#This is really fun to make. I love clone troopers and storm troopers designs but I was never bold enough to draw their armor

[mayhw]

CLONE OCS! ♥ Rover and his boys! I needed to give Saika her own clones to interact with! :v

[simonjadis]

Anon I’m ASSUMING that these are from the same person; apologies if they are not

I would say that my feelings are similar to yours, but not quite identical ...

Disney’s handling has been imperfect, and some of the mistakes have been made the highest level (I know that people give Kathleen Kennedy a hard time, but if rumor is to be believed, some of the interference that made IX kind of weird came from higher than that)

for example, Kennedy said in an interview that she tries to find people who just make big, successful movies to make sure that these are also big, successful movies. I can understand that as being a safe bet from a business stand point, but that’s not the same thing as finding someone passionate about very specifically telling good, new Star Wars stories, which we did not really get in the Sequel Trilogy

(one of the most common theories that I saw from TLJ apologists was that people didn’t like that it was new/different than what they were expecting, which was really not the issue for me or my friends. Also it was just a speedrun of parts of Episodes V and VI)

I think that I’m “too close” to Star Wars to see it as a financial asset rather than a beloved universe full of characters and stories that I adore, but I don’t think that “literally just rehash the Original Trilogy for two movies and barely acknowledge any other part of Star Wars until IX” was a good idea

Rey deserved her own story. and Luke deserved to not be retroactively robbed of his

as for George Lucas, I do think that years of backlash over the Prequels sucked the fun out of it for him. Also, who doesn’t want four billion dollars? it was a sweetheart deal for Disney, of course

the sad thing is that this meant the end of Clone Wars, because Disney took one look at Lucasfilm’s budget and was like “OH NO YOU CANNOT SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY ON A CARTOON” which is why Season 6 was paid for by Netflix and why Maul: Son of Dathomir was a comic

I love Star Wars Rebels and I’m not trying to knock the show at all, but the budgetary difference was palpable. Clone Wars did have it a little easier because of the Clone Troopers (all having the same face), but on Rebels, you notice that 90% of the Imperials are the same guy wearing a hat with his visor obscuring most of his face. market scenes show just a few people (but plenty of Storm Troopers)

the designs of the main characters -- Ezra, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Kallus, Thrawn, Kanan, etc -- are great and loving and detailed and most of those change a little over time, but there’s a reason that we only see so many planets on Rebels. look at the huge armies and crowds in Rebels. my friend @drunkkenobi​ is the first who pointed out to me that in Clone Wars, you sometimes see lines of ships (Space Traffic) and each ship in line will be unique, distinct from the others

it’s not Rebels’ fault that they didn’t have that kind of budget. that’s also why their space battles (and space ships) never quite look right. meanwhile, for Clone Wars, if they wanted a particular scene or ship that went over their planned budget, all that they had to do was ask Uncle George

eccentric billionaires funding expensive media isn’t necessarily the most sustainable model for storytelling, but it sure worked out well for Clone Wars and for The Expanse

(Jeff Bezos personally called up the head of Amazon Prime programming, who had already been considering acquiring the extremely good but expensive show, and was like “hey the cast from this show is at a thing where I am, I’d love to just tell them that their show is saved, give me it?” and we saw as many new locations in Season 4 as we did in the first three seasons)

but streaming -- where you actually get money directly from customers who then, through their activity on your platform, show you exactly what they want to see aka what is keeping them on your platform -- offers a new opportunity for high quality genre media. remember, scifi and fantasy were EVERYWHERE in the ‘90s and the early aughts, and then because too expensive for regular TV unless they had huge audiences. only through streaming do we have these new Star Treks, The Witcher, and the real possibility of a new Stargate series

why do I bring up streaming? because

The Mandalorian goes to show that Disney can 100% do good Star Wars. Rebels was good, despite its budget, but can you imagine how much better it would have been if it had aired on Disney+

as with the DC movies (three of which are good and I’m also excited for Birds of Prey), the solution to the our-movies-made-a-lot-of-money-but-aren’t-strictly-speaking-good is literally just “let the people who do the cartoons make the movies”

and now we’re getting a final, seventh (half) season of Clone Wars! twelve episodes looking better than the show has ever looked!!

