So Much for the Trailer...

I’m back on the bloggers chair after a long hibernation!! Any way, let’s get down to business…

Heroes and Scoundrels

When Star Wars was first introduced to audiences in 1977, it became a worldwide phenomenon. Many have argued looking back that it's success is largely due to the fact that it came at the right time. The United States had recently come defeated out of the Vietnam War, and was facing a scandal out of its previous president. The country was in a state of despair. Episode IV gave the public a sense of hope, and most importantly, it gave a group of heroes with a strong sense of morality: the Jedi. 

The Jedi ever since first being introduced, have been the central core to the saga, even if their appearance in Episodes IV-VI wasn't as prominent as in I-III. And part of the reason why they remain so iconic and important to the franchise, has to do with the image they represent: that of the moral hero. 

Part of the appeal of characters like James Bond, Boba Fett, Jack Sparrow and Han Solo has to do with the fact that they reflect a broken aspect of ourselves. When Bond was first introduced in the Ian Fleming novels, he was a guy who could sleep with a woman and later murder her and have no remorse over it (I'm talking about the character of the novels). In some ways, Bond was no better than the bad guy he was fighting against. And this is of course, part of why the audience like the character. 

Bond...James Bond

We live in a society in which several young kids are being raised by the television and the Internet, due to the fact that their parents are too busy working a full time job. Most of these times, these kids grow up to idolize the celebrities that were popular at the time. And it's a real shame, because as Joseph Campbell described it very well in The Power of Myth, ''One of the many distinctions between the celebrity and the hero, is that one lives only for self while the other acts to redeem society.'' This isn't to say that Han Solo is a celebrity per say, but that he is more of a selfish character...at least in most of A New Hope.

However, every now and then a hero becomes noticed by the popular culture, and makes us all realize and see the good within us as humans. Gandhi did that in the 40's. Martin Luther King did so in the 60's, and more recently Pope Francis has been receiving high level of appraisal and respect outside of the Catholic Church. In today's popular films, few characters embody the ideal moral hero better than the Jedi.

That isn't to say that the Jedi are perfect, by any means. But in several ways, they serve as great role models to both young boys and girls alike, in a time in which the world's traditional morals are more desperately needed than ever.

And  I'm pretty sure that more than one Star Wars fan has previously or still, wishes to have been mentored by the likes of Obi-Wan, Yoda and Qui-Gon, because ultimately, many of us wish to become wiser and see the best that is within our own potential. In several ways, I find that to be the reason for Obi-Wan's popularity, and one of the reasons why he is my favorite character: We get to see him mature from a young man into a wise old master. Few other film characters get that type of development, and it's one of the things I hope we can get from an old Luke Skywalker in Episode VII.

So, at the end of the day, even if scoundrels like Han Solo and Boba Fett are popular among the fans, their is a reason why the Jedi are the central part of Star Wars. 

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!!

Episode VII: Five Burning Questions

These are the burning questions that have been raised due to the fact that Episode VII is getting released  in 2015. Mind you, for anyone who isn't a die-hard Star Wars fan, that this film release is a paradigm-shifting act. It will potentially change the way we see Star Wars, forever. 

1. Is their any story worth telling? 

The truth is, the biggest question we all have as Star Wars fans, is, what more can be left to tell after the ending of Return of the Jedi? Anakin was redeemed, Luke had become a Jedi, The Empire was gone, The Sith were destroyed, Han and Leia were in love and the Ewoks were happy. One of the few ties that were left unanswered is how Yoda told Luke ''to pass on what he had learned''. Which brings to the next question...

2. How will Luke's New Jedi Order be? 

Essentially, one of the few things we can be almost certain about Episode VII, is that in the 30-40 years since ROTJ, Luke must have founded a New Jedi Order. He probably restored it at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and went off to train Jedi, possibly Leia being the first. Obviously a couple of questions related to this do come up: How many Jedi will the new Order have? My guess would be that if Luke trains his students the ''rushed'' way he was trained, we might have anywhere from 20-30 Jedi. But who knows? Another question that remains is, how will the new Order be in comparison with the old one, and how will it act in relation with the Republic? Which leads us to...

