Carrie Fisher: Warrior. Princess. General. Fighter. Rebel.

Every day, 2016 gives us another reason to despise it. 2016 was a year where we lost so many of our icons. David Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Kenny Baker, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen, and George Michael. And today, as I am writing this, 2016 finally went as far as it could go. This time, it took our own Princess. 

Carrie Fisher passed away at age 60. This celebrity death is especially crushing not just to her friends and family, but to millions of fans young and old around the world.

 

Carrie Fisher was born in 1956 to Hollywood royalty. Her parents were Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. She enrolled in London's Central School of Speech and Drama in 1973.

Her first starring role was in Shampoo in 1975.

 

But it was 1977's Star Wars where Carrie Fisher had her true big break into movie stardom.

 

Carrie Fisher played Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan and leader of the Rebellion against the Empire. When she first appeared on screen, she was unlike any heroine before her. She was tough, feisty, and full of grit. Even though she had to be saved once, she was no damsel in distress. In fact, when Luke first rescues her, she's the one taking charge. She's the one who helps him, Han, and Chewie escape. Throughout the movies, she saves the boys more than they save her.

 

 

In the first movie, it seemed like she was going to end up with Luke Skywalker. And although they seemed cute together (at least before we found out they were siblings), it was with Han Solo who she had real chemistry with. At first they cannot stand each other. She keeps denying she has feelings for him. But Han's not one to quit easily. Throughout The Empire Strikes Back, Han is constantly putting the moves on Leia. It's when Han is being put to Carbon freeze where Leia truly admits her feelings to Han. It is one of the funniest, most heart-breaking love scenes in history. Carrie Fisher revealed she had an affair with Harrison Ford during the first Star Wars. Honestly, I was not that shocked by it. They had such chemistry on screen, it really felt like they did love each other. 

 

Carrie Fisher may be famous for playing Leia. But she is so much more than that. She has appeared in so many great movies over the years. She was in When Harry Met Sally, a film I watch every New Year's Eve, as Meg Ryan's best friend. She has some of the funniest lines. She also appeared in Hannah and Her Sisters, Austin Powers, and Blues Brothers as John Belushi's psychotic ex-girlfriend.

 

She may have been a talented actress. But her screenwriting talents were even more impressive. In the 90s, Carrie Fisher served as a script doctor on scripts that needed improvement. Films like Hook, The Wedding Singer, Lethal Weapon 3, and much more were all improved using Carrie Fisher's touch.

 

She not only helped with other people's' scripts. She even wrote her own. 1990's Postcards From The Edge, based on her memoir of the same name, which was a semi-biography of Fisher's relationship to her mother. Meryl Streep played Suzanne Vale, Carrie Fisher's role, and Shirley McLaine played Doris Mann, Debbie Reynold's role.

Carrie Fisher may have had a successful career in film and in writing. But her life was anything but a Hollywood fantasy. Throughout her life, she struggled with drug addiction, alcohol, bipolar disorder, and depression. She wrote all about it in her biography, Wishful Drinking. Honestly, it's the funniest book I ever read. It was funny, witty, and shocking. It was the type of humor Carrie Fisher was known for. She took her pain, her hardships, her struggles, and made great jokes about it all. She was able to laugh at herself, and let us laugh along. She never took herself seriously, and that was what was so appealing about her.

 

Her latest book, The Princess Diarist, was just released. It is about the diary she wrote during the filming of Star Wars where she reveals she had an affair with Harrison Ford. I just got the book for Christmas. I plan to read it for the remainder of my break. If it's anything like Wishful Drinking, I may not be able to put it down.

 

She may have played a heroine on screen. But she was an even bigger heroine off screen. She dedicated many of her remaining years fighting for women's rights, speaking out against sexism and double standards in Hollywood, and raising awareness for mental health issues.

She was not ashamed of who she was. She was proud of it. She was proud of the way she looked, and proud of the person she was. And she inspired millions with mental illness to be the same.

Whether you knew her in person or only on screen, she left an impact on all of us. She definitely did for me.

I could write all day about the impact Star Wars has had on my childhood and life. When I first saw Princess Leia, I developed a crush on her. One of my first crushes. She had everything I looked for in a woman. She was tough, fearless, sassy, selfless, determined, and had a big heart. No matter how tough things got, she never gave up. She was also brutally honest. 

One of my happiest memories is when I went to Star Wars Celebration VI with my Mom in Orlando, Florida in 2012. We met Mark Hamill, Ben Burtt, Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), and Carrie Fisher. We attended her show on the last night there. I was one of the lucky fans who got to ask her a question. It's in the video below. Skip to 1:20.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rrKH9RFD9s

Only Carrie Fisher could answer a question like that with such wit and such humor.

