We instead got the first movie redone, and two pretty poor follow ups with grrrrrr fake teeth being the series rock bottom. Ugh, that plot hole of a light speed weapon, the force can’t bring someone back to life but let’s do it like three times, whatever. I’ve forgotten more about the last trilogy than the prequals.
It's telling that the secondary things - Rogue One, Mandalorian - are fan favorites instead.
That's exactly why the first sequel movie (EpVII: TFA) was so timid; I'm sure it was the most de-risked thing the writers and execs could think of—just a re-skin of the original.
> cheapening the force and the ability to wield it… It's telling that the secondary things - Rogue One, Mandalorian - are fan favorites instead.
Star Wars suffers from power and stakes creep: Death Star I is a planet-killer; DS2 kills planets and ships: Starkiller Base is a multi-planet killer; every ship in the Exegol fleet is a planet-killer. Force abilities are another example.
The Force co-opts any story it touches into one about destiny. And sometimes that's not appropriate, as in tales about rebel troopers or backwater mercenaries. As much as I adored The Child and was excited about Luke's cameo, I'm really glad those two things exited the show, hopefully resetting the stakes at a lower level.
And there's plenty of fun stuff in the EU (Luke's Jedi academy, the force blocking Ysalamari lizards, Sith Holocrons, etc.) that could have been used to write a solid force-centric plot.
Though as you say the writers were too timid to do anything really interesting with it.
The EU definitely isn't a great example for avoiding Force power creep, either. I'm not sure Star Wars has a good example.
(In general I'm not sure much of fandom anywhere has a good long term cure for power creep: the stakes inflation race is a huge problem in almost every similar franchise, too. Avatar: TLA saw its own stakes inflation over the seasons and between the shows. DBZ is a classic case where stakes inflation just gets baked into the manga/anime's formats and assumed as a given for every storyline that follows. Comics both DC and Marvel have long struggled with it and their properties in other media such as films have done nothing but inherit it. And so forth…)
He also manages to guide a proton torpedo into the Death Star after just a couple hours chat with Obi-Wan.
Rey is also on an island that hosted the first Jedi Temple and where Yoda's Force ghost can physically manifest. Much in Star Wars requires suspension of disbelief; is it insane to think maybe the Jedi originally trained somewhere where the Force is naturally stronger?
I assume you're referring to Rian Johnson - I wouldn't lay the blame all on him - he's clearly capable of making great fun movies. I think the fact that the new trilogy is an incohesive mess is entirely the fault of Disney as a whole not knowing what they wanted to do with it. I'd also lay a ton of the blame at JJ Abraham's feet - the man loves to set up a mystery but seemingly doesn't ever know the answer himself. Rian certainly made some interesting choices, but I can't help but think that it's because he had no roadmap for what was supposed to happen and no one was there to tell him no.
Do you have articles about that? I hadn't heard about it. It's also surprising considering that JJ didn't do the same back to him, especially with the whole "no, her lineage IS special" thing. Weird power dynamics.
> How can you not blame the man with the smoking gun?
Because it was all garbage? Honestly, if they'd continued on TLJ's path, I think it would have been a better ending than what actually happened. Maybe they would have changed Star Wars instead of just rehashing the exact same thing again.
I agree it was all trash, and honestly, as much as I resent TLJ, it would have been a better trilogy if they went down the shit path that RJ sent them down. JJ didn't even try.
It doesn't take a lot to ignore the junk in Return. But the prequels are crap between a lack of interesting story, lack of interesting characters, lack of interesting sets. Somehow character are in the desert of wherever, but aren't hot and there's no sand movement at all. The only way to make those movies interesting is to try to convince others that JarJar is the phantom menance, and that Chewbacca owns the falcon and is just letting the humans borrow it.
Let's say nothing about the holiday special.
Given how far Lucas had run the vessel aground, anything Disney does is fair game.
Unfortunately, it's all derailed by very clumsy writing, poor acting direction, and shoddy editing, to say nothing of overwrought expectations.
At least that's my take. I still don't love the prequels, but I can see and appreciate the underlying story that was attempted to be told. "The bones are good" as they say.
I don't think the sequels will age so well.
Yeah, how dare they let Steven Spielberg make Indiana Jones 4 and George Lucas make Star Wars 1-3.
If one views the entire nine-series arc as the story of the fall of a golden age, the last three are actually fairly appropriate, if badly executed.
Han Solo enjoyed his new career as a combat archeologist.
Ugh indeed. A ghastly suicide scene in a Disney film, bizarrely glorified and so unbecoming, it was the last thing I expected.
If they had to persist with this plot device, it would've been way more appropriate if Leia rocked up with a SOLO autopilot control box:
"Commander, that's not how we do things here."
"General, I..."
"Step aside and lemme wire this thing in will ya? Warm up that transporter in bay 12, we need to bust outta here before this thing fires."
What do you mean? What fake teeth? Could you elaborate?
It was their ham fisted way to show she would turn bad. Sharp teeth and a hisssss. Because we all know being evil changes your teeth so you can consist on your new diet of tearing the raw flesh directly from your enemies.
They wanted this https://i.redd.it/sftg7bb41eu01.jpg but dirty wouldn’t cut it, needed more, sharp and pointy, because everything in the new movies was made blunt force obvious for “mass appeal”.
The whole movie lacked any sort of grace.
And let’s not even approach getting started on Finn.