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Star Wars Movies

Star Wars Episode One: the Phantom Menace

This movie takes place before the first three Star Wars movies. It features a young Obi Wan, young Darth Vader, young yoda, and a young Galactic Republic complete with its own senate and chanellor. But one member of the Imperial senate, senator Palpatine has plans for the future. He orchestrates an attack on the small planet of Naboo by Galactic trade federation vessels. This is done to show the weakness of the current Chancellor of the Senate, and to pave the way for his own more decisive brand of leadership. The Jedi council of legends is present and includes a young Yoda. Darth Sidius is the master of a powerful Dark Side that has yet to be fully understood or unveiled. His pupil is Darth Maul. Darth Maul fights with a dual lightsaber with two blades; one on each end. He is able to match skills with both a young Obi Wan, and a master Jedi. He kills the master and nearly kills Obiwan, but a quick jump and surprise attack after being knocked down a great cavern allows one blow to strike the mighty Darth Maul. This was a most unfair way of killing the film's master lightsaber fighter. Doubleteaming an adversary as the "good" Jedi's did againt Darth Maul also seemed to lack chivalry. The movie featured robotic troops, complete with their own portable force shields. This is better technology than witness during the previous Star Wars movies. It would seem technology was lost after many years of fighting within the empire, but that would not explain the ability the empire had to build gigantic Death Stars in the first films. The movie showed a young Darth Vader, as a child, as Anakin Skywalker. He wins a great Pod Race because of his prowise in the ways of the force. Obiwan promises to train him (before he himself is a Jedi), and the seeds of the future Darth Vader begin to slowly take fruit.

Star Wars: A New Hope

The first Star Wars movie graced movie screens in 1977. During that year plans were underway for a new Star Trek TV series, (Phase II). However the new Star Trek series was not developed largely because Star Wars raised the bar as to what was expected of any sci-fi franchise especially one as notable as Star Trek. Star Wars begins with a larger ship stalking a small one. Onboard the smaller ship is the Princess of the Rebel alliance whose aim is to overthrow the current Galactic regime. The smaller vessel is quickly boarded and its meager resistance force eliminated. Then a dark clad figure complete with cape steps out onto the screen. This was the legendary Darth Vader that forever more was to represent evil as no other movie figure ever has. Star Wars showcases a blend of wizardry, politics, and heroism under a unique sci-fi theme. The mythical force which binds all things in the universe is akin to religion, or sorcery. The knights of old legend are recreated as Jedi Knights that defend the universe. The movie ends with a young aprentice (Luke) of lengedary Jedi Knight Obi Wan watching as his master dies. A gigantic mammoth of a space station out in space known as the Death Star is destroyed before it can wreck havoc on the universe. One boy learns the powers of goodness, and the ability to believe in himself. This boy was of course Luke Skywalker who would later become a Jedi himself, and an instrumental figure in defending the Universe from Darth Vader and the Dark side. The movie intruduces a range of characters from Han Solo and Chewbacca to Darth Vader, and C3PO that were to be regular mainstays of the movie franchise for years to come.

The Empire Strikes Back

After the Galactic Empire witnesses its great miracle in the heavens, the Death Star be destroyed it prepares to strike back. An attack on a rebel base on the ice planet Hoth commences. Gigantic four legged machines known as Imperial Walkers obliterate the base and any that stand in their way. Notable rebel leaders escape as well as does most of the Rebel personnel. Luke Skywalker goes to a gothic and quite swampy planet to train under the legendary Jedi Master Yoda. He learns much but leaves to save his friends who have been captured and held in a great Cloud City. Leaving before he has mastered the Jedi Arts he takes a great risk. The movie ends with Luke fighting Darth Vader, one on one with a lightsaber; a more modern day swordlike weapon of great cutting power. Vader cuts off Luke's arm and tells him that he is his father. A rebel ally, and well known smuggler; Han Salo is captured and frozen in carbonite. He is lost and the movie ends with his future unknown, but Luke does escape, and recovers nicely via the help of a prosthetic arm.

Return of the Jedi

Luke Skywalker and his allies from Empire Strikes Back head to Jabba the Hutts home planet in an attempt to reclaim their friend Han Solo. Great battles commence, and the heros face certain death before a great creature in the sand. But they manage to survive, kill all of Jabbas men and rendevous with the rest of their Rebel friends. The Galactic Empire has been hard at work on a new Death Star. This time they design a forcefield into their defenses so their rather costly creation will not be destroyed as one was in the first film. Luke, Leia, Han Solo and a small group of commandoes are lured to the Endor Planet where a power generator for the Death Star resides. But it is a trap, and the empire knows full well they are on their way. The planet has an indigenous life form known as the Ewoks. A roboticic translator known as C3PO conveinces the Ewoks that he is their god and gains the loyalty of the Ewoks. With the aid of the Ewoks, the rebels are able to overrun imperial forces on the planet. A battle in space proceeds between Imperial forces, and Rebel forces aimed with the mission of destroying the Death Star. On one Imperial War Vessel, a great battle of the ages is underway between Darth Vader and his son Luke Skywalker. Luke refuses to kill his father, and fall prey to the temptations of the Dark Side. Ultimately Darth Vader kills his own master, the emperor and then removes his mask to see his son just once with his own eyes before he too dies. The Death Star in space is destroyed; the Galactic Empire appears to be no more. Luke not only kills his own father to save his father's soul; he also gains the knowledge that the princess of the Rebel alliance, Leia is his own sister.

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