Below are a few samples of food and drinks that were created for the "STAR WARS" franchise - including the ten movies and two television series produced by Lucasfilm, the current Disney canon novels, the non-canon Extended Universe (EU) novels and video games:
"STAR WARS" CUISINE
Blue Milk aka Bantha Milk - A rich blue-colored milk that was produced by female banthas. Sentients drank it, and used it in ice cream, butter and yogurt. It was especially available on Outer Rim planets like Tatooine, Lothal, and Lah'mu.
Eopie Cream Pie - A delicious and popular dessert that was kept as a closely guarded secret by the Kingal family. It is believed that the dessert was made from the cream of the Eopie, a quadruped herbivore native to the planet Tatooine. No one knows whether the cream was created from Eeopie milk or the animal's meat.
Tranna Nougat Cream - A sweet candy that was extremely difficult to make. It was favored by the rich and powerful.
Corellian Fried Ice Cream - A popular dessert that originated on Corellia. It was made from ice cream native to the planet; Soypro, a meat substitute, Carbosyrup and water. It could also be found on Endor.
Shuura - An exotic yellow and cream colored fruit that was sweet and juicy. It was a favorite of Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. The syrup from the fruit was used as a flavouring for a certain drink at Dex's Diner on Coruscant.
Nuna Drumsticks - A type of food that came from the Nuna, a reptavian gamebird that was native to Naboo. The animal was commonly called a "swamp turkey".
Shawda Club Sandwich - A sandwich made from slices of Manpha-fowl meat, Nuna bacon, Revwien lettuce, and topatos on toasted or therm-zapped pseudograin bread. It was a popular item at Dex's Diner on Coruscant.
THE "STAR WARS" PREQUEL MOVIES . . . AND MACE WINDU
I came across this article on the RETRO ZAP website about the "STAR WARS" Prequel movies called "Beyond Good & Evil in the Prequels", written by Michael O’Connor. And while I had no problems with most of the article, I had a problem when he centered his focus on Mace Windu.
In a passage from the article, Mr. O'Connor wrote:
"Mace Windu, in particular, is a scowling character who seems fond of putting fools in their place, whether it’s a fellow Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn or Anakin Skywalker or an adversary like Count Dooku or Chancellor Palpatine.
But the most telling moment for the character may come in Revenge of the Sith, when he insists to Anakin that Palpatine is 'too powerful to be left alive!' It can’t be a coincidence that Lucas has him parroting a line Palpatine said to Anakin earlier in the film after Skywalker insists that killing an unarmed Dooku is not the Jedi Way. 'He was too dangerous to be kept alive', Palpatine casually notes in that moment."
Mace seemed "fond of putting fools in their place" . . . including Anakin Skywalker and Qui-Gon Jinn? What exactly was Mr. O’Connor trying to say? That Master Windu, one of the senior members of the Jedi Council, had no right to put others in their place when they stepped out of line? Why? Was it because the character was not featured in the Original Trlogy? Or was it because Master Windu was portrayed by an African-American actor? Had Mr. O'Connor really forgotten that other Jedi characters like Qui-Gon, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ki Adi Mundi had done the same?
And why did Mr. O’Connor point out Mace’s attempt to kill Palpatine in "STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH", yet failed to point out Yoda’s murder attempt on the same character? In the same movie? Was Mr. O’Connor trying to say that as a character portrayed by a black actor, Mace did not have the right to step out of line in such a manner? Only Yoda was allowed? He pointed out that Yoda had not only accepted the Clone Army on behalf of the Republic, he also led them into battle on Geonosis in “ATTACK OF THE CLONES”. He also pointed out Yoda’s lies to Luke Skywalker or withholding of the truth about Anakin/Vader’s true identity. But he failed to point out Yoda’s attempt to murder Palpatine. Why?
