A long time ago in galaxy far, far away, a thirteen-year old boy discovered a new world of action and adventure which had captured his imagination unlike anything before. Star Wars hit the theaters in 1977, and I still remember sitting in the very front row, completely in awe by the images on the screen. I probably saw the film ten times in our local cinema, and waited patiently for George Lucas to churn out his sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Fast forward 28 years to today, when I took Z to see the latest (and last?) edition in Lucas' prequel trilogy.
Granted, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were not up to par with the previous Star Wars efforts. Witty dialogue and human characters were replaced by special effects and obnoxious Gungans. The disappointment experienced by many Star Wars enthusiasts could only be matched by our desire to see George Lucas produce an incredible picture to finish out the story.
Say what you want about Hayden Christianson's lack of talent, the banal script and Lucas' penchance for overblown fight scenes, in my estimation, Return of the Sith delivered a fantastic finish to the series!
All was quiet in the theatre when the LucasFilms logo hit the screen. Scattered applause. We held our breath as the familiar introductory words hit the screen. Then John Williams all-too-familiar theme song with the huge Star Wars title. Hope springs eternal, and so Z and I settled in for what would turn out to be a very exciting, humorous and darkly satisfying conclusion.
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SPOILERS BELOW!
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I know, it is hard to spoil a movie when you already know how it has to end. Just the same, if you don't want to know, don't read any further.
I thought the action and space scenes could not get much more advanced, but Lucas has pushed the envelope again with mindblowing dogfights, heart-racing light saber duels and massive scale explosions that make the Death Star explosion from episode IV look like a firecracker.
I especially enjoyed a scene in which Obi-Wan and General Grievous go head to head, with Kenobi on the back of an enormous dragon/lizard creature and the General driving a vehicle out of Leonardo da Vinci's imagination. Great stuff.
Yeah, there's the whole love story between Anakin and Padme. And I must confess, they are almost believable. But the only reason I really cared about them was because I knew she was carrying Luke and Leia in her somewhat pregnant tummy.
I didn't like Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu in the previous installment. I still don't like him. But his death proved his finest moment as he finally got to show some emotion. His encounter with Darth Sideous (aka Senator Palpatine) is a classic moment as you see the dark side manifest in Sideous thanks to a fantastic make-up job. This is the deciding moment where Anakin chooses between good and evil, boldly marching to the dark side of the force.
Yoda gets to kick more Sith booty in this film, which makes for very humorous and entertaining battles. It is unfortunate for the actors that an animated dwarf of a Jedi overshadows many of their performances. Yoda is that cool.
The politics of Episode I and II finally come to a head as we discover Palpatine's true objectives. But it all comes too late. All of the Jedi get killed, with the exception of Yoda and Obi-Wan (naturally). A final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin is a show-stopper, with Anakin ending up badly burned and without legs. It is a sad, pathetic sight. And yet, we cheer inwardly because we know it won't be long before we see the costume we have been waiting for. Several times throughout the film, the temptation to embrace the dark side is brought before Anakin. Lucas brilliantly and subtly uses the sound of Vadar breathing. You have to listen closely to hear it.
Finally, Anakin is transformed into Darth Vadar and becomes Darth Sideous' apprentice. We catch a glimpse of the Death Star in it's very early stages. We see Amidala/Padme give birth to Luke and Leia, the two split up in order to protect them both. Obi-Wan takes Luke to Tattoine and Leia is adopted by Senator Organa and his wife. The R2 and 3PO end up together on a very familiar vessel you might notice from Episode IV and Yoda and Obi-Wan go into exile.
I think it was harder for George Lucas to mess up this picture because we all knew where it had to go. Some critics will say he did it by the book, but that's the way it should have been done. No stone was left unturned and no loose end left dangling. I left the theatre quite pleased.
I found it even more satisfying to share this experience with my son. 28 years ago, I was thirteen years old when it all started. My son is presently the same age and the series has come full circle. Between sharing the film with my boy, losing myself in the story and reflecting on how quickly 28 years has passed, I did shed a bit of a tear today.
Thank you, George Lucas, for your contribution to our culture's collective experience. You have created a world that has captured imaginations and taken us to a place where heros still exist, where valour and galantry flourish and where good always triumphs over evil in the end. Thank you for taking us way back to your galaxy far, far away.
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
May 20, 2005 12:51 AM
Excellent film. I thought it quite well done, but I find myself saddened that this may be the last Star Wars installment ever. I do think that there were a few things that could have been done better - such as Anikin's change to the Dark Side )it should have taken more time and struggle ( and Padme's death = too quick. But overall, an excellent movie.
By the way, I have heard some talking about the interesting parallels of Star Wars' politics and our current political situation. A "republic" taken over by a greedy and power hungry man who PRETENDS to be on the side of good but is really out for himself and to rule the galaxy. Hmmmm - can anyone say George H.W. and America today? Before you go saying that is nonsense, look at the moral of Star Wars - power can corrupt anyone, even the best of people. And how about the civil war in Star Wars? Kinda like present day liberals and conservatives - always at each other's throats and deceiving the American people. (I think we are on the verge of the next civil war in America in reality anyway.) Just some interesting thoughts I have heard from different people - something maybe we should all take lessons from Star Wars on. Let's come together, Democrats and Republicans, and stop the civil war before our Jedi Knights are destroyed. By the way, before any Conservative accuses George Lucas to be as bad as Michael Moore, remember that these movies were written 25 years ago. It is just interesting that Lucas's vision is so clsoe to present day events. Let us hope that George Bush is NOT Emperor Palpatine, or we are all in serious trouble.
