The Death of Star Wars

National Review ^ | November 25, 2013 | Betsy Woodruff

[EveningStar]

It must be said: In October 2012, Star Wars fans felt a great disturbance in the Force. Disney — no need to explain why this is gobsmackingly horrible — announced that it was going to insult the collective intelligence, sensibility, and good taste of everyone in America and the English-speaking world by welcoming George Lucas to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and making another Star Wars trilogy. So obviously I tried out for it.

[EveningStar]

ping

[donmeaker]

I didn’t see how they could ruin it more than episode 6.

But then I saw 1, 2, and 3, and the various clone wars foolishness.

Perhaps Disney can improve things.

[Alex Murphy]

It’s [dead] because Star Wars — a story that’s profoundly anti-centralization, anti-bureaucracy, anti-depersonalization — is being micromanaged and scrutinized by nameless bureaucrats who think that people who’ve stood in line for five hours will be satisfied with being directed to a website. And it’s because a film enterprise that was initially about risk is now about bet-hedging. No one should need to be told that the seventh film in a franchise probably isn’t going to be super great. But, you know, just in case, consider yourself warned.

Ping for later

[EEGator]

[Jonty30]

Disney spent $4.5 billion on a risk that Star Wars will have the same appeal thirty years later.

I thought it was a bad bet from the start.

[Junk Silver]

Disney can’t possibly screw up Star Wars more than Lucas did with “The Phantom Menace”.

When I first watched that movie the entire row in front of me got up and walked out 20 minutes into the film. It was one of the scariest flights I’ve ever been on!

[TexasFreeper2009]

jar jar was no more silly than the ewoks.

[TexasFreeper2009]

that’s funny, I thought it was the deal of the century.

[DemforBush]

I’m probably extra-picky, but I only really, really liked the first two releases - Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. Return of the Jedi was good, but I didn’t think it was great as the first two. The modern “prequels” or whatever they call them hold zero interest for me.

[Jonty30]

It was.

For George Lucas.

[SeeSharp]

a story that’s profoundly anti-centralization, anti-bureaucracy, anti-depersonalization

Not in the Clone Wars series. The bad guys were the "Separatists".

[henkster]

I recall reading many years ago that Lucas saw Star Wars as a trilogy trilogy, or 9 movies. So he sold the last three concepts for a pile of cash and cut & run. Good gig if you can get it.

Not that any of his ideas were original anyway. Imperial officers looking like the command staff of Rommel’s HQ. Stormtroopers jumping out of Hueys in a hot LZ. B-17s fighting off swarms of Focke-Wulfs. His movies were nothing more than special effects versions of a grab bag of combat film.

[Cicero]

Very amusing review, although it gets a bit tired half way through. Worth reading the first half.

[BenLurkin]

Heck...Lucas screwed up Star Wars with ROTJ

[EEGator]

I thought he was worse, though only a little bit.

[Cyber Liberty]

When I first watched that movie the entire row in front of me got up and walked out 20 minutes into the film. It was one of the scariest flights I’ve ever been on!

It took me a moment, I must admit....

[gymbeau]

LOL!

Cheers,
Jim

[yarddog]

I always thought I was the only person who thought “Return of the Jedi” was a clear step down from the first two.

The Ewoks were basically a stupid idea. Clearly something about them appealed to leftists. Also showing them eating humans was disgusting.

[Calvin Locke]

I didn’t see how they could ruin it more than episode 6.

There must have been a delayed reaction to the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.