The "Star Wars" Franchise (1977 - 1983)

[StevePulaski]

The opening title card for Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope.

I suppose the only fitting way to begin a review/analysis of one of the biggest film franchises of all time is to acknowledge why it took me so long to do one on it in the first place. As consistent readers know, I'm not a big fan of the science fiction/fantasy genre. If there's any genre in film that I am not a very big enthusiast or fan in, it's definitely fantasy. Last Spring, I finally sat down to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and wrote a review of it stating that while I thoroughly enjoyed the film, I simply can not see myself watching the other two films out of curiosity anytime soon. I wasn't immersed as much as I was entertained or gripped by admiration. It was a good story and a solid film, looking at it on its own.

But why haven't I reviewed, or for that matter seen any of the Star Wars films. There's no real answer to that question other than when I was young, I took one look at the DVD covers and said, "these aren't for me." My close friend at the time loved anything to do with fantasy, science fiction, Jedis, warlords, creatures, aliens, you name it, and The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars were his two favorite films. While he watched those on repeat, I stayed confined to the obscure, developing an early fondness for the likes of Kevin Smith, John Waters, and Martin Scorsese, while leaving both of those films in my rear-view. I simply never had any interest in watching them.

Now, they've become the annoying little blind-spot in my short career as a film reviewer. When people ask me if I've seen them, the reaction from me is a subtle cringe and a little bit of embracing before saying, "no, I have not seen them." Then I get the obligatory, "you haven't seen Star Wars? How could you have not seen those movies?" All I can think in my head is "now I've really lost all interest in seeing them." That's something I've never understood when it comes to people having that reaction to films I've never seen.

Consider these three forth coming reviews as a favor. I consider them something more of an obligation. With that being said, do not think under any means or stretch of the imagination I am going in sourly and want to hate these films. Quite the last thing on my mind. I'm prepared to embrace three unique, iconic films of American cinema, and ready to look at them with a broad scope and with a mindset to appreciate them. I could call these reviews out of the goodness of my heart but, again, if anything, watching these films is more of a benefit for me than for you, the reader.

Without any further adieu, I give you, my reviews of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and a small little epilogue concerning my views on the forthcoming seventh installment, tentatively scheduled for a 2015 release.

[StevePulaski]

Star Wars (1977).


Rating: ★★★★

George Lucas' Star Wars is a project unlike one I've seen before, as cliche and as empty as that statement might sound. It's a monumental achievement in the cinematic world, arguably the biggest one ever, that pioneered special effects work and accommodated for other science-fiction projects to follow in the next decades. When released in 1977, with sufficient hype and outstanding reviews, it was a moviegoing experience; thousands of showings were sold out (something you never hear about anymore), universal audiences were captivated, cultists and enthusiasts were born, and the eye-popping technology was cherished and admired by many.

Watching Star Wars today (now called Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope with the release of the three prequels), there is still a uniquely affecting vibe that it sends with its compelling visuals and wonderfully articulated characters. It's over thirty years old, but it effectively holds the torch that makes it timeless. No matter how far technology progresses, and even with the onset of computer-animation and a heavy reliance on digital cinema, the look and beauty of Star Wars will likely never die out.

Since it appears that everyone has seen the Star Wars movies except for myself, I will spare you the boredom of hearing the plot reiterated for the umpteenth time. Besides, I'm not sure if I could explain it accurately. The film is fast-paced, dynamic, and just works so competently, that after a while, I began to dissolve any questions I had about the plot and just go along for the ride. Consistent readers know what I think of constant cinematic evaluations, and that I find them to often be without a reward and potentially lethal to the likability of a film. Things happen in Star Wars; crazy things, logical things, smart things, frightening things, but above all, enthralling things.

Speaking of enthralling things, I must admit how often I felt tension build and suspense become prevalent during the course of this film. For one thing, it's blatantly obvious to people who haven't even seen the series that these characters will make it (hence the two sequels). Yet, during several sequences, I found myself tense and extremely worried for these characters (most notably the scene in the trash chute). When a film can make you fear when you know the outcome is when you know true filmmaking tactics are at hand.

Something I have notice happen with older science-fiction films is that one of their downsides is their length due to their special effects showcase. Let me explain; Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a visual marvel when it first came out, but its story was extended out about twenty-five minutes longer than it needed to be because they were showcasing the technology, which was breathtaking at the time. It appears, too, that many fans even recall this fact with a bit of sourness, which is why when people refer to the "original trilogy" of the Star Trek films, they usually mean the second film through the fourth one. Star Wars doesn't bear that same quality; it doesn't need to turn the story into a methodical plod just to show off its creative design and visuals. It doesn't feel like a showcase. We get a perfect feel for the environment without having to stare at for an upwards of five minutes.

