I'm about to watch Star Wars 8. Can someone remind me what happened in 7?

[Blood Brain Barrier]

...because I really have no idea what it was even about.

Things I remember:
-There was a girl wearing white we were following, but I have no idea why. She ran around a lot and I think there were some robots with her.
-A black dude was her accomplice. Is this right?
-There was an evil guy wearing black who came in at some stage. I don't know what he did or why.
-I know Harrison Ford appeared with Chewy. Did he die? Or was that Leia?
-Okay, I remember the end bit with the island. Yay!

So, I guess what I want to discuss is this: Why are these films so unmemorable? I mean, the original trilogy, THAT was memorable. I didn't have to go on what was the equivalent of the internet in 1981 and ask people what happened in Star Wars before I watched Empire Strikes Back. Is it because they aren't very original? It feels like with the new Star Wars they've just shuffled around the box while leaving everything else the same. I dunno.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Basically both good and bad guys were trying to find a piece of a map that leads to Luke Skywalker.

Good guys found the map, and Rey meets Luke Skywalker.

But all I can say is right now the second movie completely disregarded anything the first movie was building upon. Recent news and developments says that JJ Abrams had a plan to how his trilogy will pan out, and Rian Johnson pretty much scrapped everything.

Basically the events and fates of characters you will see in the Last Jedi is vastly different to what JJ Abrams intended to happen.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Just watch A new Hope and imagine someone just remade it, recasting a few characters and changing a story beat around, but it's 99% the same.
You didn't miss much in Force Awakens.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Just watch A New Hope and imagine someone just remade it, recasting a few characters and changing a story beat around, but it's as similar as this post is to the one before it.

 

[Saelune]

Just watch A new Hope and imagine someone just remade it, recasting a few characters and changing a story beat around, but it's 99% the same.
You didn't miss much in Force Awakens.

Its A New Hope in New Game+ and with character mods

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Just watch A new Hope and imagine someone just remade it, recasting a few characters and changing a story beat around, but it's 99% the same.
You didn't miss much in Force Awakens.

Its A New Hope in New Game+ and with character mods

Fantastic way of saying it!

 

[Recusant]

Why are these films so unmemorable?
...
Is it because they aren't very original?

No, no, no. If you want to understand Star Wars- old, modern, or as a whole- you've got to get this novelty worship out of your head. The original trilogy was so groundbreaking because it was so universally relatable- the exact opposite of "original" (it's only called "the original trilogy" because it was made earlier). Campbellian Monomyth with a heavy dose of Eliade; this was about universal mythological storytelling that goes back pretty much as far as humanity does; you couldn't be less original if you tried. The prequels were a lot more original than the first trilogy, and the new ones (well, okay, not TFA, but the The Last Jedi, certainly) were more original still. It's just that they suck.

Consider Avatar. The most commercially successful movie of all time. A movie so thorough in its depictions of an alien planet that they even included the bugs (and not as a plot point, either; they were just there). You probably remember the basic plot of the movie (it was Dances With Ferngully, in case you missed it), but do you remember any of the fine details? Anything about any of the characters? Any explanation for why, with a quarter-billion-dollar budget, they couldn't afford a screenwriter? A movie with good dialogue will be quoted, a movie with interesting philosophical ideals will be discussed and pondered, a movie with good humor will be reminisced about and laughed at, but all Avatar had was visuals- damned impressive visuals, to be sure, but what can you do with graphics?

The new Star Wars isn't being made by a man who wants to make a great movie and so much money that he leaves major Caribbean islands as tips at a restaurant. It's being made by a company that wants to make money and win the public's loyalty so they can make more money (and possibly solidify control over the whole idea of experienced entertainment, since this is Disney, after all, but one thing at a time). It shows.

 

[immortalfrieza]

But all I can say is right now the second movie completely disregarded anything the first movie was building upon. Recent news and developments says that JJ Abrams had a plan to how his trilogy will pan out, and Rian Johnson pretty much scrapped everything.

Basically the events and fates of characters you will see in the Last Jedi is vastly different to what JJ Abrams intended to happen.

Rian Johnson didn't "scrap" anything. Disney just handed the job over to him without any attempt to give him any direction on what JJ Abrams intended and basically just said "go nuts" and he did the best he could. Despite that Rian did a positively amazing job with Episode 8, throwing the entire Star Wars franchise on it's head while managing to still be true to it at the same time. JJ Abrams has his work cut out for him if he wants to top Rian Johnson's work.

