"Star Wars" is an event. And thankfully, re-done without George Lucas. My history with Lucas was one of the first jobs I had coming out of college was as a DVD guy working on the re-issues of the first three (that were released). Then they re-released again. Every time they did, they added one other thing. Remember the Malibu Stacy doll Lisa Simpson attempted to make into a feminist and the corporation added a hat, and re-sold? Yeah, like that. In fact, Lucas has admitted so. When the DVDs and VHS came out, he released a widescreen version AND a standard pan and scan version. They shot the movie widescreen ('scope) so it was total junk to watch it otherwise. But he knew some people didn't like the black bars on the top and bottom. Audiences, for the most part, don't fully comprehend. I would think the Star Wars folk would. Or would care. Or felt something was wrong. Other than the force was "off." Nope, sold so many units he made the next three which were prequels. Try watching them again. Flat, uninspired, greenscreen oddity. Lucas seemed to think actors didn't matter. I guess in the Star Wars universe, in general, it didn't.
The originals, Mark Hamill is pretty hammy. Carrie Fisher made no bones about the dialogue (as an accomplished writer now, she most likely gets ill revisiting). Made worse by following the ham that works. I 'aint mad. I think it's logical. This new one feels very sincere and earnest. It may stick out to a) eye popping visual FX b) good acting.
Fortunately for the powers that be, the chokehold of that universe was finally sold off to Disney. A company that prides itself in formulaic Hero with A Thousand Faces story structure. Fine. I love that shit. Shuffle the characters and away we go. My impression of the trailer? Meh. It seems to declare a lot of story I'm not familiar with (and I watched the first three over 100 times, not by choice though, I didn't even watch the original ones until I was 22 years of age and found them...quaint). I am glad Lucas isn't involved. He's got a great mind, but handing off his creations is the lifeblood of his true creative mind. His ideas are groundbreaking, his execution pedestrian. And to make it worse, convinced he's doing the right thing. I believe the lesson here is that as much success as we get, we are constantly trying our best to "crack the code." A man's reach should exceed his grasp? Maybe. Space is vast. As is our imagination. This broke ticket sales and the internet...and we're still just a month and a few out.
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