2003 | please don't steal
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Opinions and News: August 2000
Disclaimer: External links are so old that they probably don't work anymore. Actually, the news is practically so old that it's moldy. Sorry 'bout that. The New Face of Darth Vader / Anakin: Yes, it's true, another actor has been added to the list of six people that have played Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Contrary to rumors that the role would be played by Leonardo DiCaprio, George Lucas said he was looking for someone unknown. He succeeded. The new Anakin's name is Hayden Christensen, a nineteen year old Canadian actor. To see photo in Christensen's cast entry, go here. And to see the news story at StarWars.com, go here. Also, check out the latest issue (50) of Star Wars Insider for an exclusive interview. Personally, I don't think Christensen looks like either of the faces of Darth Vader (Jake Lloyd in Episode I, Sebastian Shaw in Return of the Jedi). Take a look for yourself at the links above, and tell me what you think. A Tribute to Alec Guiness: Sir Alec Guiness passed away August 6, 2000. American audiences know him best as the Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi in the Star Wars classic trilogy, though that is only a small one of his many achievements. He himself was not proud of his work as Obi-Wan (I believe he himself was the one who suggested Obi-Wan die in the first movie), but we cannot deny that he wonderfully brought that "crazy old man" (in the words of Owen Lars) to life in A New Hope. He will be sorely missed by many. The Death of a Hero: By now, most Star Wars novel fans have read the beginning of the New Jedi Order series, Vector Prime. So probably most of you who read the books have heard by now of the death of a faithful wookie, CHEWBACCA! The editor of Vector Prime claims that the series was getting dull and needed excitment. But I say, if you kill off all the good characters, where's the excitement? I know this was only one character, but pretty soon R2-D2's going to short circuit and Leia's going to have a heart attack (or something like that)! And even at this very moment, somebody is probably plotting the death of Mara Jade from her terrible disease. My point is, this was totally unecessary. I didn't think the series needed more excitement! I admit there will come a point where all the original characters will be so old it would be ludicrous for Lucas to continue the story line, but that's what all the previous gaps in the timeline are for. They're really novels waiting to be written! So, what I really want to know is what you think of this tragic event. E-mail me. Union: Throughout the storyline of the Star Wars expanded universe, Luke Skywalker has fallen for at least four different women. And now, after all this, Luke realizes the woman who once wanted to kill him has now become the love of his life. Mara Jade, former Emperor's Hand, now one of the New Republic's staunchest allies and, incidentally, the new wife of Luke Skywalker. Yes, this union may seem strange, but reading Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn can help clear things up. In this novel Zahn portrays an incredible bond between Luke and Mara, deepened through the Force. Vision of the Future convinced me that they were right for each other. Of course, I want your opinion. Should Luke have married a former Emperor's Hand? What about Callista? E-mail me. At the end of Vision of the Future Luke and Mara are only engaged. I, of course, was hoping that a later novel would show us the wedding of this Force-ful couple. Now, we can literally see it in the new comic book: Union by Michael A. Stackpole. I'm not sure when it's coming out, but I can't wait to get a copy of it! When I do, I will review it on this site. The Real Life Mara Jade: Since Mara Jade was introduced in Heir to the Empire, she has been one of the most popular expanded universe Star Wars characters. But before now, all Jade fans had to look at were comic books and cover art (and lots of fan artwork). Now, we have a real human face to associate with the elusive Jedi Knight. Shannon Baksa, a model from Virginia, portrayed Mara for a new Customizable Card Game expansion pack from Decipher. It is the Jabba's Palace Expansion Pack, and the Emperor's Hand card features Baksa as Mara in a defensive posture, complete with black jumpsuit and magenta lightsaber. Check out Star Wars Insider #47 for the complete story and some great photos, not only of the Mara card, but some other poses as well. And to see the photo that appears on the card, go to here. What do I think of the this new face portraying Mara? Well... it depends on which picture you look at. I think the photo for the Mara Jade card is beautiful, and it captures the essence of Mara wonderfully. Ditto for the photo in Insider 47 showing Mara in her green Vision of the Future outfit. But...Let's just say Mara is having an extremely bad hair day on the cover of Insider. Go here to see the cover for yourself, and then e-mail me with your comments. |