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So how is Disney doing with the Star Wars franchise?
This past Friday night I saw Solo: A Star Wars Story at the theaters. I liked it quite a bit, although not to the level of The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi; of course, Solo is a stand-alone and not part of the continuing saga.
Now, having seen all four of the Disney variations of the Star Wars story, I’m wondering how other Star Wars fans are enjoying these movies and the direction that Disney is taking this epic franchise. While I know many fans are pleased with what Disney has done so far, not everyone is in agreement. Even though TFA was generally met by thrilled audiences, many fans were upset not only with the death of Han Solo, but they were likewise upset by the fact that two beloved characters on the Light Side of the Force could give birth to such an evil, sinister character as Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Solo.
Next, with the launch of TLJ, fans were eager to find out who the parents of the newly-beloved and Force-endowed character, Rey, were. After seeing TLJ, some fans left the theater very angry that the writers basically made Rey out to be the offspring of poor white trash. “WTH!” some screamed. “I waited two years for this?!” “But how could such paupers give birth to someone with such great powers of the Force?!” “No...Rey must be the product of Star Wars royalty...who was accidentally orphaned on a dreary, dusty planet.”
Personally, however, I’m okay with what Disney has done so far. My truly first thought about Kylo Ren’s declaration to Rey regarding her ancestry was this: that evil, father-murdering SOB is lying! He’s just trying to degrade Rey and her powers by making her think that her parents were nobodies who cared nothing for her, and that her destiny lies with the Dark Side where her power can become even stronger. Ren is only trying to woo Rey to the DS by misleading her. That’s still my take, and consequently, I don’t think we yet know the full story about Rey’s parents. Therefore, my angry Star Wars fans, take heart. You still may be pleasantly surprised.
As far as Solo’s murder at the hand of his evil son goes, I’m okay with that too. No, I didn’t want Han Solo to die, but look, the great Harrison Ford was ready to move on from the Star Wars franchise. Therefore, Han Solo’s demise was an unfortunate likelihood. But how could two such good people bring forth to the galaxy such a meanie? Well, ok, how could such a baddie as Darth Vader father such a good son like Luke Skywalker? Well, in reality, sometimes, good begets evil and vice versa. Personally, I think Kylo Ren is a great character to take over the evil lead, and Rey is such a welcome character to the franchise. Plus, I think Disney hit a grand slam by giving the role to the beautiful Daisy Ridley, not just for her looks, but because she’s really good in the role as well.
So my Star Wars friends, what’s your take on where the most popular movie franchise in history is going? How is Disney doing? Here are my Top 5 favorite Star Wars movies in order, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens, Return of the Jedi, The Last Jedi. How would you rank them?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James on
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Oh, one other BIG complaint by fans was what had become of the leading character, Luke Skywalker. In TLJ, Luke, the ultimate good guy and hope of the galaxy, is portrayed as having become a somewhat bitter old man who chose to become a hermit on a little island far, far away from all life forms while putting his Force powers on the shelf. Not only that, but Luke even came close to killing Ben Solo as Ben was sleeping. Why? Because Luke had a strong hunch that his young apprentice was going to turn to the Dark Side and become a threat to all that is good in the galaxy.
Again, this didn’t bother me. Why? Because the storyline is plausible even for Saint Luke. For one thing, a lot can happen and change a person over the course of 40 years. But did we really witness a 180 from Luke? No, Luke has not become evil. If you had a chance to quell something truly sinister before it had a chance for its evil to come to full fruition, would you consider it? Many of us, like Luke, would in fact at least seriously think about it. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Had Luke followed through, he would have certainly saved many lives, but ultimately, the Light Side told him it would be wrong to kill young Ben Solo, his nephew, before the future Ren had committed a crime. The Light Side in Luke prevailed just as it always had.
Yet Luke’s trouble with his nephew and his nephew’s increasing fascination with the Dark Side had left Luke jaded and cynical. That could happen to anyone, and unfortunately it caused Luke to retreat from the galaxy. I mean wouldn’t losing your own blood to the Dark Side despite your best efforts of preventing such a tragedy possibly leave you jaded and cynical, looking for a way to get away from it all?
