Revisiting Star Wars - Final Thoughts

There has always been a tug of war between George Lucas’s vision for the Star Wars movies and fans’ expectations for them. The first Star Wars (only dubbed Episode IV when re-released in 1981) is a lighthearted space opera and its sequel, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, breaks away from that a bit, offering something that transcends the inherent campiness of the first. Episode V is not content to simply give viewers dashing heroes and thrilling escapes (though it has its share of those too). It takes its characters and their fates too seriously for that and instead aims higher. The result is the best film of the series, one that invests audiences deeply in its story.

But maybe this more sophisticated approach was never George Lucas’s intention. What if Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, which trivializes its story with spear-throwing teddy bears – and sloppy filmmaking I might add – falls more in line with his vision for the series?

With Episode I: The Phantom Menace, George Lucas gets a fresh slate, an opportunity to reinvent what it meant for a film to be a Star Wars film. A handful of the series’ salient characters are introduced in it (Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine) but for the most part, the story of Episode I is inessential to the overarching narrative. It’s a gee-whiz adventure that gives Mr. Lucas a chance to play freely in the universe he created.

Cue the outrage. Upon its release in 1999, fans bemoaned the childish approach of Episode I but, compared to Episode VI, I find it to be the more successful film. Episode VI does not fully work because it releases all the tension that was so carefully built up in Episode V. On the other hand, Episode I has no responsibility to uphold a previously established tone or style. As the first film in a trilogy, it can afford to be a little trivial.

George Lucas does deliver what fans want in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which comes closer than any other Star Wars movie to the approach of Episode V, telling the story of Anakin’s downfall with all the grandeur fans envisioned it would have. The prequel trilogy ends on an exciting and satisfying note, something Episode VI does not offer. Between Episode I and III is Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the low point of the series, but its failings are a result of issues with structure and exposition, not tone.

The other menace that has plagued the Star Wars films for years is George Lucas’s insistence on tinkering with them. The “Special Editions” of Episodes IV-VI, released in 1997, add a lot of new computer-animated effects among other cuts and reedits. While I’ll always believe that Han shot first, I have no major beef with the Special Editions. I watched the original theatrical versions when revisiting the films for these reviews but for all other intents and purposes I prefer the Special Editions. They’re flashier, crisper and nicely restored for a digital age. They may be unnecessary but these are George Lucas’s films and he may do with them what he wishes.

So where does the series go from here? According to his most recent statements, Mr. Lucas claims there will be no more Star Wars movies but he’s changed his mind before so it’s safe to say we may take his comments with a mountain of salt. My personal suspicion is that Mr. Lucas will use the profits from the 3D re-releases (which will continue annually until Episode VI is re-released in 2017) to finance another trilogy as he did with the Special Editions two years prior to the release of the first prequel. Only time will tell. Maybe there will be a reboot some day with a fresh crop of young actors in the vein of J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek or maybe the world of Star Wars will only live on through novels and animated TV shows.

Watching the Star Wars movies again with an objective and critical eye has given me a new appreciation for them. As a second-generation fan, I hardly had any choice but to love them unconditionally. But sometimes you need to take a step back to remind yourself why you fell in love in the first place, flaws and all.

- Steve Avigliano, 4/9/12