Growing up, I was blessed enough to own the Special Edition VHS Box Set of the original "Star Wars" Trilogy. One of my favorite things to do growing up was to take one of the tapes out of the box and pop it into our VCR. In addition, I grew up in the time when the Prequel Trilogy was releasing in theaters. The "Star Wars" Saga was my favorite franchise of all time, and to a certain degree, still is.
As I was flipping through channels the other day, one of the Star Wars movies was playing on TNT. I observed the incredibility of the long forgotten masterpiece that is the Star Wars saga and marveled the fact that these movies still hold up to today's standards. Now, sure, they do have their faults here and there, and there is no avoiding that. But, the real questions are, how do they hold up? What are their faults? Well, let's start from the beginning. And by beginning, I mean number IV (four for you young Padawans).
STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1977) - Multiple times, my mother and I have had the conversation over which Star Wars is the best in the saga. She has stated multiple times that Episode IV her personal favorite. Why is that? Well, my mother grew up in the 60's and early 70's where the "science fiction" genre's only major successes were "2001: A Space Odyssey", "A Clockwork Orange", various "Godzilla" movies, and the original "Planet of the Apes" movies. This means she grew up in a time before Star Wars even existed. Awful, I know. Now, imagine those movies above being the only science fiction movies available for enjoyment. Then, imagine being handed a copy of Star Wars. The average moviegoer's mind would be blown if they compared the other sci-fi movies to Star Wars; there was no comparison at the time! Everyone was blown away by its special effects, witty storyline, and beautiful score. Not only would science fiction change forever, but pop culture, franchising, and movies in general would never be the same. In all honesty, I can't find anything negative to say about this selection in the saga, nor is there anyone who can say anything negative about it. It's that influential in the movie industry that its an example of how the movie industry was changed for the better.
STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) - Scanning through the franchise and after some very through reflection, I have come to a conclusion that this is my all time favorite Star Wars movie. Why? Well, in a sequel, there really isn't much more need for an introduction. The audience is familiar with the story, the setting, the characters, and there isn't much need to carry on an introduction. The Empire Strikes Back does this perfectly, as the audience are thrusted into action on Hoth, and does not rest until the credits role. Add on a complex story line that is easy to follow, some tear jerking moments, incredible visual effects, and one of the biggest plot twists and memorable quotes at the same time, and you have a perfect sequel. This film was exactly that. And who could ever forget Yoda? As for any negatives, again, I can't think of any. Although, this and the previous selection are the only two that I think are spot on.
STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) - This is where the love of the franchise gets a bit twisted for some, being the lowest reviewed of the trilogy. For a conclusion, this selection in the franchise was very solid. The plot carried on quite well, the final conclusion was coherent, the cast still felt emotionally intertwined with the story's plot, and was all together, a faithful, soul fulfilling sequel. But, many fans had issues with may new features, one of which being the Ewoks, and another being that the plot was a bit underdeveloped. Although they do have a point (especially with the Ewoks) they are very minor complaints, and Return of the Jedi is still a fantastic film.
For the sake of sparing the reading audience with a long article, the Prequels will be written for next week...
TO BE CONTINUED
