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.
——————–
SPOILERS BELOW!
——————–
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.