Quantcast

Lucas calls new 'Star Wars' a titanic tearjerker

  • Come enter the Ridemonkey Secret Santa!

    We're kicking off the 2024 Secret Santa! Exchange gifts with other monkeys - from beer and snacks, to bike gear, to custom machined holiday decorations and tools by our more talented members, there's something for everyone.

    Click here for details and to learn how to participate.

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
...but is it going to suck as bad as the last two...?


Lucas calls new 'Star Wars' a titanic tearjerker
Reuters | 17 Mar | Bob Tourtellotte

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Director George Lucas had a message for fans as he previewed a glimpse of the final tale in the billion-dollar "Star Wars" film franchise: leave the lightsabers at home, but don't forget the tissues.

"It's not like the first one. It's more emotional," said the director of the upcoming space adventure "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," which arrives in theaters May 19.

"I describe it as a 'Titanic' in space. It's a real tearjerker, and it will be received in a way that none of us can expect," he told theater owners at the ShoWest convention.

ShoWest is a major gathering of movie theater owners in the United States and a launch pad for Hollywood's summer movies.

Film studio 20th Century Fox teased a packed house here with the first six minutes of "Revenge of the Sith," marking the first time the scenes had been shown to audiences.

Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) wage a furious fight against their adversaries in a battle of deadly spaceships. In this episode, Skywalker becomes the notorious Darth Vader.

Lucas and the promotional clip did not divulge much about the "tearjerker" love story. But Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman), who married Skywalker in a secret ceremony witnessed in the last movie, plays a key role.

If Lucas's comparison to "Titanic" is to be believed, there must be heartbreak in "Revenge of the Sith" because 1997's tale of the doomed ocean liner stirred audiences with its tale of an ill-fated affair between characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Love can work wonders with movie audiences. "Titanic" is the highest-grossing movie of all time with more than $1.8 billion in worldwide ticket sales. In the No. 2 spot is "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" with $1.1 billion.

The "Star Wars" films are no box office losers, either, but there hasn't been much romance in them -- not yet, anyway.

The adventures began with 1977's "Star Wars" and have sold nearly $3.4 billion worth of tickets at global box offices.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,165
1,261
NC
I dunno... I didn't mind the last two strictly from an entertainment perspective. The acting wasn't great but they kept me entertained throughout the whole movie.

They're not like the first three, and, IMO, shouldn't be compared to them. They're just ... movies. Not as much of a story.
 

Squeak

Get your pork here.
Sep 26, 2001
1,546
0
COlo style
I was suckered into going to the first one, bad mistake. The second one I waited till DVD\cable. Glad I did. Poor poor poor!
 

Jr_Bullit

I'm sooo teenie weenie!!!
Sep 8, 2001
2,028
1
North of Oz
:( I don't wanna watch star wars to cry - action baby - and cool special effects...what happened to Lucas where he forgot about the important aspects of a neato science fiction action flick?
 

jacksonpt

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2002
6,791
59
Vestal, NY
The first one definitely sucked, the second one was OK except for all romance garbage. This one does look good, but I'm not holding my breath.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Brian HCM#1 said:
Great:rolleyes: the 5th bad Star Wars in a row.
Were you dropped on your skull too much as a child?

Okay, Return of the Jedi wasn't brilliant, but it was a good movie and close to the trilogy. Empire is definitely as good as Ep4. Some would argue even better.

"Your tauntaun won't make it past the first marker!"
"Then I'll see you in hell!"
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,823
14,162
In a van.... down by the river
LordOpie said:
Were you dropped on your skull too much as a child?

Okay, Return of the Jedi wasn't brilliant, but it was a good movie and close to the trilogy. Empire is definitely as good as Ep4. Some would argue even better.

"Your tauntaun won't make it past the first marker!"
"Then I'll see you in hell!"
I would agree that Ep4 & 5 are the best. I think that Ep 5 eeks out a win over 4 in my book. Acting is a bit better. :p

[MajorWhine]
"But I was going to Toshi Station to pick up some power converters"
[/MajorWhine]

-S.S.-
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
What pisses me off about Star Wars is, apparently it all happened a long time ago, back when there were robots and spaceships and laser guns and hot chicks everywhere. Now apparently civilization has forgotten how to make cool robots and laser guns and battle spaceships, and the universe has been infiltrated by fat lazy women who smoke.
 

I Are Baboon

Vagina man
Aug 6, 2001
32,742
10,684
MTB New England
Yeah yeah yeah, Episodes 1 and 2 sucked. I agree with that. However, I am a sellout and a whore and will shell out the $9 to see Episode 3 in digital.

Can someone explain to me why the hell I bought Episode 2 on DVD? What was I thinking? I popped in it, watched 10 minutes, and had to turn it off.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,823
14,162
In a van.... down by the river
Echo said:
What pisses me off about Star Wars is, apparently it all happened a long time ago, back when there were robots and spaceships and laser guns and hot chicks everywhere. Now apparently civilization has forgotten how to make cool robots and laser guns and battle spaceships, and the universe has been infiltrated by fat lazy women who smoke.
Well, it was in a galaxy far, far away..........

