Our Only Hope

The Princess is Dead. Long Live the Princess.

From Hollywood Royalty to Galactic Royalty twice-over. Subversive as a Damsel in Distress (as well as real life). Leader of a Rebellion but at times unable to keep her own body from rebelling against her.

Carrie Fisher got through it all with an impish grin and a dignity that didn't always match her actions.

The Star Wars Saga has seen many of its great collaborators pass on over the years, one all too recently in fact. But this? To a Star Wars fan, this is the equivalent of losing a Beatle.

The Force will be with you, Carrie, always.

Love Letter to the Women of Star Wars

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

Within the last few months, I finally watched The Force Awakens again for the first time since the theatrical run. What I had liked about it at first I loved even more the second time. What had bothered me about it the first time likewise bothered me exponentially in the repeat viewing. All in all, it makes for a very awkward filmgoing experience for me – I love parts of it too much to say I dislike it, but I hate other parts too much to say I like it. And even if Episodes VIII and IX tie the narrative together in a way that really makes Awakens shine in retrospect, the fact that those films have totally different teams behind them (as opposed to The Maker’s overarching, if fickle-with-details narrative) will always undercut whatever “hidden brilliance” we may or may not find in the film upon future analysis.

The above paragraph was originally supposed to be a lead-in to a whole column re-evaluating The Force Awakens upon a repeat viewing away from the hype and the fear, but frankly, that’s really all I have to say on the matter until the entire picture comes to light. Besides, the main point of my column is to keep Episodes I-III and their rightful place in the Saga as a whole in the public’s eye as a positive force (pun unintentional, but welcome), lest the bile levied at them by mainstream geekdom be history’s final word on them.

But it does serve as a nice introduction to a matter that I’ve been wanting to write about for nearly a year, but wasn’t confidant I could do it justice. Because there is one element of The Force Awakens that I have had a slight but noticeable shift on in the intervening months: Rey.

Speak Up, Speak Out!

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

So it’s been a while since I typed anything out. I will admit that everything about Force Awakens kind of burnt me out on Star Wars for a while, for the second time. Not to mention a couple of major personal upheavals that I won’t bother you with.

I will say that in general, it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to retread old ground when I talk about Star Wars. I’ve mentioned many times, in fact, that sometimes I feel like I’ve said what I had to say. Unfortunately, while there is still hate against George Lucas and his vision from those who claim to be fans of Star Wars, and even within his own former company, I can’t just stay quiet.

Well, I should just say “WE” can’t stay quiet. Because it’s really not about me, is it?

The Force Awakens: First Impressions

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

Well, I saw it. Sooner than I had intended, but with the world ready to spoil everything I’m glad I was still in a relative vacuum.

I had originally wanted to wait until a second viewing to put my thoughts down like this – we all know how first impressions are, and how talking about them with other people can cloud our memory. However, my financial situation won’t allow it and any of you who are regular readers are I’m sure dying to know what I thought.

I’m going to split this into bullet-pointed sections because that’s how my brain is best processing everything that I saw and everything that I feel.

First, I’m going to stress that 99.9999etc% of these are my own personal opinions, and even the rare moments where I speak on an objective technique level are open to interpretation. I have no quarrel with people who feel differently unless they are the type of hypocrite who would put me down for disagreeing, and I reserve the right to change my mind about ANY of this with time, study, and distance.

Part 1: Spoiler-Free Summary of My Feelings

·         * Loved the basic story, hated the presentation.

·         * As a film, it’s well-made and enjoyable, if a bit generic. I ultimately enjoyed myself.

·         * As a Star Wars Saga film, it’s immensely disappointing, and if it still counts it’s my current least favorite.

·         * As a Star Wars Expanded Universe Story, it’s at least above-average and I like this direction a little better than the original after-Jedi EU.

·         * Would still have preferred George’s vision by a country mile.

Warning: Spoilers from this point forward.

Update

Just letting you know, my last Jedi News article went up about a week late, so that'll be here tonight. I just sent in my first impressions of TFA, so whenever that shows up I'll post it here the day after - but it could be another week or two, so stay tuned.

Existential Quandry

(NOT originally written for Jedi News because they would probably never post this, nor would I ask them to)

Should I go see The Force Awakens?

Why I Almost Left the Star Wars Fandom – And Why I Came Back

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

Hey, remember me?

Jar Jar Lives!

(Originally Written for Jedi News, and thanks to my editor Mark Newbold for choosing 90% of the pictures when I didn't have to time)

I tried. I really did. I’ve tried talking about other things. Giving the Saga as a whole and equal share of the time. I figured “Hey, everyone already knows who my favorite character is. Let’s leave that be for a while.” I even managed to get through an article about the Gungans while barely mentioning him.

Then J.J. Abrams has to go and “joke” with Vanity Fair last month about how tempted he is to put Jar Jar Binks’ bleached skeleton in the desert in “The Force Awakens.”

Ha. Very funny. Wait, no it’s not. 

"THIS is funny. That...not so much."

Late Article

I submitted my Jedi News article at literally the last minute, and with Celebration Anaheim well underway I doubt my editor even got it. So it might show up here a bit late. Fear not!

