The Rise of Skywalker: a odd ending to a disjointed sequel trilogy

The final episode of the sequel trilogy was released on December 20, 2019. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was an anticipated movie as fans hoped that the questions left open in The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017) would be answered and bring a satisfying ending to the sequel trilogy. Unfortunately, there is very little about Rise of Skywalker I enjoyed. After watching the film, not once, not twice but three times. I can see why so many fans were disgusted with this film. The sequel trilogy was too rushed. All three films were released in four years when the original and prequel trilogies were released in six years. So, for this review, I will discuss the problems I saw with Rise of Skywalker and the sequel trilogy. I also have a few thoughts about what it is to be a Star Wars fan now.

There is no cohesiveness in the sequel trilogy. From The Force Awakens (2015), to The Last Jedi (2017) to Rise of Skywalker (2019), there is no real center to the trilogy. There is no central villain as The Last Jedi saw Snoke killed off and Rise of Skywalker brought back Emperor Palpatine who was not mentioned in the first two films. The only connectedness to this trilogy is the reappearance of the main characters: Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. The original trilogy, Episodes IV-VI, had the fight against Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. The prequel trilogy, Episodes I-III, had the rise of Palpatine to emperor as well as the development of Darth Vader from Anakin Skywalker. There was an overall arc that connected the actions and events in the trilogies that are missing the sequel trilogy. The overall story of the sequel trilogy feels like they brainstormed ideas and decided to just add it all. There were too many writers with too many ideas, and they didn’t know how, or wanted to, to edit it down. Between the three movies, there are seven different writers with the only overlap with JJ Abrams co-writing The Force Awakens and Rise of Skywalker.

Second, there are just too many questions left unanswered. There are questions about Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. How does Kylo Ren become a good guy so quickly and so completely? From my reading on fan theories and comments, the sequel trilogy could be about Ben Solo’s internal struggle between his heroic and villainous natures which is a good idea but the movie doesn't do the idea justice. His return to the Light Side is so sudden and left unexplained in Rise of Skywalker. What does he do to redeem himself? Darth Vader saved Luke from Palpatine, what did Ben do? There are questions about the Emperor. How did Emperor come back to life? How and when did Palpatine have a son? As his personal life is left unmentioned in the prequel trilogy, this revelation seems to come out of left field. Other questions include: Who were the Knights of Ren? They are mentioned throughout the trilogy; however, they aren’t really seen until Rise of Skywalker and even that sequence was a let down to some fans. Also, what exactly is a Force dyad? Who was Snoke and how did he become Supreme Leader? One question I was most interested in learning was how did Maz Kanata get Luke’s original lightsaber? How was it retrieved from Cloud City? It would have been an interesting story to hear. It was raised in The Force Awakens as Maz says “A good question - for another time.” However, we may never hear it now. These are just some of the questions fans have asked. A quick search on the internet would find so much more.

Before Disney acquired the Star Wars, fans were ridiculed and mocked for being fans. Suddenly, now that it’s a Disney brand, its cool and hip to be a Star Wars fan. According to these new fans, a true fan cannot dislike a Star Wars film or have any criticisms about it. To be a fan now means you must like everything about the franchise. Since when can’t a fan be critical of a franchise he or she likes? Why can’t he or she point something out that doesn’t fit? Unfortunately, it is a trend I am seeing in more and more fandoms than just Star Wars. I have seen some fans hate something simply because it didn’t follow what they had thought should happen. Disliking something without evidence is just being spiteful. However, when legitimate arguments are made, the only counterargument I’ve heard is “well, they aren’t true fans then.” That’s not an argument, that’s being childish. I do want to acknowledge the toxic “fans” who openly threatened and bullied some of the actors from the films on social media, especially actress Kelly Marie Tran who played Rose Tico. That behavior is completely uncalled for and equally childish. While the character was not my favorite, it is not the actress’s fault that she was given horrible dialogue in a horrible story. Even if she did a horrible job acting, that is no reason to threaten or bully someone.

