Intergalactic journeys. Spacecrafts. Life and death confrontations.

You’d say that the Star Wars movie series is full of drama (as it would suit best a science-fiction masterpiece).

With all due respect (’cause I like them too), I’d say that those movies are nothing but a great comedy. And I’ve got the proof. Actually, there is plenty of evidence! Let’s take them one by one…

1. Great fun on the movie set

   Let’s begin at the beginning. In other words, let’s start with the filming.

   Here’s what happened in 1976, when the first movie was made:

   Funny, isn’t it? But maybe you’re raising your eyebrow because these are just some funny moments on the movie set and they don’t prove Star Wars is a comedy. OK, let’s say you’re right this time.

2. There is no underwear in space

   George Lucas, the mastermind behind the whole “Star Wars” idea, initially imagined Princess Leia Organa as the embodiment of purity while being a fighter for justice, something like a feminine version of a Shaolin monk. But he picked the wrong person. Carrie Fisher was keen on showing her femininity.

   

   

   Finally, the producers yielded to temptation and in Return of the Jedi they provided her with a sexy outfit for interpreting what a slave of Jabba the Hutt would look like.

   

   Carrie Fisher refused to wear underwear during filming, and she had solid ground: “As we all know, there is no underwear in space.”

   She also had to, how shall I put it, move around dressed like that, and multiple takes were needed so nothing unwanted was seen in the film.

   

   What do you want me to say? Girls just wanna have fun!

   

   Fun is fun, but this outfit sold at auction on the 1st of October 2015 for — hold on tight — $96.000 ¹⁾”Princess Leia’s ‘Slave Bikini’ sold for $96,000 at auction,” an article written by Ananya Bhattacharya and published by CNN on October 2, 2015! No bride had a dress so expensive.

   You think there is something better than Princess Leia dressed like that? How about many Princess Leias?

   

3. Princess Leia is a lovergirl

   The love story between Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker sounds good, but it couldn’t be done, for soapie reasons. They made out anyway.

   

   She shared lots of kisses with Han Solo, everybody knows that.

   

   But did you think she made do with human males only? You may not know it yet, but she got herself mixed up with Chewbacca, too! We got the proof, take a look:

   

   

   With the Gamorrean guard in plain sight:

   

   But that’s not all! Leia got herself mixed up even with C3-PO. And I have compromising photos in this case too:

   

   

   Has anyone in the galaxy not fallen in love with her?!

4. Chewbacca is a naturist

   I don’t know if you got it, but Chewbacca walks around stark naked. (Or with nothing but a gun, anyway.)

   

   They wanted to dress him up, but then it wouldn’t have been himself. Back in the ’70s, all males were displaying their chest hair.

   Still, he could have groomed his hair a little better.

   

   It must have been difficult for him to wash all that hair.

   

   On the other hand, what you see might be just a hairy hoodie:

   

5. Han Solo - the most funny name

   Do you realize what a funny name Han Solo has? You could never stop joking about it!

   

   You might be thinking it is just a nickname, but no, this is his real name. Even better: according to an authorised comic book, during the time when he was hitting on Princess Leia, Solo was not actually… solo. The slicker had a wife whose name was Sana Solo ²⁾”Star Wars comic suggests Han Solo was married during Princess Leia romance” by Ben Child, article published in The Guardian on June 4, 2015.

   It’s like I almost see them going to a party. They are being introduced: “Mrs. Solo, Mr. Solo… They are making a duo.”

   In the end, Han Solo married Leia ³⁾”The Courtship of Princess Leia” by Dave Wolverton, book published by LucasBooks in 1995. Another duo.

   I made clear the Solo part for you. But what kind of a name is Han? It might as well be the short form of Hand (get it?).

6. Funny faces

   In Star Wars, there are many funny faces that make you laugh. You could say that Harrison Ford offers a strong competition to Chevy Chase. Just think how many funny lines you could make up by only looking at these shots:

   

   

   

   

   Yoda is not falling behind either:

   

7. Who wants a beer?

   Princess Leia is attentive to Luke Skywalker. Look how she’s bringing him beer:

   But where is the galactic police? Here we clearly have a case of driving the X-wing under the influence of alcohol. This would explain some manoeuvres seen on the big screens.

8. Burlesque comedy

   Do you remember the Laurel and Hardy movies, when the characters were bumping their heads against something, making the audience laugh?

   Well, Star Wars is not far from that either. Just look what a funny stormtrooper we have on the right, in a scene from A New Hope (minute 82):

   You’d tell me that these things happen. But here is another scene from Phantom Menace, when Jango Fett is trying to run away:

   Don’t tell me you didn’t laugh!

9. Stormtroopers - so ridiculously funny

   If you still doubt that the imperial soldiers are ridiculously funny, here’s the proof:

   

   Would this be because of the fact that, in reality, they are more like the minions?

   

   Had they looked like this, who would have laughed at them?!

   

10. Yoda humor has

    Yoda, wise he is. And because brainy he is, humor he has. Look how nice he is to Luke in Return of the Jedi: “When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.”

