Category Archives: Opinion

Cool Star Wars Facts!

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Via Moviepilot.com:

If there’s one thing I love more than theories and speculation, it’s trivia! Even if it’s just little stuff that has absolutely zero relevance to whatever the trivia subject it is! So I’ve decided to do some research and look for some pretty cool trivia facts about everyone’s favorite space opera: Star Wars!

1. Han Solo had a lot of changes

Han Solo, the coolest dude in the Star Wars universe; who totally shot first! Yes, there’s not a person in the world who doesn’t know Han Solo—even if they refer to him as “that guy with the guns” or “space Indiana.” But did you know that the Han Solo we know today was far from the Han Solo originally envisioned by George Lucas? Lucas initially wanted Han to be some sort of alien swamp thing.

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‘Star Wars’ New Blood Is Exactly What This Franchise Needed

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Via Mtv.com:

For something that could easily be accused of being nothing more than a cash grab, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” introduced itself in an unexpected way. Subverting the principles of brand recognition, the teaser from director J.J. Abrams didn’t simply place the older version of Luke, Han and Leia front and center for more of the same.

Instead, we got two new faces: one belonging to a black man and the other, a woman.

It was a clear statement. Here are some images you know — a stormtrooper, a droid, a lightsaber — but starting right now, “Star Wars” is never going to be the same.

But the excitement Daisy Ridley and John Boyega bring to the series began before they ever showed up on our screens. Their (sadly) now defunct Twitter accounts were sources of genuine enthusiasm, and it was impossible not to relate. I mean, how would you react if you had been cast in “Star Wars”?

The prequels made it easy to be cynical about “Star Wars.” Until recently, the series was just another CGI-filled moneymaker, but here were these two young people, thrilled and open about their excitement to be a part of something so big and so powerful. While their tweets never discussed specifics, you could almost feel the hum of something great and unexpected happening.

And their attitudes obviously had to come from somewhere, so here’s to hoping that their energy was something that ran through the entire production. Because if “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is anything like Boyega and Ridley make me think it is, we’re in for a treat.

Ranking 73 ‘Star Wars’ Characters

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Via Huffingtonpost.com:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, five editors at The Huffington Post got together to rank characters in the “Star Wars” universe, from Jar-Jar Binks to best. The subjective list weighed a number of factors — cultural imprint, importance to the story, coolness and whether or not the characters were toys we wanted to own right now as children.

With this list, you’ll disagree. In the comments, let us know. And may the Force be with you. Always.

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13 Things Star Wars Taught Us About Travel

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Via Nypost.com:

When someone tells me they’re going to try traveling someplace soon, I give them my best Yoda impersonation: “DO or do not. There is no try.”

With J.J. Abrams revving up the Star Wars hype machine again, it got us at Yahoo Travel thinking about how the original films are as much a travel guide as they are a classic mythological space opera. We see diverse lands and fascinating modes of transportation, all in a story sparked by one farm boy looking far, far away to the heavens with wanderlust.

You don’t think we can come up with 10 travel lessons learned from Star Wars? As Han Solo once said, never tell me the odds! Here are 13 of them that will teach you a Jedi’s wisdom when on the road, inspired by the thousands of times I’ve watched the original trilogy (no dorks here!).

One note: I’ve purged most of the prequel movies from my memory in protest to George Lucas, but I do include one romance-related reference to them here.

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8 Perfect ‘Star Wars’ Hanukkah Gifts

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Via Mtv.com:

Once again, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: Hanukkah! This year, there’s no turkey intruding and trying to steal the show from the Festival of Lights. No jiggly wibbly wobbly cranberry sauce getting all up in the menorah. Only pure Hanukkah joy.

Of course, the only thing better than Hanukkah time is when it’s hit with a little bit of “Star Wars.” Admit it, you love it, and you wish you could just mash the two up and celebrate your own personal Festival of Lights(aber). Well, now you can. Your pals at MTV News (us!) have found eight amazing gifts, one to bestow upon your Force-loving friends and family each night of the holiday.

