The Mandalorian & Grogu is released this week and is set for the lowest opening weekend of any Star Wars film ever. With the TV shows also struggling, here's why interest is waning.
I feel like the only thing the headline really addresses is Ahsoka. It’s the only show or movie that’s truly enmeshed with the cartoons. I think the bigger problem is that people just aren’t going to theaters as much anymore, and Star Wars in general hasn’t offered a compelling reason to go. It feels like decisions are being made by accountants instead of storytellers.
The performances are good, the directors are good — they just need more latitude to tell compelling stories. I’m going to see M&G opening night, but my expectation is mostly CGI machines blowing up, some cute comedy scenes, and a bit of Force stuff with Grogu. It’s a movie for fans of the characters, and that’s fine — I appreciate that — but I can also see why it’s not tracking to blow up the box office.
Unless my impression is wrong and it really does have something compelling to say, in which case the marketing has failed.
Disney has over-saturated Star Wars. Star Wars used to be special. Like when the 97 Special Editions came out or the Shadows of The Empire cross media event or the Prequels or hell even the launch of new books with the Thrawn Trilogy was a big deal. It was special then. You had to wait years for something NEW for star wars and people loved that.
Now it’s a yearly thing or multiple times a year thing. it’s just not special anymore. The Mandalorian and Grogu movie is the FIRST Star Wars movie for me that I’m saying “meh, i’ll wait to see it” I’ve NEVER said that about a Star Wars movie, even the sequels.
I said that about Solo. Incidentally, it was a better movie than I expected, but it was still super unnecessary. It left me far more interested in a follow-up than Solo itself.
I feel like the only thing the headline really addresses is Ahsoka. It’s the only show or movie that’s truly enmeshed with the cartoons.
Rogue One also assumes you watched Clone Wars. I hadn’t (and haven’t, for lack of time), and I was rather confused about the whole Saw Gerrera thing. Solo was better in that regard.
Side note: back when I watched R1 in cinema I loved it, especially the unexpected ending. However, I recently rewatched it and I was really bothered by how underdeveloped the characters are. Everyone is very one-dimensional, and Jyn’s motivation changes because the plot needs it. Is there no one at Lucasarts to proofread these scripts and correct these kind of flaws?
I had no idea who Saw Guerra was when I saw RO. I have since seen Clone Wars, and honestly I don’t think it adds anything at all. Time and events make the Saw in Rogue One a very different character.
It’s more of a “I recognize that guy” moment, I think. Maybe others got more out of the connection than I did.
I disagree a bit on Jyn, though it sounds like you rewatched more recently than I, but as I recall her motivation changed after resolving the biggest trauma of her childhood/life. I find that plausible, myself.
The Empire kills Jyn’s mother, so obviously she doesn’t like them
Saw takes care of Jyn, until something happens (no clue what) and we’re led to assume they’re on bad terms.
Jyn does not trust the Rebels (understandable), Cassian included, and only tags along to save her father
The Rebels kill her father
At this point, Jyn trusts no one. Every interaction with other people felt forced and awkward
Jyn decides to throw her lot in with the Rebels and strike at the Empire. Suddenly she gets along with the rest of the crew and they happily fly to their doom
It’s the last part that irks me. I get that she’s traumatized, but it only gets worse during the movie, and somehow she just gets over it and decides to sacrifice herself for the morally gray faction that killed her last remaining parent.
It would have been more believable if e.g. Cassian rescued Jyn’s father against his orders in exchange for her help stealing the Death Star schematics.
So first I just want to say I love nerding out over Star Wars, so this is all in that spirit and not disagreement or invalidating your points.
spoiler
I could write a lot here just to explore all of your punts, but the essence boils down to this:
Her suddenly-not-traitor fathers dying wish was that this life’s work in hiding a flaw in the Death Star be realized to undo the super weapon he’d been forced to create. So she enlisted the rebellion to her cause rather than the other way around. Her whole speech wasn’t I’m suddenly a true believer — it was don’t be hypocrites. Seize the opportunity my father provided and fucking do something.
It was all to shame them into completing her father’s work, which she suddenly could believe in — which she needed to prove to clear her father’s name.
So first I just want to say I love nerding out over Star Wars, so this is all in that spirit and not disagreement or invalidating your points.
Same <3
spoiler
Fair enough, I think that’s a valid reading.
I wish they had spent some more time on character development, to give these things some room to breathe. Show some more of Jyn’s time with Saw so we can get to know her, give her and Cassian more dialogue to discuss the turning points of the story, that dort of stuff.
Rise of Skywalker felt like a bunch of studio mandates cobbled together by a completely checked out film maker. I don’t have the impression that there was a tonne of latitude involved.