One thing that disheartens me greatly about this series is how controversial it has become. With numerous releases on DVD, and a new one on Blu-Ray, to my knowledge, the only original cuts of the Star Wars films you can see are on the Laserdisc/VHS versions. Because of this, fans have found themselves lambasting decisions made by Lucas, criticizing all the changes he has made to the series on the new releases of the DVDs, his re-releases of the movies in theaters, and lucrative branding/licensing of the figures in the money that, in 2013, continue to flood the store aisles of a Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us near you. I believe that's one of the contributing reasons to why I never saw or even felt like seeing the original films until now; I felt alienated and bullied, with the series seemingly shoving itself down my throat.

On a final note, another impressive element is the charisma and talent of a young Mark Hamill, portraying no one else but Luke Skywalker. Hamill seems like the kind of guy who, after breaking out in Lucas' trilogy of films, would have gone on to do unprecedented projects, but alas, no. Hamill has only acted in either small roles or cameos in films, and hasn't really worked on any other mainstream picture aside from the Star Wars trilogy. While this fact is slightly depressing, as one can only imagine what he could've done, it's fortunate we weren't burdened of seeing him in anything atrocious.

Star Wars is, in short, an incorruptible masterpiece on film. A film that launched the genre of science fiction, propelling films about outer space to unheard of heights. It's just incredibly unfortunate to see what dismal treatment it, and its fans, have had to endure since its release.

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. Directed by: George Lucas.

[StevePulaski]

The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

The iconic poster for The Empire Strikes Back.

Rating: ★★★★

"Empire had the better ending; Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen, and taken away by Bobba Fett, it ends on such a downnote. That's what life is, a series of down endings. All Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets." - Dante Hicks, Clerks.

One of my other justifications for remaining ignorant to the Star Wars franchise was the fact that I felt I had already seen them before. After hearing the above lines in Kevin Smith's Clerks, I had no ambition to seek out the series because of the fact that I already knew all, or most, of the major, visceral plot points in the second installment, The Empire Strikes Back. But even knowing these details going in, I still emerged as enthralled and as taken as ever. It's one of the most awe-inspiring, gripping sequels I've ever seen.

My love for the series of Star Wars, so far, has likely been because I don't try to understand it all. I allow myself to sink into the films, letting the film's imagination, and my own, take me on a cinematic Odyssey. The less I look into the meaning of it all and the interworkings of the characters and series, the more, I feel, I see in terms of vision, writing, atmosphere, and style. Thank goodness I took this approach to The Empire Strikes Back, which employs all these elements with slick, constant entertainment. It abandons the cheery, free-spirited style of its predecessor in favor of a much dark enigma. Never before have I seen a film go from comforting entertainment to sheer calamity within one sequel.

Perhaps much of this is thanks to Irvin Kershner, who takes over for Lucas in the directing department. After achieving monstrous success with the original Star Wars, against all conceivable odds, Lucas, who was perplexed at how to follow up the hit, sidelined himself to executive producer and hired Kershner to lend his vision with the screen. New writers by the names of Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan were hired to continue the harrowing tales of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). I couldn't imagine the hesitation amongst fans when these creative decisions were made. They must've expected the absolute worst from a sequel to an explosive hit. Could it be like the extreme hesitation the Star Wars fanbase currently has now with J.J Abrams manning the camera and Michael Ardnt writing the script for the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII in 2015, or should I not even mention that?

The wonderful thing about these new faces being the driving forces behind this film is that we get a different spin on these characters and their lives that isn't drab, redundant, or contrived. Had The Empire Strikes Back adopted the same sort of easy-going charisma of its predecessor, this could've easily been a cheap rehash of previously successful material. Instead, Kerschner, Brackett, and Kasdan wisely choose to further develop these characters, making their problems more three-dimensional, their personalities more vivid, and their biographies more interesting.

Again, there are some terrific and grandiose special effects put to use here. The effects on the Millennium Falcon and the exterior shots of a galaxy far, far away is just marvelous and very appealing on the eyes. I'm always amazed at the naturalism of these effects, even for the late seventies/early eighties. Despite being largely products of computers and other visual mediums, they still possess an authentic and wonderfully realistic look to them.

