My Star Wars confession....
Mar. 12th, 2016 12:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I was disappointed by The Force Awakens.
There, I said it.
I’ve been a huge Star Wars fan since I was 8 yrs old. And like many life-long Star Wars fans, I've had my share of disappointments over the years. For this reason, I tried very hard to have zero expectations for TFA.
Somehow, it still managed to let down me, all the same.
There were aspects I enjoyed, but despite having low expectations, I was still somehow deeply disturbed and upset by the film and its implications, and left with an extremely bad taste in my mouth.
Visually, I didn't really have that many complaints. I already knew already from the trailers that the visual design would at the very least attempt to capture the 'lived-in' look of the Original Trilogy. And indeed, there were even some memorable visuals, such as the ruins of the crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku, and the climactic lightsaber duel in the snowy forest.
Somehow, it still managed to let down me, all the same.
There were aspects I enjoyed, but despite having low expectations, I was still somehow deeply disturbed and upset by the film and its implications, and left with an extremely bad taste in my mouth.
Visually, I didn't really have that many complaints. I already knew already from the trailers that the visual design would at the very least attempt to capture the 'lived-in' look of the Original Trilogy. And indeed, there were even some memorable visuals, such as the ruins of the crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku, and the climactic lightsaber duel in the snowy forest.
But unfortunately, beautiful visuals alone did not (for me) automatically translate into an enjoyable first installment of the sequel trilogy. The script and dialogue were okay, I suppose, though not extraordinarily memorable. The acting was alright. In technical respects, the movie was 'passable'.
Rather, it was the STORY itself that I took issue with.
What ruined this film for me was a) the backstory (and, in some instances, the lack thereof), and b) the erasure of certain Original Trilogy characters' character development.
Even from the very first moments of the iconic scrolling words on the screen, I had a strange sinking feeling. Already, I didn’t like the backstory that was being given there, and it only got worse for me as it went. So much of TFA felt pretty much felt like an erasure of the character development and storyline of the OT, post-RotJ. And so, from those scrolling words and onward, I could tell that I was going to struggle with this, as Return of the Jedi is by far my favourite Star Wars film (and one of my favourite films of all time). I had known nothing of the storyline prior to seeing the film, and perhaps this contributed to my extreme dislike -- for I had truly expected a different sort of storyline altogether.
First, I will just come out and say it: I wasn't a fan of Rey, like so many were. While I think the actress did a good job, I had a lot of issues with how her character was introduced to us, and the fact that we still don't know who she actually is, even after one whole movie!
Before and during the movie I wanted to love Rey ferociously like everyone else (on tumblr) seems to, but instead I only just ehhh….kinda sorta tolerated her?? A huge part of my frustration was not knowing who she was, exactly, in relation to everyone else. I mean, for fucks’ sake, just tell us who she is already. Luke's daughter, Obi-Wan's granddaughter, who cares. It’s just soo stupid to keep withholding this information and is making me resent the character.
My inability to warm to Rey as a character has left me deeply frustrated, as I am big fan of the Heroine’s Journey and I can recognize its beginnings there, but....I just could not love her like I had hoped. Not yet, at least. I felt, and still feel, some kind of ‘block’, in that regard that I can’t explain. While I still have some hopes for her in terms of her potential for the next films, I am not yet blown away or emotionally-attached. (Same goes for Finn and Poe, and all the newer characters, really.)
When I'd seen the trailers, I had intially been intrigued by Kylo Ren’s character, but only because I thought he was going to be his 'own' villain. In the sense that I had not realized they were going to make him be related to the Skywalkers/Solo's and I had rather hoped he would have his own unique and unrelated motivations for being a villain. So, you can imagine my disappointment and annoyance to see what they did instead. Ultimately, I found so many aspects of the storyline in relation to him annoying and disappointing or downright baffling, that it quickly became very distracting overall to my enjoyment of the entire film. For instance, I hated that Snoke dude (aka Voldemort and Gollum's lovechild). He was so random just sort of came out of nowhere. Another 'Palpatine' is bad enough as it is. I mean???? they could have at least made a better character design for him??? Ugh.
