- 03/05/2025
There's plenty to love about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00From unquestionably awesome force powers and weapons, to some of the most compelling characters
00:05ever to strut onto the Star Wars stage, it's time to stop hating on Disney's sequel trilogy
00:11and the following entries will explain precisely why. I'm Gareth here from WhatCultureStarWars
00:17and here are 10 reasons to stop hating the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
00:21Number 10. The dialogue was better than the prequels
00:24It's no secret that viewers and even the actors themselves struggle to connect with
00:29the cold and often bizarre dialogue, George Lucas threw into his scripts when creating
00:34episodes 1 to 3. Hell, the likes of Mark Hamill and co even had the mind behind the galaxy
00:39far far away change and cut out various lines during the making of the original trilogy too.
00:44Jump forward to The Force Awakens and beyond, and at least the various new faces and returning
00:49icons all sounded like actual human beings this time around. In fact, in The Last Jedi alone,
00:55some of the finest exchanges in the franchise's history briefly washed away those painful memories
01:00of sandy conversations, with Luke and Leia's long-awaited reunion giving fans the gift of
01:05one more charming Carrie Fisher quip about her change of hairstyle, a gorgeous line written by
01:11the late legend herself. It wasn't all perfect of course, never forget that they fly now, but the
01:16sequel certainly recorded a lot more dialogue hits than the trilogy of misses that came before them.
01:21Do you have a favourite line in Star Wars history? Well let me know about it in the comments section
01:26right down below.
01:27Number 9. They were never going to live up to ridiculous expectations
01:31After those widely adored original trilogy beginnings, it's safe to say that the prequel
01:36series of Star Wars entries largely weren't what the majority of folks were either expecting
01:41or wanting heading into episodes 1 to 3. So news of the sequel era of flicks not only picking up
01:47the story three decades on from Return of the Jedi, but reintroducing the likes of Luke,
01:52Leia, Han and the gang in a new tale being told, understandably left many fans feeling hopeful about
01:57the saga's future. The Force Awakens actually did a decent job of living up to the hype too,
02:02combining the overall vibe of those OG features with some spectacular visuals and fresh new characters,
02:09even if the tale was largely a retread of a new hope.
02:11The episodes that followed weren't as universally saluted however, with every bold twist or hit
02:17of nostalgia being praised by one fan and utterly slammed by another. Trying to please every single
02:23soul within a fanbase as massive and diverse as Star Wars from start to finish was always going to
02:28be an impossible task, especially when it comes to the sacred Skywalker saga. And with that in mind,
02:34the fact both those who longed for the nostalgic days of the OG trilogy, and the folks who just
02:39wanted to see the series be dragged down a fresh new path, were both sporadically given moments to
02:44get excited about, is actually a minor miracle that isn't celebrated enough.
02:49Number 8. It introduced some undoubtedly cool powers, weapons and ships.
02:54It simply would not be Star Wars without some fascinating Force abilities,
02:58and the menacing Kylo Ren set the tone early in The Force Awakens by stopping a damn blaster bullet in
03:04mid-air before holding it there for an impressive amount of time.
03:07Leia soaring through space after being fired out of a cruiser, Luke projecting himself halfway across
03:12the bloody galaxy, and even watching Palpatine Force drain the dyad all sit as unquestionably
03:18cool uses of Force power when revisiting the trilogy. And episodes 7 to 9 seriously brought it in both
03:24the badass weapon and spaceship categories too. Ren's command shuttle was a beautifully designed
03:29menace of the skies, the rusty ski speeder helped create the gorgeous visual of Krait's red surface
03:35bursting up from the ground as the resistance sped towards the First Order, and the supremacy
03:39was a thing of terrifying beauty too. That epic crossguard lightsaber used by a fallen Ben Solo
03:45became instantly iconic, and the advanced melee weapons seen being used by the elite Praetorian
03:50Guard were also at the centre of arguably the trilogy's finest combat sequence.
