The Original "STAR WARS" Trilogy -- My Official Reviews

STAR WARS EPISODE IV:A NEW HOPE (1977)

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Written and Directed by ... George Lucas

Executive Produced by ? George Lucas
Produced by ? Gary Kurtz
Cinematography by ... Gilbert Taylor
Production Design by ? John Barry
Production Illustration by ? Ralph McQuarrie
Visual and Optical Effects by ? Industrial Light & Magic
Art Direction by ? Norman Reynolds and Leslie Dilley
Costume Design by ? John Mollo
Editing by ... Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew and George Lucas
Original Motion Picture Score composed by ... John Williams

Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia Organa
Peter Cushing ... Grand Moff Tarkin
Alec Guinness ... Ben ?Obi-Wan? Kenobi
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
James Earl Jones ... Darth Vader (voice)
Phil Brown ... Uncle Owen
Shelagh Fraser ... Aunt Beru
Jack Purvis ... Chief Jawa
Alex McCrindle ... General Dodonna
Eddie Byrne ... General Willard
Drewe Hemley ... Red Leader
Dennis Lawson ... Red Two (Wedge Antilles)
Garrick Hagon ... Red Three (Biggs Darklighter)
Jack Klaff ... Red Four (John D)
William Hootkins ... Red Six (Porkins)
Angus Mcinnes ... Gold Leader
Jeremy Sinden ... Gold Two
Graham Ashley ... Gold Five
Don Henderson ... General Taggi
Richard LeParmentier ... General Motti
Leslie Schofield ... Commander #1
Paul Blake ? Greedo

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It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel
spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire?s
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power to
destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire?s
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save
her people and restore
freedom to the galaxy?

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A Long Time Ago?In A Galaxy Far, Far Away.

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Few films are globally successful?even fewer stand the test of time?

And to date, in my opinion, only one has managed to do both while also setting a trend unto itself?definitively changing the game of making and watching movies forever.

The legacy of 1977?s ?Star Wars? is an honored one that continues to amass respect, praise, envy, discussion and fans to this very day.

The story is now one of legend.

With the stolen technical readouts of a massive battle station dubbed the Death Star, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) attempts to escape the evil clutches of Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones)?hiding the plans in a lovable droid named R2-D2 (Kenny Baker).

Along with protocol counterpart C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), the droid escape from the Princess? cruiser, landing on a desolate desert planet called Tatooine.

Captured by the Jawas?merchant scavengers of the Dune Sea?they are sold off to a Moisture Farm on the outskirts of Mos Eisley owned and operated by Owen Lars (Phil Brown), his wife Beru (Shelagh Fraser) and their earnest young nephew?Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

Stumbling upon a transmittion from the Princess, Luke discovers that the droids have been involved in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire and that R2 is seeking an Obi-Wan Kenobi.

After circumstances lead to vicious attack by the Sandpeople, Luke is rescued by Ben (Alec Guinness) a strange hermit living alone in the mountains. As it turns out, Ben is Obi-Wan?a former Jedi Knight during the age of the Old Republic before the Empire led to the extinction of the Jedi.

After the Imperials kill Owen and Beru in their search for the droids, Luke decides to journey with Obi-Wan to Alderaan and learn to become a Jedi himself.

From there, the journey becomes one of excitement and danger as Luke and Obi-Wan?with the help of a dashing swashbuckler named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) rush to retrieve the Princess and deliver her to t

 

STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

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Directed by ... Irvin Kershner
Story by ? George Lucas
Screenplay by ? Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan
Based on characters created by ? George Lucas

Executive Produced by ? George Lucas
Produced by ? Gary Kurtz, Robert Watts and Jim Bloom
Cinematography by ... Peter Suschitzky
Production Design by ? Norman Reynolds
Art Direction by ? Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange and Alan Tomkins
Visual Effects by ? Industrial Light & Magic
Costume Design by ? John Mollo
Editing by ? Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas and George Lucas
Original Motion Picture Score composed by ... John Williams

Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams ... Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
James Earl Jones ? Darth Vader (voice)
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
Alec Guinness ... Ben 'Obi-wan' Kenobi
Jeremy Bulloch ... Boba Fett
John Hollis ... Lobot
Jack Purvis ... Chief Ugnaught
Des Webb ... Snow Creature
Clive Revill ... Emperor (voice)
Ian McDiarmid ? Emperor Palpatine
Kenneth Colley ... Imperial Force Admiral Piett
Julian Glover ... Imperial Force General Veers
Michael Sheard ... Imperial Force Admiral Ozzel
Michael Culver ... Imperial Force Captain Needa
Bruce Boa ... Rebel Force General Rieekan
Christopher Malcolm ... Rebel Force Zev - Rogue 2
Dennis Lawson ... Rebel Force Wedge - Rogue 3
Richard Oldfield ... Rebel Force Hobbie - Rogue 4
John Morton ... Rebel Force Dak - Luke's Gunner
Ian Liston ... Rebel Force Janson - Wedge's Gunner
John Ratzenberger ... Rebel Force Major Derlin
Alan Harris ? Bossk
Ralph McQuarrie ? General McQuarrie

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It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the Death
Star has been destroyed,
Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across
the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial
Starfleet, a group of freedom
fighters led by Luke Skywalker
has established a new secret
base on the remote ice world
of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader,
obsessed with finding young
Skywalker, has dispatched
thousands of remote probes into
the far reaches of space?.

