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Another Star Wars movie is coming out soon. Next month, "Solo" will hit the silver screens, although this seems to be the Star Wars movie with the least amount of hype of any that the franchise has ever seen so far. One wonders if it is a sign of things to come, or simply some kind of aberration. The controversy over "The Last Jedi" has hardly fully abated yet, and still we have this new movie coming out, which many have low expectations for.
Maybe it will be good, and maybe it will be bad. My son and I intend to see it in the theaters, one way or the other.
However, it has to be difficult, nary impossible, to come out with a Star Wars movie that people get excited about, and which excites the fans who see it, as well.
Of course, this is nothing new, although it is ironic, when you stop to think about it.
How so?
Well, the first Star Wars movie, which was known simply as "Star Wars," (I specifically remember the day when the first installment, now known under the title "A New Hope," was seen as "Star Wars," while the other two in the original trilogy were known by their specific titles), far exceeded expectations. It revolutionized special effects, and generated unbelievable excitement, essentially spurring a franchise.
Then, the second movie, "The Empire Strikes Back," also exceeded many expectations, going in directions that movies generally did not go in. It was dark, with things falling apart almost form beginning to end. Even as the movie ends, one senses that the good guys barely escaped, and that all of the advantages still belong to the Empire. Also, we found out that Darth Vader is Luke's father, which made the influence of mythological themes all the clearer. Most Star Wars fans view this as the greatest of the Star Wars movies.
Finally, the last movie (this was a typo, actually, as I should have said the third, yet said "the last" instead, which might reveal something in and of itself) was "Return of the Jedi." Some people criticized it for being a little too cute, particularly with the Ewoks. However, most people thought it was a fitting conclusion to the original trilogy. The special effects seem to hold up fairly well for it's age, and it is easily the one movie of the original trilogy where the special effects hold up the best even to this day. A whole new slate of characters appeared and were immortalized. We caught a glimpse of the Emperor in the second movie, and he was mentioned in the first, but we really got to see him seriously in action in this one. Also, we had Jabba the Hut. Luke was now fully a Jedi Knight, and Han and Leia's romance blossomed. It was a fun movie, like the first two, and it wrapped everything up nicely.
Yet, that was where Star Wars disappeared for a decade and a half, even though many people wanted more.
But when they finally got more, it seemed that no one was satisfied. "The Phantom Menace" was viewed by many fans as a disaster. One character in particular best embodies this perceived failure: Jar Jar Binks. Indeed, he might very well have been the worst major character in major movie history. Many viewed him as embodying the worst, most blatantly racist stereotypes. Some other characters also reinforced this, particularly within the Trade Federation. Some even found young Anakin to be annoying (not me, though - I rather liked the character).
It was not entirely a disaster, however. Many people loved certain character. Darth Maul was a very exciting new villain, with almost iconic status within reach. And Qui-Gon Jinn was an amazing Jedi, adding some depth to the Jedi characters in general.
The problem? Both of them died in this movie, which meant that neither made an appearance in more than one movie.
So, the Star Wars world waited to see what would happen with the second installment of the second trilogy. What would a more grown up Anakin would be like? How would Obi Wan Kenobi continue to grow, and how would his relationship with Anakin begin to show strains? What was it that pulled Anakin towards the Dark Side, and would we begin to see it more clearly in the second movie?
The second movie, however, disappointed many fans even worse than the first. There was no one great character to come out of it, unlike the first one. You could maybe make an argument for Jango Fett, but most people still far prefer Boba Fett. Count Dooku did not excite people's imagination in quite the same way that Darth Maul had. And no new Jedi characters were anywhere near as exciting as those who had already been introduced.
To this day, "Attack of the Clones" is viewed by many Star Wars fans as the worst and most hated movie of the franchise. It is also ironic that it was the second installment of the second trilogy, while the second installment of the first trilogy was the one that most people feel lifted the bar, and was essentially almost regarded as a masterpiece, which it very well might have been.
