While I wish I could have posted this earlier, unanticipated circumstances arose that prevented me from doing so. However, I’m here now, and there’s no time like the present.
As a Star Wars fan, I’m excited to finally be making my first post regarding the “galaxy far, far away.”
This wasn’t my first opportunity to write about Star Wars, given the recent announcement of the Episode VII cast, but I felt the anniversary of the original film’s release was the best time to introduce this blog to Star Wars commentary.
Despite the buzz surrounding the upcoming film, I won’t be discussing Episode VII. The future holds plenty of opportunities to discuss that subject, so I’ll be devoting this post to subjects regarding the other films, and Star Wars Day itself.
Star Wars Day
I reached a predicament concerning Star Wars Day in April as I prepared this piece for May 4—the date most refer to as Star Wars Day due to the phrase, “May the Fourth be with you.” The Star Wars Facebook page frequently posted images counting down the days to May 4, which is where I came across a complaint against the May 4 Star Wars Day celebration.
In the comments for one of the photos, someone mentioned the true origin of the phrase, “May the Fourth be with you,” which to my surprise, has more to do with politics than Star Wars itself.
The iconic phrase was first used May 4, 1979 after Margaret Thatcher was elected the first female prime minister of the U.K. Thatcher’s party bought an ad in the London Evening News reading, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations,” after the election.
I know this fact isn’t news to most, but it was to me, and I must admit I was rather surprised the phrase wasn’t originally coined by Star Wars fans for a Star Wars-related reason.
The first organized celebration of the May 4 recognition of Star Wars Day wasn’t until 2011 in Toronto, Canada. I wasn’t surprised upon learning this fact considering the first time the unofficial holiday, or “May the Fourth be with you,” came to my attention was that same year when the cover designs for the Star Wars Bluray sets were officially released.
As a fan, I don’t find much significance pertaining to the celebration of May 4 since these discoveries. Sure, May 4 gives us a catchy phrase we can sputter all day long, but what does the day really mean for Star Wars?
There are others who recognize May 25 as the true Star Wars Day, and I have to say I agree with this view. The anniversary of the original film’s release is a much more significant basis for a day of recognition than a simple play on words.
Now, to get into the bulk of this post, I’m going to discuss Phantom Menace’s status as a Star Wars film.
I’ll probably be reamed by most who read this for what I’m about to say, but I figure since most people spend their time slamming this movie, I’ll spend mine defending it.
OK, first I’m going to just put it out there and say Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) isn’t as bad as everyone has made it out to be in the last 15 years, especially compared to the latter two films of the Prequel Trilogy. The consensus is Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) is the “best” prequel, but I respectfully disagree.
I’ll admit Phantom Menace’s plot is shakier compared to its sequels, but there are other elements that give all three films advantages and disadvantages in terms of quality.
Jar Jar
I’m going to start by getting this guy off the table.
It’s obvious no one likes Jar Jar Binks, and I’m not going to dispute that. While we would have liked to see Jar Jar get an exit more along these lines, cutting his screen time down to practically nothing by Revenge of the Sith wasn’t a bad alternative.
The character technically serves a purpose (inspiring Amidala to revolt against the Trade Federation and “starting” the Clone Wars), but the distraction and annoyance he brings to the films outweigh any purpose his character could provide.
Jar Jar is featured in the majority of Phantom Menace, reducing the film’s appeal since his screen time is reduced to less than half in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and even less in Revenge of the Sith. Unfortunately, the latter two prequels contain other problems that make Jar Jar’s irritancy seem somewhat irrelevant, nullifying the character’s existence as a reason to disown Phantom Menace.
Romance
Let’s be honest. The dialogue (and chemistry) between Anakin and Padmé concerning their romance in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is pretty damn terrible. It’s the cringiest element of the latter two prequels for me, but that’s not because I’m uncomfortable with onscreen romance. Take The Empire Strikes Back for example. The romance between Han and Leia couldn’t have been done any better, and I’m sure many agree.
Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman ) in Episode III
“I felt I needed a love story, and yet I couldn’t have a lot of smooching and kissing and all that stuff, and it had to all be more implied.” – Director Irvin Kershner on the Han/Leia romance in Empire, from Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004)
We can say, “If only they’d gone the Empire route for the love story,” all day long, but we have to deal with what we have, and what we have for a love story in the prequels does neither the franchise, nor the significance of the romance justice.
A connection between Anakin and Padmé is present in Phantom Menace, but it’s far more subtle than that of its sequels due to the characters’ age difference, and isn’t even the film’s focus. The Anakin/Padmé romance plays a bigger role in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, serving as the catalyst for Anakin’s corruption and fall to the dark side. One would think the love story would have been done better if love was responsible for Darth Vader’s existence, but that shouldn’t be any surprise considering how the prequels fell short in a number of areas.
I’m not sure which line bothered me most, but two from Revenge of the Sith—“Hold me…like you did by the lake on Naboo,” (Natalie Portman) and “No, it’s because I’m so in love with you.” (Hayden Christensen)—are strong contenders for 1st place.
