Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker*

It's the young upstarts who are getting their leashes jerked back, and they're the ones being replaced by veteran directors who know how to play ball.

 

This whole director shuffling process has just about killed any lingering interest I had in the franchise, and confirms my worst fears about what would happen with the Disney acquisition: it is now, officially, just another branded consumer product. These aren't directors, these are just product managers. The magic is gone.

 

A great deal of the magic has to do with just settling into your seat and watching the movie. When I was a kid and watched the original trilogy in theaters, I didn't know, nor did I care, who the directors were or what was going on behind the scenes. The magic was in the movies themselves, not in the behind the scenes drama, and there was plenty of drama during the productions of the original trilogy films.

Adults who saw the original trilogy films as kids and saw them as magical are now looking at the newer films through adult eyes and are concerning themselves with behind the scenes drama that they weren't concerned with when they were kids. When you're a kid, you don't have to act like a kid. You can just kick back and enjoy the movie. When you're an adult, and you want to enjoy a film the way you did when you were a kid, you kind of have to act like a kid.

Now, the adults who saw the magic in the original trilogy have the internet where every detail of every production is scrutinized months and years before the films are released.

 

I agree with both of these statements...in some ways I'm disappointed that the Star Wars saga has become a corporate 'widget' vs the creative vision, risk taking, daring, and passionate expression of one man (and his team, sure, but SW was entirely GL's baby pretty much). The original trilogy was pure magic, and I find the story of his battles, setbacks, and persistence in getting the first one made inspiring, despite the lack of faith in the project from the studios and the people involved (actors, crew, etc.) outright laughing at what they were creating. Lucas had the last laugh (big time) and changed Hollywood in many ways. I love it when a maverick upsets the applecart.

But yea, in this day and age of the internet over analyzing everything before the movie is even out can be tiresome and 'non-productive'. Just sit down, have a snack, and leave all the 'head trash' outside the theater...the final product is really all that matters ultimately (but I'm still bummed J. J. is coming back lol). I will go see the movies with an open mind though, looking to catch the same Star Wars rush that hooked me in 1977. That's all I'm hoping for, regardless of who makes it.

 

I agree, the entire Star Wars saga is about wonderment for those of us who were there at the beginning. That hasn't been lost upon me with these new films regardless of what has happened behind the scenes.

Notice how little trailer action has been leaked for The Last Jedi? I think that is by design, in a good way of course. We're about 90 days out, I think I can wait!

 

I was pretty amused/horrified that the black mark against Colin Trevorrow in Lucasfilm's eyes appeared to be that he had "strong opinions." You don't want that in a director!

 

I think the real problem was that Trevorrow -- who had previously done the blockbuster Jurassic World film -- had a relatively-big indie bomb in The Book of Henry. I also think because he had done a movie that made a billion dollars, he felt he had the right to make changes and have strong opinions about the writing and development of Star Wars IX, and Lucasfilm felt differently.

The two biggest challenges in Hollywood boil down to 1) who's got the power? and 2) who's got the money? I never get either, but I have observed people who do have one or the other, and they frequently have to go to the mat and have massive temper tantrums and battles in order to hold on to what they've got... sometimes on a daily basis.

 

I guess this film will be a remake of ROTJ, with J.J. helming it?

 

Awesome! I've been wondering what the Ewoks have been up to lately...

 

Amen x 1000!

 

You're getting them one episode early this time around. Those stupid looking "porg" things, that seem clearly geared for marketing/toys and not much else.

 

Yep! My daughter's already got hers. She loves it!

 

How dare she enjoy a stupid useless character that's clearly made for...

...wait. Carry on.

 

Yub-Nub!

 

Wait a minute...where the hell is Hayden Christensen?

 

Howcum Obi-way stayed old when he came back as a ghost, but Anakin Skywalker suddenly became 20 years old? I have many questions.

 

Wasn't it because Anakin 'died' as a young man the moment he transformed into Darth Vader and so his Force Ghost reflected that rather than the old age Anakin unmasked by Luke just before he dies? I know, doesn't make sense to me either,if that is the case. Oh how I long for the days before the Blu Ray Special Editions (and the prequels!).

 

Some interesting explanations are given in the Secret History of Star Wars book. I think a big part is that Lucas wanted to tie in Episode 6 with Episodes 2 & 3 and show that actor in the role. Never mind the fact that Vader still looks like he's in his 70s at the end of Jedi (when he really should only be a man of about 40 years old).

 

I'd like to see how you would look after getting toasted in a lava river!

 

I would ask you not mention those two words again. PLEASE. I cringe when I see or hear him.

He is the only actor/character worse than Jar-Jar Binks.

 

Then the question becomes when Mark Hamill becomes a force ghost, how will he reappear to Rey, et. al?

 

Jake Lloyd

 

They'll surprise us and bring in a CGI version of Princess Leia. Oh, wait -- that's already been done.

 

Well played sir. Well played.

My selective amnesia already erased him from my LT memory. "Thanks" for reminding me.

He is as bad as H.C. and if someone argued worse, I would not argue with them.