03:55Simply put, there's a lot to love about the sequel's arsenal.
03:587. No one really stood a chance without a proper three-film plan in place
04:03Now, having multiple directors add their own flavour to the mix isn't anything new in the galaxy far,
04:10far away, with the OG trilogy seeing three different figures steering the ship. But Irving Kirshner and
04:15Richard Marquand's work was still being overseen by George Lucas back then, with the original Star Wars
04:20director making sure the overall story was heading towards the conclusion he wanted. Not having a similar
04:26sort of plan heading into the sequel set this new trilogy and Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams up for
04:32failure pretty early on, with Abrams himself eventually admitting he learned the hard way that
04:36having a plan is the most critical thing when it comes to telling this sort of story.
04:41So the next time you ball up your fist and curse the many frustrating retcons and ways the sequels feel
04:46like a painfully disjointed mess, just remember that the lads tasked with helming them were put in a
04:51pretty unenviable position of having to deal with narrative decisions they didn't choose before
04:55proceeding to make it up as they went along.
04:586. Practical Effects Strike Back
05:00It must be said that many of the digital effects unleashed in episodes 1-3 have aged terrifically
05:06well in the years since, with the opening space battle in Revenge of the Sith still being a
05:11marvellous watch to this day. But there's no denying the fact that many longed for a return to the days
05:16when practical effects were relied on more than digital wizardry after taking in the prequels,
05:21though it is worth noting that those films did still boast their fair share of practical moments
05:26too. The minds behind the sequel trilogy appeared to agree that it was time for all things practical
05:30to take centre stage once again however, and this renewed focus on making tangible alien beings,
05:36and a world that felt more organic than the artificial CGI stuff prequels, led to some hugely
05:41underappreciated results. Everything from Unkar Plutt and Maz Kanata being brilliantly brought to life via
05:46practical methods at various points, to the using of the real-life Skellig Michael as Ark Toh,
05:51regularly made the sequels a true feast for the eyes.
05:555. The Last Jedi Took Some Compelling Narrative Risks
05:59At the time of The Last Jedi's release, you were either in the camp of Abrams Die Hard to curse that
06:04wretched Ryan for binning off the mystery surrounding which Star Wars family Rey belonged to,
06:09and suddenly killing off Big Bad Snoke, or you were one of the folks who absolutely adored the
06:14bull creative swings Johnson made throughout. As the years have gone by though, it's become
06:18increasingly more common to hear of folks subscribing to that latter opinion, with many
06:23gradually coming to appreciate the compelling risks Johnson took, and the exciting path he was
06:27trying to nudge the saga down heading into what was once Colin Trevorrow's finale. In isolation,
06:33The Last Jedi sits as one of the most visually stunning, beautifully acted, and fresh pieces of
06:38Star Wars action of all time, and its presence in the sequel trilogy alone is enough of a reason to
06:43justify returning to this inconsistent portion of the Skywalker saga in the years to come.
06:494. Absolutely Spectacular Action Sequences
06:52The sequels as a whole routinely left minds absolutely blown thanks to the beautiful chaos
06:57unfolding on screen. For all of the questionable narrative choices and mishandling of certain
07:02characters, every single one of the flicks contained at least a few genuinely awe-inspiring
07:07moments of gorgeously filmed action. The Force Awakens threw the Millennium Falcon back into the
07:12mix with a gripping clash with some First Order TIE Fighters above Jakku, and also possessed a
07:17captivating forest lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren, Finn, and Rey. The Last Jedi boasted that awesome
07:23Ren-Rey team-up as the two collided with the elite Praetorian Guard, not to mention a Hold'em maneuver
07:29which blasted both many a cruiser and our little brains to pieces. Even the Rise of Skywalker contained a
07:34thrilling lightsaber clash amongst the waves on the moon of Kethbeer. The trilogy may not be known for
07:39its consistency when it comes to the overall tone or story being told across the three films, but the
07:45Disney chapter of the Skywalker saga did at least consistently produce some of the most riveting and
07:49inventive action the franchise has ever seen.
