There's plenty to love about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00From unquestionably awesome force powers and weapons, to some of the most compelling characters
00:05ever to strut onto the Star Wars stage, it's time to stop hating on Disney's sequel trilogy
00:11and the following entries will explain precisely why.
00:15I'm Gareth here from WhatCulture Star Wars and here are 10 Reasons to Stop Hating the
00:19Star Wars Sequel Trilogy.
00:2110.
00:22The dialogue was better than the prequels It's no secret that viewers and even the
00:27actors themselves struggled to connect with the cold and often bizarre dialogue George
00:32Lucas threw into his scripts when creating Episodes 1 to 3, how the likes of Mark Hamill
00:37and co even had the mind behind The Galaxy Far Far Away change and cut out various lines
00:42during the making of the original trilogy too.
00:44Jump forward to The Force Awakens and beyond and at least the various new faces and returning
00:49icons all sounded like actual human beings this time around.
00:53In fact in The Last Jedi alone, some of the finest exchanges in the franchise's history
00:58briefly washed away those painful memories of sandy conversations, with Luke and Leia's
01:03long-awaited reunion giving fans the gift of one more charming Carrie Fisher quip about
01:07her change of hairstyle, a gorgeous line written by the late legend herself.
01:12It wasn't all perfect of course, never forget that they fly now, but the sequels certainly
01:17recorded a lot more dialogue hits than the trilogy of misses that came before them.
01:21Do you have a favourite line in Star Wars history?
01:24Let me know about it in the comments section right down below.
01:28They were never going to live up to ridiculous expectations
01:32After those widely adored original trilogy beginnings, it's safe to say that the prequel
01:36series of Star Wars entries largely weren't what the majority of folks were either expecting
01:41or wanting heading into Episodes 1 to 3.
01:44So news of the sequel era of flicks not only picking up the story three decades on from
01:49Return of the Jedi, but reintroducing the likes of Luke, Leia, Han and the gang in a
01:53new tale being told understandably left many fans feeling hopeful about the saga's future.
01:58The Force Awakens actually did a decent job of living up to the hype too, combining the
02:03overall vibe of those OG features with some spectacular visuals and fresh new characters,
02:09even if the tale was largely a retread of A New Hope.
02:12The episodes that followed weren't as universally saluted however, with every bold twist or
02:17hiss of nostalgia being praised by one fan and utterly slammed by another.
02:22Trying to please every single soul within a fanbase as massive and diverse as Star Wars
02:26from start to finish was always going to be an impossible task, especially when it comes
02:31to the sacred Skywalker saga.
02:33And with that in mind, the fact both those who longed for the nostalgic days of the OG
02:38trilogy and the folks who just wanted to see the series be dragged down a fresh new path
02:42were both sporadically given moments to get excited about is actually a minor miracle
02:47that isn't celebrated enough.
02:498.
02:50It introduced some undoubtedly cool powers, weapons and ships
02:54It simply would not be Star Wars without some fascinating Force abilities, and the menacing
02:59Kylo Ren set the tone early in The Force Awakens by stopping a damn blaster bullet in mid-air
03:04before holding it there for an impressive amount of time.
03:07Leia soaring through space after being fired out of a cruiser, Luke projecting himself
03:11halfway across the bloody galaxy and even watching Palpatine force drain the Dyad all
03:16sit as unquestionably cool uses of Force power when revisiting the trilogy.
03:21And episodes 7-9 seriously brought it in both the badass weapon and spaceship categories
03:26too.
03:27Ren's command shuttle was a beautifully designed menace of the skies, the rusty ski
03:31speeder helped create the gorgeous visual of Crait's red surface bursting up from
03:35the ground as the Resistance sped towards the First Order, and the supremacy was a thing
03:40of terrifying beauty too.
03:42That epic crossguard lightsaber used by a fallen Ben Solo became instantly iconic, and
03:47the advanced melee weapons seen being used by the elite Praetorian Guard were also at
03:52the centre of arguably the trilogy's finest combat sequence.