In conclusion, the sequel trilogy is like a great start to a new book which leaves you disappointed. The opening chapter set the scene to an exciting adventure. But as you read, doubt and confusion sets in. Rise of Skywalker is the last chapter of a very confusing and disjointed story. There were too many holes left in the plot. Too many questions left unanswered. Everything, including the kitchen sink, was thrown in as fan service, or just plain because they wanted to, which left a laughable and cringeworthy movie. If you have seen The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, I recommend you check out Rise of Skywalker. If you happen to like it, that’s fine. The sequel trilogy, unfortunately, is not a trilogy I will be watching again and again like I do with the original and prequel trilogies. It is unfortunate since the trilogy started strong.

Bloodline: another great adventure in the Star Wars universe

Bloodline by Claudia Gray is a Star Wars story which takes place in the years leading up to the events of Episode VII The Force Awakens. Leia Organa Solo is now a senator in the New Republic which is in trouble. The Senate is made up of two political parties. The Populists who want to keep the power within the individual planets instead of in a central leader and the Centrists who has a strong powerful leader to control the different systems. And she wants to quit and join her husband on his space travels. First, she needs to investigate accusations made by the representative from Ryloth about criminal activity oppressing his people. She is joined by Senator Ransolm Casterfo, a Centrists who collects memorabilia of the Empire. Leia soon discovers that a larger criminal organization is at work who poses a threat to the already weakening New Republic. Will she be able to gathering enough evidence to convince the Senate to put aside their difference and act for the good of the New Republic? Or will she be too late and watch the fragile government fall apart?

I loved Bloodline! It was exciting as well as nostalgic as Leia thinks back to events which occurred in the original trilogy as well as people and events from the prequels. There are so many twists and turns and clues as to the rise of the First Order who we see in full force in The Force Awakens. With the knowledge that I know of the movie and now reading the books, I realized that many of the confusion on part of the fans have been because they didn’t read the books. There is a whole list of books and tv series which help give details about what happens between films. I highly recommend Bloodline and I will read the other books and review those as well to see if my theory is correct.

Bloodline

is now available in paperback and eBook

If you are interested in reading the books and watching the tv series, here’s the list in which to read them and where they fit in the timeline of the films.

Episode I The Phantom Menace

Episode II Attack of the Clones

            The Clone Wars (tv series 2008-2015 available on DVD and Blu-ray)

            Dark Disciple (book) by Christie Golden

Episode III The Revenge of the Sith

            Catalyst: Rogue One Story (book) by James Luceno

            Lord of the Sith (book) by Paul S. Kemp

            Tarkin (book) by James Luceno

            Thrawn (book) by Timothy Zahn

            A New Dawn (book) by Joan Jackson Miller and Dave Filoni

            Rebels (tv series 2014- seasons 1-3 are available on DVD and Blu-ray and the 4^th and        final season is currently airing on Disney XD)

Episode IV A New Hope

            Battlefront: Inferno Squad (book) by Christie Golden

            Heir to the Jedi (book) by Kevin Hearne

            Battlefront: Twilight Company (book) by Alexander Freed

Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

Episode VI Return of the Jedi

            Aftermath (book) by Chuck Wendig

            Aftermath: Life Debt (book) by Chuck Wendig

            Aftermath: Empire’s End (book) by Chuck Wendig

            Bloodline (book) by Claudia Gray

            Phasma (book) by Delilah S. Dawson

            Canto Bight (book) by Saladin Ahmed and Rae Carson

Episode VII The Force Awakens

Episode VIII The Last Jedi      

Star Wars The Last Jedi: a great action film which takes the galaxy in a new direction

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi opened on December 15^th to rave critic reviews and mixed fan reactions. The Last Jedi continues the story of Rey, Finn and the Resistance as they fight against the First Order. In the two years since The Force Awakens, there were many fan theories floating around the internet and fans were eagerly awaiting The Last Jedi to see which theories were right and see how the story continues. I finally was able to see it a few days after it opened and heard the criticisms of fans. I will discuss what I liked, what I didn’t and the critics, fans and even Mark Hamill’s remarks about the film.

