When it comes to Star Wars, there's very little about the franchise not to like.
Unless you read internet comments, in which case, every single thing done with the franchise
since 1980 is the worst thing that ever happened.
Here's a secret, though: people actually like some of that stuff, they're simply too afraid
to say so.
Here's a look at some of the biggest Star Wars guilty pleasures people just won't admit
to.
The Ewoks
Hating on Ewoks has been an unofficial national pastime for over three decades now, but the
unsung heroes of The Return of the Jedi have a couple things going for them.
Firstly, while some people complain about the Ewoks ability to stand up to the Empire
so successfully, it's actually perfectly plausible.
In fact, George Lucas said that the Ewoks were inspired by the Viet Cong, who were similarly
out-teched, out-numbered, and outgunned, but successfully waged war against the French,
American, and South Vietnamese forces for decades.
And secondly, despite revisionist history to the contrary, the Ewoks were actually really
popular with kids when Return of the Jedi came out, selling untold toys and comic books
and spinning off a series of successful made for TV films as well.
"Yub nub," indeed.
"The Ewoks saved the day!"
"Yaaaay!"
"It's a galaxy of fun!"
The many homages of The Force Awakens
It's the highest grossing movie in U.S. history, but some hard core fans had a major complaint
about 2015's The Force Awakens, saying it copied the original 1977 Star Wars: A New
Hope a little too closely.
Well, duh.
That's exactly why it was so successful, and why people loved it so much.
Just as the tale of a mystically endowed orphan from a desert planet who helps a band of freedom
fighters destroy the weapons of a fascist regime resonated with fans four decades ago,
those same themes resonated with a whole new generation today.
And admit it: it was kind of cool to experience that all again through a fresh set of eyes.
Because what really awoke wasn't the force, but a new love of Star Wars.
How can that be bad?!
Ahsoka
When the animated series Clone Wars retroactively gave Anakin an annoying padawan of his own
named Ahsoka Tano, fans were initially irritated at this unwanted addition to canon.
"A youngling."
"And who are you supposed to be?"
Over time, though, Ahsoka actually went from being a guilty pleasure to a fan favorite,
as her arc took her on a surprisingly deep journey, turning her into one of the most
complex characters in Star Wars.
By the time she appeared as a morally ambiguous Grey Jedi in Star Wars: Rebels, even the biggest
haters had grudgingly come around.
So… there's still hope for you yet, Jar-Jar!!
The Special Edition changes
Okay, we all agree that Han shot first and changing that scene was just epically dumb.
But some of the tweaks Lucas made in the Special Edition actually made sense.
Besides correcting minor visual flaws, the Special Edition finally gave us the best views
from Bespin, actually built up suspense for Luke's showdown with the Rancor, and blended
some of the mildly off-putting glitches out of the film.
Even the celebrations from around the galaxy were pretty dang cool.
Don't get us wrong — there are still plenty of reasons to grumble about the Special Edition,
but at least they gave us Biggs back.
And that's a fair trade for skinny Jabba, right?
The Prequels
Yes, the prequels ruined your childhood.
We're sorry.
But there are actually fans who secretly enjoy the prequels, and it turns out there are some
solid reasons for giving these movies a second look.
Firstly, despite what you might remember, the CGI was actually pretty good for the time.
Many fans gave the prequels flak for being so dependent on effects, but in retrospect,
those effects aren't so bad, and they helped paved the way for technological advances that
have given us even better effects today.
And then there's the much maligned pod race.
Sure, Anakin is super annoying, and child star Jake Lloyd seems to have less acting
range than Chucky.
"Let me explain something to you…"
"I am a vintage, mass-marketed children's toy from the '80s."
But look past that and you're actually left with a sequence that's pretty darn awesome,
rivaling anything from the Fast and Furious franchise.
Finally, though some fans still can't get past the fact that Padme dies because she
simply loses the will to live, dying of a broken heart is a classic literary trope.
And it's one that even has some basis in reality, as "broken heart syndrome" is a real medical
condition.
After all she went through, including the ultimate betrayal, can you blame her for having
a broken heart?
Just like Romeo and Juliet, it's a fittingly tragic end to a tragic romance, which is why
for some fans, the Padme-Anakin relationship is a true guilty pleasure - whether they admit
it publicly or not.
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