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Question of the Day (QOTD) is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a film/TV-related question that we put to you, the reader. The comments section below is like the feedback box at work; except, in this example, we actually read what you write and care about what you have to say.
I don’t think I need to explain why the term “Special Edition” makes any Star Wars fan’s skin crawl. George Lucas took his Original Trilogy and massacred it with updated (and mostly necessary) CGI. Most fans hated the changes and have hoped Lucasfilm will one day release the original, unaltered cuts that old Star Wars fans saw in theaters back in 1977, 1980, and 1983.
However, I recently stumbled across someone asking on Twitter if Lucasfilm should “Special Edition”-ize the Star Wars prequels to simply update the now outdated CGI. I mean, take a look at the image at the top of this post, it’s from Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but it sure looks like it’s from the animated Clone Wars series. I don’t know if there’s any monetary gain to be made from updating the CGI in the prequels to make it as realistic as possible (although I’m sure you could rerelease them in theaters for a week before dropping them on Disney+), but I’m interested in hearing what fans of the prequels think of this idea.
So, the question I ask today is: should Lucasfilm ask for George Lucas’ blessing to improve the CGI in the Star Wars prequels?
I’m 100% on board. It would be crazy to not fix the severely out-of-date CGI. Star Wars: The Clone Wars has done a huge job of making fans look at the Prequel Trilogy in a new way and some major improvements to the CGI would go a long way toward making even more people view them in a new light. Besides, Lucasfilm already replaced puppet Yoda in Episode I with the CGI Yoda for the 2011 re-release, so they’ve already opened the door for additional changes. Now someone just needs to kick the door off its hinges and really go to town.
So what about you, screenagers? Would you be open to Lucasfilm releasing “Special Editions” of the Prequel Trilogy with modern special effects?
I’ll see you in the trenches.
