Why Star Wars doesn't feel like Star Wars anymore

Disney's Star Wars franchise has received mix reception at best, and while there are plenty of videos nitpicking the writing or direction of its various movies and TV series, I feel like the root of the problem goes much deeper. This video essay explores the history of Star Wars, its influences, and where everything went wrong after Disney's acquisition.
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[@daniel_netzel]

Hey everyone, thanks for watching! This video was a long time coming, something I put off for a long time because A. I knew it'd take way longer than necessary and B. Let's just say it's a touchy subject for some. But hopefully you can all see that this truly comes from a place of love, and purely the desire to see Star Wars live up to its full potential. I'd love to hear your thoughts though, and also if I should actually trust the hype and finally watch Andor lol

[@noelalden]

Yup you should probably watch Andor. It feels so different from all the other Disney shows, in tone and ambition. And it’s a show that seems to have gotten a lot of artistic freedom, and (at least for season 1) one untainted artistic direction. I’d say it’s the peak of Star Wars as a serious political drama. And this is coming from someone who though Rogue One was “just okay”. Some have complained that Andor is “too slow”, but I see it as a positive. The slow pace makes it more methodical, immersive and really makes the characters feel real. It definitely has an identity of it’s own, and doesn’t really rely on standard franchise story beats or tropes. Though if slow political dramas aren’t your thing, you won’t like it. Also curious about what you think of the animated Filoni shows, you didn’t seem to mention them much in the video. Being the juggernaut of Clone Wars (which is partially a Lucas project) and Rebels. Both were quite mediocre and childish in the beginning, and gradually came some of the best Star Wars out there into the final seasons. I especially love how those two series brought back and expanded upon the more mystical and spiritual nature of Star Wars, where everything doesn’t need an explanation. Giving me the sense of wonder seeping from the OT.

[@daniel_netzel]

I'm actually excited to hear that it's "slow", that's what people said about Breaking Bad and even Game of Thrones when it was still good, slow just usually means actually spending time developing the world and the characters. As far as Filoni, I think I was just a little too old by the time The Clone Wars was airing, I certainly admire what he did and think it's far better than pretty much all the Disney stuff, but I was also far more into Genndy Tarkovksy's(on mobile, forgive potential misspelling) version, the animation was incredible and I also loved his other shows too

[@Feefa99]

Andor is amazing, I really hope that writers strike won't have massive impact on 2. season

[@itskingsteven6235]

I've passed on watching any of the shows based on both the utter disappointment and abysmal storytelling/plotting of the first season of "The Mandalorian" and the even more horrible sequel trilogy of which I admittedly only watched the first and second parts. Force Awakens (which I watched in a theatre) and whatever the second one was called (which I watched sometime long after it was available to stream) had each told me in no uncertain terms that I should expect--at best--mediocrity. However, with all the hype around "The Mandalorian," coupled with my optimistic hope, I watched the 1st season once it was complete, against my better judgment, and almost immediately regretted doing so. I will continue to pass on Andor. We have only so many minutes in a day. We should endeavor to spend them as wisely as possible =)

[@charleshouser7770]

@@daniel_netzel I wrote a longer comment, but I think I lost it. Oh well. I'll give you the short version: Definitely watch Andor. What I loved about it was that it didn't feel like I was watching Star Wars. It felt like I was watching a good story set in the Star Wars universe. After a few episodes, the show hits a stride and doesn't let up. Disney needs to take risk with Star Wars. That's a key ingredient that has made Star Wars great in the past. Unfortunately, any large public company is risk-averse as their primary goal is to make shareholders money. Also: thanks for the video, I love to hear coherent perspectives like what you shared. Keep it up.

[@TheLuckyPan]

"Somehow Palpatine returned" may be, unintentionally, the most apt metaphor for the Star War sequel trilogy, and Disney franchises by extension. An undying Sith lord trying to stay alive by sucking up all the (life)Force of everything that is alive. A 100 year old company trying to remain relevant by sucking up all the IP and money in the world to continue its soulless greed.

[@ronnickels5193]

Palpatine's return also shows how bad the wiritong had gotten. A retcon is one thing, but this was a full blown deus ex machina

[@doomsdayrabbit4398]

Sucking up all the IP and doing its damnedest to make sure none of it ever ends up in the public domain. I'm all for authors having ownership over their work, but when it gets to the corporate level? Now you have undying "people" run by individuals with nary a creative bone in their bodies making bank off of the ideas of someone who created them so long ago those ideas could apply for their Social Security benefits by now.

[@Geekezf]

@@ronnickels5193 His return exist in the legends (and was as liked as the Disney's one). But they at least had the decency to explain it.

[@cstephen98]

This could be applied to every Disney property and how the 'business' runs their IPs into the ground, milking for every penny before buying more to run into the ground.

[@daniel_netzel]

100%. This is just the area I'm most passionate about and have the longest history with, but Disney is just gunning full speed into the greed

[@orangewarm1]

Most corporations behave this way. Watch The Corporation.

[@brianmelendy1194]

That Marvel garbage is awful as well.

[@Ajajajjddjd1917]

Blizzard too ​@@orangewarm1

[@user-uq4gr5nl5o]

This new phenomena of on demand art made by internet feedback is deeply concerning to me. The days when films were supposed to be the brainchild of a director and a writer that they used to express their vision to the world are apparently coming to an end. George RR Martin said it best "Art is not a democracy". Unfortunately, that seems to no longer be true.

[@tappajavittu]

I've had multiple star wars burnouts since the prequels but the Mandalorian season 3 and it's atrociously bad writing was the moment when I finalized my divorce to star wars. I got 2.5 episodes in that season and now I'm finally done, for good this time. EDIT: My biggest gripe with star wars for decades now has been that the world feels way too small, it's a god damned galaxy but the same few people seem to bump into each other every other day like everyone lived on the same block, it doesn't feel like a lived in universe anymore but more like an amusement park designed to strip me off of my money, it's sad.

[@barkley8285]

andor brotha, thats all you need.