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The Star Wars Saga Continues...

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No discussion?
No debate?
No doubt?

This is, hands down, the best that the ?Star Wars? saga has to offer.

As if there was any question in your mind.

After the massive positive response to the original ?Star Wars,? a sequel was all but inevitable?much to the relief of both the fans and creator George Lucas, who now felt confident that his galactic fairy tale would be able to play out to its conclusion.

However, there was no time to waste as the battle between the struggling Rebel Alliance and the dreaded Galactic Empire raged on through 1980?s ?The Empire Strikes Back.?

A few undetermined years have passed since Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) destroyed the Death Star battle station. Pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) and his relentless Imperial forces, the band of Rebels have staged a base of operations on Hoth?a desolate ice planet at the far reaches of the outer rim.

Despite the continuing conflict, smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) has decided to leave the Rebellion to deal with his affairs with Jabba the Hutt?much to the dismay of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) who wants him to stay; supposedly for purely militaristic reasons as the two butt heads?and flirt as a budding romance begins to manifest.

But the time for personal issues comes to an end when the Empire discovers the Echo Base.

After a massive snow battle on the surface of Hoth, Han, Leia, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) make their escape?evading the Imperial Fleet while attempting to seek refuge on the planet Besbin, where scoundrel turned political leader Lando Calriss

 

STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)

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Directed by ... Richard Marquand
Story by ? George Lucas
Screenplay by ? Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
Based on characters created by ? George Lucas

Executive Produced by ? George Lucas
Produced by ? Howard G. Kazanjian, Jim Bloom and Robert Watts
Cinematography by ... Alan Hume
Production Design by ? Norman Reynolds
Make Up Design by ? Graham Freeborn, Stuart Freeborn and Phil Tippett
Costume Design by ? Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Visual Effects by ? Industrial Light & Magic
Art Direction by ? Fred Hole and James L. Schoppe
Editing by ... Sean Barton, Duwayne Dunham, Marcia Lucas and George Lucas
Original Motion Picture Score composed by ... John Williams

Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams ... Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Sebastian Shaw ... Anakin Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid ... The Emperor
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
James Earl Jones ... Darth Vader (voice)
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
Alec Guinness ... Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2 / Paploo
Michael Pennington ... Moff Jerjerrod
Kenneth Colley ... Admiral Piett
Michael Carter ... Bib Fortuna
Denis Lawson ... Wedge
Timothy M. Rose ... Admiral Ackbar
Dermot Crowley ... General Madine
Caroline Blakiston ... Mon Mothma
Warwick Davis ... Wicket
Jeremy Bulloch ... Boba Fett
Femi Taylor ... Oola
Annie Arbogast ... Sy Snootles
Claire Davenport ... Fat Dancer
Jack Purvis ... Teebo
Mike Edmonds ... Logray / Jabba Puppeteer
Jane Busby ... Chief Chirpa
Malcolm Dixon ... Ewok Warrior
Mike Cottrell ... Ewok Warrior
Adam Bareham ... Stardestroyer Controller #1
Jonathan Oliver ... Stardestroyer Controller #2
Pip Miller ... Stardestroyer Captain #1
Tom Mannion ... Stardestroyer Captain #2
Toby Philpott ... Jabba Puppeteer
David Alan Barclay ... Jabba Puppeteer

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Luke Skywalker has returned to
his home planet of Tatooine in
an attempt to rescue his
friend Han Solo from the
clutches of the vile gangster
Jabba the Hutt.

Little does Luke know that the
GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly
begun construction on a new
armored space station even
more powerful than the first
dreaded Death Star.

When completed, this ultimate
weapon will spell certain doom
for the small band of rebels
struggling to restore freedom
to the galaxy?

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Return To A Galaxy... Far, Far Away

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What began as a galactic fairy tale in 1977 had grown into the single greatest space opera for all time.

And with two highly successful films laid down, the stakes for the final chapter in George Lucas? saga were higher than they had ever been before. Would the Rebellion prevail, or be decimated by the Empire? Would the series burn itself out or make box office history again? Would Lucas? captivating story end with a clunker?or deliver a rousing finish?

Only time and a large amount of work would bring us the answers?

And they did, with gusto?in 1983?s ?Return of the Jedi.?

An unknown yet short amount of time has passed since the series of terrible events that plagued our heroes culminating in the abduction of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) by Boba Fett and the Empire?while Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) discovered his true heritage as the son of Darth Vader.

Luke returns to his home planet Tatooine in the hope of reclaiming Han from notorious gangster Jabba the Hutt, who?s holding Solo hostage for overdue debts?upon safely collecting his friend, Luke travels back to Dagobah while Han, Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 (Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, respectively) regroup with the Rebel Fleet to prepare for their final assault against the Imperial Forces.

Learning that the Empire is constructing a larger and deadlier battle station

 

Pretty good ... I usually would not read fanboy stuff like this.

But you made some great points.

Your take on Ewoks - as much as I want to disagree, yours' in the the best succinct analysis I have read on them.

So no numerical grade system?

Reading your reviews - I estimate you at SW = 9.4
ESB = 9.1
ROTJ = 9.2

 

Well done. Can we expect you to post reviews of the PT?

 

My Prequel Reviews are in the Prequel section!

And I'm glad you guys enjoyed them.

As for numbers, I'd say:

SW - 9.3
ESB - 9.8
ROTJ - 9.0