In the True Defense of George Lucas

A common ''myth'' that the hateboys have fabricated over the years is about how George Lucas was responsible for absolutely everything in the prequels and how he somehow did nothing in the originals. This is obviously one of the biggest lies manufactured by the Hateboy Nation, and goes to show the level of insanity and immature behavior these haters have. However, it should be clear that not all of them support the same views when it comes to GL and the prequels. One of them being the notorious Mike Ryan from the Huffington Post. 

In his post titled Star Wars Episode VII: In Defense of George Lucas, Ryan starts off with the ''myth'' that it's somehow contrarian to defend GL these days. He further explains below: 

First, let's back up a second. When I say this is "odd," I mean that if we did a smash cut (or, since we're talking about Star Wars, a screen wipe) from 1983 to today, this sort of attitude would seem preposterous. Of course, 30 years have passed, which is quite enough time for a director to erode his relationship with a fanbase -- and, yes, that's exactly what Lucas accomplished with the prequels.

Let's settle down a couple of things here. George Lucas has not eroded his relationship with the fanbase. If I recall correctly from Celebration VI in Orlando, and the various public appearances he's had over the years, George has been very warmly received by the crowds how have seen him. Sure, Lucas's relationship with the hateboys is one that eroded a looong time ago, but that is more related with the lack of decency these people tend to have than anything else.  Not to mention the fact that with Episodes I, II, III  and the Clone Wars, Star Wars has gained a new generation of fans, most of which have a high degree of respect and admiration of GL. Oh, and did I mention the complaints of people who where clearly worried when George wasn't going to be very involved in the upcoming Episode VII? People who asked if it would be Star Wars without George Lucas? Exactly.

Now if you keep reading his article, you notice that Ryan has at least some level of respect for Lucas. He clearly sees him as a ''big ideas man'' responsible for the story that came to happen in Empire and Jedi. His view that George is a great storyteller however, crashes if you remember well something Ryan wrote back in June titled Jedi Are Boring. He ended this article with this outrageous statement:

The original Star Wars movies worked because we related with Han, Luke and Leia. It's impossible to relate with a Jedi. Also, who would even want to relate to a Jedi? They're boring.

So on one hand Mike Ryan says that George is a good storyteller but on the other he pretty much says that the most important characters of the Star Wars saga are boring? Of course, both ideas are completely contradictory to each other. What this illustrates the most is the truth of why the hateboys hate the prequels and in turn, aren't really fans of Star Wars:

The truth is plain and simply, the hateboys had a very different view in mind about what Episodes I, II and III would look like. However, once the films were released and they didn't live up to those expectations, ideas, dreams or whatever, they were disappointed. So in the course of the years, they have ransacked every argument in the book, while not realizing that the real problem is themselves, not a filmmaker who has become one of the most financially successful and most influential in the past 30 years.

So, in The True Defense of the Maker and Master himself, George Lucas, we can say that he has created a very popular space opera that has spanned 6 films, countless books,comics and games, and a very popular TV Show. Not only is he highly influential as a filmmaker and a storyteller, but also he is widely admired by the fans. At least, by the ones who truly love Star Wars.

P.S.: Oh, and by the way, at the end of Mike Ryan's Defense of George Lucas article, I checked to see the comments section, which typically attracts hateboys like how a shark is attracted to blood. However, to my very delightful surprise, Bryan Young stood up for the prequel supporters, and posted this comment:

Thanks Bryan for the support!! We need more of this type of defense in hateboy territory!!

THX 1138

THX 1138 was the directorial debut of one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, George Lucas. His mentor and friend Francis Ford Coppola helped produce the film, which was developed from Lucas' student film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 43B which he made in 1967 while attending University of Southern California's film school. The film was the first view to the world to what George Lucas was capable of. The film was released on March 11, 1971.

The film itself is set in a dystopian world, in which the population is controlled by android police officers and mandatory use of drugs that suppress emotions and sexual desire. The main character of the film, THX 1138, stops using his medication for some time, and has intimate relations with her roommate. He is eventually imprisoned as the government discovers this, in an area that resembles a white limbo world. He escapes with the help of SRT, and the android police goes off in an all out chase against them.

George Lucas is very clearly influenced in this film by none other than Arthur Lipsett's short 1963 abstract film, 21-87 (shown below). The meticulous editing and combination of audio and visual montage was both groundbreaking and influential, in particular when it comes to this film, and many of Lucas's future projects. An echo of a phrase in this film even inspired George Lucas in the creation of the Force in the Star Wars films:
"Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God."

It's also important to note that other things that show up in THX 1138 are clearly seen in the Star Wars films, in particular the vehicle chases. The end sequence of THX 1138 has a car chase, which clearly shows George's passion for automobile racing. The oppressive stance of the government shown in the film is in a lot of ways similar to the Galactic Empire in Star Wars, showing George's views of fighting the system that treats us like machines and threatens to destroy our humanity. And perhaps most notorious of all the similarities, is the sunset the main character sees at the end of the film, much like the sunset Luke Skywalker sees at the beginning of A New Hope. It wasn't until several years later when Seth MacFarlane interviewed George Lucas that it was revealed that the sun represents being outside the box. The sunset is the essence of change, and the people who are staring at the sunset are going from a life of inside the box which is basically, the same every day, to the unknown. Their running either to a nightmare or to a new dawn and they get a second chance.

George Lucas with THX 1138 showed the world that he was a guy with a wild imagination, a brilliant storyteller and an original thinker who seeked to defy the status quo and change the world. While the film suffers by being boring at parts and being somewhat difficult to follow through, it's still an innovative breakthrough. He wasn't George Lucas yet; he was discovering himself and seeing what worked and what didn't. But it was still the first time he made himself known to the world.

Rating: 8/10

Possible Villains in Star Wars Rebels

I have to say that ever since the announcement of the new animated series Star Wars: Rebels, my mind has gone wild. Literally. Their is so much potential for this series set between Episodes III and IV. Heck, I am WAY more excited about this series than I am for Episode VII. 

So, lets take a look at possible villains that may appear in Star Wars: Rebels.

Top 100 Star Wars Characters 80-71

Sorry folks that this part of the list came late, but I have been busy lately in my own personal life. On a second note, I do want to say that I have come back from my short Star Wars Vacation, and that I am back in the bloggers chair once again.
To see the previous lists click here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-top-100-greatest-star-wars.html
and here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/02/top-100-star-wars-characters-90-81.html#more

Mark Hamill on Episode VII

Well friends, some of the biggest questions regarding Episode VII, have been at least, to a certain extent revealed, in an interview they did to Mark Hamill. We happen to know certain things which are shown below:

"They're talking to us," he reveals. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."

Right from those few sentences Hamill said, we already see that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher have been in the talks to see if they will reprise their famous roles. And by the looks of things, if they decide not to appear, their characters will be taken off the film and they could potentially move the film even further into the future. The film is going to be set somewhere around 30-40 years after Return of the Jedi, in which the EU will likely be overwritten. The thing that perhaps worries me the most, is that if they decide not to be a part of Episode VII,then things could go potentially bad.

When we do the jump from Revenge of the Sith to A New Hope, we get to see in Episode IV and beyond, many of the familiar faces we saw in the previous films: Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Chewbacca and Tarkin show up in Episode IV while Yoda and Palpatine later make an appearance in Episodes V and VI. So, I don't know. It's too much of a risk if C-3PO and R2D2 are the only familiar characters who will show up in the next episode.

 "I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous – in my opinion, anyway. And another thing I'd want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Tony Daniels, everybody that's around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody's on board here, rather than just one. I guess I'll have to tune into your show to figure out who's on board."

I have to agree with Hamill on this one. While Episodes I-III where telling the tragic story of Anakin Skywalker's generation, Episodes IV-VI show that the generation of Luke Skywalker managed to triumph. This is one of the key points in which the EU failed at magnificently, and one that Hamill will likely assert in Episode VII and beyond being like. Of course, they will tell a different story from the one told in Episodes IV-VI, but it should be more lighthearted than Episode III. Anthony Daniels will more than likely reprise his C-3PO role, and the others have expressed interest in returning. Let's cross our fingers that all of these guys return, people!!!!!!

