by S. Prasad Ganti
The popular sci-fi TV series “Star Trek” recently celebrated sixty years. I was probably too young to enjoy “Star Trek”. As a result I did not develop any passion or following for StarTrek. I was however fascinated with the Star Wars movie franchise instead. George Lucas extended his original trilogy of movies to another trilogy before selling off the franchise to Disney.
Lucas is an unconventional movie maker, and a very creative one. Each of the six movies in the franchise were not just brand extensions. Each was creative in its own way. Rich in concepts like the Jedi, and the imagination, featuring a variety of characters like the droids R2D2 and C3PO, and Spacecrafts like Millenium Falcon and Star fighter. Several different planets are involved in the plots. Galactic hopping to get from one location to another using higher level conceptual propulsion systems are very imaginative.
The propulsion systems are the key because of the limitation that no object can move faster than the speed of light. The astronomical distances take several light years to traverse. The speed of light itself is a very high number. Even travelling at those speeds takes years. Galactic travel would take a lot more time. Some imaginative propulsion systems like hyper drive are required to break the speed limit and shrink the travel times. Or taking some short cuts in space via worm holes. That is the biggest challenge of science fiction and of course reality too – how to travel large distances without taking too much time.
The visuals of different planets, different ecosystems, different vehicles moving along. It is simply wonderful. The plot of course is the same old one of good vs. evil. Fights using light sabers, or different space crafts. The way this was accomplished using the technologies of the seventies and eighties is amazing.
I would like a more co-operative plot rather than a contentious one. People working as a team to solve intractable problems amongst imaginative backgrounds. Good vs. evil is a stale plot but no one realizes nor objects to it. Each time we seem to relish it. The movie makers, including Lucas, appeal to human emotions and make money via making the movies. Bones of contention will continue to be part of plots for a long time to come. Unless human emotions change.
Lucas made his movies at Skywalker ranch near San Francisco, while the mainstream movie making business operated out of Hollywood in Southern California. After Lucas sold off his franchise to Disney, it started capitalizing on its recent purchase. Extending the brand as much as possible. While Disney did use some creativity in making new movies in the franchise, it did not capture my imagination. Disney dedicated a part of its theme park Disney Hollywood Studios to Star Wars. In Orlando, FL, this dedication to the original Star Wars series is commendable.
Recently, Lucas opened a new museum of narrative art in Los Angeles. The museum, long in making, moved its location a few times before settling down in Los Angeles. This museum is not all about Star Wars, although Star Wars features in a big way. It is a general museum about narrative art.
I hope to visit Los Angeles sometime to visit the museum. The picture shown below, courtesy Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, shows the curvaceous design of the museum located in Southern Los Angeles, with the downtown of high rise buildings in the background.
May the force be with you !
