Andor Is The Biggest Fix Of George Lucas’ Worst Star Wars Flaw
Warning: Spoilers for Andor episode 10
Disney+’s Andor show is proving to be the best fix to the biggest failing of George Lucas’ Star Wars movies. While the first three Star Wars films are all celebrated classics and pop culture icons, they haven’t been immune to criticism. Flaws did exist in both the original trilogy and the three prequels.
A problem that dates all the way back to A New Hope is the handling of the dialogue. Regardless of how well the Star Wars movies themselves were received, numerous lines were regarded as awkward, corny, and poorly written. Even the actors involved with the movies, including Alec Guinness and Harrison Ford, have acknowledged the issue. But while the films suffered from this problem, the same can’t be said for Andor. With each episode, the Disney+ series has delivered some truly memorable lines packed with emotional meaning. Nearly every word in Luthen Rael’s speech about what he’s sacrificed for the empire in Andor episode 10 exemplifies how far Star Wars has come in terms of this long-standing criticism.
Even George Lucas Admitted He Couldn’t Write Dialogue
It’s not just the fans and the actors who have taken aim at the dialogue in the original movies and the Star Wars prequels. Even Lucas himself has taken note of the problem. While he has defended the dialogue at times, including when he likened the Star Wars tone to a “1930s Western or Saturday matinee serial,” he’s also been willing to admit his difficulties with writing lines for his characters. In an interview in 1999, Lucas actually said, “I’d be the first person to say I can’t write dialogue.” He went on to explain that he had other screenwriters polish the dialogue for A New Hope [via Empire.]
How Andor Still Fits George Lucas’ Vision (Despite Being More Mature)
The deeper dialogue used in Andor is one of the many ways that the series comes across as the most mature Star Wars has ever been. Its openness when it comes to sex between its characters, the level of violence it employs, and the focus on politics are all deviations from the standard approach taken by previous Star Wars projects. But while Andor has been willing to include content that Lucas avoided, the series still fits into his wider vision for Star Wars’ future. After all, Andor is essentially a deeper dive into the world and the mythology Lucas created.
Lucas’ previous comments indicated that what he wanted was for other filmmakers to build on his ideas. When talking about the potential for future Star Wars installments made by other directors, Lucas said, “Wookies are there, the people are there, the environment is there, the Empire is there… everything is there. And now people will start building on it” [via Geek Tyrant.] By really digging into the lives of the people forced to endure the oppressive ways of the Empire, Andor represents a proper exploration of themes that were central to Lucas’ stories.
Andor releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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