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Why didn't George Lucas stop at the top?

Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace
  • Posted at 5:02pm
  • 05 December 2008
  • by AndrewCollins-RT
  • 10 comments

At the start of the second series of Channel 4's cult sitcom Spaced, Daisy (Jessica Hynes) returns to the London flat she shares with Tim (Simon Pegg). Catching up, he says, "I've had a few things to work through." "With your ex-girlfriend?" "No, with George Lucas." At which point, in flashback, we see Tim setting fire to a big pile of boxes and files marked "STAR WARS STUFF".

Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace had been released, to deafening fanfare and overnight queues, in 1999, and Tim spoke for many fans when he said, "It still hurts."

Never before had the creator of an epochal, blockbusting cinematic franchise so comprehensively betrayed his multitudinous global audience. At least that's the accepted view, now hardened into legend.

With the original trilogy – Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – Lucas had changed the face of cinema. He'd re-energised sci-fi, revived the mythic storytelling of the classic westerns, redrawn the merchandising rulebook and founded his own empire – whose total revenue, according to Forbes, tipped $22 billion in 2007. You could build your own Death Star with that.

Even before Phantom Menace, Lucas had effectively vandalised the first three films by giving them a Special Edition digital facelift in 1997. He tinkered with characters and added an extra scene with Jabba the Hutt using CGI that was unavailable in 1977. If Lucas really is king of the nerds, he seems unable to think like his devoted audience, who wish he'd stop messing about.

Phantom Menace and its sequels, Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith were as reliant on digital effects as any fantasy franchise at the time.

But, despite adding substantial meat to the bones of the saga – taking us back to a time when Obi Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness in Episode IV) looked like Ewan McGregor and hung around with a Goofy-type alien (Jar Jar Binks, surely the most despised element of all), it subtracted from the innocence of the originals.

Remember, a stormtrooper is actually seen banging his head on a door in Star Wars – no room for such a quaint, You've Been Framed-style blooper in this new world order.

In truth, it's my generation's age that dictates our resentful feelings towards the latter three Star Wars instalments. I was 13 when the words "It is a period of civil war . . ." first scrolled up the screen in the Northampton ABC in 1978. It was my first date but, no offence to Jackie Needham, it's the film I remember.

I was in my 30s when I sat glumly through Phantom Menace. It wasn't the same. And now Lucas is allowing animated kiddy tosh like The Clone Wars to further degrade the legend. Tim's right: it still hurts.

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Comments

  • Posted on 21 December 2008
  • at 12:17am
  • by G

The thing that really annoys me with the critical reaction to these films, is that nine times out of ten the critic ends up basically writes a long-winded rant about how the movie(s) didn't measure up to their own personal expectation. I mean, thats essentially what Andrews review here is. Its a diatribe about how he, as a 30 something, didn't like a movie that George Lucas had made for Andres children. And if thats Andrews personal opinion then fine, but where is the actual critical apprasal of this film? Why do we never hear from critics about the good things in the Prequel movies (and there are many) like in this movie the final lightsaber battle is outstanding, the Pod Race, whilst overlong WAS a technincal achievment, Ian Mcdiarmid never gets any praise for any of his Star Wars Prequel work, even though in all three films he never puts a foot wrong and is amazing in Revenge of the Sith. You know, all you ever read from critics is negativity about these films, you never read any of the good stuff. Why? If there is a series of films that are deserving of a re-evaluation in the future its the Star Wars Prequels. My guess is, when Andrews generation of critics are in their retirment homes, the next generation, the generation that will grow up with all six Star Wars movies, but without the baggage of seeing the Originals in cinemas first, will be far kinder to these films. They ARE flawed, but theres also a lot to enjoy. They are not the complete movie disaster that Andrew and friends would have us believe because of their own agenda.

  • Posted on 14 December 2008
  • at 1:40am
  • by Alice

I agree, The Phantom Menace was the best of the new trilogy. I am 17 and I still enjoy it.

  • Posted on 14 December 2008
  • at 12:19am
  • by Warg60

I remember queueing for hours to see Starwars, and I saw it six times and listen to the LP endlessly. When Episode 1 came out I took my 10 year old stepdaughter to see it, and it was the best film she ever had seen. I can't complain about any film he has done really :)

  • Posted on 13 December 2008
  • at 9:28am
  • by TC

EP1 and EP2 were weak - true. EP3 was brilliant. having grown up with EP4 to 6 I felt like I was watching my own personal history laid out before me. It made the hair on my neck stand up. And despite the weakness of the first two, I still enjoyed them.

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 6:59pm
  • by Andy

Gotta agree with these comments. I saw the originals when I was a kid. Saw Ep I and hated Jar Jar, so much so that it kind of ruined the film for me. Ep II was improved and Ep III was ace as noted above. The thing is, I now have a 4 year old daughter who 'found' Ep I and asked to watch it, and has never stopped since! Seeing it through her eyes brought back the magic - and I can actually ignore the annoyance of Jar Jar now. Particularly as my daughter loves his mannerisms and strange words - she's started her own language based on it now.

Its kind of become an accepted 'truth' that the newer trilogy is a travesty of the originals, and whilst the Star Wars 'magic' doesn't kick in properly until Ep III for me, I think that opinion is going too far. The main difference between Ep IV and Ep I for those who saw both is that they have lost the innocence of childhood - just like me, until my daughter stared in wide eyed wonder at 'the girl with two spots', the spaceships that look like bicycles (her opinion!) and the silliness of Jar Jar

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 2:55pm
  • by Jim

I saw Star Wars in Blackpool when I was on holiday in '77 and I didn't know what hit me. Then in my teenage years I got bored with the whole Star Wars thing. Now in my late thirties they are an unassailable part of my childhood. Lucas can tinker as much as he wants with EP IV,V and VI but I will always remember them as they originally were, unbelieveable.... As for the new ones.. Darth Maul and the battle at the end of EP1, brilliant... The war at then end of EP2 and the prototype Star Destroyers, amazing... Revenge of the Sith was brilliant and the end of it just what was needed and expected but didn't have the impact I expected but then again I was 35 when I saw it and not eight..

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 1:07pm
  • by Lomax

It always seemed to me that the prequels looked like they'd been made by a middle-aged man and as such were ponderous, political and overly serious. The original films were made by a 20 something trying to make his way in the world and that exuberance shows through. I think Lucas just grew out of Star Wars, and perhaps should have done something better fitting his new sensibilities. But then Star Wars paid better I guess.

  • Posted on 11 December 2008
  • at 7:53pm
  • by Dan

G. is correct. Episode III was amazing. The fact is that it's a great film and worthy of being a Star Wars film. Episode I & II maybe not. But Episode III - yes.

  • Posted on 09 December 2008
  • at 4:51pm
  • by matthew

im only 18 but i remember the origanal trillogy before the phantom menace and oh my god kids even four years younger then me just dont know how important it is! its nothing but a new christmas list to them. Lucas rapped my child hood with phantom menace attack of the clones revenge of the sith and the new indianna jones film again what ? i wish i was 7 again when it was all innocent and the sequals were in my head where it was ok and couldnt hurt any one. i agree with simon pegg it still hurts :(

  • Posted on 07 December 2008
  • at 11:11pm
  • by G.

Well, OK, you didn't like it. But millions of people did and a whole new generation of kids loved The Phantom Menace - Jar Jar included. If you had your way you would deny them these films (Star Wars Episode III was EXCELLENTLY reviewed, BTW, with The New York Times saying is was "better than Star Wars") Get over it and grow up, plase!

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