What went wrong with the Star Wars sequels? In hindsight, certain cast members can't hide their disdain for some newer franchise chapters. But what do fans think? Star Wars devotees on a popular online forum discussed the newer franchise's biggest flaws.
1- No Clear Unifying Force
An honest critic noted that there wasn't any unifying vision among the sequel movies The argument goes that Disney put too much effort into ticking boxes and not enough into the story's balance. The three installments were as disunited as the First Order and the Republic.
2- Cash Grabbing
It's obvious when a movie is a cash grab, and several commenters noted this was the case, especially with Rise of Skywalker. I agree wholeheartedly; while The Force Awakens teed up the subsequent chapters well, they failed to develop the character arcs properly.
3- No End in Sight
You can't go into a trilogy without having an idea on how things are going to end. This problem became apparent when the resurfaced Palpatine was about to summon his sleeping cell of hidden Imperial Star Destroyers lest Rey ignore his advances.
4- It Was Just Awful
Someone noted that the newer movies were misguided and tone-deaf with terrible writing, and that's a candid summation I can get on board with. One manifestation of this was Rose's character. Her moral grandstanding is hard to take for older, more seasoned Star Wars lovers; I knew she would become a target of fans' displeasure.
5- Way Past Closing Time
Another commenter noted that the Star Wars story had already concluded in Return of the Jedi, making it difficult to build on what's already been created. I still smile when I see Kylo Ren talking to Darth Vader's disfigured helmet, like Norman Bates in Psycho.
6- A Renewed Hope
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was basically a remake of Star Wars: A New Hope, writes the next fan. Truth spoke by a fan, who, like me, was probably shaking his head throughout — albeit while reveling in the exquisite visual treat and killer set pieces Disney gave us in that first chapter. Only after then did it dawn on me what I had just witnessed.
7- Expedited Exposition
The lack of worldbuilding or political backstory to explain how things turned back to the A New Hope era really harmed the new movies. Sadly, Disney gave the new franchise, dare I say it, a very Millennial makeover. Rome wasn't built in a day, kids, nor was Lucas's world.
8- Falling at The Last Hurdle
While some people hate all three sequels, one commenter defends the first two and thinks the third film would have been salvageable. If they had included more of the narrative about how Rey isn't part of some dynastic bloodline and how the Force can be in anybody, it would've at least been something with its own point of view.
9- You Lost Me at Luke
Luke Skywalker's brief but powerful cameo in The Force Awakens gave us hope for the next one. Oh, how we lament this awful moment. Everything went downhill from here.
10- What The—? Why?
Not having Luke, Han, Leia and Chewy share some scenes together in Force Awakens was an awful oversight. How you can reunite those three legends yet not have them appear together at any point in the trilogy is bordering on criminal.
11- Once a Palpatine, Always a Palpatine
One fan waited until the final sequel to be most outraged. They question the producers' decision to make Rey a Palpatine and have her kill the emperor and then become a Skywalker, among other things. This script move embittered even the most ardent defenders of all Star Wars canon — rightly so.
12- That Ending in The Last Jedi
The spaceship jumps to lightspeed through a starship, notes another critic, who, like me, wondered why they didn't think of this six movies ago! If that was possible, they could have eliminated the Death Star way earlier by sending an X-Wing through it. Then again, how else could Mon Mothma weirdly become a heroine in that silly film?
13- Disney Killed Star Wars
Say what you like about the prequels, but George Lucas knew from the onset exactly what he wanted to make. While Lucas's prequels were clunky, badly directed, and long, they still felt like Star Wars. The newer movies? Not so much.
14- Poor Carrie Fisher and Poor Mark Hamill
Obviously, no one could control Fisher's real life death. But for Leia to die off screen and then for them to kill off Luke? It was a bit too much to bear. Maybe this was the intention? Send a message that the old Star Wars fans are not their concern.
15- No Plot and Weak Characters
A well-versed film fan noted that the plot didn't make sense and had just enough interesting bits to keep you watching. I think this statement summarizes the whole experience for me. It is not hard to feed long-serving fans of any franchise a dopamine rush — roll out some old, rehashed canon, add a few veteran names, and leave it to the new guys.
(Source: Reddit).