Mr. O’Connor also pointed out Obi-Wan Kenobi’s condescending attitude toward beings he considered as lesser being - like Jar-Jar Binks and nine year-old Anakin Skywalker. Yet, he failed to point out Obi-Wan’s capitulation to rage after Darth Maul had struck down his Jedi master, Qui-Gon Jinn in "STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE". Mr. O’Connor failed to point out Obi-Wan’s attempt to convince the older Anakin to spy on Chancellor Palpatine (whom the Jedi believed had a Sith Lord within his circle), even when the younger man felt uncomfortable about the suggestion. And he failed to point out that Obi-Wan had left a disabled Anakin to slowly burn to death on a lava bank, following their duel on Mustafar. Many claim that Obi-Wan could not bring himself to quickly kill his former apprentice . . . as if his lack of action was something merciful. As far as I am concerned, it was not. Leaving someone to slowly die in agony does not strike me as merciful.
I admire Mr. O’Connor’s attempt to point out that the "STAR WARS" saga was not one painted in a black-and-white morality. Well, most of it. And I admire his willingness to appreciate the moral ambiguity in George Lucas’ tale - especially in the Prequel Trilogy. What I did not appreciate was his willingness to use Mace Windu as the main scapegoat for the mistakes of the Jedi Order. Or paint the character as the worst offender within that organization. If he was so willing to point out the worst that Master Windu had done, he could have done the same for not only the other Jedi characters, but other characters within the Prequel Trilogy as well.
"STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983) Review
The third movie and sixth episode of George Lucas' original STAR WARS saga, "STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI", has become something of a conundrum for me. It was the first STAR WARS movie that immediately became a favorite of mine. But in the years that followed, my opinion of the film had changed.
Directed by Richard Marquand, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" picked up a year after "STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" left off. The movie begins with the arrival of the Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Vader to the Empire's new Darth Star, which had been in construction above the moon of Endor. Luke Skywalker, Jedi-in-training and Rebel Alliance pilot, finally construct a plan to rescue his friend, Han Solo, from the Tatooine gangster Jabba the Hutt. His plan nearly fails, despite help from Princess Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca and his droids C3-P0 and R2-D2. Despite the odds against them, the group of friends finally succeed in rescuing Han and killing Jabba.
Following the Tatooine rescue, Luke returns to Dagobah to finish his Jedi training with Jedi Master Yoda. However, Luke discovers Yoda on the verge of death from old age. When the old Jedi Master finally dies, Obi-Wan Kenobi's ghost appears and verifies what Luke had learned on Bespin in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" - that Darth Vader is his father, Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan insists that Luke has to kill his father in order to destroy the Sith Order, but the latter is reluctant to commit patricide. Eventually, Luke returns to the Rebel Alliance rendezvous point, and volunteers to assist his friends in their mission to destroy the the Death Star.
I was not kidding when I stated that "RETURN OF THE JEDI" was the first STAR WARS movie to become a personal favorite of mine. I disliked "A NEW HOPE" when I first saw it. It took me nearly a decade to get over my dislike and embrace it. "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" creeped me out a bit, due to its dark plot, the revelation of Darth Vader's true identity and Han's unhappy fate. The movie has become one of my two favorites in the franchise. But I loved"RETURN OF THE JEDI" from the beginning. By then, I finally learned to embrace Lucas' saga. And the positive ending with no potential of a sequel made me equally happy. And yet . . . my feelings toward the movie gradually changed. Although I still maintained positive feelings toward the movie, I ceased to regard it as my personal favorite from theSTAR WARS franchise.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" did have its problems. One, the movie featured both a second Death Star and Luke's return to Tatooine. For me, this signalled an attempt by George Lucas to recapture some of the essence from the first movie, "A NEW HOPE". In other words, I believe Lucas used the Death Star and Tatooine to relive the glory of the first movie for those fans who had been disappointed with "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". And there is nothing that will quickly turn me off is an artist who is willing to repeat the past for the sake of success.
