The Offical "I Don't Hate George Lucas" Thread

[Sam Fisher]

Now I love Star Wars as much as the next person, but you know, I'm sick of going to all these message boards and reading these Star Wars fanboys say George Lucas sucks this and the prequels suck that. Really? I'm not arguing that George is a good director, but he sure deserves more credit than he gets.

They may not be the best movies ever, here are far worst movies out there than the prequels and Indy 4. They all had their moments. How can you say the pod racing wasn't cool? How can you say Qui Gon vs. Darth Maul or Obi Wan vs. Anakin wasn't cool?

No, what Lucas added in the Special Editons may not have been good, but uh, since when did these movies become about the special effects only?

The Clone Wars: I haven't watched much of the series but I will wholeheartly say I enjoyed the movie.

Jar Jar: Considering he's not meant for my age group, I refuse to say he sucks.

I think people who say that Lucas or the prequels ruined their childhood are just being ignorant. You still have three great movies. You don't like the prequels, just ignore them. It ain't that diffficult.

Without George Lucas, We would not have Star Wars and Indiana Jones.


I know most people don't agree with me, just my opinion.

 

[OctaviusINC]

I agree. The man has made many advancements in film making using CGI and special effects in general. Whether you think CGI is a gift or a curse, you have to admit the things you could do are outstanding and the sky is practically the limit. Same goes for THX sound.

I don't think he's a great film MAKER and he's sub-par writer at least with dialouge.

I like Star Wars a lot. But IMO the series picks up and delivers 2 awesome sequels when he DOESN'T direct (ESB and ROTJ). Maybe that just isn't his thing. I thought PM was decent, AOTC was awful, and ROTS was good. 2 out of 3 for me. Not a bad score. Though Hayden couldn't act out of a paper bag. American Graffetti was a very good movie though.

Indiana Jones is one of my favorite things EVER, so I have to give Lucas credit for that. And I didn't think Indy 4 was all that bad. In fact, I liked it. People moan about the CGI, but when I seen the special features, a lot of shots I thought were CGI weren't at all. So that really changed my look on the movie overall.

Love him or hate him, Lucas changed the way we watch movies. From epic special effects battles to double dipping DVDs. But, like any other creator, Lucas didn't single handedly create something good OR bad. So he shouldn't be shunned to death. IMO the main reason the Indiana Jones movies were so good was because Lucas didn't have much power. He got power when Indy 4 came along, and look what people think of that.

But, yeah, even though I constantly make fun of the guy, I like Lucas.

 

[Hush]

Yeah you both are really smart! I like him too.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

Now I love Star Wars as much as the next person, but you know, I'm sick of going to all these message boards and reading these Star Wars fanboys say George Lucas sucks this and the prequels suck that. Really? I'm not arguing that George is a good director, but he sure deserves more credit than he gets.

Definitely true. I may not agree with some of his viewpoints, but Lucas is a very gifted filmmaker - there's no doubt about it in my mind.

No, what Lucas added in the Special Editons may not have been good, but uh, since when did these movies become about the special effects only?

I don't really have any objections to the changes made for the Special Editions (and later DVD) releases. My only beef FX-wise is that the 2004 trilogy versions have screwed up lightsabers because ILM was too busy with "Sith" to revamp them properly.

The Clone Wars: I haven't watched much of the series but I will wholeheartly say I enjoyed the movie.

I haven't seen it, and to be honest I'm not sure if I want to. Now that Anakin's story has finally been told in the live-action films, I'm content with that.

Jar Jar: Considering he's not meant for my age group, I refuse to say he sucks.

I'm probably one of the few who actually liked Jar Jar. I thought he was funny, and a welcome relief from all the political mess that the prequels would eventually become filled with. I was actually rather ticked at George for reducing Jar Jar's screen time in "Clones", and barely even including him in "Sith". I felt that if more fans had given the character an honest chance, Lucas could've polished him more for II & III.

I think people who say that Lucas or the prequels ruined their childhood are just being ignorant.

I'm reminded of michael Bay's comment regarding the 2007 Transformers movie: "If my putting flames on optimus Prime ruined your childhood, then you needed a better one." Like Bay, Lucas was simply making his films the way he best envisioned them. Both knew their aims wouldn't be praised by everyone, and they were cool with it.

 

[SatEL]

Now I love Star Wars as much as the next person, but you know, I'm sick of going to all these message boards and reading these Star Wars fanboys say George Lucas sucks this and the prequels suck that. Really? I'm not arguing that George is a good director, but he sure deserves more credit than he gets.

They may not be the best movies ever, here are far worst movies out there than the prequels and Indy 4. They all had their moments. How can you say the pod racing wasn't cool? How can you say Qui Gon vs. Darth Maul or Obi Wan vs. Anakin wasn't cool?

