The new "Star Wars" trailer

To be very clear, I want to like this film. I'm not a fanboi simply waiting to denigrate whatever they make. I'm just really curious about how they approach it, because the questions I'm raising? I guarantee you J.J. Abrams and company thought about them, as well.

The new "Rocky" reboot had many of these same obstacles: How do you reboot a franchise that, distilled, was David vs. Goliath? They pulled it off, though, by essentially following the blueprint of the original 1976 plot, and layering it with a resonant theme about time catching up with all of us.

 

Star Wars and Star Trek geeks -- and comic book geeks to a lesser extent -- will never be happy, so it's pretty useless trying to cater to them.

Make a good movie and all the other nonsense will take care of itself.

 

But there are different kind of "Star Wars" "geeks," right?

There are the people who read all the EU books, and hypothesize from canon about why Luke kept his last name.

And there are the people like me, who, like I posted above, see "Star Wars" as a self-contained epic tale, not a sprawling universe created on a foundation of opportunism.

 

Got Star Wars tickets for Christmas Day. I'm thinking that this movie will set up the other 2 very nicely

 

I'm pissed. When they announced the release two years ago, I told my wife all I wanted for my birthday was to see the film and get a steak at my favorite restaurant (and, you know, maybe a little something extra ). When the tickets went on sale in November during the Monday Night Football game, I bought a pair for the local IMAX 3D, center-screen, 3/4 of the way back.

Just found out last week that my aunt planned our family Christmas get-together for the same night and there's no way for me to see the film and get to the party. Now, I'm unlikely to have time to see it before 2016. Fuckin' A.

 

That's not a "geek" to me. I get what you're saying, but in the end, if the movie is well done, you won't care about all that other stuff.

 

Usually I am not a fan of Hollywood recycling old franchises, but after seeing "Creed," I kind of like the idea of being able to follow beloved characters into the twilight of their lives. I've seen some complain that the inclusion of Han Solo, Leia, etc., is just pandering to nostalgia. But - and I'm going to continue to make this comparison, because I think it's apt - that certainly wasn't how the Rocky Balboa character was handled this time around. He is, at this point, a 3D character with a continuing compelling arc. I think there is room for Han Solo and Leia's characters to continue and complete their arcs in a satisfying way. I'm not as convinced about Luke, because his loop seemed to close. Though I would have said the same about Rocky Balboa after the first "Rocky." And probably about Luke after "Star Wars," though it is impossible for me to put myself into a position where I don't know what came after it.

 

I thought the whole "I am your father" bit was the least compelling part of the original trilogy. I understand it was necessary and set up the three prequels, but the fight between Luke and Darth was a yawner. Maybe Luke didn't sell it so well. He was getting kind of whiny to be honest.

One reason I am not such a Return of the Jedi fan. That and the fake-looking Ewoks.

 

Granted, I was 6 years old, but Vader coming from the blind side to take out the Emperor was one of the most thrilling moments I can recall seeing in a theater. Heading into "Empire," Lucas faced the same conundrum that Abrams faces now: How do you out-epic "Star Wars"? I mean, my God, the original was essentially based upon Joseph Campbell's blueprint of the hero's journey, with homage after homage to westerns and Samurai movies mixed in. Not to mention Nazi imagery for flavor. Maybe it was clumsily handled, but I thought the father-son bit was a terrific save.

 

With Luke Skywalker, I guess the big question is how does he process all that he's been through personally and spiritually, as well as handle being the savior of the galaxy?
He turned away from the dark side of the force, but is he still haunted by how close he came to embracing it? Is he afraid that that he still has that potential to be evil? And then what's it like to see the war and the Empire continue on, after sacrificing so much and scoring what seemed to be a decisive victory?
There's places to go with these characters, once you step back from the happy ending of Return of the Jedi and realize that life goes on.

 

MSNBC host says Star Wars is racist because Darth Vader is wearing blackface:

Melissa Harris Perry Says Star Wars Is Racist Because Darth Vader Is Black | RedState

 

I wish I had clicked the link before I went searching for that Hooper X clip.