My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #12
By Ken Parker
I have already mentioned how important
it is to have a great movie viewing experience. An unforgettable
time watching an excellent movie can shape the way you perceive the
film forever. I already mentioned one time I saw a double feature of
The Road Warrior and Blade Runner. That experience,
coupled with the fact that they were excellent movies helped shape
how I see them today. Of course I have fond theater going memories
of Battlefield Earth but that film is on an entirely different
list. A bad list.
The experience and what mood you are in
can also influence the perception. I also stated before that
expectations can alter the final perception, either making the film
seem better or even worse than it really is.
The following film is the only film on
this list that I actually took a day off from school to see. It was
a major event in my movie going history, probably more so than any
other movie on this list. The expectations were sky high and for me
it happened at a time in my life where a lot of changes were going
on. It would be the end of my childhood at around this time
(although I did continue to buy toys until sometime a few weeks
ago.....) but I would never again enjoy the adventures of childhood
as much as I had during this time period.
12 – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Despite one particular friend who
believes all the Star Wars films should be bundled into one
massive movie, I have ranked this one just outside of my top 10. It
would be safe to say not to expect to see any more than two more Star
Wars movies on this list. The later prequel trilogy have lots
going for them. Seeing The Phantom Menace in the theater
rivaled Return of the Jedi in terms of an excellent memorable
movie events. Still, the three prequels pale in comparison and only
Revenge of the Sith approaches the level of quality of the
“original” trilogy.
IMDB Story Outline -
Darth
Vader and the Empire are building a new, indestructible Death Star.
Meanwhile, Han Solo has been imprisoned, and Luke Skywalker has sent
R2-D2 and C-3PO to try and free him. Princess Leia - disguised as a
bounty hunter - and Chewbacca go along as well. The final battle
takes place on the moon of Endor, with its natural inhabitants, the
Ewoks, lending a hand to the Rebels. Will Darth Vader and the Dark
Side overcome the Rebels and take over the universe? Written
by Colin
Tinto <cst@imdb.com>
Never had I waited with more difficulty
than for this film to finally come out. For the first time I scanned
for every piece of news and rumor about this film. I remember seeing
photos of the filming of Blue Harvest and saw a photo of
Yoda's cousin, a small blue elephant (who turned out to be none other
than Max Reebo of the band playing for Jabba the Hutt.) Remember the
comic book that was accidentally released a few days before the movie
came out? All of this hype was part of the expectations I had.
The anticipation was so high my brother
and I took the day off from school and traveled to the less crowded
Hadley Mall to wait in line for the first showing. We were first in
line. If the guy who cut in front of us right as the line started is
reading this, hope you choked on your popcorn.
Well, how was the movie? It made it
this far up on my list, right? Now it is ranked below the first two
(more on them soon). The film is considered the weaker of the three
but I would argue only because The Empire Strikes Back was so
good and Star Wars (also known as A New Hope), was the
original. Return of the Jedi had some flaws and let downs but
perhaps that was all expectation influenced. The film included some
of the most incredible and emotional scenes. The final battle
between Vader and Luke and the return of Anakin Skywalker was the
most emotional and stunning scenes for the entire franchise.
I think there was some disappointment,
perhaps mostly because the ride was over. Not being able to live up
to the expectations and no promise of a continuation may have been
part of the let down. One could argue that some elements of the film
were not as strong as the could have been. Examples include the
fizzling of Boba Fett. Here was a very popular character who did
nothing but shoot and miss Luke, transport a frozen Han Solo to
Tatooine and, in his moment of glory, flew out into battle, got his
gun cut in half and accidentally hit in the back by a blind man and
finally falling into a creature's mouth.
The powerful Empire fared no better,
being stopped by a bunch of teddy bears and putting their new Death
Star into operation a few months too early. These types of things
may have been part of the reason why Return of the Jedi is
many people's third favorite Star Wars film.
Still, the conclusion was satisfying.
Cheering in the theater for these heroes in their final adventure was
one of the memories I have of the film. The Star Wars trilogy
had concluded in spectacular fashion.
I have given away two of my upcoming
movies on my list when mentioning Star Wars and The Empire Strikes
Back but I hope to surprise you with their placement on that list.
When did I first see this movie –
opening day
How many times have I seen it – 5
times in the theater (including the special edition release). Yes,
you heard me. Not 50. Not 500. 5 times. I have probably seen it a
total of 30 times including cable, DVD, etc.
I have the special edition on DVD
(although my nephew borrowed it a few years ago). I have yet to get
the blu ray.. someday.
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