Star Wars Speculation: The Smuggler

It's been awhile since my last Star Wars Speculation, but I figured I needed to whip something together for this week's release of Solo: A Star Wars Story. After thinking it over, I decided to make this post the first in a three-part series. The series of posts will highlight each member of the Original Trilogy's protagonist trio and be titled The Smuggler, The Princess, and The Jedi Knight respectively. Naturally, I figured Solo would be a good starting point. It's also worth noting that I'll be incorporating a brief discussion of each character's latest tie-in novel for my analysis (Last Shot, Leia: Princess of Alderaan, and The Legend of Luke Skywalker) and I've reached out to my Twitter followers asking for their thoughts on these characters so I'll highlight their responses at the beginning of each post.

Twitter Responses

So, same as last time, if you wouldn’t mind answering these two questions, it would be greatly appreciated and your response may even be featured in my post!
WHO is the character of Han Solo to YOU? &
WHAT does the character of Han Solo mean to YOU? pic.twitter.com/nJufgz2CID

— David Weiser (@weiser_david) May 22, 2018

1) Han Solo was more than just a good smuggler and a crack shot. He was always one step ahead of the Empire. His sarcastic and cocky manner made him feel more real and relatable. Hero isn’t the word you would associate with someone like him,yet you find yourself more drawn to him

— Kara Byrne (@Kara_Byrne_) May 23, 2018

2) He’s charming and compelling. He’s the comical character yet comes across as the heroic figure. His sense of adventure is something everyone can relate to especially me, and anyone who’s best friends with a Wookiee, is awesome in my books.

— Kara Byrne (@Kara_Byrne_) May 23, 2018

1. To me Han is the real reluctant hero of the original trilogy. I mean, Luke’s hero’s journey is cool and all, but Han has always felt like the real beating heart of the story, the every man dragged out of his comfort zone.

— Beck Bros (@beck_bros) May 22, 2018

2. Han was the first “movie scoundrel” I ever got attached to, so for me, he was an example of how “flawed” characters are always the most compelling. I connected a lot with him, which might say something. Lol

— Beck Bros (@beck_bros) May 22, 2018

Han Solo to me is the smuggler who became a hero. A hero who became a legend just as his friends. He the best friend who can you get into trouble with and Get you out. His the greatest pilot in the galaxy, with the coolest ship ever.

— Kieran Bennett (@KieranMBennett) May 22, 2018

To me he means a man trying to do the right thing even if he know it’s not going to go well. When he tried to reach out to his son, Liea said your his farther, Luke is a Jedi. He knew he wasn’t going to end well but he never gave up.

— Kieran Bennett (@KieranMBennett) May 22, 2018

Solo: The Smuggler 

Han Solo can best be described as a scoundrel with a heart of gold. Over the characters' 41 year history, that much has remained constant. When we first meet him in the Mos Eisley Cantina, he's boastful, confident, and dubious that an all-powerful force could control his destiny. Han gets by on dumb luck, putting his faith into reckless action because it's proven successful more often than not. Why try anything else if you're good with a blaster and captain of the fastest ship in the galaxy? Han's the kind of guy that will try and talk his way out of a hairy situation till there's no other choice but to blast the problem away. Once there's no other alternative, he shoots first and asks questions later. 

Compounding his roguish behavior, Han Solo always looks out for himself first, his loyal Wookie companion second, and that's it. He couldn't possibly muster the motivation to care about anything else at this point. Han is initially driven by a selfish desire to save his own neck. He only agrees to help Obi Wan and Luke because the reward could prove useful in paying off Jabba the Hutt and getting the slug off his back. He's not a hero, not yet at least... However, Luke's virtue and worldview rubs off on him a bit as he slowly becomes more interested in helping others and begins to sees the galaxy through a different lens. He swoops in to save Luke at the end of A New Hope not for glory or more financial reward, but because he knows he's able to help a friend and now has a desire to do his part in the larger Rebellion.

