At present, how do you think you'll feel about Episode 3?

[fishyfett]

Hey, guys, I don't care how this movie will turn out, I'll still watch it!!! Whether I enjoy it or suffer thru it remains to be seen. But it better be BETTER!!! After all, it's the turning point of the entire saga. I'll especially enjoy the part when Anakin finds out who his father is .....................NOOOOOOOOO, it can't be!!!! That's not true!!!! That's impossible!!!!!

Hell, why do you think the Supreme Chancellor is so interested in training him anyway??? Midichlorians my behind.

[plasticfetish]

I say "undecided." I am excited ... as I have been before every film since ESB came out. It's pretty hard not to be. I'm willing to let myself get excited and then give the film a fair chance ... watch it a few times, watch it on DVD when it comes out and then sit on it for a while. My opinion has changed for each of the five movies over the years. I do know that there are elements from both episodes 1 and 2 that I would have rather seen handled differently ... but I've come to enjoy them on the whole for what they are. They're good science fiction movies that try to incorporate ideas and technologies (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) that are perhaps more advanced or simply different than anything else that we've seen. In that sense, I don't think that the prequels have strayed too far in spirit from the OT.

As far as comparing them to other film series goes ... LOTR, the Matrix, etc ... man, I can't think of anything nerdier than arguing that the Lord of the Rings is cooler than Star Wars. I mean, besides the fact that there's simply no reason why they have to compete with one another on any level ... it's just lame. There's plenty of cheese to be had with LOTR, doesn't mean it's not super entertaining, just means that it's possible to pick anything apart with a fine tooth comb if you really want to.

So, I'll wait and see. In the mean time, I do like hearing the rumors.

[angellus]

Not to mention 4 years later, hearing the statement "Lucas raped my childhood" has to be the most tired and unfunny statement ever. Just my two cents...

Didn't say it to be funny, bro, and I apologize if I offended anyone. I just feel the art of storytelling has been sacrificed for the almighty dollar and a chance to make people "Ooh and Ahh" at a bunch of pretty pictures. Maybe it's better that Lucas couldn't achieve all these visual effects back in the day because it forced him to focus on the characters and the story. The ships, creatures and battles were all stunning and remain so to this day, but the story was the heart and soul of the trilogy. And I don't think I'm alone in saying that the story simply isn't the focus anymore. Maybe you're right, maybe I shouldn't complain. After all, you can't change the past and Lucas is going to laugh all the way to the bank regardless of how we all feel. But Star Wars is the greatest myth of our generation and it's hard not to hold Lucas to the same standard he set for himself 26 years ago.

[Jaff]

Lucas will really have to work hard to make this movie worse than other films. We have Vader introduced, Mon Mothma, the destruction of the Jedi, how can they mess it up without doing so on purpose.

[stillakid]

Lucas will really have to work hard to make this movie worse than other films.

That's not saying much for the other films, is it?

[stillakid]

I just feel the art of storytelling has been sacrificed for the almighty dollar and a chance to make people "Ooh and Ahh" at a bunch of pretty pictures.

I'm personally being "challenged" by similar, um, obstacles this week as I shoot a project for Warner Bros. My particular cross to bear is the omnipresent restrictions placed on the content by Warner Legal which essentially dictates a lot of what comes out of that studio based on fear of lawsuits. It isn't pretty and it's very, very frustrating.

Lucas left "Hollywood" to become the consumate independent, which he has done quite successfully...except that he's fallen into the mindset of a studio exec as he clearly is making "studio exec" type choices in order to protect his investment and "ensure" box office return. Instead of just making a good story, those extraneous concerns are tainting what could be something truly truly great.

[kool-aid killer]

I will like it simply because its a new Star Wars movie. I agree though that this movie has a lot of work to tie up, hopefully Lucas is up to the task.

[plo koon 200]

Lucas will really have to work hard to make this movie worse than other films. We have Vader introduced, Mon Mothma, the destruction of the Jedi, how can they mess it up without doing so on purpose.

Umm, Jaff this is a no spoiler thread.

[Tycho]

Use your best judgement about spoilers. But we're really talking about how we'll feel about the film, and suffice it to say: either what you already know about what's in the script surprises you, or it doesn't, and you like it or you don't - and if you know nothing yet, you either look forward to it or you don't. It will either be predictable or it won't.

Jaff really didn't post spoilers. There are just logical things that should happen or that we want to see happen, that tie up the Prequel Trilogy and / or Set up the sequel trilogy.

There will be an 18 year gap in the story though, and that's a given.

If so much has changed in the 12-14 years between E3 and TPM, then a lot should be allowed for in changes between E3 and E4 (ANH).

I don't expect everything to be tied up. And there's a great number of people out there that don't want it to be: they want randomness in the universe, such as in where Han Solo or Lando Calrissian come from; and Palpatine not also being someone's dad, etc.

I myself look at it as a modern myth, so I'm fine with it being the tale of a few families and some of my theories on where characters come from, and who they're related to. I like it more poetically epic, than a random tribute to too much realism.

I also hold true to the notion that this is a morality tale about the Skywalker family, and not a galactic battleground political story, or we'd have had more feed-in scenes of meetings with the Board of Directors of the Intergalactic Banking Clan, and a Shareholders' Meeting for owners with stock in the Trade Federation, including guest speakers from the Republic's military industrial complex, etc.

But in books the Rebel Alliance doesn't actually form into the organization we know in the Classic series, until maybe 2 years before ANH. Getting the plans to the Death Star that Vader chases after in ANH, was their first great victory - it says so in the opening title scroll of ANH.

I don't know what you all expect, but some of it sounds kind of illogical.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

This is why I think Episode III is going to be awful. I grew up imagining how cool the story of Anakin's turn to the Dark Side, his betrayal of Obi-Wan and the extermination of the Jedi would be.

When did betrayal and extermination become cool?