In other news, I saw the new Episode VII trailer. At first I thought it was a poorly-done fake until I actually saw new footage of the actual people. Honestly, it didn't feel like Star Wars to me - it felt a little too Expanded Universe which gets me quaking in my boots as to the direction. Every piece makes it harder and harder for me to remain neutral and judge the film on its own merits. But I am determined, and I am trying my absolute damnedest.

And I'll admit, the Han and Chewie reuniting at the end would have gotten me extremely excited if it didn't just look like Harrison Ford on a parody set.

No, no, bad Adam, think positive. No judging until you see the final film. Trailers always lie.

I'm going to go insane, aren't I?

Continuing Call

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

After my previous “Call to Arms”, you can imagine my surprise and elation when Jar Jar actually seemed to have a substantial lead when his turn came up. And yet, for nearly a week after the match’s conclusion, the final results had yet to be posted on the official website in spite of the competition’s continuation. Only on April Fool’s day was Jar Jar declared the winner, and only when there needed to be a contestant to go against Captain Rex (as of this writing, they’re switching off leads, though by the time this sees print a winner will have been decided)

Something is rotten on the site of Star Wars.

"It sure is stinkowiff..."

What I Want for Life Day

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

"Meanwhile, on Druidia..."

Life Day is almost upon us! But before you grab your red ceremonial robes and enter the…umm…weird vortex thingee (seriously, what WAS that?), I have my wish list of the Eight things I want most this Life Day and for the year to follow:

Never Trust a Trailer

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

Boy, I picked the right week to return from my sabbatical, didn’t I?

"I'm awake! I'm up!"

A Saga Fan's Approach to Episode VII

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

Even though this column is primarily dedicated to I-III advocacy, some of you may notice I’ve made little or no mention of the goings on with the developing Episode VII and beyond. As I’ve been hinting, there’s a reason for that, and this article will finally tell you.

Without Computers Redux

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

I haven’t spoken much about the developing details of Episode VII, and I will discuss the very real reasons for this in an upcoming article. With that being said, one thing that Star Wars communities keep talking about for the last month or so is the glut of photos of practical effects, sets, and creature puppets that J.J. Abrams and his team are showing to get the fans excited. The clear meme here being: “We’re using good old-fashioned elbow grease with this film, not like those OTHER movies that were mainly CGI.”

Surprisingly, many sections of the fanbase have actually wizened up. First of all correctly saying how laughable the idea is that a big-budget director in this day and age will avoid using CGI entirely (especially J.J. “Cloverfield/Star Trek” Abrams). But more to the point, there have now been several incredible editorials, even from people who don’t like Episodes I-III, that are showing photo galleries of the myriad of practical effects used in those films in spite of hater party line we’ve been hearing since 1999.

EXCEPT I TOTALLY DID IT FIRST, YOU GUYS!

The Han and Boba Show

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

The more I listen to the kind of Star Wars “fan” who mercilessly bashes I-III and the people who love them, the more I see a common thread. Not all such folks fall into this category, mind you, but a fair number of them seem to act as if they view the Saga in a specific way. What way is that? Well, if asked for a synopsis of IV-VI, something tells me they would say something along the lines of:

“Han Solo jets around space with the Millennium Falcon, falls in love with Princess Leia, and reluctantly helps the Rebel Alliance battle the Galactic Empire with his roguish charm and wit. In the process, he takes on such baddies as Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, and most dangerously Darth Vader (who incidentally is the father of Han’s friend Luke). There’s also lightsabers and The Force.”

"C'mon, who could say no to this face?"

This. Just...This.

Way to go, LazyPadawan! Way to go!

May the 4th: Epilogue

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

If you’re reading this, you know the rest of the story so far. George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in late 2012, and Disney immediately announced that it would milk the Star Wars franchise for all its worth, including making the fabled Episodes VII-IX. As of this writing, we still don’t know the whole story, but I hope you’ll allow me a small measure of conjecture.

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

I had another article planned for this week. It’ll still get here, but I’m pushing it to next week because there’s a very important topic I want to discuss.

Those of us who are true, true Saga fans are being beaten down left and right. Our morale is weak anyway due to Disney not taking the Marvel/Pixar “hands-off” approach we had hoped for and instead gutting Star Wars and Lucasfilm like a boned fish (Disney, I grew up with you, but you’re making it really really hard to say anything nice about you right now). But with the sale, the haters have come out of the woodwork anew. That’s why I wrote the post that landed me this column in the first place.

With all this hatred and ignorance, it seems that many of us are starting to bend. Many of us are being beaten down by the storm that we’re devolving.

We’re becoming apologists.

Well, no, I’m sorry. I’m not going to apologize. I have nothing to apologize for. Neither does George Lucas or the cast and crew of any of the Star Wars films.

Am I willing to concede that I-III aren’t perfect? Well, it is the truth. Nothing IS perfect, after all. But…screw it. I won’t concede. In my eyes, they ARE perfect. Or as near to as can be achieved. I might be persuaded to concede that point if everyone else concedes that IV-VI weren’t perfect either, and for all the same reasons. In fact, I’ll go into much more detail on that in a month’s time (stay tuned).