The Jedi Who Knew Too Much Review

Sadly, Ahsoka is being set up by some Jedi in order to arrest her and not find out who killed Letta or bombed the Jedi Temple. By the looks of things, Tarkin is working for Palpatine/Sidious in order to carry out his plans of disenfranchising the Jedi Order. How the pieces of the puzzle are put, is something we don't yet know the answers to.

Anakin is of course, worried about the situation and wants to help Ahsoka. Ahsoka on the other hand, has to find out who set her up in order to clear her good name. I really hate Admiral Tarkin at this point, showing he was always the villain we see in A New Hope. One thing that called my attention was how the detention cell was very reminiscent to the first Death Star. It brings to mind how much the rise of the Empire is taking place at this point, and how the Republic is being transformed into a militaristic and shadowy tyranny.

I wonder if the Jedi won't be conducting as many battles against the Separatists as they used to. I also wonder how Order 66 factors into all of this, with Rex clearly showing she cares for Ahsoka. Fox on the other hand, probably shot someone when Order 66 got carried out. I also liked the fact about how Yoda talked about being luminous beings and how our bodies are a mere vessel. It really brings to mind Empire, and brings to mind the one of the central philosophies of Star Wars: the fact that we are spiritual beings.

We will have to wait until next week to see how Ahsoka figures out the mystery.

The Expanded Universe: alternative universe on the way?

Adi Gallia was killed by Savage Opress. Even Piell died in the Clone Wars. Asajj Ventress left Count Dooku. The Mandalorians are different now.

What do all of these events that have taken place in The Clone Wars have in common? They all have overwritten events that had previously taken place in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The fans have revolted over such minor things, that have perhaps declared a comic or two as ''non-canon'' and created some inconsistencies with other previously established works. Now, a new trilogy of Star Wars lies on the horizon, in a time period which is heavily convoluted with so many things it's not even worth tracking what has transpired since Return of the Jedi. With the story treatments coming from George Lucas himself, that entire time period faces the near-certain inevitability of being no longer part of the Star Wars canon. We are talking about nearly 200 comic books and novels combined. If the fans get upset because Adi Gallia was killed by Savage Opress and not General Grievous, imagine what will happen now? 

The problem ultimately doesn't lie with George, even if many will be and are angry at him because he ''allowed so many novels and comic books to be written and now wants to make movies that will render those irrelevant.'' George has every right to do what he wants with his own universe, whether you like it or not. The writers of the EU have the privilege to be playing in George's playground, not the other way around. Perhaps the opening crawl of Episode VII will say something like ''The galaxy has been at peace since the Battle of Endor'' and will render that part of the EU as non-canon, or it will throw it into an alternative timeline. Who knows. It's not my universe to decide. 

The important thing to point out is that many fans have moved on from the films and have established the EU as something as sacred or even more important, than the movies. They have delved themselves so badly into the EU to the point in which they no longer read or watch something for fun, but are instead preoccupied that it won't adhere to the continuity. 

Star Wars used to be about having fun for these fans, but now that they have immersed themselves so badly into this fictitious universe that they take everything that happens in it too seriously, as if they were Christian fundamentalists who take everything from the Bible as literal. They are literally stabbing themselves in the back for being too immersed into every single product that comes out of Lucasfilm. 

That is a great part of the reason why I have only read 2 novels of the Expanded Universe: Labyrinth of Evil and Star Wars: Darth Plageuis. I like to read things that have some sense of relevance to the films, or watch a show that also has some sense of relevance to it. That's a great part of the reason of why I have little to no interest about what the novels depict happens after Return of the Jedi. 

I guess that also one of the main reasons why it seemed to make some sense to continue making books and comics depicting the events after Jedi was because well, back in 1983, the ending with Yub-Nub didn't exactly give sense to what had transpired in the galaxy as a whole, nor with the main characters. The stories of Luke, Han and Leia, could have continued with Thrawn as the bad guy. But ever since 1997, 2004 and the release of Episodes I-III, you get the sense that Darth Vader's redemption becomes the act of the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Chosen One, and that the Sith should have never returned. You also get the sense that if even in the most backwater and criminal planet of the galaxy, Tatooine, they are celebrating the death of the Empire, then that means that almost every planet in the galaxy manage to liberate themselves from the Empire. Besides, the simple fact that both the Jedi Temple and the Galactic Senate are present when Coruscant is shown, must imply the fact that democracy has returned to the galaxy. So ultimately at the end of the day, the stories that take place after Jedi are basically a complete contradiction to everything settled down here. 

