I’m not talking about the whole movie, I’m saying that the opening 30 minutes of ANH have more character development than the entire movie of R1. We’re not “getting to know the every man” in R1, we’re told a one-line backstory for each character and they are basically static entities until the time comes for their death scene. Also, none of them are “standard soldiers” except for Jyn. Everyone else is clearly supposed to be an interesting character, they just don’t do any of the supporting legwork to actually build the backstories or characterization, they just insist upon them.
I disagree, these aren’t supposed to be major characters that have big backstories, these are just people in the universe. Fleeting characters who for a brief moment had massive impacts on the galaxy. That’s the point, that these people who are seemingly unimportant have one big impact by coming together for this one moment. Again these aren’t superheroes, they aren’t big characters that have big names like Skywalker or Palpatine, these are just people in the galaxy.
I think that’s a question for you. Why do they need a backstory in your mind to make them “interesting”? I see people with this decision thrust on them, and the very fact that we don’t know them but they have such a pivotal effect on the galaxy is why it stands out to me.
They are THE MAIN CHARACTERS in the movie you’re watching. I think that’s a big enough reason to try to make them interesting.
What would make a character interesting? Motivations, conflict, maybe seeing someone change in any way as a result of things that happen in the story?
This is why I said people that enjoy the movie cannot have seen good movies, because some of the defenses are just absolutely ridiculous. “Why do characters need backstories to make them interesting?” Like do I really need to answer that?
Luke at the start of ANH is literally a farmboy with little direction in his life. That’s much closer to the “just people” type of character you’re describing than anyone in R1, again except for Jyn. Every supporting character in R1 feels like they were designed to be interesting, but everything interesting in their lives happened before the events of the film, and we just get to hear about it a little.
I also think the ending of the movie where we get a big fanservice Darth Vader scene gives the lie to this perception of the movie as a gritty, realistic look at the dark side of the franchise. The movie is pretty transparently just Disney pandering to the adults that grew up with Star Wars and wanted to feel like they could still enjoy it through more adult media. Andor does what Rogue One was trying to do much better, and it’s telling that by doing so it barely feels like Star Wars any more.
Just to redirect, you mention Luke, who had no backstory before Episode 4 (and really none anyway).
If R1 is a trope at all it’s a heist movie. So let’s compare it to something similar, like Ocean’s 11. Of the 11, we know the backstory of 1-2 of the members there. Everyone else makes the ensemble who then build together a heist, them working together with their skills ultimately make the movie amazing. I don’t know each of their backstory, but it’s regarded as the quintessential heist movie. So I stand by my argument, you don’t need everyone to have a fully fleshed out character arc just to have a good movie.
Even then many of the characters do show up in prequels and other series. Andor got his own series because people wanted to know more. So, I don’t think that’s the argument you think it is.
Then finally,
The movie is pretty transparently just Disney pandering to the adults that grew up with Star Wars and wanted to feel like they could still enjoy it through more adult media.
I was born after the originally trilogy. So, swing and a miss there.
And also
Andor does what Rogue One was trying to do much better, and it’s telling that by doing so it barely feels like Star Wars any more.
Andor was 20 hours long compared to 2.5 hours, not exactly comparable if your main metric is “how fleshed out are backstories”
I go back to what I said in my first reply to you: " I just wonder if you don’t like Star wars". Which honestly do you? It’s okay if you don’t but if your number one thing about Andor was literally “it barely feels like Star Wars any more” then maybe it’s time to admit you just don’t like Star Wars, and let us who do just enjoy it over here.
I’m not talking about the whole movie, I’m saying that the opening 30 minutes of ANH have more character development than the entire movie of R1. We’re not “getting to know the every man” in R1, we’re told a one-line backstory for each character and they are basically static entities until the time comes for their death scene. Also, none of them are “standard soldiers” except for Jyn. Everyone else is clearly supposed to be an interesting character, they just don’t do any of the supporting legwork to actually build the backstories or characterization, they just insist upon them.
I disagree, these aren’t supposed to be major characters that have big backstories, these are just people in the universe. Fleeting characters who for a brief moment had massive impacts on the galaxy. That’s the point, that these people who are seemingly unimportant have one big impact by coming together for this one moment. Again these aren’t superheroes, they aren’t big characters that have big names like Skywalker or Palpatine, these are just people in the galaxy.
I think that’s a question for you. Why do they need a backstory in your mind to make them “interesting”? I see people with this decision thrust on them, and the very fact that we don’t know them but they have such a pivotal effect on the galaxy is why it stands out to me.
They are THE MAIN CHARACTERS in the movie you’re watching. I think that’s a big enough reason to try to make them interesting.
What would make a character interesting? Motivations, conflict, maybe seeing someone change in any way as a result of things that happen in the story?
This is why I said people that enjoy the movie cannot have seen good movies, because some of the defenses are just absolutely ridiculous. “Why do characters need backstories to make them interesting?” Like do I really need to answer that?
Luke at the start of ANH is literally a farmboy with little direction in his life. That’s much closer to the “just people” type of character you’re describing than anyone in R1, again except for Jyn. Every supporting character in R1 feels like they were designed to be interesting, but everything interesting in their lives happened before the events of the film, and we just get to hear about it a little.
I also think the ending of the movie where we get a big fanservice Darth Vader scene gives the lie to this perception of the movie as a gritty, realistic look at the dark side of the franchise. The movie is pretty transparently just Disney pandering to the adults that grew up with Star Wars and wanted to feel like they could still enjoy it through more adult media. Andor does what Rogue One was trying to do much better, and it’s telling that by doing so it barely feels like Star Wars any more.
Just to redirect, you mention Luke, who had no backstory before Episode 4 (and really none anyway).
If R1 is a trope at all it’s a heist movie. So let’s compare it to something similar, like Ocean’s 11. Of the 11, we know the backstory of 1-2 of the members there. Everyone else makes the ensemble who then build together a heist, them working together with their skills ultimately make the movie amazing. I don’t know each of their backstory, but it’s regarded as the quintessential heist movie. So I stand by my argument, you don’t need everyone to have a fully fleshed out character arc just to have a good movie.
Even then many of the characters do show up in prequels and other series. Andor got his own series because people wanted to know more. So, I don’t think that’s the argument you think it is.
Then finally,
I was born after the originally trilogy. So, swing and a miss there.
And also