03:55Simply put, there's a lot to love about the sequel's arsenal.
03:597.
04:00No one really stood a chance without a proper three-film plan in place
04:04Now having multiple directors add their own flavour to the mix isn't anything new in
04:09the galaxy far, far away, with the OG trilogy seeing three different figures steering the
04:13ship.
04:14But Irving Kirshner and Richard Marquand's work was still being overseen by George Lucas
04:19back then, with the original Star Wars director making sure the overall story was heading
04:23towards the conclusion he wanted.
04:25Not having a similar sort of plan heading into the sequel set this new trilogy and Rian
04:30Johnson and J.J. Abrams up for failure pretty early on, with Abrams himself eventually admitting
04:35he learned the hard way that having a plan is the most critical thing when it comes to
04:39telling this sort of story.
04:41So the next time you ball up your fist and curse the many frustrating retcons and ways
04:45the sequels feel like a painfully disjointed mess, just remember that the lads tasked with
04:49helming them were put in a pretty unenviable position of having to deal with narrative
04:53decisions they didn't choose before proceeding to make it up as they went along.
04:586.
04:59Practical effects strike back It must be said that many of the digital effects
05:03unleashed in Episodes 1-3 have aged terrifically well in the years since, with the opening
05:08space battle in Revenge of the Sith still being a marvellous watch to this day.
05:13But there's no denying the fact that many longed for a return to the days when practical
05:17effects were relied on more than digital wizardry after taking in the prequels.
05:22Though it is worth noting that those films did still boast their fair share of practical
05:25moments too.
05:26The minds behind the sequel trilogy appear to agree that it was time for all things practical
05:31to take centre stage once again, however, and this renewed focus on making tangible
05:35alien beings and a world that felt more organic than the artificial CGI-stuffed prequels led
05:40to some hugely underappreciated results.
05:43Everything from Unkar Plutt and Maz Kanata being brilliantly brought to life via practical
05:47methods at various points, to the using of the real-life skellig Michael as Ahk-To, regularly
05:52made the sequels a true feast for the eyes.
05:555.
05:57At the time of The Last Jedi's release, you were either in the camp of Abrams Diehard
06:04to curse that wretched Ryan for bidding off the mystery surrounding which Star Wars family
06:08Rey belonged to, and suddenly killing off Big Bad Snoke, or you were one of the folks
06:12who absolutely adored the bold creative swings Johnson made throughout.
06:16As the years have gone by though, it's become increasingly more common to hear of folks
06:20subscribing to that latter opinion, with many gradually coming to appreciate the compelling
06:25risks Johnson took and the exciting path he was trying to nudge the saga down heading
06:29into what was once Colin Trevorrow's finale.
06:32In isolation, The Last Jedi sits as one of the most visually stunning, beautifully acted
06:37and fresh pieces of Star Wars action of all time, and its presence in the sequel trilogy
06:41alone is enough of a reason to justify returning to this inconsistent portion of the Skywalker
06:46saga in the years to come.
06:494.
06:50Absolutely Spectacular Action Sequences The sequels as a whole routinely left minds
06:55absolutely blown thanks to the beautiful chaos unfolding on screen.
06:59For all of the questionable narrative choices and mishandling of certain characters, every
07:03single one of the flicks contained at least a few genuinely awe-inspiring moments of gorgeously
07:08filmed action.
07:10The Force Awakens threw the Millennium Falcon back into the mix with a gripping clash with
07:14some First Order TIE Fighters above Jakku, and also possessed a captivating forest lightsaber
07:19battle between Kylo Ren, Finn and Rey.
07:22The Last Jedi boasted that awesome Ren-Rey team-up as the two collided with the elite
07:26Praetorian Guarder, not to mention a hold-o-manoeuvre which blasted both many a cruiser and our
07:31little brains to pieces.
07:33Even the Rise of Skywalker contained a thrilling lightsaber clash amongst the waves on the
07:37moon of Kefbia.
