Blogs Get Star Wars, Disney Doesn't

John Nolte (PBUH) reviews The Rise of Skywalker and is not impressed. In his review Nolte makes a great point and with Original Trilogy:

There are two moments I’ve never forgotten from the original Star Wars trilogy. In 1977, I was 11 years old, so of course I’m going to mention that jaw-dropping Star Wars opening. Endless space, John Williams’ rising score, and that never-ending Imperial Star Destroyer passing overhead. The second is Luke Skywalker’s first appearance in Return of the Jedi (1982). What an arc that character had — from a starry-eyed, somewhat spoiled child in Star Wars, to The Empire Strikes Back’s unseasoned and impatient warrior eager to do his duty, to this… Look at Luke now. Look at his poise, his confidence… He’s a Jedi! No. Better. He’s a man.

That, reader(s), is why when John Nolte speaks about movies, one should always listen.

Nolte is sooooo right about Luke in Return of the Jedi, and we too recall Luke's entrance vividly, from our very first viewing. God, Luke is such a badass walking into Jaba's palace. 'You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookie to me.'

Here's Ace writing about world building in Star Wars:

You could take the Star Wars story and just plop it into any setting because it’s a tale as old as time, to coin a phrase. Around that simple story, though, is a new world. The setting of the film seems to spill over on every side. Yes, we have the Empire and the Rebellion, but we also have hints of the Old Republic, a Senate, the Emperor, an ancient religion called the Jedi (or the Force), and a host of new species that all look different and sound different. There are droids that speak English and those that speak their own clicks and beeps.

Hinted at but not over-explained. 

The world around Luke seems old and tired, worn out. Look at those X-Wings, they have battle-scars, the pilot's helmets are dinged and dented. In fact Star Wars seems like...1977. For younger reader(s) that's how American felt, and that's one of the reasons why Star Wars was such a huge phenomenon. Five years earlier and Star Wars flops becuase everyone's thinking about Vietnam. Five years later and we're in the go-go 80's.

We're not bothering with The Rise of Skywalker, a sentence we'd never thought we'd write about a Star Wars movie. We couldn't care less about this trilogy or the characters. After two movies Rey, Finn, Po are uninteresting, dull and pointless. What the hell is Finn even there for?

It's Star Wars week here at William Stroock dot Blogspot dotcom, and we'll be writing about, and maybe vlogging about, the Star Wars movies we do care about.

Ewoks Victorious

It's like the people at TNT know when we're at the Northern Strategic Direction and program the Star Wars Trilogy.

We watched Return of the Jedi the other night and pondered the battle around the shield generator. 

It's great of course, not despite the Ewoks but becuase.

Becuase.

The people who criticize the Ewok role in the Battle of Endor haven't thought things through. There's no reason why the Ewoks could not have done what they did.

Ewoks are short, stout, woodland creatures who build villages in the trees. You think those guys can't throw their own weight?  Yes the Ewoks are adorable and cuddly and cute. So are Black Bears. Would you mess with a Black Bear?

As to the actual battle we find it plausible. The Ewoks outnumber the imperial troops and attack with the element of surprise. First they lure a squad of storm troopers into the forest and massacre them. Then they attack the shield generator. In the ensuing Chaos Han, Leia and the commando team free themselves. The Imperial Troops scramble.

From there the Ewoks scatter and are chased into the woods by the AT-ATs and the Storm Troopers until Chewbacca takes an AT-AT. 

From there Lucas gives us a cinematically enjoyable and satisfying montage. The Ewoks lasso a speeder and close line another. They smash an AT-AT with logs and trip one up.

It's a fun battle. Also, you don't think native warriors can defeat a modern army? Islandlwanna? Custer's Last Stand?

Return of the Death Star

Yesterday we argued that the Death Star plot in Return of the Jedi was unnecessary. 

Harris countered, correctly in my view, that the Death Star was built to lure the rebels into a final battle.

The second Death Star seems contrived to us. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, we do it too.  We just think Lucas could have done better with a different idea. 

We also restate that we love Return of the Jedi and everything about the battle around the Death Star.

Still, Lucas didn't have to use the Death Star as a plot device. Why not have some grand imperial conference on Coruscant as the trap?

Also, and we don't want to take this point too far beacuse one can argue any movie to death this way, would they really have built a second Death Star after what happened to the first?

Battle Extraordinaire

Here's an interesting Star Wars question.

In Return of the Jedi, why another Death Star attack?

This blog loves everything about that battle, as chronicled last week. But it is repetitive.

Why not an assault on Coruscant to take out the imperial palace and the Emperor with it?

Lucas could have done everything he wanted to with an attack on Coruscant and had an original premise to boot.

And probably no Ewoks either.

Battle Extraordinaire: Star Wars Edition

The Battle of Endor:

Let's breakdown the sequence.

-The fleet sallies out to battle. 

-The fleet arrives and we feel immense tension (pushed brilliantly by John William's score) as the fleet approaches the Death Star. 

-It's a trap and the Imperial fleet is waiting. 

-A low point, the realization that the Death Star is operational,

-The lowest point as a second ship is lost to the Death Star.

-Lando's desperate ploy to close with and engage the Imperial fleet.

-The Rebel fleet battles for time.

-The Rebel fleet takes out the super Star Destroyer.

-Finally the shield goes down and Lando attacks.

The Battle of Endor is a film within Return of the Jedi. It has emotional inflexion points of fear, desperation, and finally triumph as the Super Star Destroyer crashes into the Death Star. 

Having Lando lead the attack is also a nice touch.

There's great detail here. Anyone else ever notice the Star Destroyer exploding in the top left corner of the screen as the Super Star Destroyer goes down. There's also plenty of depth, ships and fighters in the background.

Overall, just about our favorite battle ever, since we were ten.

Star Wars: Your Movies Didn't Matter

We think Return of the Jedi is perfect.* The movie gives us a swashbuckling and at times funny intro, a deep and important second act, and then finally an epic conclusion as we go from the battle on Endor, to the battle between the Rebel and Imperial Fleets and the ultimate battle between Luke and the Emperor for Darth Vader's soul. The scenes aboard the Death Star are packed with drama, tension and emotion and worth the price of admission on their own.

Over all Return of the Jedi is well executed fun.

It's all undone by The Last Jedi.

At the end of The Last Jedi we have a few rebels fleeing for their lives from Kylo Ren and The First Order which is now all powerful.


It's like the Great War. How do you celebrate winning the Great War when you know 20 years later your gong to do it all over again?

As C3PO says in Return of the Jedi, 'Here we go again.'

You see, we always thought Return of the Jedi's ending in the forest was well done, Luke cremating his father, the fireworks from the X-Wings, the celebration with the Ewoks. Heck, you even get a final group photo. We all knew what this meant. The Rebel Alliance has won and this is goodbye.

And according to The Last Jedi none of it mattered.

*The Ewoks didn't bother us then, they don't bother us now.