raisedbymoogles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
raisedbymoogles) wrote2015-08-25 08:55 pm
raisedbymoogles) wrote2015-08-25 08:55 pm
I dunno, I'm just thinking about worldbuilding.
My intro to the Star Wars universe was a VHS tape of Return of the Jedi I discovered in my parents' movie collection when I was in third grade. I watched it over and over. I lobbied to name our dog Luke. I had no freaking idea it was a trilogy until a few years later. (No, my parents never said 'hey, by the way, there's two more movies, let us share this cultural phenomenon with you in its entirety and forge a new aspect to our relationship based on shared interests!' My parents don't have a geeky atom in their bodies.)
So basically my first experience of Star Wars was this kind of AU universe where I was taking the hints of worldbuilding I saw in the movie and using them to fill in the blanks. I mean - think about everything I was missing. My first intro to Han and Leia was "Someone who loves you!" rather than "Maybe you'd like it back in your cell!", which is probably why I ship them so hard, looking back on the rather squicky bits in ESB. My first intro to Yoda and Obi-Wan was the aftermath of Luke learning Vader's his father. I had no idea why Lando being a general in the Rebel army was such a big deal. Hell, my first intro to Luke was the badass Jedi, not the farm boy. So much I was missing, and you know what? RotJ is still my favorite, because of all that sense of possibility and a wider world beyond what I was seeing.
(Don't get me wrong, it was cool seeing the first two and finally seeing what was up with all the stuff I was missing. And then going back to RotJ and going 'ohhh, so THAT'S what that means!' Just - I dunno. Maybe you don't have to explain everything when you're worldbuilding. Leave some blanks for the audience to fill in.)
So basically my first experience of Star Wars was this kind of AU universe where I was taking the hints of worldbuilding I saw in the movie and using them to fill in the blanks. I mean - think about everything I was missing. My first intro to Han and Leia was "Someone who loves you!" rather than "Maybe you'd like it back in your cell!", which is probably why I ship them so hard, looking back on the rather squicky bits in ESB. My first intro to Yoda and Obi-Wan was the aftermath of Luke learning Vader's his father. I had no idea why Lando being a general in the Rebel army was such a big deal. Hell, my first intro to Luke was the badass Jedi, not the farm boy. So much I was missing, and you know what? RotJ is still my favorite, because of all that sense of possibility and a wider world beyond what I was seeing.
(Don't get me wrong, it was cool seeing the first two and finally seeing what was up with all the stuff I was missing. And then going back to RotJ and going 'ohhh, so THAT'S what that means!' Just - I dunno. Maybe you don't have to explain everything when you're worldbuilding. Leave some blanks for the audience to fill in.)
no subject
I like the theme of redemption. Not only is Vader redeemed, but so are Lando and Han. Luke even offers a shot of redemption to Jabba when he first attempts to bargain with Jabba.
I adore the character growth for the majority of the characters. Vader is redeemed. Luke grows from reckless farmboy to BAMF!Jedi. Leia remains kick-ass and competent while calming down and falling in love. Han goes from independent smuggler to fully involved Rebel leader. And even Threepio becomes a story-teller over the course of the trilogy.
This might only have been mentioned in relation with A New Hope, but if you notice that most of the spaceships and vehicles in Star Wars aren't pristine and brand new. That's on purpose. Lucas wanted the GFFA to look as if it was really inhabited, instead of freshly designed by the props department. So, you've got spaceships with dents and dings, Jabba's sail-barge is somewhat weather-beaten, Threepio's legs are different colors, and so forth and so on. It's more noticeable with the Rebels than the Imperials, but it's there. (Though, you do have to wonder how many lives Imperial Floor polishing droids have claimed, with the lack of handrails on the Death Stars.)