Occidentalism

I am a big Star Wars fan, and although I have never gone as far as wearing a costume, I did own Star Wars figurines as a boy. I liked all the movies, but thought ‘The Phantom Menace’ was the weakest for its dull moments concerning Anakin, especially the Pod race. I even read some of the books from the ‘expanded universe’ (The Thrawn trilogy was especially good). So I am looking forward to the Star Wars live-action TV series to be released in 2008. From Wikipedia –

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine, the leader of the Galactic Republic, declared himself Emperor, and transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire. In the process, he ordered the execution of Order 66, in which all members of the clone army of the Republic turned on their Jedi leaders and killed them. In a speech he delivered to the senate, however, he reported that there were remaining Jedi, and that these survivors would be “hunted down and defeated.”

Referred to as “the dark times” by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope, nineteen years will pass in this series, which is set between the years of 19 BBY and 0 BBY. It is during this period that the newly formed Galactic Empire will rise to ultimate power throughout the galaxy. It is during this time period that the first Death Star will be constructed, albeit with many problems along the way.

However, most of the stories will be told from the perspective of minor characters from the Star Wars galaxy. From Star Wars creator George Lucas’ own words, we may see the mysterious bounty hunter Boba Fett play a significant role in the series, with Daniel Logan reprising his role from Attack of the Clones. According to Lucas, several of the major characters from the films may have small appearances as well. Regardless, the issues involved in this particular era in the Star Wars history, it is said, will be quite clear, though the actual people involved may not necessarily be seen.

Over the course of the show, the Rebel Alliance, founded by Senator Mon Mothma and Senator Bail Organa in Revenge of the Sith, will gradually form into a full resistance against an Empire that holds the entire galaxy under its grip. The alliance, armed with its loyalist intentions to restore the Old Republic, will ultimately win its first battle against the Empire, setting up the events for A New Hope.

I hope they make the Star Wars live-action TV series for a mature audience, and not for kids.

On a related note, Wikipedia is quickly becoming a comprehensive resource on all aspects of pop culture, such as celebrities, movies, books, and computer games, often with a level of detail not found anywhere else. Once Wikipedia works out how to deal with trolls, they will be a ‘force‘ to be reckoned with (apologies for the pun!).