Solo: The Scoundrel

Han had numerous chances to take the money, leave, and never return, but he's still around three years later when the Rebellion's holed up on Hoth. The problem is that he's scared of commitment and isn't quite sure he can admit to himself that he actually has a desire to stay. He claims to want to settle his debt with Jabba, but persistently sticks around to help out his friends. Just look to the first thirty minutes in which he journeys out into the planet's frozen wasteland to find Luke or later when he takes Leia and C-3PO with him and Chewie in the evacuation of Hoth. He doesn't leave anyone high and dry at this point because he's grown to care about these newfound friend of his. 

He clearly stuck around because of his feelings for Leia, and despite her harsh rejection, Han does everything in his power to ensure she reaches the Rebellion's rendezvous point safely. Along the way, Han charms the princess with his wits and willingness to protect her. He pulls all the tricks up his sleeve and slyly avoids the Empire by flying straight into an asteroid field, hiding in a cave (which turns out to be a space worm they must subsequently escape from), and then attaches the Falcon to a Star Destroyer before stealthily drifting away with the garbage en route to Cloud City.

On Cloud City, the group is met by an old buddy of Han's, Lando Calrissian, who turns them over to the Empire almost immediately for Han to be frozen in carbonite and delivered to Jabba the Hutt. It's interesting that Lando is a foil of Han as they both are charming rogues initially in it for themselves. Introducing Lando as a traitor only further shows how much Han's grown since we were introduced to him in that wretched hive of scum and villainy. Where Lando betrayed the Rebels for his vested interest in his mining operation, Han did everything he could to keep them safe.

And I believe that's why Leia fell for Han in the end. She realized there was a good man underneath the stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder exterior. Sure, Han's roguish charm probably played a factor as well, but I'd like to believe it was primarily because Leia uncovered his heart of gold and saw Han for who he really was. Too bad it had to happen right before he was frozen in carbonite and carted away for delivery to a slimy space gangster.

Solo: The Hero

Next time we see Solo, he's the one being rescued thanks to some harebrained scheme cooked up by Luke Skywalker. Once unfrozen by Leia, Han's shown to be suffering from carbonite hibernation sickness. In these moments we see Han, the cockiest man in the galaxy, in a state of unease and confusion and it's very telling that Leia's presence calms his nerves a bit. Of course he's soon captured once again by Jabba and his crew and taken to the Sarlacc pit along with Luke and Chewbacca, only for Skywalker to somehow pull off an insane escape by defeating the pirates and bounty hunters on Jabba's payroll and destroying Jabba's sail barge. The heroes ride off into the twin sunset.

But that's not all... The Rebels rendezvous to coordinate an assault on a second Death Star where Han volunteers to lead a ground assault on the shield generator protecting the superweapon. Here, we're shown that Han finally feels comfortable committing himself to the cause. He takes the mantle of leadership proudly and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Rebels win this fight. The Rebellion is of course victorious and Han lives happily ever after with Leia. The End. Just kidding!! There's subsequently thirty years of vaguely explored history for me to tackle!

Solo: Husband and Father

One of the most fascinating elements of the sequel trilogy and subsequent new canon material is how they enables us to view these treasured heroes through a different lens. There were many things that were alluded to in The Force Awakens, but the nitty-gritty details are fleshed out in expanding multimedia arena of novels, comic books, and video games. I've detailed the more commonly known background of Han Solo, but I felt his feelings on parenthood were well-worth diving into as well because of how it further defines him as a character.

For instance, readers are treated to a glimpse of Han and Leia's early life together after the Battle of Endor in the novel Last Shot. Other canon material had already confirmed that Han and Leia soon married and Ben Solo was born a year later, but Last Shot offers an exploration of what Han was like as a parent. Ben Solo is two years old as of the events detailed in Last Shot, and it's revealed that Han was pretty uncomfortable about being a father because he was scared he might screw the whole thing up. He's shown to be apprehensive about how the entire ordeal and relieved to have an excuse to escape it all for awhile when Lando arrives on his doorstep asking for help at the start of the book.

