I... I have a problem. I can't stop researching George Lucas' Episode VII. Save me ERA.
I watched the documentary from The Force Awakens Blu-ray last night and was intrigued by an art department review it showed from February 6th, 2013, just after George had turned over the project to J.J. There were big art boards behind everyone with stills from previous movies and concept art. One board was labeled "Act 2" and appears to be comprised of nothing but existing stills and art, including Darth Talon.
The piece just above Doug Chiang's head here is actually one of Ralph McQuarrie's first concepts for Darth Vader's castle in Empire Strikes Back.
I point this out because there was an original piece of concept art for Vader's castle made for The Force Awakens the month this meeting took place:
Then there was an entire concept art board for Felucia with every piece we can see incorporating a canyon, including a piece that was included in The Art of The Force Awakens titled "Felucia Canyon" that can be seen in the middle of the screenshot.
That piece as shown in the art book includes a male figure with a red lightsaber looking down on the Millennium Falcon.
Spielberg has been asked multiple times and said no
I hope not, based on how weakly written and truly boring large chunks of Rebels is, not to mention how it utterly squanders the concept of a show about the Rebel Alliance. Also he's really into the prequels and I don't want that stink anywhere near the movies.
I guess I hoped that a show called "Rebels" would be about the forming of the Rebel Alliance and feature characters who seemed cool and interesting from that time period already established in the films, like Mon Mothma, Biggs, Wedge, Bail Organa, etc., not a saturday morning cartoon about a "family" on a ship who happen to be Rebels that yet again revolves around a pair of Jedi (even though it feels contrived if not completely contradictory in this time period).
Okay, why?
Visually force awakens is the best Star Wars film by a very wide margin
I don't like most of those reasons. I don't like his style, his characters, Ahsoka, Clovis, Maul's resurrection, Savage Opress, Cad Bane, the Force family, the Mandalore story, his version of Grievous, Obi-Wan'a girlfriend, or the entire direction. The Republic comics and micro series are far superior for me. As far as I'm concerned he ruined the Clone Wars.
The Clone Wars pilot movie and first season of it were very much a product of George Lucas. I mean yes he Directed that pilot, but it was meant to be on tv, not in theatres. Not his fault it got blown up. Once Lucas let him start doing his own thing and not pander so heavily toward children it got much better. Names like "Savage Opress" and the way Grievous acts are Lucas' doing too.
We all know Lucas loved really dumb names. Let's not forget the "Darth Icky" stories. It can be traced all the way back to "Luke Starkiller".
So many beautiful images. Will never understand people claiming this isn't one of the most beautiful SW films. Am excited to see them back for IX, even though I loved the look of TLJ too.
hmmmmmm
This shit is absolutely iconic.
The prequels shrink the galaxy tremendously. Anakin builds Threepio, almost everyone has crossed paths with one another at some point in the previous 20 years, Yoda is no longer just a Jedi hermit, but the LEADER of the Jedi and the personal nemesis of The Emperor, there's a lame chosen one prophecy that makes everything seem pre-ordained and the Force goes from being a Buddhist mystical, ineffable energy surrounding all life and death in the galaxy and turns it into some quantifiable gene that can be detected in a blood test. Coruscant, the most bustling center of the galaxy is a weak strip of neon filled with cartoon bad guys with none of the menace and character of even the Mos Eisley Cantina. Don't get me started on how Lucas was going to feature a 12 year old Han Solo wearing a fucking VEST living on Kashyyk in ROTS.
Well, I mean you did include Rogue One in your judgement and presumably there are a bunch of still from that you could post to illustrate your point. That movie is hardly what I'd call 'creative' though when it comes to the imagery. It's just channeling the OT. Remember, my post was in reply to 'interesting and creative visual' not necessarily which one has the best lighting. Last Jedi definitely has some stunningly original and beautiful imagery but in terms of creativity Force Awakens goes to some amazing places. I don't think anything from Last Jedi could really hope to be as iconic except maybe the hyperspace Kamikaze scene and the scenes with Luke on Crait. I don't really count the ach to stuff because that imagery is just borrowed and reworked from force awakens.
I just posted a fair amount of proof that RO is NOT just aping the OT, lol
I posted some of the most iconic imagery from the film in an attempt to counter your claims. I think it has the most iconic, interesting, bold and original imagery of the recent films. Maybe not in terms of creatures or locales but more so the character and set designs as well as images with deeper meaning like vaders melted helmet or finn with the streaks of blood on his helmet. Or the tie Fighters flying with the sun setting in the background. I could go on all day about this stuff.
Fantastic picks.hmmmmmm
This shit is absolutely iconic.
R1>TFA>TLJ for me in that department. R1 had that softer realism I crave. You can pick out specific compositions from each movie and pit them against each other for days, but I'm just talking the overall look of the movie, the way it was lit and filmed.
Nah.
Yes and yes.
Like Sonic and Zelda fandom. Lest we forget.
Probably, but are those ideas really great? These aren't amazingly deep stories and characters. The execution is everything.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
