This Isn't Your Parents' Star Wars

With the recent release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on home video, I am re-infused with enthusiasm for this legendary franchise. I was extremely Luke-warm about Rogue One (see what I did there?) thanks to its disassociation with everything we already knew about Star Wars. I know there were a couple of brief references to the oldies, but there was nothing tangible to connect Rogue One with its memorable precursors... the original trilogy, that is... I dislike the prequels more and more as years pass.

And I shouldn't ignore The Force Awakens, which while pretty derivative of A New Hope, was still fun and nostalgic. The Force Awakens set the stage for this current trilogy, and ably served double-duty as both an homage to the good old days and a launchpad for a new story and new characters. 

The Last Jedi, on the other hand, offered a refreshingly original story that engaged and excited me. I willingly went along for the ride, noting but not dwelling on its little problems and oddities. Like the cutesy Tribble-like Porgs... those ridiculous birdies that lived on Luke's remote island... and inexplicably found their way onto the Millennium Falcon. And the clunky, too-busy casino scenes that didn't serve much of a purpose. Oh, and those weird and unnecessary sea cows. Jeez.

The Last Jedi has its detractors, but I like it just fine. I don't love it and don't think it's great, but it was something I needed to restore my faith and appreciation for the magical world of Jedis, droids, X-wing fighters, aliens and all that jazz. For me, The Last Jedi works. It's not perfect, but it is - in my opinion - an improvement upon The Force Awakens, and helps to erase memories of the numbingly cringy prequels. I feel like all I need in my Star Wars universe are A New Hope and its four sequels. No pre-history films. No abominable attempts at romance between Anakin and Padmé. No CGI Yoda jumping around like a cartoon character. I will make one exception - the animated Clone Wars TV series from 2003-2004... it manages to stay true to the original vision while further expanding the mythology and history.

So far, the current trilogy is doing the job for me. I'd like to think that new franchise owner Disney can sustain this level of quality for several more decades, so I can continue to enjoy Star Wars movies until my final day. I might have to just ignore the slated standalone films, though. Rogue One was the first of the standalone stories, and it did nothing to impress me. It failed to successfully fill the gap between chapters of the trilogy. And from what I've seen and heard of the next standalone, Solo: A Star Wars Story, I'm worried. This tale of young Han Solo will include his old smuggler buddy Lando Calrissian and his loyal fuzzball co-pilot Chewbacca. But for all the flash I see in the trailers, I think there's gonna be a big disconnect with these new, young actors portraying characters we long-time fans know awfully well. So well that it'll be tough to accept newcomers in the roles of Han and Lando. I suppose young viewers who haven't had a lifetime of Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams fixed in their minds, won't have such a problem with it. The Solo movie is set for a May release date, so we'll just have to wait and see what sort of reception it gets. 

It doesn't look like we're ever going to get anything new that's as timeless and (here's that word again) magical as the original trilogy. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi brought back a few old favourite characters for a final hurrah, but besides a fond nostalgic feeling, there just wasn't the warmth and heart of those 70's and 80's classics. The studios and directors and writers have tried and tried to recapture that spirit, but I think that will simply remain in the past. We can re-live that spirit by watching our DVDs and Blu-rays (and maybe videotapes?) of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. 

Looking forward, let's make the best of it as an increasing world population of fans and film-makers keep the Star Wars franchise alive. 

May the Force be with you...