I met her the next day, and asked her to sign a picture of her in the infamous gold bikini. She signed 

"To Lowell,

From one of the sexiest weirdos of all time, to another one.

Carrie Fisher"

 

I still have that picture in my room to this day.

Three years later, I met her again at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in April 2015. I had no idea it would be my last time. But it was wonderful.

I waited in line to see her Donny sister could get her autograph. I told her I met her before, and had a crush on Leia. And I asked her to sign a copy of her book, Wishful Drinking. The guards asked us to keep moving. So she told me "Give me your hand!" So I her out my hand. She took a blue marker and a pink marker, and drew two lines on my ring finger. She told me "This is our wedding ring." It was one of the best days of my life. I plan on turning it into a real ring soon.

 

I will always cherish the times I met Carrie Fisher. I will alway remember how funny, sweet, and genuine she was. There was nothing fake about her. She was always honest, always straight-forward. She put others needs before hers. She cared deeply about her fans, and wanted to make them happy. And she did. She made all of us happy.

Carrie. Thank you. Thank you for everything. You inspired a generation to rise up and fight for what's right. You taught us all to never give up. You taught us all to be proud of who we are. You taught us to not be ashamed of our differences, but to embrace them. 

Most of all, you taught us the importance of hope. Hope that no matter how bleak things are, no matter how dark things seem, light will always prevail. As long as there are good people who continue to fight, evil will never permanently prevail. In a year where the world feels scary, we need your message of hope more than ever.

You may be a General. But to us, you are royalty. Rest In Peace, Carrie Fisher. And may the Force be with you. Always.

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh1t2MJDbrs

 

Rogue One: A Blockbuster Built On Hope

When Star Wars was first released in 1977, the world was a scary place. The economy was doing poorly. We had just gotten our troops out of Vietnam, one of the longest, bloodiest, and most controversial wars in U.S. History. Our President, Richard Nixon, was forced to resign from the Presidency after tapes revealed his involvement in covering up Watergate. Americans had lost faith in their heroes and leaders. The country was divided and the future was uncertain. Patriotism was dead. 

The movies at the time reflected that. Movies like The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, etc. included heroes who broke the rules, Dark and somber tones, and a bleak outlook on the world. The first Star Wars was the complete opposite of those films. Star Wars was a throwback to classic films and serials from the past such as Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, The Searchers, Thr Wizard of Oz, etc. Instead of a somber tone and a bleak outlook, Star Wars bright, flashy, and full of optimism. It was a story of good vs. evil. Right vs. wrong. Equality vs. oppression. It was a movie Studios had not faith in, and the public didn't know they needed. When it was released, Star Wars defied all the odds, surpassed expectations, and became a phenomenon. It connected with the public who grew tired of cynical heroes, and longed for escapism. Star Wars is an example of a movie that came out at the right time. Not when the world wanted it. But when it needed it.

Fast forward to the present. We have already had seven Star Wars films. And the first spin-off film, Rogue One, was just released. And just like 1977, the future seems uncertain to many people. We just got out of the ugliest election in history. Donald Trump, the most controversial, most divisive candidate in history, was just elected President. Aleppo is under siege from pro-government Syrian troops (Here is what you can do to help). Everyday, the future seems more uncertain.

We feel like we need Star Wars more than ever. And Rogue One delivers.

Rogue One is a direct prequel to the first Star Wars film. Now, the word "prequel" is infamous in the Star Wars fan community. Fans typically associate the word prequel with Jar Jar Binks, Midi-Chlorians, wooden acting, and Darth Vader shouting "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" But fans should relax. There are no Jar Jars or Midi-Chlorians in this prequel. Just TIE-fighters, AT-ATs, X-Wings, and characters we care about.

I won't give away too much of the plot. The less you know, the better it is. But the film is based on the opening crawl in A New Hope.  

 We all know that the Rebels steal the plans to the Death Star, find out its weakness, and destroy it. But what we don't know is HOW they do it. HOW do they steal the plans. Who were the rebel spies? And did they survive? These are questions we have had when watching the first Star Wars, and never had answered. Until now.

One of the biggest strengths of the Star Wars movies has always been with the characters. Even in the worst Star Wars movie, there's at least one memorable character. Rogue One has quite a few.

