Episode II loses the 'humanity' of R2-D2
August 31, 2000 6:58 AM   Subscribe

Episode II loses the 'humanity' of R2-D2 Artoo to be totally computer-generated? Kenny Baker smells a rat as the Industrial Light and Magic boys wire up a dustbin for motion capture...
posted by blackbeltjones (10 comments total)
 
Actually, I just read on slashdot that he will be in Episode 2. Read the article for yourself. Also, check out the news on the official Star Wars website.
posted by ar0n at 7:15 AM on August 31, 2000


How is having a radio-controlled R2D2 any different from having a little person-controlled R2D2? It's not like anyone could SEE Kenny Baker - he was just the means of propulsion. Even the "speech" was added later, so there's not even any "acting" involved... I recall Lucas being quoted, "The only characters who appear in all of the episodes are C3PO and R2D2". Perhaps some actors are so bound up in their characters they simply cannot imagine the character can exist without them!
posted by m.polo at 8:17 AM on August 31, 2000


agreed - artoo's character is almost entirely articulated through the beeps and whistles he makes rather than the movements... no diss to kenny - but wouldn't he rather just put his feet up and watch the residuals roll in than sweat it out in a tincan in the tunisian desert???
posted by blackbeltjones at 8:32 AM on August 31, 2000


Well George Lucas definitely has a thing for the S.P.s. He probably wants to keep him on set so he has someone to kick when he gets angry.
posted by Nyarlathotep at 10:24 AM on August 31, 2000


Ummm, anyone else in favor of making MeFi a Star Wars spoiler-free zone?
posted by luke at 11:32 AM on August 31, 2000


Star Wars stars rarely get residuals. The original cast signed wavers, so they didn't really get any money of the repeated showings. Rumor has it, it all goes to Lucasfilm, or so Harrison Ford says.
posted by Cavatica at 12:22 PM on August 31, 2000


Ah, Luke...

information wants to be free, Luke... *Spoiler Warning*s are the best one can hope for, after you cross over to the dark (blue) side...

(more wheezy breathing here)
posted by chicobangs at 1:18 PM on August 31, 2000


I forget which actor said that Lucas would gladly do entire movies without human actors, if he could figure out a way to do it.
posted by scottandrew at 2:38 PM on August 31, 2000


The guy sure can't direct actual human actors worth a darn, most days. Frustrating but true.
posted by dhartung at 2:47 PM on August 31, 2000


Is the fact that R2-D2 may or may not be played by Kenny Baker a spoiler?
posted by daveadams at 6:23 AM on September 1, 2000


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