Last Night “Rogue One”, This Morning Princess Leia Dies…

I finally got to watch “Rogue One” last night, I’ve been dying to watch the latest Star  Wars installment. I grew up a fan like so many in my generation. I remember seeing all of them in the theatre and wanting to be Luke Skywalker. I remember my parents getting us light sabers, I didn’t know what a “saber” was as a kid and I called them light “savers” and they were the ones that a were basically those old red flashlights, with the rectangular white piece of plastic to slide them on and off and we’re powered by two D batteries. Attached to the flashlight was a pvc pipe of some sort that illuminated light when the flash light was turned on. We all fought for the green one to be like Luke.

All these memories flash through my mind as I sit in the theatre to watch “Rogue One”, right beside my little brother, like we’re kids again. I really loved the movie, it was so great to revisit the world, in spite of all the Star Wars films in the last decade or so, this one felt different, more gritty, more adult, definitely more violent. 

I’m not really trying to review the film, just want to talk about my thoughts and feelings while watching it. My last few reviews, I talked about how I felt as an ethnic actor watching these projects. This film was amazing, to see with multidimensional characters that are meaningful in the story, Latino, Asian, Black, Middle Eastern… even little things like female fighter pilots. This film was so progressive. I loved feeling included in this film as an audience member.

I also was tripping out a bit on the fashion. You have to remember, the original film came out in the 70’s and that fashion was current, now, doing a prequel to that, it’s kinda of funny to see. I mean we’ve all gotten used to the look. But all the guys in capes is pretty funny. Back in those days, you’d see all these guys in capes, from Bowie to Elvis to Libarace, guess it was a cool look… maybe we need to bring it back. Also, there’s a real cult thing with the empire, guys in robes, bowing to Vader and what not. Kinda weird. 

Then, all that got me to thinking about us here in the States and this Trump presidency coming up… a feeling of art and reality mixing, the idea of a rebellion, the possibility of a movie like this or Harry Potter getting us ready to rise up against the powers that be… not just this new regime coming into power, but all the government that has been governing in a questionable way over these last generations… I don’t know, it just makes you think.

Then I’m awaken this morning with an alert on my smartwatch with a blurb from CNN simply explaining Carrie Fisher best known for her role as Princess Leia passes away this morning. And it’s like my life flashes before my eyes, from a child to now, heros and heroines that have been in my mind, being more mortal than myth… a whole year of it really, most recently with Carrie Fisher and George Michael. 

I’ve always loved that in a galaxy far, far away… there is this spectacular story going on and through all the adventures of good versus even, it somehow made a lot of sense in my life. I also was so excited when I got an original character in “Star Wars Rebels” and got to have a little piece of this galaxy far, far away. 

So Princess Leia, I pray you rest in peace and know that the rebellion will fight on!