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Another Star Wars Prequel?

boarder8925 writes "George Lucas said he was finished with the Star Wars movies, but it seems George Lucas has an idea for another add-on to the Star Wars movie series: a prequel to The Phantom Menace. The story would follow the Jedi regaining control of the universe from the many Dark Lords some 88 years before Anakin Skywalker ever graced the universe. Yoda, who, according to Lucas, was instrumental in the effort, would apparently have a headlining role. However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens."

661 comments

  1. Well, /. has one thing right... by achurch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Nothing for you to see here. Please move along."

    1. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by richie2000 · · Score: 3, Funny

      This is not the story you are looking for.

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    2. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful


      however young Jedi this story is not for us, its here just to continue to reinforce the "Star Wars" brand in your mind again, 150m in 2days from the film is not enough, keep thinking Star Wars, Star Wars, repeat it again !, sounds nice doesnt it?, notice you remember it when you are in a

      Toy Store
      Food Store
      Video Store
      Gas Station
      Watching TV
      Magazines
      Newspapers
      Websites
      Walking

      the marketing force is strong Luke

    3. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Radres · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Do we really need to point out this bug every time it happens? These posts are about as pointless as the overlords/1,?,3 profit/soviet russia posts.

    4. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This /. story is flawed.
      I thought in Ep 1, someone said the Sith has
      been extinct for a millennium, but Yoda is fighting
      these dark lords some 88 years before Ep 1 ?

    5. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by achurch · · Score: 1

      How about the posts saying "some people need to lighten up"?

    6. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Anti+Frozt · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Having played and finished SW: KotOR, they mention in the game that the Sith as a race died out long ago, but that Korriban (the Sith home planet) was populated by outcast Jedi who took on the Sith name as a faction.

      More information here

      --
      In C++, friends can touch each others private parts.
    7. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but we all know computers count from zero.... so we need Ep0 to complete things (along with 7, 8, 9, 2 TV series, spin-off movies, video games, toys, lego star wars everythings, etc)

    8. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by cshark · · Score: 1

      Hmmm.... simple rumor presented. Yet proof of an interview there is not. Instead link to another site, which links somewhere else it does. Amazed that made it by Slashdot sensors this did.

      --

      This signature has Super Cow Powers

    9. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by qurk · · Score: 1

      Also, I think I read that that evil cave on Dagabah was the location Yoda had defeated a Sith knight, thus it being a good place for him to hide, as the evil would hide him.

    10. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by jZnat · · Score: 1
      1. Point out that the article can't be seen.
      2. Bow to your new overlords.
      3. ???
      4. In Soviet Russia, people profit you!
      --
      'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
    11. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by jo42 · · Score: 1


      Anakin, I'm your father!" - Yoda

    12. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Ugly+American · · Score: 1
      Knights of the Old Republic is also set 1,000 years before the events of episodes I-VI, which would substantiate the "extinct for a millenium" quote in The Phantom Menace. Even if we assume that the quote is hyperbole, the Republic hasn't seen a war in so long that they don't have an army. I have a hard time believing that this could be true if the Sith had been playing "galactic overlords" only 88 years previously.

      Of course, it's not like Lucas has ever felt bound to honor the continuity of expanded universe material (take the Thrawn trilogy as a case in point, in which the Clones were being used against the Old Republic.)

      --
      For sale: one sig space, gently used. Inquire for details.
    13. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by DeityAvatar · · Score: 1

      4,000 years before, actually.
      Knights of the Old Republic series rocks.

    14. Re:Well, /. has one thing right... by Ugly+American · · Score: 1

      Oops. You're right; that's what I get for relying on my memory.

      --
      For sale: one sig space, gently used. Inquire for details.
  2. Hmm... by shirai · · Score: 5, Funny

    "However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens."

    Wow, the movie after Revenge of the Sith really is a new hope.

    badah-ching!

    --
    Sunny

    Be my Friend

    1. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is the funniest shit i've read ALL WEEK. mod it the hell up!

    2. Re:Hmm... by metricmusic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unfortunately, after that it's 'The George Strikes Back' quickly followed by "Return of the Jardi".

      --
      http://www.livejournal.com/users/metricmusic
    3. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yah.. and the guy REALLY came up with it all is dead, his name was Frank Herbert....

      Star Wars was rejected by moviemakers on first draft because of the plagiarism, only after a significant re-write did they want to go forward...

      The real prequel is called Dune.

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    4. Re:Hmm... by LynXmaN · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe in this prequel we could see Jar Jar being born and turning irrevocably to the dumb side of the force
      That could be interesting!

      --
      May the source be with you!
    5. Re:Hmm... by nokilli · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is exactly what I warned about!

      And what did I get for my efforts? Useless +1 Funny mods!?!

      You should all mod me up +1 Insightful. I deserve it.

      No really, I do. And you know I'm right.

      Just do it.

    6. Re:Hmm... by SamBeckett · · Score: 5, Funny

      Use the spice, Luke. The spice is with you.

    7. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      Thank god Han Solo didn't sing! Patrick Stewart was bad enough as Guerney Halleck!!

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    8. Re:Hmm... by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Funny

      They'll send us to the spice mines of Kessel for sure...

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    9. Re:Hmm... by thecardinal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Surprising that no-one has mentioned the 3rd side of the force before now. I'm working in tech support, and a large percentage of our user base have this part of the force running through them with such strength.

    10. Re:Hmm... by eraserewind · · Score: 1

      Y'know I've read the analysis of starwars vs dune, but really all the resemblances are just "well I guess you could say that" type of things. In reality, Dune the novel and movie are nothing like starwars at all.

    11. Re:Hmm... by bbzzdd · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Never having read Dune I was amazed how much of Star Wars was influenced by it, as outlined here

      To his credit, Lucas also robbed Flash Gordon, Kurosawa, Joseph Campbell, and Tolkien :)

    12. Re:Hmm... by wwest4 · · Score: 1

      Right... you're confusing "because of plagiarism" with "because such epic sci-fi was so uncommon to movie execs that they probably couldn't tell the difference."

      Star Wars is less inspired by Dune than it is by any of the following: John Wayne movies, Flash Gordon, Lawrence of Arabia and Kurosawa's stuff.

      Well, then again, now after I've seen E3, he could be plagiarizing in terms of boredom, cheese, and suck factor. There. Now, someone should tell me that books and movies aren't comparable, and collapse parent's argument in on itself. I'll be waiting :)

    13. Re:Hmm... by SillyNickName4me · · Score: 3, Funny

      That should be 'return of the Jarjar' I'd think..

      Unrelated and off-topic, it seems Slashdot banned itself from fetching its own headlines?

      The ask slashdot and bsd box are saying:

      Your Headline Reader Has Been Banned
      You May Only Load Headlines Every 30 Minutes
      In 72 Hours, Your Ban Will Be Lifted
      Do Not Bother Contacting Us For 72 Hours

      *lol*

    14. Re:Hmm... by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 3, Funny

      How long will that take (in parsecs)?

      --
      It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
    15. Re:Hmm... by Golias · · Score: 2, Insightful

      and the guy REALLY came up with it all is dead, his name was Frank Herbert

      You spelled Jack Kirby's name wrong.

      (Google for the comic "New Gods" sometime. The Hero was on the verge of turning evil, and did not know he was the villain's son... they relied on a cosmic power called "the source"... The list goes on.)

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    16. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're all wrong. Back in 1989 my anthropology inspector hit the nail on the head in his star wars lecture. Don't ask.

      It's a rip off of Wizard of OZ! Think abou it.

      Luke farm boy - Dorothy farm girl

      They both go off on an adventure. During the adventure they pick up characters: Obi Wan, Han, Chewi vs Scare Crow, Tinman, Lion. They both have a good witch Obi Wan, Glenda. They both have a bad witch: Darth Vader, Wicked Witch.

      There are many other similarities but I'm too tired to list them here. Carry on.

    17. Re:Hmm... by Ham_belony · · Score: 1

      As system administrator I have such collegues with such force, and the force in them is still growing

    18. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      Actually it was because of plagiarism... check who the co-author is of the script and when he hooked up with lucas...

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    19. Re:Hmm... by nokilli · · Score: 5, Funny

      You fuckers.

    20. Re:Hmm... by pympdaddyc · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Thank God

    21. Re:Hmm... by AdmiralWeirdbeard · · Score: 2

      I'm sure I cant be the only one who's intrigued at this...

      He's EXPLICITLY saying that he wont be at the reins for it if it happens. how money is that?

      If he stayed and produced the special effects and wrote the storyline (you know, the parts he's good at) and left directing and screenwriting up to someone who was actually good at it, hell, it could be a pretty sweet movie.

      Young-er yoda leading the charge to eradicate as-yet un specified dark jedi-type people? sounds like it could be really fun, possibly a good film, even.

      now, feel free to flame away because I broke /. policy of disliking on principle all lucas projects, real or hypothetical, post Empire.

      --
      Come read my stupid blagablog. Rants and Giggles
    22. Re:Hmm... by brilinux · · Score: 1

      I am not sure about the Jardi thing; that could be related to something else in the Star Wars Universe/Galaxy/Whateve; perhaps someone could enlighten?

      And, yes, I was quite confused by the blocking of my BSD and Politics headlines on the side - maybe it is Slashdot which is pounding Slashdot's servers? Quite odd. I suppose that the force is not strong with /. lately.

    23. Re:Hmm... by wwest4 · · Score: 1

      Are you asking me to research your assertion? Look, why don't you tell me why you think I should agree with 1970s movie execs and believe that it's plagiarism and not mere influence.

    24. Re:Hmm... by MORTAR_COMBAT! · · Score: 1

      Qui Gonn claimed to follow the "living force" which often led him in contradiction of both the "traditional" Light Side of the force (Yoda, Jedi Council) and the Dark Side (Sith, Palpatine).

      --
      MORTAR COMBAT!
    25. Re:Hmm... by leifbk · · Score: 1

      Thank you very much for that link. It's one of the best essays I've read for many years. I'm going to read everything on this site :-)

      --
      I used to be a sceptic. These days, I'm not so certain.
    26. Re:Hmm... by Golias · · Score: 1

      It's a rip off of Wizard of OZ! Think abou it.

      So, are you saying Star Wars is even better if you turn the sound off and listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon twice while watching it?

      Dude... I gotta try that!

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    27. Re:Hmm... by rudeboy1 · · Score: 1

      I was always confused about that line. Isn't a parsec a measurement of distance, not time? Some super phisics geek wanna help me out here?

      **Whoa! I know I haven't posted in a while, but since when do we have to enter in a text code to post on /.?!?

      --
      Raging in an online forum won't do anything for the world around you. To see change, you must take action.
    28. Re:Hmm... by rudeboy1 · · Score: 1

      I was always confused about that lin. (Once made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.) Isn't a parsec a measurement of distance, not time? Some super physics geek wanna confirm that for me?

      ***And sice WHEN do we have to enter in a text code to post on /.? I know I haven't posted in a while, but that's just rediculous. I hate those things!

      --
      Raging in an online forum won't do anything for the world around you. To see change, you must take action.
    29. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know, if /. says there was an error, and that I should repost, I wish they'd tell the truth! Now I look like a jackass!

    30. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It could be a reference to his hyperspace navigation abilities. The jump was fast because he only traveled 12 parsecs in hyperspace where the normal route is much more.

    31. Re:Hmm... by IpalindromeI · · Score: 2, Informative

      The explanation I've heard is that the Kessel run involved flying around or near a blackhole. Because of the way gravity works, the closer you are to the blackhole, the more power you need to get away from it. So Han is stating that the Millenium Falcon has a lot of power to be able to fly so close to the blackhole (and minimize the distance of the flight).

      On a side note, the spelling of that word is r_i_diculous.

      --

      --
      Promoting critical thinking since 1994.
    32. Re:Hmm... by Wybaar · · Score: 1

      A parsec is about 3.26 light years. The way I interpret that comment is that there are many different ways to make "the Kessel run" and Han managed to find an extremely short (but probably very dangerous or difficult to navigate) way to complete the run.

      For instance, there are lots of ways to travel from Los Angeles to New York. Google Maps gives a route that is 2,826 miles long. If you were to tunnel directly through the Earth from LA to NY and make the trip in, say, 2,700 miles (just using a random guess that such a shortcut would save you about 100 miles) then you could say that you made the "LA-NY run" in 2,700 miles (or about 1.4x10^(-10) parsecs).

      --
      Y|
    33. Re:Hmm... by ColaMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      Build your karma, my son.

      From the CmdrTaco unabridged SlashDot preachings (second edition, p476):

      "Those with karma of 'excellent' status can post without the use of the captcha - for yea, they have proved their faith, and suffered many hardships, and trials, and aggravations, and duplicate articles, bearing them all with good humour, and insightful postings. For this, they have been rewarded, and may they forever bask in the glory of the New Slashdot. And lo! Such is their wisdom that the Karma Bonus, that most hallowed of rewards, is bestowed upon them, so they can continue to enrich and inspire even the lowliest Coward.

      For certainly, it is a New Slashdot - The crapflooding hath lowered a significant amount, and for this event, there was much rejoicing. And much was the wailing and the gnashing of teeth of the crapflooders, for they were forced to take their childlike pursuits elsewhere, leaving the hallowed moderators free to perform their duty without the incessant selection of the -1, troll."


      See? It's all in there, in black and white.

      --

      You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
      There is a lot of hype here.
    34. Re:Hmm... by VStrider · · Score: 1

      I was always confused about that line. Isn't a parsec a measurement of distance, not time? Some super phisics geek wanna help me out here?

      That is correct. A parsec is a unit of length. It stands for "parallax of one arc second" and it's 3.26 light-years.

      In layman's terms it's basically the largest distance you can move away from the solar system and still be able to barelly distinguish the earth's orbit from the Sun. Any further and you won't be able to do so.

      --
      VStrider.
    35. Re:Hmm... by caswelmo · · Score: 1

      I can't see you from here, but I'll take your word on it that you "look like a jackass". I'm not sure why that's Slashdot's fault though...

    36. Re:Hmm... by GreyyGuy · · Score: 2, Informative

      There was a hand-waving explaination of that in one of the books, though I don't remember which one off the top of my head. The explaination given was that the Kessel spice mines were in the middle of a collection of black holes and there were only a few very narrow safe corridors to get in and out. But since the ship was so fast it was able to use an unsafe shorter route to get in and out, which would be a requirement for smugglers since the safe routes were strictly patrolled.

      If you buy the idea of a black hole cluster, that almost is reasonable ;)

    37. Re:Hmm... by Seumas · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Yeah, same here - only I kept getting marked as flamebait!

    38. Re:Hmm... by hamburger+lady · · Score: 1

      why is it nobody ever seems to notice the incredible similarities between episodes 4-6 and the 3 musketeers?

      its a wholesale ripoff.

      --

      ---
      Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
    39. Re:Hmm... by Gleng · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And several lines of dialog at the end of A New Hope, in the battle of Yavin, are lifted almost exactly from The Dam Busters.

      Actually, now I think about it, that whole battle was pretty much lifted from the The Dam Busters. Especially if you compare the trench run with the flight down the river lined with guns on the way towards the dam.

      --
      "Proudly Posting Without Reading The Article"
    40. Re:Hmm... by localman · · Score: 1

      I can make no comment as to how much of a rip off it was -- but why would the movie studios reject it for that? They constantly put out stuff that is a complete rip off.

      Cheers.

    41. Re:Hmm... by Syberghost · · Score: 1

      Yeah, except that a parsec is over three LIGHT YEARS. A Cessna could fly closer to a black hole than that.

    42. Re:Hmm... by daeley · · Score: 2, Funny

      now, feel free to flame away because I broke /. policy of disliking on principle all lucas projects, real or hypothetical, post Empire.

      Well, that and you used "money" as an adjective. ;D

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    43. Re:Hmm... by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      The reason why Lucas keeps doing prequels is because he keeps creating back stories.

      Darth and Luke and Obi-Wan came from somewhere, and the nuts and bolts were essentially in place once he made The Empire Strikes Back.

      (Spoilers ahead)

      Now we have Anakin apparently being the product of a Sith Lord playing God, and Palpatine being being that Sith's apprentice. So we have another back story. And that'll lead onto another back story, etc, etc.

      In some ways, by design, Lucas's world is easier to go backwards in than forwards. Clouded the future is. Or to put it another way, the future can always go in all sorts of directions. The past, however, always has to have created something that lead to you being where you are today. This is all rather appropriate for a series where one of the most famous characters speaks "backwards" (well, not quite, but close enough.)

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    44. Re:Hmm... by MsGeek · · Score: 1

      I think it has something to do with Google's new personal page feature.

      --
      Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
    45. Re:Hmm... by IpalindromeI · · Score: 1

      Well the term "Kessel run" implies that Han is stating the final distance for the entire course, not the specific distance he was from any one blackhole. And perhaps the course has many blackholes that could affect the overall distance outcome significantly.

      --

      --
      Promoting critical thinking since 1994.
    46. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This has True Romance written all over it.
      Quote "Lee: Oooo, that's imaginative. I've got more taste in my penis."

    47. Re:Hmm... by russotto · · Score: 1

      Stuff and nonsense. It's well known that Star Wars was stolen from Akira Kurosawa's _The Hidden Fortress_, not _Dune_.

    48. Re:Hmm... by Deltaspectre · · Score: 0

      Actually, are you using google web accelerator?

      --
      My UID is prime... is yours?
    49. Re:Hmm... by MrCopilot · · Score: 1
      Personalize your google and use Firefox headlines?

      Me too. Just unpersonalize google without Slashdot 72hrs later A-ok.

      --= I am not a script, although I might make a nice screenplay.

      --
      OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
    50. Re:Hmm... by snorklewacker · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I prefer the better explanation, that he was throwing out a bit of bafflegab to dazzle the kid. That would also explain the eye-rolling on Kenobi's part when he says it. And hell, the line in the script itself was probably as worse bafflegab than the average Treknobabble, just that Harrison Ford did a good job at making it sound like it.

      I mean really, do you think they actually researched that sort of thing? Like Harrison Ford said to Mark Hamill, "this ain't that kind of movie, kid"

      --
      I am no longer wasting my time with slashdot
    51. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      **Whoa! I know I haven't posted in a while, but since when do we have to enter in a text code to post on /.?!?
      Most of us don't. But that post was so unoriginal that the posting engine thought you almost failed the Turing test and needed some additional confirmation you weren't a bot.
    52. Re:Hmm... by tgibbs · · Score: 1

      Yah.. and the guy REALLY came up with it all is dead, his name was Frank Herbert....

      In fact, the roots of Star Wars go back long before Dune, which really has very little in common (and is a far more sophisticated and original concept).

      Star Wars owes far more to classic space opera, as exemplified by the work of Doc Smith. What made Star Wars so popular was not its originality, but rather its familiarity--seeing classic (if somewhat hackneyed) SF themes given the big-budget movie treatment.

    53. Re:Hmm... by SillyNickName4me · · Score: 1

      Actually, are you using google web accelerator?

      Nope.

    54. Re:Hmm... by SillyNickName4me · · Score: 1

      No, this is slashboxes on slashdot, no caches, no proxies, no accelerators, no local reader or whatever, this is slashdot pulling the headlines from bsd.slashdot.org for example in order to fill its own homepage.

      They'll have to stop pulling their own headlines for 72 hours?

    55. Re:Hmm... by fuelvolts · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and they all ripped off other books: The Old Testament, The New Testament, and The Koran.

    56. Re:Hmm... by kyojin+the+clown · · Score: 1
      i actually have the yoda of this side of the force. i change his 'WORD' shortcut to 'WINWORD' and put it on print view, and he is thanking me for the incrediable new word processor i found him, its *so* much better than 'normal word'!! EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE SAME ICON. the guy has mastered the power of stupid, and now uses it for evil.

      try it, it might keep them quiet for a while.

    57. Re:Hmm... by Talaran · · Score: 1

      The biggest laugh I had playing Knights of the Old Republic recently was the name of the bar on the Sith Academy planet ... "The Drunk Side".

    58. Re:Hmm... by MrCopilot · · Score: 1
      Got a screenie?

      LOL. My time waster is requiring I waste more time.

      Slashdot requires you to wait 2 minutes between each successful posting of a comment to allow everyone a fair chance at posting a comment.

      It's been 1 minute since you last successfully posted a comment

      --
      OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
    59. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Or it could be that the Kessel run is some distance scale that is >12 parsecs and his ship is so fast that the length was contracted to less than 12 parsecs (from the point of view of someone outside the ship and not moving).

    60. Re:Hmm... by uberdave · · Score: 1

      ...it's basically the largest distance you can move away from the solar system and still be able to barelly distinguish the earth's orbit from the Sun. Any further and you won't be able to do so.

      That is not entirely correct, and it may not be the easiest way to explain it to a layman.

      First, telescopes can resolve much better than one arc-second. Hubble has a resolving power of 0.05 arc-seconds. Adaptive optics can achieve 0.1 arc-seconds here on the surface. Radio telescopes can resolve down to 0.001", theoretically enough to resolve the moon's orbit from one parsec out.

      Second, to a layman "barely distinguish" is a focus or a zoom problem, not a distance problem. It is far easier to say that if you were in space looking at the solar system, and the angle you have to move your telescope to switch from looking at the sun to looking at the earth is one arc-second, then you are one parsec away.

    61. Re:Hmm... by uberdave · · Score: 1

      "Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away" should be a clue that the word parsec may not have the same meaning that it does in earth based astronomy. After all, in some parts of the galaxy, Easter means small flat and light brown.

    62. Re:Hmm... by Changa_MC · · Score: 1
      Yeah, same here - only I kept getting marked as flamebait!

      Man, self-fulfiling prophecy sucks sometimes.

      Now, I keep getting rated interesting, yeah. +5 interesting.

      --
      Changa hates change.
    63. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lucas' (lame, IMHO) explaination for this line was that all ships in hyperspace travel the same "speed", so the only way you can go "faster" is to find a shorter path. Thus, the Millenium Falcon is "fast" because its navicomputer kicks booty. So sayeth George.

      I suspect that originally when he wrote that line he didn't know that parsec was a measurement of distance and it was only pointed out to him later by geeks like you, then he had to come up with the navigation theory.

      I would give this explaination: distance *is* time. 1 parsec (time) is the time it takes for light to travel 1 parsec (distance). No physicist would argue with that, they love systems of units where the speed of light is 1.

    64. Re:Hmm... by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      You just need a new sig.

      --

      ---
      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
      (I read with sigs off.)
    65. Re:Hmm... by dubious9 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, except that the Kessel system is *filled* with black holes. Apparently, to make the run through the whole group in 12 parsecs would put you close enough to several black holes, where you would need a fast ship to pass safely.

      It seems that the "safe" route through the kessel system would require a meandering trial instead of a straighter line out to maintain distance from black holes for slower ships. Thus the shorter the distance the faster the craft.

      Tada.

      --
      Why, o why must the sky fall when I've learned to fly?
    66. Re:Hmm... by bigpat · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Jarjar eh... I think "Revenge of the Sith" shows us just how much Jarjar screwed up the movies. Not just being annoying, he played a crucial role dimwittingly supporting the rise of the Sith while he was filling in for Amadala in the Senate... showing everyone that we really had good cause hating Jarjar all along.

    67. Re:Hmm... by Hack+Jandy · · Score: 1

      LOL. Yeah OK. It slowed down cause I slowed it down not Slashdot. BTW my Karma is excellent - no Captcha here!

    68. Re:Hmm... by aichpvee · · Score: 1

      I always thought he was just using clever marketing tactics to impress his clients who didn't know any better.

      --
      The Farewell Tour II
    69. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe slashdot knocked up his mom...

    70. Re:Hmm... by kristopher · · Score: 1

      You're Funny.

    71. Re:Hmm... by SillyNickName4me · · Score: 1

      No I don't, but there are a few people who did make one

    72. Re:Hmm... by kscguru · · Score: 1

      Which ripped off Gilgamesh (Sumerian) and Sinue (Egyptian), which I'm sure ripped off far older stories that are lost to prehistory.

      --

      A witty [sig] proves nothing. --Voltaire

    73. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To say nothing of E.E. "Doc" Smith. Lensman... Jedi... hmm.

    74. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      a lil from asimov
      coruscant = capital of the republic/empire
      trantor = capital of the empire

      coruscant = planet that was covered by one giant city
      trantor = planet that was covered by one giant city

    75. Re:Hmm... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      > he played a crucial role dimwittingly
      > supporting the rise of the Sith while he was
      > filling in for Amadala in the Senate...

      That also made absolutely no sense. First, why would they keep a rogue, ne'er-do-well (romantic speak for lazy slacker whose prolly not a stranger to death sticks) as a tag along leaving the planet with the queen of the entire planet?!?!?

      Ok, and assuming they stupidly do so (Top Secret Level 282 security clearances are fast to get in the future, I guess) why turn him over as the replacement Representative o' the Queen?

      And even if you do that why in god's name is he making any decisions or strategies on his own? Where are all her advisors telling him what to do and exactly what to say and to whisper in his ear as he says it?

      This isn't Jar Jar's fault. It's Amidala's.

      If she hadn't replaced him, his weak mind wouldn't have listened to Palpatine's instructions on what to do.

      It's all her fault, from Jar Jar to Anakin's fall to the Republic's collapse. I just hope her tail was worth it.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    76. Re:Hmm... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Yes, it could be interpreted as his ship is so powerful, it can create a hyperspace tunnel that is only 12 parsecs in length.

      However, that's still 30-something light years, so assuming the speed of light is constant in hyperspace, it'd still take 30-something years, real-space time, to get there. They wouldn't notice it on the ship, but 30 years'd've gone by when they exited hyperspace.

      Of course, since we're bs-ing, we could claim the speed of light doesn't apply in hyperspace, or that it's much faster. This hyperspace would presumably be 4 spacial dimensions (or more) and one time dimension, whereas IIRC per Einstein you are traveling at the speed of light through the combined 4-D spacetime continuum, 3 spacial and 1 time dimension.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    77. Re:Hmm... by Seumas · · Score: 1

      Oh, you bastards.

      You know not what danger you reap with your actions. The force is strong in me and I shall have my revenge.

    78. Re:Hmm... by Zangief · · Score: 1

      While I agree that Lucas may have borrowed some elements from Dune to use them in Star Wars, I do not see it as plagiarism.

      Just because the new movies aren't as good as the old ones, every Joe who wants to appear as sofisticated attacks him.

      And, if we are talking about Dune, isn't plagiarism too, the fact that three central elements from that saga were lifted from Asimov's Foundation?

      -Prescience = Psicohistory

      -Bene Gesserit = Second Foundation

      -both have Galactic Empires.

      OMG! Herbert is teh plagiarist!

    79. Re:Hmm... by Mortlath · · Score: 1

      There is a book that gives the black hole explanation, but the books states that it was claim of Han's piloting and navigational skills. I believe the boast was that he was able to chart a hyperspace route so close the black holes without crashing into them.

    80. Re:Hmm... by WurdBendur · · Score: 1

      I was always confused about that line. Isn't a parsec a measurement of distance, not time? Some super phisics geek wanna help me out here?

      Allow me to quote from The Passions of Greedo:

      "But Greedo, my love, Han Solo was able to make the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs. If he can boast the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs, perhaps he is fast enough to draw his weapon in under 3 inches."

      "No one is quick enough to unholster their weapon 5 inches in just 3 inches! Not even the renowned Han Solo can boast those reflexes! Let him fold space-time to his content,
      he shall not fire first!"

      --
      SCISNE? ANUS SIMIAE!
    81. Re:Hmm... by Peristarkawan · · Score: 1

      Exactly. I mean, it's not as though any of the thousands of other members of the Senate had any say in the matter.

    82. Re:Hmm... by Peristarkawan · · Score: 1

      Firstly, as a senator, Padme was a representative of Naboo, not of the queen, in the same way that U.S. senators are not representatives of the governor of the state they hail from. Seconly, Jar Jar was taking some initiative in an emergency situation. Is that really a fault? Sure, it turned out to be the wrong initiative, but nobody except Palpatine could have known that, and if Jar Jar hadn't been the one to propose it either because Padme had been there or for some other reason, then Palpatine would have just found somebody else to propose the same thing. After all, he obviously had wide support to begin with, or the rest of the senate would never have gone along with it.

    83. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      umm. Greeedo bit the dust in episode IV right? Bug-eyed bounty hunter...

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    84. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      LOL!
      I guess that may be a case...
      Foundation was earllier as I recall..
      But then you could also draw paralels with LOTR saga..

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    85. Re:Hmm... by WurdBendur · · Score: 1

      umm. Greeedo bit the dust in episode IV right? Bug-eyed bounty hunter...

      Yes, a bug-eyed Rodian. Han shot him in the Cantina.

      --
      SCISNE? ANUS SIMIAE!
    86. Re:Hmm... by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1
      That also made absolutely no sense. First, why would they keep a rogue, ne'er-do-well (romantic speak for lazy slacker whose prolly not a stranger to death sticks) as a tag along leaving the planet with the queen of the entire planet?!?!?
      She was not the queen in ep. 2, only a senator. And Jar Jar was a high ranking general from the same planet. It still jars, but not to the degree you stipulate.
    87. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      damn right he was too... shoulda got Jabba on they way out to the fastest hunk a junk in the galaxy whilst he had a chance... but then again, Obi-wan shoulda finished off Skywalker at the lava flow...

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    88. Re:Hmm... by Deltaspectre · · Score: 0

      Well I had some problems with RSS feeds loading for me (the proxy was blocked =X ) when I used it =p

      --
      My UID is prime... is yours?
    89. Re:Hmm... by WurdBendur · · Score: 1

      damn right he was too... shoulda got Jabba on they way out to the fastest hunk a junk in the galaxy whilst he had a chance... but then again, Obi-wan shoulda finished off Skywalker at the lava flow...

      The path to the dark side, this is. Anybody else coming?

