"Star Wars" (1977 - directed by Lucas), "The Empire Strikes Back (1980 - directed by Irvin Kreshner)
and "Return of the Jedi" (1983 - directed by Richard Marquand), told the tale of an intergalactic space
battle between the good rebels and the evil empire.
The legend of the trilogy has entered into the public's consciousness, making it a standard part of our
everyday lives.
The release of the first film boasted some ground breaking special effects which rejuvenated the
flagging sci-fi genre, giving it a much needed boost. The films told the simple story of how Luke
Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the innocent farm boy from Tatooine is embroiled in the battle against the
Empire. Meeting up with characters such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee
Williams), Chewbacca the Wookie, the robots R2D2 and C3PO, and the wise old Jedi Knight Ben
Kenobe (Alec Guinness).
Through his adventures he meets Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), the leader of the rebellion and his long
lost twin sister. A further family connection is his hatred for the dark Lord Darth Vader (David
Prowse, and voice by James Earl Jones) who Luke blames for killing his father, Annakin Skywalker
(Sebastian Shaw).
With the added villainy of Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), the bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy
Bulloch) and the monster gangster Jabba the Hut, the saga has created a whole host of marvellous
worlds and situations, lifted from the visionary worlds of comic books. Most sci-fi fans tend to agree
that Star Wars films are the best movies ever made, reinforced on the 20th Anniversary, which was
marked by the release of the films with new scenes and special effects.
Work has now begun on the three "prequel" movies about the Clone Wars and the fall of Annakin
Skywalker to the Emperor, which are to be released at the dawn of the new millennium. Provisionally
titled, they are "The Balance of the Force" (1999), "The Rise Of The Empire" (2001) and "The Fall Of
The Jedi" (2003). George Lucas himself has in fact already finished directing the first film, which was
shot in between June and September 1997.
Ironically, it will still be well over a year before we see it because now intensive work is being devoted
to the many special effects involved, and to allocate for any reshoots needed.
It is generally known that it features an all star cast, unlike the first films, which featured (at the time)
virtually unknown actors. The film will star Liam Neeson as the Jedi Master, Ewan McGregor as Ben
Kenobi, and Jake Lloyd as the infant Annakin Skywalker. Also featured are Samuel L Jackson,
Terrence Stamp, Brian Blessed, Natalie Portman as well as some familiar faces such as the Emperor,
C3PO, R2D2, Yoda and Jabba the Hutt. The Clone Wars are so called, because the main villains are
the Mandalorians, a race of cloned soldiers who all wear the armour that is more familiarly identified
with Boba Fett.
The films have a believability, and the creatures no matter how weird and wonderful they are all so
convincing that we believe in them. As Hollywood classics and a cultural phenomenon, the "Star
Wars" saga will be around for many years yet.
