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SW - Star Wars

Hardbackyoyo

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TM2YC said:
Hardbackyoyo said:
It asks you to just look at the prequels from a certain point of view.

...from within large concrete bunkers some thirty-seven miles away from the TV, whilst the documentary itself plays by remote control from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stays in orbit around the planet, or more frequently around a completely different planet?

Will you please stop being so stubborn?
 

Hardbackyoyo

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The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan’s Journey is a documentary that chronicles Star Wars fan Bradley Weatherholt’s quest to fully understand the maligned prequel trilogy and George Lucas’ approach to making The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. With Lucasfilm’s Disney era set to get underway with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, Weatherholt thought it would be interesting to examine the saga’s past before its future becomes the dominant point of discussion. Encountering several fans and film scholars along the way, Weatherholt must “unlearn what he has learned” as he tries to look at the franchise like never before.

The perceived shortcomings of the prequels have been well-documented by this point, but in recent years more light has been shined on their various merits. Starting with the question “where does Star Wars begin?” Weatherholt attempts to illustrate why the entire series (and not just the original trilogy) has value, showing his audience how the prequels relate to old filmmaking techniques, take cues from writings on ancient mythology, and revolutionized the industry for the greater good. His goal is to view the prequels from a different point of view and see why people feel the way they do about them.

Being a documentary, The Prequels Strike Back will appeal to a specific audience (Star Wars fans), but given the subject matter, it should have a wide appeal. Weatherholt is smart about the way he handles his film, never pushing an agenda (i.e. “this is why you’re wrong about hating the prequels”) and instead taking the role of curious observer, talking to several people about the divisive films. The Prequels Strike Back won’t change opinions about the prequel trilogy, but it makes for a fascinating deconstruction of the movies. Those who approach it with an open mind will find enjoyment in Weatherholt’s odyssey.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the documentary is the comparison to the reaction of the prequels with the initial critical reception of the original trilogy. Today, A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are seen as great films, but at the time of their release, they were ridiculed by some professional pundits who saw them as nothing more than kids’ movies. Even today, the 1977 original barely registers on the BFI’s list of the greatest films of all-time. Nobody makes the case that the prequels’ reputation will change in a handful of years, but the anecdotes are amusing to hear. The only difference, of course, is that by the time the prequels came around, fans of a certain age shared the opinions of the critics. It’s pointed out numerous times that those who saw the prequels as kids tend to view them positively, posing the tricky query of who the intended target audience of Star Wars is.

One of the more overlooked elements of the prequel trilogy is how it advanced moviemaking technology, and Prequels Strike Back makes sure to give this topic its just due. Attack of the Clones was the first major feature film to be shot entirely on digital, and it popularized that format to the point where it became very cost-effective. In fact, Weatherholt was able to make his documentary because of Lucas’ efforts to promote digital video production. Other parts of Lucas’ legacy, such as his creation of companies like THX and ILM, and his pioneering of nonlinear editing are also touched upon, underlining just how important a figure he was in this industry. He opened the door for so many aspiring filmmakers, and there is a sense of appreciation for what he’s done present in the documentary.

In the end, The Prequels Strike Back is a great watch for Star Wars fans and serves as a refreshing discussion on the prequels. Though Weatherholt leans more to the positive side of the spectrum when it comes to the three films, he doesn’t outright take a side in the debate. The documentary understands why some people disliked the movies, while also explaining why others love them. It finds a happy medium between the two, and shows that even if the prequels may not have been the best executed works in the 21st century, there was a certain method to Lucas’ madness and he was toying with some neat concepts. The soundbites here may not give “the haters” the nudge they need to give Episode I another try, but no matter how you feel about the prequel trilogy, it’s worth checking out this documentary.

So will you please stop being so very stubborn and just let go of your hate?
 

addiesin

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Hardbackyoyo said:
So will you please stop being so very stubborn and just let go of your hate?

You need to check yourself. I put the ENTIRE ARTICLE FROM SCREENRANT YOU JUST POSTED into spoiler tags because ain't nobody gonna read all that, and they're not your words anyway. 

