Drukoziz Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 To be fair, quite a few of his lines in Ep. 1 were complete trash. Horrible writing. On the other hand, I saw the kid in another movie, and his acting was just as bad; so there's that. In the end, still not as bad as JarJar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malastare Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Okay, let's get this straight for those of you who rage without thinking: Jake Lloyd's performance wasn't great. He was a kid. Acting is hard. It's not shocking. It was made worse by some really questionable writing and bad directing (seriously: what directory would hear that "whoopiee!" and think: "Yeah, Print that. That rocked.") Hayden Christensen is the unequivocally better actor. He's not a prodigy, but he's been nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a number of other awards for drama roles. That said, he was bad in Ep2 and Ep3. Before we start saying that he just sucked in those movies let's consider another actor who sucked in Ep2 and Ep3: Natalie Portman is an Oscar winner, and the time between her totally flat performance in Ep2 and Black Swan isn't enough for a re-education in acting. Together with Hayden, she created some of the most cringeworthy "romance" scenes I've experienced in a theater. Seriously. Both of the women watching it with me cringed at the attempt to be romantic. The result on screen was very date-rapey and cold. Natalie even commented later that she hated the scenes and found them very uncomfortable and unnatural. Both she and Hayden have said they wanted to do them differently, but... didn't. What do all three of these actors have in common? They were all directed by George Lucas. Now, I think Lucas is great at creating worlds and stories and he's got great creative vision, but I don't think he was ever good at directing Star Wars movies. Even back to Ep4, his actors were complaining that the things he was asking them to do just couldn't work (cue famous quote from Harrison Ford). So, before you run off blaming the actors, remember that there are several accomplished, talented actors who were on those casts, and almost every single one of them turned in weak (or worse) performances. Samuel L Jackson: Not bad, but not good. Christopher Lee: Empty, redeemed only by his voice. Liam Neeson: Passable. Ian McDiarmid: Decent. Ewan McGreggor: Pretty good, reportedly helped by the fact that he stopped listening to direction after Ep1. Quit blaming Jake Lloyd for Ep1. He did as good as any child actor could do. More importantly, he did as good as any of the adult actors did, considering the direction he was getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurbere Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 So, before you run off blaming the actors, remember that there are several accomplished, talented actors who were on those casts, and almost every single one of them turned in weak (or worse) performances. Samuel L Jackson: Not bad, but not good. Christopher Lee: Empty, redeemed only by his voice. Liam Neeson: Passable. Ian McDiarmid: Decent. Ewan McGreggor: Pretty good, reportedly helped by the fact that he stopped listening to direction after Ep1. I like Liam Neeson. I think he's a great actor. Even in the PT. All of the above actors I think did great. Except anakin and Padme. Not the greatest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Zone Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I like Liam Neeson. I think he's a great actor. Even in the PT. All of the above actors I think did great. Except anakin and Padme. Not the greatest. Liam Neeson was the ONLY thing keeping Qui-Gon Jinn from being a complete joke in Episode I. It was nearly impossible to even see the character's screw-ups at first because it was LIAM NEESON making him seem way cooler than he really was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurbere Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) Liam Neeson was the ONLY thing keeping Qui-Gon Jinn from being a complete joke in Episode I. It was nearly impossible to even see the character's screw-ups at first because it was LIAM NEESON making him seem way cooler than he really was! So cool. And he was trolling the Council throughout the whole movie. He was even trolling Maul by meditating mid-battle. And don't say he's not cool, because he will find you and he will kill you. Edited May 10, 2012 by Aurbere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheronFett Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) Okay, let's get this straight for those of you who rage without thinking: Jake Lloyd's performance wasn't great. He was a kid. Acting is hard. It's not shocking. It was made worse by some really questionable writing and bad directing (seriously: what directory would hear that "whoopiee!" and think: "Yeah, Print that. That rocked.") Hayden Christensen is the unequivocally better actor. He's not a prodigy, but he's been nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a number of other awards for drama roles. That said, he was bad in Ep2 and Ep3. Before we start saying that he just sucked in those movies let's consider another actor who sucked in Ep2 and Ep3: Natalie Portman is an Oscar winner, and the time between her totally flat performance in Ep2 and Black Swan isn't enough for a re-education in acting. Together with Hayden, she created some of the most cringeworthy "romance" scenes I've experienced in a theater. Seriously. Both of the women watching it with me cringed at the attempt to be romantic. The result on screen was very date-rapey and cold. Natalie even commented later that she hated the scenes and found them very uncomfortable and unnatural. Both she and Hayden have said they wanted to do them differently, but... didn't. What do all three of these actors have in common? They were all directed by George Lucas. Now, I think Lucas is great at creating worlds and stories and he's got great creative vision, but I don't think he was ever good at directing Star Wars movies. Even back to Ep4, his actors were complaining that the things he was asking them to do just couldn't work (cue famous quote from Harrison Ford). So, before you run off blaming the actors, remember that there are several accomplished, talented actors who were on those casts, and almost every single one of them turned in weak (or worse) performances. Samuel L Jackson: Not