Solo: A Star Wars Story

Though some thought-provoking points have been brought up regarding the inclusion of the Ewoks in ROTJ, I tend to forget about them and just focus on the cool stuff. Slave Leia, Jedi Luke, Scout Troopers and Speeder bikes, HUGE dogfight scenes with TIE interceptors and B-Wings, throne room battle, and...

https://youtu.be/4F4qzPbcFiA

Yeah, there's some great stuff in ROTJ. That final spaceship battle is still exhilarating after all this time, a master class in how to visually depict organized chaos.

I don't expect any of these new movies to affect me like the OT did, it's not possible at my age. But that doesn't mean they can't still be a good time. With Solo, I'm just hoping for a fun, action adventure story set in our favorite galaxy away from home.
 
If you go watch any ROTJ making-of feature, Lucas is pretty clear about the Ewoks.

His intention was always to present a smaller, tribal/native level culture fighting back against the technologically advanced Empire., and helping turn the tide for the Alliance. His first thought was to make Endor the Wookie home planet, but he realized that wouldn't work because we'd clearly seen Chewie doing things like flying and repairing a spaceship.

So they made the Wookies smaller. That's pretty much it.

For a time, they considered making them reptilian and more savage looking, but that idea was nixed due to either fx/make-up concerns.. or because he knew he could sell the crap out of cute Ewoks. Obviously they were a big hit with younger fans, hence two TV movies and a cartoon.

I feel like everything we need to know is there. That was the idea. And maybe they were kept cute to m,ake toys, maybe not-- but once they were a proven hit, Lucas certainly leaned into them considering outside of the Droids cartoon, they were central to any additions made to the SW universe between ROTJ and Heir to the Empire, and the only thing seen on screen from ROTJ up to the SE.
 
...Irony has its dark side; sure, you can color it as, "Wow, what a feel-good twist, ultimately it came down to fuzzy little adorables to defeat the Empire!", but the flip side of that is, "Wow, what a huge disservice to the magnitude of the story we've been fed, the battles that have been fought, and the lives that have been lost, to have these freakin' teddy bears decide the galaxy's fate"...

The idea of a group of primitives defeating the empire was a theme Lucas had from the beginning. Though it was originally Wookiees, but the realities of budget and technology forced him to drop the idea for the first film. Lucas liked the Wookiee concept so he had one which became Chewbacca. In ROTJ he was able to revisit the idea of primitives in a large battle, but since he had established Wookiees as being advanced he had to create a new race, hence Ewoks. Little Wookiees, with the name being pretty much the same but with the syllables transposed.
 
The idea of a group of primitives defeating the empire was a theme Lucas had from the beginning. Though it was originally Wookiees, but the realities of budget and technology forced him to drop the idea for the first film. Lucas liked the Wookiee concept so he had one which became Chewbacca. In ROTJ he was able to revisit the idea of primitives in a large battle, but since he had established Wookiees as being advanced he had to create a new race, hence Ewoks. Little Wookiees, with the name being pretty much the same but with the syllables transposed.
Also because Teddy Bears were super popular at the time. At least if it was Wookies instead of Ewoks, it would be somewhat believable. But the Ewoks beating the military might of the Empire? Kind of dumb. As a kid I didnt mind, but seeing as an adult its like "cmon".
 
The idea of a group of primitives defeating the empire was a theme Lucas had from the beginning. Though it was originally Wookiees, but the realities of budget and technology forced him to drop the idea for the first film. Lucas liked the Wookiee concept so he had one which became Chewbacca. In ROTJ he was able to revisit the idea of primitives in a large battle, but since he had established Wookiees as being advanced he had to create a new race, hence Ewoks. Little Wookiees, with the name being pretty much the same but with the syllables transposed.

That's a load of hooey. I mean, I know that's the justification he offered, but it always rang false to me. "Chewbacca was too advanced." Right. Ok. Sure. Never mind that we see the battle in ROTS where the wookiees fight alongside the clones.

Dude wanted to sell cutesy plush toys to kids. Star Wars Care Bears. Full stop. It's fine. It is what it is. But we should just admit it and move on, instead of pretending that his proffered justification was the real reason.
 
I don't recall exactly when I saw Empire and Jedi but around the same time.

I take it you're gauging my SWIQ.

No, I don't gauge someone's SWIQ by his age, or when he saw the films, etc. As I've said before, it is true that...

