Editorial - The Star Wars Trilogy: More than Just Movies

Throughout the latter years of our movie history, there has been one set of films on almost everyone’s lips, one set that has warmed its way into the deepest of our hearts and one that fans and critics will never forget.

And that is: The Star Wars Trilogy.

I don’t think there is one person on Earth that has not got an opinion of it since Star Wars was first released on cinema screens all over the world in 1977, it became clear then that movie audiences had seen something special and unique, a movie that later became a phenomenon and global box office smash, and the reasons are obvious as you watch the film today: the groundbreaking special effects work, the storyline of good vs. evil and the mother of all screen villains – Lord Darth Vader.

But if fans thought that film was something to behold, 3 years later in 1980, came its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back and here was the shock: this film was better than the original Star Wars movie, with Irvin Kershner and Lawrence Kasdan now on board, Empire took the series down a dark path, with a more serious tone, much bigger special effects sequences and four words that later became legend: “I am your father”, what was a person to do and when it was over, what was going to happen next?

Unfortunately, the answer to those questions would have to wait until 1983, when the third and last film in the trilogy, Return of the Jedi debuted in theatres worldwide, and audiences got the answers they wanted as well as a return to the tone of the original Star Wars film, Jedi has gotten a more mixed response over the years, mainly due to the Ewoks, who many feel lighten the mood of the film, I personally feel Jedi gets a bit of a bum wrap as there are several great sequences in the film and the film also has a nice conclusion to it as well as the most dazzling special effects I’ve ever seen.

But despite Jedi’s flaws, it’s impossible to separate the trilogy without losing a chunk of the puzzle it creates, but these movies are more than just movies, they’re in some ways memories, of the past, of more innocent times, of family and friends and Christmases and birthdays to name a few, yes indeed, this trilogy has continued to endure and delight new generations in the years since their debut and the Force will always be strong with them.