3. Will Leia be a Jedi or a Senator? 

Luke told Leia in Episode VI that in time she would learn to use the Force like him. One would think that the first student Luke would have trained would have been Leia. At the same time, it raises question to the whole Attachment issue of the Jedi Order, and whether or not it will exist in this New Order. A primal assumption everyone has made is that Leia and Han Solo will be married in Episode VII. If the Celibacy part of the Order is kept, you can guarantee that Leia will be portrayed as a politician. Though if she is a senator, it does raise the question: Senator of what planet? 

4. Will Luke be Married? 

George Lucas stated back in an interview in 2008 that in his vision, Luke never got married. If Lucas didn't change his mind since then, we can assume that the Celibacy part of the Jedi Order was maintained. If however, Lucas changed his mind at some point, then it raises the question: Who will be Miss Skywalker? Will it be Mara Jade, or someone else? And if it is Mara Jade, who will portray her? One thing I know for sure is that, it would be a pretty big change if a Skywalker isn't the protagonist of the next trilogy. 

5. Who Will Be The Main Villain? 

The success or failure of this trilogy rests primarily on this main crux, primarily because if handled wrongly it can lead to horrible decisions. We can't have the Sith back as the villains of the next trilogy: It's too problematic on several fronts. And besides, we already saw them take over the galaxy and be destroyed, so their is little purpose in seeing them again. As I have said before, a third faction of force-users is needed. The spiritual and religious part of Star Wars needs to be respected above all else, and it would be excruciatingly painful to see it slip by. 

These, folks, are perhaps the most important questions I have, and several of you might have, as we move forward. 

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the Star Wars film that manages to bridge the saga together. George Lucas needed to end the trilogy on a high note, and tell the story the way it was intended to be. Parts of the film, as seen in a recently released conversation between Lucas, Howard Kazanjian and Lawrence Kasdan dating back to the early 80's reveal that many of these plot points had been mapped out way back. George simply needed to make some re-writes, and improve the story. 

Palpatine is in the final stage of the Sith Grand Plan. He now has, unlike the previous two films, 3 goals in the entire film. First he needs to turn Anakin Skywalker into a fearsome Sith Lord. He has to also get rid of the Jedi in order to eliminate any threat to his rule and finally, declare himself Emperor of the galaxy. Sadly, to the disfortune of our héroes, Palpatine's plan gets carried out at the end of the day. 

Anakin, now a much more mature Jedi Knight, is seen as the kind and good hearted hero that Obi-Wan describes in A New Hope, at least at the beginning of the film. Obi-Wan is now a leading member of the Jedi Council, a very wise Jedi Master in his own right. Padme Amidala, continuing to serve as Senator of Naboo, is pregnant with twins. Padme's pregnancy puts in danger the secrecy of her relationship with Anakin, while at the same time she is increasingly worried with Palpatine's dictatorial powers, as is her fellow senatorial friends, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa. 

Anakin's defeat of Count Dooku, at the command of Palpatine further enact the character into the clutches of the dark side. But perhaps Anakin would have never turned had he not dreamed the nightmare of Padme's death in childbirth. That my friends, was the catalyst that turned everything upside down for our hero. 

Anakin, having suffered painfully from the death of her mother, not being able to accept that he can't control the fate of those he loves, ultimately leads him to do anything possible to stop Padme from death. Being tormented with this vision, combined with the fact that Obi-Wan leaves to Utapau to defeat General Grievous, leaves Anakin vulnerable. Sidious takes advantage of this and starts to work on him. He makes him doubt his relationship to the Jedi Order and makes him think that good and evil are simply points of view. Ultimately, throwing in a little tale of his old master, Darth Plagueis, he manages to finally have Anakin be interested in finding the ways of the Sith, and save her wife. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Anakin, unable to let go of Padme, sells his soul to the devil, and becomes the dreaded Dark Lord of the Sith, known as Darth Vader. He goes to the Jedi Temple, in order to wipe out the remaining Jedi left in Coruscant. Palpatine sends a message via the Holocron to Commander Cody and the other clone officers, to execute Order 66, and kill the Jedi. Obi-Wan survives by chance. Yoda senses the entire tragedy happen, and his expression of sadness is so tremendous you can't help but feel his pain. He realizes that Commander Gree is about to kill him, and in a move of a few seconds, kills him and the other officer. Chewbacca and Tarfful help him escape.

Palpatine on the other hand, with the Separatists basically at the mercy of the Republic at this point and the Jedi all but extinct declares the first Galactic Empire. Bail and Padme witness in horror as the apparent kind and honest man reveals himself as what he really is.