bad, but not good. Christopher Lee: Empty, redeemed only by his voice. Liam Neeson: Passable. Ian McDiarmid: Decent. Ewan McGreggor: Pretty good, reportedly helped by the fact that he stopped listening to direction after Ep1. Quit blaming Jake Lloyd for Ep1. He did as good as any child actor could do. More importantly, he did as good as any of the adult actors did, considering the direction he was getting. QFT. I agree with you 100%. You can't blame any actor who has the misfortune of falling under the direction of George Lucas...but the man created Star Wars, the most successful franchise of all time, and ANY actor would be a fool to pass on the chance to be a part of not only cinematic, but pop culture history. Jake Lloyd did his job, and I'm sure was well paid for it. Not to mention receiving instant stardom and legions of fans in the process. If all he had to endure growing up was some lightsaber sounds, well...big deal. And it's not like he could "defend himself" or that would've been instant tabloid fodder: Darth Junior Bullies Kids at School. Edited May 10, 2012 by TheronFett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VJade Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Okay, let's get this straight for those of you who rage without thinking: Jake Lloyd's performance wasn't great. He was a kid. Acting is hard. It's not shocking. It was made worse by some really questionable writing and bad directing (seriously: what directory would hear that "whoopiee!" and think: "Yeah, Print that. That rocked.") Hayden Christensen is the unequivocally better actor. He's not a prodigy, but he's been nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a number of other awards for drama roles. That said, he was bad in Ep2 and Ep3. Before we start saying that he just sucked in those movies let's consider another actor who sucked in Ep2 and Ep3: Natalie Portman is an Oscar winner, and the time between her totally flat performance in Ep2 and Black Swan isn't enough for a re-education in acting. Together with Hayden, she created some of the most cringeworthy "romance" scenes I've experienced in a theater. Seriously. Both of the women watching it with me cringed at the attempt to be romantic. The result on screen was very date-rapey and cold. Natalie even commented later that she hated the scenes and found them very uncomfortable and unnatural. Both she and Hayden have said they wanted to do them differently, but... didn't. What do all three of these actors have in common? They were all directed by George Lucas. Now, I think Lucas is great at creating worlds and stories and he's got great creative vision, but I don't think he was ever good at directing Star Wars movies. Even back to Ep4, his actors were complaining that the things he was asking them to do just couldn't work (cue famous quote from Harrison Ford). So, before you run off blaming the actors, remember that there are several accomplished, talented actors who were on those casts, and almost every single one of them turned in weak (or worse) performances. Samuel L Jackson: Not bad, but not good. Christopher Lee: Empty, redeemed only by his voice. Liam Neeson: Passable. Ian McDiarmid: Decent. Ewan McGreggor: Pretty good, reportedly helped by the fact that he stopped listening to direction after Ep1. Quit blaming Jake Lloyd for Ep1. He did as good as any child actor could do. More importantly, he did as good as any of the adult actors did, considering the direction he was getting. well said... pretty much what I think..... the direction was shocking and talented actors were pretty much ruined for two films. Not to mention the comical dialogue used.... I still love the films but they could have been so so so much better if lucas had stepped back from the lens and let others direct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AhsokaTanorules Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 In the end, still not as bad as JarJar. I wanted to input more opinions on JarJar and hayden but before I do I was first wondering if there have already been threads posted on these subjects so i can simply injects in there instead of beating a dead horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matth_Stil Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Star Wars: Episode I actor Jake Lloyd has been through "living hell," according to Jake Lloyd ( the actor who played young Anakin Skywalker ) link to full article http://www.avclub.com/articles/star-wars-episode-i-actor-jake-lloyd-has-been-thro,70466/ These days, Lloyd not only won’t watch Episode I—blaming George Lucas for failing to "meet the standards of the public"—he wants nothing to do with the franchise at all, noting that he’s “only reprised his role as Anakin for five video games” (Only five!), and avowing that he’s learned to “hate it when the cameras are pointed at me.” Except, of course, when attending fan conventions, where he can then autograph those cameras’ photos and charge them for the privilege. But even this is small consolation for the hell we continue to put him through. “My entire school life was really a living hell,” the now-23-year-old Lloyd said by way of explaining why he entered “early retirement” from acting at the age of 12, which was certainly by choice. According to Lloyd, not only was he bombarded with “up to 60 interviews a day,” he was taunted by “really mean” schoolmates who would “make the sound of the light saber every time they saw me”—until finally he could take the logistically unlikely attention and scathing sound effects no more, let the hate flow through him, and “destroyed all of his Star Wars memorabilia.” Goood. Goooood. What do you think ? I think you're loving it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klimaa Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Star Wars ruined his life.. But he had his 5 minutes ;-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLonelyTusken Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Wow, some kids you don't care about make lightsaber noises and talk to you about Star Wars because your a famous movie star? I can't believe how awful that is... Seriously this is about as terrible as Rebecca Black being home schooled for "Friday". I mean I realize it's hard, but at least he wasn't getting beat up or bullied or anything, and the least he could do was stand up for himself. There are plenty of children who are going through a real "living hell". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_ki Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 There seems to be some comparison between Jake Lloyd and Heyden Christensen, whilst they both played the same character, the portrayal was completely different... Jake played him whilst he still had some innocence within him and had no connection to the darkside, whereas in Ep II, you can clearly see Anakin's path to his fall in his first scene. I think given the age Jake was, he did a damn fine job. He was playing the younger version of one of the most notorious and famous villians in sci fi history, of course there would be vast amount of pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kobie- Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Boo freakin' hoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invictos Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Boo freakin' hoo. That about sums it up. All due sympathy for the kid; I don't blame him for his performance, nor do I blame him for feeling a little self-conscious about that performance now, at age 23. (God that makes me feel old.) But seriously, a living hell? Talk about first world problems: "I'm too famous." Someone earlier in the thread speculated that Jake's complaint is just a veiled bid for attention, and that idea seems more and more plausible as I think about it. As for the following? Imagine if your whole life revolved around 1 thing you did. If everyone defined you based on that narrow slice of what you've done. Now add to that, the pressure of growing up ( something i suspect is unfamiliar to some forumites) and it makes for a bitter brew. Almost everyone in the world is that narrowly defined. Like it or not, we are all objects to the people who surround us. You might be breadwinner, nurturer, plumber, baker, candlestick maker -- but trust me: the average observer doesn't waste a moment considering your multiple facets. It's popular these days to act as if we all somehow deserve to be looked upon as deeply complex individuals, but it just isn't in the cards. And let's face it: most of us really aren't that interesting anyway. We are not special snowflakes. At least Jake did something truly remarkable; his only legitimate gripe is that his moment in the sun came so early, a peak the like of which he may never see again. It's the sorrow of great beauties throughout history -- that they are doomed to live a backwards life, always questing to recapture an elusive past instead of living in the present. Sounds terrible, don't it? All else being equal, it might be terrible, but all else usually isn't equal. Life is short, and precious few of us are afforded an opportunity to make a lasting mark at all. The loss of an advantage does not constitute a disadvantage. That's the crucial truth that child stars rarely understand until it's too late. The world doesn't owe you spectacular success just because you glimpsed it when you were growing up; instead of being grateful for the good fortune they previously enjoyed, they typically self-destruct when they realize that more of the same isn't going to be handed to them on a silver platter. Happily for Jake, he seems to have escaped that trap at least. Oh, and yeah. Directing and writing aren't among George's strengths. I'll spare you further rambling on that subject; Malastare said it better than I could, anyway. Edited May 14, 2012 by Invictos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Zone Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Okay, let's get this straight for those of you who rage without thinking: Jake Lloyd's performance wasn't great. He was a kid. Acting is hard. It's not shocking. It was made worse by some really questionable writing and bad directing (seriously: what directory would hear that "whoopiee!" and think: "Yeah, Print that. That rocked.") Hayden Christensen is the unequivocally better actor. He's not a prodigy, but he's been nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a number of other awards for drama roles. That said, he was bad in Ep2 and Ep3. Before we start saying that he just sucked in those movies let's consider another actor who sucked in Ep2 and Ep3: Natalie Portman is an Oscar winner, and the time between her totally flat performance in Ep2 and Black Swan isn't enough for a re-education in acting. Together with Hayden, she created some of the most cringeworthy "romance" scenes I've experienced in a theater. Seriously. Both of the women watching it with me cringed at the attempt to be romantic. The result on screen was very date-rapey and cold. Natalie even commented later that she hated the scenes and found them very uncomfortable and unnatural. Both she and Hayden have said they wanted to do them differently, but... didn't. What do all three of these actors have in common? They were all directed by George Lucas. Now, I think Lucas is great at creating worlds and stories and he's got great creative vision, but I don't think he was ever good at directing Star Wars movies. Even back to Ep4, his actors were complaining that the things he was asking them to do just couldn't work (cue famous quote from Harrison Ford). So, before you run off blaming the actors, remember that there are several accomplished, talented actors who were on those casts, and almost every single one of them turned in weak (or worse) performances. Samuel L Jackson: Not bad, but not good. Christopher Lee: Empty, redeemed only by his voice. Liam Neeson: Passable. Ian McDiarmid: Decent. Ewan McGreggor: Pretty good, reportedly helped by the fact that he stopped listening to direction after Ep1. Quit blaming Jake Lloyd for Ep1. He did as good as any child actor could do. More importantly, he did as good as any of the adult actors did, considering the direction he was getting. It was still a lot of fun to watch Sam Jackson kick the crap out of Hayden Christensen in Jumper. My own voiceover for that part: *KICK* That was for cutting my hand off in Episode 3! *KICK* That was for zapping me out the window! Oh wait, Palpatine did that! *KICK* THAT was for Palpatine zapping me out the window, you little mutha****a! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonwithyou Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hayden Christiansen is better looking of course hes just the better actor get over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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