      --
      SCISNE? ANUS SIMIAE!
    90. Re:Hmm... by DenDave · · Score: 1

      Ya know, I was watching Return of the Jedi yesterday and this pussy-wimp ass attitude of "no I cannot kill him, that is not the Jedi way.." crap is so inconsistent... Jedi have no problem destroying Sith and clones on the battlefield but oh no, not in front of Palpatine... what is that some kind of Sith mind trick? And lets not get into the fact that Obi-wan has completely forgotten about Leia, ok he's old, he's dead whatever but Yoda breaks the news to (f)Luke?
      Whilst I am ranting (morning, haven't had coffee yet) an A-wing slams into the bridge of the SSD and it tailspins straight into the d-star? Man, someone at Kuat Drive Yards should get fired...

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
  3. Reverse! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Backwards, this Jedi works.

    1. Re:Reverse! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .skrow ideJ siht

      i don't get it...

    2. Re:Reverse! by isorox · · Score: 2, Funny

      In soviet russia, this jedi works backwards!

    3. Re:Reverse! by Infinityis · · Score: 5, Funny

      Clouded, the future is.

      If with George Lucas you speak, clouded, the past is too.

    4. Re:Reverse! by imthesponge · · Score: 1

      backwards in this works soviet russian jedi.

    5. Re:Reverse! by mindaktiviti · · Score: 1

      He is no Jedi! He's the sith lord we've been looking for! I mean...whoever created Jar Jar could only have been seduced by the Dark Side! Er...we're taking about Lucas, right?

    6. Re:Reverse! by LordEd · · Score: 3, Funny

      This is not the joke you're looking for, my young insensitive clod.

  4. Sounds like good news... by Pao|o · · Score: 3, Funny
    However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.

    Yipeeeeeee!

    1. Re:Sounds like good news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but will he be commidore of the armada...

  5. No! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No more SW prequels please! Would be interested however in seeing some subordinate stories like where do Han Solo and Chewbacca meetup between Episode III and IV and perhaps a story following Boba Fett's bounty hunter quests. THere are lots of good stories that could work within the characters Lucas has already presented but please, George, stop going back in time.

    One would have thought that the Star Trek franchise was proof of how difficult that is to pull off.

    1. Re:No! by Olix · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm not so anti SW prequels. Lucas has made a really impressive universe for his StarWars films, and it would be stupid to waste it.

      What about if they made another trilogy of films following the example liad down by the game Knights of the Old Republic - set a triliogy in that same StarWars universe, with the already developed locations, mythlogy and nice Good versus Evil plot, but set it 1000 years in the past. You could have a whole new load of characters and focus the story in some Sith uprising or another. Oh, either avoid love scenes or get a director who can do them.

    2. Re:No! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you're in favour of Star Wars 3.5? You do know that it will bring a greater focus on miniatures than on roleplaying, and...

    3. Re:No! by Yorrike · · Score: 4, Funny

      I want a movie showing the exploits of Han, Luke et al as they strive to return Chewie to his home, to his wife and kid, in time for christmas.

      --

      Looks can be deceiving. Or CAN they?

    4. Re:No! by 1u3hr · · Score: 1
      ories like where do Han Solo and Chewbacca meetup between Episode III and IV

      Unless they recast Solo, they'll need a CGI Harrison Ford to carry that off.

    5. Re:No! by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1
      Some good ideas there :)
      Oh, either avoid love scenes or get a director who can do them.
      But this is just Lucas bashing. The love scenes was, IMHO, done very well in the prequel movies. They felt awkward and realistic, rather than the usual Hollywood bliss you usually get.

      Love this news if it's true. Some slashdotters may not have liked the prequel, but I certainly did :)

    6. Re:No! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i agree, i guess i can't complain about the love scenes, i have seen worse in real life.

    7. Re:No! by camusflage · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now you're thinking.. Imagine the possibilities.

      Han: Oh crap. We left Chewie at home before leaving for our Kessel run!
      [cut to CU on Chewbacca]
      Chewbacca: Warrrrrrrrrggggggggggh!

      --
      The truth about Scientology, Xenu, and you: Operation Clambake
    8. Re:No! by jsheedy · · Score: 0

      I agree, I would like some fill between III and IV, there is a lot of time that passes between the two. I would even go for an animated series like Clone Wars. It was a good filler. I want to know how the Jedi never get discovered, just what Ben, and Yoda do during all that time (Yeah, I know, talk to the dead), but I would like more. Maybe what happens when Luke & Leih are young, what Jedi traits they might display. I would also like to see the Empire taking control of the universe. I would like to see Darth Vader's powers grow. I just wanted more!

      --
      Quid Pro Quo, nothing more, nothing less.
    9. Re:No! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And they could even use a genetically engineered giant worm to play Jabba, who gets into argument with CGI Han and crushes him. I'm sure the fans would appreciate the joke.

    10. Re:No! by gid · · Score: 1

      One of the problems I had with the prequels was that there was no surprise. You knew if someone was in episode IV, V or VI, then they would live, and if they weren't, then they would die. This took away a certain element of suspense in the films. Don't get me wrong, I still liked them, I just think the story would have worked better if told in order. Of course if it was told in order, then would people have been bored with the Phantom Menace from the get go, Lucas would have went broke and never wrote another story again?

      My point is I'd really like a new story that takes place after episode VI. Maybe still do 7, 8 and 9 which were hinted at long ago. It could be some kind of matrixesque re-rise of the sith, the force antichrist was born again and Luke's new Jedi council has to deal with the new sith overloards all over again. ...or whatever (that was just my 3 minute brain storm)... just something new in the star wars universe.

    11. Re:No! by Elranzer · · Score: 1

      This is Slashdot. You haven't seen any in real life.

    12. Re:No! by Olix · · Score: 1

      And what I'm saying, if you would take then time to read my post, is that you could set it a long time in the past - a thousand years or so. Make no references to any of the characters in the already made films. Tell a new story with new characters, just like they did in Kotor.

      At the end of episode 6 all the Sith were pretty much owned (I'm pretty sure Darth Vader was supposed to be the last Sith left - see all the references to his 'old religon' or whatever) , so if you wanted more storyline to do with the Sith you would have to go a long time into the future - 500 years or so - before the Sith would start up again.

      Either way, you would have a completly new slate to create a new story.

    13. Re:No! by Cervantes · · Score: 1

      Vader may have said it first, but I'll say it best:

      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

      [g'damn lameness filter]

      --
      If I knew the wedgies I gave you back in 6th grade would have resulted in this . . . I might have taken a moments pause.
    14. Re:No! by gid · · Score: 1

      But again if you put it in the past, we already know that the Sith rise to power for quite awhile, but then at some point the Jedi eventually hunt them down and wipe them out to almost extinction. I guess with any time you place it, you know evil isn't going to triumph forever--which is an inherent problem in the good vs evil plot, so it might be best to go with some other story that's entirely different, which is going to be a hard sell.

  6. Lucas Retiring by Baricom · · Score: 1

    However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.
    Thank the Force.

    1. Re:Lucas Retiring by shortscruffydave · · Score: 1

      I dont think he's going to be actually retiring. There's an interview with him in Wired magazine and it sounds more like he's wanting to get back to doing non-Starwars stuff.

  7. A concerned fan. by coop0030 · · Score: 0

    Dear Mr. Lucas,

    I really like watching the movies about the Wars in the Stars, but I am concerned that you may be considering releasing too many movies upon us, thereby possibly ruining the overall greatness of the name Star Wars.

    I am also worried about some of your true fans (some think Star Wars is real, shhhh). I think all hope is lost though on them.

    Please consider my request (to save the true star Wars fans from themselves),

    Sincerely,

    A fan.

    1. Re:A concerned fan. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then don't watch the movies if you don't like the way he makes them.

    2. Re:A concerned fan. by damsa · · Score: 1
      That's why I propose a series of specials rather than movies. I suggest a cartoon based on Jar Jar Binks. I also suggest a Christmas special entitled a A very special Wookie Christmas with musical numbers, a visit from Santa.

      Oh wait.

  8. This can only lead to good by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Star Wars franchise can only be rescued by Lucas' continued meddling in the storyline.

    After Return of the Jedi, I didn't think there was a hope for the Trilogy, but now, with the latest three movies delivered, I realize that my feelings back then about the original movies were truly happy and optimistic.

    Because Lucas was able to show me how far down the toilet he was willing to let the franchise go, I appreciate the original trilogy all the more. Even his remasters of the original three make me wax nostalgic for my childhood.

    1. Re:This can only lead to good by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And this is the main problem around here with Star Wars, you watched it as a child and now moan you are an adult (ok thats debatable in a lot of cases) you dont view movies with the same child like wonder and amazement. How so many slashdotters manage to blame Lucas for the ageing process and their overactive childhood imagination has always escaped me.

      Face it, the ground breaking special effect aside star was was nothing special. Its an old tried and trusted story of young boy with destiny meets mystical mentor yada yada yada. Replace excalibur with light sabres, the black knight with vader and off you go. The story is a rehash of a couple of old concepts, the acting was dire, the dialog chronic. The only redeeming feature is the effects, you no longer needed an imagination because it looked to a child like the fucking things were real. And this is why we loved it as kids, now we just see the crap acting and dialog.

      Just because you dont like the current trilogy does not mean Lucas is somehow trying to destroy your childhood memories or abuse you in some way. Also since its his rehashed idea Lucas can do whatever he wants with the story and clearly from the amount the current trilogy has grossed people are quit happy to part with their cash to see the results.

      --
      Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
      What truth?
      There is no dupe
    2. Re:This can only lead to good by stlhawkeye · · Score: 5, Insightful
      The acting was fine in V and acceptable in VI. Coincidentally, Lucas didn't direct either film. The screenplay for V is the best of all the films by any reasonably standard. Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. Kasdan also did Indiana Jones with Lucas. Lucas didn't direct Jones either. In fact, every film George Lucas has ever directed has been a pile of festering crap. Two of his films, Howard the Duck and Ishtar, have become synonymous with bad films in pop culture. "This is the worst film since Howard the Duck!"

      I think it's fair to say that Lucas struck gold once and then wisely let other people handle the aspect of filmmaking that he sucks at. Namely, directing and authoring. Lucas is a talented and imaginative story creator (plagiariser, depending on your perspective), but he cannot tell a story to save his life. Star Wars was a western in space, I'm tired of this "space opera" bullshit. It's a western. The good guys wear white. The bad guy wears black. The stormtroopers are only white so the audience wouldn't confuse them with Vader. They swing over chasms, escape from a room where the walls are closing in. I'm surprised Lucas didn't have Leia tied down over some railroad tracks while Tarken twirled his moustache.

      And there's no question that the acting was superior in the original films. Compare Harrison Ford saying, "You're trembling" in V with Christianson saying it in III. Ford's acting carries emotional weight and significant. Christianson is reciting something he read in the script.

      --
      "I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
    3. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      > The acting was fine in V and acceptable in VI. Coincidentally,
      > Lucas didn't direct either film

      uh, you mean not coincidentally, right?

    4. Re:This can only lead to good by Uteck · · Score: 1

      I loved the original movies. I liked them so much I read the Lucas authorized books and comics. I ignored the few plot mistakes here and there, but these movies display that Lucas has lost any creativity he had.
      He did not have to have the droids. No one my age expected them to be there, we have a running joke that R2-D2 is the chosen one now,and call the movies "A Boy and His Droids". The movie would have been far more intresting with R5-D4, the red droid from episode 4 that blows up so R2 can be bought by Luke's uncle.

      For Jedi 'Masters' they certainly don't use the Force very well. If Yoda can lift Luke's X-Wing from the swamp, and size does not matter, then why were the droid ship not simply knocked from orbit with the Force? Come on, a temple with hundreds if not thousands of Jedi and they can't pull a ship out of orbit?
      According the Tails of the Jedi comics, 1 Jedi master could decide the fate of a planet wide war, not with his light saber, but by using the Force to aid his side, bolster their courage, cause fear in the enemy, and so on. The last movie showed how little the Force was used, Obi-Wan could not even detect Anikin as he jumped into the elevator right behind him!

      There is a Monty Python sketch were some mafia types try to extort money from a Army base commandaer. That is what a Jedi master can do. "Nice army you have here. If would be a shame if it broke." Let's put this in context. Vader says "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." That implies that the Force can distroy a planet, or control one, if not many.

      All I am saying is that Lucas really wimped the Jedi down for these movies, ignored all the works he authorized, and added stupid contrived plot elements that make little or no sense.

      --
      no .sig found Please restart your browser.
    5. Re:This can only lead to good by brianerst · · Score: 3, Funny
      Its an old tried and trusted story of young boy with destiny meets mystical mentor yada yada yada
      Like, dude, you misspelled "Yoda".
    6. Re:This can only lead to good by AK+Marc · · Score: 3, Interesting

      How so many slashdotters manage to blame Lucas for the ageing process and their overactive childhood imagination has always escaped me.

      The new movies lack elements present (even central) in the original 3. There was always the slapstick. C3PO was the butt of many jokes. However, the sarcastic intelligent wit of Han was completely gone. The part for the adults was simply left out, with nothing similar to fill the void. And relationships. We have brother-sister that don't know, with Han and Luke both fighting for the same plucky girl. In the new 3, there is no mystery who she will end up with, no double-entendre, and the scenes are painful, uninteresting story development, rather than fun and interesting scenes by themselves. Leah is directly quoted for some of her good lines related to Han, Luke (though possibly as badly delivered as in the new 3) is quoted as well.

      So, what filled the void? Much better flight/fight scenes. The movies can't be aimed at the same audience, because many key elements are significantly different. That is the complaint. He builds a fan base, then ignores them for what (presumed by the fans) is the search for more money. Maybe he would have done better if he were gretly restricted on the money he could spend. Then he would have spend more time coming up with a story and lines, rather than impressive fight/flight scenes.

    7. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be laughable to think it was a coincidence, and writing it in that way emphasizes it.

      It's like saying, "Oh, and by the way, Lucas had nothing to do with the only good films of the series."

    8. Re:This can only lead to good by GreatGreenGoo · · Score: 1

      actualy there was a large power display of the force in episode 3. When Palpatine was telling the Galactic Senate about his new "Empire" They were all chearing. Padme was basicaly thinking WTF is going on here? Palpatine was using the force to literaly disolve thousands of planets of their voice. I think thats a preaty powerful display.

    9. Re:This can only lead to good by loose_cannon_gamer · · Score: 1
      Its an old tried and trusted story of young boy with destiny meets mystical mentor yada yada yada.

      I believe that in this case, it should read "mystical mentor yoda yoda yoda."

      **ducks**

      --
      In Soviet Russia, us are belong to all your base.
    10. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      In fact, every film George Lucas has ever directed has been a pile of festering crap.

      Modded insightful for this trollery? Perhaps /.ers need to go see some movies namely THX1138 and American Grafitti(by far the best lucas film). But then again, one cannot expect anybody to be informed here. WTFM.

    11. Re:This can only lead to good by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 1

      And it should be "Yoda, Yo-yo-yo-yo-Yoda" (thanks, Wierd Al).

    12. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In fact, every film George Lucas has ever directed has been a pile of festering crap. Two of his films, Howard the Duck and Ishtar, have become synonymous with bad films in pop culture.

      Lucas didn't direct either of those films, jackass. In fact, he didn't have anything to do with Ishtar.

    13. Re:This can only lead to good by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      In fact, every film George Lucas has ever directed has been a pile of festering crap. Two of his films, Howard the Duck and Ishtar, have become synonymous with bad films in pop culture.

      Ishtar was directed by Elaine May. [1]

      Star Wars (i.e. "A New Hope"), American Graffiti, and arguably THX-1138 were all good films Lucas directed.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    14. Re:This can only lead to good by mikehoskins · · Score: 1
      Its an old tried and trusted story of young boy with destiny meets mystical mentor yada yada yada.

      That should have been:

      Its an old tried and trusted story of young boy with destiny meets mystical mentor Yoda, Yoda, Yoda.

    15. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're batting 0.000 Howard the Duck wasn't directed by Lucas- although he was executive producer.

      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091225/fullcredits

    16. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      THX1138 was as dry as gin, and the acting is stiff as iron. Again with the good premise and lousy execution.

      American Graffiti is the standout exception.

    17. Re:This can only lead to good by snorklewacker · · Score: 1

      I can't figure out why everyone dogpiles on Ishtar. It was a perfectly forgettable comedy, but could it possibly have been any worse than "Me, Myself and Irene" or "Dumb and Dumberer"?

      You want to talk about bad science fiction, try Event Horizon.

      --
      I am no longer wasting my time with slashdot
    18. Re:This can only lead to good by MrExact · · Score: 1

      Like, dude, you misspelled "Yoda".

      No, no...Yada is Yoda's twin sister.

    19. Re:This can only lead to good by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      1. It starred Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, two of the biggest movie stars at the time.
      2. It had an obscenely high budget.

      Those are the main two reasons. I mean, Episode I wasn't that bad either. The reason people dogpile on movies like Ishtar and Episode I, for that matter, is because of the high expectations they most heinously failed to meet.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    20. Re:This can only lead to good by djoiner · · Score: 1

      It's not just a tried and true story, it is the classic story.

      The hero myth, retold in many forms, be it Hercules, Frodo, Paul Atreides, Arthur, or a white hatted Tom Berenger fighting evil cattle barons is meant to be told again and again. A youth sets out on a quest aided by an elder mentor who dies or leaves early in the quest. The youth, imbued with mystical powers, totems, and/or animal or spirit guides, stares into the maw of evil coming back victorious but scarred to be misunderstood by those around him.

      The impact of all of these stories on me as a young person was not to impress me with either special effects or dialogue (though I would argue both were great..."who is more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?", "I don't care what you smell, just get in there!", "You came in that? You're braver than I thought!") but to inspire me with examples of people who in the face of danger and evil made their morality the focal point of their life.

      WWLSD?

    21. Re:This can only lead to good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The good guys wear white. The bad guy wears black. The stormtroopers are only white so the audience wouldn't confuse them with Vader.

      Actually, the bad guys (imperials) wear black-and-white (reflecting their polarized, absolute worldview), and the good guys (rebels) wear organic earth tones.

  9. Well, duh! by samael · · Score: 2, Insightful

    He's already got books, comics and computer games spread throughout his history, written by other people and controlled by him (so that they pretty much all fit together, with a few exceptions). There's no reason not to have films too.

    But him not writing/directing them is a good thing - so long as they get someone in who _can_.

    1. Re:Well, duh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The books, comics, and video games have to get story elements approved by people working for Lucas. These people have done a reasonable job keeping '3rd party' Star Wars materials consistent with each other and with the movies. Lucas doesn't care about keeping new movies consistent with anything at all, including his previous movies (e.g. Midichlorian babbling, or the Death Star plans being pre-empire. According to previous canon, the Death Star was designed by Bevel Lemelisk on the Emperor's orders not long before ANH)

      The more movies Lucas makes, the more he wrecks the Star Wars canon. If new movies are made by someone else, they should be made to conform with canon as well as possible.

    2. Re:Well, duh! by jilbert · · Score: 1
      so long as they get someone in who _can_

      How about Joss Whedon? Or someone no-one has heard of yet. There must be hundreds of writers out there who would have killed to write the prequels, who could have thought of a half interesting story. Why? Oh, why? Oh why, oh why...

      Sorry - still feeling angry after seeing ROTS last night. All those talented people dressing the film in its finest clothes, but with no story to hang them on.

    3. Re:Well, duh! by birdie1013 · · Score: 0

      Where in Ep III it is stated that this scene, where we see the Death Star skeleton, does not take place "not long before ANH" as you put it?

    4. Re:Well, duh! by Rallion · · Score: 1

      Corran Horn is so much cooler than Luke or Anakin.

    5. Re:Well, duh! by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Cannon means what the original author/creator himself has done/written.
      Thus (like it or not) the prequals being more directly from Lucas are more directly cannon.
      Unless a different definition specific to SW has been established (with Lucas's endorsement). It's my understanding that Lucas considers the Zahn books second ONLY to what he's put (most recently in the case of things like Queedo/Solo shooting) on the screen/vhs/dvd.

      Also I seem to remember reading in one of the books that the Death Star series was THREE deathstars. The original devlopement prototype that never had an outer shell and was mainly a proof of concept/testbed for several years. The final working version destroyed in ANH (built over a few years itself) and the enlarged (almost double IIRC) sequal blown up in ROTJ.
      This parts a bit sketchy in my memory but I seem to recall that the prototype DS was started in secret by Palpatine before he was powerfull enough to do as he pleased after the higher ups in the military rejected the proposal for it durring the clone wars. I believe it was built in a black-hole cluster near Kessal(sp?).
      That black hole cluster was used to patch Solo's "in under 12 parsecs" statment of how fast the Falcon was by claiming that the trick to the Kessle run was how short a path through/around the mess of black holes you could plot that your ship had the speed and toughness to handle.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    6. Re:Well, duh! by tibike77 · · Score: 1

      Depends on how you view 16-20 years... as "long" or "short".
      Do I really have to explain WHY ?

      --
      By reading this signature you agree to not disagree with the post you just read.
    7. Re:Well, duh! by SillyNickName4me · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The Death Star plans were handed to SIdious by somtone from the trade federation, pre episode III. This means that they do predate the Empire.

    8. Re:Well, duh! by Gonarat · · Score: 1

      It is possible that there are 3 Death Stars, but Lucas is committing himself to a definite timeline at the end of Ep3 with Luke going to Tatooine and Leah going to Alderaan. ANH starts with Luke being 19-21 years old (I use this age range because all of his friends have left and he is still stuck behind helping Uncle Owen run the farm. This means that the Empire only has 20 years to build the Death Star seen in ANH.

      Darth Sidious received the plans for the Death Star in Ep2, and had an unfinished frame built by the end of Ep3. Given the time frame (5 to 10 years at most?) between Ep2 and Ep3, it is very possible that we are seeing a prototype if Sidious was able to get that far with the Death Star while having to hide the funding and manpower from the Senate, why would it take 20 years to finish the thing once he had absolute power? The destruction of Alderaan was the first public demonstration of the Death Star, but I'm sure it had been tested before it was unveiled.

      If there were 3, then Tarkin was involved with the first 2 because we see him at the end of Ep3 with Vader and Sidious looking at the construction of the first Death Star.

      --
      Beware of Sleestak
    9. Re:Well, duh! by Cerv · · Score: 1

      The Ep IV screen play gives Luke's age as 18 (and Leia's as 16...) so that's probably the canonical figure.

      --
      sig
    10. Re:Well, duh! by theTerribleRobbo · · Score: 1

      > Cannon means what the original author/creator himself has done/written.

      "Cannon" is what you put on the sides of ships.

      Try "Canon".

    11. Re:Well, duh! by ultranova · · Score: 1

      According to previous canon, the Death Star was designed by Bevel Lemelisk on the Emperor's orders not long before ANH

      It was. The battle station we saw in Ep2 (as plans) and Ep3 (being built) was the Hangnail Star, an early and not-so-deadly prototype.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    12. Re:Well, duh! by RotJ · · Score: 1

      Also, in the book Darksaber, which takes place in the post-Thrawn era, Durga the Hutt hires one of the original designers of the Death Star to build him a Death Star stripped of its extraneous crap, like defensive turrets and crew quarters, leaving only a cylinder in which the Death Star's BFG is held. But it falls apart and is crushed by asteroids because it was built by a bunch of inattentive monkeys that share a hive mind. (I am not making this up.)

    13. Re:Well, duh! by Gonarat · · Score: 1

      Lucas must of changed his mind in Ep3. (Note: SPOILER If you haven't seen Revenge of the Sith) Luke and Leah are twins with Luke being born first, Leah second. Amadala sees the babies, but dies soon after the births. Bail takes Leah to Alderaan and Obi-Wan takes Luke to Tatooine and gives him to Owen and Veru.

      This change makes a line in ROTJ not make sense. Luke and Leah are talking about their pasts and Luke mentions he doesn't remember his Mother. Leah says she has memories of her real Mother (not Bail's wife), and remembers her as being real sad. I suppose you can explain it with Jedi feelings and abilities, but it doesn't Jive with what we see in Revenge of the Sith.

      --
      Beware of Sleestak
    14. Re:Well, duh! by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      The twenty years (give or take) is the timeline to go from a concept that 'theorecticly' works to and actual working model.
      The prototype is for testing planning and reasearch needed to take the idea to working stage.
      Just think of how many prototype optical computing subcomponents have been demonstrated, yet how many optical computers can I buy at circuit city or best buy? How about holographic computer memory?
      Considering he's devloping and building a battlestation so big Luke, Han and crew had issues believing it's size with a weapon that can destroy a planet 20 years doesn't seem so long.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
  10. Here's hoping by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If he doesnt direct this prequel it might prove interesting, maybe as good as The Empire Strikes Back

    Im hoping it would be made, but not by Lucas

    1. Re:Here's hoping by ajs318 · · Score: 1

      "Maybe as good as The Empire Strikes Back".

      So, better than Attack of the Clones {obviously} and The Phantom Menace, but not quite as good as the original Star Wars or Return of the Jedi?

      I'm not holding my breath, I've drier lentils to soak.

      --
      Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
  11. keep them coming by Ham_belony · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wouldn't mind a star wars with a lot less of the original characters, lets say none of them.

    1. Re:keep them coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your post clashes with the Slashdot community's desire for more Natalie Portman's hot grits. for shame

      ~kalinga

    2. Re:keep them coming by Cryptnotic · · Score: 0, Troll

      None of the characters in Star Wars were very original. See the threads on Dune, Kurosawa, et cetera.

      --
      My other first post is car post.
  12. *groan* by REBloomfield · · Score: 1

    And a thousand slashbots cried out as one, and unfortunately, weren't silenced, as somehow George Lucas has 'runied their childhood' and myriad other whinings....

    1. Re:*groan* by WormholeFiend · · Score: 1

      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
      [cut to: blood packets and props exploding]

  13. On the bright side... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it CAN'T be any worse than The Phantom Menace...

    1. Re:On the bright side... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But, remember they're on the dark side.

  14. From the article in case it gets /.'ed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    George Lucas said he was finished with the Star Wars movies. Ebert didn't believe him, Karina didn't get it, but more importantly - WE wanted more. Stupid Us. It seems George Lucas told a scooper that he has an idea for another add-on to the Star Wars movie series: a prequel to The Phantom Menace. The story would follow the Jedi regaining control of the universe from the many Dark Lords some 88 years before Anakin Skywalker ever graced the universe. Yoda, who, according to Lucas, was instrumental in the effort, would apparently have a headlining role. However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.

  15. What's up with samzenpus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've never heard of "samzenpus" but he's been the only one posting stories for the past 12 hours. Do we have a new ghost editor? And, he's actually editing (I'm not seeing the typical typos in the stories he's approved)?

    All hail samzenpus, he's doing a good job.

  16. For a change .. by earthstar · · Score: 1
    For a change , Lucas,why not make something new like Sun Wars instaed of Star Wars?

    Copyright Reserved.zvpivcw

    1. Re:For a change .. by WaRrK · · Score: 1

      would that involve Sun, Microsoft and Java? I don't think that would have the same popular appeal as the other movies!

    2. Re:For a change .. by Luigi30 · · Score: 1

      Stair Wars: The Phantom Escalator?

      --
      503 Sig Unavailable

      The Signature could not be accessed. Please try again later or contact the administrator
    3. Re:For a change .. by thecardinal · · Score: 1

      Maybe my mind is in the gutter (very likely at the moment), my first thought about Sun Wars was fighting boobies (ie. page 3 girls).

    4. Re:For a change .. by earthstar · · Score: 1
      Oh no !
      Now you brought my thought also into the page3 pics!!

      Iam @ work! when i hit home, Ill hit page3.com!

  17. No need by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just shoehorn The Dark Crystal into Star Wars mythology. We've already got muppets, and a young hero on a quest. We just need a special edition with a couple of lightsaber fights.

    1. Re:No need by Zog+The+Undeniable · · Score: 4, Funny

      I nominate Billie Piper to play the Gelfling heroine. She doesn't even need makeup.

      --
      When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
    2. Re:No need by CableModemSniper · · Score: 1

      I had never seen the Dark Crystal, so I googled it up. Egads man, you are right!
      Billie Piper
      Gelfling heroine

      --
      Why not fork?
  18. MMMMOOoooooooo!! by DigiShaman · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's the sound of this cashcow being milked dry!

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  19. And this time.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the fans will shoot first

  20. What else to say than... by ArcticCelt · · Score: 4, Funny
    What else to say than...

    "Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!"

    --

    Yahh, hiii haaaaa! -Major Kong, from Dr. Strangelove
    1. Re:What else to say than... by Infinityis · · Score: 1

      Lucas: Where is my Star Wars empire? It is safe, is it alright?

      Emperor: I'm afraid it died...it seems in your greed, you killed it.

      Lucas: I couldn't have! It was alive! I felt it! It was alive! It's impossible!

    2. Re:What else to say than... by BlueGecko · · Score: 5, Funny

      The theater where I watched ROTS last week was wonderfully raucous, as it was filled with college kids. Things had already taken a turn for the worse when the audience laughed hysterically at Jar Jar's two-second cameo at Padme's funeral (not exactly the tone you want, after all), but things really went downhill during Darth Vader's screamfest. As soon as Vader's cry of "NOOOOOO!!" died out, someone in the back of the theater yelled out, at the top of his lungs,

      "YES, BITCH!!"

      He was quickly escorted out of the theater, but he also got a solid round of applause from the audience. I personally thought that it added a wonderful dimension to the movie, and it was at that point that I became very sorry that Mystery Science Theater 3000 is no longer on the air.

    3. Re:What else to say than... by s.d. · · Score: 1

      What else to say than...
      "Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!"


      What about, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

    4. Re:What else to say than... by DavidLeblond · · Score: 1

      I personally thought that it added a wonderful dimension to the movie,

      Anyone who could give ROTS dimension deserves applause.

    5. Re:What else to say than... by Lisandro · · Score: 1

      I love you for that comment. No, i love YOU more. No, no, i love YOU more!.

    6. Re:What else to say than... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Emperor: There's notthing medically wrong with it. It seems it just lost its will to live.

    7. Re:What else to say than... by uigrad_2000 · · Score: 2, Funny
      It's funny you'd mention MST3k in relation to SW.

