And the smartest man alive is...

[Bubba Wheels]

George Lucas, hands down. He makes a movie almost 30 yrs ago and entirely new generations of kids keep getting hooked on it and buying up its licensed merchandise. My kid did chores around the house for a week to earn money, then withdrew some previous birthday money from his savings all to buy the new Battlefront 2 for the Play Station. Lucas will never have to lift a finger again and the checks will just keep getting bigger and bigger.

[Easy Mac]

I think he's the smartest because he made 3 insanely shitty movies and then slapped the Star Wars name on them and made like 3 billion. People just need to do this with anything. Like release a crappy teenage comedy and name it like Pam and Tommy Sex Tape 2.

[Rizon]

We have a life size replica of Yoda in our house, and we set him near the door for Halloween.

I almost pissed myself when all these little 2 and 3 year old kids came to the door and said "Yoda!". WTF??

[Raiders Army]

Those were some pretty cool lightsaber fights in Episodes I-III...much better than two old men in IV.

[Subby]

Holy crap, Bubba and I finally find common ground :)

[Donnie Baker]

Nah, he's just the example of how stupid the general public is. Hell, if he was a spostrs team owner, fans would have jumped ship after the crap that he put out over these last few years.

[Easy Mac]

Nah, Star Wars = Cubs

[Joe Canadian]

I liked Episodes II-III... they weren't as good as two of the originals, but they're closer than most say, IMO. And it's not like any of the Star Wars movies were Citizen Kane in the first place...

[Front Office Midget]

I've only really watched Episode III... but I thought it was a great movie. The whole story seems pretty good from what I've read about it, so I'd say he's a smart man for coming up with a cool story.

[Radii]

A good friend of mine argues that Hugh Hefner is the smartest man alive. I don't disagree with him.

[Mustang]

A good friend of mine argues that Hugh Hefner is the smartest man alive.

For realizing men like naked women?

[Greyroofoo]

I watched all 6 movies this saturday and I have to say that the three prequels, taken as a whole, are pretty amazing.

[Donnie Baker]

I watched all 6 movies this saturday and I have to say that the three prequels, taken as a whole, are pretty lame piles of crap with special effects thrown in to cover their lack of entertainment value.


There, fixed it for ya. ;)

[MIJB#19]

Hey, who told you I died? :o

Or does one have to actually achieve something to be considered smart, because then I'll be eliminated by default.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Those were some pretty cool lightsaber fights in Episodes I-III...much better than two old men in IV.
The Darth Maul-Qui Gon-Obi Wan fight was amazing. Great stuff. The rest of them? A bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing. All style, no substance. I'll take the two old men in IV ("Strike me down now and I'll be more powerful than you can possibly imagine")over that flash 'n' dash, video-game hopping around crapola we were forced to suffer through in II & III.

[Honolulu_Blue]

There, fixed it for ya. ;)
Goof fix.

[Raiders Army]

Actually I picked up on Anakin in Ep III wanting to be a master...and then when he confronts Obi Wan Kenobi in Ep IV, he states, "When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master." Sorta nice how that fits in there.

[sabotai]

I got the Episode III DVD this week and watch the featurette called "The Chosen One" which is about, obviously, Anakin. But throughout the video, it showed Lucas directing the acotrs on what to do and how to do it, how to say things, etc. It pretty much confirmed my beleif that Lucas can write a good story, create good characters, etc. But when it comes to directing, he's HORRIBLE, and that's how we get such sub par performances by otherwise supurb actors and actresses.

But, as a whole, I like the prequals more than I hate them.

[Joe Canadian]

I got the Episode III DVD this week and watch the featurette called "The Chosen One" which is about, obviously, Anakin. But throughout the video, it showed Lucas directing the acotrs on what to do and how to do it, how to say things, etc. It pretty much confirmed my beleif that Lucas can write a good story, create good characters, etc. But when it comes to directing, he's HORRIBLE, and that's how we get such sub par performances by otherwise suburb actors and actresses.

Yeah, I thought that was a really weird way of directing a movie. You pay actors to act, if you're telling them exactly what to do in every scene, then their skills are going to waste.

I love George Lucas movies, but listening to his commentray on the DVD's is just painfull. He often tells in orginal idea, then he says he needed to change it to make it better... in the end more than often his original idea was far superior and his new one sucks.

[cthomer5000]

The prequels were so bad that they've made me take a long, hard look at the originals. Return of The Jedi kind of sucks, and in that one movie you see the beginning of the piece of shit movie-maker he will become.

The Empire Strikes Back still may be one of the best movies of all-time though, and I don't think the fact that he didn't write the script OR direct it is any coincidence.

