. . . and there may be 9 after all.

[Brandon B]

It is being reported here and there that Lucasfilm is requiring NDA's be signed by employees forbidding public discussion of Episodes 7, 8 and 9. An odd thing to do if you are not making any such films.

BB

[Bob]

The first couple of Star Wars were such great movies because you fell in love with the great characters. Now that they have become computer animated cartoons they are boring at best. I don't care how realistic they can make the cartoon look, the computer geek that animates them is never going to bring to the screen the performance that a living actor is capable of.

[Brandon B]

Feel the same way about Gollum?

And not sure what that has to do with the topic.

BB

[David Meek]

Nope. Nossiree. I won't say ANYTHING about this movie we aren't making. :B Hehe.

[aud19]

David you cheeky little.... :B

Jason

[David Meek]

Let me clarify. That was just me mimicking someone who's working (uh, NOT working) on one of those films. :B

[Burke Strickland]

Feel the same way about Gollum?

Andy Serkin acted out the Gollum character. The "computer generated" Gollum merely put a different "skin", if you will, onto a character that was already fully realized by a living actor. Comparing the shallow and insipid cartoon characters of so-called Star Wars prequels (and to a certain extent even "Return of the Jedi") to the genius of Gollum's character in Lord of the Rings is "apples vs. orange", except that is an insult to the fruit, since, unless one of them is rotten, both apples and oranges are good eating, just different. :>)

And not sure what that has to do with the topic.

Since the dependence on cartoon characters and toy product placement goes to the heart of the problems with the Star Wars franchise, (in addition to lame scripts and leaden acting from the "live" actors) it has everything to do with the topic. If Lucas actually ends up making Episodes 7 - 9 and continues in the same vein as Episodes 6, 1, 2 and presumably 3, then they will be a boring exercise of computer-generated "see what I can do" special effects devoid of much redeeming value; a waste of the audiences' time.

However, with the "Star Wars" name on them, they will still rake in a lot of money. (Big box office does not necessarily mean "quality film".) That will be Lucas' main justification for producing them -- if he does.

Burke

[Brandon B]

So you are saying if Ahmed Best has acted out Jar Jar (which he, in fact, did to some limited degree in some shots), it would have been better?

I completely disagree. I don't think the technology or method is the least bit to blame here. I think the problem lies squarely with what was accepted by the Creative Director involved. CGI guys have ranges of talents like any other group of people, but in all but the rarest cases, you need a demanding director pushing them to get top performance.

This is the problem with Lucas, he does not make demands of his actors, nor of some of his other people. He seems to look to his digital non-linear editing and compositing tools to fix EVERYTHING.

As to it being on topic, the intended topic was merely whether they would be made at all. Wasn't looking for another (inevitable it seems) debate on whether the second trilogy is completely worthless or not.

a waste of the audiences' time

Speak for the whole audience, do you?

BB

[David Meek]

Play nice. Disagreements and a little contention are okay, but be sure not to get personal.