Abyss, on 09 November 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:
Yes. Because Box office pull = widespread people spent dollars to go see it.
It doesn't matter how many hardcore SW fans scream bloody murder about the (abundant) flaws in the movie, it made more dollars than some small countries see in that time.
Ergo, it was 'successful'. The general audience doesn't really care whether Rey's parents were Skywalkers or two space-meth-heads who sold her for their next fix. They went to see it and they'll go see the next one.
I never said it wasn't successful. And I'm not talking about hardcore fans. I'm talking about General Audiences. They will need something more than a ROTJ clone that essentially sets out to redeem Kylo or defeat him to bother. I think that's proven by SOLO's dismal performance (which I've never attributed to TLJ's reception) in that no matter how decent it was, people simply weren't willing to go out and see a prequel about a fan-beloved character (recast)....because meh, why bother? What's so special about it to the General Audience? Answer, nothing.
IX has been touted as a "course correction" from inside Lucasfilm because they are apparently learning that lesson.
JJ already has an uphill battle because his first entry (while solid) was touted by a lot as being a rehash of ANH. And people expect that JJ historically can't "finish" with his other films and TV projects.
That's why I'm saying IX needs to look like something
really special and really fresh if General Audiences are going to be coaxed out of post-SOLO lackadaisicalness to go out and see it.
And maybe it will.
Special is not, however, Rey VS Kylo: To Redeem or Not Redeem. Not by a long shot.
Abyss, on 09 November 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:
In case you're wondering, I saw in in theatre, thought 2/3rds of the movie was blindingly stupid (everything but maybe 75% of Rey's storyline) and have watched select bits on Netflix multiple times since and have not changed my mind. And i will still go see IX in theater (which, for the record, i did NOT do for III because II made my eyes bleed). I AM the general audience, albeit the slightly geekier portion.
I don't think I've ever known your opinion about this. So that's cool to note. Also, I'm sad you didn't see ROTS in theatre...as it was really the best of the three prequels for my money, and it was a spectacle on the big screen.
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora
“Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone.” ~Ursula Vernon