Kind of a weird title, right? I didn’t know what else to use for this one.
So I once read a critique/review of Return of the Jedi that attempted to answer some of the Ewok criticisms. Basically, it called into mythology and folktales in regards to the Little People, the Fae. The Big Bad thinks these peoples are beneath their regard. The Good Guys placate and befriend these peoples and they help with the big battle. Sometimes they give a weapon or a boost, sometimes, as in RotJ, they join the fight.
I did not see this originally, but once I read this particular summary (I wish I could remember where for a link), I got it. I’ve played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve read mythology and folklore. I got it. It made sense.
But Lucas and co. really should have made the Ewoks a little… better as helpers. Some of their traps were good, but really? Their archers should have been hitting the gaps in the Stormtrooper armor a *lot* more. Like every archer should have dropped a Trooper. Maybe they had primitive grenades/Molotov cocktails. Hell, maybe their leaders were Force Adepts. If you wanted to evoke Fae, Force Adepts were the way to go.
So yes, I originally thought the Ewoks were kind of silly. But after thinking about the Fae angle, I think they were a missed opportunity.
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