Max explores the evolution of Star Wars under the guidance of Disney. Is the saga better or worse under the house of mouse?
Star Wars has changed and evolved a lot over the years, and Disney is the architect. This seems painfully obvious as they bought Star Wars and rebooted the Expanded Universe in favor of their own stories. However, the “feel” I get from Star Wars is so much different than the After-Prequel years from around 2006- 2010 where Star Wars was just different. It was more of a massive tapestry with each section being designed by a different artist. The colors all intertwining, yet still very fixed and permanent. It was like the universe itself. Constantly expanding and seemingly having no end in sight and a hard to pin down beginning.
NEW STORIES
Then came the Big Crunch in 2014. Followed immediately by a new Big Bang which rebuilt the universe for sure, yet created something we had never seen before. Like a corner being an edge, old Star Wars was very varied across all eras of storytelling. New Star Wars is very rounded and smooth, with everything interlocking together to form a super-cohesive storyline. Is this better or worse? That’s up to each individual to decide. But I will admit how “real” old Star Wars felt because every story was told so differently. Just like real life is an amalgamation of stories that barely tie into each other. The new Star Wars universe is almost like a computer simulation.
SIMULATED STORIES?
Everything computes and adds up to the same programming. “Programmers” even leave hidden “items” in their stories, that they intend to have “activated” later. Its become quite a very precise science. Does it make continuity errors, still? Of course. Nothing is perfect, but for the most part, everything lines up to the T with all other stories.
Also, the new characters have a more “Earthly” feel to them. And you would not find a Jedi from a 1990’s book refer to sex as the act of “getting laid”. It’s almost blasphemous to have that word in the Star Wars mythos. And it makes the characters too much like us for my taste. I like thinking of Star Wars as a very different society where people always say “What is thy bidding” or “Indeed.”
CHANGE
Also, another change I don’t like is how the new universe, rarely takes small “risks” in the course of the storytelling formula. But then will do a 180 and completely blow the preconception of Star Wars off its hinges. Teleporting wolves and time dimensions after blasters and well, Stormtroopers???
It’s just very uneven in that respect and may be hard to understand. But I got this feeling that transcends normal storytelling, where I can almost see the soul of the franchise itself. I hope Star Wars continues to evolve for the rest of my life. And I one day hope to be among the privileged few who are allowed to contribute to that massive tapestry.
For a wealth of Star Wars content, be sure to check out the official website.
Author
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
