The Star Wars Sequels: Disney's Anti-Trilogy

So Uncivilized2 minutes read

The Disney Star Wars sequels aim to provide an antidote to previous films, with "The Force Awakens" celebrating the franchise while "The Last Jedi" subverts expectations and criticizes various elements, ultimately leading to "The Rise of Skywalker" attempting to correct perceived missteps but struggling with narrative coherence.

Insights

  • The Disney Star Wars sequels, while criticized for lacking coherence, collectively serve as a corrective response to the previous Star Wars films.
  • Each sequel, from "The Force Awakens" to "The Rise of Skywalker," attempts to address perceived issues of the past, whether through reintroducing practical effects, subverting expectations, or emphasizing broader themes beyond the Skywalker family.

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Recent questions

  • What are the main criticisms of the Disney Star Wars sequels?

    Lack of coherence, messy storytelling, and excessive nostalgia.

  • How does "The Force Awakens" differ from the original trilogy?

    Focuses on practical effects, omits prequel references.

  • How does "The Last Jedi" subvert expectations?

    Takes an artful approach, undoes character arcs.

  • What themes does "The Rise of Skywalker" attempt to address?

    Correcting perceived missteps, convoluted plot.

  • How does "The Last Jedi" differ in its approach to character development?

    Rejects nostalgia, focuses on nameless symbols.

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Summary

00:00

Disney Star Wars sequels: Messy but innovative.

  • The Disney Star Wars sequels are widely considered messy and lacking coherence.
  • Despite this, the sequels share a unifying trait of being an antidote to what came before them.
  • "The Force Awakens" aimed to celebrate the Star Wars franchise by reintroducing old elements and introducing new ones.
  • The movie heavily relied on practical effects and real sets, echoing the original trilogy.
  • However, it omitted references to the prequel trilogy, likely due to fan dislike of those films.
  • J.J. Abrams sought to correct perceived mistakes of the prequels by focusing on practical effects and avoiding heavy digital effects.
  • The movie's comedy often undercuts character development and conflicts, deviating from the original trilogy's approach.
  • "The Last Jedi" subverted expectations and took a more artful approach compared to "The Force Awakens."
  • The film's constant backtracking and deception led to a lack of progress in the storyline.
  • "The Last Jedi" fundamentally rejects the nostalgia of "The Force Awakens" by undoing and redoing character arcs, particularly with Luke Skywalker.

14:29

Star Wars Sequels: Themes and Critiques

  • The Last Jedi is critical of various elements, including The Force Awakens, meat consumption, war, and Poe's actions.
  • The film is noted for its scolding tone and its preference for nameless symbols over developed characters.
  • The Last Jedi is not the first Star Wars movie to explore themes like greed and war, but it does so differently.
  • The movie emphasizes that the Force is for everyone, not just the Skywalkers, highlighting themes of family and generational issues.
  • The Rise of Skywalker attempts to correct the perceived missteps of The Last Jedi and the sequel trilogy as a whole.
  • The film struggles with a convoluted plot, with key story beats feeling arbitrary or unmotivated.
  • The Rise of Skywalker is criticized for its lack of narrative coherence, focusing more on setup and payoff rather than cause and effect storytelling.
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