It’s been well documented how Ewan McGregor disliked the first 2 Star Wars prequels. Even though he’s loved being involved in the films, he has always (even before the films were released) been critical of the projects.
So imagine my surprise when McGregor comes out and says something like this.
The following is courtesy of the good folks at Digital Spy:
He explained to Total Film magazine: “The fighting in ‘Episode II’ was unsatisfactory, I think. I don’t think the fight was nearly as good as it should have been and I certainly didn’t have as big a crack of the whip as the first one.”
On the bright side, McGregor insists that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith will not disappoint. He added: “I’m making up for it in number three. We fight our a***s off in that one.”
It’s not just the fighting either. McGregor has been quoted elswhere saying that he believes Revenge of the Sith will leave everyone very satisfied. Nuts, my expectations just got a little bit higher now.
GET YOURSELF A POSTER
@ Rich,
I like Hayden Christensen√Ǭ¥s performance as Anakin. Many people are complaining that he plays the part too whiny, and too adolescent…Well, duh, it is ment this way. He isnt supposed to be a hero, he is supposed to be a figure that was allways held back and unsatisfied and therefore joins the dark side. I think that he pulls it off very good as the troubled dark youth of Anakin. And allthough attack of the clones had some really cheesy lovescenes, it is not due to Christensen but to bad writing. But let us not forget Starwars isnt a deep emotional film where all the attention draws to the wonderful acting: its supposed to be a fun thrilling ride and I think Lucas hasnt done bad at all with the prequels. I think it has brought us a great insight in how Darth Vader and the Empire came to be. Like Lucas intended it. Things that most kids who watched the old trilogy have allways dreamed of. Now, the good man Lucas has brought it to us, and I think we should be thankful for filmmakers like Lucas and peter jackson that bring us great epic fun movies that arent so crappy and clich√ɬ© as all the summer blockbusters that dwelm the theaters these days. If you dont like the story, or the new special effects, then dont go see the film and stop bashing the film. What did you expect? That Lucas picked up the working with models and stop motion techniques again? He’s finally got the opportunity to create the films he wants too, and all people can do is childish bashing. I think the special effects in the prequels look great. The art designs of par example, Coruscant look astonishing.
I think we have been too spoiled with CGI since Jurassic Park that we dont find anything looking great anymore and thats the reason guys like Rich complain. And yes, the new films look very ‘clean’ in comparison with the old films, which could be considered as a flaw in continuity, but these films are also intended to show us the glory of the republic and how it went down with the rise of the empire. I hate it that it is ‘cool’ these days to bash starwars. I hope all the complainers dont take anything away from the people that do like the movies.
O.K. here it is…. The prequils suck uncontrolably. Does any one any any any one even like Haden Christensen? I mean really? Did george lucus {only the maker of the best three films of all time} think we would all fall for this crap? wipe on some Charmin and spread it on film and you will have the prequils. It’s sad that after all the time us fans wanted these shows all that can save these films is Natalie Portmans tummy. I think it is a travesty for him to sit and act like he has written this great masterpice when I built a sandbox in the third grade that looked better. Please, george please, give us something that looks believable. I like how the ships are better in the past, they could fight better in the past, obiwan isnt the same age as anakin, the force consists of cells and mediclorians instead of the force being the force, politically correct Bobba Fett being hispanic, Darth Vader only 20 years older than Luke,The special effects being crappier than in the 1970’s, there is so much to hate about these films its hard to even count them all. “I hate them I killed them all even the baby ones their animals, I hate them” stupid, stupid, sadly, stupid. Who out there likes how lucas won’t leave the original alone? duh lets put fairy Haden in at the end of Jedi in ghost form. I want a dvd version of the original with digital mastering only. No wet beasts, no revamped cloud city, no room full of storm troopers, no computer generated jabba. I wish someone important would stand up and let the world know that it aint right and he is riding his own coat tails with these films. I don’t know if he was on weed before or now, but whatever he’s on now he needs to quit. I love starwars, grew up loveing all three, but to make us suffer through these films we want to love is awful. jar jar binks was great though….not.
When I got out of the cinema after watching EP.2, I was grateful, for the first time after years of being a militant geek, for living in the real world. EP. 2 had just one too many green screens and CGI. Lucas is candy happy. I dont see much work in actors, storyt or fillmaking in any of the prequels, instead, I see a bunch of computer generated ads for toys.
I guess ill go trough my star wars prequels sydrome with AOTC. Ill sit in the theathre anxious and exhilarated and ill gasp as the words STAR WARS appear on screen. After, say, half an hour the emotion will be gone and after the end credits ill go back home to my old VHS tapes and watch the original PRE 1997 Special Edition trilgy to fell better about the whole thing.
