Will TFA Be the Darkest of Sequels?

I think it will be somewhat dark simply due to modern movie story telling but I don't think it will be intentionally more so than the previous trilogy and it shouldn't be. It should be a fun epic space opera that is both acessable to 5 year olds and richly layered so those same 5 year olds can do their Doctoral Thesis on it 20 years from now.

 

I think regardless of the actual events that take place in this new trilogy the next film's tone will probably be darker than this one. J.J Abrams films can be moving tearjerkers but his style is so slick and shiny that it doesn't really lend itself to 'Dark' feeling. ESB is dark not just because of the events that happen within it but because of the cinematic tone of the film.
I feel that both Rouge One and certainly episode 8 (where you would imagine a few more old characters might bite the dust) will be darker than TFA which looks like quite a bright film all in all.

I for one don't see Luke Skywalker getting out of this trilogy alive. I think R2 and C3P0 probably will. and Leia and Chewie are like 50/50 for me at the moment.

 

I've been pondering this as well. My tentative guess is 'probably' especially if the super-spoiler you mention is true (which I give about a 50-50 shot).

The galaxy it seems is really messed up when we pick up with TFA, but with the (likely) re-emergence of the Jedi and the light-side of the Force, it seems as though things are going to start getting at least a bit better.

That's where I'm guessing the hopefulness will probably come from. Yes things are bad, but the Jedi are back (as an actual Order, as opposed to just one guy), so the following films will be on the less depressing side.

As well, if said super-spoiler is true, I doubt that they'd pull the same trick twice, so we shouldn't have to worry about that making it dark and depressing throughout.

 

I don't honestly believe it will be as dark as the trailer projects.

It will have its dark moments,fun and light moments. It will have balance

 

I believe TFA will have a pretty dark tone for a Star Wars movie, but it will stand on its own with a somewhat happy ending. It will probably be grittier than many other SW movies by the nature of being a 21st century film, much like ANH was in some ways grittier than even TESB in that people bled and burned and died in scores in ANH. The grittiness was toned down a bit after ANH, and lightsabers no longer cause bleeding wounds (unless you're a Wompa). Overall however, I think SW8 will be darker in subject matter, only because it is Act2 of the ST, and Act2 is where the plot escalates and everything seems grim for the heroes.

Yes, I think the ST will be a darker trilogy, but more because it will be shot and told like a 21st cenutry series than the subject matter beind eviler. (One would be hard pressed to outdo the PT in evilness, although that series is carefully polished so as to not offend).

 

I don't think TFA as will be a completely dark,it's ending will be dark(similar to ESB).The future uncertain,the power of the First Order established.

 

We still dont have to know if TFA will be the darkest of the ST. But judging by its trailers I think will beat TESB. I have seen to many dark scenes, and Im not talking about the story but on terms of fotography. Rey inside the destroier, the nights of Ren at night and raining (noir style), Kylo Ren at the bridge watching that red ray....I have a good feeling about this.

 

Some stories and movie making tend to project darkness as an end in itself as if it is the only reality in existence. True myth reports the light and dark shades of the narrative without presuming to judge it as truth. I believe they are intentionally getting back to the Joseph Campbell style philosophy of mythic storytelling while applying it the era we are in.

 

I want the first third to have a lot of light moments, to once again establish the kooky galaxy we all love.. then the poodoo hits the fan

 

Episode VII may be the darkest hour...... Loss of LukeMaybe?

 

I think it will be more adultish as it has a rating of PG13... ROTS was the only other that had that rating!

 

I'm not really worried how dark the movies are as I just don't want them kiddies up. ROTS is a pretty dark movie, yet there are still kiddy elements that take you out of the movie.

ANH & ESB are the more 'adult' SW films and that's all I ask for.

 

I think VIII will be darker than TFA, simply because things need to get worse before they can get better. The situation needs to turn real dire by the end of VIII. People need to feel hopelessness to make the eventual victory more satisfying.
Unless victory for the heroes isn't the end goal of the sequels...

 

I appreciate darkness in movies---with balance. I LOVE Empire Strikes Back. If you want perfection of that gritty darkness/gut-wrenching story arcs, this film is a prime example. But....

I don't want to see a space version of The Dark Knight (because being so dark is the hipster thing these days). I hope they can balance the tragedy and darkness with joy, wonder, and nostalgia. (NO, I do NOT mean the kiddie pandering of TPM.) All of the movies in the OT were family accessible in their darkest moments. Even ESB ended on a hopeful note. I appreciate the ending more and more as I continue the watch these movies like the big nerd that I am.

The OT covered some VERY grim themes but they were balanced with excellent pacing, humor, and celebration. (An entire planet was destroyed, Owen and Beru were burned to a crisp, torture ensued, bad parenting happened, dark sides were explored, and a crazy old dude tried to fry a young man in front of his father. Yikes.)


That being said, if the big character death is true, it will be very hard to walk away with that satisfied joy/nostalgia feeling. I think it can be done well, but with all the gloom I do hope there will be some humor. While TPM was riddled with harmless antics and kiddie humor, I fear TFA could fall into the "too dark" territory. (If the character death happens -I would be muuuuuch more accepting of it in Episode 8!)

We've suffered through poodoo, CGI fruit, ESPN podrace announcers, and love scenes so bad that they make Twilight look okay. We deserve some happiness, dammit!

 

Based on the trailer, I'll say no. Remember that Star Wars is fundamentally described as a "Space Opera" - it's always combining adventure + mystery + romance + tragedy. Major characters in Star Wars die (or nearly die) in almost every movie, so that alone won't make any one movie "dark".

My bet is TFA will feel more adventure + mystery for the first in the sequel. (Who are Rey/Finn/Poe/Kylo? Where is Luke? What happened in the last 30 years? What is the role of the First Order) This will set up the next two movies for higher stakes plots: like we got in ESB.

My bet is RoTS will continue to be the darkest of the movies, by virtue of the prequels being principally a tragedy, and it's hard for me to see Disney letting a director explore genocide / killing children in a movie they profit from. (You can do that if you're George Lucas, and no one owns you).