Star Wars: Good Series or Overrated by Society?

[Brigitte]

I was glancing through another thread when I came across somebody who thought Star Wars was overrated. I found it to be a curious post because, for my entire life, the people around me have considered Star Wars series to be the best thing since sliced bread. Now, looking from a different perspective, it leaves me wondering if the series is any good or if Hollywood and society hyped it up.

So, what do you guys think? Is Star Wars actually just a superior sci-fi tale, far exceeding anything story you can find on the bookshelf or movie theaters? Or, is it just the product of hype and James Earl Jones's deep voice?

[Curt Chiarelli]

The entire series is grossly overrated. The only thing innovative about these films is their technological level of sophistication. Otherwise, it is amongst the most bankrupt and hollow of propositions and solid evidence that George Lucas is truly a false giant in a land of genuine pygmies.

[steve12553]

I've got to agree to a point. When the first movie (Part IV) came out it was the most innovative film I'd seen since 2001 came out in 1968. The scope of the space ships was amazing and the chemistry between the leads was perfect. The story was a mish-mash of elements that were very weak but worked because of the fantastic visuals and the charisma of the actors. As far as the written series I have read very little but I suspect this was a universe that doesn't hold up too well to close scrutiny.

[Curt Chiarelli]

Yes, the first film was an enjoyable popcorn film for a young boy like myself when I saw it in its second run in 1978. However, by the time I reached 14, and after the second film had been released, the whole aura surrounding the franchise had become hoary and ponderous.

I've always been a huge admirer of Michael Curtiz, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Ray Harryhausen, Willis O'Brien and Merrian C. Cooper. After the dust began to settle it was abundantly clear that Lucas' position as a "visionary auteur" was little more than a house of cards by comparison to the works of these masters.

He cannot write dialogue. His directing is stilted and technologically fetishistic and thus bestows upon these bloated, pretentious efforts a sense of emotional emptiness. Furthermore, his obsessive/compulsive, control-freak tendencies strangle and stifle the life out of his actor's performances. All the finer points of the Star Wars films are to found in the contributions of the production design, sound design and special visual effects teams - achievements which Lucas' public relations personel are eager to attribute to him. And whatever shallow attempts he makes at giving his oeuvre depth and mythic resonance are cribbed from Joseph Campbell's notes.

He is, however, a shrewd businessman who's good at organizing, coordinating, delegating and editing. He is little more than a manager with a Napoleonic Complex who was merely fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right project . . . . hardly the creative genius worshipped by millions of fans worldwide.

[Quokka]

The literary merit of David Edding's Belgariad is certainly questionable and there's little original in it but I still loved the series as a kid and ditto with the original Star Wars. I think it was the right movie for the right time but its only really scifi due to the background settings rather then anything truly important to the plot.

The writting is not the strength of those films and unfortunately IMO the more details that Lucas adds and the more times he revisits the SW universe the more that shows.

[Majimaune]

First off I think this thread is in the wrong place. It should be in Star Wars section.

Second: Yes it is overrated but only a little. I guess (if your talking about the movies) the newer trilogy is a lot but if your talking original trilogy how could that be overrated? Its great. If your talking the books then they are also pretty good (or the ones that I have read anyway)

[Dexter]

Star Wars is a cultural landmark. Even people who've never read or watched it know it's contents. The movies changed how movies are made. Star Wars has entertained millions of fans for 30 years. So I just can't see how it could be overrated. Hype works in the short term. Star Wars has endured. Indeed, it has thrived. It is clearly not a fad. It's not some craze like pet rocks. It is a genuine phenomenon and a classic.

Is it a superior story? I think it's a great story. I don't think it far exceeds all other books and movies, but what story does? I think Dune is a better book and a much worse movie than Star Wars. I think Star Wars honestly earned it's reputation.

[Joel007]

Although I do like star wars, I prefer sliced bread.

[Majimaune]

You do have to admit though that the dialogue is poor.

[Coolhand]

Some of the dialouge is awful, some of it is great.

"You came in THAT thing? You're braver than I thought..."

The "new films" are mostly awful when it comes to everything, dialouge included, for one simple reason: Lucas was allowed to do whatever the hell he wanted.

See, I think Star Wars is great when people other than Lucas get involved. Empire Strikes back is by far the best movie because other people wrote the script and directed it. Lucas was under studio pressure for the original movie which, desipite having some toe-curlingly naff bits, is sill great fun. Jedi is when things started to go wrong (Ewoks. I mean, did no-one tell him that Imperial AT-ST's getting taken down by frackin' EWOKS was just utter cack?) but is still mostly a good laff and the whole final battle rocks (apart from the fuzzballs. And at least you see a few of 'em get killed.)

And lastly, some of the expanded universe stuff is awesome, because it's written by other people.

I think Lucas, as has been said, is a shrewd marketeer, and he set up some great concepts for the Star Wars universe (I mean, Lightsabers are officially the coolest thing ever, and X-Wings are close behind) but as an actual film maker and script writer, he's pretty poor.

Bit like Russell T Davies, actually.

[Majimaune]

I have to agree with you Coolhand. Lucas was great with ideas but when it came to executing them as a script he wasn't good at all.

[TK-421]

First, wrong spot for the thread. Brian please fix.

Second, for those movie-going snobs who think it's a "bankrupted" series, I will not attempt to even argue with you but merely fart in your general direction

[Winters_Sorrow]

Star Wars: Good Series or Overrated by Society?

Why can't it be both? The originals breathed new life into the sci-fi genre, spawned a host of rubbish imitators and, arguably, "created" the summer blockbuster idea. Without the success of Star Wars a lot more laudable sci-fi would never have been made, after the hash of B-movie "look out for the alien/commie" movies all but killed the genre.

EDIT: Moved to the Star Wars section with 1-month redirect.

[TK-421]

Yes, true about the summer blockbuster arguement. However, I thought they gave that title to Jaws as the first true summer blockbuster.

I would also argue that it was a series with heroes and a vision of another galaxy that people could more easily identify with than Star Trek presented.

[C Of K]

Overrated? I don't think so. misunderstood is more along the lines of truth. On George RR Martin's Blog (I believe it was) he offered his opinion of 8 SciFi movies that are better than Star Wars...

The point is many people will agree with him. I would agree that almost any scifi movie is better scifi than Star Wars. Although Star Wars had a scifi back drop, it was clearly not trying to be scifi.

It's a different genre altogether. Star Trek is usually scifi. But I would be hard pressed to name 8 Science Fiction/Fantasy movies better than Star Wars.

But then we have to take into account that A New Hope almost didn't happen. George Lucas actually made himself sick making that movie, and should be given credit for his accomplishment. He certainly didn't design Darth Vader, but there is more to the character than design. Kudos to the man for taking the time to pick an unforgettable voice actor!

The story, dialogue ect. weren't perfect, but what story/movie/whatever is? Star wars had the tools to become more than almost any other, that much is a fact. One thing is for certain, Star Wars didn't turn out to be the next Buck Rogers, and George Lucas' determination has much to do with that.