After watching Rogue One today and discussing it among my friends, I realized that my knowledge of Star Wars is embarrassingly deep. I know far more about the Star Wars saga and the EU than probably 99.7% of the population, and I have highly involved theories about virtually every aspect of this fictional universe.
At the same time, I do not consider myself to be a fan of Star Wars.
Perhaps some of you have the same feeling.
Sure, I like many aspects of the movies, especially the OT, but I like the Lord of the Rings movies more. In terms of the number of movies and shows, I like the Star Trek universe more than Star Wars, and would definitely say that I am a Trek fan.
The reason for this is, I think, due in large part to the Prequels and the Special Editions. After Episode 1, I read the novelization and then began reading much of the older EU materials. By the time Episode 3 rolled around, that brief phase of genuine fandom had ended, and I moved on to other things.
A few years later, the RLM reviews arrived and crystallized much of the vague, generalized dislike I had towards the prequels and the SE. At that point I began thinking about my own prequel trilogy, and continued tinkering on that front for several years. Similarly, the release of the 2004 DVDs and the 2011 Blu-rays in contrast to the 2010 Technicolor screening crystallized all that was wrong with the Blu-rays, and initiated a prolonged period of investigation as to the ‘original’ look of the film.
Without the meddling of George Lucas, I would probably not be invested in the Star Wars universe at all. My natural interests are much more in line with the fantasy world of LOTR, the vision of a Star Trek future, or creating an original work of fiction. The allure of these things is in stark opposition to my relationship with Star Wars, which is one of a problem to be solved or a paradox to be resolved. I’m not one of those 'Lucas f----d my childhood people; my childhood was quite nice, thank you. It’s that the juxtaposition of the excellent OT with the deeply flawed PT and SEs brings me back here day after day.
George Lucas created the ultimate meta-drama with Star Wars, making it generationally relevant because of the massive cognitive dissonance resulting from viewing the Saga as a single, unified vision. It is brilliant in retrospect, even if it was accidental. If his prequels and changes were merely mediocre, I think Star Wars may have already faded into obscurity, and I would be writing my own stories, rather than being fascinated by this impossible puzzle box of a universe.
So what about you? Do you consider yourself to be a fan of Star Wars, or are you here for the puzzle box?