I also read somewhere from Gary Kurtz who was a partner in Star Wars and Empire that Lucas was more interested in how to market Star Wars, not in making it a movie. This is very apparent and obvious in the prequels but if you look close enough into Return you can see much of Lucas's hand in turning Star Wars from a movie into more of a marketing device.
That does not surprise me. On the one hand, I wonder what Kurtz' agenda was to tell that, but on the other hand I have very clear memories about the money machinery that Star Wars was. I remember lots of action figures and starships that we were playing with as kids and I remember how all my classmates and I could barely wait to finally play the X-Wing computer game.
It is show business. Without business, there is no show. Thus I can understand that Lucas had to get the gears working. But when I look at the prequel trilogy and the "enhanced" movies, I can believe that he did not really care about the Star Wars universe anymore except for its profit. Just look at Greedo's fumble in the cantina. (Han Solo's characterization got spoiled, but the Morale Police was satisfied and the Ministry of Family Serenity could sleep again.) Think of the various slapstick scenes included when the protagonists enter Mos Isley. Think of Han Solo stepping on Jabba's tail(!). (Would you step on Don "Godfather" Corleone's feet while chatting about your debts?) Seriously, what was he thinking by adding slapstick as an "enhancement?"
Those movies lost their charme and their soul, if you ask me. The original trilogy was a great mixture of serious and epic fantasy in space, a coming-of-age story, and the unsiversal battle against oppression. Not to mention the pursue of enlightment and tranquility to get rid of the inner resistance and conflict.
Now add in slapstick and "correct" some characters to make them more appealing to the family afternoon entertainment and you lost me.
Anyway, the prequel trilogy was a SFX- and CGI-orgy beyond comparison and the marketing was perfectioned, if you ask me. It clearly demonstrated the technical posibilities and proficiency of
ILM, who did an amazing job. Which is a good thing for the producers and Lucas' bank account, but left a pretty rotten taste in my mouth.
The SFX were completely over the top and felt wrong, the starships were mostly in mint condition, everything was clean and shiny. The
scenery porn (do not follow that link, it's a bad rabbit hole and a black hole of time destruction) did not help, either.
Recently I bought the original trilogy as shown in the theatres and I am so glad to see it without the "enhancements," without the slapstick and without the "corrections" and different songs suddenly sung at Jabba's palace.
Did anyone take a look at Fantasy Flight Games' new Star Wars RPG?
If not, you should, if you ask me.
