CT Star Wars will lose it's relevancy in our lifetime

people will lose interest if there's nothing worth being interested in

i can't believe he dropped the ball on the prequels man. another 3 classic star wars films?
wow that would have boosted it's relevancy for another three generations EASILY

think of all the characters, weapons, planets, scenes, lines...all the classic top tier **** that was in the classic films. That's the stuff that's been constantly referenced in pop culture and in conversation since the franchise debuted in '77

there's basically none of that in the prequels. So, less pop culture will spawn off the newer ****, and that means less people will be familiar with star wars. people can't just live off the original three films forever. It's not something that's easy to enjoy like the Beatles catalog or something. Film is entirely different.

God, it's insane. I hope he tries again with three other films, this time with competent top tier directors.

 

OK I am a HUGE fan of the original trilogy...but I am sorry I disagree with most when it comes to the prequels. I dont think they are horrible. They could have been much worse. I dont mind 8 yr old Anakin or even a Anakin that is a so called "whiner" in AOTC. Even if what you say is true the original trilogy will NOT lose its relevance any time soon. I for one plan to pass the entire saga on to my children and I'm positive they will enjoy it just as many bfore them have. The prequels will not destroy anything, young kids dont look at those movies with skeptical eyes as alot of adults do. They love the lightsabre fights and anakin going evil. Star Wars will always be relevant. And lucas has said multiple times and I will quote it again. STAR WARS IS THE STORY OF ANAKINS RISE, FALL, AND REDEMPTION. the story ends at ROTJ and there is no need to tell any other parts of the story at least on film....

 

I'm not even really dissing the prequels, really. I'm just telling it like it is. And that's that every time star wars is mentioned, it's always centered on the original trilogy. 90% of the time you hear star wars in almost any discussion (talking about a line from the movie, a place, character, whatever), it's always affiliated with the original trilogy.

This is only because the prequels were not top tier as the original films.

And yeah, a way for newer generations to get into the classic films would be for parents to get them into it...But..yeah, the amount of parents that'll do that is so far less than what happened before. Especially now that they're only on home release.

They could do a thing that they did with the 90s kids, and re-release the SW films in theaters. That, and the mega home release that followed got a newer generation of kids into them. That worked.

But even then..With the 3D re-releases, they're starting with **** nobody cares about first (prequels), and they also stated they'll stop releasing the films if they don't do well. Only reason why episode 1 made as much as it did was because of anticipation. I think Episode 2 performed under a typical star wars film, and episode 3 performed well because it was hyped as the last film.

So I don't know how well they'll do this time around. ESPECIALLY the second one. Jesus. Saying this, because they need to do well for the 2010 kids to finally watch the classic films. Indeed, that could definitely be a way to keep kids interested in the classic films, which in turn would keep kids interested in star wars as whole. But he can't milk 'em forever.

 

I know four kids, two 15 yr olds, a 9 year old and 5 yr old who would completely disagree with you and used the PT as a vehicle to discover the OT and down the saga as a whole. But, to each thier own.

 

Without the prequels, Star Wars would have already lost most of its relevancy. Sure the books and comics were released, but those appeals to existing fans, and I don't know how many new fans they would have brought to the franchise. If the prequels had not been released, general interest would have faded long ago. Like them or not, the prequels generated a ton of interest in the OT and brought in millions of new fans to the franchise.

 

A lot of people who dislike the PT are still on here, 10 years later, discussing them. No loss of relevance, then.

 

Fixed.

 

Well I think the Star Wars movies have already taken their place in our collective national memories -- like 2001 and King Kong before it. The OT were unlike anything that came before.

The PT, on the other hand... Well, let's ignore the OT vs PT schism and just consider them newer chapters of the same franchise. They don't hold the same sway that the OT did and they are actually caught up in their own wake. You've got a generation of new filmmakers who grew up on Lucas & Spielberg and both are now shells of their former selves. You've got all these new epic sci-fi fantasy franchises -- such as LOTR/Hobbit, Harry Potter, etc. that become more relevant to the current generations while Star Wars fades to the level of a nursery rhyme told in the past. Ironic considering the "Journal of the Whills" origins, eh?

