Legends and Awakenings

I might have mentioned before that I'm not really into movies. You could count the number of times I've been to cinemas in the past year on - *counts briefly* - two hands. Drat. I was going for one.

But come December, I am absolutely, positively, without question, watching this. 

Yes. I am a fan.

Albeit an odd sort of fan, I guess, in that I don't care about the source material. I have no strong feelings about the much-maligned prequel trilogy. And I've always viewed the original trilogy along the same lines as The Lord of the Rings. It's a great story, hugely influential. But it didn't exactly change my life.

What really drew me in was the Expanded Universe.

If you've never heard of it, the EU referred to the comics, video games, TV shows and (in my case) books set within the Star Wars universe before, during and especially after the movies. George Lucas was pretty cool about other storytellers running around his galaxy far, far away. He gave them his blessing, with the understanding that no story within the EU was allowed to contradict any other story - or the movies, of course - thus creating a vast continuity.

Well, maybe 'understanding' isn't the right word. There was a grading system for levels of canon, with the movies at the top. There were people whose jobs were to screen out inconsistencies. Lucasfilm took this stuff very, very seriously.

Noticed how I keep using the past tense?

Prior to the release of the prequel trilogy - which he was planning - George Lucas banned any content regarding the origins of Darth Vader and the rise of the Empire. This meant that much of the EU took place after the movies. It wove a long, epic yarn of the Rebels consolidating into a New Republic that faced off against the remnants of the Empire, a massive extragalactic alien invasion, and the odd wielder of the Dark Side. Leia became a prominent politician, married Han and had Force-wielding kids. Luke successfully rebuilt the Jedi Order. He had a son.

Lucasfilm allowed it all. In the absence of more movies, this future was canon. Only now they're making more movies - and it's no longer canon.

So they killed it.

All right, all right. They froze it. The entirety of the Expanded Universe has been rebranded as Star Wars Legends. It still exists - but only as fan-fiction. The new movies are the new future.

And you have to admit...the future looks kind of bleak. The Empire is now the First Order. The Rebellion has become the Resistance. But what's changed, really? Thirty years later, and they're still fighting for control of the galaxy. The Jedi are still a myth. Our protagonists are again starting out on a barren desert planet.

I wouldn't be surprised if the writers were intentionally mimicking the first movie. Even the new villain seems like a younger Darth Vader. They both use assumed names. 

Not that we know much about the story itself - the secrecy in that regard has been immense. The two main characters, the scavenger girl and the ex-stormtrooper? We're given their first names only. The fact that Luke is mysteriously absent from the trailers has led to wild rumours that he's now on the Dark Side. You can't help wondering if the movie is going to live up to all the hype.

But then, I suppose many would find my lack of faith disturbing.

I still feel a pang at the loss of the old continuity. But I'm willing to give this new one a shot. We can only hope the Force is with it. 

For the record, I think Kylo Ren is either Luke or Leia's son.

 Maybe I'm wrong. But if I'm right - 

*smirks*

I called it.