A ranking of Star Wars movies unlike any other
Our galaxy is disordered and, every day, it tends to become more and more so. This is why we feel the need to classify things: to make some order where we can. However, we are aware that it is a stupid exercise. Do you agree with this ranking? Of course not. The pretext for this psuedo-ranking is the recent success of the Disney + series dedicated to Obi-Wan, set in a period that is halfway between the original trilogy and the prequels. Not everyone was sure it would be a big hit; the first four episodes turned out to be anything but memorable, with several awkward passages. But then Darth Vader shot down a spaceship in the fifth episode and from then on we all wished the series would never end. First of all the two protagonists, the actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who not only expressed their interest in returning for a second (and possibly third) season, but who, during the advertising tour, have repeatedly shown that they are pleasantly surprised. from the fact that viewers appreciated their characters so much that the spin-off was possible.
Against the charts The fact is that prequel films, ditched at the time by a small number of critics unable to grasp their magnificence, have always been considered by anyone to be masterpieces. Even revolutionaries. The problem is that these people are usually the ones who make up the rankings. In most cases, those who draw up the rankings have conservative and fearful positions when it comes to pop culture, and pretend to be a defender of "quality" with a self-proclaimed "respect" for "history", convinced that taking risks means safeguarding the orthodoxies. It follows that 2001: A Space Odyssey is the best science fiction film. Tolkien is the best fantasy writer. And, for the millionth time, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back remains the best Star Wars movie.
It probably is. But what if instead we hazarded that things are different? The world would not fall and indeed, something good could come out of it. Shaking off consolidated beliefs means giving yourself the opportunity to return with more strength, perhaps with less enough.
One thing that has never made sense in the Empire is that Yoda, the quintessence of wisdom, lies shamelessly. He says that if Luke doesn't stay in the swamp and complete Jedi training, he'll end up going to the dark side. Luke, however, ignores him and flies off to save his friends, clearly demonstrating his goodness of mind. Why then did Yoda tell him those things? To scare him? To manipulate it? Not much of a Jedi.
The merits of the prequel trilogy Maybe we are missing something. George Lucas' prequel trilogy did more than just tell the story of the rise of Darth Vader. He also reviewed the legacy of the Jedi, and thus the legacy of the franchise itself. Far from being a bastion of wisdom, nobility and truth, the famed Jedi Council has rather turned out to be a place of corruption where one manipulates and deceives. To be honest, a total failure. Yoda has failed with Dooku, just as Obi-Wan has failed with Anakin, with consequences that have been disastrous for the entire galaxy.
The trilogy has rewritten history, allowing fans of the saga to revisit the three films. in the light of the prequels and appreciate Luke's lightness and goodness even more. Thanks to the prequels we had the tools to realize that if Luke made a mistake he would have listened to Yoda and not gone to save his friends. In a way, Luke had sensed caste failure, excess dogmatism and arrogant omniscience, and tried to counter it. That's why this ranking puts Attack of the Clones near the top and Revenge of the Sith at the bottom. If a new story within a franchise deepens or expands - rather than limiting or undermining - your opinion and liking of the original then it is noteworthy and can conceivably be considered better.
The faults of J.J. Abrams Not that director and producer J.J. Abrams got it. When he set out to make his contribution to the Skywalker saga in the form of Episodes VII, VIII and IX, producing all three and directing the first and third, he didn't turn to prequels for inspiration, as he would have. due. He exclusively considered the original trilogy.
The result, according to some, was a series of "tributes" to Lucas, affectionate reconstructions that introduced the archetypal Star Wars narrative to a new generation. Nothing further from reality. Abrams' films are clearly first-rate plagiarism, a copy-and-paste made even more deplorable by the implication that having a female lead, Daisy Ridley's Rey, was all it took to legitimize the making of three more. chapters. For this reason his films, in any ranking and certainly in this one, can only end up in the last places. The characters and narrative twists were so similar to their counterparts in the original story, Abrams' creative poverty so utter, that the trilogy threatens to destroy, even today, the legacy of the entire franchise.
The dangers of the status quo Here, once again, why this ranking stands in stark contrast to the rankings. Because as much as Abrams is to blame for the general uselessness of Rey's parable, the rankings, especially those that serve only to slavishly reaffirm the common opinion, are equally - and perhaps to an even greater extent - guilty. Lazy, silly, lacking in luster and analysis, without a real and proper elaboration of a personal and independent opinion. In continually upholding the glory of the old, they miserably convey their aversion to risk, poisoning the public with a conservatism in blatant opposition to the emancipatory spirit of the narrative. As a result, fandoms, far from welcoming radical changes, are demanding fidelity, loyalty to tradition.
Over the years, some fringes of the Star Wars fandom have turned out to be exactly like this: reactionary and hostile to change. Far from being wise, noble or authentic, but imperfect and polluted. While it's unclear how many fans are actually like this, it's undeniable that they exist and are holding us back.
Most of them are likely to be among you: readers of articles like these. Ask yourself, as Yoda asked Luke, "Why are you here?" Because if it's to fight, show off, scold and hate, then you have gone to the dark side.
This article originally appeared on sportsgaming.win US.
