PT Rian Johnson on Star Wars: ‘There was something really beautiful about the prequels’

I'd always heard that Riand Johnson was a Prequel fan, or at least likes them anyway, but the fact that he said they were beautiful, makes me very happy. I do hope that if he does get to do anything in Episode VIII, is that he takes us back to Naboo. That was my favorite planet from the PT, if there was a plot reason to go back there, I would be a happy Star Wars fan forever.

http://makingstarwars.net/2014/07/r...job-star-wars-episode-viii-working-lucasfilm/

 

That's wonderful news. Wow...I actually found that quite touching. I guess I'm just so used to people heaping abuse on the prequels that it feels so nice to hear someone say something good about them. Especially lately, with every news outlet reminding us that "everyone" hated the prequels and now with Episode VII they can be forgotten (no one's likely to forget about them though if they keep getting brought up though...).

I've also heard that Hayden might be in Episode VIII. That's the one that Rian Johnson is set to direct so I'm glad he has positive feelings about the PT.

 

I hope Hayden is in Episode VIII and that it comes as a complete surprise when he's given good dialogue and the room to act that he's better than everyone gives him flack for. I've always felt he was a good Anakin, he just didn't have the dialgoue that he deserved, he always got the short end of the dialgoue stick.

 

Hayden's performance really works for me, but I can see why quite a few people have issues with it.

-There is, as you mention, the dialogue. A lot of people find it incredibly awkward or flat out bad. I like a lot of lines that people hate (I'm fond of the "I don't like sand" line) because to me, they just sound like things Anakin would say -- awkward, 19/20 year old, nervous Anakin. There are some stinkers ("From my point of view, the Jedi are evil" was just too shoe-horned in), but on the whole, I really believe the character of Anakin. He feels brilliantly realized.

-That brings me to my second point -- I think part of the dislike of Hayden and criticism of his performance can be traced back to people just not liking Anakin's character. Which is a legitimate opinion, of course, but it's not Hayden's fault. It's not that Hayden can't act and sounds whiny/immature; it's that Anakin is immature and does whine. George Lucas did that purposefully. I also think a lot of Hayden's intonations that people find too flat or monotone are due to the PT being more formal than the OT and also patterning off of Vader.

-Hayden's voice is a sticking point for some people, I think. This always springs to my mind because Vader had such an iconic, badass voice. And it's one that Hayden can't match (though, to be fair, no one can match it). And I think that if Hayden had, say, Benedict Cumberbatch's voice then people might find his performance more agreeable even if his actual acting was the same. Imagine Cumberbatch saying "I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire." or "Don't make me kill you." I think if Hayden sounded like that, he would face less criticism. But there's nothing he can do about it. Then again, I very much like that Anakin, physically at least, is so very different from Vader. The striking differences make his fall more tragic to me, in a way, because it really shows how horribly he was transformed.

I'd be happy with Hayden in the new film but I do worry on how Anakin would be utilized. I really don't want a clone. A Force ghost would be okay but I think my favorite would be if we saw a hologram of him. In large part, I don't want them to touch Anakin's story too much because to me, it's basically over. Time to let the new generation have a say.

 

Of course no one can match Vader's OT voice, it's the magnificent James Earl Jones and no one sounds as cool as James Earl Jones, he has a voice that can read you the phone book and you'd be entertained.

 

There's something beautiful about a freshly laid turd, in an American Bueaty carrier bag sort of way......

No, I'm kidding. While I ultimately found the prequels a let down I am by no means a hater. One of the things that has bothered me about Force Awakens has been the clear effort by Abrams & Co to run away from the prequels as far as they can. Like them or loathe them, they are very much part of the saga. To pretend as if they didn't happen makes no sense. I also think that Lucas doesn't always get the credit he deserves for having the balls to experiment so much with different creative designs and environments. If Johnson uses that as inspiration and otherwise draws a link to the prequels then that can only be a good thing IMO.

Not sure I want to go back to Naboo though.....well, unless it's to see the First Order roast the Gungans alive....

 

I wasn't thinking about Gungans at all, I was thinking Theed or the Lake Country, the Naberrie house from the deleted scenes. Things that have to do with the Skywalker family.

 

Yeah, but how relevant is that to Luke or Leia, or even Vader? Padme is the only one familiar with the planet. Well, I suppose there's Palpatine as well....

 

It would have to be plot relevant for them to go back there, Leia's been there twice in new canon. But bringing back Naboo is just something on my fangirl wish list I'd love to see in the Sequel Trilogy.

 

Ahhh. I've not read much of the comics/books in the new canon yet.

 

So does this mean Johnson won't be in for the same public stoning that Abrams has been?

