Star Wars: The Reality Awakens

While getting ready for the day this morning something hit me, something big.  Within a thought I realized a huge problem with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  Something that was carefully hidden behind a wall of nostalgia and dishonest application of other people’s sincere creativity.

The Force Awakens is not an honest film, it is a cold, calculated money making machine.  No one at Disney with clearance and authority purchased Lucasfilm because they loved Star Wars and wanted to care for it.  No one said, “this art means a lot to culture, let’s make sure it regains its honor and quality.” Instead they saw a franchise that still had market value, at its lowest point, and knew they could do just about anything to milk billions out of it.  Instead of reigning in the out of control product production and branding, they upheld and/or expanded it immediately.  Remember three months ago, when all those new toys and products for The Force Awakens came out and everyone rushed to the store to load up on merchandise for something they knew nothing about?  Do you remember this: After I loaded up on these babies I unloaded my bowels.  My tape worm loved it.

Anyways, this whole problem of insincerity can be seen manifesting itself in the plot that many say is too derivative of the the first film.  Disney marketing decided they had to create a fine line to walk between nostalgia (past market) and new (future market) to create highest net yield.  They wanted to make sure to sell the old audience on the fact that these new movies were not horrible abominations so that those people would continue to bring their kids, the new audience.  The main goal was to make Star Wars cool again and not a negative thing to like (remember that lowest point?).

Unlike the mindless churning gears of the Marvel “Cinematic Universe” however, Disney seems to be showing some restraint with Star Wars.  For the time being they are making sure to separate the feature film series from a marketing plan to sell you a $150o Blu-ray disc set in 20 years.  However there is already a plan for a spin-off film, slated to be released next year or something.  Disney is creating the illusion of sincerity but in the end these films are just products to them.

Let me stress that not everyone involved is a accountable for this dishonesty.  Some people like the actors, cameramen, set designers, artists, sound designers, composer… really cared and put in some hard work.  This is why there are still some really good elements in the film and why it is coherent.  But they also are not the ones answering to the money, like part of J.J. Abrams and others.  This is part of the marketing perspective as well.  Give people that care just enough room within your plan to make something good that people will buy.

The “Force Awakens” opening “reminds me more than anything that in today’s world great stories and great brands really matter…”
— Robert Iger, Disney C.E.O — (from WSJ)

Repetition and Recognition=$$$:  This is how corporate/business executives think.  And I am not saying that they are all bad people.  This is how they are trained to think and operate, of and for the bottom line.  Much like how the audience is trained to ignore or not recognize these attempts at manipulation.  Once you establish a system like this it can be hard to replace.  Before long it becomes commonplace and second nature.  People lose sight of the fact that it was something created by us.  The longer it remains normal, the more central to people it becomes, and harder to change.

I know most of the few people that read this will say, “Geez does he have to be so cynical about everything?”  The answer is overwhelmingly yes.  And as much as I enjoyed this film, it cannot be ignored.  Trust me, I wish I did not have to say or think about these things but we don’t live in that world.  I want to be able to like something without having to question its sincerity; whether it is art or a corporate expedition.  This is all important because it is imperative to recognize the economic forces being used to try to control you and bend you to someone else’s will.  Here is an analogy for you: those forces are the Dark Side and, like the force, they are present all around us.  If you do not stand against them you are a puppet, either opening your mind for conditioning or being mined for resources, exhausted until you are no longer part of the key demographic.

*Update — Apparently Disney is planning a massive universe of films for the Star Wars franchise and is just being more secretive about its long term plans.  This includes a prequel film slated for 2016 and the “shoot me now” classic, child Han Solo movie in 2018.  Disregard the previously mentioned restraint.  Start saving for the Ultra-Mega-Special-Collector’s Edition blu-ray package.