Why has George Lucas forgotten Gonk? A lament for a forgotten bit-part
#1
Posted 22 November 2004 - 03:47 PM
I saw Gonk in one of the photos in Chefelf's nitpicks of Star Wars - The Bastardised Version, and it took me back to reading a Usenet flame war about ten years ago on the true meaning of Gonk. Many people believed that Gonk was the main reason for the production of the trilogy, with Luke, Leia et al just detracting from the real point of the film. Wide ranging speculations took place over Gonk's mission, his view of the universe and the ultimate purpose that was indicated by his presence. Further discussions took place over possible extra sightings of Gonk in the droid workshop in ROTJ, to confirm Gonk as a central and important character in the trilogy (he wasn't there though).
This may all be dismissed as trivia of the most inane kind, but it was actually a perfect parody (intentional or otherwise) of the Boba Fett mania. Boba Fett has slightly more screen time than Gonk, and a few words extra dialogue, but the difference is hardly significant.
Do we get a full back story to Gonk in the prequels?
No.
Is Gonk transplanted into the "Special" Editions for no good reason?
No.
Is Boba Fett more important to Star Wars than Gonk?
No.
George Lucas has just one film to correct this injustice. If we don't get a full and contrived background story to explain Gonk's appearance in Star Wars, I will lose faith in him entirely as a film maker. At least half an hour is necessary, to regain parity with Boba Fett. Furthermore, I demand some moronic statement from pRick McCallum where he asks us to "understand the relentlessness of Gonk and what motivates him."
Nothing less will do.
#2
Posted 22 November 2004 - 05:54 PM
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#3
Posted 22 November 2004 - 07:55 PM
~ Voltaire (1694-1778)
Enjoy this Tribute to Nazism...(Mp3)
#4
Posted 22 November 2004 - 09:26 PM
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#6
Posted 23 November 2004 - 10:10 AM
That is just brilliant! Excellent post.
I agree, but since when do you have to demand that from Rick McCallum? He will just spout that sort of nonsense regardless of demand. For example, his crap about understanding why Boba Fett has a grudge against the Skywalkers (which he doesn't, at all).
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#7
Posted 23 November 2004 - 10:33 AM
Yes, I agree. Gonk is essential to the whole series. And I think we really need to see how he suffered when the Emperor stole him from Yoda, his loving master who created him. We need to find out just why this "Gonk" character seems so desperate to vanquish the Empire.
And we really need to see how Chewbacca rescued him from the Emperor's clutches so we can understand why Gonk feels this close bond to Chewbacca in the original movies.
I mean, it was clearly visible but it was never fully explained... so Episode III is where all this should come out.
I heartily agree.
#9
Posted 23 November 2004 - 12:36 PM
Very true. One of the best things about the Attack of the Clones DVD (apart from the documentaries, featurettes and everything else except the film) is the commentary track. At one point, Rick McCallum explains quite clearly why the old films were brilliant, and why the new ones are crap.
"Now this is a scene which we just couldn't have done in the original films," he begins. "This room is all CGI." Now could that be any plainer?
I have a question regarding the "Special" Edition voiceover track though. Did Lucas really say that a scene "introduced Boba Fett"? This leaves me lost for words.
Does Lucas think that because Boba Fett is now in the film that he must have been there all the time? I know that the Soviets removed Trotsky from various photographs and insisted that they were always like that, and Lucas appears to be suffering from a similar delusion.
Let's be charitable though, and agree that Lucas doesn't really think that by changing the film he can change reality. But what happened to the "all planned from the beginning, yes all 9, sorry 6, films, right before I made the first" claims? Has he forgotten that we were introduced to Boba Fett in AOTC? We're always being told that the films should be watched in the order I to VI.
The quote doesn't make any sense on any level.
#10
Posted 23 November 2004 - 08:46 PM
I LOVE YOU GONK! I WANT MORE GONK IN THE PREQUELS! GEORGE LUCAS HEAR MY CALL FOR GONK IS THE COOLEST CHARACTER EVER!
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#11
Posted 23 November 2004 - 08:57 PM
~ Voltaire (1694-1778)
Enjoy this Tribute to Nazism...(Mp3)
#12
Posted 23 November 2004 - 09:20 PM
Gonk: Gonk! Gonk!
Jedi: Your evil shall not prevail, Darth Gonk.
Gonk: Gonk?
Jedi: -Makes horrible karate noise and slices off gonk's third leg and head, leaving him as the familiar box we see in the OT-
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#14
Posted 24 November 2004 - 08:46 AM
#15
Posted 24 November 2004 - 09:10 AM
- J m HofMarN on the Sand People