The Empire Strikes Back (1980)*****

Before I start I should let everyone know that this is my favorite film of all time. So I will probably be gushing for most of the following paragraphs.

It’s such a rarity for a sequel to be a better film than the original. The Bride of Frankenstein was probably the first. Recently The Dark Knight comes to mind. When it comes to The Empire Strikes Back that idea that a follow up could be a better film than the first one is expanded to another level entirely. Once again, the film is sprinkled with visions of the past on top of an already nostalgic ride.

The first act of the film follows out heroes from the first film being beaten by the evil Empire at their home base on the remote ice world of Hoth. Scattered for most of the film Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) along with their sidekicks attempt to outwit not only the Empire, but bounty hunters working for the Empire and Solo’s debtor Jabba The Hutt. Meanwhile Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) travels to a swamp world known as Dagobah to train with the Jedi master Yoda (Frank Oz). All the while Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) is working to capture Skywalker and turn him to the dark side as an ally.

Amazingly, director Irwin Kerschner and writer Lawrence Kasdan are able to squeeze more adventure out of the franchise in this installment. The film hits the ground running and doesn’t let up for the next two hours as a race across the galaxy, with slow down during Luke’s training that keep the audience engaged by the small Jedi master. There is a balance throughout the film of adventure, romance, intrigue, and tragedy. No spoilers, but this film does not end as happily as the last. Like a typical second act, it throws its characters in the worst possible scenario leaving the audience wanting to see if their heroes can get out of this one.

The question that will always be debated as long as cinema and Star Wars is relevant is whether Empire is superior to Star Wars. As an upgrade in storytelling and effects it truly is. Instead of milking the film and the mega franchise it created, Empire builds on the mighty foundations set by that film from the summer of 1977. The age old pieces of building a second adventure that plunges their heroes in danger is as old as fiction is itself. In a nutshell, we were introduced to these characters in Star Wars. The Empire Strikes Back is the film in which we learned to love them, with all their little quirks and all. This film is an unexpected triumph that really cemented the entire franchise into popular culture. Yes, it’s my favorite film. Yes, I do consider it a masterpiece. 

Star Wars (1977) *****

Star Wars changed everything. That could be the review of the film. Nothing else needs to be said, but I will. It changed how movies were made, merchandise, released, controlled. Everything. Film was going into a transition period that saw the collapse of the huge studio systems into small, independent, personal films. A summer blockbuster was a foreign animal. The 1970’s were a decade of sadness and disgust in far more than Hollywood films. Society dictated what film presented on the screen in 1977. Star Wars changed that. It was ok to escape. It is a watershed moment in film history, commercial history, and holds a place in billions of lives across the globe. Billions. Those are religion numbers and people actively practice it.

The scaled down plot of the film is simple. A princess in danger. A young farm boy with no sights of a future is wrapped up in an adventure with an old wizard, a scoundrel, and sidekicks to stop the evil that has engulfed the galaxy. It’s all there and it was so different in 1977. In a decade that gave us Straw Dogs, Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, and all of those disaster films Star Wars was a breath of fresh air. It was a turning point for the dark view of American society in the 1970’s. It harkens back to yesterday when heroes were heroes and villains were villains. A simpler time. Lines were not blended at that time.

The acting and the dialogue aren’t the greatest with Harrison Ford delivering the best performance, but director George Lucas creates a world out of nothing but ancient religious beliefs. It carries on more than it’s movie serial tradition, but an ideal of being one with the world. It wasn’t just the marketing that pushed this film from beyond the silver screen, but those universal ideas of accepting what is good and shunning the evil that we encounter in our lives. I’m getting really deep on this so bare with me.

Overall, Star Wars is a magnificent film that captures not just one spirit, but multiple ideals from throughout history. There’s thousands of years of beliefs rolled up into 125 minutes of intergalactic adventure. Of course Star Wars is a phenomenon, but when you get back to the basics of the film itself it stands on its own and has become a high standard that other filmmakers try to achieve

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) ***1/2

 Revenge of the Sith is the last lap of the muddy track known as the Star wars prequels. The previous two installments had left so much to be desired that the bar was set very low when this film premiered over a decade ago. Ironically, this is the film that we knew most of the plot going in if you had seen the original Star Wars films. Would the film mimic what our minds had teased us with for the decades after the original trilogy ended? That was the biggest mystery of Episode III.

The film is set five years after Attack of the Clones with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan MacGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christansen) are heroes of the Republic in their fight against the Separatists led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and General Grievous. The film opens with them heroically saving Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in an epic space battle that really does mesmerize as an opening scene, especially compared to the previous two films. The film  then follows Anakin’s fall from grace as he needs to protect his secret pregnant wife Padme (Natalie Portman) from the death he sees in his dreams.

