Should we still care about Star Wars? As it stands, has the time come to let this portion of the past die? This is something I never thought would become a consideration for me.
Once upon a time Star Wars with something special. It was a rare treat. When you got a movie or a special (yes even the special) or book or comic book or whatever it was something that you got excited over because there was so little of Star Wars out there. But now we have Star Wars content galore. Multiple shows and multiple comics and even multiple books. Noticeably absent though are films. And that may be an indication of there being too much out there. We have a serious glut.
Much of what we get is filled with characters that have no resonance with the broader public. The core fanbase yes (maybe) but the broader public which really pays the bills probably is unsure of who Ahsoka Tano or Zeb or Din Djarin or Sabine Wren or Hype Fazon or any number of characters mostly exclusive to the streaming shows are. Or while they may be aware of the series The Mandalorian and that Pedro Pascal is in the show, they may not be aware of his character’s name.
During the ‘80s and even ‘90s having a lot of Star Wars to consume was a fanboy’s wet dream but in hindsight this has removed the special nature of Star Wars. It’s not that exciting treat you get that’s hard to find like when you go out shopping but rather something you can easily locate at the grocery store whenever.
The House of Mouse seems to believe that people will consume all Star Wars no matter what. And while that may have been true initially, after awhile those blind consumers will start to peel off because they’ve had their fill. You can only partake in so much of an all you can eat buffet before you get full.
Worse from the start of Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and thus Star Wars there has been no clear vision. At least none other than to get new stuff out and replace the old. Say what you will about George Lucas but he had an idea of what he wanted to do at any given time. But more importantly, this wasn’t just a cash cow for him. Rather it was his baby. He cared about it even if all his choices were not great. Disney, on the other hand, just sees this as a moneymaker. That is not bad but a moneymaker with no clear vision is not going to make money for very long. And Disney has no clear vision.
They are throwing whatever they can against the wall and hoping something resonates. The biggest thing to come out of all their efforts? Baby Yoda. Baby Yoda/Grogu is perhaps the one character from all this that the general public is aware of. He joins the likes of Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, or Han Solo, R2-D2, or C-3PO. Mention those names to just about anybody and they will know they’re from Star Wars even if they have not seen Star Wars before. There are some people like that. Has anything else Disney produced done that? No. Why? Probably because they didn’t force it with Grogu. The Mandalorian is the main character and should be the one that extended into the general consciousness but that’s not what happened.
Generally gone is the sense of hope and fun that Star Wars had. It was an epic battle of good versus evil with good ultimately coming out on top. And to a lesser extent is was about how one dysfunctional family’s problems can mess up all that galaxy. And that seems to be missing largely.
But should we care about Star Wars? Better yet, is there anything to care about? Not too much. And that’s because there are a bunch of characters being thrown that we the fans have no emotional investment over. Nothing that fans have been curious about for decades is being explored. Look into Darth Plageius or the days of the Sith Empire or even concretely answer the question if Palpatine was indeed all of the Sith?
Just cut back. Giving us something but not by the shovel full. Make it special again. Remember to entertain. Star Wars should be cared about but it’s been so put out there that there is not much to care about. That’s not to say that can’t be changed but in the near future I don’t see things changing soon.
Addendum
I’m writing this addendum after the recent Star Wars announcements of new movies along with the return of Daisy Ridley to the role of Rey. And you know something? I find myself excited. Not so much for the shows but for the movies. Is there anything like the Star Wars cinematic experience? And maybe that is what is ultimately missing from Star Wars as of late.
That excitement is hampered by the knowledge that so many Star Wars films have been announced and none of them have happened. Rogue Squadron. Dead. The Rian Johnson Trilogy. Mercifully dead. Obi-Wan going from a film to a series instead. And that’s just off the top of my head.
I find myself excited by the possibilities of a film focusing on Rey reestablishing The Jedi Order. Admittedly I have some issues with the whole prophecy from the prequels and all of that and how she all fits in with it. Or were they just completely ignoring that in the sequel films? Unless they do something to explain that I will always have an issue with it, but I am still excited.
I really want to step into a movie theater on opening day of a Star Wars movie. A soda in one hand and a bucket of popcorn in another and that part of me that is an eight-year-old kid come out and feel that wonder and joy of what is the come. I don’t want to be sitting in my living room watching a movie or TV show. I want snacks and a crowd of people to cheer and feel it with. That is what Star Wars is meant to be.
Star Wars is a shared experience with friends and family and anybody else who can drive to the theater that night. So I guess yes we should still get REALLY excited over Star Wars. Why? Because of the shared experience.
Warren Watched A Movie 