Star Wars *OT* (Off-Topic)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Sunday, July 12, 2015, 17:09 (3232 days ago) @ General Vagueness

I literally yawned watching that, but by the end I was grinning a bit.
It's all so much smoke and mirrors still.
They're clearly trying to deliver the message, "It'll be good this time! It'll be like old Star Wars! Remember old Star Wars, you loved that, come on, just see one movie." The people who have issues with one section or another of the Star Wars universe seem to focus on the writing, and we know next to nothing about the script, and we won't know anything substantial until release or close to it.

Um, not true. We know Lawrence effing Kasdan co-wrote it. Harrison Ford said this Friday: "I never thought it would come back to bless me instead of haunt me. ... I was very gratified when I read the script, because I read something that I thought was really remarkable. Well written, with some intriguing developments. So I was delighted to be involved."

We don't know anything substantial about the story.

I don't want to know anything more about the story.

To be fair, I had forgotten they got him as the writer on this one. Still, has he never written anything you didn't like?

I've liked everything I've seen that he's worked on.

Has Harrison Ford not signed on to any movies you didn't like?

Sure; a few. See my comment to Cody about that quote.

I really feel sorry for people around your age, because I think it's particularly difficult for you to understand what made Star Wars special. It's been diluted, copied, and corrupted in so many ways over the years.

That's interesting, care to elaborate? I first saw the original movies in 1995 or 96, and I don't remember seeing anything quite like them... well, ever, come to think of it. I know it's been copied in pieces and in whole, and you can make arguments about the merchandise and the extended universe and the prequels, but I never really engaged with any of that besides the prequels, and those I just kind of watched and then didn't think about.

Nearly every blockbuster movie since Star Wars has been influenced by Star Wars. It's hard to describe the effect that movie had on the culture. I've not been very engaged either, but the prequels felt like a betrayal of my faith in Lucas as a creator. The mucking with the originals upon rerelease should've been the canary in the coal mine, but I wanted to believe. I'm not going to let my disappointment in that quell my excitement over what looks like an good faith effort to right the Star Wars ship.

The vibe I get is that this movie is being made for me by people who loved the original trilogy like I did.

Like I said, they're trying to get that message across, and they're succeeding. That doesn't mean it's accurate-- or even if it is, that doesn't mean they'll succeed in reaching you and the rest of that audience the way you're thinking of.

I'm excited. I didn't feel that way at first, but everything I've seen is speaking to me. I'm the old guy--why are YOU so cynical?

I'm not being cynical. I don't think they're deliberately misrepresenting the movie. If you mean "why are you so pessimistic?", I don't think I'm even being pessimistic, I'm trying to be realistic. I don't say stuff like this because I think something will be bad or to make other people think things will be bad, and in this case it's not even really about lowering expectations, it's about encouraging people to think things through. Maybe there's more material out there than I've heard about, AFAIK it's the video above, one teaser, some stills, some vague quotes like the one you gave, and a list of people working on it, and I don't think that's enough to have an informed opinion.

I've stated all the reasons I'm excited, and I don't need any more information--I know enough to be hopeful about Star Wars again, and that a big deal for me because the franchise was a very important part of my childhood.