There is so much that I liked about the film; however, I will discuss a few storylines I enjoyed the most. First, I liked the interactions between Rey and Luke. The closing scene of The Force Awakens, we see Rey handing Luke his original lightsaber as the camera pans out over the island. In The Last Jedi, the first scene we see with Rey and Luke is the continuation of that scene. While I will not give away what his reaction is, I will say it was highly appropriate. Luke had been living in exile after Kylo Ren destroys Luke’s new Jedi academy and temple and turns to the dark side. Luke realizing his failure as a teacher, decides to leave everything behind and Rey has a tough road to convince him to help the Resistance and teach her the ways of the Force. Second, I enjoyed the character of Kylo Ren in this film. He was far less emo and more dark and conflicted as he struggles with the aftermath of the Force Awakens and his master, Snoke’s, disappointed in him. Adam Driver delivered a superb performance as Kylo Ren, especially toward the end as he decides which direction he wants to go. Does he embrace the dark side? Or does he turn to the light side? Third, I enjoyed Finn and Rose’s (played by Kelly Marie Tran) story as they find a way to help the Resistance escape the First Order. As Finn still struggles with his defection from the First Order and Rose is dealing with her hatred of the First Order, together they learn what they are fighting for and who they can trust in their fight against the First Order.

There was only a couple things that I disliked about the film. First, there were a few unnecessarily scenes. One in particular was on the island as Luke goes about his life, ignoring Rey’s presence. I won’t reveal what the scene was; however, when I saw it both my daughter and I looked at each other and whispered “ewwww!” I understand that the scene’s purpose was to show how Luke survived on the island but I felt it was unnecessarily and his survival on the island could have been shown a litter better. And some of the humorous scenes may have had the joke go on a little too long. There is one scene in which Poe (played by Oscar Isaac) plays a joke on General Hux (played by Domhnall Gleeson). While the joke was funny at first, it dragged on a little too long. Second, there is still a great mystery about who Snoke is. The movie did not reveal anything about where he came from, who he is or how he knows the Force. In this film, we see he is an imposing figure and would strike fear in anyone who stands in his presence. However, we don’t know why he is such an imposing character. Third, the porgs, one of the creatures who live on Luke’s island, are cute but add nothing more to the story than to show the cycle of life on the island. They were in the movie for too long especially once the story leaves the island.

The reviews and opinions run the gambit from favorable to absolutely hated. First, the critics gave this film rave reviews. The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is that the film “honors the rich legacy while adding some surprising twists and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.” I would agree. It paid homage to the original trilogy in particular The Empire Strikes Back and some could agree The Return of the Jedi. Second, fans continue to be adamant in their disagreement with the critics. Many of the fans are blaming Disney for putting profits over story. Some said that the story strayed too much from the original trilogy while others would argue it was a copy of Empire like the Force Awakens was a copy of A New Hope. I disagree with them on both counts. I think some of the fans are just so invested in the Star Wars saga that they don’t know what they want. They don’t want copies of the original trilogy but they don’t like the new material. Fans used Mark Hamill’s remarks about the film where he said he “fundamentally disagreed with every choice for Luke” as proof that Disney screwed up. I disagree with Mr. Hamill and these fans. I loved Luke’s progression in this movie. I think it fit. Without going into detail for those who have not yet seen it, as an avid reader and writer, I can see why the writer took him in that direction. Yes, Luke was very much the optimist in the original trilogy; however 30 years have passed and that’s a long time and a person can change especially when one of his students turns on him. It can be and was the hit to his ego that sent him into exile.  

In conclusion, I enjoyed The Last Jedi. I left the theater with a sense of awe and excitement. I know that many fans did not feel this way, my husband included. He had to see it again to understand more of the story. My cousin in law has seen it three times and he even admits that one viewing isn’t enough. The original trilogy is still beloved to me as an important part of my childhood; however, it is time to move on from the Skywalker storyline of Star Wars into the greater universe and galaxy that’s out there. Of the new Disney/Star Wars films, Rogue One (2016) is still my favorite so far. The Last Jedi adds more depth and drama to the Star Wars universe. It adds the struggles of life, that everything isn’t so black and white, good vs evil. I highly recommend The Last Jedi. Watch it without any expectations and see it for what it is: a great action film with heart and life lessons

