a lot of his characters, and I thought he did a very good job capturing the feel of the SW universe.

But, that's neither here nor there. I'm not here to defend or roast the EU (because both are definately too easy). I personally just find it fun to pick up on little things, and there are enough cool, little things in the EU that I'd much rather see a background glimpse of something I've read about then some "aliens" Lucas threw in the movie to be buddy-buddy with Steven Spielberg.

-Matt "The Stampede"

 

Patches, it sounds like you're talking about Alya Secura (is that how you spell her name?). She's a Twi-Lek Jedi from some comic books. I've never read them, but she is apparently quite popular. Anyway, she is in the movie. I think she's nothing more than an extra though. I have acctually seen a picture in the Jedi Temple with what looks like her walking around in the background. It's neat, I suppose, but since I don't know the first thing about her I don't care either way.

I personaly quite like EU, at least most of it. I agree that there are some quite crummy books (the Bounty Hunter Wars, Shadows of the Empire, The Crystal Star, Rogue Planet among many others), and yes, the writing quality is sometimes questionable but I enjoy them, and isn't that what counts? I haven't read any of the comics. I do like how EU refernces keep popping up on HNN, sometimes very obscure ones, but I think a lot would perhaps be somewhat out of place in the movies. The Alya Secura thing was simply a case of "we need a cool looking extra, hey, this comic character looks neat, let's bung her in," but delibrately trying to pepper the movie with EU stuff would be stupid.

 

Lets face is people the only reason Georgie let anyone create an EU at all was to get more money.

 

The2ndQuest said: For every Aproaching Storm, Crystal Star or Planet of Twilight there are a dozen Thrawn Trilogies, X-Wing series, Shadow Hunters, or Star By Stars to counter it with great quality.

Absolutely. I admit that I was acctually quite surprised when I came here as to how many people seriously dislike EU. My train of thought always went "It's Star Wars! Gimmie gimmie gimme!!!" Yes, they aren't all great, and there is some real crap out there, but don't judge the whole thing from one book.

 

...just to be clear...i didnt say if one book sucks all the books suck...i said if one book sucks the EU [extended universe] sucks...

...a bad EU book can taint your whole enjoyment of star wars...you read a bad one...then you read a good one...then your running around reading all these books some good, most bad...cant you see how much that takes away from star wars?...the product becomes very watered down...

...anyway im not willing to risk having my enjoyment of star wars deteriorate through gluttony...i love star wars...and if it isnt george lucas' creation then i cant take the risk...

...and boy i didnt even respond to the original idea proposed here...i think adding an EU character is fine why wouldnt it be...but just to add...i dont think you can accurately say that her 'character' was added...i think its just the name and face...everything else will most likely b e different...and is aayla secura that female jedi up there on top of the page with the strips and red and cream skin?...