Mainstream Media Recognizes Current Star Wars Reality

Erik Kain of Forbes hasn't been shilling, exactly, for Star Wars: The Acolyte, but has been spinning it a bit in a positive light. That is changing. ‘The Acolyte’ Continues A Long, Tragic ‘Star Wars’ Tradition: Ruining The Jedi

There are two things he covers that highlight what a lot of Fandom has been saying for a long time: Modern Hollywood doesn't understand storytelling. They've also never heard of the idea, "Less is More."

First with one of my all-time, favorite stories, Lord of the Rings. "Less Galadriel was more Galadriel."

In The Lord Of The Rings movies, Galadriel is presented as faithfully to the source material as is humanly possible. She is beautiful, ethereal and mysterious. She is at once a source of courage for the Fellowship and somewhat terrifying when she meets with Frodo by her mirror. She is not in very many scenes and doesn’t have very many lines (though she gets to do the intro narration!) but her presence in the films looms large. You do not forget her.

In The Rings Of Power, Galadriel is transformed into the chief protagonist and in doing so is much diminished. She is a warrior here, the general of the Northern Armies (because elves are big on military titles!) and rather than mysterious and terrifying, she’s petulant and boastful. She is robbed of her power, so much of which came from how little we truly understand her in the books or films. She’s like an angel or a demigod, removed from conflict, apart from it though certainly still consequential in the bigger scheme.

Writers today claim to value mystery. Jar Jar Abrams built his entire production company, Bad Reboot Robot, on "The Mystery Box." But they really don't understand mystery or mysterious characters at all.

The same applies to the Jedi.

The more Jedi we’re given onscreen, the less awesome they become. That’s not to say that young Obi-Wan wasn’t cool, or that I didn’t enjoy Darth Maul (the same rule applies to the Sith) but as more movies have come out and more shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka arrive only to fall flat, the Jedi have just gotten less and less compelling. I didn’t hate old-and-bitter Luke Skywalker from the sequels, but the movies failed to really give him a worthwhile story. He didn’t earn the rushed redemption arc he was given. Face it, Luke’s story was over in Return Of The Jedi, and maybe so was the story of the Jedi.

And I should note that most people hate the "old-and-bitter Luke Skywalker," just as the hate the "old-and-bitter" Indiana Jones, even if Erik Kain didn't. (Hat tip to Echo Base Network.)