If they had switched it up where the First Order is on it's heels and on the run while the resistance is chasing them and hunting them down I feel this would have made much more sense.
I have given quite a bit of thought to this decision and has the same feelings myself. I had to wonder, though, if I was just inverting the beginning context of ANH; and it's been a consistent speculation of mine whether armchair quarterback decisions are in fact sound or merely reactionary and therefore highly dependent on the original source. For example,
Would Luke being a ghost be a good idea in and of itself, or is it a good idea only compared to my disgust at his treatment in TLJ?
It makes sense that the Rebellion would be in the Power Position, but I can see how that may seem like the Republic is now the bad guys. Plus the decadence of the Prequel era Republic has tread this ground. It seems like our idea would have been more reasonable, since TLJ is trying to move from drawing such clearcut lines.
Still, I have to belabor the point that TLJ did not create this context.
I understand Marvel's lack of stakes too, as we know they're not going to kill of main characters, but they do hurt potential drama leaning on bathos too often. It never took away from the films too much though, as we knew what to expect. I've mindlessly enjoyed most of the MCU films, until Guardians of the Galaxy 2 that is. I loved the first film, but they pretty much doubled down on humor and beat anything that worked like a dead horse. The whole movie felt mailed in. ALl I remember from it was Drax belly laughing constantly and Groot dancing/looking cute endlessly. I think they hamfisted too much 70's/80's tunes too and not picking great tracks.
We're getting a little oversaturated in the superhero film dept, but thankfully we can all still appreciate
That's exactly the point: ScarJo flouncing around. To expect more from a Marvel film is reasonable, but it is also going to be painful.
I don't see the problem with jokes being as poorly timed as dude here.
The problem I see is that Marvel's storytelling technique co-opts everyday realities and applies them to fantastical concepts, which is the wrong direction because, as the video says, it's a reductive process. What should be mythic is treated as commonplace, because everyone's approaching it like real people would. Or worse, in that Whedon-esque affected nonchalance. Normal people want to seem cool and collected and act not like spazzy cheeseballs, which is how some people confusedly react to jokes. (LUKE IS A NONSERIOUS IDIOT NOW.) That's why I say it's the wrong conclusion in TLJ.
A well-written MCU films goes the opposite way: using epic spectacle to showcase everyday realities. In which case, they should never act like real people but rather speak and act very specifically to their purpose in both story and character. The key to any successfully conveyed film is to get the audience to say, "Yes, I know that! That's me/life/irony/reality/myconcern." The film is the metaphor for the everyday, and as such uplifts the commonplace to the mythic.
This is like how people say Superman is an impossible character to write because he's too powerful and no enemy could possibly stand a chance. If you re-focus from the external conflict of Superman tropes, you'll see that a Superman story is, like STAR WARS, about inspiring hope. Superman's conflict isn't that he can defeat any obstacle, but rather his understanding that not everyone else can do what he can but they must be allowed to try. His grace inspires. So his conflicts are ideological, and his more assiduous enemies will make Superman doubt his own worldview. And if Superman can't believe in himself, tis a sad day for us all.
Tune in next time when I discuss the principles of writing a good character!