George Lucas - Tumblr Posts
I hate that it took some folks 25 years to finally see it (and Screen Rant of all places), but THANK YOU!!!
God bless you, Ahmed Best.
I'd say where the dissonance really starts, when it comes to the portrayal of the Jedi in more recent Star Wars stories, is the perception of what the Prequels are about.
They're not about the Jedi.
George Lucas said over and over that they're about:
How a democracy turns into a dictatorship, we see this in the background of the films, as the Republic descends into becoming the Empire.
That first theme is then paralleled with a second theme: how a good kid becomes a bad man. We see this in the more character-driven and personal exploration of Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side.
The Prequels’ focus is on Anakin and the Republic, these films are not primarily about the fall of the Jedi. In fact, I’d argue they aren’t about the Jedi at all!
And when you look at the original backstory, you’ll notice that it also primarily focuses on:
The political subplot of the Republic’s downfall and Palpatine becoming the Emperor.
Anakin’s turn and his betrayal of the Jedi.
So, there too… the Jedi themselves aren’t really that big a part of the Prequels’ original idea. They aren't mentioned much, beyond their trying to save the Senate and getting wiped out.
The Star Wars movies aren't about the Jedi, they're about Anakin and Luke, they're about Obi-Wan and Padmé and Han and Leia, the Rebellion vs the Empire, the fall of the Republic.
They're not about Ben and Yoda and Mace and Ki-Adi and Plo Koon and Shaak Ti and Luminara.
Just like Harry Potter isn't about Dumbledore and McGonagall. Just like the Lord of the Rings isn't about Gandalf.
On a functional level, the Jedi are:
POV characters who witness the events unfold with their hands tied, they're our anchors, whose eyes we see through to see democracy crumble into dictatorship.
Embodiments/vectors of the message George Lucas wanted to get across through these movies, which is the conflict between selfishness & selflessness, greed & compassion (Sith & Jedi).
But that's about it.
However, if you ask today’s fans and Star Wars creatives, most will say the Prequels are about the fall of the Jedi Order.
This is a take shared by a big chunk of the fandom, including various filmmakers, authors, and executives involved with Star Wars, so much so that the time period the Prequel films cover has now been redubbed by Lucasfilm as the “Fall of the Jedi era”.
Which leaves us with a question... why? Why the dissonance?
My guess? It's because the Jedi are cool. They're awesome.
And deep down, they wanted the Prequels to be about the Jedi. About the Jedi Knights at their height, errant warriors like the Knights of the Round Table.
And they didn't get that. They got a bunch of diplomats serving a political institution. And that didn't make sense, right? That's not what they expected so it's bad. And it's Star Wars. It's Lucas. It can't be bad, right? So like... what were they missing?
Oh... wait... what if... that's the point? That the Jedi were supposed to be Knight Errants and being guided by the Force instead of like - ew - space ambassadors for the Republic. Yeah now it all makes sense.
The Jedi in the Prequels aren't what we wanted them to be and that's their failure! Like, it's not just that I didn't like them because they weren't likeable to me, it's that I'm not supposed to like them because the narrative totally says so--
-- it doesn't.
The Jedi preach and practice the same Buddhist values as George Lucas, mirroring what he says in interviews almost verbatim.
The relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin/Qui-Gon mirrors the dynamic between Lucas and Coppola.
The designs of the Jedi and their temple had to be toned down because they looked too bureaucratic and systemic.
This is Lucas we're talking about. "On the nose" is his middle name. He named the drug-peddling sleazebag "Elan Sleazebaggano." He ditched an elaborate introduction of General Grievous in exchange for just "the doors slide open, in walks Grievous and he's ugly."
If he had really been hell bent on framing the Jedi as elitist squares who lost their way and were mired in bureaucracy, he would've made them and the Jedi Temple look like the authorities in THX-1138.
They weren't likeable to some fans because, well, they weren't developed or shown as much as someone like Anakin. Because it's not about them. It's not their story. It's Anakin's. It's Luke's. It's their respective friends'. Or maybe it's an adversity to "perfect goody two-shoes" characters (which the Jedi are not). But hey, it's a movie for kids. Some 2-dimensionality is forgivable.
Bottom line, had more time been spent on the Jedi, had Lucas made the Prequels into a limited show and give them a whole subplot, had he decided to do away with the 30s serial dialog and let someone else write the dialog, maybe the reception might've been different.