07:38The trilogy may not be known for its consistency when it comes to the overall tone or story
07:42being told across the three films, but the Disney chapter of the Skywalker saga did at
07:47least consistently produce some of the most riveting and inventive action the franchise
07:51has ever seen.
07:533.
07:54John Williams smashed it with Rey's theme
07:56Having the mighty John Williams back in the composer chair for the sequels was a bit of
08:00a no-brainer, really, and it was that call that ultimately set the stage for yet another
08:04instantly iconic theme to be born in the form of the magical Rey's theme.
08:09It's that terrifically built tune, one that makes you feel like you can single-handedly
08:13take down a Star Destroyer, that pretty much acts as the musical core of the sequels, and
08:18serves as a reminder, as if you really needed one, of exactly why Williams ranks as arguably
08:22the greatest film composer of all time.
08:25While the sequels may not have contained quite as many instant hit themes as the original
08:29or prequel trilogy, Rey's theme undoubtedly still ranks as yet another piece of musical
08:34magic Williams managed to sprinkle into the galaxy far, far away.
08:38Simply put, even the sequel's biggest haters can't help but get lost in Williams' masterful
08:43work.
08:442.
08:45Kylo Ren is one of the great Star Wars characters
08:48The fact the intriguing Kylo Ren slash Ben Solo was being brought to life by the magnetic
08:53Adam Driver meant that a memorable new figure in the Star Wars sphere was all but guaranteed.
08:58And sure enough, Driver absolutely nailed the role across the entirety of the series,
09:02always offering a captivating glimmer of hope and light on the back of, or during, Ren's
09:07many explosions of frustration and rage.
09:10Ren's arc is possibly the most satisfying of the entire sequels, too, with the petulant
09:14son of Han and Leia going from disenchanted fallen Jedi to a person who gives their life
09:19to save Rey's over the course of the episodes.
09:22The sequels most definitely fumbled the likes of Finn, Poe Dameron and a number of other
09:26new faces, with the eventual wasting of brilliant actors like John Boyega and Oscar Isaac pissing
09:31off just about everyone who initially connected with their characters during The Force Awakens.
09:36But at least Driver was given the platform to produce a performance that shined even
09:39in the trilogy's darkest hours.
09:421.
09:43Some of the nostalgia really lands By the time The Rise of Skywalker blasted
09:47off into hyperspace, the Skywalker saga had turned into little more than a Greatest Hits
09:52compilation with a few new artists playing covers of your old favourites.
09:56Before Palpatine and the Death Star somehow returned, Lando was largely wasted, and Han
10:00Solo stopping by for one last appearance despite Harrison Ford finally getting his murderous
10:05wish, both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi proved that nostalgia could be a brilliantly
10:10effective tool when used properly.
10:12Ford's presence as Rey's mentor before being cut down by his own flesh and blood
10:16in Episode VII gave the trilogy some serious emotional weight.
10:20Leia acting as the wise and charming Resistance leader was a perfect use of the late Carrie
10:25Fisher.
10:26Luke Skywalker's journey from bitter and broken master to the Resistance's projected
10:30saviour felt like an unexpected yet satisfying farewell, and Frank Oz briefly popping back
10:35up as Master Yoda was enough to force even the most soulless audience member to crack
10:39a smile.
10:40For all of the later nostalgic beats and choices that felt like you were being force-fed sweets
10:44you used to eat as a child, never forget that the sequel still regularly delivered the odd
10:49nod to the past that didn't make you want to throw up in your seat.
10:53And that's our list!
10:54Know of any other reasons to stop hating Star Wars sequel trilogy?
10:57Well let us know about them in the comment section right down below and don't forget
11:00to like, share and click on that subscribe button while you're down there.
11:04Also if you like this sort of stuff then please head on over to WhatCulture.com and
11:07find some more fantastic Star Wars articles just like the one this video you're watching
11:11right now is based on.
11:12I've been Gareth from WhatCulture Star Wars, may the force be with you, thanks for watching
11:16this video and hopefully we'll see you soon, bye bye!