Easterhay said:
But the audience did get a sequel to TESB. The tone was different, yes, but no more or less than the change in tone from ANH to TESB.
Yes, it was a sequel in the technical sense but IMO and by many others who had invested their time in the gripping tour de force of ESB, it was only a mediocre wrap up much like Bingowings described it, an obligation. The drop in quality is epic, if you don't see it I think you're just lying to yourself and I believe many do because it's technically ESB part 2 of 2. If you weren't happy about how ESB turned out most people just settled with the first film and were fine with it, ESB is open ended, hence a more complex situation if you liked it, where most people choose to accept ROTJ just because of the fact that it ends the story no matter how bad that ending may be.
And there is of course those who genuinely love it and think it's a good film or just don't look at the situation as melodramatic as I describe it and can just enjoy the film from time to time for what it is even though they hold it below the others. I'm sorry if I am talking bad about your darling, it's only my opinion and the way I see it.
It's all about the execution, I don't think anyone expected the third one would be as compelling and dark as ESB but at least that it would feel like a natural conclusion to the bold narrative we were presented with in the previous film, all interesting plotting in ESB was thrown out the window just to get it over with.
Easterhay said:
ROTJ has a job to do, which is to tie up the loose ends and bring closure to the story.
That doesn't necessarily mean you cannot do it in a good and compelling way. The job it has to do is also to entertain us along the way otherwise the plotting just becomes a cheap trick.
Easterhay said:
It also serves to remind us that Star Wars is kids' fare.
Why does it have to remind us of that, can it not just be a sincere kids movie and tell us a good story that appeal to adults at the same time? just like the previous two films did. A good story is a good story, you never grow to old to appreciate good storytelling even if the subject is fantasy. Does a "kids movie" automatically mean no quality control needed in your world.
And if you need to remind the audience that this is kids' fare doesn't that raise an alarm that something went slightly wrong in the previous picture? (which I btw still believe to be a kids film) "What's the kind of film we are doing here? right we need to remind them this isn't a continuation of ESB..." "insert a burp joke or some slapstick humor."
Easterhay said:
That job done, we can now go back to having fun and if one word can sum up ROTJ then "fun" would be it.
Did you never have fun when watching SW or ESB?
I guess the big surprise is not that the second sequel was an average movie (how often does a sequel match the quality of the previous ones) but more that ESB was so f***ing good, perhaps that's the whole problem.