Is the Star Wars universe facing problems that are ruining the franchise?
Today an article crossed my path from Epic Stream that stated there are problems “ruining” the Star Wars franchise. The media source listed and broke down 10 reasons how the franchise has basically lost its way.
Even though the article is very articulate and well written, I completely disagree with its conclusions. In fact, I believe the 10 reasons that are brought up actually make Star Wars far better and not worse. The article criticized everything from George Lucas, to the Prequels, to nostalgia, and more. Here is our counter to each point of their 10 arguments.
10. There is nothing wrong with all them feels.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Their argument: Nostalgia. They argued that nods to the Original Trilogy were overdone. In fact, they believe that The Force Awakens should have done away with most, if not all, of the original cast.
Our counter: What’s wrong with using nostalgia to make you feel them feels? In-fact, The Force Awakens used the nostalgic factor to further the plot, with a purpose for every moment that was a nod to the Original Trilogy.
Han Solo’s interaction and time with Finn and Rey was a method of getting our two new characters from the start of their hero/heroine’s journey, to the next step. It felt natural with them all traveling on the Falcon, with the feels naturally happening on their own.
Luke Skywalker was used as a plot device for the entire movie, which worked to perfection. If Luke were not present at all, that would not make any sense. Using just a small dose of Luke was perfect. As much as I wanted the Jedi Master on screen, if he were present for the first part of the trilogy, he would have drawn the attention away from the main characters when they were still being introduced.
Patience is the key, and the payoff will be even bigger now that Rey is thoroughly introduced and Luke will be a large part of the second installment. Star Wars needs Luke.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
9. Star Wars Legends material is better off with some structure.
Their argument: Their point is that the Expanded Universe, now called Legends, is a complete mess.
Our counter: The Star Wars story group at Lucasfilm has done a fantastic job implementing the positive aspects of Legends material into the cohesive timeline of the current Star Wars timeline. Examples of that are Thrawn, Darth Bane, the Sith home-world of Moraband (formerly called Korriban), just to name a few.
The article also stated that Disney is trying to right the ship of the mess that Legends used to be. I disagree. They HAVE righted the ship, in more ways than one.
First off, by establishing a canon, they did away with the entire mess that Legends was. Plus Lucas never considered any of the former Expanded Universe parts of his story. Not ever. How can something be a mess if the author didn’t even include it in his story?
Secondly, Lucasfilm is responsible for the storyline of all Star Wars material, not Disney. Anytime someone says Disney “ruined Star Wars” it makes me so mad. Disney owns and funds the franchise, but they are hands-off with the written material, which Lucasfilm provides.
ORLANDO, FL – APRIL 13: Mark Hamill and George Lucas attend the Star Wars Celebration Day 1 on April 13, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
8. Thank you, George Lucas.
Their argument: That George Lucas was not the main reason for their success. They credited others (writers and directors) with more of the reason for the success of Star Wars, not Lucas.
Our counter: Even though I agree that teamwork is key to Star Wars being what it is today and that the actors, Lawrence Kasdan, the writers, and the story group are critical to their success; they do not deserve most of the credit, Lucas does.
Lucas took all the risk when he first introduced Star Wars. If it fails, then he fails. If the creator didn’t take a chance on these directors, actors, and writers to help him create his vision, then they would not be successful. George Lucas deserves most of the credit.
Plus, it was his vision for the animated series Clone Wars, which took the franchise to a whole new level. Thank you, George, and we give you most of the praise and credit for Star Wars.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
7. Franchise expansion
Their argument: Disney and Lucasfilm are only making movies as a cash grab and wasting our time with new material.
Our counter:
Even though I agree that Disney wants to make a ton of money, and they are cashing in many checks at the bank, they do care about the fans. The best example is the person who is in-charge of Lucasfilm in Kathleen Kennedy. She has the experience and the care to preserve and expand Star Wars in the best way possible.
One example of how Kennedy is achieving that is the story group she has in place. Having experienced writers (indeed fellow fans) who genuinely care about the franchise, such as Leland Chee, Pablo Hidalgo, Dave Filoni, and more; making the stories.
Plus movies like Rogue One, Solo, and the sequel trilogies do not exhaust the product; they enhance Star Wars. Deeper is better, especially with the beautiful storytellers they have leading the way.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
6. Merchandising is fun and helps with fan interaction
Their argument: Toys and merchandising are overkill and a disservice to the fans.