Both Han and Leia wound up busy in later years so Ben was sent off to train with Luke as a result. We know from Bloodline that Han and Leia never told Ben the truth about his grandfather, and Leia's heritage is soon discovered and revealed to the galaxy. Since Ben and Luke were rarely ever able to be contacted, Leia wrote Ben a letter to try and explain the situation to him. However, I imagine Ben found out elsewhere and was subsequently seduced by the Dark Side only to completely turn to Kylo Ren when Luke tried to confront him and only made things worse (as depicted in The Last Jedi). The public revelation that Leia's related to Darth Vader happens approximately six years before the events of The Force Awakens and we know based on dialogue that Han is racing star fighters at this point in time, so I believe Han went back to smuggling alongside Chewbacca shortly after Ben turned to the Dark Side. 

I believe it happened at this particular breaking point because Han tells Leia, "We both had to deal with it in our own way. I went back to the only thing I was ever any good at." when they discuss redeeming Ben. Leia responds that they both did. Based on this dialogue exchange and information gleaned in Bloodline, I presume they both went their separate ways when they got news of what had happened to Ben. Around this point in time, Leia was practically shut out of the New Republic Senate because of her lineage. Meanwhile, she had just discovered hints of the First Order so she began to form the Resistance as an independent military force in hopes of countering any threats from remnants of the Empire. On the flip side, I believe Han resigned himself to smuggling because of his guilt.

I think Han feels partially responsible for everything that happened with Ben because he believes deep-inside that he messed it all up as a neglectful parent or something along those lines. Therefore, he went right back into the criminal underworld because he didn't know what else to possibly do. Then, in The Force Awakens, it seems to me that Han sees Rey as a surrogate daughter just as she views him to be a surrogate father because they share various skills and character traits. I think some part of him thought he reconcile his guilt by helping out Rey and giving her a place in the galaxy working alongside him and Chewie instead of waiting on Jakku for parents that would never return. 

I think this also contributed to his motivation to go to Starkiller Base towards the end because he probably thought he could help rescue Rey from First Order and have a chance at redeeming Ben's soul in one fell swoop. On that note, it's also very telling to me that he didn't confront Kylo Ren when he first saw him on Takodana. While there probably wasn't much he could have done aside from yell "Ben!" as he does later on, I think it echoes his fear of being a parent that I mentioned earlier. The difference being that he's more likely scared he'll make things worse somehow. Confronting his son and failing would mean he'd accept full responsibility for putting him down a darker path. I'm not sure Han wanted to add anything to his burden of guilt considering he already feels like he's failed as a father.

In the end, Han may not have been the best at settling down and starting a family, but his final act is irrefutably one fueled by love and devotion to his wife and son. The man who was once one of the most selfish in the galaxy commits to a purely selfless act to redeem his son. Han wants Ben back for Leia's sake, as well as his own, because neither could bear to think what had become of their son. So Han confronts his son and offers to help free him of his pain before being met with a lightsaber through the chest. As Solo begins to fall, he reaches out and touches his son's face one last time before falling to his death. Even while dying at the hands of his son, Solo still offers one last loving gesture towards Ben, which perhaps reveals more about Han as a father than anything else. Devoted till the bitter end. 

Conclusion

As of right now, I think that's about all I can say about the beloved smuggler, but we're sure to learn much more of the character's history later this week in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Seeing as I'd like to publish this post before then, I can't speak for that part of Han's life quite yet, but I'm excited to break it down in future online discussions!

-As always, thanks for reading and May the Force be with you!!

Star Wars Speculation: Creatively Celebrating 40 Years of Star Wars

Greetings everyone! It's been a little while since I last shared a Star Wars Speculation post, but I recently finished reading the Star Wars novel From A Certain Point of View and felt a strong desire to discuss it in a blog post, so I'm back to talk Star Wars with you once more. In order to diversify my Star Wars Speculation series of posts, I'd like to occasionally highlight various facets of the Star Wars canon that most of my followers may not be familiar with already. This means you'll probably see me backtrack to share my thoughts on many books I've already completed to analyze what makes them all so unique. As always, the topic of conversation will change from post-to-post, but if there's anything you'd like to read about, just give me a heads-up and I'll write about your request. 

Creatively Celebrating 40 Years of Star Wars

What is From A Certain Point of View?

From A Certain Point of View is a collection of 40 short stories written by 40 different authors who retell moments in A New Hope from the perspective of 40 different background characters. It was released last year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars and readers will be treated to every viewpoint they could imagine including Stormtroopers, Jawas, droids, Tusken Raiders, and even an assortment of aliens in the Mob Eisley Cantina. So long as you're not hoping to see things directly from the perspective of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, C-3PO, or R2-D2, you'll probably be immensely satisfied. Just remember you won't get their outlook because a film exploring that already exists.

