MovieChat Forums > Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) Discussion > When does "more!" become "too much!!"?

When does "more!" become "too much!!"?

posted 8 years ago by stebsmeister
11 replies | jump to latest

The sheer visual spectacle and range of characters in the SW films, and, perhaps even more significantly, the narrative gaps between them, have almost invited writers and fans - and combinations of both! - to expand upon both what we're shown and what might have happened offscreen.

From the time of the OT, the SW saga has benefitted from EU material; the wonderful Marvel comics, which can make for an entertaining if slightly incongruous read, particularly the early issues in which Vader really is the monster who killed Luke's father rather than being him, the old "Ewoks" and "Droids" cartoons, and the umpteen novels, particularly Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy - and what a pity these are no longer canon, although I'm glad to see that Thrawn lives on in "Star Wars: Rebels".

As I understand it, we're going to get a new SW film every year for the next ten years. At what point will revealing more of the SW universe strip it off its mystery? Are there some stories that really shouldn't be told? What would be the story that would make you think - enough!?

www.jumpedtheshark.co.uk

[–] roosterq 8 years ago

This doesn't logically make any sense to me. Why would you not want to learn, and experience more about something you love and enjoy? It's like the preverbal "Too much money", or "Too much love", etc. Besides if you decide you've had enough, why should you be able to decide that it is also when others will have had quite enough?

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

[–] dexx-26415 8 years ago

They are at risk of dilluting the brand and they should leave a lot of mystery to things.

[–] jberning 8 years ago

I could see that to a degree, however the universe for Star Wars is so vast and there is such a long time span they can cover that I don't think there is any worry of that. There is a ton they can do still and still leave plenty of mystery.

[–] Winters_Suicide 8 years ago

It will never be enough, inherently. The galaxy Lucas created is ripe for endless stories. As it follows, it is ripe for new and endless mysteries.

It will only be enough when whichever proprietor of the rights puts together a consistently bad creative team and several bad films get put out in a row.

If James Bond can carry on, how much moreso with Star Wars!

[–] stebsmeister 8 years ago

rooster q wrote:

This doesn't logically make any sense to me. Why would you not want to learn, and experience more about something you love and enjoy?

Isn't there the danger that you're given toomuch, though, and that a mystery, once explained, loses its allure? Doesn't a character like Boba Fett, for example, need to remain enigmatic? And a complaint many made about the PT was that Anakin didn't seem to square with the heroic figure remembered by Kenobi in the OT.

Besides if you decide you've had enough, why should you be able to decide that it is also when others will have had quite enough?

If not stating that! I'm asking what, as an individual, would make you feel glutted on SW, not what would happen before you forced others not to watch!

Winters_Suicide wrote:

It will never be enough, inherently. The galaxy Lucas created is ripe for endless stories. As it follows, it is ripe for new and endless mysteries.

There's probably a lot of truth to this, and I admit I'd like to have seen some of the EU material - the Exar Kun/Ulic Qel-Droma saga, particularly - adapted into film (although I gather that none of the EU stuff is now considered canon).

However, I can't help but think we will reach saturation point eventually! Look at some of the groans when Rogue One was announced...

www.jumpedtheshark.co.uk

[–] eg4190 8 years ago

Personally I find it easy to ignore elements of Star Wars material that I don't like. Boba Fett's backstory was totally stupid and unnecessary in Episode 2, so I disregard it as part of the canon (along with most of the prequels). Boba Fett is still mysterious to me when I watch ESB because that movie doesn't reveal anything about him. I liked Rogue One and I'll pretend that Galen Erso really did build the reactor flaw into the Death Star when I watch ANH. But if Disney ever makes total crap I won't go along with it. I don't see a danger in making lots of Star Wars content. If the franchise could survive the prequels it can survive a few weak spinoff movies.

[–] Winters_Suicide 8 years ago

Look at some of the groans when Rogue One was announced...

I for one would prefer to see more interesting stories like Darth Plagueis, The Great Schism, The 1,000 Year War, some features on some of the ancient Sith empires and origin stories on Sidious and Yoda.

But I do understand why they made Rogue One and why they are making a Han movie. For one thing, James Earl Jones isn't getting any younger. Darth Vader material must be made now. For two, it feels to me like episodic films will be contained into 9-film units. So now is the time to tell stories that take place between the Clone Wars and the predicament the galaxy finds itself in now with the Force Order. The big criticism I had about Rogue One was that it should have featured a lot more Vader and I think it should have been him hunting people down throughout the movie instead of the standard warfare direction they went with.

[–] eg4190 8 years ago

I don't think a mainstream audience actually wants to see anything that takes place hundreds or thousands of years before ANH and therefore doesn't involve any characters from the original trilogy. I'd personally like to see a Sith War movie, but that feels too deep into the weeds for most viewers. Most of the spinoffs will likely take place between Episode 3 and 4 and provide context for original trilogy characters.

[–] Winters_Suicide 8 years ago

Most people don't know anything about it.

But they didn't know anything about Skywalkers at all until ANH came out. It was a risk back then, and probably a bigger one. Back then, Star Wars didn't have "Star Wars" going for it.

VII was gargantuan. Rogue One will make more than double its budget in domestic sales with a big side of gravy across the globe to boot. Ep. VIII will be a massive success. The trend is set. Star Wars is going to make such a massive fortune that by the time the eighth movie comes out, the janitors at Disney will be funding it. Disney can take the risk. It's still - in a sense - a story about Jedi. It would be the first SW movie to be rated R. Exploring Dathomir and Korriban with wide angle shots of Sith masses (the species, that is) would be fantastic. I'd ask Guillermo del Toro to direct. It'd be dark and beautiful at the same time.

[–] AngryNegroMan 8 years ago

They have had terrible films, episode 7-9 and Rogue One

[–] mindfroth 8 years ago

It would never be too much if they continually met or exceeded the high bar of Empire, but as long as they keep producing inferior films, it's a gratuitous endeavor.

I wish they would make more attempts at new science fiction movies that aren't bound by the conventions and expectations of Star Wars. They're basically just repackaging familiar Star Wars iconography. So far they haven't expanded the mythos in any meaningful way, or contributed anything as iconic as what is in the original trilogy. Even The Phantom Menace made a greater contribution.