Leia Princess of Alderaan: the story before A New Hope

Leia Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray is the story of Leia Organa as she comes of age and the events which lead to her role in the Rebel Alliance as we know her in A New Hope. The story opens on her Day of Demand when at 16, she demands that she be recognized as a princess of Alderaan. In order to prove herself, she must complete three challenges: one of the body, one of the mind and one of the heart. As she enters the political arena on Coruscant and sees the galaxy as a whole, she begins to truly see the Empire and the evilness of the Emperor’s hold. She also begins to see her parents and their secret dealings. She even has her first love as she and a fellow Alderaanian named Kier. More and more the galaxy is collapsing under the weight of the Empire’s hold, she learns who she can trust, who are her true friends and her role in the galaxy. How will Leia decide what her role and place in the galaxy is? We know she joins the Rebellion but how does she get there?

I was given this book as a birthday and I was excited to read it. It was better than I anticipated. I loved the little references to the events of the prequel movies, Rogue One (2016) and even The Clone Wars (2008-2015) TV show. Ms. Gray does an excellent bringing an intimate look into the princess and rebel we all know and love. The back cover of the book claims there are even hints and clues to The Last Jedi which hits theaters this December. Don’t let this deter you from reading it because unless you have seen the movie, you won’t know what these hints are. I look forward to reading it again after I see the new film and have my “a-ha” moment as the clues are clear. I highly recommend Leia Princess of Alderaan.

Leia Princess of Alderaan

is available at all major booksellers

The Force Awakens v A New Hope: are the movies really identical?

After The Force Awakens was released in December 2015, many fans began to immediately compare it to A New Hope. The main complaint was that The Force Awakens is identical to A New Hope. With today being May 4^th, I decided to do a comparison and contrast between the two movies to see how much the two movies are alike and different. Since I have seen both movies so many times and I didn’t have time to watch the movies over again before writing this post, many of the points I will bring up are from my memory. So please forgive me if I miss points that you may think need to be included. Thank you.

First, both movies have a special droid who is carrying information that both sides desperately wants. In A New Hope, R2-D2 is carrying the Death Star plans and in The Force Awakens, BB-8 has the missing piece of a map which leads to the missing Luke Skywalker. Second, the droids end up on a desert planet where we met our heroes. R2-D2 and C-3PO end up on Tatooine where they encounter Luke Skywalker and BB-8 is left on Jakku where he is rescued by Rey. Third, both Luke and Rey are skilled pilots when they are first introduced. Fourth, the main villain is a black robed, masked man. Darth Vader, of course, is the iconic villain. He was number 3 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains in 2003 (behind Hannibal and Norman Bates). In The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren is a blacked robed, masked man who is trying to emulate his grandfather, Darth Vader. Although, honestly, Kylo Ren is only menacing when his mask was on. Once he took it off, he wasn’t scary anymore he was emo.

Another similarity is how the mentor was killed in each movie. In A New Hope, Luke’s mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is killed in a duel with Darth Vader. In The Force Awakens, Han Solo is killed by his son, Kylo Ren. I hesitate to called Han Solo Rey’s mentor because she viewed him more as a hero. She recognized him as the famous smuggler and not as the Rebel general like Finn did. Either way, the deaths propel the heroes on their life changing journeys. However, this plot point isn’t new. It’s a part of the Hero’s Journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949).  One last similarity is the presence of an ultimate weapon. In A New Hope, the Death Star was the newly operational weapon of the Empire in order to control the many star systems. In The Force Awakens, Starkiller Base is a mobile planet which has been equipped with a superweapon which is capable of destroying star systems from across the galaxy.

The first difference in the movies is in the main characters. After the deaths of his aunt and uncle, Luke leaves Tatooine to join the Rebel Alliance and to become a Jedi like his father. From the very beginning, Luke expresses his desire to leave Tatooine and with the death of the only family he has ever known, there is nothing there to hold him. In The Force Awakens, Rey flees Jakku only to take BB-8 to the Resistance’s hidden base. She fully intends to return to Jakku as she is waiting for her family to return for her. She doesn’t return as she decides to seek out Luke Skywalker now that the map is complete. Second, Luke has no Force vision in A New Hope and Rey has one in The Force Awakens. Luke’s lightsaber calls to her from the depths of Maz Kanata’s castle.