Tatooine proved to be an even bigger disappointment, especially since I have never been fond of the sequence at Jabba's palace. I never understood why it took Luke and his friends an entire year to find Han. Boba Fett had made his intentions to turn Han over to Jabba very clearly in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". So, why did it take them so long to launch a rescue? Exactly what was Luke's rescue plan regarding Han in the first place? Not long after she arrived with Chewbacca, Leia made her own attempt to free Han from the carbonite block and failed. Had Luke intended for this to happen? Had he intended to be tossed into a pit with a Rancor? Were all of these minor incidents merely parts of Luke's plan to finally deal with Jabba on the latter's sail barge? If so, it was a piss-poor and convoluted plan created by Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" also featured the development of Luke's skills with the Force. Since the movie made it clear that he had not seen Yoda since he departed Dagobah in order to rescue Han, Leia and Chewbacca from Bespin; I could not help but wonder how Luke managed to develop his Force skills without the help of a tutor. I eventually learned that Luke honed his Force skills by reading a manual he had found inside Obi-Wan Kenobi's Tatooine hut. Frankly, I find this scenario ludicrous. Luke's conversation with Obi-Wan's ghost on Dagobah featured one major inconsistency. Obi-Wan claimed that Owen Lars was his brother, in whose care he left Luke. Considering Obi-Wan's unemotional response to Owen's death in "A NEW HOPE", I found this hard to believe and could not help but view Obi-Wan's words as a major blooper. Especially since Obi-Wan had reacted with more emotion over Luke's reluctance to become a Jedi and kill Darth Vader.
Many fans have complained about the cheesy acting and wooden dialogue found the Prequel Trilogy movies. These same fans have failed to notice similar flaws in the Original Trilogy movies, including "RETURN OF THE JEDI". Especially"RETURN OF THE JEDI". Mind you, the movie did feature some first-rate performances. But none of it came from Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. I really enjoyed Ford and Fisher's performances in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". But I feel they really dropped the ball in "RETURN OF THE JEDI". They seemed to be phoning in their performances and the Leia/Han ended up rather wooden and unsatisfying to me. This was especially apparent in the scene in which Leia, after learning the truth about Vader's identity, seemed too upset to answer Han's demanding questions about her conversation with the departed Luke. Both Fisher and Ford really came off as wooden in that scene. When I had first saw "RETURN OF THE JEDI", I despised the Ewoks. My feelings for them have somewhat tempered over the years. But I still find them rather infantile, even for a STAR WARS movie. Although I no longer dislike the Ewoks, I still find that village scene in which C3-P0 revealed the past adventures of Luke and his friends very cheesy and wince-inducing. Unlike the past two films, the camaraderie between the group seemed forced . . . and very artificial. The Ewok village scene also revealed a perplexing mystery - namely the dress worn by Leia in this image:
For years, I have wondered why Leia would carry such a dress with her, during the mission to Endor. I eventually learned that the Ewoks created the dress for her, after she became their guest. And I could not help but wonder why they had bothered in the first place. Luke and Han did not acquire new outfits from the Ewoks after they became the latter's guests. And how did the Ewoks create the dress so fast? Within a matter of hours?