I also just don't understand the whole First Order thing. WHY do we have to have another totalitarian 'Empire' crop up? Why can't the antagonist/existential threat to the galaxy be something else altogether? It just feels like they are trying repeat the same exact scenarios from OT all over again, just to appeal on a surface level to fans of the OT, and yet simultaneously as though they are determined to undermine OT's importance and erase its impact altogether.
It makes no sense.
Speaking of which, this is one of the main reasons why the backstories that were given immediately rubbed me the wrong way. It did not sit well with me that Luke Skywalker had jus disappeared on everyone. Even if this was because of Kylo Ren's supposed betrayal, it all felt too much like the Anakin/Obi-Wan thing. (In fact, so much of TFA felt like a re-do of A New Hope that it left me scratching my head in parts -- A New Hope is hardly the best Star Wars film, nor does it make sense to repeat it, but I digress.) I'm sure we will get more of an explanation of why Luke left in later films (aside from that he's searching for the first Jedi Temple or whatever), but it caused a jarring sensation that just felt 'off' to me. It would have been different had Leia known of his whereabouts, but the fact that he left everyone behind without even telling them just did not sit well with me.
I've thought about this scenario extensively, and I feel that Luke leaving and disappearing without a trace would actually have made much more sense if he had done so immediately post-RotJ, rather than just because of what happened to Kylo Ren. Seeing as we still don't know *what* happened with him, exactly, it makes all of the above seem a bit strange and out of character for everything.
And this brings me to the storyline regarding Han Solo. Not only were Han Solo and Leia supposedly now 'estranged', but Han Solo was supposed to have now gone back to smuggling. I mean WHAT. None of this made any sense to me, and actually angered me deeply that they forced his character down this route. Because, by the end of Return of the Jedi, Han Solo had gone from being a smuggler and mercenary only out for himself, to being a freaking GENERAL in the Rebellion. And he had done this entirely for the love of his friends. His entire character arc revolves around his newfound friendships with the Skywalker twins: his caring and loyalty toward Luke, and his deep and intense love for Leia. To go back on this side of his character development means erasing the character we grew to know and love in the OT, and I simply cannot abide that.
I could have handled all the other issues, but nothing can assuage my disappointmenat at the treatment of Han Solo’s character. As I mentioned above, I loathed the story/backstory they gave him, post-Kylo turning to the dark side. I’m sorry, but no matter how estranged Han and Leia themselves might have become after that happened, I personally feel that, after his character development during the Original Trilogy (going from caring only about saving his own skin to caring deeply for his friends and also supporting their cause), Han would not have just abandoned Leia and the Resistance altogether and gone right back to his same old smuggling ways. No matter how much sadness he was going through because of his son turning to the Dark Side, he still would not have acted exactly as he had in A New Hope.
If J.J. Abrams was so dead set-on depicting that ridiculous ‘smugglers stand-off scene’, then there were other ways to go about it. For instance, it would have made a lot more sense if Han had simply been gone for a while on the freighter on a covert mission for Leia and/or the Resistance. Perhaps he'd left the Millenium Falcon with Lando and Lando accidentally lost it or it got stolen (or some other explanation for it not being in his posession at the time). He could easily have been ‘smuggling’ as a cover for something else (like, the search for Luke), and it would have had the same effect. But no, let's destroy and reverse an entire trilogy's worth of character development for one scene!!!
Now, this brings me to the worst part of all – Han Solo’s death scene.
Oddly, I didn’t mind the idea of them killing off Han. I had been mentally prepared for this happening throughout the fillm. I thought it would be crushing, but emotionally compelling, in way. And that is coming from someone whose first major on-screen love was Han Solo. But in the end, I loathed how it all went down. SO, no, it wasn't him dying that I took issue with -- what I hated was the manner of his death. Or rather, its aftermath. It was just so incredibly strange and bewildering that they essentially gave Han Solo a death like the Emperor in RoTJ. I mean, falling down an abyss, Sith-lord style???? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT SHIT??? IMO, it was un-befitting of Han Solo’s character. Not just of who he was, but the type of character that he was: an anti-hero turned hero, who was well-beloved of his friends and comrades -- and who loved them fiercely in return.
