Star Wars Episode 3 PG-13?

geekboxjockey writes "This story hints at the next Star Wars being a bit more of a mature themed movie: "[The film] is much more dark...more emotional. It's much more of a tragedy," adds Lucas. "...it will be the first Star Wars that's a PG-13.""There's also a new trailer airing during tonight's The O.C., so you can use that as an excuse to watch FOX teen drama. Fortunately for me, Summer is the only excuse I need. And maybe Captain Oats.

Comments

too little, too late

[kin_korn_karn]

Lucas lost me completely with Attack of the Clones. The only Star Wars material worth the time these days is the expanded universe stuff.

Re:too little, too late

[dswensen]

Good one! Well, actually, you're right. He's not oblivious. He just doesn't care.

He's made it abundantly clear in interviews that the fans don't mean shit to him. In an interview with CNN, his response to fans wanting an un-screwed with DVD of the OT was, "I'm sorry you fell in love with a half-finished film, but get over it."

George Lucas doesn't give a tin shit for his fans or how they (or film history) see him, and moreover, because so many of them pay him money regardless of what he does, he doesn't have to.

So yeah.

Re:too little, too late

[MightyMartian]

I don't think Lucas hears his critics. He's only listening to people who fill in "Jedi" on the religion question on census forms.

I thought SW was cool when I was a kid, and that persisted into my mid-20s, but now I really have a hard time watching them, save for The Empire Strikes Back, which is still a damn good story that easily survives the meteorically bad talents of Carrey Fisher and Mark Hamell. It's also likely that it's the best because it had an actual SF writer with a good deal of work under her belt. I'm speaking of the incomparable Leigh Brackett.

Re:too little, too late

[SeattleGameboy]

Why should he care???

This is his art. He should be able to create/modify whatever he pleases. This is how he expresses himself (how much money he makes off of it should not matter).

Let's say you wrote a novel. After your friend reads the draft, you decide that the ending sucked and changed it, which you like MUCH better. However, then your friend comes back and says the old ending was better and you should produce that novel instead of the new version that YOU, the author, like better.

What business is of your friend to dictate what your novel should be? It is not a collaborative effort (unless YOU wanted it to be). Most artist would demand the same.

If the public likes the new version, great. If they don't, that's fine too. At least you published what YOU, the artist, wanted.

Why is that so hard to understand?

Re:too little, too late

[Anonymous Coward]

First, these were major motion pictures that were released, not a rough draft of a novel shown to a few friends.

Second, Lucas wasn't the artist who made Empire Strikes Back - the best of the Star Wars films. So your argument has no merit with that movie.

Third, there is no reason to not release the original versions. Given that Lucas hasn't written or directed a good film in decades, any pretense of this being to prevent embarrassment at seeing the old versions has no merit.

Fourth, by not preserving the original version for posterity he is destroying a small piece of modern history and culture. If he were verifiably insane instead of simply losing his talents and abilities, I doubt anyone would agree with this destruction.

Fifth, the original movies would be public domain by now if not for the government-corporate corruption of copyright law.

Re:too little, too late

[Anonymous Coward]

"Let's say you wrote a novel. After your friend reads the draft, you decide that the ending sucked and changed it, which you like MUCH better. However, then your friend comes back and says the old ending was better and you should produce that novel instead of the new version that YOU, the author, like better."

I disagree with this characterization. What George Lucas has done is different.

Imagine that someone wrote a novel that you, and many others, thought to be a real satisfying read. Then twenty years later a new method of distribution comes along called Book 2.0; the author could ?repair? the novel, ironing out anything he felt he didn?t like, before transferring it to this new media. However he should try to comprehend how many readers that have read the novel since is original release. Because the fans that loved the original work, despite whatever flaws the author might perceive, are the ones that made its reputation. To disrespect the fans by going as far as refusing to transfer the original version to a new and better media because you, the author, feels it isn?t perfect seems to me to be a spit in the face to those who loved the original, however flawed it might be.

Re:too little, too late

[lgw]

While I agree with everything you're saying, none of it excuses the monsterously bad dialog, mostly from Annakin, in Eps 1 and 2. It's not a bad story at all, and the character development is interesting, but the actual writing (as opposed to the concepts behind it) is just so bad.

Re:too little, too late

[kamapuaa]

Wow, you make Star Wars sound almost watchable. I'd like to hear you describe a good movie, I bet that would really be something!

