Star Wars: Review I: Original Trilogy

STAR WARS 

A +/- Review of the Original Trilogy

So...I have experienced a renewal in interest in Star Wars. Blame it on somewhat recently acquired access to be able to replay the best Star Wars video game ever made, Knights of the Old Republic, not to mention its sequel and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. (We got a Nintendo Switch after I sold off my fairly extensive game libraries for my NES and SNES, the consoles, etc., and this may explain why my blog posts have become much less frequent :D) That latter game covers all three film trilogies with a completely different take on the material it shares with its predecessors, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which brings us to the subject of the day. Inspired to rewatch the films (for the countless time for all but the sequel trilogy), I have also endeavored to review each trilogy at a time in the +/- format I previously used for Terminator: The Threequels. One thing that has always struck me about the original trilogy is how obvious it is that details of the overall story were being fleshed out film to film, a point I plan to surmise in each sequel's introduction. (Please note: Where/If it matters, the pre-Disney 2011 Blu-ray Complete Saga release is my reference point.) [Legend: OT: Original Trilogy, PT: Prequel Trilogy, ST: Sequel Trilogy, ANH: A New Hope, TESB: The Empire Strikes Back, ROTJ: Return of the Jedi, TPM: The Phantom Menace, AOTC: Attack of the Clones, ROTS: Revenge of the Sith, TFA: The Force Awakens, TLJ: The Last Jedi, TROS: The Rise of Skywalker]

A New Hope (Episode IV, 1977)

+Galaxy-Building: A great number of the items that build the galaxy far, far away are well established in the first film released. Examples of this are the Force including its far-reaching capabilities (from Obi-Wan/Ben feeling the sudden simultaneous deaths of Alderaan's people to ability to manipulate objects), weapons such as lightsabers and blasters, Jedi, the sentience of droids and how they fit in, the variety of intelligent lifeforms and touching on differing moral stances, the technology such as speeders, ships, hyperspace travel, etc., and the galactic civil war. All future media would go on with these things as a foundation.

+Trench Run: The so-called trench run that makes up most of the Rebel's assault on the Imperial Death Star is arguably the most exciting space battle in the entire saga due to well established high stakes, framing, and special effects that hold up very well.

+"Darth": In spite of aspects being revised film to film, one of which is the change of it being a Sith title and not a name, Obi-Wan calling Vader "Darth" improves the original intention as it retroactively comes off as somewhat mocking and condescending to his former padawan, or to his former padawan’s murderer from a certain point of view. 

-Marks of Incohesiveness: Considering the very similar one at the whole trilogy's conclusion, the ending is quite grand for the opening episode, though I know behind the scenes, George Lucas put forth all the best material he had thinking it would not be popular enough for another film. Also, the Empire's hierarchy is not clear: Does Grand Moff Tarkin actually outrank Darth Vader, or is Leia merely mocking them both?

-Special Effects: Some of the special effects, while all amazing and innovative for the time, are not nearly improved enough in the final revision that is the Blu-ray edition, though at their best. A particular highly noticeable example is lightsaber colorization.

-Obi-Wan vs Vader: Especially in hindsight, the very first onscreen lightsaber duel is underwhelming, even considering each opponent may be holding back in showing caution and respect for the other's command of his weapon and the Force.

The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V, 1980)

+The Story Is Strong With This One: This is the single strongest execution of a piece of the story in the entire Skywalker saga. It includes the natural course of events (titular Empire striking back), Luke's large further steps into a larger world, the visual manifestation of Luke's potential to fall to the dark side, besides the other "+" points below.

+Introducing...: This second film released introduces three (two for the first time and a third properly) of the best characters in the whole series: Yoda, the prototypical Jedi to measure all others and whose species captures the exoticism of the galaxy better than the variety of those seen in the Mos Eisley cantina scene in ANH; Lando Calrissian, the morally ambiguous and suave scoundrel who is so charismatic, you cannot help but like him even as you realize he betrayed the heroes; and Boba Fett, a figure shrouded in mystery that seamlessly splices the spaghetti western character type into the high fantasy and swashbuckling galaxy Star Wars seemed to primarily be beforehand.

+Luke vs Vader: Over the backdrop of a much improved lightsaber duel in comparison to the Obi-Wan vs Vader one in ANH, Darth Vader, the most feared being in the galaxy, reveals he is Luke's father. This is the most surprising revelation in all of Star Wars, and at least in the running for the most surprising in cinematic history. In hindsight and in universe, this reveals Anakin is not fully lost, and for the audience, lays the groundwork for his ultimate redemption in ROTJ.

-Mark of Incohesiveness: The most glaringly obvious example of a detail not fully fleshed out occurs as Leia romantically kisses Luke (far more intense than the "kiss for luck" in ANH), who are then revealed to be sister and brother in ROTJ.

-Dagobah's Animal Kingdom: Some of the wildlife seen on Dagobah are just earthly reptiles and less exotic than one expects to see in a galaxy far, far away.

-Part 1 of 2?: The film ends with such a degree of "more to come," there is potential to fall into the trap of the two-part sequel that plagued more recent franchises such as The Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean. Granted, ROTJ delivers better than the threequels of either of those.

Return of the Jedi (Episode VI, 1983)

+Redemption: Anakin Skywalker's redemption arc is satisfyingly concluded. To be fair, though, this full satisfaction cannot be felt without the weight of his complete story: from his birth into slavery on Tatooine, his similar feelings under the code of the Jedi Order, and his fall to the Dark Side, only to become the Emperor's lapdog for the latter half or so of his life.

+Good vs Evil: Despite strength in numbers, evil is defeated by good in the end. A secondary and complimentary theme to this is that technological superiority is no guarantee of victory, as the humble and primitive tribe of Ewoks is the one thing the Emperor overlooked in his otherwise flawless plan, and that the tipping point in favor of the small band of Rebels.

+The Last Jedi: The scene in which Yoda becomes one with the Force is the character at his best. The Jedi Order, as seen in the last days of the Old Republic, was indeed stifling in its code and arrogant in its council and position. But here we just see Yoda, the Jedi, not the Grandmaster. His last words are to direct his last padawan in his final steps to restore freedom to the galaxy, no more, no less. 

-Merchandising, Merchandising: The design of the Ewok is an all too obvious merchandise cash grab. I take no issue with their interaction with other characters or the actors' portrayals of them, but it is too on the nose that they are basically teddy bears visually. 

-Boba Fett "vs" Han: For such a fan-favorite character, the "death" of Boba Fett (later shown to be his near death) is a cheap and underwhelming way to remove the character from this story.

-Twice the Size, Double the Fall: As alluded to previously, the major threat in the Death Star II and ultimate ending of the space battle are repetitive and derivative of ANH. I realize the same item is a mark against two of these films, but it indeed puts a tarnish on both.

Next up...Review of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy!