THOUGH ENHANCED, IT'S STILL `STAR WARS'.Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic ``Star Wars'' is back, although it's not like it ever went away. George Lucas' mythic science-fiction cycle has probably had more cultural impact than anything else ever committed to film. And over 20 years of repeated viewing, more than one generation has pretty much committed the whole trilogy to memory. So it's a smart - and pretty darn delightful - move on Lucas' part to re-release the movies to theaters in spiffy spiffy - /spi'fee/ 1. Said of programs having a pretty, clever, or exceptionally well-designed interface. "Have you seen the spiffy X version of empire yet?" This was common mainstream slang during the 1940s. 2. new ``Special Editions.'' (``Star Wars'' opens today, ``The Empire Strikes Back'' on Feb. 21 and ``Return of the Jedi'' comes back March 7). Soundtracks have been digitally remastered and the prints, which were seriously deteriorating, have been carefully cleaned and not just restored to their original vibrancy, but in many shots enhanced. Lucas reckons that a good half of the 700 changes in the first movie are strictly cosmetic. And while they are certainly a welcome sight, it's the really new stuff - as well as some old, never-before-seen stuff - that makes the refurbished edition special. The story, of course, remains sacred and unaltered. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy, although her comedic novels also have won praise. ) is taken captive aboard the Empire's Death Star, but not before she sends 'droids R2D R2D Return To Dominate (sports battle cry) 2 and C3PO C3PO Star Wars protocol droid model C3PO Custom Third Party Object off to find retired Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. (Alec Guinness). With the help of bored, backwater planet teen Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill <noinclude></noinclude> Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. Hamill is best known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy. ), they do. With the help of mercenary space cowboy Space Cowboy may refer to:
In the first released Star Wars (Harrison Ford), they rescue the princess from the clutches of evil personified, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones' voice and a guy in a big black suit). And with the help of the Force, that mystical source of good and bad energy, young Luke saves the day. Somewhat more spectacularly than he did before, if you can imagine such a thing. But although the computer enhancements during the climactic space battle are neat, the really exciting stuff takes place a lot earlier. The Mos Eisley spaceport space·port n. An installation for sheltering, testing, maintaining, and launching spacecraft. has been greatly expanded, its visual population doubled by all sorts of new creatures, flying vehicles and visual gags. And a completely digital Jabba the Hutt confronts a fast-talking Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon's docking bay. The Industrial Light and Magic computer graphics artists have done a wondrous job with this, going so far as to construct a relatively healthier-looking Jabba than the debauched de·bauch v. de·bauched, de·bauch·ing, de·bauch·es v.tr. 1. a. To corrupt morally. b. To lead away from excellence or virtue. 2. , puppeted one introduced in ``Return of the Jedi.'' More new touches large and small, obvious and subtle, spice up the adventure. But high tech as all this is, the movie still retains its charming, beat-up past-future-retro look. Somewhat disappointingly, the ``Special Edition'' also keeps ``Star Wars' '' more wretched dialogue stretches (Han and Leia's ``sexy'' insults have only grown tinnier with the years). And all the computerized tinkering in the universe can't disguise the fact that the story's greatest strength rests in its easy-to-follow, straightforward simplicity. But that's also part of what makes ``Star Wars'' the most resonant of all thrill-ride movies. There have been smarter ones, faster ones, even more spectacular ones in the 20 years since we first saw ``Star Wars.'' Somehow, though, nothing's been quite as much effortless fun. THE FACTS The film:``Star Wars Special Edition'' (PG; violence). The stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness. Behind the scenes: Written and directed by George Lucas. Produced by Gary Kurtz. Released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: Two hours, five minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Three Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the Millennium Falcon, charter pilot Solo's ancient, but souped-up spaceship. |
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