      Mike Nelson and one of the bots (Kevin Murphy) have recently set up their new website, where they present:

      "FILM CREW'S REMAKES III, Summer of the Clones"
      They announce such new movies as "Batman, the pregnency", and "King KoRn". It's definately worth a look.
      --
      Free unix account: freeshell.org
    8. Re:What else to say than... by (H)olyGeekboy · · Score: 1

      Our theater at midnight, opening night, had one guy scream at the LUCASFILM logo, "I ALREADY CAME!"

      And after the crawl, as they panned down to the space battle, he again yelled, "Oh my pants are so sticky!"

      Fanboy, much? :)

    9. Re:What else to say than... by phlegmofdiscontent · · Score: 1

      You're lucky. I had to sit next to a bunch of freakin' kids and heard more than one crying baby. And the rest of the theater was stuffed with Abercrombie & Fitch suburboclones.

    10. Re:What else to say than... by featherbottom · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Vader's scream at the end was the greatest bit of unintentional comedy I've seen in quite some time. It's just another example Lucas's prediliction towards nauseating schlock despite stunning achievements in technical filmmaking. Sparkle Like The Stars Just Ask Leslie

    11. Re:What else to say than... by mark-t · · Score: 1
      Indeed... there is a lot to be said for the theatre experience.

      When I saw return of the Jedi in the theatre in 1983, for instance... there was a scene near the climax of the movie, when the Emperor is trying to turn Luke over the the dark side, and the Emperor announces...

      "Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Battlestation!" (flips a comm switch on the arm of his chair) "Fire at will, Commander!"

      (Very brief shot of the rebellion's fleet, numerous spaceships, scattered across the sky).

      During which somebody somewhere in the theatre yells out "Which one is Will?"

      Now whenever I watch the movie at home, every single time it gets to that scene, I can still mentally hear an audience member shouting out that comment.

    12. Re:What else to say than... by Melfina · · Score: 1

      Or... "It could be worse"

      --
      :3 rawr.
    13. Re:What else to say than... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I saw it opening night. When the Lucasfilm logo came up, everyone applauded and then got very quiet. A guy one row down from me in a pleading voice said , "Please don't fuck it up George!"

      He hadn't spoken that loudly, but everyone in the theater heard it and laughed. I got a big kick out of that.

    14. Re:What else to say than... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Had something like that happen on opening night of Attack of the Clones. When Yoda limps in after Duku soundly whoops Anakin and Obi, my friend sitting on the other side of the theater pipes up with, "Awww.. it's yo' ass now!".

      I will forever hear him say that.

  21. Another Trilogy? by teh+moges · · Score: 5, Funny

    So will the next move to come out be Episode -II?

    1. Re:Another Trilogy? by jjares · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually, a new hope is the true number 7, the phantom menace is number 4... you can see it clearly in the scrolling text in the new 3d versions.

    2. Re:Another Trilogy? by caudron · · Score: 1

      So will the next move to come out be Episode -II?

      Episode 0. Real geeks use base 0 for counting. ;-)

      --
      -Tom
    3. Re:Another Trilogy? by teh+moges · · Score: 1

      ...but then how are you going to make a trilogy? No point stopping the cash cow at only one movie

    4. Re:Another Trilogy? by D-Cypell · · Score: 1

      George should have learnt the same lesson I did during my BASIC days...

      episode 10
      episode 20
      episode 30

      etc etc...

      Makes it easier to slot new episodes in between, and when things get hairy there is always 'renumber'.

    5. Re:Another Trilogy? by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      No zero in roman numerals.

    6. Re:Another Trilogy? by Shishberg · · Score: 1
      ...and when things get hairy there is always 'renumber'.

      That's just what we need.

      "Okay, the first, second and third movies I made - the ones that say Episodes IV, V and VI - are now Episodes VII, VIII and IX. And to make it easier, for you, the fourth, fifth and sixth movies are now Episodes IV, V and VI - don't worry that they used to be I, II and III, those will be the seventh, eighth and ninth movies now."

      In the new DVDs, the episodes are all renumbered in binary, and Greedo shoots two prequels after Han.

    7. Re:Another Trilogy? by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      ...but then how are you going to make a trilogy?

      0
      00
      000

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    8. Re:Another Trilogy? by teh+moges · · Score: 1

      c'mon, that would just confuse people :-p

    9. Re:Another Trilogy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and negatives?

    10. Re:Another Trilogy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is however subtraction in roman numerals...
      IV = -1+5 = 4 So clearly to be creative in this endevour, the numbering would be IIIIIIIV IIIIIIV and IIIIIV which, while totally screwing with conventional roman numerals would equal -2 -1 and 0... So it's a perfect numbering scheme for the prequel prequels. because we all know lucas doesn't care if he screws with history ;)
      Otherwise lucas can just number them episode X XI and XII or just plain shift the uncreated sequels to the original trilogy and the new trilogy prequel up again.

    11. Re:Another Trilogy? by bobdehnhardt · · Score: 1

      "Three prequels ought to be enough for anyone."

      George Lucas, 1980

  22. No matter how hard I try by weavermatic · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just can't squeeze any blood from this stone!

    1. Re:No matter how hard I try by SnprBoB86 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I just love beating this dead horse!

      Great comic strip:
      http://penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-12-13& res=l

      --
      http://brandonbloom.name
  23. How about going even further back in time by Ham_belony · · Score: 1

    To the point where voyager I passed the termination shock.....

    1. Re:How about going even further back in time by Ham_belony · · Score: 1

      That caused a ripple in the force......

    2. Re:How about going even further back in time by Timberwolf0122 · · Score: 2, Funny

      That would be in the (star wars) future as even in the first film (at time of release voyager had not realy go that far) it was set a long time ago;

      --
      In the not too distant future, next Sunday A.D.
    3. Re:How about going even further back in time by Jamu · · Score: 2, Funny

      A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

      Which is unusual in that usually Sci-Fi is set in the future. But, anyway, you'd have to go forward in time to find voyager I.
      --
      Who ordered that?
    4. Re:How about going even further back in time by svanstrom · · Score: 1
      you'd have to go forward in time to find voyager I.


      Voyager/Enterprise keeps on jumping back and forth in time every season or so... as things are I don't think neither SW- or ST-fans would be too surprised to find out that the first Sith was actually the grandson of Janeway and Picard, and that the force actually is what later on will become the Q-continuum.

      The really sick part about it all is that I'd actually watch that movie... =D
      --
      perl -e'print$_{$_} for sort%_=`lynx -dump svanstrom.com/t`'
    5. Re:How about going even further back in time by Dr.+GeneMachine · · Score: 1

      That's not unusual at all, as it states clearly that Star Wars is no SF, but fantasy.

      --
      This comment does not exist.
    6. Re:How about going even further back in time by Jamu · · Score: 1

      Then I guess it's unusual in that it's a fantasy set in a galaxy far, far away.

      --
      Who ordered that?
  24. misread? by adagioforstrings · · Score: 5, Funny

    he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens

    I misread that as captaining such shit at first. And then I thought, maybe I'm not misreading it.

    1. Re:misread? by babbage · · Score: 1

      And that, now that you mention it, has me wondering if it's an accident that "sith" is an anagram for "shit". Hmm....

  25. Episode 0? by ZxCv · · Score: 1

    I mean, really, what will Lucas pull out of his ass next?

    --

    Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
    1. Re:Episode 0? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      himself shooting first?

      thank you thank you! walks off to puke

    2. Re:Episode 0? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      episode -1

    3. Re:Episode 0? by beh · · Score: 1

      Well, if it will turn out to be a preprequel-trilogy, shouldn't it start of at "Episode -2"?

    4. Re:Episode 0? by Renegrade · · Score: 1
      Well, if it will turn out to be a preprequel-trilogy, shouldn't it start of at "Episode -2"?

      That depends. Does he want to use zero? "Episode 0: Return of the Revenge of the Jedi-Sith Gungans"?

      Or maybe it's all a moot point, as the movie industry droids might take a negative number to mean an error, and will be trying to figure out why errno is a random number.. (or maybe it won't be, but will be ETOOMANYPREQUELS)

  26. Its a by JustOK · · Score: 0

    trap!

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  27. The one I'd like to see by GomezAdams · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'd like to see how they discover midi-chlorians and the origins of the Jedi. Just thinking. If not, I've seen all the Star Wars I need for one life time.

    --
    Too lazy to create a sig...
    1. Re:The one I'd like to see by drb_chimaera · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Personally the thing I'd like to see is the development of the Rebellion against the Empire - I'd love it if the supposed TV series set between Eps III and IV looked into this - I think it could be fascinating if done right...

    2. Re:The one I'd like to see by OverflowingBitBucket · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'd like to see how they discover midi-chlorians

      Holy crap! Lucas actually posts on Slashdot!

    3. Re:The one I'd like to see by witte · · Score: 1

      I'd like to see how they discover midi-chlorians

      Not really, Lucas will probably portray midichlorians as cute adowable widdle fuzzies.

    4. Re:The one I'd like to see by hobbesmaster · · Score: 1

      That would have to be 30,000 years in the past. :)

      I think KOTOR would make a good movie myself, but thats beside the point. Exar Kun would be good too...

    5. Re:The one I'd like to see by Vinnie_333 · · Score: 1

      I'd like to see the interbreeding of wookies and ewoks .... wow, that's sick.

      --

      "We shall party like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean." - HedonismBot
    6. Re:The one I'd like to see by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      I think KOTOR would make a good movie myself, but thats beside the point.

      Only if they let Bioware write all the dialogues.

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    7. Re:The one I'd like to see by bckrispi · · Score: 1
      The shooting script of ep3 had quite a bit of dialog dealing with the formation of the Rebellion. It started with Bail Organa, Padme, Mon Mothma, et al organizing to petition Palpatine to release his new executive powers. Eventually, this led to murmurings of an "alliance of senators out to prolong this civil war indefinitely". This was capped of as one of the reasons Palpatine gave for declaring the Empire - to protect the 'republic' from these unscrupulous senators.

      Unfortunately, this all wound up on the cutting-room floor. I'm sure part of this arc will wind up in the deleted scenes of the DVD.

      --
      Xenon, where's my money? -Borno
    8. Re:The one I'd like to see by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 1

      And they don't let LucasArts cut off the last 25 minutes of the movie, leaving everyone to search the DVD for the un-used sound files..

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
  28. Star Wars Universe by SirSmiley · · Score: 1

    is it just me or am I the only one who enjoys the star wars universe while hating every single movie in the series (i like the video games thats all i really care about (kotor 1 and 2, jedi knight series)? These movies are so milking the cash cow that they need a whole new setting and characters such as in knights of the old republic era

    1. Re:Star Wars Universe by cammoblammo · · Score: 1
      is it just me or am I the only one ...

      Umm, is this supposed to be multiple choice?

      --

      Cogito, ergo sig.

  29. Finally by CleverNickedName · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'll see what the hell Yoda is. My money's on "bald Ewok".

    --


    Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
    1. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My guess is he's what Kermit will look like when after 800 years.

    2. Re:Finally by 01000011011101000111 · · Score: 1

      Given his relationship with chewbakka, my money's on shriveled, midget wookie...

      --
      Programming is an Art. I am an Artist. Does that mean I get to wear a daft hat?
    3. Re:Finally by (trb001) · · Score: 5, Informative

      He's a Whill, though it's never been announced in the movies. He's also over 800 years old in Episode III, so I wouldn't look for a significant change only 100 years earlier.

      --trb

    4. Re:Finally by CleverNickedName · · Score: 1

      Thank you. I will now be able to sleep at night. :)

      --


      Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
    5. Re:Finally by mr_z_beeblebrox · · Score: 1

      He's a Whill

      And, where there's a whill, there's a whey.

    6. Re:Finally by joejor · · Score: 1

      I personally think Yoda is human. Using the Force to extend one's lifespan to 900+ years takes a physical toll.

    7. Re:Finally by Mac+Degger · · Score: 1

      Come on, It's obvious: he's the secret lovechild of a shell-less turtle and a frog! Anyone can see that :)

      --
      -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
    8. Re:Finally by F�an�ro · · Score: 1

      He is a Wookie that went to the dark side, and used to much of that purple lightning (just look how it affected Palpatine).

      The shock of his changed appearance made him repent and return to the good side.

      This also explains why he is on such good terms with the wookies in ROTS

    9. Re:Finally by Racter · · Score: 1
      It's notable that "Ewok" is also never mentioned in the movies.

      That is to say, the real movies, not the Ewok movies, the memory of which I think I'd successfully repressed until this very moment.

      Damn you, Lucasfilm marketing machine.

    10. Re:Finally by Darth · · Score: 4, Informative

      actually, yoda is not a whill. That was speculation that the community created due to the fact that the text scroll had a byline saying it was from the journal of the whills in some of the original scripts. (i think it says that in the original novel too).

      Rick McCallum answered that at a convention once and said yoda's race has never been identified, nor had his homeworld; but he was definitely not a whill.

      (the whills were an idea that lucas abandoned before releasing the original star wars film, which is why the scrolling text on the film doesnt include the by line)

      --
      Darth --
      Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
    11. Re:Finally by Eric+S+Raymond · · Score: 1

      I believe that's 740 years earlier, he'll be 60.

      I would like to see him kick butt when he was young and strong!

      --
      Bypass Compulsory Web Registration -- http://bugmenot.com/
    12. Re:Finally by sffinn · · Score: 1

      If Yoda is a "bald Ewok", I am sure he is pissed about http://darthside.blogspot.com/2005/05/ewok-cook-ou t.html

  30. Could be interesting. by TiggsPanther · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Could also stand a good chance of being done right. Personally I enjoyed Episodes I & II (not seen RoTS yet), but I can see the main problem with them - which wouldn't be so pronounced in a much earlier prequel.

    Episodes I through III were dealing in the too recent past directly dealing with known characters who many older fans have had 20 years to come up with their own theories about.

    Now a pre-Phantom-Menace film wouldn't have quite so much "known" events to deal with. It would be somewhat harder to really jar with people's own perceptions of what could have happened. Plus if Lucas did step back and leave such a prequel to someone else it might well end up better than the current prequels. Not many people can create good stories in on their own - and even those who do don't (usually) do films on their own.
    Editors, screenwriters, directors. As long as they're not all at odds then they stand a better chance of coming up with a great finished product.

    --
    Tiggs
    "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
    1. Re:Could be interesting. by theefer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Episodes I through III were dealing in the too recent past directly dealing with known characters who many older fans have had 20 years to come up with their own theories about.


      No.

      I just saw Episode III last night and it was just as I thought: plain, without any originality or feelings. Bad.

      The reason why Episodes I-III are so bad has nothing to do with the fans. Nothing to do with them growing up, their imagination, or whatever. It has to do with George Lucas' (in)ability to screenplay and direct a movie. The dialogues are pathetic from beginning to end (not to mention the love scenes), the actors (though all capable of excellent performances) look bored as hell as they walk through the ridiculous evolution of their character. The complexity of the storyline is as astounding as you would expect from a 13 year-old boy, without any surprise or depth. Most of it is an excuse to visit dozens of various environments, rendered by gorgeous yet overused FX.

      There is not a single tiny bit of emotion in these three movies, although that 3rd movie was supposed to be the emotional apotheosis of the saga, with the beloved Anakin turning to the Dark Side, Padme dying, etc. But instead, the spectator is too busy bitching at how Lucas screw up those parts by putting them together in the most primitive, easy way one could think of.

      There is no talent in here. George Lucas was simply not good enough a director to make these prequels worth watching, let alone enjoyable. The same thing happened with the Matrix Trilogy, brilliant at first but then spoiled by the greed of the Wachowsky Brothers who couldn't handle the breadth of what they had started. Many praise to Peter Jackson built his trilogy with true genius.

      Maybe a Star Wars pre-prequel could be interesting as long as Lucas stays away from it.
      --
      theefer
    2. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Many praise to Peter Jackson [who] built his trilogy with true genius."

      It wasn't HIS trilogy.

    3. Re:Could be interesting. by theefer · · Score: 1

      The movies were his trilogy, based on someone else's (fantastic) work indeed.

      --
      theefer
    4. Re:Could be interesting. by robfoo · · Score: 1

      ..but I can see the main problem with them..

      The main "problem with them" is George Lucas going totally batshit fucking loco .

    5. Re:Could be interesting. by psykocrime · · Score: 1

      There is not a single tiny bit of emotion in these three movies,

      You obviously didn't watch the same movies I did. EP-III was an out and out tear-jerker. I know that I, for one, found myself on the verge of tears several times during ROTS. I found it to be an extremely emotional movie.

      The characters may not have displayed much emotion, but the emotion was there. The scene were Obi-Wan watches the security hologram and sees Anakin slaughter the children was very emotional, for example. Well, it was for me anyway. YMMV.

      --
      // TODO: Insert Cool Sig
    6. Re:Could be interesting. by rpillala · · Score: 1

      The best thing about these movies for me has been how they recall the older movies. That's why episode II was better than I because we had things like the imperial march, and some stormtrooper-esque dudes in it. I haven't seen ROTS yet either but I'm guessing that it will contain even more of the old music, sounds (music and dialogue), and sights from the older movies. With an episode before Ep. I, this would not make logical sense.

      But wait.

      --
      When the axe came to the forest, the trees said, "Look out - the handle was once one of us."
    7. Re:Could be interesting. by BenBenBen · · Score: 1

      'Younglings' scene: "I can't watch this any more"...
      "I wonder where Anakin went"...

      WATCH THE GOD-DAMN THING AND HE'LL TELL YOU.

      Also, if those missiles actually BLEW UP instead of chucking pathetic Gremlins at his spaceship it would've saved the Emperor some trouble.

      And WTF was with the ending? "Give it up, I jumped this high!".."Don't underestimate how high I can jump!".. jump.. zvoom.. legs gone.

      Throw in the TERRIBLE droid slapstick noises in all the fights and R2's magic new acrobatic routines and I was ready to walk out halfway through. And don't even get me started on why Grievous was half biological (and seemed to be recovering from a bad cold), or what the fuck Obi-Wan was thinking leaving an angry, jealous, vengeful apprentice open to the obviously Dark Side chancellor, or why "Do or Do Not.. There Is No Try" Yoda ran off after a wussy attempt to slap the Chancellor down. Or.. fuck it, that's enough, but you get my point. I hate lousy plots.

      --
      The Slashdot Paradox: "100% Overrated"
    8. Re:Could be interesting. by xtracto · · Score: 1

      I agree with you, although I overall liked the movie (it is ok just to enjoy some sweet popcorn), these are the things I did not like it:

      In one scene when someone (dont remember who) is landing in the world of Chewbaca they have a long CG animation of the landscape with trees and sea, I think it is so long that I could see that the trees where computer animation. You see, what I like from CG graphics in movies is to to be realistic as possible as for example in LOTR the beasts that the Orcs rided, I KNEW they where not real but, they seemed quite real and the scenes where so fast I could not realize otherwise.

      Another thing that pissed me off was the fight between the 4 Jedis and the senator, when I saw the trailer and the plot of the story it seemed (for me) that the scene would be really awesome, because the Sith killed 3 Jedis. When I was watching the movie and the scene begun (the 4 Jedis entering and saying "you are under arrest") I got really happy, but then suddenly after 15 seconds the 3 Jedis where dead, Come on!!! they are not really thaaaat bad!! It was really dissapointing.

      Of course, the Nooooooooo! shout of DV was terrible, I think the end of the Scary Movie parody was better acted... seriously, awful.

      And when Anakin cuts Mace Windu arm and Darth Sith kills him, and "suddenly" Anakin says "ok, I am on your knees, at your service" WTF! it didnt took to much time for him.

      I will have to see it again, but I do not want to pay, I want to see it to remember everything that I do not like it. It was ok because it shows you how Anakin became DV.

      From my point of view, Georce Lucas wasted a lot of good plot in the Jedi Temple, Anakin killing joung padawans, mmm he could had added a lot of "good vs evil" though inside Anakin's mind in those scenes.

      And the Jedi's murders also seemed a bit frustrating.

      Ok, I am sorry for throwing all my anger at you, but I really needed to let it go =o) It is not a bad move 'overall', I like CG animations, I like space and stars histories (I am an Isaac Asimov fan) I like action movies and I am not a die hard fan of anything (so, Ep. I and II where also so so) so that is why I think the movie is ok, but in the "Film" side of it, it is NOT well done.

      As you pointed, cheesy dialogues, love scenes, character development, etc... the only thing that saves the day (or night if u didnt go to matinee) is that after the movie ends, you think "it was cool how Anakin die and how he become DV, and how he become to the Dark Side, and how Yoda fought Darth Sith...", this is, just the "things" that happened... I think I can not explain myslef here, but for it it was like to see how things happened was the cool thing, but if I had not seen the other movies it would be an ok SciFi movie with terrible effects/dialogue/etc...

      Ok ok, now I shut up.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    9. Re:Could be interesting. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      Grievous [...] seemed to be recovering from a bad cold)

      You didn't watch the Clone Wars cartoon series. You should. Best imagining of the Star Wars universe since Episode V. Windu singlehandedly tearing apart a thousand battledroid army is worth the price of admission alone. (Or the time to get the torrents.) Long after I have allowed myself to forget Eps I,II,III,and VI; the cartoons will still be on my shelf.

      Anyhoo, the cartoons end *just* before the start of Episode III, with Grievous taking off in his ship with the emperor. As they are taking off Windu attacks and half crushes Grievous (a pretty badass scene considering that Grievous had by that time killed a lot of jedi without even breaking a sweat). The Grievous in the movie is a pale shadow of the terrifying death droid from the cartoons.

    10. Re:Could be interesting. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      ROTS is deliberately designed to evoke the original trillogy.
      Natalie Portman even studied Carie fishers acting to influence her style in this episode. She's even wearing that famous hairdo parrodied in Space Balls the first time you see her on-screen.
      There are many other elements that clearly derive from ANH, but I won't spoil the movie by giving any more of them away.
      But whatever else people knock the prequals for, clearly connecting ROTS and ANH is definately covered imho.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    11. Re:Could be interesting. by BenBenBen · · Score: 1

      Hmm, forgot about them. Will have to check them out and then buy them if they're worth it. Oops, I mean buy them and then figure out if they're worth it. Don't want to argue with the business model.

      --
      The Slashdot Paradox: "100% Overrated"
    12. Re:Could be interesting. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Gak, how could anyone like the cartoon crap.
      It's the worst of bad 70's animation and bad anime parody.
      They tried to get those of us old enough to remember the cartoon styles of first trillogies era with nostalgia and the younger crowd with the anime feel and totaly wrecked it imho.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    13. Re:Could be interesting. by krist0 · · Score: 1

      and seriously, what in Haemoraging Fuck(tm) was the point of placing luke on tatooine?

      Hmmm, yes, lets put luke on the same planet his father is from. yes, very subtle, he'd never guess.

      and the acting was so freakin weak, they could have taken maddoxs advice for keanu and taken a piece of 2x4, painted a angry/sulky face on it and use it as their Anakin.....but again, its the weak direction.

      bah, what a waste.

      --
      all you are, is all you are, i'm so sorry for you.
    14. Re:Could be interesting. by keymygrip · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A tear jerker is what Lucas called this blasphemy. How on earth can you possibly cry when every line delivered from Ian McDiarmid (Palpy) was vocally awkward. I know I couldn't. I was drawn out of the movie by every performance. I was drawn out of the movie by Ewan's good performance because it was so out of place. I sat there thinking "that's actually a good performance" instead of what was going on in the scene.

      The security hologram scene was stupid looking. There was no time spent developing emotion. I wanted to feel for the characters and physically couldn't. You must have wanted it more than me.

      The story had to be blatant (aka. Anakin had to verbally say why he was turning dark) or else you would never be able to infer what was going on. The real symptom of this movie (and the two before it) is that without blatantly being told what was happening, we would never know. The problem is that Lucas has no grasp of sublety.

      Lucas is an incredibly bad director and writer. I will banket the statement by saying all bad acting performances were Lucas' fault. A New Hope was good because he was under enormous pressure to finish it. ESB and RoTJ were good because he had other people do the important work. These movies (and his bastardized remakes) are his vision. His vision sucks. He got lucky making Star Wars and got lucky with his timing to let the fan base create create an incredible universe. The story has not been his for a long time now and I don't think he has any right to go in and ruin it.

      All that said, Episode III is by far the best of the prequels. But I also believe that all the "good reviews" of this movie have everything to with how pitiful the other two were.

    15. Re:Could be interesting. by Kombat · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I just saw Episode III last night and it was just as I thought: plain, without any originality or feelings. Bad.

      Wow. You were so sure you'd hate it, that you rushed out during its first week in theatres and couldn't wait to stand in line and pay full price to see it, eh?

      People like you really annoy me. You try so hard to come off as sarcastic and cynical (yes, I'm well aware of the irony in my own post, get over it), so you can feel accepted by the "we hate everything that's popular" crowd.

      You've lost all credibility with me.

      --
      Like woodworking? Build your own picture frames.
    16. Re:Could be interesting. by Lisandro · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As you pointed, cheesy dialogues, love scenes, character development, etc... the only thing that saves the day (or night if u didnt go to matinee) is that after the movie ends, you think "it was cool how Anakin die and how he become DV, and how he become to the Dark Side, and how Yoda fought Darth Sith...", this is, just the "things" that happened... I think I can not explain myslef here, but for it it was like to see how things happened was the cool thing, but if I had not seen the other movies it would be an ok SciFi movie with terrible effects/dialogue/etc...

      I have to disagree, the way the story unraveled was EXTREMELY poor, IMHO. So, basically, Anakin turned to the Dark Side because he was a whiny brat?

      (Spoilers below, sort of)

      Palpatine: "Kill him".
      Anakin: "No, it's not the Jedi way."
      Palpatine: "Come on, just do it."
      Anakin: "Ah.. well, ok"

      Or my favorite ...

      Sidious: "Join the dark side!"
      Anakin: "NO! I'm a Jedi!"
      Sidious: "Come on.. do it!"
      Anakin: "No.."
      Sidious: "Come on now, you fool. Don't be a meanie."
      Anakin: "Oh, OK. You're my master now and i'll do what you say!"

      Come on, Lucas had 3 MOVIES to get it right, and not only we find Anakin turning into Darth Vader in 5 minutes of plot, it's also because of the most retarded reasons posible. Not to mention the terrible dialogs, the way all Jedis are killed (weren't they Jedi *MASTERS*?! Sheeze...), and the cherry on top: Vader screaming "Nooooo!" with fists up, like it was a teen soap opera. Darth Vader, one of the meanest bad guys in movies ever.

      I could go all day with things that were wrong in that film. Just like Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions, i kept my expectations low to avoid dissapointment and got something much worse than i imagined possible.

    17. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I downloaded it. I couldn't wait two years to hate it on HBO.

    18. Re:Could be interesting. by Kombat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And when Anakin cuts Mace Windu arm and Darth Sith kills him, and "suddenly" Anakin says "ok, I am on your knees, at your service" WTF! it didnt took to much time for him.

      I had this discussion with a friend of mine after the movie, and I concluded that I don't think there's any problem at all with the speed with which Anakin turns to the dark side. The explanation is simple, and you've heard it before: "You underestimate the power of the dark side." Once Anakin started to turn, the dark side drew him in faster than anyone could have expected (except Yoda, he's the one who was always warning us about it in the first place). Also, don't forget that Palpatine wasn't just a smooth-talking politician. He was the surpreme overlord of the Sith. The ultimate manifestation of the dark side. It's not inconceivable that he was exercising mind control to help push Anakin over to the dark side.

      --
      Like woodworking? Build your own picture frames.
    19. Re:Could be interesting. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Some of your points make sense (the younglings scene, reminds me of the 'in under 12 parsecs' fubar of ANH).
      But while the gremlins instead of explosives thing wouldn't make sense if destroying those two WAS the point (it wasn't, more later) it did seem kinda odd that our Jedi heros didn't say "WTF? kinda silly way to kill someone" unless you posit some reason why gremlins would be normally be used (eigther the fact the the SW universe has a major woody for droids, or that salvage was important or live prisoners, or some field prevented nukes/high explosives from working or some other stretch of reason.
      However NOT blowing up the Jedi is almost certainly EXACTLY in plan for Palpy as he is setting up Anakin to be his 'hero' and to supplant Doku as the other sith in power (Anakin is both stronger and more maleable given his age/experience). Being a force wielder he knows a pair of Jedi should be able to handle the droids as they take time to work. And if they can't it only proves he almost picked the wrong aprentice to replace Doku.
      While the way it was portrayed was a bit weak the whole end of the light sabre fight makes sense, but might require reading between the lines. Obi-wan's 'don't try it' makes it clear he can tell what Anakin is about to 'try' and from having 'been like a brother' to Anakin and teaching him everything and working together for YEARS knows the current situation is one he can't loose. Anakin feeling the raw, crack-like, power of the darkside foolishly thinks he can pull it off.
      The droid/slapstick thing is a matter of taste I suspect, but it bugged me at times as well and R2's and to a lesser degree Yoda's acrobatics were a bit to much in places.
      As far as trusting Anakin to the presence of Palpatine, well that pretty much presumes on the backstory between TCW and ROTS. Rember in the interviening timeframe Anakin has become a full Jedi in his own right and Obi-Wan has risen to the council. Plus Anakin has been behaving himself just fine (as far as they know) other than seeming to have befriended a suspicious character in the person of Chancellor Palpatine. The angry vengefull part I have no clue where you got that other than Palpy's giving Anaking a rationalization for killing Doku that suits his purposes.
      Also how much do they suspect really? On one hand they know the darkside is heavy around palpy, on the other the fact that he's Sith seems a fair bit more than they had suspected. I'm thinking the point was they suspected Palpy might be under the influence of, or maybe even working with a sith, but not the hidden sith himself.
      Yoda running off, I'll admit best I can offer is a rather weak supposition that he was able to determine from that encounter that he wasn't likely to win. Maybe he convinced himself he had to survive if there were ever going to be more Jedi trained he being the only master other than Obi-Wan left. I Honestly expected them to fight untill outside influences somehow force them to seperate. Or perhaps for Palpy to win and think he'd killed Yoda, but be unable to verify it.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    20. Re:Could be interesting. by xtracto · · Score: 1

      Hehe, the thing is, I agree with you, it is just I could not state it clearly (as English is not my first language "thats unposible!").