[Buccaneer]

I've only really watched Episode III... but I thought it was a great movie. The whole story seems pretty good from what I've read about it, so I'd say he's a smart man for coming up with a cool story.
Great movie? Cool story? You and I must live on two completely different planets.

[Buccaneer]

The Empire Strikes Back still may be one of the best movies of all-time though, and I don't think the fact that he didn't write the script OR direct it is any coincidence.
Perfectly said.

I did not see Ep. I or II but unfortunately did see III. It was one of the worse movies I had ever seen - terrible acting, scripting and storytelling. If it weren't for the snazzy special effects, it would be no different than those campy 1950's sci-fi movies.

[Coop]

It's not George Lucas, it's Dr.Derek Smart.

[Schmidty]

Star Wars sucks. Indiana Jones is where it's at.

[TroyF]

I watched all 6 movies this saturday and I have to say that the three prequels, taken as a whole, are pretty amazing.


I just want you to know that I'm going to print out this post and give it to anyone close to me who claims I don't have a life.

:D

[Schmidty]

I just want you to know that I'm going to print out this post and give it to anyone close to me who claims I don't have a life.

:D

You know what's amazing? Watching the 3 LotR extended editions takes just as long as watching the 6 Star Wars movies. Not only that, but with LotR you get to watch 3 great movies instead of 4 crappy movies, 1 mediocre movie, and 1 pretty good one.

[TazFTW]

It's not George Lucas, it's Dr.Derek Smart.
True.

[sterlingice]

You know what's amazing? Watching the 3 LotR extended editions takes just as long as watching the 6 Star Wars movies. Not only that, but with LotR you get to watch 3 great movies instead of 4 crappy movies, 1 mediocre movie, and 1 pretty good one.
4 crappy, 1 mediocre, and 1 pretty good? I think someone's a bit unduly harsh...

SI

[Schmidty]

4 crappy, 1 mediocre, and 1 pretty good? I think someone's a bit unduly harsh...

SI
Yeah, you're probably right. I actually loved 4,5, and 6 growing up, but they just haven't held up for me, as I've gotten older.

[sabotai]

You know what's amazing? Watching the 3 LotR extended editions takes just as long as watching the 6 Star Wars movies. Not only that, but with LotR you get to watch 3 great movies instead of 4 crappy movies, 1 mediocre movie, and 1 pretty good one.
That's my plan for next weekend. I'm going to be watching the 3 LOTR movies, extended versions, in one sitting.

[Greyroofoo]

I'm lucky if I can sit through the first Lord of the Rings w/o going to sleep.

[Schmidty]

I'm lucky if I can sit through the first Lord of the Rings w/o going to sleep.

Not enough 'splosions for ya? I have the perfect movie for you: "Judge Dread".

;)

[cthomer5000]

I did not see Ep. I or II but unfortunately did see III. It was one of the worse movies I had ever seen - terrible acting, scripting and storytelling. If it weren't for the snazzy special effects, it would be no different than those campy 1950's sci-fi movies.
Bucc, consider yourself lucky. Despite the fact that Episode III sucked (and I really thought it did), it is easily the best of the 3 prequels.... which is sad.

[Kodos]

Imagine the prequels without Ewan McGregor. He's the only one who gives a good performance.

And what a complete waste of Natalie Portman. Lucas actually made me wish she wasn't in the movie with her horrid "Remember Naboo?" craptasticness.

III was definitely the best of the prequels, and without Natalie's part, it would have been that much better. "Oooo. This one's Luke. This one's Leia. Ahh, but I have nothing to live for." Dies. WTF?

[cthomer5000]

And what a complete waste of Natalie Portman. Lucas actually made me wish she wasn't in the movie with her horrid "Remember Naboo?" craptasticness.
Oh man.... i think you're referring to the "hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo" line... seriously one of the most unintentionally hilarious moments in cinema history. I laughed in the theater. Another all time great comes with episode 3's final "NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo!" I was laughing, practically through tears, seeing how Lucas had so thoroughly destroyed his own works.

I agree on all your other points as well. I think Lucas has given us enough evidence to prove he's the worst director of all time (or is at least currently the worst director working).

[ISiddiqui]

If it weren't for the snazzy special effects, it would be no different than those campy 1950's sci-fi movies.Um... isn't that the point? Star Wars was Lucas' homage to campy 1950s sci-fi movies. I'm sure he had no clue it would explode onto the mainstream as it did.

[Neon_Chaos]

I've always thought that if Episode I & II were put together, it would make for a better movie than the both of them apart.

Episode III should have been split into two movies instead, to allow for more flexibility in portraying the turn of Anakin (who fell over to the dark side rather quickly and without much character development.)

[Hammer755]

We have a life size replica of Yoda in our house, and we set him near the door for Halloween.

