It's true. It's taken me over five months to watch the stinkin' Empire Strikes Back. It originally came out in 1980, but it's on the list because of the 1997 "Special Edition" theatrical re-releases. Out of the movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, this is the one that holds up the best after all these years. From the Rebel base on the ice planet Hoth to Jedi training with Yoda on the swamp world Dagobah to the final desperate conflict at Cloud City in Bespin, Empire hits all of the high points that you'll remember from the 10+ previous times you've watched it.
Older and wiser than the last time I watched these, it's interesting to go back again now that the sheen of nostalgia has begun to wear off. Looking at it now, the original movies really are pretty much the same as the newer trilogy with a couple important differences. While it's true that the acting is pretty poor from everybody in all six of the Star Wars films, the notable exception (especially in Empire) is the presence of Harrison Ford. He has most of the good lines and delivers them with a panache that's sorely lacking in the new movies. There's a reason that "I love you/I know" is a classic film moment.
The other big difference is how small these older movies feel when compared to their modern blockbuster brethren. Yes, both series are laden with special effects (especially when talking about the 1997 updates), but whereas the new movies rapidly hop around from planet to planet showcasing more and more outrageous settings, the original ones linger on each location with the attention that each of them deserve. Taking Empire as an example, the movie clocks in at over two hours, but the majority of it takes place in only three locations allowing the viewer to focus on the characters instead of the pretty backgrounds.
Yes, the movie has its faults (goodness knows that the Jedi training sequence in the middle drags on for far too long - I remember almost falling asleep a lot as a kid when we'd get to this part), but it is the best the Star Wars franchise has to offer. These re-releases make for a good change of pace amidst all of the other things that early 1997 has had to offer me so far.
Coming up next is another special release, #95: the director's cut of Schindler's List, made for its broadcast television debut in 1997. Despite being #6 on IMDB's list of the top 250 movies of all time, this is a movie that I've never seen. I'm looking forward to it.
P.S. Can you believe the Wookieepedia? Crazy what nerds will do with the power of the Internet.
No comments:
Post a Comment