    And heartily he laughs:

    I believe that to play how he liked him they didn’t let. Show would have he made.

    Anyway, with your friends like this you speak, hilarious it shall be!

11. E.T. go... Star Wars(?!)

    In 1982, Steven Spielberg — another mastermind of science-fiction movies — had great success with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the story of the little extraterrestrial who got lost on Earth. By then, Star Wars was already a worldwide phenomenon. And because Steven Spielberg was friends with George Lucas, he thought to make a little joke: he made a reference in his movie to Yoda. Well, not Yoda himself — it would have been too much — but a child dressed up in a Yoda costume for Halloween. Here is the scene if you don’t remember it:

    It doesn’t seem like much, but if you notice, E.T. (hidden under the white sheets, like a tiny ghost) turns to the alleged Yoda and says: “Home, home…” The question is: Why did E.T. turn toward Yoda and not toward another character passing by? Was it because he realized what kind of an extraterrestrial Yoda was?

    George Lucas answered back in 1999, when The Phantom Menace appeared, the first film of the new Star Wars trilogy, untangling the mystery. In the Galactic Senate there are also some representatives from E.T.’s planet! It’s such a brief appearance that you must split the scene into frames in order to catch it:

    If you still have doubts:

    

    

    Actually, it wasn’t the first time Steven Spielberg sneaked references to George Lucas’s movies in one of his own. Although it’s much less obvious, in the science-fiction movie (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, directed by Spielberg in 1977, right after the first Star Wars movie), R2-D2, the lovely little robot from Star Wars, makes his appearance. He is a detail on the extraterrestrial spaceship.

    

    While watching the movie, you can only notice him if you know about this Easter Egg (he is blurry and with his head downward).

    

    This is what happens when movies are the directors’ favourite playground.

12. "I have a bad feeling about this"

    In all the movies from the Star Wars series, you can find the same line: “I have a bad feeling about this.”

    Who said it:

    • Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope
    • Princess Leia in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
    • C3-PO in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
    • Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
    • Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
    • Obi-Wan Kenobi (one more time, for the sake of a complete déjà vu) in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

    You can’t believe it?! Here:

    What are your feelings about that? I have the feeling you burst out laughing.

13. Qui-Gon Jinn is speaking into a razor

    In a scene from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson) speaks on some kind of mobile phone from that time. You probably have imagined something that would put to shame any iPhone. In fact, that was a Gillette Sensor Excel Razor. For women. They redecorated it a little bit, but you can easily notice its shape.

    

    

    Maybe Qui-Gon Jinn wants a shave (he definitely needs one). And he also speaks just to save some time.

    

    

    Doesn’t it look like a sexy comedy from the ’80s?

14. All the galaxy laughs

    In the Star Wars movie series, everybody has a good laugh:

    Did you catch it as well?

15. Laser swords

    Aren’t they just great? A dream for children of all ages.

    But when is the last time you’ve seen a laser? It’s only a little like what these swords emit. And it’s not like you can actually clash two laser rays.

    The truth is that the producers never said those were laser swords. Officially, they are lightsabers ⁴⁾”Lightsaber” in Wookieepedia.

    I know, they are supposed to have sophisticated technology. But don’t tell me you never thought of them as being neons! They also flicker sometimes…

    

    Have you ever thought where these swords get their energy from? They have batteries. For real, I’m not joking with you. These are batteries with Diatium ⁵⁾”Lightsaber” in Wookieepedia, something that us poor fellows know nothing about. They last so long, Duracell is most likely to invent them some day.

    

16. Star Wars in the subway

    Here’s what happens if you take a scene from a movie and recreate it in the subway, during an ordinary day:

    Do you notice that everyone is laughing? I told you, these characters are so funny!

17. Vader is a farce

    The climax of the original trilogy — the grand surprise — is this scene:

    “I am your father.” Of course it’s true. They’ve told us from the beginning. He is Vader, meaning Father, like Dutch say. Or the lisping ones. (Have you already tried to say “Father” the way lisping people do, or are you still trying to hold it in?)

    Do you realize how that is doubled in Dutch? After the entire galaxy called him “Father,” in the end he tells it to little Luke as well: “Luke, I am your Father!” No, really? And the son can’t believe it. Has he watched another movie maybe?

    Anyway, had Darth Vader been more careful during the time he was Anakin Skywalker, the story would have been a lot different now.

    

I have pleaded my case. Did I convince you that Star Wars is a comedy?

To tell you the truth, I did try to make you join the Fun Side of the Force. I hope I’ve managed to “corrupt” you, at least a bit.

Everything is changing if you switch the perspective. It’s always good to also see the more relaxing side of everything. Maybe Vader is not so black, as he is painted. Do you know a villain funnier than him?

Ah, I better stop before I start all over again…

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Article written exclusively for Miratico by Lucian Velea

Lucian Velea is the founder of the Miratico website, a big reader and a small writer of science-fiction genre during his teenage years.