Well folks, it's almost here! Lucasfilm and Disney are bringing us the first in a new line of Star Wars films this December. We're getting a new Star Wars trilogy along with a new stand alone film every other year. This is pretty exciting news especially considering George Lucas said that there would never be any more Star Wars films after he was finished with the prequels. Well . . . I guess he was lying! What a jerk!
Dick
We're four months away from The Force Awakens and we STILL don't have an official plot synopsis. We still don't know all the characters' names. We don't even know why it looks like the Empire is still around despite the fact that Darth Vader killed the Emperor and the Death Star blew up AGAIN.
They are no longer bros
Since we don't know much about the new Star Wars film I thought I would take the time to speculate on what I want to see. Now keep in mind that this is just my thoughts on what I want to see. It's not spoilery per se, but I could end up being right. You've been warned!
BAD ASS LUKE SKYWALKER
I loved Mark Hamill's performances in the original Star Wars films. I felt that he went from boy to man realistically throughout the series. He was so cool during Return of the Jedi. He had a calm demeanor and kicked all kinds of ass. There are rumors that part of the plot of The Force Awakens has Luke in exile, afraid of his powers and hiding from his friends and family. I hope that is not the case in the film. It would totally ruin the journey that he went on during the original films. Instead, I want to see Luke at the peak of his powers kicking all kinds of ass and training the new characters to be Jedi. Also, I wanna see Luke take on Kylo Ren . . . But I'll get to that later.
GREAT PERFORMANCES
The original films (and yeah even the prequels in some cases) had some great actors giving great performances. The characters really came to life for me. Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in particular were awesome in their roles. When they were announced for the new film I was thrilled. It wasn't about nostalgia, it was about knowing that if they were on board then the film was definitely going to be great. More than anybody else, these three would care about the film and give it the credibility that the fans would need. I'm excited now to see the new actors, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac become the new faces of the Star Wars saga. Well . . . unless one of them turns out to be a villain or something.
NON-ANNOYING CHARACTERS
I love the new droid design. He looks really cool and unique. I just hope to God that he is not annoying. The main issue with The Phantom Menace in my mind is that young Anakin and Jar Jar were super annoying. The film would have been much better if they had either not been in it or at the very least had had less dialogue. I mean C-3PO gets a pass because the other characters acknowledge how irritating he is.
Plus he's shiny . . .
I'm excited to see the new characters and buy all of those toys. Because I'm a huge nerd. But . . . I don't want them to be annoying.
BAD ASS VILLAIN
Well, he certainly LOOKS like a bad guy doesn't he? Star Wars has never been shy about making sure that we know who the bad guy is based on how he is dressed.
Free Hugs
According to Entertainment Weekly, Kylo Ren, the newest Star Wars baddie, is a more complicated figure than he looks. He doesn't believe he's the villain. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Darth Vader was bad ass looking and for sure the villain, but we find out that his motivations are much more complicated than wanting to rule the galaxy. He was manipulated by Palpatine into becoming his apprentice and believing that the Jedi were evil. Vader really did have a great backstory and even if the prequels didn't do it justice, the story is still somewhat believable.
Now, with Darth Maul, God only knows what that guy's problem is. I like to think that he knew he was the bad guy but didn't care. He was just happy to be on what he thought was the winning team. Sometimes having a straight forward villain is good (it's done wonders for the Joker) but most of the time audiences need a character that's complicated and relatable. We may not agree with why this person is doing bad things but at least we understand where he's coming from.
A NAME WE'VE NOT HEARD IN A LONG TIME . . .
Not a requirement per se, but one of the most important aspects of the original Star Wars films was the guiding spirit of Obi Wan Kenobi. He was Luke's first teacher and wouldn't let death stop him from passing on his wisdom. Ewan McGregor was definitely one of the highlights of the prequel trilogy. He pulled off playing the student in The Phantom Menace to Master in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. He made the character of Obi Wan his own, but still honored what Alec Guinness had done in the originals. It might be too much or maybe even too cheesy to see Obi Wan return as a Force Ghost in The Force Awakens but I would be excited if it happened.
HUMOR
No one would call the Star Wars films comedies, but they do have funny moments. Han Solo and Chewbacca in particular have some great banter. Han was one of my favorite characters when I was growing up. He was funny, confident, and loyal despite being kind of morally ambiguous in the beginning. The Star Wars films have always been pretty good about blending in different genres. On the one hand they're sci-fi, then they're action, they're comedy, then dramatic, and even a little bit romantic. Lucas would call them fantasies and I supposed that fits too. What will help to make this new movie, and the subsequent ones, memorable will be the humorous moments. However, it is a delicate balance. Too little humor and the film seems dark and depressing. Too much humor and we might have another Jar Jar Binks on our hands.
You stay out of my new films! You hear me!!
JJ Abrams is a great filmmaker and has done a good job of balancing different elements in his films so far. I think he'll give us some great funny moments mixed in with all the action.
MISS INDEPENDENT
One of the things that I think resonated most with fans about Princess Leia was how tough she was/is. Technically, she needed rescuing from the Death Star but it's fair to say she held her own. There was that creepy droid that was supposed to get her to reveal the Rebels' location and she beat it. She even lied about their hiding place when her planet was being threatened. She could stand up to Han Solo, who doesn't let anyone walk all over him and later she killed Jabba the Hutt! She's a tough character and helps save the day. Daisy Ridley's character has a lot to live up to. I think in today's world, young women need a strong role model. One that can stand up next to the men and be just as tough, if not tougher. For the most part the Star Wars films have done a good job of having a strong female lead. Ridley's character will need to be just as independent as Leia was in the original films if she's going to be memorable and inspiring. Also . . . I kinda hope she's a Jedi. We haven't seen that yet in the films, a strong female Jedi. Not in live action anyway . . .
AN AWESOME LIGHTSABER BATTLE (OR TWO)
Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, but they freaking nailed the lightsaber fights. The Phantom Menace had an awesome sequence set to John Williams' awesome Duel of the Fates score. Then we got to see Yoda kick major ass in Attack of the Clones. Then of course there was the climatic battle between Obi Wan and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith (which makes their reunion in A New Hope kind of embarrassing). With today's technology and the fact that the villain is a young man, we should definitely get to see Kylo Ren dish out some sweet lightsaber tricks with his crazy, cross guard saber.
If being a Sith doesn't work out then he can make it as a Lumberjack!
As I stated before, I want to see an awesome fight between Luke and Kylo Ren. Mark Hamill supposedly lost some weight and got in shape for the film. That had to be for something right! Let's see him kick Ren's ass and teach the new characters to do the same!
The trailers so far have not revealed much about the film. We can guess at what's happening based on locations, character interactions, and costumes but really we don't know anything do we? All we know for sure is that it takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi. Is the Empire coming back? Did the Rebels start a new government? Is Luke going to go crazy and start laughing maniacally for no reason?
The Force is strong in my family . . .
We'll have to wait till December 18 for the answers. For now though, I'm going to put aside some money and buy all the action figures and Lego sets I can get my hands on. Cuz when it comes to Star Wars, I'm always a little kid at heart.
Till Next Time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie!
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