Why this huge Star Wars fan doesn’t “acknowledge” any content outside the original trilogy…

I am a Star Wars brat, old enough to see all of them in the theaters in fact. I can sit here tell you how much of a fan I am, like everybody seems to try to “out fan” you. But please just trust me when I say that Star Wars has consumed 70%+ of any spare time and attention I have been able to muster up in the last 30 years or so (I even have a Darth Maul tattoo!)

Anyways, as much of a fan I am, I won’t even entertain any content other than what was introduced with the movies, nothing, not one iota. The “extended universe” means nothing to me, Mara who?

You would think I would be greedy to gobble up anything SW being a huge fan, and especially now that Lucas isn’t going to introduce any new content (except the TV shows, but he is not writing them). But I am not. Why?

I look at the extended universe as too much. The best way for me to explain is to use an analogy:

Remember going into a candy store or ice cream shop when you were a kid and wanted all of it? Dreamed of being able to just have anything in there and as much as you wanted? But you couldn’t because you had a $1.50 and that was it. But as an adult, when we could actually go in and buy all that stuff, we don’t. Because we know that too much would make you sick. It’s good to have things in moderation.

Same thing with the extended universe, but it’s even worse than my analogy in a sense. Think about what the extended universe really is: Stories and scenarios written and created by fans, yes fans, to fill in or pick up where they felt Lucas left off. Lucas didn’t do it the way you wanted? No Problem!! Ill just write it that way!

For example: Boba Fett. Everybody thought Boba was the most interesting character of all, but Lucas killed him off. But what do we go and do? Make him alive and create all the stories and adventures we really wanted to see him in. Where is the imagination?

Would you paint over parts of the Mona Lisa because you didn’t like what was done with it by Davinci? No you wouldn’t, its best to imagine.

Heck, my heart WANTS Lucas to make 50 more movies (not him directing though, don’t get me started…) but logically I know it would only ruin the SW magic for me. The adult in me knows it’s for the best.

And this is why I wont read or entertain any SW content outside the movie trilogy. I want to imagine, I want to think about it, debate about it. I don’t want some super fan to write in what I want, or for them to create something for me to base my imagination on.

Its not for me. Im a SW purist if you will, and I am happy to stay there.

I am a Star Wars fan myself. Only old enough to of seen Episodes I-III in the theatres, but I do own all on DVD.

Interested to hear your take on the films, and if the first three really were that much better than the latest three? Did the special effects take away from the latest three? Fight scenes to elaborate?

I absolutely loved the original three. I could not put them in any particular order as I thought they were all amazing. Episode I was good, but could have been better I thought. Episode II was alot better than I but not up to par with the old Star Wars flicks. III was slightly better, not much, but still did not compare.

Wonder how you're going to like TV Series coming out?

Originally posted by skippytjc
You would think I would be greedy to gobble up anything SW being a huge fan,

I thought purism was a badge of honour amoung star wars geeks..er "super-fans".

and especially now that Lucas isn’t going to introduce any new content (except the TV shows, but he is not writing them)

TV Shows? . But I am not. Why?

Heck, my heart WANTS Lucas to make 50 more movies (not him directing though, don’t get me started…)

As an aside, have you ever read any of hte Lensmen series? They supposedly were a large part of lucas's inspiration. They're great, have a star wars feel to them in a sense.

Its not for me. Im a SW purist if you will, and I am happy to stay there.

What if Lucas comissioned a special line of material that was cannonical?

Sort of like how there was the Star Trek TV shows and movies, which are cannonical, but the Cartoon series was rejected as cannon (in large part because of the 'overindulgence issue'. It involved, of all things, the Kzinn from the seperate sci-fi world of the "Man-Kzinn Wars", and they didn't want to mix those universes).

So what if Lucas commisioned some new books as being part of the cannon?

OR, what if he highlighted a few of the books already out there as essentially similar to his little universe?

Wait, clarification, you reject anything from outside the original trilogy as being 'real'? Like, Darth Maul, etc, aren't 'cannonical' for you?

[edit on 12-6-2006 by Nygdan]

Chissler:

Phantom was a train wreck. I do give Lucas some credit however because he had a Herculean task to do, and for the most part he got the story out. There was a great deal of "foundation" to set in that first movie, and he did pull that off.

But the faults of the movie made it un-enjoyable as far as entertainment value is concerned.

First up, its was WAAAAY over scored, he tried to force emotion and audience reaction with music. The entire movie has music, every scene. Go back and watch New Hope and focus on the music: He wasn’t afraid to let the actors create the drama, and it worked in a large way. Look at the breakfast scene with Luke and his aunt and uncle: NO SCORING, and it was brilliant. Now see the sandstorm dinner scene in Menace, he scored it. WHY? Its Liam and Natalie for Pete’s sake let them act!

Next, is that horrible little boy and that Jar Jar Stinks. I don’t even need to comment on these two, you know. I have pimples on my left butt cheek that are more entertaining and can act better...

And lastly: Darth Maul. Bar far the most interesting character in the entire movie and he had the smallest role. And then to be PURPOSFULLY killed in a way that he could never return. Pity.

Clones was nice, not a grand slam or homerun, but a huge improvement over Menace. Obi is the shiznit. A little too commercial for my tastes, but not a bad movie, its equal to Jedi.

Revenge of the Sith was more like it, grand slam homerun. Now that’s a movie! Some minor complaints, but they are way overshadowed by the movie as a whole. Obi again is the shiznit.