One particular instance is when Han, Leia, and the rest of the gang fly their ship into the asteroid farm, which is exactly what it sounds like. Dozens of asteroids hurl themselves at the ship at breakneck speeds, leaving Han (the driver) with little time to react and dodge them. The animation and visual technique of the asteroids is astonishing, and every moving object adopts gorgeous fluency and technical precision. It's a visual wonder to say the very least.

The Empire Strikes Back beautifully carries the Star Wars franchise further than it might've even gone under the intense and uncompromising care of Lucas himself. The new faces delightfully provide us with more entertaining adventures and more eccentric characters such as Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), consistently keeping us in-tuned and intrigued with the limitless possibilities of this creative world. Like before, Hamill, Fisher, and Ford provide the most likable of chemistry, and the scenes of intensity and peril do not fall short of enthralling, even if one is aware of the outcome. There are many directions Return of the Jedi can take, but if it shows the gripping intensity of its predecessor and the truly mysterious nature of its original, then the possibilities are as endless as the galaxy the series inhabits.

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Frank Oz (voice), and Billy Dee Williams. Directed by: Irvin Kerschner.

[StevePulaski]

Return of the Jedi (1983).

Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker square off in the conclusion of the Star Wars franchise, Return of the Jedi.

Rating: ★★★

After the technological innovation that was the original 1977 space opera Star Wars, and its convention-defying, unbelievably dark sequel The Empire Strikes Back, my expectations for the conclusion of the iconic franchise, Return of the Jedi, were soaring into galaxies far, far away. Not long after, I fell back to Earth somewhat wowed but considerably disappointed. Return of the Jedi is a solid end to the franchise, competent, alleviating, and without a doubt, intriguing, but simultaneously bland and underwhelming. To, yet again, quote Dante Hicks from the everlasting Clerks, "all Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets."

Of course, that's a vast oversimplification of what the film really features, but it's not an inaccurate statement. The last thing I ever expected to call a Star Wars picture is artificial-looking, but it must be said. Occasionally, the film will have points of sheer beauty and marvellous technology. Consider the briskly-paced sequence where Luke and Leia race through the forestry, evading a slew of enemies closely on their tale. Yet, frequently, much of the film looks like it was shot on the backlots of studios where the presence of a fully-designed set was dually noted. The mystifying qualities about space's contents and other-worldly galaxies seems to have been traded for modestly-interesting scenes, confined to solid land mimicking that of a forest preserve. It looks good. Not beautiful.

The second issue comes when we spend much of the film either listening to Ewokese or dealing with the language's speakers, the Ewoks, which don't even seem to belong in a Star Wars. The past gangs of creatures we've had to see, whether it be the Jawas or the Ugnaughts, were at least interesting, mysterious creatures. The Ewoks possess a cute, cuddly, warm persona that feels alien (pun intended) to the world of Star Wars. Not to mention, they often feel like cute, cuddly distractions to the more interesting plot developments and set-ups we're dealing with here.

For example, the drama between Luke Skywalker (reprised by Mark Hamill) and his newfound father Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) would've been the perfect thing to predicate this entire film on, rather than more or less shifting it to the side so we can watch the gaggle of Ewoks interact with their own culture and the new humans placed in the middle of it.

Another thing I began to start to get frustrated at with The Empire Strikes Back is its focus on the cutesy relationship between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher). There's really no surprise that there is a relationship in "the greatest franchise in history," but did it have to be this hesitant, restrained, and plodded out for three movies? Because both characters refuse to recognize their feelings strongly until the second movie, we get an abundance of joking dialog, senseless banter, and redundant little arguments between the two that easily become more obnoxiously spliced in than entertaining. This relationship either needed to not have begun or been greatly minimized here. Not shifted more towards the foreground.

However, I fear I'm making Return of the Jedi sound like the worst moviegoing experience this side of the Millennium Falcon. There are still scenes of genuine ambition and prevalent imagination here, and the fact that George Lucas co-wrote this picture Empire writer Lawrence Kasdan gives more of the vibe that Lucas wrapped this story up the he wanted to. While Empire, my personal favorite of the original trilogy, benefited tremendously from Lucas' bravery in welcoming new talent to the film, it's nice to see the original pioneer, regardless of my opinions on him, finish what he started and finish it the way he wants it. I can respect that above all. Even the director at hand here, Richard Marquand, is given a nice range of variety, regardless of whether or not it's good variety. There is still a respectable amount of creativity and life in this project, despite its gradual inferiority to its predecessors.