The book was first teased on social media under the hashtag, #OperationBlueMilk. This is, of course, because of the blue milk prominently shown in a scene from A New Hope where Luke is drinking a glass of blue milk at the Lars homestead. Anyways, how fitting that such a staple of the first Star Wars for some fans would become this book's codename considering the book is essentially a celebration of not only of Star Wars' 40th anniversary, but also a tribute to 40 years of the Star Wars fandom. What better way to celebrate that then exploring various scenes from A New Hope through forty different perspectives? That's not even to mention that the book's title, From A Certain Point of View, which alludes to both the book's unique approach and a specific line of dialogue from Obi-Wan.

If you're a Star Wars fan, then reading this book is a no-brainer. I'd daresay it was one of my favorite Star Wars books to read because of its unique approach. I found it to be immensely enjoyable reading about specific sequences of events from a background character's frame of reference. Each author did a wonderful job of getting inside their character's head space in a limited number of pages through their unique writing style. Some stories are longer than others, but I was able to understand enough of that specific character's history, personality, motivations, connection to other characters, and outlook on life to get a grasp on who they each are as individuals in the larger galaxy.

Of course, certain characters have the luxury of further development outside their specific story like Boba Fett, Greedo, Grand Moff Tarkin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Lando, Yoda, and so many other characters Star Wars fans are otherwise familiar with. What makes the whole notion of retelling a familiar scene through those character's lenses interesting is learning what those characters were thinking during those moments and finding out where some of those characters were at that point in time. That's a gimmick that could have worn thin, but it didn't because each story felt fresh and unique because it came from a fresh and unique perspective in varying writing styles. If you don't like a particular story, chances are you'll like the next chapter since they're all so drastically different. There were some stories that I read with a giddy smile from ear-to-ear while I felt others were a little overlong and too silly.

Some stand-out stories for me were "The Red One," "Stories in the Sand," "Master and Apprentice," "Time of Death," "There Is Another," "Bump," "Added Muscle," and "Verge of Greatness" which were about R5-D4, Jot (a Jawa), Qui-Gonn, Obi-Wan, Yoda, TD-110 (the storm trooper who bumps his head), Boba Fett, and Grand Moff Tarkin respectively. My absolute favorite two were "Master and Apprentice" and "Time Of Death" because they explore the process of becoming a Force Ghost and what that would be like as an experience. I've long championed the idea of an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off film because the canon material's done a lot so far to flesh out his time on Tatooine, and I felt there were a few stories that heavily hinted at possible plot points and storylines which could be utilized in a Kenobi spinoff.

Needless to say, I loved this book and would be glad to see Lucasfilm and Del Rey repeat this process for the other films for their respective anniversaries because it's such a fun way to pay tribute to them. Also, if you're a fan of audiobooks, the audiobook features a fairly recognizable cast of narrators that you'll likely enjoy listening to. These narrators include Jonathan Davis, Ashley Eckstein, Janina Gavankar, Jon Hamm, Neil Patrick Harris, January LaVoy, Saskia Maarleveld, Carol Monda, Daniel José Older, and Marc Thompson. If everything I've said is not enough to entice you to pick the book up and read it, the authors wrote their stories for free and the proceeds from the book are being donated to The First Book organization, a non-profit that seeks to provide quality education for kids in need. Not only will you be treated to a fun read through, you're contributing to a great cause as well! Whether I've convinced you to read From A Certain Point of View or not, I hope you've found this post to be interesting and informative. 

-As always, May the Force be with you!

Star Wars Speculation: The Star Wars Saga Ranked

Welcome, everyone! It's now been a little over a week since the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and I've now seen the film four times, so I feel confident enough to share my ranking of the Star Wars Saga. First of all, I'd like to remind people this is my ranking of the Star Wars, so the likelihood it won't match yours is very high. I'd also like to preface this by saying that MOST of these are ranked by a NARROW margin, but at the bottom of the list there's a pretty wide separation between the 8th and 7th slots. I rewatched all of Star Wars chronological canon (including The Clone Wars and Rebels) in the months leading up to The Last Jedi, so I'm quite confident that this is how I feel on the matter. For those curious, click on the blue title text will take you to my reviews of the subsequent films. I'm sure this will be controversial for whatever reason, but it's my honest opinion... So without further ado, here we go!!