Thankfully, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" had plenty of virtues. One of those virtues turned out to be Mark Hamill, who gave the best and probably the most skillful performance in the movie as Luke Skywalker. Unlike the previous two movies, Luke has become a more self-assured man and Force practitioner, who undergoes his greatest emotional journey in his determination to learn the complete story regarding his family's past and help his father overcome any remaining connections to the Sith. He was ably supported by James Earl Jones (through voice) and David Prowse (through body movement), who skillfully conveyed Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker's growing dissatisfaction with the Sith and himself."RETURN OF THE JEDI" also marked the real debut of Ian McDiarmid's portrayal of politician and Sith Lord Palpatine aka Darth Sidious. Although the actor achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Palpatine in the Prequel Trilogy movies, I must say that I was impressed by his performance in this film. McDiarmid was in his late 30s at the time, but I he did a first-rate job in portraying Palpatine as a powerful and intelligent Sith Lord and galactic leader, whose skills as a manipulator has eroded from years of complacency and arrogance. Billy Dee Williams returned as ex-smuggler Lando Calrissian, who has joined the Rebel Alliance cause. Although his portrayal of Lando did not strike me as memorable as I did in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", I believe he did a very solid job - especially in the Battle of Endor sequence. I finally have to comment on the Jabba the Hutt character, who proved to be very memorable thanks to Larry Ward's voiceovers and the puppeteer team supervised by David Barclay.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" also featured some first-rate action scenes. The best, in my opinion, was the speeder bike sequence in which Luke and Leia chased a squad of Imperial stormtroopers on patrol through the Endor forest. This sequence was actually shot in the Redwood National Forest in California. The combined talents of Lucas, Marquand's direction, Alan Hume's photography, the ILM special effects, Ben Burtt's sound effects (which received an Oscar nomination) and especially the editing team of Sean Barton, Marcia Lucas and Duwayne Dunham made this sequence one of the most exciting, nail biting and memorable ones in the entire saga. But there were other scenes and sequences that impressed me. Despite my dislike of the entire sequence featuring the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, I cannot deny that the scene aboard Jabba's sail barge proved to be entertaining. Even the ground battle between the Imperial forces and the Rebel forces (assisted by the Ewoks) proved to be not only entertaining, but also interesting. The idea of the Ewoks utilizing the natural elements of Endor to battle and defeat Imperial technology provided an interesting message on the superiority of nature. And if I must be honest, I found the destruction of this second Death Star to be more exciting than the first featured in "A NEW HOPE".
Despite the barrage of action scenes, there were a few dramatic scenes that I found impressive. The best one proved to be the confrontation between Luke, Vader and Palpatine aboard the second Death Star. Luke and Papatine's battle of wills over Vader's soul not only provided some interesting performances from Hamill, Earl Jones/Prowse and McDiarmid; it also resulted in one of the most emotionally satisfying moments in the movie. Another excellent dramatic scene featured Luke's discussion with Obi-Wan's ghost regarding Vader's true identity. Both Hamill and Alec Guinness gave excellent performances in the scene. It also, rather surprisingly, revealed the flawed aspect of the Jedi's righteous nature for the very first time.
After the release of the six STAR WARS movies produced by George Lucas, I realized that I no longer regarded "RETURN OF THE JEDI" as the best in the saga. Unfortunately, I now rate it as the least most satisfying film in the saga, so far. Certain plot holes and some weak performances made it impossible for me to view it with such high esteem. Yet, I cannot say that I dislike the film. In fact, I still enjoyed it very much, thanks to a first-rate performance by Mark Hamill, who really held the movie together; some excellent action sequences and a surprising, yet satisfying twist that ended the tale of one Anakin Skywalker. Despite its flaws, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" still managed to be a very satisfying movie.