At the very least, Chewbacca should have been allowed to retrieved his best friend’s body and take it back to Leia, and Han should have had, if not a grave, then at the very least a memorial or something. I just felt that, for a character such as Han-freaking-Solo, who has been so iconic and has meant so much to people over the years, there should have been a hell of a lot more closure.
I’ll never forget the sinking feeling of watching him fall like that – the nail in the coffin of this film for me (sorry for the pun). It was not the sadness of watching a fave character die, but more like anger and distress –- I felt cheated and dissatisfied as a fan while watching his death scene, and it honestly ruined the entire movie for me. I’ve now waited months to see if my opinion changed, but it hasn’t. Not one bit. :/
I could have lived with my own inane nitpicking at the small details. I could have tried to live with my extreme dislike of the ENTIRE backstory (if you think about it, it's like a total fuck you to George Lucas' entire saga, really), and my annoyance at the LACK OF BACKSTORY altogether for certain characters like Rey, but I simply could not live with the way the film handled the later years of his life and ulimate death of Han Solo. It was not the the fact that he died (I was expecting him to die!), but rather that weird and stupid way in which his body just fell down a black abyss and….that was that. the end. bye bye.
Let it be known here: I am not against character death. What I am against, is well-beloved characters dying in an ooc way and/or in a manner that does not do justice to their story or development, and which is offensive to their long-time fans.
Months later, and I’m still fuming over this. Seriously, fuck you, J.J. Abrams. I hated the show LOST, thought your treatment of Star Trek universe was abysmal, and I guess I should not have been surprised that you fucked up some of my favourite Star Wars characters of all time, too.
Final confession: I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but….I absolutely adore the Star Wars: Rebels tv show, and even though it’s supposed to be ‘for kids’, in my opinion it’s a million times better in terms of storytelling and characterization than the new movie. :)
**Edited to add: For the most part, this post contains my initial reactions to this film, and was written only a few months after viewing it. Over the year that followed, I had a great deal of time to think things over, and I realized that there are far more serious issues with the film and its entire premise than even what I first thought. I have since written an in-depth meta detailing my thoughts on why TFA makes no sense in light of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy, and why, in my opinion, it fails spectacularly as a supposed 'continuation' of Lucas' saga.
Here is a link to the post on tumblr:
The Chosen One, the Hero's Journey, and breaking the cycle of enslavement in Star Wars
Rather, it was the STORY itself that I took issue with.
What ruined this film for me was a) the backstory (and, in some instances, the lack thereof), and b) the erasure of certain Original Trilogy characters' character development.
Even from the very first moments of the iconic scrolling words on the screen, I had a strange sinking feeling. Already, I didn’t like the backstory that was being given there, and it only got worse for me as it went. So much of TFA felt pretty much felt like an erasure of the character development and storyline of the OT, post-RotJ. And so, from those scrolling words and onward, I could tell that I was going to struggle with this, as Return of the Jedi is by far my favourite Star Wars film (and one of my favourite films of all time). I had known nothing of the storyline prior to seeing the film, and perhaps this contributed to my extreme dislike -- for I had truly expected a different sort of storyline altogether.
First, I will just come out and say it: I wasn't a fan of Rey, like so many were. While I think the actress did a good job, I had a lot of issues with how her character was introduced to us, and the fact that we still don't know who she actually is, even after one whole movie!
Before and during the movie I wanted to love Rey ferociously like everyone else (on tumblr) seems to, but instead I only just ehhh….kinda sorta tolerated her?? A huge part of my frustration was not knowing who she was, exactly, in relation to everyone else. I mean, for fucks’ sake, just tell us who she is already. Luke's daughter, Obi-Wan's granddaughter, who cares. It’s just soo stupid to keep withholding this information and is making me resent the character.
My inability to warm to Rey as a character has left me deeply frustrated, as I am big fan of the Heroine’s Journey and I can recognize its beginnings there, but....I just could not love her like I had hoped. Not yet, at least. I felt, and still feel, some kind of ‘block’, in that regard that I can’t explain. While I still have some hopes for her in terms of her potential for the next films, I am not yet blown away or emotionally-attached. (Same goes for Finn and Poe, and all the newer characters, really.)
