Originally Posted by
godisawesome
Actually, the PT’s story was much more coherent than the execution and in comparison to the ST, which was why it managed to end on a high point and launch so many successful spin-offs in video games, novels, comics and TV shows. That's not to say the story didn’t have problems - but it really was almost entirely down to execution, not concept or even plotline. The plot is actually damn smart, and always was, which was why guys like John Ostrander, Matthew Stover, and later Dave Filoni could excell so well in it - the plotline is clear, concise, focused, and clever, and did in fact bolsters the OT. There’s a reason that the PT rebounded from the doldrums of AOTC with ROTS, and why everyone’s excited about Christensen coming back to be directed by non-Lucas filmmakers - because the building blocks of the story are actually very strong.
The superiority of the PT era is part of the plot and story.
The ST *does*, don’t get me wrong, excel in areas the PT suffered at - general dialogue, acting, and occasional spurts of characterization… but those same strengths are often turned against each other by the crap plot and warring story visions. To enjoy Ben Solo in TROS, you kind of have to have contempt and and disgust for the storylines of TFA, and turn your brain off for part of TLJ and only acknowledge some parts of it in a very “smut fanfiction without the smut” style. To enjoy Luke in TLJ, you kind fo have to have contempt and ignorance of the OT and of TFA. To follow the military plotline, you have to hate any originality, any competence, and any imagination by the time everything is said and done. There’s a reason half the audience left entirely by the last film, and why initially excited actors like Boyega and Isaac joined Hamill in airing frustration, disgust, or depression at how things variously ended.
I’d actually argue that if TFA had even merely competent follow ups, the ST would clearly be superior to the PT. But TLJ’s a cancerous, contemptuous and dumb movie that’s like AOTC’s mirror universe twin, just as bad but in the exact opposite ways (an insane and nonsense fucking excuse for a plot dooming great actors and direction vs a clever an intriguing plot dragged down by poor acting and directing)… and it turns out that franchises and settings can recover from AOTC’s weaknesses better than TLJ’s.
“I hate sand” is bad. But Rey wanting to hold Kylo’s hand after he’s done nothing but continue to be a bland bastard is only a fucking fanfiction wish fulfillment for Kylo fanboys who hate Rey and Finn.
Let him change things and fix the time period and he could… but it ain’t a TCW situation. Again, the PT story was good enough even just changing the dialogue and putting it in book format is a revelation (ROTS). The ST needs fixing; less Ben Solo, more TFA Rey personality, more Finn, and less respect for anything from TLJ.