Obi-Wan and Yoda realize that they must act as quickly as possible in order to defeat the Sith. Yoda gives his best in an epic duel with Sidious, but despite his impressive skills, is simply unable to kill the Emperor. Obi-Wan on the other hand, goes off to Mustafar to try and defeat Anakin. He watches in horror and pain as his former friend burns in the lava.

Obi-Wan goes off in Padme's Naboo starship to the asteroid field of Polis Massa, where Bail Organa and Yoda await them. Padme is sent to the emergency room, where she gives birth to the twins, Luke and Leia. Padme is apparently dying, for reasons beyond comprehension. As she dies, the newly built and fully restored Darth Vader shines in the medical room in Coruscant, with his distinct black cloak, black armor and faceless mask. As Palpatine tells him that he killed Padme, Vader rages in anger, destroying whatever he had left of Anakin. Padme has her funeral in Naboo, with Jar Jar, Boss Nass and others, mourning over the death of the heroine of Naboo. Obi-Wan delivers Luke to his family in Tatooine, while Bail Organa adopts Leia in Alderaan.

Another theme that this film deals with, despite it's limited screen time, is the one of immortality. We learn from Palpatine's tale of his master, which proves to be for the most part true as seen in James Luceno's novel, that the Sith are so selfish that they can't bear the thought of death. The Jedi on the other hand, realize that the true path to immortality is that of selflessness and love, which Qui-Gon learned at some point and passed on his knowledge to Yoda and Obi-Wan. They realize that their is a good path to the afterlife, while the Sith are traumatized of dealing with hell.

Revenge of the Sith is by far the biggest Star Wars film. It has the most number of planets, most number of characters, and most number of lightsaber duels. Despite all of this, it has always been my least favorite Star Wars film. I think it's as good as the other Star Wars films, but the biggest problem it has is that it's the only Star Wars film that isn't for children. It's too tragic and dark and sad. Of course, George Lucas couldn't make the film any other way, so it stands as it is.

The hateboys tended to dislike Sith the least, probably due to its darker nature and the fact that it's the most similar to Episodes IV, V and VI.

Now that Anakin has become the fearsome Darth Vader, is he still the Chosen One? With the Empire hunting down the last of the Jedi, what hope remains for the galaxy? Or was Padme right when she said that their was still good in him? Only time will tell.

Finest Moments of the Film:

1. Battle Over Coruscant. In particular the opening scene with the Force theme.

2. The Tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise. It really made me wonder about who was Darth Plagueis and about the nature of the Sith.

3. Obi-Wan vs Grievous. Great fight.

4. Palpatine's declaration of the Empire.

5.The fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan and Yoda and Palpatine

6.The deilvery of Leia in Alderaan and Luke on Tatooine

Rating: 10/10

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones continues the story that was begun and established with Phantom Menace. George Lucas was determined to continue, regardless of what the critics and the public thought about it. 

The film takes place ten years after the events of Phantom Menace. It's drawn significantly closer to the inevitable events that will spell doom to several of our heroes. Palpatine, now having been Chancellor of the Republic for a decade, has every intention of furthering his quest for total and unlimited power. While the deeper implications of how the Sith Grand Plan is enacted are talked about in Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, we know that Sidious has taken at this point a new apprentice, Count Dooku, or known now as the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus. Tyranus was once a Jedi, none other than the master of Qui-Gon Jinn. The death of his apprentice, combined with a lack of faith in the Jedi Order and the ongoing corruption in the Senate convinced Dooku to join the dark side.

Dooku has every intention of ruling the galaxy with an iron fist along his master. Too bad for him that his fate was already sealed once he became the apprentice of Sidious. Palpatine only needed Dooku until Anakin was old enough to be turned to the dark side. Anakin was to be the ''Ultimate Sith''.

Palpatine has only one goal in the entire film: start the Clone Wars. Dooku has already become the leader of the Separatists and has seceded thousands of systems from the Republic. Sifo-Dyas had already created the Clone Army under the request of Hego Damask (Darth Plagueis) and had been assasinated by Dooku shortly after the creation. Dooku then went off to erase Kamino from the Jedi Archives, in order to keep the army a secret until the time was right.

