A Response to "A Collection of Controversial Opinions, Part I"
The resident geek has entered the fray...
A few days ago, author
posted the first in a new series (find it here), chronicling 35 opinions that some of our readership may find controversial. I actually agree with a bunch, and the next set on Star Trek is going to be even more fun.So, away we go. Original list in regular type, my responses below. I’ll even throw in some snazzy (and topical) artwork along the way. LET’S GET IT ON!!
P.S. I’m listening to John Williams’ epic score as I type.
The first two Star Wars movies were the greatest, after that it was steadily downhill.
While I agree that Return of the Jedi had some issues, it must be said that it was a helluva third act.
One could stop at Return of the Jedi, and miss the rest.
I disagree, solely because of Clone Wars and Rebels. More on that later.
If it wasn’t for John Williams, Star Wars would have been forgotten by now.
I disagree with this emphatically. This was a game changer in not only the film industry, but also in toys and marketing strategy.
It would have been better if George Lucas had left his original movies alone.
I’m on the fence on this one. I think a lot of the stuff that was added served the story. More on this in a moment.
Minus some better special effects, Lucas’ updates did not improve the movies.
I disagree. Three examples: Han’s interaction with Jabba in Episode IV, Jabba’s palace (sorry, I love the new song), and the galaxy-wide celebration of Palpy’s demise.
Han Solo had every right to fire first.
Han didn’t shoot first. Han shot. Period.
Grand Moff Tarkin/Peter Cushing was the best villain in the original movie.
Agreed. I loved how even Vader was subservient to him. And how Peter Cushing wore slippers.
Darth Vader had the odd effect of making a villain cool.
While I agree that he was a cool villain, I believe there were others along the way. The Gunslinger from Westworld springs immediately to mind.
Stormtroopers were super cool until Return of the Jedi (then they were handily beaten by walking teddy bears).
Did you know that the Ewoks were originally going to be Wookiees? Anyway, I liked them. Very David and Goliath (see above). There’s also a very dark fan theory that kind of sort of played out in the sequel trilogy, specifically Episode IX.
Return of the Jedi would be just as great as the first two if it wasn’t for the dialogue.
Return of the Jedi is a good movie in spite of the fighting teddy bears.
I think you’re specist against Ewoks.
Seeing Princess Leia in her slave outfit was as uncomfortable as seeing your sister in a tiny bikini.
Nope. Not even a little bit. But, then, I’m an only child.
The bad guys having mostly English accents works for some reason.
Yes. Every revolution needs a British villain.
The Rebels having American accents works too.
Yep.
It would have been better not to know how Darth Vader became Darth Vader.
This is something that I think is covered in The Clone Wars animated series better than it is in the Skywalker saga films. That said, out of the prequels, I did enjoy Episode III the most.
The idea of the Clone Wars sounded so cool in 1977, but not so much after Episode II.
Watch the animated series. Seriously, it’s amazing.
Yoda was much better as a puppet.
Mostly agreed. His lightsaber battles were epic.
Yoda is less likeable in the prequals.
I think the fight with Palpy, combined with the deaths of so many Jedi all at once, combined with Anakin’s betrayal, broke him.
The ship designs in the original trilogy were the greatest; it was downhill ever after.
Mostly agreed, but they had some badass TIE Fighter variations in Rebels.
The AT-AT was the greatest, most memorable vehicle in all of Star Wars.
This is a blatant falsehood. Everybody knows it’s the Millennium Falcon.
The coolest feature of the lightsaber is its sound.
Blocking/reflecting blaster bolts? Cutting through blast doors? Making Darth Maul into half the man he used to be?
The lightsaber would be most useful as a secondary, not a primary weapon.
Disagree, mostly because of the reflecting blaster bolts thing.
Most lightsaber users would likely have lost at least one limb in the process of training.
Good thing they have bacta tanks and advanced cybernetics. Plus, they’re practically trained from birth.
The pod race in Episode I never seems to end.
Yes.
The prequels might be great movies if it wasn’t for the dialogue.
Agreed.
George Lucas should never have sold the franchise to Disney.
Agreed.
All the other Jedis are kind of lame.
The animated series expands on them a lot better, along with the clones themselves.
The less said about the new movie trilogy the better.
A feculent cesspool of drivel.
The feckless return of the AT-ATs in recent Star Wars lessened their appeal.
I don’t remember them in the sequel trilogy, but I thought it was a nice touch in Rogue One.
The Mandalorian’s main appeal is that he is a father figure.
Meh. I liked the fleshing out of the Mandalorian Creed and race. Also ties into Clone Wars and Rebels.
Baby Yoda’s most interesting trait is that he is not a vegan.
Naps and snacks. Plus that whole “being a Force-wielder” thing. And his name is Grogu.
Boba Fett was at his best in Empire; after that it was downhill.
Agreed. There was an air of mystery and danger about him right up until he got hit on the back by a blind guy with a stick.
It would have been better to leave Boba Fett inside the Sarlacc.
This is a tough one for me, simply because I enjoyed Book of Boba Fett.
Star Wars originally appealed mainly to men.
My wife vehemently disagrees with you on this one.
To expand the audience appeal, Disney decided to make it appealing to women and this worked for a time, but in the process they destroyed the brand.
I understand what you’re saying here, specifically with regard to the sequel trilogy. But, my wife is not alone. There are many women out there who grew up with Princess Leia as a role model. Lest we forget, when the space trucker, the walking carpet, and the farm boy showed up on the Death Star, things rapidly went from bad to worse until she started taking charge of her own rescue LOL
A couple of my own points, and a bit more art:
There are some amazing characters that are just now coming to live action in Asohka. Grand Admiral Thrawn, the crew of the Ghost, Ezra Bridger, et al.
I think there is a massive shift happening in Hollyweird right now, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens to these properties when the dust settles.
May the Force be with you!
Kilgore
Oh, and great artwork, BTW!!
Hi Mike! I made a vow that I would not debate any differences to my sage wisdom on this topic, so I will not here. (But I was harshly tempted to do so by many of your responses!!)
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Okay, just one (for clarification only, mind you :-) ): for 34, I did not say that women did not or could not enjoy "Star Wars," but that it (and this type of movie in general) appealed mainly to men. And, as illustration of a work that appeals to mainly to women, I give you "Downton Abbey" or any Jane Austen-based movie. The intended audience for these are women, and this speaks well of them as a sex. Yet, certainly men can and do enjoy these works as well.