Make it G for all I care

[Neil Blender]

Just make it good.

Here's to hope

[BWJones]

"[The film] is much more dark...more emotional. It's much more of a tragedy," adds Lucas. ".

Great. Will the story be any better than the last two? Will the acting be any better? BUT.....I ^H^H^H LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!!!! Please. I hope I am wrong as I thought that Empire Strikes Back was the best of the three original Star Wars films principally because it was dark and did not have Ewoks or (Exsqueeze me?) Jar Jar and the acting was much better. Star Wars had its appeal, but they started dropping off in Return of the Jedi and buying into the Hollywoodification and hype.
There's also a new trailer airing during tonight's The O.C., so you can use that as an excuse to watch FOX teen drama.

This is where they are choosing to premier this trailer? Oh man, all hope is lost. Seriously though, why? What is the demographic that they are appealing to for this film? Are Anakin and Padme going to develop into some soap opera? This is soooo disappointing. Perhaps I will see the trailer once it hits the Internet, but given the fact that I have not yet seen the last Star Wars film, I don't have much hope.

Re:Here's to hope

[Anonymous Coward]

About why it's premiering during the OC:

Star Wars is under Fox, and the OC airs on Fox...it probably had nothing at all to do with Lucas and all to do with what show Fox wanted to bolster some ratings for.

Re:Here's to hope

[iowannaski]

This is where they are choosing to premier this trailer? Oh man, all hope is lost. Seriously though, why? What is the demographic that they are appealing to for this film?

I am a 26 year old male. The Star Wars trilogy have been my favorite movies since I was 5 years old. The O.C. is the only show on television that I watch every week.

If The Returning Revenge of the Darth Sith or whatever it is called is half as good as The O.C. it will be a huge and welcome improvement over the last two installments.

That said, I get the O.C. via bittorrent without commercials, so who know what the hell that means.

Re:Here's to hope

[riptide_dot]

This is where they are choosing to premier this trailer? Oh man, all hope is lost. Seriously though, why? What is the demographic that they are appealing to for this film? Are Anakin and Padme going to develop into some soap opera? This is soooo disappointing. Perhaps I will see the trailer once it hits the Internet, but given the fact that I have not yet seen the last Star Wars film, I don't have much hope.

Seriously, is this really a surprise to anyone? Lucas (and the rest of Hollywood for that matter) KNOWS that geeks (more specifically, 20-30 something MALE geeks) are salivating to get any glimpse of the new trailer and will sit through this chick-flick show just to see it early. This show's appeal is mosly to women, so they are attempting to (at least temporarily) expand their viewing audience to include the 20-30 something males that normally wouldn't think twice about flipping past it...

I'm glad I have a Tivo though - that fast forward button will come in REAL handy tonight...:)

Re:Here's to hope

[jeblucas]

Empire Strikes Back was the best of the three original Star Wars films principally because it was dark and did not have Ewoks or (Exsqueeze me?) Jar Jar and the acting was much better

I think the telling thing is that Empire was not written nor directed by George Lucas; credit there to Brackett & Kasdan and Kershner respectively. Lucas' writing is sophomoric and his direction is pretty damn bad to say the least. Even good actors become crappy in his milquetoast hands. My friend had the best summary critique of Return of the Jedi ever: "Too many muppets." All those ewoks, the stupid little thing in Jabba's house, the stupid band, &c. They aren't fantastical creatures if you look at them and see a muppet.

As for showing it during The O.C., who cares, or expected differently? Fox is just trying to marry its hot properties. That's the other problem: Fox sees Star Wars and The O.C. as pretty much the same thing. Star Wars will bring in x dollars over y weeks--there's no sense of the non-monetary aspect of the saga. It's just a franchise. The people that grew up with the first set of movies want it to be more.

I think we could all stand a glance at Brin's essays again, just to revel in this Lucas-bashing.

I assure you

[Sheetrock]

The first two were a far bigger tragedy than the third will ever be. Eclipsed only by all those people waiting in line for months every time a new Star Wars is churned out.

Who cares what the rating is...

[l33t-gu3lph1t3]

Am I the only one not holding his breath on this one? Seriously...who cares what the rating is.

Dear George Lucas:

Please, PLEASE don't screw this one up.

PG-13...That simply means...

