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[Spectral Glider]

There are several actors that are great in other movies but crap in the SW prequels.

Natalie Portman: awesome in The Professional and Heat; crap in SW movies
Ewan McGregor: awesome in Trainspotting; crap in SW movies
Liam Neeson: awesome in every single non-Lucas movie he's in, including Darkman and Krull; mediocre in Phantom Menace (though not crap)
Pernilla August: awesome in Fanny and Alexander; crap in SW movies

Proof that bad direction can ruin even a good actor.

To be fair, Liam and Ewan's performances were the lone saving graces of the new films. I realize it's not saying much, but it is true.

 

[LakeEarth]

Because it's obvious? Because them being aliens wouldn't make sense? Because they speak in fucking english? Because they are clearly mechanical(videos play on their freaking foreheads)? Because they are able to send a power surge through to David to re-animate him by just touching him? Because they know a lot of shit about humans? Because of many freaking reasons?

See, this is what I was talking about. Sure, it might seem obvious that they were robots now, but that doesn't hide the fact that they are shaped in the 'traditional' alien way. Half the stuff you mentioned above (speaking english, able to create power surges, etc) are stuff I've seen aliens do in other movies.

In the end, Speilberg should've made them look different if 80% of the people who watched the film think they're aliens.

 

[Bizarro Sun Yat-sen]

Isn't it kinda obvious that they were robots just from the first subtitled line you see when they appear? "Therefore, these robots are originals. They knew living beings." - implying that most robots are not originals, did not know living beings, therefore were built by other robots.

 

[Dreamfixx]

I remember in the weeks leading up to AOTC that there was some sort of website that was designed to be a news website for the SW universe. I remember that they had a story that dealt with the R2 units, and how their "leg boosters" only had a life span of 20 or so years, which would explain why R2 never udes them in the OT. I thought it was kinda funny that they put it in there like that. Does anyone remember the website?

Holonet news?

 

[dynamitejim]

Isn't it kinda obvious that they were robots just from the first subtitled line you see when they appear? "Therefore, these robots are originals. They knew living beings." - implying that most robots are not originals, did not know living beings, therefore were built by other robots.

Not to mention they didn't look organic whatsoever. I've heard people compare them to the aliens at the end of Close Encounters but those clearly looked like they were flesh and blood creatures.

 

[Bizarro Sun Yat-sen]

Just look at any scene in the prequels. What's that behind them, a bunch of really phony looking-CG because they were too lazy to build sets or scout decent locations?

I can sympathise with your distaste for bluescreen/CG sets, but lazy? Do you have any idea how much work it takes to create CG backgrounds that elaborate?

 

[Substance]

I think one of the more audacious directorial decisions Lucas made during TPM was asking Terence Stamp to act in front of a pole, pretending it would be Portman.

 

[Tedesco!]

Holonet news?

Yes! Here's the link:

http://www.holonetnews.com/55/business/1359_2.html