      What I wanted to say is that it is good to at know "what happened" to Anakin to make him go to the Dark Side, of course I could have read or listen to someones comment but I wanted to know from the "main" source.

      But what I (as you) didnt liked is the "how", how it happened.

      I think it this way: "it was cool to see that Palpatine was going to be arrested by four Jedis" BUT "it sucked how that happened, as I stated, I was very disappointed by that scence", or "It was cool to see that Anakin struggled between good and the dark side of the force" BUT "it REALLY sucked, as you said, come on it only took him 3 seconds after saying "what have I done" and saying "ok ok, fuck it Dark Side Rulez so WTF I will Cuck ur Sock Darth Sith".

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    21. Re:Could be interesting. by xtracto · · Score: 1

      Sure but as I replied elswhere, the scene was like this:

      - Anakin Cuts Mace Windu's arm
      AK: Oh, what have I done?
      - Anakin sits down
      DS: Great Anakin!
      AK: Ok, whatever, let me Cuck your Sock now... DS rulz!

      It was just not convincing... too many things left out as if they where known to happen.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    22. Re:Could be interesting. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      The cartoons were by Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind the excellent Samurai Jack. If you don't like the style, that's fine; but it certainly isn't a clumsy mismash of anime and 70s cartoons as you seem to feel.

      Both cartoons (Samurai Jack and the Clone Wars) have, to my eyes, an extremely cool sense of style and technique. The lightsaber battles in the Clone Wars are incredibly better than any in the movies; ditto for...everything else (the use of the force, jedi tactics, space battles, trooper organization, etc. etc. etc.).

      For the curious, browse the glowing quick reviews at rotten tomatoes or do a google search for "clone.wars tartakovsky review" and see the almost unanimous praise for the cartoons.

    23. Re:Could be interesting. by solarlux · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, these pompous, elite slashdotters are the exception, not the norm. Star Wars has a mythos to it that has captured the hearts of Americans and that has continued to do so with the prequels. I'm glad to see that the hoi polloi seems to agree with my taste of films and appreciation of well-done sci-fi (evidenced by the long lines and box-office returns).

      I knew it would only be a matter of time before the intrinsically negative slashdot crowd would start modding up the cynical comments. It amazes me. I'll take Star Wars over "well-acted" movies like Lost in Translation or Chicago any day of the week.

    24. Re:Could be interesting. by CodeArtisan · · Score: 1

      There is no talent in here. George Lucas was simply not good enough a director to make these prequels worth watching, let alone enjoyable. The same thing happened with the Matrix Trilogy, brilliant at first but then spoiled by the greed of the Wachowsky Brothers who couldn't handle the breadth of what they had started. Many praise to Peter Jackson built his trilogy with true genius.

      Of course, Jackson was directing what was already a classic set of novels. Lucas and the Matrix Bros were having to try and write the novels too.

    25. Re:Could be interesting. by Sir+dies+alot · · Score: 2, Insightful

      OK, I don't know what movie you saw, but the Episode III that I saw was IMHO rather well done. The purpose of the movie (being a prequel and all) was to explain how ANH came to be. This involves developing and progressing the universe and characters within it to a point that makes ANH the next step. This movie did just that. This is a rather difficult task in that it covers so many bases, first the characters have to be developed further than before, especially with these characters who have been so well developed in the original trilogy.

      This movie showed the fall of the entire jedi order, and yes I am aware that a great many of the jedi were killed very rapidly, but that added to the development of the universe. If they had not been killed rapidly and simultaneously, a war would ensue that would delay if not prevent the success of the Empire. Someone please explain how that would have made sense in respect to the original trilogy?

      Another commonly disliked point is how quickly Anakin fell to the dark side. This is just an outright lack of vision on YOUR part. Anakin's fall to the dark side was well developed, in fact, it started back in episode II. His fall began when he slaughtered the camp of sandpeople that killed his mother. His emotions of love for his family are what caused him to fall to the dark side. He started down that path on his own, Palpatine simply prodded him to continue in that direction. His fall did remain rather subtle throughout the beginning of ep III, but if you look he was falling the entire time. His loyalty wavered and he questioned the council's judgement. Not to mention the whole lying about the marriage thing. The moment he crossed blades with Windu was the proverbial straw on the camel's back, so his fall was complete at that point, why not swear loyalty to the sith master at that point?

      One final thing I noticed during the movie that seems to have been overlooked by everyone that was looking for faults as opposed to just enjoying the movie was the CG issue so many of those same people complained about throughout the prequels. If you watch carefully, the CG starts out with the full effects from ep I and II, but at the end of ep III its almost back to the level of graphics of ANH. This was one of the things I thought Lucas did very well as I hardly noticed until right at the end, during the much hated "NOOOO" scene.

      Oh and on a side note, I loved the droid remarks and the antics of R2D2 in ep III. One of the things I didn't like about ep I was that the majority of the fight scenes were with expressionless droids, it was a one-sided fight and not all that particularly entertaining. You can only see a droid get sliced in half so many times before you start to yawn. By adding the remarks of the droids, it added a tiny amount of depth to the driods and made it far more entertaining to me to see them in action.

      To be honest the majority of you who didn't like the films probably knew you wouldn't before you ever went to the theater, and went to the movie looking for reasons to hate it. I loved it, and at least liked ep I and II.

      --
      The stupidity of your average American is just about the same as the average European, we simply show it off better.
    26. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The cartoons were by Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind the excellent Samurai Jack. If you don't like the style, that's fine; but it certainly isn't a clumsy mismash of anime and 70s cartoons as you seem to feel.
      Clumsy being a subjective term, Tartakovsky's style IS a mismash of anime and 70's cartoons. Its easy to see how one person might find it innovative, and another might find it a rip off.
    27. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have to agree with the grandparent. I went to Revenge hoping to see the old magic, but not really expecting to see it.

      My expectations were not disappointed. It was a terrible movie, from Samuel Jackson's wooden portrayal of the Jedi (how on earth did Lucas get Jackson to give a SUBDUED performance), to James Earl Jones' non-committal and unemotional "noo!" after hearing about Padme's death, the movie lacked any kind of real emotion.

      I'm perfectly willing to concede that it may be my fault. Episode I was awful, and Episode II was like Dawson's Creek in space. I walked into Episode III not caring about any of the characters at all. But it was Lucas's duty to make me care. And he failed it.

    28. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sigh, same old bullshit.

    29. Re:Could be interesting. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but calling them animation is even a stretch. They are a single frame shown for a few seconds followed by another frame and so on most of the time. This is akin to holding a comic strip up to the camera, only worse.
      O.K. ocasionaly durring the ten or so seconds each cell is shown they animate someones hair blowing in the wind on a 5 frame loop, but that's it.
      The story plots are almost non-existant and clearly the whole thing is aimed at a single digit age range, low single digit.
      The biggest difference between the 'animation' they used and the seventies is the parts that are gonna break five frames later aren't a slightly different color. That and I'm pretty shure the higher budget stuff managed to change the frame at least once a second in the seventies.
      Also in the seventies and eighties that was state of the art and very labour intensive. Now it's just lazy and cheap.
      Admitedly that horrible distorted versioning of things is a recongized style that some actually like (not me, don't like pain either but masochism is also a recognized 'like' people have).
      And the rediculous 'Jedi can jump miles at a time' and other elements that completely blow the feeble attempt at suspension of disbelief.
      I've seen decent and good anime, and the crap. The only reason I recognize the anime elements is because I've seen too many of the crap anime.
      Sorry but 'glowing reviews'(the link you provided links to a pan one good and two mixed review, the good review praises this guy for power puff girls, nuff said) do not provide a plot where there is none, do not provide acting or writing where there is none, do not provide animation where there is almost none.
      As far as the light saber battles, sheesh how is a still of someone holding a sabre in an akward stance facing enemies followed a few seconds later by him holding it in another untennable position while the enemies are are all shown in mid fall better than an expertly coreographed scene using actuall sword style better?!?!?!?!

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    30. Re:Could be interesting. by OldeTimeGeek · · Score: 1
      I'm glad to see that the hoi polloi seems to agree with my taste of films and appreciation of well-done sci-fi (evidenced by the long lines and box-office returns).

      It's nice that your world view is confirmed because a group of people are willing to stand in line and shell out money (Barnum, anyone?), but as for good SF, Star Wars really doesn't quite cut it. Decent entertainment? yes. Fun? yes. SF? Not quite. Good SF? Not even close.

      Gattica was good SF, Blade Runner was good SF, Minority Report was good SF. Star Wars is a Western in SF clothing. Does that mean that it was bad and the people who saw it were idiots? No, people can do whatever turns their crank so long as there's food left for me. But calling Star Wars SF is like calling Coors beer - sure, it's just like the real thing, but it's been hopelessly watered down for the masses

      And, yes, I am an elitist snob.

    31. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Wow. You were so sure you'd hate it, that you rushed out during its first week in theatres and couldn't wait to stand in line and pay full price to see it, eh?"

      Well, it's like that for many of us who have more or less grown up with SW. You jumped in the game as a little boy, it's simply just too late to bail out. Some of us have waited for this freaking movie for decades. It's all or nothing, baby!
      I haven't seen the latest yet. The dark side is tempting, but so far I've been able to resist.
      Full price? Spend $15 or spend $5 on it, who gives a f**k. Like the movie got any better if you wait a year and watch it on DVD instead of going to theatre. Quite the opposite.

      And the main thing that has been stressed over and over that really, really makes these new movies suck, is bad directing. With the exact same ingredients, a decent director would have made much better job on these 3 movies.

      Besides, you're just making these comments so the "we hate "we hate everything that's popular crowd" crowd" would accept you. Oh, look, now you just lost all credibility with me.

    32. Re:Could be interesting. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      ...troll! Did you even google like I stated? I haven't seen any review that pans these cartoons except for yours.

      Re: animation: Are we even talking about the same series? Star Wars: Clone Wars. You can watch episodes 21-25 online.

      To anyone who might be following this thread, watch episodes 24 and 25. Even online (and the compression can't handle how fast the action is) they are all kinds of awesome.

    33. Re:Could be interesting. by rssrss · · Score: 1

      Many praise to Peter Jackson built his trilogy with true genius.

      Jackson did not have to think it up all by himself. He only had to visualize a world created by a master storyteller.

      --
      In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
    34. Re:Could be interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Disclaimer: My experience with Star Wars is limited to the films only: I've never read any of the books, played any video games, seen the TV specials or cartoon series, etc. I don't have anything against the EU, just no time to jump in. I did see the original films in the theatres though, and was involved in many playground discussions revolving around the rumor that Vader was Luke's Dad...

      If you had asked me back before Phantom Menace, I would have said, "Yes, please, give us all nine films!" I remember hearing back in the 80s that Lucas had nine stories, and was thrilled to hear that they were doing episodes 1-3.

      Having watched and enjoyed 1-3, I still feel that Lucas was successful in doing what I expected and hoped for him to do with the prequel trilogy: he made me see 4-6 in a new light. After seeing RotS on opening night, I watched the unmasking scene from RotJ yesterday ("I need to save you, father." "You already have, Luke.") and this 280-pound alpha geek cried.

      And so now I see how, from my admittedly uninformed perspective, 7-9 can't really make sense: the story is about Anakin Skywalker. For 20 years Star Wars was about Luke Skywalker, but the prequels made me see that I was wrong: the story is about his father. So for 7-9 to make sense to me in this frame of mind, they would have to involve Anakin somehow, and if that were the case, his last lines in episode IX would be "For pete's sake, it's about time I moved on!"

      A pre-prequel seems to me to suffer from the same issue, unless it somehow involved Shmi's experience, but the article sets the date too early for that to seem possible.

      Of course, I realize that 7-9 could make more sense in this light if Lucas were to re-write 4-6 (and I wouldn't put it past him, especially after his 20-30% comment).

      And I also realize that my ignorance of the EU makes me not appreciate the rest of te Star Wars universe. But if one places the films on a higher pedestal in the canon than everything else (which I think most people do), the 6 episodes very clearly and completely revolve about the rise, fall and redemption of one man.

      The prequel trilogy made me realize his. But, then, how might a new film (or trilogy) redefine it for me again?

      <lurk>
    35. Re:Could be interesting. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      I just noticed, but I think the DVD only has episodes 1-20 (which are badass but don't have the tie in to the movie). You can watch episodes 21-25 at cartoon network's website. The video compression doesn't handle the fast action very well, but it's still watchable.

      Or there's the torrent solution.

      Enjoy!

    36. Re:Could be interesting. by theefer · · Score: 1

      Wow. You were so sure you'd hate it, that you rushed out during its first week in theatres and couldn't wait to stand in line and pay full price to see it, eh?

      There was no queue, and here in Europe the price does not depend on how many weeks it has been on screen. If it does in the US, I didn't even know it.

      I didn't "rush", it's been out for a week and I have exams coming so I thought I might as well see it before. This is the kind of movie you see in a theatre or you don't, because the main purpose of it is to be spectacular, both visuals and sound. I went there hoping to be surprised because of my low expectations, it simply did not happen.

      As for the "you elitist asshole" part, I do love movies such as Lost in Translation, Mulholland Drive or Coffee and Cigarette. Yet, I also loved Lord of the Rings, or even enjoyed Spiderman 2. Hell, the LOTR books are among the most popular in the world and they're still my favourite.

      Sorry but you're just wrong on this one. It has nothing to do with its popularity, the movie was fun but nowhere close to being memorable or worth all the attention. OldeTimeGeek has a good summary lower in this thread:

      Decent entertainment? yes. Fun? yes. SF? Not quite. Good SF? Not even close.

      --
      theefer
    37. Re:Could be interesting. by autopr0n · · Score: 1

      Many praise to Peter Jackson built his trilogy with true genius.

      Uh, Jackson just directed the movies. He didn't write the screenplay, let alone the story...

      --
      autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    38. Re:Could be interesting. by autopr0n · · Score: 1

      Hmm, well. I promised myself that I would not see ep.3, however it got good reviews. I enjoyed it somewhat, it was definetly better then the first two. But it had a lot of problems.

      Just because the movie did well dosn't mean most people liked it, they're just invested in the universe.

      --
      autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    39. Re:Could be interesting. by Lisandro · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To be honest the majority of you who didn't like the films probably knew you wouldn't before you ever went to the theater, and went to the movie looking for reasons to hate it. I loved it, and at least liked ep I and II.

      Come on. I wanted to like it, but it became evident the emperor had (again) no clothes 30 minutes into the movie. And i wasn't alone, pretty much all of my friends thought the same. It was mindless fun, great to watch (CG galore!)... but boring. Filled with plot holes and poor dialogues. And, the storyline was awful. It seemed to me that since Episodes I & II didn't really add much to the story, Lucas had to fit everything in the two hours of Ep III. It didn't came out good.

      Not only that, i actually felt insulted in a couple of scenes. Darth Vader, lord of all evil, yelling "Noooooo!" like a girl? Anakin turning to the Dark Side in 5 minutes? He loves Padme so much... that he slays a group of infants? Darth Vader needs a respirator because he got 3rd degree burns - in a world where they can replace a limb with zero issues? Obi Wan winning a fight because he has the "high ground"? Padme dies because she "lost her will to live"? I could go on for an hour.

      I read a lot of reviews online, and was looking forward to this movie - with low expectatives after I & II, but looking forward to it, nevertheless. I felt like i saw a whole different film.

    40. Re:Could be interesting. by Mr.+McGibby · · Score: 1

      I love you. Seriously.

      --
      Mad Software: Rantings on Developing So
    41. Re:Could be interesting. by Quikah · · Score: 1

      Uh, yes he did write the screenplay, along with Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens.

      --
      Q.
    42. Re:Could be interesting. by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      Palpatine: "Kill him".
      Anakin: "No, it's not the Jedi way."
      Palpatine: "Come on, just do it."
      Anakin: "Ah.. well, ok"


      From the way Anakin was seething and the way he said "I shouldn't", you could tell that he wanted to finish him off, but was restraining himself from doing so. Palpatine was just egging him on.

      As for turning to the dark side, he spent an eternity in the Jedi Council chambers brooding over the possibility that only Palpatine could save Padme.

      It was poorly executed, but if you were paying attention you can tell that was the main thrust of the story at that point.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    43. Re:Could be interesting. by UOZaphod · · Score: 1

      *SPOILER* So I'm assuming you missed the point that Anakin thought the only way to save Padme was to help the Chancellor/Darth Sidious?

      --
      "The unicode stuff in the latest version is working fabulously well. My russian mafia friends are ecstatic."
    44. Re:Could be interesting. by Lisandro · · Score: 1

      Which is my whole beef with the story... that's the reason sold to us for Anakin to go to the Dark Side! Seriously, does it add up to you? I honestly thought it'd be something more tangible - perhaps the Jedi Council banning his relationship with Padme, who knows. An argument with Obi Wan gone bad. There's a gazillon options, all better than "Geee, i must murder the whole world so she doesn't die at childbirth". And more credible as well.

      BTW, i'd imagine in the Star Wars universe you'd have the medical technology to help someone with problems giving birth.

    45. Re:Could be interesting. by UserGoogol · · Score: 1

      Lucas is a good director, he just... doesn't know how to direct people or human emotions. Everything else he's pretty good at though.

      That, or Lucas doesn't care.

      "It's my movie, why should I waste time explaining what I already know?"

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
    46. Re:Could be interesting. by NFNNMIDATA · · Score: 1

      Ah... but you see she lost the will to live, or so the medbot said (presumably because she lost Anakin). That part actually adds up although it's kind of a chicken and egg situation; she will die because she loses Anakin, but she loses him because she is going to die.

      I'm not defending this ridiculous movie by any stretch but I thought that the story itself was pretty good, despite a couple of plot holes. I especially liked the Darth Plagus back story, that really fleshed out Palpatine. Between that and his fights with Yoda and Mace you see what he's really all about. He's really kind of a pitiful guy, a sad-sack coward of a villain who schemed a bunch and got lucky a couple of times. Not far removed from E.B. Farnham, if you ever watch Deadwood.

      Anyway, what these movies really needed was someone to be the Han Solo character, and there just wasn't one in there anywhere.

    47. Re:Could be interesting. by solarlux · · Score: 1

      > It's nice that your world view is confirmed because a group of people are willing to stand in line and shell out money (Barnum, anyone?)

      There's actually more to it than that, but when there is a universal fanaticism, sometimes there actually is something unique underlying the inspiration.

      > SF? Not quite. Good SF? Not even close.

      Hmm... I'll have to disagree with you on that one. Even if we accept what appears to be your definition of science-fiction (i.e., extrapolating upon a philosophical concept unbounded by present technological limits), I would still disagree with you. Star Wars is an excellent creative and visual representation of what a technologically advanced galaxy might look like. Furthermore, it expounds upon the implications an interesting dualist version of Taoism.

      > And, yes, I am an elitist snob.

      Yeah, it must be difficult to watch so many shallow fools be entertained so richly by such a mockery of pure science-fiction. Oh the curse of intelligence and enlightened artistic taste.

      > Gattica was good SF, Blade Runner was good SF, Minority Report was good SF.

      I enjoyed Gattica. Minority Report was ok. I didn't find Blade Runner very enjoyable. None of these have stimulated my imagination like Star War has.

      > Star Wars is a Western in SF clothing.

      There are certainly heavy elements of fantasy, but a Western?!! The main plot fundamentals are not Han Solo and the bounty hunter.

    48. Re:Could be interesting. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      The first review on the page you linked to paned it. He said it was about as good as the current trillogy, which are crap.
      Talks about how any conflict with Mace or Anakin is totaly laking in suspence because those two so clearly outpower everything thrown at them.
      Says to watch in any order as it makes no difference.
      Says it's mostly Anakin being a brat and Mace being unstopable and oh yeah here's this Grievious guy you'll see in the movie.
      And this is the first review in your rotten tomatoes link. Why on earth should I google for your supposition that everyone likes it when the FIRST review you linked to proves that some people just don't like it.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    49. Re:Could be interesting. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      I just found rotten tomatoes and thought that the reviews would be good. They aren't. Look at their sources. Unfortunately there is a lack of reviews for this excellent series. Sorry you didn't like it, too bad for you. :-)

  31. I call foul by Mithrandir86 · · Score: 0
    This flys in the face of all the Expaned Universe stuff as well as the "the Sith have been extinct for a milinea" stuff in the Phantom Menace.

    However, I'm all for it if he writes the storyline, but leaves the actual implementation to other sources.

    What I'm really hoping for, though, is a cinematic adaption of Zahn's Thrawn series, which had interesting developments, tension, and character development, space battles, etc.

  32. Plot point! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yoda shoots first ...and seeds obi-1!

  33. Back to the future IV by Ham_belony · · Score: 1

    And combine it with the nutty professor

  34. Star Wars PC - now you can super-geek it! by Lurks · · Score: 0, Redundant
    And perhaps a little more Slashdot like, seems that these guys (beware irritating Flash) make a Star Wars branded PC. .com for the US site of course. Which is kinda cool if dorky but the neat thing is, burried within their site is a competition to win one.

    It's here. I guess they'd rather people bought one than winning one which is fair enough! Not sure if there's a competition on the US web site.

  35. Return of the originals? by oneandoneis2 · · Score: 1
    If GL can go back on his "There will be no more SW movies", then maybe he'll also go back on his "There will be no release of the originals"

    I was thinking a while ago: Having only recently released ep. IV-VI on DVD, how will he convince anybody to buy the collection of all six? (I'm sure nobody doubts such a collection is on the way)

    Possible answer: Have the ORIGINAL versions of IV-VI plus the new I-III films, and you can GAURANTEE that SW fans everywhere will buy the six-pack: New fans for the new films, and old fans for the original old ones.

    It would be a brilliant marketing scheme: Say "The originals will never be sold" so everybody buys the remastered versions, then release the originals so everybody will buy them as well.

    Or am I too cynical?

    --
    So.. it has come to this
    1. Re:Return of the originals? by robfoo · · Score: 2, Insightful
      how will he convince anybody to buy the collection of all six?

      Easy:
      • Shiny New Box!
      • Super-Extended Scenes! Never Seen Before Credits!
      • Everyone Shoots First!
      • More Commentary And Other Useless Shit Than Ever Before!
      • More Animated Menus! With Annoying Looping Sound!

      People buy this shit. Who knows why, but they do.

      Now who's cynical? :p
  36. Slashdot is being overly descriptive! by RemovableBait · · Score: 1

    "from the when-will-it-end dept."

    Got it in one...

    I can only think of my first comment when ROTS came out: "Back to the start, we are. Wasted our time, we did"...

  37. Ideas by Eminence · · Score: 1

    Many people have many ideas set in the Star Wars universe. The problem might be various copyrights and such - but even if these would not be an obstacle someone would have to act as a keeper of the storyline to differentiate the canon from the rest.

    This particular idea is not in line with what is known now. Sith, as far as it was revealed in the episodes already made, has no organizational structure and apparently consists always of one master and one apprentice. Where would many Sith lords come from?

    Of course, it is not the first time Lucas changes his mind about his universe. Seeing episode IV after the III shows clearly that back then Lucas had no idea whatsoever of his characters past. Ben Kenobi doesn't recognize rather unique droids he encountered already in the past, Vader seems to be subordinate of Tarkin, numerous C3PO's in various colors walk around etc. etc.

    I think a much more interesting idea would be to create counter-SW series. Consider for a moment that Jedi are evil and Sith is good AND all those movies are propaganda inspired by a Jedi runaway. There were no mass murders. There were no shady dealings. Vader is not crippled, he just wears this outfit in combat situations. Sidious is not deformed or evil, he's just a good administrator. Etc. Don't you think turning it upside down and creating a story along this lines, debunking so to speak "Jedi myths" could produce a thrilling - and refreshing - story?

    1. Re:Ideas by Zog+The+Undeniable · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Vader seems to be subordinate of Tarkin

      According to the backstory, Tarkin was challenging Palpatine for Emperor at one point, so this could be correct.

      What's more puzzling is why Palpatine keeps Vader on the payroll at all, when he allows the Death Star to be destroyed, lets Luke escape in ESB and is clearly treacherous ("join me, and we will rule the galaxy as father and son"). I'd have relegated him to droid-polishing duties after Ep IV.

      --
      When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
    2. Re:Ideas by oneandoneis2 · · Score: 1
      why Palpatine keeps Vader on the payroll at all, when he allows the Death Star to be destroyed, lets Luke escape in ESB

      That wasn't his fault - after all, "the Force is strong with this one" ;o)

      and is clearly treacherous ("join me, and we will rule the galaxy as father and son")

      In one of the books (I forget which one) this was actually explained. Vader had brought Luke to the brink of the Dark Side by angering him, making him too powerful to beat (after all, he DID get a slice in to Vader's shoulder). So he broke Luke's anger by revealing himself to be Luke's father and offering him alliance.

      Seems plausible to me: A Sith lying to gain advantage over an opponent. . .

      --
      So.. it has come to this
    3. Re:Ideas by ruebarb · · Score: 1

      probably not gonna happen,

      but the fan film Troops was pretty damn funny - in that, you're watching Stormtroopers on Tatooine in a regular day, just like a camera crew follows Cops -

      it ends up they blast the Jawa's for resisting arrest and fleeing, and the killing of Uncle Owen/Aunt Beru was a domestic dispute they broke up when Beru came out with a thermal detonator to get that SOB of a husband she had...

      sorta put a funny spin on the whole thing -

      RB

      --

      ----------
      ah honey, we're all resplendent - Bill Mallonee
    4. Re:Ideas by Eminence · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Vader seems to be subordinate of Tarkin

      According to the backstory, Tarkin was challenging Palpatine for Emperor at one point, so this could be correct.

      This makes no sense, since Vader knows best that a guy not familiar with the ways of the Force can't even get near being a threat for the Emperor.

      What's more puzzling is why Palpatine keeps Vader on the payroll at all, when he allows the Death Star to be destroyed, lets Luke escape in ESB and is clearly treacherous ("join me, and we will rule the galaxy as father and son"). I'd have relegated him to droid-polishing duties after Ep IV.

      This is quite clear and can be easily explained within the known canonical storyline.

      Being treacherous against your master is a behavior for a Sith apprentice, after all the only way to get promoted to a Sith Lord is by slaying your master. Any good Sith apprentice is expected to plot to kill his master at some point. So, this is part of the game and who would know it better than Sidious, who has been there?

      But this is not as simple as that, of course. Some of the things Vader/Anakin says that are apparently against the Sidious/Palpatine are just a deception aimed at a particular person - as it was shown in EP III.

      Anyway, in this situation Sidious can't get rid of Vader. He needs an apprentice. He has his own plot to get Luke as the new one, but to achieve this he needs Luke to slay Vader. For him it's a win-win situation - one of them would remain to serve him. He can't predict, of course, that Vader would turn into Anakin again and kill him.

      BTW apparently, the advancement in the Sith is only by slaying - first you have to kill a Sith apprentice to become one. Then you have to kill your Sith master to become one yourself. Nice clan, indeed.

    5. Re:Ideas by saforrest · · Score: 1

      BTW apparently, the advancement in the Sith is only by slaying - first you have to kill a Sith apprentice to become one. Then you have to kill your Sith master to become one yourself. Nice clan, indeed.

      Yes, this makes me wonder how the Sith could ever expand beyond two people. That would seem to be a key requirement for a rival religion to have,

      Maybe a Sith Lord can have multiple apprentices. But if one of them finally succeeds in killing the master, what would happen to the others?

    6. Re:Ideas by BenBenBen · · Score: 1

      So, was Darth Platypus or whatever his name was Sidious' master? ROTS didn't say as much but Palpatine's expression suggested this was so. And is the whole immortality thing the same as the Jedi life-after-death that Yoda, Anakin and Obi-Wan display at the end of ROTJ?

      --
      The Slashdot Paradox: "100% Overrated"
    7. Re:Ideas by Decameron81 · · Score: 1
      BTW apparently, the advancement in the Sith is only by slaying - first you have to kill a Sith apprentice to become one. Then you have to kill your Sith master to become one yourself. Nice clan, indeed.


      You sure? That basically means they can only become less and less with time...
      --
      diegoT
    8. Re:Ideas by Eminence · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Maybe a Sith Lord can have multiple apprentices. But if one of them finally succeeds in killing the master, what would happen to the others?

      Well, this was made very clear - neither Sith nor Jedi masters don't have more than one apprentice at a time. The difference being, of course, that Jedi masters let go of their apprentices and there is no rivalry amongst them.

      It's important to notice that Anakin's fast advancement within the Jedi Order was possible only because of the turmoil created by the Clone Wars. He skipped some tests. He probably fought more than meditated. He, so to speak, sneaked past the system designed to screen against any padawan becoming too powerful without developing enough compassion and understanding. It wasn't all that hard, because it was a system built on trust, not paranoid suspicion.

      And he managed to keep his relationship with Padme a secret from the rest of Jedi. His betrayal of the Jedi in a sense begun with that.

    9. Re:Ideas by SnowDog_2112 · · Score: 1

      If you're really in the mood to geek out and read what some folks have drawn as conclusions based on the movies, video games, books, etc, check out this article at howstuffworks:

      http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/sith.htm

      Not sure how much, if any, of what is in there is "canon" but it should give you some ideas of how and why the Sith limit themselves to this weird system.

      --
      Not representing or approved by my company or anybody else.
    10. Re:Ideas by Eminence · · Score: 1
      ROTS didn't say as much but Palpatine's expression suggested this was so. And is the whole immortality thing the same as the Jedi life-after-death that Yoda, Anakin and Obi-Wan display at the end of ROTJ?

      Clearly not. Sidious master's powers were based on manipulating midi-clorians, that is influencing material, organic particles that have some relationship with the Force. Jedi's life after death is more like nirvana - it's becoming one with the Force. It's spiritual in nature, not dealing with material particles or cells.

      We also don't know if this Sith abilities are not a lie, part of Sidious's scheme to temp Anakin to the Dark Side.