[@davidb9639]

Great analysis, my one quibble would be that I think you're cutting RJ a little too much slack. Out of all the directors and writers he had the most freedom to do as he liked, and boy did he do it.

[@Jay_Coop]

Wonderful essay! The LOTR comparison really brought the root cause into view. For me, the whole approach feels like a shortsighted cash grab rather than creating from a place that prioritizes the health and longevity of the franchise: can't make money if the fans don't care anymore. I worry that even some of the better content, like the Mandalorian, will be creatively hobbled as it's forced to meet certain deadlines--basically as a way to keep enough subscriptions to make Disney+ a viable streaming service. As you said, the whole approach dooms nearly any project to eventual failure, either by being too rushed to create quality, or by forcing shows to continue far past their natural conclusions. Ultimately, I worry this path will burnout fans' enthusiasm for the franchise... or at the worst, convince some to settle with mediocre content.

[@daniel_netzel]

I feel like people have already settled with mediocre content :/

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

ROTJ was just a cash grab. That's why it has warrior teddy bears, and was known for years as, "Well,...its not as good as Empire".

[@Jay_Coop]

@@daniel_netzel certainly some people, maybe even the majority. However, I also see many who are frustrated not just with the sequel trilogy, but how legacy characters have been handled in the shows as well. Time will tell I guess… Dave Filoni getting bigger projects gives me hope though!

[@PeverellTheThird]

@@daniel_netzel Perhaps the real issue here may be that you feel too much and don't think enough, i.e. "blinded" by nostalgia?

[@saberiandream316]

Especially when the owners are either too proud or too ground under Disney's heel to ever just take responsibility and admit when they were wrong. When's the last time YOU saw Lucasfilm ever say they were wrong and apologized? I frankly can't remember a time.

[@Larooster87]

Man I love this video. I was incredibly cautious when the first trailer dropped. And after only ever watching force awakens, Star Wars is just six great films, some good games, and a bunch of good science fantasy books.

[@KlassicLoL]

Andor was quite good. Was reluctant to start it too due to a lot of Star Wars fatigue but it was a nice watch

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

It made me want to watch the other series even less, because it proved that there can be interesting stories found in that universe once they get past all the permutations of the same characters meeting each other at every corner of the galaxy as if it were a village. Rogue One did the same for me - in fact the weakest link was the appearance of Darth Vader.

[@frixos0073]

This video resonates SO MUCH with me. Every word spoken I felt like it came from my own mind. Thank you for making this and showing me there's other fans out there that know something is terribly wrong with Disney Star Wars. Nowadays people are quick to accuse you of being a 'fanboy' if you say you dislike anything about the direction a franchise is heading.

[@storyspinner4166]

You should watch The Closer Look’s video on the topic. In the last part of the video, he shares what he thinks the best way to remake the Disney sequels is. It is actually really good, even though it doesn’t have any original footage and he just verbally says the story.

[@Rubber_Monkey]

I would like to see a limited series roundtable with all the heads of the Sequal Trilogy (Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson, Lawrence Kasdan, etc.) and see what REALLY went down with the making of the trilogy with nothing held back.

[@daniel_netzel]

Honestly? Everyone was under insane pressure and impossible deadlines. Too many cooks in the kitchen, too much focus on the bigger picture of the brand and not on the movies. I feel like Kennedy has shit to answer for, but J.J. and Rian were just strung along for the ride

[@Rubber_Monkey]

@@daniel_netzel Maybe they shouldn’t announce a trilogy almost immediately after Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. Who knows how different things would’ve turned out if they properly planned it out.

[@alimfuzzy]

​@daniel_netzel JJ already answered this. He screwed up. He didn't have a plan and didn't care. He is a good film maker not a good writer.

[@memorian8472]

I'm not sure I care to see that, but man it makes me miss J.W. Winzler, his "The Making of Star Wars" series was amazing. I loved getting that behind-the-scenes information on the creation of the films.

[@daniel_netzel]

The funny thing is he most definitely cared, he was a massive Star Wars fan, he actually rejected the offer multiple times because he didn't want all of that pressure, but Disney was hellbent on getting him for the job

[@Renee84]

What's crazy is that George Lucas had ACTUAL PLANS and blueprints for the sequel trilogy! But Disney execs just refused to use any of it!

[@solo_edits1984]

What's worse, is that Kathleen Kennedy promised him they would, then stabbed him in the back. I bet he regrets selling Lucasfilm to Disney now.

[@Tommytakanawa]

​@secretsofstarwars I bet he doesn't. He made billions of dollars. Donated a ton to charity, and silenced all the whiney kids complaining about the prequels.

[@Tommytakanawa]

​@@solo_edits1984 also you should change your name and pic. Your providing free advertising for Disney ya shill.

[@lovepiecozitsawesome]

Extremely clear and thought out, as always. Your videos are consistently a pleasure, and really help clarify my own thoughts on how I feel about stuff. About the Andor show. As someone who basically has the same background with SW as you do (fell in love with the sequels, bought lego, played jedy academy, rogue squadron etc.), its okay, but for me never really captured the star wars feel, it feels like generic scifi with a decent story. Edit: do you have a letterboxd account?

[@daniel_netzel]

Thank you! Jury's still out on how I'll feel, I'm definitely worried I'll have the same feeling you just described whenever I watch it. I don't ever use Letterboxd to be honest

[@SHLVideos]

Creator-owned. The magic words at the end of the day are creator-owned. A corporation cannot make great art, it's like watching AI try to make art. All it can do is emulate soullessly.

[@HonoluluBluNSilver]

He spittin

[@saberiandream316]

Fans were okay when they threw out the EU and then started copying from it. Yes, people are okay with it. That's the horrible part. The clapping seals will always be there at the next jangling of keys rather than looking for something of substance.

[@Toxodos]

you should definitely watch andor, it's not just a good star wars work, it stands on its own

[@daniel_netzel]

Good to know, it's always hard to gauge because there are tons of fans of every SW thing, and I've felt pretty mid or worse about all of it, but I'll definitely give it a watch at some point.

[@Marco-Solo]

I'll just add in a few reasons why I agree it's a step above all post LucasFilm Star Wars films/series: - Clear, meaningful character arcs - Thoughtful political commentary - Mostly new characters and planets - It isn't trying to justify or tie in other SW material the whole time (stands on its own like @toxodos said) - Impressive locations and cinematography I have similar thoughts as you do about Disney Star Wars, but this is a cut above the rest.

[@Esty770]

I’ll second this and say that yes, Andor is a different beast entirely - one of the most mature renditions of a sci-fi world that i have seen on film or tv. This is coming from someone who felt 100% done with Star Wars after seeing the nightmare that was rise of skywalker.

[@daniel_netzel]

Damn, y'all making me kind of hyped, which is an emotion I'm scared to even let myself feel about SW at this point lol

[@zann6108]

@@daniel_netzel I fully expect you to watch Andor and make a follow up to this video about it, lol. A Star Wars political thriller isn't going to be for everyone (though it's _excellent_ if that's your kind of thing), but it definitely breaks the mold from the sea of Disney trash discussed here. Just Write already has a great video on all that, but I'd love to hear your take on both its place in the franchise and its merits as just another piece of art. I suspect you'll have a lot to say on it, lol.

[@SolidNeodark]

Disney has an easy way out: start adapting "Legends" material in live-action. The fans who never read the Thrawn Trilogy will be excited, fans who have already read it won't get drowned in rumors and speculation, but instead will know what to expect. And by putting the "Legends" seal on the opening crawl, Disney can still cling to the illusoon that they control what's canon.

[@theblueengineer47792]

honestly I think it's too late for that to work, after everything disney has put out I think most people anymore are happy that disney stays away from legends just because it keeps those stories safe from any number of changes done for the sole reason of trying to drive numbers ever higher because a bunch of out of touch people think that said changes will magically conjure new viewers because a box was checkmarked, plus better for them to leave it alone and to someday have someone passionate about the franchise tell those stories

[@VZed]

Thanks for this video. As a lapsed Star Wars fan, one who stood by the prequel trilogy even, I've felt so much of these even without the words to fully express it. I like The Last Jedi but knowing that it's tied to a sequel that is troublingly bad, even by studio standards, and a predecessor that is just... empty makes it hard to revisit or even engage with on it's own merits. The degree to which I've had to move on from Star Wars makes me sad, especially knowing that the new refuges I find are so often headed on the same trajectory... ugh it's a bit overwhelming.

[@dareedle]

I grew up with the original trilogy, playing the arcade video game at Golfland and patiently waiting for the sequel novels from Timothy Zahn that featured Luke, Leia and Han at their prime. I also watched the trailer for the first episode like a million time before it got released. Needles to say DIsney has not been able to duplicate that magic.

[@nicholalehtimaki3597]

Theres many fans like me who share your perspective and love all six of the original saga. I wish Bob Iger had to see this essay lol. I agree that most of the live action movies and tv shows disney has produced all feel weird (i'm watching Andor right now, it's actually pretty good but feels more like an old EU novel than Lucas's canon). There's one series released since 2014 that IMO feels 99% congruous with the lucas world. I'm not sure how familiar you are with The Clone Wars televison show, The Bad Batch is essentially a sequel to that. The Clone Wars doesn't totally match the feeling of Luca's movies but it was made under his supervision and The Bad Batch retains many ideas straight from George's work on that show.

[@CarltonYoung]

Excellent analysis and essay, disagree with you on Rogue One though. I thought it was an excellent entry into the franchise. Yeah, give Andor a watch, it’s a different take from all the lightsabers and the Force. I loved it.

[@BillyBob-bd1hj]

"My heart can only take so much" dude I feel that

[@rhaelfixer2584]

Funny enough when Disney announced that Disney purchased Star Wars. I had a bad feeling about it. Turned out I was right. By the way, I didn't even watch 8 and 9 because 7 is a total piece of trash. I don't expect 8 and 9 to be good since 7 is a total piece of trash.

[@astronaut8917]

its mind blowing Disney didnt have Plageuis be the main threat in the sequels. How bad ass that would have been for them to have to deal with the guy that trained Palpatine, and has managed to survive death.

[@simple-commentator-not-rea7345]

You're WAY too forgiving at the end. People explore the imagination when it suits them. They expand the mythos when it suits them. And they only go above and beyond instead of doing the bare minimum when it suits them.

[@CyberKiriK]

Great work, thank you so much for video!

[@graywz]

Andor is definitely worth watching. The best of Disney SW by far.

[@-e-1536]

I just cannot believe that even the most ruthless and pathetically mechanical corporate demands on the franchise could possibly perfect the incredible "Uglification" that Star Wars has become...in other words, it appears to be a highly educated and intentional disaster.

[@branamcs]

I enjoyed the Mandalorian and thought season 2 was a perfect ending, so I couldn't believe when I heard there'd be a season 3. I've refused to watch it. They just can't let a piece of work rest--they have to choke every dollar out of it. So far Andor has been great. I hope they don't ruin it as well.

[@ChainsGone2012]

EXACTLY.... I feel the same way. Though I still enjoyed season 3 of Mandolorian, it was totally unnecessary.

[@Dxnttv]

Still waiting on the Andor review!!!!

[@BallotBoxer]

"Somehow -Palpatine- -returned- Daniel has missed the best of recent Star Wars, the _Andor_ series." - Po Dameron

[@gregmosher4287]

As a kid who grew up watching and rewatching the originals, loving the prequels as a teenager, diving into all the blend of media you mentioned... the sequel trilogy never landed for me. force awakens actually felt like it could have been good. Mirroring the old which was fine at the time, nerds on the internet had spent years claiming the prequels were horrible. so OF course disney would distance themselves a little from the prequels. Force Awakens set up a likable new cast, felt like it could have gone anywhere they wanted. But then everything you point out in the video is true. It was painfully clear in episode 8 and 9 that they never had a plan for what they wanted to actually do with these new characters. which is such a shame cause there was a ton of potential to make for excellent stories. its just a shame

[@nikolaiswartz3116]

Thank you. I always get attacked when I say that the prequel trilogy is better than the original trilogy... despite how winy Anekin becomes. In fact, I feel like the wininess was befitting of the character he was destined to become. I hate the Disney trilogy because the first one copies Episode 4, the second one does nothing other than trying to undo everything from the first movie and the third movie is nothing but fan service and nothing else. The third movie felt like it was begging people to come back

[@alancranford3398]

I was a 20-year-old Marine stationed on Oahu when Star Wars hit the big silver screen. My reaction before seeing the movie was "good!" Hollywood had written off the science fiction movie repeatedly--as it had with the western movie and the fantasy movie. The success was impressive and inside of five years the science fiction craze had fizzled out--mostly. What? Star Wars proved to be the exception? How about that! It seems that America's motion picture industry has no idea what makes a good movie. There were blockbuster movies of the Thirties (The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind) that were box office failures due to bloated budgets and because World War Two cut off foreign markets. There were blockbusters in the Sixties that suffered the same problems without a world war to blame--Cleopatra and The Alamo are just two. Throwing a lot of money at a movie doesn't make it successful. There are several reasons. Let's begin with "you can never step in the same river twice--it's not the same water and you're not the same person." Sure, just snarl at the customers--being slapped in the face is a sure-fire way to increase revenue--NOT! The movie business is a BUSINESS, and if there is no return on investment, movie studios go out of business. There's a balancing act between "new and fresh" and giving more of what made the audience like a movie. The Empire Strikes Back subverted expectations and there were stakes at risk--Luke lost a hand and Han was frozen, potentially dead. The Empire was winning. Back in 1977 I got to see Star Wars when the Corps sent me to California for additional schooling. Otherwise, I had little time to indulge in hobbies--I was sort of busy as an avionics tech. From November 1977 to August 1978, I was servicing helicopter radios while living aboard LPH-10/USS Tripoli as it cruised the western Pacific. I was living out of a sea bag--no room for hobbies. I guess that's why I found Star Wars entertaining but could never become invested as a fan.

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

Hot Take: I liked Hermit Luke

[@ashtongaskill3980]

Me too

[@daniel_netzel]

I did too, I generally think The Last Jedi is easily the best of the sequels, also from what I've read Lucas actually had similar plans for Luke if he ever made his sequel trilogy.

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

@@daniel_netzel I just think it’s nostalgia everyone hated hermit Luke, hermit Luke actually I found relatable and helped me feel less alone in the world

[@Rubber_Monkey]

Me three

[@daniel_netzel]

@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 There was a nice quote I read once from Rian Johnson where he talked about how a lot of fans see character arcs like a permanent video game upgrade rather than being a human with flaws who may backslide at times. Plus with the setup of TFA that basically showed how the rebels didn't even accomplish anything and his attempt to rebuild the Jedi just led to Kylo, I don't blame him for struggling to keep the hope.

[@n8wzdm562]

Your thesis comes down to time. I couldn’t agree more.

[@SevenEllen]

This is all an excellent summery of why Disney's Star Wars simply doesn't work as well as George Lucas'. Granted, we must remind ourselves that 50% of the original Star Wars wasn't George's vision, it was built by his team, which is maybe why the prequals suffered. They lacked the heart of the originals, the warmth, the humour, that human thread weaving in between the politics, the religion, the war, the spirituality, etc. Disney's Star Wars is profit first, story second, just as EA Games' Sims 4 was product first, cosmetics second, and game last.

[@Hazard33]

I dropped out the second it revealed itself as "Disney Star Wars" and not "Star Wars"

[@tomhahnl1927]

Unfortunately I have to agree with you 😢

[@VirtusH]

Wow this was an emotional watch.

[@snippetandvideogames2350]

cause GL choose the technical, alien design and etc etc, you can feel his touch were gone when other director direct the movie

[@vladsaint6344]

If I considered myself a writer in any form and came up with, 'Somehow, Palpatine returned.' I would have died of shame.

[@jildertfilms9376]

Yeah no, yes.... watch Andor. Dew it

[@tommymarco]

Great video

[@ciaranocraobhach]

Star Wars is weighed down by its own legacy. That's the main problem. We all have nostalgia for the franchise. Personally, I pick and choose what I like post-Disney acquisition. The main thing is, enjoy what you enjoy. At the end of the day, it's all a fantasy, and none of it actually happened 😅

[@chriskrahn]

Great video

[@conrad4852]

The hype for Andor is deserved btw. I hope you’ve finally seen it.

[@conrad4852]

I did enjoy this video too btw.

[@MichaelLeriVideos]

Did you really not like Jedi: Fallen Order?

[@daniel_netzel]

I'm kind of an old curmudgeon when it comes to most games these days, pretty much everything is just ripping off of something else and doing a shittier job(Fallen Order being an awkward hybrid of Uncharted and Dark Souls) and I find most modern Triple A titles to just be super lackluster in design and fun factor, not to mention the lack of polish on virtually everything released that doesn't even always get patched away

[@MichaelLeriVideos]

@@daniel_netzel I understand. I thought it was a good 8/10. I didn't like Survivor, though. There are some great AAA games out there, but there are also plenty of mediocre ones, so it can be tricky to sift through it all.

[@daniel_netzel]

@@MichaelLeriVideos I've just been playing video games for so long that the only ones that really get me excited are games that feel like a breath of fresh air, or are the pinnacle of whatever type of game. Like, I LOVED Elden Ring, not a brand new concept but nearly flawless execution, and more recently I discovered Outer Wilds and that felt like something I'd never seem before and is one my all time favorites now. I'm just tired of all the games that feel like they've been done a thousand times lol

[@spuriouseffect]

The feeling people experience when watching Star Wars can be summed up with one word ....."NEVER!!!" It exemplifies the passion men have. A passion that stirs the hearts of men, and attracts the hearts of women. Feminists and neutered men seemingly know nothing of that passion. That is why they fail.

[@Remix36720]

This whole thing was worse than having no plan. They threw out George’s plan and then went with no plan at all. Absolute Fucking Disaster.

