“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” These words have been filling movie screens for decades, shown in a little franchise called “Star Wars.” Created by George Lucas, it is the second highest grossing film franchise of all time and continues to dominate the world of pop culture. But why is the force so powerful on the world, and how does it enchant audiences from so many different generations?

From 1977 to 1983, the original Star Wars trilogy appeared on the big screen, and it took over the entertainment world, stealing the hearts of many. The trilogy grossed over a billion dollars total at the box office. About twenty years afterwards, from 1999 to 2005, a prequel trilogy was introduced. Although it was not praised by critics and was deeply disliked by fans, it grossed more at the box office than the original trilogy and introduced Star Wars to a whole new generation.

In 2012, Disney bought the franchise from Lucas Films and started production on a new trilogy. From 2015 to 2016 “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and it’s spin off “Rogue One” were both were released in theaters and were wildly successful with fans and critics. To the contrary, in 2017 “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” received much more hate from fans who created a petition for the movie to be remade. Then in 2018, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” became the worst grossing Star Wars movie ever. Even so, the money made the second rebirth of the franchise was astronomical.

But what makes “Star Wars” so legendary isn’t the money it made, but the story, particularly in the original trilogy. George Lucas dove into history and found aspects of heroic stories and themes that touched the hearts of people and blended them into a magnificent narrative, with fun yet deep characters and a well rounded and detailed galaxy. The prequels unfortunately took a turn for the worse, with terrible CGI, a bland story and annoying characters. Thankfully, Disney has incurred the series in a better direction, having the story’s structure and message remain similar but the character dynamics and arcs become more complex than the original trilogy.

Though some have complained about new movies in comparison to the originals, it seems fair to say the franchise is going uphill. The new movies add new situations and characters while still keeping the central themes and messages of Star Wars alive. The final film will be released on December 20th, which will complete the new trilogy. Till then, may the force be with you.