    11. Re:Ideas by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Besides you forget that apprentice slaying/supplanting/etc. his master is normal amoung sith, this doesn't worry sidious, after all he's SIDIOUS and MUCH smarter than silly little vader (after all he turned him to the dark side after he became a full jedi) and can easily handle the plots any apprentice is likely to have against his master.
      At least that's likely his thinking.
      Plus it's clear he's planning on replacing Vader with Luke and Vader as lukes father is his best tool to do so, after all that what aprentices are, tools. Thus a scolding that convinces Vader to keep working on bringing Luke in is his best MO.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    12. Re:Ideas by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Sidious seems to see an aprentice more as an expendable asset than anything else. I suspect he prefers to have the most powerfull possible single aprentice for that purpose but other sith lords might choose to have more than one apprentice.
      Also the need to slay an apprentice to become one cannot be the only way, if it was where would the first one for a newly minted sith master come from?
      I suspect to become an aprentice you just gotta be strong enough for a master to accept you.
      Now slaying a master to become one might be one way, but I suspect if someone skilled in the sith way and strong enough chose call himself master did so it'd pretty much be a moot point.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    13. Re:Ideas by Zwets · · Score: 1

      Well, if GP is correct, you can only become a Sith apprentice by killing another Sith apprentice. So the sum of Sith apprentices and masters can only decrease.

      So the Sith must eventually become extinct if they follow their own rules. Even more ironic than rain on your wedding day!

      --
      One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say. - Will Duran
    14. Re:Ideas by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      Seeing episode IV after the III shows clearly that back then Lucas had no idea whatsoever of his characters past. Ben Kenobi doesn't recognize rather unique droids he encountered already in the past, ...numerous C3PO's in various colors walk around

      ummm, i think you just answered your own question here, Threepio was just a protocol droid, we saw a matte white one on the death star in IV, a silver one in V, and another silver one in I
      so... c3po isn't exactly "unique"

      there's also the theory that Ben knew, but wasn't just going to come out and say "oh! these droids were around when your father turned to the dark side and i caused him to become hideously scarred and turn into darth vader!"

      Vader seems to be subordinate of Tarkin
      the Death Star was Tarkin's domain, he had absolute authority on board. Vader was there to make sure that Tarkin was doing his job, he could only interfere under certain circumstances. And they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye, remember "do not be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed...."

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    15. Re:Ideas by CaymanIslandCarpedie · · Score: 1

      The Sith "rule of two" is actually a fairly new concept. Also, Dark Jedi != Sith Lord. Not sure the exact time-lines, but about a 1,000 years before EPI there were many Dark Jedi and Sith Lords. There was then an epic battle between the Jedi and these Dark Jedi and Sith. During that battle is was believed all the Sith were destroyed. However, I believe it was Darth Bane who actually survived and I believe it was him who created the "rule of two" to stay under the Jedi's radar until the time was right.

      As a side note, many thousand years ago the Sith (not Sith Lords) were a primitave species who practiced some sort of dark magic (but weren't really evil). Thier homeworld was then discovered by some Dark Jedi, who relized they had some knowledge of the dark-side and wanted to learn about it. These Dark Jedi then subjegated the Sith and became "Sith Lords". This extra dark magic they learned is the main difference between Dark Jedi and Sith Lords going forward.

      Anyway, I'm guessing this prequel they are talking about is to be set in the time of this epic battle between the Jedi and the Sith Lords and Dark Jedi.

      --
      "reality has a well-known liberal bias" - Steven Colbert
    16. Re:Ideas by Cerv · · Score: 1
      there's also the theory that Ben knew, but wasn't just going to come out and say "oh! these droids were around when your father turned to the dark side and i caused him to become hideously scarred and turn into darth vader!"

      He was already Vader before the lava fight. Pay attention.

      --
      sig
    17. Re:Ideas by Zangief · · Score: 1

      numerous C3PO's in various colors walk around

      I don't see this as contradictory. I can build a computer, but not from scratch. I use standard pieces I buy or find anywhere. Anakin worked as slave for a pawn shop owner, so robots parts would not bew hard to come by. And stills counts as if Anakin build it.

    18. Re:Ideas by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      sheesh, nit pick much? ok, fine:
      "oh! these droids were around when your father turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader and we fought and i caused him to become hideously scarred and turn into big helmeted cyborg freak!" ::breathes in::

      better now, your highnessness?

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    19. Re:Ideas by Cerv · · Score: 1
      better now, your highnessness?

      Much better.

      --
      sig
  38. Is it just me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't you get tired of these Ask Slashdots? I mean, "Another Star Wars Prequel?"... How would we know? We're not your accountants, George.

  39. Don't Turn Star Wars Into Star Trek by geoffrobinson · · Score: 1

    I'm interested in backstory as the next guy, but I would like it kept to novels and comic books.

    I enjoyed I & II even though they weren't great. III was great. But more movies outside of the Anakin story arch?

    --
    Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
    1. Re:Don't Turn Star Wars Into Star Trek by aussie_a · · Score: 1

      Then only read novels and comic books involving the backstory. If you don't want to see a portion of the Star Wars saga in a particular medium, don't view it in that medium, even if it's made. If you want to get the story without viewing the movie, you can even buy the novelizations (as bad as they'll be). No-one's forcing you to go see the movie.

  40. Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by Timberwolf0122 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Good title/Bad title, either way better than attack of the cloans.

    I think the choice of director is clear. Quentin Tarentino, come on it would be great!

    "Get the wookie"
    "the wookie's sleeping"
    "well wake him up then!"

    --
    In the not too distant future, next Sunday A.D.
    1. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by robfoo · · Score: 1

      Fuck that - just get QT and Robert Rodriguez to redo all the original Star Wars (ie IV-VI) films.

      With Uma as Leia, of course. And Antonio Banderas as Luke..

      Vader to Leia - "Torture you, that's a good idea.."

      Luke, intro to Part 6: "I killed a helluva lot of stormtroopers to get to this point [...] And when I get there, I am going to Kill Vader"

      Ah, I'm gunna stop now. I think I've sufficiently run this idea into the ground.

    2. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by gotcrap · · Score: 1

      Star Wars Episode -1: Yoda is *really* Creepy Looking

      Directed by Tim Burton

      --
      this .sig stolen
    3. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by mbbac · · Score: 1

      The best thing about having Tarantino direct is that we'd finally get rid of John Williams' tired and over-done score.

      --

      mbbac

    4. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Coming Soon: Star Wars: Episode Zero: My Lightsaber Will Strike Down Upon Thee With Great Vengeance

      Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen, Richard Roundtree, Jet Li, Harvey Keitel, and John Travolta as Chewbacca.

      Directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, with music by the RZA.

    5. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by mbbac · · Score: 1

      Now that is something I'd actually go watch! As long as Robert Rodriguez doesn't insist on it being filmed in 3D.

      --

      mbbac

    6. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      there was a collection of parody mini-games called Star Warped that came out on cd-rom about 10 years ago, one of the activities was Star Wars as envisioned by diferent directors with cartoon images and recorded dialogue, Tarantino was included in the list. Jules as Luke and Vince as Han. Harvey Keitel as Vader. It was pretty funny.

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    7. Re:Episode -2 : It's not easy being green by ultranova · · Score: 1

      I think the choice of director is clear. Quentin Tarentino, come on it would be great!

      Actually, yes it would. Watch the big fight scene in Kill Bill - that's how you do a sword fight scene.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  41. Sequels by FidelCatsro · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now i know there has been alot of prequal hype of late and sequels are very unhip.
    for the love of god though there are some real gems in the books/comics set after the origional trillogy , Dark empire for example , the reformation of the jedis and so on ... Perhaps a movie where you don't know whats going to hapen(unless you read the books) would be a little more exciting than another bleeding prequal , though yoda doing some cool jedi tricks would be cool

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    1. Re:Sequels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bring on THRAWN !!!!

      any true Star Wars fan know Grand Admiral Thrawn needs a movie.

  42. I have a bad feeling about this..... by MrMickS · · Score: 1

    ~shrugs~ it had to be said

    --
    You may think me a tired, old, cynic. I'd have to disagree about the tired bit.
  43. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  44. The problem with this.. by StikyPad · · Score: 1

    The problem with constantly writing prequels is that they're not really interesting. You know what's going to happen, and some measure of whether or not a movie is good is how easily you can anticipate the ending. Most people don't enjoy knowing the ending in advance.

    If anything, this series needs some sequels. It needs to go in an unforseen direction, not tell more backstory. People can fill in the beginning by themselves.. we're good at speculating what could have caused something.. we're not quite as good at seeing the result of our actions in advance. That's what's entertaining for most of us; not rehashing midichlorians.

    1. Re:The problem with this.. by TiggsPanther · · Score: 2, Interesting
      The problem with constantly writing prequels is that they're not really interesting. You know what's going to happen, and some measure of whether or not a movie is good is how easily you can anticipate the ending. Most people don't enjoy knowing the ending in advance.

      The other drawback is when you've got a character arc like Anakin's I, personally, like to know there's at least a chance of redemption. That maybe, just maybe, they don't get drawn too far into the dark. Even when they do, it's nice to know there's a chance they won't.

      Prequels (or catching earlier seasons of a show) always let me down like that, as I know that there's no other possible way. In the case of Episodes I-III the whole point is showing Anakin's path to becoming Vader. But therefore there's no chance of him not falling, as the films where he's already fallen were made first.

      --
      Tiggs
      "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
    2. Re:The problem with this.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not giving anyone, who killed a room full of children, any chance at redemption.

    3. Re:The problem with this.. by Titusdot+Groan · · Score: 1
      You should catch up with Star Trek Enterprise then. Despite being pre-history it's FULL of surprises.

      Like meeting the Borg decades before meeting the Borg!

    4. Re:The problem with this.. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      In a sense that was the best and worst parts of the movie.
      I guess it's like why people like some the really blantant suspenseless horror movies so they can yell don't go down the stairs at the screen.
      I kept seeing places where the if just one sentence was said or not said, or one small change in any number of places, Anakin might have ended up on the good guys side at the end.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    5. Re:The problem with this.. by TiggsPanther · · Score: 1

      And that's the point at which you abandon all hope for the character. But, as it's a prequel, you go in knowing there's no hope at all. It takes some of the edge off it, as you know he's lost even before he commits the acts that seal his fate.

      --
      Tiggs
      "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
  45. I hope there is a remake of episode 1,2 and 3 by gunix · · Score: 1

    and that they make a totaly new script and a new director, and make 3 good movies instead of the total crap we got.
    The first two are crap, the third one is only missing sidious and yoda wrestling on the floor to be ranked as the worst movie since episode 1.

    --
    Evolution of Language Through The Ages: 6000 BC : ungh, grrf, booga 2000 AD : grep, awk, sed
  46. Dagobah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe we'll get an explanation for the Dagobah cave.

  47. In a galaxy far far away by el_womble · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The Starwars universe is great. A clever mix of magic, politics, religion and technology. This is what makes sci fi great. You take a few physical laws, mix them up a bit and see what happens when you introduce humans into it.

    This is George Lucas' legacy: a standardised universe, that captivates the imagination. He has woven a rich tapestry of worlds, cultures and characters but is a lousy story teller, particularly dialog.

    Please Mr. Lucas, let the universe go. Spend the remainder of you professional life as an executive producer who lets others write and direct, whilst you approve and fund.

    As a side note, I'd really like to see a script from Kevin Smith. Given a free reign (and a ban from using his friends as cast members)he could write the Starwars adventure we all think we remember.

    --
    Scared of flying, pointy things snce 1979!
    1. Re:In a galaxy far far away by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

      He may be bad at dialogue, but you know you're going to watch episode 3 and thats what counts in the bank balance..

      --
      This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    2. Re:In a galaxy far far away by grumpygrodyguy · · Score: 1

      he could write the Starwars adventure we all think we remember.

      The only person who could do that is someone who's spent the last 20 years reading 50s and 60s sci-fi magazines.

      --
      The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
    3. Re:In a galaxy far far away by argent · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A clever mix of magic, politics, religion and technology.

      A stereotyped and poorly thought out mix-up of magic and religion in a technological shell.

      My strongest memory from watching the original Star Wars, back when it first came out, was my reaction to the climactic scene. "Trust the Force? He's flying a warp-capable starship, two of his best friends are robots, he's depending on one of them for his very life, and you're telling me he's gotta reject technology to win this one? Give me one huge bleeding break, George..."

      The technology in Star Wars is "whatever looks good", and his "rich tapestry of worlds" is pretty much cribbed straight from Asimov's Foundation series, down to his capital city of Trantor.

      I don't need to explain all the flaws in the universe, really. David Brin is much better at that than me, and did a bang-up job of it.

      Midiclorians? Bah! A Jedi needs not these things.

    4. Re:In a galaxy far far away by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1
      I'd really like to see a script from Kevin Smith. Given a free reign (and a ban from using his friends as cast members)he could write the Starwars adventure we all think we remember.
      That ban on using friends is a must. Otherwise, he'd make a sequel and cast Ben Affleck as Han Solo. ;)
    5. Re:In a galaxy far far away by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Unless you mean a specific standardized universe Lucas didn't do anything new there.
      Authors have been doing it for some time as have movies (the OLD buck-rogers serials).
      Sorry to say it but Lucas's legacy is the Marketing Tie In. Seriously, before ANH marketting tie ins were mostly a minor adjunct to advertising the movie.
      He aslo revolutionized SFX and brought some serious cred to SF on the silver screen and created a wonder mythology that some are convinced he's trying to destroy with prequals though.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    6. Re:In a galaxy far far away by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      Lots of people make the mistake of thinking of Starwars as Science Fiction, and truthfully there is lots of valid argument over what that means, but IMHO StarWars is Space Opera and meldrama. Science fantasy is term that comes to mind as well.
      OF course the science has holes you could fly the SECOND death star through. It's not hard science fiction, and really not science fiction at all.
      Believe me I'm a big fan with fond memories of the original three, tolerate I and II, and think ROTS was pretty good if you overlook a few gaffes and polish some elements up.
      But there is still Han Solo boasting "She made the kessle run in under twelve parsecs" to boast of the falcon's speed (a nonsense statement without some serious reaching and exposition in one of the books). There is still sudden shift from just settling in on Dagobah to the way they shifted to evacuation as if they'd been getting ready to leave rather than settle in.
      Nothing is perfect, but taken in context SW is pretty impressive on many fronts and most of all a good story well told for the most part (imho).
      I believe the original trillogy has earned thier place in history.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
    7. Re:In a galaxy far far away by argent · · Score: 1

      It's not hard science fiction, and really not science fiction at all.

      Well, yes, that too... but it's a deeper problem than that: it's not just "not science fiction", it's "anti-science" fiction.

    8. Re:In a galaxy far far away by glyph42 · · Score: 1

      "Use the instrument panel, Loke."
      Loke: "What?"
      "The instrument panel - that's what it's there for. Advanced weaponry designed to hit tiny targets"

      --
      Music speeds up when you yawn, but does not change pitch.
    9. Re:In a galaxy far far away by hungsolo · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but no. I think Kevin Smith's legacy to the film world is to find even more opportunities to put the word "fuck" on celluloid. Besides, his scripts have almost as much banal dialogue as Quentin Tarantino's.

    10. Re:In a galaxy far far away by arhar · · Score: 1

      As a side note, I'd really like to see a script from Kevin Smith. Given a free reign (and a ban from using his friends as cast members)he could write the Starwars adventure we all think we remember.

      Why ban him from using his friends as cast members? Think of all the great possibilities... Jason Mewes as Jar Jar, for example

    11. Re:In a galaxy far far away by MtViewGuy · · Score: 1

      Please Mr. Lucas, let the universe go. Spend the remainder of you professional life as an executive producer who lets others write and direct, whilst you approve and fund.

      If you remember my posts from the last Star Wars message thread, I suggested that Gendy Tartakovsky (the creator of the wonderful Clone Wars animated series for Cartoon Network) be given free reign to do Episodes VII-IX as animated features. Pair Tartakovsky with writers experienced in doing animated features, provide a big budget for high-quality 2-D animation, and have Lucas himself be Executive Producer/script consultant; the potential is there for an awesome series of movies. :-)

    12. Re:In a galaxy far far away by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      he was tha bomb in Phantoms!

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    13. Re:In a galaxy far far away by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      As a side note, I'd really like to see a script from Kevin Smith.

      OMFG.

      More proof that KS fans smoke waaay too much pot.

    14. Re:In a galaxy far far away by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      You know, you might be onto something there with Kevin Smith. I hear he's a pretty good screenplay writer, and he definately has the whole "geek" thing down with a love for comic books and scifi.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  48. The ending by Wite_Noiz · · Score: 1

    In my office, we were wondering if Lucas would want it to fit with 1 as badly as he made 3 fit with 4.
    If so, he may turn it in to a soft-core porn with the conceiving if Annakin.

    A colleague pointed out Annakin was supposed to be conceived by the force, which brought out disturbing thoughts that perhaps Yoda got his mother drunk and... I'm sure you can imagine the rest *cringes*

    1. Re:The ending by shreevatsa · · Score: 1

      If so, he may turn it into a soft-core porn with the conceiving of Anakin. Anakin was supposed to be conceived by the force, which brought out disturbing thoughts that perhaps Yoda got his mother drunk and... I'm sure you can imagine the rest *cringes*
      Yoda: Anakin, I'm your father! Come over to the light side, and together we shall rule the galaxy as father and son!

  49. Absolutely by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

    People are going to buy this shit (and que up for weeks in advance) no matter how many movies are made, In 2015 there will have been another trilogy and another plan for more, and people will be complaining that episodes -3,-2 & -1 weren't as good as the 'classics' of 1, 2 & 3 or even the remakes of 4, 5, & 6 (although there will be those that claim the remastered versions of 4, 5 & 6 were the all time classics) Studios don't mess around when they've found a winning formula.

    --
    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
  50. think of the DVD sales! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    see, he's got it all figured out.

    he makes a prequel, blowing the current numbering system out of whack. so now, he's got to go back with his fancy wazzamacallit and use CGI to renumber the title screens of the rest. phantom menace to episode '2', the new hope to '5', etc.

    then, after everybody has rebought the dvds with in all their 'special renumbered edition' glory... he releases yet ANOTHER prequel. hah.

    and we've got to buy all of the 'Super Special Renumbered Edition' so our geekness isn't outdated.

    it's like oldschool command prompt basic programming.

    i have a bad feeling about this.

    (for real, though... does anyone REALLY think a cash cow like SW is ever going to end? hell, he's going to make new ones and remake current ones till he's dead, and then his clones will.)

    oh... and while i'm at it- after rewatching 4-6 i am confident the reason jar jar exists is C3PO. because you know what? C3PO was as annoying as jar jar, if not more (excepting 'ex-squeeeeez me', of course). but people loved him, and since he couldn't really play a big part in the prequels, lucas, being the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-crapastic writer that he is, thought he needed a replacement annoyance. you heard it here first.

  51. Re:Please - no more ! - 6 is already 3 too many .. by REBloomfield · · Score: 1

    If you don't like it, don't watch it. But how about you shut the fuck up and let those of us that do, get excited?

  52. Re:Please - no more ! - 6 is already 3 too many .. by aussie_a · · Score: 1

    If you don't want another three, don't watch it if they're made. Simple as that. Just because it's made, doesn't mean you have to watch it.

  53. Stike 1 ! by bushboy · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    There we have the first Star Wars Geek to take a strike - I'm sure they wished they had some moderator points.

    Classic pointless answer to my classic pointless post - ahh, just so easy to reel um in !

    Cmon up, I'm ready for Strike 2 !

    --
    A slashdotting - you get the stick first and then the carrot !
  54. Why? by BenjyD · · Score: 1

    Why do *more* films? There wasn't enough material to fill I-III.

    If I could go back in time and change Lucas' mind, I would convince him to scrap the prequel trilogy and instead spend the money on two films: one prequel, telling the tale of Anakin->Darth Vader, and one sequel, set after ROTJ, dealing with the rebuilding of the New Republic, Leia learning about the Force, Han facing the new responsibility of his position as Admiral. Kind of bookends to the originals.

    That's got to be better than the stretched-too-thin, convoluted and dull storyline of Eps I-III.

  55. Fatal flaw in this plan by SamSim · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's no Roman numeral for zero!

    1. Re:Fatal flaw in this plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well actually, there is a roman numeral for zero: it's XLVIII. And in Unicode, it is... *noise of a piano falling on the head of the anonymous poster*

    2. Re:Fatal flaw in this plan by cryptochrome · · Score: 1

      Beat me to it!

      --

      ---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?

    3. Re:Fatal flaw in this plan by jhalme · · Score: 1

      Well, the whole thing of giving a prequel the number zero is a pretty tired concept already anyway. How about borrowing a bit from the Gran Turismo series and calling the new movie Star Wars: Prologue.

  56. Knights of the old republic by najt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They should do a movie based on the Knights Of The Old Republic RPG story. That was the best Star Wars story ever.

    1. Re:Knights of the old republic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, but it's an unfinished trilogy, with the first two parts being somewhat disjoint.

      SPOILER BELOW

      In SW:KOTORII we find that Revan from I traveled to the outer rim to combat the true menace, possibly an evil beyond the Jedi and Sith differences.

      I think II actually has a much better story, though I has a really good plot. You would have to do lots of reworking to get a smooth trilogy out of I, II, and whatever III turns out to be.

      Krea is a must though. Way better story line than any SW movie so far.

  57. Re:Please - no more ! - 6 is already 3 too many .. by baadger · · Score: 1
    "Ah well, this will be modded down as troll or flamebait by the rabid stars wars geeks that infest Slashdot."


    Highlighting one of idiosyncrasies of Slashdot is that in acknowledging you will probably be modded down and flaming the Slashdot crowd you have prevented yourself from being just that (so far anyway) and actually increased your chances of being modded up.

    I just thought I'd pick you up on that rather than comment on Star Wars. But Yes I agree with you. I thought the first trilogy was bad enough.
  58. Remake IV-VI? by crull · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Am I the only one actually wanting the old movies remade with todays standards?

    I really like the universe and I espect the fact that SW-fans is fanatic and all but... it comes down to one thing: Entertainment. Right now its just silly, tried looking at IV the other day and I couldnt stand the figthts, it does just not fit in anymore.

    --
    this is not my signature.
    1. Re:Remake IV-VI? by Trimbo2 · · Score: 1

      We'll both get modded to hell for saying it, but it is true.

      After seeing ROTS I went home and watched ANH for the Xth time and all I felt was that I really wanted to see it remade, not just to the modern standard, but to include more backreferences as well! /me runs...

    2. Re:Remake IV-VI? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On slashdot?

      Yes!

    3. Re:Remake IV-VI? by Jacer · · Score: 1

      I made this comment when The Phantom Menace was released. Years ago. Then someone pointed out how the SE IV-Vi are totally fucked up. Han shot first. Stuff like that ruins them. Now imagine if they were to do it to the entirety of three movies. It wouldn't be anything like it was before.

      --
      --fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage
    4. Re:Remake IV-VI? by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1

      Heh, I had the same thought yesterday as I watched ep. VI. I had to ffw through the Ewok scenes, as they are just too unbearable to watch, and the muppets in the rest of the movie are really annoying too. And I swear, the lines "your xxx has betrayed you" (replace xxx with feelings or thoughts) and "you don't know the power of the dark force" is repeated like a hundred million times in any scene with Darth/Luke/Palpatine.

    5. Re:Remake IV-VI? by that+_evil+_gleek · · Score: 1

      No. God, I hope not. I get what your saying, things like how the computer consoles and such look out-dated, and the special effects and props in general. One could hedge and say that tech was better in 'hight of the old republic', and the
      rebels are piecing together what they can... Seriously, though, would you redo _Alien_ just to update Mother?
      Maybe you would, But a really good , movie can survive the test of time, despite improvments in technology, you know with things like acting, plot, and dialog?

      I absolutely hated the new Greedo vs Han showdown, to the point of nearly retching in the theatre -- really, I almost did,
      I jerked up, felt really sick, leaned over, , but managed to catch myself -- people around me thought I had choked on a raisonette or something... A very cool and sophisticated scene, was turned into cheap tripe, with this really gay head jerk, just because between disney boycotts some conservative group complained, that " a hero shouldn't shoot first" , How Messed up, look at Jack Beur today, hippocrites! It was clear Greedo was going to kill Han, the bounty was dead or alive, Mos Eisely is like some old-west border down, Storm troopers aren't going to help anyone, they're just there to keep the people align and support empire ( analog to oldwest, the current junta )... Ehh.. They never should have touched, he could have made another movie to test the new special effects tech, of IML.

    6. Re:Remake IV-VI? by crimson30 · · Score: 1

      How about remaking I-III instead?

  59. No more Star Wars please... by Icehouseman · · Score: 0

    I have a bad feeling about this. And here I was hoping that we all had seen the last Star Wars movie ever. Not because I hate the prequels or anything, but because I don't want to see it run in to the ground like Star Trek was. I don't care if they have a Yoda/Wookie/Droid/Ewok cartoon hour; but another movie would look like nothing more than a money grab.

  60. Be happy you insolent... by Mister+Impressive · · Score: 1

    ... assuming the Gungans don't have lifecycles like Yoda, Jar Jar Binks won't have been born yet either...

    --
    Let the commencement BEGINULATE!
  61. Cool, I wanted to see this right after ROTS by psykocrime · · Score: 1

    Heh, I walked out of the theatre after seeing ROTS and commented to my friends how the statement "Once again the Sith will rule the galaxy" suggested a time when the Jedi battled the Sith for control, and how that would be a nice next installment. I hope Lucas either makes this, or authorizes somebody else to make it. I love the Star Wars universe (my second favorite sci-fi "world" after the world of Doctor Who) and would love to see more of it.

    I'd also like to see a movie (or two, or three) set between ROTS and ANH. And movies of the Thrawn Trilogy, the Jedi Academy stories, etc., etc., etc.

    In short... Give me more Star Wars, damnit!!

    --
    // TODO: Insert Cool Sig
    1. Re:Cool, I wanted to see this right after ROTS by Drunken_Jackass · · Score: 1

      That's funny, i walked out or ROTS shaking my head. As long as Lucas is involved the only thing you'll see is stuff that "tests" well. I wonder why Yoda will be so involved with the storyline in the pre-prequel? Could it be that his lightsaber battles were the best part of AOTC and made ROTS tolerable? Lucas doesn't know how to write or tell a story - but he can read the hell out of opinion polls.

      --
      There are 01 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and me.
    2. Re:Cool, I wanted to see this right after ROTS by psykocrime · · Score: 1

      That's funny, i walked out or ROTS shaking my head.

      I walked out of ROTS wanting to go buy another round of tickets and go right back in to see it again. Unfortunately I had too much other stuff to do that day to do it.

      I'll definitely be going back to see it again this weekend though.

      --
      // TODO: Insert Cool Sig
    3. Re:Cool, I wanted to see this right after ROTS by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      well, the TV series will be set between III and IV, but no-one know what its about yet. I didn't think much happened until the rebellion starts a few years before ANH

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
  62. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say... by DwarfGoanna · · Score: 2, Funny
    ARRRRRRRRRGH!!!! DIE DRACULUCAS DIE!!!!!



    I USED to love Star Wars. That love has been BEATEN out of me. This franchise is an abomination... a walking shell of THE UNDEAD!!


    ahem...sorry

    --

    "You know why you do not see me styling wit my homies? Because I have no homies!!" -Mojo Jojo

  63. 88 years by StrawberryFrog · · Score: 1

    Only 88 years? No imaginaion at all. A high-tech galactic civilisation could last for thousands of years.

    --

    My Karma: ran over your Dogma
    StrawberryFrog

    1. Re:88 years by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      With some imagination you will realize that a civilization could also not last for thousands of years.

    2. Re:88 years by leonardluen · · Score: 1

      With some imagination you will realize that a civilization could also not last for thousands of years.

      maybe or maybe not, but a religion/cult can...sort of like the jedi

      what year is it currently? 2005? based on the calender of a small cult called christians that still exists today. or if you want to go back further yet, you have the jews which predated the christians and also still exist today.

      a lot has changed in those 2005 years, but relics of that time still exist.

    3. Re:88 years by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      And Christians have always been in power, eh? I respectfully disagree.

      Besides, the Jedi weren't ruling the Empire when the Emperor took power in EpsI-III. Maybe the people at large wrested power from the Sith with the possible aide of the Jedi prior to EPI?

    4. Re:88 years by leonardluen · · Score: 1

      always been in power? i would say so. they control the minds of millions of people, indeed i would say that is power. maybe not so much power as they had during the middle ages, but they still definately influence many people.

      the same could be said for all major religions. most of which are organizations which have survived 1000's of years.

    5. Re:88 years by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      Read more real history, less imagined history based off of assumptions.

      Read about the Roman Empire and its relationship to Christianity. Read about the rise of Christianity (which indeed it did, but it has certainly not always been in power).

      Actually, scratch that, get a general book on the history of religion. You'll be surprised.

    6. Re:88 years by BigDogCH · · Score: 1

      I was reading this thread, and am not sure that I see your point. The poster said that the Christian "cult" could and has lasted for a long time, and has always had power. You replied with something about the Christians not always "being in power". If you mean ruling the univers, then you are right, the Chritians have not, are not, and hopefully never will be in power. If you are talking about having power, and existing (like the poster claimed), then certainly the Christians have been in power for a couple thousand years, and their power has grown the entire time. Although their power has not always had the same strenght, and the faith always adapts to the changing customer, the cult itself has carried on for thousands of years.

      In short, I think we were talking about a civilization lasting for thousands of years, or possibly a cult/religion, and I think it is clear that it has happened. Civilization is quite simply defined. If you do not believe that the Christian belief hasn't held varrying degrees of power over the last 2000 years, then why does this darn Christian chuch keep calling me and asking me for money? Maybe you should do some reading on the basic history of religion.

  64. Episode 7? by dioscaido · · Score: 1

    I would hope they would attempt a story after ROTJ. I'm tired of watching movies where I already know who will live and who will die, and where the story is generally going. In the prequel they talk about here, we'd know that Yoda survives, we'd know that the Jedi win, we'd know Darth Plagueis survives (since he'd have to train Darth Sidious), etc... Yes fights would be huge and explosive, but there'd be no tension. Part of the enchantment of the original trilogy was that all these characters were new, and the environment they inhabited was unkown. The recent prequels were too constrained by the story line we already knew.

