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First, Star Wars - the original film - was fantastic! But then... I was eight years old when it came out. The fact that the dialogue was hackneyed and the acting was all over the place (from excellent to good to mediocre and worse) was lost on me. It was a ton of fun, and still is to me. But I also know that the fact that I enjoy it is as much nostalgia as anything else.
Second, it started going downhill immediately. Even with The Empire Strikes Back one can see forced humor that targets pre-adolescents and the silly sexual tension. And need I mention Return of the Muppets -- uh, I mean Jedi?
In other words, it never was all that great. It was a fine kids film to begin with, and the special effects were astounding for the time. But it never had any depth.
As for all the subsequent products - who cares? I cannot for the life of me comprehend those who insist on subjecting themselves to sequels and tie-ins that they know they don't want. Guess what? I love Blade Runner. I haven't seen the sequel and have no plans to do so. Does its existence bother me? Not in the slightest. I don't need a safe space from its existence, any more than I need to be protected from a bookshelf full of Star Wars novels.
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Originally Posted by phetaroi
The problem is that each "episode" is the same basic story with a few tweaks and a few new characters.
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Originally Posted by Labonte18
Sounds almost exactly what us Star Trek fans were saying back in 2009.
I think Star Wars could have done far better by branching off.. Get away from the Skywalkers and the characters that we all know.. Create new characters within the universe.
Seriously, y'all need to get into the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars. It fixes all your complaints. It even fixes the prequels. "Clone Wars" is as much about the clones as about Jedi. It has a number of clone-centric arcs that humanize them and show them as dedicated warriors who seek distinction as individuals even though they wear the same face.
One clone story was about a clone who defected, went native, and started a family. In another case, a division of clones slowly realize they're following a Jedi who has gone rogue.
In yet another arc, a clone discovers that they have all been embedded with a chip that will force them to slaughter their Jedi generals when given the trigger "Order 66."
Anakin's arc through the series shows him growing more and more angry and frustrated with the Jedi Council and makes his final break totally understandable. But this Anakin also is "a good friend and a cunning warrior." It fixes the lousy job that the prequels did.
The arcs of the return of Darth Maul are also chlling and exciting.
Once you get past the first season, Clone Wars becomes something more than a kid's show, and is easily arguably not for children at all. Clone Wars tells some of the best stories ever written in the Star Wars universe.
Seriously, y'all need to get into the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars.
I keep trying. Everything you wrote is correct. The writing is oftentimes very, very good.
But the animation is so, so, SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad. It hurts.
Even post-Disney acquisition, with the best animation studio on Earth, their animated fare RESISTANCE has animation that is actually worse.
WB's 2D animation from the '90s looks a hundred times better than any of the 3D computer animation Lucasfilm, Disney, and Marvel have ever done. Why?????
I keep trying. Everything you wrote is correct. The writing is oftentimes very, very good.
But the animation is so, so, SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad. It hurts.
Even post-Disney acquisition, with the best animation studio on Earth, their animated fare RESISTANCE has animation that is actually worse.
WB's 2D animation from the '90s looks a hundred times better than any of the 3D computer animation Lucasfilm, Disney, and Marvel have ever done. Why?????
It's not "bad," it's a style. At this point, I'm perfectly happy with it and consider it the "canon" style for Star Wars animation. The 2D animation of Genndy Tartakovsky as used for the alternate Clone Wars animation (as well as Samurai Jack) is also a particular style, which isn't better or worse, just different.
The style of Star Wars: Rebels was closer to Ralph Angus McQuarrie's original A New Hope concept art, and it also had very good stories after the first season. It finished the Darth Maul saga, provided much more background to the Mandalorian story, and closed out the Anakin/Ahsoka arc.
I do agree that they went for some kind of anime-like style for Resistance that is not a welcomed departure from the Clone Wars style. That would have been tolerable, however, if they actually had a story behind Resistance.
I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies, of course I know some of the characters through popular culture. I want to go & see the new one, is is self contained?
it's a style. At this point, I'm perfectly happy with it and consider it the "canon" style for Star Wars animation. The 2D animation of Genndy Tartakovsky as used for the alternate Clone Wars animation (as well as Samurai Jack) is also a particular style, which isn't better or worse, just different.
