How 'Star Wars' ruined sci-fi (updated)

CNN ^ | November 29, 2014 | Lewis Beale

[EveningStar]

Now that the trailer for the seventh "Star Wars" movie is out, you can imagine the anticipation among the millions of fans of the film franchise. And why not? The six "Star Wars" films have been enormous successes: they have grossed over $2 billion domestically at the box office, spawned scores of books, comic books and merchandise (how many kids have their own light saber?) and made household names of characters like Darth Vader, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.

They've also been the worst thing ever for the science fiction genre.

[EveningStar]

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[EveningStar]

ping

[webheart]

Who the **** cares what some CNN reporter thinks?

[EveningStar]

Editor's note: Lewis Beale writes about culture and film for the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and other publications.The opinions expressed in this commentary, which is updated from an earlier version, are solely those of the author.

[TMA62]

CNN is the worse thing that happened to journalism.

[ConorMacNessa]

The Farce is strong in this one!

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

This is the Arabic character "nun" – the first letter of the word "Nazarene." I post it as my avatar in solidarity with people of all faiths suffering persecution at the hands of Islam. Many of them are members of the oldest of our Christian Communities, dating from the days of the Apostles. They endure cruel, merciless and unrelenting persecution. They are Orthodox and Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical, Coptic, Pentecostal, and Baptist. To the persecutors they, and we, are all "Nazarenes."

[Celtic Conservative]

Star Wars isn’t science fiction. It’s romantic fantasy set in space.

CC

[PapaBear3625]

The author's favorite SF story is about a black woman who goes back in time to the pre-Civil-War South, and is enslaved. Thinks SF should be about race and gender.

Really hates SF about people overthrowing an oppressive government. SF about politicians who appear to be the good guy, turning out to be evil.

[Ted Grant]

No doubt. It has more in common with Lord of the Rings than 2001.

[rbg81]

Star Wars isn’t science fiction. It’s romantic fantasy set in space.

---

Yup, though I’d say it is 90% action and only about 10% romance. But it’s not SciFi in the way a movie like “Interstellar” is.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Star Wars isn’t science fiction. It’s romantic fantasy set in space.”

Absolutely agree.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I wish someone would do “The Mote in God’s Eye.”

[Mr Rogers]

Star Wars was a fun film, kind of like Raiders of the Lost Ark. But Hollywood isn’t about great thoughts. Hollywood thrives on mediocrity, and it does so because that is what a film maker can promise the money men.

Genius is great, but it isn’t something one can promise. A film maker can promise sex scenes, but he cannot promise romance between characters the audience cares about. The maker can promise violence, but he cannot promise suspense. In like manner, he can promise action, but not a stirring of the soul. And movies are financed by what can be promised, not by what one can hope for.

TV is actually a better medium, because 26 shows a season means a few can be special. The original Star Trek had some pee-poor episodes, but they had a few meant to provoke thought - like raisins in a muffin. A TV series can afford raisins. A movie only has one shot, and no one wants to take a chance.

[SandwicheGuy]

A TV series can afford raisins. A movie only has one shot, and no one wants to take a chance.

Good analogy. Makes sense IAW with follow the money.

[Lurker]

Great book that one.

L

[FredZarguna]

The author laments the shortcomings of Star Wars and then proceeds to tout the virtues of Kindred [in particular, and Octavia Butler, in general] which is -- all politically correct and puke inducing Hugo's and Nebula's to the contrary notwithstanding -- thoroughly wretched nonsense that is not ψφ

. Propaganda is propaganda, and is never art.

Star Wars is light fare. It hasn't ruined anything. It got people of a certain age interested in science fiction, and to the extent that it interested them in other, "deeper" ψφ fare it was not a bad thing. I seriously doubt about half of the "meaningful" ψφ the author of the piece obviously prefers and is overlooking in his silly rant would ever have been made had not Star Wars been a commercial success.

He's complaining because every cowboy movie isn't The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance or The Shootist while forgetting that silly Tom Mix serials and really stupid "singing cowboys" made those films possible.

D+.

[Nepeta]

Science fiction is a lot more than space opera. Good science fiction may have nothing to do with space, as shown by many Twilight Zone episodes.

I grew up watching Science Fiction Theatre. I read Andre Norton as a young teen. This was back in the era when the genre was believed to be consumed almost entirely by young males. In my teen summers, I worked my way through the library's stock of Asimov, Clarke, etc. I love science fiction. When I was old enough, I bought books and attended (chiefly male) science fiction conventions. However...

I dislike Star Wars. I disliked it in 1977. The Star Wars universe is a universe that could be stripped of its setting and be made as a western, a Chinese costume epic, a European period piece...it is eye candy, not idea candy.

Minus the special effects, what is there to talk about? The characters are predictable. I'm not even sure why the rebels are the "good guys," except that the actors are the prettier ones. The Leni Riefenstahl Triumph of the Will moment at the end of the first movie creeped me out.

Star Wars has stunted science fiction. There are many people who now believe science fiction IS space opera. Even space opera need not be predictable; Star Trek TOS holds up surprisingly well. Those episode actually can yield some interesting discussion without once considering special effects! And the Star Trek TOS future is a seriously American future, based on merit.

[OneWingedShark]

The author's favorite SF story is about a black woman who goes back in time to the pre-Civil-War South, and is enslaved. Thinks SF should be about race and gender.

I think he was using that more to point out that the Sci-Fi genre encompasses more than Star Wars / Star Trek pop-culture ideas.
When he returns to the thesis, he says Hollywood studios, not known for thinking outside the box, opt for the "Star Wars" template -- lots of whiz bang, plenty of quirky alien characters, CGI to the max, plenty of explosions and little thought of any kind. and I'm inclined to agree; the only good sci-fi movie I've seen in [fairly] recent years is Serenity. (Star Trek Into Darkness was a poorly done ST II: Wrath of Kahn remake; Green Lantern could have been really good, if they didn't try shoehorning two and a half movies into a single one.)

Really hates SF about people overthrowing an oppressive government. SF about politicians who appear to be the good guy, turning out to be evil.

Well, there's some SF like that, but there's a lot that's about exploring an idea.
Minority Report, for example, is about what police/law-enforcement would be like if there was precognition.

[BuffaloJack]

Star Wars isn’t Scifi
SciFi:
Time Travel
Travel By Black Holes
Space
War of the Worlds
Forbidden Planet
Fantasy:
Space Fantasy (Star Wars, Battle Star Galactica)
Other World Fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Farscape, ...)
Dragons
Magic, Sorcery
Not SciFi
Horror
Werewolves
Vampires
Frankenstein
Zombies
Ghosts
Goblins
Spirits
Devils and Angels
Monsters
Aliens

[RobbyS]

Correct. Buck Rogers stuff updated.