People who love I-III and the Saga as a whole may very well have their own problems with them. But by giving the rabid haters an inch, we’re allowing them to take a mile and still be the dominant thought process. History is written by the winners. It doesn’t matter that all the films were box office smashes. It doesn’t matter that all the films had as many good reviews as bad ones. It doesn’t matter that a new generation grew up loving all of Star Wars. By conceding in any of these points, even if we can see where they’re coming from, we’re allowing the “OT = Perfect, PT = Garbage” fallacy to live on and become validated. And as I and many others have pointed out for the last fourteen years or so, all the complaints are shaky at best and come down entirely to personal tastes.

I will say again and again, to all the armchair critics, pretentious auteur-wannabies, hipsters, cynics, trolls, and executives: All of the Star Wars films are good movies. I’m even done with “if you find X a bad thing then they’re all bad” line. No, they’re good, well-made movies. You don’t have to like them, hell there are plenty of objectively good movies I can’t stand because they’re not my style. But you can’t deny the hard work that went into all six Star Wars films, nor the fact that they all continue to succeed in striking a chord with their intended audiences. Anyone who does is either completely ignorant or lying through their teeth, and nobody will ever be able to convince me otherwise. Those of you who praise IV-VI for their direction, cinematography, effects, and performance should see the same caliber in I-III because it’s there. If your “trained eyes” can’t see it, then you are blinded by something I can’t begin to imagine and nothing I say will make you see what’s in front of your face, so I’ll no longer waste my breath. You know what to look for, so you find it. It’s there, I swear.

And before you start calling me a hypocrite, I never ever state something is a fact without empirical proof, either from what the movies are saying or what Lucas and the cast and crew have said in the myriad of books, interviews, and making-of documentaries. Any time I present a debatable interpretation, I do try to label it as such. I’m also stressing that I’m not trying to force anyone to think exactly as I think, merely to intelligently examine the material before putting someone else down for liking it.

I love Star Wars. There is no such thing as an “Original Trilogy.” There is no such thing as a “Prequel Trilogy.” There is no such thing as “Special Editions” or “Expanded Universe” or “Clone Wars.” There is simply the Star Wars Saga. And I love the Star Wars Saga truly, deeply, unabashedly.

No apologies. Not now, not ever.

Search Your Feelings

(Originally written for Jedi News)

I’ve been bullied most of my life.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Foxes

(Originally Written for Jedi News)

I decided I’d use my space this week to talk about the “postponement” of the 3-D conversions, my thoughts and feelings, and try to make sense of the whole thing.

Lucasfilm’s official statement is that the 3-D re-release of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (and therefore ostensibly IV-VI) have been delayed because all hands need to be on deck for Episode VII. The fact that other huge Star Wars projects such as the Clone Wars will apparently continue unhindered makes this press release feel more than a little hollow. Everyone’s asking what the real reason could be.

The knee-jerk reactions of many of my friends, and indeed this was my initial response, was fear. Fear that finally Lucasfilm was doing what we had dreaded and sweeping I-III under the rug to please the haters. This in turn lead to anger at the apparent appeasement and hatred of those who decided we true fans didn’t matter. Predictably, suffering was all around.

Then my head cleared and I decided to take my own advice and not go to that dark side just yet, quick as it is to join a fight.

I trust George Lucas. I trust that he wouldn’t put a system in place that would tear him down in his absence. Even though I still feel Lucasfilm isn’t being as forthcoming as they should, I still refuse to believe they would do this to loyal fans.

Neither do I believe Disney would cut its profits. Let’s not forget, I-III era merchandise sells just as much as IV-VI amongst the target age group, perhaps even moreso because of the aforementioned Clone Wars series. The Phantom Menace’s 3-D run, while giving the haters an opportunity for topical complaining, did remarkably well for a February 3-D re-release of a 13-year-old movie everyone supposedly hates. It became the first Star Wars movie to earn over a billion dollars (adding this run’s sales in with the initial release). I’m not one of the cynics who think Disney is only in it for money, but they certainly know how to make it more than most and they wouldn’t dare be that irresponsible.

So what’s likely the real reason? Only those involved know for sure, but if I were a betting man I’d say it’s a battle of rights. 20^th Century Fox still owns the distribution rights to I-VI for the next seven years or so, even though Disney owns the franchise and the right to make more. Right to Make verses Right to Distribute is a common battle in Hollywood. Why do you think it took so long for The Hobbit to be made? It was, among other things, negotiations and legal red tape because Warner Brothers had the right to make the film, but MGM still had distribution. If you make a movie, all you can do is sit on it without the right to show it around, and thus things like this need to be squared away sooner rather than later. This probably has something to do with that’s going on here.

I want to make it clear that I’m not vilifying either side in this. They’re just trying to look out for their interests, as businesses ought to do. We just happen to be caught in the middle this time. Also, I admit that I could be 100% wrong on this. There just seems far more to this story than is being told, and I refuse to assume the worst.

For that is a path to the dark side.