Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch
Going back to the Original Trilogy, and especially ESB what they did really well is that they established a strong credible set of villains.
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Screen/novel writing 101: A story is only as strong as its antagonist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch
In ESB at the end even though there is some reason for optimism and weirdness as Lando is wearing Hans clothes. The over all sense is that the Empire was truly ascendant and you wanted to see the next movie to see how Luke and the Rebels were dealing with such a pasting.
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Again, archetypal storytelling structure. Things are darkest at the end of the second act, when the protagonists are in the belly of the whale and have no clear way out.
The plot of A New Hope was classic, almost paint-by-numbers hero's journey. Which isn't surprising, as Lucas studied Joseph Campbell's teachings as he was creating it.
Empire Strikes Back was written by Leigh Brackett, a highly experienced SF genre author and screenwriter.
The subsequent movies have been written by a George Lucas drunk on hubris, or a committee of corporate overseers and hired hands with clashing visions. The scripts they've created have been at once both over-complicated and cliche-ridden schlock.
It really is remarkable how the enthusiasm for two films has propelled the franchise for decades.