As more and more Senators become aware of the army the Separatists are building and the threat they  pose to the Republic, the Military Creation Act starts to take strength, since the Jedi aren't enough in numbers to protect the Republic. Padme, now Senator of Naboo, goes to Coruscant to be against the act, when her ship is bombed after landing. This leads to a chain of events that make Obi-Wan go to Kamino and find out who is the mysterious bounty hunter sent to murder Amidala. He leaves his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo, in order to make him go in an assignment of his own.

What follows is a nice backdrop between a romantic, beautiful, almost dream-like scenes involving Anakin and Padme, and a more mysterious and dark tone to the story, as Obi-Wan seeks to unravel the mystery of the assasination attempt, which leads him to the clone army in Kamino and the discovery of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. He realizes that their is more going on that what can be perceived, and in a desperate chase to get some answers from Jango, he tracks him down all the way to the droid foundries of Geonosis. Obi-Wan gets confirmation of the creation of the droid army and every intention they have in attacking and overwhelming the Jedi. This is when Palpatine tricks Jar Jar into helping him, as he gains emergency powers and authorizes the use of the recently discovered clone army.

Anakin is still the only hope the galaxy has of being saved, but things only appear to get more complicated for him. His inability to save his mother from death makes him go through fear, anger, hatred and suffering. His love for Padme and his obligations to the Jedi Order only make him more conflicted in the inside.

As Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme are about to be executed, a series of events to save them occur, all of them leading to the start of the Clone Wars. Dooku returns secretly to an abandoned warehouse in Coruscant and meets with his master. Palpatine has accomplished his goal. While Obi-Wan is happy that the Clone Army gave the Republic a victory, Yoda realizes that the shroud of the dark side keeps falling, and that the Sith have some involvement in these series of events. Anakin and Padme quietly get married next to a beautiful lake, looking at the sunset.

Attack of the Clones is a lot like it's predecessor, with the exception that this story is darker but at the same time, it's more hopeful. Another great Star Wars film that get's bashed more for emotional reasons than anything else. It's still remembered rather well, by folks like me how went to see it in theaters when they were 8.

Finest Moments of the Film:

1. Yoda and the Younglings. It's one of the most innocent parts of the film, and certainly a great one.

2. When Obi-Wan and Lama-Su see the clone army training, followed later by Jango's duel with Obi-Wan. One of the best fights in the saga.

3. When Anakin is on his speeder bike and Duel of the Fates plays. It makes you think of the conflict he feels himself.

4. The scene where Jar Jar gives emergency powers to Palpatine. The speech he gives is so inspiring, it makes you believe for a few seconds that he has good intentions. Almost.

5. The fight in the arena on Geonosis, followed by Yoda's fight with Count Dooku. I always imagined that Yoda was an excellent swordsman before I saw the film.

6. The marriage of Anakin and Padme. If you don't think that's romantic, I don't know what is.

Rating: 10/10

The Death of the Main Villains Part 1

One of the often most criticized parts of Phantom Menace, and that of Episodes I-III in general, has to do with the appearance of the villains, in particular the Sith. The hateboys often times will go on record to say that they liked the fact that Darth Vader was a recurring villain in Episodes IV-VI, and that Darth Maul should have been the recurring villain of Episodes I-III. Here is why that was and is not a good idea. 

For starters, the idea of having Maul run away from a Padawan, just after he killed his own master, completely destroys the legitimacy of Episode I, and his own character. Maul's ''death'' brings closure to the film itself, and allows to elevate the character of Obi-Wan. A great part of the reason why I love Obi-Wan Kenobi, and why he has been my favorite Star Wars character ever  since I was a 5-year old boy who watched Phantom Menace in theaters, has to do with the fact that yes, he ''killed'' the supporting villain of the story. We obviously know that Jedi are only supposed to kill in self defense, and that is exactly what Obi-Wan did, which brings to show you how much he personifies the Jedi Code itself.

Going back to Maul, even if you find a way to keep him alive while not destroying Episode I, you still have to face the fact that it's going to be difficult for this guy to be running around from the Jedi for a decade until the Clone Wars start. He would have been more of Obi-Wan's foil than he ever was of Anakin, since well, Anakin only knew Qui-Gon for like a few days, while Qui-Gon had been Obi-Wan's father figure. Bringing Obi-Wan towards the dark side simply isn't how the story goes, nor is it in the nature of his character. And besides, a duel between Yoda and Maul simply won't work: Yoda would kick Maul's ass in five minutes similar to how Sidious kicked his ass in the Clone Wars. Having Maul die at the hands of Yoda would force Sidious to get some kind of apprentice to run the Separatists for him, and that villain would have had only minor screen time in Revenge of the Sith. So in the end, it was a wise choice to have Maul ''die'' in Episode I, and have Count Dooku be the villain later on. 

