The decline of Star Wars

Spectator World ^ | 09/05/2024 | Alexander Larman

[SeekAndFind]

The video game Star Wars Outlaws is to be released this week. The game is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi — so in the universe of the original, still-greatest film trilogy — and has been several years in development. According to its “narrative director” Navid Khavari, “We didn’t just look at the original films, we looked at George Lucas’s own inspirations: Akira Kurosawa, World War Two movies like The Dambusters and spaghetti westerns. You see the care that was taken in that original trilogy to make it tonally consistent. We need to make this feel…

The video game Star Wars Outlaws is to be released this week. The game is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi — so in the universe of the original, still-greatest film trilogy — and has been several years in development. According to its “narrative director” Navid Khavari, “We didn’t just look at the original films, we looked at George Lucas’s own inspirations: Akira Kurosawa, World War Two movies like The Dambusters and spaghetti westerns. You see the care that was taken in that original trilogy to make it tonally consistent. We need to make this feel like it has high stakes, lighthearted humor, emotional tension, growth between characters [and] the hero’s journey.” All of which makes this expensive game rather more exciting than the usual run-of-the-mill fare. The player takes on the guise of Kay Vess, a young woman who lives by her wits and is planning a heist to pay off a syndicate.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars was essential viewing

If this sounds vaguely like the crime-picture trappings of the unsuccessful Star Wars prequel Solo, then you wouldn’t be wrong. Ever since Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney in 2012, there has been an tendency, by now bordering on some sort of compulsion, to mine its intellectual property for any profitable purpose. In the case of the first of the Star Wars sequels, 2015’s The Force Awakens, this led to vast financial success, glowing reviews and a rejuvenated interest in the series. In fact, it was better than the mediocre, George Lucas-directed prequels. Another two films followed, the divisive The Last Jedi and the ridiculed (but actually quite entertaining) The Rise of Skywalker. Then the floodgates opened.

Some of the films and TV shows produced by the Disney regime have, admittedly, been splendid. Rogue One was thrilling. It delivered sheer spectacle and fun better than any of the Star Wars sequels — despite, or because, of a downbeat ending that saw the deaths of the principal cast. Its prequel (confused yet?) Andor was also popular, earning the sobriquet “a Star Wars television series for people who don’t like Star Wars,” although to be honest it’s hard to see why such people would bother watching it. Likewise, The Mandalorian did well during its first two seasons, although last year’s third installment was less enjoyable and less watched. Nevertheless, there is a feature film, The Mandalorian & Grogu, planned for 2026, as well as a possible fourth series.

And this is where Disney has got it so spectacularly wrong. What’s happened is the Marvel-ification of Star Wars. Marvel films were once entertaining, unpretentious adventures with some sly winks to comic-book connoisseurs. They became a hugely complex, virtually incomprehensible behemoth spanning several different platforms. The same is now true for the expanded Star Wars universe, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up. There are now too many TV shows to list here, and the recent news that The Acolyte, the latest release, was cancelled after one series was a tacit acknowledgment that the flabby franchise is faltering.

Yet still they come; the latest, December’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew appears to be a family-friendly adventure about children adrift in the galaxy, with Jude Law as a suitably paternal Jedi guiding them on their way. (Law, incidentally, deserves some sort of medal for the number of franchises he has given gravitas to, what with his appearances in the Harry Potter prequels, Captain Marveland now this; surely his M in the rebooted James Bond is inevitable casting at this point.)

I was too young to appreciate Star Wars the first time round, but a generation of film fans and directors still talk, admiringly, about the sheer effect that seeing the pictures had on them. It brought about the realization, amid a decade in which cinema had become far more cynical, that there was still wonder and breathless fun to be had. Today, the exploitation of Star Wars’s ideas and iconography for the gawping chasm of streaming means that the wonder and awe have been swallowed whole.

