Star Wars *OT* (Off-Topic)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Wednesday, July 15, 2015, 17:13 (3229 days ago) @ General Vagueness

That's a subjective thing, and something only you can decide, and something you can only decide once you've seen the movie. Please forgive me if this sounds obvious, but this was supporting the point that you're ill-informed on the movie as it stands, which you've now said is true.

Read my posts again. Where did I ever say that the new Star Wars movie is good? How could I know that? You keep responding as if I said that--I didn't.

I was explaining, because you asked, how I had been making the point that you couldn't know if it was good or not yet. What I didn't say is that you're sort of acting like it is good, already.

To be clear: As of now I've heard, read, and seen enough (which I bet money is more than you have) about the new movie such that I hope and expect it to be good, and therefore I'm excited about it. This wasn't true when the movie was announced, but every bit of info I've gleaned since then has gradually gotten me to this point, not least of which what I heard and saw last week. I wouldn't have gotten into this discussion had you not said "we know next to nothing about the script" when what I knew about the script has been a big driver of my excitement. I didn't expect the Perry Mason treatment regarding my admiration of the people involved.

Well that strikes me as weird, because it seemed like you admitted you know next to nothing about the script, you just know someone who wrote stuff you like co-wrote it (not even wrote it, just co-wrote it) and an actor you like said it's very good. That may be enough for you and that's fine, but that's not a substantial amount of information, which is what I said.

Final word from me: I think this has been a silly debate in that I somewhat agree with you--it's a good idea to keep your expectations in check. It's also silly to say someone is wrong for being excited about an experience they haven't had yet. Imagine we heard that for Halo 6, Joe Staten was the writing lead, Jaime Griesemer was designing the sandbox, and Marty was doing music and audio--would this information be reason enough to be excited? For a lot of people the answer would be yes, and I'd probably be one of them. Maybe we'd be opening ourselves up for disappointment, but here's the thing--we have to have reasons to want to experience something before we experience it and find out for sure if it's all that. And that's okay!

I feel I know more than you claim I do and less than you claim I have to know. One more time: here's why I am eager to see the new Star Wars.

1. George Lucas is not involved. For me he's now the anti-King Midas.

2. Harrison Ford has high praise for the script. That means something to me.

3. Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the script. He's not just someone--he's someone who co-wrote what is arguably the best Star Wars script ever made into a movie.

4. The principal actors are returning to reprise their roles. Can't underestimate the importance of this.

5. Luke is now an elder Jedi, just as Ben Kenobi was. I love the symmetry of this without knowing anything else about the story.

6. Han and Chewie are together again on the Millenium Falcon, and it's clear this is a significant both as a cinematic event but also within the story. It's not just them who are "home." For all fans of a certain age this is a homecoming.

7. The emphasis on practical effects answers a big concern about the franchise. Practical effects were part of what made the original movies special. They provided some of the first cinematic views of a science fiction future that felt lived in and grounded, in no small part because of practical effects. Thematically and visually, those movies had ties to a world we knew. Lucas lost sight of this aspect of his work as his obsession with digital technology intensified. That the people who are now running the show are touting the benefits of practical effects tells me that they understand something fundamental about what made the original movies so good. It bodes well.

QED