One thing is for certain: these are the “Star Wars”-themed Hanukkah gifts you are looking for. Let’s put the “Han” in Hanukkah, folks.

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Will Star Wars Episode 7 Meet our Expectations?

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Via Moviepilot.com:

Almost exactly a year from now we will all be cramming into theaters eagerly waiting to see the new Star Wars Episode 7. For some of us it’s been 10 years since seeing one in theaters while a new generation will have the opportunity to see it on the big screen for the very first time.

I have one big question though. Will a new Star Wars movie ever meet our expectations?

A few weeks ago the teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens dropped and I thought the internet might actually break. Everyone was either crying in excitement or picking it apart because that’s what we do now as movie nerds. I’ve seen trailers cause a ton of different reactions but for a teaser trailer? I’ve never seen so many people jump up to say something in a long time. I’ll admit I watched the trailer at least 5 times I was really pleased.

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The Greatest Dark Horse Star Wars Comics To Buy Before They’re Gone

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Via Toybox.i09.com:

Marvel’s Star Wars comic is starting next month, so with a heavy heart we say goodbye to Dark Horse’s comics. It’s a real goodbye too: a few will get republished, but after December 31st you’ll no longer be able to buy Dark Horse’s Star Wars line. Here’s the must-read stories to grab before they’re gone forever.

It came as almost a surprise to us when we learned that Dark Horse would stop selling their old Star Wars comics, but alas, after contacting Aub Driver of Dark Horse, we got confirmation that, although fans will be able to keep their digital purchases, after December 31st, they’ll pull all of their Star Wars digital titles for sale:

After the 31st — All SW titles will be pulled. Anyone who has purchased digital copies will still be allowed to access them in their cloud.

Our last print book came out November 5th: Star Wars: Dark Times Gallery Edition HC.

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Three of the Best ‘Star Wars’ Travel Destinations

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Via Onlocationvactions.com:

Since the release of the new teaser trailer, fans have been looking for even more ways to immerse themselves into the world of Star Wars.

Here’s a look at three of our favorite Star Wars destinations fans can visit right now.
Star Tours

Star Tours at Disneyland has been a childhood staple for more than 30 years. The updated 3-D motion ride takes guests on a journey through some of the most iconic Star Wars scenes. In the Walt Disney World version, kids from 4 to 12 can join the Jedi Training Academy, where they can put on Jedi robes and learn light saber skills. For more information, visit disneyworld.disney.go.com.

Tunisia

Most of the original Tatooine footage was filmed in Tunisia in North Africa, where the sets are still a popular tourist destination. There is even a hotel in one of remaining buildings where diehard fans can stay. A total of four Star Wars movies were filmed in Tunisia and most of the sets are still intact. For more info, visit Tunsia.com.

Palace of Caserta

The 18th century Italian palace, located in the city of Caserta, has been home to many leaders and dignitaries throughout the years, including Queen Amidala. The estate played Queen Amidala’s palace in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. To learn more about touring the historic site, visit reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it.

 

Top 10 Most Useless Star Wars Droids Of All Time

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Via Io9.com:

Next year sees the first new Star Wars movie in a decade, and that means one thing: brand new droids. But not all droids are necessarily as resourceful or neat as R2-D2. Some droids, nobody would ever want to look for. Here are the 10 most completely useless droids in the Star Wars universe.

Some droids are just so excellent, they make everything better — like that one astromech who does everything other astromechs can do, but also shoots beer into the air. And then there are these droids…

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Are The recent Free Star Wars Games Worth Your Time (and Money)?

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Via Macworld.com:

Until recently, the top Star Wars game available on the App Store was the cute and undeniably charming Tiny Death Star, an official spinoff of the immensely popular Tiny Tower that made a building management simulation feel light and breezy. But Disney suddenly pulled the game in October, leaving a potential void for Star Wars fans seeking a worthwhile free-to-play iPhone or iPad experience.

But a couple of contenders have emerged of late, and both tackle different kinds of familiar mobile strategy genres. Disney’s own Star Wars: Commander uses Clash of Clans as a template to explore bit-by-bit base building and asynchronous online combat, while the newly released Star Wars: Galactic Defense from DeNA is a pretty straightforward tower defense experience set in the sci-fi universe.