[jbarr]

...that they are caving in just like everyone else to modern pop culture pressures. No doubt, they'll try to spice it up ala the Matrix, and the gratuitous violence will no doubt abound. I'm certainly no prude or anti-violence-in-movies proponent, but it's a shame that they can't come up with truely stunning and excellent stories without having to resort to all the typical gratuitous stuff. I guess I'm just getting old...

Re:more mature?

[gl4ss]

somehow pg13 doesn't strike me into believing it has any of those.

it might have a semi cruel execution or something.

Re:Think of the children!

[ZephyrXero]

A more mature Star Wars? Thank God! After the first two, I had lost almost all my hope for this one...maybe it will be halfway decent after all? It would make sense for this one to be the darkest of all of them since it shows how he turns to the dark side ;)

Yes, movie will be better - here's why

[SuperKendall]

This movie will be better than the first two. Why? Because as Lucas moves closer to the source material, he has less wiggle-room to screw up the story.

The acting better? Who knows. Special effects? Undoubtedly similar to before. But the story at least will probably be better, and that's what I'm really looking forward to.

Dark, Emotional and Tragic, huh.

[pathological liar]

Because we all know how dark, emotional and tragic PG13 movies are.

My cynical opinion

[techno-vampire]

If this does get a PG-13 rating, it will be so that all the parents will want to go to it on their own first, to see if it's OK for their kids, then back to see it again with them. Just a marketing ploy.

Re:More mature?

[cgenman]

I'm personally amazed that you can film a child watching his father be beheaded, walk over, pick it up, and still get a G rating.

Bambi was bad an all, but at least she didn't crawl inside of her mother for warmpth.

Re:Also on the O.C. Tonight: New Beck

[Turn-X Alphonse]

DONT watch it. It's Dawnsons creek with snobs, it airs here every weekend and if I wake up at that hour I regret it... this is the only way they will EVER get a geek to watch this shit. It's teen-pop at it's worst

Re:More mature?

[RsG]

Well, if they had shown Jango's cauterized neck and lifeless face, then yeah, they would have gotten a higher rating. But all we saw was the mandalorian helmet...

Which raises the question: is showing a horrible fate without any actual, you know, _horror_, really something suitable for children? I'm generally anti-censorship, and in favour of the rating system, but we seem to have some rather odd priorities when blood gore and nipples (gah! evil corrupting nipples!) get all the ire of parent groups and watchdogs, while stuff that may actually be mature is ignored.

epic stories

[nounderscores]

is showing a horrible fate without any actual, you know, _horror_, really something suitable for children?

Remember that Lucas has pretensions of telling an epic story suitable for being the basis of mythology for centuries to come. (Or at least that's how he comes off in interviews.)

We tell our kids about the Spartans at Thermopylae, and The Trojan Horse, The Sack of Troy and so on. We tell them about valiant men who put whole civilisations being put to the sword.

We do this so that when we want them to go off and fight wars of imperial conquest, they have some idea of how we want them to behave.

Of course we don't tell our kids that if you stab somebody in the liver the stuff that comes out of them as they lie dying is coloured green.

Re:If you hate The O.C.

[Mondak]

It looks like everyone bagged on you for this, but I apprecite being able to see it early in any quality. Thanks for the effort and sharing.

Boycott Episode III - The Only Sensible Action

[buckhead_buddy]

Though I'm tempted, I think I'll avoid seeing this movie in the theatres for at least a month (if not completely). Why?

• It'll do well enough without my money. LucasFilm doesn't pay attention to customers today; giving them more money on opening weekend won't change that.
• There's almost no chance that the theatre version will be the same version released to DVD or in any other form in the future. Why become attached to an unfinished version of the film?
• Hear the true reviews. I don't mean shills like my local newspaper reviewer, but the sci-fi fan sites that have similar values in film as mine. Will seeing the movie further ruin my appreciation of Star Wars and Empire? That's a bigger concern than whether this episode is any good.
• Inevitability of Boredom or Disappointment. We know what will happen in the sequels, yet after two attempts no plots or characters have been developed in the first two prequels that I really care about. More than likely any "surprises" will undermine the movies that follow.

I'm posting this on slashdot in case enough disappointed fans and geeks will join me in waiting at least a month after the debut to go see the film. I can't deny there's a curiousity about how this story will be finished, but my expectations are set very low and really only amount to knowing whether it will expectorate, urinate, or defecate on Episodes 4-6.

Movie ratings are based on irrational fear

[leereyno]

Movie ratings are based upon the dubious assumption that children will be adversely affected by seeing certain things when these same things are considered harmless to adults.

