Star Wars Speculation: Balancing The Force

Welcome to my second installment of Star Wars Speculation! I aim to make this a series where I discuss something in the realm of Star Wars once a week. I'm still currently debating exactly what day I should upload these, so don't expect to see a trend in posting for awhile, but the topics will change radically from week-to-week and will remain focused on something within the realm of Star Wars. Today's topic is "Balancing The Force," and I will be providing my interpretation of the "Chosen One" prophecy.

"Balancing The Force"

To kick things off, I suppose I ought to explain the Chosen One Prophecy itself. The prophecy of the Chosen One was a Jedi legend introduced in The Phantom Menace that foretold the coming of a being who "would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force." The ideology behind Chosen One prophecies have a firm foundation in countless fictional worlds. In the context of the Star Wars universe, it was believed to refer to Anakin Skywalker. However, I have another theory that I believe connects the entire Star Wars Saga.

[I'm going to recap the Anakin's arc through the prequels really quick for those who need a refresher or are confused about how Darth Vader could possibly be considered to be the Chosen One. Those proficient in their Star Wars lore, feel free to skip over this.]

Quick Prequel Recap: Anakin's Rise & Fall

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jin was convinced Anakin was the Chosen One due to Anakin's off-the charts Midi-chlorian count, but the Jedi Council remained apprehensive to admit the boy into the Order because of his age and the fear that lurked within him. However after Qui-Gon's death, the Council reversed its decision and admitted Skywalker to the Order, appointing Obi Wan Kenobi as his mentor.

There were those within the Order, such as Mace Windu, who doubted Skywalker's status, but his exceptional skills and strength with the force were acknowledged by all. Once the Clone Wars began, Skywalker became a Jedi General and quickly rose through the ranks of the Order. Eventually, at Chancellor Palpatine's behest, he was appointed to the Council as a personal representative of the Chancellor. However, the Council refused to grant Skywalker the rank of Jedi Master despite allowing him to sit on the Council. 

This limitation, along with numerous other factors, lead Anakin to become steadily seduced by the dark side. Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to Anakin as the Sith Lord manipulating the Clone Wars (Lord Sidious) and promised to have the ability to save Padmé from dying in childbirth (something Anakin had seen in a vision). Skywalker was very conflicted at first, but reported the revelation to Mace Windu. 

Windu was accompanied by Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tin, and Age Kolar to arrest the Chancellor. Sidious quickly disposed of the three Jedi accompanying Windu, so the confrontation became a one-on-one duel. Windu got the upper hand as Sidius lost his saber, and held him at bay when Skywalker arrived. Windu declared that Sidious was too dangerous to be kept alive, but Anakin disagreed because the idea Sidious could save Padmé had taken hold in his mind. As Windu tried to strike him down, Anakin intervened and disarmed Windu. Windu was then hit with Sidious' full force-lightning and flew out the window to his implied demise (although, there's still technically no official canon confirmation that the fall killed him).

After this, Anakin pledged himself to serve under Palpatine and henceforth be known as Darth Vader. Vader was then ordered to march on the Jedi temple alongside legions of Clone Troopers and kill all Jedi inside. Palpatine issued Order 66 to all Republic Clone Troopers as an executive order to kill their Jedi generals. Those with a chip implant then turned on the Jedi, but the mechanics behind that warrants explanation in another article. 

The Case against Anakin's status as the Chosen One

So clearly Anakin's turn to the dark side seems like it would negate the possibility of Anakin being the Chosen One. Obi Wan states as much in Revenge Of The Sith when he says "You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness." However, you've got to take into account that this is the way things look from a certain point-of-view.

How Anakin did fulfill the Prophecy

Contrary to popular belief, I think Order 66 does factor into the prophecy. At the time he marched on the temple, there were thousands of Jedi and only two Sith. While Order 66 didn't wipe out EVERY Jedi immediately as evidenced in Canon by the revelation numerous Jedi survived (ie. Ahsoka, Kanan, etc.), I think the dwindling numbers and secluded remnants did actually start to bring some balance between the light and dark side of the Force. 

