A long time ago in a studio far, far away….
The Star Wars franchise is like no other in film history.
Conceived by visionary filmmaker George Lucas, the very first entry faced
numerous production troubles, and had no guarantee of being a financial success
for its then distributor 20th Century Fox. To everyone’s surprise,
including Lucas’, the series exploded into a cultural phenomenon that not only
defined, but transcended sci-fi adventure for generations to come. What The
Lord of the Rings would later do for fantasy, Star Wars did for Science-Fiction.
After an incredible original trilogy, overwhelmingly strong marketing and
merchandizing, and re-release after re-release, the series was on top of the
world, building Lucas an empire of his own (which then spawned series such as
the classic Indiana Jones movies that Steven Spielberg directed), and shooting its young cast (Mark Hamill,
Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford) to superstardom overnight. To this day, its
fans (myself included) continue to be nothing but passionate about it, and
countless up and coming filmmakers are inspired by it to this day. Personally
speaking, as someone who did a James Bond retrospective a couple years ago, few
things in pop culture mean more to me than 007, and Star Wars is one of them.
Everything from its imaginative universe, endearing characters, thrilling
action and emotional scope, its Odyssey influenced philosophy, as well as its timeless visuals and sound, has made
it a deserved staple of cinema.
However, the series wasn’t always at such a high point as
that. As Lucas’ empire grew, the hunger as a filmmaker that brought us not only
Star Wars, but other classics such as American Graffiti and the Indiana Jones
films, have made him less invested as a filmmaker. Nowadays, Lucas is notorious
for being a stronger producer and ideas man than as a director and
screenwriter, whose “Faster and More Intense” way of thinking has become the
thing of infamy, none the least of which was highlighted by his fascination
with digital effects artistry that seem to trump genuine storytelling. This
especially came to light in his 1997 Special Edition theatrical remasterings of
the original trilogy, where non-negligible changes were made to the original
films, including CGI effects that cluttered the screen, and even tinkering with
the audio in order to tell his “true vision” of Star Wars. This wouldn’t be a
problem if these were just alternate cuts that Lucas would give the viewer the
option to watch - similar to Steven Spielberg's 20th anniversary re-edit of E.T., but what makes it unforgivable is that, to this day, Lucas
has stubbornly refused to allow the original uncut, untampered films to be
released to the public, and with every subsequent re-release, Lucas has made
further changes.
But the more notorious example came with the release of his
highly anticipated prequel trilogy, beginning with 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
Until now with The Force Awakens, I can’t remember the last time a major studio
release has been this hyped up, with audiences lining up to watch the film
weeks in advance, and major news outlets covering every single detail of the
film leading up to its unveiling. There was absolutely nothing like it before…
and there’s never been anything like it since, because it was the ultimate in disappointment.
Widely criticized for its over-reliance on CGI, its flat characterizations, its
unsatisfying expansions and frustrating contradictions to previous Star Wars lore
and mythology, but especially for the infamous Jar Jar Binks, the most die-hard
fans of the series were left in a feeling of disbelief. If not because it was
bad, then because of its thorough mediocrity. For many viewers, its reception
nowadays has been more or less kind, with some viewers defending its visual
dazzle and thrilling action, while others loathe it’s plotting and dull
characters. Things didn’t improve much with the sub-average Attack of the
Clones, and by the time Revenge of the Sith rolled along, we were all ready to put this new trilogy to rest. It left a sour aftertaste for even the most forgiving
Star Wars fans, and salt would only be poured in the wound for those of us looking
for a worthy conclusion to the original films we grew up with, seemingly doomed
to countless re-releases that further tinkered them beyond recognition.
That was until, in 2012, Lucasfilm was bought in its
entirety by Walt Disney Pictures, who had also recently secured Marvel comics
under their lavish turrets. It was quite obviously done as a way that would
allow Disney to profit from the fandom of the series, but also giving the series
a chance at a new start. Soon after, new films set within the saga (including main
episode entries and spin-offs) were announced. The first of these will be the
long-awaited The Force Awakens near Christmas, brought to us by Star Trek
director JJ Abrams, followed by the first spin-off film Rogue One in 2016.
Disney themselves look to be treating the franchise with all the respect that
it deserves, and though there is potential for it to suffer the same backlash
that Phantom Menace did, the outlook is far more optimistic. Regardless, Star
Wars isn’t going away anytime soon, and these classic films, rightfully so,
will still be passed down to generation after generation, inspiring filmmakers
of all walks of life.
Well, with all that rambling done, before we return to that
galaxy far, far away come December, I’ll be reviewing every main entry in the
Star Wars saga every Saturday starting November 7th. I’ll review
them each chronologically starting with The Phantom Menace, all leading up to
my conclusion with The Force Awakens. It’s going to be an epic journey, and I
cannot wait to embark on it.
Until then, farewell, and may the Force be with you….
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