STAR WARS (PG)
Director: George Lucas
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guiness,
David Prowse, Peter Cushing
Running Time: 124 minutes.
Twenty years ago, George Lucas set new standards in special effects and computer generated imagery and revolutionised the
movie making process with the sci-fi fantasy Star Wars, earning seven Oscars for technical achievement in the process. The
(then) modestly budgeted but rousingly exciting adventure also did record business at the box office, which has made it one of
the most popular and enduring films of our generation. But somewhat ironically, the technology that he helped pioneer in
making Star Wars was itself fairly limited and Lucas himself was reportedly unhappy with some of the effects in the film.
For this twentieth anniversary re-release of Star Wars, though, Lucas has been able to use the very latest cutting edge
computer generated techniques to add a little extra muscle to his original film. Rather than a pretentious director's cut edition,
though, Lucas has merely added more effects and digitally enhanced certain key scenes to bring them more in line with what
he originally envisaged but was unable to achieve. Lucas has added only an extra four and a half minutes of footage to this
print, restoring the scene depicting an early confrontation between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and a slug like Jabba The Hutt,
which was initially edited out when he could not find the effects necessary to create the repulsive looking creature. The sound
has also been beefed up and digitally enhanced to bring it more in line with the thundering roar expected of today's movies -
the explosions are bigger and louder, the rockets' roar more impressive, and even the light sabres possess a more menacing
rattle and hum.
And, fittingly enough, if it is all right for Lucas to tinker with his twenty year old masterpiece to improve it, then I thought it
only fair that I dig up my original review of the movie and add a few little tweaks of my own to beef it up.
Star Wars is first and foremost an entertaining and fascinating science-fiction adventure film, a comic book fantasy for all ages.
In this expensive and visually stunning reworking of the simple but faithful "good versus evil" theme set in outer space, the evil
empire has taken over the galaxy and its death star threatens destruction on a massive scale. The rebel armies can stop the
empire but they are dispersed and helpless and lack cohesive leadership, and a desperate Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)
sends out a distress call hoping that the once feared rebel leader and Jedi knight Obi Wan Kenobi will return to help. Luke
Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a naive, young and restless orphan, becomes caught up in the rebels' cause and eventually has to
confront his own destiny and learn the mysterious ways of "the force." The fierce struggle between the empire, led by the
fearsome Darth Vader (played by David Prowse, but voiced in sinister heavy breathing fashion by James Earl Jones), and
the rebels climaxes in an exhilarating space battle that is brilliantly conceived and superbly staged. John Williams' superb and
thrilling score adds to the atmosphere, and enhances the action.
The performances of the (then) largely unknown human stars play second fiddle to the exciting action and dazzling technical
effects. In hindsight it is fun to speculate on how the careers of all the central characters have kicked on marvellously since,
with the notable exception of Hamill, who has done nothing of note outside of the three films in this series. A surprisingly young
and fresh faced Ford is wonderfully wooden and very droll in one of his first roles as the mercenary pilot Solo, who reluctantly
joins the fight against the empire, while Fisher is full of spunk and energy. As the legendary warrior Kenobi, veteran Alec
Guiness mumbles about the mysterious powers of the "force", but he seems a little bemused by the whole thing, while
Hammer horror stalwart Peter Cushing has little to do as the Emperor. The antics of R2D2 and C3PO, the bickering Laurel
and Hardy-like androids, almost manage to steal the film from their human counterparts.
Although some of the original effects may now seem outdated, there is no denying that, as a rousing and exciting adventure,
Star Wars still stands the test of time, and this re-release affords a whole new generation the opportunity to see it on the big
screen, where the true scope and spectacle of Lucas' imagination and vision can be fully appreciated.