Rodney-2187

Rebels was far from smooth sailing for the main characters.

I hate when people try to tell others what Star Wars is or isn’t supposed to be, or more importantly what you should or shouldn’t be a fan of to be some sort of elite Star Wars purist. Books, comics and toys have been a part of Star Wars since the very beginning with animated series and video games not far behind. Theme park rides came only a few years later. Everyone has different tastes, and you’re no less a fan if you don’t enjoy all of these things, but in the same manner you’re no less a fan if you do. It’s all Star Wars.

I’ll feel more excited when there’s an actual release date and not a season.

I’ll buy them again when the next format comes along. They joy of repurchasing Star Wars far outweighs the cost.

They fit together perfectly for me. There’s lots of things in Star Wars that require greater suspension of disbelief. Ships fly in space as they would in an atmosphere complete with sounds and fiery explosions and they all have gravity. But we have no problem dismissing these things because it’s a fantasy movie. But I digress. Sorry, I just don’t see anything wrong with the way Rogue One fits with the original Star Wars. No apologetics required. Is it a perfect movie? Of course not. I have no problem recognizing and overlooking the flaws in all Star Wars movies. I just don’t see this one.

Daniel José Older describes his next book, Midnight Horizon, as a noir. I think this could potentially be my favorite of the bunch.

It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan!

Watching Rogue One and Star Wars back-to back is one of my favorite ways to watch Star Wars. I think they fit together unbelievably well for movies filmed 40 years apart.

It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel
spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire’s
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power to
destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire’s
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save
her people and restore
freedom to the galaxy…

Is it a period of civil war? And did Rebel ships striking from a hidden base just win their first battle? Yes and yes. Did Rebel spies manage to steal plans to the Death Star? Yes.

We don’t know exactly how much time passes between the end of Rogue One and when Vader captures them over Tatooine, but it seems obvious he lost track of them for at least a short time. He doesn’t just destroy the ship because he wants to be sure they still have the plans and haven’t already passed them on to someone else. He’s being thorough.

Vader - “Don’t act so surprised, Your Highness. You weren’t on any mercy mission this time. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you.”

Vader - “Commander, tear this ship apart until you’ve found those plans! And bring me the passengers, I want them alive!”

Rogue One fits better with the originals than the prequels do in my opinion. Not only does it fit well, but I believe it enriches the Original. Watching them together is a joy.

The after credits scene from the last episode of The Mandalorian already has my interest. This team did a great job with their first two seasons of live-action Star Wars and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Got my first Lego Advent Calendar. I’ve always wanted to try one, just never have. Happy early Life Day!

My current Criterion Discs:

The American Friend
The Asphalt Jungle
Brazil
Lady Snowblood
The Darjeeling Limited
The Game
Harold and Maude
His Girl Friday
The In-Laws
Inside Llewyn Davis
The Killers
Kiss Me Deadly
The Lady Vanishes
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life Aquatic
Mulholland Drive
My Own Private Idaho
The Night of the Hunter
Night Train to Munich
Only Angels Have Wings
Rififi
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Sweet Smell of Success
Thief

“For over a thousand generations, the Jedi knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic… before the dark times… before the empire.”

Nothing in the prequels contradicts this line from the originals.

MalaStrana#2 said:

I hope so as well, Star Wars with brand new paint jobs to look like plastic toys, so much for “used space” vibe…

A new coat of paint on his armor and ship would not remove the lived-in look of the Star Wars galaxy any more than R2-D2 and C-3PO occasionally getting shined up.

I think the good far outweighs the bad, and there’s something worth watching in all the Star Wars movies. I prefer the sequels to the prequels, but like both. I once had a narrow view of what I considered Star Wars to be, but I’ve since broadened my opinions. None of them are perfect, including the Originals, far from it actually. I’ve yet to come across an idea that’s better than what we got. Some of my favorite characters, scenes, and musical pieces are now to be found in the sequels. They’re a rich addition to the saga. I’m sure we haven’t seen the end by far.

"You’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi

“I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?” - Satine Kryze

I hope he gives his ship a fresh paint job like he did with his armor.

I’m just now learning Charal from “The Battle for Endor” was a Nightsister from Dathomir.

The Duel “The thing he was really clear on was that he just wanted this to be a love letter to Star Wars,” Waugh said. “The core theme of this short ends up being such a Star Wars story.” The tale is ultimately about someone who must choose selflessness, a core Star Wars theme.

Lop and Ochō features a space bunny-person. Her name is Lop and we love her already. “She is cute and expressive and completely unwavering in her devotion to good and family and loyalty,” Lopez said. “She’s awesome.”

Tatooine Rhapsody is heading into uncharted Star Wars waters. “It’s a Star Wars rock opera,” said Rimes of the story, about a band with a dream to make it big. “We took a chance and they just blew us away with the style and the characters and the tone, and really the heart of what is best in Star Wars about found family and the dream.” It’s also one of the few shorts to feature classic characters, as our heroic band will run into Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt.

The Twins “subverts the idea of Luke and Leia and imagines a brand-new set of twins born into the dark side, and how far the brother will go to save his sister.

The Elder is a homage to a classic Star Wars master and Padawan relationship,” said Shirasaki. “You’ll also find the dual meaning of the title after you watch the short.”

The Village Bride by Kinema Citrus follows a fallen Jedi, but not in a way you’d expect. The guardian of peace and justice observes a local tradition in a far-off village through the eyes of a bride on the eve of her wedding day, and an unexpected choice she must make to save her people. “It’s poetic, meditative, and romantically bittersweet,” Shirasaki said. “This short also approaches the Force in a really unique and surprising way, too.”

Akakiri is a beautiful yet painful story about a princess.

T0-B1 is a cute and fun story of an adorable droid who dreams to be a Jedi.

The Ninth Jedi “is an absolutely epic story,” according to Rimes. But it actually began as two separate shorts. One was to be set in a time when Jedi have fallen into legend and need to come back as darkness threatens the galaxy, with the daughter of a lightsabersmith seeking out the Jedi and delivering their weapons. The other story was to be told from the point of view of eight warriors coming together, learning if they are indeed Force sensitive and can trust each other. Ultimately, the decision was made to combine the stories in order to achieve something on a grander scale. “We brought those two tales together to create something really epic and special,” Rimes said. “They had us at ‘lightsabersmith,’” added Lopez.

Time for another update.

New trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZdCYKkzUc

With the Ewok movies and Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars added to Disney+, a chronological marathon of everything is easier than ever. I might get started on this soon.

I’ve freed up the entire day and was planning on starting a rewatch of The Mandalorian, but maybe I’ll watch my three Harmy discs instead.