By the time of Return Of The Jedi, we know with the upmost certainty that Luke was the last Jedi remaining. The Jedi Order was reduced to only Luke once Yoda passed on, so at that point the Force was unbalanced again since there were two Sith (Sidious and Vader) and one Jedi (Luke) left. 

Ultimately, Vader does fulfill the entirety of the prophecy when he intervenes between the Emperor's torture of Luke. When Vader throws his master into the second Death Star's reactor, his suit takes a substantial amount of damage from Sidious' force lightning. Therefore, his respirator is impaired, so he also dies as a result and the Sith are no more. Anakin destroyed the Sith and balanced the Force. Mystery solved, right? Not quite...

My Interpretation of the Prophecy 

I have reason to suspect that the Chosen One Prophecy doesn't exclusively refer to one individual (despite the name's obvious numerical restriction), but rather multiple individuals who factor into balancing the light and dark sides of the Force. I realize this sounds ridiculous, but I believe I've unearthed enough evidence spread throughout the facets of Star Wars canon to support my theory.

The Belief there was Another

As I alluded to earlier, Obi Wan no longer believed Anakin to be the Chosen One after Skywalker's fall to the dark Side. Obi Wan seemed to trust that Luke would be the one to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force at that point. 

This idea is confirmed in an episode of Star Wars Rebels where Darth Maul tracks Obi Wan to Tatooine, and is defeated in a brief duel with Kenobi. As Maul dies, Kenobi cradles him in his arms and Maul asks "Tell me... Is he the chosen one?" Kenobi replies definitively saying "He is." It's a brief part of the episode and Kenobi's only appearance on the series thus far, but enough evidence to me that Kenobi surely put all his faith that Luke was the Chosen One. 

It makes total sense when you look at the events of A New Hope, as Kenobi is so careful in how he explains to Luke everything that happened to Anakin and appears to have complete trust in Luke. 

Yoda, on the other hand, seems to have been prepared for the possibility that either of the Skywalker twins could be the Chosen One. This is echoed most in the saga when Kenobi's Force spirit says "He is our last hope" and Yoda responds that "There is another," referring to Leia of course. 

The Balance is undone

So why do I think the Chosen One Prophecy is still applicable? Well... The state galaxy isn't exactly balanced anymore... While I think Anakin brought a temporary balance to the galaxy, there's still an ongoing war between the light and dark. This part of my discussion is largely speculation since we don't really have too many concrete facts about the story between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, but I think there's just enough evidence currently to support my idea. 

I feel like potential Chosen Ones that fit my theory for this Star Wars sequel trilogy are Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren. Luke played a hand in bringing balance to the Force as he was the driving force behind Vader's redemption, but we've yet to see how he'll factor into The Last Jedi. I have reason to believe that Luke will be the key behind the entire idea of balancing the Force. People have been quick to point out Luke's darker attire and looming presence in the back of The Last Jedi posters as signs he could be going dark, but I think it points to something else... 

This theater standee for The Last Jedi features Luke on both sides, one clearly representing the light side and the other representing the dark side. I think people are getting a little wrapped up in the dark side argument because they're so convinced he will go dark at this point. Instead, I believe, this represents the idea that this version of Luke we will meet will have a very different set of ideals and will dwell in the middle. Kylo Ren clearly undid everything Luke was working towards in regards to a new Jedi Order, and tipped the scales back towards the dark Side again in doing-so. Perhaps this catastrophe was the tipping point for Luke to realize that something in the DNA of the Jedi Order was fundamentally flawed, considering two Skywalker's had successfully dwindled the Order. 