Best movie: Empire (Sith second)
Worst: Phantom



ZeddicusZulZorander:

The jury is still out on these. I am tempted because even though they aren’t written by Lucas, they do however pick up on the original story. Dead characters will remain dead and so on, no major conflicts. I can accept that. Time will tell…

i have always loved star wars, the final 3 (or the first 3 depending on your point of view?) kind of spoilt it for me..i wanted to just read about it and dream it myself, so i know where your coming from mate.

I loved Boba, and although i missed him..i kind of wanted him to stay dead- im waiting until the cash situations better and ordering his outfit from some ozzy company.

Its kind of funny but star wars stirred something in me as a kid, i was always torn between the dark and the good- biker scouts were just to cool for skool.

from one fan to another..regards.

May the force be with you.

Nydgan:


The extended universe IS sanctioned by Lucas. But its nothing more than a commercial venture. Its a way to extend SW to new generations and feed the imagination of older fans. But it is in no way a representation of the original thought or inspiration.

I walked into a theatre when I was 7 years old thinking I was going to a war movie (brother liked war movies), and left with something implanted on my brain that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Anybody who isn’t old enough to be there will never ever ever understand what that movie was, at that time. You will never understand.

Even Lucas allowing people to interpret his universe is not the same. And in a sense the last three Lucas movies only reflect some of that magic, they don’t themselves create it like those original three did nearly 30 years ago.

You can have the extended universe, its all yours. In the mean time this fan will be imagining about all the things that could have been...

I would tend to agree with what your saying.

Lucas has to be applauded for the foundation he laid with the latest episodes and the way he wrapped everything up.

What are your thoughts on a possible Episodes VII-IX? Apparently Lucas has them wrote, but has already stated he would never have anything to do with them.

ed: typo

[edit on 12-6-2006 by chissler]

Originally posted by skippytjc
I walked into a theatre when I was 7 years old thinking I was going to a war movie (brother liked war movies), and left with something implanted on my brain that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Anybody who isn’t old enough to be there will never ever ever understand what that movie was, at that time. You will never understand.

Heh heh, I do understand this statement actually and it does fit very well.

I was 9-years old and that movie changed me. I can't explain it either, but I know what you mean by "implanted." I'm not sure any movie today could do the same, although I felt pretty close with Matrix (only the first movie) and LoTR. Close, but not the same.

Originally posted by chissler
I would tend to agree with what your saying.



What are your thoughts on a possible Episodes VII-IX? Apparently Lucas has them wrote, but has already stated he would never have anything to do with them.
]

Never going to happen. I dont know how many more ways the man can state he is not going to make them. I want to think the new live action TV series will take the last three movies place (there is a CG one coming as well, but that will be a new line). They pick up right after Jedi leaves off, so he has the opportunity to continue his original outline. But even these arent going to be written by Lucas, just sanctioned and overseen is a very passive way.

Only time will tell for certain though.


Just wait until I blow your mind on who the chosen one really was...

Originally posted by skippytjc

Never going to happen. I dont know how many more ways the man can state he is not going to make them.

I understand Lucas will have no part of it, but what do you think of them being created without Lucas taking part?

Originally posted by skippytjc
Just wait until I blow your mind on who the chosen one really was...

Dun...Dun...Dun

The original SW was a phenomenon. WOW! Empire was the best imo. The story of Jedi was OK but Lucas took this film off. Aside from Leiha in a golden bra, this could have been WAY better made.

SW1, SW2, better, it set up the Sith. This was the best of the second trilogy, it tied everything together. It made everything make sense.

Star wars 4, 5 and 6. Thats all that counts. They told the story, the dished out fate and made us pine for more, but when more came along, they were not up to the standards we had all 'imagined' them to be...

Theres the problem, we all had our own ideas and wishes, and when none of them came in we all had a good old moan. Mine was jar jar binks - he should of never been included and for me ruines the episodes. Sorry, but episodes 4,5 and 6 are all that matter to me. they are the 'real' star wars. Every thing else was just candy for the masses.

Originally posted by GSA
Sorry, but episodes 4,5 and 6 are all that matter to me. they are the 'real' star wars. Every thing else was just candy for the masses.

I see what you're saying but SW3 made everything make sense. Like when Vader said to Obi Wan in #4, "Now I am the master." Stuff like that. It completed it all for us.

by #4, it had a star wars feel. #1 seemed like it was trying to be star wars, and #2 started to get that going. But I agree, binks ruined the first one, and the kid made the second one harder to watch.

Imagine if lucas had just started out by telling the story from the begining, and had done it all back in the 70s.

I really enjoy most of the SW novels (especially New Jedi Order).
This might PO some purists, but so what.
As for TV shows....WHAT????? I never heard of this?
Oh and by the way, if you read the novels, Lucas books dropped the ball on the CLone Wars big time. The whole Clone Wars timeline sucked if you ask me. Depressed me actually.

Anybody want to guess who the chosen one really was?

Ill give you two hints:

#1 It isnt who you think it is

#2 Even Lucas wont confirm or deny this

Almost forgot, this is how the Sith really should have went down:

tooshocking.com...

What about the fact that Lucas has announced 3 new movies set 88 years before ANH? They are supposed to be released over the next decade...

The thing also is that you have to take into account when they were released in comparison to other movies of that time respectively. When the OT came out it was like nothing that had ever been done before on that scale and that is why it is a pop icon. The PT, on the other hand, really did not stand out from the crowd or the movies of that era (except for the fact that it was riding the coat-tails of the OT). Which are better movies? That is a matter of opinion, however you do have to admit which ones were more influential.