The EU after Jedi is written by so many different authors, that the direction of the story goes off in a strange sense. By the time you get to New Jedi Order you are beating on a dead horse, and by the time you get to the Legacy comics, the formula of the films is so xeroxed and repeated it's not worth even paying attention. It's better to see things the George Lucas way and think that none of that ever happened. 

But now that the long speculated sequel trilogy is lying their, to be released in 2015, you go back to look at the EU post ROTJ, floating around, contemplating whether the hateboy's wet dream, and my worst nightmare, might have a chance of coming true. The good thing is that George hasn't given the bastion yet, and the next film is on the way of being an original story taken from his story treatments. So if you add up that with the fact that in his universe, non of the post-ROTJ EU ever happened, then, we have the likely chance of seeing a film that will not only stay true to what was previously established in the Star Wars films, but also take the story of Star Wars into a place we haven't seen from George Lucas's universe. 

An alternative universe might be helpfull in getting both George's film into the screen, while at the same time controlling some of the rage of the hateboys. What do you guys think? Share your thoughts below. 

Point of No Return Review

Sorry that the review comes in so late friends, but it's been a pretty busy week. Now that their is at least some time to talk about Star Wars, I can now say that the fourth episode of the Droid arc, was probably the best. R2-D2 was the brave hero of the story, which should be no surprise, and their was more action in this episode than anyone would even expect. The explosion of the Republic cruiser was quite a show, and it leaves me wondering why didn't the Death Star explode that nicely in Episodes IV and VI. I guess it's all attributed that neither had the amount of Raydonium Ore the cruiser had when it exploded.

Another important, yet minor part of the show, was the appearance of Wilhuff Tarkin now as an Admiral. Earlier in the show we were aware of the fact that Tarkin was simply a Captain, and now that he is ranking higher in the military, it brings to question how much the role of the Jedi is being reduced in the war, and how much closer we are getting to Episode III.

However, one question does come to mind. Why did the Separatists launch a cruiser to murder Republic officers when both Tarkin and Anakin where at the conference? I think Sidious is going to get angry at Dooku.

And another thing-to all the people who haven't liked a single episode of Clone Wars since ''Revival''- You people need to get out of the fantasy that Star Wars is somehow pure action and dark side plots, because the innocent part of Star Wars is their, and it will be a part of it whether you like it or not.

Romance in the Next Star Wars films

One of the minor, but perhaps important themes that make up part of the Star Wars saga, is the part of romance. Episodes I-III focus on the forbidden romance between Anakin Skywalker and Senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala. It's one of the most unfairly criticized parts of Star Wars, mostly done by some film critics and moronic hateboys, whom apparently don't understand that some people (including myself) connect themselves with the love of Anakin and Padme, more than with Han and Leia. I even remember a few years back, how the stupid Semana magazine of my home country talked in a section of their magazine about how Padme and Anakin had ''little chemistry'' in their relationship. What kind of idiots are these people?

Their love is mostly used as the catalyst that will result in the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader. It ends up in tragedy as pretty much both characters end up dead and their love for each other is never allowed to flourish. By the time we get to Episodes IV-VI, the romance is seen mostly between Han Solo and Princess Leia, which I also like by the way, just not as much as Anakin and Padme. Theirs is meant to protray a love that eventually triumphs with the victory of the Rebel Alliance, on contrary to that of the previous generation.

But, the question is, what kind of love will we see in the next generation?

