Spielberg and AOTC

I'm talking about the prequels here. George Lucas in the OT and George Lucas 25 years later appear to have very different abilities as a director. The acting in the OT was cheesy, but there was more tension, emotion, depth and interest.

I believe Lucas is a good writer, producer and editor. I will even admit that he is a great director when it comes to action scenes. But character scenes? Not so much. As I've said, we know that Star Wars works fine without George directing -- look at ESB and ROTJ.

 

If Spielberg directed Episode 3 it would be very interesting.On one hand,he is my second favorite film maker and two geniuses are better than one. If the two greatest film makers of all time teamed up it could be the greatest Star Wars ever.I would love to hear what ideas Spielberg would bring to a Star Wars movie. Oh well, it'll never happen.

 

Trying to pretend what it would be like if Spielberg did a Star Wars movie is really a waste of time, isn't it.

 

Most of the threads and posts on these boards are a waste of time so whats new?

RB

 

Spielberg has never touched and never will touch Star Wars. He is a very good diector and like everyone, makes a few mistakes. Lucas will make Ep3 and I am sure it will be good.

 

Episode 3 will be just fine with Lucas directing....heck, I loved all the SW films...no matter who was directing. Spielberg would be great, but George is no slouch...SW is his baby. Anyway, I'll be in line to watch #3 on opening day.

 

Hi Guys, I Think that George Lucas is makin an incredible work beeping one of the most important sagas of the history. I´m the first to say that he has a mighty imagination, but he is a very bad writer when we talk about dialogues, he is really good when he only writes the plot and the evidence is that the episode V is the best of the saga. I have to say too that he is a very bad director, i saw AOTC and I can say that is the second worse film of the saga, surpassed only by the fhantom Menace, that is because in the escenes of the final battle and others that are cmplete maked on the computer,the Special Efects team has more liberty to make the escenes. I really have to say that can be a great think if Steven Spielberg makes the episode III but I´m sure that is later to save the first trilogy of the Starwars saga, and if that isn´t enought, you can beware for the third one.

 

It would be foolhardy for Lucas to give up directive control of the franchise right now to anyone, including the only other person who I would feelcould do a good job, Spielberg.

Think of it, he's just gone through background exposition in TPM, a nice build up in AOTC and you expect him to give up the climax to this operatic saga!?
That's like going to dinner at a top notch restaurant, eating the soup and salad, only to say, "you know what, I don't want this fantastic juicy steak, you have it"

 

As I've said, we know that Star Wars works fine without George directing -- look at ESB and ROTJ.

For all intents and purposes, Lucas did direct those two films. At the very least, Kershner and Marquand had to seek his constant approval throughout the entire shooting process, and it was not at all unusual for Lucas to peek through the camera's viewfinder before approving a shot. Lucas has jokingly said that he stepped into the executive producer role because directing was too stressful, yet he ended up spending more time on the sets of ESB and ROTJ than he did with ANH!

The thing you folks have to remember is that even if Lucas did allow Spielberg to direct Episode III, it would still get made Lucas' way. So the question is, could Spielberg work under Lucas' constant supervision? Would it be a serious blow to Spielberg's ego to have to ask permission before calling "Action!"?

So the bottom line is, Star Wars will always be made the way Lucas wants regardless of who gets to wear the director's hat.

 

True. People give Kershner too much credit. It's not like he really directed ESB anyway. I hear it was just a publicity stunt so that Kersh could get that cushy Robocop 2 gig.

 

Yeah, Robocop 2 was a real stinker and just as bad as Robocop 3, if not worse.

 

Your sarcasm not withstanding, TokyoXtreme, while Kershner technically did direct ESB, he didn't have the complete freedom on set enjoyed by most directors. It's a fact that Lucas maintained very tight control over ESB and ROTJ. This isn't to downplay Kershner's or Marquand's contributions to the saga, only to point out that Lucas is still very much part of the successful Star Wars formula regardless of who actually directs the films.

Frankly, I can't understand why bashers are so eager to divorce Lucas from Star Wars' success while saddling him with what they perceive to be the saga's "failings". If Lucas can be blamed for the bad then he certainly deserves credit for the good.

 

I think that even most "bashers" agree that Lucas is a gifted storyteller with tons of great ideas and concepts. Is Lucas a good director? A good writer? That's where there is disagreement.

 

while Kershner technically did direct ESB, he didn't have the complete freedom on set enjoyed by most directors.