if you’re like me, you probably thought to yourself “gee, only 12?” and, cynically, you figured that it’s a trick -- announced at ComicCon in 2018 to build up the first wave of hype for Disney+

and it is ... but it 100% worked on me, I signed up for Disney+ and will pay anything for Clone War

my HOPE is that this is a test run to see if people really like high-quality animated Star Wars stories enough to continue with it. there’s only so much clone wars that one can cover (my suspicion is that we will see Ahsoka fake her death during Order 66 in these eps, so yep, that’s the end of the Clone Wars right there)

imagine a well-written series with everything that Clone Wars had in terms of content and visual quality, but it’s set after Episode IX. to my frustration, IX ends with effectively the same worldstate as VI which essentially means that nothing much happened in the Sequel Trilogy. but imagine a series set after IX. we could see a new set of (Force-wielding) characters. we could see Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose during some episodes. Rose could finally get to do something that’s not an insulting fool’s errand (she deserves so much better!!!!!)

we don’t need a new Big Scary Empire/First Order thing, just organized crime and pirates and Hutts and bounty hunters and individual planet systems going to war as the characters try to assemble a NEW New Republic (gods I hate the unchanged worldstate)

now, I know that Star Wars Resistance is not ... reassuring. this is the only screencap that I have from it because I couldn’t get into it. it’s not the animation (I enjoyed Tron Uprising and Iron Man: Armored Adventures and this is the same kind of deal), but three things:

-I watch Star Wars for the Force primarily; other stuff can be cool but I need the Force

-I will never care about ships racing and really I don’t care about an individual ship flying; I’m a Command Ship kind of space nerd

-apparently the writing doesn’t improve much during the first season. people tell the main character to not do something, then he does it, and disaster ensues. that’s ... it’s fine, it’s fine to exist as a show, it’s just not for me

obviously, not all Star Wars media is for me, but when something -- like TLJ or the Sequel Series as a whole (even though VII and IX are enjoyable) or Resistance -- disappoints me, I would never accuse it of “ruining Star Wars”

Star Wars is a whole franchise. the breadth of canon isn’t all wiped away by some disappointments. was the MCU ruined by Age of Ultron? no. it was a bad movie but from the same franchise that gave us The Winter Soldier and Thor Ragnarok. hell, Dawn of Justice doesn’t “ruin” Wonder Woman or Aquaman or Shazam. bad movies aren’t contagious

for the past several years, the Entitled Dude crowd has felt empowered. they were radicalized in the altright/redpill/MGTOW/meninist/nazi/gamergate/comicsgate/etc spheres of the internet and now they just have a reflex where they see any sort of representation and decry it as “SJW,” which they also seem to think is a bad thing

in the same way that well-meaning people on tumblr can get radicalized into being antis/puriteens, people with certain vulnerabilities on reddit or youtube can get sucked into a world that tells them that they are the default and that other people existing is “political” in media and in real life, and that people being upset by outright cruelty towards them is both funny and means that the cruel person is the victor. they need therapy and studios need to not listen to them

unfortunately, sometimes there are movies that are bad despite having things like solid representation. Ghostbusters 2016 was a delight, but my friends and I with whom I saw TLJ (all of us queer feminists) left the theater angry. we’ve bitten our tongues a lot (even if it seems otherwise) because publicly criticizing the film too often leads some incel monster to chime in with agreement, and we’re just like

the redpillgate crowed et all is a natural ally of conservative white evangelicals, even though the former group is generally made up of New Atheists (the short version is atheists who hold socially conservative views because racism/misogyny/transphobia benefit them without using christianity as an excuse). it’s kind of like how terfs will side with conservative hate groups because, though they’re natural enemies, they both despite trans people just for existing

unfortunately, when you’re looking at who went to see a movie or who hated it, not everyone posts with an ID card saying exactly their demographic. which is only going to make studios like Disney even more nervous about including queer content in Star Wars and in the MCU (I mean real queer content with characters whose names don’t have to be searched on a wiki)

that was a bit of a tangent, but yeah. sorry if I missed anything

[doomonfilm]

Ranking : Star Wars films

Ranking the Star Wars films with a fandom as dedicated and opinionated as that of Star Wars can be an exercise in futility, but it is a fun one regardless.  Famously, George Lucas directed that stark sci-fi drama THX-1138, the nostalgia-fest that was American Graffiti, and then dove headlong into the Star Wars franchise, never to step out of that storytelling realm again.  After tolling over this list for what feels like forever, and inviting debates from fellow film lovers, I think I can stand behind my opinions in the following list (which, in all honesty, will probably change as the years go by).

