Underwire | Wired.com: Regardless of your feelings about Jedis, George Lucas, or J.J. Abrams, the announcement of new Star Wars films is a big deal. Since the release of the first film in 1977, Star Wars has been an unavoidable part of American film culture, not only directly for millions of fans, but more indirectly through its influence as the undisputed godfather of all big-budget special-effects spectacles in the modern cinema. The two Star Wars trilogies — original and prequel — each redefined special effects for their respective eras, but produced strikingly different critical legacies.
5 comments:
I remember watching the original trilogy of Star Wars as a child on VHS and then, when the second trilogy was in theaters, going to see the films with my family. Therefore, these movies were an integral part of my childhood entertainment-realted memories. Of course, as a child, visual effects, especially in the original trilogy, meant little to me. I took them for granted. I do remember when CGI became a "thing", and not just for Star Wars, but for children's movies, like Shrek. I also, distinctly remember not liking the CGI effects. It mentioned that the character of Jar Jar Binks was very popular was young children, but I hated how freaky and plastic looking he was. I was raised on clay and cartoon animation, and the (quasi) puppeteering of sorts that took place with things like the original Star Wars. Of course, I have a bit more tolerance for that sort of thing now, and I can definitely appreciate the computer based design and work that goes into making this new art form. But, as it felt unnatural to me watching Jar Jar Binks, it feels very unnatural with many movies that have been released recently. Though I've little interest in seeing the new Star Wars film, the problem of using too much CGI is a plague that has caught in the film industry. Certain films, like Avatar, made good use of CGI, but, many films insert CGI where it's completely unnecessary, purely because in this day and age it's essentially a cheaper alternative than having to build/design, say, a talking bear puppet. Hopefully, even a franchised sort of movie, like the new Star Wars, will find a way to achieve a memorable and innovative balance between digital and traditional.
Although I did not watch whole trilogy of Star Wars, I remember how much people were fascinated about the movie. Even internationally, there were so many Star War fans who were obsessed with all of the special effects with CG!. People were attracted by the beauty of universe and spaceship that were depicted in the movie because Star War was almost the first movie which had elaborate skills of CGI. So, I am excited to hear about the new Star Wars. I understand it will not be "historic." However, it will definitely show much developed and sophisticated skill in CG effect which will once again surprise the audience. This will also attract young age people who weren't in the Star War age.
I still haven't decided where I stand on the topic of Disney buying LucasFilms and continuing the Star Wars franchise. On one had it will continue to introduce future generations to the this amazing world that has been an amazing part of many of our lives. And on the other we can only hope that it doesn't continue to threaten this once great trilogy. I think it's a given that with JJ Abrams behind the wheel that the new film will continue to push the envelope technically and artistically, but it remains to be seen if he will can build a new fan favorite or will simply let us down again.
I honestly am not sure how revolutionary new CGI effects can be in the newest Star Wars movies. Visual effects in major movies have already reached a level where we are usually unable to discern what has been altered versus what hasn't been. Therefore, I feel as though unless something absolutely ridiculous is invented, the new Star Wars movies will just look like more of the same Hollywood flash and trash that has become the norm.
I must say that I agree with the disappointing final sentiment of this article, that there won't be any groundbreaking special effects for the new Star Wars. Though as a fan I am really hoping that they can pull something amazing out of the bag, incorporating Avatar level effects into a movie like the first series where the story took priority, and follow an arc that will have some kind of deeper feeling. This seems doubtful however, because it's the much more expensive thing to do, and it seems to be that in terms of investment that would not be a wise choice.
Post a Comment