If youre a fan of the saga, the news that Disney is making more Star Wars films will probably have elicited one of two reactions in you. Either you are rubbing your imitation lightsaber with glee, or youre flushing your limited edition Boba Fett (complete with firing rocket pack) down the toilet in a pique of Sarlacc recreation style anger. Me? Im happy to see what fresh ideas new directors and producers can bring to the series, rather than that bearded chap who ended up obsessed with the taxation of trade routes. But now theyre talking spin off films, with the first being based around Yoda? Im happy with an extended universe on screen, but not with Yoda thanks. Herere my 10 reasons that a Yoda spin-off is something they should do not:
10. CGI Vs. Puppet
Probably the biggest stumbling block filmmakers have to face, the charm of the original Yoda came from the puppetry and performance genius of Frank Oz. The over-reliance on CGI in the prequels might have meant more action, but it took away something from the character that couldnt be compensated in voice alone. From a cost, production and expectation of what Yoda will need to do to excite modern kiddies in a spin off, hed likely have to be CGI again, where its unlikely that the nuances and physicality of the character will shine through as he did in Empire. As with other franchises that have switched from physical effect to CGI (think Aliens vs Alien 3) the magic will inevitably be lost. The sad recent news of the death of the original puppet creator, SFX genius Stuart Freeborn, only makes me remember that, sometimes, a bit of foam rubber and latex can have more heart than a billion pixels.