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Happy Stars Day! May the Fourth be with you.
This is the May. To celebrate this auspicious month, I am embarking on a mission to watch and review all of the live action Star Wars movies. I have seen them all at least once and now it is their time to shine on my blog. Since most people who read my blog and are interested in Star Wars have already seen the movies, I am allowing myself the freedom to share spoilers. I think this will enhance the analysis of the movies and enrich the conversations that stem from them.
As most Star Wars fans know, there is more than one order in which to watch these movies. I have watched most of them in release order, with the exception of "Rogue One", "A Solo Story", and the series "The Mandalorian". I have yet to watch "The Book of Boba Fett" series, and of course the soon-to-be-released "Obi Wan Kenobi" series. If I'm really up for a challenge, I may even review all of the series. I have my work cut out for me.
The order in which I'm choosing to watch them this year is a form of the machete order, but with no live action movies omitted. I believe they all have their place in the Star Wars saga and none should be omitted. Apart from that, "The Phantom Menace", a movie completely omitted from the traditional machete order, happens to be one of my favorites. There's no way I'm not watching that one again. I chose the updated machete order because I want to find out if my overall experience will feel different than watching them in release order.
So my month of May marathon begins with "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". Need I say that this movie has certainly stood the test of time? I think that's pretty obvious considering all that came after it. As you can see from the full five stars and heart I gave it, I love this movie. It's one of my favorites in the entire saga.
We meet Luke as a farm boy and we see how determined he is to pursue something much bigger. With Obi Wan Kenobi as his mentor, Luke is just beginning his journey to become a Jedi. We are introduced to several main characters such as Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewy, R2D2, and C3PO.
It always surprises me how early in the Star Wars saga Obi Wan Kenobi dies because he has such a great impact moving forward. We are given clues that his impact will persevere after he is gone in the physical form. Not only does he tell Darth Vader that he will be more powerful, but he also looks at Luke just before he makes himself disappear. It's like he's passing the torch onto Luke and has confidence in him. Then later, we hear Obi Wan Kenobi "speak" to Luke.
One question I raised in my mind this year that I never thought to bring up before is about Obi Wan Kenobi's light saber. What happened to it when he died? Did it perish in the explosion or did it somehow "survive" and will someone else find it? Perhaps this is addressed in a future movie, but I don't remember. That's one reason why I like to watch these movies every year. I pick up on something new each time.
Can we just for a moment talk about Darth Vader? Am I the only one who has a love/hate relationship with him from the beginning? I cannot even begin to describe the excitement that engulfs me every time he makes his grand entrance. It's easy to hate him for the big meanie that he is, but at the same time, I just love him! It's complicated.
One of the many things I love about "Star Wars" is the creativity involved in coming up with so many different types of characters. The fact that this takes place in "a galaxy far, far away" allows for this to happen and still somehow make it believable. None of this takes place on or even near Earth and I love that. It's a true fantasy, one that I felt like I was a part of.
There are fleeting moments in this film when it feels very seventies, such as the transitions between scenes and some scenes themselves, but for a movie made in the seventies (and even compared to modern movies), it really is epic and timeless. From beginning to end there is never a dull moment. Every scene has a purpose and the whole movie flows incredibly well. So often nowadays movies tend to be close to three hours long. I appreciate the fact that this one is just about two hours long and it still tells the story well. There is no beating around the bush, and yet it never feels rushed either.
I find some action/adventure movies difficult to watch because of foul language and/or a lot of gore. "Star Wars" has a gift for making a huge impact without the foul language and gore. It thrives on the special effects, the characters, and the story. You can have all the greatest special effects in the galaxy, but without a captivating plot and interesting characters, it isn't much. "Star Wars" has it all.
Watching this movie made me so excited to continue the journey this month. I hope you'll come along for the ride!
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