Watching Skeleton Crew, which I mostly enjoyed, one thing really stuck out to me, especially in the finale, which is that the whole Star Wars aesthetic might be starting to feel increasingly dated. Granted, the franchise has always been beholden to "1970s future tech," for obvious reasons, which is such a distinct part of the overall vibe/charm/appeal. But this is the first time I wondered if all the big red/blue/white buttons, the lack of 4K screens, the lack of galactic wi-fi/bluetooth/communication devices, the use of clunky hard drives, physical credits, etc is part of what's keeping a new generation from fully connecting with the franchise.
Again, all of us who grew up with/without all that stuff mostly find it charming, part of the appeal, and that it makes for something more... tangible. But for younger generations, especially those born in the 2000s, does Star Wars now fell like Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon did to us growing up, and not in a good way? Is the "old" aesthetic something that's now ultimately holding it back? I don't know, IMO, the overall look/vibe just doesn't feel as fun or as unique as it once did, and I'm starting to wonder if us older folks are blind to how dated this whole franchise might now feel to a younger crowd.
I also wonder if some new space epic/adventure franchise is eventually going to come along and take its place. Dune is mostly for adults, and feels like more of a limited engagement than any kind of potential replacement. But something else of that quality/caliber - aimed at kids and adults alike - could easily come along and feel fresh/fun/cool in the same way Star Wars did back in '77 if Disney isn't careful. To that end, I also wonder at what point does Star Wars need to reboot from scratch, if ever? Keep the same old grungy/used/beat-up vibe from the original trilogy, which was a revelation back in the day, but update the tech a bit. At what point does it cease being Star Wars, though?
