Hopes for Roque One

Can I say I am excited? Yay, another star wars film. And, I am so hopeful for this story line. A little disappointed to just learn it won't be followed by a sequel, showboating the exploits of these characters, which could have, theoretically, put us in a position to have a Star Wars film every Christmas for the next 4 years? Disney, Lucas, Disney, Lucas... Kind of a sweet deal for Lucas, might I say. Speaking of which, I get that the 20th century fox fanfare shouldn't have accompanied Disney's Star Wars release, but I think I, out of a sense of historical tribute, would have added it, because the to me that build up that breaks into the Star Wars theme just sells it. In fact, I can't hear the preamble fanfare without having the Star Wars theme follow. Don't you imagine that doing so might have actually increased esteem with Disney, like recognizing who passed you the torch, before saying, 'we got it from here, see ya.'

 

Speaking of preambles, we should probably clear up this confusion. A thousand Bothans did not die to bring us this next film. The Bothan died gathering intel on where the Emperor would be, which just happened to be the second Death Star.

 

Still, even though Disney has taken over, Lucas has exerted a great deal of control how things will roll out. I can certainly appreciate that to a degree. I mean, he did bring us this, and it has forever dominated his life, since. For example, before passing it off to Disney he was very clear, "You can't have wheeled vehicles in the star wars universe! It's either mechanical legs, antigravity, or hovercraft tech." I am surprised that needed to be stipulated. That said, given that stipulation, how and the heck did the "Hot Wheels" cars end up making "Star Wars" cars with wheels? So, it's okay to break rules for merchandising to acquire more money, but you can't allow that there might be one culture out there, like primitive Ewoks, that invented the wheel before they have hover bikes? Really?

 

Do you hear my love hate with Lucas? There are some really good writers out there in the world, and maybe had we enlisted some of them, we wouldn't have had to 'borrow' lines from the original movies and put them in every movie and episode of star wars television. For example, "I have a bad feeling about this" was use in almost every episode of "SW Clone Wars." Yeah, it was a great line. I liked when Han Solo first uttered it. It diminished in impact with ever new utterance.

 

There is this hidden story that didn't get approved for the book series, that explains the origins of humans and how they got be in a galaxy far far away, a long time ago. And so it is not part of the cannon, which is odd because there are so many star wars stories out there that there are actually conflict in stories and concepts, why not this one? Heck, even Lucas had inconsistencies. Like, Jedi go out of their way to live like monks and not procreate, right? Children who are found randomly to have force abilities are brought in for training, and there is an age limit, which Yoda actually broke to train Luke. "Too old to start the training he is..." So, making the Skywalker family line specially endowed as if force abilities are genetically inherited as opposed to something all humans, or species, might have access to was a bit irritating. Other wise, all Jedi should have children.

 

"OMG, Jon, it's just a movie!" Yeah, I get it. And I love it, and crave it, and I led with "I am really hyped for this one," but I also like Westerns, and if the cowboy has a six shooter and he is shooting eight, nine, ten time without reloading, I get a bit perturbed. I like my fantasy with a touch of realism, kind of like I like my chocolate with a dab of peanut butter.

 

But, this kind of dialogue is fun. I probably won't get to see it on the release weekend. But I am excited. I wish I had Jedi outfit so I could go in costume. And one last bit intrigue. The lead character will be played by Felicity Jones. Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo also played Indiana Jones, which means, this is a cross over! That's how humans got to be there. (Okay, I am just being ridiculous.) No really! They were abducted in that really awful movie about the skull and the alien and... Okay. Maybe not. But bet you, there is a connection somewhere. Maybe Felicity's character is "Rey's" mother, which would make me so much more happy than discovering she is another Skywalker kid abandoned on a desolated, desert world with no parental involvement. That's like, so cliché Disney. Orphans! No, really. Can you name a Disney movie that didn't have the kids smarter than the parents or had no parents? Not saying I don't like Disney movies, I grew up with them, but just saying...

 

Then again, I have evidence my 2 year old is smarter than I am. He better like star wars, that's all I can say. LOL