Discussion Star Wars Episode VII-IX - What are Your Biggest Fears?

I just worry I won't enjoy it as much as the older films. Yes, even the PT. I saw TPM in theaters as a kid and loved it then, and while that first impression dimmed over time I still say it's a decent (if flawed) film. And ROTS had enough really awesome bits that worked really well to let me ignore the really stupid bits. But for me the nightmare is AOTC. Nothing about that movie worked, not the mystery, not the villains, not the characters, and certainly not the love story. Even the music was mostly halfassed. The only things that worked were the scenes on Tatooine (largely) and certain key action scenes (hint: not the lightsaber duels). I remember camping out for that film with friends and then walking out of the theater later listening to them gush while I tried to contain my disappointment. That's the bar this film needs to rise above for me.

Into Darkness was extremely self-referential. It's actually my biggest fear about this film. If we have characters reenacting the exact same scene that other characters performed in an earlier film I'll lose all faith in the ST forever. That said, J.J. didn't actually write the script for that one and a part of the problem was that he was trying to throw in fanbait to an audience he didn't really understand. I think he'll do much better with a franchise where he's trying to write to appease his inner fanboy rather than what he thinks other fanboys want.

 

First of all I have to be honest and say that I was totally fine with just the 6 films. I feel like the story has been told and that they should have left it alone. As much as I loved what JJA did for the ST reboots, the saga is a completely different animal. I don't want to see a bunch of light flares or anything else resembling ST. That being said, I do believe that he was probably the best one for this job, because he understands the importance of this undertaking. I also know that if he screws it up, I will never forgive him for it, nor will I watch anything else that follows The Force Awakens.

 

Do you mean you won't watch anything else of JJ's or you won't watch any of the other new SW films?

 

Agreed. I'm really hoping that TFA isn't just two plus hours of fan service and OT nods. I'm all for a little fan service of course, but definitely not to the level of STID-dear God that was over the top!! I liked the movie but when I saw the "Khaaaaannnnnn!!!!" scene I moaned out loud in the theater, "REALLY!?"

 

So interesting because as someone who had never seen any Star Trek films or TV episodes before, I absolutely adored Into Darkness. But if a lot of what was in the film were nods to previous films, I could see how that would have been less than ideal. And maybe that's a new reason to worry: JJ et al may be thinking that callbacks like that are nice bits of fan service to the fans while still being something new and fresh for newer viewers.

 

The odd thing about those films is that the casting and acting were done so well, there was no need for all the additional fan service.

IMO, of course.

 

Interesting perspective. Never thought about how it might not be seen that way by someone who hasn't seen the older movies...

Very much agreed. They both could have stood quite well just on their own merits.

 

As someone who had scene the previous films, I don't think the fan service is as bad as some make it out to be. To me the only part that annoyed me was that they reused Kahn in only the second movie of the reboot instead of developing a new story.

 

I suppose my biggest fear is Transformers with lightsabers. Just some huge CGI action-fest with forgettable characters inside a shallow story. I don't want TFA being described as, "Fun." As in... go and turn your brain off and marvel at the cool special effects for 2 hours.

 

Because there is so little to discuss in here. ;-)

 

I think so long as there are people dressing up as the characters, waiting in line for days to buy tickets, there'll be news stories about Star Wars movies. But what a difference 16 years makes! Hard to imagine it was that long ago. That video was fun to watch, remembering what it was like back then. I still think my biggest fear is someone dropping a monster spoiler on me without thinking. I'll be wearing my headphones up until the trailers start for sure!

 

I experienced something similar lately.

 

Biggest fear? That the Force will feel even less important to the saga. Like what these spinoffs will surely espouse.

 

I wouldn't say this is a real "fear" that I have, but rather a "less-than-enthusiastic thought" that I am wondering more and more if it will occur in TFA: the overuse of flashbacks.

Now, before any post-bashing begins, notice how I said OVERUSE. I used to be against it in general, but over time I've actually warmed to the idea: I don't mind at all if we see a flashback, or even two. As long as it's for a good purpose, and in moderation.

What I'm hoping we don't see is that we don't end up seeing an abundance of flashbacks strewn all throughout the film, every time the'yre talking about an experience-like something in the style of Chris Nolan or LOTR/The Hobbit.

Star Wars has always had a very linear sense of time throughout each episode, and although I could enjoy an interesting flashback or two, IMO it would be jarring to the continuity of the film's style and feel if they are all over the place, and TFA is constantly jumping back and forth in time...

 

Imagine if ANH had had fbs when ben k. was talking to luke.

 

I agree with the fear of the film having too many similarities to the OT.

My second 'fear' - would be more of an annoyance - and that is, if the plot or any of the characters are like an obvious rehash of an existing EU (legends) story or character. For example, if they remade some Xizor-type character who was very obviously based on the original but changed enough to claim as a new character. I'd probably be inwardly groaning if that happened.

 

1.Overly self-referential/nostalgic/"hey remember this" ala STID - as many others seem to fear as well.
2. No risks - I don't want them to play it safe to please fans, I want them to do something we haven't seen before, something that makes this trilogy stand out from the previous two.
3. An intentionally restrained scale and universe. In trying to capture the feel of the OT, I fear they will make everything feel too small. The OT had as massive as scale as could be portrayed, and they expanded it with each episode (see my next argument). Star Wars is not supposed to be minimalist. You're supposed to be thrust into a whole universe that almost overwhelms you.
4. No expansion of the scope, ideas, universe, story etc. compared to TFA. Traditionally, the the first entry in each trilogy has been relatively simple and straightforward, and the subsequent episodes expand upon what we were introduced to with deeper themes, more complex ideas, more subtle characterization and significant character development, etc. I want this trend to continue.

 

1. Too modern a feel

2. Actors who can't do green screen

3. Too much nostalgia (a common worry, it seems)

4. Shock deaths. SW isn't A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones.

 

1-No matter what, these films are going to feel 'newer' than anything that preceded it.
2-I don't think we have to worry about 'green screen acting' in these movies.
3-We've got the OT people here to speed the younguns into the spotlight. I think that was the plan from the get-go.
4-Larry Kasdan is definitely no George R. R. Martin. I'd expect some plot twists, though!

 

A TREKKIE DIRECTOR PLOTTING TO OVERTHROIW STAR WARS!!!