If you believe that I've got a really nice bridge I need to get rid of and I'm willing to sell it to you on the cheap.

I'm 32 years old and I don't think I've ever seen anything as a child or teenager in any movie or television program that ever warped my psyche or damaged my character. Yet the superstition persists that children need to be "protected" from seeing two people have sex, or from seeing violence, hearing certain words uttered, or any other number of other things that parents and society in general have irrational fears about. What I find most absurd is that things like movies are presumed to have an almost magical hypnotic influence over the young, while their real life experinces are not nearly so obessed about. If you're going to worry about your kids, worry about the example that you set for them, the things that they see YOU do, not whether they listen to Britney Spears, Howard Stern, or see an R rated movie.

When I was younger I believed that society's treatment of the young was a case of intentional malice. As I grew older I came to realize that society was not out to oppress anyone per se, rather people are as a general rule really, really stupid and have a memory about as long as their little finger. The ludicrous myths and superstititons about what it means to be a child that get passed around as fact by those who only 20 or 30 years ago were children themselves would be hilarious if everyone didn't actually believe them.

It is becoming more and more clear to me that civilization is carried on the backs of the relative handful who aren't tragically dumb. Everyone else is merely along for the ride.

Lee

Missing the Target Audience

[spideyct]

This is a shame.

I think the largest demographic that enjoyed Ep 1 and 2 are under 13. I know my 7 year old nephew enjoyed them a lot more than I did.

The older generation (that enjoyed Ep 4-6 when they were 30 years younger) has been alienated by the new movies.

I was able to accept the new movies, knowing that they weren't meant for me, they were meant for the kids to enjoy, just like I enjoyed the others.

It is disappointing that the new generation that DID enjoy Ep 1 & 2, and eagerly await Ep 3, will not (or rather, should not) get to see it for a while.

Hey! What happened to

[iminplaya]

Boycott the MPAA!
Yeah, just let me catch the last Matrix movie...
Boycott the MPAA!
But, but, but, The Lord of the Rings triligy is coming out...
Boycott the MPAA!
C'mon, man. Cut me some slack. I'll promise to join ya after this one last Statr Wars flick. Really, I mean it...
Yep, we got 'em right where we want 'em. MPAA is damn near broke, and they're begging for forgiveness. Aren't we the ones accusing our parents, our gov't of always telling us, "Do what we say, not what we do."? Just curious. That's all... I don't want to rock the boat or anything.

Re: Ugh! Can Lucas destroy Episode VI any further?

[gidds]

Er, how come you got moderated as 'Funny' rather than the 'Insightful' you so richly deserved?

Anyway, just what I was thinking. People have extremely rose-coloured memories. It's only natural! It's almost impossible to objectively judge something that you've known and loved (or hated) for so long.

Okay, so Jar-Jar was an annoying twat. But then C3PO was also an annoying twat, just a slightly different sort of annoying twat, one who's overlaid by years of warm fuzzy feelings. I wish I could compare the two of them fairly, but I can't. Like a lot of people, I see the former as execrable, and the latter as loveable; however, if I were coming fresh to them both, would I still see them that way round? I don't know. But maybe it's a useful exercise trying to guess.

Stop ripping starwars...

[bytor4232]

Yeah sure, IV to VI are far better than I and II, but its still far better than most of the crap that gets realeased nowadays. Lets have a look at the box office shall we?

1. The Pacifier
2. Be Cool
3. Hitch
4. Diary of a Mad Black Woman
5. Million Dollar Baby
6. Constantine
7. Cursed
8. Man of the House
9. Because of Winn-Dixie
10. The Jacket

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather see any of the prequels over any of these movies any day.

Re:Droids Gone Wild!

[Anonymous Coward]

best comment ever.

Re:let go of your hate

[Anonymous Coward]

I dont understand why everyone blast Episodes I & II. The original trillogy tells of Luke Skywalker fighting the Empire (the story starts right in the middle of a major war). Unlike Episode I which tell the begining of the WHOLE saga. Everyone wondered "How/why did Anakin switch to the 'Darkside'?" Well Lucas decided he would tell us and thus the second trillogy. Episode I & the first half of episode II paint the picture. Then it starts to pick up, just like a book. The first 1/3 of a book is BORING but it is needed in order for the reader to know all the characters and subplots. I just watched the E-III trailer and it looks very promising. It could be by far THE BEST episode of all.