Top 10 Ways Disney Changed Star Wars Forever
Top 10 Ways Disney Altered Star Wars Forever
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A Force for change or forced changes? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Ways Disney Altered “Star Wars” Forever. For this list, we’ll be going over the changes made by Disney to the “Star Wars” franchise.
#10: Too Much Humor
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The “Star Wars” movies are no stranger to comedy, or even shoehorned jokes, if everyone’s reaction to Jar Jar Binks is any indication. But Disney went a little overboard, at least with “The Last Jedi.” While “The Force Awakens” and “Rogue One” do have quite a few gags and funny lines, they look positively dry by comparison to “The Last Jedi,” which noticeably amps up the comedy, likely taking some cues from Disney’s success with the MCU’s humor. However, many felt that the humor detracted from otherwise dramatic moments, defusing the tension and detracting from the weight of several scenes. Still, we like laughing as much as the next folks.
#9: Untested Directors
With a few exceptions, the new “Star Wars” films’ directors have had relatively few movies to their names prior to directing entries in such a big franchise. While some of their work has been well-received and it’s always good to see lesser known directors’ talent be recognized, several of the new films have proved divisive and/or over budget, and many have questioned whether these issues would have arisen with more experienced directors at the helm. While big name directors may be more expensive up front, the results may be worth the investment. Disney seems to be leaning in this direction, given that they let Colin Trevorrow go.
#8: No One Person in Charge
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On a related note, while “Star Wars” in the past was largely overseen by George Lucas, these days, no one person is in charge of continuity and the direction of the franchise. While some with a lower opinion of Lucas and his recent work (*cough* prequels! *cough*) may applaud this fact, the downside is that the franchise no longer has a consistent tone or voice. Now, the story of “Star Wars” is created via a committee or else by directors. Although this does give voice to more ideas and possibilities, many of them compete or contradict one another, which can be tough to acclimate to after decades of Lucas’ vision.
#7: Retconning Most of the Expanded Universe
Between the releases of the original films and the prequels, an expanded universe of “Star Wars” material began to take shape, both continuing the story of Luke, Leia, Han, and the gang, as well as increasing the scope of the universe at large, through print, video games, and other media. However, upon acquiring the “Star Wars” license, Disney and the new folks at Lucasfilm struck most of these stories from canon. While it’s a common practice in comics, in order to keep things fresh and accessible to new fans, older “Star Wars” fans reacted with less than open arms. At least we still have Thrawn!
#6: New Genres / Tones
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While “Star Wars” has its own unique blend of fantasy space opera action, most of the franchise’s time on the big screen has stayed within the bounds of its genre. Recent films, like “Rogue One” and “Solo,” have gone outside those boundaries to tell stories in the war and heist genres. Although some would prefer more of the same, the opportunity to show different shades of the “Star Wars” universe is something we definitely applaud, even if it hasn’t always been a resounding success thus far.
#5: Returning to Practical Effects
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When the prequel trilogy was made, George Lucas leaned hard into digital effects, in part because new advancements at the time allowed for the creation of previously impossible to realize creatures and concepts. However, the trade-off was that the abundance of CGI made the worlds feel somewhat hollow and less grounded. Disney has returned more towards the franchise’s roots by using more practical effects, both through sets and in creature make-up and prosthetics, while also blending them with CGI to create a largely happier medium between the, uh, media. That’s not to say that some of the digital stuff doesn’t look fake, though…
#4: Killing the Past
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“Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.” Disney has certainly followed Kylo Ren’s advice… or maybe it’s the other way around… Regardless, Disney has been doing a lot to kill off aspects of “Star Wars”’ past – sometimes literally. Whether it’s old characters, like Luke and Han, or old conceptions of what “Star Wars” is, as we’ve seen with their exploration of new genres and the dissolution of the previously expanded universe, Disney have been working hard to redefine “Star Wars.” While these changes have not always been received well, change is never easy in any franchise.
#3: Anthology Films
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While Disney isn’t exactly innovating by telling “Star Wars” stories outside of the primary saga, they are the first to deliver those kinds of stories to the big screen. These anthology films, as we’ve already mentioned, are free to explore other tones than the main series, but they’re also able to expand upon the “Star Wars” universe, while giving focus to certain characters or ideas that aren’t given as much focus in the primary storyline. Although the future of these anthology movies appears to be in jeopardy, we hope they won’t give up on trying to tell new stories. Besides, they can’t be much worse than Ewoks!
#2: Altering / Cancelling Expanded Media
In addition to changing the canonicity of the non-mainstream “Star Wars” stories, Disney has also changed or removed the means by which they’re told. The company has closed down divisions responsible for creating “Star Wars” video games and comics, outsourced them, or else re-assigned them to companies under their umbrella, like Marvel, instead. Disney was also responsible for the cancellation of “The Clone Wars,” to make way for “Star Wars Rebels,” which it produced, and which was more kid-friendly. Still, they did choose to revive “The Clone Wars,” so the cuts haven’t all been permanent.
#1: A Movie Every Year
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Since acquiring “Star Wars,” Disney has released a new theatrical release annually and has planned to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Previously, the first two “Star Wars” trilogies came out every three years. While everyone wants more of their favorite franchise, there are plenty already who are beginning to feel franchise fatigue, as well as those who believe that the tighter deadlines have and/or will have a negative effect on the quality of the films released. Whatever the reality is, Disney will likely continue doing it until it stops making money.
