Watching Empire Strikes Back ... and ...

[NewBJedi]

Except for some space scene shots, I think the use of models, and sets in the first 3 SW movies are superior to the all computerized stuff in Episode 1 and the extras in Special Editions.

 

I think with computer stuff they tend to over-animate the images and it looks more fake - where the models have a more actual real feel in the first three.

 

Heck, I think the model animation in JK2 is better than it is in Episode 1.

 

The skins on the models in EP 1 kinda crawl almost like they have a life of their own - same thing with the special edition's 'additions'.

 

I hope they've become aware of this problem, otherwise Episode 2 will suck just as bad.

 

The other problem in Episode 1 it was obvious when something was computer vs. 'real' - like in Roger Rabbit (but at least in RR that was expected). In the first 3 SW movies the models looked more lifelike, therefore the transitional view of a model to a 'real object' (sharing the same space) was nearly indistinguishable.

 

In conclusion - EP 1 looks like a badly made playstation 2 game.

 

The first 3 SW movies look like Raven's JK2 - real.

 

Pretty sad when a game is better than some of the movies it was based on - in this case better than EP1 (and from the trailer EP 2).

 

My hats off to Raven.

[Darth Slayne]

One of the new scenes in ANH I think could have been done beter was when they were in Mos Eisley (maybe spelt wrong...sue me). Breifly you see a Stormtrooper as he dismounts the dewback he was riding. The hasle is; I think they tried so hard to make it look naturaul that it wound up looking FAR too exaggerated.

 

Likewise, a scene from Episode one that sticks in my craw, is when Darth Maul leaps from his speeder to battle Qui Gon on Tattoine. It just looks far too sped up, like those old action movies with the car chase\races.

 

Thats my little bit anyway.....

[Xerxes603]

Whats with all the chromed out streamlined ships in episode one?? I like the rustic look of the ships from the original trilogy. Also...the animations just look too fake in the new ones...i dont know, but it seems that the ship movements and the atmosphere around them seems more realisic and believeable in the original movies. just my .02

[Vestril]

While I agree that the Special edition stuff does not mesh well, I don't find the original Trilogy looking particularly better than Episode I. A lot of the stop motion in ESB is rather jerky and unreal to look at, it just happens to be a different kind of unreal from the new movies. I'm glad I have the original, but remastered version of the First trilogy, especially because of RotJ--a MUSICAL number??? Ugh

 

While some of the digital shots in Episode I were rather rough, they were impressive for their time, much like the Original Trilogy. Its really more a matter of taste as to which type of poor graphics you like. I think it's more popular to bash the recent movie because people are more used to the bad animation of the older movies.

[NewBJedi]

That's true but I even find the animations in JK2 more convincing.

 

The best CG I've seen in a movie was Jurassic Park - it wasn't overdone, just mild and done right.

 

If Lucas used the same mellow style as J.P. the new SW movies would look more 'real'.

 

But like you say, it's a matter of preference.

 

Also, the originals didn't look so super polished, and that tended to make it more convincing, imo.

[NerfYoda]

Agreed, overpolishing is whats making it unrealistic. There are times when you can't go wrong with good old fashioned real life models on a crane with a few spotlights on them filmed on good old fashioned analog film.

[pantha-too-kay]

One word for ya'll

 

Real???

 

Now, I have been hooked on SW since I saw it on it's first release but even then it was just a movie.

 

I was impressed with the special editions becaused they offered the kind of look that George Lucas was looking for.

 

Who knows what the future holds? Maybe in the next 20 years we will get to the point where special effects meld seemlessly and we won't be able to tell actor from effect. When this happens then maybe SW will be updated again and it will be a more "real" experience - let's not forget this is set in a Galaxy far, far away...

 

Just as a footnote - By seemless I meen REALLY seemless not like the apparently seemless Spiderman which so far looks as seemless as a patchwork quilt...

[NewBJedi]

There was a Spiderman (non-cartoon) TV show years back.

 

No intense special effects, but he was able to walk on walls, and stuff. The storylines were really good, imo. Much like the old Incredible Hulk TV series - which I believe was the best comic book made to TV series ever.

 

Bill Bixby rules.

 

Well, before he passed away.

 

"Actor Bill Bixby was fond of saying, “My shows are the kind children can watch with their parents without embarrassment. And parents can watch with their children without embarrassment.”

 

http://www.sixtiestv.net/bill/bill_bixby_biography.htm

[Nebelwerfer_]

I was stuck on starwars ever since ROTJ came out ( I was 4 at the time) and ever since then I've seen the original trilogy enough times to memorize the entire script. I do agree that episode 1 looked like a badly made playstation game. I just dont think that computer animation is good enough yet to take on the starwars universe. I've seen all the trailers and to tell the truth all the backdrops and explosions dont look real at all. The effects from the original trilogy looked real, and you know why? BECAUSE THEY WERE REAL. Every tie fighter, and every explosion was a real physical object that was captured on film behind a blue screen. I guess lucas wanted to go to computer animation because it takes less time and it costs less. But Episode 1 had far many more problems that the animation

[BS - soundwave]

What they should of done for episode 1 was use models and cg much like they did in LOTR. Certain shots look much more realistic when what your looking at IS real and some things are just not possible with models. Cg never looks as real because of the smoothness of movements, you loose alot of the random movement that happens in real life when everything is preplanned by artist. IMO what episode 1 lacked was some really appealing characters and just the general look of SW's. Things break down ( look at the falcons hyperdrive ) and everything has that practical and used look. Where as episode 1 was more similar to the streamlined design of the new Star Trek.