-- if someone saw Star Wars in the theater (at age 7+) during its initial run, that is no guarantee he has a high SWIQ. In fact, many who did, don't.

...however, it is also true that...

-- if someone has a high SWIQ, they probably saw Star Wars in the theater (at age 7+) on its initial run.

Note the word, "probably".

So, Psab, it's not right to judge people's SWIQs based on their ages. I've actually met a few millennials in the past couple years who had impressive SWIQs. It's rare, but such individuals do exist .

No, the reason I was asking, is because I've found that a lot of people who love ROTJ and the Ewoks, fit into one of the following categories:

1) Females, of any age.
2) Males, whose first theatrical SW experience was ROTJ.
3) Males, who saw ROTJ at a very young age (up to age 9?), even if it wasn't the first SW film they'd seen.


And I was just curious if you fit into any of those categories.

By the way, I don't begrudge a fan for loving ROTJ when it was his first exposure to Star Wars. Or if he saw it a very young age. The film does have a fair amount of really great stuff in it, and the nostalgia of having seen it first (or in your case, weeks afterward), makes it a very special film to you. I get it.

It's possible to recognize and understand all the ways in which ROTJ falls short of the SW77/ESB SWIQ standard, and yet maintain a nostalgic soft spot in your heart for even the lowest-SWIQ elements (Ewoks) of the film.

The Wook
 
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That's a load of hooey. I mean, I know that's the justification he offered, but it always rang false to me. "Chewbacca was too advanced." Right. Ok. Sure. Never mind that we see the battle in ROTS where the wookiees fight alongside the clones.

Dude wanted to sell cutesy plush toys to kids. Star Wars Care Bears. Full stop. It's fine. It is what it is. But we should just admit it and move on, instead of pretending that his proffered justification was the real reason.

So we would just except your opinion and move on? Dont think so. Sure, George wanted to sell toys but he at least put some thought in to it.

I dont fit in to any of those catagories Wook and I love ROTJ and Ewoks.
 
So we would just except your opinion and move on? Dont think so. Sure, George wanted to sell toys but he at least put some thought in to it.


3' tall teddy bears as a threatening fighting force? Sorry. I sense merchandising as the prime mover for that decision.

Maybe he did want primitives, but you could've still done that with wookiees pretty easily. I've never heard the budget thing as the main restriction, either. At least as early as '84, I'd heard "Chewie was too technologically adept to be believable as a primitive." There are easy story ways around that issue. (E.g. Imperial occupation forced a primitive lifestyle back on wookiees)
 
Who cares if merchandising was the prime motivation, Lucas learned like we all did that there was money in it after Star Wars, its how he presented that merchandising as a credible part of the overall story that is important. Its like I said earlier, you cant compare Ewoks to Porgs.

And in terms of results from fighting the Empire I think it stands Ewoks 1 Wookies 0
 
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3' tall teddy bears as a threatening fighting force? Sorry. I sense merchandising as the prime mover for that decision.

Maybe he did want primitives, but you could've still done that with wookiees pretty easily. I've never heard the budget thing as the main restriction, either. At least as early as '84, I'd heard "Chewie was too technologically adept to be believable as a primitive." There are easy story ways around that issue. (E.g. Imperial occupation forced a primitive lifestyle back on wookiees)

I think Rinzler in his book discussed budget restriction and cost of all the Wookiee extras costumes, Dan.
 
What about the narrative I've heard bandied about for years? That George wanted it to be a planet of wookiees, but couldn't find an adequate number of 7-foot actors. So, knowing that showbiz already had a lot of midgets, he shrunk the characters down and called them Ewoks.

The Wook

ps~@Mr Webber, I'm sure you noted that I said, "a lot", not, "all". :)
 
Lucas says a lot of stuff, but since he is the creator of it all, he *have* to take his words as fact/canon. Even if we are disgusted by the laziness of some explanations and/or choices/justifications of anything. We always expect an elaborate backstory with as many details as possible, to make it feel like real history (I know right, IT ISN'T!?!?!?)
 
Who cares if merchandising was the prime motivation, Lucas learned like we all did that there was money in it after Star Wars, its how he presented that merchandising as a credible part of the overall story that is important. Its like I said earlier, you cant compare Ewoks to Porgs.

Quote where I referenced porgs, please.

And in terms of results from fighting the Empire I think it stands Ewoks 1 Wookies 0

Which is the part I find unbelievable from a story perspective.
 
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