Does (not) enjoying a movie/series influence your purchase decisions?

[Flieger]

Recently I noticed something curious: Vonreg's TIE fighter is a set I should be buying. I like TIEs, a lot and I like the Red Baron, who obviously served as inspiration. Also, right now there is a big discount where I live.

So why am I not buying this set? And then I realized it is only because I do not like the show. That's it. Plain and simple. I certainly don't like what happened to Vonreg, but that is a minor concern. I had a similar experience with TLJ. I loved the TIE Silencer and all its minifigs, and I was ready to buy it the day after I saw the movie. Then I saw the movie.

 

On the other hand I enjoyed Solo very much (yeah, I know, strange), and even though I was not overly fond of some sets, I bought most of them. Same with Rogue One and, to a lesser extend, Rebels.

 

I know this is not fair, and certainly not objective. But I wonder if others feel the same.

[deraven]

No, can't say that's the case for me... but maybe the other way 'round.  If I didn't like a movie but I like a set based upon it, it doesn't influence my buying decision.  However, if I loved a movie and some related sets are mediocre, I might still purchase them just for minifigs or completeness.

Likewise if I haven't seen the movie at all - then it's totally based on the sets' own merit.

[Lind Whisperer]

7 minutes ago, Flieger said:

I know this is not fair, and certainly not objective. But I wonder if others feel the same.

"Fair"? "Objective"? Dude... YOU'RE THE CONSUMER.  Star Wars isn't a religion.

Disney's supposed to justify to you why you should want to buy a product - not you justify yourself.

 

And, yes. Disney's made many choices that have directly influenced me to not purchase SW that I otherwise might have, including embarrassingly low effort media productions*.  Basic capitalism.

 

 

*Solo was okay, R1 needed work(Ending directly contradicting IV's scroll, etc.).

[m4st3rt3ch]

 

33 minutes ago, Lind Whisperer said:

Star Wars isn't a religion.

I want two points, two flats and a packet of gravel.

 

No. It's all about the set, not the show/movie. I don't even care about the minifigs. TIEs and MFs are a pretty sure buy.

[Daddy_Stardust]

Absolutely, don't really have any interest in vehicles or characters from media I don't enjoy the films of. My son has one from the Yoda Chronicles DVD (Jek 14's Jedi Scout Fighter), but we didn't get anything else from that or Freemaker Adventures. However neither are 'proper' Star Wars, so that's part of why we never got them, just felt like silly made-up toys, irrespective of the fact the Stealth Fighter was actually an E-Wing (if it got reissued with the EU Sandspeeder treatment in classic colours and released as an E-Wing, who knows, maybe I'd buy it next time).

We've got VERY little prequel stuff, got a few characters I like, like Ventress, Barriss Offee, a custom Clone Commando, a few clones, but other than that pretty much nothing other than a yellow Jedi Starfighter and the Mandalorian speeder (fully filled with Mandalorians), same goes for the whole Clone Wars range in general, just doesn't interest me. 

That said, I loved the Clone Wars show, but all the designs are those from the Prequel movies so that's where they don't really appeal for me.

Main interest is classic OT which obviously by extension includes designs featured in Solo, Rogue One and Rebels. Got a few ST ones as well, though only those that are OT-styled (like FO TIE Fighter, T-65 X Wings etc., not stuff like quadjumper, resistance transports etc.) that feel like classic Imperial and Rebel craft, but funnily enough bought the two new Resistance TIEs even though we've not watched the show much; can't deny I've got a bit of a weakness for new TIE styles (though a big discount on Amazon certainly helped my buying decision!).

What can I say, when I make Lego Star Wars sets with my son (and then mod them dad-style haha) it makes me feel like a kid again, and I guess I do only really care about the stuff that feels like the Star Wars from when I myself was a kid.

Then again the only Star Wars films I dislike are eps 1 - 3, if there was an awful OT-era film that had great in-film vehicles that made excellent Lego sets, I'd still get them cos they feel like classic Star Wars... that just hasn't happened for me yet haha.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Daddy_Stardust

[Evergreen]

Not really for me. I just have a simple question I ask myself. Do I think it looks good? 

I mean I thought Resistance was an ok show but I would never buy the sets bc they just aren't good enough for me. And I enjoyed Rogue One a lot, but I never bought any of those sets bc as I said, were not good enough for me. 

[AManofNoConsequence]

Not really, no. If I like something, I'll pick it up, even if it's in a piece of media I didn't enjoy. It's pretty much how I operate for all fandoms I'm part of. 

Sticking with Star Wars, I wasn't a big fan of Solo and it was the epitome of what I feared when I first heard about the purchase by Disney, yet I love Lando's Falcon and Enfys Nest, and so far I have both Lando's Falcon and as much Enfys merch I can find. It was the same with Legends, I really don't like most of the post-Endor continuity in that, but I'll gladly buy the odd character from that era if I liked them enough, like Jaina or Mara.

