Amongst all the other things going on this week, the trailer for the new Star Wars movie was released:
I don't write this because I have a problem with this particular trailer, or the fact that they're coming out with this movie in particular. Yet, to be blunt, my reaction to this movie was something close to vomiting.
It isn't new to see movie sequels be terrible, pandering, corporate moneygrabs, but as somebody who isn't the type to be delving into all the intricacies of the past movies, somebody who isn't going to fight for Star Wars as one of the best examples of cinema in recent memory, I just have to say that what JJ Abrams and Disney has done to Star Wars is an absolute disgrace.
I get that we live in a capitalistic society that cares about one thing more than anything: money (which it did make a ton of), but as someone who is a casual fan, I just have to ask: who actually thought this was a good idea? Who thought that, after seeing the last three movies (two of which I actually like contrary to some people's opinion), making another one was anything other than a corporate moneygrab? Who thought that Disney, a company that has basically ruined ESPN, turning it into a company that is comfortable with spouting incredibly stupid intentionally frustrating hot takes, yet shies away at the slightest controversy outside of sports, would do a good job with this? While George Lucas's opinions aren't always the best, I would like to think his opinions about the series he created have merit. While they aren't 'white slavers', when you hear Lucas talk about how he wanted to potentially tell a new story, to be shut down by Disney in favor of making something "for the fans," from an artistic perspective it just makes you shudder.
As if the idea of it wasn't bad enough, the product they actually turned out turned it into a full-fledged dumpster fire. It basically reminded you that nothing is safe from being messed with, and that nothing (outside of maybe South Park, god bless them) is safe from being politically correct. When people watch the previous Star Wars movies, who honestly watches those movies and immediately thinks "you know what, this movie lacks diversity"? While being somebody who fully supports women's and minority rights, and is as disgruntled about the political and social arena surrounding the disruption of those movements nowadays, I must say: NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ABOUT RACE AND GENDER. So while I have no issue with the casting of the characters Rey and Fin- if you can act, you can act- I do have an issue of Star Wars trying to be feminist, when frankly, they should be focusing more on making a product that doesn't suck.
Even worse, it'd be one thing if they tried to do something completely different and messed up, but what Disney and JJ Abrams did was basically the equivalent of getting your buddies answers and just rewording them to avoid plagiarism. They basically just crapped out the same plot to Episode 4: A New Hope, pandering to fans, except with worse acting and a strong emphasis on cool sound effects and lighting, which while being nice, lacks substance and depth, which actually fits the movie pretty well. When the original actors, which by the way, you paid millions to basically just be in the film for a couple minutes, are openly crapping on the film at the premiere, you have problems:
Anyways, I hope this new movie is actually creative, and that they actually put in an inch of effort into making something brilliant. On the other hand, as somebody who will likely see the movie, but also treasures the original movies: I hope this movie crashes and burns. Regardless of how it goes, Disney will get what it wants: money. But in a world where the current President won based on the line "Make America Great Again," something that acknowledges the country that used to be great, maybe we should just acknowledge what the old Star Wars was: great, and not fuck with it.