There's a concept that's been subtly implanted into the new Star Wars canon known as "Gray Jedi," or simply force wielders that walk the line between light and dark. In the first trailer for The Last Jedi, the entire theme of the trailer seemed to revolve around balance, with the word "balance" even slipping into Rey's voice-over as she discussed seeing "light... darkness... a balance." I believe all of this is pointing towards the idea that Luke will want to found a Gray Jedi Order to replace the traditional Order. I think that's the entire point of Luke's shocking voiceover from that trailer where he says "I only know one thing... It's time for the Jedi to end." I believe this will be Luke's attempt to achieve a true balance of the Force. Whether he does it by himself or needs the assistance of Rey or Kylo Ren remains to be seen, but keep in mind that this is only just speculation so take it with a grain of salt. I could be entirely off-base, but that's just the idea that I've had swirling around in my head for a while. I suppose we'll wait in 56 days to see if I was right when Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15, 2017!

I hope you've all enjoyed reading my thoughts on this topic, and let me know if you have any ideas for Star Wars related topics I can discuss.

-May the force be with you, always!

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi'

Well here it is, what will be my final Throwback Thursday Review for a Star Wars film and the final film in the Original Trilogy for my to review. Be forewarned there will be some spoilers in the review but nothing too big. It's so crazy to think that hours after publishing this review Star Wars: The Force Awakens will have been released for the public to see and I will not only have seen it but have a review for the film. If you would like to read all of my other Star Wars reviews, here are hyper links for my other reviews. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. So as of now I have no future plans to do anymore Throwback Thursday Reviews in 2015 but it's very possible I may do a Throwback Thursday Review on the 24th of a Christmas movie. I will continue reviewing any new films I see of course and have plans to review a few films that I have yet to see this year even though they aren't quite "new". So look forward to plenty of reviews for the next two weeks. Also look forward as I will make a few posts summarizing my thoughts of the films released this year (ie. Top 10, 5 most disappointing, and 5 films I wish I had seen, as well as the 10 films I'm most excited for next year).

'Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi' Review

Nominated For: Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Score.
Won: Special Achievement Award (For Visual Effects).

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi is the third and final film in the Original Trilogy, originally just entitled Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, and takes place sixth chronologically in the saga. Return Of The Jedi is probably the most controversial of the Original Trilogy, although not nearly as controversial as the Prequel Trilogy. What can be agreed upon however is that Return Of The Jedi is pure fun.

Richard Marquand directs and ensures to bring the best of all that is beloved in the franchise to the forefront. Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas return to pen the story and once again craft another masterful tale. John Williams once again scores the film with more epic harmonious music that shall stand the test of time and still remains among the best film scores of all time.

The performances and characterization on display are once again incredible. Mark Hamill returns to the role of Luke Skywalker bringing a new vibrato to the character, now that Luke is a trained Jedi Knight. From the moment Luke arrives you can just tell how much Luke has grown as a character since the beginning of it all and it's very satisfying to see Luke finally become one of the Jedi Knights of legend.

Harrison Ford returns and wears the role of Han Solo like a glove, given his familiarity with the lovable scoundrel. Carrie Fisher is back as a bit of a more level headed Leia, who's not quite as chirpy and sarcastic but more of a leader in her own right showing her fierce and assertive independence. Although Leia's given quite a bit of growth in this film she's somewhat relegated to a smaller role, giving more spotlight to Luke.

Billy Dee Williams is once again the smooth Lando Calrissian and is given much more to do this time around. C3PO, R2D2, and Chewbacca all return with each having plenty of great moments onscreen.

Meanwhile for the antagonists, this film introduces us to Vader's superior, the Emperor, in person for the first time. Ian McDiarmid is phenomenal as the sick twisted leader of the Galactic Empire.

At the Emperor's feet, James Earl Jones once again breathes life to Vader through his commanding baritone voice that certainly adds to the villain's vindictive nature. However, Darth Vader is shown to possess humanity that balances out with his malevolent nature adding more complex layers to the character.

The story begins with Darth Vader's arrival to supervise the construction of a second Death Star. He informs the imperial officer that the Emperor shall arrive soon so they must get back on the construction schedule planned out.

