2. Characters and Extras
In the first teaser for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, The Goldbergs actor Sean Giambrone is led through the Halcyon, before eventually stumbling into a lounge where Twi-lek singer Gaya belts out a tune. While Gaya wasn't at all bad, we didn't get to see any other Star Wars characters.
Fans were also quick to point out how cheap and very un-Star Wars the whole thing looks, and the second trailer did very little to remedy things. In fact, it made things even worse, and the video itself seems like it belongs inside an attraction rather than actual trailer material.
It also didn't go unnoticed that the Datapad the character in the video is holding is actually a smartphone, while the Halcyon captain - who is revealed in a hologram from said-phone - looks like a character out of Doctor Who, or any other sci-fi franchise that simply isn't Star Wars.
It's no mystery that the faraway galaxy is home to a wealth of characters (who are the real selling point of Star Wars), so it begs to question why Disney isn't using this to its advantage. It's also the rule of creating any fictional world, whether it's a book, movie, TV show, or in this case, an immersive hotel - you start with the characters, and then you build your world around them.
3. Less 'Story' and More Star Wars
We'd be lying if we said we weren't remotely excited for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (or at the very least to see what guests think of it upon its grand opening). And we'd also be lying if we said the concept art didn't look pretty thrilling.
What does stand in the Halcyon's favour is the fact that it's set to be one of the most immersive hotel experiences in the world. And until we see otherwise, we've no reason to believe that this isn't the case. You only need to experience Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge to realise this.
However, sometimes, ambition can stand in the way of success, and if Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser really is set to be truly immersive, then it's possible that this will lend to guests not experiencing the hotel's full potential. In other words, it can be a bit of a distraction.
Not only that, but the immersive aspect means that the hotel is bound to a certain theme, so that stories can unfold in a logical manner, and that guests believe that they're on a space-bound cruise the entire time. While it sounds thrilling, it also means foregoing authentic Star Wars experiences in exchange for something that isn't really synonymous with the faraway galaxy.
While of course it remains to be seen, we're sure Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser won't be a disaster of sequel trilogy proportions. But with that said, while those films were torn apart by critics and fans, they were still box office successes, and we've no doubt that the upcoming experience at Walt Disney World will turn in a small fortune nonetheless.
Comments
The Last Jedi (which I adored, and I'm a massive, obsessive Star Wars fan) wasn't "torn apart by critics" but was actually quite beloved. It had an 84 on Metacritic.
Note that this is higher than any other Star Wars movie except the original Ep. IV: A New Hope (which rates a 90). I'll take all my Star Wars stories in the TLJ time frame any day, compared with most of the other options out there.