Films not included : 

The Clone Wars (2008) / Star Wars : Revelations (2005) / Ewoks : The Battle for Endor (1985) / The Ewok Adventure (1984) / The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)  

I have not seen the animated films, and I personally feel that the Ewok films and the Holiday Special, while canon, do not provide anything necessary for the overarching narrative of the ‘main’ films.

10. The Phantom Menace (1999)

It pains me to have to call any Star Wars film the ‘worst’ film in the franchise, but there must always be someone that holds down the anchor position, and in this case, it’s The Phantom Menace.  Certain aspects of this film are great, like the classic Pod Racing scene, and the casting of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but ultimately, this film falls short on my list for introducing the concept of midichlorians and insinuating that Anakin Skywalker was an immaculate conception... an idea that (up to this point) has not been properly paid off, in my opinion.  For the record, I have no issues with Jar Jar Binks, and am loving how people are attempting to peg him as a Sith Lord with ultimate powers... perhaps even a ‘reincarnated’ version of Darth Plagueis himself.

9. Rogue One : A Star Wars Story (2016)

This film holds an important place in the Star Wars canon for opening up the possibility to tell stories involving characters considered outside of the main narrative spectrum, and in that way, it expands an already deeply expansive world.  Where Rogue One missteps, however, is in trying to expand what would normally equate to about two films-worth of lore into two acts.  This rushed attempt to make you care deeply for what essentially boils down to a group of ‘cool’ characters really begins to become an afterthought once the film kicks into high gear in the third act, walking you right up to the front door of A New Hope.  A good film, but in my opinion, a better idea than an execution, hence it’s low placement on my list. 

8. Revenge of the Sith (2005)

I consistently find myself torn between Episode II and Episode III in terms of which film I like more.  If I had my way, these films would be combined into a super-cut of sorts, taking the best aspects of both in hopes of muting out the forgettable.  Revenge of the Sith finds itself placed lower than Attack of the Clones on my list, however, for slightly fumbling and mishandling the resolution of the original setup story.  The seeds that Emporer Palpatine sowed in Anakin were a bit heavy-handed, especially the lore of Darth Plagueis, which is one of many ideas planted by the first three episodes that ultimately has no payoff.  Combine this with Obi-Wan’s relatively easy dispatching of Anakin at the end, and all of the buildup towards Darth Vader, including the genius performance of Hayden Christensen of playing Anakin as an entitled and whiny adult that would grow up to be a feared power monger, and I found myself let down due to knowledge of the inevitable story resolution.

7. Attack of the Clones (2002)

This movie... man... so much that it throws at you.  Hayden Christensen is a stroke of genius as Anakin Skywalker, as previously mentioned.  Natalie Portman really got a chance to spread her wings in this film.  Django Fett is awesome looking, but ridiculous as an homage to Boba’s ineptitude at times, and the story of his origin as the mold for all Storm Troopers echoes this.  Ultimately, however, this film falls short by undercutting itself with a bit of slight silliness.  General Grievous is an awesome concept on paper, but I find myself less and less impressed as the years go by.  As excited as I was to see Yoda fight with a lightsaber, having it be digitally animated was slightly anti-climactic.  The huge Jedi standoff was a nice touch, and the film is very entertaining, but overall, it falls short due to a slightly disjointed nature.

