"Worst Thing George Lucas Ever Did..." Topic

A new poll! Sure – why not? We have a Star Wars board! Whoo-hoo.

1. Greedo fires first
2. Ewoks
3. Jar Jar Binks
4. Howard the Duck
5. Dated Linda Ronstadt (oh wait, reverse that one!)
6. Sold his soul to the God of Licensing

You choose!

Greedo fires first.

It's only worse than Jar Jar because he took the pinnacle moment that defined Han Solo and utterly mangled it.

Jar Jar was merely the worst idea in a series of prequels filled with really bad ideas. Fix Jar Jar and you still won't fix those movies. The rest pale in comparison.

7. The entire prequel trilogy.

Episode I. 'nuff said

Han shot first. I remember seeing the re-release in the theater with someone who had never seen star wars. I almost left at that point. (only reason i stayed was she was really cute.) The only way i watch the movie anymore is on my old VHS copy that has Han shooting first.

He sold his soul to sell toys. the problem was he didn't need to. I had so many star wars toys as a kid (born in 77) it was crazy. I didn't understand character development or plot lines. I just liked the toys.

And for anyone who doesn't understand how important video editing is, just think, One second of footage changed a whole character for 6 hrs of movie.

Jar-jar, well he's the product of "marketing executives".

Mel brooks had it right in Spaceballs " Merchandising where the real money from the movie is made."

1. Greedo fires first.

(followed closely by Jar Jar and then young Anakin)

7. The entire prequel trilogy.

I would agree but after watching the first prequel I have refused to see the others.

2, 3, 1, 7.

I see why he started with Episode 4.

Midi-chlorians. is that all about?!

Prequels- Bad! Clone Wars- Surprisingly good!

Greedo fires first

6 is a close second, and that started with the third movie… Ewoks were a purpose built toy line

I agree with Todd Boyce about Jar Jar. Fix that and the prequel movies still suck.

I would agree but after watching the first prequel I have refused to see the others.

You chose wisely. If anything, the second and third movie were worse than the first

Jar Jar Binks.

I never noticed whether Han or Greedo shot first until the nerds started arguing about it, and there's nothing really annoying about Ewoks. Never saw Howard the Duck and I neither know nor care who Linda Ronstadt is. That just leaves Jar Jar, who annoys me.

there's nothing really annoying about Ewoks

Can anyone recommend a good shrink ?

I was stuck – the Han fires first thing is bad, the ewoks – lord help us they are dreadful especially their victory dance, and ja ja binks – where to begin on the awfulness ?

I think editing the blueray version of Jedi to add a dramatic NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO when Vader saves Luke has to be added to the list

" third movie were worse than the first "

Although worth seeing for the rise of Darth Vader, everyones favourite baddie:)

Lucas's worst crime? Thinking Star Wars is pastiche of kids Saturday morning cinema in the mould of Flash Gordon rather than the serous historical documentary it actually is.

Although worth seeing for the rise of Darth Vader, everyones favourite baddie:)

Worth seeing to see Darth Vader do a scene from Young Frankenstein… I kept expecting him to start singing "Putting on the Ritz"

> Although worth seeing for the rise of Darth Vader, everyones favourite baddie:)

He was, till Lucas ruined him with that "Noooooooo……." business.

Howard the Duck is still the worst thing Lucas ever did though. Makes Jar Jar look like Hamlet.

What about all of the flatulence and belching in Jedi? Seems like a Gas-X distributor on Tatooine could become quite wealthy!

I don't mind Jar Jar because you have to see him for what he was meant for – the younger or new generation of Star Wars fans. My son was 10 years old when we saw Episode 1 and so instantly tied in with a movie about 10 year olds. Jar Jar was meant for comic relief and was a big hit with the kids and our son. After the movie, we went for months hearing wesas and yousas and other jar Jar "speak".

So you've got to look at the movie with that in mind. His character was not meant for the older generation and as – I think – Lucas' own children were of similar age, I would guess that greatly influenced his decision.

LOL! Now, Jar Jar doing his bit on Robot Chicken is hilarious! Just like Anthony Daniels, Ahmad Best is making the most of his 15 minutes.

Umm, as for the poll, Han firing first. That made his coming back at the end of Episode 4 far more dramatic and unexpected. Vader was so vapor locked on shooting down Luke, that he lost his SA, but I remember vividly watching the first movie in the theater and never guessing Han would return to save Luke. That is what made it for me and why shooting second simply guts the first movie.
Larry

Episode 1 Annakin is too young. Amidala (whatever) is too young too. Really? A whole planet "elects" a teenage queen to run the place? They deserve to get taken over by robots. Their stupid brought down the whole empire.

I dont recognize that Episodes 1, 2, and 3 even exist. Who is this jar jar fella?

Jar Jar Binks, Stupidest character ever.

And all of episode 1.

VR
James Mattes

Howard the duck.

Whinyness. Even if they did elect a teenage queen, what in the world would attract her to someone as shallow, immature, and whiny as Anakin?

andy

The film director, I thought this might be about the George Lucas who was responsible for the 6 volt lighting systems on old British motorbikes. I used to have a 1960 Norton Dominator and I know first hand why he was called 'The Prince of Darkness'.

