As I said, to me it comes down not to a particular film, but to the burning need for the new story to be told at all, or not - ie is it simply a new franchise entry for commercial purposes, which is a very large % of branded content over the past 15 years.
There are valid reasons to remake a film - original poorly produced (FX, production values,) dated decor/acting style or by the era (eg Jaws costumes clearly 70's,) a great story just not all that well told by that particular filmmaker back then, the film itself being famous but didn't achieve classic/embedded in the culture status where everything came together (Jaws, Raiders, BTTF, The Godfather are movies that would be suicide to remake.)
Valid reasons for a sequel/prequel too - a clear need to expand on a character story that really resonated with people, unresolved story material in the first film, a new idea that really connects with and expands on (and informs) the original.
The OT seems impervious on most of these points. I'd argue that only really RO fulfils the "reason for being" test, because it shows ANH from a very different perspective (not just character - also genre, outlook, design aesthetic - truly re-envisioning ANH) and one that expands upon (while intimately connecting to) ANH. It's the BTTF2 of the Disney SW films.
Both ST films - and I'm assuming TROS too - to me fail the "reason for being" test. Unable to find a new, mythic take on the wider SW story world, they at first closely replicated the OT storyline and characters (while using the excuse of "but it's a Star Wars film, you gotta have a guy in black mask and red saber...") If the female Ghostbusters had had cameos by the original GBs (ie occurred in same story world) it would have been similar to TFA. The second film simply subverted expectations - in a strangely meta way - of fans based on the first film (which was only well received because it was PT mouthwash and a return to known territory, again perhaps a reason for the brazen replication to be forgiven.) TLJ is a minor part of this.
As for Disney - I hear this a bit on here, like people who have something against Disney. To me it's a non-issue. LFL was a major corporation worth billions even before the takeover.
I like the basic ideas of the PT, not the films. I do think with a quite different take on the material and a better director, these films will be much better - and they will be remade after Lucas passes.
In the same way I wish I could drink the Kool Aid. I KNOW it's 100% delicious.
And I like what you're evoking - there is indeed a mythology to the time and place of the OT's creation, not just the OT itself. Some unique synergy of talents that does indeed constitute something magical, intertwined with but also separate from the films. But in some ways, I really love the fact that to me at the end of the day SW was so unique and special that it will remain impervious to replication or "grafting" - new projects that attempt to share the DNA. Looking like and sort of feeling like the OT but will be forgotten - because that is indeed the fate of the ST. In 100 years, the OT alone will be loved.
The past few years to me have proven that because cracking/replicating the DNA code of OT has proven impossible, the only way to make great SW films is to go with the RO model (and perhaps the Mandalorian) where you simply inhabit the time and place, with the BTTF2 vibe of being just around the corner from the sun-like glow of the OT storyline, because that's what is the magic for fans.
This is a great post.
A single film?
Star Wars has been mostly crap for decades now. There are so many movies and only like 2 or 3 of them are any good. Each one is worse than the last. It didn’t just suddenly start with TLJ being putrid. It’s been building up for a long time now.
We all know where you stand Fab’s. Your distain for all thing cinema past 1986? Is well documented.
And your point has validity , even if some disgruntled fans do not realize it yet.
I do think there are fans out there whom are fans if the PT, had little complaints with TFA, who were turned off in a major way.
Iron for one, maybe Oto.....
