There are so many things wrong with that statement. I might go see it if I can just play £2 and watch the pod racing scene, then leave.

Really? I love The Phantom Menace, & all the Star wars films...

Saw 'Chronicle' yesterday......Wasn't expecting very much, but was actually a good film.

Nice twist on the whole 'superhero/superpowers' set-up and was well filmed and acted.

Not a chance. And this is from someone whose childhood was timed perfectly to grow up with the films, whose every birthday and Xmas involved Star Wars toys, and who still has his original Star Wars figures and models from the very first time round. I even had a copy of the soundtrack on a huge reel-to-reel tape player.

Lucas lost too much when he made I, II and III. In the originals you had humour, a fiery love affair, the cheeky scoundrel of Solo - everything was much more raw and imo much more realistic (as far as Star Wars can be realistic, that is). And most importantly, there was none of the poor quality, horribly cartoonish CGI he chose to infect all the films with. CGI can be awesome, but even today it's fairly easy to spot and can ruin films.

IV, V and VI in 3D I might consider. I can try and ignore most the CGI (even the dreadful scene with Solo stepping on Jabba's tail). But not those 3 horrible films.

There potentially 50 one hour tv episodes to get through if he ever gets round to it..

Anyone seen The Help?
Brilliant, brilliant film. Some great acting performances from quite a few people involved. Really hope it picks up some of the bigger accolades (it's already gotten a few smaller ones).

I [ialmost[/i agree. But here's the thing. The movie business has no loyalty and long-term thinking is mostly out of the question. Leaving aside the issue of whether Stone planned a trilogy from the start or chose to make further installments during or shortly after [iPlatoon[/i neither he, nor the studios, could - in any way - guarantee such being filmed before or during the production of [iPlatoon[/i.

Consider George Lucas and [iStar Wars[/i. He may claim he always intented to make three or six or even nine [iStar Wars[/i movies (there's considerable debate over this) - but the fact is there wasn't a studio in Hollywood that was prepared to green-light [iThe Empire Strikes Back[/i before [iStar Wars[/i was released. Indeed, many - including Lucas' closest friends - were skeptical [iStar Wars[/i would make a penny.

So, given that there was every likelihood Oliver Stone wouldn't or couldn't make sequels to [iPlatoon [/i he should have addressed the issues I raised in [iPlatoon[/i. Even if only in some modest way which he could explore further - given the opportunity - in future instalments.

George Lucas got lucky with Star Wars. The timing was right and against all odds he managed to come up with a reasonable story (I have heard stuff about what he originally intended and it's cringeworthy straight to VHS crud that would have been laughed at if anyone could remember it).
It made money and that allowed other creative heavywheights to make major contributions to Empire and Return (although nobody seemed capable of preventing the Ewoks). He also didn't direct the sequals.
No question, the three films were/are entertaining, but they are kids films that adults can enjoy as well - we're not talking Citizen Kane here.
Everything, and I mean everything, Lucas has done since has proved he got really lucky with Star Wars. The rest of his creative output is truly diabolical and I really believe the guy has compeltely lost grip on reality. I watched him on the Daily Show when I was in the US talking about the film he's just made about the Tuskegee airman (previously only known as comedy waxworks in Night at the Museum 2). His interview had even Jon Stewart lost for words at one point when he actually stated that this film was the only all black cast ever in a Hollywood movie. The interesting thing about the film was that it was advertised on TV relentlessly while I was over there - in the beginning it was "a historical epic about a group of forgotten airmen who won the war (yes, they won WW2)", a week later the orchestral music was replaced by a rap soundtrack and the trailers resembled Bad Boyz 2 f*** up the Luftwaffe -yo b!tche$!

He's a sad, chinless billionaire merchandising expert who unfortunately keeps making 2 hour excrutiating cartoon adverts for his toys.

But what do I really think?

Can't disagree. I'm a fan of Star Wars but I can't stand Lucas. I'm glad you didn't mention Willow or his involvment in the last Indianna Jones film.

Saw the Sam Mendes [iRevolutionary Road[/i tother night and thought it was interesting. Winslett was excellent (and I'd love too) but I do find it difficult to take Di Caprio seriously in a grown-up, adult role.

I really liked that film, enjoyed both leads. De Caprio has matured in the last 5 years and will hopefully only get better.


