Kevin's Watch

After doing a Star Wars marathon over the weekend, watching episodes 2-6 and the special features dvd, I had to wonder what Star Wars would have been like if Steven Spielberg had directed everything after Episode 4. It seems to me that only Lucas himself would have directed the first film, that would never have changed. Don't get me wrong, I think Irvin Kershner did a great job with Episode V but knowing that Lucas had wanted his good friend Spielberg to direct makes me wonder how different the other two original films would have been. And like the Indiana Jones films, I believe if Spielberg had directed Episode V and VI it seems to me that Lucas would have snagged Steven to direct Episodes I, II and III. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the latest 3 installments would have been remarkably better films than they turned out to be if Spielberg had been at the helm. (ESPECIALLY EPISODE I)
Well at least they wouldn't have been any worse. As wonderful as Star Wars is in general just imagine the improvement that would have been made. Like if Joe Montana had been the quarterback of the 01 Ravens or Robert Plant joining Van Halen. Take something pretty darn good and kick it up a notch or two. BAM!

One thing is for sue...there'd be a lot more Ewoks.

I don't see Spielberg making a big difference.

dlbpharmd wrote:I don't see Spielberg making a big difference.

All I can say is that when I compare what you get when Lucas directs (or employs an inexperienced puppet to do his bidding) and when a free thinking experienced director is at the helm, you notice a difference. Empire is the only one of the films that seems to really excel. I don't know anything other than what I can guess but I assume that Spielberg would have put his stamp on whatever film he directed.
I have to agree that there would have been more Ewoks. Perhaps even more cuddly and sickening than ever.

If they could digitally replace Ewoks with a race of Stitch's (Lilo & Stich), then not only would the decimation of Empire forces at the hands on those little critters make more sense, but the Ewok party music would be Elvis hits!

dANdeLION wrote:If they could digitally replace Ewoks with a race of Stitch's (Lilo & Stich), then not only would the decimation of Empire forces at the hands on those little critters make more sense, but the Ewok party music would be Elvis hits!

Wouldn't replacing the Ewoks with GREMLINS be a little more appropriate given the discussion involves SS?

Maybe, but I think a legion of Stitches would make a more effective fighting force. hell, I think a legion of Walters, the Bud Light squirrel, would be a more effective fighting force than the bloody ewoks.....

dANdeLION wrote:Maybe, but I think a legion of Stitches would make a more effective fighting force. hell, I think a legion of Walters, the Bud Light squirrel, would be a more effective fighting force than the bloody ewoks.....

Oh yeah. I gree with that. No doubt.

dANdeLION wrote:Maybe, but I think a legion of Stitches would make a more effective fighting force. hell, I think a legion of Walters, the Bud Light squirrel, would be a more effective fighting force than the bloody ewoks.....

Hmm, that gives me an idea for the Random Deathmatch thread...

LORD FOUL'S BRAIN wrote:Don't get me wrong, I think Irvin Kershner did a great job with Episode V but knowing that Lucas had wanted his good friend Spielberg to direct makes me wonder how different the other two original films would have been.

Well, that's just it: never mind Spielberg, Kershner did such a great job on Empire Strikes Back that I've often wondered how much better Return of the Jedi would've been if he had directed it as well. I wonder if Kershner would've agreed to do it (if Lucas had asked him to), or if after Empire he was completely burned out on Star Wars.

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the latest 3 installments would have been remarkably better films than they turned out to be if Spielberg had been at the helm. (ESPECIALLY EPISODE I)
Well at least they wouldn't have been any worse.

Well, at least they wouldn't have been any worse - haha, nice qualifier there. I think the quality of the films would've depended on which director showed up: saccharine Spielberg or edgy Spielberg. Mind you, it's not an absolute distinction, he's just edgier one day and more saccharine the next.

I'm also not quite ready to dismiss Lucas's directorial skills. In fact, I think he has great flair for dramatic visuals. Phantom Menace has a whole lotta flaws, but IMO it is Lucas's directing that keeps the movie from being worse than it is...and I know that many probably disagree with that. I'm saying that in terms of exciting, epic action set pieces, Lucas still delivers the goods as well as Spielberg or any other director in the business. If Spielberg had directed, what he would have improved upon was all the other stuff, like tightening up the verbiage in the script and allowing more naturalistic dialogue to flow among the actors - more realistic interaction. Although Kershner already did well in providing that atmosphere for the actors in Empire. I'm referring more to the "boring speech" syndrome we see in the prequels that Spielberg would surely have tweaked or dropped altogether.

Well, Matrix I don't disagree with your points. "The other stuff" is really what I'm on about. I know Lucas can present a spectacle but its the character interaction that seems to suffer the most in Episodes I-III. Spielberg handles such things with more tact. I would have also been in favor of Kirshner directing Jedi and perhaps the newer prequels as well. I don't know what happend there. My gut feeling is that Lucas wanted more control over his director. Kirshner was his own man with a track record of excellence and confidence. Its possible that Lucas knew Jedi wouldn't have turned out the way he wanted unless he found a director that would be willing to have his strings pulled. I believe that the only reason Lucas bothered to have any director is that, after doing everything on Episode VI, he probably felt he would be overwhelmed otherwize. Oh well. We'll never know if Spielberg would have injected that old Indiana Jones charm into the Star Wars story or not.