The obvious answer is that if we see love in the next set of Star Wars films, it will likely involve either the children of Han and Leia, or the children of Luke and someone else (possibly Mara Jade). However, all of that is pretty much anyone's guess. George at one point said that in his vision Luke didn't get married, so that might throw Mara Jade and that part of the EU out the window or into an alternative timeline. As far as Han and Leia are concerned, their children might have different names from the ones they have in the EU, and their fates will be undeniably different. So, besides the fact that the EU will likely soon be cleared out of the way like a bulldozer, we don't really know what romance will happen, or if it will even show up in Episode VII. They might hint it, though. We will have to wait and see, as I have said millions of times on this blog.

ABC considering a Star Wars live-action series

Well, my friends, now that Disney owns Star Wars, the prospects of the live-action show have moved from HBO to ABC. ABC is apparently interested in making a Star Wars show, whether it's the live-action show currently on hold because of budget costs or another live-action show involving the Star Wars universe.

The show is undeniably going to get a bigger audience now that it's going to be possibly broadcasted on ABC, but still, I'm not sure what those 50 scripts that are already written will be exactly about. The show is meant to portray the Star Wars Underworld, since I believe that is even the title of the show, and is set to take place between Episodes III and IV. The only character confirmed to be on the show for now will be Boba Fett, and apparently the Main characters won't be the focus of the show. They might go on and explore characters like Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Hondo or even Bossk in this show, so it might turn out to be quite interesting. For that we will have to wait and see.

Amazing Star Wars Trailer

As I was looking forward to buying the Star Wars Blu-ray, I recently came across a very impressive, yet apparently fan-made trailer. The beauty of the trailer was that it came across using the famous score from Revenge of the Sith, ''Battle of the Heroes'' and manages to tie in the six films in a way I had never seen before. The only backdrop I would say, is that it reveals too much, but it's still a great video for any true Star Wars fan. Unless well, you hate Episodes I-III, I won't argue with you. In that stance I think you should check out Adam's blog, who sums up the complaints of those movies, and well, shows they are pretty ridiculous.

Conflict in Episodes VII-IX

Another of the big mysteries that encompass the next trilogy of Star Wars films, is primarily the part of warfare. Even though the story is titled ''Star Wars'' the Wars part of the title seems to be somewhat out of context when you refer to anything post-Return of the Jedi, despite what the EU shows in that time period. Once you brought balance to the Force, even if your own children have to maintain it, it kind of has to symbolize how the battles that follow will not be the same as the ones previous to it. Let me explain myself better:

When we are introduced to the beginning of the story, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the battles were focused on the Gungans fighting off the Trade Federation's droid army. The army was not meant to be a large one, and was mainly used to defend the shipments the federation did. The war here is similar to how in Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks face off against the Empire, in the sense that it's a group of native species to that home planet fighting off a tyrannical regime. By the time we get to Attack of the Clones, Count Dooku has managed to assemble a more powerful and much bigger droid army than the one we saw in Episode I, combining the droids assembled by a series of banks and corporations. At the same time, as part of the Sith Grand Plan, the Jedi become aware of the creation of a Clone Army assembled by the Kaminoans, which had been ordered in secret by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas ten years earlier. Once the Republic feels in serious danger by the increasing threat of the Separatists, the Senate decides to allow for the use of this Clone Army. So, the beginning of the Clone Wars is in a sense the first full scale war we see in the saga.

The war by the time it meets its conclusion in Episode III, moves quickly from the transition phase of Droids vs Clones, to Clones killing the Jedi. It's much more tragic in scope, and it's somewhat overshadowed by the fights that take place at the end of the movie. Once we get to Episode IV,V and VI, we get to see that the Clone Army has been transformed into a Stormtrooper Army, in which they become a racist, imperialist regime similar to how the Nazi's where in World War II. The Rebel Alliance ends up being composed of the groups of Senators, Governors, Military officers, and the few remaining Jedi whom want to overthrow the Empire and bring back the Republic. The Rebel Alliance eventually manages to defeat the Empire, and with the help of the last of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker, he defeats the Sith.

What the next conflict will be in Star Wars-what it will be called-and which parties will be involved-is anyone's wild guess. If the next stories are much more ethereal in nature than the previous ones, and if we are talking about a time period in which balance to the Force took place previously, it's difficult to see what could happen next. They would obviously have to be different and have an impact that is much less severe to the galaxy, contrary to what we see in the EU.