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So, while I enjoyed the initial Force Awakens (when I first saw it) and Rogue One, I'm wondering if Disney is taking the franchise to a place that is not in the spirit of the original trilogy.

I understand that Lucas's prequel trilogy has been widely panned, but aren't they closer to the spirit of the original trilogy than what Disney has done so far? I think so, but I think it's also fair to say that from a purely entertainment perspective, the newer trilogy might have the advantage. Is entertainment worth damned with the original cannon, however?

Thoughts?

The word I used to describe the first 3 Star Wars (episodes IV-V-VI) is swashbuckling. They didn't take themselves so seriously. It was a little bit more comic book / Saturday afternoon serial thriller fun. Princess Leia could mutter "Will someone get this walking carpet out of my way" to Chewbacca without being accused of inter-species political incorrectness. The next 3 seemed like Lucas drank the Joseph Campbell kool-aid, and way too serious and preachy. In addition, the darker vein of the story line required more nuanced dialog than the first three movies, and Lucas is tin-eared writer. As a director, he seems to have a gift of eliciting wooden performances from normally far more capable actors.

The Intergalactic League of Nations should investigate Jar-Jar Binks as a trans-species crime against comic relief.

And while Lucas confronted the limits of his storytelling ability, the Disney movies seem to have lost the soul of the movies, the Force. It has become more like a superpower that some people possess rather than a part of the fabric of the universe that we need to tap into. The Force Awakens begins with Luke turning his back on the universe, which is the same as turning your back to the Force.

So the Lucas prequels were excessively preachy, and poorly written with wooden performances, and the Disney universe has lost the soul. Pick your poison.

MeDotOrg wrote:So the Lucas prequels were excessively preachy, and poorly written with wooden performances, and the Disney universe has lost the soul. Pick your poison.

Well that pretty much nails it for me.

+1

I loved Episodes 4, 5 and 6. But for Jar Jar, I thought Episode 1 was pretty good. The draggy pace of the love story in Episode 2 annoyed the hell out of me. And Episode 3 was okay for a movie that we knew in advance where it would end up.

I was really excited for Episode 7, because it included the characters I was originally invested in and was curious about what happened to them. But as I watched, I couldn't stop thinking "This is just a replay of Episode 4." It felt like the movie was made to introduce Star Wars to a new generation of fans who hadn't seen 4-6. It didn't feel like it was made for a guy like me, who wanted more of a continuation rather than a repeat. So, I confess, I've never seen 8. I might catch it on TV. Same with 9.

I did, however, really enjoy Rogue 1. I'm looking forward to seeing more movies devoted to side plots from 1-9.

by the way, I play Imperial Assault with a group of guys. Two of them are total Star Wars nerds. It's amazing to listen to them discuss the movies, the books, the extended universe, and argue over the canon. I just move my guy around the board and shoot Storm Troopers....

Perfume on my Mind wrote:

MeDotOrg wrote:So the Lucas prequels were excessively preachy, and poorly written with wooden performances, and the Disney universe has lost the soul. Pick your poison.

Well that pretty much nails it for me.

+1

Me too. Well said, MeDotOrg.

Res Ipsa wrote:I did, however, really enjoy Rogue 1. I'm looking forward to seeing more movies devoted to side plots from 1-9.

Yeah, I should admit that Rogue One was probably my favorite Star Wars movie. After 4 Disney Star Wars movies, however, that one feels like a one-off, now.