Star Wars Fan Days IV

This past Saturday, I went to Star Wars Fan Days IV in Irving, TX. Fan Days is basically a miniature SW convention. It was pretty cool.

Here were my highlights:

Stepping out into the main room. Since I'd never been to a convention of any kind before, I was a little unprepared for just how awesome the sight of thousands of geek collectibles at bargain prices was. I didn't actually end up picking up anything (needed to save money for Batman: Arkham City coming out next week), but I was sorely tempted.

Getting to see The ForceCast do a live show. Because of the weird echoey acoustics in the room, I couldn't hear much and ended up leaving early, but it was still great to actually see the people that I'd been listening to on my iPod for about 4 years now.

Seeing movie-quality Boba and Jango Fett costumes in-person. Just so cool.

Seeing this little five-year-old Princess Leia nervous about meeting a real-life R2-D2. Oh, by the way, I MET AN ACTUAL R2 UNIT THAT MOVED AND SPUN ITS HEAD AND BLINKED ITS LIGHTS AND WHISTLED AND yeah it was pretty awesome.

The above is a photo of Timothy Zahn (right) and Aaron Allston (left) answering a question that I got to ask them at their Q&A panel. For those unaware, Timothy Zahn is pretty much the creator of the modern Star Wars Expanded Universe. He's known as the great writer by which all other Star Wars writers are judged. And I got to be in the same room with him and ask him a question. That is so cool.

My question was a bit of a softball ("what Star Wars films are you guys' favorites, and why?"), but it was purposely done to lead into my friend's follow-up question ("If you could go back and rewrite anything from any of the films, what would you change?"). Those questions sparked some really interesting answers and insights into Star Wars that I hadn't ever thought of before.

I saw an actual DeLorean in-person. It was from about 4 stories up (I forgot to go down and take a picture at ground-level), but still. I saw a DeLorean!

The Clone Wars cast panel. I got to see Steven Stanton (Tarkin), Catherine Taber (Padmé), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka), Meredith Salenger (Bariss Offee), and Tom Kane (Yoda, Admiral Yularen, the announcer) up on a stage. It was awesome.

Finally, I got Tom Kane's autograph. It was actually my first time getting anything signed by anyone. And it's just so cool! I kinda think that I'm gonna go around and "collect" these 8x10 signed photos; put 'em in an album.

So yeah. That was Fan Days. It was fun. Totally going again next year, with WAY more spending money in my pocket.

Love

As much as I love Star Wars, there's one major aspect of it that's always bothered me. One thing that's never sat right; one thing that seems to not only not make sense within the Star Wars story itself, but to contradict the very truths of both mythology and reality.

I'm talking about the highly negative view the Star Wars films have of romantic love. Let's look at every instance of it that we see in the Star Wars saga:

Luke and Leia.
Well, that turns out weird. A New Hope pushes the idea that Luke is the young hero who rescues the princess, complete with googly-eyes and romantic swings across Death Star chasms. While Leia never directly acknowledges that she has feelings for Luke, it seems pretty open. Even if it is just to stick it to Han Solo, she full-on kisses Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. And then she turns out to be his sister. What?!
The only real justification for this sudden plot twist is the fact that Leia then becomes a familial connection for Luke, and thus an emotional weakness/strength in his final battle with Vader. Otherwise, the only reason seems to be that Jedi are simply not supposed to fall in love.

Han and Leia.
This is the only romantic connection that seems to work in the saga, but it's not taken to the end. We get the vague idea that Leia and Han are together at the end, but there's no sense that things will stay that way.

Anakin and Padmé.
This is, by far, the most closely-examined romantic relationship in the saga. Anakin is a possessive, selfish psycho. That's it. Interestingly, however, this is seemingly taken to be the example of why all Jedi cannot be romantically involved. As though every Jedi, no matter whom, will eventually fall to the Dark Side simply because of their fear of losing the one they cherish. This is very disturbing. It seems to imply that for Jedi, that fear of loss is far more powerful than any positive love ever could be.


Now, aside from romantic relationships, there seem to be varying effects of platonic or familial love. As I said, Luke's brotherly love for Leia gives him the strength to defeat Vader, but is he truly motivated by compassion for Leia, or by anger against Vader for threatening her? It seems to be the latter, as Luke is only barely able to pull himself back from the Dark Side at this point.
On the other hand, Vader's fatherly love for Luke is what drives him to make the right choice in the end, effectively redeeming himself and coming back to the Light Side.

In 2002, George Lucas made this comment:
"Jedi Knights aren't celibate - the thing that is forbidden is attachments - and possessive relationships."

So, basically, Jedi can have all the one-night stands they want, but if they become emotionally involved, it's all over? Jedi can have children—and, seemingly, the parent/child relationship is a very positive one for Jedi—but spouses just can't work? How is that?

