The Force is strong with this one
Lulu Cardoso
Mesa Legend
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away…” So begins one of the most enduring and well-loved franchises in American cinema, Star Wars. Much like its hero, Luke Skywalker, Star Wars emerged from relatively innocuous beginnings to become a media and entertainment juggernaut that commands an occasionally literal legion of fans Regardless of disappointing prequels, fans of the series have something to look forward to. This year marks the release of the seventh movie in the series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens starring John Boyega as Finn and Daisy Ridley as Rey. The original cast of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher are returning to reprise their roles as the iconic trio of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia Organa. The rush for the tickets released on October 19 ended up putting a huge strain on multiple ticket sites such as Fandango.com and movietickets.com, with many users complaining of outages that made it difficult or even impossible to buy tickets for the premiere night.
The enthusiasm for the new Star Wars movie isn’t just constrained online, MCC students and faculty are also excited for the new release. “Yes, I’m excited to see a new reboot that doesn’t have Jar-Jar,” said student Lorena Austin, referring to an infamous character from The Phantom Menace. “I think it’s good to see the past change into the future.” “Yeah, I’m going to see with the entire family,” said student John Abbott, who said his father got him into Star Wars. Amenah Kashkool is another MCC student who is excited for the movie, “Me and my friend are going to see it.” Professor Bob Baron teaches English and Film, and describes himself as a fan of Star Wars.
“I was just a kid, people told me it was fun,” he said. “It was something kind of serious, kind of funny.Asked about why Star Wars has had such staying power, Baron said, “I think there’s something people can relate to. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars was really into myths.”Reading the book “Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell helped inspire Star Wars, according to Baron. In “Hero,” Joseph Campbell uses psychology to analyze archetypal situations and characters that occur in various cultures mythology. Campbell claims that all of humanity shares a collective conciousness and thus, the stories we tell all contain similair themes and characters These characters and themes survive, Campbell explains, because they echo significant emotional milestones in an average human life. And after reading the chapter entitled “Atonement with the Father,” it’s easy to see where Lucas got the inspiration for Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader’s fateful duel. Another MCC professor, Robert Lively, agrees. “What George Lucas did was tap into that classical mythology and create a modern mythos. You’ve got so many classical elements. You have Luke, the hero, the mentor figure (Obi-Wan) teaching him this super-secret warrior stuff.”
Students cite many other reasons for being passionate about the new release. “There’s just a lot to be excited about,” said Aron Mixson, the student body president, “there’s a black main character and new technology. I don’t have tickets yet, but I will.” For many fans, the main drive to see this seventh installment, is a chance to see a new story unfold in their favorite fantasy world. “The reason why I’m excited is that it continues the story,” said Gio W. “It just brings back childhood memories I guess,” Ramiro Ortiz said. Clover Gross, another MCC student, cited her reason being simply, “it’s Star Wars.” “I think people are excited for two reasons,” said Lively. “One, you actually get a continuation of the originals. You get Han, Luke, and Leia, and then all these new characters. Two, I think people trust J. J. Abrams. He’s got a good track record.”
Many fans have expressed faith in Abrams. His work with reviving the Star Trek franchise has given fans high hopes. Both of his Star Trek films have wowed critics and fans alike with their creativity and intruiging stories. With these under his belt, fans believe Abrams will be able to retain the spirit of the original series while delivering an all new Star Wars adventure. The film is set to be released on Dec 18, just after finals for MCC students who might feel the need to turn to ‘The Force’ for a bit of motivation. The new Star Wars movie has a lot of hype to live up to, but eager fans can’t wait to go back to a galaxy far far away .
