Star Wars - Full saga movie reviews!

This episode of Movie Night is brought to you by Netflix. Sign-up for your free 30-day trial at Netflix.com/Jogwheel. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father. // He told me enough! He told me you killed him. // No. I am your father. // That's not true. That's impossible! ... and this is Movie Night! Hello and welcome to Movie Night, I'm your host, Jonathan Paula. Happy May 4th. Tonight we'll be discussing George Lucas's famed "Star Wars" franchise. Having already reviewed " The Phantom Menace" in an earlier episode (which you can watch by clicking here) - this seems like a great opportunity to review the films in the so-called "Machete Order", whereby instead of watching them chronologically by release-date or episode number, the prequels are featured as a sort of flashback between parts five and six - omitting Episode One entirely, as most agree its the weakest of the bunch, and has little to do with the saga's overall story. But, I encourage you to read-up on this viewing experiment by checking out the link below. We begin of course with the picture that started it all, "Episode IV: A New Hope" Known simply as "Star Wars" when first released to massive fan fare on May 25, 1977, this epic space opera quickly became the highest grossing film of all time, earning over three-quarters of a billion, against its modest $11 million dollar budget. Adjusted for inflation, this fourth installment of the six-part series remains the second most successful film in American history, behind only "Gone With The Wind". Opening with the iconic tilted text crawl, which, like much of this ambitious fantasy adventure was inspired by the "Flash Gordon" Saturday morning serials of the 1940's, visionary writer and director George Lucas crafted a stupendous 125-minutes of cinema. Set "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away", the picture follows a group of freedom fighters as they attempt to destroy a powerful space station controlled by the menacing Darth Vader: a mysterious cyborg with telekinetic powers, whose booming voice is provided by James Earl Jones. Told through the perspective of their intrepid droid companions played amusingly by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, who remain hidden inside their metallic costumes throughout, the film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, all in break-out roles. While Hamill is annoying, whiny and naive, Ford is gruff, sarcastic, and charming - both of them a great foil to Fisher's aggressive yet romantic portrayal of the damsel in distress. Aside from the wise and stoic Sir Alec Guiness featured as a mentor character in a nominated-supporting role, much of the acting here is never particularly impressive, perhaps due to unsubtle dialogue. Many of the films' slower-paced scenes are abruptly bookended by a curious array of transitional wipes that otherwise feel out of place with the steady and traditional filming style. The consequences are heightened when Luke Skywalker nervously foreshadows, "I have a very bad feeling about this" as the group first approaches the daunting Death Star. Borrowing inspiration from Kurosawa, "The Wizard Of Oz", and World War II dogfighting, this movie introduced fantastical environment that are extremely lush, detailed, and intriguing, especially in the franchise's expanded universe of novels, video games, comics, action figures, TV shows, and theme park rides. A mind-blowing accomplishment in the visual-effects realm, the inaugural effort from Lucas's now iconic Industrial Light And Magic effects-company was revolutionary in every sense of the word: completely redefining cinema, and winning six Oscars in the process. From the seamless integration of model-work, chroma-key overlays, and imaginative backdrops and matte-paintings - the world of Star Wars is a breathtaking one that inspired a generation, myself included. This PG-rated movie single-handedly cemented my die-hard passion for film. The Oscar-winning score from famed composer John Williams is as powerful and thematically captivating as it is memorable; the sweeping sounds of the leitmotif associated with Hamill, as he longingly stares into the burning twin suns of Tatoonie, is haunting; sending chills down my spine no matter how many times I watch it. Likewise, the tense and gripping sequences featuring brave star-pilots firing lasers at the Empire's planet-killing weapon are similarly backed by triumphant and appropriately gripping theme music. The cheapest lookin of the double-trilogy, this extremely fun and exciting film still holds up remarkably well today, aided by tune-ups in the form of re-releases along the way. Much has been said about Lucas's constant meddling with his beloved franchise, even a feature-length documentary chronicles the widespread issues fans have with the changes made to the newer versions. I for one understand George's desire to "fix" the movies as he sees fit: many of the cosmetic updates are fine with me: making Mos Eisely more lively and populated enhances the film, but altering dialogue and including redundant scenes is unnecessary and over-zealous. As a kid, this a monumentally incredible motion picture that makes you want to pick up a stick and pretend you're dueling with lightsabers... and as an adult, it makes you feel like that same kid all over again. Slower and less involved than its sequels, it's easy to overlook the flaws here (like poorly synced ADR or hokey