A Trilogy for Star Wars Day
Star Wars Day is here! Sound the Gungan bawoonkas. Strike up the kloo horns. And, as you celebrate this May 4th, I thought I would share my own trilogy of film favorites in the legendary saga.
I don’t claim to be a Star Wars guru or a Jedi master, but I would cautiously call myself a fan.
No, I haven’t read every comic book with a lightsaber in it. I haven’t even watched all the shows in Disney’s official canon. But, as a child of the 80’s, the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie had an outsized influence in my padawan years.
Oh, and I even have a copy of Han Solo at Stars' End, along with Revenge, and Lost Legacy. So there’s that. Boom.
Why Star Wars Day?
Now, you might say this is just another one of those made-up holidays coined by today’s trade federations to fill up their corporate coffers. And, well, you’re probably right… mostly.
Actually, there is encouraging evidence that the roots of tying Star Wars reveling to a “fourth” go back to the late 1970’s when the films made their debut. First, newspapers employed the play on words for America’s July birthday the year after the original rise of Skywalker. Then, on May 4, 1979, the UK got in on the action with a celebratory “May The Fourth Be With You” honoring Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (a real “iron lady” who probably could give Mon Mothma a few pointers, by the way).
But, yes, then Disney supersized it all as “Star Wars Day” after taking over Lucasfilm.
And they made it so wizard!
A Trilogy of Favorites
Clearly, I don’t have a problem with this hyperspace holiday. After all, it’s not degrading a day that should honor our real-world history or heroes. Also, it’s not co-opting a time meant to be set apart and sacred for our souls. It’s just making a day extra fun. So let’s celebrate with some musings on a trilogy of favorite films (seems fitting for Star Wars) set a long time ago in that galaxy far, far away.
However, I do need to preface this section with an important caveat. I am NOT including the original three movies in this consideration. A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi are in a class by themselves. They got this party started, and they stand alone.
No feeding me to the sarlaac pit for heresy, ok folks?
With that said, these are my favorites in the last couple of decades.
Rogue One
I love this movie. And, I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but I will declare that this is my FAVORITE in the Star Wars saga. Yes, I will risk banishment to the spice mines of Kessel for that statement. I like it that much.
In Rogue One, we meet some amazing characters on the big screen like Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and K-2SO. I mean, who wouldn’t want K-2 at their back in a tight spot? And Chirrut and Baze give us just enough Force action to entertain without becoming Skywalker-dependent. Oh, and let’s not forget Ben Mendelsohn’s brilliant performance of the ruthlessly ambitious Director Krennic.
But the real heroes here have to be the directors and screenwriters. They created a film both humorous and heart-pounding as they made few lines in the classic opening crawl of the original A New Hope into a masterpiece:
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
They gave us a taste of how tenacious the spark of hope needed to be in the face of that newly constructed technological terror, not to mention Darth Vader himself.
Can you tell I like this one? And I’m not the only one. It’s no wonder it spawned the hit series, Andor!
Solo
Two years after Rogue One came Solo. Focused on the rascal-turned-rebel-hero Han Solo, it was another Star Wars story inspired by, but not strictly part of, the trio of trilogies that make up the Skywalker Saga.
In this lively summer flick, we get to meet young Han as he essentially smuggles himself out of the bare-knuckle back alleys of Corellia, only to end up as a foot soldier in the service of the Empire. We learn how he and his sidekick, Chewbacca, are thrust together and become lifelong allies (eventually). And we see some early signs of hope for the nascent Rebel Alliance, albeit in the form of a deadly marauder, Enfys Nest.
There was also a tease that more would be coming about that seemingly indestructible dark lord, Darth Maul. A promise fulfilled in season seven of The Clone Wars and continuing today. Yeah!
One of my favorite parts of Solo is the introduction of another iconic character: the Millennium Falcon. Han and his ship belong together (sorry, Lando). When he finally takes the controls for his legendary Kessel run, my ears were as delighted with symphony of the button clicks in the cockpit as my eyes were with the explosive action in the Maelstrom.
Solo did not generate the same level of buzz as Rogue One. In fact, it had its share of detractors. But they were wrong. It was what a summer space thriller should be. Fun, exciting, and leaving me yearning for more.
The Force Awakens
I couldn’t not have a Skywalker Saga film on this list. And, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed all of them. Yes, even Jar-Jar’s Phantom Menace. In fact, the beauty of that one was that it was the first that I felt ok sharing with my kids.
Now, some might argue vigorously that Revenge of the Sith should be on this list. I want you to know that I hear you. There is a power to that film as we see Anakin fall into darkness and the evil Empire rise. Honestly, I think it’s even better after The Clone Wars cleverly explores the breathtaking betrayal programmed into every trooper at the command of Order 66. Ahsoka, too, undergirds Anakin's story arc… but that is a blog for another time.
However, of the non-original Skywalker movies, The Force Awakens is definitely my favorite. I enjoyed meeting our heroes on the desert planet of Tatooine… I mean, Jakku. Sorry about that. And then the excitement as they worked to together to trigger a massive chain reaction to take out the Death Star… I mean, Starkiller Base.
Yes, I’m joking about those similarities to A New Hope. But you know what? It’s ok. They captured the Star Wars magic without feeling boring or overdone.
And scavenger Rey—both guarded and generous, a loner but fiercely loyal—was a welcome addition to the saga. Little did we know just what role she would play, but that final scene as she held out Luke’s long-lost lightsaber couldn’t help but lift my heart with a spark of hope. The resurgent forces of darkness would not have the last laugh.
And really, that’s what this franchise is (or should be) about. No matter how dark the universe becomes, no matter how far its people fall, light is not extinguished.
There is hope.
Someday, I will return to Star Wars with some more musings about my favorite shows and maybe even some characters that I hope Disney will explore further. For now, if you’d like to check out a podcast where I had a chance to talk about Star Wars and the Bible, enjoy this one.
And may the fourth be with you. I have spoken.
Photo by Abhinav Bhardwaj on Unsplash