Smart move Johnson. You've spared yourself the ire of PT fans with one well placed comment

 

I see your trolling crusade continues.

 

I wonder if we can somehow find you a sense of humour. Has to be possible

 

I actually "stoned" him -- well, I lightly tossed a piece of grit his way -- for saying that there is "something" beautiful about the prequels, without him specifying exactly what. At the time I first heard of it, his remark sounded a bit tepid and safe. It's like I thought he was the one afraid of being stoned by the mob (which you have to concede, surely, is a factor when one has spoken up in defence of the prequels before). But if one takes a step back, well, it actually seems like a very fair comment; not something I needed to "grit" him for. Low grit factor.

Your point is well-observed, though. One comment either way seems to trigger people off. It's almost like Star Wars fans are tribal lunatics or religious maniacs (perish the thought!). And, of course, which you might be further implying, one comment here or there really guarantees very little. Rian Johnson has some admiration for the prequels: so what? He seems like a clever filmmaker, though, and just the guy for the middle installment of a Star Wars trilogy. While everyone is understandably apoplectic with glee over TFA, it's really the second entry, in my mind, that determines whether we have a winner here or not.

Departure - Initiation - Return

If the first episode has charm, and the third brings cathartic resolution, the second is where we head into the dark forest: the enchanted lagoon.

 

I think Episode VIII will be much kinder to the prequels than Episode VII. JJ Abrams seems like he is really set on making a movie that fans of the OT who didn't like the prequels will like. Nothing wrong with that, as long as its a good movie and it advances the story without detracting from the story told in the prequels. It's great to hear that Rian Johnson may be more open to revisiting some aspects of the prequel era or at least some of the locations.

 

I'd certainly prefer a return to Naboo in the ST rather than seeing Tatooine yet again.

 

And we need to see Curuscant again! It is the capital of the galaxy!

 

That's great.

 

I enjoyed the trailer, I'm certainly no tribal demagogue. I'm just tired of the prequel - baiting that has been going on relentlessly, as though every defense of them needs to be countermanded by some snarky remark. It's tiresome.

 

That's true.

Ironically, though, if Rian Johnson had elaborated on his defence, beyond a single non-committal line, DD would have had to have re-thought his snark.

The fact that we do only have that one line, however, makes DD's interjection funny and fair, in my opinion.

It's nice that RJ said that much about them. I do wish he'd made at least one concrete point explaining his position -- what that "something" is he finds "beautiful" about them -- however.

 

Johnson hasn't said anything about anything, which accounts for the lack of criticism. We've seen the marketing campaign for Abrams' film. We've seen multiple trailers. We've seen Abrams playing the big franchise game before. There's simply more to react to.

 

No matter what RJ thinks about the PT, at the end of the day he will still tow the party line of Disney and LFL. Whether that is a good or bad thing in the coming months remains to be seen. I personally don't see that much of a pro-OT attitude after this movie is released. I believe the point of all that was to "gain back" disenfranchised fans(I actually think that is a ridiculous idea to begin with, but anyway) But once the new film is released most people will or at least should be focusing on the new trilogy story and characters.

The new generation of fans as well as old school fans of the OT and PT will no doubt be consumed by the new films and worrying about the upcoming films as well as the spin offs too. I do have a feeling that when TFA is released there will be the comparisons drawn to the PT, and even the OT as well. Once that time passes the primary focus will be the new films and I don't see too much of the PT bashing happening. There is too much new SW material out now and more on the way that it seems like a waste to worry about movies that had there time in the limelight. These new movies are in the limelight now and need to be the center of attention.


Just how I see things anyway. I also believe that the company line will be a whole lot different by the time RJ is towing it. It shouldn't be too practical effects heavy this time around. Because we will now have characters and story lines to take interest in and not just how the films are made. I feel that the PT will start to be seen as part of the bigger picture in the short term by people who didn't see it that way before.

But hey, what do I know?

 

I am really pumped for Episode VIII. After seeing Looper and hearing his praise of the PT, I am excited to see what Rian will bring to Star Wars. I've also heard he's sticking closer to George's outline, which is also fantastic news.


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As excited and faithful as I am for TFA, I find myself almost looking forward to Episode VIII even more

 

I'm not gonna beat around the bush, I am way more excited for E8, and even E9 despite the little we know about it. I like Johnson for E8 as I explained above ( ), and for E9 Trevorrow's Jurassic World felt like a Lucas movie, so I think it's in good hands.

Still gonna see TFA though, JJ deserves an unbiased shot from my perspective before I judge, particularly because I have enjoyed his past work and comments on Star Wars.