Star Wars Quick-Takes: The Phantom Menace- There's Always a Bigger Fish

As all recent media has made painfully clear, we just got a new Star Wars movie less than a month ago, (not that the movie was painful at all, just the excess of marketing). So, I thought it would be a good time to re-watch the Star Wars movies, and see what themes, what little snippets of truth, I could pull from them. I’m doing them in the in-universe chronological order, so that the newest film will be last, (don’t worry, I’ll steer clear of spoilers for The Force Awakens).

A couple of Jedi Knights go to negotiate with a corrupt trade union. This is routine stuff for them, evidently. They’ll just talk them out of the blockade they’ve got going, and be on their way. But what’s this? A Sith Lord? This situation is much more complicated than they thought. Anyways, it’s still not that complicated. They’ll just fight off Darth Maul and...oh drat, he has an evil Sith Master backing him up? Shouldn’t the Jedi Council have seen this coming?

“There’s always a bigger fish”, says wise Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn, after he, his apprentice, and a clumsy Gungan are saved from a Goober fish by something higher up on the food chain. This statement seems to be a concise summary of the plot of The Phantom Menace. At this point in Star Wars universe history, the Jedi Council has become complacent in their knowledge of the force. Too many years away from the struggle of light against dark have blurred the lines for them, until they see a simple trade dispute where a Sith uprising is in the works.

This seems to be a problem in my life as a Christian sometimes as well. I know the force isn’t meant to represent the spiritual realm in a Biblical sense, but there are often good parallels if you dig. Sometimes, I become like the Jedi Council, and let mundane, everyday issues, like trade disputes and history essays, to cloud my view of the fight that is going on around me all the time. When all indicators point to a need for spiritual revival in my life, I brush it off as something merely physical, like a federation blockade, rather than what it really is, an attack from the Sith.

Now, I’m not saying we should go looking for a demon, (or Darth Maul), behind every bush, but I am saying that we can’t lose sight of the reality of our world. There is no real divide between the sacred and the secular. Both the ordinary and the extraordinary are happening around us all the time. So, let’s not forget about the “bigger fish”- the battle going on between good and evil, the light and the dark.

Let’s also not forget that we are on the side of the biggest “fish” of them all. In the end, the light will always win.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Non-Christmas Movies with Christmas Elements

Something looks a little like Christmas… You may not think of these as Christmas movies, or notice the Christmas elements at first glance, but you might just get away with showing them at your next holiday party… maybe. I can’t guarantee anything.

5. Iron Man 3-

This 2013 superhero flick begins at a New Years Eve party in 1999, and  moves to the Christmas season following the battle of New York in The Avengers,(I’m pretty sure that battle is confirmed as being in 2012). Christmas is never a major plot point, but, like the sci-fi in Star Wars, is an important piece of the setting.

4. Star Trek: Generations-

Though it is a minority view, I am personally a fan of the Next Generation/Original Series crossover film. The reason it can be considered a Christmas movie is the heartwarming Christmas celebration Captain Picard has with his idealistic family inside the dream-like Nexus.

3. Toy Story-

Seeing as Toy Story is a film about the secret life of toys, and toys are often a major part of the gift-giving in the Christmas season, it would make sense that the ending scene of the movie takes place around the Christmas tree. This scene secures Toy Story as a closet Christmas classic.

2. The Princess Bride-

How in the world does a movie about witty, swashbuckling heroes fighting for true love and revenge in a make-believe kingdom have anything to do with Christmas? Well, the Christmas elements actually appear in the story surrounding the story- the scenes with the boy and his grandfather. Some of the decorations in the kid’s room imply that it is either the Christmas season, or fairly soon after Christmas. Try showing it at a Christmas party. Any party is a good excuse to watch The Princess Bride.

1. The Fellowship of the Ring-

As is well known among fans of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga, December 25th was the date that Frodo and his band of adventurers left Rivendell on their grand quest to dispose of the ring. This not only makes Tolkein’s Fellowship of the Ring a Christmas book; it also makes Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring a Christmas movie.

So, which Non-Christmas movie are you going to watch at your next Christmas? (By the way, I take no personal responsibility for people’s reactions…) Are there any other movies you would include? Let me know in the comments!

This list was inspired by a series of posts by the guys at Strangers and Aliens Podcast. Check out their list of strange Christmas movies here!

