A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,
fans were clamoring for new Star Wars
stories to be told. The space opera/
action-adventure/ family drama/ comedy/
you-name-it took the world
by storm in 1977, as Luke Skywalker,
Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and Han
Solo took children and adults alike to a universe
they hadn’t previously experienced in cinema
history.
Many kids that watched Star Wars trilogy got the
inspiration to create their own art as adults. It was
truly a cinematic game changer.
After “The Empire Strikes Back,” arguably the
greatest sequel to a movie, and 1983’s epic finale
in “Return of the Jedi,” there were many books,
video games and comics released reflecting how
vast this universe George Lucas created really was.
Although some of the work was of high quality,
everyone longed for these stories to hit the big
screen
Finally, in 1999, Lucas released a new
installment in the series, “Star Wars: Episode 1 --
popular with kids, might have
been past its prime.
The studio, led by Kathleen
Kennedy, immediately made
plans to start a new trilogy that
would features the characters
we had come to love in the
original films, played by the
beloved Harrison Ford, Carrie
Fisher and Mark Hamill.
However, it would also
feature new characters, and
that’s what would determine
whether these new films would
resonate with fans or make a minor
mark on pop culture.
Finding a director to get the first
film on the right foot was probably
the most important decision the
studio made. After a long search,
Disney found a filmmaker familiar
with rebooting space films and
making them relevant again: J.J.
Abrams. After his success reviving
the “Star Trek” franchise, he was
a safe choice. His idol is Steven
Spielberg and you can see that in
The Phantom Menace,” a prequel to the original
trilogy. Despite the fact that it was perhaps the
most anticipated movie in film history at the
time, most left theaters unsatisfied.
It was a pretty movie, but many thought
the storyline, acting and dialogue were
subpar -- to be kind. And lots of characters
lacked chemistry or were downright
annoying (Jar-Jar Binks).
The same could be said about the
underwhelming sequel, “Attack of the
Clones” in 2002. Lots of action. Lots of
ridiculousness.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the final
movie of the prequel trilogy, “Revenge of the Sith,”
in 2005, most fans still ripped the film the shreds.
The films all made a lot of money. But many
thought they would be the last we’d see Star Wars
in the cinema again.
Fast forward to 2012 when Disney bought
Lucasfilm for a whopping $4 billion. Many thought
the House of Mouse had made a ridiculous
investment in an older franchise that, while still
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14 SUMMER 2018