Overt the weekend, J.J. Abrams justified what has to be one of the most painful deaths in movie—maybe storytelling—history by saying that if they didn’t do it, The Force Awakens wouldn’t have had “any guts.” And die-hard fans know that Harrison Ford has wanted Han Solo to die at least since Return of the Jedi; if anyone gets to have a big say, if not the say, in whether or not Han Solo lives, it gets to be Harrison Ford.
But still.
Let me put it this way: I can’t let my mother see this movie. She might stab J.J. Abrams through the heart with a lightsaber. When I decided to watch the whole trilogy and pay attention as a kid, my mother sat down and watched them all with me. Of her own accord. Not because she was being a good parent monitoring …show more content…
I would argue that Yoda was cooler, Luke Skywalker’s destiny more interesting; it’s really about Darth Vader and fathers and sons and the hero’s journey. Yada yada. But she was resolute. And as I became an adult I realized: she was right! She’s absolutely right. Everyone else in those movies is a Jedi Knight, has some Force power, has some great Manichean destiny. Or is talking dog or sarcastic robot. How do you relate to that? But Han Solo is a human being. Granted, he’s just about the coolest human being in the galaxy. But he’s part of the mythology, but not of …show more content…
Going down that dark road with Kylo Ren, leaving the ghost of Han Solo behind, is one brave and unique way to move forward.
All those questions about why Han Solo had to die remain unanswered, but if the next two films at least attempt to, they will succeed on their own terms. And if you know anything of Episode VII director Rian Johnson’s work, you’ll know he’s very capable of giving us interesting, unexpected and fresh answers to those questionsIn a way, I’m now looking forward to Episode VII much more than I was The Force Awakens. You always had the gut sense J.J. Abrams knew how to give us something comforting and familiar—but now Johnson (and Colin Trevorrow) will hopefully give us something new.
And if you’re still feeling bumped that Han Solo doesn’t get to ride off into the sunset… well, we’ll always have Indiana
But still.
Let me put it this way: I can’t let my mother see this movie. She might stab J.J. Abrams through the heart with a lightsaber. When I decided to watch the whole trilogy and pay attention as a kid, my mother sat down and watched them all with me. Of her own accord. Not because she was being a good parent monitoring …show more content…
I would argue that Yoda was cooler, Luke Skywalker’s destiny more interesting; it’s really about Darth Vader and fathers and sons and the hero’s journey. Yada yada. But she was resolute. And as I became an adult I realized: she was right! She’s absolutely right. Everyone else in those movies is a Jedi Knight, has some Force power, has some great Manichean destiny. Or is talking dog or sarcastic robot. How do you relate to that? But Han Solo is a human being. Granted, he’s just about the coolest human being in the galaxy. But he’s part of the mythology, but not of …show more content…
Going down that dark road with Kylo Ren, leaving the ghost of Han Solo behind, is one brave and unique way to move forward.
All those questions about why Han Solo had to die remain unanswered, but if the next two films at least attempt to, they will succeed on their own terms. And if you know anything of Episode VII director Rian Johnson’s work, you’ll know he’s very capable of giving us interesting, unexpected and fresh answers to those questionsIn a way, I’m now looking forward to Episode VII much more than I was The Force Awakens. You always had the gut sense J.J. Abrams knew how to give us something comforting and familiar—but now Johnson (and Colin Trevorrow) will hopefully give us something new.
And if you’re still feeling bumped that Han Solo doesn’t get to ride off into the sunset… well, we’ll always have Indiana