I will point out most of the people you're arguing with run the site. We do not tolerate bad behavior, and the mods and admins see every post, even if YOU don't see the ones you delete. You can drop the subject or stop being so offended by other people's opinions. You are the one being stubborn here. Again, we do NOT tolerate bad behavior and are not afraid to give out warnings, infractions, or bans when called for. Stop calling for it.

One more thought to add: if the general consensus was that the prequel films were any good, do you think this site would even exist? If so, I have news for you, friendo.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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Hardbackyoyo said:
So will you please stop being so very stubborn and just let go of your hate?

Sorry, what? You're the one being so very stubborn. Why do you insist we watch this documentary and "learn something" about the prequels? They're not good films, and I don't enjoy them.  I've seen all three movies countless times, in the theater and at home. I don't really care to watch them anymore.

I also don't like mayonnaise. Should I stop being stubborn and eat some goddamn mayonnaise already?
 

TM2YC

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I can't be bothered to pick apart that whole wall of text. If you like the prequels then that's fine and good luck to you but they are still demonstrably terribly made movies, so it's not stubborn to point that out.


Hardbackyoyo said:
it popularized that format to the point where it became very cost-effective.

Yes and it looks horrendous and will always look terrible as a result of being shot on a format that was inferior at the time and is still inferior. This fact alone speaks volumes about Lucas' attitude with the prequels "Who cares if they look awful, let's experiment with new technologies instead of making a good movie".
 

Gaith

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TM2YC said:
...from within large concrete bunkers some thirty-seven miles away from the TV, whilst the documentary itself plays by remote control from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stays in orbit around the planet, or more frequently around a completely different planet?

This is an homage to Douglas Adams' Disaster Area, is it not? Because, if so...

XS5LK.gif


:D
 

Hardbackyoyo

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TM2YC said:
I can't be bothered to pick apart that whole wall of text. If you like the prequels then that's fine and good luck to you but they are still demonstrably terribly made movies, so it's not stubborn to point that out.

I'd argue that Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, and The Room are even more poorly made movies, but hey, to each his own, I guess.
 

Hardbackyoyo

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TM2YC said:
I can't be bothered to pick apart that whole wall of text. If you like the prequels then that's fine and good luck to you but they are still demonstrably terribly made movies, so it's not stubborn to point that out.


I'd argue that Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, The Room and the Jem and the Holograms movie are even more poorly made, but hey, to each his own, I guess.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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Hardbackyoyo said:
I'd argue that Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, and The Room are even more poorly made movies, but hey, to each his own, I guess.

What do these movies even have to do with the conversation? Can there be only one set of bad movies? Your logic makes no sense.
 

Hardbackyoyo

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ThrowgnCpr said:
Hardbackyoyo said:
I'd argue that Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, and The Room are even more poorly made movies, but hey, to each his own, I guess.

What do these movies even have to do with the conversation? Can there be only one set of bad movies? Your logic makes no sense.

Judging by the ratings I've read, all of the movies I listed have below average scores, but each of the prequels have above average scores.
 

Hardbackyoyo

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At least we can all rest assured that nothing in the Star Wars saga will EVER be worse than the Star Wars Holiday Special.


Sorry, I just wanted a dramatic sting when mentioning the title. :D
 

ThrowgnCpr

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A lot of people bought (and enjoy) Justin Bieber albums too, that doesn't make it good music or interesting art.

You seem really hellbent on making sure that everyone understands the genius of the prequels.  Is this your documentary?  Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, and Attack of the Clones are all shitty movies, I don't really have an interest in arguing which shitty movie is shittier than the other shitty movie.

FWIW, I enjoy the Holiday Special a lot more than any of the prequels. Not the same way I enjoy a regular film, but at least it's fun and weird.
 

Hardbackyoyo

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ThrowgnCpr said:
A lot of people bought (and enjoy) Justin Bieber albums too, that doesn't make it good music or interesting art.

You seem really hellbent on making sure that everyone understands the genius of the prequels.  Is this your documentary?  Battlefield: Earth, Batman & Robin, and Attack of the Clones are all shitty movies, I don't really have an interest in arguing which shitty movie is shittier than the other shitty movie.

Art is entirely subjective. I don't really like Mad Max: Fury Road, but I always have a great time watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Yeah! I said it!
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Has anyone seen this? It's.....interesting.

This is like yoda speaking Shakespeare gibberish.

 
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