Harry Blakeman (The Beacon)
By Harry Blakeman, Staff Commentary
A little over a week ago when it was announced that The Walt Disney Company would purchase Lucasfilm from George Lucas for $4 billion and then release a new "Star Wars" trilogy starting in 2015, I was instantly ecstatic. The nay-sayers came out of the Internet woodwork with lightning speed calling Leia the newest Disney princess and Photoshopping two little Death Stars above a regular-sized Death Star to make Mickey Mouse's silhouette.
Yes, I was worried too. I love "Star Wars" and the idea of it being butchered by a mega-corporation naturally doesn't sit too well with me. However, I grew up with Luke saving the the galaxy and then watched the prequel trilogy retroactively demote him to second protagonist at best. Jar-Jar, Jake Lloyd's horrific acting as a young Anakin, and George Lucas' staggered and forced dialogue tarnished the once sterling reputation of "Star Wars." I'm not the first commentator to express the wish that "Star Wars" be left in 1982 after "Return of the Jedi."
"Star Wars," was ruined by the prequels, and the saga was never able to recover. It did not, however, damage the reputation of the original trilogy. If anything, the commercial popularity of the prequels was a good thing because it brought "Star Wars" to a whole new generation of fans. Sure, the new movies were terrible, but at least they kept the franchise relevant. When I found out about the impending "Episode VII" this is what I thought about. If it's horrible (and it almost certainly will be) the silver lining is that all the kids born after 2005 when the last "Star Wars" movie came out will have an opportunity to be introduced to such an amazing and fantastical world. Should the movie be awesome, well then that's just a plus.
On Dec. 14, 2012 the world will have a chance to re-enter Middle-Earth in "The Hobbit." While this film differs from "Episode VII" in that all signs point to it being critically acclaimed, it is similar to the new "Star Wars" installment in that it allows the fans to go back to a fictional world that they love so much. I can't wait to see hobbits, elven magic, and hear tales of the kings of old. For this exact same reason, I want to see another lightsaber, another Jedi robe, another Force push.
The story will be lacking, the dialogue will be laughable, and it'll never have the heart of the original trilogy, but in the end it's more "Star Wars" that I can wait in line at midnight for. The world of a galaxy far, far away will be opening it's doors once again, and I for one can't wait to visit once more.
Harry Blakeman is a sophomore history major. He can be reached at blakeman15@up.edu