In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss about Maul's return in the Clone Wars, and how his return is different from that of other Star Wars characters. I will see if I can also talk about why Count Dooku is a great Star Wars villain. 

Star Wars Vacation

Well folks, I hate to break it to all of my loyal readers and fellow Star Wars fans who enjoy the six films as much as I do, or probably even more. But the truth is, I am in the state of a much-needed Star Wars vacation.

Star Wars to me used to be an entertainment franchise that I really enjoyed being a fan off. I still enjoy it. The problem now is that the spin and unexpected turn of events that have taken place in the last few months have been so life changing that quite frankly, I need some time to separate myself from all the paranoia and rumors and uncertain fate that the current franchise of Star Wars is in.

I'm fairly certain that The Clone Wars will return in the fall of 2013. I really see few evidence to the contrary. But at the same time, with a bunch of different projects coming along the way, the future of Star Wars is beyond uncertain. Now with Ahsoka gone from the Jedi, it's just too much for me to handle.

Way down deep inside me, something died the moment I saw Ahsoka walk away from the Jedi Temple. I'm not sure what it was. I do know however, that it's kind of sad Ahsoka's Jedi training was never complete. She could more or less handle a fight with General Grievous, but that was about it. It's depressing to think that at this point Ahsoka might loose her abilities to use the force, much like how Lorian Nod lost them in Legacy of the Jedi. At the same time, their are some parallels that I see within my own life and that of Ahsoka's. When I saw the Clone Wars movie, and we all were introduced to Ahsoka, I was just about to enter the 8th Grade. I was far more innocent back then, similar to how Ahsoka was. Now that I am in my senior year, and about to graduate from High School, the time has come for me to move on and begin my life at a university, perhaps in the United States, far from my home country. In that sense, Ahsoka is moving away from home also, with the difference that she will likely not come back, unlike myself.

For now I guess, it's time for me to dedicate myself to other more important matters. I won't leave this site permanently, but I won't be posting as often as I used to do. Once my mind is clear, and things in the Star Wars community aren't as messy as they are, I will return. For now at least, May the Force Be With You.

To Catch a Jedi Review

Well folks, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm pretty sure that Barriss Offee is the Jedi behind the attacks on the temple, and the disenfranchising of Ahsoka. When Eric Goldman from IGN proposed that idea, I didn't believe it at first, but all the evidence points towards that direction. We got to see more of that 1313 videogame scenario, and part of the Coruscant underworld, which is meant to be seen more in the upcoming Star Wars live action series in a few years. We also got to see how much further redeemed Asajj Ventress is at this point, and the alliance she had with Ahsoka was quite interesting. Mace Windu has been doubting on Anakin's ability from this time period, which will later turn out to be a catalyst in Anakin's fall to the dark side.

Anakin and Plo Koon managed to capture Ahsoka in the end, and the next and final episode of  Season 5 pinpoints towards the fact that we will see the trial Ahsoka will apparently be on. I wish to see how all of this is connected with the Sith Grand Plan, and see more questions answered on the next episode.

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.

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.

The Clone Wars First Half of the Season Review

Moving  away from all this Episode 7 speculation, I think it's time to talk about how the First Half of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 went. We have been comprised so far of two 4 part arcs, the Onderon arc and the Young Jedi one. Onderon proved to be an exciting arc, one in which we got to see the predecessors to the Rebel Alliance. The irony in all of this, is that it was Anakin's idea to organize the Rebels and train them in order to fight back the Separatists. Some saw this as showing Anakin's continuous descent towards the dark side, but I disagree: I think that it showed a great part about how Anakin managed to setup the path to his eventual redemption. One thing that did leave me confused was the fact that Ahsoka's relationship with Lux wasn't really taken forward from what we had seen in A Friend In Need. However, Steela's death might have been done on purpose in order for Lux and Ahsoka's relationship to actually flourish.