The film then transitions to Tatooine where we see our favorite droid duo head into Jabba's palace. We are introduced to Jabba The Hutt, the most vile, slimy space slug in the galaxy. It was interesting to finally see this crime lord that's been discussed throughout the films and his foul appearance certainly lived up to the horrid descriptions. The two are accompanied with a message from Luke pleading for Jabba to release Han Solo. They are followed by the rest of the gang each arriving one wave after another in their attempt to rescue Captain Solo. Now this all sets the stage for Luke Skywalker's arrival.

Luke arrives cloaked in a black robes and we see his newfound strength with the power of the force as he force chokes two Gamorrean guards and then uses Jedi mind tricks on Jabba's servant, Bib Fortuna. He then forces him to bring him to Jabba and threatens the space slug to his unsavory face. After some brief events I won't discuss in too much detail, Jabba declares for Luke, Han, and Chewy to all be taken to the Sarlacc Pit to be sacrificed to be digested for over a thousand years.

Then begins the one of the most suspenseful moments in Star Wars. John William's score begins a series of brief vamps and Luke is taken to the plank over the Sarlacc Pit. R2D2 makes his way to the top of Jabba's sail barge as Luke threatens Jabba one final time. He then proceeds to jump grabbing the edge of the plank and launching himself back onto the skiff, R2 then shoots Luke's lightsaber from his dome and Luke catches it igniting the emerald blade proceeding to cut down Jabba's minions. The audience now knows that Luke has crafted himself a new lightsaber. This was the first time in the franchise that audiences had ever seen a green lightsaber, and I think the color lended itself quite well for the weapon.

Now comes a very unfortunate anticlimactic end to a very beloved character. Boba Fett is taken out when Han accidentally ruptures Fett's jetpack. Fett is then trust forward into the Sarlacc Pit to his unfortunate end. It was a shame to see one of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunters be so easily disposed and is probably my biggest problems with the film, although that certainly doesn't detract from it too much. After tons of action the group escapes blowing up Jabba's sail barge upon their exit. This was such a great introduction for the film, hence why I've discussed it in such great details, allowing for some great action in the Dune Sea as they must fight Jabba's subservient scum.

Now the group splits off once again and we follow Luke as he goes to Dagobah one last time. Yoda reappears briefly at this point to provide more wise words to Luke and a huge revelation telling Luke there is another Skywalker before his death. This then propels Luke's story arc when Kenobi's force ghost appears confirming that Vader is his father and telling Luke the truth about Anakin Skywalker as well as informing Luke that Leia is his twin sister.

Luke then reunites wth his Rebel friends and they're off on a mission to take out a shield generator on the forest moon of Endor protecting the new Death Star. On the moon there's a great speeder chase scene which allows for some entertaining action. Then a series of events lead to the inevitable final confrontation between Luke and Vader. Then comes one of the greatest climactic battles in the entire saga as there is a battle on three fronts.

There's first the fight on the forrest moon of Endor and a huge space battle going on overhead in an entertaining assault on the Death Star that both have a few shocking twists.

Meanwhile, while all of this is going on Luke has surrendered himself to Vader and the two have an interesting conversation. Vader presents Luke to the Emperor with the intention of turning Luke to the dark side. The Emperor then begins to taunt Luke poking at the fact that all of his Rebel friends will be defeated. Luke is enraged by this and uses the force to seize his lightsaber and he attempts to strike down the Emperor. However Darth Vader blocks the blade from reaching his master with his own lightsaber. Then one of the greatest duels in Star Wars ensues.

What makes this duel so fantastic is the powerful engaging emotional layer of the greater conflict between Luke and his inner self. Luke is conflicted between whether or not he should stay in the light or join the dark side and this is conveyed brilliantly in a few shots where half of his face is shadowed, symbolizing the choice Luke must make. I think that was a great overarching theme throughout the duel. It was also interesting to see Luke momentarily give in to the darkness as he is enraged by some of Vader's comments poking that maybe Luke's sister would turn to the dark side.

