Right now, fans of sci-fi/fantasy movies are really excited about “Dune: Part 2” (which is definitely gorgeous).
But I’m here to express my admiration for another space drama.
I got involved with the Star Wars craze a bit later. (Spoiler: Darth Vader dies; who knew?) Certainly, I saw the first two films — uh, Episodes 4 and 5, I mean — in theaters when they were initially released in 1977 and 1980. But to be honest, I wasn't very interested, didn't understand the significance, and couldn't fully grasp how amazing it was that George Lucas created this incredible dynasty.
Then, a couple of years ago, I met Dave, a sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who persuaded me to give the genre a chance.
After getting into the outer space world with “The Expanse” series (2015-2021), and a lot and pausing to ask questions (“So where did this threatening blue goo come from again?”), I was ready to fully engage.
We started with “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope,” released in 1977. (Naturally, we watched them in the order they were made, like any purist would.) Very little of it was familiar to me, so I was captivated. And the best part: I received explanations along the way, such as “Lucas based his air battles between the empire and the rebels on World War II dogfighting newsreels.”
“The trilogies are about the redemption of evil men becoming good again, against the backdrop of John Williams’ brilliant scores.”
“The Midi-chlorians (the foundational cells of the Force) were strong in the Skywalkers, and Anakin’s lightsaber tied Luke and Rey together through the Force.”
Wookies and jawas and banthas, oh my.
My pop culture memory banks are much more complete now that I know the difference between a clone and a droid, and can recognize a rancor and a dewback. Oh, what I have missed!
“The stormtroopers were named after the Sturm Abteilung of the Nazi party.”
“Just like his grandfather, Kylo Ren is manipulated by a Sith and wants to embrace the power of the Dark Side but he struggles against the pull of the Light Side from his Skywalker heritage.”
But all good things come to an end, right? After Star Wars episodes IV, V and VI, and then I, II and III, I was feeling empty — until Dave introduced me to all of the Star Wars spinoffs: “Ahsoka,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” It was so thrilling that I burst into song: “A whole new worrrrrrrrld.” So much to anticipate.
At a recent gathering to discuss books, I eagerly talked to my friends about my latest fascination: “The Mandalorian” series, a spinoff of Star Wars available on Disney streaming. It features Pedro Pascal mostly wearing a mask and a super cute puppet/CGI character named Grogu.
When I mentioned that I wanted to purchase Baby Yoda figures and display them all over my home, I saw the surprise on my friends' faces and started to wonder if I had gone too far.
Nevertheless, I don't feel sorry about it. They will realize how adorable those little Baby Yodas are when they visit for our June gathering.
However, I believe they would criticize me if they found out about the Grogu adhesive bandages in my medicine cabinet.
Jedi, beskar, and Leia, oh my.
May the force be with you.
