This looks terrible. By smoothing it, it not only makes it look like video, it also takes away from the "clunky" nature of a giant statue coming to life. It helps nothing. Instead, it robs the original stop-motion of its charm.
The ideas and ideals she harbors are ridiculous and dangerous, and this article brings up a great point about how she should no longer be a representative of the Star Wars brand because of it.
But, I want to go on record with this: she is also a horrible performer. Every line of dialog she delivered In The Mandalorian was flat and empty (not to mention, she was given lines that were pointless).
Christopher Nolan isn't an Oscar-winner. He's been nominated, but he's never won.
I understand Lulu Wang's point, and I understand that her goal is to open doors for BIPOC artists to tell their stories.
But, at the same time, she's saying Bernardo Bertolucci (Italian) shouldn't have helmed 'The Last Emperor', or Craig Brewer (white) shouldn't have helmed 'Dolemite is My Name' and 'Hustle & Flow,' or that Ryan Coogler or Barry Jenkins (both black) couldn't possibly have directed films like, say, 'Fried Green Tomatoes,' or 'Terms of Endearment.'
Lulu Wang's goal here is a noble one. But, I don't agree that the color of your skin, or the culture you grew up in, keeps you from being a thoughtful observer of a culture you may not have grown up in.
All this being said, is Ron Howard right for the story? I think instead of looking at his skin and cultural background, we should be looking at his filmmaking sensibility. Howard is very mainstream and accessible -- and occasionally watered-down to achieve said accessibility. Does this suit the story? I can't say. But, that's what people should be looking at. Based on what I know of the story, and the grit and realism it may require, I'd prefer a different director. Let's think: John Woo is Chinese -- but is his sensibility right for the story? Ang Lee, maybe? He could shoot it at 120fps so no one will want to watch it. Wong Kar-wai has the sensibility, for sure, but would he want to do it? Even Lulu Wang herself said she isn't interested in telling the story.
Point is, there are more factors at work than, "Ron Howard is white and therefor can't possibly tell this story." I am all for diversity in casts and crews, and the new diversity requirements AMPAS will be putting in place for Best Picture requirements are a great start. But, presuming any given filmmaker can't tell any given story well, based solely on their culture and skin color, is absurd, because it pigeonholes filmmakers into telling specific stories, rather than any given story they might find interesting.
Interesting story: it wasn't Demme's idea to have Lecter standing in the middle of the room when he first meets Clarice -- it was Hopkins'. Demme asked Hopkins, "Where do you want to be?" Hopkins replied, "Standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her." Demme questioned this, "How do you know she's coming?" Hopkins replied, "Because I can smell her."
The story is in the making-of documentary on one of the original DVDs, I believe.
And the Oscar for "Entirely Missing the Point of the Article" goes to...