How Star Wars: Episode VII Can Succeed

When I first heard the news that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and were making more Star Wars films I was initially shocked. After processing this information though this seemed naive of me. The Star Wars franchise ticks a lot of boxes, it has an established fan base that spans generations, a rich and deep universe with plenty to explore and many different angles to approach and most importantly from Disney's point of view it rakes in the cash at the box office. So why wouldn't they make more movies? As far as Disney is concerned it has become a juggernaut of the film space after its acquisition of Marvel. However, there are pitfalls to avoid here and things that need to change. Here's how I think Star Wars Episode VII can succeed...

A (Hopefully) Fresh Approach

One thing some fans of Star Wars will be pleased about is that the franchise is no longer solely under the direction of George Lucas. Although Lucas will be a consultant on the film, helping where he's requested, for the most part the writer's have a Lucas-free take on the movie. While I think Lucas had a good sense of a story arc, he was not so good at screenwriting. Directed by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek reboot) little is known about the plot of Episode VII. Despite the official scheduling showing that production is supposed to begin soon there have been no official cast announcements although it is rumored that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford may return in supporting roles.

Although I don't dislike the prequels as much as some fans (as I grew up with the prequels they conjure certain happy memories from my childhood) I can see their faults and missteps. As a fan of the series, if Abrams can learn from the mistakes of the prequels then the new film will be off to a good start. In essence: Less midichlorians (literally) and more Darth Maul (not literally). The writers need to not be afraid to move away from the Skywalker lineage, that story's been told now, and move to more uncharted territory. With fresh eyes on the franchise there is great potential for some truly spectacular cinematic moments.

Expand the Universe

Since the original trilogy was released there has been a veritable gold mine of games, books, comics and even television concerning the expanded universe of Star Wars. This should not be disregarded as a byproduct of the Lucas era. In my opinion, Episode VII should be an original story but there's no reason not to give nods to other characters or storylines from the expanded universe and even use some of the characters for future films. Not all storylines would be appropriate for the big screen but there's certainly lots there to look at. This expanded universe should be nurtured by the new head honchos in charge of the franchise and not be ignored. If Disney can take up a similar role as they do in the Marvel films then there is hope.

Cast Wisely

One thing that I think Star Wars has sometimes done well in the past and sometimes not so well is casting. The new film needs to have enough tried and true actors with a bit of pedigree but also some new blood to inject the franchise with new life. After all the next few films will ideally inspire a whole new generation to become fans of Star Wars. The main three protagonists from the original trilogy should not be shoehorned in as fan service, but given a purpose and a legitimate send off to give way to the new actors.

The franchise needs a villain that is dangerous, a physical threat rather than get bogged down in politics as Episode I and II often did especially after having a villain as good as Darth Vader was. If the new film is to go down the younger actor route, the writers need to be careful and show much more nuanced character development than they did with Anakin's character. Too often was Hayden Christensen in the prequels moving through the emotional gears too quickly which made him come off unlikeable and unreasonable. Give us characters we care about and are emotionally invested in.

New Worlds

One of the great things about Star Wars is its near limitless potential for different locales. From the hot and dusty desert of Tatooine to the icy and cold ranges of Hoth, the franchise has shown variety in abundance. However, we've seen Tatooine lots, show us new planets that are different and offer something new. Not only will this help the film distance itself from the previous films but it will give us new fiction and demonstrate the writers commitment to expanding this universe.

Star Wars Episode VII is set to release on December 18th 2015

In case you missed it here's my most anticipated movie list of 2014: http://whirz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/my-5-most-anticipated-movies-of-2014.html

What do you think the next iteration needs? What characters would you like to see?
Let me know in the comments below.

Why I'm Leaning Towards Sony For Next-Gen

Let me start this off by saying I don't own either next-generation console, nor do I have a particular bias towards Sony/Microsoft. I don't currently own a next-gen console yet because as a student I currently lack the time and money to purchase one. I have owned a Playstation 1, Playstation 2, Xbox 360 and I also game on my PC from time to time.