Ultimately, if it looks cool or I feel it stands out in a good way, I'll pick it up even if the story it's part of I didn't particularly like.

[Cylo]

I am a big minifig collector and I buy sets only for the minifigs, because I tend to like MOC designs more than official sets. I have not bought a single sequel set because I disliked the movies.

Again this is a personal opinion so I would say as long as you like the set, go for it.

[Chromide]

I personally just try and collect all the sets, because I am a completionist. That being said I do not enjoy the Disney Star Wars era at all.

[Wurger49]

I didn’t like ep 8 and 9, the plot development doesn’t make sense to me. However, this didn’t affect my buying decision on SW LEGO sets. I buy sets dependent on vehicle design only, I don’t even collect minifigures, just need a least one per vehicle to fly them. 

I am starting to get more and more MOCs, hence the reason I joined this forum.

[Littleworlds]

I was able recently to pick up a number of sets from the recent couple of films and the new series despite having only watched The Last Jedi. To me it doesn't really matter where a set is from, as long it excites me in one way or another and comes at a decent price 

I like doing my own worldbuilding and sets like the Black Ace TIE Interceptor are already so very inviting for that, regardless of what canon says about them: A hotrodded TIE fighter with a pilot that has a skull painted on his helmet - what a great idea! 

Or the two sets of pretorian guards I got, which will do great as a mysterious order of red knights in my medieval-fantasy-world.

Other things, like some random battle packs are always good to bolster numbers and create atmosphere. 

 

 

[DarthHank]

I'm a big empire fan, so I always get the sets with imperial vehicles, even if they're from a film I dislike. I hated Solo, but the conveyex (both in the movie and in lego) is pretty cool, so I bought two (and when the patrol battle packs were on sale I bought 10 of them too).

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

No, I'd buy a set based on its design.

Solo reeked and the fact that its reception hurt our chances to have more anthology films is awful, but the TIE released for the film looked fun to build.

Rogue One was fun but its sets were criminally lackluster or too few in quantity.

The new trilogy and its designs hardly interest me.

The recent X-Wing set has a nice mechanism to actuate the sfoils…

Edited August 30, 2019 by LiLmeFromDaFuture

[Robianco]

Buy what you like. Don't buy what you don't. 

If you don't like a film but like a set then buy it. If you like a film but don't like the set then don't buy it.

There are lots of people that are completists when it comes to SW Lego. They need to own everything released... That would drive me insane... a monotonous journey of buying stuff you may not be interested in just for the sake of completion.

You may find that you have love for a subject matter but your interest in Lego drops. I've concentrated a little more on prop replicas and things like Hot Toys/Sideshow figures recently but still evaluate each and every Lego set with whether I want it or not.

[TwoSolitudes]

Yes. Now that I think about it. I have nothing from Resistance, nothing from TLJ or TFA. The only reason I have any prequel sets is because of Clone Wars. But I do have a tie striker and a U-wing, and I really liked Rogue One. I liked Solo too, but the best ships were OT ones. 

 

 

 

[MAB]

10 hours ago, Wurger49 said:

I didn’t like ep 8 and 9, the plot development doesn’t make sense to me. However, this didn’t affect my buying decision on SW LEGO sets. I buy sets dependent on vehicle design only, I don’t even collect minifigures, just need a least one per vehicle to fly them. 

I am starting to get more and more MOCs, hence the reason I joined this forum.

It's a bit early to judge, episode 9 isn't even out yet!

 

I also subscribe to the mantra of buy what you like, don't buy what you don't like. I have mainly OT sets as I enjoy those movies the most but also like the sets, but I have a few prequel sets too even though I'm not such a fan of them.

 

[Robianco]

I'll go as far as to say that in recent years I've actually sold the latest iterations of the AT-AT, Star Destroyer, Jabba's Palace, Rancor Pit, Sail Barge and skiffs because I just didn't really like the sets anymore. And I'm pretty much strictly OT.

I wasn't a fan of the scaling of those sets so they weren't working for me... hence they're gone. I'm far less concerned about feeling the need to hold on to something for the sake of collecting or any kind of peer-based attachment to a particular set.

If you're just not feeling that Vonreg TIE then let it slide.

[Wurger49]

37 minutes ago, MAB said:

It's a bit early to judge, episode 9 isn't even out yet!

 

I also subscribe to the mantra of buy what you like, don't buy what you don't like. I have mainly OT sets as I enjoy those movies the most but also like the sets, but I have a few prequel sets too even though I'm not such a fan of them.

 

Yes, I meant 7 and 8.

[Samppu]

14 hours ago, Lind Whisperer said:

"Fair"? "Objective"? Dude... YOU'RE THE CONSUMER.  Star Wars isn't a religion.

Disney's supposed to justify to you why you should want to buy a product - not you justify yourself.