I almost pissed myself when all these little 2 and 3 year old kids came to the door and said "Yoda!". WTF??
I have an almost 3-yr old son, and when we went to Best Buy this weekend, he told me 'I wanna see Chewbacca!' when we spotted a cardboard cut-out of him across the store with the EpIII display.

[rkmsuf]

I'm lucky if I can sit through the first Lord of the Rings w/o going to sleep.


I hated the farging bore-fest. Middle earth sucks.

Oh and Star Wars snobs are annoying with their "these new fangled Star Wars movies stink. Waaaa."



Yoda would be displeased with my anger.

[Raiders Army]

Yoda rulez.

[Subby]

I watch 4,5 and 6 at least once a month or more with my kids. 6, in particular, does not hold up. At all.

I loved 3. Absolutely loved it. Wish it was 3 hours longer.

[MIJB#19]

Oh my god, a geek board where people talk bad about Star Wars. The world is upside down. The end of time can't be far away!

[rkmsuf]

The smartest man alive would have worked in Natalie Portman in the Princess slave uniform in episode 1,2 or 3.

[Raiders Army]

The smartest man alive would have worked in Natalie Portman in the Princess slave uniform in episode 1,2 or 3.
Good point.

[Warhammer]

You know what's amazing? Watching the 3 LotR extended editions takes just as long as watching the 6 Star Wars movies. Not only that, but with LotR you get to watch 3 great movies instead of 4 crappy movies, 1 mediocre movie, and 1 pretty good one.

Hmmmm... Being a HUGE fan of LotR, I have to say that I still have some problems watching those movies. Peter Jackson got some of the characters ass backwards...

Gandalf is pretty much turned into a loser who is too careworn to really be up to the task he is facing. In the books, it is Gandalf that is the one who is willing to take risks, and chance everything.

Aragorn is reduced to a man who is afraid of responsibility? Come on, in the books he is a complete bad ass who is dedicated to destroying the Ring and has prepared his entire life for this one endeavor. He knows that in order to win Arwen he must be no less than the King of the Reunited Kingdom.

The other characters they did well with, but they completely missed on the relationship between Sam and Frodo. Frodo would never have turned on Sam during the whole saga, and Sam never showed that he wanted the Ring. He only wanted to help Frodo which Frodo understood.

Finally, what the heck was up with the whole Paths of the Dead skulls coming out of the mountain in the Extended Version DVD?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Hmmmm... Being a HUGE fan of LotR, I have to say that I still have some problems watching those movies. Peter Jackson got some of the characters ass backwards...

Gandalf is pretty much turned into a loser who is too careworn to really be up to the task he is facing. In the books, it is Gandalf that is the one who is willing to take risks, and chance everything.

Aragorn is reduced to a man who is afraid of responsibility? Come on, in the books he is a complete bad ass who is dedicated to destroying the Ring and has prepared his entire life for this one endeavor. He knows that in order to win Arwen he must be no less than the King of the Reunited Kingdom.

The other characters they did well with, but they completely missed on the relationship between Sam and Frodo. Frodo would never have turned on Sam during the whole saga, and Sam never showed that he wanted the Ring. He only wanted to help Frodo which Frodo understood.

Finally, what the heck was up with the whole Paths of the Dead skulls coming out of the mountain in the Extended Version DVD?
The characters in the movie were about 10x's more complex and fleshed out than those cardboard cut-out excuses for characters found in the books. I am firmly of the belief that the movies improved upon the original works in every way, shape, and form.

[Raiders Army]

The characters in the movie were about 10x's more complex and fleshed out than those cardboard cut-out excuses for characters found in the books. I am firmly of the belief that the movies improved upon the original works in every way, shape, and form.
I would agree, but sometimes one medium works better than another. The quality of actors helps as well. For example, a scene may be totally non-verbal, but in a book it's harder to convey emotions than an actor may be able to convey with the expressions on his face, body language, etc.

[ISiddiqui]

The characters in the movie were about 10x's more complex and fleshed out than those cardboard cut-out excuses for characters found in the books. I am firmly of the belief that the movies improved upon the original works in every way, shape, and form.And YOU presume to lecture me on movies?! WTF?!

[Honolulu_Blue]

And YOU presume to lecture me on movies?! WTF?!
HEH! :D ;)

[Honolulu_Blue]

I would agree, but sometimes one medium works better than another. The quality of actors helps as well. For example, a scene may be totally non-verbal, but in a book it's harder to convey emotions than an actor may be able to convey with the expressions on his face, body language, etc.
This is very true indeed. Another thing Jackson and the other screen writers dide, was take a bit of dialogue once character said from the books and give those same words to a different character. Not only does it profoundly change the meaning of the words, but it also changes the character him/herself. I don't know any examples off-hand, but if you watch the "making of" DVDs that come with the extended editions they discuss a few.