6. Solo : A Star Wars Story (2018)

It was enivetable that Han Solo would get his own film series in light of the way that Rogue One changed the Star Wars game, and like all things with the sacred series, many were prepared to scream foul that anyone outside of Harrison Ford would dare call themselves worthy of the role.  Alden Ehrenreich by no means redefined the role of Han Solo, but he did capture the essence of the character, which worked well for me.  Where this film really works, however, is in making concrete what was once only legend.  Seeing day one of Han and Chewie’s friendship was wonderful, seeing Han involved in a love story as a vulnerable participant was refreshing, and Donald Glover put on a scene stealing performance.  Solo will hopefully be the standard bearer for what the Star Wars Story series of films can be, but it falls short of the top 5 simply because it is outside of the narrative spine.

5. The Force Awakens (2015)

The Force Awakens is a successful bridge of the trilogy trilogy in all the ways that Revenge of the Sith failed to be.  Seeing the last vestiges of the Empire in the form of abandoned war vehicles on Jakuu, and having that planet be Rey’s current home, work well in regards to the overarching narrative.  The introduction of The First Order is a wonderful element that I believe will pay off greatly in Episode 9, and Kylo Ren (due to the performance of Adam Driver) is already an iconic character.  Even BB-8, an obvious attempt at nostalgia via leaning on the R2D2 fandom, was enjoyable.  Many people found that this story and the story from A New Hope were a bit too similar, but in my opinion, there is enough unique to justify a story that echoes similar threats, as those in power tend to use the methods of those before them in real life (to varying results).  Overall, the casting in this film is on the money, it looks like a million bucks, and it seems there’s been some much needed levity injected into the series in this particular trilogy of films.

4. Return of the Jedi (1980)

The first time that we get to see Luke Skywalker be a badass... Boba Fett and his memorable armor... Princess Leia and her iconic brass bikini... the Ewoks and the battle on Endor... Lando and his devious ways... Han Solo trapped in Carbonite, his screaming face frozen for what seems like it will be forever... there is so much iconic about this film that it is hard to list it all.  Wonderful character designs are abound in this film, we get one of the most random selections of locations in any Star Wars film, and we get proper resolution to a host of storylines introduced in this particular story grouping.  Outside of George Lucas’s alterations to the group of ‘Force ghosts’ at the end of the film, it’s hard to pick this one apart.  For what once seemed like it would be the final film of the canon, it is truly a satisfying conclusion.

3. Star Wars : A New Hope (1970)

Although this is now officially film 4 of the series, this will always be the beginning in spirit.  George Lucas changed the game with this film, introducing a DIY aesthetic and spirit, as well as a true love for storytelling unique to the storyteller and their influences, that literally became a mark in time for what was and what will be.  It is harder to imagine a more iconic collection of characters being successfully introduced than those in A New Hope, and the echoes of influences centered both in history and older films are integrated so perfectly that many are easy to overlook.  Though not my number 1 placement, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect film created out of the blue.

2. The Last Jedi (2017)

I cannot think of another film in the Star Wars series that people were more prepared to hate upon release than The Last Jedi.  Be it expectations set personally, wishes of what The Force Awakens should have been, or pettiness such as Porgs being involved in the promotional material, it was hard to find people that were either open-minded or gung-ho positive about the film.  I, too, had my own ideas of what would happen, and certain information I had going into the film (mainly the death of Carrie Fisher) caused me to have gut reactions as well (the infamous use of the Force during what should have been her death).  What I quickly realized, however, is that the handful of gripes I had with the film were 100% based on what I wanted to see, and not on what was provided.  There are some great elements introduced and used in this film... Luke reverting back to his whiny self... the connection between Kylo Ren and Rey... the slow, methodical chase that makes up the main narrative of the film... and, in what is probably my favorite moment in all of the Star Wars film, the amazing destruction of the Star Destroyer courtesy of a hyperspeed jump.  People tried to make this film problematic, but when it’s all said and done, this film may go down as the best thing in the series, with the exception of...