 

And, yes. Disney's made many choices that have directly influenced me to not purchase SW that I otherwise might have, including embarrassingly low effort media productions*.  Basic capitalism.

 

 

*Solo was okay, R1 needed work(Ending directly contradicting IV's scroll, etc.).

Totally agreeing with you.

I gave up with the Disney movies as soon as I saw the poster for the FA with the third Death Star (Starkiller base). I was afraid how FA could be done in the hands of Disney, but it still managed to be worse, a mere parody of ANH for the most part. TLJ certainly did not improve it. 

I am sticking in my personal SW universe with the original (Legends) Expanded Universe timeline and building Thrawn trilogy or Episode III locations and ships as MOCs. I only buy sets when they include minifigures and ships/parts that are useful or make sense in the original EU timeline. For example, I bought most of the R1 sets for the minifigures and multiple copies of the Conveyex transport and the Solo trilogy TIE fighter for the same reason.

I did not really even like Solo or R1 as movies unfortunately... I mean, they are not bad really, but there clearly is not very much effort in them. R1 is somewhat saved due to the massive and epic battle scene. But they could have been so much better and epic that I hate, how they were "disneytized" which affected both the story and the universe. Every character was made orphant and anti-hero, mostly a dumb one, too. Kessel spice mines changed to a source for fuel (targeting for kids, I guess). Prosperous Corellia turned into a slum for no obvious reason. They really don't feel like they would fit into the Star Wars universe as I have learned to know it from the original episodes I-VI and the books...

Sigh. Just imagine how Solo could have looked like. A determined young man from a middle class family in Corellia joins the Empire to become a pilot with his friends. He actually becomes the best one in the galaxy, rivaled only by Soontir Fell, later the Red Baron, his greatest competitor and classmate in the academy. They both are trying impress the same lady they are both in love with, and when it begins to look like Fell is winning, Solo learns the woman is a spy and tries to warn Fell who disregards the warning as jealousy and ends up in a court marshal for conspiracy. Fell ends up commanding the 181st squadron in suicidal combat missions and Solo on his part commands his own squadron on a mission to Kashyyyk. Unimpressed both by the Empire and various guerilla factions rebelling against its rule, Solo decides to move to the gray area between them and join the criminal underworld where he ends up earning a reputation of his own. In this role he finally faces Fell now sitting behind the most recognized elite TIE unit trying to hunt him down in a battle...
Something along this line. A deep character who actually makes decisions that define himself, like risking a respected career in order to free an unknown alien from a miserable destiny in slavery. Relevant and epic connections to the existing lore.


- Samppu

[Retro]

I can see this is a perfect place for people to express the opinion that while there are (nearly) 11 Star Wars films only one (or two at a push) are any good. See also; the opinion that there are only two good Alien films, two good Godfather films, two good Indiana Jones, one good Blade Runner and so on and so forth!

In relation to the original question, did you see these fabulous MOCs (not mine). If Lego made something as good as this, would you change your mind?

Also, I have no interest in Ninjago, and the movie was...not good...but Ninjago City is an epic Lego set, that I did buy.

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

2 hours ago, Retro said:

In relation to the original question, did you see these fabulous MOCs (not mine). If Lego made something as good as this, would you change your mind?

I am not interested in the show, but yes, that A-Wing inspired one looks fantastic!

[Kim-Kwang-Seok]

very interesting topic.

SW brought me back into Lego but inderpendent of all of these factors I became more fond of Lego's original themes, like Ninjago -  simply because they are more creative, cheaper and more detailed (new molds, dual molded prints etc). With SW you pay 20% extra just for the licence.

But yes, the movies do have an effect. Despite many of them being bad executions of good designs and even more overpriced - I needed almost all Rebels sets. Was even more fun this way; modding the characters and ships into what they should have been.

As for the controversial products: I think some designs are just very good; like Kylo Rens suit. I hate the character, and I walked out on TLJ (Casino scene gave me the rest). But I still can buy few of the sets on large discount whenever a design is very good.

SW as a media product is kind of dead for me, but when an interesting design comes up I at least consider a purchase on sale - like the new Y-Wing.

 

[Bardan_Jusik]

22 hours ago, Lind Whisperer said:

R1 needed work(Ending directly contradicting IV's scroll, etc.).

Contradicted? It followed it almost to the letter lol. 

Definitely buy what I like regardless of whether I liked the movie or show it came from. I hated TLJ but one of my all time favorite SW ships came out of it. The TIE Silencer. Also I've never seen Resistance but that ex-imperial's ship looks amazing and is definitely on my list. 

[Sucram]

There have been sets from the Prequels and Rogue one that i have gotten, and i hate those movies sooo no it doesnt influence me

[manglegrat]

On 8/29/2019 at 3:09 PM, m4st3rt3ch said:

I want two points, two flats and a packet of gravel.

Yes, I'm old.