He then loses it and starts swinging his saber ferociously and the duel intensifies. He subdues Vader and chops off Vader's hand and the Emperor asks him to kill Vader Luke refuses and flings his lightsaber away leaving himself vulnerable to the Emperor's force lightning.

Vader watches as Luke writhes in pain from the Emperor's power and is then presented with a choice to go back to the light side and save his son or remain in the dark side and watch his son perish. Vader then proceeds to grab his master and throw him over the side to his inevitable death.

However, in doing this, his suit is disabled by the Emperor's force lightning and so Vader asks Luke to remove his mask so he may see his son with his own eyes. After the removal of the helmet Anakin soon dies and Luke takes his body with him back to the first moon of Endor and has a ceremonial funeral pyre for his father. I always thought it was so interesting and sad to see that Luke was the only one in attendance at the funeral since the rest of the Rebels aren't quite fond of Vader.

Now for the controversy, some complain that the inclusion of the Ewoks, small teddy bear like creatures native to the forest moon of Endor, make the film too child friendly and fail to service the narrative. I've never been bothered by their inclusion as they're not an annoyance and don't hinder the plot. I must agree that they certainly weren't "necessary," but they are clearly present as an appeal to children.

Another chief complaint is the construction of a second Death Star, but once again I was never bothered by this because it makes logical sense to me that the Emperor was very determined to have a space station capable of destroying planets to help keep the galaxy in line.

Now to sum all of that up, I can say that when I was younger, this was my favorite Star Wars film and I've always debated between Return Of The Jedi and Empire Strikes Back as to which is my favorite in the franchise. I think Return Of The Jedi is the more "fun" film and Empire Strikes Back is the better made film overall (similarly to how I feel about my comparison between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy as to which is the better Marvel film). So I can say this is a very close second in my ranking of the Star Wars Saga.

Overall, Return Of The Jedi is a great film that is a satisfying resolution to the Original Trilogy. If you haven't seen the film or even if you have, I highly recommend watching (or rewatching) it as well as the rest of the Original Trilogy, especially for those planning to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back'

First off, this review is being uploaded on Friday, a day late, so I apologize but I was a little busy yesterday. This week I continue my Star Wars reviews leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my thoughts on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, originally entitled Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I've looked forward to reviewing the Original Trilogy for a while and am very excited to share my thoughts on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I will review Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi and then on Thursday I will be attending a marathon of all six Star Wars films followed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens so I will have my review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens up within the next day or so. The following hyperlinks are all my reviews of the previous Star Wars films so feel free to check those out if you're interested. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith,  and Star Wars: A New Hope. Also be forewarned as there will indeed be huge spoilers in this review due to the nature of the film. If you haven't seen this film, I recommend you watch it before reading the review as I will be discussing the biggest plot twist in cinematic history.

'Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back' Review 

Nominated For: Best Art Direction, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Sound and Special Achievement Award (For Visual Effects).

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is the second film released in the franchise and the fifth chronologically. This film is widely regarded as the best Star Wars film by fans and it's considered one of the best sequels ever made. I must say that I whole heartingly agree.

The film boosters a compelling narrative, great characters, riveting action, amazing visual effects, and a production design that really brings the audience into this galaxy a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. And let's not forget that John Williams returns as well with some new music for one of the most thrilling and iconic film scores of all time.

Irvin Kershner directs this film as he is handed the reigns by George Lucas who was more involved behind the scenes but didn't direct this installment. Kershner manages to take the franchise to new heights in this sequel following it's debut introducing new character, new worlds all while diving deep into the characters from the original. The Empire Strikes Back's has an intricate narrative in the story created by the combination of Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, and Leigh Brackett. The story is one of the aspects that really shines in this film because evil triumphs and emerges victorious.

Well in regards to performances and characterization, everyone does a phenomenal job. Mark Hamill returns as Luke Skywalker and is once again terrific in the role as a more mature, seasoned hero.

Harrison Ford injects more wit, humor and personality into the lovable scoundrel, Han Solo. Carrie Fisher is once again sassy and spunky as Princess Leia.