Here is the sixth article on moral ambiguity found in the STAR WARS saga: "The Moral Landscape of the STAR WARS Saga"Luke SkywalkerI had pointed out in a previous article that it would seem difficult to discuss moral ambiguity for the STAR WARScharacter, Padmé Amidala. Many fans of George Lucas' franchise seemed to regard her as an ideal character. And if I may be honest, I sense that many fans seemed to harbor similar feelings her son, Luke Skywalker. The three STAR WARS films released between 1977 and 1983 did not hesitate to reveal Luke's character virtues and flaws. But whenever his character is discussed on many Internet message boards and forums like TheForce.Net, his virtues are consistently focused upon and his flaws are either ignored or given lip service. More importantly, Luke is routinely compared to his father, Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader - usually to the latter's detriment. Many fans tend to use this comparison and his "moral triumph" in the 1983 film, "STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI" as reasons why Luke should have been regarded as "the Chosen One", namely the one character destined to bring balance to the Force. In fact, it seemed as if Luke has more or less become the STAR WARS Saga's "Golden Boy".Many fans would probably claim that Luke deserves the title. From the moment he was introduced as a Tatooine farmboy in 1977's "STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE" to his final confrontation aboard the second Death Star with his Jedi-turned-Sith father and the latter's Imperial master, Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious; Luke has accomplished a good deal. With the help of the older Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, he managed to save Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan from execution aboard the first Death Star. He used the Force to successfully blow up the latter. He rose to the rank of Commander and squadron leader after three years as a Rebel Alliance pilot. Luke served with distinction in many battle, including the Battles of Yavin and Hoth. He trained to become a Jedi Knight for a few months under the aging Jedi Master Yoda. And with the use of Obi-Wan's training manual, he completed most of his training on his own. Luke plotted and led the rescue of his friend Han from the clutches of the Tatooine gangster, Jabba the Hutt. But Luke's biggest triumph in the eyes of fans was his ability to overcome his own anger in the face of the Sith and avoid succumbing to evil - something his father had obviously failed to do. I suspect that many would find themselves asking what would be the point of discussing the moral ambiguity of a character like Luke Skywalker?Senator Padmé Amidala Skywalker gave birth to Luke and his twin sister, Leia Organa, on the moon of Polis Massa at the close of the Clone Wars. Following the twins' births, she died while declaring her husband's potential for good. The witnesses to Padmé’s death - Obi-Wan, Yoda and Prince Bail Organa of Alderaan - deemed it necessary to separate the twins and hide them from their father and the Emperor Palpatine. Bail decided that he and his wife, Queen Breha of Alderaan, would adopt Leia. Obi-Wan decided to hand over Luke to Anakin's stepbrother and sister-in-law, Owen and Beru Lars, on Tatooine. He also remained on Tatooine to keep an eye on the boy. Luke grew up learning very little about his father and nothing at all about his mother, thanks to the Lars. During his boyhood, Luke not only became a talented pilot thanks to practice runs through Beggar Canyon, but also his uncle's farmhand.Judging from one particular scene in "A NEW HOPE", I got the impression that Owen had hoped Luke would follow in his footsteps and become a moisture farmer. In other words, he had hoped Luke would take over the family farm. But Luke had no desire to become a farmer. From the moment he entered his teens - probably earlier - he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a pilot. During an argument with Owen, he even expressed a desire to join the Imperial Academy. During a period of time, Luke and Owen seemed to be engaged in some kind tug-of-war regarding their personal desires. In the end, Owen's purchase of a pair of droids from a group of Jawas finally settled the matter. With tragic circumstances.When the saga's first movie hit the screens, audiences were introduced to Luke's personality flaws. He proved to be restless, impatient and at first, incapable of going against Owen Lars' wishes in order to follow his own path. It took the deaths of Owen and Lars at the hands of Imperial stormtroopers searching for R2-D2 and C3-P0, the droids that Owen had recently purchased. But many STAR WARS fans claim that despite these flaws, Luke was basically an ideal or near ideal character. In fact, they usually claim that one of Luke's more admirable traits was his healthy attitude toward personal attachments. Unlike Anakin, Luke seemed more capable of letting go of his emotional attachments and facing the death or possible deaths of those close to him. His reaction to Owen and Beru Lars' deaths in "A NEW HOPE" has been constantly used as a prime example of this virtue on his part. After my latest viewing of the movie, I feel that I cannot agree. I believe there was a reason why Luke took their deaths with so little turmoil. I suspect that Luke's emotional connection to Owen and Beru was not as strong as many like to believe. Think about it. Unlike Queen Breha and Prince Bail Organa, who gave Leia their surname; the Lars never did the same for Luke. And Owen did his best to manipulate Luke into remaining on the farm, despite the latter's desire to leave. I suspect that Luke may have been saddened by his uncle and aunt's deaths. Yet, I also