May 20, 2005 06:13 PM
Thanks for your comments, Robert. I would never read something political into Star Wars... I think that's grasping at straws. But if I did, I would say that Republicans ARE the Jedi Knights, clearly defining evil for what it is. :-)
I know you want Republicans and Democrats to come together, but how do you do that when your approach to government is in direct opposition with the other?
May 21, 2005 12:02 AM
I had actually heard some other people I knew mentioning that many people were talking about Star Wars and reality. I just thought it interesting. But, think about it though, as far as Jedi Knights are concerned. Jedi Knights ARE good, but they do not always do everything EXACTLY good either. Remember Aniken's confusion and distrust of the Jedis when they ask him to do something immoral - spying and lying to a friend? That is part of the fundamental reason Aniken turns to the Dark Side, turns evil - because he does not know who to trust because even the people he thought were good and trusted to always do right ask him to do things that are illegal and immoral. He is being manipulated by BOTH sides, and is torn apart with confusion over what is right and what is wrong. He realizes that EVERYONE is doing things that are wrong. He finally, out of feeling lost and confused, makes the wrond choice. That is VERY much like politics today, and Republicans and NOT always good, just like in your view Democrats are NOT always evil.
Why do Dems and Republicans hate each other so? Because we MAKE it that way. It DOES NOT have to be that way. Yes, the parties are opposed to each other, but they HAVE to meet in the middle somewhere. It is ARROGANCE that cause them to continue to hate one another, because each side thinks it HAS to be right and they refuse to see the other point of view. This type of thinking is leading us dwn a very slippery slope, the slope to the Dark Side for all. If we do not agree with ach other to disagree, and accept that people have different opinions, and RESPECT those opinions (at least to a degree) we are in deep deep trouble. A civil war is brewing, I feel, and unless people find common ground in the fact that we are all people, we may not have an America left to defend from this other "evil" - Muslims. We will tear each other apart long before and much better than any extremist Islam group could destroy us.
May 21, 2005 02:52 AM
It's not about how Dems and Repubs FEEL about each other. It's about policy, pure and simple. But you are right that Republicans are not always good... people are people, and too many Republicans today are placating the democrat minority... indeed, this would make them wrong.
However, there is no other point of view when it comes to certain issues. There is right and there is wrong. Unfortunately, the democrats are wrong on just about everything. Which is why they continue to lose elections, and will continue to lose elections. They have no ideas, and those that they do have are usually bad. Their plans do not work and the only way they can achieve what they want is by getting radical renegade judges to rewrite the law from the bench.
Muslims are not evil. Evil people are evil. In today's world, terrorists meet this qualification.
Oh, and Anakin was confused because he was a selfish, hothead moron. He embraced the dark side very easily in order to gain power. Sure, it appeared that his desire for power was to save Amidala's life, but it obviously went much deeper than that, else why would he try to kill her? Yoda detected it from the beginning. Shoulda listened to the little green guy... :-)
May 21, 2005 08:12 AM
I can agree in some ways. However, even in issues of policy ther IS a middle ground. People who are insistent on making it about ONLY absolute right or wrong, like yourself, continue to make it impossible to uderstand other sides of view. BOTH Dems. and Reps. are right AND wrong, depending on the issues. There are many shades of grey. I myself have believed in different sides of issues, some I agree with Conservatives, some with Liberals. It IS possible. There are many, many other people who are Moderates too. And, and before you say that is a WEAK ideology, let me say that being able to see something from someone else's point of view and then make a decision on it, instead of swallowing the brainwashed drivel given to us from certain poliicians and religious leaders - that is NOT weak OR wishy-washy. It is intelligent and compassionate and the ability to be TRULY free, instead of relying on other's teachings alone to guide you. It is learning from experience and being open to ALL possibilities. THAT is freedom, and that is America. The extremeists from both the left AND the right are destroying that freedom. Let us do something about it before it is too late.
Oh, Aniken was selfish, but it is not as simple as that. Would you turn to the Dark Side if someone killed your mother? You know, an eye for an eye, as the Bible (Old Testament anyway) says. Would you kill in revenge? And if you did, how long might it take for the lines between good and evil to blur? Sometimes there is NO absolute good or eil, there are choices and consequences. Bad consequences, for yourself or others, can show bad choices. But even good choices can sometimes have bad consequences. Perhaps Aniken was confused always and made all of the worst choices because he was blinded by that confusion, ad trauma of losing his mother. He then became greedy for power to change things that he had no control over. His turn to evil was actually good intentioned at first. He was not always inherently evil. That is the entire point of the movie. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Again, the govcernment should take some earning from Star Wars. If it were up to people with your views, however, we would have ONLY a one party systems and ONLY your view of right or wrong. Am I right? That is kind of limiting, don't you think? Anyway, farewell for now.
May 21, 2005 02:19 PM
I think Palpatine was right, the Sith and Jedi pretty much are the same. What's with Lucas's explaining that the Jedi are genetically superior "supermen" because of midichlorians? Seems a little too Leni Riefenstahl.
May 26, 2005 11:29 AM
I, too, really enjoyed the film. I don't mind the acting of Padme and Anakin...but the dialog was unbelivably bad in the love scenes. I also thought the "coughing" of General Grievous was kinda weird. But I don't go to films to criticize them...just to sit back and enjoy. I don't want to think about underlying political themes. Real life brings more of that than I can tolerate. But this one was truly a feast for the senses. Definitely a solid closer for the series.