    1. Re:Episode 7? by argent · · Score: 4, Funny

      Agreed. It sounds to me like Lucas is afraid of the possibility of life after Darth.

    2. Re:Episode 7? by jgerman · · Score: 1

      You knew who would live and who would die huh? Funny, I recall hearing Leia tell Luke "she died when I was very young, she always seemed so sad" about their mother.... interesting stuff considering she now suddenly dies in childbirth.

      Lucas is a tool. These movies were pretty much horrible across the board, not to mention he can't keep his facts straight. It's not that difficult to keep 6 movies internally consistent.

      There MAY have been enough good stuff to make one movie, but the shit just overwhelms anything good.

      --
      I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
  65. Young and fearless Yoda by tines · · Score: 1

    I for one would like a 300 episode based upon the looong life of Yoda :)

  66. Actually I've got a great idea for a Prequel. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    While some may not agree it is a good idea, I for one have often thought about it. Anyone may take it and use it because I'm not interested in writing science fiction.

    I would like to see a Star Wars done so far in advance of even KOTOR that the "galaxy far, far away" is just in its first days of space travel and universal exploration. I don't know (because I'm not that big of a Star Wars fan) how long the Jedi order has been around, but I often wonder "what if" the Jedi were around even before the invention of such things as the light saber.

    These extremely ancient Jedi could wield a lesser-evolved weapon like an atom-thin blade held together by a magnetic field...or they could just wield regular swords made out of some super-strong alloy that doesn't break easily. Actually, Jian (you know them as Tai-Chi swords...think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) would make great Jedi weapons as they require much mental and physical disipline to use properly. Most Tai-Chi masters won't even think about teaching you to use one until you've trained with them for over a decade.

    Speaking of which, martial arts could be even more of a focus in such a production as it is something the fans would enjoy seeing on the big screen and would fit in with the Jedi codes of self disipline and their supernatural fusion of mind and body.

    All the old tricks would be there, mind-trick, force push, telekinesis, etc...but maybe there could be room for some ancient Jedi powers forgotten by the time the more recent adventures come about. Perhaps elemental control? True telepathy? Astral projection?

    As other posters have thought, we might even have the ability to see more of a backstory on the midi-clorians and perhaps even a creation myth with some supreme being founding the very universe itself.

    In any event, a universe as vast as the one Star Wars is set it is filled with all sorts of good ideas waiting to happen. I, for one, think those who scoff at a new movie should sit back, relax, and know that there cannot possibly be a failure as catastrophic as that of Star Trek. Over-marketing doesn't kill a franchise...under-writing does...as in crappy.

    1. Re:Actually I've got a great idea for a Prequel. by Gax · · Score: 1

      Good idea. A bit like Enterprise, but well written.

  67. Lucas sucks by Jesus+IS+the+Devil · · Score: 1

    I've lost all respect for Lucas. The man can't tell a story if his life depended on it. Sure the special effects are nice. The costumes are cool.

    Then comes the ridiculous story telling. Lucas needs to let someone else make his films.

    --

    eTrade SUCKS
    1. Re:Lucas sucks by Kombat · · Score: 1

      Lucas needs to let someone else make his films.

      Well, seeing as how the Star Wars franchise is the most successful film franchise in history, that seems very unlikely. For one thing, it's his baby, so he's not going to let it go. For another thing, he clearly knows how to make more money off films than anyone else ever, so why would they hand the reins over to someone new and unproven?

      The Star Wars franchise has reportedly generated around $20 BILLION in ticket sales, DVD sales and rentals, merchandising, sponsorship, marketing, spinoffs, theme parks, and everything else. The bar has been set quite high by Mr. Lucas.

      --
      Like woodworking? Build your own picture frames.
    2. Re:Lucas sucks by twosmokes · · Score: 1

      he's not going to let it go

      He let someone else direct on ESB and RotJ, and I think they turned out quite well.

      Lucas is a 'big idea' guy. He's good at that. He needs someone else to handle the detail work (script writing, directing).

  68. Re:Please - no more ! - 6 is already 3 too many .. by CrackedButter · · Score: 1

    The geeks have had enough of star wars you mean? The children love the stuff and the non geeks don't know any better, hence the massive openings for episode 3, big promo's and big sales of the DVD's and games. If people had had enough it would of bombed years ago. Get out of your bubble you have created for yourself.

  69. The slashdot prequal. by blowdart · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lucas also announced that due to the bad reception the prequels had on certain geek web sites such as slashdot he was developing a story line especially for the geek crowd, "The Adventures of Padme".

    He went on to explain the plot would not be complicated, however Ms Portman would lose her clothing, fall into in a vat of grits and eventually end up petrified (in carbonite) before being delivered by Boba Fett to Taco the Hutt. He expects to being in $60 million from slashdot readership alone.

    1. Re:The slashdot prequal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slashdotters are like hippies, they don't have money. Lock them in a basement and give them a guitar and some joints. Just go with it.

    2. Re:The slashdot prequal. by Catbeller · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Slashdotters are like hippies, they don't have money. Lock them in a basement and give them a guitar and some joints. Just go with it."

      When, O South Park Republican white suburban boys, have any of you met a hippie? There hasn't been a hippy in thirty years, yet you keep channeling your daddies' rage against the guys who got all the chicks in the sixties.

      Hackers and goths and alty people of all stripes are the new hippies. They're all around you, man. Hate them, they're closer in chronologically.

    3. Re:The slashdot prequal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Padme does Mos Eisley?

    4. Re:The slashdot prequal. by FigWig · · Score: 1

      There hasn't been a hippy in thirty years

      Obviously you've never been to Berkeley, CA

      --
      Scuttlemonkey is a troll
  70. Look at the money it makes, by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 1

    and guess if there will be another movie.
    What do you think?

  71. I liked the prequels by lheal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've seen all of the Star Wars movies in the theater as they came out, and I've liked them all.

    I just steadfastly remain intentionally shallow.

    It's supposed to be eye candy, not give you a doctorate in comparative theology or high-energy physics.

    --
    Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
    1. Re:I liked the prequels by Gulthek · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Sure, but just as I get bored with a kaleidoscope easily (even though it looks pretty); I get bored with no plot pretty quickly too.

      Of the prequels, only EPIII had a plot. EPS I and II were just filler that it seems like Lucas felt obligated to make. Watching all three of them (as I recently have) it is clear that Lucas really just wanted to make EPIII.

    2. Re:I liked the prequels by badasscat · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's supposed to be eye candy, not give you a doctorate in comparative theology or high-energy physics.

      With a $10 million budget, the original Star Wars was never intended to be eye candy. It was intended to be fun, which the new trilogy is not. (I have not seen episode 3 yet, but with all the talk of how "dark" it is, I feel pretty confident in saying that while it may be decent, it probably still does not hold to the original ideals of the series.)

      I'll agree with you that Star Wars was never intended to be deep. But that's the problem with the newer films; they're trying to be deep and Lucas just doesn't have it in him. When people say they like the original trilogy better, it's because they were more character and plot driven, more like old adventure serials, vs. the heavy-duty political mumbo-jumbo that weighs down the current stuff.

      btw, I saw all the previous Star Wars films in theaters too, though I'm currently going through the first five movies in preparation for seeing episode 3. I don't know how many people have really done this vs. just relying on their memory, but eps. 4 and 5 obviously still hold up well, ep. 6 (Return of the Jedi) is surprisingly much better than most people give it credit for, and episode 1 (which we just watched last night) is even worse than it's reputed to be. It's really laughably bad; the kind of movie you'd expect to see on MST3K if not for the money put into the special effects. I do remember episode 2 being marginally better when I saw it in the theater, but I'll have to confirm when I re-watch it whether that's really true or whether I was just trying to convince myself that I wasn't wasting my time with the whole series (which is also the feeling I get when I hear some people talking about episode 3 these days).

    3. Re:I liked the prequels by Golias · · Score: 2, Funny

      I've seen all of the Star Wars movies in the theater as they came out, and I've liked them all. I just steadfastly remain intentionally shallow. It's supposed to be eye candy, not give you a doctorate in comparative theology or high-energy physics.

      Okay, fine... But "Clones" looked awful. Even on an "eye candy" popcorn movie level, there's not much to like.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    4. Re:I liked the prequels by Cornflake917 · · Score: 1

      It was intended to be fun

      Episode 1 was fun as hell for me. The pod race scene alone is so fun to watch, I don't mind putting up with all the crap of the rest of the movie. Also, the Darth Maul,Qui-gon jinn, obi-wan duel, IMHO, is the best lightsaber duels of all the movies. I agree in terms of the plot its not that important. But it's still fun as hell to watch.

      To me the prequels are quite different than the originals. But they are still "Star Wars" at heart. I think they all do a good job of immersing the audience in a very interesting universe.

      Also, just because a movie is dark doesn't mean it isn't fun. I think the dialogue between Obi Wan, Anakin, and R2 in EpIII is the most humorous and least annoying out of all the attempts at comic relief amongst the prequels.

    5. Re:I liked the prequels by nCnt++ · · Score: 1

      Good point. I would bet George could have delivered three great movies if he delivered them going backwards from ANH.

      --
      Have you ever noticed the best /. comments are long and the best Chuck Norris jokes are short?
    6. Re:I liked the prequels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > With a $10 million budget, the original Star Wars was never intended to be eye candy.

      In adjusted dollars, that makes it one of the most expensive movies ever made, second to Lawrence of Arabia perhaps.

  72. I don't blame him... by Infinityis · · Score: 1

    "The story would follow the Jedi regaining control of the universe from the many Dark Lords some 88 years before Anakin Skywalker ever graced the universe."

    "However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens"

    Can you blame the guy? I wouldn't want to captain a ship built some 88 years ago either...

  73. It'll happen. by Fussen · · Score: 1

    If Star Trek bleeds over into Star Wars, it'll be here, in the timeline expansion department.

    And hey, since Star Trek burnt out (management or otherwise), we've got Star Wars to fill the gap :D

  74. STARWARS != SCI-FI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Real Sci-Fi doesn't "take a few physical laws, mix them up a bit and see what happens." Real Sci-Fi asks "How do we, in this real world, with our knowledge of the universe, do such-and-such a thing?"

    Lucas has more in common with Tolkien than with Asimov, Clark, or even the movie Alien.

    1. Re:STARWARS != SCI-FI by cnettel · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Also note that Star Trek, in its better moments (certain recent features excluded), belongs in the latter group.

  75. Dune was much more deeper than SW by Gopal.V · · Score: 5, Interesting
    > The real prequel is called Dune.

    Dune deals with the fact that what you see into the future locks you into that - or more correctly, the self fulfilling prophecy paradox. Star Wars doesn't (maybe revenge of the sith does hint on that) . It just handles prescience as just a sense and tries to concentrate on moralizing about the Dark and Light sides of the Force. (which it did very well too). Also Dune deals with the inversion of scarcity - Melange which is rare, but common on Arakkis , Water which forms oceans in other worlds, but rare on Arakkis.

    The Force - Prescience

    "Luke, I am your Father" - Baron Harkonnen is Paul's grandfather

    Vader Helmet - Baron Harkonnen with suspendor globes

    lightsabers - crysknife

    Death star - guild frigates

    ?? - Sarduakar ?.

    Dune carries a lot of fatalism - especially ironic because Paul is prescient. Also the fact that he lets go of Chani rather than turn into a Tlelaxu puppet - which Anakin was not able to do. Also the twins - a girl and boy , the mother dies at birth.

    If you really think about it , the Matrix had some of the themes too - Neo is not The ONE , but turns out to be , Paul is not the Kwisatz Haderach , but he becomes.

    Dune has the best eyecandy - I remeber dreaming about Shields and lasguns - the sound, color and shimmering feeling. For some of us, CG effects are never enough . Also yeah, the first 3 Dune books were good - the rest of them sucked (come on !.. honored matres' ?. .. sex that blinds)... Same for Star War movies . Both Lucas and Herbert seems to have gone bad.
    1. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by fleck_99_99 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think Dune, SW, Matrix, etc all share a lot of themes due to use of standard heroic story forms. (The Call, Acceptance, yada yada.)

      Don't skip the sociopolitical commentary of Dune. Let's see... valuable substance, used for damn near everything, only found in a desert place, guarded by fierce people with a suspiciously Arabic language... Nope, no idea what he was talking about there.

      SW doesn't (or at least, doesn't seem to) try to pull these concepts in. (Phew -- just think, if the dialog is bad NOW....)

      --
      seven two six five
      seven four six one seven
      two six four two e
    2. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by DenDave · · Score: 1
      ?? - Sarduakar ?.
      I would say Clone Army - Sardaukar
      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    3. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dune has the best eyecandy

      You're kidding, right? Dune (the movie) has crap special effects. Ornithopters with no moving parts? Give me a break...

    4. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by DenDave · · Score: 1
      Don't skip the sociopolitical commentary of Dune. Let's see... valuable substance, used for damn near everything, only found in a desert place, guarded by fierce people with a suspiciously Arabic language... Nope, no idea what he was talking about there.
      LOL and though it was written well before any of this became relevant, the Emperor is Shaddam!
      On the note of plagiarism:
      http://www.answers.com/topic/star-wars-sources-and -analogues
      http://boards.theforce.net/The_Star_Wars_Saga/b104 56/12073632/p6
      http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/10/10210023 87791.html?oneclick=true
      and last but not least:
      http://www.jitterbug.com/origins/dune.html
      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    5. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by cahiha · · Score: 3, Insightful

      LOL and though it was written well before any of this became relevant, the Emperor is Shaddam! On the note of plagiarism:

      Reusing themes, ideas, concepts, characters, etc. may be copyright infringement in our new corporate-copyright-overlord-dominated media culture, but it isn't plagiarism.

      If such similarities were plagiarism, most great Western literature and art would have to be considered "plagiarized".

    6. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by loki1978 · · Score: 1

      *cough* yeah but that in power, a Sardauker would be more like the mobile infantry of Starship Troopers Or, if you stay with SW, like an imperial guard

      --
      According to prophecy
    7. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Zangief · · Score: 1

      While I agree on some of your points, I only like the first Dune book. Messiah of Dune has been one of the worst books I've ever read.

      Also, the whole shield + laser = teh nuklear power! is a dumb gimmick. If making such weapons is so easy, then terrorism in the Dune universe would be rampant.

      Dune, the first book was good. The rest, not.

    8. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by DenDave · · Score: 1

      well the argument made by the moviemakers upon review of Lucas' first script was that they feared the risk of plagiarism lawsuits.

      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    9. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by DenDave · · Score: 1
      terrorism in the Dune universe would be rampant
      *waves jedi hand*
      There is no Osama on Arrakis..
      --
      -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
    10. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Darth · · Score: 1

      any source for that assertion?

      not saying it didnt happen, just saying i'd like to read the original statement.

      --
      Darth --
      Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
    11. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by anakin876 · · Score: 1

      I think he meant that in the sense that the tech created by herbert (in your mind) was the best eye candy. That's why he said "CG is never good enough for us." The pictures Herbert created in our minds are so awesome that nothing can compare...... or something like that

    12. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by anakin876 · · Score: 1

      This is one of the problems I see with most literature (especially Sci-Fi). It is an overly simplistic and optimistic view of society. After seeing the terrorist acts of the last few years, to think that terrorists wouldn't be setting up a lasgun and a shield more often is silly. It reminds me of one of the arguments about the star trek universe: They have World War 3 and then less than 100 years later everyone is united and happy and holding hands. How could that possibly be realistic? In order for that to happen to today's earth World War 3 would have to kill off most of a hemisphere (basically elimiate one side of all of the arguments) before the people could unite themselves.

    13. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The second three books in Dune did not suck. They were better than the first three, it just took me multiple readings to feel that way. IMHO, the second three books comprise Herbert's main messages, one of which is the importance of adaptation to survival. That which cannot adapt, dies; as Obi Wan was mentioning to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. There's more philosophy and politics in the second three, and more fighting as well in Books 5 and 6.

      Reread them. I had to wait about three years between Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune, kind of let the themes settle in my mind. Paul was just a drop in the bucket, it was all about the Golden Path.

    14. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Log+from+Blammo · · Score: 1

      I remeber dreaming about Shields and lasguns
      You should never dream about both shields and lasguns at the same time. You're lucky that your bed wasn't destroyed by a Holtzmann effect pseudo-atomic explosion!
      --
      "This quote is a product of the Frobozz Magic Quote Company."
    15. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Foolomon · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Also yeah, the first 3 Dune books were good - the rest of them sucked (come on !.. honored matres' ?. .. sex that blinds)... Same for Star War movies .

      I disagree. Maybe the vehicles for getting the overall message of the books could have been better, but they were plausible. Don't even try to tell me that /.'ers haven't gone blind from too much mastur...I mean sex.

      The first 3 books dealt with the overcoming of the totalitarian influence as exerted by outside influences (most notably Corrino). The last 3 books dealt with the overcoming of the totalitarian influence as exerted by the prescience of the one that freed them from the oppression: this is an irony that should not be overlooked.

      However, I always found it funny that all 6 books could be summed up with: "Be careful what you wish for." LOL

      By the way, I've read the "House Atreides," "House Harkonnen" and "House Corrino" prequels, and while slow at first ended up being great auxilliary material to the original Dune series. I have yet to begin "The Butlerian Jihad."

    16. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by JetJaguar · · Score: 1
      Well, your criticism is valid, but I think it misses the point.

      A lot of hard sci fi, and speculative fiction in particular, really can't fully flesh out all the ramifications of their universe. If they did, they would get bogged down in handling all those details and never get to the real plot of the story. So science fiction and literature, in general, will always have to cut corners in order to move the story along. There will always be things left out, plot holes that the author missed, etc. But those details aren't necessarily as important as the idea that's driving the story. Of course if the plot holes are big enough to make the story itself internally inconsistant, then you've just got a case of an author that just didn't do his homework, or just didn't care...

      I don't know if I would call this problem per se, it's just a shortcoming of the medium. No story will ever be able to reliably mimic all the details of reality, reality is just too rich a medium to succesfully model in all it's details.

      --

      Shop Smart, Shop S-mart!

    17. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by lordofthechia · · Score: 1

      "Baron Harkonnen is Paul's grandfather"

      Thanks for spoiling the book for me :/
      (puts Dune back on the shelf)

      --
      Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
    18. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Szaman2 · · Score: 1
      Also yeah, the first 3 Dune books were good - the rest of them sucked

      With all due respect, you sir are an idiot. I fail to see your logic here. So, in your opinion giant sandworms, prescience, gholas, face dancers and leto bonding with sandtrout are much more plausible things than brainwashing via intense sexual experiences???

      No - the 3 last books have just about the same amount of Science Fiction elements - just slightly different themes to it. I don't see why the concept of honored matres sexual binding would be so much less belivable than the trigger-conditioning of Idaho ghola from Dune Messiah (which you claim was better). No - please don't even compare Herbert's writing to Lucas' recent work!

      What you missed from these books is probably that they were very deap socio-political commentary that was in there. Among other things he showed that no political power is permanent - even the Tyrrant Leto had to go. Even the Honored Mattres could not hold into power. Political systems come and go - yet human kind adapts and prevails. The only way to rule is to divorce yourself from politics... And there is much more there.

      Some of the more memorable Dune quotes come from the 3 last books. I would recommend re-reading these books again. You are not a true Herbert fan untill you read all 6 :)

      As for the prequels - they are in a totally different weight category. Much simpler language, much less insight, much less philosophical. I think if you want to compare SW prequels to something your best choice would probably be the Dune prequels.

    19. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Zangief · · Score: 1

      Then go read some Aldous Huxley, Philip K. Dick or J.G. Ballard. They are not your regular optimistic Scifi author.

      In fact, PKD and JGB depress the shit out of me. I don't read them too often...

    20. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by kbahey · · Score: 1

      Arabic plays more than passing role in Dune.

      Read about how Dune was influenced by Islamic and Arabic themes.

    21. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by csrjjsmp · · Score: 1

      Paul is not the Kwisatz Haderach. His son Leto is the one that sets humanity on the golden path, etc. Paul is, as he says, something unexpected.

    22. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by yakofdeath · · Score: 1

      Whoa, spoilers. I guess it's just a coincidence that I happen to be reading Dune right now.

    23. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by supaflah · · Score: 1

      Actually, gentlemen, you are both wrong. Lucas has some education, a little more than you, which doesn't make him a better filmmaker, but did allow him to plot one good story (the last 3 episodes, being the first to come out). His source is no other than Joseph Campbell, http://www.portfolios.com/nyfashionmodel I refer you to Campbell's canonical work
      The Hero With A Thousand Faces The star wars prequel story is a classical myth of search of a power object, father, and a long roadie trip home.

      Read your Campbell, kids, it did Lucas worlds of good, till he abandoned good solid universal mythology and decided to start making kiddie exploitation movies.
      Of course, there is also Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress.
      But the whole reason the original Star Wars was so good is that they had universal appeal and were based on subconcious archetypes. And there are only 3 stories like that. They were exhausted in the 3 original films. This is one of the many reasons why the latest films sucked. Of course, Lucas becoming a greedy whore with age and lowering his standards is another. If you actually take the time to explore the guy's biography, he was a pretty radical guy at the beginning. And then of course, he grew up. And became boring. And stopped reading Campbell and watching other good films.

      --
      --- Nothing but Blood and Kosmos
    24. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by supaflah · · Score: 1

      Damn the preview and submit buttons being so close! Lucas has some education, which doesn't make him a better filmmaker, but did allow him to plot one good story (the last 3 episodes, being the first to come out). His source is no other than Joseph Campbell, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell I refer you to Campbell's canonical work
      The Hero With A Thousand Faces The star wars prequel story is a classical myth of search of a power object, father, and a long roadie trip home.

      Read your Campbell, kids, it did Lucas worlds of good, till he abandoned good solid universal mythology and decided to start making kiddie exploitation movies.
      Of course, there is also Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress.
      But the whole reason the original Star Wars was so good is that they had universal appeal and were based on subconcious archetypes.
      And there are only 3 stories like that.
      They were exhausted in the 3 original films. This is one of the many reasons why the latest films sucked. Of course, Lucas becoming a greedy whore with age and lowering his standards is another.
      If you actually take the time to explore the guy's biography, he was a pretty radical guy at the beginning.
      And then of course, he grew up. And became boring.
      And stopped reading Campbell and watching other good films.

      --
      --- Nothing but Blood and Kosmos
    25. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by Zepalesque · · Score: 1


      "?? - Sarduakar ?."

      Are you serious?

      Sardukar ~ Storm Troopers

    26. Re:Dune was much more deeper than SW by feidaykin · · Score: 1
      Also yeah, the first 3 Dune books were good - the rest of them sucked

      While one could argue that Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune were not as good as the first four, you cannot dismiss God Emperor of Dune and lump into a "sucked" category. It is possibly the best book since the original. In fact, I would consider the first three books to be basically a primer for God Emperor of Dune. Since it takes place 4,000 years later, we needed those three books of backstory to understand the universe that Leto II rules. Leto is perhaps the single most fascinating character in science fiction history. Never more than a child, yet one of the oldest children that ever lived due to his complete ancestral memories. No longer human due to his gradual transformation into a sandworm, yet it was his deep desire for humanity's survival (The Golden Path) that motivated him to take on the transformation in the first place.

      Leto is an enigma in many ways. He does things far worse than any tyrant in history, but he did it out of a deep love for humanity, since had he not done so no humans would have survived. And Herbert really made Leto's actions and reactions truly seem as if the character had the immense, unimaginable amount of experiences stored in his mind from the ancestral memories, and the 4,000 years of his life, and the experiences he witnessed which had not yet occurred thanks to his ability to peer into the future.

      The only really valid complaint about God Emperor of Dune is that it's a little low on action, but then the entire Dune series is not about action. While there are some rather dramatic moments and intense action at various points in the series, the books are mostly about philosophy. And what better character can put human philosophy into a different perspective than one who has the memories of billions upon billions of humans stretching back to the dawn of time, and has lived for 4,000 years? It's hard to imagine or believe in such a character, yet Herbert makes Leto very convincing, and I doubt any other writer could have. So while you have dismissed God Emperor of Dune into a "sucked" category, I wanted to point out that I feel it represents one of the finest achievements in science fiction history.

      --

      "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

  76. eternal flash-backs by SillyCON · · Score: 2, Funny

    Looking backwards in twenty-year chunks? Its not "StarWars", its "memento"

  77. No. Lucas is an old C programmer at heart by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He produces one great piece of code through serendipity, then spends the rest of his career trying to repackage that code in as many different ways as possible.

    Then he notices he started indexing one of his arrays at 1 instead of zero, so he dives in to fix that bug.

  78. I can't wait by BCW2 · · Score: 1

    For someone in 20 years or so (after Lucas is gone) to get the rights and hire a real director and a real scriptwriter and remake all 6 of them. The movies might actually live up to the original promise.

    Lucas had a great idea, but his writing is terrible, and he's the only director I've ever heard of who can get such mediocre performances out of really good actors. I will give him credit for taking special effects to a new level, that is his legacy.

    --
    Professional Politicians are not the solution, they ARE the problem.
  79. No More Lucas? by Meiyo+Neko · · Score: 1

    However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.

    Let's just hope that Berman doesn't hear about this or we'll all be wishing Lucas back pretty fast.

  80. The next link on that page is even worse: by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 1

    "Wayans brothers talk White Chicks sequel" -- good God man! WHen will these Hollywood types learn to let things well enough alone!

  81. Lucas Interview by value_added · · Score: 1
    However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.

    Lucas appeared in an hour-long interview with Charley Rose a few days ago. I'm not a fan of the Star Wars saga, but the interview was interesting enough. He made the comment that one of the reasons he took so long to make the Star Wars movies (and also why he had made so few movies in his career as compared with other directors) was simply that he enjoyed spending time raising his kids, more so than making movies.

    Given his demeanor in the interview when he made the above comment, and the fact that he's now 60, it seems unlikely he'll be taking on new projects of any sort.

  82. non-creatable array value by matthaak · · Score: 1

    $Episode[0]... He can still get away with it... but no more after this.

  83. "ship if it ever happens" by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

    Nice wordplay, but a better idiom is "ship, if it ever launches".

    To the management: thanks for tidying my subnet.

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  84. About time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thank god Lucas has decided to stop boring us all with the tedious morality tale that should have ended 28 years ago.

  85. I am certain this film will be made, after all.... by StressGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where there's a Whill, there's a way..

    {sorry}

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline
  86. secret anagrams by AussieVamp2 · · Score: 0

    Luke and Leia

    Leto and Alia (Liaa)?

    suspicious :)

  87. Hey, look at the good part! by Carnil · · Score: 0

    At this rate we will be seeing an anouncement of a film based in KOTOR in a few years!!

  88. No more Star Wars please by tsa · · Score: 1

    More Star Wars movies will increase the chance of them entering the history books, with the comment: most of them were crap, but some of them were good. Now, fortunately, most of them are good (I haven't seen the last one yet, but part I and II have gotten so much feedback, both positive and negative, that it must be good). It will be extremely hard to keep the quality this high, so let's enjoy what we've got and , if people must make new movies, let them be about something entirely different, and preferably as original as the first SW movies were in the late '70s.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  89. A word puzzle for Lucas. by MarvinMouse · · Score: 1

    Horse... Beat... Dead... Don't...

    Hopefully George Lucas will be able to put this one together this time.

    --
    ~ kjrose
  90. Just let them go... by xtracto · · Score: 1

    For the love of [whatever]!!! please just let the movies go... buy the DVD if you want to have them, they are GREAT as they where first, if you have the original (unslashed and bashed by Geroge Lucas) you are lucky.

    Would you like to see a remake of Ben-Hur?? Although it won 800 Oscars on its time, the movie that won them was THAT. leave it alone, they are called CLASSICS.

    What about making NEW films with NEW stories?? you have a lot of stories to plagiarize^H^H^H^H^H^H^H base new movies.

    What about Isaac Asimov Foundation Trilogy? what about dosens and dosens of other Science Fiction books/stories that where written 20 - 30 years ago?

    Of course, Hollywood is now just exploiting DC Comics and the other houses to suck the most they can from the stories... but, we all know those stories, it sucks! Hollywood current trend sucks, all you suck!! OOOHHH GOOOD LIFE SUCKS...

    --
    Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
  91. What about 7,8, & 9? by TheConfusedOne · · Score: 1

    There was that "official" continuation written by Timothy Zahn that was decent, not great, but decent. Those would make some interesting movies. If someone else could take the reigns of directing them and just use ILM's sfx wizards you might actually get a neat series of films. Or maybe a mini-series is a better way to go.

    --
    --- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
    1. Re:What about 7,8, & 9? by Lazarus_de_Legio · · Score: 1

      Don't forget the Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy. It would be great to see Luke evolve into the seasoned Jedi Master teacher role that his Sith Pappy never attained. It was set 20 years after ROTJ, so the original cast would work perfectly.

    2. Re:What about 7,8, & 9? by SPY_jmr1 · · Score: 1

      what the hell are you talking of?

      the Jedi Academy trilogy, was good.. until I read any other EU books. It was also only 7 years after RotJ, so you theory is torn to shreads.

      NOW, having said all that, what would make a "KICKASSSSS®" movie(s), would be M. Stackpole's X-Wing novels... It has honest to $DEITY good characters in it. If only they could get Denis Lawson to reprise his part, but I think it's been too long for him too.

      Anyway, that's my opinion. :D

  92. Too bad it was a long long time ago by rjstegbauer · · Score: 1

    Too bad it was a long long time ago, because if George and company keep making prequels...pretty soon they will be chronicling *my* death!

  93. Obligatory by CptnQuixar · · Score: 0

    I feel a great disturbance in the Force...as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

  94. A long, long... by TuringTest · · Score: 1

    long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago...

    --
    Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    1. Re:A long, long... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [A] long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago...
      I can still remember
      How that music used to make me smile....

      Ahem.
      Sorry

  95. Get the Lucas back... by shkiner · · Score: 1

    Guy's am I only one who thinks that Lucas is camera man and.... that' it.... ??? Get the hell him out from story line / dialog writing seat - he suck Big time ... his place is movie managing and camera shorts - that's it. He destroyed all three his original episodes ones he "make the movie how only he wanted" :( - anyway it's going to be another disappointing... I'm, personally, going back to watch original StarWars again, to wash out that horrible bitter taste of the "Revenge of the fifth grader storywriter"..

