HUMOR My Reaction to All the Negativity

What ? I like the Phantom Menace ...

And that's true.

 

I already regard "The Force Awakens" and "Return of the Jedi" as worse than "The Phantom Menace".

Why should the person who made that comment take yours seriously?

 

Could you point me in their direction or quote them? I'm feeling quite lazy right now to search through the Finn thread.

Both of those definitions you used for Negativity and Criticism appear under the definition of the latter.

I appreciate that you can't particularly debate comments like "worse than Phantom Menace" because of course it depends on personal preference. However, surely you can agree that similar comments such as "so and so is so good in this film" are just as lacking in regards to debating potential? The same applies to "truths" as well, shouting that such and such is great without leeway to consider the flaws is just as problematic as the "negativity" you describe.

 

The level of irony about TFA and now TLJ seems aimed to hit critical mass has me like

This thread is gold and I look forward to contributing more after I see it.

 

Negativity is a lot more whiney.

 

Needless to say, if you're saying X is good, back it up with why, which could be both objective and subjective.

Ex: "Ewan MacGregor is the only good thing in AOTC because his storyline is actually important to the state of the Galactic Republic and his action scenes are more memorable than whatever cringeworthy dialogue was happening between Portman and Christensen."

The above sentence sets out a positive and a reason why. Somebody may disagree with how enjoyable X was, but there's also a link to the other aspects of the film: the Plot of the galaxy. Other's can comment on that but also respond to things....like....have...a "discussion" and not a series of loud statements out of the ether. Negativity is a statement. A critique is an argument with a thesis and evidence and/or reasoning to back it up.

Saying: "Oh, this isn't Star Wars so it sucks and I hate it." is not a critique, it's a useless statement inviting more challenges and questions from others and it starts from a negative place (like a slave being torn from his mother). And that's what we're seeing right now. It's narcissistic assumption and exclusionary rhetoric that claims to define Star Wars as one individual does, which is pretty fascist and antithetical to Star Wars considering how much Star Wars has grown beyond its creator(s) since 1980.



A critique would be: "Star Wars is a certain mix of influences and inspirations and genres, and 'X' film doesn't get that right." That statement is a critique which others can respond to and argue. And that is a FASCINATING CONVERSATION because it adds context to one fan's reaction to a piece and let's others think about how they relate to the work.
It would be same as criticizing a horror film or science fiction film - some people like it and some people don't. That conversation gives insight as to what makes a good horror film, or a cult classic, or what a particular science fiction film does that makes it more relatable to general audiences (like say...utilize aspects of classical mythology to relate to a young impressionable audience).

And Star Wars fandom is complicated because it has all of that stuff and more in the GFFA. Through a lot of eye-rolling and a decade of reading stuff about how people love AOTC, I begrudgingly understand that some people just love lightsaber fights. That's cool. I completely don't relate to that and actively roll-the-bantha-poodoo-out of my eyes when I read those comments, but it's because I see other things in Star Wars to love, a hundred different things before lightsabers. But because those people put reasoning (however eye-rolling it may be) behind their statement, I can shrug and understand that I will never really relate to that. But I can also respond and maybe both parties can see other aspects of the GFFA and why one film is held in different esteem over the other.

What we're seeing is people just hating to hate before most of us have really seen the film or digested it. It's useless and close-minded. If most of us can't even enter that discussion before the weekend is over, then those statements are just plain negativity for the sake of negativity. We should be better than that. Most of those commentators would have shot Yoda when he entered their little camp on Dagobah (which is the fraking lesson of that entire bit - never dismiss another being, for that being may teach you the greatest lessons).

(of course, I'm expecting language arts, grammar, basic logic skills, and basic intellect on the 'internet'....which is....well....usually too high of a bar, but that's why the mods are active and exist)

 

It was great. And no I'm not easily pleased (I can movie-moan til the sun goes nova - do not ever get me into a discussion about the Alien franchise). Was it what I expected? No. And that's such a good thing. I'd avoided trailers for the last two weeks and avoided this website. I went in blind beyond the surface-level knowledge of X-wings, TIE fighters, good, evil, Luke, Snoke and things exploding. I loved it, a little too force-based "mumbo jumbo" to be my favourite type of Star Wars movie - as said elsewhere, I like the dirty war and the tech side of Star Wars the most - but on its own merits, just absolutely great for what it was.

Was it too weird? No, it never went beyond what The Clone Wars and Rebels showed us about the force or what's possible in that galaxy. It's just the first time a movie went *that* far with it. But if TCW and Rebels are canon, then I don't see a problem. The Mortiis arc is canon, it's Lucas, and that's WAY barmier than anything in TLJ. It just happens to be CG-animated instead of live-action, does that give it that episode series a pass then from all the nay-sayers? Because it wasn't a real movie? It's ok for the story to be real as long as the performers aren't?

I'm 35 and basically spent spent half my life only knowing three Star Wars movies (it would have been five but the Ewok movies weren't widely known and... well... they were shi...). I've had three in the last two years alone, and enjoyed every single one with R1 being my favourite - and yes, out of *all* of them, including the OT - I am not for one second complaining, I feel so privileged to live during this time of such celebration of something I've loved since I was 4.

Can't wait to take my son to see it. And seeing all the negativity after so many preaching that Rian Johnson was the saviour for the franchise (it needed saving?) has me again wondering - we saw the same movie right?

 

I've already been told I'm brainwashed and haven't even seen TLJ yet. Just that I love TFA and the positive reviews of TLJ. Disney has basically put something in my water to brainwash me. lol

 

Wishing Rian bad things and death should be a wake up clock for all the fundie star wars fans out there.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself....
Surley there has to be more to life then just star wars?

 

Perfect.

As I always say regarding a certain character's abilities: "We readily accept the Force, with or without active volition, impregnated a human female to create a being." Some of us rolled our eyes and stared into space for 17 years regarding that, but it's canon, and if that can happen....the galaxy is wide open to things like the Bendu and Mortis, etc., stuff that people swear is amazing and 'different' and a cool part of Star Wars.

Thank you for the context.

 

I think they should rename this film.

Star Wars Episode VIII: THE FANDOM TANTRUM

The reactions from (granted a minority of) fans has been truly pathetic because all it amounts to is this;

 

It's great, hope you enjoy it. It's a constantly expectation-twisting follow up to witty character-based The Force Awakens with a heavy dose of Dave Filoni-style deep and bonkers Force exploration. It's modern Star Wars done to perfection.