The Star Wars Defender: Lando Calrissian

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the follow up to the extremely successful and world-changing space opera that was A New Hope. Lucas aimed to make a very different film from it's predecessor, leaving the end with a cliffhanger that left the audience divided. Nowadays it is widely regarded as the best Star Wars film, but more on that later.

According to the EU, Darth Vader goes off in the 3 year gap between Empire and Hope, to find out who was the Rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star. After all, he had sensed that the pilot was Force-sensitive and that he had been possibly trained by Obi-Wan. Eventually he found out the pilot's name.

Luke Skywalker.

Vader was more than obsessed with finding out who was Luke Skywalker. He began at that point to ask himself if whether or not the Emperor had told him the truth regarding Padme's death at his hands. He realized that his last name could not be a mere coincidence and he was determined to find out at all costs, whether or not Luke was his son. Empire is essentially, Darth Vader's hunt down for Luke Skywalker, although several don't actually see it that way. It's also important to note that the events that take place in Episode V are spread out in a matter of a few months, while the events in all the other Star Wars films take place in a matter of days.

Palpatine on the other hand, finds out after a disturbance in the Force, that Luke Skywalker is becoming stronger in the Force, and comes somehow to the conclusion that he is both the son of Anakin and the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star. He then contacts Vader while he is in hot pursuit of the Millenium Falcon, and tells him his discovery. It is in that moment, when Sidious tells Vader that Luke is his son, that he finds out. The 2004 Edition changed the narrative of the story, and in several ways, I believe it improved it. Palpatine obviously knows that Luke is an enemy that has to be destroyed. Vader offers the possibility of turning him to the dark side, something the Emperor had apparently not thought about until Vader mentions it. Darth Vader from that point on, has only one goal in the remainder of the Star Wars saga: To make Luke his Sith apprentice and overthrow the Emperor. Palpatine on the other hand, wants to replace Vader with Luke.

Light years away, Luke Skywalker is training on Dagobah at the hands of revered Jedi Master Yoda. Yoda struggles to teach an impatient Luke in the ways of the Force, but still manages to accomplish a significant change in only a few months on young Luke. However, a disturbing vision that Luke has makes him realize that his friends are in danger, and must leave to the Bespin system. Obi-Wan and Yoda fear that he might fall in the same trap his father fell, and loose hope of saving the galaxy.

Luke goes off to the lion's den in order to save his friends. Meanwhile, after Han Solo, Leia, Chewie and C-3PO have been running around the galaxy to escape from the Empire, they decide to go into Cloud City, a small post in the gas giant Bespin, that is not only run by Han Solo's best friend Lando Calrissian, but is also small enough to not be noticed by the Empire. The only problem is, basically, that the now elite bounty hunter Boba Fett, a mere kid in Attack of the Clones, is after Solo due to the fact that he owes money to Jabba the Hutt, and Jabba has already got very impatient with him. Boba Fett gets assistance from the Empire in order to capture Han Solo, due to the fact that Darth Vader knows it will lure Luke Skywalker.

Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite and flies off in Boba's Slave I. Leia meanwhile, is torn for his love with the smuggler and her duty in the Rebellion. Luke then goes off to confront Darth Vader. Despite the fact that he has trained hard in order to confront him, he is still no match for him. Later, after Luke looses his arm and lightsaber, he is confronted with the horrible truth of his parentage.

Vader: If only you knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Skywalker: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Vader: No, I am your father.

That my friends, was the phrase that changed the story dramatically. Luke then falls to his death before being rescued by the Millenium Falcon. Vader is later, conflicted about what to do with regards to his son.

Empire is widely regarded today as the best Star Wars film. While several of the hateboys use it as ''proof'' to say that Lucas was a bad director, I tend to think that while a great Star Wars film, it's not neccesarily the best.

Best Moments of the Film:

1. Obi-Wan's call to Luke to go to Dagobah. It's the first time we see Obi-Wan as a force ghost.

2. Yoda's training of Luke, in particular the scene in which they lift the X-Wing.

3. Palpatine's and Darth Vader's conversation in the Executor.

4. Lando's greeting of Han Solo. One of the funniest moments in the films.

5. Han and Leia's love departure before Han Solo is frozen in carbonite.

6. ''I Am Your Father''

Rating: 10/10

jueves, 22 de noviembre de 2012

What will the new Star Wars be about?

That is obviously a question I don't know the answer to, and we probably only have vague ideas about it. For one, the story of Star Wars, as we saw it in the movies, was mainly about the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker and how with the help of his son, he destroys the Sith and fulfills the prophecy of the Chosen One, and also brings balance to the force. So, as things had been beautifully ended in Return of the Jedi, it is difficult to imagine what could have happened later. Obviously, the EU fans will tell you a long, winding and depressing soap opera set in a series of books, comics, and other media. But as far as we know, that is not the story George Lucas intended to tell with his movies. If anything as it's shown in this quote dating back to the early 80's, Luke's story and that of the other characters would be dramatically different from what the EU has said so far:

“The prequel stories exist — where Darth Vader came from, the whole story about Darth and Ben Kenobi — and it all takes place before Luke was born,” Lucas explained at the time. “The other one — what happens to Luke afterward — is much more ethereal. I have a tiny notebook full of notes on that. If I’m really ambitious, I could proceed to figure out what would have happened to Luke.”

Now, when I first read this, I wasn't sure of what exactly ethereal meant. So by then, I decided to look it up in a dictionary, and according to their definition, ethereal means the following:

1. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.
2.Heavenly or spiritual.

Now as we speak if we interpret correctly this quote from George Lucas, about how the Sequel trilogy would be, we can see that he didn't really change his mind about how the Prequels were. The story of Obi-Wan and Anakin was meant to be a tragic one, while Luke's story in the story was meant to be basically the complete opposite. So if George wants to make these sequel films, to make them be like how he originally intended to, he is going to have to ignore the EU post ROTJ, meaning that he either renders it non-canon or puts it in an alternative timeline. Obviously, this would make several fans of the EU angry, but well that is another story.

The important thing to note, is that besides the fact that the EU might get thrown out of the way, their is still much mystery to what will happen in Star Wars Episode VII. We know very little, only rumors that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee-Williams are willing to come back and reprise their roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. It's very likely that these movies are going to be much more ethereal than the others, but besides that our speculations are virtually driving everyone nuts in the Star Wars fanbase. We will have to wait and see what comes next.