believe that a small part of him was relieved that he could finally leave Tatooine and follow his own path. And furthermore, I believe one should question Luke's reason to pursue Jedi training. I suspect that Obi-Wan's revelation of Anakin's past as a Jedi Knight and his own desire for knowledge of a father he never really knew, led him to consider becoming a Jedi Knight, instead of any serious consideration of this path.One of the true reason why I believe Luke's reaction to the Lars' deaths was not a strong argument for his ability to let go of attachments . . . was his reaction to Obi-Wan Kenobi's death aboard the Death Star in the same movie. He had not taken the Jedi Master's death very well. Luke became very close to Obi-Wan, despite spending a brief period in the latter's company. When he saw Darth Vader strike down the Jedi Master during a duel, Luke reacted with surprise . . . and anger. In fact, he was so upset over Obi-Wan's death that he began firing his blaster at the Imperials in a blind rage, oblivious to the danger that surrounded himself and his companions. It took the voice of Obi-Wan's Force ghost to convince Luke to finally make a run for the Millennium Falcon, so they could all make their escape from the Death Star. Even worse, this would prove to be the first of several times in which Luke displayed his inability to let go of his attachments. Obi-Wan Kenobi was not the only one to whom Luke had formed an attachment in "A NEW HOPE". By the end of the movie, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and the droids 3P0 and R2-D2 had become part of his new family. So whenever a member or members of this family faced danger from the Empire, Luke naturally reacted . . . but not in a positive way. Following the disastrous Battle of Hoth in "STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", Luke continued his Jedi training under Master Yoda on Dagobah. His training ended on an abrupt note when he received visions of Leia, Han and Chewbacca facing danger on the Bespin mining colony. Despite warnings from Yoda and Obi-Wan's Force ghost that he was ending his Jedi training too soon and might be walking into a trap, Luke was determined to travel to Bespin and rescue his friends. So what happened? Well, Luke failed to rescue his friends. Han ended up frozen in carbonite and carted away by bounty hunter Boba Fett to Jabba the Hutt. Luke engaged in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, got one of his hands chopped off and discovered that the Sith Lord was his father, Anakin Skywalker. Oh . . . and it was Leia, Chewbacca and Han's old friend Lando Calrissian who ended up rescuing him from certain death. All of this came about due to Luke's unwillingness to accept the possibility of his friends' deaths or his belief that only he could save them. Also, some of Luke's other negative traits reappeared as well in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". His impatience shone through during his first meeting with Yoda. His stubbornness revealed itself in his determination to leave Dagobah and rescue Leia and Han on Bespin. And his reliance upon aggression shone through during his time inside that cave on Dagobah.By the time Luke's story picked up in "RETURN OF THE JEDI", his skills with the Force had increased, thanks to Obi-Wan's training manual. Luke seemed calmer, more patient and perhaps a bit wiser. This increase of wisdom and perception not only seemed obvious in his actions during the Rebel Alliance mission on the Endor moon, but also in his opinion of Lord Vader. One could say that Luke's view was influenced by blood connection. But Luke had made it clear to Obi-Wan's ghost that he had used his instincts and sensed the possibility of Vader's redemption. Only Obi-Wan refused to listen. As it turned out, the Force was not through with Luke Skywalker.As I had earlier stated, the young Jedi Knight seemed to be at peace with himself in the 1983 film. And he was also determined to help his father find redemption, as well. And if that failed, Luke was willing to face death at the hands of Vader and Palpatine. However, two moments of emotional manipulation - from both Palpatine and Vader - exposed Luke's continuing weakness for attachments. Luke tried to resist fighting Vader before the Emperor aboard the second Death Star. But when the latter revealed that he had manipulated the events that led to Battle of Endor in the hopes of wiping out the Rebel Alliance for good, Luke raised his lightsaber in order to strike Palpatine. This act led to a second duel with his father. And when Luke refused to continue the duel, Vader taunted him with the knowledge of a twin sister (Leia) and his determination to recruit her to the Sith Order. Not surprisingly, Luke lost his temper and literally assaulted his father.Luke seemed to be on the verge of beating Vader to death, when he stopped, tossed aside his lightsaber and declared himself "a Jedi", as his father had once been. This was the moment that made Luke the Saga's "Golden Boy" in the eyes of many fans. This was the moment in which Luke proved he could rise above his emotions and his aggression. This was the moment in which he proved his moral superiority over his father. And yet . . . During my last viewing of "RETURN OF THE JEDI", I watched that scene two or three times. And something occurred to me after my last viewing. I realized that Luke owed a lot of his moral standing and decisions in that moment to the Emperor Palpatine. Perhaps I should say that he owed a lot to Palpatine's big mouth. Every time I watched that scene, I found myself wondering what would have occurred if Palpatine had kept his mouth shut. I do recall what happened when he opened it. Let us relive that moment . . . shall we?VADER: You cannot hide forever, Luke.
