I know there's been tons of speculation about this already, but my take goes along the lines that this is foundation of the next era., which will culminate in a film or films.
I suspect they already know where they want to/would/will take it to get to a film - expanding, developing, experimenting in the publishing domain will surely help address many of the criticisms about how SW has been handled by Disney/LFL thus far. Come up with a plan, build a solid base of characters and events, and a timeline, flesh it out, then make a film using the best of it... rather than make a film, make another film, then make a theme park, then make another film, and have the publishing side of it try to tie everything together whilst the ever changing carousel of directors is guessing at what would happen next.s
I've not kept up with the rumours but apparently they have more animation in the works. It could well be that after the first phase of publishing for High Republic, we get an animated series to tie it together and supplement the first high republic era film, a little like Resistance has (could have) done for the Sequel trilogy, though it's also possible the next animation is a continuation of the Rebels Ezra/Thrawn/Ahsoka/Sabine plot line to some degree.
FWIW, I struggle with the books a bit also, there's some good stuff there, but finding the time to read a book (and stay awake) is tough. I've started collecting Audiobook versions to try and catch up that way. The Comics are easy enough to get into, and there's some really good stuff there, but they can be really hit or miss in all aspects quality... some of the artwork is garbage, frankly, but stuff like the exploration of Vader finding out about Luke and the lies of the Emperor is really good.
Pigeon holing TCW has a Saturday morning TV show for American school kids really misses the point of them bringing it back. The school kids that enjoyed the original series are now in their twenties. The people that were in the twenties or thirties that skipped it when it came out because they thought it was for kids - then finally watched it and realised that it's some of the best Star Wars material out there - are now in their 40's. The people that lost their **** when Filoni dropped the trailer at Celebration were all ages (but mostly adults). These people are keen to see the culmination of stories that they never got to see the end of before. I'll give you Rebels and Resistance as being more Saturday morning TV-esque, they were clearly focused on younger characters and their development in order to appeal to younger generation (and to a certain degree pushing toylines)... TCW isn't. Releasing the episodes on Friday morning means that however old you are and whatever time your weekend starts, it's there ready for you to sit down and watch.
Also, Disney have an absolute ****-ton of data about what works and what doesn't, it's pretty arrogant to think that your off-hand dismissal of the series as Saturday morning kids TV 'totally makes more sense' than their data based decision.
I know I'm late to things, but I just watched Rise of the Skywalker for the first time. No. So much "no" in my book.
It may as well have been an RotJ remake. I loved what the movie tried doing, but it played it way too safe. This was fine over four years ago with TFA, but now? Take some risks, don't rehash general plot lines under the guise of homage and respect — you even used some of the same visuals for crying out loud.
I know I'm late to things, but I just watched Rise of the Skywalker for the first time. No. So much "no" in my book.
It may as well have been an RotJ remake. I loved what the movie tried doing, but it played it way too safe. This was fine over four years ago with TFA, but now? Take some risks, don't rehash general plot lines under the guise of homage and respect — you even used some of the same visuals for crying out loud.
I really didn't hate the movie, but it did leave a rather bitter taste in my mouth. I was actually pretty damn excited to see how they'd handle Sidious, and for the most part I was really pleased with that. Though at the same time him surviving (even if, again, I'm okay with how that was handled) makes the ending of RotJ ring a little hollow — but that's neither here nor there.
I think it ultimately boils down to the trilogy played it too safe for my liking.
I've enjoyed all of season 7. From what I've seen of this final arc so far, I'm surprised it's not been released as a film straight to Disney plus.
On the subject of which, I subscribed to Disney+ now it's available in the UK, I'd already seen the Mandalorian, and obviously I wanted it for the Clone Wars, but I was hoping to catch up on Resistance, since I've not seen much of it. Turns out Resistance is still being withheld in the UK! The UK launch of Disney+ really was a mess, certainly for Star Wars fans. I've subsequently caught up with Resistance via Disney+ USA. I'll probably cancel the subscription once TCW has finished.
I've been using lengthy periods of being at work on my own to catch up on some of the books via Audible. Listened to Ahsoka, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Battlefront: Twilight Company, and Resistance reborn. I've bought Master and Apprentice, the three most recent Thrawn books, Alphabet Squadron and the Battlefront II books to listen to over the next week or two. I've got a number of these as paperbacks, I just never get around to reading them.