The OT was a phenomenon; the PT even if they were as good films as the OT (which I don't think they are but I'll leave it out of the discussion) have to live in a world where the OT has already changed things and have to compete with a new filmmaking environment that was influenced by them. Think about all the high-powered Sci-Fi franchises that were launched at the same time as the PT -- The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter -- the SW prequels are at best just one of many type of sci-fi/fantasy epics released during that same period and arguably not as influential to its generation as some of those other franchises. Even the biggest PT fan has to realize that the PT couldn't even have been the singular influence the OT was in its day.

 

Care to explain that?

 

The PT was an epic suckfest. The only SW films that have any relevance whatsoever are Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. They appeal to people who like quality cinema.

Its, not it's.

 

I can safely say that, were it not for the PT, my interest in SW would've pretty much died away by the time I grew out of my Boba Fett phase in middle school (every fan has one). By 1999 I was moving on to bigger and better works of cinema after seeing what Lucas was capable of back before the spirit of '77 with the avant-garde masterpiece that is THX 1138, a movie that most OT fanatics probably only know as an easter-egg. TPM got me hooked back into SW, though, and I know I'm not the only one out there who owes their renewed interest in the franchise to the Prequels in general. Without them (and the SE, to an extent), the OT would've remained lipservice classics, but eventually would've drowned in their own watershed influence. The fact that the PT survived and remained as popular as they were against the tide of so much competition is testament to that.

 

Many people I know like SW because they got off on the PT. It lives.

 

I'm done with Star Wars after the blurays, Clone Wars kept me interested for about one season before it became the magical adventures of Ahsoka Tano maybe the live action tv series will bring me back.

The PT seems fairly popular on these boards but outside of that they're generally reviled, even the Family Guy people bash the PT in the Lucas sanctioned Star Wars parodies.The PT will be remembered but not in a good way.

Star Wars was a phenomenon in the seventies and even if the PT had have been excellent movies I doubt it could have reached that level.Most young people today don't give a hoot about PT or OT.

 

I think this is perhaps an overly-pessimistic view of things. There are plenty of fans, like me, who were originally drawn into Star Wars because of the prequels. There's also plenty of individuals within the general population who know Star Wars through the prequels (hence my cousin saying, in dismay, "we're watching the old ones? But they're so bad!" when she realized I meant ANH when I had said we were watching Star Wars). Then there's the kids -- many of whom are drawn to the Clone Wars which is extremely popular.

Funny story: I was visiting Europe, in a very small town last summer, and looking for a gift to bring back for my brother. When I looked in the front of the toy shops, though, I noticed they all held Clone Wars action figures. I don't know why, but I thought it extremely amusing that Star Wars was still just a big in continental Europe as it was back in the States, although I suppose now that I think about it, it's not unexpected.

The prequels will never, in my opinion, have an impact or relevancy the way the OT did. But I do think they've kept fascination for Star Wars alive. At the very least, for many people, the OT now appears in a better light upon comparison.

 

That's an understatement. Episodes I and II are two of the worst movies ever made. And yet, for reasons I fail to understand, people continue to defend them. Episode III unfortunately gets lumped in with the Phantom Movie and Attack of the Clowns (personally, I like it more than the dung pile that is ROTJ), but nevertheless it falls well short of the standard set by the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.

 

"Losing its relevancy" might not be a bad thing if relevancy is defined strictly as pop culture references and nostalgia-laden worship of a rescue the princess movie.

Personally I find films that portray the problematic sides of spiritual dogma and "fight now!" foreign policy to be more relevant than those where all is automatically well and good after blowing up the enemy and their big weapon.

 

This:

If that helps you sleep better...

Hmmm...."ALL POLITICS ALL THE TIME!"

Are you a music fan? I wonder if you like politics in your music, as well? Yes, by all means, let's have a ham-fisted "Contemporary Politics 101" theme shoe-horned into what's supposedly a 'kid's movie'.



Me? If my choices were:

A. Movie with 'deep' messages (moral/political), but otherwise lousy execution of story/acting/drama

or

B. movie which lacks deep themes/messages (Pauline Kael, anyone?), but is otherwise well done in terms of story/acting/drama...

I'll take option "B".

 

Simply put... for me, the PT was simply too ambitious. It didn't meet the bar it set in many respects.

It's funny that the people I know who grew up on the OT can't stand the PT, while people who were introduced to Star Wars via the PT simply love and defend them.

However, even if the PT was never made, Star Wars would not lose relevancy in our lifetime. It's simply too ingrained in our culture. The PT has already fallen to the wayside, in my opinion. Nobody I know talks of Dooku or Grievous.