-S.S.-
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,823
14,162
In a van.... down by the river
I Are Baboon said:
Yeah yeah yeah, Episodes 1 and 2 sucked. I agree with that. However, I am a sellout and a whore and will shell out the $9 to see Episode 3 in digital.
You need :help:

Of course, I'll probably be there too. :rolleyes:

Can someone explain to me why the hell I bought Episode 2 on DVD? What was I thinking? I popped in it, watched 10 minutes, and had to turn it off.
Because you need :help:? :confused:
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
I Are Baboon said:
Yeah yeah yeah, Episodes 1 and 2 sucked. I agree with that. However, I am a sellout and a whore and will shell out the $9 to see Episode 3 in digital.
ditto
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
dh girlie said:
I think what will jerk the most tears from me with this movie is tears from laughing so hard at all the nerds lined up for days prior to the opening.
I hope Triumph makes another video for Conan.
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
I bet Palpatine somehow tricks Obiwan into killing Padme, and Anakin gets all pissed off and tries to kick Obiwan's ass, but gets owned. If that's not what happens, Lucas should have hired me as a writer.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I'm sure this point has been made before, but at the end of the last movie, when Yoda is holding up a pillar about to fall on Anakin and Obi-Wan, why doesn't he just push the two 175 lb bodies instead of the 2 ton rock pillar?

This kind of bad movie plotting is really the downfall of Star Wars. I could probably live with the bad use of CGI, but the basics of good filmmaking is lacking. Watch the scene in The Empire Strikes Back, when the Rebel forces are preparing for the attack on the ice planet. There is a true sense of tension, and this scene harks back to WWII pictures.

The battle scenes in the new movies is like watching a video game.
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
sanjuro said:
I'm sure this point has been made before, but at the end of the last movie, when Yoda is holding up a pillar about to fall on Anakin and Obi-Wan, why doesn't he just push the two 175 lb bodies instead of the 2 ton rock pillar?
Because "size matters not"... :rolleyes:

sanjuro said:
Watch the scene in The Empire Strikes Back, when the Rebel forces are preparing for the attack on the ice planet. There is a true sense of tension, and this scene harks back to WWII pictures.
Yeah, I wish they could get that kind of badassness in these movies. But alas they can do more now and sometimes its too much. They capture the size of a battle but not the emotion of it.

Either way, I'll be at this movie in the first few days its open... not because I feel they are great movies but because, I am intrigued by the story and, well, I was born in 1977 (when star wars was released) and have grown up watching the movies... They are going to show the birth of darth vader... that will be cool.
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,841
19
So Cal
golgiaparatus said:
Because "size matters not"... :rolleyes:
Yeah, guys with little light sabers will always tell you that.

I loved the first (Original) StarWars. My dad took me to see it when I was but a wee lad. The second one (Empire) was pretty cool. It was semi dark, and ended on a down note. :thumb: After that it's all muppets and bad plots. I say F-U to Lucas. I'll wait till it's on cable. Either that or get a pirate copy since I figure that Lucas owes me my money back for the last three anyway.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
golgiaparatus said:
Either way, I'll be at this movie in the first few days its open... not because I feel they are great movies but because, I am intrigued by the story and, well, I was born in 1977 (when star wars was released) and have grown up watching the movies... They are going to show the birth of darth vader... that will be cool.
The worst thing is I will be right behind you in line. I have to see this stupid movie, even though it could be real corny. All the melodrama and moral play could backfire easily with a bad scene...
 

towelie

Monkey
May 14, 2003
140
0
Santa Barbara county
Yeah- me 3. Fellow 1977'er here, and I grew up with these movies and have them all on DVD. I can't wait until May 19th. You know, I think at this point though I like them more for nostalgic reasons than for the movie itself. The dialog on ALL of them is pretty cheesy. "Scruffy looking nerfherder"? Come on!

The preview looks pretty badass though. This could be the best one yet. I wonder if they'll make any more?
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
The best ones were the first two...

Lucas can't write, and he can't direct. When he gets to do both, abortions like the last couple of movies happen. I was home sick, doped to the gills on NyQuil, and I still couldn't watch the second one on HBO. I've seen home movies with better plots.
 

ghostrider

7034 miles, still no custom title
Jan 6, 2003
964
1
Shadows of Mt Boney, CA.
sanjuro said:
The battle scenes in the new movies is like watching a video game.
Except the Star Wars based video games are actually pretty good. Better acting and more interesting plot, too. I'll go see the movie, though. It can't possibly be worse than the last one.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
My biggest complaint is why does Lucas need to sell out. Thanks to Lucasfilm, THX, and the Star Wars merchandising rights, he has more money than Spielberg.

You would think if you worked on a movie project for 30 years with an infinite budget, any idiot could make a movie better than the last two...
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
At the end of the trailer, when it shows Darth Vader, pause it - and look at the spaceship controls in the background. They look totally fake and lame. :think:
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Haha George Lucas is the smartest man alive! i swear is there any other thing alive in pop culture that everybody whines so incessantly about, yet STILL buy the merchandise?

i can't wait til they have a Star Wars/Matrix crossover movie WOOO HOOO! :)