The Star Wars Saga Ranked 

9. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

There are really only a few redeeming aspects to The Phantom Menace... The pod-racing and battle droids are cool, the Duel of the Fates is epic, and Qui Gon and Darth Maul are great additions to the Saga. Other than that, it's the Star Wars with the most Jar Jar, child Anakin, and is most bogged down in intergalactic politics.

8. Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

Attack of the Clones does admittedly have an awful romance, but I grew up with the Prequels and quite enjoy all the action on Coruscant, Kamino, and Geonosis. Jango Fett's an awesome addition, the introduction of the Clone army is handled well, there's less Jar Jar, and the seeds are sewn for Anakin's fall to the Dark side.

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This will probably be one of the more controversial choices on my list. For whatever reason, I know a lot of people who think Rogue One is the best Star Wars film by far... and I've never understood that. I do especially like K-2SO, the third act battle on and above Scarif, Vader's hallway scene, Gareth Edward's sense of scale throughout, how it feels like a "war" film, and that it adds greater weight to the events of A New Hope. However, the first two acts can be quite boring on rewatch, there's a lack of real characterization and subsequent character depth, the CG-Tarkin and Leia aren't quite where they needed to be, and there's some really strange stuff involving Saw Gerrera.

6. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith

I think Revenge of the Sith gets a bad wrap because it's embroiled in the controversy of the Prequel Trilogy, but hear me out before you click away... Hayden Christensen's acting abilities are greatly improved in this installment and I think the fall of Anakin played out perfectly. The final lightsaber duel on Mustafar is epic and emotional, Order 66 is handled exceptionally well, General Grievous is still an awesome villain in my book, Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor shine as Palpatine and Obi-Wan, and the film contains some truly terrific works from John Williams. That's not even mentioning the battles of Coruscant, Kashyyyk, and Utapau. Sure, some dialogue is horrendous and Lucas' direction isn't up to par with the Original Trilogy... but very few elements of the Prequel Trilogy lived up to those three films... Otherwise, Revenge of the Sith is a solid film and perhaps the most underrated in all of Star Wars.

5. Star Wars

Every moment of the original Star Wars is infinitely iconic. There's no disputing that. It started it all, and for that, I'm incredibly appreciative. Most of the effects hold up to this day, it has one of the greatest film scores of all time, and it tells the classic heroes journey exceptionally well. This is the place where there's a significant gap in my rankings and I love every film from this point-on almost equally. It's not that I dislike Star Wars enough to place it this low, it's more the fact that I appreciate the others marginally more that I ranked them higher.

4. Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi

Have I mentioned how much I LOVED Return of the Jedi growing up? It was probably my favorite one of the bunch as a child because it had all the shenanigans at Jabba's Palace, EWOKS, the ever-amazing Battle of Endor, and the fantastic final confrontation between Luke and Vader. That duel remains one of my favorites, not only because of awesome execution but the internal conflict for both parties. Plus, the redemption of Darth Vader and eventual unmasking remain among my favorite moments in the Saga. And did I mention how cool Jedi Luke is? 

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Say what you will about The Force Awakens, but it's the film I had been waiting for since first finishing Return of the Jedi. I realize I wasn't around for the glory days of Star Wars, but the wait felt long nevertheless, and I doubt there will ever truly be a film I eagerly anticipate nearly on the same level of The Force Awakens. It was the righteous return of Star Wars that passed the torch down to a new generation, blending old and new elements to successfully revitalize the franchise. I love everything about it, and no one can convince me otherwise. 

2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back is THE quintessential sequel. It's the middle chapter where evil triumphs, and ends after one of the most memorable and unforeseen cinematic plot twists of all time. It's a sequel that's not just concerned about pitting audiences in the action, but one that spends some quality time with its characters while really putting them through the wringer. It has countless classic moments and heaps of quotable dialogue that I still hear recited today. 