 

I'll take ambition like that as a good thing, myself. And I'd not rely too much on personal anecdotes, as a lot of us are here. You wind up sounding a bit like the story often attributed to Pauline Kael after Nixon won an election-- "Well, nobody I know voted for him!"

At any rate. The Clone Wars is more popular than a lot of older fans realize, and the Prequels consistently enjoy popular broadcasts on Spike, more often than the OT I think (though I can't vouch for that with figures, I just don't see the OT being put on the air as much). With The Phantom Menace coming back to theaters next year, we're both going to see how big it is to the younger generation of fans and watch as it takes the opportunity to grab another group of filmgoers for the first time. The fact that these rereleases are being contemplated is telling in and of itself, I think. People take the success of the PT for granted, but that's a gross underestimation.

 

Sure, why not? I don't get your talk of shoe-horning, though. Stating my definition of relevancy doesn't mean I think there's anything inherently wrong with material that is primarily designed for escapism, entertainment, etc. ANH is a great, fun film. But I don't think it was or is as relevant as the original Rollerball, for example (which, again, is not to say that I think Rollerball is vastly superior to ANH).

 

I had to ask. Not that I think anything's wrong with it. I just wasn't sure if your 'preference' was just limited to the SW films (or just the PT), or if it was an over-all type of thing.

The matter of infusing these kinds of 'deep' messages into what's supposed to be "kid's movies".....

Fair enough.

It's kind of funny that you make a comment about 'personal anecdotes' now at this juncture, once a poster from the opposing viewpoint (Grand_Moff_Jawa) brings up one, but said nothing while those on the 'pro' side were talking.

Well, you responded to the "ambitious" part of G_M_J's post, but you seem to have missed this (added emphasis mine):

Those emphasized parts make all the difference.

 

So?

What difference? He's saying people who grew up on the OT generally don't like the PT, and people who like the PT generally do like it. I'm not really sure what your point is, here. And never mind, I'm someone who grew up with the OT who loves the PT, myself.

 

Now nobody take waht I say offensively or in a manner to try to prove they're wrong in disliking the PT. But from my experience the overt hate is for the most part on the internet. In real life I've come across people who like 'em, don't care for 'em, and dislike 'em, and very few of the "George Lucas raped my childhood" types. But for the most part I've seen people like them. I mean look at places like Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Metacritic, Listal, etc. Ep I & II are both mixed to positive from both critics and audiences (and yes, I know the "top" critics rate them lower), and Ep III got a great reception upon original release though gets a lot of hate for being guilty by association with its two predecessors (similar to how Return of the Jedi over the years became elevated by many due to association with its two predecessors). Even Netflix which is about as casual viewer as you can get has each one with at least a 4/5 rating. Remember I'm not trying to say they're right or that you have to agree with all of the ratings on those sites. All I'm trying to stress is that the PT isn't nearly as hated as everyone seems to be making them out to be. So for most people I don't think it hurt the Saga's overall image, and even as some have brought up got new fans. And thus for the most part I don't think STAR WARS will lose its relevancy. Maybe there will be times where it's less or more popular, but it like other film including the first two GODFATHER films or 2001: A SPACE ODDYSSEY probably won't ever be truly forgotten and have their place in cinema history.

 

People can say what they want, but I honestly think that because of the Prequels, the SW interest still exist.

Whether you love em or not, I think they were widely blown out of proportion as being bad movies. They weren't that bad, they were just different...far different from the originals and most of the people didn't like the change.

Lots of people have legit reasons for disliking the PT...but some reasons like "OMG a kid in EPISODE I...really??!!!" is just lame. And that's a lot of what went down with the prequels. People looked for things to complain about just because they turned out to be movies, and not a life changing experience.

I really don't think the prequels are bad, and if anything I would take Episode III any day over 1 of the originals....need I say, that would be ROTJ. Yeah, there's thing I wish about the prequels that were done better and differently, but I don't think it's a complete trainwreck when I view of the the episodes as being better than one of the original 3.

 

The image of Darth Vader will be what keeps Star Wars alive in the minds of future generations. I don't think Star Wars is going to lose its relevance in my lifetime. Maybe once advanced prosthetic limbs, laser weapons, and trans-humanism become the norm. Who knows.