  96. How about Ep.3.5? by jpellino · · Score: 1

    We're jumping from infancy to fully developed characters going from III to IV.

    How does Luke go from noisture farmer's son (now THERE's a country song just waitin to be written) to ace pilot?
    How does a senator's daughter become a princess? (OK, OK, thats a straight line you could drive a semi through, have at it...)

    No, I don't read the parallel books / comics / etc.

    But this stuff seems at least as important as how Boba Fett got his game.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
    1. Re:How about Ep.3.5? by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      How does Luke go from noisture farmer's son to ace pilot?
      no big mystery, Luke alludes to flying his "t-16" back home. in the garage scene, he's playing with a model of one, and i think you can see the real thing in the background. its just what you do when you live on a planet with huge expanses of desert and nothing to do on a friday night. George Lucas envisioned Luke's life before the war much like that of the kids in American Grafitti.

      How does a senator's daughter become a princess?
      its a ceremonial title, Bail Organa is a member of the Royal Family of Alderaan, he used his fame to get him elected into the Galactic senate

      there's really not much story here ::shrugs::

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
  97. No story restrictions by Spez · · Score: 1

    My problem with RotS was that there were too many constraints in the story : "There has to be a black armor somewhere in there guys!!" "Oh yeah forgot" *plugs in darth vador scene", etc...

    With the idea of using the star wars universe to do a completely new story, without the constraints of the new/old movies, i think there is much potential in there (read here all kind of potential : fun, money, etc)

    --
    I wouldn't mind you in my head, if you weren't so clearly mad -Lews Therin Telamon
  98. Book... by lcde · · Score: 1

    Why doesn't he write a book?

    Its cheaper for him and I bet it would make just as much money.

    --
    :%s/teh/the/g
  99. 88 years? by fr2asbury · · Score: 2, Funny

    *sigh* that Obi Wan! Always stretching the truth so far you'd think it was taffee. He'd already won the Bill Clinton award for Stretching the Truth with the whole excuse about truth depending on your point of view when trying to cover up the "Darth Vader killed your father." line. Now we find that the Jedi hadn't actually kept peace in the galaxy for "over a thousand generations." Seems it was more like 88 years. Obi Wan's response will probably be to dig up some species with a life span only slightly greater than a fruit fly and say something about "point of view."

    1. Re:88 years? by FXSTD · · Score: 1

      IIRC it was also stated the Sith (Dark Lord correct?) were gone for over a Millenia. 88 Years is a millenia? Or is this a Jedi cover up......

      *sigh* note to self - Get a life.....

    2. Re:88 years? by argent · · Score: 1

      "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the Guardians of peace and justice in the old republic. Before the dark times, before the empire."

      The fact that they were "Guardians of peace and justice" doesn't mean "they were always 100% effortlessly successful".

    3. Re:88 years? by Infinityis · · Score: 1

      Actually Obi Wan can do much better than that--anyone who's seen ROTS has witnessed an emperor aging about 40 years within a matter of minutes.

      On a timescale like that, "a long, long time ago" may have been just last week...

    4. Re:88 years? by blackomegax · · Score: 1

      yeah, Kotor 1/2 + this, makes it seem like there's a sith war every 100 years.

    5. Re:88 years? by enrico_suave · · Score: 1

      it is a typo. Internet's version of the "telephone" game.

      See this slashdotter's post where he digs up the original comment from lucas (and it's posed as a totally hypothetical question) and it IS 800 years ago.

      What are newsweek editors blogging now?

      e.

      --
      Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
  100. Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jimmy says he doesn't like prequels. Jimmy says prequels make him cry. Jimmy says to stop destroying his childhood.

  101. Off-topic reply to off-topic comment, by bonehead · · Score: 1, Informative

    but it seems there's no place to discuss it "on-topic".

    The slashdot headlines at my "personalized" google page are displaying the same thing. Started sometime late last night.

    1. Re:Off-topic reply to off-topic comment, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it seems there's no place to discuss it "on-topic"

      I grabbed a screenshot (look for the "Ask Slashdot box), and submitted it as a story, but it got rejected. Maybe I'll try again in 72 hours :)

      I guess that /. should stop using "poorly implemented headline readers" on their site, eh?

    2. Re:Off-topic reply to off-topic comment, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I grabbed a screenshot

      So did I.

    3. Re:Off-topic reply to off-topic comment, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      spammage! northsun@shaw.ca

  102. POST PARENT IN EVERY STAR WARS RELATED STORY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's all

  103. Sith supposed to have been extinct for 1000 yrs? by Attitude+Adjuster · · Score: 1

    Dark lords 88 years before ep1? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Jedi say in ep 1 that the Sith were supposed to have been wiped out a 1000 years before. It doesn't make any sense... oh, wait, this is Lucas we're talking about.

  104. Think sequels... by Natales · · Score: 1

    Can you see it? it would be such a better story if they would do an actual sequel to Return of the Jedi. They can have Mark Hamil and all/most of the original cast, 30 years later. People would love it.

    Imagine Luke trying to re-create the Jedi being the last one alive. Imagine the strugles of the new Republic after the Empire with Leia as the Chancellor. Imagine a hidden Sith trying to regain control.

    Prequels are not a bad idea, but we all know the ending. Sequels are the future, always in movement...

  105. No more prequels please by Barromind · · Score: 1

    We want the latest technology and huge battleships kicking ass, no more prequels thanks. Let's go forward please.

  106. Great idea! by mbbac · · Score: 1
    This is the best idea that George Lucas has had in a very long time. No, not the idea about a new prequel to The Phantom Menace, it's this:
    However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens.
    --

    mbbac

  107. That's "Life Day", you insensitive jerk! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's "Life Day", you insensitive jerk!

  108. By their very nature, prequels suck by elrous0 · · Score: 1
    Prequels suck. They suck because too much of their story is a foregone conclusion. There may be a few minor surprises along the way, but basically we already know where they'll end up. I mean, it's not like there was ever a possibility that Anakin WASN'T going to turn evil and become Darth Vader.

    A sequel or an original film are the only ways to really keep an audience guessing. And I like the uncertainty of not knowing how things are going to turn out. Predictability is boring. And prequels are little more than interesting novelty items.

    -Eric

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:By their very nature, prequels suck by Shin+Chan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wait, don't tell me they cut out those scense over there? That just sucks.

      Didn't you know they [some Jedi mojo or whoever] used a stand in, Anakin died an awesome death because of an heart attack while he impregnated Padmé and Darth Vader is in fact a big badass... Liar.

      Pfft, and those were the best scenes!

      --
      Proud owner of BOT2K3 [ bot2k3.net ]
  109. Looks like we're all wrong about Lucas by Kyrene · · Score: 1

    Everyone keeps accusing the guy of being after nothing but money. This actually proves that he *ISN'T*. Let's examine why. What part of Star Wars would people pay lots of money to see by the droves? Darth Vader, post ep III and pre ep IV, killing lots and lots of people and generally being bad assed. It'd be better than any stupid action film that you could possibly release. And you could throw in cool Jedi for fun that you KNOW will eventually be killed by them. Maybe a few bounty hunters. Best yet, if he really wanted top dollar--I mean to truly swim in the money, you'd see him not only finishing off the Jedi purge, but torturing and killing Jar Jar. I'd pay serious money to see that. It'd be worth its weight in gold. In fact, ANYONE I know would. Come on, it's *DARTH VADER*. Adding Jar Jar's brutal, horrible death would only sweeten the deal. Any idiot with a room temperature IQ would know that this would be the best money maker. Hence, Lucas either has an IQ lower than that, or is genuinely uninterested in making more money.

    --
    Do not disturb. Already disturbed. http://www.teaaddictedgeek.com
    1. Re:Looks like we're all wrong about Lucas by Llewyn · · Score: 1
      Hence, Lucas either has an IQ lower than that, or is genuinely uninterested in making more money.

      given the bland nature of the Prequels....well, i know where to bet *my* money...

  110. Re:Sith supposed to have been extinct for 1000 yrs by Troy+Baer · · Score: 1
    KI-ADI-MUNDI: Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millenium.
    So much for continuity...
    --
    "My life's work has been to prompt others... and be forgotten." --Cyrano de Bergerac
  111. Quentin Tarantino by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you must do more and choose not to direct it yourself Mr. Lucas, then you know whom you need. Quentin Tarantino, easily the best writer/director of the serials/pop-culture genre.

    If you need 'cheese' to look and taste great, get Quentin. (It's still a crying shame they wouldn't give him the new Bond film, that series is the king of cheese!)

  112. I hope so by shawn443 · · Score: 1

    Star Wars is what it is, a sci-fi fantasy told by a master storyteller. You want days of yore filled with dungeons and dragonesque type drama, see Star Wars, you want an Oscar caliber film with touching humaninstic portrayals, go somewhere else. These days I hardly ever get to la-la land, after each new Star Wars I feel like a kid again filled with imagination. Fuck yeah, I'm a jedi, at least until I remember I'm to old to daydream about this shit anymore.

    I hope they do make more, although I would like a different director to be given a shot. Speilberg, Smith, Tarrentino, now thats a thought. Keep the pace of the franchise and oversaturation is hardly a concern.

  113. How can it be 88 years before? by Hoarke42 · · Score: 1

    In Ep 1, the Jedi Council believed that the Sith had been extinct for a millenium. Also, in Ep 4, Obi-Wan says for thousands of years Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace in the universe. How could they have fought with them 88 years before?

    I'd love to see the story of the Jedi coming to power, but it would have to be much further in the past than 88 years.

  114. DARK LORD?! by Mr.Phil · · Score: 1

    I am Lord Voldemort!

    JKR and Lucas decided to do a crossover?! Imagine little dorks with black hair, round lens glasses and fake trauma on the forehead waving lightsabers around with wooden handles!

    "I felt a great disturbance in the force. Like a thousand fanboys have cried out in joy and have left their parents basements! Bugger!"

  115. How about a cross-over between ST and SW? by master_p · · Score: 1

    This is a serious proposition: why not a crossover movie of ST and SW? it would be wonderful as one last movie to end both series.

    An interdimensional rift brings the Federation and Klingons on the side of the Rebels, the Borg and the Romulans on the side of the Empire. Then a real big battle takes place, with 'unforeseen consequences' (hey, maybe throw in a little bit of Gordon Freeman, too?). Darth Vader becomes the Borg Queen and the Borg Cube gets Death Star capabilities. On the other hand, Han Solo becomes the captain of the Enterprise after Jan Luke Picard is again kidnapped by the Borg-Vader, and leads the Federation to a grand victory against the empire. Luke Skywalker battles and beats Q using the Force, and we finally are revealed that Luke and Yoda are the same creature, named Z. The Borg-Death Star's death ray hits the Enterprise, half-nearly destroying it, but in the next scene the Enterprise is brand new with 'only the 3rd gun turret been hit'. The Enterprise fires its Wave Motion Gun (TM), and destroys the Borg Star. Han Solo steals Riker's wife, while Lt Data finally gets humour when he sees R2D2 and C3PO for the first time. Jar-Jar has an accident (when the beam mentioned above hits the Borg Star, he is mounted at the front of the gun).

    Then the movie ends and we don't have to see Star Trek or Star Wars ever again.

  116. Give the job to someone else by chrisnewbie · · Score: 1

    I say! give the job to peter jackson!

    Shit he'll do 3 movies in less time than lucas and it will be much better directed! At least he takes less shortcut.

    Has anyone been annoyed about how chancellor palpatine got his ugly looks? It looked like George Lucas had no better way to explain it and just thought that we were all 6 years old and gullible.

  117. damn. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After seeing part 1 and 2 on divx and going to cinema today for part 3 I was hoping to all parts in order (never seen parts 4,5,6 before).

    grrr

  118. Just make it a game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just make it a PC game.....

  119. 88 years? by enrico_suave · · Score: 2, Interesting

    88 years? Is that a typo in the article?

    I thought the Sith were in hiding mode for over a thousand years?

    Not that I've come to expect continuity from lucas or the star wars universe or anything =)

    I guess he'll have more edits in the I, II, III special edition trilogy box set re-re-re-release.

    e.

    --
    Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
  120. Awesome... by enjo13 · · Score: 1

    I actually really like the idea of these prequels. Just make sure that the screenplay is handled by whoever did Knights of the Old Republic. There is a lot of interesting ground to cover in the Star Wars universe. I would actually like to see another Star Wars trilogy done in the KOTOR setting (long long before Luke). Hell, the most enjoyable Star Wars experiences I've had in the last 10 years have been those two games (first better than the second for sure)... why can't they bring that level of polish to the movies?

    --
    Turn s60 photos into awesome videos with mScrapbook for all S60 3rd edition phones!
  121. star wars episode .V by cylcyl · · Score: 1

    Search for more money.

    Basically, he saw the nice opening that Ep 3 had and knew that there is still more money on the table. Being the greedy man that he is, he couldn't just let it go

  122. mee-sah by glamslam · · Score: 1

    Please, oh PLEASE someone confirm that Jar-jar is less than 80 years old in the current prequels!!!!!

  123. The story of who? by Taka+Taka+Mu+Taka · · Score: 1

    First we thought the movies were the story of Luke Skywalker. Now we think the movies are the story of Anakin Skywalker. But wait! Maybe it's the story of Yoda? BAH!

    1. Re:The story of who? by KillerBob · · Score: 1

      I'd like to see the stories of Exar Kun or Nomi Sunrider, but that's about 5,000 years before the current set of movies.

      --
      If you believe everything you read, you'd better not read. - Japanese proverb
    2. Re:The story of who? by Stargazer2 · · Score: 1

      Star Wars is the story of two droids. They are slaves to competing factions of the Force. Itsy bitsy little creatures guide their development. Eventually they reach sentience in Episode IX.

  124. The way forward is back by mrch0mp3rs · · Score: 1

    My guess is that Lucas doesn't want to go forward (post-ROTJ) because when he conceived of the universe back in 1975-76, he didn't think any further than the death of the Emperor. The parts that were fleshed out the most became the most effective movies.

    That's why ANH and ESB (and I'll lump ROTS in there, too) are so good. He strayed from the original treatment/vision a little bit with ROTJ, and that's why big Star Wars fanboys were all about hating the Ewoks (until we had Jar Jar).

    Episodes I & II were incredibly weak, and my guess is that Lucas didn't flesh much out in his story about how Anakin was this cherubic little tot with amazing powers, who grew up to fall in love with a princess/senator/whatever who all of the sudden turned evil. He probably planned out that Anakin turned to the dark side but had two kids he didn't know about. How he got to that point.... probably wasn't scoped out, hence the movies that explain that part of the story sucked.

    But you can tell he had the vision for the final fight that turns Anakin to Vader, where he gets his a$$ handed to him by Obi Wan. Because ROTS, where it's good, is awesome.

    So if Lucas wants to go back and regale us with the purge of the Sith, my guess is that it probably is fleshed out to some detail in how he established the Jedi (all those years ago prior to makin ANH).

    Based on how awesomely conceived and executed his vision was for ROTS (lovey dialogue not withstanding), I would definitely plunk down more dough for a Purge of the Dark Lords.

    --
    --- -a- "I'd love to change the world, but it'd be easier if the universe exposed its API."
  125. In SITH, To Follow, Yoda's Syntax Was Hard by WCityMike · · Score: 1

    This would be a bad idea -- Yoda's screwed-up syntax was a clever dramatic trick in Empire, since he was in the position of Confucian teacher and Irvin Kershner no doubt wanted the audience to unconsciously pay moer attention to him ... but it became increasingly hard to follow in Sith:

    "A prophecy . . . that misread could have been."

    "I hope right you are."

    "To question, no time there is."

    "At an end your rule is and not short enough it was, I must say."

    "Faith in your new apprentice, misplaced may be."

    "Hot Wookie love, give me more of." (I'm sorry, that should read: "Good relations with the Wookies, I have." Okay, that one was far too understandable.)

    All of these are of course understandable when read, but when you had to individually hear and parse them, usually at the end of a scene, there was no follow-up conversation from other characters that allowed the viewer to subconsciously work out the meaning of what was said.

    I can just picture more of the same in a prequel designed to center around him, unfortunately.

    1. Re:In SITH, To Follow, Yoda's Syntax Was Hard by Rick+Genter · · Score: 1
      I can just picture more of the same in a prequel designed to center around him, unfortunately.


      Shouldn't that be "In a prequel designed around him to center, more of the same just picture unfortunately can I"?

      :-)
      --
      Don't underestimate the power of The Source
    2. Re:In SITH, To Follow, Yoda's Syntax Was Hard by WCityMike · · Score: 1
      Shouldn't that be "In a prequel designed around him to center, more of the same just picture unfortunately can I"?


      Thanks, my head just imploded. You know how long it's going to take me to clean this up? ;-)
  126. No!!!! by jacoby · · Score: 1

    What we need is VII, VIII, and IX. Y'know, where Luke goes dark.

  127. Simpler explanation: by autopr0n · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Lucas is just an idiot. Look at the scene at the beginning of ep III (which I swore I wouldn't see, then good reviews came out) where the ship tilts 90s. The gravity inside the ship also changes direction 90 degrees. Why? Is the ship just hovering in space, with no orbit? Then why does it start to "burn up" as it enters the atmosphere? If the ship is in orbit, using artificial gravity, why does the direction change?

    I mean, this is high school physics stuff. The most basic 'science' stuff in sci-fi and Lucas fucks it up.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:Simpler explanation: by Ucklak · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A) Because it looks cool
      B) So Ma and Pa Sixpack get an idea of what's happening because
      C) If it didn't tilt, every movie mistake geek would point it out as it pertains to the Star Wars Universe Physics

      I did like the quick shutters on the glass breaking scenes.

      Star Wars is fun. Nothing more. There isn't weighty subject matter like Lord of the Rings but just a bunch of fast moving ships, blasters, light sabers, good guys, bad guys, and a plethora of creatures.
      The sound effects are cool too.

      This is our generation Western serial. They had bad dialogue, bad guys, good guys, romances that didn't make sense and quick to evolve, cliffhangers, fast moving horses and trains, gunfights, and secret hideaways.

      --
      if you steal from one source, that is plagiarism, if you steal from many, well, that's just research.
    2. Re:Simpler explanation: by swv3752 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You can accept artificial gravity and space stations the size of a moon, but the orientation of a badly damaged ship bothers you?

      I figured it was pretty easy to explain. The engines are in the back so that is where the anti gravity field that was keeping the up is the last to go. So as the antigravity field goes, the artificial gravity goes, and the planet's normal gravity asserts itself.

      But all that is besides the point. Star Wars is not science fiction. It is fantasy. In fact, Star Wars epitomizes a sub-genre of fantasy known as space opera. Instead of dragons, unicorns, and wizards; you have lasers, robots, and spaceships.

      --
      Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
    3. Re:Simpler explanation: by EvilAlien · · Score: 1
      I've been really trying not to get pissed off about that bit of blatant stupidity. We all know that Lucas isn't the sharpest knife in the block, but how on Earth could an entire crew for a scifi flick let him get away with that? I wonder if Lucas purposefully surrounds himself with a bunch of mindless sycophants who are too busy kissing ass to point out that he might be botching less dialog this time around at the cost of being stupid about basic physics...

      Oh well, at least there are less pulse engine sound effects this time around. Now if only Lucas had ditched the creature pulse sound effects...

      --
      perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
    4. Re:Simpler explanation: by cerebis · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I wouldn't call him an idiot, he simply does what he likes, and has a habit of ignoring details he considers minor or obscure. He does it both with physics and the lore of the universe. I'd personally like to see a greater attention to detail, and if he feels it's the necessary outcome of triage, then he should simply defer these details to subordinates.

      I honestly think Peter Jackson would make a better Star Wars film than Lucas, he seems to delegate much more effectively. Heck, the dialog comes out better too.

    5. Re:Simpler explanation: by timtwobuck · · Score: 1

      I am very confident that someone involved with the movie realized this was an error, but you must also realize that a good portion of the population that sees the movies, buys the toys etc. may very well answer phones for a living, and not understand the subtleties of space exploration as well as a veteran /.'er.

      It wouldn't have been exciting if nothing unexpected happens...even if the even isn't accurate...

      If you really want an explanation: Maybe the computer sensors detect the large mass of the nearby planet, and create the artificial gravity field in a particular orientation in order to generate a sense of 'up & down' when in close proximity to something like a planet.

    6. Re:Simpler explanation: by Kehvarl · · Score: 1

      Instead of dragons, unicorns, and wizards; you have lasers, robots, and spaceships.

      and wizards

    7. Re:Simpler explanation: by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 1
      where the ship tilts 90s. The gravity inside the ship also changes direction 90 degrees. Why?

      Because it's a freakin' MOVIE and it made for a fun scene that was ENTERTAINING which is frankly why people go to movies :)

    8. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't remember in details, but in Sci-Fi gravity inside a ship is always maintainted, and when it changes it just means that the artificial gravity system has problems.

      At the end, whoever launched all the escape pods also plotted a collision course, obviously.

      So in general I agree that Lucas has problems with high-school physics. For example. he never tries to match velocity before an actor jumps on a CG thing (ep II arena battle, when Anakin jumps on a moving carriage.) But I'm not sure that your particular examples are good ones.

    9. Re:Simpler explanation: by Hognoxious · · Score: 1
      where the ship tilts 90s. The gravity inside the ship also changes direction 90 degrees.
      Maybe it's a really really big ship?
      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    10. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Is the ship just hovering in space, with no orbit? Then why does it start to "burn up" as it enters the atmosphere? If the ship is in orbit, using artificial gravity, why does the direction change?

      Wow. There's only two possibilities, huh? It's either hovering in place, or it's in full orbit. What's that line about only dealing in absolutes?

      How about this, it's moving very fast, but it's NOT in orbit. In fact if you paid attention to the plot, you'd realize the ship was trying to flee the planet, not orbit it.

      So if it's moving very fast, but far short of orbital speeds, we can postulate that the natural gravity of the planet comes into play, AND it has sufficient velocity for some frictional pyrotechnics on atmo re-entry. (And since their plummet is obviously not a full free-fall, which would be equivalent to zero-G, we can assume their anti-grav levitation or whatever is still partially functional, struggling to slow the ship's descent)

      Gosh, that didn't even take the back of a napkin.

      Idiot or not, at least Lucas has imagination, something you could evidently use more of.
    11. Re:Simpler explanation: by beheaderaswp · · Score: 1

      I believe this is incorrect. The relative speeds of both the ship and it's occupants are the same. So the malfunctioning of artificial gravity should simply result in a weightless state for the occupants. However, it could also be argued that g-forces created by the ship going out of orientation and falling into the gravity well of the planet were to blame for the percieved gravity shift. After all, there is change of velocity and change of direction causing both cetrifical and sheering forces. Thus the only way for us to know for certain, is to cripple a frigate class warship in orbit and make valid observations.

      --
      Another consultant who stuck it out.

      "We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx..."
    12. Re:Simpler explanation: by evilmousse · · Score: 1


      the gryroscope manipulators went offline and so they continued to spin as they were. duh.

    13. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And why do spaceships in vaccum steer by banking rather than using thrusters? This movie set the record for how fast it set my mind into MST3K Mode.

    14. Re:Simpler explanation: by merky1 · · Score: 1

      If I remember correctly, the book explained it not as a failure of gravity control, but a loss of control of gravity. Basically, it is not the planet that is exerting gravity, but misdirected field generators.

      Either way, the movie misses almost every plot device in every scene.

      --
      --WooooHoooo--
    15. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Are you one of those people that complain about the Far Side when he shows the male mosquito coming home from work when in fact it's actually the female mosquito that does the biting? But yet you don't have problems with mosquitos wearing human clothing, having human possessions, speaking english, etc?

      You complain about gravity not being right but you have no problem that a Jedi can attract a light saber to his hand? etc etc etc

    16. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I consider the Star Wars saga to be science fantasy, not science fiction. IMHO, the difference is that in the world of fantasy, anything goes. The "artist" is free to use his or her imagination to create a desired effect.

      However, I would agree that Lucas has lost touch with the real world. This is clearly evident in his script. The dialogue is very dry. If another Star Wars movie is made, I would more than welcome another writer to tackle the script.

    17. Re:Simpler explanation: by rho · · Score: 1
      Don't forget the buzzdroid that R2-D2 zaps in the face. After it dies, it gets swept off the wing of the spaceship by the ever-present, always treacherous spacewind.

      It is spectacular in its ignorance.

      --
      Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
    18. Re:Simpler explanation: by socsuj · · Score: 1

      Prior to that I noticed as the little droids that attached themselves to Obi-Wan's starfighter they flew off. Wouldn't there need to be some sort of atmosphere for that to happen?

    19. Re:Simpler explanation: by socsuj · · Score: 1

      Prior to that I noticed as the little droids that attached themselves to Obi-Wan's starfighter lost their grip they flew off. Wouldn't there need to be some sort of atmosphere for that to happen?

    20. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      High school physics went out the door with the very first film in 1977. But there was plenty about the first part of epIII that I didn't like much. George Lucas (and the W. brothers) came up with another reason why competent directors storyboard action and then attempt to film it before releasing the film. So much of the first segment was computer generated rubbish, that I pretty much ignored it.

    21. Re:Simpler explanation: by NulDevice · · Score: 1

      Because basic science doesn't look as cool on film. Lotsa people have tried to have accurate space physics on a TV show or film, and it usually looks kinda weird (especially with people who are supposedly weightless).

      It's a copout answer, I know, but back in the first Rolling Stone interview with GL, way back in 1977, he even talks about it. He put sound in space, he had the spaceships move like planes, all that jazz just because it looked neat. He said the only real scifi movie needed was 2001.

      He's kinda got a point. SW isn't hard scifi, it's essentially a storm-the-castle fantasy just set in space.

      --

      ----
      "I used to listen to Null Device before they sold out."

    22. Re:Simpler explanation: by initialE · · Score: 1

      Also, if Chewbacca is a Wookie from Kashyyk, why does he live on Endor with the Ewoks? Why? WHY? WHY?

      --
      Starbucks, Harbuckle of Breath.
    23. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > So as the antigravity field goes, the artificial gravity goes, and the planet's normal gravity asserts itself.
      Without engines, the starship is in free fall, so there should be no gravity at all inside...

    24. Re:Simpler explanation: by Anonymous+Coed · · Score: 1

      Lucas is the idiot here, but you're the one saying the interstellar warships in a children's fantasy movie aren't obeying perfectly realistic physics? I assume you never saw the original Star Wars because the thought of big, loud, and firey explosions in a vacuum bothered you so much?

    25. Re:Simpler explanation: by GFPerez · · Score: 1

      But hey, lightsabers are totally plausible, eh?

    26. Re:Simpler explanation: by MBraynard · · Score: 1
      There isn't weighty subject matter like Lord of the Rings

      Pretty high bar there. As I recall, the subject matter boiled down to pretty people versus the ugly people.

  128. Theme by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me guess... Lucas shows Anakin's great-great grandparents voting Republican, thus sewing the seeds of evil. Oh the drama!

  129. Best Possible New Preqqual Ever! by Caeda · · Score: 1

    How about, we just have an episode 3.5 that goes as follows... Obi Wan awakes onboard a starship to discover everything that happened in Episodes 1,2, and 3 was just a horrible nightmare. They're starship crash lands on naboo, landing upon local resident Jar Jar Binks in the process, killing him instantly. Jar Jar's head goes flying through the air at a high velocity, coming down in th emiddle of a local pod race and going through the engine of the pod of Annia... sending Annie into the wall and killing him as well. The jedi then set out and find a less annoying less spoiled brat who isnt called "Annie" and give him the more dignified title of aniakin so theyre can be a darth vader later...

    --
    ~~ Please keep your arms, legs, and outright stupidity inside the ride at all times. Thank You ~~
  130. Someone's WHORING FOR KARMA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Slashdot: where wikipedia is TEH WORD OF GOD!!!11

  131. Um, no. by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    You can't reuse characters by name, bu themes, ideas, and concepts are fine. OTOH, you can be accused of plagiarism, which is not a crime.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:Um, no. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously, I can. It may violate copyright, but it has been historically acceptable, and it usually isn't plagiarism.

  132. Baby Jar Jar by Dog135 · · Score: 1

    Jar Jar doesn't turn dumb, he just never matures past the age of 1.

    "Meesa wanna milkee"
    "Meesa go pee pee"

    Although most kids learn to say "I" by the time they start talking. And most can pronounce "me" properly. So maybe he's a "special" child. (retarded)

    --
    "That's so plausible, I can't believe it!" - Leela
  133. Anyone know the digital/film differences for EPIII by LordJezo · · Score: 1

    EPIII has a digital and film version. Besides for a cleaner picture does anyone know what has been changed between the two?

    Like EPII I heard there were changes in some of the scenes. Where's the list?

  134. This prequel prequel thing has been done before... by sacrilicious · · Score: 1
    ... and the Silmarillion was incomprehensible, at least to me.

    And The Hobbitt was so much better than The Phantom Menace to start with. Go figure.

    --
    - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
  135. No, no, and no by freeweed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've said it before, and I'll say it every time someone posts this tripe: this is most definitely NOT the rose-coloured glasses of aging here.

    Listen, when Star Wars came out in 1977, millions of adults went to see it, loved it, and anxiously awaited the sequels. So did millions of kids. However, the children's market was nowhere near as established as it is today. Star Wars would NEVER have been as successful if it only appealed to children. My parents, who in general can't stand sci-fi or action films, and were in their late 30s at the time, loved it. THEY were almost as interested in seeing the sequels as I was.

    Flash-forward to the prequels. By and large, 6-12 year olds love them. Other than that, however, the vast majority of adults don't. Believe it or not, there are many people in their 20s and 30s now who've never seen Star Wars before. And most of them really don't think the prequels are all that good.

    Believe me, many things from my childhood I can now recognize as the crap it is. The original Star Wars movies were good back then, and are still good. The prequels are less so.

    --
    Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
    1. Re:No, no, and no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Flash-forward to the prequels. By and large, 6-12 year olds love them. Other than that, however, the vast majority of adults don't.