This romance is just one element among many placing Phantom Menace above the other prequels. We may watch Phantom Menace dreading Jar Jar entering the frame, but we can sit soundly knowing the lovey-dovey material is an entire film away.
Podracing
This is more of a nostalgia bit than anything else.
As unnecessary as the podracing sequence may have been in Phantom Menace, it was still one of the more exciting parts of the film, along with the climactic lightsaber duel. I’ll even say that for 1999, the computer animation in this sequence isn’t half bad. Oddly, the vehicles look better than their drivers, with the exception of Anakin since he’s a human actor.
Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith obviously have no podracing, but it’s not like they needed it since the storytelling gets heavier. Attack of the Clones gives us the speeder chase on Coruscant, which is as close as we’ll get to a second podrace, but the hokey dialogue during the speeder chase makes it difficult to like the sequence as much.
The main reason to be thankful for the podrace actually has nothing to do with the Phantom Menace film, but a video game, and anyone who grew up playing N64 in the late 90’s and early 2000’s knows what I’m talking about.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer (1999) was probably one of the best commercial products to come out of Phantom Menace. It was the most fun racing game I ever played growing up, next to Mario Kart 64 (1996), but not only that, Racer to date holds the record for best-selling sci-fi racing game with worldwide sales of 3.2 million, according to Guinness World Records 2011 – Gamer’s Edition. The game also received mostly positive reviews for both N64 and PC versions.
So why give a hoot about podracing? Well, because it was a fun, exciting and memorable action sequence set on a planet we all know and love. Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, of course, have action sequences of their own, but to me personally, none stuck out as much as the podrace, with the exception of the lightsaber duel in the third film.
Like I said, it’s mainly nostalgia talking here, but it’s still another reason for me to rank Phantom Menace higher.
Villains
One of the reasons I feel the prequels were weaker than the originals is because of their lacking a consistent antagonist. Yes, Palpatine is there, but he’s always lurking in the shadows. He’s not the in-your-face villain until Revenge of the Sith, and he splits that role with Vader.
The originals gave us Vader as a consistent villain to identify with throughout all three films, which is what we needed with the prequels. Darth Maul could have been a worthy candidate, but they decided to kill him instead. My preference would have been establishing Grievous as the main antagonist with Palpatine in the background, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The three sub-villains of the Prequel Trilogy (left to right): Darth Maul, Count Dooku and General Grievous
So without a consistent villain, it boils down to who does the better job.
In my opinion, Maul is the clear winner because Dooku and General Grievous were nothing but laughable due to their dialogue. Plus, Maul was the only villain in the film saga to wield a double-blade, which come on, is badass. The concept of Grievous is good, but anyone who saw Revenge of the Sith knows the character was underdeveloped and not well-executed. Grievous was killed off too early, given the character’s total screen time, and in an anti-climactic way. Dealing with a new villain can be a problem when you’re supposed to have both Vader and the Emperor in the closer, but then why have Grievous at all?
Maul was also the only villain to not spout the whole “join me” gag—the only villain this worked with was Vader in Empire. One could argue we only got to see Maul kick ass and look cool, but compared to Dooku and Grievous, is that a bad trade-off?
And I’m obviously not the only one who thinks this since Maul was resurrected (outside the films) years later.
Liam Neeson
The best part of Phantom Menace is this man.
Known at the time for his lead roles in gripping dramas such as Schindler’s List (1993) and Michael Collins (1996), and now for fast-paced action thrillers like Taken (2008), Liam Neeson brought the same acting potential to Phantom Menace as the late Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars. Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn is definitely the best element of the film, even above Darth Maul, which is why folks often say things like, “Not even Liam Neeson could have saved this trash.”
It’s just fun to see him provide a sense of wit and humor, sometimes unintentional, throughout the movie, also like Guinness. He has that “I don’t give a shit” mentality about him, which is one of the elements that make his character missed in the next two installments.
And what a letdown it was when we all thought we’d be revisited by Mr. Neeson in the end of Revenge of the Sith that first time we saw it. Only if, right?
However, we have Neeson in Phantom Menace, which is a major help in distilling Jar Jar’s potency. Be thankful.
Battle Droids
Battle droids and super battle droids fighting during the Battle of Geonosis in Episode II
This one’s just stupid. When you have hordes of droids built specifically for combat, it makes no sense to give them personality of any sort. What’s the point if the majority of them are going to be destroyed?
This presents the question as to why battle droids talk at all. One could argue speech is needed for one droid to relay an order to another, so I’ll give them that. But here’s an even bigger question: Why keep the voices the same in the first two films, but then drastically change them for the third?
To put it bluntly, the battle droids sound like something out of a toddlers’ paradise in Revenge of the Sith. Is the ridiculous way they speak supposed to be intimidating to the Republic forces? If so, I don’t see it. And to make it worse, the super battle droids’ (introduced in Attack of the Clones) voices are even more cartoonish.