I have not watched any of Season Seven, except for a short clip of this last episode. Not going say which one, but it instantly reminded me of how good Clone Wars can be.
Wow, what an ending. These last few episodes took a HUGE leap forward in production, visuals and sound. The music had a very Blade Runner vibe to it and I LOVED it.
I really didn't hate the movie, but it did leave a rather bitter taste in my mouth. I was actually pretty damn excited to see how they'd handle Sidious, and for the most part I was really pleased with that. Though at the same time him surviving (even if, again, I'm okay with how that was handled) makes the ending of RotJ ring a little hollow — but that's neither here nor there.
I think it ultimately boils down to the trilogy played it too safe for my liking.
I just finished rise of skywalker last night. The first half of the movie was a bit painful, but I thought that the end was really nice. Actually probably the best of the new movies thus far. They did adopt a cyclical storyline which left them rehashing a little too much in my book, but some (not all) of it was new because the characters acknowledge the cyclical nature of it and recognized the parallels. It wasn't all homage, which I'm also ok with a little of, but some of it was a different story, where characters realized they were trapped in a repeating scenario.
Star Wars has always had a "genetics" problem. I talk about the unhealthy ways people view genetics in the thread Human Genetics. The writers of the original trilogy, the prequels, and even it looked like episodes 7 and 8 seemed to only perpetuate those views. In episode 6, it was as though the writers were saying that luke was damned unless he could redeem his father. And luke's salvation came in turning his father. The sins of the father, not rejected by the son, but shouldered. But not for meaningful reasons, simply for the accident of being born to that particular parent. 7 and 8 seemed to perpetuate those messages in several ways, not the least of which was Rey's torment over "who" her parents were.
The themes of "luck of birth", "birthright", and "original sin" played heavily in the star wars saga, and always undermined its messages. Episode 9 wholly rejected it, and that rejection was thorough and complete (and healthy), right down to the name of the movie. The fact that a series mired in bloodlines could culminate in
adoption
is beautiful and perfect.
That being said, they did seem to have some bloodline power. They didn't make it particularly clear, but Rey's "ultimate" and Kylo's were quite interesting. Both of them seemed to be some kind of particular manifestation of the force on those characters at least in part based on their genetic lineage. I found that to be an interesting view of the force. Kylo's particular abilities seem to be something of a Skywalker manifestation.
And Rey's line up with her lineage as well.
I thought that was kinda cool, and even though one might think that it undermines what I said above, I don't think it does, and neither did the movie.
So yea, some re-tread. Some brain-dead stuff in the beginning, but ultimately a nice end (that could have been even better if 7 and 8 were ironed out) to the new triology.
I didn't mind the climax of Episode 9 but I agree, the first half was pretty clumsy in several places. The big issue I have with this final Skywalker trilogy is that there didn't appear to be sufficient planning across the trilogy.
It felt very much like JJ made the first one, then Rhian did his own thing for the second and JJ came back into finish it off his way after they gave Treverrow the boot. It was so disjointed and as a 3 film arc, the story is shocking.
The Last Jedi being the worst of the three IMO, not that plausability is important in a Star Wars film, but there are storylines and character choices and resulting consequences of said choices that make no sense what-so-ever in that film.
I also felt that Rhian made choices in that movie just for the sake of subverting expectations, rather that it being the best way to move the story forward.
Even if the man story beats had been pre-planned and set, it certainly didn't feel like it in execution.
The story that star wars tells, right up until 9, is that you are born lucky, or burdened, in part depending on who your parents were. If your parents were bad people, you must bear that taint. If your parents were good, you must live up, you're expected to live up, and that ability will be in your DNA. Even where that's not the case (Anakin) it's still the case (metichlorians). It is partly why Luke is so dead-set on proving Anakin's inner conflict and desire to do good, it validates him. It validates Lea. It's not until episode 9 that the series seems to truly acknowledge that who you are is not determined by your lineage. For example, in the way episode 9 treats Luke's solitude in ep. 8. Basically the writers in 9 are saying that the messages of the first 8 movies, which Luke took to heart, are misguided. And Rey (with a little wisdom from others), about to make the same mistake, corrects it and lets us all know "this is the way".