No, what Lucas added in the Special Editons may not have been good, but uh, since when did these movies become about the special effects only?

The Clone Wars: I haven't watched much of the series but I will wholeheartly say I enjoyed the movie.

Jar Jar: Considering he's not meant for my age group, I refuse to say he sucks.

I think people who say that Lucas or the prequels ruined their childhood are just being ignorant. You still have three great movies. You don't like the prequels, just ignore them. It ain't that diffficult.

Without George Lucas, We would not have Star Wars and Indiana Jones.


I know most people don't agree with me, just my opinion.

What a few good moments in a bad film excuses the entire film? What is painful about the prequels to Star Wars is that they had so much potential he could have really made something epic with them. Instead he destroyed Darth Vader and the Star Wars universe as a whole, he should have been smart and hired a good writer to pen the prequels. So of what the guys do in the novels to the EU are really good perhaps he could have got one of them on board. Either way the guy has sealed a place in movie history (Hell he might suck now but he did make Star Wars afterall).

 

[Darthphere]

Lucas needs to stick to creating concepts and let someone else do the execution of those concepts. Conceptually, the prequel trilogy is a stroke of genius, execution wise, it failed to live up to any of that. Also, he needs to keep his own continuity in order.

 

[thedeadite]

I really don't have a problem with Lucas doing ANYTHING to the Star Wars universe that he wants too.
I have my problems with the prequels and special editions but in the end it's his baby. If that's what he envisioned in the first place but was unable to do at the time (special editions) or that's how he feels the story should go (prequels) than he should do it.
On that note, I agree with Darthphere I think he does a much better job at coming up with a story concept than executing it.

ps. On the acting part, I have to admit the original trilogy doesn't have stellar acting either. Acting talent has never been a strong point in any of the star wars movies.

 

[bunk]

I agree with everyone's posts for the most part. It's become very tiresome to hear the incessant whining from people who don't seem to understand that Lucas' sensibilities have always been the same. It's only the tools at his disposal that have changed. The original trilogy are probably my favorite movies to watch above all else. To turn around and attack the person responsible, with hatred, is something I can't even begin to imagine doing. The prequel trilogy, with all it's flaws is still a million times more imaginative than 99% of the drek churned out by Hollywood.

 

[Bim]

I agree with everyone's posts for the most part. It's become very tiresome to hear the incessant whining from people who don't seem to understand that Lucas' sensibilities have always been the same. It's only the tools at his disposal that have changed. The original trilogy are probably my favorite movies to watch above all else. To turn around and attack the person responsible, with hatred, is something I can't even begin to imagine doing. The prequel trilogy, with all it's flaws is still a million times more imaginative than 99% of the drek churned out by Hollywood.

Couldnt have said it better myself t:

I totally respect Lucas, and even though the PT isnt perfect, well neither is the OT if u look at them objectively... i dont get the PT hate, but to each their own.

Today's moviemakers would be lucky if they had half the creativity and vision that Lucas has

 

[Jochimus]

I don't hate George Lucas. In fact, any man who can make as much as money as he does stamping the brand name on product that just isn't that great anymore, I wish I could be like.

As has been pointed out already, Lucas is a brilliant idea man, but in terms of executing those ideas on his own, that's where he's lacking. Still, I realize that him wanting to direct the prequels himself probably owed itself partially to the troubles he had in the past with the Directors' Guild and whatnot over ESB (I don't remember what the exact issue was, but I do know that practically every bigshot in Hollywood went for Lucas' jugular with ESB's success - Fox even sent Alan Ladd Jr. packing because Lucas got the better end of the deal with the merchandising). And considering that the first movie was such a pain in the @$$ for him to direct that it actually gave him health problems, I can't imagine at his age now that going back to that capacity for the prequels was something he found completely inviting (especially given that, just as with A New Hope, the desert shoots for Episode I were hit by terrible storms that actually destroyed some set pieces).

My main beef with Lucas is, quite bluntly, his reliance on green-screen and primarily-digital shooting, and that's because Lucas' directing abilities simply are not up to the kind of challenge that green-screen filming poses. Another younger and more energetic director might be able to get at least something out of his actors even when all they see around them for 90 percent of their shooting time is green walls; whereas, by the admission of pretty much every actor who's ever been in a Star Wars film, Lucas can only manage a "Faster!" and "More intense!" with every cut. I figure if Lucas had spent more time in the director's chair beyond the original trilogy, he might have been a little more seasoned by the time shooting for Episode I started.

