Cameras roll on final Star Wars movie

The Herald-Sun ^ | 30jun03 | MICHAEL OWEN-BROWN

[yankeedame]

Cameras roll on final Star Wars

By MICHAEL OWEN-BROWN
30jun03

THE republic is crumbling, the forces of evil are massing and a legion of science-fiction fans are quivering in anticipation.

The last chapter of Star Wars starts filming today at Sydney's Fox Studios.

Almost 1000 crew will work on the $173 million production, which stars about about 60 Australian actors. Fans can watch parts of the filming on webcam.

The film, due for release in 2005, will focus on young Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker being seduced by the dark side of the Force on his way to becoming Darth Vader.

Also, Senator Palpatine orders the destruction of the Jedi order on his way to becoming emperor.

Lucas said the film was darker than the others.

"Let's face it, all the bad guys win in the end, all the good guys are dead except for a couple, so it doesn't have a happy ending," he said.

The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. Australians Joel Edgerton, Jay Laga'aia, Genevieve O'Reilly, Bruce Spence, Kristy Wright and Warren Owens also feature.

[Teacher317]

*writing more checks*

[NovemberCharlie]

Doing what? "Star Wars 8: Luke Enjoys Prune Day At The Nursing Home"?

Acutally, I heard it would involve Han and Leia's children (preferably once they've grown up, sparing us the movie about precocious kids we had in TPH).

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Doing what? "Star Wars 8: Luke Enjoys Prune Day At The Nursing Home"?

So little imagination? From 'strela'?

I'm amazed.

Though, taken with a lump of sarcasm, that is funny.

[strela]

I'm not at my best - its been a tough couple of months for me. Sue me or demand a refund ;)

[Xenalyte]

Blech. If it's no better than the other two recent ones, it's a colossal waste of time and money.

[Xenalyte]

You realize that this will be the greatest episode of them all. Me triumphant, and in control of the galaxy.

You wish. Yoda's gonna transform into a firefly and kick your ass like he did Saruman's.

Or something. I dozed off quite a few times in that one.

[Xenalyte]

I do know that Lucas is pretty famous for not giving actors any kind of useful direction to help them find the tone and emotion of the character.

That assumes that the characters have any tone or emotion to begin with - a contention with which I would take issue.

[strela]

If it's no better than the other two recent ones, it's a colossal waste of time and money.

George Lucas could make it all better by killing off Jar Jar. Slowly. With relish. And screams. Lots of screams.

[Xenalyte]

The warning signs were there in the unnecessary cartoon CGI additions (Jabba jazz band anyone?) and awful character revamps (Greedo shooting first, Luke screaming as he falls) to the theatrically released Special Editions.

"I don't think I'm alone in the world in imagining this flick may be the worst idea since Greedo shooting first."

—Holden McNeil, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

[Fudd]

And If I do say so myself my dialog isn't nearly as stilted as Lucas'.
That isn't saying much.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I thought a better name for the last one "The Way We Snored", "Night of the Living Dead" or "Wooden dolls" for the quality of that alleged "romance".

[Xenalyte]

The only movie that displayed less chemistry between its alleged romantic leads was The Mummy. Brendan Fraser, who's hot enough to ignite a log cabin, couldn't get one spark out of the extraordinarily boring Rachel Weisz, who was born to star in Merchant-Ivory flicks.

[discostu]

No that's from Star Wars, Carrie Fischer talks about it in her bio. For his birthday they gave him a sign that said "faster" on one side and "louder" on the other so he wouldn't have to talk to actors anymore at all. She also talks about the grips drawing straws to take her tape off... but that's a story for another day.

[discostu]

But the love story in Terminator takes all of 5 minutes, in Ep 2 it's the entire B plot. Obviously we need them to make whoopy at some point for the plot but did we really need 45 minutes of "I can't fall in love with you it violates the Jedi code" "I can't fall in love with you I must lead my people", blah blah blah blah. See there's love stories, there's chick flick love stories then there's painfully monotonous distracting from the muvie insipid stupid love stories. Ep 2 went for the later when they could have and should have gone for the former.

