Answer *sorta SP* (Off-Topic)

by Avateur , Friday, December 18, 2015, 04:36 (3267 days ago) @ cheapLEY
edited by Avateur, Friday, December 18, 2015, 04:54

The biggest complaint I've seen about it is that it mimics A New Hope a bit too closely and relies too heavily on throwbacks and fan service rather than taking any chances and trying to stand on its own. Would you say there's truth to that?

To an extent. There are parallels. Lucas used to talk about how Star Wars (the prequels in particular with regards to the originals) are like a poem, how there's a rhyme/echo to some things even if they aren't identical. I'd say that Abrams respected that and did that in certain ways. He did NOT do it like with Star Trek Into Darkness where it was so ridiculously close to Wrath of Khan as to be laughable in many respects.

The way it was done in this movie actually works. It pays homage to a lot from the past, provides some wonderful nostalgia, and also helps to further ground this universe based on what happened previously so that it has the opportunity to grow in the future (I hope). The best and most fantastic parts of this movie are the new characters, their characterization and interactions, and the writing in general. Abrams also isn't directing Episode VIII. Combining all of these things should allow the next movie to really grow and go off on its own and try new things (I hope, again).

TL;DR:

It does manage to stand on its own in many ways, primarily due to the new characters and what's going on with them. At the same time, characters from the past definitely help to progress and ground certain things. I think this movie will stand the test of time (and is so far beyond the prequels already).

So, knowing that, it certainly seems like it could be true, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Primarily, I think this movie was about getting the fans interested in Star Wars again, and showing that it can be good again, so relying a bit too much on echoing the original trilogy is the safe bet to make.

A lot of this, but it's not as heavily reliant on the past as you'd think. I guess the questions become "how much" and "in whose opinion(s)" did it rely too much? Is 50/50 okay? 70/30? I think it's also a great jumping on point for people new to Star Wars, too.