Marketing for TROS...

I worry about good trailers. Half the time when the trailer is good the movie is aweful and when trailer is blah, the movie is good. But I remain cautiously optimistic.

 

You might be in the minority, but you aren't alone. I have tickets for the wife and I on opening night, but I am no where near as hyped as I was for TFA, RO and TLJ.

That is pretty nice. I hope they get some like that in the stores around here.

 

Perhaps closer to release date, you will.

 

That’s exactly how I am right now. Got the tickets for the wife and son, mildly hyped but much more worried than ever before.

 

I totally get what you’re saying as that applies to most Hollywood trailers. SW is sort of different as the tone of the Trailer always gives the fans the ‘jist’ of the movie without giving anything away.

TFA showed a lot of nostalgic images along with Han saying, “It’s true, all of it!” and was harkening back to the OT.

TLJ was all about ‘things will be different’ as Luke proclaimed, “The Jedi.....must end” and “This is the not going to go the way you think!”

There is nothing in TROS teaser/trailer that gives me any hint as to where it is going, other than the Palpatine laugh at the end. It just worries me that THEY don’t know where the movie is going or ending either.

What I’m saying is whether you like or hate TFA and/or TLJ, they had a idea of what they wanted in those movies. TFA was all about nostalgia and remembering what made SW great. TLJ was about something ABSOLUTELY different that was going to make a left turn when you think it goes right. Those ideas are all there in TFA and TLJ trailers. I have no idea where they want to go with TROS trailers. That’s what worries me.

 

I'm trying to be positive, but like @Trevor said earlier, it feels like they are repeating the same mistakes they made with Solo (which I thoroughly enjoyed but was just shocked by how empty the cinema was, and I watched it first on Saturday evening of opening weekend).

I know the first night is almost sold out, but I looked for tickets at my local theater for Saturday and there are a TON of tickets available. I am definitely worried about all of this.

 

I disagree with respect. The line that encapsulates TRoS is “and now you’re coming together will be your undoing.” Which hints at the tempestual relationship Rey and Ben have effecting the purposes of balancing the Force.

 

If the theme of TROS (and the ST) is about balance, then I will gladly eat crow cause it's the best part of the new Trilogy, IMO. I have seen many themes in the ST that they have touched upon, but nothing followed through to the point where it defines the Trilogy. I love when DJ said, "Good guys.....bad guys...." and then it is not addressed anymore in the movie. I was intrigued when Kylo Ren said, "Kill the past," and then they bring back The Emperor, Lando, old Leia footage, etc. I was intrigued by Finn leaving as a Stormtrooper, and then it is never touched upon anymore in the movie except when he is asked about The First Order and their deficiencies.

If JJ can craft the ST about 'balance' and do it in a way that gels with the PT (the Dark Side), and the OT (the Light Side), then this Trilogy succeeded for me. That's what is sort of my point about the Trailers, as I always look for the 'big picture' stuff when it comes to the movies. While many fans get hung up on the secondary plots like The First Order trailing the resistance in TLJ or Finn/Rose on Canto Bight, the Rey/Kylo/Luke/Snoke stuff is meat of the movie for me. That is why the PT succeeded for me because the macro story is well done with the rise of Palpatine, despite the Anakin/Padme story being awful.

 

The problem I have with the Bendu (Balance) concept of the Force is it undermines canon:

Luke: Is the Dark Side stronger?

Yoda: No! Quicker, more seductive.

-SW: Empire Strikes Back

Bendu places a spirit of hoplessness; that this dance of light and dark will never end and you are just slaves to one side or the other; and it is best to “not sign up.” Its a Nihilism of sorts, because there no hope good will triumph forever, just endless war and despair that you are just a cog in a machine. It undermines the whole purpose and point of the Jedi. Why be peacekeepers if peace can never be kept?

OT had it best, Good does prevail and the Light Side is more powerful.. it can take a “Man who is more machine than man and twisted and evil” and redeem him through love. Bendu ends in an uneasy useless feeling and disillusionment; making a person feel hopeless in a never ending conflict. The OT is the opposite, it tells us “no matter hiw dark it gets, there is light and it will conquer the darkness.”

 

You post is 100% correct and that means the story does end with ROTJ if you look at it that way. I’m trying to look for a reason for the ST to exist and the ‘balance’ angle is something new and interesting that makes me look at the Saga differently. If the ST ends with Rey/Redeemed Ben killing the Emperor in ‘some’ form (and that is the meat of the story) then 7,8,9 really didn’t add much to the Saga and it was just a simple rehash/reboot.