1. The Empire Strikes Back (1983)

I wonder if it bothers George Lucas at all that the most revered film in his story canon was one that he did not direct (Irvin Kershner made the series wonderfully dark with this film).  This one takes everything that was wonderful about A New Hope and swiftly takes it away from you like a schoolyard bully.  The beauty of space and the warmth of Tatooine is replaced with the biting cold you can almost feel of Hoth.  The introduction of Yoda brings the entire narrative to new heights.  Removing Luke from the conflict raises the stakes for (and profile of) Han, Chewie and Leia immediately.  Outside of even the ending is jarring, eschewing a nice and pleasant story wrap-up for the bleakest of cliffhanger endings there is.  The Star Wars canon of films is good, but The Empire Strikes Back is truly great. 

Curious about why I chose to put films where I did?  Do you disagree, or have another opinion/point of view?  Feel free to comment via this article or the Ask Me Anything section... these opinions are certainly not written in stone, and with so many films to consider, there may be aspects I’ve not considered or overlooked.

[sights-on-the-scifi]

THE COMPLETE SIGHTS OF SCIFI STAR WARS REVIEW PART 3.

https://sights-on-the-scifi.tumblr.com/post/189204895641/the-complete-sights-of-scifi-star-wars-review-part PART 2

THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY 1977, 1980, 1983.

The movies that started it all! For this part of the review ill be covering only the theatrical prints of the original movies and not their special editions as I dont view those as legitimate versions of these classics. Ill examine their strengths, their weaknesses and more.

A NEW HOPE/STAR WARS 1977.

What more is there to say about this movie that has not already been said by countless others? This film represents a defining moment in cinematic history and the start of a franchise that has been going strong for 41 years inspiring countless imitators and successors like MASS EFFECT for example. Well, while there is not much new stuff that can be said for the qualities of its storytelling, pacing etc and there are obviously cracks on its surface... There are still things in it that thanks to new media context, have really enriched its universe and appeal to me personally and I assume this is the same for many others.

With age and the media which surrounds it STAR WARS has only gotten better and better so ill be talking about the ways in which this universe both provided a foundation for amazing things to come and in so doing was enhanced by what eventually did so.

AN AWE INSPIRING UNIVERSE BORN OUT OF THE SIMPLEST SCENE.

I dont think it is an exaggeration to say that this famous Cantina scene in STAR WARS is probably almost single handily responsible for making this universe feel so diverse, culturally distinctive and expansive. It was that good at inspiring awe and wonder in audiences that its effects can still be felt in all of STAR WARS media today! What this really was way back in 1977 is simply the filmmakers gathering a collection of random props, makeup effects and alien masks... Putting them on a bunch of actors who were then told to mingle to create the illusion this was a planet full of alien life. But an unexpected result of these simple efforts was that future creators would take all of these elements and use them as a foundation to enrich the universe in small and large ways.

Everything you saw in this Cantina, today has now been given extensive backstory in lore or been reincorporated into future STAR WARS media. Not only that but this scene has also been reinterpreted/reinvented countless times in the series, a part of this franchises identity.

For example who would of thought back in 77 that two random dudes wearing these blue, bulbous space alien masks would become the catalyst for creating an entire species in the STAR WARS universe? What we now call the Duros. Not only that but it would also be a species that gave us memorable characters like Cad Bane and Shriv two personal favourites of mine! :D

Ofcourse you also have the fan favourite Rodians etc.

THE TONE AND AESTHETICS OF A GALAXY AT WAR.

The war depicted in STAR WARS shares a lot true to life parallels with our own world and its history. People have called this series WORLD WAR 2 IN SPACE! and that is because of the obvious fact that well... It is! A band of Rebels in this case standing in for the allied nations fighting for freedom and democracy against a bleak, authoritarian and ruthlessly militant galactic empire who stand in for the Nazi war machine. The costumes for the imperial leadership was intended by the designers to evoke the aesthetics of fascism, this extends to the design of their technology, architecture, military and the naming of the soldiers within it. “Storm troopers” this is the name of an elite branch of German soldiers for example, Darth Vaders helmet also echoes the look of WW2 German soldier headgear. 

Even the actors cast to portray these ruthless characters within the empire share close resemblance to top Nazi leadership. This extends to hair style and individual performances... The leadership is shown to be petty, cruel, spiteful and short tempered arguing over how brutal their tactics should be to incite fear. The tool for which they use to assert dominance and control over the galaxy. Like I described in earlier review post parts, I really love how the new STAR WARS media provides greater clarity and context to this organisation of evil, giving us more reason to despise it and relate to the rebels doing everything they can to stop it.

