So. You knew it had to happen. Disney steps into the picture et voila! Yet another film squeezed from the franchise. It’s all over the internet, all over the place in the media and if people still gathered around water coolers, the talk would be rife with what’s going on in that faraway galaxy a long time ago.
“Star Wars” is more than just a movie. It’s a way of life.
Its lingo has insinuated itself into our vocabulary. Its characters are our buddies. And come on, who hasn’t wanted to be Darth Vader? Who hasn’t sounded like him during cold season? There are people who get into fistfights over what made more of an impact in our culture: “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” (My answer? Both have).
I’m a purist when it comes to my “Star Wars.” I prefer the unadulterated version, the one I went nuts over in high school. Twenty-something years later when I sat down in the movies to watch the “updated” version, my friends and I, all dedicated “SW” fans, were at first fascinated, then puzzled at the unnecessary add-ons meant to enhance the film. They didn’t.
Especially outrageous was adding to the very end the new and improved Anakin Skywalker, the non-actor Hayden Christensen. Not that the other guy really brought a lot to the role (we just see his cauliflower head at the end), but he pretty much matched the person you saw. HC bears absolutely no resemblance to Darth as he aged. I mean, they didn’t change how Yoda looked, did they?
It is indeed interesting that the original trio of superstars are going to have an actual role. How could they not be included? While no one expects Carrie Fisher to roam around in a skimpy Jabba-Jawdropper skirt and bra, I sure hope they give her a position of importance. That goes for Han Solo, too. Does anyone think they got married? Had kids? Pay a mortgage or deal with unruly teenagers with a drug habit? Or maybe neither of their kids turned out to be a Jedi, inheriting Solo’s traits. Sure, he redeemed himself in the end, but he started off as a ne’er do well in compromising circumstances.
However, I’m hoping everyone cheers for the real hero in this drama, Mark Hamill. He paid a big price to be Luke. He’s every bit of a good actor as the rest of the crew, yet drew the short stick. Forever stereotyped, he developed the Richard Thomas syndrome, forever being attached to a role that everyone loved and no one forgot (RT was John Boy Walton, remember?). Carrie Fisher had a bunch of good roles and went on to become a very respected script doctor. Harrison Ford played yet another franchise character and despite that, still took on many roles, some sci-fi based, others not. Why did Mark get left out in the cold? Did he suffer from Darth’s curse?
Still, I know I’ll be one of those ticket holders standing patiently in line, waiting my turn to see just exactly what “Star Wars VII” has to offer. No, I won’t camp out and swap war stories with the rest of the geeks in line. I will, however, cheer my head off watching the iconic logo flash on the screen to the familiar theme, and scan the storyline roll, while in the back of my head I’ll wonder: what ever happened to Billy Dee Williams?
Moon, Stars and Beyond 
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