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I already know this will be the choice that I'll have to defend for quite some time, but I firmly stand behind it... I can't help but respect Rian Johnson for upheaving Star Wars' traditional story structure in order to allow the franchise to evolve. Johnson takes risks left and right in the vein of George Lucas, and I felt that it all paid off tremendously well. Everything that happens is unexpected because it's unlike anything I've ever seen from a Star Wars movie before, yet it feels like the only possible way for the story to continue. It not only has the most unique narrative in the saga, but contains some of the coolest action sequences and moments as well, and each of them has stuck with me to this very day. I know Star Wars fans are already bitterly divided on this one, but I still feel that that's because they're not willing to accept such bold changes in a franchise they revere so much. Just let go and learn to appreciate the awesomeness.

-So that's all I have for you today... As always, May the Force be with you!

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Star Wars: A New Hope'

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is the first Star Wars film ever made that began the entire franchise and was originally just entitled Star Wars this was changed later by George Lucas due to the release of the Prequel Trilogy to create a sense of chronology. I'm very excited to begin reviewing the Original Trilogy as they are amongst my favorite films of all time and this film was the film that introduced me to Star Wars. For the next two weeks I will be continuing my Throwback Thursday Star Wars Reviews so I will have reviewed all of the Star Wars films released to date before Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope' Review 

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; George Lucas, Best Supporting Actor; Alec Guinness, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Original Score, and Special Achievement Award (For Sound Effects).

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is the first film in the Original Trilogy. and the film that kicked off the entire franchise. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is a space opera that encapsulates all that a film should have with entertaining action, a compelling story, characters we all know and love, and some of the most iconic moments in cinema history. 

The visual effects still hold up to a lot of today's visual effects in film, providing great space battles with serious tension, most notably the attack on the Death Star at the end of the film. The film introduces the first lightsaber battle, which may be a bit basic but has much more depth than the over-choreographed lightsaber battles from the prequels. 

The film's strongest assets are the combination of it's narrative as well as it's strong characters. It begins with the evil Galactic Empire's massive Star Destroyer attacking the small Rebel Blockade Runner and the plot is engaged when Pricess Leia inserts plans for the Empire's battle station, the Death Star, into the small blue droid, R2D2, who along with the tall, slender golden humanoid droid C3PO end up in an escape pod jettisoned to the nearest planet, Tatooine.

The film features the perfect hero in Luke Skywalker, who like everyone has dreams and aspirations and would like to pursue them to end his days as a moisture farmer on Tatooine.

Luke and the droids end up together by chance and Luke's entire life changes when he accidentally comes across a message left inside R2D2 from Princess Leia saying "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." This message propels the film forward and sends Luke on a journey where he meets Ben Kenobi (Obi Wan Kenobi), who takes the young Skywalker under his wing to train in the ways of the force. Luke along with the audience must learn about the force in order to help save the day and thwart the Empire's evil plans.

That's just a brief synopsis of the beginning of this terrific narrative. The performances in this film allow these quintessential characters to be brought to life. Mark Hamill perfectly encapsulates the hero in Luke Skywalker, who wants nothing more than to explore the galaxy.

Harrison Ford embodies the lovable scoundrel Han Solo, who totally shot first by the way. (Just a little wink to huge Star Wars fans reading this review)

Alec Guinness makes for the perfect wise old Jedi master to guide Luke in the ways of the force and his performance is top notch.

Carrie Fisher makes for a spunky Princess Leia. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope also features everyone's favorite droid duo in the form of R2D2 and C3PO, whose moments on screen together allow for some great comedic relief. Another great character is Chewbacca, a large furry alien whose Han Solo's right hand Wookiee, who everyone will fall in love with.

This film also has one of the greatest villains in film history, Darth Vader. Darth Vader is menacing in just his presence, if you factor in James Earl Jones' deep commanding voice he is one of the most malevolent villains to grace the silver screen. And I can't forget to mention John Williams epic score that can be recognized just about anywhere and truly adds another layer to this masterful film.

I can say that Star Wars, as it was originally entitled, is a masterpiece and will forever be remembered as one of the great milestones in cinema.

Film Assessment: A+