Special Effects

What exciting new movie doesn't have them? But, it's not always for the better

Although visually amazing, film companies these days, including our beloved Star Wars, base their movies on their incredible effects, then the story and acting.

Back in the old days, before the dark times, before the visuals, movies were built around the story and acting, and character interaction. They would film the movie, and then around them, build any effects they could whip up. These days, it is much different. The movie industry tries to make up for their wooden acting, unoriginal stories and predictabilities with special effects. The truth is, the only people who make it to the box office are 14 year old action-lovers. I give you: The Day After Tommorrow and Van Helsing both incredibly unoriginal and predictable. Who went to see these? 14 year old action/effect lovers and those who were lured into the theater by the special effects, only praying that they didn't waste their money. (They did by the way.)

Special effects can really affect the acting of a movie too. With real sets vs. green screen, it is much easier to actually get the actor or actress into character. When your standing in the corridor of the Tantive IV, or the Emperor's Throne Room it is much easier to get into the atmosphere of an Epic Space Fantasy then that of standing in a room with a green screen behind you and a buncha camera men in front of you, looking around for little taped X's to know where your little green invisible friend is standing. (Try talking to pieces of tape verses a real person, tell me, which one is more real sounding?) How about sitting on an Imperial Speeder Bike in the Red Wood Forrest compared to sitting in a green room on a green saw horse making "varoom!" noises?

Nothing against the mostly amazing visual effects of the Prequels, but building more real sets, using more real costumes/people can greatly improve the acting, and feel of a movie. Even replacement is better than nothing. Act, and then fill in. Don't fill in over acting.

I'm not saying the acting in the Original Trilogy is GREAT or that the acting in the Prequals was HORRIBLE...

I'm just saying, to tell you the truth, Bespin looked more real than Kamino, and Luke did a better talking to a puppet than Obi-Wan did to a piece of tape.


--JayPetey