Warning: slight spoilers here!
Having watched The Last Jedi recently, I was reminded of the fan backlash it generated and all the moments in the film that people derided. Granted – it's not a perfect movie, but I enjoyed watching it again having been able to slightly distance myself from all the negativity when it was released. I am, however, trying to grapple with the reasons why people have such a problem with it.
I know one of the main reasons: it's because it didn't go the way people wanted it to. They wanted Luke to come in and kick the First Order's ass with some super-duper Jedi moves (a la Phantom Menace's Darth Maul fight scene). Instead, they got layered messages about the industrial war complex, failure, pride and the inevitability of repeating mistakes made by those before.
Of course, people are entitled to their own opinions ... but the way the backlash exploded across the internet by entitled fans was sad. If only people could channel such energy into making the world a better place, huh?
A long-lost documentary about The Empire Strikes Back surfaced recently on YouTube (https://youtu.be/YeB-uXGGaEU) and it featues a snippet from director Irvin Kershner who said something very telling: "Science fiction has certain qualities, you have to respect. All kinds of scientific jargon. We've eliminated all scientific jargon. We've almost none. Just a touch, like salt and pepper. It's not a science fiction movie."
That was a bit of an 'a-ha' moment for me. No, not one where I fantasised about Morten Harket. Rather, I was able re-frame Star Wars in my head not as science fiction but fantasy. It's not 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I think one of the reasons people are struggling to appreciate TLJ – other than the fact that it didn't suck up to fan pressure to stick to the tired old routines – is because they fail to see it for what it is: a space fantasy for kids. It's about space wizards with laser sword, for crying out loud!
Of course, I kind of always knew this. I mean, you can't hear sound in a vacuum (so Star Wars space battles should technically be silent), and being able to magically lift inanimate objects by the power of thought alone is pretty far-fetched. I've always taken things in Star Wars with a pinch of salt ... but it helps to not see it under the sci-fi banner. Yes, it has space ships and robots in it but those things are secondary.
Like any good story, the focus should be about the characters and their journey from the beginning of the film to the end. There needs to be learning, progression, redemption ... something that changes in the character or characters over the course of the movie. Everything else (including TIE fighters, alien cantinas, blasters, laser swords etc.) is just set dressing.
Saying all that, I still think the prequels are garbage.
Having watched The Last Jedi recently, I was reminded of the fan backlash it generated and all the moments in the film that people derided. Granted – it's not a perfect movie, but I enjoyed watching it again having been able to slightly distance myself from all the negativity when it was released. I am, however, trying to grapple with the reasons why people have such a problem with it.
I know one of the main reasons: it's because it didn't go the way people wanted it to. They wanted Luke to come in and kick the First Order's ass with some super-duper Jedi moves (a la Phantom Menace's Darth Maul fight scene). Instead, they got layered messages about the industrial war complex, failure, pride and the inevitability of repeating mistakes made by those before.
Of course, people are entitled to their own opinions ... but the way the backlash exploded across the internet by entitled fans was sad. If only people could channel such energy into making the world a better place, huh?
A long-lost documentary about The Empire Strikes Back surfaced recently on YouTube (https://youtu.be/YeB-uXGGaEU) and it featues a snippet from director Irvin Kershner who said something very telling: "Science fiction has certain qualities, you have to respect. All kinds of scientific jargon. We've eliminated all scientific jargon. We've almost none. Just a touch, like salt and pepper. It's not a science fiction movie."
That was a bit of an 'a-ha' moment for me. No, not one where I fantasised about Morten Harket. Rather, I was able re-frame Star Wars in my head not as science fiction but fantasy. It's not 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I think one of the reasons people are struggling to appreciate TLJ – other than the fact that it didn't suck up to fan pressure to stick to the tired old routines – is because they fail to see it for what it is: a space fantasy for kids. It's about space wizards with laser sword, for crying out loud!
Of course, I kind of always knew this. I mean, you can't hear sound in a vacuum (so Star Wars space battles should technically be silent), and being able to magically lift inanimate objects by the power of thought alone is pretty far-fetched. I've always taken things in Star Wars with a pinch of salt ... but it helps to not see it under the sci-fi banner. Yes, it has space ships and robots in it but those things are secondary.
Like any good story, the focus should be about the characters and their journey from the beginning of the film to the end. There needs to be learning, progression, redemption ... something that changes in the character or characters over the course of the movie. Everything else (including TIE fighters, alien cantinas, blasters, laser swords etc.) is just set dressing.
Saying all that, I still think the prequels are garbage.
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