Incidentally, I also concur with the basic sentiment that anyone who claims Lucas (or any filmmaker, frankly) raped their childhood obviously didn't have much of a childhood. My childhood consisted of riding my tricycle into the street and digging up the front yard for no legitimate reason that I can remember, drawing, bouncing up and down on our furniture (I even have a nice scar above my right eyebrow as a lasting memory), more drawing, playing with a tubful of banged-up old Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars when every other kid on the block was getting fresh ones every time they went into the city, more drawing, listening to my brother's heavy-metal and stand-up comedy collection or reading his MAD Magazines (usually when he wasn't home), more drawing, sneaking a peek at my Dad's old Playboy collection (which he left behind when Mom threw him out), more drawing and a little writing, reading our school's library's awesome collection of monster books over and over and over again, more drawing and more writing, and wearing all my original action figures down to broken plastic nubs you wouldn't even touch on eBay, among other things that would have made my elementary guidance counselor either cringe in horror or laugh uproariously (fortunately, mine happened to be intelligent enough to fall into the latter). Oh, and somewhere in there I also found time to watch the old Transformers cartoon, read the comics and play with the toys, so IMO Bay's assessment in this case happens to be totally valid.

 

[Prison Mike]

Lucas needs to stick to creating concepts and let someone else do the execution of those concepts. Conceptually, the prequel trilogy is a stroke of genius, execution wise, it failed to live up to any of that. Also, he needs to keep his own continuity in order.

I agree. He's great at coming up with the ideas. But he needs someone else to execute them.

 

[chamber-music]

the pod racing wasn't cool, that little kid was annoying although the Qui Gon vs. Darth Maul and Obi Wan vs. Anakin was awesome.

No one liked Jar Jar not even little kids the character was lame but Lucas did come up with orginal movies which where great so he gets points for that.

I don't think people hate Lucas that much they just enjoy mocking him and he makes it oh so easy for people to do so.

 

[I Am The Knight]

I like the Prequels for the most part. I can enjoy them. I don't think Lucas is a hack, etc, etc.

 

[GhostPoet]

I liked Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith...hated the love story, I thought it was done horribly. But the rest of the films were good...Phantom Menace well...I just pretend that never happened.

 

[Doctor Jones]

George Lucas is still the Zues of Sci-fi in my eyes. People just maon about him because the prequels didn't meet their expectations and they bash everything to do with it. I love the guy. He made me open my eyes to filmmkaing and you have to give the man credit for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking then and now.

And for the person who said kids didn't like Jar Jar. That isn't true. I was 7 when I first saw TPM and I loved Jar Jar. Now he's rather a bit annoying but I can't help but giggle on some of the things he does. Brings me back to my childhood. The Duel of the Fates was and still is one of the coolest damn things I've ever seen.

Could of these films been made better? Yes. But they're still great films that deserve to be in the same breath as the others. People say these stories didn't need to be told. Get the hell out of here. They just say that because they hate the films. The whole story is about Anakin. And the journey of the character was done so well from Lucas. When Lucas mentioned when you see Vader in ANH for the first time, and after watching the PT, we say, "Oh my God. He's still in there!" And you feel bad for him.

Anybody who bashes these films are just ignorant fanboys who were let down by the films and continue to blow it out of proportion.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I liked Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith...hated the love story, I thought it was done horribly. But the rest of the films were good...Phantom Menace well...I just pretend that never happened.

I preferred TPM over AOTC. It's great. I liked Lloyed in the role. He was the best one out of the other kids they auditioned. Especially when he asks, "Are you an angel?" Don't bash the poor guy. He's eight years old for God's sakes. How many kids that age can give a great performance? You're kidding yourselves if you think so. He's surrounded by top actors for God sakes.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I don't hate George Lucas. In fact, any man who can make as much as money as he does stamping the brand name on product that just isn't that great anymore, I wish I could be like.

As has been pointed out already, Lucas is a brilliant idea man, but in terms of executing those ideas on his own, that's where he's lacking. Still, I realize that him wanting to direct the prequels himself probably owed itself partially to the troubles he had in the past with the Directors' Guild and whatnot over ESB (I don't remember what the exact issue was, but I do know that practically every bigshot in Hollywood went for Lucas' jugular with ESB's success - Fox even sent Alan Ladd Jr. packing because Lucas got the better end of the deal with the merchandising). And considering that the first movie was such a pain in the @$$ for him to direct that it actually gave him health problems, I can't imagine at his age now that going back to that capacity for the prequels was something he found completely inviting (especially given that, just as with A New Hope, the desert shoots for Episode I were hit by terrible storms that actually destroyed some set pieces).

My main beef with Lucas is, quite bluntly, his reliance on green-screen and primarily-digital shooting, and that's because Lucas' directing abilities simply are not up to the kind of challenge that green-screen filming poses. Another younger and more energetic director might be able to get at least something out of his actors even when all they see around them for 90 percent of their shooting time is green walls; whereas, by the admission of pretty much every actor who's ever been in a Star Wars film, Lucas can only manage a "Faster!" and "More intense!" with every cut. I figure if Lucas had spent more time in the director's chair beyond the original trilogy, he might have been a little more seasoned by the time shooting for Episode I started.