Another difference is in A New Hope, Leia is captured and rescued by Luke, Han and Chewbacca. In The Force Awakens, Rey is captured and is “rescued” by Finn, Han and Chewbacca. I use quotations because Rey is able to escape her restraints, secure a weapon and is trying to find a way off the base when she runs into her rescuers. Lastly, in A New Hope, the Emperor is only mentioned by name and isn’t seen until a hologram in The Empire Strikes Back and physically in Return of the Jedi. However, in The Force Awakens, Supreme Leader Snoke is seen by hologram throughout the movie. A slight difference sure; however, the leader who is pulling the main villain’s strings is more mysterious and menacing when he has influence and power when only his name is enough to strike fear in everyone else.

In conclusion, I do not see The Force Awakens as a copy of A New Hope. I see many of the similarities as homage to the original film which has captured our imaginations and hearts for forty years. I also see the similarities as history repeating itself because the citizens of this galaxy far, far away haven’t learned from the past. Just like humans of Earth do not learn from history and bring up old ideas as new. The Force Awakens is a great addition to the Star Wars universe and I look forward to The Last Jedi when it is released in December 2017. However, there are the hard core fans who love the original trilogy so much that any future Star Wars film will be compared, analyzed and probably found wanting. 

Why I loved Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Spoiler! If you have not seen the film, do not read any further!!!!

Rogue One: A Star Wars story is about the events which leads up to the events we know in Episode IV: A New Hope. In the original film’s scroll, one small line “Rebel spies managed to seal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR.” This is Rogue One is one sentence. It is how the Rebel Alliance was able to get and steal the plans. As a Star Wars fan, I was skeptical about a stand-alone movie that was a side story to the main saga. However, when I first saw it in theaters, I fell in love with this band of spies who risked their lives for the galaxy’s freedom. There was so much that I liked and very little, if at all, that I didn’t like, I will focus on what I loved about this movie.

First, the heroes of Rogue One starting with Jyn Erso. Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) the daughter of Galen Erso, a scientist who was coerced into helping the Empire build the Death Star. She has been living a life of crime under an assumed name. When her father’s name comes up again, the Rebel Alliance seeks her out to help them find her father and possibly destroy the Death Star. Captain Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) is a pilot and intelligence officer who Jyn is sent with to find information about her father. At first, he and Jyn do not see eye to eye about their mission but when they decide to get the plans with the approval of the Rebel Council, they are finally friends. K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is Captain Andor’s droid. He was originally an Imperial droid but was reprogrammed by Captain Andor. He is often the comedic relief in the film. Chirrut Imwe (played by Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen) are the Guardians of the Whills that Jyn and Cassian met during their mission. Chirrut is a blind man who is a firm believer in the Force despite his lack of Force abilities. Baze is the opposite of Chirrut. He has lost his faith in the Force after enduring harsh conditions of the Empire. Lastly, Bodhi Rook (played by Riz Ahmed), the Imperial cargo pilot who was sent by Galen Erso to get information about the Death Star to the Rebel Alliance. Together they form Rogue One and their mission to get the plans at all cost.

Second, I loved the homage and references made to the original film. In one scene, Mon Mothma (played by Genevieve O’Reilly) discusses an old Jedi friend of Bail Organa (played by Jimmy Smits). Organa replies that he’ll send for him, referencing that Leia is sent to retrieve him in Episode IV. The famous Star Wars line “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” is started to be said by K-2SO but he is cut off by Jyn and Cassian. This line is said at least once in every Star Wars film. A fan favorite reference is when Jyn and Cassian run into very familiar faces, Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba. These two would go on to have a fateful run in with Luke and Obi-Wan in the cantina in Episode IV. I’ve only picked three of my favorites but there are so much more!

Another thing I loved about this movie is the fate of the Rogue One crew. Rogue One is essentially a war movie and in a war movie, everyone doesn’t always survive. The impact of war is truly felt with the losses of these heroes. Even though they are successful and there is celebration in that, there is also a sense of the great cost in that success. The real impact about their fates is that they were aware they probably wouldn’t survive. Jyn says as they prepare to land “We’ll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent.” The death scene of Jyn and Cassian is my particular favorite. While they succeed in getting the plans to the Rebel Alliance, they know there was no escape for them. After successfully transmitted the plans, they make their way to the beach and watch as the impact of the Death Star’s laser takes effect. It’s calm, peaceful and sad with no overblown dramatics. The deaths of the Rogue One crew make the film so much stronger and unlike the other Star Wars films.