The Young Jedi arc opened up to see the interesting aspect about hoe the Jedi built their own lightsaber.  The addition of Huyang and the pirate Hondo made everything more interesting. Seeing Hondo drunk was all the more hilarious, and seeing General Grievous shine in this arc was even better. The Grievous vs. Ahsoka was a pretty intense, yet even match when considering the fact of how her fight was with Grievous way back in Season 1. 

I got to see at that point how the Season opener, Revival tied in to the destruction of Hondo's base. The return of Darth Maul and Savage Opress was what the audience was expecting from the get-go, and that episode proved to be one of the brilliants of the show.

Then came the Droids episodes which...many fans complain about. To be honest, the fans that don't want Star Wars to be a kid's show annoy the crap out of me, do to the fact that they forget that large parts of the Star Wars movies are told from the droids point of view. Seriously, will the stop complaining and enjoy the show? 

Secret Weapons proved to be a good episode, but it was really A Sunny Day in the Void, that struck me. Colonel Gascon's moment of despair and existencial questioning was one of the most philosophical of the show, without any Jedi involved in it, and the scene where the flock of birds come running and Wack ends up riding one of them was compelling, particularly when the bird did a kind of friendly gesture to Wack. What's funny of this is the fact that Wack is a droid, and it gives a theme of Animals and Robots, that I think has never been touched upon before. It was a scene that showed the innocent side of Star Wars some fans wish wouldn't exist. 

It was a very good first half, to say the least. I'm looking forward to seeing Gregor and Darth Maul return in the other half!!!

Who will be the villain(s) of Episode 7?

Another question that spurs up about the future of the Star Wars movies, is mostly about how will be the antagonist of Episodes 7-9. One answer that we should discard almost automatically out of the list, if the movies keep the prophecy of the Chosen One, which they probably will, is the appearance of the Sith Lords. A redeemed Anakin Skywalker throwed the Emperor towards a reactor shaft by the end of Return of the Jedi, thus destroying the Sith and so on. So without the Sith, who will play the cunning role of being the villain of the next films?

After watching The Clone Wars for a couple of seasons, and knowing the influence that George has on the show, I think it has become clear that a villain does not necessarily have to be a Sith to be a good one. Here are a couple of possibilities of who could be the next Star Wars villain:

1. The Nightsisters

When we went into the backstory of Asajj Ventress, we discovered that she originally came from a clan  of Witches from the planet Dathomir, known as Nightsisters. This clan of witches was known for being  practitioners of the dark side of the force, and had used the force differently from what we saw in both the Jedi and the Sith. The Nightsisters in particular, as seen in the show, aren't that powerful to be honest. General Grievous managed to kill almost all of the members save for Mother Talzin (below) the head of the clan. She clearly is far more powerful than the other Nightsisters, and has the kind of mystery that made the character of Darth Sidious so great. It's difficult to see if she will reorganize the clan to make them far more powerful and pave way to Episode VII, so for that we will have to tune in to the show to get some answers.

2. Force-wielders

This concept also taken from The Clone Wars, offers a very different insight to Star Wars, than anything we have seen before in the past. As we saw them in the Mortis trilogy, the so called force wielders were a group of beings that could manipulate the Force like no other being. The Daughter was the representation of the light side, the Son (below) of the dark, and the Father mantained the balance. Their is still a lot of mystery regarding what exactly happened in this series of episodes, and it remains even more mysterious when you counteract with the possibility of another Force-wielder making its way into the movie. For that, we will have to wait and see.

3. A Lightsaber wielding cyborg

Obviously, for this one  to work, the General Grievous type cyborg would have to be a sidekick to the real villain, much to how Grievous was in Episode III. Though he might be too much like Grievous if he can't use the Force. 

4. Former Jedi turned to the Dark Side

Similar too how Pong Krell served as a ''Dark'' Jedi in the Umbara arc back in Season 4, so could one of the villains be a former student to Luke who turned to the dark side. Again, he probably would have to as a sidekick villain. 

5. The Unknown Factor

A Star Wars movie without the Sith will not mean that their won't be lightsaber fights, nor that it won't be a good movie. I highly doubt that Lucas will overrun what he himself established in the movies, so it's likely that some sect of the dark side of the Force will be the next villain. So, the most likely contender, unless Lucas and the writers make one up from scratch, will be the Nightsisters, and possibly a force-wielder interacting. What do you guys think? 

Share your thoughts below.