Incidentally, I also concur with the basic sentiment that anyone who claims Lucas (or any filmmaker, frankly) raped their childhood obviously didn't have much of a childhood. My childhood consisted of riding my tricycle into the street and digging up the front yard for no legitimate reason that I can remember, drawing, bouncing up and down on our furniture (I even have a nice scar above my right eyebrow as a lasting memory), more drawing, playing with a tubful of banged-up old Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars when every other kid on the block was getting fresh ones every time they went into the city, more drawing, listening to my brother's heavy-metal and stand-up comedy collection or reading his MAD Magazines (usually when he wasn't home), more drawing, sneaking a peek at my Dad's old Playboy collection (which he left behind when Mom threw him out), more drawing and a little writing, reading our school's library's awesome collection of monster books over and over and over again, more drawing and more writing, and wearing all my original action figures down to broken plastic nubs you wouldn't even touch on eBay, among other things that would have made my elementary guidance counselor either cringe in horror or laugh uproariously (fortunately, mine happened to be intelligent enough to fall into the latter). Oh, and somewhere in there I also found time to watch the old Transformers cartoon, read the comics and play with the toys, so IMO Bay's assessment in this case happens to be totally valid.

Bay captured what I loved about Transformers. Giant robots beating the crap out of eachother. That was it really. The cartoon was enjoyable so was the film. That's all I need. I don't want to see a character study or have complex morals on a TDK level. I want to be entertained for two hours. I like complex films that make you think deep, but sometimes I like to be just entertained.

 

[Addendum]

Lucas can do whatever he wants in his Star Wars playground and it doesn't bother me. I left it behind years ago

 

[Sam Fisher]

What a few good moments in a bad film excuses the entire film? What is painful about the prequels to Star Wars is that they had so much potential he could have really made something epic with them. Instead he destroyed Darth Vader and the Star Wars universe as a whole, he should have been smart and hired a good writer to pen the prequels. So of what the guys do in the novels to the EU are really good perhaps he could have got one of them on board. Either way the guy has sealed a place in movie history (Hell he might suck now but he did make Star Wars afterall).

Like others have said, they're his movies and he can do what he wants with them. He's not forcing anyone to watch them.

 

[Bim]

Loved ur entire post, Doctor Jones, but i gotta add to this bit:

People say these stories didn't need to be told. Get the hell out of here. They just say that because they hate the films. The whole story is about Anakin. And the journey of the character was done so well from Lucas. When Lucas mentioned when you see Vader in ANH for the first time, and after watching the PT, we say, "Oh my God. He's still in there!" And you feel bad for him.

The PT has actually enhanced my views of the OT. To be honest, i wasnt wowed by Vader as a child like so many were and i just saw him as some really evil dude. But after he PT i realized there was more to him than that. I cant relate at all to Anakin and his choices, but the prequels did add a humanity to the character that i can apreciate.

Oh and regarding ur comment on Jake as the best Anakin i have to agree. The other blond kid auditioned great, but Jake's performance had something that for me worked better.

 

[Bobber]

I preferred TPM over AOTC. It's great. I liked Lloyed in the role. He was the best one out of the other kids they auditioned. Especially when he asks, "Are you an angel?" Don't bash the poor guy. He's eight years old for God's sakes. How many kids that age can give a great performance? You're kidding yourselves if you think so. He's surrounded by top actors for God sakes.

THE LITTLE KID NEEDS TO DIEEEEEE!!!

Nah, but really, I disliked his performance. But that's probably Lucas' fault tbh, he's not really a very good director for actors, and an 8 year old would need a lot of directing.

 

[SatEL]

Like others have said, they're his movies and he can do what he wants with them. He's not forcing anyone to watch them.

I agree I was just stating the prequels had more potential than what was given.

 

[GhostPoet]

THE LITTLE KID NEEDS TO DIEEEEEE!!!

Nah, but really, I disliked his performance. But that's probably Lucas' fault tbh, he's not really a very good director for actors, and an 8 year old would need a lot of directing.

I've seen plenty of kids act better than him. He just has no talent. I heard him do a voice over for a movie...man, it was bad.

 

[Drizzle]

You'll find no complaints from me. While I was underwhelmed by "Phantom Menace", I loved the lightsaber fight, and I loved the last half hour of "Attack of the Clones" and all of "Revenge of the Sith".

 

[Bobber]

I've seen plenty of kids act better than him. He just has no talent. I heard him do a voice over for a movie...man, it was bad.

I've seen plenty of kids act better than him as well. I don't think Lucas is very good at getting the best out of his actors though, so when you give him one with a bare amount of talent, it really shows.