In conclusion, I loved Rogue One. I think it fit in with the timeline great. It was an awesome story to explain how the Rebel Alliance got the plans in the first place and set in motion the events of A New Hope. Every character fit and the actors played their roles so well. The homage and references to the other Star Wars films are always a treat for fans. And the deaths of the Rogue One crew fit the mood of the film as a war film in the Star Wars universe. Some fans loved it as I did and others did not. Some fans just aren’t going to be satisfied with any new Star Wars film. Love it or hate it, Rogue One is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. Now if you would excuse me, I’m going to watching Rogue One again. 

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, a film review

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens is the long awaited sequel to the original trilogy. It opened to rave reviews and box office success. As of December 29th, it has made over $1 billion worldwide with one big market left to open in China and it is the second grossing movie of 2015 and the 10th all-time grossing movie. It is anticipated to break James Cameron’s Avatar $2.7 billion record. The movie provides great nostalgia for the fans as seeing the beloved Star Wars characters on the big screen again and for some fans, for the first time. I was three and half when Return of the Jedi opened in 1983 so I vaguely remember the movie when it was new. The Force Awakens also gives great nods and references to the original trilogy which will excite fans. Without giving away any major spoilers, here are a few of my thoughts. 

The Force Awakens gives a new twist on a familiar story. Some reviews have complained that The Force Awakens models A New Hope with the hero coming from obscurity on a desert planet. The Force Awakens, A New Hope and the entire Star Wars saga models a very familiar story called the hero’s journey as described by mythologist Joseph Campbell. In The Force Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a scavenger on the planet Jakku. Just like Luke Skywalker was a moisture farmer and Anakin Skywalker was a slave on the planet Tatoonie. While Luke and Anakin dreamed of life off their desolate planet, Rey is patiently waited for the return of her family when she is pulled into the adventure of a lifetime. Yes, she is Force-sensitive and has abilities she didn’t know she had but what hero of a Star Wars movie wouldn’t be Force-sensitive?  

The movie introduces new villains. Kylo Ren and the First Order. Rising from the ashes of the Galactic Empire, the First Order is fighting the Republic and the Resistance for control of the galaxies. A few critics have brought up Kylo Ren’s conflict between the dark side he desperately wants to embrace and the light side which still pulls at him. However, they fail to remember that Darth Vader was also conflicted. He felt there was no coming back from the dark side and there was no resisted the dark side. He eventually redeems himself to the light side by rescuing Luke from the Emperor. I look forward to seeing the continued internal conflict within Kylo Ren and the answer to the question: does he full embrace the dark side and become pure evil or will he be redeemed like Darth Vader? I, personally, would love to see Kylo Ren embrace the dark side.

Lastly, The Force Awakens is great entertainment. Fans now span four generations and will continue to gain fans in future generations. It is a great movie that families can enjoy together. My four year old daughter was introduced to Star Wars from the moment she was born. Her middle name, Hope, was inspired by Episode IV. She has seen the movies and my husband’s collectibles since she was a baby. She loves R2-D2 and now loves BB-8. The Force Awakens had great movements of thrilling chases, dangerous, almost impossible, missions and reluctant heroes who soon realize that something bigger than themselves is calling them. My husband had moments of tearful joy during the movie. I laughed at references to the originals and old familiar lines. My daughter eagerly sat on the edge of her seat and cheered when the characters she knew came on screen.

I’ve read other reviews and it is my opinion that some fans will never be satisfied at any new Star Wars movie. Some fans will always compare any new films to the original trilogy. The Star Wars universe has been a part of our lives for so long that it has become something to be protected and treasured. And God forbid, if someone else comes along and has another idea where the story will go, especially now that Disney is at the helm. As a fan who grew up with the original Star Wars movies, I was excited for the continuation of the story. After I saw the movie twice, I enjoyed the movie more and more. I cannot wait to add the DVDs to the rest of our Star Wars library and I eagerly await Episodes VII and IX in coming years.