Our counter: I believe merchandising of Star Wars goods is fantastic for fans. Being the avid collector that I am myself, I love having access to these collectibles. If you don’t want the Star Wars goodies that are on sale, don’t buy them.
Two good examples are found in Star Wars actors such as Mark Hamill and Ashley Eckstein. The Jedi Master portrayed by Hamill is interactive with fans and makes sure that they are not getting ripped off when purchasing his autographs.
Eckstein has a whole line of clothes and collectibles that she sells and uses it as a chance to promote self-esteem, interact with her fans, and do it honestly. Without merchandising, then fans wouldn’t have an opportunity to interact or even the venue to meet their heroes such as these.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
5. The Force is mysterious and vast in size
Their argument:The Force is a cop-out for Star Wars characters being able to achieve the impossible or even cheat death.
Our counter: The Force allowing Jedi and Sith to do the impossible is a cool thing. The reason for watching Star Wars is to get away from the normalcy of life with the Force making the impossible happen, making the franchise so great.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
4. The remastered versions of Star Wars enhance the story.
Their argument: The remastered versions of the movies makes the Original Trilogy unrecognizable.
Our counter:These new changes make the original movies even more recognizable. Every time these new additions are released, it introduces Star Wars to a whole new audience that may never have seen them before. It’s also creative and makes the movies more fun.
An example of the revised versions adding to the originals is Hayden Christensen’s version of Anakin portrayal as a Force ghost at the end. Instead of having a guy we’ve never seen standing there with Obi-Wan and Yoda, the portrayed and recognizable version of the character prevents confusion and connects the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
3. Poor Conclusions
Their argument: That Return of the Jedi concluded the Original Trilogy poorly.
Our counter: On the contrary. The final installment of the Original Trilogy wrapped up the first part of the story perfectly. Showing the humanity of Vader helped display what Lucas was portrayed in the first place, that Anakin Skywalker was a victim and NOT a villain. Luke was able to accomplish what his father formerly could not, by resisting the dark side. That’s enough in itself to wrap up the trilogy.
Even though they agreed that was the best part of Return of the Jedi, they thought everything else is poorly done. It was fun going back to Tatooine and seeing Luke show off that he was now complete in his training. How awesome was it when the door raised in Jabba’s palace and a bad-ass silhouette of Luke appeared?! The Death Star part two wasn’t as terrible as they stated and the Ewoks are an excellent way to show that size matters not.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
2. Re-treading Old Ground
Their argument: That The Force Awakens was a complete copy of A New Hope.
Our counter: Just because something is familiar, does not make it a copy. A character example is that of Kylo Ren. He is an entirely different character than his grandfather. In fact, he is a pretender, a fake, and that’s the whole point. A member of the bad guys switching sides, in this case, Finn, had never happened before.
Finally, the purpose that J.J. Abrams had was to lay the ground work and get the story going again. Using a bit of nostalgia and familiarity is a good thing, and he made a new account that was his own in the process.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
1. The Enduring Legacy
Their argument: That The Prequels ruined everything about Star Wars.
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Our counter: That viewpoint could not be further from the truth, in my opinion. The Prequels expanded and gave us backstory that we’ve always wanted. We got vast worlds, intriguing politics, the Jedi in high numbers, and an origins story of the Emperor.
They mentioned the point of The Phantom Menace explaining too much of the Force, i.e., with midi-chlorians. I thought it was a nice touch showing the science of The Force, but still leaving much mystery on how it works.
Their most prominent blunder was saying that Episode III was the worst of them all. In fact, I believe that Revenge of the Sith was the best of not only The Prequels but on the same level with any of the originals. Hayden’s portrayal of Anakin/Vader was dark, moving, and had a vast amount humanity that was just brilliant.
Remember, George Lucas wanted to set Vader as the victim, not the villain. Revenge of the Sith achieved that goal and displayed just how tragic Darth Vader really was. We also got the Clone Wars and a plethora of prequel stories that spawned from the movies.
Next: 50 Most Memorable Moments from Star Wars Rebels
What do you all think? Has Star Wars lost its way? Or is it still right on track? Tell us on social media and in the comments section.