More from Cracked.com
http://www.cracked.com/article/167_5-reasons-star-wars-sequels-would-be-worse-than-prequels/
They are not kidding about all the crud that’s come out in the books. I spent a few months plowing through almost all of them (I think I read in excess of 95% of the books, excepting the comics and half of the “Young Jedi” series) recently, and I’m fully up-to-date on everything from Alderaan to Zonama Sekat. I’ve read crummy books from the Old Republic era to some awesome 'Legacy" books (40+ABY), and sometimes it’s like panning for gold in an outhouse. You know there’s an unknown number of priceless doubloons, but you have to sift through some real crap while finding them.
So… I know the difference between beskar and yorik coral, I know about the mysterious Centerpoint Station, and I’m down with 501st… but I don’t know about sequel movies and how they’ll do it.
I only read the Thrawn Trilogy. From what I hear, I’m good to stop there.
Yeah, that’s probably good advice. I want to put together a list of The Good Ones, but there’s so much backstory that’s established in the crummy ones that it’s terribly difficult to do without either A: Writing a “Guide To All The Stuff You Missed” for each book or B: each “good” book being almost incomprehensible because of passing references to stuff that happened in other, crummy books.
There are some pretty good books that don’t need this, though:
The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader by Ryder Windham - Lots of recycling, but there are some good bits in there. It’s told from Anakin/Vader’s perspective.
I think I enjoyed Cloak of Deception by James Luceno. Lots of setting up Phantom Menace, and, if I recall, there’s some clever work to fix some of the logical inconsistencies in the film.
Death Star by Michael Reaves & Steve Perry is fan service, it’s “behind the scenes at the Death Star”. Not terrible, but not meaty.
These are books you could read without needing lots of background.
The problem is, except in a few situations, the more exceptional writers are off being successful with their own original material. So you end up with a trough full of hacky writers crapping all over whats left of the franchise.
TBH Im not sure how I feel about another 3 movies, I have a hard time blocking out the angsty suckfest that were the prequels (or as I like to call them ‘the abominations that shall not be named’).
Still waiting for those scripts supposedly locked away in Lucas’ vault. Remember the ones George told Mark Hamill about in 1975. Apparently Lucas forgot the combination.
Yeah, apparently GL had the story in his head stretching 20 years before and after episodes IV-VI. Who knows how much the Extended Universe mucked that up though. That could be the number one reason GL won’t do the sequels. Unless the new Star Trek movie convinces him he can “reboot” the series.
Is the extended universe really a stumbling block? I consider myself a Star Wars fan and havent involved myself with the comics/books/games at all. I think he could make another 3 and not concern himself with any of that other stuff, certainly if some of the books contradict or alter the story lines from the movies(as the cracked.com article suggests). Has Lucas explicitly said he wont do sequels (or prequel prequels)?
The best thing that ever happened to the SW franchise after the original trilogy is KOTOR 1&2… that’s a prequel the likes no one has ever seen.
Last I heard, around the time Episode 3 was released, he said in an interview he didn’t have plans to do the sequels. I’m adding that doesn’t mean he can’t and won’t change his mind.
The extended universe being a stumbling block is just an obstacle I have in my mind, nothing GL has said.
I agree with KOTOR 1 wholeheartedly.
Wasn’t there just recently a series of books that were expelled from the EU because they deviated from the cartoon series? If it could happen once, it can happen again…
to quote the greatest mind of our age
fool me once… shame on you fool me twice… I never get fooled again he he he…
So more of the same from cracked… maybe one day it will be interesting… and on that day braid my hair and call me Pollyanna.
I liked the Disney ones. I’ve always wondered how the heck the Lion King was a G movie.
At the very least, it’s funny. Polly.
I did actually. I thought it was meh.
have to agree about those 2 games. it kills me the opportunity Lucas lost in not only making the third one into a MMO but the sin of it is that; its being made by Bioware; one of the best developers around. Just think of how good this could have been as a game proper…
I would so welcome a reboot of the movies that shall not be named on one condition: Lucas has NOTHING to do with them. Hand over the reigns George. You clearly got lucky with the original trilogy, but we should have seen the writing on the wall when you thot a race of teddy bears was a good idea. I could almost forgive you for the prequels but then I saw what you did to Indiana Jones. <shudder>
KOTOR was a Bioware game and KOTOR2 was made by Obsidian using Bioware’s engine and receiving support from Bioware.
yep i know, the original came from bioware and a good deal of the bioware’s talent went into the sequel as well. its just that MMO’s tend to get watered down to being paper thin, It usually ends up being about resource farming p2p interactions and mostly who has the time to level up, and less about a good paced plot, and engrossing stories; that being said if anyone can make this good it’ll be bioware. i mean i can’t say enough good things about the company, basically there the pixar of the video game industry, there so good odds are i’ll be buying my fourth 360 just so i can play mass effect 2 with full knowledge it;ll fail cause they all do; and i swore to heaven and hell after the last red ring i was through with that platform, so i have a lot of good will but i just get this feeling before you know it everyone’s a jedi in boba fett armor tea bagging everyone else. takes away from great story telling.
p,s, Bioware make a fella happy for Christmas please make mass effect 2 multi-platform even if you have to take an extra year to port it over, to the ps3 version; its what Jesus would do