Reply #50

My sister took me to see the original in December '77; I was just shy of 12 years old and I thought, "WOW!"

Carrie was one of my first crushes...I remember her like this:



Now, knowing what she's been through in her personal life (mental illness, substance abuse - she was drugged-out for much of the original trilogy), I have a hell of a lot of respect for her. I am a recovering alcoholic (decade-plus clean) and struggle daily with PTSD and severe depression. I also like her caustic wit.

Harrison Ford may get his wish to have Han Solo killed off after all - he wanted to do that after The Empire Strikes Back. Maybe General Solo will die heroically.

I don't think Lucas was completely batshit with the prequels. There were some bad ideas (Jar Jar Binks) and some good ones (Natalie Portman). The first prequel was kind of "huh?," the second was a romance flick - I mean, the future Dark Lord of the Sith being google-eyed over a GIRL (though when that GIRL was Natalie Portman, "Lord Vader" can be excused!)? - and the third ranks right up there with The Empire Strikes Back as my favourite.

Carrie might well be able to carry (ouch!) the role of Prime Minister (?) Leia Skywalker Organa Solo quite well; I can see her as an older, dignified woman carrying (ouch again!) herself quite regally.

Mark Hamill - not sure. Not to be brutal, but the first film really focussed on Luke, but it was Harrison Ford who became the bigger star/boxoffice draw. I only saw two other films Hamill did (Corvette Summer and The Big Red One); I'm not sure if he's done much else besides voice-overs. Maybe he could reinvent Luke as a wise Jedi teacher in the mould of Qui-Gon Jinn - after all, he'd have nephews and nieces to train!

What about the following, though:

Peter Mayhew? What would Solo be without Chewbacca at his side?

Tony Daniels and Kenny Baker? The droids are an integral part of all the films.

Billy Dee Williams? Even older, Lando Calrissian would still be the ultimate-slick con man.

Ian McDiarmid? If Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker can appear through the Force, shouldn't Emperor Palpatine have a similar ability?

It is unfortunate that there probably isn't a way to write Governor Tarkin into the script. Peter Cushing played him wonderfully - my favourite bad guy of the films.

Of course, all this is just idle speculation.