C’mon Sotonians geek contingent. Many of us have seen the new Star Wars film, the concluding part of the Skywalker saga.
I saw it last night and have immersed myself in all sorts of reviews ranging from the raging “Fandom Menace” YouTuber’s ironically literally making a living off the franchise they hate so much to Mark Kermode and Simon “No Man’s Lands” Mayo.
This is the place to extensively discuss the merits and demerits of the most recent film and the new trilogy in general.
My initial thoughts are that it is one step forward, two steps back.
This series of films absolutely nailed the return of characters you actually care about, something that the prequels never made you do.
What they got wrong was the descent into dumbness and the trilogy long mission to wipe the Skywalkers out.
If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is to let Lucas do the world-building and the general plot, but get someone else to handle the screenplay and directing.
We’ve just had two completely opposite trilogies. The prequels were bursting with ideas, but lacking in character. The new ones had bags of character (too many to do justice as it goes) but had very few ideas of its own.
Not seen. Found English versions but just too busy in the gig economy to go knowing winter is coming and times will be tough with tourist numbers quiet.
My issue is Rey and more “Death Stars”. I just didn’t think he could act in the 1st two films.
They blew up the 1st Death Star then went there again
I think the question is “are we any better off for having these new movies in the world?”
The truth is yes, but only from a certain point of view. If you are a young person, then these films probably seem very good to you, just as there is a generation of kids that mostly love Jar Jar Binks.
For those of us that have been around a bit longer and grew up with the first films, you’re more likely to think that it’s not worth having them.
After all, these films do their level best to retire everyone we grew up with off the mortal coil.
Of all the Star Wars films made since the 1980s, I have to say that Rogue One is probably my favourite. It has very little in the way of familiar characters, relies almost entirely on new characters and is something of a downer. A magnificent downer, but it doesn’t end happily.
I hope that if and when they get around to doing a new trilogy, they make the same decision. I think they’ll have to; there’s only Lando and Chewie to kill off.