Geek Ball

3 words: Jar Jar Binks. The best argument for NOT having so many 'cutesy' characters.

It's funny, cause I enjoyed ALL of Star Wars movies to absolute full extent, maybe it was because I watched it when having an own opinion didn't mean anything to me yet, so I didn't look for ways to individualize myself and I could just enjoy things in a chillike way? I don't know :D

On the nose! I remember reading a Time magazine review of StarWars when it came out. One of the things noted by the reviewer was that things had dings and scratches. It was a 'well-worn' universe.

The frontier aspect was also important. There are planets run essentially by criminal cartels, like Tatooine, because the Empire was unraveling at the seams. Such uncontrolled areas are the breeding ground for revolution.

Make a movie or sell toys? Post-cinema marketing is everything today, and so characters and extras are made to be easily translated into a line of action figures. The movie becomes a vehicle for selling stuff to kids, and is diminished. It is a gigantic product placement.
It also works this way for making money, so it's not likely to end.