Hey everyone and today, i like to giving my thoughts and sharing my true story what im familiar with the greatest Sci-fi series of all time, Star Wars.
Star Wars was first introduced in May 4th 1977, it was written/directed by George Lucas and produced by Gary Kurtz. The story tells where two robots (known as "Droids", with R2-D2 and C-3PO.) was lost in the deserted planet called "Tatooine" from Rebel Alliance's ship was attacked by the Empire's Star Destroyer, due to the fact that the Rebel (along with Princess Leia) stole a plan to destroy the Death Star. Meanwhile the R2 and C-3PO was taken by a young farmer Luke Skywalker from the Jawas, which he was curious to know about them, which its for not only saving Leia, but also helping with a mysterious Jedi name Ben Kenobi (we all know that was "Obi-Wan"). Not until they need to going in space, but thanks to going in Mos Eisley to meet a smuggler name Han Solo and his Wookie fellow Chewbacca with their Millennium Falcon to finding a planet called "Alderaan", but in reality, it got destroyed by the Death Star. So its up to our heroes to not only saving Leia, but also dealing against the Empire's space station.
The film was considered to be the best film of all time with critical acclaim and a box-office success, resulting Lucas made two more of the franchise, "The empire strikes back" and "Return of the Jedi".
When i saw them when i was young, i was questioned about these movies, is it a sequel or a prequel to "Phantom Menace". But i was being a idiotic kid. But looking back when i grew to an older teenagers with DVDs of original trilogy, i like them and i understand how they're considered a sci-fi classic. For "The New Hope" (Or simply "Star Wars 1977"), its easily the birth of the franchise for great acting, a nice production and a likable characters. Although i like the lightsaber duel with Ben and Darth Vader, but i always enjoy the action of blasters (despite Stormtroopers are rather clumsy for their lack accuracy and even one of them got bonk'd from the door. XD) and even a climatic battle in space with X-wings and Y-Wings against the Death Star. "The empire strikes back" is also pretty good, though i noticed some people considered to be a "Black-Sheep" of the franchise, which it was dark and downfall for our heroes. And who could forget the famous duel between Luke Vs Vader, which we all know that it was revealed that Vader is a long lost father of Luke, it was considered to be the most famous and shocking twist we've ever heard. And "Return of the Jedi", i find it also pretty good, even though it directed and produced some other people than Lucas (despite he wrote this movie for a screenplay). The first act is an interesting for going back to Tatooine and Luke came back with new force and his new lightsaber that he build by himself with R2. (Especially with Leia in slave outfit, hot... <u>) Even though it got a little bit slow in the second act, but it got more action in space, in Endor and even the dramatic rematch between Luke and Vader, along with the main antagonist Darth Sidious (or Lord Palpatine).
Even though i don't know why the prequel was considered pretty weak. Its as if i was like misguided the original trilogy and episode 1 is better as a young boy.
Speaking of prequels, it was around somewhere in 2000, i got a Christmas gift of Star Wars toys and the movie of "Phantom Menace". Even though i like Disney films, but i was popped in to watch it and i loved it. However, when the film came out, it was considered to be the biggest disappointed film in 1999, although it has a great production with visuals, actions, some good performances and a best soundtrack, but didn't help for a long story, some boring characters and some are the worst like Anakin (although i find him average, he's good, but not as perfect.) or even... *cough "Jar Jar" cough* Like i said, as a kid, i though it was awesome that considered to be the best, but looking back when i grew up, i think i regret my childhood that i changed my mind, its not an awesome film, its just a flat out average film that i wish i was a writer to remove that bug-eyed alien with annoying personality, giving a personalities with some characters and adding a better execution, but it was only my dream that i wish it could've been. Despite of some i have a problem, but still it had a good ones, like we saw a new planets that i find some like Naboo or Coruscant, well sure it was all done with CGI, but some was done in traditional. I like these new planets for a creative ideas. And the final good things is the action scenes, unlike the original trilogy films that are dark and slow, but here, it was quick, entertaining and well performed of choreograph of lightsabers thanks to Ray Park who portrayed as "Darth Maul" with his double-blade. Overall, i find this movie to be average, the story is ok, even though we wish they could put extra action for more fun.
After i watched the first episode and the original trilogy as a kid, i was waited for the second episode and it already has it in 2002, known as "Attack of the Clones". When i watched it, i find it pretty good. But again, i regretted it when i grew up, which although its better than before, but... Wow, this is probably the most boring installment of the franchise. Like the first one, it was mixed with yet another great production, some good characters and some good performance like Ewan McGroger, but the story is just way too slow that its nearly 2 hours, the relationship between Anakin and Padme is probably poor for their weak personalities and even some cheap dialogues. To me, i find it so average that is boring that i was desperate to see some action, but it has them, which im pretty sure it only has action sequence in the final act. And lets not forget the main antagonist Count Dooku, who's played by the late Christopher Lee, i mean im surprised how old he was back then, but he got his action with his lightsaber, especially with a small duel with himself and Master Yoda. At first, i though Yoda will be very weak for a duel, but he got his balls for his martial arts of lightsaber, when i saw it as a boy, i was shocked and impressed how powerful he is. So overall, i find it also average for how slow it was.