dialogue) and simply be swept away with wonder. "Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope", a "Game-changing marvel. Truly magical." Now lets see what you had to say about this movie in the YouTube comments. "Star Wars" on the rate-o-matic. Unsurprisingly, two TENs. Unanimous praise was given to its great effects, memorable characters, and exciting action. You thought it was AMAZING. Although I consider it the weakest of the originals, it's impossible to not to recognize "A New Hope"'s contributions to cinema, so I have to score it an AMAZING as well. Our next review tonight is for "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back". Although ultimately less successful than it's predecessor, this was the highest grossing film of the decade, earning over $500 million in proceeds when it was released on May 21, 1980. Widely considered one of the greatest motion pictures ever made, the 129-minute epic space fantasy adventure was directed by Irvin Kershner - who skillfully incorporated subtly and emotion into the franchise, something Lucas's directorial efforts lacked. Picking up a few years after the events of the previous episode, the older protagonists now have more responsibilities, attempting to protect the Rebel Alliance in that far away galaxy from the reaches of Darth Vader and the evil Galactic Empire. Mark Hamill leads the ensemble group, as he struggles with an identity crisis while training to become a telepathic warrior known as a Jedi Knight. The sharper and well-acted writing and dialogue results in many amusing and whimsical moments: the lengthy inclusion of Frank Oz's "Yoda" puppet is funny, endearing, and memorable, especially when he's interacting with R2-D2, the spunky little astromech droid portrayed by Kenny Baker. The small green creature is even more interesting when he's revealed to be an ancient Jedi warrior, advising Hamill on his trepidation, "Do or do not. There is no try". Meanwhile, the romantic will-they or won't-they interplay between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher heightens during the impeccably paced PG-rated film. All of our favorite characters and actors thankfully return for the immensely fun and dramatic ride, even Denis Lawson as a rebel star pilot who brings moxy and grit to the exciting snow battle on the ice planet of Hoth. Once again, 5-time Oscar winner John Williams lends his incredible talents to picture's original score: composing many new themes, the most famous of which, "The Imperial March" is a bombastic and threatening tune signaling the presence and power of the film's primary villain. Joining the cast of eccentric and lovable characters - whom all rather impressively have their own individual Wikipedia pages - is Billy Dee Williams as a womanizing frenemy who provides for some laughs and tension later in the picture. A darker and more mature experience, but still on the same grand spectacle as its predecessor, this film expertly balances characters and intrigue with thrills and excitement; culminating in one of the most incredible plot-twists in cinematic history. From a passionate stolen kiss aboard the Millennium Falcon to a nail-biting asteroid-dodging sequence, this picture represents the second-act to a much larger story, ending on a depressing, yet hopeful cliffhanger: one that may ultimately disappoint some audiences seeking a tidier resolution. Sporting the lowest body count, but using the most stop-motion animation, this is a rich and emotionally captivating story with plenty of action and humor to go along with it - making it endlessly rewatchable for years to come. "Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back", "Superb sequel. History's finest fantasy." Now, here six of your reviews from the comments section. The rate-o-matic with our scores for "The Empire Strikes Back"... another double TEN. Mostly everyone agreed this picture was not only better than Episode IV, but also the best of all six - which is no wonder it currently holds a top-15 rank on IMDb - you gave it an AMAZING. This is a wonderful two-hours of cinema representing everything that inspired me to go into video production as a young teen, I of course think its AMAZING too. For tonight's poll question -- which character in the Star Wars universe is your favorite? Leave your response as a comment below. Continuing in the "Machete Order", now lets flasback to the prequel trilogy and discuss "Episode II: Attack Of The Clones". Directed once more by George Lucas, the $115-million dollar follow-up to the massively successful, but critically disappointing "The Phantom Menace" was released in May of 2002, and eventually grossed $650 million. The impossible to summarize plot is an overly complicated one, mixing investigation elements with action-adventure, as the Jedi uncover a secret clone army, and eventually begin a war with it. The verbose setup to the story reintroduces us to the characters we met in the saga's first installment: now 10 years old, the smart-*** thrill seeking Anakin Skywalker is portrayed by Hayden Christensen, who is certainly a capable and attractive hero, but is positively dreadful when required to showcase emotion or love: which unfortunately happens frequently during the PG-rated film. Even future Academy Award winner Natalie Portman is awful in the acting department: a scene where she rebuffs Hayden's advances while wearing an uncomfortable looking S&M outfit is laughably cheesy. Throughout her dozens of