OP, if you don't find The Force Awakens memorable that's on you. I found it very memorable and despite what many are saying it's not copying A New Hope or the Original Trilogy as a whole for that matter very much. It's really only vaguely reminiscent of The Original Trilogy, just some fan service stuff here and there in a "nudge nudge wink wink" kind of way.

Just watch the movie again, no description could do it justice.

 

[Hawki]

I assume that this is trolling because even if TFA was a rehash of A New Hope, I have no trouble remembering it.

But just in case, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Force_Awakens#Plot

So, I guess what I want to discuss is this: Why are these films so unmemorable? I mean, the original trilogy, THAT was memorable. I didn't have to go on what was the equivalent of the internet in 1981 and ask people what happened in Star Wars before I watched Empire Strikes Back. Is it because they aren't very original? It feels like with the new Star Wars they've just shuffled around the box while leaving everything else the same. I dunno.

Probably because you were younger when you saw the original trilogy, and saw it more times than that. While TFA does take a lot of reference from A New Hope, lack of originality doesn't mean lack of memorability in my mind.

Consider Avatar. The most commercially successful movie of all time. A movie so thorough in its depictions of an alien planet that they even included the bugs (and not as a plot point, either; they were just there). You probably remember the basic plot of the movie (it was Dances With Ferngully, in case you missed it), but do you remember any of the fine details? Anything about any of the characters?

Yes, pretty much all of it.

Rian Johnson didn't "scrap" anything. Disney just handed the job over to him without any attempt to give him any direction on what JJ Abrams intended and basically just said "go nuts" and he did the best he could. Despite that Rian did a positively amazing job with Episode 8, throwing the entire Star Wars franchise on it's head while managing to still be true to it at the same time. JJ Abrams has his work cut out for him if he wants to top Rian Johnson's work.

Butting in (well, I've butted in already, so why appologize now?), I am inclined to believe that Johnson did scrap Abrams's ideas, but I don't hold it against him. What is known is that Disney scrapped Lucas's plans for Episode VII, and while I don't know how much of a role Abrams had in that, I think it's hypocritical for people to call Johnson out for scrapping Abrams's plans when Lucas's plans were scrapped for Episode VII.

That said (Force Awakens, Avatar, and Last Jedi in on post...god this is going to come back to bite me), Last Jedi kind of has the opposite problem for me than TFA. TFA is a more solid film, but a more derivative one. Last Jedi has far higher highs than TFA, but also far lower lows. Part of why on my Star Wars scale, TFA has the #5 spot, and Last Jedi the #6 spot, and are pretty much the only films in the saga where those rankings are interchangeable for me.

Of course, this being the Internet, and since you like Last Jedi, I'm not obliged to call you an SJW and a blind fanboy because...reasons.

It's really only vaguely reminiscent of The Original Trilogy, just some fan service stuff here and there in a "nudge nudge wink wink" kind of way.

"Vaguely reminiscent?" It has a third Death Star for crying out loud!

And numerous other stuff that I won't harp on, but, well, TFA is really wearing its influences on its shoulder.

 

[Warhound]

Rian Johnson didn't "scrap" anything. Disney just handed the job over to him without any attempt to give him any direction on what JJ Abrams intended and basically just said "go nuts" and he did the best he could. Despite that Rian did a positively amazing job with Episode 8, throwing the entire Star Wars franchise on it's head while managing to still be true to it at the same time. JJ Abrams has his work cut out for him if he wants to top Rian Johnson's work.

OP, if you don't find The Force Awakens memorable that's on you. I found it very memorable and despite what many are saying it's not copying A New Hope or the Original Trilogy as a whole for that matter very much. It's really only vaguely reminiscent of The Original Trilogy, just some fan service stuff here and there in a "nudge nudge wink wink" kind of way.

Just watch the movie again, no description could do it justice.

I am not sure if this post is serious or not.

Rian did a positively shit job with Episode 8, and a half blind chimp on a 3 year vodka-binge could top it, so I am sure JJ will have no issue.

