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[Trojita]

https://uproxx.com/tv/werner-herzog-baby-yoda-cowards/

The Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian is awesome, especially its most popular (and utterly adorable) character: the puppet officially called “The Child,” but affectionately referred to as “Baby Yoda.” If the fact that the first-ever live action Star Wars show features a 50-year-old “infant” version of the famous Jedi master isn’t enough, however, there’s also the matter of filmmaker and actor Werner Herzog‘s apparent love for the creature. In fact, the documentarian loves Baby Yoda so much that he rebuked Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni for their plans to replace it with CGI.

According to Vanity Fair, when Herzog saw Favreau and Filoni “removing the miniature creature from set during one of his scenes with the being,” he asked them why:

They were preparing to shoot a blank slate of the sequence as a backup in case they decided during postproduction that the puppet wasn’t convincing enough and a digital version had to be substituted.
Herzog, known for films about pushing the limits of human ability and endurance, could not hide his contempt.
“You are cowards,” he declared. “Leave it.”

As amazing as this story, which Filoni recounted at The Mandalorian‘s Los Angeles premiere a few weeks back, is, it pales in comparison to one episode three director Deborah Chow recalls. Speaking with the magazine, Chow, who’s set to direct the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series with Ewan McGregor, said working with Herzog and the puppet made for “one of the weirdest moments I’ve ever had directing”:

“I was directing Werner with the puppet, and Werner had just fallen in love with the baby. Werner, I think, had forgotten it wasn’t actually a live creature, and started sort of… directing the baby.”
It’s as charming, but no less surreal. “Werner is talking to the baby as if it was a real thing. And I’m trying to direct Werner,” Chow said. “And I’m just like, How did I get here? How did my life end up like this?”

 

[GreyHorace]

To be fair, that puppet is one of best I've seen on film. It's really convincing so I can't blame Werner Herzog for developing an attachment to it. I wonder if it was made by the Jim Henson Company? They are owned by Disney so I wouldn't be surprised if they did create it.

And thank God they didn't make him fully CG. There are some bits where it's used like when he moves around but the close ups are obviously a puppet.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Werner sounds like a really fun guy, tbh. A little off-the-wall, but aren’t all the entertaining people?

 

[#Phonepunk#]

seems like they should have ditched the ST and made Star Wars Muppet Babies instead.

 

[Shizumapower]

The power of good control and good timing in a real space. It brings out emotion. Happy to hear this.

CGI is best when 'you don't know', see the movie Zodiac for this.

No CGI needed here, cowards:

 

[SirKicksalot]

Werner sounds like a really fun guy, tbh. A little off-the-wall, but aren’t all the entertaining people?

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

They chose.......wisely

 

[desertdroog]

Practical effects, always.

The Thing prequel (they shitcanned them and went cgi) is evidence that this should be the standard.

 

[SirKicksalot]

Practical effects, always.

The Thing prequel (they shitcanned them and went cgi) is evidence that this should be the standard.

The newer Star Wars movies delivered some awful practical effects, like original Episode 1 Yoda or the Force Awakens bird.
Special shout-out to the Jurassic World sauropod

 

[desertdroog]

The newer Star Wars movies delivered some awful practical effects, like original Episode 1 Yoda or the Force Awakens bird.
Special shout-out to the Jurassic World sauropod

The new StarWars movies delivered a retread of the original movie while simultaneously being worse than the prequels.

 

[GV82]

Werner Called them cowards haha awesome, I can just hear that comment said in his accent in my head too and it’s so good.

Note: always do practical effects where you can, you Cowards

 

[DiscoJer]

If they ever make a spin off movie starring Jabba the Hutt (so like a prequel, obviously), Herzog would be the perfect director.

 

[TUROK]

Oh, it's not CGI? Neat. I thought it was from the stills they used.

Just saw some footage of it. The articulation gives it away. Still looks pretty good, though.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

I really love Herzogs voice.
It just makes everything more amazing.

 

[Revolutionary]

They should rename the show Baby Yoda, since every news article about the show is about the damn thing lol

 

[GreyHorace]

The latest episode I think showed us why going with a practical effect was the right decision on the showmaker's part. While a CG character would have more freedom of expression and movement, I thought the limitations of using a puppet really added to baby Yoda's charm. He's able to convey so much emotion and character despite not having much in the way of expression. Sometimes less is more.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

The latest episode I think showed us why going with a practical effect was the right decision on the showmaker's part. While a CG character would have more freedom of expression and movement, I thought the limitations of using a puppet really added to baby Yoda's charm. He's able to convey so much emotion and character despite not having much in the way of expression. Sometimes less is more.

It keeps an air of innocence around him I think. If he was super expressive.. I think it'd definitely ruin some of the charm.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Live action is way better because CGI is so wildly inconsistent.