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A new hope for women

The impact of Star Wars is lost on too many young kids and even adults. They simply see a franchise with no real importance. Unlike them, the VHS copies I had were my most prized possessions.

It is funny really when you look at the old version and see these beautiful scenes — the Empire’s military strength and the Death Star suspended in space — when you later learn that they were matte oil paintings.  But what interests me the most is the power it had on me as a kid.

I was five when my dad brought home the VHS collection of the first original episodes. It was after the release of Episode 2. To tell you the truth, I like the old ones better than the new ones that came out a few years later. I had honestly thought that Darth Vader was real and could choke me through the TV . At five, all I could think about was how much I liked Leia Organa and wanted Han Solo to kiss her again. They were the first ship I ever had and Leia was one of my first role models. I sported the hairstyle way too often when I was a kid.

Then suddenly in early 2015, I heard of the next release of the franchise. I found myself in a hurry to become reacquainted so that I could fully appreciate the fact that Kylo Ren got the birth name Ben because Obi Wan Kenobi, a name I used in high school while playing Kahoot, used the name Ben Kenobi while watching over Luke. I came to the conclusion that Kylo Ren is a giant trash baby who is strong with the force and has too many issues.

Now, we face another installment of the “Star Wars” movies, “Rogue One” is soon to come out December 16th and I am excited. After watching extensive breakdowns on the trailers show, I decided that the movie was a definite watch and would be A+ material.

The basic run down of “Rogue One” is that a group of rebellion members are infiltrating the Empire to get the plans for the Death Star before its built. From looking at the trailer, there is a lot of hype for the movie and I know that there are five-year-olds now who stare at the trailers in movie theaters and can not wait for this to happen. And like me, they are looking at Jyn Erso, the leading female character of “Rogue One,” as I had once looked up at Leia Organa as a role model. Only now, young girls will have two main role models from the recent release of “The Force Awakens.”

I think this movie is going to be absolutely great and will be a wonderful addition to the franchise unlike certain past releases. Jar Jar Binks was not needed unlike our strong female roles like Jyn and Rey. It is important that people understand the importance of female roles that are not sexualized. Movies like the second release of “Ghost Busters” and “Alien,” to name a few, are important to the development of children. “Star Wars” makes a good effort to make those developments in new releases and I hope to see further improvement in “Rogue One.”

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