:
Peter Diamond,
Glenn Randall,
Mark Hamill,
more...
:
George Lucas,
Richard Marquand,
Irvin Kershner,
more...
see all cast/crew...
: 
: 20th Century Fox
: Science Fiction , Robots & Cyborgs, Space Opera
: English, Spanish, French
: English
see additional details...
|
|
Star Wars Trilogy (Bonus Disc) (1980)
The second entry in George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the green-as-grass hero from the first film, now a seasoned space warrior. Luke's Star Wars cohorts Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) are likewise more experienced in the ways and means of battling the insidious Empire, as represented by the brooding Darth Vader (body of David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones). And, of course, "The Force," personified by the ghost of Luke's mentor Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness), is with them all. Retreating from Vader's minions, Luke ends up, at first, on the Ice Planet Hoth, and then the tropical Dagobah. Here he makes the acquaintance of the gnomish Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), whose all-encompassing wisdom comes in handy during the serial-like perils of the rest of the film. Before the film's open-ended climax, we are introduced to the apparently duplicitous Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and are let in on a secret that profoundly affects both Luke and his arch-enemy, Vader. Many viewers consider this award-winning film the best of the Star Wars movies, and its special-effects bonanza was pure gold at the box office. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
George Lucas' mythological popcorn movie is a two-hour roller-coaster ride that has passed into movie legend. The story, for the tiny number of people not familiar with it, concerns a farm boy named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who discovers that the used robot recently purchased by his family plays back a message from one Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), begging for help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke asks his father's friend Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness) about this, and he discovers that Ben and Obi-Wan are one and the same. Kenobi tells Luke of the battle of the rebels against the ruling Empire and the spiritual energy called "The Force." Soon Luke, Kenobi, and a mercenary named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join forces to rescue Princess Leia from the Empire's mammoth warship, the Death Star, controlled by evil genius Darth Vader (David Prowse, with the voice of James Earl Jones). George Lucas has frequently cited the influence of several films on Star Wars, particularly Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo and John Ford's The Searchers, as well as the original Flash Gordon serials. After Star Wars became a success, Lucas announced his intention to turn the film into a series, originally totalling nine films (later pared back to six). Consequently, most reissue prints now feature the title Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope, with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) serving as Episodes Five and Six in the serial, and Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (1999) going back to the myth's beginnings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The second entry in George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the green-as-grass hero from the first film, now a seasoned space warrior. Luke's Star Wars cohorts Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) are likewise more experienced in the ways and means of battling the insidious Empire, as represented by the brooding Darth Vader (body of David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones). And, of course, "The Force," personified by the ghost of Luke's mentor Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness), is with them all. Retreating from Vader's minions, Luke ends up, at first, on the Ice Planet Hoth, and then the tropical Dagobah. Here he makes the acquaintance of the gnomish Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), whose all-encompassing wisdom comes in handy during the serial-like perils of the rest of the film. Before the film's open-ended climax, we are introduced to the apparently duplicitous Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and are let in on a secret that profoundly affects both Luke and his arch-enemy, Vader. Many viewers consider this award-winning film the best of the Star Wars movies, and its special-effects bonanza was pure gold at the box office. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
In the final episode of the Star Wars saga, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) emerges intact from the carbonite casing in which he'd been sealed in The Empire Strikes Back. The bad news is that Solo, together with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), is prisoner to the grotesque Jabba the Hutt. But with the help of the charismatic Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), our heroes and our heroine manage to escape. The next task is to rid the galaxy of Darth Vader (body by David Prowse, voice by James Earl Jones) and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid), now in command of a new, under-construction Death Star. On the forest moon Endor, the good guys enlist the help of a feisty bunch of bear-like creatures called the Ewoks in their battle against the Empire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
|
|
| All things must come to an end... even a classic space saga.
by JTurner1
September 2, 2005 - 3:34 PM PDT
|
|
This final entry in George Lucas's Star Wars movies is often regarded as the weakest of the lot. However, this is not to say that it is a totally worthless entry in the series. On the contrary. Sure, it's not as groundbreaking as its predecessors and a bit more slow-going at times, but Return of the Jedi still offers a lot to warrant the price of admission.
