- 7 weeks ago
There's plenty to love about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.
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00:00From unquestionably awesome force powers and weapons, to some of the most compelling characters ever to strut onto the Star Wars stage,
00:08it's time to stop hating on Disney's sequel trilogy, and the following entries will explain precisely why.
00:15I'm Gareth here from WhatCultureStarWars, and 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 the cold and often bizarre dialogue George Lucas threw into his scripts when creating episodes 1 to 3.
00:35Hell, the likes of Mark Hamill and co even had the mind behind the galaxy far, 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 icons all sounded like actual human beings this time around.
00:53In fact, in The Last Jedi alone, some of the finest exchanges in the franchise's history briefly washed away those painful memories of sandy conversations,
01:02with Luke and Leia's long-awaited reunion giving fans the gift of one more charming Carrie Fisher quip about her change of hairstyle.
01:09A gorgeous line written by the late legend herself.
01:12It wasn't all perfect, of course, never forget that they fly now,
01:16but the sequel 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?
01:24Well, let me know about it in the comments section right down below.
01:27Number 9, They Were Never Going to Live Up to Ridiculous Expectations
01:31After those widely adored original trilogy beginnings,
01:35it's safe to say that the prequel series of Star Wars entries largely weren't what the majority of folks were either expecting or wanting heading into episodes 1 to 3.
01:44So, news of the sequel era of flicks not only picking up the story three decades on from Return of the Jedi,
01:50but reintroducing the likes of Luke, Leia, Han and the gang in a new tale being told,
01:55understandably left many fans feeling hopeful about the saga's future.
01:58The 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,
02:15with every bold twist or hit of nostalgia being praised by one fan and utterly slammed by another.
02:21Trying to please every single soul within a fanbase as massive and diverse as Star Wars from start to finish
02:27was always going to be an impossible task,
02:30especially when it comes to the sacred Skywalker saga.
02:33And with that in mind, the fact both those who longed for the nostalgic days of the OG trilogy,
02:38and the folks who just wanted to see the series be dragged down a fresh new path,
02:42were both sporadically given moments to get excited about,
02:45is actually a minor miracle that isn't celebrated enough.
02:49Number 8.
02:50It 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,
03:01by stopping a damn blaster bullet in mid-air,
03:04before holding it there for an impressive amount of time.
03:07Leia soaring through space after being fired out of a cruiser,
03:10Luke projecting himself halfway across the bloody galaxy,
03:14and even watching Palpatine Force drain the Dyad all sit as unquestionably cool uses of Force power
03:19when revisiting the trilogy.
03:21And episodes 7 to 9 seriously brought it in both the badass weapon and spaceship categories too.
03:27Ren's command shuttle was a beautifully designed Menace of the Skies,
03:30The rusty ski speeder helped create the gorgeous visual of Krayt's red surface bursting up from the ground
03:36as the resistance sped towards the First Order,
03:39and the supremacy was a thing of terrifying beauty too.
03:42That epic cross-guard lightsaber used by a fallen Ben Solo became instantly iconic,
03:47and the advanced melee weapons seen being used by the elite Praetorian Guard
03:51were 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.
03:58Number 7. No one really stood a chance without a proper three-film plan in place.
04:04Now, having multiple directors add their own flavour to the mix isn't anything new in the galaxy far, far away,
04:10with the OG trilogy seeing three different figures steering the ship.
04:14But Irving Kirshner and Richard Marquand's work was still being overseen by George Lucas back then,
04:19with the original Star Wars director making sure the overall story was heading towards the conclusion he wanted.
04:25Not having a similar sort of plan heading into the sequel set this new trilogy and Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams
04:31up for failure pretty early on, with Abrams himself eventually admitting he learned the hard way that having a plan
04:37is 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 like a painfully disjointed mess,
04:48just remember that the lads tasked with helming them were put in a pretty unenviable position
04:52of having to deal with narrative decisions they didn't choose before proceeding to make it up as they went along.
04:58Number 6. Practical Effects Strike Back
05:00It must be said that many of the digital effects unleashed in episodes 1 to 3 have aged terrifically well in the years since,
05:08with the opening space battle in Revenge of the Sith still being a marvellous watch to this day.
05:13But there's no denying the fact that many longed for a return to the days when practical effects were relied on more than digital wizardry
05:20after taking in the prequels, though it is worth noting that those films did still boast their fair share of practical moments too.
05:26The minds behind the sequel trilogy appeared to agree that it was time for all things practical to take centre stage once again however,
05:33and this renewed focus on making tangible alien beings, and a world that felt more organic than the artificial CGI stuff prequels,
05:40led to some hugely underappreciated results.
05:43Everything from Unkar Plutt and Maz Kanata being brilliantly brought to life via practical methods at various points,
05:48to the using of the real-life Skellig Michael as Ak-To, regularly made the sequels a true feast for the eyes.
05:55Number 5. 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 wretched Ryan
06:05for binning off the mystery surrounding which Star Wars family Rey belonged to,
06:09and suddenly killing off Big Bad Snoke,
06:11or you were one of the folks who absolutely adored the bold creative swings Johnson made throughout.