Take a battle scene from STAR WARS, make it greyscale and put it next to a WW2 movie or real life photo of the conflict and you will see some striking resemblances.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE REBEL ALLIANCE.

The rebels are portrayed in STAR WARS to be much more colourful, given the WW2 parallels this means they also share a lot of resemblances to allied troops and pilots. Their soldiers are less equipped but are much more relatable to the audience because in contrast to the Storm Troopers you can see their faces, you see their fear but also their bravery in the face of this relentless enemy especially in the opening sequence as they defend the princess from imperial forces. Women are also shown to be play an active role in the politics of this galaxy and even the fighting as Leia resists interrogation and can even defend herself if need be. 

Future STAR WARS media really expands and deepens the relatability of this alliance by showing us the reasons they fight against this fascist empire. Also the diversity of their leadership and forces are shown to us with the inclusion of species from all over the galaxy come RETURN OF THE JEDI be that with the famous Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar or Rogue one’s Admiral Raddus.

THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS.

Without John Williams score it is safe to say that this franchise would of not been as successful as it was. The emotions it generates and the way it themes the struggle between good and evil is breathtaking even years later, other composers have been chasing its shadow ever since too, with varying degrees of success.

Its classic symphony orchestra at its finest. This kind of soundtrack is also widely used in most WW2 film media.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

This movie has been called a masterpiece and for good reason as it takes what was established in the first movie and expands on it in incredibly unique and also dark ways all with sleek film making techniques. Showing our characters at their lowest point, providing shocking story revelations, expanding the true meaning of the force and more... This was all accomplished not by Lucas this time but by director Irvin Kershner which brings up a very important point. STAR WARS is truly at its best when its given to different directors who can really take a good long look at this rather simplistic source material and then reinterpret in a unique way to become something greater.

STAR WARS owes its success to the talents of not one, but thousands of people all in many different creative departments too especially the music for example.

Through the eyes of Irvin Kershner we get a much darker, but much more complex vision of the STAR WARS universe and its great cast of both new and returning characters. To this day the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK serves as the gold standard for what constitutes a greater follow up to a science fiction story or its middle chapter. MASS EFFECT 2 for example is a game that tried to echo this films darkness and more complex story directions, which can be felt in the visual design, narrative themes and more.

Without EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, this franchise would have not had the boost it needed to go from being simply popular to then being cemented in the pop cultural conscious for years to come. So much of this movie is now essential to the franchise canon and identity that Lucas’s prequel trilogy also tried to chase its shadow with ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH with mixed success...

I love it, perhaps even more than the first movie which is a rare feat for a sequel to pull off.

RETURN OF THE JEDI.

This final movie for me has to be the weakest link in the original trilogy... It serves as the STAR WARS franchise’s crossroads title, wherein the values that defined this series started to become a little strange, distorted and perhaps even altered in detrimental ways. If you want to know where the bizarre humour, crazy dialogue and more in the STAR WARS prequels originates from for example. Welp, this is your answer unfortunately...

RETURN OF THE JEDI in comparison to the first two movies is weaker in terms of pacing, themes, cinematography, originality and more. A lot of this stems from the fact its not trying to be as bold and risk taking as the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK for example, it is silly and self referential in a way that it distracts from the areas it does succeed at. All of this is in service to the franchise embracing its marketability over true creativity...

I still love the final confrontation between the Emperor, Luke and Vader... The battle to destroy the second DeathStar or the fun if a bit nonsensical rescue of Han Solo in the opening. But I dont love the Ewoks, the groan inducing dialogue, or the rubbish comedy that damages the overall tone and stagnates the middle of the story.

RETURN OF THE JEDI is still a fun adventure, just not the most solid... In general a third entry in a science fiction franchise is never going to be as good as the first two. So perhaps it was to be expected.

Welp! That is it for this retrospective of the original trilogy! :D Still there is more to come as we look at the media that will take us into THE FORCE AWAKENS so stay tuned for that!.