The Star Wars films, as stated in my blog post before I finally sat down to watch them, formally stood as an annoying little blind spot in my rear-view that I was too lazy to wipe clean. When I finally did, I realized what I was missing. When you see this films in present day, there still is no lost wonder or the overwhelming feeling of datedness. It feels just as fresh, moving, and powerful as a thrilling sci-fi epic made in recent time. Return of the Jedi isn't necessarily the way I wanted the entire series to end (for, I would've rather had some more of the unrelenting darkness and bleak storytelling Empire used to its success), yet I simply can't bring myself to say I didn't like the film mainly because I feel that it's a pretty creative piece in and of itself. It's a fine movie that deserves its place in history, regardless of my opinion.

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and James Earl Jones (voice). Directed by: Richard Marquand.

[StevePulaski]

A fan-made teaser poster for Star Wars: Episode VII.

Watching all three of the original Star Wars movies was an experience I won't soon forget, I can promise you. The films were not only direct causes to the quick escalation of the science-fiction genre, but the direct reason for successors being so lucrative and marketable. However, since the earth-shattering news about the prequels happening in the early 2000's, and with the release of Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in 2005, the Star Wars community has been pretty quiet, even letting ridiculous cash-grabs like Star Wars: The Clone Wars (which I will watch and review at some point in the near future, much like the prequels, but don't rush me on either) slide right by pretty much untouched in the face of criticism.

However, just a few months ago, when Disney acquired the rights to George Lucas' Lucasfilm, taking the Star Wars brand name along with it, and news of a seventh film being in the works was released, the fanbase shouted from every corner of the world. Some of the optimistic fans, who are also fans of the prequels, praised the amount of possibilities and creative opportunities that could lead down episode seven down a similar road of success to the three prequels. Many of the pessimist fans smote the idea of a seventh film, feeling that it would continue to degrade a terrific trio of films that would prove to stand the test of time. The way I see it, many fans, optimistic or pessimistic, will not allow themselves to like a modernist Star Wars film.

When I heard of the news, I didn't much care, for I had not seen any of the Star Wars movies. I sort of felt it was inevitable; either a seventh installment would be made or remakes of the original trilogy would commence production. With J.J. Abrams manning the camera, who worked wonders for Super 8, although I begin to strongly question Steven Spielberg's involvement with the picture, and Michael Arndt penning the screenplay, Star Wars: Episode VII was slated for a release in 2015 and fans all across the world are now debating on what would become of an episode seven in 2015.

Even after viewing the original trilogy, I simply can't bring myself to express much concern or loss of sleep over the creative decisions behind episode seven. I was never attached to characters like Luke, Leia, Han, and Vader my entire life, and therefore, I can't see tears being shed over the quality of the film. Yet that doesn't mean I believe whatever happens happens and that should be the end. I do believe the fans deserve something larger than a cash-grab, which, episode seven is in the first place and always will be. They at least deserve a justifiable and worthy cash-grab.

Not long ago, I used to regard Star Wars fans with malice. When I would see negative reviews of the DVDs on Amazon, requesting silly things like "original prints," "remastered editions," etc, I thought of them as being ungrateful, extremely asking, and just plain greedy. Then, when I schooled myself in the field of George Lucas, I realize how shallow and ignorant I had been. The Star Wars community, while I never see myself becoming apart of it, deserves better treatment than what they've been getting. I try to never speak ill-will of actors, especially when criticizing their work, because I feel that criticism of their art and their person are two wildly different things. But George Lucas has proven himself to be greedy and unrelenting in his quest to rob patient and forgiving Star Wars of simple courtesies due to a personal perfectionist mindset and an apparent disrespect of film preservation. Granted the fact that the films are his own personal property and he has the ability to do what he wants with them, but can you think of one person who desperately wants to see upgraded, digitized, color-manipulated versions of the original Star Wars movies?

Well, I've successfully wrote myself off on so many tangents, my points as a whole may be muddled. I'll sum up quickly; I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will see Star Wars: Episode VII. With talks of the original cast returning and a wealth of talent being pursued, it seems as if they are at least trying to make a competent, worthy successor to the original trilogy. But the real question here is not the quality of the forthcoming installment; it's now can I be an official film critic after watching the Star Wars movies?

[patface1979]

From a very Die-Hard Star Wars fan I loved your reviews and I loved how you added some of the Clerks dialouge in their too!! I'm very happy that you gave these films a chance!!!