06:16As the years have gone by, though, it's become increasingly more common to hear of folks subscribing to that latter opinion,
06:22with many gradually coming to appreciate the compelling risks Johnson took,
06:26and the exciting path he was trying to nudge the saga down heading into what was once Colin Trevorrow's finale.
06:32In isolation, The Last Jedi sits as one of the most visually stunning, beautifully acted,
06:37and fresh pieces of Star Wars action of all time,
06:39and its presence in the sequel trilogy alone is enough of a reason to justify
06:43returning to this inconsistent portion of the Skywalker saga in the years to come.
06:49Number 4. Absolutely Spectacular Action Sequences
06:51The sequels as a whole routinely left minds absolutely blown thanks to the beautiful chaos unfolding on screen.
06:59For all of the questionable narrative choices and mishandling of certain characters,
07:03every single one of the flicks contained at least a few genuinely awe-inspiring moments of gorgeously filmed action.
07:10The Force Awakens threw the Millennium Falcon back into the mix with a gripping clash with some First Order TIE Fighters above Jakku,
07:16and also possessed a captivating forest lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren, Finn and Rey.
07:22The Last Jedi boasted that awesome Ren-Rey team-up as the two collided with the elite Praetorian Garda,
07:27not to mention a hold-on manoeuvre which blasted both many a cruiser and our little brains to pieces.
07:33Even the rise of Skywalker contained a thrilling lightsaber clash amongst the waves on the moon of Kethbeer.
07:38The trilogy may not be known for its consistency when it comes to the overall tone or story being told across the three films,
07:44but the Disney chapter of the Skywalker saga did at least consistently produce some of the most riveting and inventive action the franchise has ever seen.
07:53Number 3. 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, really.
08:01And it was that core that ultimately set the stage for yet another instantly iconic theme to be born,
08:07in the form of the magical Rey's theme.
08:09It's that terrifically built tune, one that makes you feel like you can single-handedly take down a Star Destroyer,
08:15that pretty much acts as the musical core of the sequels,
08:17and serves as a reminder, as if you really needed one,
08:20of exactly why Williams ranks as arguably the greatest film composer of all time.
08:25While the sequels may not have contained quite as many instant-hit themes as the original or prequel trilogy,
08:30Rey's theme undoubtedly still ranks as yet another piece of musical magic
08:34Williams managed to sprinkle into the galaxy far, far away.
08:38Simply put, even the sequel's biggest haters can't help but get lost in Williams' masterful work.
08:44Number 2. 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.
08:58And sure enough, Driver absolutely nailed the role across the entirety of the series,
09:02always offering a captivating glimmer of hope and light on the back of, or during,
09:07Ren's many explosions of frustration and rage.
09:10Ren's arc is possibly the most satisfying of the entire sequels, too,
09:13with the petulant son of Han and Leia going from disenchanted fallen Jedi
09:17to a person who gives their life to save Rey's over the course of the episodes.
09:21The sequels most definitely fumbled the likes of Finn, Poe Dameron, and a number of other new faces,
09:27with the eventual wasting of brilliant actors like John Boyega and Oscar Isaac
09:31pissing off just about everyone who initially connected with their characters during The Force Awakens.
09:35But at least Driver was given the platform to produce a performance
09:38that shined even in the trilogy's darkest hours.
09:42Number 1. Some Of The Nostalgia Really Lands
09:44By the time The Rise of Skywalker blasted off into hyperspace,
09:48the Skywalker saga had turned into little more than a greatest hits compilation,
09:53with a few new artists playing covers of your old favourites.
09:56Before Palpatine and the Death Star somehow returned,
09:58Lando was largely wasted,
10:00and Han Solo stopping by for one last appearance despite Harrison Ford finally getting his murderous wish,
10:05though, both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi prove that nostalgia could be a brilliantly effective tool
10:11when used properly.
10:12Ford's presence as Rey's mentor before being cut down by his own flesh and blood in Episode 7
10:17gave the trilogy some serious emotional weight.
10:20Leia acting as the wise and charming Resistance leader was a perfect use of the late Carrie Fisher.
10:25Luke Skywalker's journey from bitter and broken master to the Resistance's projected saviour
10:30felt like an unexpected yet satisfying farewell,
10:33and Frank Oz briefly popping back up as Master Yoda
10:36was enough to force even the most soulless audience member to crack a smile.
10:40For all of the later nostalgic beats and choices that felt like you were being force-fed sweets you used to eat as a child,
10:46never forget that the sequels still regularly delivered the odd nod to the past
10:50that didn't make you want to throw up in your seat.
10:53And that's our list.
10:54Know of any other reasons to stop hating Star Wars sequel trilogy?
10:57Well, let us know about them in the comments section right down below,
11:00and don't forget to like, share, and click on that subscribe button while you're down there.
11:03Also, if you like this sort of stuff, then please head on over to WhatCulture.com
11:07and find some more fantastic Star Wars articles,
11:09just like the one this video you're watching right now is based on.
11:12I've been Gareth from WhatCulture Star Wars, may the Force be with you,
11:15thanks for watching this video, and hopefully we'll see you soon.
11:18Bye-bye!
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