I don't often like to write about peoples' personal lives, especially people I don't know, but I think it's worth mentioning that much of the original trilogy films were edited and otherwise influenced by Marcia Lucas, George Lucas' former wife. They divorced the year Return of the Jedi was released, though Lucas adopted two children afterward. George has not remarried since.

George's seeming rejection of romance and embracing of parental love seems to mirror what's seen in the Star Wars saga: romantic love brings about only pain and destruction, while parental love is the only power strong enough to heal those wounds.

Although Star Wars is based on truths from a thousand different mythologies and quite a bit of real, honest truth, the saga's view on romance seems to be based more on Lucas's bad past experiences than on any reality.

The Saga on Blu-Ray

So. The entire Star Wars film saga is coming to Blu-ray this Fall, and the details of its content were just announced today. You can check out the full details here.

The basic gist of it is this:

#1: The films will be the Special/DVD Editions, not the theatrical releases. This doesn't bother me so much, since we already have the theatricals on DVD, and Lucasfilm apparently never remastered the theatricals in HD, so a blu-ray release doesn't make sense. Still, though, it would have been nice.
#2: We still don't know any of the details about new content from the films, other than the one revealed deleted scene from Return of the Jedi. Which is pretty lame. I wanna hear what else we'll see.
#3: Most of the big stuff we're getting is in the form of documentaries (that are actually pretty long). A few of them seem really cool. For instance, an 84-minute doc on the 501st Legion?! Awesome!

One semi-minor gripe I have with the box set, though: the box art.
Now, the art for the individual trilogy sets (which I assume are inside the larger box's case) are amazing.

I love those. But the combined box set (pictured at top)? Eh. It's a great art piece, and it's true that the Tatooine horizon is one of the most iconic Star Wars images, but I don't really like the overall sandy look of it. It seems a little messy, like it needs to be more neutral somehow. It's distractingly abnormal.

Oh well. Still buying the thing when it comes out this Fall. Yay.

Prequel Judgment

So I'm getting tired of people "looking down" on prequel fandom.  I totally sympathize with peoples' concerns over the prequel films' faults, but it's just too much sometimes.

It's not so much the judgment on the prequel films themselves; it's the judgment on the fans of the prequels. Sometimes I feel like my opinions are taken less seriously when I try to refer to anything prequel- or Clone Wars-related.  It's just frustrating.

More Movies?

Wow.  Been a while since I posted stuff here, huh?

Okay, so IESB.net reported on Friday that there are "New Star Wars Movies Planned." Rumors of new SW films are nothing new. George Lucas's original plan for the saga was to have the first six episodes follow the Skywalker family's saga, then start Episode VII with an elderly Luke passing the torch to a new generation of Jedi knights for episodes VII-XII. Yeah, that's right, the original plan was to have TWELVE films, not six. Lucas later changed his mind (probably because he got old), and claimed that he "never planned on more than six films," but that's all garbage because he already said otherwise in previously published interviews.
What makes this particular rumor so compelling is that it's IESB.net, which is a highly reliable source.

"First, let me remind our readers of IESB's past scoops so anyone doubting the news will be aware. From Joss Whedon directing the Avengers, to the recent announcement of Disney's planned renegotiation of the Paramount Marvel deal, to the countless casting scoops, directing scoops, to our solid sources at Lucasfilm.
Confirmed IESB scoops specific to the Star Wars universe include the first announcement of the PG-13 rating of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the first word of a live action Star Wars TV series as well as the Clone Wars animated series. Yes, all of these Lucasfilm scoops were all first reported here on IESB.

...Can we expect Lucasfilm to confirm our story? Have they ever? Nope, I am sure that they will spin this or completly deny the story, but we will stand 100% behind our source."

So, yeah. This seems pretty legitimate. It's far from a confirmation, but it's got a good chance of being true at the very least. Of course, Lucasfilm denied everything, but honestly, what else would they do?

The report outlines the basic gist of the new films:
"Too early for story details but one thing that our source is certain about, they will not be prequels but instead sequels. It's not for certain if they will be the long awaited Episodes 7, 8 and 9 but could instead be Episodes 10, 11 and 12 or possibly even further out in the Star Wars timeline. And by giving space in the timeline, possibly even as far as 100 years or 1,000 years in the Star Wars universe future, Lucas avoids having to make these stories "fit in" with what the previous stories have told."

So here's the thing:
True or not, is making more films a good idea?  I briefly had a texting-convo with my good buddy Robert about an hour ago on this very topic:

Aaron:

There are some seriously strong rumors about a new Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Robert:

Nooooooooooooo

Aaron:

You *don't* want more films?

Robert:

9 film marathon??  (note: Robert is referring to the fact that we and other friends have an annual Star Wars 6-film 12-hour movie marathon tradition)

Aaron:

They're not supposed to be Skywalker-focused, so they'll be a different storyline. Post-Return of the Jedi, I think.  Might be episodes 7-12, as was originally planned in 1977.  So... two marathons?  Lucasfilm's denying the rumors, of course, but I'm not really believing them ATM.

Robert:

Post-jedi, like to destroy all of the EU? Jerks. Or maybe they adapt the X-wing series?

Aaron:

No telling.  Though if the new movies are better than the EU (which is possibly), I'd accept it.

Robert:

Mrragh. I am not happy with this, its likely to irrevocably destroy the new republic era of EU

Aaron:

Dude. Books>Films? Nuh-uh.

Robert:

I have little faith that they will be anything but money mongering films

Aaron:

That's never been Lucasfilm's M.O.  Even The Clone Wars is great.

Robert:

Hahahahahahahahah nice sarcasm

Aaron:

Totally not sarcastic there, buddy

Robert:

The clone wars is great? Which one?  And attack of the clones was great?

Aaron:

Hang on. It's blog post time.

So, yeah.  There's a chance that if they do films in the era after Return of the Jedi, they'll eradicate some Expanded Universe material.  A whole frakton of it.
However, as much as that would suck, I do think that it'd be better to have more movies.  I'd rather have a new trilogy and just go ahead with wiping out the post-Jedi EU.  Then the EU can start over alongside and after the new movies.
And hey, if the new films take place more than 125 years after ROTJ, there's no EU material to contradict anyway.  So there might not even be anything to fuss about.

Then there's the question of quality: can new Star Wars movies ever be good?
Personally, I think anyone who's familiar with Star Wars stories such as Knights of the Old Republic (the game, not the comic), Star Wars: Legacy, and the Thrawn Trilogy of novels can say with absolute certainty that the Star Wars universe is definitely an extremely fertile ground for storytelling.  The main complaint raised against this idea of new films is that the Prequels weren't necessarily amazing.  They had a plethora of problems, and many fans feel that George Lucas is entirely to blame for them.  Furthermore, there are some who believe that anytime GL does ANYTHING with Star Wars, he's only doing it for monetary gain and with absolutely no artistic integrity or respect for his own creation.
I disagree.

I stopped reviewing The Clone Wars TV series last year, not because it wasn't good, but rather because it had reached a standard of unwavering high quality that just didn't make for interesting criticism anymore.  And guess who comes up with 80% of all the story ideas for The Clone Wars?  George Lucas. He oversees, edits, and is in complete control of the series.  Sure, the show might only exist because Lucasfilm needs to make money (because, other than ILM, what else do they have? Indiana Jones?), but is that a bad thing?  If a product is good, what's wrong with selling it?  Capitalism at its finest, I say. (that one was for you, Robert.)

Yeah, the Prequels aren't all that amazing.  They've got brilliant epic special effects and a masterful galaxy-spanning story, but sometimes-terrible dialogue and vomit-worthy acting (mostly in episodes II and III).
Here's an interesting idea that I've heard thrown around: perhaps Star Wars is better when George is still in control, but technically hands-off?  That was the approach for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (in which GL was the Exec Producer, but not the on-set director), as well as the current setup for The Clone Wars.

Here's a cool article from Wired.com on "5 Reasons Lucas Should Film a New Star Wars Trilogy."  I agree with it for the most part.

—

5 Reasons Lucas Should Film a New Star Wars Trilogy

Heard the big sci-fi rumor? Messages boards went wild over the weekend based on an unsourced report that George Lucas might be making another Star Wars trilogy, timed to land after the planned 3-D re-release of the first six episodes.

Some fans swooned over the possibility while others — still seething over the second batch of Star Wars films and other gripes — spewed bile on the idea. While Lucasfilm predictably denied the rumor, we think Lucas should reconsider.

Here’s our five cents, in the form of five reasons why the Skywalker Ranch hands should get cracking on another trilogy in a hyperspace nanosecond.

5. It’s not a stretch.
Lucasfilm has been building out the Star Wars cinema and toon universe ever since The Phantom Menace landed in 1999. The excellent Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series is currently on its third season, heading for 66 episodes, with more surely to come. Another Star Wars live-action TV series, aiming to deliver a syndication-friendly 100 episodes, is up next. Just using those numbers alone, that’s more than 80 hours of Star Wars storytelling. What’s another six-plus hours of film? 

4. The last trilogy wasn’t great.
Lucasfilm’s second Star Wars trilogy simply didn’t meet the mammoth expectations created by the first one. Another cycle of three films, done well, might give fanboys some closure. Although the second trilogy finished strong with the dark and dystopian Revenge of the Sith, the movie just couldn’t wash away the stain of Jar Jar Binks or Anakin and Padme’s roll in the hay. Third time’s a charm!