One year after Episode two, i was looking around the internet of cartoons that i wanted to see, but then there's "Star Wars: Clone Wars", an animated microseries that was created by Genndy Tartakovsky, the same man who created Dexter's Laboratory, PowerPuff Girls and Samurai Jack (Which it keeps going for the fifth season, nice touch.). I saw them (although it has three seasons, but we all know it came out on DVD with Volume 1 and 2.) as a kid and i loved it, which i think it was better than Episode 2 with a not only great actions and characters got likable, but the animation is well-done, since it was first aired on Cartoon Network in 2003 before it was brought over in Canada with Teletoon. Then two years somewhere after "Revenge of the Sith", i find it pretty good, but i find it not as perfect than the first one (whether you agree or not.). The one thing i like in this miniseries is in the first volume, there's an epic duel between Anakin and a new antagonist, Asajj Ventress. Although i find her an interesting villainess in the universe, but apparently, she was originally to be in Episode 2, but she didn't happened until Tartakovsky's Clone Wars. As for the second volume, i like the appearance of General Grevious, even though he made his debut from the final chapter in Volume 1, but man, he is quick and strong, despite that he was born as a cyborg. So overall, Tartakovsky's Clone Wars is a great miniseries that i watched when i was young and looking back when i grew up, i still enjoyed it.
And finally, i reached to the final chapter of the prequel, "Revenge of the Sith". And this movie is so damn good and i considered it an improvement of the prequel. It started into an action in space above Coruscant during the first act. It feels almost like some films of the original trilogy, but extra dramatic, especially where Anakin reacted when his wife Padme was pregnant, it feels a bit realistic whether we're excited or feared when the kids will born. The movie has a lot of dramatic, not only the relationship between Anakin and Padme with separation, but also the fallen of the Jedi from "Order 66" and even an epic battle between Obi-Wan vs Anakin/Darth Vader and Yoda vs Darth Sidious. But i have three notable parts what i like in this movie. First was not only Anakin turned Darth Vader, but also the performance by Hayden Christensen, yeah i know, some of you will probably gonna hate me since Hayden is a forgettable actor to this day, but i've nothing against his role. But sure he has some bad moments, especially for his appearance in Episode 2 for his lame development or even in Episode 3 with his questionable dialogue with Padme. Despite his flaws, but at least he's more interesting than Episode 2, he got more intimidated and darker, we all know he'll become the lord of the Sith for his decision with Palpatine. Speaking of Palpatine, thats the second one what i like. I mean yeah, he appeared mysterious during the prequel, but he get more interesting in the third installment, especially with his sword fight with Mace Windu and even his reveal to Anakin. Its also worth noting that he was played by Ian McDiarmid, he reprised his role more than 15 years after "Return of the Jedi", but his appearance in Episode 3 got more likable what he likes to see and how evil he is in swordfight with evil cackle. The final one what i like, its the opera scene, it goes to a conversation with Anakin and Palpatine, where he told a story from the past, it feels like it created a new lore from the past for how the dark side want to killing off every Jedi and the rebels, its as he like to tell the story from "The old republic", i wonder what if they made an anthology film based on video game with a same name. And the ending is beautiful and pretty sad, since we know that Vader killed off his wife after the birth of Luke and Leia and his broken down dream what he wanted to, but we may have a new hope, with the title suggest from the very beginning in decades ago...
After the prequel trilogy, i wanted to buy a video game of Star Wars, especially on PC, which i don't have the consoles before Wii. Especially that i like to play Star Wars Battlefront or even Lego Star Wars. Then several years later at 2008, i witnessed yet another film of Star Wars, this time, it was called "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". At first, i though it was a remake from Tartakovsky's Clone Wars, but in reality, its a sequel from before and of course, it takes place three years during the clone wars where Anakin has an apprentice named Ahsoka Tano when Yoda told him that he'll become a teacher of her. When i saw it in theater, i find it ok, its a nice film, but its not that good, this movie should've came out either on TV or even direct to DVD/Blu-Ray, there's no reason to put this on theater or even called it "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", since its just a flat out confusion title from Tartakovsky's Clone Wars and Dave Filoni's Clone Wars. But what i know, this movie is like a pilot of the show with the same name. Overall, this movie is average with complicated story, the animation is average (which it supposed to be like Tartakovsky's Clone Wars, but cheaply done in computer animation, it feel more like a TV cartoon quality than the movie) and the characters could't save it (Even though Ahsoka Tano is probably likable, but couldn't help for a boring relationship with her and Anakin.). And no, i never seen the show, i saw a few clips of it, especially Darth Maul came back for a revenge, which is a nice come back. As for Star Wars Rebels, i never watch it either, cause im more into "Steven Universe".