I sincerely hope that Star Wars Outlaws really does live up to expectations, because it will be one of the very few offshoots of an increasingly tarnished brand that does. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars was essential viewing. But now, it’s just there, a product to be consumed or ignored, like 99 percent of the rest of what’s on the streamers. For anyone who has a child still somewhere inside them, asking to be awestruck, it’s a pity.

[Jonty30]

Mining the mythos is fine, just keep wokism out. Otherwise I don’t care if you lose $150 million.

[BipolarBob]

[MinorityRepublican]

Some of the films and TV shows produced by the Disney regime have, admittedly, been splendid. Rogue One was thrilling. It delivered sheer spectacle and fun better than any of the Star Wars sequels — despite, or because, of a downbeat ending that saw the deaths of the principal cast.

That's why it was good.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Rogue One was thrilling.

Rogue One was awful. It sucked and was a sign the franchise was in freefall.

[CodeToad]

Star wars was never that great in the first place. If it weren’t for Marcia Lukas having reediting the movie, the British version was a humor film Grade B. She turned it into what it was, and it was a terrible movie. So much was missing and she had a hard time getting any continuity.

[dfwgator]

That’s why I root for The Empire.

[MinorityRepublican]

Rogue One was awful. It sucked and was a sign the franchise was in freefall.

I disagree. I thought it was the best Star Wars film. Even better than the original trilogy. Mark Hamill was not a good actor although everyone liked Harrison Ford, obviously.

[ClearCase_guy]

I agree. I think George Lucas had a good imagination, and he came up with a broad canvas that was suitable for many stories. But he was a terrible writer (the dialogue in his movies is painful) and he was a terrible director (the acting in his movies is awful). And he allowed others to totally debauch his source material. He made a ton of money. Good for him. But, as an artist, he has always been really, really bad.

[alternatives?]

Originally Star Wars main audience was nerdy boys and young men. That is who bought the Lego sets and other merchandise. Disney is producing products that cater to women and transexuals and turning off their core audience. I don’t think a software game with a female lead will be successful.

I don’t understand the pig headiness of converting what boys like to girl preferences. You don’t see them coming out with a male version of Little Women or male version of Barbie in the suburbs. Most young men think Star Wars is deader than a leisure suit.

[Kartographer]

Put a chick in it and made her a GUY! WE’II MAKE MILLION!!!

[xp38]

IMHO The Force Awakens was about the same level or lower than the prequels. Certainly not better like this writer feels. The next one The Last Jedi killed the franchise for me and a legion of other fans. I know I wasn’t alone. Since then I haven’t watched anything new out of the Star Wars franchise. I loved it before Lucas sold it to Disney and in retrospect The Force Awakens is now something I’m trying to forget along with The Last Jedi.

Beyond Star Wars I also stopped going to movies in general and watching network tv about the same time. Good bad or indifferent it’s all over for me. Big entertainment isn’t getting any of my dollars anymore.

[T.B. Yoits]

Star Wars was done after the first movie.

Movie history was made with the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special when the producers openly mocked and spit in the face of Star Wars fans.

It may be the most cringe-worthy movie to ever hit the screen.

[monkeyshine]

Kay Vess, a young woman who lives by her wits and is planning a heist to pay off a syndicate
——

Isn’t that Han Solo’s backstory?

[throwthebumsout]

Can't have attractive characters:
Model vs Game Character

[CodeToad]

“Movie history was made with the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special when the producers openly mocked and spit in the face of Star Wars fans.

It may be the most cringe-worthy movie to ever hit the screen.”

Totally agree!

[monkeyshine]

It’s a video game. Why did they force everyone to play one female character? Couldn’t they allow the gamers to choose their own avatar, their attire, and their screen name?

I don’t know how successful this will be… like I said above this sounds like Han Solo’s storyline (a slickster who smuggles and owes money to the syndicate) but for some reason they are forcing a different character in the same slot and forcing players to be her. It would’ve been better if they let people choose their own avatars.

[Apparatchik]

[cowboyusa]

The Empire lost because of that stupid Death Star. And then, they did it again!

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Star Wars is not declining.

With the lesbian space witch saga of The Acolyte: Star Wars is Dead.