Tag: george lucas

Star Wars: Empire of Dreams (2004, dir. Edith Becker & Kevin Burns)

An uncritical though still fascinating documentary on the development and making of the original Star Wars trilogy, focusing on production problems with the first film. Plenty of detail here for fans. Though many of these stories have been often-told, they’re collected here in an engaging way. Fun for completists.

Willow (1988, dir. Ron Howard)

An apprentice sorcerer has to protect a prophecied infant saviour from an evil witch. A patchy grab-bag of fantasy tropes enlivened by some spirited playing, a keen visual sense, and some then-groundbreaking effects work. No classic, but OK for undemanding genre fans.

Star Wars [AKA Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope] (1977, dir. George Lucas)

An orphaned farmhand finds he is the chosen one to lead an intergalactic rebellion. Splendid and modest SF/fairy story hybrid, unfairly weighed down by later expectations. In its own terms, a sprightly and successful adventure, nothing more.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989, dir. Steven Spielberg)

Jones goes in search of his lost father, and the Holy Grail. The third Jones adventure is a sparkling comedy with heaps of good set-pieces and a tongue-in-cheek sensibility. Some iffy early CG and plotting aside, this is rip-roaring stuff, though the lightest in the series.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, dir. Steven Spielberg)

An American archaeologist races Nazis to a mystical artefact. Peerless action-adventure, expertly balancing thrills, romance, danger, comic moments, old-school stunt work and still-impressive visual effects. Still the state of this particular art.

Return of the Jedi (1983, dir. Richard Marquand)

The Rebel Alliance battles another Death Star. The last part of the original trilogy works hard to include something for everyone (all points from slavery to teddy bears) as well as to wrap up its soap-opera character arcs. For fans only, tho,