[@jjandorliadul]

How one can love the pre-quels and just find Rogue One "meh" may be a generational issue. I grew up with the original trilogy and found the prequels horrendous. It wasn't until Rogue One and finally Andor that resuscitated me. I honestly have no interest watching a "Star Wars" feeling anymore to be republicated. I want an adult one.

[@daniel_netzel]

I was born in 1991, so I was the perfect age for the prequels. It's impossible to say how much of my love for them is blinded by nostalgia, but love them I do. Rogue One was just bland for me, forgettable story with forgettable characters, the action was great but I love Star Wars for a lot more than action

[@nixielee]

Andor is the only good thing that came out of this, so you have to watch it like right now. Just do it, it's really good. Forget Disney and Star Wars, Andor is one of the best tv shows in recent years.

[@ejoshcoron]

Incredible analysis!

[@hendrikjansevanrensburg4851]

There have been leaks that reveal that there was a plan for the sequel trilogy, but that got thrown out for Ryan Johnson's movie.

[@daniel_netzel]

Not really a leak, basically what happened was they had rough outlines for a trilogy from the start, but they literally changed it every time a movie came out and the internet reacted. People thought Force Awakens was fine but that it played it too safe, too much like a remake of A New Hope so they gave Rian more freedom to be bold and then the internet completely lost their mind, so they went back to J.J. and playing it safe for the third movie

[@kendal_whoever]

I love Star Wars & the EU that accompanied. I, personally, refuse to consider 7, 8, or 9, canon. Solo was a little lame, imo. But I liked it well enough. Ngl, I really did love Rogue 1. But everything else Disney has laid their disgusting fingers on is unusable.

[@thumos]

Frankly, even if you tripled the production timeline for the sequels, they would not have been able to create anything great. The writers and directors simply do not have the proper emotional and cultural mindset to do that. No matter what, they wanted to have a flawless woman as the main character whose journey is really just about having other people recognize how awesome she is. And the achievements and journeys of Luke and Han really irked the writers because they were so wholesomely traditional. They hated these characters and wanted to bring them down.

[@ashtongaskill3980]

Everyone told me Andor was worth putting aside my complaints with Disney Star Wars so I tried it and was apparently the only person who didn't enjoy it. Had some good bits but overall did not feel worth the time it took to watch the whole season. Feels like people were comparing it to the recent Disney stuff which it shines compared to rather than actually good SW stuff which imo it pales against. I miss being passionate about SW but I've resigned myself to being limited to what existed before the Lucasfilm purchase.

[@beavisdoge237]

Its fine, good, regular grade "prestige tv drama". It's not really star wars.

[@brentknudson311]

It's the closest thing to A New Hope or Empire that has ever been created. It fits in with the original trilogy better than the prequels. It is absolutely Star Wars. It's for grown ups.

[@ashtongaskill3980]

@@brentknudson311 Oh okay

[@harlemraider3347]

I don’t really get the hype neither. It’s pretty good but people talk about it like it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. I guess it’s because almost everything Disney’s put out is either awful or at best mediocre. Mandalorian was good but fell flat on its face with season 3. I think I like the idea of a darker & grittier Star Wars than the actual show.

[@ShHeMiLeRe]

Jay Jay Abrams can absolutely be held responsible.

[@tjenahoj]

Good stuff!

[@nickraes3483]

I think the Disney series is towing a line between the hardcore deep cut and the average viewers. The new movies are not good. But the streaming content is good. I don't really care fore the prequels. The added content of the cartoons and all the new content make me realize their importance

[@Cwflymwest-vx5cb]

As many mistakes they have made I appreciate the things Disney has down with star wars without Disney making so much content I don't think star wars would still be relevant. Gorge would have made his sequels and that would be the end. Even if the Disney sequels were the worst trilogy I believe all three have moments of greatness that isn't torn down by other flaws. As far as spinoffs rouge one, andor, rebels, madolrian, and clone war season 7 is amazing. As far as others like Solo, bad batch and Kenobi are still very good . Even the worst parts of book of boba fett and Kenobi don't drag the best parts to low. I think you enjoy all aspects of life more if you focus on what was done right than what failed and this applies to both the recent star wars and marvel projects( plus I have high hopes for asoka).

[@TheBigEmstos]

My god you’re delusional if you think think solo and kenobi were god. They were depressingly, offensively god awful

[@Mystery207]

23:45 by "by 2024 we hope to destroy all your favorite characters including marvel comics because we are greedy and we have men & boys" KK w/ RZ. Disney Ted talk

[@Mystery207]

(Hate )not (have) " hate little boys and men " Amazon auto correct is dumb as a bag of censorship

[@hiIam-un1po]

Never fear,KK is here!

[@Groundrunner100]

As a Star Wars fan, I’ve pretty much disassociated myself with the Sequel Trilogy. It was doomed from its inception, & it’s a blatant failure of a film trilogy. For fans of the first 6 films, it’s easier to disregard it, & just dive in, head first, into the Legends universe. The Old Republic & Legacy eras are the PERFECT antidote to Rey.

[@undefinedother]

"let the past die" maybe destruction was their plan

[@michaelzhu0929]

Star Wars is George Lucas's work: it is all the things he was passionate about and influenced by. These things gave Star Wars multitudes and depth. No matter how many novels and video games there are, Star Wars is fundamentally that six films in which George Lucas showed himself. Disney is just making Star Wars a normal mediocre franchise that aims to entertain the Internet.

[@MercerCreate]

Andor is quite good

[@hi_austin]

There are more great Star Wars video games than good Star Wars movies.

[@daniel_netzel]

That's surreal to admit, but just undeniably true lol N64-Xbox era was fucking incredible.

[@PlasticGeek]

You realize Empire and Jedi only took 3 years to make as well right? Comparing how long these took to LOTR just isn’t accurate. The time between Disney buying StarWars and Awakens coming out is the same amount of time from when Lucas started StarWars and made each subsequent film.

