Is Original Trilogy Nostalgia Hurting The New Star Wars Films?

Are Star Wars films getting worse? Looking solely at audience reactions to the last couple of films, that could be a safe assumption. Reception has been somewhere between the hatred for the Jar Jar Binks era prequels and the indifference for the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. But are the movies actually worse, or is our nostalgia for the original trilogy preventing us from appreciating the next generation of Star Wars films?

Look, the Star Wars franchise isn’t going away anytime soon. Since Disney took over the reins of the space opera from George Lucas, the films have brought in almost five billion dollars for the House of Mouse, led by The Force Awaken’s $2bn, and counting, worldwide box office. But since the highly anticipated return to the Skywalker saga, the subsequent films have performed less and less, culminating in the “disappointing” release of their latest Star Wars Story: Solo. To be fair, Solo has made over $385m, which is more money than you or I will ever see, but when The Force Awakens made $247m on its opening weekend alone, you can see why Disney execs are getting nervous.

But, what’s causing the decline? Is it oversaturation? Maybe. The critics have been prophesizing superhero fatigue for years ever since the cineplexes have been flooded with Marvel and DC films. But Avengers: Infinity War’s record-breaking release proves that audiences still want to see CG blockbusters.

So why the poor showing for Solo? Sure, you can blame studio interference on the story’s direction or replacing the directors halfway through the production… but the real problem is the audience’s familiarity with the characters themselves. These sequels and prequels involve characters we’ve known for forty years. Forty years of films, tv shows, comic books, novels, toys, and video games shaping our perception of the characters. We know these characters better than we know some people in our own families. So, when the new films have these characters do something that contradicts our preconceived notion of how they should act, it rips us out of the story.

Leia wouldn’t walk past Chewbacca to hug Rey after Han’s death. Keep walking, fuzz ball, I have to console what’s her name. Or Luke, who refused to fight Vader after feeling a glimmer of good in him, contemplates violently murdering his nephew in his sleep? Not my Skywalker. And now C-3PO has a red arm?! Is nothing sacred?!

But contrary to what my ex-girlfriends say, people can and do change over time. Maybe Chewbacca made a pass at Leia and she was worried about an awkward physical embrace. Or Luke just turned into a green milk drinking prick.

That’s the problem with filling these new movies with the original characters, it limits the story. But leveraging nostalgia is big right now, and of course Disney wants to use their existing characters to bring in the audience. The irony is that in doing so they’re also introducing the reason for that audience to rebel.

The downward trend may continue if the rumored Boba Fett and Obi-Wan standalone movies continue down the same well-trodden path. Someone needs to track down Kathleen Kennedy and tell her that "these are not the Star Wars movies we’re looking for."

There is hope for the franchise, however, with the announcement of new trilogies by the Game of Thrones producer-writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson. Both trilogies will take place within the rich Star Wars universe but won’t be limited by the existing story or characters.

But what about the fanboys, I hear you scream. They love when recognizable characters walk into frame and say lines they’ve heard before. Well, Rogue One showed that it was possible to straddle that line by focusing on new heroes and storylines but also throwing in some familiar character cameos to appease the masses. That said, they should’ve left some of Vader’s scenes on the cutting room floor, most notably his dad jokes in Mustafar. How cool would it have been if Vader just showed up at the end of Rogue One in that corridor attack scene?

Nevertheless, it’s clear from the success of Rogue One, which earned almost three times more than Solo, that audiences are excited for different stories and genres in the Star Wars universe. It’s time for Disney to take off the ‘original trilogy training wheels’ and take full advantage of all the new story possibilities and characters in their galaxy far, far away.

What do you think Star Wars needs for the future? Do you think nostalgia is hurting it? Share your thoughts down in the comments.