LUKE: I will not fight you.
VADER: Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for...
(Vader stops and senses something. Luke shuts his eyes tightly, in
anguish.)
VADER: Sister! So...you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will.
LUKE: Never-r-r!
(Luke ignites his lightsaber and screams in anger, rushing at his father
with a frenzy we have not seen before. Sparks fly as Luke and Vader
fight in the cramped area. Luke's hatred forces Vader to retreat out of
the low area and across a bridge overlooking a vast elevator shaft.
Each stroke of Luke's sword drives his father further toward defeat.
The Dark Lord is knocked to his knees, and as he raises his sword to
block another onslaught, Luke slashes Vader's right hand off at the
wrist, causing metal and electronic parts to fly from the mechanical
stump. Vader's sword clatters uselessly away, over the edge of the platform and into the bottomless shaft below. Luke moves over Vader and holds the blade of his sword to the Dark Lord's throat. The Emperor watches with uncontrollable, pleased agitation.)
EMPEROR: Good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!
(Luke looks at his father's mechanical hand, then to his own mechanical,
black-gloved hand, and realizes how much he is becoming like his father. He makes the decision for which he has spent a lifetime in preparation. Luke steps back and hurls his lightsaber away.)
LUKE: Never! I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.Whew! That was close.There was Luke wearing a demented expression on his face as he beat the living crap out of his father. The latter had just revealed his knowledge of the existence of a twin daughter and his intention to turn her. Luke attacked, until he finally managed to drive Vader on his knees. Just as he prepared himself to deliver the final killing blow, Palpatine opened his mouth to express his approval of Luke's surrender to rage. By comparing the two Skywalkers, Palpatine gave Luke the opportunity to take stock of his actions. I suspect that he came within an inch of fully succumbing to his anger and to evil. More importantly, he probably has Palpatine's big mouth to thank for edging him away from the abyss. I believe that deep down, Luke had the potential to succumb to evil as much as his infamous father or any other character in the STAR WARS Saga. And I suspect that many of the franchise's fans find this difficult to accept.What else can I say about Luke Skywalker? As we all know, the events of "REVENGE OF THE SITH" will not be the end of his story. Luke will become one of the characters in the upcoming STAR WARS episode - "EPISODE VII" - due to be released in December 2015. Previous movies revealed that veteran Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi (even as a Force Ghost) had more lessons to learn, despite their ages and experiences. If the producers and writers of this new movie are any true storytellers, perhaps they will reveal that a 50-something Luke has a few lessons to learn himself in the new movie. So . . . am I willing to embrace the fandom's inclination to put Luke Skywalker on a pedestal? No. I cannot harbor an ideal opinion of him. I am well aware that he possesses a good share of virtues. But he also possessed flaws, as well. And considering how close he came to succumbing to his negative traits, I find it difficult to view him as morally superior to his father, Anakin Skywalker. Just luckier.