When I first saw her in the teaser, I just knew I would love Jyn Erso. Her spunky attitude, her determination, her devil-may-care attitude that made us all love Han Solo. I just knew she would leave an impression, and she did. Felicity Jones was the perfect actress to play her. I felt really engaged in her arc, and rooted for her to succeed in her mission. Star Wars has always been famous for having strong female characters. And lately, it has been on a role with strong female protagonists. It is so exciting to live in a time where little girls everywhere are having more heroes to look up to.

K-2SO steals every scene he is in. He provides the comic relief. Thankfully, he's closer to C-3PO and R2-D2 than Jar Jar Binks. He's a droid designed by the Empire, but is programmed by Andor to work for him. He's sarcastic, straight-forward, and good in a fight. He's another lovable Droid worthy of sitting alongside R2-D2.

My favorite character was actually Chirrut Îmwe played by Donnie Yen. He's a Jedi-like character with strong reflexes and impressive fighting skills. He is blind, but relies on his senses to defend himself. He is not Force sensitive, but has strong faith in it. "I am one with the Force, and he Force is with me." is a prayer he makes whenever he goes into battle. This movie takes place in a time where the Jedi are all but extinct. Chirrut Îmwe brings a lot of the religious and philosophical elements that make Star Wars so unique among science fiction franchises.

Captain Andor, played by Diego Luna, is like the opposite of Han Solo. He's a rogue, but feels more tormented by his past. He fights for the Rebels, but feels conflicted about his morals. 

Saw Gerrera, played by Forrest Whittaker, is a character from The Clone Wars. He definitely feels haunted by the scars left on him from that war. He is not the same cocky, adventurous warrior he was in The Clone Wars. He feels more broken, more cynical. Like how Andor is the anti-Han Solo, Saw is he anti-Obi-Wan. He's not a messenger of hope. He's a messenger of fear. 

Dr. Orson Krennic, the Director of Advanced Weapons Research for the Inprerial Military, is an effective villain. He's cunning and controlling, and full of aspirations. He believed in the power of the Death Star before anyone else. He longs to be respected in the Empire, and to be in command.

The most anticipated aspect of Rogue One is the return of Darth Vader. Vader has always been my favorite character in Star Wars. He is arguably the mkst iconic villain in movie history. And his appearance does not disappoint! I will not give ANYTHING away. But when he shows up, he instantly reminds us why he has the title, "Dark Lord of the Sith".
 

The film is very morally grey. It does not portray the Rebels as purely good guys. It portrays them as conflicted. They feel uncertain if they are doing the right thing, and if they could even succeed.

You really feel the tyranny of the Empire. The film has an incredibly bleak tone. It matches The Empire Strikes Back in terms of its atmosphere and dark tone. You may have been hearing that this film is not for kids. And you are correct. Not that it's R-rated or anything. But it is darker than usual for a Star Wars film. I would recommended this for older children. Like ages 10 and up. Anyone younger may be a bit traumatized.

The music is done by Michael Giacchino, making it the first (live action) Star Wars film to not have its score done by John Williams. Stepping in for John Williams is almost like stepping in for Magic Johnson. Michael Giacchino had to do just that, and in a matter of three days! And Michael Giacchino manages to rise tonthe occasion. While the music never reaches the greatness of John Williams (not that anyone expected it to), it still does well in providing the tone of the movie, and puts the audience on the edge of its seat. Michael Giacchnio is my 2nd favorite composer behind John Williams. I always wanted to hear him compose the score for a Star Wars movie. And I hope he does more Star Wars spin-off films in the future.

 

The action in this movie is INSTENSE. It felt so gritty and realistic. It feels like you're watching the Original Trilogy on the big screen again. If you can, see it in the biggest screen possible.

The film is full of so many surprises that will make any Star Wars fan squeal with delight. 

Overall, I had high hopes for Rogue One and it delivered. It was dark, gritty, action-packed, and loads of fun.

If you have time, please read Rogue One: Catalyst. It will make the first act of the film a lot easier to understand. I am only halfway done with the book as I am writing this. But I plan to finish reading it before I see the film again. 

Not only do I want to see this film again and again. I now want to watch the Orignal Trilogy as well. I have a feeling Rogue One will only enhance the Original Trilogy.

It's the kind of Star Wars movie I never knew I wanted. And it's the film I needed right now. One we all needed right now. Star Wars, at its core, has always been about hope. Hope that no matter how dark things seem, light will always prevail. No matter how much evil there is in the world (galaxy), good will always fight back. In a time where the world is feeling more bleak, and the future more uncertain, we need Star Wars more than ever. 

May the Force be with you! Always!