Both offer light and dark side options that alter the gameplay to some extent, and both are loaded with content. And unsurprisingly, both offer ample opportunities to spend money to either speed things along or ease the challenge. But do these attractive affairs really warrant playing over a long span of time, let alone pumping real cash into? I dug into both to find out.

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The Top 10 Star Wars Video Games Of All-time

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Via Gamezone.com:

There’s been a lot of good, and a lot of bad, Star Wars video games. The Star Wars on the NES from 1991 when I was a child, I thought it was the best thing ever. I look at it now and I can see that it really wasn’t. Star Wars is an amazing property that people love, so it’s hard to make a game that will do it justice — although I give a lot of leeway to developers considering what George Lucas did to his own franchise.

So here, in my opinion, are the Top 10 Star Wars video games.

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Most Successful ‘Star Wars’ Actor

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Via Theblaze.com:

With the Internet going nuts over the first teaser trailer for “Star Wars: Episode VII,” here’s a question to ponder: How have the actors from the original trilogy fared since the space opera debuted?

Nearly all of the original cast continued acting, so one way to measure their success is by box office gross from their post-”Star Wars” filmography.

The most successful one has to be Harrison Ford, the man who made Han Solo come to life, right?

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New ‘Star Wars’ Lightsabers

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Via Chicagotribune.com:

Lop off your fingers, the new “Star Wars” lightsaber will. Know this, every Jedi knight should.

Happily, I can’t write this entire column using a Yoda Speak Generator. So in simple Chicagoese, I’ll tell you this: My experts insist that if you use that new lightsaber, you’ll chop your fingers off.

Yeah, I heard what Stephen Colbert said in defending the new lightsaber. But he’s a comedian playing a conservative on TV. I’m a real conservative who knows a thing or two about fictional galaxies.

Chicago will be the home of the George Lucas Museum of What Lucas Thinks is Cool out on the lakefront, and that makes the city the epicenter of “Star Wars” nerd-dom. And now we’ve been thrust in the middle of the nerdiest controversy of all:

Whether the new fangled lightsaber seen in the trailer for the upcoming “Star Wars VII — The Force Awakens” is dangerous or not.

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Ralph McQuarrie Is Star Wars

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The Gizmodo.com:

The internet is understandably excited about the new Star Wars trailer. I have no problems considering myself a mega ultra super fan. I’ve made pilgrimages to conventions around the country and seeing new live-action Star Wars footage that isn’t the prequels is really exciting. But there’s one name that’s been woefully absent during the internet’s long discussions about the plausibility of lightsabers and that really cool x-wing scene—Ralph McQuarrie.

McQuarrie is Star Wars, and I say that with no exaggeration. Sure the scripts belong to George Lucas, and Star Wars would be nothing without them, but McQuarrie gave the original series that classic Star Wars feel that even 35 years later can still capture imaginations. Character concepts? McQuarrie. Vehicle designs? McQuarrie. Planet topography? McQuarrie. The guy was in every sense a creative genius.

And it wasn’t just the original trilogy. His artistic influence guided the prequel films and the Clone Wars series. In a five-part documentary, filmed in 2012 after McQuarrie’s unfortunate passing, George Lucas and tons of other creatives who helped shaped the franchise weigh in on McQuarrie’s monumental influence.

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The New ‘Star Wars’ Trailer Was The Perfect First Look At ‘The Force Awakens’

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Via Forbes.com:

There’s been a lot of chatter about the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer which LucasFilm and Disney unleashed upon the world this Thanksgiving weekend.

Some people thought the 88-second trailer was too short, didn’t reveal enough, and didn’t awaken the hype quite the way they’d hoped.

Others, like myself, thought quite the opposite. For my part, as an avid and long-time Star Wars fan, the trailer was a perfect opening salvo. It did everything it needed to do in less than two minutes.

Here are five reasons why it was the perfect opener for the new trilogy, and the right way to introduce fans to Episode VII, The Force Awakens.

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