On the Star Wars films, I adored the original trilogy and even tolerated the more recent three films, to an extent. However I won't be going to the cinema again to see them, I don't see there is anything to gain.

I saw The Woman in Black last night and it was quite enjoyable. A good British Chiller that had all the Hammer hallmarks. Plot Line was a little predictable and could have avoided the gushy ending but genuinely creepy and jumpy in parts.

....and I'm a child of the 70s and part of the Star Wars generation and agree entirely with all the comments about Lucas.

How much more can he try and tart up the same films on different formats. We loved the characters from the originals, not the surround sound or the THX.

Star Trek wipes the floor with Star Wars.

Agree with Paul and G1. Big SW fan, but the tinkering and reissuing is OTT as is the selling out for advertising. Enough George.

I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed, but I can honestly say that I have never seen ANY Star Wars film and I'm in my early 40's, so I was the prime age to be 'enticed' by these films when they were originally released....



Surely, there are others out there??....

I saw the initial Star Wars film as I was dragged to the cinema to watch it. Never seen any since, or any Star Trek films.

ive never seen star wars either.

Viewed [iWinter's Bone[/i last night. Christ, if I thought Frozen River showed the futility and despair of trailer-trash USA, then this was + ten times. The young lead actress was superb.

Caught a few films on my travels across the States this last week.

Real Steel. Never thought I'd like this. 'Rocky with robots', thought I. Very pleasantly surprised - it's less about fighting robots than a human story, though the two are of course entwined. Cheesy at time but that can be forgiven. Jackman is excellent - in fact all the cast put in solid performances, robots included. 8/10

Immortals. Think Clash of the Titans meets 300 and you're somewhat there. Enjoyed this effort, pure ancient Greek fantasy, with Gods, gore, girls and great effects - but then I love stuff like this. Loud and brutal, take it for what it is. 7/10

In Time. So much potential let down by wooden acting and overly blunt story delivery. Had the potential for a gritty futuristic thriller, and while the plot is engaging, you never really feel for the characters who have the moment of their demise constantly thrust upon them - the acting is simply too weak, Timberlake in particular. 7/10 for plot, 3/10 for acting.

Surrogates. Decent effort - another interesting plot, and while Willis is grim and dour throughout and not truly tested, he delivers a solid performance. Not a classic but worth a watch. 6.5/10

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011 version). Still got an hour of this to go but so far brilliant. Looking forward to finishing it later...

Went to the cimema for the first time in ages last night. Saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Nice, gentle film for a Thursday night when tired. The unexpected bonus when we got there was that all tickets were £3.95. So, not a bad night out.

Not trawling through 30 odd pages at this time of the morning but....just watched Law Abiding Citizen....what an amazing film.

Project X. One of the funniest films I've seen in quite a while. Pretty decent acting from a cast of unknowns. I liked the way it was shot from almost from the perspective of a fly on the wall documentary almost exclusively being shot from a close-up handheld camera. Gets a little too far fetched towards the end but really enjoyable.

Clearskin. One of the worst thrillers I've seen in a while. Acting was wooden, the action scenes were poor and clichéd, it was badly directed and the editing and production were really poor. In one scene where someone was set on fire you could still see the protective balaclava on the guy's head. In another they had a scene portraying a news channel. On the ticker bar it had the outcome of the Champions League final and the next entry being about the race for Xmas number one hotting up. One's held at the end of May, the other obviously in the penultimate week of the year. It should have gone straight to DVD, don't waste a couple of hours of your life watching it.

Was on Film 4 I think , I have'nt seen it myself yet so I hope it's repeated again.

Just on Star Wars, I've rewatched most of the movies again with kids, and I have to say that whilst I still have an affection for Han Solo, Luke and Leia due to the age I was when I first watched them, they are really dated, woodenly acted movies in themselves. Vader looks more silly than scary, Mark Hamill really couldn't act, the aliens are almost without exception completely laughable (think Mos Eisley canteen or Jabba's green rhino guards), and the Ewoks almost ruin the whole of Return of the Jedi. You can almost see Alec Guinness wonder WTF he's doing amongst it all.

Having said that they are supposedly kids movies, and my 9-year old loves them all (including Phanton Menace).