Apparently, Rian Johnson enjoys a little internet controversy, because the man who is directing ‘Star Wars Episode VIII’ just made a post on Twitter in which it seems like he is defending the much maligned ‘Star Wars’ prequels, which is sure to earn him some hatred by the hard core fan boys.
The prequels, as most remember, were George Lucas’s attempt to appeal to a new generation of ‘Star Wars’ fans, but due to his poor writing and direction, and over-reliance on VFX and green screens (and poor casting decisions which led to some terrible acting), they were hugely criticized and seen as a huge let-down, and only the massive love for the original trilogy kept ‘Star Wars’ alive past the blunders that were the 3 prequel movies. However, Rian Johnson, potentially just playing Devil’s Advocate to be fair, posted the following on Twitter:
@HeerJeet Pssst. Devil’s advocate: the prequels are a 7 hour long kids movie about how fear of loss turns good people into fascists. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) December 26, 2016
And he does have a point, in theory. And in theory, I agree with him, the idea behind the prequels, that fear can lead one to become evil, that fear can drive one down dark paths, is fascinating, and telling it all as a series of movies geared toward children, was an interesting idea as well, because it could have worked as a kind of modern day dark fairy tale warning kids about clinging too closely to those they love and the dangers of letting the ends (trying to save everyone you love) justify the means (using dark powers and anything possible to save those you love).
However, as pointed out above, it was George Lucas’s execution that is really what people have a problem with in the prequels, and while it is admirable for Johnson to be defending the good parts of the prequels, I cannot help but feel sorry for the man for bringing on a world of fan abuse onto himself now, as people are not going to let that comment go without “informing” him of their opinions. Let’s just hope that he is not hedging his bets and defending George Lucas’s prequels in the hopes that one day people won’t be that harsh with ‘Episode VIII.’ Although to be fair, I have heard only good things about the latest edition to the saga under his direction.
