The idea that Star Wars in a way was modernizing a throwback does seem to present a balanced path and what feels like the “trick” to the whole thing. The shots lifted from old westerns such as The Searchers, or classic samurai movies by cinematic master Kurosawa and so on, the mix of traditional and new was how Star Wars could push itself but still feel familiar. For me there are some traditions worth keeping and are in fact part of the whole Star Wars flavor. There really aren’t many scores these days as bombastic as Star Wars with a full orchestra, which itself also was a throwback even at the time. In fairness even to TFA I do think compared to other contemporary blockbusters it had much more thoughtful blocking, which also seemed to be a conscious decision to present a more classic staging reminiscent of the originals. To me that is the good side of upholding tradition, and shares a space next to the re-lighting of the candle that is retelling the hero’s journey, Star Wars’ identity is rooted in both pushing the envelope and paying homage to the classic epics.

That line, however, can and has been flanderized by this point, regressive circles will only lead to shallow results if taken too far, so the foundations should be solid on the shoulders of giants, not just Star Wars itself.