[Guest HertogJan]

I agree that the original movies and the new ones differ too much. Maybe they can make things right, by letting us see the transition between Ep I, II & III en IV, V & VI, if you know what I mean... Maybe the ships will be rustier in Ep III, who knows!

[widdy]

Originally posted by Xerxes603

Whats with all the chromed out streamlined ships in episode one?? I like the rustic look of the ships from the original trilogy.

 

well your forgeting that between EP1 and the trilogy those ships had been through a few wars hense them being slightly battered and war torn.Plus I belive (don't take my word for it) that the empire would of had a strangle hold over the construction of new ships thats why we have no gleeming new ships in the trilogy

[happydan]

the chrome used to be for heat shielding when naboo first got spacebound. after so many years, it has become a symbol of the royal fleet, so their ships are unique.

[BCanr2d2]

Sleek looking ships in Episode 1 are to show that when not at war, things are designed for look, not for purpose. The TIE Fighters had solar arrays on their wings, the Naboo fighters wer more of a "showpiece" flight squadron. There to look pretty, but would have nothing on many of the war specific vehicles in the orginal triology.

 

I think what many of you don't like about the CGI in SW is that it lacks some of the depth it should have. It doesn't necessarily give us that feeling of depth, looks a bit flat compared to that which is shot on a soundstage. It is also too much focus on things too far from the camera, like they are shooting the film on the CG parts with an infinite zoom, where everything is in focus. They are too busy putting in detail, where in many cases they could loose the small detail.

 

As for J.P. and LOTR: FOTR - there is a lot more of a chance to shoot many of the shots within a real environment, then add objects later, where in SW, it is more of a completely CG scene, with minimal real things in it.

[thrEEpaGe]

the reason that everyone bashes tpm is not necessarily unjustified, but the plot was a necessary evil. it may not seem to mesh now, but how else could YOU have handled making the star of the movie be a 9 year old boy...?

 

i think that lucas handled it very well, and after all, this movie did NOT suck in the b.o. (box office for all you non acronym people)

 

4 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 1999

U.S. Gross: $431,065,444

Cost to make approx in millions $110

est worldwide gross in millions $922

 

it placed 4th, behind titanic, a new hope, and ET.

i just hope that the disappointed idiots who hyped up tpm and were disappointed dont expect the same from ep2...ep2 is evilly seductive =)

 

the book is awesome, and i anxiously await missing school the 16th =)

[txa1265]

I agree ... my kids love TPM, and I don't think it is too bad.

 

Sure Jake Lloyd wasn't very good, but the same people complain(ed) about Mark Hamill as being whiney ...

 

And Jar Jar - same complaint as Ewoks, but justified more this time around because of how much screen time he got (too much).

 

But what TPM brought to the table was very important. First it detailed the crumbling republic, a necessary step. Also, it showed the Jedi in much greater detail than before, and brought force use and saber duels to a new level.

 

... the whole midichlorian thing, well ... tough job trying to explain Anakin without an analytical basis, even if I didn't like it (felt like a 'flux capacitor' moment to me).

 

The sense of scope is the film is so much larger than in the Trilogy, as well. This made it feel disjointed as four stories were jumped between. It seems that will shrink in EpII and III as things converge.

 

... I'm also glad that EpII is PG so I can take my kids - they're just old enough to want to see Spiderman, but young enough (4 and 5.5) that there's no way they're going to a PG-13 movie ...

Mike

[Jedi_Monk]

A great deal of the effects in Episode I were accomplished using models. The Boontah Arena, Mos Espa, Theed, all of the Naboo ships, the Droidfighters... yes, the explosions were filmed in front of a blue-screen. You just expect CG and so you superimpose that over everything, even though it was actually a real, physical effect and not one made in the computer.

 

I find it funny when people say "those CG explosions don't look real!" when they really WERE real.

[BS - soundwave]

As for Ep1 as a movie, whilst it didn't compare to the original trilogy, it has its merits as it seems to appeal to kids alot and wasn't the original SW made as a saturday afternoon style kids film that just happened to appeal to every age group. I think to really stay true to the SW style Lucas has to make it be entertaining for kids, as after all weren't most of us kids when we first got hooked?

[BS - soundwave]

Originally posted by txa1265

And Jar Jar - same complaint as Ewoks, but justified more this time around because of how much screen time he got (too much).

 

Ewoks are win thnx.

 

Ewoks > jar jar.