I love Tartakovsky's style. It works in 2D animation. But having lacklustre animation try to translate that into 3D, and everything looks stiff, unnatural, and occasional creepy. CLONE WARS looks like someone tried to do a THUNDERBIRDS / STAR WARS fanfic on their five-year-old home computer. I just don't understand how it can look so bad. This is Disney! But there are fanfilms on youtube that people really did do with their home computers that look a hundred times better.
There just ain't no excuse for that.
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Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk
The style of Star Wars: Rebels was closer to Ralph Angus McQuarrie's original A New Hope concept art.
Same thing again. McQuarrie's style isn't the problem. It's bad 3D computer animation that is the problem.
I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies, of course I know some of the characters through popular culture. I want to go & see the new one, is is self contained?
I don't think that any final chapter of a story really works if you are not familiar with the backstory that got you to that point. If I were to recommend just a single modern Star Wars movie it would Rogue One, even if it was a prequel to Star Wars (1977). Being made for today's audience and a faster pace but has none of the familiar name characters.
I don't think that any final chapter of a story really works if you are not familiar with the backstory that got you to that point. If I were to recommend just a single modern Star Wars movie it would Rogue One, even if it was a prequel to Star Wars (1977). Being made for today's audience and a faster pace but has none of the familiar name characters.
Well, there are a few. I think about one from Episode 3, six from Episode 4, and one or two from Episode 6 with cameo appearances. And a couple from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Seriously, y'all need to get into the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars. It fixes all your complaints. It even fixes the prequels. "Clone Wars" is as much about the clones as about Jedi. It has a number of clone-centric arcs that humanize them and show them as dedicated warriors who seek distinction as individuals even though they wear the same face.
One clone story was about a clone who defected, went native, and started a family. In another case, a division of clones slowly realize they're following a Jedi who has gone rogue.
In yet another arc, a clone discovers that they have all been embedded with a chip that will force them to slaughter their Jedi generals when given the trigger "Order 66."
Anakin's arc through the series shows him growing more and more angry and frustrated with the Jedi Council and makes his final break totally understandable. But this Anakin also is "a good friend and a cunning warrior." It fixes the lousy job that the prequels did.
The arcs of the return of Darth Maul are also chlling and exciting.
Once you get past the first season, Clone Wars becomes something more than a kid's show, and is easily arguably not for children at all. Clone Wars tells some of the best stories ever written in the Star Wars universe.
Agreed. There is a reason why the franchise has withstood for so long. Like you said, the TV shows are excellent. Problem is, the movies are being run by total hacks who don't give a crap about the source material or the fans that were already there, and instead attempted to try and rehash the same story with different characters, and it just doesn't work. People want the same world, but the stories to branch off and be explored, or make the stories continue in a coherent way. The new sequels are a complete mess because whoever was in charge decided to make the new characters better than the originals, and you will alienate the core fan base when you do that. And then they annoyed the fans of the new characters when they didn't give them what they wanted. I wanted a Finn that wasn't incompetent, or a Rey that wasn't a Mary Sue and yes, I entertained the idea that she and Kylo could have had something, but after they stopped making him into this whiny spoiled brat.
Solo had potential, but then it turned me off when they made a complete joke out of one of my favorite characters in the original trilogy, Lando. Turning him into some sex freak. It was insulting. He always a ladies man, not something that had a freak thing going on with a robot.
And I'm still holding out hope that they will do something with Obi Wan. A good story. I want to see that he still worked with Yoda in trying to help other Jedi's survive, and maybe a possibility of him contacting his parents and his family and perhaps realize he has a nephew or niece that can come back later on down the road as someone who is Force sensitive.
Solo had potential, but then it turned me off when they made a complete joke out of one of my favorite characters in the original trilogy, Lando. Turning him into some sex freak. It was insulting. He always a ladies man, not something that had a freak thing going on with a robot.
I didn't read it that way. I read it as the robot projecting something that wasn't really happening.
Like a TV series that keeps coming back and eventually loses its shine because there's nothing left to tell.
I am glad they didn't do that to The Hobbit or LOTR. I love that fantasy world.
I hate to break this to you, but I read that they're going to try milking Tolkien some more.
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Originally Posted by evening sun
I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies, of course I know some of the characters through popular culture. I want to go & see the new one, is is self contained?
No. Don't bother.
Wait until someday when there will be a re-release, and you can see the first three all at once.
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