And its pretty clear what JJ had intended, and its not like Rian couldn't have, you know, talked to the guy if he wasn't clear on anything, so yeah he scraped anything interesting in the new trilogy in favor of setting up his own (possible, it might well get trashed after this movie) trilogy that he was slated to make next.

And if you think that TFA was only had a "nudge nudge wink wink" relationship with A New Hope then you need to go back, watch both movies again, and pay a bit closer attention.

 

[Tanis]

'A New Hope' was basically a western genera film, IN SPACE.
-Hell, all the baddies wore black while all the goodies didn't.
-Add in some sword play and pew-pew and you get The Star Wars.

Also, I really enjoyed 8. I know some shit on it, but I like it.

It felt very much like a 'love letter' to the 'true believers' of Star Wars.

 

[Natemans]

Am I the only one who loved The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

...because I really have no idea what it was even about.

Things I remember:
-There was a girl wearing white we were following, but I have no idea why. She ran around a lot and I think there were some robots with her.
-A black dude was her accomplice. Is this right?
-There was an evil guy wearing black who came in at some stage. I don't know what he did or why.
-I know Harrison Ford appeared with Chewy. Did he die? Or was that Leia?
-Okay, I remember the end bit with the island. Yay!

So, I guess what I want to discuss is this: Why are these films so unmemorable? I mean, the original trilogy, THAT was memorable. I didn't have to go on what was the equivalent of the internet in 1981 and ask people what happened in Star Wars before I watched Empire Strikes Back. Is it because they aren't very original? It feels like with the new Star Wars they've just shuffled around the box while leaving everything else the same. I dunno.

Han and Chewy were dying but they saved them by scrapping bits of each one and putting them together into one being

 

[Hawki]

Rian did a positively shit job with Episode 8, and a half blind chimp on a 3 year vodka-binge could top it, so I am sure JJ will have no issue.

Completely disagree.

I mean, it's not perfect by any means, but it's a far cry from being "shit."

And its pretty clear what JJ had intended,

It is?

and its not like Rian couldn't have, you know, talked to the guy if he wasn't clear on anything, so yeah he scraped anything interesting in the new trilogy in favor of setting up his own (possible, it might well get trashed after this movie) trilogy that he was slated to make next.

And Abrams scrapped Lucas's treatment for Episode VII, so...what goes around comes around?

I'm not perturbed about the whole scrapping aspect, at least not at this stage. If Star Wars was the work of one individual, then this could bring up ethical issues about creative control and authoratorial intent (see Dune for an example), but Star Wars isn't such a work. This kind of stuff was going on long before this in the EU (the whole Mara Jade issue for instance between Traviss and Zahn for instance). It doesn't help that despite what you claim, we have no idea what Abrams's plans were for Episode VIII, and knowing Abrams, while he's good at setting up mystery boxes, he seems to be fine in letting people decide what's actually in said box (e.g. Lost).

'A New Hope' was basically a western genera film, IN SPACE.

I'd say it's more of a space fantasy than space western.

It arguably has elements of a space western in the form of Mos Eisley, but that's about it. Its tropes are far more based in fantasy.

It felt very much like a 'love letter' to the 'true believers' of Star Wars.

Disagree there.

For both good and ill, Last Jedi is a subversion of Star Wars. For me, that's where its greatest strengths originate from. However, in part, that's also where its greatest weaknesses come from. Force Awakens is far more of a love letter, but IMO, that's to TFA's detriment.

Am I the only one who loved The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

Eh, probably not. Actually, that's pretty much a certainty, because I know YouTubers (e.g. Archengeia and Chris Stuckman) who love both films. That's not even getting into the kids for whom the sequels will be their first introduction to the franchise.

I can't say I "love" either film, but I don't hate either of them.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Am I the only one who loved The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

Am I the only one who didn't think the Prequels were completely bad?

 

[Hawki]

Am I the only one who loved The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

Am I the only one who didn't think the Prequels were completely bad?

Nup.

Attack of the Clones is fairly lacklustre, but there's still stuff to like in it. Phantom Menace is a bit flawed, but still reasonably enjoyable. Revenge of the Sith is pretty good IMO, albeit still with flaws.

The prequels are undeniably flawed films, but I still think there's plenty to like about them.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Why are these films so unmemorable?
...
Is it because they aren't very original?

