I feel like you’re the one mythologizing your childhood, and the original movies only seem ‘lighthearted’ when viewed through a lens of nostalgia and time passed. The original movies really aren’t that lighthearted if you really think about them, stuff filmed in the 70s just has that Patina of age that makes it hard to take seriously.
I think I’ve mostly said silly and fun rather than lighthearted.
But the basic idea is that they are at the same level of adventure, stakes and seriousness as most children’s movies. You wouldn’t call the Lion King a serious film would you? Even though it’s probably not light-hearted if you think about it. (Same is true for most children’s movies, think Land Before Time, most big Disney/Pixar classics etc.)
A more serious film, for example, probably grapples with Alderaan’s destruction and mentions it outside of two immediate reactions.
Yeah, honestly I’m a little surprised. In the wider community (or at least, my highly non scientific polling of a soccer team, volleyball group and movie friends) it seems pretty understood that Star Wars is a great kids movie that mostly works for all ages.
Heck, even George Lucas has said they were for kids "I wasn’t supposed to say this then, or now, but it’s a film for 12-year-olds,” he says. “In the real world … critics … certain fans. They’re not very nice.”
But damn are people riled up about that and instead insisting it’s a very serious series and definitely not for kids.
I feel like you’re the one mythologizing your childhood, and the original movies only seem ‘lighthearted’ when viewed through a lens of nostalgia and time passed. The original movies really aren’t that lighthearted if you really think about them, stuff filmed in the 70s just has that Patina of age that makes it hard to take seriously.
I think I’ve mostly said silly and fun rather than lighthearted.
But the basic idea is that they are at the same level of adventure, stakes and seriousness as most children’s movies. You wouldn’t call the Lion King a serious film would you? Even though it’s probably not light-hearted if you think about it. (Same is true for most children’s movies, think Land Before Time, most big Disney/Pixar classics etc.)
A more serious film, for example, probably grapples with Alderaan’s destruction and mentions it outside of two immediate reactions.
This is quite the take you have laid out in this thread.
Yeah, honestly I’m a little surprised. In the wider community (or at least, my highly non scientific polling of a soccer team, volleyball group and movie friends) it seems pretty understood that Star Wars is a great kids movie that mostly works for all ages.
Heck, even George Lucas has said they were for kids "I wasn’t supposed to say this then, or now, but it’s a film for 12-year-olds,” he says. “In the real world … critics … certain fans. They’re not very nice.”
But damn are people riled up about that and instead insisting it’s a very serious series and definitely not for kids.
It’s kinda wild.