Did George Lucas get lucky with Star wars?

[chazb73]

Does anyone else think he was quite lucky when making Star Wars?

Given the limits in budget and the freshness of the newly formed "ILM", just may have been a blessing to the film.

Thankfully Empire was great - even with a bigger budget, but things start to go downhill by the time Jedi is made. I still enjoy most of it, but he now has an even bigger budget and starts messing around with furry bears :evil:

Then the "special editions" came along, new age cack music ect, what a waste and then the prequels......oh dear
Does anyone remember Edd (Howard) the duck? anothe Lucas production

Maybe I'm being very unfair, after all without Lucas there would be no Star Wars, but I'm glad that Disney will be in charge next time.....

 

[Richard_H]

Not sure if lucky is the right word. He's a fantastic storyteller and visionary but an awful director and producer.

 

[Spookedhippie]

I think he has brilliant ideas and vision, just needs a good writer for most of it... Look at Indiana jones! And wasn't it Howard the duck?!

 

[chazb73]

I think he has brilliant ideas and vision, just needs a good writer for most of it... Look at Indiana jones! And wasn't it Howard the duck?!

:lol: Indeed it was Howard the Duck :lol: - who the **** is Edd the Duck?.... :lol:

 

[sith-smith]

Edd the duck was a childrens tv side kick. A puppet along with Andy Crane/Peters I think

 

[Spookedhippie]

Lol spot on Gary! If that was Lucas I think I'd revise my previous statement!

 

[sith-smith]

Well considering some of the stuff he has done, I wouldn't put Edd the Duck beyond him!!

 

[chazb73]

Edd the duck was a childrens tv side kick. A puppet along with Andy Crane/Peters I think

:lol: Yes - so it was!! I remember now - cheers guys :wink:

 

[sith-smith]

In answer to the question, I guess it all depends on what you mean by 'get Lucky'

In the entertainment industry a lot seems to depend on being in the right time and the right place. Having talent/good ideas is useful, but if you can't get that lucky break then it probably won't amount to much.

Lucas is as others have said a very imaginative story teller. I love the Star Wars universe he created more than anything else. I do like the Lord of the Rings world and even the Harry Potter one as they are both of great variety and imagination. But Star Wars always wins for me.

He did, though heavily influenced by other ideas, create this univers and that is his skill.

Watching various documentaries about the creation of Star Wars, is does seem that it very nearly didn't happen, regardless of how good it was, so in that sense he did get that lucky break. And Luckily he did have something great that was able to take advantage of it.

But as much as his genius lies in the creation of that universe, like a lot of people i don't like what he does with it. The constant rehashing of the originals and prequels is more about 'look what I can do with CGI' rather than creating a story that fits in nicely with the OT and the universe he had created.

The Star Wars Universe is a winning and endless universe that opens up so many possible storylines and development. As long as that is the focus of Disney's involvement then I look forward to them taking over it.

He created it all and for that I'm grateful. But he does seem to have very odd idea about what to do with it. I wonder what Star Wars would have been like if he'd stuck with his original plans. If I remember correctly it was all quite different to what eventually ended up on screen.

And even moments in the films seem odd.

I still get Leia Snogging luke. Did he not know they were brother and sister?

 

[Michael Sith]

Without SW the film world wouldn't have changed

Lets not forget the start up of industrial light and magic etc that revolutionised special effects and the beginnings of the blockbusters

So it's not just about the film but what it started

 

[Mrleemur]

Yeah apparently it evolved a lot, wasn't it Luke Starkiller to start with??

As already said there's always an element of right place, right time with these things, but he clearly had the right drive and work ethic for it as well, trawled around studios until he got the deal that was right for him, which of course meant he ended up with the money behind him to fund Empire himself.

 

[Richard_H]

No way were Luke and Leia brothers and sisters from early on. The Splinter of the Mind's Eye book, which was written by the guy who wrote A New Hope and was released not long after shows a relationship beginning between them. I was under the impression that when Yoda said," there is another" he was referring to another Jedi possibility, not Leia. It became Leia when Lucas decided to close ROTJ and not leave the door open for the 3rd trilogy hence all of the backtracking.

 

[Spookedhippie]

Well said Gary... I think because Star Wars pushed the boundaries of cgi he's felt for every film he needs to do the same and that took over... Yeah I agree with the luke and leia, I don't think Lucas knew on that count!

 

[chazb73]

I agree you certainly need some luck to get where you want to be - I dont believe in meritocracy

 

[x-pack]

He had a vision, ambition, and was a great story teller. But yes, he was damn lucky IMO. All it would have taken was for one of the main backers to have lost faith and he would have been nowhere. We wouldn't be here collecting and discussing Star Wars. The biggest film saga ever could have been a different thing like Smokey & the Bandit 1 - 6 or something.

...we might all be here discussing famous trucks or Burt Reynolds moustache :?

 

[chazb73]

He had a vision, ambition, and was a great story teller. But yes, he was damn lucky IMO. All it would have taken was for one of the main backers to have lost faith and he would have been nowhere. We wouldn't be here collecting and discussing Star Wars. The biggest film saga ever could have been a different thing like Smokey & the Bandit 1 - 6 or something.

...we might all be here discussing famous trucks ors Burt Reynold moustache :?

:lol: Yeah - Burt Reynold's on a Tri Logo

 

[x-pack]

Big moustache variant anyone? :lol:

 

[sith-smith]

Big moustache variant anyone? :lol:

Perhaps that has sneaked into the hobby, via the White Bespin Guard!!