Editorial: We Are One With The Force: Learning To Love The Entire Star Wars Saga or How Fans Are Destroying The Fun
 |
| I'm a classic. But I'm not perfect either. Will you just love me as I am? |
A war is on. A war over who is a 'true fan' and who isn't. And it's all nonsense.
After the mostly critical denouncement of the George Lucas prequel trilogy, faith in the Force had begun to disappear. Fans cried foul at many of the ways the three films changed the saga for the worse as Lucas seemed to lose focus on his original vision and went for effects over storytelling. Some old school loyalists claimed the three new Star Wars films didn't deliver the same luster as the previous trilogy and some accepted The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith as a genius effort on the part of Lucas and his team. To this very day, the movies that chronicle the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker spawn controversy and needless dramatics between those that claim to be 'real fans'. Opinion is one thing. But nastiness is another. We're all fans. Stop the hate.
Once again, with last year's release of The Force Awakens, loyal followers of the saga were split down the middle. Some enjoyed the repeated tropes from the original Skywalker saga and another loudly vocal group of viewers cried foul at what they said was JJ Abrams retelling of A New Hope dressed up as a new entry. Either way, it doesn't matter which side you're on. Abrams 2015 reintroduction to the galaxy far far away served many purposes. Some may have been too blinded by their love affair with 4, 5 and 6 to see exactly what was going on. His continuation of the Skywalker legacy was a soft reboot that would introduce the franchise to a whole new younger base of probable fans while it also kick started Star Wars back into focus for years to come. The Force Awakens may not be perfect but neither was Return of the Jedi. As a father of young children, I was able to introduce my youngest daughter to the Star Wars saga with The Force Awakens which ultimately got her interested in the complete saga. This made me a happy dad.
 |
| Can't we get some love? Just a little? |
With last month's release of Rogue One, social media has become a wretched hive of scum and villainy that sees keyboard warriors once again drawing definitive lines in the sand. I hate sand. Arguments are raised that it's not a "true" Star Wars film because there's no opening crawl. Others take aim at an updated score that doesn't use enough of the classic themes. Some blast the movie because the character arcs were far too thin. On the opposing side of the force, we have people like myself that are overjoyed to experience new movies with our children. We're reveling in the excellence of the final battle sequence that takes us back to our childhood, giving us classic X-Wing versus Tie Fighter space battles that look fluid when compared to the original trilogy. And its reliance on truly recreating that old school feel is simply joyous.
Here's the thing. We're all right. Every single one of us has a point. We don't need to fight each other. Star Wars is supposed to be a positive experience for all of us. Nothing is ever going to live up to our expectations when we're constantly comparing these brand new movies to ones that were released decades ago. Perhaps our nostalgia is blinding us. Growing up with the Lucas films, they all still hold a special place in my heart. Even the televised Ewok movies deserve an amount of respect. As supposed fans, we should be using our love of this saga as a way to connect and find new ways to enjoy the franchise. The negativity that's splashed all over social media regarding some of the greatest movies ever made is disappointing and disrespectful to Lucas' original vision for the series.
 |
| U. I would die for U. Darling if you want me to. |
We all may agree that George made some mistakes along the way. But, he did in fact create this thing. He made some dire choices when releasing the Special Editions. And yeah, a penchant for great dialogue isn't his strong suit. However, Star Wars would not exist without the man. Some respect? Please? In the grand scheme of things, even after the sale to Disney, the films should be bringing us together, not tearing us apart. Watching the vitriol that's spewed over the greatest science fiction fantasy adventure series ever makes it not fun anymore. I just want to love and respect Star Wars along with the rest of you.
We don't have to like it all. But we can at least stop ripping each other apart. It's not worth it.
-CG