Welcome back to The Cantina where we definitely serve your kind. I’m your bartender Kyle Malone and I’m serving up tall glasses of nothing but Star Wars.  By now you know I am the dedicated, well versed in the EU, experienced gamer, and open-minded fan this world needs. I see the flaws in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but also the great moments too. I know the importance of The Empire Strikes Back but see how strong Return of the Jedi is. I see that the prequels… well… we’ll get there… maybe. There’s nothing more satisfying than a great Star Wars story, and I want more! 

Greetings, Star Wars fans! I am glad to be back behind the bar and bringing you my take on the latest news and rumors. This week we’re talking John Boyega’s twitter escapades, Anthony Daniels finishing his work for Episode IX, and we’ll be discussing I, Jedi for Last Call. Let’s dig in…

Recent News:

John Boyega, Finn from the New Trilogy, kicked a hornets’ nest this week on Twitter by claiming that Episode IX would be split into two parts… I’m kidding! Instead, he stated that the final film of the Skywalker Saga would end by fading to black and the credits rolling. This sent a shockwave through the Force as millions of fans cried out in horror and then were suddenly silenced. Well, not really silenced. Immediately people began voicing anger that the movie would not end with the traditional “iris” effect seen in the other films. Boyega came out immediately and said he was joking but that didn’t stop the hyperbole, or trolls. Check out the tweet and reactions HERE. 

I would love to say I don’t believe Disney and LucasFilm to be capable of this, but I’d be lying. I could see them wanting their final Saga film to end differently, and subvert our expectations, but I don’t think they will. They could, but won’t is what I am saying. As for fan reactions, look at the outcry when Rogue One had no crawl! I actually didn’t mind it that much. I think it helped set that movie apart from the numbered films and let us know we’re in for something different. Fast Forward to Solo and they met fans half way using the “Long time ago” font and color to give us a preface of sorts. I hated Solo, so my take on that style of intro will be biased.

The most important thing to me is that we get a satisfying ending to the Skywalker story. I could forgive a sleight against the tradition if the movie blew me away, but that is the least of my fears when it comes to Episode IX.

Speaking of the final Episode, Boyega also tweeted his thoughts on the film compared to the others he’s worked on:

https://twitter.com/JohnBoyega/status/1090194752287490048

Now fans of this site and column will know that I am very hesitant to put faith in this film. So many rumors lead me to believe we’re going to spend more than half the movie “fixing” The Last Jedi. I would prefer to lean into what’s been done and give us the best ending you can get, without spending so much time in the past. Yes, there are things I don’t like about Episode VIII and things I wish they had done differently, but what’s done is done.

I hope this film is fun. I hope it has a massive space battle, something the New Trilogy hasn’t had yet, and gives a satisfying end to the Skywalker story. Yes, this is possible without bringing Luke back to life or having him be a major character and influence via Force Ghosting. I have always thought that Kylo was a great character (I can feel your hate at that statement) and that he should have been the focus of this trilogy. I want to see Kylo’s story wrap up, unredeemed… Then I hope we go off on to new adventures with new stories and new characters completely unrelated to Anakin.

Who doesn’t love old Goldenrod? You know the droid they’ve shoehorned into every Star Wars film, except Solo, as connective tissue… His actual name is C-3PO (as if you didn’t know) and he has been lovingly portrayed by Anthony Daniels since the original film in 1977, and he just recently wrapped his time on the set of Episode IX. Of course, it would seem like an emotional moment and Daniels tweeted out his sentiment:

https://twitter.com/ADaniels3PO/status/1089990744855728130

Honestly, I don’t think he’s anywhere near done with the character. There’s still games, cartoons, and Disney+ stuff to consider, but I can see being emotional knowing this could be the last film for the character. While they’ve put 3PO and R2-D2 in 99.9% of the films, they’ve been relegated to the C-string of characters. I understand that there’s a need to sell merchandise, but these two deserved more than what they got in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. BB-8 is cute and fun, if you didn’t laugh at the “thumbs-up lighter” in Episode VII you have no soul, but I really hope the annoying Protocol Droid and his smart mouthed Astromech buddy get a great finale.

Last Call: Book Review for I, Jedi

I have spoken at length about how great the X-Wing books are, and how badly I want a Rogue Squadron show. It should come as no surprise then that another of my favorite books comes from the author of of many of those books, Michael J. Stackpole. He took the character he created for X-Wing, Corran Horn, and took him on an amazing adventure in I, Jedi.

While the X-Wing series is my favorite story, this is my favorite book in the whole EU. The story is personal in nature and the book is written in the first person, which really help immerse you into the story. It’s a very strange feeling for the first few dozen pages as most Star Wars books are written in the third person and follow many different characters and locations, but it becomes incredibly satisfying.

Corran Horn is a force sensitive pilot in the famous Rogue Squadron who comes home from a mission to find his wife, Mirax, has been kidnapped. He also feels a disturbance through the Force connected to her disappearance (oooh exciting). He seeks the advice of Luke Skywalker who has recently set up a new Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. It should be noted that events that happen in the Jedi Academy Trilogy are spoiled in this book, so keep that in mind if you plan to read those books. After making very little progress Corran decides to continue on his rescue mission his own way. Using his skills as a pilot, detective (he was once part of the Corellian Security Force, a police force on that planet), and Force user he tracks down his wife’s kidnappers, a pirate group known as the Invids. This mission requires him to take up a life of crime and piracy as he infiltrates the group to try and find his wife and rescue her.

The book is a fast read despite being over 450 pages in paperback, and this is due to its engrossing nature. I have read it nearly a dozen times, and each time I get lost in the story. The book is incredibly fun and could be described as a swashbuckling adventure. It’s a great standalone story too if you don’t plan on reading the Jedi Academy Trilogy or care about spoilers for it that is. It has everything a great Star Wars story needs like the force, lightsabers, starfighters, pirates, and a Skywalker or three. All of this makes for a great read. I have read it at least five times and I am never bored. Basically, I am saying “this is the book you’re looking for.”

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCE: John Boyega (2), Anthony Daniels

  FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube! Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts |  Spotify |  SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play