The first third of the movie, where Luke and his friends rescue Han from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, is a classic. Jabba, a truly disgusting blob of bloated flesh who speaks in his own language, not only makes a great villain, but a memorable one, too. It must have been a nightmare to construct this giant puppet, much less give it the spark and life that we see on the finished product. Actually, what also makes this sequence fun is the clever use of puppets for the various members of Jabba's court, including the intimidating, slavering Rancor and scary Sarlaac pit monster. It builds masterfully to its climax and pulls punches all the while.
Things get a little bit slower around the second act, where Luke discovers that he and Leia are related by blood and when we travel to the forest planet of Endor, home of the cuddlesome yet stalwart Ewoks. Most of the complaints about Return of the Jedi that I've read seem to be centered on these furry creatures, in that they somehow disrupt the tone of the saga. I don't totally agree with that, although this moment is probably played out a bit longer than it should. However, their leader, Wicket (played by Warrick Davis) is a delightfully memorable creation, and watching how they handle the Imperial Troops' technology with their simple, natural weapons provides a nice contrast.
By the time we get to the third act, though, the pace picks up again, as we intercut between the Ewoks battle against the troops, Lando and the Rebel Forces launching an attack against the Empire's all-new half-completed Death Star, and Luke's final showdown with Darth Vader and the Emperor. The latter ties with the Jabba Palace sequence as the highlight of the movie. Mark Hamill flexes his acting chops once again as Luke Skywalker in these scenes, and watching him as a fully matured Jedi Knight makes for an unforgettable performance. Also, as iconic as James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader is, he is rivaled only by the shriveled, crone-like Emperor, played with deliciously raspy, frightening evil by Ian McDiarmid. The tension between this trio heightens the excitement of this climactic moment, which is appropriately darkly lit and menacingly underscored.
The Star Wars movies have always set standards for special effects, and the technical work in Return of the Jedi can easily hold a candle to its predecessors. The space battle fights are as exhilarating as always, and the speeder bike chase through the forest is a knockout. Of course, given that this movie was made after A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, it probably shouldn't be so surprising that the special effects have reached an even greater level of excellence. The acting is classic Star Wars fare; Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher all mature and deepen into their roles, and Anthony Daniels provides more hilarious moments as C-3PO. Frank Oz's Yoda only appears in two scenes, but he makes the most of it. And yes, there's also John Williams' music.
All told, while Return of the Jedi falters a little bit in the middle, the first and third acts deliver in style, making this a rather satisfactory finale to one of the greatest sagas ever.
In 1997, George Lucas re-released the classic Star Wars in digitally restored (and revamped) "Special Editions", which featured added-in effects and/or shots as well as some enhancements. Of the three, Return of the Jedi appears to have caused the most commotion with Star Wars fans. Perhaps it can be due to the jarringly out-of-place (albeit funny if you're not so easily offended) "Jedi Rocks" musical number in Jabba's Palace, which, although technically amazing, does disrupt the flow of the film. However, I did like the ending montage scenes where we see victory celebrations occurring on the various planets of the galaxy. This DVD version features yet more tweaking--we get to see more montage finale scenes (notably on Naboo, where we hear what sounds like Jar Jar Binks screaming, "Wesa free!"), and, in what is probably the most controversial change, Hayden Christensen as the specter of Anakin Skywalker in the closing scenes. Probably due to the intense (and unfair) disdain fans have for his somewhat shaky work in Episode II: Attack of the Clones, it seems inevitable that fans would put this edition down for that alone. However, if you're watching the Star Wars saga chronologically (and contemplating about it), chances are you may react a little differently. Nonetheless, it is an issue that fans have raised, so it's probably best to be warned beforehand.
