Fanboy ‘til the day I die
I. Intro
Star Wars fans have a favorite trilogy. I’m one of them. However, many fans also feel an obligation to despise the other trilogies, which I don’t get. Objectively, I agree that some films are superior or at least more fun to watch than others. But I take enjoyment from each film, even from the unpopular ones. I don’t hate any film. I take them all in as one massive story. Below I’ll discuss (1) why all the movies are good in their own way, (2) why the prequels’ criticisms are exaggerated, and (3) why the sequel trilogy is a fitting conclusion (so far) to the Skywalker saga.
II. All The Films Are Good!
The Original Trilogy
First, the original trilogy is objectively the best film trilogy in history. It’s characters are memorable. It’s themes are timeless. The action and special effects are dazzling. Empire has the best film twist in history. It’s hard to top these movies.
Episode IV is a simple story of the oppressed good guy rising against a totalitarian regime. The heroes are a ragtag team of oddballs, each with a unique personality. It was a story that built on samari, western, and religious cultural values to create something new to audiences.
Episode V turned the good vs evil story on its head. It made audiences question where the line between good and evil stood. The good guys lose this time. They blunder. They act recklessly. They’re more vulnerable. This made all the characters more identifiable because they’re imperfect. No other movie in the saga would execute character development this well until The Last Jedi.
Darth Vader grows into a more omniscient presence. His authority over subordinates is much more telling than in IV. But he’s just as calm and calculating as he is violent. He’s both the muscle and brains here.
Luke is more seasoned as a warrior, but reckless. Han and Leia start unraveling their hidden emotions beneath their tough-guy exteriors. They’re vulnerable now. There’s treachery and defeat, and shocking revelations that compel viewers to rethink the line between good and evil. It’s all near-perfectly executed, making this one of the best films in cinema.
Episode VI tied all the loose ends nicely. Sure, it recycled some of the plot points from IV. It also adds too many kid-friendly characters and situations. But the story focuses more on family struggles than recycled material. It’s about the next generation trying to undo the mistakes of the prior generation.
The original trilogy set the standard for future sci fi movies. Perhaps too high. Now everyone wants to relive the same awe they experienced in the originals. It’s hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Let alone once.
The Prequel Trilogy
This standard sunk Episode I. This movie was doomed to fail expectations. It did have significant problems, although chances are you’ve heard them all by now. It’s plot contains a convoluted political context. The acting is robotic at times. It’s tone swings between slapstick and dark conspiracy.
However, there’s positive aspects to this film.
Lucas here built beautiful worlds and cities. He expanded the SW galaxy from a few isolated, single climate worlds to diverse, expansive planets. These planets have thousands of living creatures and people onscreen.
Casting is excellent. Episode I features Liam Neeson, who excels in his mentor role as Qui Gon Jinn. He’s stoic but remains a commanding presence. Ray Park as Darth Maul is a vicious villain. Ian McDiarmid is a creepy presence.
Episode I featured the best lightsaber duel in the series. The battle is fast paced and brutal. I is an okay adventure movie. It doesn’t deserve the hate it gets. It pales compared to the originals, but as a stand alone it’s fine.
Episode II is similar. It has horrible (at times) dialogue. Cliche romance scenes. And it overplays the CGI. However it features amazing battle scenes. We see hundreds of Jedi in battle. We see storm troopers by the thousands. We see Jango Fett and Obi Wan beat each other senseless. Action-wise, it’s a fun movie. Just skip the romance and political stuff.
III is on par with the classics. The plot is intriguing. The moral conflict is poignant. Vader’s physical transformation is powerful and stunning to look at. The battles are great as always. Finally, Ian McDiarmid rules this movie as Palpatine/Sidious. He’s charming yet maniacal. Caring and manipulative. Good range. He’s so conniving and manipulative he rivals Vader as the franchise’s best villain. Similar to Vader in episode 5, Palpatine commands an omniscient presence; he knows what’s going on because he controls everything and everyone. He does it so well nobody knows it, until it’s too late. Hayden Christensen’s performance as Anakin improves from episode 2. He’s still conflicted, but more mature. He well captures the struggles of balancing his jedi duties with spousal duties. He feels pushed into trusting Palpatine. He doesn’t want to be evil, but feels like the dark path is the only path. He rightfully calls out the Jedi when they’re hypocritical, but gets ignored. He suffers from emotional isolation and paranoia, which leads to his downfall. Good moral questions here.
The Sequel Trilogy and Disney spinoffs
Jump forward to VII. This movie fixes all the problems in the prequels. The bad dialogue is gone. CGI is blended with real sets and miniatures. The plot is fast paced and exciting. The acting is superior to both the prequels and the originals. Kylo Ren and Rey are memorable newcomers.
Yes, it repeats some of IV’s plot points. But the focus is on the new characters, each of which is likable and captivating. It’s excellent.
Rogue One ties nicely with IV. It explains how the Rebels got the Death Star plans, but does so with a moving finale. All the heroes are gritty and tired. Some criticized the heroes as too boring or too underdeveloped.
This however is a standalone film, so there’s not as much time to get acquainted with all the heroes. They may not be as memorable as Luke or Han Solo, but they don’t have to be. They’re renegades on a suicide mission. They’re mostly tragic figures that are sacrificing for a cause. They’re analogous to the the characters in Saving Private Ryan in this respect. They don’t spew memorable one-liners. They’re here to make the war against the Empire feel more real.
Again the effects are amazing. They look as realistic as ever. The third act is explosive.
VIII builds on Empire’s moral grayness. It questions the Jedi’s moral superiority. It questions whether dark and light are enemies, or are just two halves that codepend on each other.
Kylo Ren’s character shines as a mentally unstable villain. He’s not methodical and cold like Vader. He’s brutal, unpredictable. But he shows compassion and empathy toward Rey and Leia. His love/hate relationship with Rey is captivating. He’s tough but emotionally damaged and vulnerable. We cheer for him when he breaks free from the abusive Snoke.
Other sub-plots aren’t as strong, such as the Finn-Rose storyline. Poe’s transition from reckless rookie to responsible leader is handled okay. The filmmaking itself is pretty strong. The cinematography is well-shot. The acting and dialogue is superb and with a good sense of humor. The script tells a dark story without mimicking Empire’s sadder third act. It’s fun and worth checking out.
Solo’s fast-paced and well-shot. It’s story structure isn’t as seamless as previous films, mostly because it was shot and re-filmed by different directors. But kudos to Ron Howard for avoiding what could’ve been a total disaster. The cast is good, with memorable performances from Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke. Han himself is portrayed competently by Alden Ehrenreich. Han’s comedic but touching relationship with Chewbacca remains true to the original films. It’s a decent film. It just fails to leave as big an emotional impact as the episodic films.
III. Conclusion
All the movies have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are average. Others are excellent. What’s important to viewers is whether they can enjoy the experience of watching them. That answer is a resounding “yes.”