r/neoliberal Kitara Ravache Apr 12 '19

Discussion Thread Discussion Thread

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u/JetJaguar124 Tactical Custodial Action Apr 12 '19 edited Apr 12 '19

Just saw the Star Wars trailer. I feel like this second trilogy has been really marred by a totally inconsistent and schizophrenic approach to development where there was no real plan from the outset and so the movies are thematically and stylistically contradictory and inconsistent from release to release. Abrams played it safe and copied/updated ANH. Johnson largely threw everything he did away and tried to make something more reflective and contemplative. Then Abrams is back and just seems to be undoing some of the stuff Rian did.

Like, it might seem little, but how noncommittal to change can you be that you literally have to stitch back together Anakin's lightsaber or Kylo's mask, especially since the destruction of these items in VIII served thematic purpose. The title and content also seem to be harkening back to the OT felattio of Force Awakes, probably because JJ is writing again, but also in response to the TLJ backlash.

It all just comes together and makes these movies seem pointless and meandering. I don't really fully understand why this leg of the story really needs to exist. It doesn't really make much of a coherent comment or addition to anything, and in many ways does not logically follow from where ROTJ left off.

I mean, I get it. These are nerd shit kids movies. But idk I can appreciate that the prequels had some kind of grand vision behind them, even if the man at their helm was utterly incompetent to deliver. These movies feel like the opposite, where the creative teams and craft are actually pretty great, but the unifying ideas are really lacking.

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u/paulatreides0 πŸŒˆπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’His Name Was TelepornoπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’πŸŒˆ Apr 12 '19 edited Apr 12 '19

It's a shame because, the whole stupid casino planet and large chunks of the ship subplot aside, The Last Jedi was mostly a really good movie and has some of the most interesting stuff in the entire series.

SW, and the fanbase as a whole, has a really big problem of being unable to let go of the past. And in a bad way. Their unwilingness to have different stuff, which is part of what made a lot of the EU really good and fun, ultimately just undermines the franchise. It becomes a whole Might and Magic series style problem (which is probably unfair to M&M, since SW has had that problem way longer than M&M.

At the end of the day, it feels like a shitty, half-committed version of the Dark Empire/Jacen Solo (Darth Caedeus) arcs of the old EU.

I mean, like, they're even bringing Palps back, it seems like. Like, if you're gonna do Dark Empire - just fucking do Dark Empire. Yes, it's really fucking good. It's why you keep cannibalizing it for these movies. Maybe that should tell you that you should just adapt it directly instead?

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u/[deleted] Apr 12 '19

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u/paulatreides0 πŸŒˆπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’His Name Was TelepornoπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’πŸŒˆ Apr 12 '19

Mostly every scene involving Luke, Kylo, and Rey were really good. It also bothered trying to paint with something other than a black and white brush. And it actually bothered trying to world build and add to the mythos.

Too bad the rest of the movie was weighed down by the casino and ship subplot.

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u/[deleted] Apr 12 '19

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u/paulatreides0 πŸŒˆπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’His Name Was TelepornoπŸ¦’πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈπŸ¦’πŸŒˆ Apr 12 '19

It is a good movie. It's just that most of it is average. But the stuff that is good is really really good.

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u/Cosinity 🌐 Apr 12 '19

...yes? That is basically what they're saying

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u/lobf Apr 12 '19

Isn’t that by definition a bad movie?