costume changes though, the young actress manages to stay beautiful, even in many of the ridiculous action sequences, like when she's dodging robots and magma on a robot assembly line, or staying alive in a gladiator death-sentence. Even Samuel L. Jackson has his time to shine, dispatching bad guys in a mammoth Jedi verse Droid battle during the film's unrelenting climax. Much like his counter-part in the original trilogy, Ewan McGregor lends a great deal of maturity and credibility to the film, but during a gratuitous chase scene with ships slaloming between each other at high velocities and altitudes, his self-addressed one-liners are cringe worthy. It's also unfortunate that Anthony Daniels, a strong comedic-foil from the original trilogy, is reduced to goofy puns for all his lines of dialogue. At 142-minutes, this awkwardly paced picture is the longest of the six, relying on only a vague sense of urgency to move it along. Because of technical limitations, an IMAX re-release was edited down to an even two-hours, and proved to be a stronger picture for it. The abundantly effects-heavy feature definitely has an over reliance on CGI... several shots seem to exist if for no other reason than to show off ILM's latest and greatest: but when these elements are motivated, the result is staggering and impressive -- this rich environment becomes truly enveloping. The scenes that build towards the originals are the most effective: like when Christensen speeds through the hot desert of Tatoonie in search of his kidnapped mother, and "Luke's Theme" transitions into "Duel Of The Fates" in a tremendously powerful moment. Speaking of which, John Williams' score is as moving as ever, the featured ballad, "Across The Stars" is a romantic score with strings and violins incorporated at all the right moments. The plot holes, bad acting, and excessive computer animation aside, this is still incredibly entertaining as a brainless thrill-ride: seeing little Master Yoda face off against the dastardly Christopher Lee received thunderous applause every time I saw it in theaters. "Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones", "Rapturous excitement, outweighs childish issues." Now, some of your thoughts from the comments. "Attack Of The Clones"... a SIX and a EIGHT. You loved the visual effects, but loathed the poor acting and love story, calling this movie GOOD. I'm in the minority, but I definitely liked this picture. The bombastic, CGI-heavy action was fun enough for me to overlook most of the other issues. An improvement from "The Phantom Menance", but only slightly - I thought it was GREAT. Next up tonight, "Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith". It may have taken writer and director George Lucas three prequels, but he finally got it right here: by far the darkest and most complete of the second trilogy - and the only picture in the franchise to be rated PG-13. Released on May 19, 2005, breaking every record in the process, this epic space opera fantasy film grossed over $700 million in profit, $17-million of which from the midnight showings, one of which I personally attended, shouting like a fan-boy and all. The opening sequence to this 140-minute adventure is a blisteringly chaotic one: a single shot pans down from the text crawl into a massive space battle, with lasers and ships flying everywhere. Set three years after the onset of the Clone Wars depicted in episode II, this movie finally features the dramatic turn of the saga's primary character - Anakin Skywalker - into the menacing villain known as Darth Vader. Struggling with the appeal of the "Dark Side", Hayden Christensen still isn't very convincing in the lead role, but his character arc at least has much greater conflict and interest this time around. When Ewan McGregor, in his third picture, gleefully responds to his partner, "Spring the trap", it's hard not to get excited over the thrills that are about to be unleashed, especially after you watch the agile Jedi Master crash his ship, summersault out, and slice a battle droid in half with his lightsaber in one clean move. R2-D2 really comes into his own in this picture, becoming a fully-fledged hero that saves the day on more than one occasion - retconned jetpacks and all. Despite her obvious talents in other films, Natalie Portman disappoints again - especially in an awful scene where she breaks down and attempts to cry after learning news that Skywalker is now evil. Reprising his role he began 22-years earlier, Ian McDiarmid is positively devilish and cunning as the evil Darth Sidious: and the renowned stage actor really sinks his teeth into the layered performance. Although he has a tendency to over-sample the "Wilhelm Scream", editor and sound designer Ben Burtt deserves a lot of credit for contributing iconic sound trademarks to all six installments: from the humming sabers, to the twang of the blasters, to Vader's labored breathing, to Artoo's chirps and beeps. Paired with this of course is another brilliant score from John Williams: which ramps into a furious crescendo, during the film's climax as our favorite heroes aggressively battle with their lightsabers for the fate of the galaxy in some of the most epic locations imaginable. The newest film in the series clearly contains the best visual effects: with nearly every shot featuring blue-screen additions, and CGI creatures floating around in the background: although largely cluttered at times, it's still a true marvel to behold ILM's