#91 Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI-Return of the Jedi

Position: #91

Directed By: Richard Marquand

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher

Empire's Star Rating: 4

When I originally saw this film at about 6 or 7 i thought it was the best of the Star Wars series, however as i've gone on I realise that it doesn't match the originality of A New Hope, or provide the action that The Empire Strikes Back does. Picking up a few months after the end of the last film, we are initially shown an unknown figure free Han Solo of his Carbonite bonds, a tense opener which is quickly followed by a showdown with a Rancor and a desert battle. This opening half an hour showed a lot of promise but it rapidly descended into slow dialogues with Yoda and the laying of the battle plans. Around an hour of the movie is dedicated to talking about the impending battle, which when it arrives is a little dissapointing. In space the action jumps around too much and stays true to the usual cliches, on Endor a promising fight is quickly brought to an end before a sneak attack rapidly turns the tide. Although it may seem enticing the lack of actual fighting is minimal, if one side wasn't being calmly led away whilst remaining unarmed then the others were. It jut didn't seem to work on an aesthetic level. A nice speeder chase was thrown in but that was repeatedly undermined by the native teddy bears' screen time.

The acting remains solid as per usual with Lucas. We really feel for Luke at the end when he says goodbye to his father, he plays the conflicted youth well, but again Harrison Ford steals the show. His witty quips and bromance with Chewie is touching and sweet, his charisma improves any scene he's in and his love for Leia is never questioned. Having said that the rebel command lacks any flare when in battle they seem devoid of emotion and their attempts to convey a sense of danger is laughable at times. All that in mind the main focus of the story is told well by the necessary actors, it's easy to criticise the backgroud characters that only serve to add a little authenticity but they aren't particularly important.

Lucas' previous films in the series were spectacular and my dissapointment in this is glossed over by his previous attempts however it was odd that his storytelling is what let the film down. The middle of the film was too dialogue heavy, and the integration with the Ewok culture seemed an unnecessary tangent. The run time could've been cut down significantly to facilitate a more compact plot, it isn't too difficult to follow as such but some of it appears to have been put in their to fill time. The special effects as always with Star Wars is superb especially for its time, and despite the lack of action in the middle when it does arrive, the set plays are something to be marvelled at. The technology on display is sophisticated enough to make it believable but simple enough to work out what it is. The general feel of the movie maintains its integrity, we thoroughly feel as if we are there in this futuristic (but somehow in the past) world or that some day this is what life will be like(or was?).

So Episode 6 ties up the loose ends nicely, there are some touching moments and the special effects are marvellous as always. The battles are a little one dimensional (with the exclusion of the opening one) and there are numerous parts that just don't need to be there. We are thoroughly made to believe we are there, but it seems that what we find is a little bit boring.

72/100
Drags on in parts and lots of unnecessary fluff. But a strong cast and believability go some way to make up for this. A pretty good conlcusion to the Star Wars saga.

#97 Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

Position: #97

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi

Empire's Star Rating: 5

I watched this film for the first time very recently having got into Tarantino's films after seeing inglorious basterds. For me this film was fantastic despite having a slightly slow start. The opening scene in a cafe doesn't seem particularly necessary to the story; the fact Mr Pink doen't willingly tip the waitress is never elaborated on which seems to render that opening exchange useless. It does however set up the iconic slow motion walk, but even that's clutching at straws. After a somewhat inospicious start the film rapidly gains momentum, the serene opening is rapidly followed by a man covered in blood screaming out in pain. As well as providing a shock factor to the audience it acts as testament to Tarantino's filmaking in the way in which he is able to juxtapose two heavily contrasting scenes so smoothly. He then slows the pace right down as Mr Orange and Pink debate the circumstances, when before we know it they're pointing guns at each other. This stop-start method keeps the audience guessing and on the edge of their seat. Although many people criticised the torture scene i think it was crucial in epitomising the gulf in moral standards of these men. Although they were all doing the same thing they all had very different ways in which to go bout it. As for the flashbacks, well, they were necessary i suppose but there wasn't a lot of difference between each one. The traitor's background was interesting and added something more to the character but the other stories were a little pointless if you ask me. All they really told us was this one guy asked 5 people who he had known for varying degrees of time to do a job. We already knew this and didn't need 15 minutes of flashbacks to re-inforce it. Although this was a nice twist by tarantino to the typical chronology of films I just don't think it really came off. It just felt as if he was trying to bend the rules to fit his story. 

The acting is fabulous, the loyalty and integrity of some characters conflict with the brutality and selfishness of others. We as the audience have no idea who the traitor is right up until pretty much when the charcaters in the film do, which in itself is a testament to their ability. The decision to base the film in one location works to the film's advantage as it allows the characters to flourish. We are given more character development time which makes us empathise with them more, we become more involved in it. When personalities do clash we understand the grounds which each character stands on so to speak. We're made fully aware of the reasons behind their actions as well as justification for their means. The focus on pretty much just the central 7 or 8 characters also works as we spend a lot of time with them and are able to view teir development, which further pulls us into the storyline. The closing showdown isn't laboured by Tarantino the cliche endings to gun fights are avoided completely by the director, for me this makes the film much more aesthetically pleasing others with similar premises. It would hve felt like a bit of a 'cop-out' had everyone somehow survived or the right guys were in the right place at the right time. The mix up is unexpected but it is effective.

So the film hits us emotionally as well as providing numerous shock moments. The audience is kept guessing and Tarantino adds some superb artistic touches. The start was a little slow but we are quickly thrown into the action which detracts from this, most of the flashbacks seem pointless and boring when compared to the real time conversations the characters have. All in all it was a highly pleasing film with great acting and a solid directorial debut. The negatives are few in number but do detract slightly from my overall rating of the film.  

82/100
Full of action in the form of nailbiting confrontations and a graphic torture scene, the acting is superb and the plot is enthralling too. Tarntino does try to bend the rules to his credit but they seem to have little impact and meaning on the film as a whole. All in all a very good film.