As nice as it would be to have Lucas release the original versions of these three classic films, he nonetheless stands by what he said about these revamps being the "definitive" editions of his classic trilogy, and, when viewing the Star Wars movies altogether as one complete saga (as Lucas intended), it actually makes sense to keep them technically and aurally consistent. The original films will always be engraved in our memories, but these new incarnations are just as much fun, if one can give them a chance. |
| One of the few movies to set a new standard for sequels.
by JTurner1
September 2, 2005 - 3:32 PM PDT
|
|
Given the enormous popularity that Star Wars received upon its release in 1977, it seems inevitable that a sequel would be produced. It is usually common for a follow-up to an original to be a let-down, but The Empire Strikes Back is not one such example. Directed by Irvin Kirschner, this new chapter in the saga doesn't just live up to its predecessor, it surpasses it--and then some. The storyline takes a darker, more heavy-handed spin as Luke, Han, Leia, and the Rebel Forces find themselves under assault from Darth Vader and the Imperial troops. As the movie progresses, we root for our heroes to prevail--only to find ourselves downcast when we come to the somewhat sad (yet hopeful) conclusion. Yet the movie is all the more magnificent for it.
The Empire Strikes Back also gives a chance to expand upon the characters' relationships with each other--to entertaining and occasionally amusing results. The give-and-take banter between Han and Leia (which, of course, turns into a romance) is hilarious and made all the more memorable by Harrison Ford's swaggering portrayal of Han and Carrie Fisher coming off as a perfect foil for his bluster. The chemistry between them is definitely a lot more lively and interesting than, say, the love sequences involving Natalie Portman and Haydn Christensen in the prequels (not to put both down, however). Mark Hamill is best known to us today as one of Hollywood's best voice actors ever, but his acting as Luke Skywalker deserves special mention. In Empire, he displays an incredible range of emotion and growing pains, which helps the audience to identify with his struggle. His eventual growth from a reckless, unthinking youth to a mature, confident hero is completed full-circle in the final entry of the Star Wars movies, Return of the Jedi, but tracing where it begins in this movie credits that.
Not only are we introduced to all-new worlds such as the freezing, snow-covered ice planet Hoth to the musty swamp bog of Dagobah, we are introduced to new characters. For example, on Bespin, we meet Lando Calrissian, a charming yet shifty rogue who shares a somewhat shaky friendship with Han Solo. Billy Dee Williams conveys the character to effectiveness; the transition from traitor to ally is well handled and believable. Of course, the most memorable character in the movie is Yoda, the crotchety yet benign Jedi Master who takes it under himself to lead Skywalker down the straight and narrow path. In the prequels, we see him flex his facial expression chops through computer animation, but in this film (in addition to Jedi) we see him as a rubber puppet operated by Frank Oz. His playful yet wise nature exudes through the latex and comes across as a staple character--an astonishing triumph for a non-computer generated creation.
The production values are spectacular, with unforgettably visceral action sequences highlighting every minute on screen such as the snow battle against giant dinosaur-like walkers, the daredevil chase through the asteroid field, and of course, the climactic confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
There are lots of great moments in The Empire Strikes Back one could go on and on about, but none so greater as--SPOILER ALERT!--the instant where Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke's father. END SPOILER I can only imagine what the impact of this emotionally charged scene must have been for audiences; of course when seeing the Star Wars movies in chronological order, this moment may create effects different than from what audiences in 1980 (and frankly, those who have seen only the original trilogy) experienced.
In short, not only is The Empire Strikes Back one of the best entries in the Star Wars saga, but one of the best sequels ever.
In 1997, George Lucas revamped this film (along with the other two entries in the original trilogy) as a Special Edition. Most of the enhancements aren't as noticeable as in Star Wars, but one of them is breathtaking--the expansion of Cloud City allows us to see an entire depth of dimension to the world that we haven't seen before. By contrast, the moment where we see the ice monster approach Luke (the original version has only two brief cutaway shots of this creature) doesn't amaze us as much as the former. This DVD release features a bit more tweaking, most noticeable is a new conversation between Darth Vader and the Emperor (played, in this scene, by Ian McDiarmid). Some may oppose such changes, but I liked this particular enhancement a lot. It really helps bridge the entire saga together as a whole (not to mention it makes it more consistent). Combine all that with a state-of-the-art visual remastering and sound remixing, and you have a splendid edition of The Empire Strikes Back on your hands. |
| The beginning--er, fourth entry of the greatest space opera epic ever!
by JTurner1
September 2, 2005 - 3:26 PM PDT
|
|
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
From the moment these words filled up the screen to ecstatic audiences in May of 1977, a legend was born. That's a pretty cliché way of putting it (since, chronologically, this happens to be the fourth chapter in the saga), but there is some serious truth behind the impact that this, the original Star Wars, left upon many viewers. It's hard to believe that this movie ever got made, too. It was George Lucas's brainchild project since childhood, but when shooting this movie, he ran into production problem after problem after problem--many executives predicted that Star Wars would die at the box office. And now look at what place it has in the history of moviegoers. If Star Wars had not been the megahit that it was, there would be no sequels, no prequels, no fans going around reciting memorable quotes from the movie ("May the force be with you!"), and, well, all that it is.
