Star Wars, A Bad, Bad Movie

[Allhallowsday]

...
A NEW HOPE is one of my least favorite movies in the saga, and sometimes I'm amazed at how it became so insanely popular in the first place.
...

Y'see, STAR WARS was STAR WARS in 1977.  Is that now "STAR WARS A New Hope" with retitle? 

[ralfy]

There's a similar point given here:

"Why The Empire Strikes Back is overrated"

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200430-star-wars-why-the-empire-strikes-back-is-overrated

That might explain why I was confused when I saw the start of the second movie. I thought that the Empire experienced heavy losses at the end of the first movie, but now the rebels were on the run again. It's as if the first film was irrelevant, and what might have happened was explained only briefly in the scroll text.

I assumed, given the title of the second movie, that the Empire was at a disadvantage but found a way to strike back.

[Gabriel Knight]

...
A NEW HOPE is one of my least favorite movies in the saga, and sometimes I'm amazed at how it became so insanely popular in the first place.
...

Y'see, STAR WARS was STAR WARS in 1977.  Is that now "STAR WARS A New Hope" with retitle? 

Hey, you gotta recognize them somehow. 

[Allhallowsday]

...
A NEW HOPE is one of my least favorite movies in the saga, and sometimes I'm amazed at how it became so insanely popular in the first place.
...

Y'see, STAR WARS was STAR WARS in 1977.  Is that now "STAR WARS A New Hope" with retitle? 

Hey, you gotta recognize them somehow. 

I was 16 the year STAR WARS came out.  Changing the title decades later is... oh bah-ruh-uhther...

[Dr. Whom]

To me, this whole 'A New Hope' thing is symptomatic of the thing Star Wars has become. It started out as an essentially stand alone take on the Flash Gordon style SF, and then they developed this overarching mythology out of the various elements that were most popular. As the mythology grew, they had to somehow fit in the first movie and pretend that this had been planned all along. Now I am aware of the genesis of Star Wars and George Lucas's vision, but in the first trilogy they were pretty much picking and modifying whatever elements from the background saga that took their fancy.

[ralfy]

Inspired by Joseph Campbell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Rg7tbBZdM

Reminds me of that scene from Reign of Fire, where kids who grew up with no electricity, TV, movies, etc., are enthralled by adults retelling the Star Wars story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCBA1wii70o

I remember a sadder one, which I think involved kids watching an old video tape of a children's show in the movie Threads.

Finally, there's a related scene from Postman and others.

[ralfy]

Related:

"Liam Neeson Says 'Star Wars' Is Being Hurt by 'So Many Spinoffs': 'It's Taken Away the Mystery and the Magic'"

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/liam-neeson-disses-star-wars-hurt-spinoffs-1235526503/

[LordGraal]

I saw it when it first came out and didn't like it.  I was 8 or 9 and it didn't capture my imagination.  The only character I liked was Han Solo as he was cool and stood out from the others.  Luke was too whiny and Vader wasn't scary at all.  So I've never been a fan and don't give a flying about the prequels, sequels and spin-offs. 

After Star Wars, I saw Battlestar Galactica at the cinema and that blew me away.  Then watched as many Star Wars ripp-offs as possible.  I'll watch the worst (Shape of Things to Come, War of the Robots) again over Star Wars.

[Trevor]

I loved Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The sequels and the prequels on the other hand are 💩💩💩💩 in my 🩲

[M.10rda]

Jared, I had a similar reaction to/experience with the STAR WARS trilogy as a small child. I was Team Han in 1983 - every other boy in my Kindergarten class was Team Luke. Fortunately I always got to be Han during recess but they all thought I was a weirdo w/ poor judgment. (Maybe they had me sussed out even then!)

If either Jared or Trevor hasn't yet seen ROGUE ONE, that's the SW movie I'd recommend to you - the SW movie for people who don't like SW! (It's my favorite, anyway.)

[RCMerchant]

I saw STAR WARS when I was 15 in '77. I was already listening to Black Sabbath, I found it an overblown cartoon. Bored the s**t outta me.

[Neville]

It is bad. George Lucas is not a good director in the usual sense. His films are poorly paced and show a thousando of different influences. Yet the movie has its charm. Either because it somehow works despite its problems, blending its influences in a coherent fashion, or because it has great characters and scenes.

[LordGraal]

It is bad. George Lucas is not a good director in the usual sense. His films are poorly paced and show a thousando of different influences. Yet the movie has its charm. Either because it somehow works despite its problems, blending its influences in a coherent fashion, or because it has great characters and scenes.

I can see how it was so popular.  It was a massive breakthrough at the time in terms of special effects, design and characters.  I don't think it's a bad film.  It has a massive influence even up to now and will continue to do so.  I just don't like most of it and think a few of the rip-offs improved on it to a certain extent.

I find it disturbing that a lot of people read so much into Star Wars and therefore that leads to the money people exploiting them by making prequels, sequels and spin-offs.  Make or adapt something else!  Plenty of books out there.

[zombie no.one]

I was Team Han in 1983 - every other boy in my Kindergarten class was Team Luke.

yeah, 'Team Solo' doesn't quite work does it :)

weirdly I've just remembered that although I only recall seeing the film once and not being fussed about it, I was really into the toys? iirc I had nearly all the figures, stormtroopers etc... and a kid down the road had Ty-fighters (sp?) which I was insanely jealous of.

me and my bro also had light sabres which seemed like the most awesome magical toy ever, although in retrospect they were clearly just a strip of lights covered by plastic tubing....

yet I had/have no interest in the film(s)   

[Neville]

I can see how it was so popular.  It was a massive breakthrough at the time in terms of special effects, design and characters.  I don't think it's a bad film.  It has a massive influence even up to now and will continue to do so.  I just don't like most of it and think a few of the rip-offs improved on it to a certain extent.

It was also pure escapism and a breakout from too many 1970s films that were too realistic and depressing.