3. It’s for a good cause.
George Lucas has pledged a massive chunk of his prodigious estate to charity. Even haters have to admit that another three features would bring another three truckloads of cash to younglings worldwide. (If they won’t, maybe they should put half their money where their flapping gums are.)

2. Avatar needs the competition. 
Star Wars gave birth to next-gen sci-fi cinema in 1977, and lorded over it for decades until James Cameron’s Avatar came along and pwned it last year. Now Cameron’s immersive 3-D experiment is the highest-grossing film of all time, as well as the benchmark for blockbuster sci-fi cinema’s new normal — and he’s got two sequels on the way. A new Star Wars trilogy raising the immersive 3-D stakes could bring the Oscar statues and street cred back to papa Lucas. That would perhaps please not just Star Wars loyalists, but also Academy voters who gave Cameron the gas face and hilariously awarded the Best Picture Oscar to his ex-wife’s underwhelming film The Hurt Locker.

1. Star Wars purists need a diaper change.
I saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977, just like a host of other fans around the world. But it’s exceedingly hard not to laugh when fandom loses its nut over the possibility of another film trilogy, or even the failed ambition of the last one. Lucas makes a busload of bank (for Skywalker Ranch and charity, remember) by making movies for every childhood, not just ours.

The fanboys and fangirls who are sad that Lucas might tread on their cherished memories of Han Solo’s hairy chest, or Luke Skywalker’s petulant whining about having to go to the Tosche Station to pick up some power converters, or whatever, need to step back into the timestream and grow up. Sure, Jar Jar Binks still sucks, and that will probably never change. (Why do you think Lucas had him sell out the Senate by proposing to give Palpatine unitary executive power?). But Lucas doesn’t suck, nor has he sold out our sacred childhood fantasies. He’s the one that built them, and another trilogy will remind us all of that inescapable truth.

—

Here's another thing.

Have any of you ever actually seen Star Wars in the theater?  I've been lucky enough to have seen the prequels as well as Episode IV on the glorious big screen, and I have to say that no other film experience has ever topped that.  Star Wars is truly an event that dominates and defines the moviegoing experience, and the chance to see something new from the Galaxy Far, Far Away on that screen is definitely worth allowing into our preciously-guarded Star Wars-loving hearts.

TCW - "Cat and Mouse"

"Cat and Mouse" is a fun episode, if not necessarily mind-blowing. At its core, it's a classic submarine warfare story, something that's no stranger to sci-fi and fantasy, having been highlighted in the Star Trek universe in some of its most famous stories (the TOS episode "Balance of Terror;" Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan's Mutara Nebula sequence).

The character bits here are pretty minimal; it's the usual "Anakin acts somewhat irresponsibly but manages to make it work in the end" story. This is the first time Anakin has met Yularen, however, which is somewhat interesting.

This episode is set all the way at the beginning of the Clone Wars timeline, before the Clone Wars movie and "The Hidden Enemy." While this is certainly a good story, there was no reason to set it so early. Yularen and Anakin's first meeting certainly wasn't shown to be all that important. Why not set it in "current" time?

Random note: the cloaking effect used here is straight out of Star Wars: Rebel Assault II, one of my absolute favorite games as a kid. That makes me happy.

This is a good episode. It's got smartly-done, if simple, tactical action, and serviceable character and plot density. It just didn't really wow me.

TCW - "Landing at Point Rain"

This may be the single best ground battle in the entire Star Wars saga.
After the short few-minute setup scene, this entire episode is one gigantic, epic, and terrible war scene. Clones die right and left; gunfire and cannon blasts fly in all directions; even our Jedi heroes cannot emerge unscathed.

Each episode in this "Geonosis arc" has its own specific focus. This episode's focus is all-out war insanity.
It draws some definite parallels to other war stories, notably D-day—which is fitting, considering Star Wars's heavy WWII connections.

More than any other battle in Star Wars' TV and movie history, this feels like a real war. The directorial style makes the viewer feel there with the characters in the middle of this conflict. As the battle goes worse and worse for the Republic heroes, their desperation becomes practically palpable.

Other notable details go a long way in helping with the overall feel. The clones, more than ever before, seem to act like real soldiers. They truly seem mortal now, rather than just token characters in an animated series. In this instance, it's actually surprising when a clone doesn't die, rather than when he does. Also, they use flamethrowers.

It's rather remarkable that this episode actually makes you fear for a few of the characters' lives. Obi-Wan in particular has a rather awesome moment where he prepares to make his last stand, despite his hopeless odds.

This is definitely one of the standout episodes of the entire series thus far. Without a doubt, it's the one with the most jaw-dropping eye candy. If you're looking for an episode to show friends (and get them hooked on the show), this is the episode to go to.