The sequel movies are better written, acted, and directed movies, but they don’t have the Star Wars spirit. They’re also disposable and forgettable. The prequels, while flawed B movies, are also good Star Wars movies. So my vote goes in favor of the prequel email
I would argue the ST has way more "'Star Wars' spirit" than the PT. When I saw "Force Awakens", I felt like I'd seen a movie that "felt like 'Star Wars'" for the first time since 1983. The PT is cold and clinical too much of the time. Too much pedantic nonsense and attempts at showing off visual effects, not enough fun or verve.
That's because it was Star Wars the first time they made it in '77. It's fan fiction. Akin to all those Trek books that came out in the 80's & 90's. I'll wait 'til they reboot it again. At least the prequels had a 'new' story, even if it was cr@p. The sequels couldn't even decide what story they wanted to tell, so just retold the old one. Makes Star Trek - Into Darkness, The Wrath Of Kahn remake, look like a classic.
Unlike a lot of my generation, I actually saw the original movies first. I had gotten a copy of the 1995 box set during 1997, watched the hell out of them and became addicted. I watched the three originals over and over in the next 2 years. When I saw Phantom Menace it was everything I wanted then; I realize that that movie is very flawed - but it was fun. It felt magical. All three prequels are flawed but then I’d argue that the only “good” film even of the original series from a pure coherent tone / scripting / dialog / direction perspective is Empire Empire for me is the only film that really rises above the level of being a rather B movies. But even then, it’s at best a slightly deep fantasy movie set in space. These aren’t necessarily high works of art we are talking about here - not Shakespeare or the Pilgrim’s Progress or Milton. They’re basically at their core fairy tales set to a visual medium with science fiction dressing. I mean you have in the original film the good hero, the beautiful princess, the black cloaked evil bad guy, the rogueish character, some backstory for world building sake, etc. That’s very much like a classic fairy tale or even a classic Disney movie, ironically. These to me are essentially kids films. Or young adult films. They have a magic that kids get, and love, and that adults have nostalgia for. The sequels to me just don’t feel that way. They feel very much like products. The first and last are safely designed to hit the right beats and outside of killing legacy characters aren’t really artistically risky. The second film feels like someone who hated the entire series and it’s fanbase wrote it with the hope of pissing them off or confusing them. They’re just weird films, and not weird in a good artistic sort of way. Just weird, very hollow, very corporate products. ThereThere is a cynicism to me that is deeply engrained in the DNA of these films both in their design, their message, and the delivery of that message also. The originals and the sequels offered a simple very post Vietnam, post Watergate message of hope, of light to be found in the darkness - whether that darkness was the the heroes’ situation at the end of Empire, or the light in the darkness of Darth Vader’s soul. The hope of the underdog against a seemingly unstoppable foe in the form of the Ewoks versus the Empire. The message and magic of the series was best summed up in terms of imagery at the end of Empire Utterly defeated, the heroes look on not only at the blackness of space but also upon a vista of stars, as Lando takes off to save Han. Despite their defeat there is Hope against hopelessness; light literally set against the seemingly endless dark. Even in their most desperate hour, the original films and prequels were never cynical. Never truly bleak. If you want to put it more fairly, the prequels leaned too heavily on world building at the expense of character; the sequels too more heavily on plot at the expense of world building and character. Luke, Leia, Han, R2, 3PO, and Vader were very iconic for kids of the 70s, 80s, 90s. Arguably, Obi Wan in the prequels and to a lesser extent Qui Gon were iconic for 90s kids. But the prequels lacked iconic heroes. But what they lacked in iconic relatable heroes, they had in fantasy worlds and original adventures. The sequels don’t really have either. No truly new worlds. No truly new stories or adventures, it’s the same story being told over. I can’t think that Rey, Rose Tico, or Finn have caught the imagination of today’s kids or pop culture as a whole. Maybe BB8?
The sequels are a mess from a technical point of view. I don't understand people saying they are better movies, they clearly are not. The first is essentially a remake coupled with a reboot and including the SW greatest hits. It's the same story as Episode 4 with the nobody taking the plans to the rebels then attacking the Death Star. Plus you throw in Hoth with the snow and the forest from Jedi. It's like it was made by AI with all the elements, and it lacks soul. That would have been ok I think if then we had a two film follow up which was original and well written. But the The last Jedi is essentially another remake - our heroes are split, one training with an old hermit the rest being chased through space. And as remakes go, people seem to hate this film most. I don't mind it tbh, it is imo the best of the 3 sequels as it at least makes some kind of sense. The the third is just a huge explosion of nonsense. Like just throw all logic, all common sense, all lore out of the window and just make it up as you go along. It makes the F&F films look like Shakespear. It is so badly written it's untrue, just from a basic technical point of view. And the whole mystery box nonsense - only bad film makers use that nonsense. Unlike the prequels I can see no-one having any love for these films in ten or twenty years. I think actually they will get written out of continuity as that's probably the best thing to happen.
