Solo: A Star Wars Story’s impending release on May 25, just six months after the last Star Wars movie aired in theaters, is just another reminder to overfull fans of how over-saturated the galaxy far, far away has become.
Since Freshman year, scrambling to the theaters the night after my last final exams to catch the newest movie has been one of the highlights of my semester. That much was true even for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first film in the “Star Wars Story” anthology which was really just an average action movie.
I grew up with Star Wars like most people did, and it still plays a prominent role in my life; three of the posters in my room feature stormtroopers decked out in full battle garb. I did not share the completely negative reaction to The Last Jedi that some fans had last December, but each time I have sat in the theater since The Force Awakens, I have noticed my excitement slowly diminishing.
This new anthology of “Star Wars Story” movies is shaping up to be a library full of answers to unnecessary questions. The vastness of the Star Wars universe used to be undercut by how little the films actually told us about it, leaving the door open for the imagination to take hold. That is a technique the early movies captured well. For example, prior to the edits introduced by George Lucas, the audience only saw bits and pieces about Jabba the Hutt for two movies until he was finally revealed in Return of the Jedi, making it all the sweeter to see him go. The same was true of Emperor Palpatine.
We do not need to know Han Solo’s background. For him to simply be a smuggler was intriguing enough in the original movies, and his introduction scene was perfectly acclimated to allowing the audience to imagine all of his past heroics without delving too much in depth.
I believe that Disney has forgotten how beautiful and rewarding that kind of anticipation can be. Without spoiling much, I suggest that you watch Episodes 7 and 8 to see how quickly some of its most compelling questions are answered in detail, whether it be Kylo Ren’s identity, Rey’s past, and nearly every significant characters’ motivations.
The new Star Wars movies may be well-made, but they do not capture curiosity in the same way that they once did. I am confident that the new film will be quality entertainment, but I simply believe that the franchise would not have been any worse off without it. This annual production of films just underscores the fact that too much is being said too soon.
