You could almost hear the geekgasm yesterday when it was announced that Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and that the subsequent acquisition – besides George Lucas being safe in his retirement – would produce Episode 7, another Star Wars film, in 2015. Clearly, this is amazing news for both parties. Disney will expand their reach on the male demographic that they’re all but monopolized through their previous acquisition of Marvel and the release of The Avengers and its ancillary films. And Lucas will remain a creative consultant for his Star Wars franchise, which will undoubtedly smash box office records.
At the same time, I’m not sure how excited we should be for another installment. Admittedly, I’ve never reached the heights of fandom over Star Wars that others have. (A New Hope is inconsistent and kinda sloppy; Empire is awesome, but mostly on account of its classic reveal; Return of the Jedi is a denouement driven more by fluffy marketable aliens than anything else.) However, Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are far superior – and groundbreaking – when compared to Lucas’ endeavor to bring Episodes 1, 2, and 3 to the audience. In truth, had these first three films been released in sequential order, no one would have cared about the whiny, wee-yelling, racing boy or blatant Asian-stereotype-driven aliens. In truth, the rise of Anakin Skywalker is much less interesting than his transformation into Vader and the subsequent dynamic between Vader and the rest of the galaxy. (Cinematically, it was as if Christensen was shot on a separate sound stage, and his interactions with Portman are farcical – if not pitiful.)
Overall, it seems that the first three episodes were released for two reasons: 1) because George Lucas could 2) to hook a new generation of viewers carted to the cinema by their nostalgia-seeking parents who convinced themselves that they had a genuine interest in the life and times of Anakin-pre-Vader. The new films, planned to be released every two or three years, smells of the same agenda. This is further suggested by plans to feature the Star Wars films at the Disney theme parks.
In general, I’m not against this tactic; it’s capitalism and Lucas’ films appeal to the masses. My concern is that the franchise will be even further diluted. In recent years, Disney – and Pixar – has admitted to making “tentpole films,” those films that are intended to draw crowds with spectacle, eliding the necessity for story, solid acting, and content. Despite the box office draws, this can be seen in the films leading up The Avengers. Thor felt a bit thrown together; Captain America was fun until it reminded us of its true purpose (to remind us of The Avengers); Iron Man was an adequate origin story, but its sequel swam in the depths of silliness (and pretty much copied the arc of its predecessor). This can also be seen in Pixar’s release of the underwhelming Cars 2 and the Pocahontas / Mulan echoing Brave.
To be fair, this franchise could be revived and worth seeing — on a critical level – if Disney finds the right director. While I knock most of The Avenger’s predecessors, Joss Whedon was a great choice to direct the ultimate film. Will he be able to do the same with a sequel that will have to up the ante of super-alien-villain? I don’t know, but his focus on story and character development prevented the film from becoming a complete Disneyfied film that leaves the audience lamenting the swipe of a debit card. If Whedon is unavailable to help revive Star Wars, I would push for Matt Vaughn. His aptitude at bringing fictional / fantastical characters to live is nearly unmatched (Bryan Singer would also be a good choice.) I’m sure some people would say Nolan has an edge here, but let’s remember that his Batman is the most un-comicbooky Batman that we’ve seen in quite a while. His angle is gritty realism, and I’m not sure this would work in a galaxy far far away. Regardless, Vaughn helmed the quality X-Men: First Class as well as Kick Ass, which is one of the more underrated graphic novel adaptations. If Vaughn is unavailable, Brad Bird might be a good choice. He understands the complexities of superheroes (The Incredibles) as well as the expectations of taking over a franchise and revitalizing it (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).
In the end, this merger certainly works out financially for both Disney and Lucas. The outstanding question is whether or not the upcoming films will simply be a cash siphon, or a cash siphon worthy of the acclaim that only biased, die-hards can bestow.