But that's what we got. And guess what it's fine.
It's more than fine, it's fucking awesome.
I proudly and confidently say that I love the Prequels, with and without The Clone Wars.
I love my space monks, I love that they're diplomat wizards, I love that there's such a variety of them, I love that Mace is a no-bullshit guy who genuinely cares about his fellow Jedi and how screwed the Republic is, and Yoda is wise and kind but also a gremlin weirdo who'll embarass you in front of a classroom full of kids, and Ki-Adi has a penis for a head, is constantly calm and yet goes down like a champ even though they take him by surprise. I love that Shaak Ti can kung fu an army full of Magna Guards and still have the energy to charge at Grievous. I love that Obi-Wan is a sass machine who is also hilariously oblivious to the fact that he's just as terrible as Anakin.
They're awesome even if they're not perfect. They're awesome because they're not perfect.
But the movies are not really their story.
They're Anakin's. They're Luke's. They're the Republic's and the Rebellion's. And the fight against a space Nazi emperor/empire.
I found a Filoni/Lucas interaction over the creation of Ahsoka, and I'm chortling.
Basically Filoni wanted Ahsoka to be a serious commentary on war and child soldiers and her lack of preparation because she's not trained for it
But then George basically told him:
So, in other words: She's got this, and lighten the fuck up :D
A Tano timeline
"I C H O O S E T O L I V E"
- A H S O K A T A N O
When Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader vs when Darth Vader became Anakin Skywalker
Star Wars is an epic poem🥲
How can you praise Andor for its nuance in its portrayal of Imperials and the Rebellion, but can’t accept any nuance when it comes to the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force. George Lucas, the literal creator of Star Wars, was the one to introduce the idea that the Jedi weren’t perfect and made many mistakes, and he helped his apprentice Dave Filoni showcase this even more in The Clone Wars, and then Dave continued to expand on George’s own ideas about the force in Rebels and his later projects.
So don’t be mad at Dave Filoni or Leslye Headland that the Jedi aren’t perfect, be mad at the literal creator of this franchise. Also, no project has ever made the case “The Jedi are just as bad as the Sith”. The Sith are very noticeably worse than the Jedi, always.
KEVIN FEIGE Quiere a Brie Larson como Ahsoka Tano,en su Pleicula de ´´Star Wars´´
KEVIN FEIGE Quiere a Brie Larson como Ahsoka Tano,en su Pleicula de ´´Star Wars´´
Semanas Atras, se Informaba que Kevin Feige, jefazo de Marvel Studios, está desarrollando una nueva película de Star Wars dentro del plan de expansión que tiene Kathleen Kennedy, presidente de Lucasfilm para la franquicia.
(more…)
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John Williams ´´Duel of the Fates´´ ´´Star Wars:The Phantom Menace´´ Banda Sonora del Film de George Lucas "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" Con Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, Samuel L. Jackson, Terence Stamp, Ray Park, Brian Blessed, Keira Knightley, Sofia Coppola & Frank Oz.
‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Cannes Red Carpet Photos: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, More Attend World Premiere.
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KEVIN FEIGE Quiere a Brie Larson como Ahsoka Tano,en su Pleicula de ´´Star Wars´´
KEVIN FEIGE Quiere a Brie Larson como Ahsoka Tano,en su Pleicula de ´´Star Wars´´
Semanas Atras, se Informaba que Kevin Feige, jefazo de Marvel Studios, está desarrollando una nueva película de Star Wars dentro del plan de expansión que tiene Kathleen Kennedy, presidente de Lucasfilm para la franquicia.
(more…)
View On WordPress
John Williams ´´Duel of the Fates´´ ´´Star Wars:The Phantom Menace´´ Banda Sonora del Film de George Lucas "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" Con Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, Samuel L. Jackson, Terence Stamp, Ray Park, Brian Blessed, Keira Knightley, Sofia Coppola & Frank Oz.
‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Cannes Red Carpet Photos: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, More Attend World Premiere.
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15. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Hey y'all, I'm back! I took a break that lasted longer than expected and it's finally time for me get back to it. This is Ewan's first movie of 1999.
Genre: Family/Sci-fi
Rating: PG
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Ahmed Best, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd
Movie Synopsis: "The Phantom Menace" is about two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who are sent on a simple diplomatic mission to help a planet in crisis. What they discover is a much larger conspiracy and that their enemy, The Sith, have finally resurfaced after 1,000 years. Aid for the Jedi comes from an unlikely ally, Anakin Skywalker, who is an enslaved child and believed by Qui-Gon to be the Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force.