[@masterrserch3971]

6 months late, but count me in with the MANY that are TELLING you to watch Andor. This is coming from a May the 4th baby, 46 years old, "destined" to love Star Wars lol.... Despite growing up with the entire franchise, i am more or less "all about" the Jedi, lightsabers, the force, etc. I love it all,,but if it ain't on that stuff, my interest is "meh" I decided I had ZERO interest in Andor, until a week before its premier, when I read an article from (and I'm sorry, I'm GONNA prob offend SOMEONE here, but it is what it is) a 23 year old woman, totally "woke," total millennial, which isn't something I mind at all, truly--- until you TELL ur readers what we will or won't like. And she predicted that none of the "older, angrier, more rigid Star Wars fans, ya know, the typical TOXIC FAN," would like this series. Right then and there not only did I finally decide to watch it, again, just a week before episode 1, but I just KNEW that it'd be the best thing disbey Star Wars so far. And lemme tell ya, again, as someone who had no intentions of watching it, who basically decided to watch it for all the WRONG reasons--- it's a GD masterpiece of Star Wars property man. I expected the worst, and by episode 4, I was staying up til 3 am to watch it as soon as the episodes would drop, AND found myself screaming at the TV, waking up my woke and daughter, cuz I wss so damn into it. It's amazing. Absolutely amazing. And there ain't a damn sniff of a lightsaber in sight

[@Jimirulz1]

If you were introduced to Star Wars with The Phantom Menace your opinion on the subject is worth less than dirt! 😅

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I was an OBSESSED Star Wars fan, and I still like it as a concept, but the now-non-canonical (thanks, Disney) "Legends" books were the best of Star Wars. I don't even take it as a debate because they are. But for some reason, Disney didn't adapt the incredible epics from that extended universe, instead soaking up the last remaining drops from a nearly dry well. So, it's pure aesthetics at this point. I guess I should be grateful for the lack of adaptations considering how they've ruined my former favorite Star Wars character, Boba Fett (starting with the prequels!), and the Disney-era books sanitized Thrawn's character while making him some all-knowing being who barely ever gets in any real danger and knows things he shouldn't. Just "no" to all of it. The prequels are watchable, but the only thing of value they gave us was Darth Maul. And they were the catalyst for the long decline of diminishing artistic returns. Disney needs to put both Star Wars (and maybe Marvel) "in the vault" for at least five to ten years.

[@saberiandream316]

And EU fans have been waiting patiently for new stories for NINE YEARS now, and we've proven there's a market for it. They just don't care. It's a completely different company from how Lucas ran it.

[@GAT-AT]

still incomprehensible to me they embarked on a trilogy without having a story planned how do you know it needs to be a trilogy . . . if you don't have the story written . . . . . There's such a rich lore to draw from and ideas to be explored that it surprises me how poorly this was fumbled

[@GAT-AT]

Great video BTW! :) the comparison with LotR was very apt

[@nalday2534]

you do know that the original trilogy wasn't planned out right?

[@ottone2863]

Oh, Disney, feel we're gonna do comments. I have all the Chrome effects if you know what I mean. Said their bountiers can't think like you, and you know, it's just how it is now. They're back if you wanted to shoot it. I would

[@ottone2863]

We can seat it in a land at a moment. Because you know when new ships come with them. Gunnery nest cockpits. Claim it shows that I have nothing more than scouts. Yeah, they lane, but it's a move. They don't get a shoot them. With all the cunning, we just gotta have our scenes.

[@ottone2863]

R Lando could say it doesn't take a lot to get you where you're going, you're gonna have to Settle down.

[@ottone2863]

Does somebody see how Kaika It's just a posture, somebody see why hes an army. Yeah, they're made to drive the big ships because they're a Cockpit craft

[@ottone2863]

Avon Costello cloak-and-dagger I would. Never But yes, Something like that?

[@ottone2863]

Hey, you have to accept the paint buying numbers. Dialogue wrote itself before video games even existed. Cause it's covered in the courses on writing novels at colleges. I love it it's so fun I am a genius like I said I prefer money.

[@jerryhunsucker2657]

Thank you for doing this video. you really hit the nail on the head of why Star Wars has gone down.

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

I find it funny how your generation finds ways to justify George's retcons and inconsistencies, but then goes out of your way to vilify Disney's decisions. Anakin's "sacrifice" was to save his son. How does Palps coming back as a clone 30 years later disgrace that? Why do you expect Poe to know how Palps came back? ,...and Rey suffered from huge emotional problems throughout the trilogy. Not to mention Luke's highly emotional broken hero arc. The sequels clearly weren't what YOU wanted. Well, the prequels weren't what WE wanted, so,... 😮 Welcome to the club of Star Wars disappointment.

[@chickendog3042]

Just remember you loved the prequels growing up but the older starwars fans hated it. Hated it so much we lost out of starwars. Now kids like this and you are now the older fan hating on it. Remember, starwars is ultimately a kids franchise made to inspire the imagination of kids. Don't be like the older starwars fans when we were kids. Don't ruin it for them they they did us.

[@kamikazemelon787]

classic star wars music and logo with phantom menace being the first clips shown.. the west has fallen

[@wildside4822]

Lucas CHOSE to sell it to Disney

[@ShirDeutch]

Working off internet reaction is probably Disney's biggest problem when it comes to Star Wars. This is most emblematic in the scene in The Rise of Skywalker where Chewie "finally" gets his medal, and like... people were joking about that? Nobody actually cares, it's not something that needed to be fixed. This obsession with fixing "plot holes" and the logic of Star Wars is utterly bizarre. While I do genuinely love Rogue One, it is a movie born out of the dumbest premise: that the flaw in the Death Star needed to be "explained". It couldn't just be a design flaw, it had to be a purposeful, convoluted plan laid out by an insider specifically to enable the events of A New Hope. There is a scene in Andor where Cassian explains how he manages to steal stuff from The Empire: because they are so big, bloated and arrogant, they simply don't care. He could just put on a janitor's uniforms and slip into their facility undetected, because they can't even imagine someone like him doing that. And that's exactly the idea behind the Death Star weak spot - it's so small and unattainable that they simply disregard it. That's the whole point of it, and it didn't need to be fixed or explained. and I would have excused it all if only they hit the brakes after the firing of Colin Trevorrow, pushed back the release date of Episode 9 and really thought about how to go forward with the story, instead of just roping JJ Abrams back in to sloppily slap together the final film. They could have even decided NOT to make it the final film. Why does it have to be a trilogy? There was still a lot of story to tell, a lot more to do with these characters. As you've said, no one is forcing them to do it this way.