Looking upon Star Wars, or should I say, Episode IV: A New Hope, it really is not hard to understand why this film became such a status of pop culture. Sure, it doesn't have the flashy graphics of today's big, loud and noisy CGI films (although this reincarnation does; more on that later)--but what makes this movie such a classic is simply because, at heart, it is great fun. The storyline is epic and action-packed (those starship battles and the climactic Death Star Trench fight are always fresh every time), the atmosphere that Lucas created is imaginative and engaging, and, best of all, it has a cast of characters that have quickly become household names--eager, earnest young hero Luke Skywalker; dashing, courageous Captain Han Solo; tempestuous yet regal Princess Leia; furry Wookie Chewbacca; wise, saintly Obi-Wan Kenobi; ruthless helmeted villain, Darth Vader; and of course, those lovable robots (sorry, droids), C-3PO and R2-D2.
It helps, too, that talented performers bring this eccentric cast to life. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a better trio than Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher as the three human leads, Alec Guiness as the elderly Jedi Master, Anthony Daniels as the golden, worrisome robot, or even James Earl Jones' memorably stentorian voice as Vader (one of cinema's greatest vocal performances ever). Say what you will about George Lucas' directing abilities, but these guys bring an infectious, lasting appeal to their roles that it makes those in the prequels pretty stiff by comparison.
Equally memorable is John Williams' soundtrack, the title fanfare has been used in every Star Wars movie to date, and of course, the motifs Williams creates for the characters fit them to a T. One can only imagine the atmosphere of Star Wars had it been scored by someone else....
With all this, and more, it's no wonder that Star Wars's impact is still going strong, and, at the risk of causing controversy, the original trilogy can easily hold its own against some of the more cinematically complex and impressive trilogies of our time such as The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, and Back to the Future.
However, George Lucas wasn't satisfied with his original version of Star Wars (the miniscule budget he received could hardly be enough to develop some of the story's more ambitious scope), so in 1997, he and his company, LucasFilm Ltd., re-released the film as a "Special Edition". This version consists of some added-in and/or altered scenes as well as some more enhanced visual effects. Purists have opposed these additions, especially since Lucas has not decided to release the original print of Star Wars on DVD. While this is a valid argument, Lucas himself has stated that this revamp of A New Hope is his vision. But I don't want to get into the fan controversy about the Special Editions. On this account, I will say that watching this more beefed-up version is a treat in and of itself; it's interesting (and fun) to pinpoint the differences between the original and the new incarnations. Admittingly, some of the added-in stuff isn't really necessary (in particular, I could probably have done without the altered scene where Greedo shoots first at Han, although I'm not nearly as anal about it as others are), but they hardly affect the flow of the story and just add another level of enjoyment to the experience.
For this DVD release of A New Hope (which coincides with the DVD release of the original trilogy), the movie has been tinkered with yet again, this time to fix some of the more glaring flaws that were present in the Special Editions. Although it's not completely perfect (I did notice some matte-boxing around some of the starships in some shots), this version is about as good as it can get. Yes, I would like a chance to own the original on DVD as well, but this presentation is still excellent--the hard work that went into the visual and aural restoration is very commendable and is especially spectacular if you have a widescreen TV or state-of-the-art sound system.
No matter which version it is presented in, though, Star Wars is still, well, Star Wars. |
|
|
More reviews for titles in this product:
|
|
 |
| 80 Best Films Since 1980 |
|
|
| The list is only 75 titles long, because GreenCine doesn't have the following titles: The Plague Dogs, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Last Exit to Brooklyn, The Nasty Girl, City of Hope, Gadjo Dilo |
Shermonster
|
|
 |
|
|
|
see all lists |
|
|
Your cart
kme9990
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.