I'm pulling for 1st season of B5 for my birthday... actually I'd really like second season but both would be too much and I want them in order.

I've saw both movies three times in the theater (different groups, and I know from previous experience I have no interest in seeing Star Wars movies on the small screen, I'm not some purist snob or anything I'm just not drawn to them on the small screen), and they get better the next time around mostly because you know which parts of the movie to ignore. Both movies had a lot of potential and could have been great, but Lucas isn't a good actor director and he really needs somebody to clean up his scripts. There's a reason why Empire is the best of the original trilogy and so far the best of the whole series.

Remember Han Solo was really only rogish is a movie and a half, by the time he gets thawed out in Return he's completely turned into comic relief (a character change I'm still bitter about).

I'm sure Ep3 will be just like 1 and 2 all the way down to the crappy title. And I'll see it three times, and bitch about it for the rest of my life. In some ways I have to honor Lucas' brilliance, how many other guys can make a movie the fans know they won't like but they all go see it anyway?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I'm not at my best - its been a tough couple of months for me. Sue me or demand a refund ;)

Sorry to hear that. Hope things improve.

I shall not exacerbate your situation by asking for a refund or litigating.

[Grando Calrissian]

Don't forget wall-to-wall Tarkin.

[Thoro]

"I do know that Lucas is pretty famous for not giving actors any kind of useful direction to help them find the tone and emotion of the character."

That assumes that the characters have any tone or emotion to begin with - a contention with which I would take issue.

I've read that the actors, their improvisation, and their chemistry with each other(on screen and off) are the only reasons the original trilogy characters had any character. Lucas was a non-factor. I can't remember which one said it(I think it was Ford), but it was along the lines of "George, you can write this crap, but you can't get us to say it."

This theory pretty much pans out in TPM and AotC. At the beginning of AotC, an assasination attempt is made on Amidala's life, and we, the audience, are supposed to be shocked and fear for her life. However, TPM did such a lousy job of getting the audience emotionally invested in any of the characters(well, except for pure hatred for Jar Jar, but that wasn't intentional), that all the events in AotC became, to quote Homer Simpson - "just a bunch of stuff that happened."

[Thoro]

"I don't think I'm alone in the world in imagining this flick may be the worst idea since Greedo shooting first."

?Holden McNeil, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Kevin Smith has some of the best barbs where this topic is concerned. One of my favorites of his is from the underrated Clerk's cartoon. Randall has Lucas on a witness stand and proceeds with his questioning:

Randall - "Do you contend that The Phantom Menace is equally as good as The Empire Strikes Back?"

Lucas - "Why yes, I do. All of my films are equally good."

Randall (to judge) - "Permission to treat this witness as hostile!"

[Charles Martel]

"I think Jar Jar gets killed in Episode 3. This event will no doubt result in the loudest cheer ever heard at a Star Wars film."

Only if it's an excruciatingly painful death.

It had better be a graphic scene, too - none of that "dragged beneath the sand and digested by the Sarlacc" nonsense.

If Jar-Jar ain't dead by the end of Ep. 3, we should petition Lucas for an "Extra-Special Edition" of Ep. 4, wherein the "Greedo shot first" scene can be justified (at least partially). If, after ricocheting off the wall, the stray blaster bolt (which inexplicably missed from two feet away) were to zip across the cantina and drill a neat hole through Jar-Jar's head, I'd be tempted to give Lucas a pass on his lame attempt to "cleanse" the Han Solo character. As of right now, I am not so inclined.

Jar-Jar looks like something out of the original Mos Eisley cantina scene, so it's perfectly appropriate for him to buy the farm there.

[Charles Martel]

Gold thong....

PERFECT example of the things that Lucas missed while mucking about with the "Special Edition" re-releases. Han steps on Jabba's "tail"... whoop-dee-doo. Do we see an "upgrade" in the Princess's gold "garment"? Nope.