When I'd seen the trailers, I had intially been intrigued by Kylo Ren’s character, but only because I thought he was going to be his 'own' villain. In the sense that I had not realized they were going to make him be related to the Skywalkers/Solo's and I had rather hoped he would have his own unique and unrelated motivations for being a villain. So, you can imagine my disappointment and annoyance to see what they did instead. Ultimately, I found so many aspects of the storyline in relation to him annoying and disappointing or downright baffling, that it quickly became very distracting overall to my enjoyment of the entire film. For instance, I hated that Snoke dude (aka Voldemort and Gollum's lovechild). He was so random just sort of came out of nowhere. Another 'Palpatine' is bad enough as it is. I mean???? they could have at least made a better character design for him??? Ugh.
I also just don't understand the whole First Order thing. WHY do we have to have another totalitarian 'Empire' crop up? Why can't the antagonist/existential threat to the galaxy be something else altogether? It just feels like they are trying repeat the same exact scenarios from OT all over again, just to appeal on a surface level to fans of the OT, and yet simultaneously as though they are determined to undermine OT's importance and erase its impact altogether.
It makes no sense.
Speaking of which, this is one of the main reasons why the backstories that were given immediately rubbed me the wrong way. It did not sit well with me that Luke Skywalker had jus disappeared on everyone. Even if this was because of Kylo Ren's supposed betrayal, it all felt too much like the Anakin/Obi-Wan thing. (In fact, so much of TFA felt like a re-do of A New Hope that it left me scratching my head in parts -- A New Hope is hardly the best Star Wars film, nor does it make sense to repeat it, but I digress.) I'm sure we will get more of an explanation of why Luke left in later films (aside from that he's searching for the first Jedi Temple or whatever), but it caused a jarring sensation that just felt 'off' to me. It would have been different had Leia known of his whereabouts, but the fact that he left everyone behind without even telling them just did not sit well with me.
I've thought about this scenario extensively, and I feel that Luke leaving and disappearing without a trace would actually have made much more sense if he had done so immediately post-RotJ, rather than just because of what happened to Kylo Ren. Seeing as we still don't know *what* happened with him, exactly, it makes all of the above seem a bit strange and out of character for everything.
And this brings me to the storyline regarding Han Solo. Not only were Han Solo and Leia supposedly now 'estranged', but Han Solo was supposed to have now gone back to smuggling. I mean WHAT. None of this made any sense to me, and actually angered me deeply that they forced his character down this route. Because, by the end of Return of the Jedi, Han Solo had gone from being a smuggler and mercenary only out for himself, to being a freaking GENERAL in the Rebellion. And he had done this entirely for the love of his friends. His entire character arc revolves around his newfound friendships with the Skywalker twins: his caring and loyalty toward Luke, and his deep and intense love for Leia. To go back on this side of his character development means erasing the character we grew to know and love in the OT, and I simply cannot abide that.
I could have handled all the other issues, but nothing can assuage my disappointmenat at the treatment of Han Solo’s character. As I mentioned above, I loathed the story/backstory they gave him, post-Kylo turning to the dark side. I’m sorry, but no matter how estranged Han and Leia themselves might have become after that happened, I personally feel that, after his character development during the Original Trilogy (going from caring only about saving his own skin to caring deeply for his friends and also supporting their cause), Han would not have just abandoned Leia and the Resistance altogether and gone right back to his same old smuggling ways. No matter how much sadness he was going through because of his son turning to the Dark Side, he still would not have acted exactly as he had in A New Hope.
If J.J. Abrams was so dead set-on depicting that ridiculous ‘smugglers stand-off scene’, then there were other ways to go about it. For instance, it would have made a lot more sense if Han had simply been gone for a while on the freighter on a covert mission for Leia and/or the Resistance. Perhaps he'd left the Millenium Falcon with Lando and Lando accidentally lost it or it got stolen (or some other explanation for it not being in his posession at the time). He could easily have been ‘smuggling’ as a cover for something else (like, the search for Luke), and it would have had the same effect. But no, let's destroy and reverse an entire trilogy's worth of character development for one scene!!!
