Monday, December 14, 2015

Retrospective: The Star Wars Films

by
Julien Faddoul













Star Wars ****

Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.
An attempt to combine the feel of Flash Gordon serials with Japanese military mythology resulted, with impeccable timing, in one of the most stylish movies ever made. Its engrossing chivalry, along with its inoffensiveness, ensured its global success. Nothing here is particularly shrewd, but it contains more imagination in single sequences than most entire films.

wd – George Lucas
ph – Gilbert Taylor
pd – John Barry
m – John Williams
ed – Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew
cos – John Mollo

p – Gary Kurtz

Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones














The Empire Strikes Back ***

After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.
An extravaganza of brilliant production design and alluring mysticism with new neo-Sophoclean depth given to the infantine characters from the original. Taking some elements seriously might prove strenuous, but the interplanetary adventures remain as exhilarating as its predecessor.

d – Irvin Kershner
w – Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Backett, George Lucas
ph – Peter Suschitzky
pd – Norman Reynolds
m – John Williams
ed – Paul Hirsch
cos – John Mollo

p – Gary Kurtz

Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness













Return of the Jedi **

After rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to make Vader return from the dark side of the Force.
More adolescent than the previous films, this installment lacks a powerful vision to save it from fatigue, but the galactic battles are constructed with immense skill.

d – Richard Marquand
w – Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
ph – Alan Hume
pd – Norman Reynolds
m – John Williams
ed – Sean Barton, Duwayne Dunham, Marcia Lucas
cos – Aggie Guerard Rodgers, Nilo Rodis-Jamero

p – Howard Kazanjian

Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Sebastian Shaw, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, Kenny Baker, Warwick Davis













Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace *

Two Jedi Knights seek an end to a galactic trade dispute and in the process discover a young slave with the inherit powers of the force.
A film with a great deal of pussyfooting around and static exposition in order to explain what came after. The cast takes a backseat to the special effects and computer-generated creatures. The whole thing is short on the imagination exhibited in the original films and in the end becomes little more than an illustrated toy catalogue for the 12-year-olds at which it is aimed.

wd – George Lucas
ph – David Tattersall
pd – Gavin Bocquet
m – John Williams
ed – Ben Burtt, Paul Martin Smith
cos – Trisha Biggear

p – Rick McCallum

Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, Frank Oz, Ray Park, Oliver Ford Davies, Hugh Quarshie, Ahmed Best, Andrew Secombe, Steve Speirs, Samuel L. Jackson, Warwick Davis, Terence Stamp, Greg Proops, Brian Blessed













Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

During the brink of a civil war, a young Jedi apprentice is assigned to protect the Queen of Naboo after an assignation attempt.
A gaggle of desperate, pathetic elements combine to make a poor film: Much computer-generated invention goes completely to waste – the battle sequences are so perfunctorily done that it’s hard to know which side is which – it’s chocolate-box romance is dull and the performances are even duller.

d – George Lucas
w – George Lucas, Jonathan Hales
ph – David Tattersall
pd – Gavin Bocquet
m – John Williams
ed – Ben Burtt
cos – Trisha Biggear

p – Rick McCallum

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Rose Byrne, Matt Doran, Alan Ruscoe, Veronica Segura, Silas Carson, Oliver Ford Davies, Ron Falk, Jay Laga'aia, Jimmy Smits, Daniel Logan, Temuera Morrison, Pernilla August, Ayesha Dharker, Joel Edgerton, Jack Thompson













Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith *

Three years after the onset of the clone wars, Anakin finally yields to the dark side.
Of all the three prequels, this one contains the best action. But both the acting and the writing remain inert, never giving the impression that momentous events are involved in the decisions taken.

wd – George Lucas
ph – David Tattersall
pd – Gavin Bocquet
m – John Williams
ed – Ben Burtt, Roger Barton
cos – Trisha Biggear

p – Rick McCallum

Cast: Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, Jay Laga'aia, Temuera Morrison, Rohan Nichol, Jeremy Bulloch, Kenny Baker, Silas Carson, David Bowers, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Wayne Pygram, Peter Mayhew



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