      That's because Star Wars IV - VI were amazing pioneers of special effects compared to what was available at the time, while episodes I to III are not as far ahead, if ahead at all, of the competition.

      To prove you wrong, how many adults do you know that still watch episodes 4 through 6?

  136. Re:Please - no more ! - 6 is already 3 too many .. by 28481k · · Score: 1

    Well, a friend of mine chatted with me about this possiblity of another prequel of the Phantom of the Meance. She said that since the Return of the Jedi somehow seals up the ending, so a sequel of the original triology is not a big possibility, until someone could come up with a much better sequel. Whereas there're many mysteries unsolved even in this prequel, such as the relationship of the Master of Obi-Wan, or the origin of Chancellor Palpatine. There're many scope of which we can follow.

    Some people claim that the continuation of Star Wars prequel from the original has already lost its appeal to many original fans of Star Wars as the script are bad and storyline is very repetitive. However, we can see that producers are more interseted in cashing in the fame of Star Wars than making a good story. Though I must say Star Wars appeals a lot of people, like my sister who's 10 has just bought books about Star Wars, so there's still a demand for such prequels or sequels...

    The biggest problem would be numbering of the episodes as this current tirology starts with one. If a prequel is made, then either they have to reshuffle the numbering (which they did when they made the first prequel) or using negative numbers. Of course, they can make Episode 0 (Zero) if they want to make only one prequel of the Phantom of the Meance.

    --
    28481k
  137. Oh, whatever by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    They were awkward, sure. But they were also very unrealistic and stupid. They wern't awkward in a realistic way. if you're sick of "Hollywood bliss" maybe you should stop watching shitty movies. Check out Lost in Translation for example, or Monster's Ball.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:Oh, whatever by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1

      Haven't seen Monster's Ball, but Lost in Translation is one of the most over hyped piece of junk ever. Bleh.

    2. Re:Oh, whatever by th3space · · Score: 1

      Lost in Translation was almost as painful to watch as was Enternal Sunshine.... I understood the premise and the subtext of what was going on, but there was just something about LiT that felt so plastic to me that it bordered on being unwatchable...individually, the performances were spot-on for what they needed to accomplish, but the interplay between the characters felt overly stiff (with the exception of the scenes between Giovanni Ribisi and Scarlett Johannsen (sp? on both counts) which came off as natural and real).

      Oddly, while I could barely tolerate LiT, Punch Drunk Love appealed to me on many levels, and felt far more believable than many other 'true to life' love stories, even when taken with all of the strange intangibles that were meant to catch the audience off guard.

      Back on topic, though...George Lucas had always kept the backgrounds of Yoda and Palpatine and others off-limits from the writers in the expanded universe, I guess this is just the natural progression for the stories that he has wanted to tell...but I would've thought going back to the Sith Wars of 1000 years before the battle of Yavin would have been a much better jumping off point for a new Star Wars story arc...that can lead into all sorts of fun things, and maybe even give us some insight as to what Yoda really is.

      --
      "How like you to drag your keyboard to a gun fight." - Aaron Bedard (BANE)
  138. well, it's the nature of discovery by BitterAndDrunk · · Score: 1
    The first book had just massive revelations which made it a fantastic piece of literature. The remainder of the series was simply overshadowed by the raw power of the first book and its nature of revealed knowledge.

    The remainder of the series was more about the implications of that which was revealed in book 1. A really good example of other author(s) that have this issue are Niven and Pourneille(sp). Mote In God's Eye and Legacy of the Heorot have some of the best moments of "revelation" in science fiction. The sequels, however, were bland because the revelations had occurred and the story was played out in the backdrop of knowledge already gained.

    Personally I enjoyed all of the Dune books, but it was like the Gorillaz album. . . Clint Eastwood was such a phenomenal song that the LP disappointed me. Not because it wasn't good (it's actually a really good album IMO) but because it was overshadowed so much by the debut.

    --
    You better watch out, there may be dogs about . . .
    1. Re:well, it's the nature of discovery by General+Winter · · Score: 0

      >Mote In God's Eye and Legacy of the Heorot have some of the best moments of "revelation" in science fiction.

      Would you mind elaborating on what specifically was the revelation? I greatly enjoyed both these books, but never felt like that.

  139. Exactly! by autopr0n · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I thought the exact same thing in the theater watching ep III. "This is the only movie that really needed to be made." The other three were pointless.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  140. Re:Hi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seeing a neocon reptile commenting on liberal groupthink is hilarity at its best...

  141. I don't buy it. by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    Well, I guess if it was in the "Cannon" books, it might be true, but. If you already had a 'prototype' death star, why not just slap a shell on it, rather then building a whole new one?

    20 years is an easy-to belive time-frame for something that big, and you could argue that the newer deathstar was built when the empire was much more powerful and centralized.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:I don't buy it. by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 1

      For the same reason the Shuttle named Enterprise was never used. It was the prototype and used to test/prove several systems, but some of what they learned building it showed it wouldn't ever work in a full on mission.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
  142. as a Roman I will tell you a great secret by roman_mir · · Score: 1

    this is how you can still write a zero:

    Episode eval(I-I)

  143. Beating a Dead Horse by Rhoon · · Score: 1

    Too Bad they already squashed the notion presented in the article of any Dark Lords, in the first movie when Qui-Gon said he believed Darth Maul to be a Sith Lord. "The Sith have been extinct for over a millenia..." "I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing..." "Ahhh, hard to see the Dark Side is."

    --
    "If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door." - Paul Beatty
    1. Re:Beating a Dead Horse by dioscaido · · Score: 1

      I'm not a huge fanboy, but I'd point out that Palpatine was a sith lord before Maul, so was the person who trained Palpatine, the guy who could revive people and control midichlorians. This means Palpatine and the other guy were around during the millenia that the Jedi thought there were no Sith. One has to assume that there's a possibility that the Sith were never fully extinct.

    2. Re:Beating a Dead Horse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually there are two kinds of Sith.

      Sith is both the name of a species and the name of a theology.

      The original Sith were a species of force sensitives who first discovered the power of the dark side and studied it, building their social structure and civilization around it exclusively.

      When they became extinct (or are they? explained later), humans or some other race discovered ruins of the Sith civilization on Korriban and studied their history and rituals, learning the ways of the dark side.

      So at some time after the species known as the Sith abandoned the planets on the farthest outskirts of their empire like Korriban (no they're not really extinct), other races who discovered and learned their ways from the Korriban ruins began calling themselves Sith, building up their strength and numbers before the Jedi noticed them and the events of the movies took place.

      And thats how the name Sith went from being the name of a species to the name of a philosophy? religion? whatever.

    3. Re:Beating a Dead Horse by dioscaido · · Score: 1

      Cool! Thanks for the info. Did this come from one of the SW books?

    4. Re:Beating a Dead Horse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah pieced together from several of the books, filtering out the bits of conflicting information.

      The movies tell you absolutely nothing about the whole story. Heck even the video games give you more detail.

  144. A series by jlebrech · · Score: 1
    What i would like to see is a series in the same
    vein as Star Trek, with you audience following
    the adventures of the crew on board of a vessel.

    Something like the New Adventures Of the Millenium Falcon or the Ebon Hawk could be quite compeling.

  145. Already Done? by Elranzer · · Score: 2, Informative

    The story would follow the Jedi regaining control of the universe from the many Dark Lords some 88 years before Anakin Skywalker ever graced the universe. Yoda, who, according to Lucas, was instrumental in the effort, would apparently have a headlining role.

    If I'm not mistaken, doesn't this already exist, in some form, as Knights of the Old Republic? I thought Georgy boy officially declared that KOTOR was permenantly the very first plotline in the Star Wars universe, the Genesis of the SW universe if you will, much like Ocarina of Time is permenantly the very first Legend of Zelda storyline no matter how many other Zelda prequels they make.

    We really don't need an Episode Zero movie, cuz if they tried to put all of the main points of KOTOR into a movie it would be at least 5 or 6 hours long...

    1. Re:Already Done? by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      KOTOR tells the story of Revan and Malak during the War of the Star Forge. That's about 4000 years before the battle of Yavin. Firstly, it's definitely not the very first plotline, as it makes references to the War of Exar Kun happening before it, and the War of Exar Kun has been explored in comics.

      This prequel would be about the war in which Darth Bane became the only surviving Sith Lord. Bane then began the one-apprentice-one-master rule and took on an apprentice, who took on an apprentice, until we finally get to Sidious (Palpatine) and Maul at the beginning of Episode I.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    2. Re:Already Done? by DraKKon · · Score: 1

      Yeah.. Episode Zero.. fsck that.. Do Ep 7 - 9.. the Actors from 4-6 have now aged around 30 years, and would seem to fit what I've heard about the third trilogy.. being 30 years after Return of the Jedi...

      --
      "It's not like your minds are as open as the source you love..." - Me to the majority of Slashdot.
    3. Re:Already Done? by jZnat · · Score: 1

      Well, there's the Mandalorian Wars and Master Revan & Malak's downfall to the dark side, and even stuff before the Mandalorian Wars. Although it happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was still plenty of time before that time, and still plenty of galaxies beyond the primarily focused-on galaxies.

      --
      'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
  146. Jah Jah by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    The worst part of the whole thing, was that during the "climactic" battles, we know exactly what the result is. Yoda and Palpatane survive, Anikin and Obi-won survive and anikin gets disfigured. There's no tension there at all.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  147. Christmas? by Max_Wells_SH · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Don't be ridiculous, no one would believe that. How about "Life Day"?

    --
    I read Slashdot for the articles.
  148. Scotty as a script doctor by doublem · · Score: 1

    Capin' I cinna milk it anymore!

    Damn it Scotty, I need three more prequels!

    --
    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
  149. Obligatory Simpsons reference... by Garabito · · Score: 1

    From snpp.com

    Homer: Here are your messages:
    "You have 30 minutes to move your car",
    "You have 10 minutes",
    "Your car has been impounded",
    "Your car has been crushed into a cube",
    "You have 30 minutes to move your cube".
    [phone ringing]
    Homer: [answers] Yello, Mr. Burns' office.
    Burns: Is it about my cube?

  150. Re:Hi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL!

    I really read "hilary at its best..." initially :-D

  151. Mrs Organa? by XanC · · Score: 1

    Surely she was talking about her adoptive mother, Mrs Organa?

    1. Re:Mrs Organa? by jgerman · · Score: 1

      Nope. Luke asks her about "their" mother I believe. And even if no explicitly, that's the implication.

      --
      I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
  152. I like the idea... by The_Minkis · · Score: 1

    ...but the bowl of petunias in me can't help but think, "Oh no, not again".

    --
    #define QUESTION ((bb) || !(bb))
  153. I always thought by kilodelta · · Score: 1

    That the Star Wars saga was a trilogy of trilogies.

    I remember seeing the very first while on vacation with my parents in Hampton Beach, NH. The buzz back then was that this was the culmination of defeating the Empire and that there would be six other movies exploring the historical aspects.

    I just hope they aren't quite as dreadful as the first two of the middle trilogy. Those were some seriously awful movies.

  154. WTF... by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

    So, let me get this straight. The article submitter provides a link to the "article". In the summary, the submitter duplicates, word for word, the complete text of said linked article. When one clicks on the provided link, one discovers that *that* article is just a summary, and points to *another* article. Friggin' brilliant...

  155. It isn't SUPPOSED to be candy by gosand · · Score: 1
    It's supposed to be eye candy, not give you a doctorate in comparative theology or high-energy physics.

    I would rather sat through a comparative theology or high-energy physics lecture than watch EPI or EPII again.

    I'll admit, I was suckered in with EPI and was sorely disappointed. I waited, and finally gave in and rented EPII. Thank god for the FFWD button. It took me about 45 minutes to watch it, and it was still bad without all the love scenes. When people say "remember how bad scene X was in EPII?" I can honestly say "no". And it wasn't bad like Showgirls bad, because Lucas actually thinks what he makes is good. I would rather watch Showgirls or somthing like Starship Troopers than Lucas' tripe. You say it is supposed to be eye candy, but he thinks it is something much bigger. The first few movies were fun, these last ones were just .... bad.

    There is no way I am seeing EPIII in the theater. Lucas gets no special privledge in my book just because he make a couple of good movies, long long ago. Fool me once, shame... shame on you.....If fooled... can't get fooled again.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  156. A Prequel? by part_of_you · · Score: 0

    What, is he gunna go back to the part where Jedi shoot out from the Big Bang?

  157. MOD PARENT UP PLEASE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mod parent up.
    Its a perfectly valid criticism and one I happen to agree with, three films -- in their original state -- were more than enough. It was retro saturday-matinee pulp when it came out and appealed to adults when the first three films came out for just that reason. Lucas seems to have forgotten that, but the outcome of the prequels shows that the underlying gimmic doesn't support further work very well given it was seemingly deliberately based around wooden acting and wooden dialogue.

    If you don't agree with the argument thats fine but its not a reason to mod it flamebait. And don't try to argue that its merely for the colourful/forceful (haha) language, substitute Microsoft for "Lucas" and Windows for "Star Wars" and you have the plan for a stonecold +5 insightful under normal circumstances.

  158. Give it up... by zduchene · · Score: 1

    I know I probably won't be making any friends by saying this but I will any way. I am done with Star Wars! People are getting weird because of it, and I think America needs a new obsession! I think GL should just give it up.

  159. Tim Burton by charlie763 · · Score: 1

    I want Tim Burton and a team of uber nerds to make this film. I would like to see a Star Wars film that is truelly dark and not made for little kids or adults without a frontal lobe. Tim Burton is great at making dark and strange films that are suitable for children. I'm sure Star Wars film he might make would be sans any Jar-Jar-esque characters

    --
    Welcome to the land of the free...pay toll ahead...no photography...please open your bag...
  160. wha? by shokk · · Score: 1

    88 years? In Phantom Menace it was said that "there haven't been any Sith for 1000 years".

    --
    "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
    1. Re:wha? by th3space · · Score: 1

      That the Republic had been aware of...after the Sith Wars of 1000 years prior, all Sith had supposedly been eradicated, but they managed to survive autonomously maintaining the balance in the force and going with a one master, one apprentice arrangement...they had followers, too, trained in the dark arts, but not allowed to pursue mastery...

      This is all off of the top of my head, though...there are histories and timelines out there (a pretty good one is available here (answers.com is faster than wikipedia, so I link there...). Best of luck to you, good sir.

      --
      "How like you to drag your keyboard to a gun fight." - Aaron Bedard (BANE)
    2. Re:wha? by shokk · · Score: 1

      Nice reference! Thanks.

      --
      "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
  161. Numbering! by Tylerious · · Score: 1

    So the first Star Wars came out known as "Star Wars". Then when "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" came out, the first was renamed "Episode 4: A New Hope". Luckily Lucas had the foresight to number the three old episodes 4,5, and 6 so that when 1, 2, and 3 came out they wouldnt have to renumber the old ones *again*.

    What happens if Lucas comes out with another prequel trilogy? Rename Episodes 1-6 to 4-9? Two words: mass confusion. For classical music lovers, think of Dvorak's Symphony numberings. I suppose Lucas would just come out with Special Editions for Episodes 1-3 and Extra Special Editions for Episodes 4-6. It's time Lucas moves on before he loses his audience.

  162. Follow the link(s) by Studio+A · · Score: 1
    The slashdot link http://www.cinematical.com/2005/05/25/lucas-idea-f or-new-star-wars-prequel/ sources this story http://www.moviehole.net/news/5674.html which in turn sources http://www.cinescape.com/ A little digging on this site turns up the original unconfirmed story http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0& this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338 &obj_id=48836

    Uhmmmm...probably to late to even be modded, huh?

    Another scooper, MK, wrote in with his story of meetingnone other than George Lucas, while in Hawaii on his (MK's) honeymoon. MK had this to say about his chance encounter with the Master:

    I was vacationing at the Mandarin Oriental in Hawaii for my honeymoon in 2004. I ran into George Lucas and his family on the beach there. I was sitting in a hammock, just about to get up, and he asked me if I was done. I said yes and began to leave....

    He said so "Where are you from" ... I said I was from NY. He said "Are you here for the shoot?" I said no, "Here on my honeymoon."

    I told him I was a big STAR WARS fan and was anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the most recent trilogy.

    I asked him if STAR WARS was going to end with this next installment and.

    He said, "'Star Wars' will never end. My involvement may, but the story will go on...."

    I said what do you think would be more interesting.... telling a story prior to PHANTOM MENANCE or after RETURN OF THE JEDI?

    (Lucas) said, no question about it, prior to PHANTOM MENACE. He said, that if he did ever do another storyline.... that he would do when the Jedi regained control of the universe from the Dark Lords (there were many of them) 800 years before PHANTOM MENACE. And a young Jedi named Yoda was instrumental in the effort.

    None of these stories are (or can truly be) confirmed at this moment, so only time will tell.

    1. Re:Follow the link(s) by xv4n · · Score: 1
      "I was vacationing at the Mandarin Oriental in Hawaii for my honeymoon in 2004. I ran into George Lucas and his family on the beach there. [...] He [Lucas]said, that if he did ever do another storyline.... that he would do when the Jedi regained control of the universe from the Dark Lords".

      Now wait a second. Lucas would never talk about plot details on Star Wars, not even with his own crew. And now he is talking about Lucas telling this to a complete stranger! That article is full of crap!

  163. I know the title! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Star Wars: The Search for More Money

  164. no more movies by steak · · Score: 1

    unless they make a kotor movie

  165. Many dark lords? by YeEntrancemperium · · Score: 1

    Many dark lords? I thought that the Sith adopted the "Master/Apprentice Only" thing 1000 years ago.

  166. And they shall be called by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Episode -I, -II, & -III

  167. Republic==Mafia; Jedi==Luca Brasi by mcmonkey · · Score: 1
    Look at the scene at the beginning of ep III (which I swore I wouldn't see, then good reviews came out) where the ship tilts 90s. The gravity inside the ship also changes direction 90 degrees. Why? Is the ship just hovering in space, with no orbit?

    spoilers below (eh, who am I kidding? we've all seen it already.)

    That's what bothers you about ep III? Not the fact, if the jedi has any kind of health care, none of this would have ever happened? (Elder care for Anakin's mom (heck, just buy her out of slavery, give her a job mopping floors at jedi school) or prenatal care for Natalie)

    You're bothered by the gravity in some ship, not that Obe Wan leaves Anakin for dead at the end. Not only does he not make any attempt to help him after he is burned, he doesn't even have the decency to do what any one of us would do for a dying animal on the side of the road. He's lost he hands, legs below the knee, burned all over--come on ya farkin' jedi, have some sympathy and put the poor thing out of his misery. Is it any wonder Anakin might hold a little grudge against the jedi? They really did treat him like shit and fark up his whole life.

    I think a more plausible ending to whole series is Darth explaining to Luke just how he ended up a freak trapped behind a mask and his whole family dead. Luke comes to the realization, Kenobe really is a royal A-hole, they join forces to do the galaxy a huge favor and finish off those damn jedi once and for all.

  168. Great by MrCopilot · · Score: 1
    Now my kids can complain about thier childhoods being raped or stolen or in some other way defiled.

    BTW, My childhood memories wear a chastity belt so don't bother trying anything funny.

    --=
    I was gonna post the script to episode -3 but I cannot lie to a web page. sorrry guys.

    --
    OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
  169. Lucas should support the M-prize by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey, he's old, and he's rich, so he is in a good position to pump some of his excess cash into the M-prize so that in say, 15 years, he could take advantage of the new life-extention technologies the M-prize (www.methuselahmouse.org/) has generated and get younger (back to 20 to 25 age range so we can see more star wars sequels, not to mention, what he said about getting back to his roots about making some non-commercial, innovative films etc.

    Remember, all these rich people (It idustries etc.), have usually made their money in high-tech industries, it's about time they funded the new, up-comming high-tech industries (biotech/nanotech) that will enable the average nerd and joe to slow/stop/reverse aging, because, what's the ultimate use of high-tech if you have it and you don't use it to fix and re-program all the cells in your body to get younger again and stay there.

  170. Re:Hi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    He's a neocon?

    How'd you figure that out by his post?

    What a fucktard you are, faggot. Go stab yourself to sleep.

  171. All based on rumor by jangobongo · · Score: 1
    All this prequel business is based on a very flimsy rumor, anyway. Here is the story according to the original source:

    "Another scooper, MK, wrote in with his story of meeting none other than George Lucas, while in Hawaii on his (MK's) honeymoon. MK had this to say about his chance encounter with the Master:

    I was vacationing at the Mandarin Oriental in Hawaii for my honeymoon in 2004. I ran into George Lucas and his family on the beach there. I was sitting in a hammock, just about to get up, and he asked me if I was done. I said yes and began to leave....

    He said so "Where are you from" ... I said I was from NY. He said "Are you here for the shoot?" I said no, "Here on my honeymoon."

    I told him I was a big STAR WARS fan and was anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the most recent trilogy.

    I asked him if STAR WARS was going to end with this next installment and.

    He said, "'Star Wars' will never end. My involvement may, but the story will go on...."

    I said what do you think would be more interesting.... telling a story prior to PHANTOM MENANCE or after RETURN OF THE JEDI?

    (Lucas) said, no question about it, prior to PHANTOM MENACE. He said, that if he did ever do another storyline.... that he would do when the Jedi regained control of the universe from the Dark Lords (there were many of them) 800 years before PHANTOM MENACE. And a young Jedi named Yoda was instrumental in the effort.


    None of these stories are (or can truly be) confirmed at this moment, so only time will tell.


    For all we know, maybe this will be the premise for the TV show that Lucas was talking about more recently.
    --

    Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
  172. sure thing (spoilers) by BitterAndDrunk · · Score: 1
    Mote - the revelation that the warrior caste still exists and the reproductive issues facing the Moties. It was really twofold - the motie helpers that infest the hell out of the starship, and the realization of the completely symmetrical circles all over the landscape. The rise/crash cycle of the Moties.

    Legacy's even easier - there's that moment where they kill the last of the grendels, and observe the samlon getting bigger and growing teeth. Then the realization that the "fish" are actually baby grendels. Everyone I know who read that book finished the last 150 pages or so in one sitting.

    --
    You better watch out, there may be dogs about . . .
    1. Re:sure thing (spoilers) by General+Winter · · Score: 0

      I see your points.

      Legacy was the same for me. After a certain point in the book I couldn't put down until I finished it. Super, super action.

  173. 800 not 88 by dltallan · · Score: 1

    The original "scoop" (if you follow the trail of citations) at http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0& this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338 &obj_id=48836 has the new prequel 800 years before Phantom Menace, not 88. This gets misquoted and the error propagates, as everyone quotes earlier bloggers, rather than looking it up for themselves.

    --
    Respectfully, David Tallan
  174. lord raglan... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and his archeyptal myth scale: http://www.tam-lin.org/abby/raglan.html

    measure up any fantasy/space opera/epic against the scale and you can roughly gauge the amount of success the story will have. writing does play into it, but there are archetypal mythos built into humanity that we cannot deny. i dont know where luke and anakin place, but muaddib placed right around 17 i believe.

  175. Re:Hi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Moron...Perhaps he actually read the post. This part kinda sounds neo-conish to me.

    "pre-conceived left leaning american hating political views"
  176. Not Possible. by Jesus+2.0 · · Score: 1

    (1) It would have to be Episode Zero.

    (2) The scrolling intro always gives the episode number in Roman numerals.

    (3) The Romans had no numeral for zero.

  177. in the first ten minutes by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    That's what bothers you about ep III? Not the fact, if the jedi has any kind of health care, none of this would have ever happened? (Elder care for Anakin's mom (heck, just buy her out of slavery, give her a job mopping floors at jedi school) or prenatal care for Natalie)

    Well, that was the first glaring flaw I noticed. Of course the whole "dying during childbirth" thing seemed ridiculous as well, but at least that inconsistency had a purpose.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:in the first ten minutes by Atryn · · Score: 1
      Of course the whole "dying during childbirth" thing seemed ridiculous as well
      I've heard several people bring this up in one fashion or another... "why didn't they have the tech to save her"... "why didn't she have proper care pre-natal"...

      Both my wife and I took this as more of an issue of willpower (central to the Star Wars univers, IMHO). After Annakin's fall and his attack on her the ONLY think she "had left to live for" was the birth of her children. The droid even came out and said she had lost the will to live.

      Thus, when the Emperor tells Darth Vader that he killed her in his anger, he is telling the truth. Annakin's anger both led him to the Dark Side (and away from her) and caused him to lash out and attack her. These two things "killed" her will to live and thus killed her.
      --
      Come play Moral Decay!
  178. Hey now by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    I worked at a phone center for a month or so, doing polling (before the election) and telemarketing. I think anyone who ever read any 'real' sci-fi involving space travel would have some understanding of orbits, etc.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  179. when-will-it-end by lgas · · Score: 1

    Shouldn't that be "when-will-it-begin"?

  180. To Lucas, from Yoda: by hamfactorial · · Score: 0

    Much to earn, you still have.

    --
    Did you know subscribers can see articles in the future? Holy shit!
  181. Nice try, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .. I guess you're unaware that not every email address has web space, and vice versa, right?

  182. I have a simple question. by StarKruzr · · Score: 1

    Why does Lucas REFUSE to go forward and will only make prequels?

    --

    +++ATH0
  183. Actually, It's 6 too many by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject above

  184. There can be no prequel! by mcmonkey · · Score: 1

    What a sec...wasn't part of the original premise that the entire SW epic was told as seen through the sensors of R2D2 and C3PO?

    Back in the day ep. I, II, and III were about the rise of the empire, not necessarily Darth Vador's origins, and the common characters from the first to second (and ultimately third) trilogy were R2 and C3. Since C3 is built by Anakin in TPM, there can be no prequels.

    Or is it just my imagination?

  185. If it's anywhere near as good as the KotOR games.. by Chiisu · · Score: 1

    .... I'm for it.

  186. How could that be believable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...since Yoda was such an empty-headed stuffed shirt throughout the last three movies? If Yoda shrugged his shoulders, cut and ran from his battle-to-the-death with Palpantine, how could he have taken on lots of Sith lords? Shoot, Mace Windu would have saved everyone the trouble of watching the original trilogy if he hadn't been disarmed (literally) by Anakin (what a friggin' moron! how could this guy have possibly been "the chosen one"?).

    Besides, supposedly all that sith war stuff would have happened over a thousand years ago (maybe more than that if "over a thousand generations" means anything to anybody). Yoda died at the ripe old age of 900-something. Close, but no cigar. Besides, if he had gone back that far, he would have known a little more about knowing a Sith when you see one than he appeared to.

    I'm still mad at Lucas for spending so much time on the last three movies on computer-generated effects, so little time on scripts and actors, and so many new embellishments (accompanied by last minute additions to tie the two trilogies together) along with so little attention to the central themes of the original trilogy -- the stuff that stuck in people's minds (not the special effects, which are now commonplace and boring).

    Midichloreans are so much meaningless technobabble. The force surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together. Microbes can't do that.

    1. Re:How could that be believable? by CPUGuy · · Score: 1

      It was said that Yoda was once a great warrior.

      Also, Mace's fighting conditions were much better, not to mention he is far younger, and has a more aggressive fighting style (notice how he pretty much turned to the dark side just before his death, even though he was still against Palpatine).

  187. sex that blinds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Didn't your mommy tell you that if you whacked your weasel you would go blind??

  188. Let's be honest. by Inoshiro · · Score: 1

    "It's not inconceivable that he was exercising mind control to help push Anakin over to the dark side."

    If you have to start reaching for explanations like this, I think it's pretty clear that the behaviours didn't mesh up well with the rest of the character story arc. If you have to make up a reason why something happened, especially if it's not clear after the fact (simply; not using contrived explanations), the story teller has failed.

    This was pretty damn out of character. The sowing of dark side seeds had to be much subtler, and much longer. The only hint of this was when Anakin told Windu about Sidious, rather than just killing him immediately. This hesitation showed dark side tendencies. That could've easily been built upon to be believable.

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  189. Free-fall by Namarrgon · · Score: 1
    I figured it was pretty easy to explain. The engines are in the back so that is where the anti gravity field that was keeping the up is the last to go. So as the antigravity field goes, the artificial gravity goes, and the planet's normal gravity asserts itself.

    If there's no anti-gravity, and the ship's engines aren't on, then the ship is in free-fall and so are the occupants. Everyone's weightless, and that's that.

    Besides, why was R2D2 sliding helplessly down a steep slope anyway? I thought he/she/it could fly these days.

    --
    Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  190. should it then be Episode 0 or Episode -1? by mcn · · Score: 1

    how will he name it? and if it's a prequel trilogy again, would it be Episodes -III, -II, -I or Episodes -II, -I, 0?

  191. Really? by Schwarzchild · · Score: 1
    As a side note, I'd really like to see a script from Kevin Smith. Given a free reign (and a ban from using his friends as cast members)he could write the Starwars adventure we all think we remember.
    Why would you think that? When I think of Kevin "great director" doesn't come immediately to mind. Perhaps that guy who did Memento and is currently doing Batman would be a much better choice?
    --

    "sweet dreams are made of this..."

  192. Foreninja: Origin of the Jedi by apralarpa · · Score: 1

    Prequel to the the prequels ......longer than a long time ago, there was no duality, the Jedi and the Sith were not, they were The Foreninja, and the forerunners were allied to the dark side....

    Backmyth:All species of alien, including 'humans', have dark-side sithmidichlorians in their cells.

    ...but that's secondary to the fact that (good)midichlorians rob you of your potency...

    sample dialogue:"My midichlorian count is off-the-scale but i can't maintain a firm erection (babe)"

    All Palindromic Recursive Acronyms Like APRALARPA Require Pronounceable Abbreviations

  193. eh by autopr0n · · Score: 1

    I really liked Eternal Sunshine as well.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  194. Re:Sith supposed to have been extinct for 1000 yrs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The species known as the Sith has been extinct.

    The humans and other species who discovered the ruins of their civilization and their teachings more recently, call themselves Sith but its just a title.

    And to be fair, the real Sith arent extinct, they just abandoned their planets closest to republic space thousands of years before the events of the movies.

    So go 50 light years past Korriban, turn right and you'll find a drive-thru red lightsabre store (no background check or 10 day waiting period).