• Deadend [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    There is a huge world of difference between Born this Way and Inherited Power.

    Like the good X-men comics are about how anyone in the world can be mutants, and also later generation mutants are mutants but don't inherit their parents powers (I really hate those for some reason). The Last Jedi tried to make being strong in the force NOT about the Skywalker bloodline, like it tried to push that this family being important and powerful was more due to each individual's actions, not a bloodline, and Rey being powerful was well, and random other people. Rise of Skywalker undid all of that and made it so only the SPECIAL people can be special.

    I think it's a narrative that tries to instill helplessness in people. Don't rise up, don't fight because only the people who "Matter" matter.
    This is reflected in our politics of dynasty politics in America.

    I also enjoy Legacy-heroes to a certain extent, as they can be interesting takes on ideas, but I like the idea of "in the right circumstances, anyone can become a hero." in All-Star Superman, there is a bit where Lex gets the power and is evil.. but after a bit, he suddenly stops as he is able to suddenly see the beauty in the world the way Superman does. Something about the idea that if most people are given power, they would try to do good for others if it's within their power, and that the world is structured to help us care, it was uplifting as fuck.

    Original Mulan had nothing special about her, aside from an attitude of a different perspective and a comedy relief dragon. Any of the other soldiers could have done what she did, but what matters is that she DID. Making her the hero because of what she is versus what she does is shitty. It's pretty weird that the new Mulan seems more like a Super-hero movie than a fairy-tale.

    • qublic69 [none/use name]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah, I don't want to defend anything about Rise of Skywalker at all.
      You're certainly right about how that functions in 'democracy with dynasties' and American politics.

      'Original Mulan' was a legend not a movie, but I'm just being pedantic.

      Making her the hero because of what she is versus what she does is shitty.

      This is curious though, because if not for being a woman, Mulan would not be widely known at all.
      Many hero stories are about something like that, how 'unlikely' people did amazing things.
      That whole 'the chosen one' thing is almost by definition about 'unlikely' people; so once again The Phantom Menace really is the best Star Wars movie.

      I should go to bed.