 

I understand the enjoyment fans get from Zoroastrian and Shinto Bendu story. I just personally can’t shake the feeling of uselessness and Nihilism that comes from never having a absolute triumph of good over evil. It creates a pointlessness summed up by the guy who says “don’t sign up, its all a machine, the resistance, the first order.” Why be a Jedi or Sith if it means you are simply to be a pawn in eon long and never ending conflict; i.e. “Let it all die, the Sith, the Jedi..” (Kylo Ren, TLJ).

It undermines the purpose of the Jedi and Sith, if they wise up that they are slaves, why fight? To end it they would have to cease to fight. Then its goodbye Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan, and so on. These who are defined by their roles in the Force which believe the darkness or light will prevail.

RJ thankfully shifted it back at the end of TLJ:

“The war has only begun. The rebellion is reborn today, and I will not be the last Jedi.”

 

These are type of debates that I enjoy in these forums. Again, I can’t disagree with anything you said in your post. I’m on your side when it comes to the debate on balance, but I’m open to see where it goes in TROS just to give a different take on the Saga. Not sure if you’re a ‘The Matrix’ fan, but I envisioned a TROS ending much like Matrix Revolutions when they started to play up the ‘balance’ theme in TLJ.

 

I am so glad we can have a civilized and respectful debate.
I get that exploring a “broader view of the Force,” could make for deferential story. I don’t mind it in TLJ when it is allowed to be explored but the more traditional good will prevail is still there; perhaps balance between Bendu and Absolutism?
I happen to be a major Matrix fan and enjoyed Revolutions because unlike a bewildered man in the theater afterwards stroking his puzzler (beard) until it was puzzled out, I understood the ending.

 

Yeah I see plenty of stuff on display. My point is that the stuff isnt new designs or something 1st seen in either Mandalorian or TROS. 1. Does TROS really have any new designs? Think LFL went the safe route to avoid the PT backlash about CGI and went the more nostalgic route in the ST and sell less toys. 2. Mandalorian didnt have a fanbase yet in October. Sure if toymakers thought a Razorcrest toy or Lego would sell in October you would have seen it, but also do think there is a bit of waiting to give nothing away with regards to story.

--- Double Post Merged, Nov 19, 2019, Original Post Date: Nov 19, 2019 ---

Wow the TROS trailer really hit me and people I know. They went after the heart strings. C3PO saying goodbye to the fans and he wasnt speaking for himself in this context, just like Han and Chewie in the TFA trailer it was a message to us. Then the more melancholy version of the Star Wars theme just hit me right in the heart. From reactions I have watched and my family there was many a tear during that trailer. Didnt give away story and for the life of me why do you want to see what Palpatine looks like before you see the movie. I want a surprise. Now if he turns out to look like his old self then maybe you have a point, but doubt that and I want the mystery left for the film.

 

Thank god we are able to this again! It felt, for a long time, like it was just a constant argument about why one film was good or not. Instead of trying to pick someone's brain and see WHY the liked or disliked something. I am sure I'm guilty of it so I"m not absolving myself.

Personally, I like the idea of the Sith and Jedi in this eternal struggle, kind of "chosen one" coming about again and again, but so far they've (maybe) avoided that. It reminds me of Michael Moorcock's works in the 60s and 70s, the "Elric of Melnibone" stories and the idea of the eternal champion, but I digress.

 

I wonder what TLJ toy sales were. If they were medicore, Disney likely played it conservative this time around.

I think more money for Disney is in The Mandolarian merchandise. They need to sell Mando helms, blasters, and SPOILER plushies and Funko Pops.

 

Toy sales are down across the board. Whatever you think about TLJ, Star Wars enthusiasm was at a fever pitch back in September of 2017 when the new TLJ toys arrived. One challenge for TLJ was that it was right after TFA so there wasn't much room for action figure changes. Really it was just porgs. All the major characters looked about the same.

 

Indeed, and it appeared that the updates, like Kylo Ren’s lightsaber did not sell well because they switched it back to TFA type:

 

They have been mediocre since TFA. What new designs came out for TLJ. A-Wing was back. Bomber. Sorry anything else? Any new lightsaber designs? Any new capital ships that maybe resulted in new large Lego sets? That is my point. The toys available arent anything new. Call it conservative or call it that Disney didnt insist on new vehicle designs to sell toys.

 

I'm not going to lie, that light saber looks cheap and I can see why it's not selling. The SW toys in the 90s were so much better.