In defense of JJ's "reboot" of Star Wars

There’s a reason The Force Awakens has (adjusting for inflation) become the highest grossing Star Wars movie of them all.

Now, about inflation. Whenever you mention the success a modern movie is having, someone always brings up inflation. In the case of Star Wars, the original 1977 movie is the second biggest film in history. When you adjust for inflation the film’s domestic gross is about 1.5 billion dollars, just under the number one movie, Gone with the Wind, which grossed 1.7 billion. In terms of raw ticket sales, nothing will ever touch Gone with the Wind, and it’s not likely any movie will make enough to overtake Star Wars. Again, when you adjust for the inflation of the US dollar.

But it’s an overrated caveat to bring up inflation when you talk about modern movies. There are a lot of reasons why movies in the ye olden days of the 70’s made more bucks than movies today. Media in 1977 was a lot less vast, so there was less competition compared to now. TV was around (unlike in the days of Gone with the Wind, which was basically a must-see attraction that came to town on multiple limited basis), but there weren’t as many channels or shows to watch. When a big movie premiered, it captured the collective attention of the nation, much more so than today. A movie like Star Wars was a revelation to the 1977 culture. It became the first “event” movie since Gone with the Wind itself, whereas today big movies—even the biggest movies—are events unto themselves, and only grab the attention of the so-called “movie-going public.” Back in the day, all of the public was “movie-going.” That’s just not how things are anymore. So there are a lot more factors than inflation to consider when you look at box office receipts.

Still, even when you account for inflation, and just consider raw ticket sales, the newest Star Wars film certainly belongs in the “New Hope/Empire Strikes Back” company, and far away from the company of the prequels. Why is that?

In the months leading up to the movie’s premiere, fans online were…apprehensive, to say the least. There was a lot of worry—including right here on this site—that the movie would not live up to the legacy established by George Lucas. Many fans believed that, without George Lucas at the helm, the movie would not feel like Star Wars. Even though many of those fans were frustrated with the prequels, there still was the idea that Lucas needed to maintain some input in the story, and that depriving him of that would make for a hollow sequel.

And yet, The Force Awakens premiered and smashed the box office. Read the reviews; there are many. Watch the many online analyses of the film and read the plethora of editorials penned about it. Certainly the movie has its detractors, but even the ones that were disappointed with parts of the movie still had to acknowledge one thing:

The Force Awakens felt like Star Wars.

That’s an almost universal compliment but it’s also one that deserves some exploration.

There was something in the mood, in the characterizations, in not just the action but in the way the action was shot, it all added up to a movie that felt like you were watching a Star Wars movie. Of course, you were watching a Star Wars movie, so that should be expected, right? Not after the prequels it shouldn’t.

The prequels disappointed in the box office, compared to the original three, despite there being a bigger worldwide audience to tap into than Hollywood had in the 70’s and 80’s. Even though most fans would agree that the prequels got “better” (there’s a relative term if ever there was one) as they went along, and certainly the final prequel is considered the “best” of the three, it still did much smaller box office gross than the original trilogy..

Source: BuzzFeed

At the time, the first prequel managed to exceed the box office total of all but the original Star Wars. But after the high wore off and critical and fan support for the movie withered away, the final two movies in the trilogy grossly underperformed. Why? Because, after the disappointment of the first prequel–when it became clear that these movies had little in common (beyond the superficial) with the original trilogy—the casual fans checked out. The hardcore fans were there and stood in line for each premiere, but the casuals weren’t with them.

Who are the casual fans?

Depending on your age, there’s either a picture of your parents or your grandparents today, in line to see Star Wars in 1977.

Those are the ones who first experienced the galaxy far far away. Many of them happily returned to the cinemas in 1999 to see the first of the “new” Star Wars movies. But they walked out instantly realizing the prequels weren’t for them. To those fans, the prequel movies didn’t “feel” like the Star Wars they grew up with. As for the next generation of fans, it took them longer to jump ship and deem the prequels substandard compared to the original trilogy (and some still cling to the belief that they are, in fact, well made movies). Those new fans kept coming back , in 2002 for Attack of the Clones, and in 2005 for Revenge of the Sith, because with each one they told themselves “this will be the one that is good.” Meanwhile that other generation (the first Star Wars generation) had long since given up hope.

Those are the fans that have returned in droves to see The Force Awakens.

As we await the upcoming release of the movie on blu ray, I can’t help but think about how Star Wars has returned to the collective consciousness of America. I saw the the movie five times in four different cinemas. Each time I did I was amazed at the diversity of the audience. There were people from 8 to literally 80 enjoying the film. And that 80 year old couple was there to see it on their own, no grandkids in tow.

So when I hear people complain that The Force Awakens is “derivative” and “just a carbon copy of A New Hope” I feel like those who say that miss the point. “Derivative” is what you call a bad movie that just shameless rips off an earlier work. It’s what you call a lazy film that is trying to ride the achievement of a better precursor to its own successes. The Force Awakens is, in a lot of ways, indicative of A New Hope, but that’s by design. And The Force Awakens is not a bad movie, nor is it a lazy film. It soars with excellence in technical, acting and directing levels.

The movie was meant to inspire comparisons to the original Star Wars movie. It was meant to follow many of the same story beats of A New Hope. It was designed to appeal to those first fans, who had given up on Star Wars. It was a nostalgia trip for the casual fans of the franchise. And not only did it do that, but it pulled off the even greater challenge of making the movie—with all its similarities to the past film(s)—feel like Star Wars and not a cheap knockoff.

I have no doubt that Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII will move the story forward and take the audience down a new path for the franchise, but with The Force Awakens, with the first Star Wars for a new generation, JJ Abrams and Disney did the right thing. Call it a quasi-sequel/reboot if you want, but that’s exactly what the creators were going for. They took you back to the universe you loved, not in a hollow and superficial way, but through a genuine and emotional journey back to the galaxy far far away.

For that reason, though it’s become popular among some to knock the successful film for its attachment to the original movie, I will defend it as the perfect Star Wars movie for its time. It was the Star Wars film that, after the disappointment of the prequels, needed to be made.

It was a Star Wars film that felt like Star Wars.

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you