Last week, Lucasfilm announced it will premiere the long-awaited theatrical release of the most recent addition to the Star Wars universe, the animated Clone Wars series, on August 15. This marks Mr. Lucas’ most recent attempt to rekindle a relationship among his increasingly alienated fanbase, which has long been severed.
Lucas, who is known for relying heavily on CGI technology in his films, will finally seal the Star Wars series’ fate in animation. Where fans once marveled at the special effects mogul’s capability to effectively create space-centered set design, now they are increasingly turning against the director who’s overuse of CGI technology aided in the creation of three critically-panned Star Wars prequels.
While some fans attribute the onset of Lucas’ downward spiral to the creation of the Ewoks in 1983’s The Return of the Jedi, I believe his directorial inferiority was solidified in 1999’s The Phantom Menace. Yes, I am talking about the introduction of one Jar Jar Binks, arguably the most annoying character in the entire Star Wars universe.
Jar Jar Binks, while not only aggravating to watch, represented a jump into computer animation previously unprecedented in any Star Wars film. In fact, by the time Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005, Lucas was so heavy-handed with his CGI usage that nearly every shot was altered by CGI or set in front of a green screen. Instead of expanding the ability for audiences to suspend their disbelief, Lucas’ dependence on computer animation, as well as his preference to direct in the editing room, is charged with stifling the actor’s abilities to effectively work with their surroundings and throw themselves into the character.
With this new series, Lucas will hopefully take the skills obtained through his fluency in CGI and finally transfer them into a coherent format. By transferring to a strictly animated format, perhaps he can mend the rift between he and his fans and further continue the fanatic interest that lies within the Star Wars empire. Perhaps, however, it is too late and that cannot happen.
I mean, what do I really know?
I thought the Ewoks were cute.
Tags: Clone Wars, George Lucas, Inebriation Animation, Star Wars
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 7:20 pm |
“… Jar Jar Binks, arguably the most annoying character in the entire Star Wars universe.”
Totally, if by “arguably” you mean “definitely,” and “by Star Wars universe” you mean “history of everything ever ever.”