Goofy Binks

Darth Donald

Minnie Amidala

Mickey Skywalker

I know there are a lot of people sweating bullets about what Episode 7 could look like. They point to Santa Clause II and John Carter of Mars as examples of Disney efforts gone horribly wrong. But beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. I happened to love John Carter; it was full of good action, good effects, and a great pair of Barsooms.

I understand why Jar-Jar Binks and Anakin (as a boy and a teen) annoyed people. I get that folks were offended by the ching-chong ling-long trade federation representatives, or “badabing badaboom” Watto. But seriously, I can overlook all of that and look at episodes 1 to 3 through a different lens. In many ways, they were great films, with heart-stopping effects and some real background.

You might have cast a Haley Joel Osment type with real acting skills as young Anakin and gotten more sympathy, but Jake Lloyd was a real kid, and who’s to say Anakin wasn’t just like that? Many people found Hayden Christensen’s Anakin as petulant and whiny, but the more I watch the shows, the more I see that those qualities were critical to the development of the Vader character and that Christensen pulled it off admirably. Anakin/Vader was every bit the center of the Star Wars saga, much as Snape was truly the tragic hero in the Potter world. The heroes go around swashbuckling, getting the girl and saving the universe, but there’s nothing like a tormented villain with a good heart to give real meat to a drama.

So my heart is at peace. I look forward to episodes 7 to 9 with anticipation; after all, what Disney pulls off couldn’t possibly be any worse than Jar-Jar or the Ewoks, and I’ve already forgiven George Lucas for those, just because the entire vision was so awesome. And Disney, in collaboration with Pixar, has pulled off some epic wins. The results could be (pun intended) stellar.

The Old Wolf has spoken.