I’m very happy that I allowed my view of what Star Wars is to grow and expand.
I’m trying to get there as I don’t want to feel such animosity towards most of the Disney era. I’d like to at least get to a place where I can enjoy this era in an alternate universe sort of way.
First let me state I don’t mean everyone should like everything. It seems like that’s what I’m saying sometimes, but I certainly don’t like everything myself, nor do I expect anyone else to. It’s all subjective.
That aside, I definitely am an advocate of reevaluating things from time to time. We grow and change over time, and often we can see things differently than we initially did, especially if we let go of earlier preconceptions. I don’t think I’m ever going to enjoy Jar Jar’s humor or the CGI in AotC, but the story being told in the prequels and especially the animated series is well worth overlooking the parts I’m not fond of.
As for the sequels, a lot of people have a lot to say about them. I think once the dust settles in the years to come, they may be evaluated differently. Whatever your take on them, I think most would agree this is an extremely hostile time to make anything.
This is the whole reason I say a lot of the things I do. Not because I think my opinion is better than anyone else, or I’m right and they’re wrong. And again I don’t expect everyone to see it the way I do. But if I can just get a few people to discover something they enjoy, that they may have previously overlooked, that would just make me very happy.
I really admire your take on Star Wars and often find myself wishing I could get where you’re at. I find I can in a general sense. I see the flaws in the Prequels and Originals but I find I can more easily forgive them and try understanding why George thought they worked. The difference I find when it comes to the Disney era is I end up going to a cynical place when I think of reasons why the filmmaker made x and y choice. I usually chalk it up to Disney and suits making the decisions. I agree with a lot of what you’re saying though. I think my problem with the Sequels is how they feel so different and far removed from what was central and important in George’s six films. They’re not necessarily bad movies as they’re enjoyable popcorn flicks but to me Star Wars was always more than that. Star Wars was both a popcorn flick and an art house film wrapped into one. I find The Last Jedi gets closest to capturing this but find it hard to reconcile it as a continuation of the first six as it also breaks a lot of themes and rules.
My hope is that in time I’ll be able to enjoy the Disney era for what it is. I’ll be able to point out the flaws but I won’t go straight to cynicism or sadness that George’s story feels incomplete. I’ll be able to enjoy things for what they are and not what I want them to be.
It’s a juggling act of seeing things as George Lucas Star Wars and Disney Star Wars.
I’ll definitely continue reevaluating and exploring this era as I do have fun with it for the most part. It just may not hit me in the same way and I need to find a way to be okay with that as there’s so much content I’m missing out on that I think I’d like to try getting into.