Now, this brings me to the worst part of all – Han Solo’s death scene.
Oddly, I didn’t mind the idea of them killing off Han. I had been mentally prepared for this happening throughout the fillm. I thought it would be crushing, but emotionally compelling, in way. And that is coming from someone whose first major on-screen love was Han Solo. But in the end, I loathed how it all went down. SO, no, it wasn't him dying that I took issue with -- what I hated was the manner of his death. Or rather, its aftermath. It was just so incredibly strange and bewildering that they essentially gave Han Solo a death like the Emperor in RoTJ. I mean, falling down an abyss, Sith-lord style???? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT SHIT??? IMO, it was un-befitting of Han Solo’s character. Not just of who he was, but the type of character that he was: an anti-hero turned hero, who was well-beloved of his friends and comrades -- and who loved them fiercely in return.
At the very least, Chewbacca should have been allowed to retrieved his best friend’s body and take it back to Leia, and Han should have had, if not a grave, then at the very least a memorial or something. I just felt that, for a character such as Han-freaking-Solo, who has been so iconic and has meant so much to people over the years, there should have been a hell of a lot more closure.
I’ll never forget the sinking feeling of watching him fall like that – the nail in the coffin of this film for me (sorry for the pun). It was not the sadness of watching a fave character die, but more like anger and distress –- I felt cheated and dissatisfied as a fan while watching his death scene, and it honestly ruined the entire movie for me. I’ve now waited months to see if my opinion changed, but it hasn’t. Not one bit. :/
I could have lived with my own inane nitpicking at the small details. I could have tried to live with my extreme dislike of the ENTIRE backstory (if you think about it, it's like a total fuck you to George Lucas' entire saga, really), and my annoyance at the LACK OF BACKSTORY altogether for certain characters like Rey, but I simply could not live with the way the film handled the later years of his life and ulimate death of Han Solo. It was not the the fact that he died (I was expecting him to die!), but rather that weird and stupid way in which his body just fell down a black abyss and….that was that. the end. bye bye.
Let it be known here: I am not against character death. What I am against, is well-beloved characters dying in an ooc way and/or in a manner that does not do justice to their story or development, and which is offensive to their long-time fans.
Months later, and I’m still fuming over this. Seriously, fuck you, J.J. Abrams. I hated the show LOST, thought your treatment of Star Trek universe was abysmal, and I guess I should not have been surprised that you fucked up some of my favourite Star Wars characters of all time, too.
Final confession: I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but….I absolutely adore the Star Wars: Rebels tv show, and even though it’s supposed to be ‘for kids’, in my opinion it’s a million times better in terms of storytelling and characterization than the new movie. :)
**Edited to add: For the most part, this post contains my initial reactions to this film, and was written only a few months after viewing it. Over the year that followed, I had a great deal of time to think things over, and I realized that there are far more serious issues with the film and its entire premise than even what I first thought. I have since written an in-depth meta detailing my thoughts on why TFA makes no sense in light of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy, and why, in my opinion, it fails spectacularly as a supposed 'continuation' of Lucas' saga.
Here is a link to the post on tumblr:
The Chosen One, the Hero's Journey, and breaking the cycle of enslavement in Star Wars
***Note: I just had to get this off my chest, as I've been feeling so left out on tumblr. TFA and Rey especially are tumblr's darlings atm, and I feel like I have to bite my tongue so hard all the freaking time. I was going to post this there but in the end decided to leave it here instead as I hate the way tumblr allows completely random people to reblog your posts -- I didn't want it accidentally going 'viral' .....*shudder*.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 01:40 am (UTC)While I do admit I enjoyed the movie for what it was (a fun no brainer), it left some pieces that made me go 'huh?'. I also hated what backstory they gave Han to be honest. Maybe I'm too meta, but Han falling down might represent Kylo's light side going down (the tunnel was pure light while Kylo remained in darkness).
And on Luke, it seems that the massacre of the academy of Jedi is far more recent that what the movie implied, at least, I remember reading something from the producers/writers about it on tumblr.