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Permalink Reply by Rich on
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My personal instinct when I heard about the acquisition years ago was that Disney would take good care of that franchise. It was hard for things to get much worse after Lucas' late-career butchering of his original works paired with a prequel trilogy that I (and plenty of others) consider complete trash. I haven't seen Solo yet, but the three Disney produced films thus far have been much closer to the original trilogy in that they present interesting characters we want to learn more about, rather than a cast of action figures that range from bland to ridiculous.
I can't relate to "fans" who claim that 1997 - retirement era Lucas was better than Disney. It wasn't. It was flat-out atrocious and in no way resembled what fans fell in love with in the 70s and 80s. Bad acting, eyesore effects and art direction, dull characters . . . When the scenes weren't forgettable, they were almost certainly cringeworthy.
Not trying to be a Lucas hater just for the sake of it. The guy created Indy, too, so props to him. But he almost poisoned that franchise as well, despite Spielberg's best efforts.
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I agree to a large extent with what you say. I can’t dog on Lucas too much because he created a beautiful story with very imaginative characters and a series that will live on forever one way or another. But I get your meaning. To fans, especially the ones who grew up with the original trilogy, the prequels were dissapointing to the extent that they didn’t live up to the originals. In the original trilogy, we didn’t just fall in love with the special effects and the quirky looking aliens; we fell in love with the main characters like Han, Luke, and Leia and their interactions with each other. They not only were trying to save the galaxy, but they quibbled with each other and delivered entertaining lines. They were funny too.
But the prequels took on a much more serious tone. The characters were pretty much devoid of humor. Even with some lines that appeared to be intended to be funny, they fell flat. Lines between a young Anakin Skywalker and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi were just too dry and proper. There was no “life” in the lines or their delivery. But The Force Awakens changed all that stiffness, and made me feel like I was watching Star Wars again. Finally, there was humor in the franchise again.
Notice I didn’t have any of the prequels in my Top 5.
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Now if someone really loved the prequels (I did like them enough; I just didn’t love them), but hates what Disney has done with the franchise, feel free to vent. All opinions are welcome.
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Permalink Reply by Judge Nutmeg on
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I only got as far as the phantom menace and steered well clear from any future Star Wars releases. It took all the flavour out of the Star Wars banner and turned something so special into something so cheap.
The original trilogy (4, 5 & 6) tell enough of the story and conclude perfectly for me. I don't feel the need to know what happened before or what happens after...
...at least that what i keep telling myself to ease the pain...
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I agree that if you just take the original trilogy, you have got a very nice story, that is very satisfying on its own.
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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on
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Disney will milk this cow to death. I would have at least liked to see Solo and Luke go out on higher notes.
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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on
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I agree with you, Ian. The original trilogy was great because we liked the story and we liked the characters/actors who portrayed them. These newer films are decent although the character attachment will not be the same.
I take my son to every new Star Wars film and he enjoys them but, honestly, could care less. It's a different world for the younger generation. They have different interests and values.
As for autograph collecting aspect. Trouble on that front too. I don't see the interest in the pursuit in the future generations. The world is becoming more about instant gratification and move on.
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Yeah, today young people just have so many more options and thus a little less focus. A New Hope was a landmark event that really captivated audiences around the world. I'm not sure there will be another movie like that again, one which capitvated America and probably the world to such a degree.
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Absolutley agree. The sheer amount of effort generated to create this film will probably be never replicated again. The set designers, model makers and special effects teams that worked on this were outstanding.
A New Hope still looks fabulous 40 + years later.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on
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I enjoyed Solo very much. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I am enjoying the new Star Wars films, and I am very pleased with what Disney has done so far. I believe that Rey is in fact "nothing". It seems to be what Rian Johnson is imagining for the future of Star Wars. I believe that it is evident in what he did with Temiri Blagg, the Stable Boy, at the end of TLJ. It does not upset me that J. J. Abrams allowed Han Solo to die in TFA. If fans are upset about that, just wait until Indy V. My Top 5 Favorite Star Wars Movies are ESB, ANH, R1, TLJ and ROTS....
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