What sort of film related blog would I be if I didn't talk about Star Wars after the trailer? A poor one, that's what. It shouldn't have taken me this long, really, but pie-induced food comas tend to have that affect on me. (The pie was freakin' worth it, by the way.) Also, finals (yay, student).
But before I start into the purpose of this, let's get a few things out of the way first:
HOLY CRAP, THE TRAILER IS OUT. Who's that guy? and that chick? And--OH SOFT WHAT LIGHT FROM YONDER FREAKING SHATTERS--DID YOU SEE THOSE X-WINGS? And who's the dude in the sno--AND THE LIGHTSABER. WHAT. Oh, man, this is going to--
THE FALCON. THE MILLENNIUM FALCON. AND JOHN FRIGGIN' WILLIAMS. AND SO MUCH JJ ABRAMS. Sold. SOLD.
SOLD. GOLLY MOSES. WHY ISN'T IT DECEMBER OF 2015 YET?
cough. Ahem. Well, then.
Now that THAT'S out of the way, let's talk get to the purpose of this blog post. Hopefully you won't be too disappointed that I'm not going to analyze the heck out of the trailer. io9 already has a wonderful post on that right here and every fanboy and his mother are writing about it so I don't see a need for me to add to the internet literature about it.
Instead, I'd much rather discuss something I should have written about a long time ago, but didn't. The trailer gives me an excellent excuse to write about it:
Do we need another Star Wars film?
GASP
I know. I just asked that question. And right after I said I was "sold" on the new film too. Well, if you don't know me very well, you should be informed that I get swept up in the moment and so in the moment I am sold on the movie, but upon further reflection, I'm not so sure. I'm still excited, but--let me explain:
I won't dig into whether or not Abrams should be making it - if anyone should, it's him, let's be honest - and I won't talk about the prequel trilogy and whether or not the film will be like that - I doubt it. Nothing can be that bad (except this monstrosity which is actually worse). No, instead I'm going to dig into the end of Jedi and my theory of how to watch the movies.
"What?" Just follow me.
For those of us who are geeky enough to discuss such things, when discussing Star Wars the questions will arise, "What order should we watch them in" and its bedfellow, "In what order will we show these to our kids?"
Do we show it to them how we watched them: IV, V, VI, I, II, III and burden them with the disappointment that we felt? Or do we go I, II, III, IV, V, VI and pray their interest holds long enough for them to get past "So love has blinded you"? Even with the new films coming--how will we show these to our children? The argument gets very heated on both sides as people passionately explain why there way is better. Friendships are lost, bridges burned, families ripped in two--
Then some genius, who's name I know not, proposed what I think is not only a better way, but the only way. In fact, I think it's perfect: IV, V, then I, II, III, then back to VI.
You heard me right: split up the trilogies. First, if we can get our kids to the end of V, they are going to be curious enough to get to VI so we will be able to get them through the prequels. Second, they end on a high note without ignoring the low ones. And third - this is where the fun begins - it's the best way to tell the story of the Skywalker family.
Think about it.
We start in the middle of the story, like Luke, fairly clueless about the past, knowing only that some evil Empire is ruling the galaxy. We go with Luke on his journey, discover more about the galaxy, learn to fear Vader (he was terrifying as a kid), meet Yoda and Obi-Wan, get better acquainted with the Empire, all while hearing whispers about what happened before. Then, suddenly, at the end of Empire, a startling revelation:
"No. I am your father."
WHAT? WAIT. WHAT! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We want an explanation!
Cue the prequel trilogy.
We are introduced to a much younger Obi-Wan, Yoda, and this kid Anakin--SKYWALKER? Could it be? Yes! We go down the rabbit hole and learn about how Darth Vader came to be, what happened the to Jedi, how the Empire took power, the mysterious Clone Wars, a little about Chewbacca, and the history of Luke's family so that by the time we get back to Jedi we now understand father and son and everything make sense. We have a fuller sense of the tragedy that is Anakin Skywalker and are prepared for the redemption at the end of Jedi.
And so when we get to the end of Jedi we don't just see father and son fighting, we understand how close Luke is to becoming his father. It's like Dooku and Anakin all over again* but with better music and cinematography.
What it really is though, is the culmination--the zenith of this epic story George Lucas has crafted. Everything comes together at this point where the evolutions of both father and son culminate in an epic and beautiful collision of good vs. evil. This is what their character arcs have been building to the entire time; so much so that when Luke finally "wins" and cuts off his father's hand he realizes what he learned in the Cave in Empire: he is Vader. And that's when it all comes together--the redemption of both father and son, good triumphing over evil, and the balancing of the Force.
That is the highest point of the whole series and what everything has been leading to. Therefore we should watch the movies in such a way that leads into it.
And that is why I question the need for another set of Star Wars films. Why do we need another film? Has not the story been told? Have we not redeemed the Skywalker family from its tragedy?
I hope you can forgive me as I just don't see the need to continue a story past it's intended goal.
Okay, before you get the pitchforks, let me clarify this a bit more (or make it even less clear): I like the Expanded Universe.** Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy is excellent on multiple levels. I also love some of the TV shows (haven't caught up with Rebels, but what I've seen I've liked). I own a few of the comics even. And I am really looking forward to another trilogy (as all of us are).
But--
So, Star Wars has a vast and rich universe that I embrace and love, but the movies are a bit different. They are special. Very special. They are all some know of Star Wars, they are what brought us in in the first place, they are larger than life, they are embedded in our culture--these films changed the world.*** And so they are very, very special. And the story they told, the story of the Skywalker family--it was finished.
That's why I don't necessarily want another Star Wars trilogy. This isn't Star Trek where you could continue to explore the galaxy in a million different eras, or Marvel where you can just keep expanding your universe. It's different. At least, it's different to me.
Does this mean I'm not going to see the new film? No--absolutely not. Abrams at the helm? The original cast back one last time? More Star Wars? Of course I will be there, in costume, lightsaber in hand, force-choking my friends as we stand in line for the opening night's first showing.
But what is does mean is that I'm going in cautiously and with a different critical eye than most of us fans because my standards for this film are very high. Everyone's are. But for me, this film doesn't just have to be a good movie, or even a good Star Wars movie. For me, this film has to justify its existence.
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*I know, I know. The Vader/Luke fight is the inspiration for the Dooku/Anakin fight. Not the point for the purposes of telling the story.
**I know it doesn't exist anymore; no need to rub that in.
**Whole different post, but it's true.
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