And how's rebels, by the way? I mean to watch it, but The Clone Wars effed me over :/
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 10:38 am (UTC)And oh, yes, I have no doubt they might have had *reasons* for what they did re: Han's manner of death (personally, I just think they wanted something 'epic-looking') -- but even if they did, I still don't agree with how it went down, either way. There's plenty of other ways it could have happened, and that one just really did not sit well with me. I am basing this of course of my very biased, very visceral gut-reaction to the visuals themselves. And sadly, if i have a terrible reaction like that to begin with that leaves such a bad taste, no amount of meta-textual analysis can save it for me. :/
Which brings me to another thing. Every time I hear people go on about how great Rey is, I always see them mention the tie-in books and such. Now, I understand that Disney are greedy capitalists and will make a a tie-in *everything* to the point of insanity, but once again, I feel that I should not have to read an outside source in order to fully understand/enjoy/ a story or character.
Re: what happened with Luke and all in Luke's backstory -- I'm sure we'll find out soon enough in the next film, but idk....thus far, even Luke's backstory in TFA hasn't really 'done it' for me. :/
That's just my very stubborn opinion.....and one I will continue to try to keep to myself here on my private journal, as I don't want to rain on anyone's parade.
As for Rebels, I suppose one's enjoyment of it might depend on what one is looking for in a kid's Star Wars tv show. While I found Clone Wars enjoyable at times, I personally wasn't really a massive fan of it. Mainly because I'm not a big fan of the prequels or their time period/setting. Everything always looked too 'glossy' in the prequels -- I prefer the 'lived-in' look of the post-Republic period. That said, there were of course moments where I really enjoyed that show even despite that.
So, I did not really know what to expect with Rebels. At first I was even less sure, as the main character seemed to be a kid (albeit an interesting one) but very soon you get introduced to an entire crew of characters, and I found myself really getting into it.
One thing that I think they've done especially well in Rebels is continuity and references -- the show seems designed to quite literally bridge the gap between the Prequels (+the Clone Wars) and the Original Trilogy....with what I suspect might also be some references or even direct continuity with TFA and the new films in the future. There are some characters from the Clone Wars (and of course the OT) who make appearances throughout.
On a personal note: I think Rebels appeals to me so much because my favourite types of 'space stories' are those about a small, tight-knit crew who work well together and act as a surrogate family for each, dabble in thieving, and who get into scrapes and just generally have crazy adventures together. (a la Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, etc.) So, I do rec that show, but also admit I am fairly biased/already inclined toward those types of stories. :)
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 06:06 pm (UTC)Oh I understand your dislike, I choose to see it via meta lens because, imo, it gives it a lot more meaning. Because I'm not happy either with Han's manner of death. I understand that HF wanted out, but I hated the method :/
On Rey, I have issues with her characterization to be frank and not only her, but Leia's backstory is something I'm unhappy with. Leia (according to the novelization) is having issues with the senate (lack of support) and it was supposed to be a scene where an envoy pleads for help. I mean, it's really not that hard to have them throw a line so we could get it, but nope it has to be in the novel.
Re: Luke, I agree, I'm not happy. I hope that Ep VIII addresses the issues.
I might give Rebels a shot one of these days. And to confess, I kind of like the prequels, but then again, I love how sassy Obi-Wan is in them (and I love the damn man), so that might be coloring my view.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 06:31 pm (UTC)And re: the Prequels -- don't worry, I know so many who loved them! My husband included (he is huge Obi-wan fan, too). It's just me, I'm a weirdo and overly sensitive to visuals. :P
That being said, as much as I didn't love the prequels, I actually think they were better in some ways than TFA (which kind of sad, but there you go). :3
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 06:45 pm (UTC)Oh good! Nice to know your husband is an Obi-Wan fan :D And don't worry, we all have things that we like and dislike.
TFA borrowed heavy from ANH and that kind of bothered me to be honest. At least the prequels gave us a lot of back story, even if I dislike some of it.
By the way, have you seen the "How it should have ended" videos on Youtube? They are very funny and they address some plot holes on the movies, I recommend them.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 08:07 pm (UTC)And thanks for letting me know about those youtube vids, I"ll definitely check 'em out. :D
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 09:31 pm (UTC)Welcome, hope you'll enjoy the videos :D
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 09:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 09:32 pm (UTC)