[@daniel_netzel]

The premise of Rogue One is half the reason I hate it. It's got a ton of great stuff going for it, but it's just such a needless story. Like some hardcore fan who spent decades fuming mad that the Death Star had such an obvious weakness and felt the need to rectify that.

[@ShirDeutch]

@@daniel_netzel exactly. Also, it wasn't even an obvious design flaw: sure, if you hit that exhaust it blows up the whole thing, but it's almost impossible to pull off. It's not like it was a Dr. Doofenshmirtz inator with a self-destruct button front and center. And also also, why is it so improbable that a battle station would have a weakness? Why wouldn't it have some kind of weakness? Most aircrafts and buildings do. The complaint itself doesn't even make logical sense, let alone its "solution".

[@daniel_netzel]

@@ShirDeutch You're speaking truth my man. Helms Deep had a fatal flaw and no one bitches about that.

[@Marjoss1]

This could have been a 20 minute video if the narration wasn’t so slow. I understand trying to pad out the video for ads and what not but this is kinda ridiculous lol

[@shreddhead23]

😎🙏💯

[@mindlander]

Bruv talks so slow. 2X ain't enough. Get that watch time tho my brother.

[@daniel_netzel]

I've always made my videos like this tbh, it's not for everyone but there's certainly no shortage of content for people with less patience, that's like 99% of the platform so feel free to go watch something else my guy

[@Euclides287]

*Star Wars* and *Indiana Jones* are two movie sagas that should have ended in the 1980s with *Return of the Jedi* and *The Last Crusade.* Now all we can do is pray Hollywood don't get their filthy hands on *Back to the Future.* 🙏

[@saberiandream316]

The two Bobs still own the rights. Let's hope they never sell.

[@ronc166]

Currently not interested in the next Star Wats film 2024 or 2025

[@Kyle-so3zb]

Promo-SM 💞

[@jackshittle]

I'm 52 yrs old and the original trilogy was unbelievable to see. Then episodes 1, 2 & 3 came out and IMO, stunk up the theater. Politics? What child (or myself who was in his 20's) wants to hear about embargo's, blockades, the senate etc ?. Boring & hard to follow. Plus it was so cringy, goofy & embarrassing. I can't believe the same guy that made the original made episodes 1, 2 & 3. And if those episodes didn't stink enough, Disney put the nails in the Star Wars coffin by producing episodes 7,8 & 9. BTW - Disney can fix 50% of the problem right off the bat by cutting the wokeness out of everything they do. A company that is no longer able to greet children at their parks with the "Greetings boys & girls!" - not allowed to use the terms boys & girls anymore. And then that Zoom interview that leaked with that one woman said that she wants (and does) to insert as much queerness into every last show/movie that Disney is involved in. So in my eyes Disney will NEVER get the Star Wars ship turned into the right direction. You have to get the people that are responsible for ruining it removed from the company and we all know that will never happen. What a shame.

[@kevinmuendo9889]

Bro just spent half an hour to describe capitalism (Mergers and acquisitions will never yield better art Monopolies do not care about you) Try to campaign for an endowment for the arts like we have in Europe

[@daniel_netzel]

Capitalism has always been driving the movie industry, it's always been a business about profit, but people used to care about making good art along with making good money, and it feels like audiences used to have better standards than lately which just gives them less motivation to even try

[@alimfuzzy]

Aaah.... nostalgia goggles. The prequels were never good.

[@hoos3014]

I tried to bite my tongue. The Prequel trilogy had the worst writing and direction/acting of any blockbuster movies of the last 50 years.

[@daniel_netzel]

You're probably not wrong, but no matter how many times I watch them I always enjoy the hell out of them

[@alimfuzzy]

@daniel_netzel it's okay to like them, its good that you do, it forms your personality... there are plenty of movies I have nostalgia goggles for, such as '86 transformers movie. When you're a kid you iron over the flaws, when you grow up you tend to get more discerning and cynical.

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

@@alimfuzzy Howard The Duck can be a great movie as well....

[@alimfuzzy]

@@Schmidtelpunkt yeah that's fun... it was always on cable

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

Labours of love? A billionaire creating more merchandising opportunities?

[@hoos3014]

Bashing Disney for their disdeeds is fashionable; there's an entire cottage industry built around it on KZbin. One thing most of those channels have in common is that they either ignored Andor or they stopped covering it once it became clear it would be an artistic and critical triumph. Though it is very different from the Lucas' template, it is easily the best thing from the SW universe since Empire. If great storytelling within the SW universe is more important to you than holding a grudge against a faceless corporation, you should stop what you're doing and watch Andor today.

[@daniel_netzel]

None of this is about holding a grudge, just hoping that we all start holding Disney to a higher standard, so if Andor is actually a good project then that's wonderful to hear, and I hope it gives them a better sense of direction moving forward, but you can't blame a guy for being skeptical lol

[@hoos3014]

@@daniel_netzelSure, not watching it as it aired makes sense. There was plenty of reason to doubt after the poor series that proceeded it. It's now eight months later. Still holding out when so many overwhelmingly positive reviews exist seems a bit stubborn.

[@daniel_netzel]

@@hoos3014 more just out of my own fear tbh, also there are lots of other things to watch lol But I legit felt depressed watching some of their other stuff so I've just been scared to put myself through that again lol But yeah I'll definitely watch it at some point

[@saberiandream316]

It's easy to hold a grudge when getting a new EU as Legends novel (like the Marvel 108 comic book) STILL feels as impossible today as it did nine years ago. There's zero reason not to do it, all their reasons have been exposed as lazy excuses as time goes by.

