Endings, and Beginnings

As one sci-fi franchise is laid to rest, another prepares to take its final bow.

Which makes me wonder: What's kept Star Wars going so strong that Star Trek was lacking? It certainly wasn't the limited creative control. George Lucas has maintained much tighter control over the franchise than Rick Berman and Paramount Pictures has. It might have been the marketing. Star Wars toys are much easier to find than Star Trek toys. But I don't think that's it either.

Could it have been the strong recurrent themes Star Wars used throughout the movies? Perhaps. I remember the first time I saw those Imperial Storm Troopers and knew they were the bad guys even though they were wearing the white hats. Lots of people are making comparisons of "Revenge of the Sith" with the war in Iraq. IMHO, that's just silly. The themes of the movies are so heavily built on heroic imagery which has always served as a mirror for the human experience. Pick up a copy of Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces and see if it's not true. Even George Lucas acknowledged the impact of Campbell's work on his own.

So, what do I think has kept one franchise strong, while another struggled and died?

Humanity. It's always been about the human adventure. Loose that, and there's nothing sustainable. The best Star Trek episode have always been about what goes on inside us. TNG's The Inner Light and DS9's The Visitor prove it. George Lucas knows it. Paramount should learn it.

Live long, and may the Force be with you.

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