Why does Darth Vader look so crappy in ANH?

[Dream]

Vader's helmet is covered with fingerprints, his mask isn't symmetrical, his eyes can be seen though the clearly red lens. Even James Earl Jones' voice acting is off and not menacing at all unlike what the character becomes in ESB.

Did Lucas create the Vader that's in ANH in his garage or something?

 

[TremblingBluStar]

I hadn't noticed. One can assume it has something to do with the first movie having a much lower budget than the others.

 

[Lonemagpie]

This is why HD was only meant for stuff that was made with HD in mind...

 

[Harvey]

Star Wars cost $11 million, with $3 million going to above-the-line costs before the movie even went in front of the camera. Considering its scope, the movie was made for very little money, and that shows in a lot of cases.

In comparison, just five years later, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan cost $13 million.

 

[Harvey]

This is why HD was only meant for stuff that was made with HD in mind...

Huh? The movie was shown in 35mm (and 70mm!) when it was released, both offering resolutions far beyond the capabilities of HD. Granted, it's far easier to pause a Blu-Ray than it is a film print, but still.

 

[Christopher]

In comparison, just five years later, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan cost $13 million.

And that was cheap for a movie at the time. After the cost overruns on ST:TMP, the studio didn't want to spend too much on the sequel.

 

[Harvey]

In comparison, just five years later, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan cost $13 million.

And that was cheap for a movie at the time. After the cost overruns on ST:TMP, the studio didn't want to spend too much on the sequel.

Exactly.

I thought about posting the production budget for Star Trek--The Motion Picture, but that absorbed enough costs from earlier aborted projects that it's hard to say what the movie itself actually cost.

 

[Lonemagpie]

This is why HD was only meant for stuff that was made with HD in mind...

Huh? The movie was shown in 35mm (and 70mm!) when it was released, both offering resolutions far beyond the capabilities of HD. Granted, it's far easier to pause a Blu-Ray than it is a film print, but still.

You don't notice stuff like that in theater conditions, though.

 

[Harvey]

Well, it depends on the quality of the theatre, and the quality of the print. I saw a 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Aero in Los Angeles a year ago and noticed small details that I had never seen, even on Blu-Ray (which looks great).

 

[Dream]

Vader is someone who has access to largest military organization in the galaxy, since he works directly for the Emperor, there is no excuse for him being in such a shoddy looking suit.

He should have started with the suit he had from ESB, which is still my favorite version in the saga.

It doesn't help that the suit he got in ROTS looks so much better either.

 

[Harvey]

Well, ideally, the film wouldn't end with Luke and Han walking by a bunch of cardboard cut outs (and a few extras), either, but George Lucas had to make do.

 

[timothy]

Vader is someone who has access to largest military organization in the galaxy, since he works directly for the Emperor, there is no excuse for him being in such a shoddy looking suit.

He should have started with the suit he had from ESB, which is still my favorite version in the saga.

It doesn't help that the suit he got in ROTS looks so much better either.

Well it was the 70's.

 

[Dream]

Well, ideally, the film wouldn't end with Luke and Han walking by a bunch of cardboard cut outs (and a few extras), either, but George Lucas had to make do.

Yeah, I always noticed that in the original movie. The rebels really must have been desperate to make the crowd look as big as possible.

 

[Marc]

Vader is someone who has access to largest military organization in the galaxy, since he works directly for the Emperor, there is no excuse for him being in such a shoddy looking suit.

He should have started with the suit he had from ESB, which is still my favorite version in the saga.

It doesn't help that the suit he got in ROTS looks so much better either.

Palpatine spent money on quality.

If we take Locarno's Dark Lord - The Rise of Darth Vader as canon, the conversion work was done with subpar components but you'd think after 20 years the kinkns would have been ironed out..

 

[FalTorPan]

Vader's helmet is covered with fingerprints, his mask isn't symmetrical, his eyes can be seen though the clearly red lens. Even James Earl Jones' voice acting is off and not menacing at all unlike what the character becomes in ESB.

Did Lucas create the Vader that's in ANH in his garage or something?

Speaking only for Jones' acting, it's not "off" in the film that established the character. If anything the subsequent movies are "off."

 

[Dream]

Speaking only for Jones' acting, it's not "off" in the film that established the character. If anything the subsequent movies are "off."

Oh, I guess you have a point. I'll just say I prefer the more menacing and cold version of Vader in ESB and ROTJ.

I was not a fan of Vader losing his temper and shouting in ANH. It felt to me like Jones was still uncertain about how to do the character while the first movie was being made.

 

[scotpens]

Slightly off-topic, but I wish people would stop referring to the original movie, the one that started the whole franchise, by its retroactive title A New Hope. I hate that lame title. It sounds like a documentary about volunteers helping to build a hospital in Ghana. The picture’s called Star Wars, okay? Just friggin’ STAR WARS!

 

[nightwind1]

Slightly off-topic, but I wish people would stop referring to the original movie, the one that started the whole franchise, by its retroactive title A New Hope. I hate that lame title. It sounds like a documentary about volunteers helping to build a hospital in Ghana. The picture’s called Star Wars, okay? Just friggin’ STAR WARS!

This +10. I saw it at age 16, in 1977, three days after it opened. On a Cinerama screen, no less. From the front row. And I can attest, there was NO "A New Hope" anywhere in the titles!

 

[Disruptor]

Blame Hayden Christensen for Vader's look in ROTS. He wanted to play an armored Vader instead of having some stand in do it. So they made a new suit that fit Christensen.

Though, even if they had not, they probably wouldn't have used the one from A Ne...er...STAR WARS.

I would've tried to use a more unique* proto-type suit that resembled Vader, but POO POO...if it isn't directly linkable to the original films, the audience might not GET IT. I'm surprised they didn't use stormtrooper armor in ROTS, instead of just "closer to stormtrooper armor".

*That's an illogical phrase, either something is "unique" or it is not...there is no try.

 

[theenglish]

So, is this a thread demanding that Lucas continue to make changes to the movies to make them look better? Would you have preferred that Lucas did not make improvements to the suit between the first two movies?