Mercurius
Legend
I think a lot of the gap in force power usage has to do with the difference between special effects in the 70s-80s and more recently, not to mention the influence of wuxia and MCU. Compare what Jedi can do in the original trilogy vs the prequels. The "wow, kewl" factor has been upped substantially so that we can no longer have Alec Guinness doing a slow whirl - everything has to be Bruce Lee with jet-powered wings.
That said, just as some of the criticisms of the new films and Rey might be tinged with sexism (although I don't see that from Zardnaar), I think it would also be willfully ignorant of us not to recognize the "Girl Power Effect" in Hollywood - where films are being made or remade with female (and/or non-white) central characters, with endless variations of "Girls can do everything dudes can do, but better." As a father of two girls I can applaud this to some degree, because I like the fact that my daughters are being raised in a context where they have no inkling of even the thought that they are intrinsically less than males. But there is a subtlety to this that is often lost and ends up feeling narratively contrived and forced at times. And I can't help but feel that Rey was at least sub-consciously created with the idea that she is slightly better than all the male Jedi, past and present, and will fix all the crap they screwed up.
That aside, some of the "hallowed view" of the original trilogy is undoubtedly rose-tinged nostalgia, but I think there is something deeper at play. There is a magic, a mythic resonance to the original trilogy that the latter two don't capture, at least not to the same degree. The prequels were "Vader-ized"...they ironically relied too much on technology, and also lacked the chemistry of the earlier cast. The recent films lack originality and freshness, and feel more like fan fiction than authentic next chapters in an epic story by its original creator (not unlike what I imagine a hypothetical "King Aragorn" Netflix series would be like, or the season 7--and presumably 8--of Game of Thrones is like).
My snapshot takes:
Originals: Mythic classics, with some flaws, albeit charming ones.
Prequels: Visually and imaginatively stunning, but fatal flaws in casting and acting.
Sequels: Unimaginative and unoriginal fan fiction, but fun and with some nice touches and a strongish cast.
That said, just as some of the criticisms of the new films and Rey might be tinged with sexism (although I don't see that from Zardnaar), I think it would also be willfully ignorant of us not to recognize the "Girl Power Effect" in Hollywood - where films are being made or remade with female (and/or non-white) central characters, with endless variations of "Girls can do everything dudes can do, but better." As a father of two girls I can applaud this to some degree, because I like the fact that my daughters are being raised in a context where they have no inkling of even the thought that they are intrinsically less than males. But there is a subtlety to this that is often lost and ends up feeling narratively contrived and forced at times. And I can't help but feel that Rey was at least sub-consciously created with the idea that she is slightly better than all the male Jedi, past and present, and will fix all the crap they screwed up.
That aside, some of the "hallowed view" of the original trilogy is undoubtedly rose-tinged nostalgia, but I think there is something deeper at play. There is a magic, a mythic resonance to the original trilogy that the latter two don't capture, at least not to the same degree. The prequels were "Vader-ized"...they ironically relied too much on technology, and also lacked the chemistry of the earlier cast. The recent films lack originality and freshness, and feel more like fan fiction than authentic next chapters in an epic story by its original creator (not unlike what I imagine a hypothetical "King Aragorn" Netflix series would be like, or the season 7--and presumably 8--of Game of Thrones is like).
My snapshot takes:
Originals: Mythic classics, with some flaws, albeit charming ones.
Prequels: Visually and imaginatively stunning, but fatal flaws in casting and acting.
Sequels: Unimaginative and unoriginal fan fiction, but fun and with some nice touches and a strongish cast.
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