07:533. John Williams Smashed It With Rey's Theme
07:55Having the mighty John Williams back in the composer chair for the sequels was a bit of a no-brainer,
08:01really. And it was that core that ultimately set the stage for yet another instantly iconic theme to
08:06be born in the form of the magical Rey's theme. It's that terrifically built tune, one that makes
08:11you feel like you can single-handedly take down a Star Destroyer, that pretty much acts as the
08:16musical core of the sequels, and serves as a reminder, as if you really needed one, of exactly
08:21why Williams ranks as arguably the greatest film composer of all time. While the sequels may not have
08:26contained quite as many instant hit themes as the original or prequel trilogy, Rey's theme
08:31undoubtedly still ranks as yet another piece of musical magic Williams managed to sprinkle into
08:36the galaxy far, far away. Simply put, even the sequel's biggest haters can't help but get lost
08:41in Williams' masterful work.
08:442. Kylo Ren Is One Of The Great Star Wars Characters
08:47The fact the intriguing Kylo Ren slash Ben Solo was being brought to life by the magnetic Adam Driver
08:53meant that a memorable new figure in the Star Wars sphere was all but guaranteed. And sure
08:58enough, Driver absolutely nailed the role across the entirety of the series, always offering a
09:03captivating glimmer of hope and light on the back of or during Ren's many explosions of frustration
09:09and rage. Ren's arc is possibly the most satisfying of the entire sequels too, with the petulant son of
09:15Han and Leia going from disenchanted fallen Jedi to a person who gives their life to save Rey's over
09:20the course of the episodes. The sequels most definitely fumbled the likes of Finn, Poe Dameron
09:25and a number of other new faces, with the eventual wasting of brilliant actors like John Boyega and
09:30Oscar Isaac pissing off just about everyone who initially connected with their characters during The Force
09:35Awakens. But at least Driver was given the platform to produce a performance that shined even in the
09:40trilogy's darkest hours.
09:421. Some Of The Nostalgia Really Lands
09:44By the time The Rise of Skywalker blasted off into hyperspace, the Skywalker saga had turned into
09:50little more than a greatest hits compilation, with a few new artists playing covers of your old
09:55favourites. Before Palpatine and the Death Star somehow returned, Lando was largely wasted, and Han
10:00Solo stopping by for one last appearance despite Harrison Ford finally getting his murderous wish
10:05though, both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi proved that nostalgia could be a brilliantly effective
10:10tool when used properly. Ford's presence as Rey's mentor before being cut down by his own flesh and
10:16blood in Episode 7 gave the trilogy some serious emotional weight. Leia acting as the wise and
10:21charming Resistance leader was a perfect use of the late Carrie Fisher. Luke Skywalker's journey from
10:27bitter and broken master to the Resistance's projected saviour felt like an unexpected yet satisfying
10:32farewell, and Frank Oz briefly popping back up as Master Yoda was enough to force even the most
10:37soulless audience member to crack a smile. For all of the later nostalgic beats and choices that felt
10:43like you were being force fed sweets you used to eat as a child, never forget that the sequels still
10:47regularly delivered the odd nod to the past that didn't make you want to throw up in your seat.
10:53And that's our list, know of any other reasons to stop hating Star Wars sequel trilogy? Well let us know
10:58about them in the comment section right down below and don't forget to like, share and click on that
11:02subscribe button while you're down there. Also if you like this sort of stuff then please head on over to
11:06whatculture.com and find some more fantastic Star Wars articles just like the one this video you're
11:10watching right now is based on. I've been Gareth from WhatCulture Star Wars, may the force be with
11:15you, thanks for watching this video and hopefully we'll see you soon. Bye bye!
Recommended
10:01
|
Up next
12:23
2:56
2:25
10:09