Tuesday tv: Jedi for anything; MOVIE CHOICE.
Return Of The Jedi ITV, 8.00pmTHIS third instalment of the original Star Wars trilogy sees our heroes reunited and ready to battle Vader's evil Empire one last time.
But the wonderfully dark and eerie atmosphere that oozed from The Empire Strikes Back has gone, to be replaced by a more child- friendly feeling of cuteness, with good triumphing over evil and, er, walking teddy bears.
Even Vader doesn't seem so daunting this time around now that he is playing second fiddle to the Emperor and engaging Luke in proper conversation.
But things get off to a fantastic start with the opening scenes on Luke's home planet of Tatooine.
Our much-loved gang of freedom fighters Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Lando (Billy Dee Williams), Chewie (Peter Mayhew) and the droids (Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker) are on a rescue mission to save Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from the slimy clutches of Jabba The Hut.
They do this with the help of George Lucas' wonderful ingenuity but, once this goal is attained, it is back to outer space where the rebel alliance is about to face the Empire's most deadly threat ever - a second, more powerful Death Star that will spell doom if it is not destroyed.
Luke and company travel to the forest moon of Endor to knock out the shield that defends the Death Star, where they are befriended by the Ewoks, the planet's teddy- like indigenous race.
But Luke soon fears his presence will endanger their mission and must turn himself over to Darth Vader (David Prowse with the voice of James Earl Jones) in order to sort out some serious family conflict and defy the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid).
The best scenes of the film come in the opening rescue mission and Luke's tense conversations with Vader and the Emperor.
Though the resolution is not a complete surprise, it is still exciting and surprisingly moving stuff.
The special effects are pretty amazing even nearly 20 years on, especially in this special edition format which sees extra scenes added and the technology honed to near perfection.
A reasonably satisfying ending to a breathtaking, timeless trilogy that is still light years ahead of the latest Star Wars offerings. (1983)
Ryan and daughter
Paper Moon Cinema, 4.00pm - 6.00pm
THIS charming slice of depression-era comedy drama stars the father and daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O'Neal.
Set in the grim Midwest of the early '30s, the era and its people come to life with the help of the black and white cinematography, cars, radio shows and popular songs of the time.
Addie (Tatum O'Neal) is orphaned when her mother dies in a car crash. Small time con artist and probable father Moses (Ryan O'Neal) turns up at the funeral and reluctantly agrees to take Addie to her only known relatives in another state.
The little girl turns out to be an even better con artist than Moses, and the two soon become partners in crime.
But when Moses falls for dancer Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn) and gets into trouble with corrupt sheriff John Hillerman, it's up to Addie to sort it out.
Tatum won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her precocious performance, while Ryan is perfectly understated as the exasperated father who learns to love his daughter. (1973)
A Perfect World
Details above
TEXAS Ranger Clint Eastwood leads the manhunt for escaped convict Kevin Costner, who has taken hostage an eight-year-old Jehovah's Witness. Prickly drama set in the summer of 1963, directed by Eastwood at an almost contemplative pace - the world would change its speed soon enough. Laura Dern co-stars (1993)
Conan The Barbarian
MovieMax, 12.55am - 3.05am
BURLY Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as an axe-wielding neanderthal bent on revenge. John Milius' violent, stylish comic-strip saga has the nerve to present itself as a straight-faced, ponderously philosophical epic. Incredibly, it works (1982)
Tumbleweeds
Premier, 2.35am - 4.35am
TRAILER-PARK Southern belle Janet McTeer heads for California with her asthmatic young daughter Kimberley J. Brown after yet another relationship has gone pear-shaped. Familiar mother-daughter frictions and road-movie rituals given a fresh sheen by terrific performances from McTeer and Brown. With Laurel Holloman (1999)
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Nov 2, 2002 |
| Words: | 696 |
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