Monday, November 16, 2009

The Ten Best Things About Star Wars


I'm a Star Wars nut. The original Star Wars trilogy is the perfect example of how movies should be, from the cinematography to the direction to the writing. While I'm not as big of a fan of the prequels, I still enjoy them and consider them worthy additions to the Star Wars saga. Today I've decided to just geek out a bit and revel in the galaxy far, far away and list the ten things about Star Wars that essentially separate it from any other film franchise in movie history. Let's get going.

10. Podracing - Whether you're a fan of the prequels or not, there is no denying that the podracing sequence in Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace is one of the more awesome action sequences in the entire series of films. Plus, Sebulba was a pretty cool alien no matter how you spin it.

9. Darth Maul - One of those fine movie villains. He barely utters two lines of dialogue, but his iconic look, along with his acrobatic moves and double-bladed lightsaber makes him one of the greatest Sith Lords of all-time. If only he had survived throughout all the prequels instead of old Count Dooku.

8. Yoda - The little green dude who made backwards talk a staple in pop culture. Yoda is the most powerful Jedi I think to ever exist. You can say Vader is the Chosen One as much as you like, but I'd like to of seen Vader take on Yoda in his prime when Yoda wasn't nearly an entire millenia old.

7. The Death Star Trench Run - Probably the most epic movie climax in movie history. Every single time I watch it I get filled with raw excitement, much like when I was a little kid watching this movie. Luke maneuvering down the trench, trusting in the force and destroying the Death Star, not to mention some last minute heroics from Han Solo in the Millenium Falcon.

6. Darth Vader - The big bad dude makes the list himself. Vader is the greatest screen villain of all-time, no debate about it. Darth Vader is the template for how a movie villain should be. He's evil, sympathetic, but also powerful with a rueful temper. His complex tragic story is the core of the Star Wars saga.

5. C-3PO and R2-D2 - When it comes to comedic movie sidekicks, these droids are the ones you're looking for (awful pun, I know). Threepio and Artoo are two of the finer movie characters ever created in my opinion, and one of them never even talks. Threepio and his constant worrying and logistical failures, and Artoo with his way too adventurous spirit, they're the model of friendship.

4. The Empire Strikes Back - This film as a whole is one of the best things ever about this franchise. This is the film where Star Wars went from being a simple adventure story to being the labyrinthine mythological story that we know it to be today. The romance between Han and Leia. Luke's training with Yoda. Vader and Luke's showdown. Han being frozen in carbonite. My favorite movie of all-time, hands down.

3. Lightsaber Duels - There are just too many to name one, so I'll just lump them all in together. From the very first duel on the Death Star between Old Ben and Vader, to the climactic showdown between Obi-Wan and Anakin on Mustafar, lightsaber duels have been a huge part of the Star Wars saga. It is safe to say that the image of a lightsaber is probably the most iconic thing about this franchise. While there are many duels in the films, my personal favorite is the battle at the end of Empire Strikes Back.

2. The Force - The mystical power that surrounds us all manages to make the list in and of itself. The force is what separates this series of films from just about any other sci-fi or fantasy film ever made. The struggle between light and dark. The force has very often been seen as an allegory for religion, believing in something in which you can't tangibly see and the power in which it imbues within oneself.

1. Han Solo - The Corellian smuggler himself tops the list. Harrison Ford made this character what he is today. The cock-sure swagger, the cynicism, the heroics, Han is the true definition of a swashbuckling hero that you just can't help but love.

And that does it Star Wars fanatics. What do ya'll think?

No comments:

Post a Comment