impressive work. The best-paced of the prequels, this film is non-stop, rewatcable entertainment from start to finish: coming full circle to the 1977 original with a delightful and satisfying epilogue ending on that iconic Tatoonie sunset. "Revenge Of The Sith", "Jam-packed with classic adventure." Now that you've heard my review, lets see what was said in the YouTube comments. An EIGHT and a TEN for "Revenge Of The Sith". Labeling it the best and darkest prequel yet, you held off on the highest scores, but praised this picture for not being a disappointment like it could have been, you thought it was GREAT. Again, I'm in the minority here... but I positively loved this film. Just a good old fashioned blockbuster that gave me everything I wanted out of the franchise. I have a blast every time I watch it, I thought it was AMAZING. Finally tonight, lets review "Star Wars - Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi". The final chapter of the original trilogy was directed by Richard Marquand, and released in May of 1983 - eventually earning nearly $450 million in profit. Picking up the story of "Empire" a year later, we join our fearless heroes during a daring hostage rescue back on the dusty dessert planet of Tatooine - the supremely fun and thrilling assault on Jabba's Sail Barage would normally serve as a climatic centerpiece in most other films, but here, it's merely a precursor to the epic conclusion to the six-part story. The PG-rated space opera reunites Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, and James Earl Jones for one last fantasy extravaganza around and above the forest moon of Endor. By now, the actors have all found a steady rhythm bringing their characters to life, but the stand-out performances are definitely from Hamill and McDiarmid during their uncomfortable confrontation late in the film, as the hooded Emperor taunts, "Let the hate flow through you." Although never referred to by name, a band of mischievous fury woodland creatures called Ewoks can be a bit childish, but they're a terrific comedic off-set to the film's heavier moments. At 136 minutes, this is a well-paced adventure that adeptly balances the slower character discovery moments, like an emotional scene between Luke and Liea, with the effects-heavy action set-pieces, like Lando's Death Star attack run onboard the Falcon. Intercutting three parallel stories, the final act is a true tour-de-force experience: meshing humor, sorrow, hope, and despair into a furiously awesome climax that will have all audiences at the edge of their seat. The visuals used to achieve the hundreds of effects shots are as impressive as they are seamless: especially when you consider this picture is 30-years-old, and still looks better than many of today's sci-fi films. John Williams's score, as usual, serves as a powerful backbone to the picture: providing emphasis and tension in all the right areas, resulting in a truly re-watchable, and re-listenable experience. George Lucas made a number alterations to this film's re-releases: updating the sarlac monster to include a beak is fine with me; it looks even more frightening now... but a goofy musical number only serves to distract from an otherwise tense moment. And although I understand the symbolism behind including prequel-star Hayden Christensen as a force-spirit in the movie's final shot, I reject the idea behind it: which suggests Anakin was never redeemed, his true self apparently died 25 years earlier: the original version with an older Anakin played by Sebastian Shaw retains a more hopeful message. The names, places, and mythos with the Star Wars universe are fascinating and attractive: and this roller coaster experience serves as a great ending to all of the plot-threads and people we've met along the way... well, at least until Disney releases Episode VII in 2015. "Star Wars - Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi", an "Unrelenting spectacle with loveable characters." And now, lets go to the YouTube comments to see what you had to say. Our scores for "Return Of The Jedi"... a NINE and a TEN. Fun and adventurous, but ultimately flawed, you enjoyed this picture enough, calling it a great conclusion to the saga, rating it an AWESOME. By now, you can certainly tell I'm a Star Wars fan -- having adored this franchise since I first rode "Star Tours" at Universal Studios in Orlando in the early 1990's... I have no problem rating this AMAZING. Finally tonight, lets take a look at what you said about movies currently playing in theaters with some Tweet Critiques. If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag to have it featured on the show. We'll only be reviewing two films next week... because quite frankly, I need a bit of a break... and I have something fun planned for episode one hundred a fortnight from today. But next week we'll be reviewing two new theater releases, "Iron Man 3", the latest big-budget installment of Robert Downey Jr.'s superhero trilogy, and "The Great Gatsby", the high-concept adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Baz Luhrmann. If you've seen these films already, share your opinions, either by voting in the polls below, or by leaving a comment review. And please subscribe to the Movie Night Archive channel for my exclusive trailer commentaries, and an organized library of all our past reviews. Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula - thank you for watching Movie Night, and may the force be with you.