Billy Dee Williams perfectly embodies the smooth gambler of Lando Calrissian.

Another new character, Yoda, is voiced by Frank Oz and almost every word uttered by Yoda stands among the most memorable lines of dialogue ever uttered in film.

Chewbacca, R2D2, and C-3PO all return as the lovable sidekicks to our favorite heroes and each have a few moments to shine.

As I said earlier, this film sees a much stronger presence for the antagonists, the Empire. Darth Vader is back and even more menacing as he's more than just a malevolent presence this time around as we get to see Vader in his relentless pursuit of Luke and his fellow Rebels. As I've said before Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains of all time and that certainly carried over to this film.

We finally get our first glimpse at the Emperor, who's mysterious presence makes the character all the more real.

Boba Fett is introduced in this film as the silent bounty hunter. Felt makes for a very cool villain for the series and despite his small role in the franchise is certainly beloved by many as a villain.

Once again the visual effects are marvelous and still hold up to today. The action in the film is incredible and grander in scale in comparison to A New Hope and the production design team is able to brilliantly bring all of these planets to life as a stage for the brilliant story.

The film opens on the icy cold, bitter world of Hoth and the events on Hoth are wondrous and a visual delight with some very memorable moments. Luke is given a heroes journey when he is directed by Obi Wan Kenobi's force ghost to leave his friends temporarily and visit the swampy Dagobah system to be taught more of the ways of the force.

Luke, along with everyone's favorite droid R2D2, meets a small kooky green alien, who is much more than he first appears to be when it's revealed to be the wise old Jedi Master Yoda. Yoda's introduction is handled brilliantly as he misdirects both Skywalker and the audience initially only to be full of profound wisdom.

Meanwhile, as the Empire invades Hoth, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Princess Leia must evacuate the rebel base. The Millinum Falcon's escape from the Empire is quite enjoyable as the Falcon must outmaneuver Tie Fighters in an astroid field for a very thrilling chase sequence. So all of our favorite heroes are separated from each other and the Falcon's best hopes lie with the gambler Lando Calrissian on the wondrous, yet ominous Cloud City on the planet of Bespin.

There the heroes are betrayed by Lando who turns them over to the Empire due to some arrangement he was forced to make with Vader. Vader decides to use them to set a trap for Luke Skywalker. It all culminates to the best lightsaber duel of the franchise where Luke finally confronts Darth Vader in person for the first time.

The duel has emotional weight, style and a fierce intensity that leads to the biggest plot twist in cinema history. Darth Vader brings Luke to a standstill informing him "You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi Wan did." Luke however continues to fight back trading blows with Vader landing a few hits on his armor till he is forced onto the edge of a platform where Vader overcomes Luke and cuts off Luke's hand leaving Luke defenseless.

He then tries to convince Luke to join the dark side and bring order to the galaxy. Vader then taunts him saying "Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father" Luke refuses to listen and responds saying "He told me enough. He told me you killed him." to which Vader responds "No. I am your father." (Yes the line is not "Luke, I am your father."). It's followed by John William's epic Imperial March score that hammers the moment home and Luke has just about the same reaction that any audience member would to the news when Luke screams out "No. No. That's not true. That's impossible."

Luke refuses to believe the news and decides he would rather fall to his death than accept Vader's ultimatum. Luke however doesn't die of course but lands on an antenna to dangle hopelessly till his friends can rescue him. Leia  senses Luke in danger so Lando, Chewy, R2, Threepio, and Leia arrive in the Falcon to save Luke. What an ending, right?

Now to sum all of that up, I can say that this is my favorite Star Wars film, although I have always loved Return Of The Jedi as well and the two are very close to me in terms of quality so it's always been difficult for me to distinguish which one truly was my favorite. However, as I've matured, I understand Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back more and have a greater admiration for the film. Honestly Empire Strikes Back is my favorite movie ever made and I will forever have a deep appreciation for this film. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it in addition to the other films from the Original Trilogy.

Film Assessment: A+