I’ve seen no background information, that was just my impression. Seemed like the bigwigs were just trying to capitulate to every harebrained complaint they heard about The Last Jedi. If it was all JJ, I guess his instincts are really just that bad.
I feel like the only thing the headline really addresses is Ahsoka. It’s the only show or movie that’s truly enmeshed with the cartoons. I think the bigger problem is that people just aren’t going to theaters as much anymore, and Star Wars in general hasn’t offered a compelling reason to go. It feels like decisions are being made by accountants instead of storytellers.
The performances are good, the directors are good — they just need more latitude to tell compelling stories. I’m going to see M&G opening night, but my expectation is mostly CGI machines blowing up, some cute comedy scenes, and a bit of Force stuff with Grogu. It’s a movie for fans of the characters, and that’s fine — I appreciate that — but I can also see why it’s not tracking to blow up the box office.
Unless my impression is wrong and it really does have something compelling to say, in which case the marketing has failed.
Disney has over-saturated Star Wars. Star Wars used to be special. Like when the 97 Special Editions came out or the Shadows of The Empire cross media event or the Prequels or hell even the launch of new books with the Thrawn Trilogy was a big deal. It was special then. You had to wait years for something NEW for star wars and people loved that.
Now it’s a yearly thing or multiple times a year thing. it’s just not special anymore. The Mandalorian and Grogu movie is the FIRST Star Wars movie for me that I’m saying “meh, i’ll wait to see it” I’ve NEVER said that about a Star Wars movie, even the sequels.
I said that about Solo. Incidentally, it was a better movie than I expected, but it was still super unnecessary. It left me far more interested in a follow-up than Solo itself.
Rogue One also assumes you watched Clone Wars. I hadn’t (and haven’t, for lack of time), and I was rather confused about the whole Saw Gerrera thing. Solo was better in that regard.
Side note: back when I watched R1 in cinema I loved it, especially the unexpected ending. However, I recently rewatched it and I was really bothered by how underdeveloped the characters are. Everyone is very one-dimensional, and Jyn’s motivation changes because the plot needs it. Is there no one at Lucasarts to proofread these scripts and correct these kind of flaws?
I had no idea who Saw Guerra was when I saw RO. I have since seen Clone Wars, and honestly I don’t think it adds anything at all. Time and events make the Saw in Rogue One a very different character.
It’s more of a “I recognize that guy” moment, I think. Maybe others got more out of the connection than I did.
I disagree a bit on Jyn, though it sounds like you rewatched more recently than I, but as I recall her motivation changed after resolving the biggest trauma of her childhood/life. I find that plausible, myself.
IIRC, it’s been a year:
spoiler
It’s the last part that irks me. I get that she’s traumatized, but it only gets worse during the movie, and somehow she just gets over it and decides to sacrifice herself for the morally gray faction that killed her last remaining parent.
It would have been more believable if e.g. Cassian rescued Jyn’s father against his orders in exchange for her help stealing the Death Star schematics.
So first I just want to say I love nerding out over Star Wars, so this is all in that spirit and not disagreement or invalidating your points.
spoiler
I could write a lot here just to explore all of your punts, but the essence boils down to this:
Her suddenly-not-traitor fathers dying wish was that this life’s work in hiding a flaw in the Death Star be realized to undo the super weapon he’d been forced to create. So she enlisted the rebellion to her cause rather than the other way around. Her whole speech wasn’t I’m suddenly a true believer — it was don’t be hypocrites. Seize the opportunity my father provided and fucking do something.
It was all to shame them into completing her father’s work, which she suddenly could believe in — which she needed to prove to clear her father’s name.
Same <3
spoiler
Fair enough, I think that’s a valid reading.
I wish they had spent some more time on character development, to give these things some room to breathe. Show some more of Jyn’s time with Saw so we can get to know her, give her and Cassian more dialogue to discuss the turning points of the story, that dort of stuff.
Giving complete latitude is what gave us The Rise of Skywalker.
No, latitude is what gave us Rogue One and Andor.
It works both ways.
Rise of Skywalker felt like a bunch of studio mandates cobbled together by a completely checked out film maker. I don’t have the impression that there was a tonne of latitude involved.
JJ Abrams was clear about how he wanted his own vision and the studio allowed it.
I’ve seen no background information, that was just my impression. Seemed like the bigwigs were just trying to capitulate to every harebrained complaint they heard about The Last Jedi. If it was all JJ, I guess his instincts are really just that bad.
Jj was public about wanting Palpatine for the last movie. He has a history of fumbling endings.