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The Force Awakens And The New Star Wars Canon...


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I've written on here about Star Wars before https://omorashi.org/topic/23331-star-wars-two-groups-now-three/#entry935669, with a new movie out and the “official” Disney canon established I thought it was time to write about it again. Just like the last time I wrote about that galaxy far, far away this will probably contain a few spoilers, so reader beware.

 

I did see “The Force Awakens”; I didn’t go to the first showing. I really wasn’t that excited to see the film and with some of the incidents that have happened in theaters in the last few years I knew most of the “pageantry” for lack of a better word would be nonexistent. May theaters wouldn’t admit anyone with a mask or helmet and some even turned away people in any costume. Not being able to sit surrounded by stromtroops and Vaders took a little out of the experience. Also with Disney I knew not to get my hopes up.

 

Even going a few weeks after the premier the theater was still fairly crowded. Looking around it was mostly older people; I think I may have been the youngest person at that screening. Basically all the people that wanted to see the movie but didn’t want to deal with the diehard fans, which is understandable. I guess these were the ones that would watch Star Wars if it was on TV (which it never is) but missing it on the big screen wouldn’t be the end of the world for them.

 

With low expectations I wasn’t let down. The movie was okay but that’s all I can really say. It was an enjoyable space adventure. It just didn’t grab me the way the others did. Even the prequels had me more excited than “The Force Awakens”, I distinctly remember coming out of the theater after seeing “The Phantom Menace” chatting up a storm practically vibrating with excitement for the next movie. This latest one just didn’t deliver in that way.

 

Being an Expanded Universe fan I made a vow to avoid Disney’s “official” canon like the plague. I didn’t want to read any of their new books or comics. Seeing as I was never really into Star Wars comics there was no issue there (upon proofreading I found that pun). The books were easy to avoid because I still have plenty of the old Expanded Universe now Legends books to read. Temptation is always right around the corner though.

 

My temptation came in the form of a paperback copy of “Tarkin”. I had vowed not to read any Disney publications, but Tarkin is one of my favorite characters Peter Cushing was mesmerizing. That perfect blend of sinister evil, plus anyone that can order Vader around is someone to pay attention to.

 

My local library runs a bookstore in its basement. The whole thing is dependent on the community, the books are all donations and the staff are all volunteers with the proceeds going to the library. It really helps keep our library going and lately has become the only bookstore I go to with their prices being the icing on the cake. A hardcover goes for a dollar and a paperback is only fifty cents; the annual clearing out sale is even better.

 

Breaking my vow I bought the book. I do however take solace in the fact that Disney will not see a penny of my fifty cents (used bookstore) and I helped my local library. All in all this was one of my lighter trips only having spent about six dollars.

 

I found it easy to enjoy “Tarkin”. Not being an expert but a rabid fan I even found that it was a good fit with what little we knew of the character. Which left me pleasantly surprised, I really thought I would hate the book and my vow would have been justified.

 

Looking ahead I think I will continue to avoid Disney’s canon with the exception of their films. Just like the last time I wrote about Star Wars I wrote way more than I intended to (its hard to hide a passion for something). I don’t think there was even one spoiler in this.

 

I guess I’m just wondering what everyone else’s experiences with the new “official” canon has been. Have you been surprised (like I was)? Are you avoiding the new stories? Did anyone else feel let down by the new movie or am I the only one?   

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I loved the new movie. Its right with the original movies for me, above the prequels. I adore Kylo Ren. Its nice to see a sith that's not calm, cool, collected, just being the embodiment of rage, but with even more to his character besides the stoic "I am the Dark Side" type of feel. You can feel his hate, literally feel it, and the tension around other characters nervous of setting him up. But even moreso, he has inner conflict AND he is still learning, which opens up for so much character development. This was done with every new character, and its something the prequels never did. Obi wan has always essentially been Obi Wan, Yoda has always essentially been Yoda, etc. Not much evolution there. Even in the original series I saw more evolution out of Han and Leia than anyone else including Luke, who's development was entirely less arrogance/more skills/DAD ISSUES. I'm excited for the entirety of the new trilogy. For star wars nerds its almost heresy to say the originals are less than perfect, but I prefer to look at everything objectively and not through nostalgia, so to me it looks like they're keeping what was good about the originals, but also trying to build where they lacked, and I saw a lot of this in characters and setting in the Force Awakens. It can only get better from here.

 

And I don't mean to offend, but doesn't it seem just a bit petty to avoid everything Disney puts out just because its Disney? Disney is the publisher, it doesn't mean all new Star Wars novels are written by the same dude who wrote Cinderella (For example, read the new Vader comic series. If you can somehow be disappointed by that as a Star Wars fan I'll be speechless.) They have fantastic and well renowned people working on the new canon, some new, some old. In my opinion if you're going to avoid stuff just because of a label you're only missing out where you shouldn't be for a silly reason and just hurting yourself as a fan. Being a purist is good in some fan groups; this is not one of them, take it from me. As a long time Star Wars fan and having taken everything at face value, I have yet to be disappointed. Except by maybe a bit of the clone wars. Remember, old does not necessarily mean good, and new does not inherently mean bad. They're taking lots of things in very interesting directions and the result is fresh content with the same Star Wars feel everyone has grown up loving.

 

We just need some more content of the 501st and I'll be happy as a lark.

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