ME AND THE "STAR WARS" SAGARecently, I learned about the creation of a YOU TUBE video clip called "Dear J.J. Abrams". In this clip, someone named Sincerely Truman made a list of rules for director-producer J.J. Abrams to follow for the upcoming seventh movie in the "STAR WARS" film franchise. In reality, the video clip was basically another attempt to bash the last three movies of the franchise known as the Prequel Trilogy. This Sincerely Truman seemed to believe that Abrams, along with screenwriter Michael Arndt follow his (or her) advice, the franchise could regain the former glory it had lost with the release of the Prequel Trilogy. While brooding over this video clip, I found myself recalling my own reactions to the movie franchise . . . reactions that stretched back to the release of the first movie during the summer of 1977.I am old enough to recall seeing "STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE", when it was simply known as "STAR WARS" over 36 years ago. I have a confession to make. I disliked the movie intensely. I did not want to see it in the first place. In fact, my parents practically had to drag me to the theaters to watch the movie. Despite this, I still hated it. Looking back on my initial reaction, I realize that "A NEW HOPE" was something so entirely new that my mind immediately reject it. And it took me years to finally embrace it.I was not that particularly thrilled when "STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" hit the theaters during the summer of 1980, three years later. I had not completely dismiss it, like I did "A NEW HOPE". For some reason, the movie's darker story line, the Leia/Han romance and Darth Vader's revelation really lingered in my mind. However, I was not that thrilled that "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" ended on a cliffhanger. I still found it difficult to embrace "STAR WARS". In the end, "STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI" became the first Star Wars movie that I completely embraced. I suppose I was finally ready to embrace George Lucas' work, thanks to the success of 1981's "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK". By 1983, "STAR WARS" was no longer something new or too different for me to embrace. And I was a good deal older. Also, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" did not end on a cliffhanger. This attitude continued, until I saw "EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" for the first time in seven years. Not only did I completely embrace it, the movie eventually surpassed my affections for "RETURN OF THE JEDI". A year or two passed before I finally embraced "A NEW HOPE". In fact, I eventually began to regard it higher than "RETURN OF THE JEDI", as well.When I learned that Lucas planned to release a new trilogy, set during the years before the Original Trilogy, I was a very happy woman. My infatuation with the "STAR WARS" saga had been revived by the re-release of the Original Trilogy in 1997, which had been remastered by Lucas. I really looked forward to a new set of "STAR WARS" movies. But I had no idea how Lucas planned to reveal the downfall of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi and the Republic. And to be honest, I simply could not get into the "let's make assumptions" game. I simply decided to wait and see.I saw "STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE" in 1999, when I was in my 30s. And I instantly fell in love with it. I found its style somewhat different from the first three movies, but I did not care. Being in my 30s, I rather enjoyed the tale, which struck me as more emotionally and politically complex. The complexity became even further in the next film, 2002's "STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES", which I absolutely loved. I loved it so much that I got a little teary at the end. Along with"THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", it became my favorite "STAR WARS" movie of all time. Hell, I just recently watched it and realized that even to this day, I love it a lot. I also cried at the end of 2005's "STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH". One, it was a sad movie. And two, I thought at the time it would be the last "STAR WARS" movie to be released in theaters. Mind you, there are times when I find it a bit depressing. But I love it more than "THE PHANTOM MENACE". But "ATTACK OF THE CLONES"still remain my top favorite Prequel Trilogy movie. I have noticed that many of the old time fanboys are willing to embrace it, instead of the other Prequel Trilogy movies. I suspect that this tolerance for "REVENGE OF THE SITH" is due to the fact that in the film, Anakin Skywalker finally becames Darth Vader.As you can see, my feelings about the current six "STAR WARS" movies seem a little strange for most of the franchise's fans. I love all six movies. Despite the differences in style, I was able to see the connections between the two trilogies. And to this day, I find it hard to understand those who prefer one trilogy over the other. Mind you, I feel they are entitled to their opinions. But I am entitled to mine. Because of my complete embrace of all six movies, I found it difficult to enjoy that YOU TUBE video clip - "Dear J.J. Abrams". I simply found it difficult to enjoy it or accept the views of its creator. Because of my love of all six films, I refuse to accept that this next film, "STAR WARS: EPISODE VII", has to regain former glory for the franchise. As far as I am concerned, the franchise has never lost its glory.
