- 4 minutes ago
There's plenty to love about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
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
00:59memories of 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 series of Star
01:37Wars entries largely weren't what the majority of folks were either expecting or wanting heading into
01:42episodes 1 to 3. So news of the sequel era of flicks not only picking up the story three decades
01:48on
01:48from Return of the Jedi, but reintroducing the likes of Luke, Leia, Han and the gang in a new
01:53tale being told, understandably 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, combining the overall
02:03vibe of those OG features with some spectacular visuals and fresh new characters, even if the tale
02:09was largely a retread of a new hope. The 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
02:27finish was always going to be an impossible task, especially when it comes to the sacred Skywalker
02:32saga. And 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, were both sporadically
02:43given moments to get excited about is actually a minor miracle that isn't celebrated enough.
02:498. It introduced some undoubtedly cool powers, weapons and ships
02:53It simply would not be Star Wars without some fascinating Force abilities, and the menacing
02:59Kylo Ren set the tone early in The Force Awakens by stopping a damn blaster bullet in mid-air,
03:04before holding it there for an impressive amount of time. Leia soaring through space after being
03:09fired out of a cruiser, Luke projecting himself halfway across the bloody galaxy, and even watching
03:14Palpatine Force drain the Dyad all sit as unquestionably cool uses of Force power when
03:19revisiting the trilogy. And episodes 7 to 9 seriously brought it in both the badass weapon
03:25and spaceship categories too. Ren's command shuttle was a beautifully designed Menace of the Skies,
03:31the rusty ski speeder helped create the gorgeous visual of Krait's red surface bursting up from the
03:35ground as the resistance sped towards the First Order, and the supremacy was a thing of terrifying
03:41beauty too. That 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 were also at the center
03:52of arguably the trilogy's finest combat sequence. Simply put, there's a lot to love about the sequel's
03:58arsenal.
03:597. No one really stood a chance without a proper three-film plan in place
04:03Now having multiple directors add their own flavor 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,
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
04:24he wanted. Not having a similar sort of plan heading into the sequel set this new trilogy and
04:29Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams up for failure pretty early on, with Abrams himself eventually admitting
04:35he learned the hard way that having a plan is the most critical thing when it comes to telling this
04:40sort of story. So the next time you ball up your fist and curse the many frustrating retcons and ways
04:45the sequels feel like a painfully disjointed mess, just remember that the lads tasked with helming them
04:50were put in a pretty unenviable position of having to deal with narrative decisions they didn't choose
04:55before proceeding 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 well
05:06in the years since, with the opening space battle in Revenge of the Sith still being a marvellous watch
05:12to this day. But there's no denying the fact that many longed for a return to the days when practical
05:17effects
05:17were relied on more than digital wizardry after taking in the prequels, though it is worth noting that
05:23those films did still boast their fair share of practical moments too. The minds behind the sequel
05:27trilogy appeared to agree that it was time for all things practical to take centre stage once again
05:32however, and this renewed focus on making tangible alien beings, and a world that felt more organic
05:37than the artificial CGI stuff prequels, led to some hugely underappreciated results. Everything from
05:43Unkar 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 Ark Toh, regularly made the sequels a true feast for
05:54the 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
06:04that wretched 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.
06:484. 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 mix
07:13with 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
07:23awesome Ren-Rey team-up as the two collided with the elite Praetorian Garda, not to mention a hold-on
07:28maneuver which blasted both many a cruiser and our little brains to pieces. Even the Rise of Skywalker
07:34contained a thrilling lightsaber clash amongst the waves on the moon of Kethbeer. The trilogy may not be
07:39known for its consistency when it comes to the overall tone or story being told across the three
07:44films, but the Disney chapter of the Skywalker saga did at least consistently produce some of
07:48the most riveting and inventive action the franchise has ever seen.
07:533. John Williams Smashed It With Rey's Theme
07:56Having 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
08:06to be born in the form of the magical Rey's theme. It's that terrifically built tune,
08:11one 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, and serves as a reminder,
08:19as if you really needed one, of exactly why Williams ranks as arguably the greatest film
08:23composer of all time. While the sequels may not have contained quite as many instant hit themes
08:28as the original or prequel trilogy, Rey's theme undoubtedly still ranks as yet another piece
08:33of musical magic, Williams managed to sprinkle into the galaxy far, far away. Simply put,
08:39even the sequel's biggest haters can't help but get lost in Williams' masterful work.
08:442. Kylo Ren Is One Of The Great Star Wars Characters
08:48The 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 enough,
08:58Driver absolutely nailed the role across the entirety of the series, always offering a captivating glimmer
09:04of hope and light on the back of, or during, Ren's many explosions of frustration and rage.
09:10Ren's arc is possibly the most satisfying of the entire sequels too, with the petulant son of Han
09:15and 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
09:34The Force Awakens. But at least Driver was given the platform to produce a performance that shined
09:39even in the trilogy'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 little
09:50more than a greatest hits compilation, with a few new artists playing covers of your old favourites.
09:56Before Palpatine and the Death Star somehow returned, Lando was largely wasted, and Han Solo
10:01stopping by for one last appearance despite Harrison Ford finally getting his murderous wish though,
10:06both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi proved that nostalgia could be a brilliantly effective tool
10:11when used properly. Ford's presence as Rey's mentor before being cut down by his own flesh and blood
10:16in 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
10:27from bitter and broken master to the Resistance's projected saviour felt like an unexpected yet
10:32satisfying farewell, and Frank Oz briefly popping back up as Master Yoda was enough to force even
10:37the most soulless audience member to crack a smile. For all of the later nostalgic beats and choices
10:42that felt like you were being force-fed sweets you used to eat as a child, never forget that the
10:47sequel still regularly delivered the odd nod to the past that didn't make you want to throw up in
10:52your seat. And that's our list, know of any other reasons to stop hating Star Wars sequel trilogy?
10:57Well let us know about them in the comment section right down below, and don't forget to like,
11:01share and click on that subscribe button while you're down there. Also if you like this sort of stuff
11:05then please head on over to whatculture.com and find some more fantastic Star Wars articles just like
11:09the one this video you're watching right now is based on. I've been Gareth from WhatCulture Star Wars,
11:14may the force be with you, thanks for watching this video and hopefully we'll see you soon. Bye bye!
Comments