I think we can argue all day about these things on the internet and not really change anyone's views. But one thing you can't argue with is the toy market. Whatever we may believe is and whatever Disney would like us to believe the truth can be found in the raw commerce of the toy market, that's what tells you what's really happening. So I thought I would spend 10 minutes looking at what SW product LEGO have for sale currently. The current TV stuff, which you would imagine they are eager to cash in on with Grogoo etc - 17 kits The Original Trilogy - 24 kits Prequel era kits - 8 Sequel kits - 0, zero. I think that speaks volumes.
Tell us how you really feel. What speaks volumes is that you actually looked that up. Go play with your Lego kits.
the prequels had a clear story and well developed characters. even jar jar had more soul and complexity than rey!
For all their issues, the prequels at least felt like an authentic extension of George's vision and ambition for the universe. The Disney sequels are corporate simulacra: they have the familiar Star Wars IP, the budget, the locations, the vehicles, etc - but they lack the spirit that made Star Wars beloved in the first place. Throw in the major continuity issues caused by Last Jedi, and the end result is a total mess (and a missed opportunity on many levels). All that matters now, though, is that Disney can make enough content o keep the machine running in perpetuity. I'm curious to see if and how Iger's return will impact the planning around the franchise...
Oh, he's definitely back, and he's been announcing some major changes at the company already. I think he's announced he won't be around for that long, but not before he turns the ship in the direction he wants. Yep, Disney sure knows what the masses want...and what sells.
CEO Bob Iger Reveals He’s Leaving Disney - Inside the Magic CEO Bob Iger Reveals He's Leaving Disney 10 Mar 2023 — Iger announced that Disney was forced to layoff more than 7,000 employees in the latest shareholder meeting, and he also told Disney Cast .. It was just a few months ago that Bob Iger stepped in for former Disney CEO Bob Chapek after he was fired. When Bob Iger took over, many fans had dreams that he would bring back FastPass+ after getting rid of Disney Genie+, lower Disney Park ticket prices, bring the animation entertainment industry back to what it used to be, and much more. While Bob Iger has made strides during his short tenure back as CEO, he has also made waves among fans and Disney Cast Members, as well. Iger announced that Disney was forced to layoff more than 7,000 employees in the latest shareholder meeting, and he also told Disney Cast Members who had been working from home that they must return to the office during the week, which caused a large uproar. In the same Q&A session, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared that he’s on his way out of the company. “Succession is pretty much at the top of the list between me and the Board,” he said. Iger noted that he and the board are meeting regularly about finding his successor and shared that they “don’t have an endless amount of time to make it.”
Personally I enjoyed the sequels much more than the prequels, but I have to agree with this statement 1000%. I think The Force Awakens would be much more highly regarded if it had been used as a launching point for two more compelling movies, but unfortunately that didn't happen. I can appreciate what they tried to do with the sequels but for me, the sequel trilogy ended up being a disappointment. And I had high hopes after The Force Awakens.
I saw a graphic...I think it is 12 films that have either been cancelled or the directors removed and the films altered. People (rightly) like Rogue One but we will never see the version Gareth Edwards made, it was so badly altered. In the original two minute trailer there were a staggering 46 shots that were not in the final film. I find that amazing. We could have had a even better film without Disney getting involved. They have taken perhaps the biggest IP in popular culture and killed the movie franchise, nothing at all in production (the plan was to get movies every two years), and the live action TV series overall has been very mixed, the Mandolorian good in parts, Andor OK, but the other two pretty much a waste of the source material. I tend to agree something is objectively good when all the fanbase is at least of the opinion it's watchable these days. All this talk of toxic fanbases is just nonsense imo, they are just fans who want a decent show. Give them that and they are happy. It's so ignorant and dumb to call a fanbase toxic. Interestingly Star Trek was going down the very same route of alienating fans with poor shows with nonsense plots but they did basically kick the head guy off the last series of Picard and let the director just do his own thing, someone who loves the IP, and they have done the impossible and made a brilliant TV show which, following on from above, all the fanbase are enjoying. I haven't heard anyone saying it's bad. The rumours are the execs are so pleased that it is a good show which all the fans are enjoying (you would think the bare minimum these days) that they have ditched their existing plans and have decided to spin off the cast of Picard series 3 into the basis of their main series. They have kind of stumbled onto a cast and director almost by accident. So I do have hope SW can turn this around. I want to see SW in cinemas again and going back to Lucas's inspirational roots in the Saturday morning serials like Buck Rogers my idea would be to make cheaper smaller films with a directors own vision and have these come out every two years. Expand the universe, so no Death Stars, no Skywalkers, no dead villains seemingly back from the dead.
