Tuesday 1 December 2015

Your guide to properly marathoning 'Star Wars'

There's probably no right or wrong way to watch the Star Wars series, but there's a good or better way.You will find people who argue for the chronological order (Episode I to Episode VI) -- because, you know, it's all about Darth Vader's tragic fall from grace and eventual redemption -- but do you really want to go through "I don't like sand," again before you get to see the pure awesomeness that is the battle against the Death Star?Let's face it, the original Star Wars trilogy (Episode IV, V and VI if you want to get technical) was masterful in its simplicity. We have our hero, our princess, our scruffy rogue, our wizened mentor and our classic hero's journey that's not weighed down by clunky dialogue or trade negotiations.
he groundbreaking 1977 sci-fi film launched a 30+ year franchise for a reason. It told an epic story of a simple boy raised by his moisture farmer aunt and uncle who gets embroiled in a mission to save a princess from the captivity of Galactic Empire commander Darth Vader alongside former Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and roguish smuggler Han Solo.Though later editions in the 2000s remastered the visuals and sounds, George Lucas got a little trigger happy with the tinkering and ended up adding tons of unnecessary CGI into scenes that fill up the screens, or changing the content altogether (cough, Han shot first).Arguably the highlight of the 1980 sequel to Star Wars, Yoda debuts as a grumpy, animatronic hermit who steals Luke's food then acts as a pretty fashionable backpack for the rest of Luke's training. Thankfully, Yoda's animatronic appearance is one of the few that doesn't get altered in favor of a digital version -- though we get to see a CGI version of him leaping around in the prequels.Okay, that wasn't the only thing that happened in Empire Strikes Back, the thrilling space opera that had Luke, Leia and Han leading a Rebel Alliance contingent in the face of an ever-imposing hunt by Darth Vader. We meet Lando, Boba Fett, and there are traps and chases left and right, with prospects looking not too bright for our trio at the end of the film.he battle between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance comes to a head in Return of the Jedi, the 1983 conclusion to the original trilogy. Luke, Leia and Han survive several rescue attempts to join the final battle, where Luke finally gets to confront Darth Vader once and for all.It's an epic journey that gets interrupted by several silly scenes made even sillier by the remastered versions (like when Jabba's creepy slave palace gets turned into a bad jazz club with ... 3D lips?). And let's not get into how Hayden Christensen gets inserted into the vision that Luke sees of his deceased father and Obi-Wan.The first movie in the series chronologically, The Phantom Menace actually wasn't that bad barring some confusing plotting and a certain CGI sidekick that will go unnamed.The film takes place 32 years before A New Hope, following the story of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to escort and protect Queen Amidalaas she attempts to negotiate an interplanetary trade dispute. They get stuck on a desert planet Tatooine where they meet the young Force-sensitive slave Anakin Skywalker, who helps them get off the planet through his killer pod-racing skills.10 years after The Phantom Menace and released in 2002, Attack of the Clones shows a galaxy on the brink of civil war. Anakin and Obi-Wan get reunited with Padme, now a senator, after an attempt is made on her life. While Anakin and Padme frolic on Naboo, Obi-Wan's investigation into her assassination leads to his discovery of an army of clones being made for the Galactic Republic, and later, to an opposing army of drones led by Separatists.Set three years after the start of the Clone Wars, 2005's Revenge of the Sith follows Anakin as he's torn between his growing friendship with secret Sith Lord, Chancellor Palpatine, and his love for his pregnant wife Padme. Anakin spends much of the movie being manipulated to the Dark Side by Palpatine, as Obi-Wan and Padme try to stop his fall and keep peace in the Republic. Naturally, considering how A New Hope starts, things don't end well.Despite Christensen's maligned performance, the prequel trilogy -- and your marathon -- ends on a high note, with the best film of the prequels finally tying together some of that confusing mythology. Just skip over some of that dialogue and appreciate Ewan McGregor's heartbreaking performance at the end of the film.

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