The Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983):
The quintessential popcorn flick. This is the film, along with Jaws and other ‘70s films, that ushered in the “Event Film” we see so prominently in today’s cinemas. Lucas’ visionary adventure epic takes the audience on an timeless and exciting journey following Luke Skywalker’s heroic passage into adulthood with Obi-Wan Kanobi’s guidance, and their attempts to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Empire, led by Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones). Lucas’ script ain’t exactly “Gone With the Wind,” but it’s supremely entertaining and well-crafted and introduces the viewer to an unforgettable cast of characters, especially Ford’s Han Solo, C3-PO and R2-D2, that they don’t mind following again and again. In other words, it’s no surprise why it’s one of the most popular films of all-time. The innovative, Oscar-winning visual effects are so good that they hold up well even by today’s standards- sometimes more so than certain films. And what to say about John Williams’ Oscar-winning music, which features possibly the most recognizable theme in film history, except that it speaks for itself, just like the film. To lift a line from the supposed Star Wars for the ‘90s Starship Troopers, “Would you like to hear more?” Or I guess the better question would be “Do you need to hear more?”
The first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back (1980, 124 minutes) still sees the Rebels fighting the Empire, though it�s more personal due to Vader�s obsession with finding Luke for a reason divulged at the film�s dramatic ending. This undeniably great and exciting sequel also sees a budding romance between Han and Leia, Luke being trained towards becoming a Jedi with the help of Yoda (voiced by Oz), and Han getting an unexpectedly cold welcome from Billy Dee Williams� Lando Calrissian. Many people see this as an improvement over the original Star Wars and- in a sense- a better film. I don�t. Sure, the characters are more defined, the plot�s a bit more dramatic, and the visual effects are better, but the first film is still the best for me because of it�s fresh feel, it�s groundbreaking technical achievements, and it�s ability to give the viewer a sense of discovery everytime they watch it. The third film, Return of the Jedi (1983, 131 minutes), is the weakest of the three films, but it�s still great entertainment and filmmaking. Again, the Rebel cause appears lost against the Empire, especially with a brand new Deathstar, but with the help of the reliable new additions the Ewoks, they (the Empire) never had a chance. The film�s main subplots involves Luke�s completion of his training and confrontation with the Emperor and the rescuing of Han from Jabba the Hutt at the very beginning, not to mention a sentimental discovery about Leia. I love this series for I�m sure the same reasons a lot of people do. I love it for the terrific special effects, for John Williams� excellent music, for the wonderful characters, for the engaging and moving storyline, and for the fact that George Lucas (like so few filmmakers these days) envisioned a universe full of original characters and ideas, developed an ingenious, intriguing mythology for it, and realized it with a love not completely unlike a parent�s towards their children, and created a high-tech labor of love that is, not surprisingly, loved by many just as much. The trilogy was rereleased in 1997 with new effects, scenes, and music and is the set currently available on video. Although I enjoyed watching the films on the big screen, some of the changes were not up to the series� standards, and some I didn�t think were necessary at all. But seeing as though it�s Lucas� series, he can do whatever he wants I suppose. Personally, the best changes went towards The Empire Strikes Back (I love the changes in particular to Cloud City), then to Star Wars (see my complaints regarding this one in the Best Films chapter), and the �worst� ones were on Return of the Jedi (the Sarlacc and herd of Bantha on Tatooine were both pretty cool, as were the shots added to the end celebration, but the new musical number in Jabba�s chamber was too�90s, and the decision to replace the music during the celebration disappointed me- although I have gotten used to that one).Commenting is closed for this article.
