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| Mystery |
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JJ Abrams recently said something that I've been saying for years. One of the coolest aspects of the original Star Wars trilogy is the sense of mystery. From the opening dialogue on Leia's ship we are bombarded with references to a 'Rebel Alliance', 'The Empire', a 'Death Star', and the most intriguing villain in cinematic history - Darth Vader (when the first movie came out there was quite a debate among us 12-year-olds as to whether Vader was a robot or human).
The assumption that you knew who all of these characters were and what in the world they were talking about was one of the great motivators to keep watching and get up to speed. The new movies need more of that. |
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| Great Actors |
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Two of the actors that have been rumored for Episode VII are Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This would be great, if true.
One of the things that has given the other movies gravitas and credibility is the casting of great actors (Alec Guinness, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, James Earl Jones, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Ahmed Best ... oops, hands kept typing). The new movies need thespians with those kind of chops. |
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| Quiet Moments |
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As with all art, contrasts heighten the experience. Whether it's the light and shadow of Rembrandt, the loud and quiet of Pixies, or the brief and eloquent of William Faulkner - variety intensifies.
The quiet moments of Star Wars (especially in the original trilogy) really help to make the action scenes more vibrant. One of the most memorable shots in the whole series to me is Luke looking over the landscape at dusk. It's just so 'real movie'-ish. Almost seems like a shot from Lawrence of Arabia. Abrams is great at action, and I know he'll be in top form for these movies. I just hope he remembers to add respites of thoughtfulness. |
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| Sophisticated Humor |
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Jar-Jar stepping in manure is not what I would call sophisticated humor.
The romantic tension between Han and Leia is. You get the picture. |
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| New Characters |
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It must be a very intimidating thing to be in JJ Abrams' shoes. You are taking the reins of something that you have adored your entire life. It's a dream come true, but you have to be scared to death of ruining it.
For all the things you can say about George Lucas, this is one advantage he had. He doesn't revere the movies because they're his. He had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. In some cases this was bad (Jar-Jar), but in some cases it was awesome (Darth Maul, General Grievous). I hope that everyone involved realize that keeping the series vital by infusing new characters is crucial to the success of any Star Wars movie. |
Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.
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