Star Wars in Review: Which Episode is Best?

[pzarquon]

With what we're told is the last installment of the "Star Wars" saga now in theaters, the unavoidable question before us is, Which "Star Wars" movie was the best? Which did you like, overall, and which did you dislike with the flaming heat of a hundred suns? Why?

Apparently, the Empire Strikes Back tops most of these polls... but I think we have Kevin Smith to thank for a lot of that. :)

[scrivener]

The fact that Kevin Smith is right and heard does not mean that he has influence. Empire is better than the others for all the reasons everyone gives and has been giving forever. When Luke goes into that cave and faces his enemy, only to learn that his enemy is himself, Star Wars takes the leap from good guys vs. bad guys action and adventure to searching oneself for answers, for blame, for courage, and for love. In literature a cave almost always means rebirth (it's symbolic of the birth canal), but it means, too, a passing from innocence to knowledge, and that knowledge is always of the capacity for darkness within our own souls.

THIS is why Luke can't bring himself to kill his father--it's not because of filial piety, but because Luke understands that it could be him behind the Darth Vader mask. It could be Leia. It could be Han, or Chewbacca, or you, or me. THIS is why Empire rules.

[pzarquon]

Yeah, but despite the ewoks, doesn't the full epiphany only manifest itself (along with Vader's own redemption) in Episode VI?

I actually liked Episode IV quite a bit, though both because of what it was for its time and for its basic sense of adventure. And I essentially agree with the superiority of Episode V, but sadly, I tend to run into people who are more interested in reciting the lines from Clerks than they are with the underlying story (such as there is one) in Star Wars.

[helen]

I have heard various stories that in "Return of the Jedi" that the Wookies was originally planned to be on the planet (or was that a moon) where the second Death Star was being built. Then again why would the Empire choose to build it on a planet populated by 7 foot tall beings that could rip your arms out of your sockets.

I think using the Ewoks was a better choice in terms that the Empire didn't count on them fighting back.

[mel]

My favorite Star Wars movies... generally all part of a good story:

1. Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope: When I first saw this back in 1977 at the Cinerama theater, there was nothing like it. After I came out it was the only movie that gave me a feeling of "Wow! This was exciting and something special." Every movie I seen since has not provided me with that "wow" factor. I was so angry that this movie lost out to Annie Hall for Best Picture during the Oscars that year.

2. Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: Yes, the dark middle tale of the original series is very, very good... The revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father was quite astounding.

3. Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: Now we know how and why Anakin became such a Dark Lord of the Sith. Great action, and good story wrap that brings the franchise to full circle.

4. Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi: All of the scenes with the Emperor vs. Luke; Darth vs. Luke; Darth vs. the Emperor are great... the speeder chase through the forest moon Endor is still one of the best action sequences in the series.

5. Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones: The action scenes, light sabre duels in this one is probably mostly memorable.

6. Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace: This would have been a better movie if Jar Jar Binks was not in it. Qui Gon and Darth Maul are quite memorable.

[Konaguy]

Empire Strikes Back was the best.Can't beat the "I am your father, Luke" line.

[pzarquon]

Having just seen Episode III (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=5418), I gotta say, it ranks surprisingly high. After having the original trilogy in mind all these years, seeing it only as a story about Luke Skywalker, the missing piece from "Revenge of the Sith" turns the whole six film story arc into one about Anakin.

[helen]

I got that impression after watching Episode 1. However what was not shown in Episode 4 was Darth Vader's reaction that his Star Destoryer ended up around his home world after chasing his daughter who sent a couple of droids, one of which he built and the other served as his co-polit, down to his home planet to find his old mentor, but instead the droids ended up in the service of his step-brother who was raising his son. What are the odds of that situation?

With this in mind, it sort of makes Luke firing off the shot that destorys the Death Star really believable.

Makes you kind of wonder if the Stormtroopers who killed Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru directly contacted Darth Vader?

[Ra-Di-Oh!]

How do we vote for the Star Wars Wookie Christmas TV special?

[Lei K]

I was the lone voter for Episode III in case you were wondering. :o :D

You know, I can't really explain why I love ROTS the most but I do. I used to like ROTJ the best followed CLOSELY by Empire (almost a tie to me) but I just loooove the newest installment! It took me a while to admit it to myself and the inner Star Wars geek in me felt badly to say it out loud.

[kimo55]

this is the best ep.



http://www.lookatentertainment.com/v/v-1046.htm




www.lookatentertainment.com/nneu231nd1zd823/vids/v-1046.wmv

[jdub]

you can't touch IV..."A New Hope" created the, ahem, star wars "empire"...as far as the batch of prequels goes, i can't tell one from the other...and what's the difference, as "Jedi" gave us the resolution IV begged anyway...props to lucas for being a hollywood iconoclast, but i don't even care about the storyline after (or before, i guess) the ewok pa'ina in "Jedi"...blame the scripts, blame CGI obfuscating cinematography, or blame nerds like us, but I-III failed miserably, in my humble, old fart opinion...

[Pedro]

I loved Return of the Jedi because it is one of the very first star wars films I seen when I was just a little kid. I remember eating a box of Crackerjacks while watching it on T.V. The movie was originally suppose to be called Revenge Of The Jedi :eek: . They actually made posters of it until George Lucas decided there was no such thing as Revenge for a Jedi :( If anyone still has the Revenge Of The Jedi movie posters they are worth a lot. I sure wish I had one. :rolleyes:

[mel]

This may be slightly off topic, but in a geeky sort of way this is neat.

Someone had a lot of time to create an animated ASCII adventure of Star Wars Episode IV.

You can view it here: telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

The item is a work in progress so you only get about 1/2 of the story. Still it is neat.

(You must use a terminal program to see this).

[alohabear]

Am I the only one who likes "puppet Yoda" better than "CGI Yoda? He seemed more "human" in Empire.

[alohabear]

This movie filled in some of the holes,not too bad. The jedi control fear , but fear of Aniken made Vader.
Easter Egg on disc 1....Main Menu... Go to options... press 11...press 3...press 8.
See hip- hop Yoda get down.