[@dboygamer8184]

Im pretty sure that after the flop of Dial of Destiny, Lucasfilm is on High Alert now😅😅😅😅

[@greghannibal]

Some people find Andor boring, and it DOES have a long fuse, but it's still good. It makes you actually pay attention to the plot instead of changing things every 5 minutes.

[@tappajavittu]

Of course people find it boring, because it has actual substance instead of just flashing lights and mind numbing jedi sith lightsaber crap. I fucking hate star wars nowadays.

[@jjandorliadul]

Giving up on Star Wars yet not watching Andor is akin to giving up on Chinese food after only eating carry out the whole time.

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

andors first 3 episodes are the slog you need to get through to see the golden nugget

[@Hazard33]

@@ninvusoogoar6098 The mere fact that you "need" to "slog" through any part of it means it's just as bogged down by corporate greed like the rest of them, you defeated your own point within your own message.

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

@@Hazard33 i really didnt. nor did i ever say it was a slog for me... many people found it to be a slog due to being a slow burn. but the andor show was the best thing disney had done with star wars... by far. all the other D+ shows were either harmless empty calories like the first 2 seasons of mando, or they were aggressively mid like tales of the empire, or the rest were utter shit like the acolyte and sequels. also how did i defeat my own point within my message? because i said the beginning is a slog you need to get through? many thought it was a slog and stopped, never once said i felt that way. but hey, i guess thinking is hard for you huh? also corporate greed? dont be that kind of r tard kiddo... everyone is ruled by greed and self interest to varying degrees, to try and say other wise is just lying to yourself and others. you are no exception

[@orangewarm1]

The fundamental problem always starts with the writing.

[@cstephen98]

Everything you're describing is what happens when the Disney business drives the creativity instead of the artists. They did the same thing to their animation studios after movies like Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. "You will crank out a theatrical release every 12 months and a direct-to-video every 6 months. Ran it into the ground but then Tarzan came out from the French studio so they were fine with it before running that studio into the ground. If Pixar hadn't maintained their independence I'm sure they'd have done the same there as they've done to other properties. I've pretty much given up on the company and its products.

[@bb-gc2tx]

they basically told gen x males who basically created the fan base and supported and kept star wars alive during the down period from late 80s until late 90s they dont want us as fans anymore. we experienced and have connection to the OT no other generation could have and disney basically said yeah go away we dont want you as fans

[@alfredolopez9642]

This video just hits me in a very special way. I discovered Star Wars when I was a little kid and it was a turning point in my life. I'd always loved folklore, mythology, fairy tales and all things fiction, so Star Wars was the perfect mixture for me: space wizards and sci-fi knights, the best kind of good versus evil storytelling. It saddens me to see this IP that I once loved so much being taken over by a real "evil empire". I went to watch episode 7 on theaters when it was released. Nothing we hadn't seen before but hey, "it can only improve from here on" I thought. I went to see episode 8, to be honest I actually liked it more than 7 just because it dared to mess with the formula, however I'd be lying if I said is something I would want to watch again. Slowly but surely, it started to dawn on me that these characters and poor excuses of stories weren't something that I actually cared about or even connected with. The faces, voices and names of some of them where the same: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa; but the heart and soul was absent. All of these movies, TV series, animated shows and videogames lacked the fire of the Star Wars I knew in a time before Disney's empire. I didn't even bothered with episode 9, I haven't watched it even to this day and don't plan on doing it ever. I've heard everything I need about it to know that it would be an exercise in morbidity. Like watching the corpse of a dearly missed friend that has been rotting for quite some time being mangled and puppeteered into a disturbingly twisted and profane imitation of life that you know it's not there anymore by the dead stare in the eyes. I don't care for Disney's Star Wars, don't care for The Mandalorian, Kenobi, Andor, Rebels, The Bad Batch, etc. I think that the only thing I've genuinely extracted a little bit of enjoyment is Star Wars Visions, and that has more to do with the fact that all of the shorts are free form, non-canonical short exercises animated by some of the best talent in the anime industry from Japan instead of a series of restrictive and severely imposed, unimaginative, low quality, made-for-streaming-service trash piles of shows. It may sound harsh, I know, but Disney hasn't earned anything less than a harsh opinion from me with how much it has run this property to the ground. I'll keep cherishing the old Star Wars. Those first six movies and the libraries worth of comic books, novels, videogames and shows are some of the greatest seeding grounds for imagination in pulp narrative and fiction that has existed since the first time we saw those giant yellow letters scrolling up in the silver screen. May it live always in our hearts and may the true force be with you all! Thanks for the incredible video, Daniel. So many emotions and memories while watching it. ❤

[@daniel_netzel]

You're making the right move not walking Episode IX. I had a friend at the time who said it was the best of the trilogy, and I genuinely questioned his taste when I made the mistake of sitting down to watch it. Genuinely one of my least favorite movies I've ever seen, not because it's objectively the worst or something, but just awful storytelling that comes out of absolutely nowhere, feels completely disconnected from the other two movies and just slapped together at the last minute. I hated it.

[@Comicbroe405]

You're completely right in your assessment but Andor isn't any of what you said. It's so far from "restrictive and severely imposed, unimaginative, low quality, made-for-streaming-service trash piles of shows". It dares to do smtg different & new with the source, has been made with a high production value. Tony Gilroy is another plane compared to Filoni or others. Pretty much why GL praised him for Rogue.

[@barkley8285]

Andor is better than any star wars you have seen before. Rogue one and andor are absolutely incredible adding to the classic trilogy.

[@Onio_362]

This is not my canon. Guys, don't even care about what Disney releases. Read the eu books cause those are better. Call the expanded universe your canon and don't care about what Disney releases. After throwing out the eu and ruining the sequels, Disney will never fix star wars for me. I've been having hope that they would, but it's gone. They obviously don't care about the franchise 🙄

[@atlanta2076]

Daniel; WATCH Andor yesterday. I am appalled by everything Disney SW, but Andor is where it's at. More in the fashion of the EU. You will not regret giving it a shot!