The Retrospective of Star Wars!!!!

By: Stephen Bagazzoli

                With one of my first ever experiences in a movie theater being a movie that has had a massive impact on my life, Star Wars, I would like to now share my personal experiences with every movie in the series and what impact each movie has had with me on a personal and a social level. The series as a whole is in my opinion one of the best stories ever told. Themes of coming of age, good versus evil, and a hope for a better day are all present in the Star wars universe and in all honesty, it makes it a great series. My retrospective will be in the movies chronology, not release date, making it easier to demonstrate the story of each movie and how they all connect with each other in the Star Wars universe. Now without further a due......

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..... 

 EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace

If anyone is a Star Wars fan they would almost immediately tell you that this is by far the weakest entry in the series.... but why? It’s true that the movie itself is such a drastic change of pace from the original trilogy that many fans downright hate it, and it’s true that characters such as Jar Jar, Qui-Gon, and Anakin Skywalker are so annoying and so forgettable that it just adds fuel to the fire of hate regarding this movie. In my opinion, it definitely stabilizes a stepping plateau for the future movies to come from, and although it has its flaws, it still is a Star Wars movie and should be respected as one. The story for this movie has a lot of complicated introductions of trade federations and a separatist leader rising, but it did offer a great climax with Obi-wan and Darth Maul fighting to the death in the Naboo Palace.... That was a nice touch J

   

Overall Rating:  5.5/10

EPISODE II: Attack Of The Clones

               

This movie is forgettable. It’s definitely the black sheep of the entire series because it takes such a drastic leap in time from the previous film. It shows a much more mature Anakin Skywalker ready to defend his soon to be girlfriend Padme from a possible assassination attempt. It’s a very interesting film in the sense that it has a lot of back story on the Jedi Order, and how the great Clone War came to be. It also showed the character of Jango Fett and how he was the model for all of the Clone-Troopers. It was also cool to see Christophe Lee as Count Dooku fighting Yoda in the climax of the film. Down to its core it’s an okay movie but it still remains to be one of the most forgettable entries in all of the Star Wars movies.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10   

EPISODE III: Revenge of The Sith

              

  I absolutely LOVE this movie! I find that it was George Lucas’ final at bat regarding the Star Wars movies... and he hit a grand slam! This move is not stop action with such a good culmination of story arks coming together to build the bridge of the past and the future. It is definitely cool to see the transition of Anakin Skywalker into the most terrifying bad guy in all of science fiction... DARTH VADER. It is also cool to see the destruction of the Jedi Order and the destruction of democracy. It’s a film that goes beyond the sights of Star Wars and shows the notion of “destruction” at its highest level. In my opinion the best part of the Film is the final battle with Obi-Wan and Darth Vader and the transition of master and apprentice to bitter rivals fighting for survival. One of my favourite entries in the series, by far!

Overall Rating: 9.0/10

EPISODE IV: A New Hope

              

  The movie originally named “Star Wars” is a great entry in the series from a universal standpoint. We are introduced to one of the most recognizable figures in cinema history with Luke Skywalker, and are also introduced to the Star Wars universe. It is interesting to see the transition from Episode III until now, in the sense that as a viewer we can see the depressing life that our hero lives due to the consequences that have for come his family within the last three films. It’s a good movie but it does have its flaws, for example the way that the almighty “DEATH STAR” is destroyed and how the empire still manages to survive although there massive intergalactic space ship has been destroyed. These are only minor complaints on what is in fact a solid movie. BTW.... Peter Kushing RULES!!!

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

EPISODE V: The Empire Strikes Back

                “Luke I am Your Father” = The best twist in movie HISTORY!

‘Nuff Said.

Overall Rating: 10/10

EPISODE VI: Return of the Jedi

           

  At this point in the timeline we have already witnessed the awesome truth that Vader is in fact Luke’s father and that the only way to save the galaxy is for Luke to finally confront his father and turn him back to the good side of the force and restore balance within the Galaxy. In my opinion this film is a strong finale for the entire series because it ties up all of the loose ends that must be completed. The evil emperor is killed by Vader. Luke changes Vader back to the good side, and the galaxy is finally safe. This is the perfect ending for the series and a perfect format for it to happen. Luke revisits every place that he has been along his journey E.X. Going back to Tatooine to save Han from Jabba the Hut; Going to Dagobah to lay Yoda to rest and become a full Jedi; and then finally going back to the Death Star to confront his father. The story is great and the acting is solid. A great entry my any means of the imagination.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 

 Funny Star Wars GIF Break!!!

 Obi-Wan Dislikes ALL CLASSY WEDDINGS!!!!!

                So, as you can tell these movies have had an impact on me throughout my entire life.... but why?   The original trilogy is over thirty years old and the Star Wars story is completed... It’s because the story is timeless for anybody to relate to... Down to it’s core Star Wars is a story of a family trying to find it’s identity, and facing the struggles of a harsh reality in doing so. That’s why this series will always have a special place in my heart... 

FIN     

STAR WARS: MY EXPERIENCE

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

The year was 1998, and my family and I were doing a normal family outing to the movie theater. We could have picked a family film that we all could have enjoyed.... or we could have watched the re-release of the original trilogy of Star Wars in preparation for the much anticipated release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace....

We chose to watch the family film.

But that didn’t stop me from badgering my parents to go back to the theater to watch Star Wars the following weekend, in which my parents were generous enough to take me to watch it. It was one of my first experiences watching a movie as big as it was, me being at the tender age of 6. I sat down in my seat and began to watch The Empire Strikes Back.

Though the movie was so long ago it will forever remain an experience to me because of the whole essence of the movie and what an impact it had on me. What I remember from the whole experience is the excitement of the movie and how it showed the vastness of a fantasy universe where people can go from planet to planet. I also remember the light-sabre battle between Luke and Darth Vader in the carbonite freezing chamber, and the biggest twist in movie history was uttered and to this day will remain my favorite movie watching experience, the reveal that Vader was in fact Luke’s father.

                Moments like these created an essence in me where I became obsessed with not only Star Wars, but film itself, and in my opinion that’s an experience that can never be topped. Just the opportunity to watch an influential film like Empire Strikes Back is a treat because through any other circumstance I wouldn’t be able to watch it on the big screen, and to this day I still recall that movie watching experience to be by far my favorite movie experience.

       

                                                                                                                                                                            FIN.

The Early Radio Experience

                The station I listened to when I was growing up was AM 640. I know that it’s a talk radio/sports station but honestly, that’s really all I listened to. When my dad and I went to visit my grandparents after school, he would put on AM 640 on the car radio and we would listen to the discussions on politics, sports, and pressing news happening around the world.

                I thought it was a really cool station because it offered opinions and educated views on topics relevant to what was happening. It was different to hear a station that didn’t play music but alternatively offering an opinion from real people. I also remember hearing from a jokey that  my dad and I really liked and his name was Spider Jones, a former boxer who hosted a weekly show talking about different topics in which he would offer his own advice. He would have the slogan of “DOUBLE SHOCK POWER!” as his retort when he solved people’s problems. He provided an experience that I will never forget and ever since those early days of listening to him on 640 I was hooked.

                Now, every time my dad and I get into a car you can bet that we are tuning into AM 640 and listening to what the people of Toronto have to say and sometimes even voice our own opinions the only way an AM 640 listener can do.  

                 

 FIN.