Sometimes the problem isn't whether or not you have the answer. It's whether or not you like the answer. We all want to be healthier and look more physically fit. We all know the answer is to get more exercise, and eat fewer cheeseburgers and more vegetables. Knowing the answer isn't the problem. In that case, the answer stinks. Now please pass the Fritos while I binge watch The Clone Wars. I'll complain about my dad bod next week.
So when the financial advisory site, The Motley Fool, says that EA has solved Disney's Star Wars box office problem in THIS ARTICLE, I don't think there is any debate. Their take away from the success of both Fallen Order and The Mandalorian is simple. They write:
Paired with the success of The Mandalorian, its mysterious masked protagonist, and of course "Baby Yoda," EA's video game hit makes it clear that fans of the franchise are looking for new material.
They conclude:
Rather than shelling out hundreds of millions to produce a blockbuster that imitates what's already been done, perhaps Star Wars would best be served by slimming down and getting creative again.
For me, this is the key issue with the Sequel Trilogy. All the bickering and complaining about the little things is just that. It's nitpicking the minutia to give greater voice to your displeasure. There is no need to get bogged down into "who shot first" level slap fights. The big problem with the ST is that it's a soft reboot. Even the so called "expectation subverting" middle act only subverts expectations on the lowest stake plot points. When it comes to the major plot points, it's entirely gutless and plays it right down the middle. Kylo is evil and goes his way. Rey is good and goes her way. If that movie had any stones, Rey would have taken Kylo's hand and the credits would have rolled, but I'm digressing.
Back to the top, I think Disney knows that fresh stories are the key, but when it's your hundreds of millions on the line, the lower risk "soft reboot" path probably seems pretty attractive.