Ewan Review: Ewan McGregor plays the character Obi-Wan Kenobi who is an Apprentice aka Padawan to his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan is near the end of his Apprenticeship and is a very calm, focused, and prepared Jedi learner. While his Master believes little Anakin is the Chosen One and will do anything, even go against their Council's orders, to train the boy, Obi-Wan is not convinced. During their mission, Obi-Wan must use all of his training to confront the Sith and help bring peace to the planet. Ewan speaks in what sounds like a British accent for this role. He doesn't have any love interests, kissing, or nude scenes. His role isn't very prominent so he doesn't do much. He goes swimming with his clothes on if that is important to you and he has a fight scene at the end of the movie which is spectacular. His acting is fine for the little he's given to do.
Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 23/136 minutes making his SP 17%.
To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is the movie worth watching for Ewan content alone? Sigh...no. Wait! Before you crucify me, just please take off your nostalgia glasses for a second! This movie and version of Obi-Wan is as dear to my heart as it is to many fans. However, my absolute love for this character doesn't change the fact that the man is barely in the movie. When he is, it's very brief scenes where he tends to be standing quietly in the background. He also has minimal lines. Even Ewan himself has joked about how he was basically hired to just stand behind Liam Neeson. The bulk of his screentime happens in the last TEN minutes of the movie. Ewan being in this film is a plus, not the reason you should watch. So, I'm obliged to say that this isn't the Ewan content you're looking for (pun intended). Now, is the movie worth watching in general? Absolutely! It's such a fun time, the world building is incredible and don't get me started on the film score! Plus, the lightsaber duel at the end is one of the best fight sequences in the entire Star Wars series.
Where to Watch: You can watch The Phantom Menace if you are subscribed to Disney+. The movie is available for rent on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies & TV, or Fandango at Home. You can also pirate it on soap2day.
![[Jedi Knights] Do Not Grow Attachments, Because Attachment Is A Path To The Dark Side. You Can Love People,](https://64.media.tumblr.com/3764385f3043258fb17fadc54005bd5d/44822f825f88319b-6a/s500x750/ad8bd81bb39ad4e4f7dbaf39bfff88bafb77b7d0.png)
[Jedi Knights] do not grow attachments, because attachment is a path to the dark side. You can love people, but you can’t want to possess them. They’re not yours. Accept that they have a fate. Even those you love most are going to die. You can’t do anything about that. Protect them with your lightsaber, but if they die they were going to die, there’s nothing you can do. All you can do is accept that fact.
In mythology, if you go to Hades to get them back you’re not doing it for them, you’re doing it for yourself. You’re doing it because you don’t want to give them up. You’re afraid to be without them. The key to the dark side is fear. You must be clean of fear, and fear of loss is the greatest fear. If you’re set up for fear of loss, you will do anything to keep that loss from happening, and you’re going to end up in the dark side. That’s the basic premise of Star Wars and the Jedi, and how it works.
That’s why they’re taken at a young age to be trained. They cannot get themselves killed trying to save their best buddy when it’s a hopeless exercise.
— George Lucas
Fandom: The whole point of the prequels-
George Lucas: Anakin fell because of his greed.
Fandom: Luke is better than the Jedi because he disobeys them and-
George Lucas: Luke commited a mistake whem he left against Obi-Wan's and Yoda's advise.
Fandom: The Jedi are the reason Anakin fell-
George Lucas: Anakin would have known better if he had been raised as a Jedi from a younger age-
Fandom: -but they prohibit love!-
George Lucas: -And he would have learned to love without being attached.
Fandom: The Jedi deserved what they got-
George Lucas: The Jedi are the most moral group of the galaxy.
You know, I see all these people who aren't Buddhists who claim that Buddhist doctrine and Buddhist teachings were portrayed really well in Star Wars, and I'm like... uhhh....
I'm just saying, as a Hindu, the man who created fucking Temple of Doom being treated as a source of Asian religions doesn't exactly sit well with me.
i posit that george lucas’ biggest flaw isn’t that he sucks as a dialogue writer, but that he’s too chicken-shit to commit to the bit. upon requests, i will elaborate.
i love george lucas has literally said that benevolent dictatorship is the best form of government when asked about prequel politics, and people expect me to take his star wars opinions as gospel.