As with the previous two films, Revenge of the Sith falls victim to Lucas not being able to connect the dots of his story. Where this film differs from them is that the dots are bigger and fill a larger spectrum of the narrative, making it more tolerable to enjoy. There are still cringe worthy moments of acting that either pain you or make you chuckle inside, but there have been improvements. Sadly, this comes during the final piece of the saga that is in Lucas’ hands. It’s an action packed story with a dual finish that sets up everything that comes after it (while leaving plot holes that makes us wonder if George has even watched any of the original films since their release). It is a better film than the first two, but is it the equivalent to the original three? No, not really. It’s more a nostalgia piece for those films as it bridges this vision to the original films three decades ago.

Of course one has to wonder whether this film is better because we had such low expectations after getting burned the last two times. It’s like a kid who is a straight D student scoring a B and being excited by it. Progress! Maybe there is hope, but this was the final film and we will never know if George Lucas found his way again. Of course this film is filled with CGI and it does distract from the story, but the audience has learned to block that out by now. The prequel trilogy does end on a high note… for the prequel trilogy. Revenge of the Sith serves as the bridge that brings everything together. It’s not the sturdiest structure, but it does the job and keeps the audience enthralled during most of the film. An improvement, but far below what the audience would have expected in 1999. In 2005 the audiences is pleasantly surprised by the film, in a good way. A decent film, but not a good Star wars film.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) **1/2

The Phantom Menace was a film that proved that Star Wars could flub. Big time. As three years clicked by we thought that the next one will be better. The nest one has to be better. Production stills and trailers and merchandise teased us with a film that could capture the feeling of the original saga. It didn't happen.

Attack of the Clones is set 10 years after the events of The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan (Ewan MacGregor) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) are master and apprentice in the Jedi Order. They've been given the assignment of finding the assassin of Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman). Anakin and Padme fall for each other and there's a battle with these mysterious clones from the title ordered years ago by a thought to be dead Jedi.

Just trying to describe the plot is exhausting. There is so much thrown at you that it's like throwing bricks at a ladybug in the front yard. There isn't as much political intrigue as in the last film, but it's been replaced by an enormous collection of CGI collections and over the top situations. By over the top I mean that the odds of all of these events falling into place in one film are a number so large I just don't want to deal with it. Kind of like thinking about the plot.

The problem with actually reviewing Attack of the Clones is that I don't know who to blame for the acting. Do I go after the actors themselves or do I attack George Lucas and his feeble attempts at writing dialogue. It is horrendous. It's as course and harsh as the sand Anakin can't shut up about. The scenes where the pair are falling in love are such drivel it hits the brakes on a film where even most of the action sequences can'r save it, as opposed to The Phantom Menace that could pull you back in a little bit. At least Christopher Lee is in it as the antagonist Count Dooku, the only performance worth noting. And maybe Ian McDiarmid. I guess those guys can work thru terrible writing.

Attack of the Clones is a bloated film with no real soul to it. It feels like a mass produced item (which it is at this point) playing fan service with a couple of cool scenes and appearances (Jango Fett and Yoda). Otherwise the film is a disappointment. It isn't worse than The Phantom Menace, but it's not better. It's even. The tone has shifted, nut there isn't anything there to hold on to. This film leaves a "meh" feeling because you know that the real payoff is in the next film. Where Empire succeeds as the middle chapter, this film fails at miserably. This film is yet another disappointment and further discredits the franchise it's a part of.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) **1/2

Ray Park as Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace

I’ve had a saying that I’ve used for almost 20 years now in relation to The Phantom Menace. I compare the film to waking up Christmas morning expecting some great present only to receive socks. Nothing against socks. They have a place and are quite needed, but there’s no flash with it. The same goes for The Phantom Menace, a film that really doesn’t live up to the excitement of the films that came before it.

The film follows the early adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan MacGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Jake Loyd), the boy found in the Tatoine desert by Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). In that sentence the film sounds like it would have some potential. Throw in trade routes, treaties, and Jar Jar Binks and you derail any exciting ideas that are out there. Sadly, this is what the film focuses on as it fails in many ways. Bloated with CGI overindulgence and dialogue that is embarrassing the film relies on its action, which it hands out in spoonfuls.

Looking back over 15 years later you can see what a great film this could have been. The opening scenes with the Jedi fighting droids and hiding on the planet of Naboo. The pod race. The ending with three fronts and Darth Maul. If these sections could have been bridged in a better way than this could have been a far superior film than it turned out to be. Why, of why, didn’t we get more Darth Maul when he was plastered on every piece of merchandise back in 1999? There are the parts to a good Star Wars film there, just not enough hardware to pull it together. Would it have compared to the originals? No, but that’s ok. This film was parsecs away from those films (error intended)

What The Phantom Menace represents is the footing that the saga is built on. It’s buried deep underground and doesn’t serve much purpose. It’s there doing its job, even if it’s an ugly mess. Kind of like socks. I’ve softened a bit on the film, but I can’t call it anything more than average. That’s it. An average film equals a horrible Star Wars film. Even years later this is still one of the most disappointing films of all time.

