Star Wars discussion (SPOILERS INCLUDED)

[nocera]

TIL Phantom Menace is the most watched Star Wars film on Disney+

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/star ... 235998917/

[DigitalGypsy66]

I mean, I don't loathe TPM as much as some. But come on. It's not great.

[meow]

gotta imagine that’s because it’s shown first on the menu? some **** is afoot with that

[nocera]

I figured it’s because it’s the most kid friendly and kids tend to rewatch things a bunch.

I don’t know if it’s the most watched Star Wars anything or just most watched film.

[Gaucho]

Boooooooooooooooo

[Gaucho]

hiss

[nocera]

‘The Acolyte’: This ‘Star Wars’ Prequel Series Isn’t A Force To Be Reckoned With
Even a veteran Jedi master would lose patience with the latest Disney+ addition to the canon
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/ ... 235031220/

Uh oh. Premieres tonight at 9pm. Or 6 for weirdos like tif.

[tifosi77]

‘The Acolyte’ Joins ‘Andor’ as Another ‘Star Wars’ Success on Disney+: TV Review

In the four episodes — of an eight-episode season — shared with critics in advance, “The Acolyte” combines the classical elements that give “Star Wars” an evergreen appeal with new additions to the canon, a strong core cast and a brisk pace. The show also underscores a lesson “Star Wars” has taught itself in the past, though hasn’t quite taken to heart: you don’t need to recycle elements from the master narrative to make its offshoots compelling. In fact, the opposite approach is often more rewarding.

*shrug*

[nocera]

Good. They need another Andor and can't afford another Boba Fett.

[tifosi77]

I will also note the bit you quoted from the RS piece is a pretty big plot spoiler. (Even if it has been openly speculated about)

[nocera]

That's the sub-header from the article...

[tifosi77]

Sure. Whatever it is, it's a plot spoiler.

[Kane]

To be faaaaaaiiiiiiiirrrrr...the thread title does say spoilers included. So, ya know...enter at your own risk, n'at.

[tifosi77]

Sure. The point is RS isn't a participant ITT and they're putting that stuff in their review lede.

[tifosi77]

I really dig it. Feels extremely Star Warsy and familiar, but all new characters and context. (I know Vernestra Rwoh is from books)

My one big complaint - common to most of the live action TV shows, it must be said - is that there is some weird chronic deficiency at Lucasfilm in writing compelling exposition. Everything is so literal and on the nose, to the point talking feels unnatural.

[nocera]

I haven't watched it yet but your complaint feels pretty Star Warsy too. Lucas wasn't exactly known for his dialogue.

[tifosi77]

Normal dialog isn't so bad. But the character intro stuff...............

Jecki: How well do you know Osha?

Sol: Sixteen years ago, I was posted on her home planet, Brendok. I was there when her sister started a fire that killed her entire family. Osha was the sole survivor. I took her as my Padawan.

That's pretty awful. It's literally a bullet point rundown rewritten as sentences. No one says "sixteen years ago", it doesn't matter that you were 'posted to her homeworld' and name checking it is at best inefficient, knowing she had a sister who started the fire is premature, and we already know she was your padawan. We don't need to set the passage of time here because we're establishing through her connection to Yord that she went through training with someone who is a full-fledged Knight now.

"A fire left her without her family. The Force was strong with her and....... so the Order agreed to take her in as an older Youngling. I trained her for ten years, but she left before the Trials."

I'm not a writer, obviously, but that covers the three Cs, sets up at least four questions to be answered later (Who set the fire and why? How did the Order know about her Force sensitivity (e.g. "I was there...")? What's up with the pregnant pause before 'so' (e.g. "The Force was strong with her and her sister")? Why did she leave the Order?), and feels much more grounded. (To me at least)

[nocera]

I've only watched the first episode but I mostly agree with you, tif. This feels Star Warsy but also new. It definitely feels more like the prequels than the OT, but I suppose that makes sense given the setting. And yeah, the dialogue is rough, which also feels more like the prequels. We're not at the "I don't like sand" level but we're not too far off from "are you an angel?" Overall it felt a little YA at times too.

But as for the story, I'm intrigued after episode 1. Which is way more than I could say about Kenobi or Boba Fett. It did exactly what the first episode of a mystery/crime drama should do: it asked interesting questions that I want to see answered.

[eddy]

Very much enjoyed first episode of acolyte. Some minor nitpicks that I'm not worried about. Looking forward to more episodes.

[tifosi77]

I think there's more than meets the eye with the apothecary dude. I've seen some entertaining speculation on this front that I'm not willing to sign on to at this stage, but I'm fairly certain there's something underneath the presentation.

Speculation

He's the actual Sith

[tifosi77]

Episode 3 took an interesting turn. The Lore Lords ('Loreds'? eh....) can suck it, I'm here for ambiguity.

The witches actually do a great job embodying the mystical element of The Force that I found so beguiling as a kid; they're closer to the "energy field created by all living things" that "binds the galaxy together" and makes us "luminous beings" than the f**king blood test thing from the Prequels. (I thought bringing that back in the context of the events of this episode was a pretty cool narrative cut btw)

Subtle little play on visible breath effects, too.

[tifosi77]

Worth a spoiler here

The scene when Osha wakes up aboard the Jedi starship leaving her home.

Look in the out-of-focus background. Torbin is there, and it looks like he already has the facial scar that marked his face when we met him in the story 16 years later at the time of his Jedi seppuku. There's a shot from one of the trailers that shows Kalnacca - the Wookiee Jedi - leaping at him with his lightsaber ignited. Some shenanigans definitely got underway in that witch temple.

[Gaucho]

This epsiode, unfortunately, is an absolute drag.

[nocera]

Yeah, this lost me completely. Witches ain't my Star Wars. I also don't think we needed a whole flashback episode. I would've rather just seen bits and pieces sporadically as needed.

[tifosi77]

This whole series is "Roshamon....in space".

It seems there is an awful lot of Star Wars that ain't your Star Wars.

Witches (or rather non-Jedi/Sith Force users) have been part of SW since before the Prequels were even in pre-pro....since before the Special Editions, even. They were introduced in the same story in which Han and Leia got married.