Merry Christmas!

Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Mentors

    While mentors as a character archetype are usually associated with mythology and fantasy, mentorship happens to be an important part of real life experience. Back when we discussed Bible sidekicks, I talked about discipleship. Discipleship would be a bit challenging if there was only a willing disciple and no one there to lead them. Nevermind that, it would be impossible. Even outside of a spiritual growth context, mentors are indispensable. Without the influences of parents, teachers, coaches, older siblings, and others, we would never have become the people we are today. So, since mentorship is so deeply ingrained into humanity, science fiction couldn’t leave all the good mentors to fantasy.

    Here are some of sci-fi’s best guides and supporters, who have shaped its best heroes.

5. Wilf (Doctor Who) -

  

 The grandfather of the Tenth Doctor’s companion, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott always believed that there was more to life than meets the eye. It can be safely assumed that his influence on his granddaughter caused her to give up her ordinary life and dash through space and time with an eccentric alien.  

4. Bra’tac (Stargate SG-1) -

    Bra’tac was Teal’c’s Jaffa teacher and father figure while he lived on Chulak. After Teal’c joined the SGC, the two men remained loyal to one another, and aided each other in the fight against the Goa’uld, and for Jaffa freedom.

3. Yoda (Star Wars) -

    In his 900-some years, Jedi master Yoda trained just about every Jedi in the Star Wars saga at some point. This is impressive, due to the fact that he can be a bit hard to understand. Don’t get any preconceived notions about his stature, however. Though wars do not make one great, Yoda knows how to fight one when necessary.

2. Alfred (Batman) -

After the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, Alfred became a father-figure to the boy. When Bruce grew up and became a crime fighter, Alfred contented himself to remain his butler, taking care of the mansion, and offering sage advice about life. Though this selfless mentor could have asked much more for himself from the millionare-by-day-crime-fighter-by-night, he maintained his post in order to offer quiet but vital support.

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)-

When most people think of mentors in science fiction, Obi Wan Kenobi is probably one of the first to spring to their minds. He encouraged, trained, and empowered Luke Skywalker to fight against the oppressive empire, and stand for the light side of the force. He was such faithful mentor that he continued offering guidance even after his own death. Though some of his flaws were revealed in the prequel trilogy, he was still an essential teacher figure throughout all of Star Wars (so far, that is. But I am sure Old Ben’s influence will still be felt in the next installments.)

So, how did I do? You may notice that I geared this article towards my Star Wars-loving side. You may also notice that no one on this list is from Star Trek! Impressed? I don’t see many established mentors for the main characters of Trek. Though, the main characters do serve as mentors for others. That was not my list, however. This was. I hope you enjoyed it. As always, I’d love to hear from you.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Star Wars Not Versus Star Trek

 

It’s a question of galactic proportions. It’s been debated, bickered over, and bantered about for thirty-seven years. If you are a sci-fi geek, you have probably asked yourself this question at least once -(Spoilers: It’s not 'Doctor Who?' Sorry Whovians. Not this time.) Which is the superior science fiction franchise- Star Wars or Star Trek?

I can feel the fans who adamantly argue one side or the other gearing up to disagree with me. And you may, but I’m not here to argue either side. Today, I’m going to discuss the differences between the two and explain why, on a closer examination, I think that this decades old question may be irrelevant.

Let’s start with setting. This is the basis on which I think the two series are really comparable. They both have “Star” in the title. Aesthetically, they both qualify as science fiction. They both take place in space. They have cool weapons, ships, droids, planets, aliens, and space battles. If you want to debate this debate, these are your categories. However, setting isn't all there is to a story.

Next up in our survey are the ever-so-beloved characters. Both Star Wars and Star Trek are populated by characters that have shaped our modern culture. When trying to do a side-by-side comparison, however, we really can’t fit them into the same molds. At all.

When talking about character archetypes, Star Wars contains fantasy-type characters. There are: Luke- The hero; Obi Wan Kenobi- The wizard/mentor; Emperor Palpatine- The evil sorcerer; and the like.

In Star Trek on the other hand, the characters take their cues more from nautical and military literature. The captains are noble and brave, and universally admired by their crews. There are also some specifically science fictional character types. The best example of this is the alien characters such as Spock and Data. Though Data is an android, he fills the same role as Spock. Both are incredibly intellectual non-humans looking from the outside into humanity. (I personally hold that Star Trek: The Original Series introduced many of the sci-fi archetypes we use today.)