Actually very few directors have complete freedom like your talking about. Few enough you could probably count 'em on your hand. Directors like Cameron, Spielberg and Lucas are just a few of them. In fact most directors, like those you don't know the names to, have very little freedom and are basically just directors for hire. Much like Kershner was.

 

I agree with MadMardigan:very few directors have any freedom to do wha they want.

The Spielber-Lucas aleation might work, but do not forget that both always put their personal footprint in their movies: Spielber is too creative to be under the role (and just and only under the role) of a director,obeying orders of the manager,and doing anything else.

If Steven have been there, AOTC would have been quite different; better or worse,I don't know.More likeable for SW fans or just more disappointing, I don't know too.

I just know that things would have been very different.
Spielberg cannot avoid the temptation of making part of the story he directs, sure...

 

Saw Minority Report last night. Chalk me up as disapponted on a big scale. Is the movie unpredictable? Yes. Is the movie full of twists ant turns? Yes. Does that automatically make a movie good? No. I don't know if Spielberg's going through a mid-life crisis or what. The pacing was horrible, and the attempts at humor were painful. I have'nt been that let down in a long time. This is in no way bashing those who liked it. To each, his own.

 

Excellent post, Durwood. Although Spielberg is still one of my favourite directors, I think he's lost his talent for producing crowdpleasing thrills. The last popcorn movie of his I really enjoyed was Jurassic Park. The Lost World was a pale imitation, and it really overdid the action scenes, such as that "cliffhanger" part where Jeff Goldblum and co. fall through that dangling trailer THREE times!
Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and A.I. are all great films, but it seems that Spielberg isn't capable, or willing, to produce decent popcorn films anymore, which is why I think he'd be a bad choice for Star Wars. Yes, Episode III will be a dark film, but I'm hoping it will still be fun.

As for my comment about the ending of Private Ryan, I didn't like the wraparound story. I felt the flashback formula was just trying to copy Titanic, and remind the younger viewers that "Yes, World War II did actually happen!" I also agree with the comment made by William Goldman in Premiere magazine. How can the older version of Matt Damon's character have a flashback to the Normandy landing when he wasn't even there?!! But that's being nitpicky, I guess.
I think the only thing that could work for Episode III would be if Lucas co-directed with someone else. Lucas would still direct the action and visual effects heavy scenes, while someone else (Frank Darabont perhaps?) directed the dramatic, dialogue-driven scenes. What do you think?

 

As for my comment about the ending of Private Ryan, I didn't like the wraparound story. I felt the flashback formula was just trying to copy Titanic,

I felt Titanic was ripping off Schindler's List. But don't get me wrong, I'm goddamn sick of these wraparound stories. Just tell the frickin' story. Who cares a character grew old? I don't.

 

I don't know if Spielberg's going through a mid-life crisis or what. The pacing was horrible, and the attempts at humor were painful.

Out of curiosity, if you thought the attempts at humor were "painful" in Minority Report, what did you think of the "humor" in AOTC?

 

My guess..the "humor" probably caused severe brain hemmorraging

 

The humor in AOTC is acceptable. The humor in Minority Report just didn't feel right. It didn't mix well. So, you guys really liked Minority Report, I take it?

 

So 3P0 saying "what a drag" did mix with a scene of hundreds of Jedi being slaughtered?

 

Not reall,y MadMardigan. But what movie was I more disappointed in? Minority Report. Far and away.

 

You people are fools (mostly) a few of you know what you're talking about.

I'm sick of this "Star Wars is not about dialouge and never will be," defense.

Every, and I stress EVERY film is about dialouge. True, some do have nice visual elements that take all the attention, but every film moves forward with key plot points supplied by the dialouge. Plain and simple, the PT dialouge sucks, and so does ANH's for that matter. ESB and ROTJ had pretty good dialouge because like many have pointed out Lucas only supplied the overall outline for the story and hired others to write and direct. And about Lucas really directing ESB-- he has said in his own words, he was never once on any of the Hotch sets because he was opening up ILM offices in San Rafael, and they would mail him the dailies.

I love SW, but people need to quit defending the all powerful God Lucas. Spielberg is ten times the director he is and always will be. He also has ten times the nose if you wanna get specific.

 

People seem to be forgetting the Lucas did not direct nor did he write the screenplay for ESB (being a majority of peoples' favorite SW flick) or Return of the Jedi for that matter. I think Spielberg could make one hell of an Episode III. And did everybody forget George's other baby? Indiana Jones? Spielberg directed those and they were great.