Revelations from Celebration Anaheim

Quick Editorial - I really hate the grammatical misuse of the word "reveal". I cringe whenever I hear or read, "...did hear about the big reveal at the show last night?" There is a word for this people, it is revelation. It's not that hard. Okay, enough of my grumpy old man talk.

While I may not be there in person, thanks to the miracle of social media, there is plenty for a virtual attendee to see and hear. Below are my highlights from the first full day of the convention, in no particular order.

TEASER TRAILER #2

What is there to say, really?

BB-8 MAKES AN APPEARANCE

This is incredible. BB-8 is not CGI, but a practical model! This was developed by the small toy robotics company Sphero. Bob Iger chipped in a few bucks to the company to help build BB-8!

BB-8 Appears On Stage


THE NEW BIG 3

I love these shots!

NEW TROOPER ARMOR

In the Celebration program, we get our first full look at the new stormtrooper armor. Sweet!

LANDO COMIC BOOK SERIES

Lando is getting his own comic book series - coming this July!

NEW FACTIONS

So I guess the Empire is not the "Empire" and the Rebel Alliance is not the "Rebels" or the "Alliance. I wonder what has been happening in the GFFA in the past 30 years since Return of the Jedi?!

Looks like the First Order is going for a Nazi look. Chilling!

BATTLEFRONT

I am not much a video game player anymore. The game will give us a first view of Sullust (based on the environment of Iceland no less!). 

But what I am most excited about is that there will be a playable level for the Battle of Jakku. So we will get to see how that crashed Star Destroyer in the second teaser trailer got there! Apparently the battle takes place one year after the Battle of Endor.  I'm looking forward to seeing You Tube videos of people playing that one.

Is that Anakin's lightsaber on top of Luke's?!

MORE PUBLISHING NEWS

Add Battlefront: Twilight Company to the list of publications hitting this fall. This will be written by Alexander Freed. 

Also coming this fall as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens series is the novel Shattered Empire by Greg Rucka.

Alan Dean Foster will be writing the novelization of The Force Awakens, which will be released digitally on the same day as the film and a hardcover coming the following month in January.

CAPTAIN REX RETURNS IN REBELS

I was hoping this would happen. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be this soon! I love the premise - a bunch of grumpy old men who still know how to take care of business. It reminds me of that great action movie RED. 

COOL REBELS CLIPS

Hando is back! 

Kanan and Vader face off.   

Whoa!!!

ROGUE ONE NEWS

The spinoff movies will be named "Anthology" movies. Rogue One takes place before Episode IV and will tell the story of the the Rebels stealing the Death Star plans. Awesome!

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINKS

The Force Awakens Panel Highlights

Entire Day 1 Stream

Entire Day 2 Stream

Entire Day 3 Stream

Entire Day 4 Stream

Celebration Anaheim Schedule

With the announcement that we will have live streaming on Star Wars.Com, (YES!), I put together a list of all the panels and highlighted the events that will be broadcast:

Here are the highlights (Central Time):

Thursday
Noon - Opening Ceremony
6 pm - Ian McDiarmid

Friday
12:30 - Battlefront
3:30 - Carrie Fisher
9 - Anthony Daniels

Saturday

1 - Rebels Season 2
3 - Smuggler's Bounty
9 -  Mark Hamill/James Arnold Taylor

Sunday
1 - Edwards & Trank
3:30 - Billy Dee Williams
5:30 - Closing


Here is the full list (Pacific Time):

CELEBRATION STAGE (James Arnold Taylor)

* * * Thursday * * *
10 - Opening
4 - Ian McDiarmid
6 - Feud of the Force

* * * Friday * * *
11:30 - Ray Park
1:30 - Carrie Fisher
3:30 - Cosplay Contest
7 - Anthony Daniels

* * * Saturday * * *
11 - Star Wars Rebels Season 2
1 - Smuggler's Bounty
6 - James Arnold Taylor & Mark Hamill

* * * Sunday * * *
11 - Edwards & Trank (Spinoff Films)
1:30 - Billy Dee Williams
3:30 - Closing

DIGITAL STAGE (David W. Collins)

* * * Thursday * * *
2 - Empire Strikes Back Original Music
3:30 - Untold Clone Wars
5 - Kazanjian Producer of ROTJ
6 - Episodes I and II in 3D

* * * Friday * * *
10:30 - Battlefront
12 - Bad Batch Clone Wars Story Arc
3 - Dennis Muren (VFX)
4:30 - LEGO:Droid Tales
6:30 - Episode III in 3D Premiere

* * * Saturday * * *
11 - John Knoll (ILM)
12:30 - Creative Dream Team
2 - Kevin Kiner
7 - Episodes V and VI

* * * Sunday * * *
11 - Shakespeare
12:30 - Star Wars Rebels (Filoni)
2 - Doug Chiang

BEHIND THE SCENES STAGE (Jimmy Mac & Jason Swank)

* * * Thursday * * *
11:30 - Collectors
1 - Costumes
2:30 - Disney Parks & Merchandise
4 - Costuming
5:30 - Hot Wheels

* * * Friday * * *
11:30 - Ralph McQuarrie
1 - Mos Eisley
2:30 - Star Wars in Navajo
5:30 - Rebel Women of the Clone Wars

* * * Saturday * * *
11:30 - Adapting Star Wars
1 - Marvel
2:30 - Del Rey
4 - Tribute to Aaron Allston
6 - Fan Film Awards

* * * Sunday * * *
11:30 - Novels
1 - Tattoos

Digital Release of the Star Wars Saga

Today, April 10, 2015, is the release day of the Star Wars Saga (Episodes I through VI as of now) on digital. It is about time! Still, I am having a little trouble rationalizing shelling out $80-90 for yet another version of the films. Of course, Lucasfilm has laid out some enticements in the form of new bonus content. I copied the following from the Geek.Com website because it really summarizes it well!

My one question is if I can download the standard definition format while still buying the HD version. At 2 GB per film under SD, I should be able to keep at least one of the films on my smartphone so I can view off the grid!

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace

• Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back
• Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures
• Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones

• Conversations: Sounds In Space
• Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed
• Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE III: Revenge of the Sith

• Conversations: The Star Wars That Almost Was
• Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers
• Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A New Hope (20^th Century Fox)

• Conversations: Creating A Universe
• Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber
• Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE V: The Empire Strikes Back

• Conversations: The Lost Interviews
• Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled
• Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE VI: Return of the Jedi

• Conversations: The Effects
• Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt
• Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.

Princess Leia 1 & 2 - Comic Review

THIS IS A SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW!

This series tells the story of Princess Leia starting from the Yavin IV medal ceremony that concludes Episode IV. Leia finds herself without anything to do and learns that the Empire has a 10 million credit bounty on her head.While the rest of the Rebellion is scrambling to evacuate Yavin IV, she encounters a female X-Wing pilot Evaan __. The two decide to go on a self-appointed mission to save the remained Alderaanians before the Empire hunts them down in an act of retribution.

The artwork is excellent and each panel is framed in an interesting way that makes it easy to follow. I just wish the writing was stronger. This comic book should be called Princess Leia: The Mockingjay. It is heavily derivative of that series. I just can't buy it that Leia would abandon the Rebellion to fulfill her own self-centered mission with a Thelma & Louise style adventure.

In the second issue we have a flashback scene of a young Leia skipping language class to do training in hand-to-hand combat, much to the chagrin of Bail Organa. This is to set-up her confrontation later in the issue with a besalisk (such as Dexter Jettster from Episode II) body guard whom she takes out without much trouble. So if issue #1 was her as the Mockingjay, issue #2 is her as Black Widow. I mean, she head-butts this creature without any harm to herself but knocks him unconscious. Yes, she may be tapping into the Force to help her but that is not Princess Leia.

We never see her in hand-to-hand combat *ever* in the films. It seems that this book is desperate to re-make Leia into the 21st Century feminist ideal. But her strength truly resides in her emotional control and leadership. While Luke is falling apart with the death of Ben, whom he hardly knew prior to the events of Episode IV, Leia is carrying on the fight despite the loss of her entire planet. She has a level of emotional maturity far beyond anyone else. Her strength is also in her selflessness and dedication. This is what makes her strong, not her being a secret agent/ninja/assassin.

The story flaw in the second issue is that, despite Lord Junn's betrayal to have Leia and other Aleraanians killed, she asks to take his pleasure ship instead. I just don't think she would be so naive to think he would not have some method to track her or find some way to get the Empire on her tail.

For me the best parts of this story are seeing what remains of the Alderaanians. Pareece and her sequestered singing group who perform on Naboo are very interesting characters. It ends with the surprise that the sister of Tace, one of the members of the singing group, is actually an Imperial agent. Dun-dun-DUN!

GOOD:

• Learning about the remnants of the people and culture of Alderaan
• Having flashbacks to Leia in her youth

BAD:

• A bad story premise that does not fit the character of Leia
• Unrealistic portrayal of Leia as an elite warrior
• Unbelievable story elements

I'd rate this series 2.0 / 5.0 so far.

The Trajectory of the Jedi

Here are some random ruminations:

ON KANAN AND THE FORCE

I have tried hard to avoid any and all spoilers - outside what is officially released by Lucasfilm - and I have been mostly successful. I have really been enjoying the Star Wars Rebels series and have been thinking more about how Kanan instructed Ezra to be *more* connected to others. That it is these connections that make us human. This is very much a reversal of what the Jedi were instructed to be in the Prequel Era. They were supposed to be detached and aloof from others.

Of course, this was before the Season 1 finale, Fire Across the Galaxy, where his attachment to Ezra almost caused his defeat at the hands of the Inquisitor. I'll be curious to see how his character develops in season two. This one concept art picture certainly is telling:

ON REBELS AND THE TIMELINE

I wonder if either Kanan or Ezra survive through the Original Trilogy Era. They could be conceivably be alive in The Force Awakens if the don't meet an untimely end. I've heard that Rebels takes place five years before Episode IV (0 BBY). So using Wookiepedia as a reference, here are the projected ages of the main characters:

Character - Age as of Rebels /  ROTJ (+9) / TFA (+30)

Kanan - 28 / 37 / 67
Hera - 24 / 32 / 62
Ezra - 14 / 23 / 53
Sabine - 16 / 25 / 55

As you can see, all the human crew of the Ghost should be alive and kickin' if they haven't been killed. I excluded Zeb because we don't know his age nor do we know the typical lifespan of his race.

Here are some other interesting tidbits from the Legacy EU timeline about what happens during the year of Rebels Season 1:

• Han Solo leaves (kicked out of ) the Imperial Academy 
• Han Solo saves Chewbacca from slavery and receives a life-debt pledge from him
• Lando wins the Millennium Falcon in a game of sabacc (Han Solo would win the Falcon from Lando three years later)

We don't know if any of these events will be canonized, but how sweet would it be to see Lando win the Falcon?

ON EPISODE VII

I'm also wondering about what Luke's trajectory is after Return of the Jedi. He is the only Jedi in the galaxy, so far as we know. He knows that the battles between Sith and Jedi have torn the galaxy apart in war after war. I wonder if he decided to go into hiding and to remove himself from society in the hopes of protecting it. Perhaps it is the breaking of his solitude that is the cause or result of the Force awakening. We shall see!