Though Star Wars has aliens and robots, their alien and robot characteristics do not play a major role in their character arcs.

As for plot, Star Wars really only has one- you may be able to argue for two- major plots. The original trilogy is the classic hero’s journey tale- a young boy finding his destiny, rescuing the damsel and saving the world. The prequel trilogy is the inverse story. It is the story of a promising young man who saves the world, then descends into villainy.

Star Trek, on the other hand is made up of multiple science fiction plot lines. They are the quintessential science fiction plot lines: robots, androids, clones, genetic engineering, super weapons, projected reality, aliens and the like.

The themes of the two franchises are inextricably linked to the plots. In Star Wars, the main theme is the fine line between heroism and villainy. An overarching theme of Trek is what it means to be human.

Star Wars is not science fiction in the way Star Trek is. It deserves it’s place in science fiction history because of the advances it made in special effects technology and the popularization of the “used” sci-fi universe. Star Trek deserves it’s place in the history of sci-fi for the revolutionary plots, themes and characters it introduced. So really, in the multiverse of our beloved genre, the occupy opposite ends of the spectrum. They’re not competing for one spot!

Honestly, the entire reason I've thought through this post is that I love both and didn't want to have to pick one or the other.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

How To Train You Dragon 2 Review

    

How to Train Your Dragon is a funny set of movies. I went and saw it with family friends for a seven-year-old’s birthday. However, I have some friends who recently graduated high school that dressed up for the midnight showing. This is a fantasy series with wide appeal, and what’s not to like about a family-friendly adventure featuring steampunk vikings riding dragons. So, here’s my spoiler-free review of How to Train Your Dragon 2.

(Note: I haven’t read the books yet- I know, shame on me- so I won’t be able to give any commentary about how the books and the movies line up.)

   

  

 This movie has a fairly simple plot that relies in many places on the events of the last movie. You don’t have to have seen How to Train Your Dragon to watch this, but it would help. Personally, I expected the movie to end on a cliffhanger, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ending I got.

 

    The main character, Hiccup, still retains some of his quirky awkwardness from the first movie, despite his personal growth. If you liked the fact that he wasn’t the super-cool action hero type, you will still enjoy him here. Hiccup’s relationships with other characters are the driving force of this story. His relationship with his dragon is entertaining and touching. His relationship with his father is realistic and develops throughout the film. It is also a central part of the plot. Hiccup’s relationship with a newly introduced character,(the identity of whom is a spoiler, so I will not reveal it), is also very interesting and important. As for the rest of the cast, the love-interest, Astrid is a cliche tough-girl. You know, the kind who is better than the male lead at almost everything? If you enjoy that trope, you will like her. I was turned off to that character, but not to the movie as a whole. The villain is definitely bad, but he seems facelessly evil and rather bland. The supporting cast was goofy. I found myself able to overlook flaws with these characters, because the movie isn’t about them. It’s about Hiccup. That is where the focus is most of the time.

   

     How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a beautifully animated fantasy. The dragon-flight scenes are captivating and exciting. The dragon design is fun, and the human characters are cartoon and quirky, but still believable as people. The film seemed to deviate from classic fantasy style and slip into an almost sci-fi realm in some places, (which I don’t mind at all). One example is Hiccup’s rather steampunk inventions. Another is the introduction of the alpha species of dragon, from which all the other dragons came.

    Overall, this is a coming-of-age story. The theme is discovering one’s self. Hiccup has to wade through the influences in his life, and determine what truly makes him who he is. This theme seemed a bit clunky when it was conveyed in the character dialogue, but it was downright touching when conveyed in the character relationships. You might even cry. I did.

    If you enjoyed the first How to Train Your Dragon Movie, I would recommend seeing this one as well. If you’re interested in seeing exciting and entertaining, family friendly fantasy, then this is a good film for you. I don’t regret adding this to the list of summer movies I have seen.

Least Favorite Part: Astrid, the love-interest, interrogating a dragon-catcher on her way to rescue her hapless boyfriend, Hiccup. For me, her attempts to be tough and sweet at the same time fall flat.

Favorite Part:  Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, are the best of friends. The parts of the movie with just the two of them adventuring are always my favorite.


Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this review. As always, you can let me know what you think in the comments.
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora