Star Wars


Star Wars is the name of a movie (now called A New Hope), based on the ideas
of writer/director George Lucas, which has had numerous prequels, sequels,
and literary adapatations. The movies revolve around the transition between
the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire, as well as the galactic civil
war which erupts between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire in an
epic struggle between good and evil. The story is set A long time ago, in a
galaxy far, far away.

Overview

The Star Wars story has been presented in a series of American movies, which
have spawned dozens of books. The Star Wars mythos is also the basis of many
toys and games. Though the films and books are set in outer space and employ
common science fiction motifs, the plots are humanistic in nature. Star Wars
is an outstanding example of the space opera sub-genre of science fiction.

It has been noted that it is almost impossible in the United States to go
for a full day without hearing some reference to Star Wars. This is a
testament to the extraordinary popularity that the Star Wars films have
enjoyed. (Only Star Trek has a comparable popularity in American popular
culture.) However, whereas Star Trek takes a fundamentally rational,
scientific view to storytelling, Star Wars has a strong 'mythic' quality to
it, with individual heroes and villains in the style of Campbellian myth.

The strong human appeal of the Star Wars story probably accounts for its
enduring popularity; it has also been postulated that this popularity is
based on nostalgia. Many Star Wars fans first saw the films as children, and
their (for the time) revolutionary special effects and simple, Manichean
story made a profound impact.

The Star Wars films show considerable similarity to Asian Wu Xia "Kung Fu"
films, as well as Greek mythology. Lucas has stated that his intention was
to create in Star Wars a modern mythology, based on the studies of his
friend Joseph Campbell. Lucas has also stated that Akira Kurosawa's 1958
film The Hidden Fortress (USA release 1962) was a strong influence. The
resemblance between the two buffoon farmers in The Hidden Fortress and the
two talkative droids in Star Wars is striking. Indeed, when the droids find
themselves alone on Tatooine, even the music and the style of "wipe" cuts
are a clear homage to Hidden Fortress.

A notable feature of the Star Wars films is that they portray a world full
of grime and hokey technology, not the sleek, futuristic world typical of
earlier science fiction films. In one of his many interviews on the making
of Star Wars, Lucas told of rubbing the new props with dirt to make them
look weatherworn. It is tempting to speculate that this break from
traditional science fiction film influenced the cyberpunk genre that emerged
around 1984.

The film is not universally admired. Since its release, there has been a
clear trend towards special-effects-driven movies geared towards a teenage
audience. Many critics deplore this trend, and hold Star Wars responsible.
It may be that the trend was a natural consequence of economic and
technological forces in the film industry, but Star Wars, for better or for
worse, is an emblem to many of that sea change.

The Star Wars franchise goes beyond the five already released films. Bantam
Books has for quite some time been publishing officially-sanctioned Star
Wars novels. The novels are officially part of the Star Wars universe and
they feature characters from the films, as well as others that are not from
the films. The legacy of Star Wars is continued in this manner in between
the releases of the films. Some fans consider the novels to have better
stories than the films themselves.

The original Star Wars (A New Hope) has been selected for preservation in
the United States National Film Registry.

Star Wars Movies

Listed in order of story time:

  1. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (19th May 1999)
  2. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (16th May 2002)
  3. Star Wars Episode III (scheduled release 2005)
  4. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope original title was Star Wars; the
     first Star Wars movie to be released (25th May 1977)
  5. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (21st May 1980)
  6. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (25th May 1983)

Star Wars Books

Books have been written for each of the movies, but other books have been
written detailing the events not contained in the movies. These books are
part of the Expanded Universe, and are written by fans and authorized by
George Lucas.

List of Star Wars Novelizations:

   * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks
   * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore
   * Star Wars Episode III (probably to be released in early 2005)
   * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope by George Lucas
   * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back by Donald Glut
   * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi by James Khan