Terminator Genisys (2015) **1/2

When I first watched Terminator Genisys I was mesmerized by it, chewing on how it returned to the original film and getting those chills because I thought that I was experiences James Cameron's 1984 masterpiece again. The thing about T:G is that once it's over and you're able to digest what you've just witnessed, you realize that there really wasn't as much there as you thought. We can call it celluloid fast food if you will. Comfort food taking you back to a time when Terminator films were good.

The film opens by giving us a physical representation of the night John Connor (Jason Clarke) sent (or is it sends) Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor. We get to relive all those early scenes when Reese and the Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 arrive in Reagan era Los Angeles, but things have suddenly changed. Our favorite cyborg killing machine is met and destroyed by an aging Terminator unit (Arnold Schwatzenegger) and Sarah Connor is already a bad ass that saves Reese's life. And this time there's a liquid metal T-1000 on their tail, too. It seems that things happened before 1984 that changed everything and Reese and Sarah time travel to 2017 to stop what amounts to an over hyped app that will eventually become SkyNet, the evil computing system of the series.

There are many issues with this film and it's hard to find a place to begin addressing them, but we can start with casting. Emily Clarke delivers an acceptable performance as the rebooted Sarah Connor, Arnold returns to his signature role, even though he is goofy at some points that soils the memories of the original film, and J.K. Simmons is an underused treasure. That's the good, now let's get to the bad. Jai Courtney really doesn't feel like Kyle Reese. I can't blame it on me trying to place him in Michael Biehn's role since I can accept Emily Clarke in her role. He just doesn't feel right and it pulls you out of the film, but not as much as Jason Clarke's portrayal of resistance leader John Connor. Out of the numerous actors to play the part I would have to vote him the worst. The Terminators have more humanity to them than his performance and he is totally unbelievable as a man that would rally men and women to die for him. That performance is a mess.

As is the timeline, which becomes another issue. The viewer spends a large hunk of the movie trying to figure out how events and dates could have changed so drastically since we now know that what would have happened if events (such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day) did not occur. It makes you think, but not in a good way. It's very annoying and pulls you straight out of the film because you start looking for plot holes. The film ignores 3 and 4, which it should.

Overall TG is an average sci-fi action film that builds on being part of the Terminator franchise. You remember what you loved about the original film and bask in its ghostly glow for a good portion of this film, but you later reconsider what you saw and it begins to fall flat as you realize that this isn't James Cameron's first film, but a re-imagining that Hollywood loves to produced to keep the franchise and $$$ alive. Will a person rewatch this film? Yes, but for all the wrong reasons. It's not because it's a great film, but more a morbid curiosity on whether it will create those feelings again or if the viewer will only be duped once.

The Conversation (1974) *****

Between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II Francis Ford Coppola made a film developed from an idea he had almost a decade earlier. Ironically, the main idea behind the film (tape recording) would be the focal point of one of the worst scandals in American history that was going down as this film was being produced and released.

The Conversation is about surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who is a legend in his field, but has skeletons in his closet. Supported by his assistant Stan (the always great John Cazale) Harry has been hired to record and report on a couple (Cindy Williams and Fredrick Forrest) by a man only known as The Director (Robert Duvall). As the job progresses Harry begins to worry about what the consequences of the information he's about to deliver will have on the parties lives based on an incident from his past that still haunts him.

Hackman plays Caul as a very low key individual that doesn't want any attention, yet is the center of attention in his little world of watching and listening. He's an anxious little man that knows his business and understands who to operate his personal life to keep it out of his work life. Hackman had hit it big by this point and The Conversation really is a change of pace compared to some of hos other work, mainly looking at The French Connection.

The other surprising standout in the film is Harrison Ford as Martin Stett, the threatening thug like individual that is the barrier between the world and The Director. Ford's performance is very confrontational, but he doesn't really do anything to give you a reason to fear him. It's all in your head.

The main theme of The Conversation is paranoia. The thing is that the paranoia belongs to Harry Caul. He's the one that's watching people, but he's the most fearful in the film. From the early moments of the movie you see how Harry dictates his entire life to maintain his privacy and you get to the point that you wonder if maybe some of this fear is in his head, held up by Harry having some delusions leading him to fear that history was going to repeat itself.

Where the two Godfather films were expansive films traveling over thousands of miles and involving decades. they're open and airy and give you plenty of room to breathe. The Conversation is the opposite. It's a claustrophobic film that has you breathing heavy from the fear of what's closing in on us. The stinger on all of this is that even though there is no one nearby, you are being held close with the technology that lets you see and hear from elsewhere, which ironically has become even more prevalent forty years later with our advances in tech. The film itself serves as another Coppola classic from his prime era in the 1970's It's a great film that kind of gets pushed away due to the Godfather films. 70's grit at its finest, almost symbolizing the greatness of the cinema of the era.