How to make this brief? That may be impossible, but I have to give some philosophical musings on the release of this thing, mainly because of my reaction to it versus that in the entire rest of my life is night and day. Star Wars (in tandem with its sibling in spirit & creation, Indiana Jones) has been one of the most significant imaginative hobbies in my life, a heavy interest and influence, equaled only by Japanese kaiju films and Disney animation and theme parks. The original trilogy had a huge affect on me as an adolescent, and I went absolutely Star Wars crazy in my thirties during the prequel era, and those later films also have heavily informed the person Ive become, being a touchstone I contemplated over during one of the most difficult periods of my own life. Two years ago when George in essence retired and sold Lucasfilm to Disney and shockingly the sequel trilogy was announced, while all radically interesting, I suddenly found I couldnt care less, to even my own surprise. Several reasons I suppose, foremost being Star Wars was always Georges creation (even Star Tours was thoroughly his ideas), and I never cared a whit for the non-George stuff, which always felt very off and usually wasnt cinema anyway, and Star Wars is inherently cinematic. Regarding sequels though, the way George rewrote the original trilogy (in the late 70s it was still going to go through Episode 9), Return of the Jedi was the post-apocalyptic, Book of Revelation New Heaven/New Earth, all is right with the galaxy, the Sith are extinguished, grand finale of finales, kind of ending. To have a sequel didnt make emotional sense. I would love prequels to the prequels to get back to the very beginning, but sequels? However, allegedly the sequel stories came from George himself, and though Ive heard disturbing rumblings behind the scenes that may compromise those story treatments, while I could care less about these future stand-alone films, the sequel trilogy might still be Georges Star Wars. While I died in anticipation for every trailer of the prequel trilogy, going to theaters and taping new stories with clips and running between rooms to see if the trailer would appear on TV or the internet first, I frankly forgot about the release of this sequel trailer, until I saw it on social media a few hours after release. Even then, I lamely ended up first watching it on my phone in a grocery store! What has changed? Star Wars or me? Probably both. All I really have to say about this trailer is that Im unimpressed. It looks off, (except for the shot of the woman on a speeder - that looks right). It looks like a cross between a video game and a fan film. What is some guy not a clone doing in a trooper uniform? (I dont want to know). Why does someone have a Sith lightsaber if the Sith are eradicated? (I REALLY dont want to know that one and its the biggest problem with sequels - they could bring the Sith back in the story, but it would be HORRIBLY LAME and cringeworthy - but without Sith, theres nothing to have a galactic scale war about - the only possible appealing solution I can think of is to maybe go wider than Jedi & Sith, into the uber-mythical territory of the Whills George hinted at). In short, Im trying to have an open mind, and Ill hopefully be there on opening night if I can, but this trailer hasnt helped me with any enthusiasm. I just dont care. And I have always really cared about Star Wars, deeply. Maybe Ive grown emotionally and spiritually to the point where I understand now down in my soul that there really isnt much importance to this, but again, the lessons and truths Star Wars past has imprinted on my psyche are as important to me now as they ever were. I guess Ill have a lot more to say in a years time.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 17:12:21 +0000
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