My continued distancing from Star Wars

[Roas]

So, I've read the full summary, different reviews, and reactions to the latest Star Wars.

This is what they continue to throw out over 20 years of the Expanded Universe story telling for? These are the characters and situations they chose to create in place of Mara Jade Skywalker? Jaina and Jacen Solo? A host of supremely interesting and varied Jedi? Leia actually turning into a badass Jedi that came with some epic duels of her own? A series of good villains both Dark Side and regular? The Thrawn Trilogy? The Yuzhan Vong War? The attempted coup by a super Dark Side entity that nearly broke the Jedi Order? The return of the Sith Empire?

Really?

This is the garbage that has replaced all the books on my shelf? Worthless plots and throw away characters laced with social messages that are supposed to tell us what to think about things?

Really?

I apologize to anyone reading this that has accepted and is enjoying it, but as someone who devoted more than half his life as a one time fan of the franchise, I am shocked and dismayed that this is what my devotion was rewarded with. The powers that be at the House of the Mouse sacrificed all that I once loved about Star Wars to this...

...makes me sick.

The Expanded Universe wasn't perfect by any means, but it was vibrant and filled with diversity of character and story with plenty of things for a fan to enjoy.

This...what they've created now...is empty and void of soul as far as I'm concerned. Something that has used nostalgia grab attention in order to springboard into a flat portrayal of a world that was once captivating and filled with wonder. There is no wonder or fascination with any of this.

You cannot tell me that a world where the Jedi Order is alive and well and more than just Luke Skywalker, poised to battle a new generation of Sith, was worse than what Disney just served up to the world through these new movies.

One day, I may come to terms with all of this and learn to accept it all as alternate realities with the EU just being the better one I want to believe in. A reality where a new generation of characters was actually nurtured and grown into worthy inheritors to the original trinity of heroes that were Luke, Han, and Leia, not the flat vapid under detailed shadows they've created for these new movies.

One day, I hope my disgust will fade and I can be happy with what I have and learn to ignore what Disney, the Entertainment Elites, and moronic internet fanboys have tried to convince me is the better deal.

But that is not today. Today I am still disgusted and turned off.

Thank you modern day entertainment and general greed for continuing to ruin one more thing that I held dear.



Rant over. Proceed to either agree, disagree, or just ignore me.

[Rune Lai]

As a person with zero attachment to the Expanded Universe, I liked it. I am a casual Star Wars fan. I've watched each movie exactly once (barring the first one, which I ended up seeing three times because of various people). That includes remakes, which also means that the last time I saw Empire Strikes Back was when I was in elementary school.

I've played a few games as part of my work, but never read a comic, never read a book, or played a game of my own initiative. So I really don't have anything invested in the series other than the expectation that I'll have a good time watching a movie.

And it did that.

The Last Jedi is not perfect. There are definitely some pacing issues I had with Episode VIII, but in the service of having a good time, it fulfilled its purpose. I'd say it was better than the average movie and would recommend it to people. The box office seems to agree, and mind, it's that high because of hardcore fans who run out to midnight showings, not the casuals.

It might never live up to a childhood love of the Expanded Universe, but viewed on its own merits I think it's a fine addition, especially since The Last Jedi fixed a lot of what was weak in The Force Awakens.

[Roas]

Dec 18, 2017 13:40:13 GMT -5 Rune Lai said:

As a person with zero attachment to the Expanded Universe, I liked it. I am a casual Star Wars fan. I've watched each movie exactly once (barring the first one, which I ended up seeing three times because of various people). That includes remakes, which also means that the last time I saw Empire Strikes Back was when I was in elementary school.

I've played a few games as part of my work, but never read a comic, never read a book, or played a game of my own initiative. So I really don't have anything invested in the series other than the expectation that I'll have a good time watching a movie.

And it did that.

The Last Jedi is not perfect. There are definitely some pacing issues I had with Episode VIII, but in the service of having a good time, it fulfilled its purpose. I'd say it was better than the average movie and would recommend it to people. The box office seems to agree, and mind, it's that high because of hardcore fans who run out to midnight showings, not the casuals.

It might never live up to a childhood love of the Expanded Universe, but viewed on its own merits I think it's a fine addition, especially since The Last Jedi fixed a lot of what was weak in The Force Awakens.

I've seen plenty a movie that does what you described: got the job done for an evening's entertainment. I won't deny you that.

Only thing I'm going to take issue with is you saying my "childhood love of the Expanded Universe." Yes, I started reading it when I was 12, but I was reading it as recent as 35 when the EU books ended in 2015. So, I ask that you please do not paint my attachment as something shadowed by a child's vision.

[Rune Lai]

Sorry about that. I don't mean to imply that it's childish, but that we have a lot of fondness for things we grew up with because they're like old friends. We know them and we've spent a lot of time with them. And it does suck not being able to see them again.

[Roas]

Dec 19, 2017 17:24:02 GMT -5 Rune Lai said:

Sorry about that. I don't mean to imply that it's childish, but that we have a lot of fondness for things we grew up with because they're like old friends. We know them and we've spent a lot of time with them. And it does suck not being able to see them again.

Honestly, that isn't what's going on here with me. I'm angry at what I see as bad story telling being chosen over what I saw as better story telling. If these new movies had pulled together a true spirit and story telling that had been going on for years, I would have sucked it up and said okay I'll go with it. But I don't see that happening, and as the fanbase gets riled up, now, I'm not the only one feeling this way. I was part of the small portion that wanted to cling to what the EU had built, and was angry that Disney just tossed it out.

But now, my indignation has been joined by other parts of the fanbase that had decided to just go with the new movies. Now that JJ's ploy to use nostalgia to warm everyone up has played out, people are ready to have a more open eyed opinion of what's happened here rather than just jump on the bandwagon and shout to the heavens that Star Wars is great no matter what.

Now, Rune, you are an anomaly in this argument that I'm making for the simple fact, by your own admission, that you have literally watched these movies once a piece, save an exception as you said. You are part of the consumer base that Disney is happy to have on board for this opening weekend, where you simply wanted a night's good entertainment without much investment. You got that, you're happy, and going forward you really don't have a horse in this race. You'll watch the next one in the same way, I assume, and then that will be that again for you.

Me, I'm trapped in the smoldering sorta hell where I can only hope that two things happen, and they can be mutually exclusive:

1) as I said earlier, one day I can find peace within myself an simply choose to ignore VII, VIII, IX and invoke a belief in alternate SW realities where the EU is the one I choose to believe in.

This is far likely the more realistic outcome years from now.

2) Fan outrage (by that I mean actual fans not just normal movie goers and politically minded observers that want you to think like they do) will continue to rise despite the so called "explanations" as to why VIII works, blah blah blah, and it will increase when the disappointment grows after the possible cluster fuck IX would be.

This leads to a severe backlash where the new movies are dumped on and the fanbase chooses the EU over the movies as what they consider SW.

Will this happen? Not likely, at least not to this extent. Anger will probably grow, and if they continue what I perceive as bad story telling with IX, then more anger will happen.

The Mouse will never acknowledge the EU as canon again...I know this. They've spent too much money on the new movies and the crappy books that surround them. But hopefully the fanbase will give the Mouse the finger one day and just say no thanks.

[Roas]

Fucking brilliant. Worth the 5 hours it takes to watch it all.