By this point, my interest of Star Wars is toned down a bit, even though i liked it a lot, but i kinda moving on, especially i focused more with video games like playing with Wii or Xbox 360, racing cars event like Formula 1 and Hot Wheels for collection. After a years, i heard a news when Disney purchased Lucasfilms for billion dollars to expanding the story and even a new trilogy, it had a mixed opinion, where they like to find out for the new films and the others disliked at Disney for monopolizing the company and even some other stories has nothing to do with the movies. To me, it doesn't matter i like to find out for Lucasfilms's next project, even though they have a drama, with LucasArts nearly closed their doors when they developed Star Wars 1313.
Few years later, they released the trailer of "The Force Awakens" and i was highly anticipated with the return of the old casts and a new characters like Rey and Kylo Ren. When i saw it in 2015, oh man, i feel like i lost my words how awesome this movie was, especially that i like to thanks for J.J. Abram to bring back the sci-fi classic since Star Trek 2009. And the final act. oh my lord the final act... I wanted to never spoiled it in my review from two years ago. Anyway, during a climatic battle of Starkiller base, Han Solo was desperate to see his son for a family reunion with General Leia, it was revealed that Kylo is a son of Solo's family named "Ben" (which i think its because of giving tribute to Ben Kenobi?), but Kylo refused to believe for his parents, because he cared to be with Supreme Leader Snoke. Devastated for his past, he wants a help with Han. But in reality, it was his plan to killed off his father, when i saw it, my heart was jumped like crazy and overly shocked and i was nearly depressed how Han was killed off, but how did Han deserve to be killed of? Well, according to Harrison Ford (Who played Han Solo) said that he wanted to killed off his role. Especially during the development of "Return of the Jedi", he wanted to make it happen, but Lucas refused, which Ford admitted that he was wrong what he requested. But later on in "The Force Awakens", he finally ended his role in the franchise and saying that he'll never come back as a ghost in "The Last Jedi". Despite of shocking moments, i guess he wanted to moving on to focus on his business, since he was focusing on aviation. Even i felt bad for Mark Hamill, which he wanted that Luke reunites with his old friend, but didn't happened. So overall, i still love this movie that i picked it up as my number 1 best film of 2015, especially it deserves to earning 2 billion dollars.
As time going on, i was anticipated for "The Last Jedi", but i noticed "Rogue One" for my curiosity, which its gonna be the first Anthology film of the franchise. When i saw it, i find it to be average, especially the visual effect looks great, but the destruction of planet isn't that great, it went really slow for destroying, i guess they're trying to be realistic for a slow destruction. Like come on, Alderann's explosion looks quicker than that. Although the film is average, but the final act is the best part with X-wings, Y-wings and other fighters flying and shooting around in space, i love it. Overall, Rogue one is an above average film that i wish if they've done it better.
And finally before "The Last Jedi", i remembered when my friend Gabriel talked about a multiplayer online game called "Star Wars: The old republic", i was curious and kinda don't want to know about it. But ironically, it was done by "Bioware", the same company with Dragon Age and even Mass Effect. So i popped in and... It was pretty good, even though i need to pay a microtransaction to make more characters and even more races, i started to created my human Jedi Guardian named "Daekssor" and a female Sith Juggernaut named "Ainnleg". Even though i wanted to type my own name, but it got denied, this means that you have to click "random name" everytime before it accepts, i hate how that happened, so in the end, i like it and even though i need to save my money for Paypal and the game.
So in conclusion, we know that Star Wars has been up and down for the movies. The original trilogy was considered to be a classy sci-fi series, the prequel is average to bad and the sequel is about to get started that we like to see right after "The Force Awakens". And now, after seen a new trailer that came out last month, i am highly anticipated for "The last Jedi". And you're wondering if i like some other stories of Star Wars? Im not sure, i mean, yeah i saw Tartakovsky's Clone Wars and i liked it, but does that mean i wanna go find every other stories? No, it will be a lot complicated in my opinion, i always like to focus the storyline of the films and maybe some other stories of the lore. Whether you love it or not, this franchise will be on for years and we will never forget it.
If you have your opinions or sharing your opinion of the franchise, i like to know in the comment bellow.
Thanks for reading and "May the Force be with you".
