la la links (Star Wars stuff)

[rose_griffes]

With time passing as one factor, perceptions will become very different for new fans consuming stuff with a fair number of spoilers already established before they begin. Waiting from week to week (shows) or months or years at a time (films), poring over trailers, actor commentary, and statements from show runners--someone who watches years later will have a very different experience than those engaged “live”. 

Whatever my own grudges and disappointments, the Star Wars sequel trilogy will feel different to new fans in years to come.

• In Defense of Brandon & Markey Part II: How The Last Jedi Consciously Undid The Force Awakens - film editors Mary Jo Markey and Marianne Brandon commented recently in a podcast that Rian Johnson had stepped away from some of the choices made in TFA. This caused an uproar. (They barely mentioned it, but, y’know... Star Wars fans.) Anyway, the article at the link is a solid analysis of how Finn and Rey were dual protagonists in TFA, with multiple parallels in their story--and how Johnson did, in fact, step away from that beginning.
• A whole crew of Star Wars fans review The Rise of Skywalker - with a lot of different takes on it. Fascinating.
• “I Didn’t Take You For a Coward” – An Emotional Response to The Last Jedi. Pretty much just what it says: why TLJ is her favorite Star Wars movie, even though she hated most of it while watching in the theater. (I still cannot stand TLJ, but I am interested in thoughtful takes on media that I have strong opinions about.)
  

Comments

[fleurviolette]

Just wondering, do you watch Clone Wars or Rebels?

[rose_griffes]

Not yet. Will probably do a one month subscription to D+ at some point and give them and The Mandalorian a try. Not sure if the digital animation will work with my brain or not; we'll see.

[fleurviolette]

Nice! All three shows are good to watch.

[elperian]

I was just thinking last night about how this is true; in ten to twenty years Kylo Ren may be a beloved villain the way Anakin Skywalker became with the PT. If it's your Star Wars trilogy aka the one that introduced you to the franchise, and you stick with it, it's going to have some emotional power in time.

Which honestly bums me out but I still get ??? at the Anakin-stanning from the PT and TCW. Happens all the time though.

why TLJ is her favorite Star Wars movie, even though she hated most of it while watching in the theater.

This is a WILD take.

[rose_griffes]

For all this comparing prequels (not great!) to sequels (so mediocre!), I'll say this: by keeping most of the world-building stuff consistent and rich between the original and prequel trilogies, the "heritage" audience stuck with it. The adults complained, the kids enjoyed it, and people were still fans even if they didn't think the prequels were very good. With TLJ, lots of fans felt like they were being mocked for caring; add in the failure to build a coherent mythology and tearing down of original characters, and a lot of that goodwill has faded.

So I'm guessing there will be less "I saw this when I was younger and now I love it" and more "I watched this on Disney+ at some point, and hey, it's not that bad." Just given that it's a popular platform for other things, and so someone curious about Star Wars who hasn't invested in watching before might give it a try.

*shudders at the thought of future Kylo Ren fans* To each their own! Just--very far away from me, please!

[elperian]

*shudders at the thought of future Kylo Ren fans* To each their own! Just--very far away from me, please!

*ugly laughter*

I am very much to each their own as well, I just...want to be able to filter those posts out at will.

Did you ever seen this flabbergastingly titled article defending TLJ? Just asking for hilarity's sake as a coping mechanism.

[rose_griffes]

*looks at article title*
Well, that's certainly one take.

from the article: Abrams left him with an ellipsis, a “to be continued” that felt like a specific path. And Johnson takes a hard left turn in his land speeder, breaks through a fence, and goes off track into the wilderness.
Accurate.

Star Wars has gone off the rails. Either you’re going to be on board for the bumpy ride to a new place or you’re not. But the intentions are made early and they’re made perfectly clear.
Mostly accurate. I would quibble with the idea that anything Rian Johnson intended to do was actually clear.

Perhaps that’s why The Last Jedi is such a jarring experience, one that feels specifically built to make audiences work through their feelings about this universe.
Jarring? Yeah. Work through my feelings about Star Wars? Pfft. (My brother-in-law's ONLY statement about TLJ: "It confirmed all of my worst fears about Disney buying LucasFilm." He hasn't said a word about Star Wars since then. And he's one of the biggest sci-fi nerds I know.)

[elperian]

Well, that's certainly one take.

I'm just saying, if you wanted to reinvent Star Wars for a new audience, the capstone to the Skywalker Saga was probably not the setting to do it in.