Okay, so, hopefully people would like "Revenge of the Sith" better, surely? Well, they did. Jar Jar Binks made an appearance for all of a few seconds, and said nothing for the entire movie. Also, finally, we got to see Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader, which is what everyone was waiting for.
However, some of the problems with that movie underscored the larger problems with that trilogy in general. Most people felt that there was way too much CGI. Some felt that the acting was a bit wooden, at least by Christian Hayden, who played Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. I remember one critic suggested that Anakin's temper tantrums reminded him more of a teenager who was told that he cannot borrow the car, rather than the serious anger of the future space Hitler. Many, many people felt that the writing was weak and nothing like how people actually talked in real life. And the romance between Anakin and Padme was not always believable, and certainly not as endearing, as the romance between Han and Leia, which brings me to my own personal criticism of the second trilogy: there was not enough humor. Humor spiced the romance between Han and Leia quite a bit, made it both more believable and human. People enjoyed those characters, and they did not warm up to the new characters anywhere near as much.
George Lucan seemed to insist that he was done making new Star Wars movies, and apparently, he was right, although probably not quite in the way that he had thought. He sold the franchise to Disney, and of course, Disney got right to work in trying to release the new movies.
And that opened up whole new criticisms. Some loved "The Force Awaken," while others did not like it so much. Many criticized it for lacking originality.
If that was the case with the first installment of the latest trilogy, a lack of originality would not at all be a problem with the second installment, "The Last Jedi." However, many blasted that movie for what they felt was essentially destroying the legacy and characters of the older movies. Luke Skywalker, in particular, was seen as a betrayal of the old Luke Skywalker, as he seemed crotchedy, scared and unwilling to engage the enemy like he had in the first trilogy. Also, he was viewed as far from wise. Even Mark Hamill himself, the actor who brilliantly portrayed Luke Skywalker, was less than thrilled at Luke's portrayal, and let his criticisms be made public, warning that this was not the Luke Skywalker that fans were used to or expecting.
So, you can understand why it feels like makers of any future Star Wars flicks seem incapable of winning. Even coming close to the magic of the first trilogy seems to be impossible, and the expectations and warnings by fans also seem impossible. People do not want too much CGI, and they do not want the movie to focus so much on special effects that it will detract from the story line, yet they still want special effects that will blow them away. They do not want the new characters to too closely resemble old ones, yet they want the characters to be as likable and reminiscent of older ones on some level, nevertheless. People do not want to see the exact same characters, yet they do not want to feel like the old characters are being pushed out too much, either. They want originality, yet they criticize when the movies stray too far from the original movies. People do not want the second trilogy, yet they do not want the first trilogy copied, either, but they also criticize when the new movies go in a completely new direction. They cannot do too much, but they also cannot do too little.
In other words, you cannot please everyone. Period. You have to expect to have a large segment of the Star War crowd disappointed with your product.
It makes you wonder why they even bother making new movies. This was something that bothered George Lucas, as well:
“Why would I make any more,” Lucas says of the “Star Wars” movies, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
“On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” Lucas says, referring to fans who, like the dreaded studios, have done their own forcible re-edits. “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’ ”
Yup. It is rather ironic that Lucas, who is beloved for having created the Star Wars universe, is also reviled by many Star Wars fans for ruining the franchise. I have read some comments that would make you wonder if some of these fans actually downright hate Lucas - no exaggeration!
So, you cannot win for losing. This is a no win situation in many regards for all parties involved, including the fans. Many love the new movies, including "Rogue One," while many, perhaps an equal number, loathe the new movies.
That is why the new movie focusing on Han Solo is being viewed generally with skepticism. Whether fair or unfair, it seems that every new Star Wars movie is going to get it's fair share of criticism, at least for the foreseeable future. Maybe indeed there will be another "Empire Strikes Back" that brings a bunch of fans in, and which at least a vast majority (if not almost everyone, because there are far too many haters out there at this point) will indeed love. In fact, I expect that there will be one again, someday.
Just not likely with anything associated with the old characters.
George Lucas in 2012: "Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?" by Jordan Ruimy:
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