From the onset of the first trilogy, Muppets and Star Wars have gone hand in hand. Most notably, a Muppet played Luke Skywalkers lovable Jedi master Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. A CGI version of Yoda appeared in the second and third chapter of the prequel trilogy. While it was admittedly fun to watch the sage Jedi wield a light saber and bounce around in acrobatic combat like a caffeinated pinball, it robbed the character of the tactile quality that made him seem like a flesh and blood creature. Recently, Episode 7 director J.J. Abrams gave old school Star Wars fans everywhere a reason to rejoice. In a video posted from set of Episode 7, Abrams expressed his excitement about working on the latest Star Wars entry as a Muppet-style creature appeared in the background. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfNiC9iKM0Q The video was one of the first concrete signs that people behind Episode 7 are returning to the roots of what made Star Wars memorable. Seeing Muppets return to the Star Wars franchise may entice former fans back into the fold. While motion capture CGI effects have come a long way since the prequels, old school animatronics are a welcome addition to Episode 7.
