Disney/Star Wars

October 30 2012

Disney Buys Up More Gen X Properties

Lucas-films for 4.05 Billion dollars!!!

by A T Folino

I feel a strong disturbance in the Force are the words on the minds of many members of Generation X today. It was announced that the Walt Disney Company has bought Lucas-films for four billion dollars and with that the rights to all owned properties including “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”. To me this situation is truly a double edged light saber as this can be a bad thing or a great for the fans. In this article I will state my opinion on the good and bad but first lets look at the Walt Disney Company.

The Walt Disney Company has been a media powerhouse since the late 1920's and their mascot Mickey Mouse has been a pop culture icon for over 80 years. From movies and television to video games and theme parks the Disney name is known worldwide for being the cream of the crop when it comes to family entertainment. This is where the paradox lies over the past fifteen years or so Disney has bought up many major media outlets and franchises from ESPN to the Muppets and Marvel Comics. As a child of the 1980's these outlets have been a major part of my childhood and adulthood.

Let me compare the good and the bad the way I see it.

1. The Bad

I don't know about the rest of you fans out there but the day I see Darth Vader in mouse ears is the day I revolt and start the revolution. Just Kidding but I am worried about two of my favorite movie franchises going the way of Disney and being simplified for today's movie goers. We could be one step away from seeing “A New Hope” remade with Justin Bieber as Luke and Chewbacca acting like Jar Jar Binks. Even worse Indiana Jones fighting undead pirates and looking for the golden Mickey Idol I got a chill just thinking about that. With that being said I was wrong about the Muppet’s the new movie was as funny and enjoyable as it was when I was a kid. For the most part the new Marvel Comic movies have been good I am a major fan of the Avengers movies. But that was puppets and comic books not the damn Sith and Jedi. Enough ranting now on to the good.

2. The Good /Awesome

For a second I will suspend my nerd hate and I think you should to. Imagine this “Star Wars the Clone Wars” a Pixar production tell me that does not sound cool. Indiana Jones adventures backed by Disney Imagineering and ILM. The Rocketeer fighting the likes of his bounty hunting doppelganger Boba Fett. Most of all we may finally get a Star Wars theme park where it would be like the Celebration weekends all the time. For the crossover appeal with the rest of the Disney owned properties makes this a very interesting time to be a fan of the works of George Lucas. But if Disney does completely mess things up we will always have Warner Brothers/DC and their great movies like the Batman movies. In closing I just hope my childhood heroes don't get disneyfied too badly. Do you agree? please comment