There are other stuff you can get from the Hyperspace membership Mac, unless of course after Episode III it will no longer be required to access the special site.
seen the new trailer and it looks excellent cant understand why people still join hyperspace it wont be worth it after may 19th unless 3 more come out
“Mmm…being a typical sceptic, wouldn’t an actor love the movie just being released that he’s been in, regardless?
He said positive things about the last movies that were released and then turned round after each.”
Actually, Ewan has always been honest about how he feels about the films. He does always try to find something positive to say, but he has never changed his opinion of a movie he has done after the fact.
That all being said, I do have a lot more faith in Ep III not being a let down like Eps. I and II were.
Yeah, I think it’s true – Mr. Lucas probably did have the best idea about what should happen for thig one (‘Revenge of the Sith’) than episodes 1 and 2.
When I was little, I always loved reading the prologue in the ‘A New Hope’ novel (the ‘Journal of the Whills’ part) where it sums up what ‘Revenge’ is gonna be about quite nicely:
“…the Republic rotted from within though the danger was not visible from outside.
Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry individuals within the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Senator Palpatine caused himself to be elected President of the Republic. He promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and to restore the remembered glory of the Republic.
Once secure in office he declared himself Emperor, shutting himself away from the populace. Soon he was controlled by the very assistants and boot-lickers he had appointed to high office, and the cries of the people for justice did not reach his ears.
Having exterminated through treachery and deception the Jedi Knights, guardians of justice in the galaxy, the Imperial governors and bureaucrats prepared to institute a reign of terror among the disheartened worlds of the galaxy. Many used the imperial forces and the name of the increasingly isolated Emperor to further their own personal ambitions…”
— Star Wars, A New Hope novel; by George Lucas (Alan Dean Foster) 1976.
Of course no mention of Anakin’s fall or anything, but that would have given much away. I really think that he had the most clear plan for this film from the beginning – even moreso than A New Hope. He’s got the confidence, the money and the technology to make this film one of the best.
Look at is this way: the prologue appeared in the novel that was released months before the first film (Ep. IV) ever had a chance to be successful. And now we get Ep. III telling that story.
Anyway, I can’t wait to see the latest trailer. Wow does it really hit in just over a week?
I suppose the true test will be seeing all 6 films in order.
This lends more credence to the theory that Lucas only had Episode III the most thought out, before he started doing the prequels. Episodes I and II feel stretched out, like filler. Neither stands on its own well, as others here have invariably pointed out.
As for rewatching the Prequels, maybe it’s me, but I tried to watch Episode I again recently and found it incredibly slow moving and dull. Jar Jar wasn’t as offensive to me anymore — he was just boring. Episode II felt disjointed and erratic, and didn’t get good till the last third.
Ultimately, the Star Wars saga will probably consist of just the movies in the middle of the series (Episode III, IV and V) which will be good. It will be a saga with a great middle but the beginning and end suck.
Richard, “wouldn’t an actor love the movie just being released that he’s been in, regardless?”
exactly. actors/actresses would say anything to market their movie (e.g., the matrix revolutions).
I actually share the same sentiment, I didnt hate TPM but after AoTC was released, I appreciated it more. I actually know of several true-blue Star Wars geeks whose expressed their loathing for the prequels, I asked them how many times they’ve seen TPM and AoTC, 30 and 50 times respectively. Then one of them said, “but I’ve seen Episodes IV-VI over 100 times”.
Man I am thinking, how many more times can you watch it if they really loved it?
Mmm…being a typical sceptic, wouldn’t an actor love the movie just being released that he’s been in, regardless?
He said positive things about the last movies that were released and then turned round after each.
Fair enough though, he has been more vocal in the positive for this one.
Despite all that, I’m still hopeful. I think though that the storytelling side has been lost either by Lucas or the fact that there is a beginning and an end mapped out and it’s too linear for him to find his imaginative freedom.
Mind you, Bigwig’s comment is pretty good, and it rings true for me too. After II you can look back on I and appreciate it more because it is a cross-movie tale, like LOTR, it’s just that LOTR stands up more as individual movies.
I really didn’t like phantom menace, and i thought attack of the clones was just below mediocre. After watching AOTC though, i went back and watched phantom, and was surprised that my loathing had softened somewhat. Maybe ROTS will make AOTC a solid mediocre!
I picked up the Total Film copy today and read this part. I assume the disappointment would have come from the fact that you have to act aound the blue screen a lot more than being around other real actors. I am not an actor, and would not have had the discipline required but for those who were trained for this stuff, it can still be much of a letdown.
I really hope that “Revenge of the Sith” will shut up all non-believers of the Force.