I can only hope that someday – hopefully before I'm dead – a brilliant young filmmaker ala Peter Jackson comes along and redoes the whole thing.

Han fired the only shot.

Todd Boyce hit it on the head.

Revising the story that Greedo shot first impacted the character of an established character.

Although Jar Jar is horrible, completely erasing him from history would be a good first step but not completely fix the prequels.

1. There can be only one.

Best thing about HTD,Lea Thompson.

7. Coming up with a SW show including Art Carney.
8. Giving both twins names at the end of 3.

Episode 1 is a far better movie experience than 2 or 3, at least as released in theaters. The Director's Cut did the opposite of improve it, though. Episode 2 is the "cut down for movie viewing" condensation of an epic serial, while Episode 3 is a collection of commercials for later in the same epic serial that give away all the good parts. Neither is a good movie.

Nothing Lucas perpetrated on Star Wars (the movies and TV serials) comes close to being as bad as Howard the Duck, though.

1. Han shot first.

Excuse my SW ignorance, but what is the whole "Greedo fire first" thing about?

The basics, and forgive me if I get some details wrong:

In the original version of Star Wars, Han Solo was a rough and tumble character. He was cornered by a Greedo, basically a "collector" for Jabba the Hut (to whom Han owed money). Han tried to talk his way out of trouble, but Greedo was having none of it.

Greedo: Jabba will settle for taking your ship
Han: Over my dead body!
Greedo: That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this for a long time, Solo.
Han: Yes, I'll bet you have…

<BLAM>

Han shot Greedo and then flipped the bartender a coin with a "Sorry for the mess" as he left the bar, showing what a complete badass desperado he was.

In the new version, Greedo tries to shoot Han at point blank range, misses, and then gets pasted by Han. Han goes from being a badass desperado to a buffoon who gets lucky.

And a whole generation who grew up venerating the ultimate coolness of Han Solo loses a hero.

That's it in a nutshell.

I thought this might be about the George Lucas who was responsible for the 6 volt lighting systems on old British motorbikes.

q: Why do the British drink their beer warm?
a: Because Lucas also makes refrigerators.

Now to the subject at hand. Episodes 1-3 make Howard the Duck look like Citizen Caine. I go for choice #7.

The worst thing he ever did?
Star Wars Holiday Special

Really, the worst thing he did was NOT adding in the untouched, un-re-mastered, mono original version of Ep4 with the Blu Ray. Plenty of space on those disks. He should have just thrown them on and 90% of the 'gimmie the original or give me death' whining would have stopped.

Right on Old Slow Trot. BTW… HtD is on Netflix streaming right now…

I think casting the kid who played Anakin in the first movie was worse than Jar Jar.
YouTube link

"Greedo shoots first" is pretty heinous, though.

I didn't think the prequels were that bad, they just suffered from high expectations, and brought home the realization that Lucas can't write dialog. The only episode that's got a good script was Empire, and that's the one he had the least influence over.

> Star Wars Holiday Special

Lucas is guilty of many sins, but that is not really one of them…

link

3.

not make 'american grafiti 2'

Thank you lugal hdan, I did not realize there was a remake to that cantina scene. I was lucky enough to see the original Stwar wars episodes in the theater when they first came out. I had no idea then went back and changed something that did not need to be changed.

"In the new version, Greedo tries to shoot Han at point blank range, misses, and then gets pasted by Han. Han goes from being a badass desperado to a buffoon who gets lucky."

q: Why do the British drink their beer warm?
a: Because Lucas also makes refrigerators.

Rubbish!
q: Why do the British drink their beer warm?
a: The British drink ale not beer and it's served warm because it's designed to be drunk that way. I've tried cooled British ale and when served chilled it has no taste at all. Yuck!!

1.

To be fair, the MPAA's decision to re-rate a movie that was made when the PG-13 label did not exist is primarily responsible for Greedo shooting first (likewise the walkie-talkies in ET). If anything it's Georgie's fault that he actually gives a damn about having Star Wars being PG-13.

7.

Binks.

My vote would be for EWOKS and if I had a close second which is'nt on the list C3PO,to me this Gold Butler is the WORST Star Wars character EVER.

And for all you Jar Jar Binks haters out there I'll be defending him as much as possible.

Captain Gideon

"The British drink ale not beer…"

Allow me to don my pedant chapeau.

While the British do drink ale, (fermented beverage made from malted grain) they, like everyone else mostly drink it in the form of beer (ale flavored with hops). The beer they drink is frequently 'top fermented', that is fermented at cellar temperature rather than cold or 'bottom fermented', the process which makes lager beer. Lager beer is what the rest of the world generally drinks.

Thank you for your patience.

1 is pretty heinous but doesn't destroy the Han Solo character,imho, but thats because of Harrison Ford.
The prequels on the other hand undermine the whole series, I sat through 1 but waited for 2 and 3 to appear on TV and still have not sat through all of 3.

While re-editing Star wars and having Greedo shoot first was pretty heinous crime against the Arts. However producing and co-written the move Willow, may just be a crime against humanity! :-)