Price

First off, let's get to one of the most obvious points: price. Living in the U.K. at launch the Xbox One was around £80 more expensive. Since then the console has become much more competitively priced, bundling in Titanfall for just £399.99. Given the price of Xbox One games that's a pretty good deal. However, it is still cheaper to get a Playstation 4. So where does the extra price come in for the Xbox? Microsoft would point to Kinect, others the system's multimedia, all-in-one entertainment promise. Neither of these factors influence me as I will go on to explain.

Focus on the Gamer

From the first announcement of the PS4 Sony's message has been clear. This is a console garnered to the gamer. As I will use these machines for gaming first and foremost this appealed to me. Granted there will be others unlike me who are excited by the Xbox's promise of a wealth of entertainment. But Microsoft made a blunder on this point. It was gamers who first picked up the Xbox 360 and told their friends about it, and it is for the most part gamers who first pick up the new hardware so naturally your core audience has a larger mind share of gamers in it than it will later. Their focus on the extraneous features outside of gaming certainly disenchanted me, as I know it did others. Sony's focus on showing games, albeit mostly indie titles during the announcement and through E3 told me this was a gaming machine.

Mixed Messages

We all have bad days. Microsoft's marketing department may have just as well gone on vacation for a few months. The message was convoluted to say the least. Not only was there uproar over their used game policy, but the kinect and a required internet connection were causes for concern for many. Commendably, Microsoft reversed these policies which begs the question: were they so integral to the vision of the Xbox One so heavily referenced? At any rate, I can see how an average console buyer would be confused. Fortunately, I keep up with gaming news so was aware of what the Xbox One would and wouldn't do. However, the lack of a clear message confounded me at times, there was years of planning behind this machine, could they not have anticipated these problems? If not, could they have at least clarified themselves in a better manner?

Peripherals

This is a topic which doesn't provoke the most excitement from me for next gen. However, in the PS Vita I can see functionality via remote play and at the end of the day, its an extra portable device that I can play games on. The Kinect on the other hand while containing some admittedly neat voice recognition functionality lacks any significant input to gaming. This would not be a problem if it didn't come with every console and wasn't presumably driving that price higher than Sony's. I may never own a Vita if I get a PS4 but the Kinect I'd be stuck with if I purchased an Xbox One and it would be likely relegated to gathering dust. Using a controller to navigate the dashboard is just simpler and more natural to me.

Kinect

Playstation Now

Both Microsoft and Sony have explained how the cloud will benefit next-gen from matchmaking in multiplayer to saving your data in a secure location. The lack of backwards compatibility in the next-gen consoles certainly have made me question this feature. Its a strange situation. On the one hand I feel slightly aggrieved at not being able to play my old games in the new consoles, even if I still own the old consoles, I'd rather have one plugged in at all times and possibly sell or get rid of the old ones. But on the other hand, having backwards compatibility would probably be a low priority for me as there would so many new games I was looking to play.

The Future of Gaming is Cloudy

Playstation Now offers backwards compatibility, yes. But it also offers me the chance to play the abundant source of PS3 games I missed out on last generation. Titles like the Last of Us, Uncharted series etc. This is a highly appealing feature especially if the price to use such a service is reasonable. I am concerned about the issue of bringing this to Europe, however, for the most part I think broadband is strong enough here in the U.K. to cope with Playstation Now.

X-boned?

Do I think the Xbox One is dead in the water? No. Despite being outsold by the PS4 so far, it is still selling well. I think Titanfall will be a huge hit as I've heard nothing but positives from those playing the beta. The price has become much more competitive, at least here in the U.K. Functionality that many Xbox users have missed from the 360 is finding its way back onto the system. These consoles are going to be around for a while so the real winner will be us as gamers. Xbox may have struggled to get going but will likely continue to improve their service as will Sony.

One thing is certain. It's a good time to be a gamer.


But hey, these are just my opinions. What do you think? Agree/Disagree? Share in the comments below.