No, no, no. If you want to understand Star Wars- old, modern, or as a whole- you've got to get this novelty worship out of your head. The original trilogy was so groundbreaking because it was so universally relatable- the exact opposite of "original" (it's only called "the original trilogy" because it was made earlier). Campbellian Monomyth with a heavy dose of Eliade; this was about universal mythological storytelling that goes back pretty much as far as humanity does; you couldn't be less original if you tried. The prequels were a lot more original than the first trilogy, and the new ones (well, okay, not TFA, but the The Last Jedi, certainly) were more original still. It's just that they suck.

I object to that statement. What makes the original trilogy memorable isn't the story. It's a perfectly decent story, it gets the job done, but that's not why Star Wars caught on. What makes Star Wars memorable is the iconography and I do think at that point there had been nothing in film that looked quite like it. Sure, it wasn't the first movie to do pulpy science-fiction but in Star Wars, it looked real. These worlds existed and people lived in them and they used that technology and they flew those starships and they wore those clothes. It didn't feel artificial, it felt, for the lack of a better word, immersive.

That's one of the main problems of the prequels, by the the way. I never hated them, or even really disliked them overall, the way some people do, but the way the prequels look and feel takes you out of them. A lot of the things they show look sterile and lack presence. For what it's worth it might be an artistic decision, I don't know, but the entire cinematography, the CGI, the greenscreens, the sets, remind you that you're watching a movie and that the world in front of your eyes isn't real. Otherwise the prequels are decent movies, if you ask me. In a lot of ways they're actually quite a bit smarter than the OT. The characters aren't any worse than the ones in the OT and the dialogue only occasionally is. The acting is spotty as hell, which makes them easy to make fun of, but I don't think people would have been that harsh of them if their world looked as believable as it did back in the old movies.

I think that's what many people watch fantasy movies for: To get drawn into another world. The actual story is secondary. Very few iconic works of fantasy have a particulary rich plot. Also, I'm pretty okay with the way the new Star Wars movies have turned out so far. I was never a diehard fan of the series and maybe my expectations aren't all that high, but none of them were bad and Last Jedi, in its best moments, came very close to greatness.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Does google and Wikipedia not exist anymore?

*Quick check*

Nope, they still exist.

Ohhh right, it was an attempt at making a statement and stir up controversy, while also 'virtue signalling' (I'm using that right, right?) to a certain type of nostalgic fan, lol, silly me

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

"I'm about to watch Star Wars 8..."

And that's where you can leave it. Star Wars 8 was a piece of shit served on the most ornate, gorgeous, beautifully crafted diamond-encrusted gold platter you've ever seen. But it's still shit, you can't eat a gold platter.

Okay, I'll stop now. God, that fucking movie...

As to why you don't remember it, chances are that it's specifically because you remember A New Hope. It's like this: imagine you saw the Mona Lisa. Then someone made a "sequel" to the Mona Lisa, which is the exact same painting except this time she has a slightly different haircut, some makeup on and is wearing a locket or something. You'd still just go "well that's the Mona Lisa" at first glance, and even when you spot the differences, it's still clearly the Mona Lisa. And when someone asked you about Mona Lisa 2, all you'd be able to think of is the original.

As for things that matter: Han Solo died. The main protagonist, Rey, is a scavenger with some connection to the Force. The main antagonist, Kylo Ren, is Han and Leia's son who turned to the dark side. Finn (the black guy) is a Stormtrooper defector who joined the Resistance.

Completely disagree.

I mean, it's not perfect by any means, but it's a far cry from being "shit."

If we want to get into specifics, I'll agree that Last Jedi is far from being shit, but Rian Johnson sure did a shit job at what was his job. Well maybe half shit. He's credited as the main writer, and that's the movie's biggest fault. The performances were fine, but only for the material the actors had, which again comes back to the script. But every merit in TLJ's favor? Not due to Johnson. The cinematography was great, but that's what DP's are for. The music? He didn't make it. Special effects? Thank the thousands of office rats, not Johnson.

TLJ's script under any scrutiny reveals itself to be both completely inept at storytelling as well a thorough ruination and assassination of nearly everything that's iconic about the series.

 

[wizzy555]

Am I the only one who loved The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi?

Am I the only one who didn't think the Prequels were completely bad?

No, the prequels had some virtues to them. World building, the broad plot was decent, the politics had a decent lesson in there.