Anyone who played Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005) knows the super battle droids were given deep, menacing and threatening voices, which weren’t present in Revenge of the Sith.
Speech sample at 0:35
Speech sample at 0:10
Honestly, Attack of the Clones did the best job with the battle droids. The battle droids were hardly featured, but even during the climactic battle the super battle droids didn’t speak and a handful of standard battle droids only spoke a few words. The battle droids do speak in Phantom Menace, and are featured more prominently, but if they’re going to speak, the 60’s robots style in Phantom Menace is the better choice. I’d choose 60’s robots over toddlers’ paradise any day of the week.
Speech sample at 0:54
Speech sample at 5:49
The destroyer droids were obviously done the best because they don’t speak once throughout the Prequel Trilogy. The rest of the Trade Federation’s forces were just made into a joke by the third film. The droids hardly speaking is one of the perks of Attack of the Clones, but in situations when battle droids speak, Phantom Menace wins.
Anakin / Darth Vader
I know some accept Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin and Vader, but I’m not one of them. I still watch and enjoy the films in which he stars, but at the end of the day I’d prefer another actor in his place.
Evolution of Darth Vader (left to right, top to bottom): Jake Lloyd in Phantom Menace, Hayden Christensen in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, David Prowse (suited) in the Original Trilogy, Sebastian Shaw (unmasked) in Return of the Jedi
Christensen’s poor chemistry with Natalie Portman is what I’d call a major contribution to his inability to handle the role, and the overall delivery of his dialogue doesn’t gain him any sympathy votes. I’ve recently come to feel an older and more mature actor was needed to show off Anakin’s military and authoritative personality traits. Think about it this way. Imagine Christensen speaking any of Vader’s lines from the Original Trilogy. Do you buy it?
This next part may sound ridiculous, but I actually feel it’s one of the more important points.
Vader (in the suit) crossing his arms at the end of Revenge of the Sith distorted the illusion of Darth Vader onscreen because he never once crosses his arms in the originals. His trademark stance in the original films was placing his hands on his belt. If Lucas wanted to properly bridge the two trilogies, carrying this body language over to the prequels, I feel, was crucial in depicting the character.
Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (left) compared to Revenge of the Sith (right)
The scene where Vader dawns the suit in Revenge of the Sith was also severely rushed, and in the film’s last minutes too, so we couldn’t even really take it all in. And I’m sure the “Nooooooooooo” was something we all could have done without—and that’s all I’ll say about that.
So, my point?
Phantom Menace may have given us Jake Lloyd as a young Anakin, but Christensen was guilty of far more offenses in portraying the character in the latter two prequels. Because we’re spared Christensen, Phantom Menace, yet again, stands as the more rewarding film.
Soundtrack
John Williams at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978 where he won the Oscar for Best Original Score
As one fond of film scores, this is probably the issue that bothers me the most.
It’s obvious various musical themes are reused throughout the Star Wars saga, such as “The Imperial March.” I say reused and not recycled because while composer John Williams uses the same melodies and patterns in all the films, he uses them in different ways. “The Imperial March” is the perfect example because Williams prominently uses this theme throughout the saga, and no two times are the same.
If one listens to the complete soundtracks of the Original Trilogy, they’ll hear changes in the manner in which the march is performed from scene to scene. In Return of the Jedi (1983), a different emphasis is placed on the notes for the scene in which the Emperor arrives at the Death Star II, as opposed to the first time the march is heard in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
The original Imperial March
Another variation of the march
[Fun fact: Contrary to what people might think, Star Wars (1977)—a.k.a. Episode IV: A New Hope—is the only film in the entire saga to not feature “The Imperial March.” This is because the march wasn’t written until Williams composed the score for Empire.
If one goes back and watches Star Wars (any version) and focuses on the music, they’ll notice the infamous selection commonly known as “Darth Vader’s theme” is nowhere to be heard.]
John Williams and George Lucas going over the original Star Wars score in 1977
To add to the point of the Original Trilogy soundtracks, all three are completely original, meaning not one specific piece of music from any film shows up in another—not counting the main themes of the films’ opening and closing sequences.
When I say “piece of music,” I mean the specific composition itself, not a melody. So while we may hear different interpretations of “The Imperial March” from Empire to Jedi, we never hear the same version twice. This was an element that gave all three original films a unique identity, and this element disappeared, to an extent, in the prequels.
The only prequel with a unique musical identity was Phantom Menace. Not a single piece of music from the Original Trilogy, meaning specific compositions and not the notes themselves, is present in Phantom Menace. For the start of the prequels we’re given a fresh musical score with slight hints to what we’ve previously heard. The same can’t be said, however, for the other two films.
In both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, specific musical selections from the Phantom Menace score were used, or “recycled.” Basically like copy and paste.
The “Duel of the Fates” piece from Phantom Menace being used during the Anakin/Obi-Wan duel in Revenge of the Sith is one incident, with the Battle of Geonosis sequence in Attack of the Clones featuring musical moments Phantom Menace’s opening being another.
Phantom Menace selection at 5:56
Phantom Menace selection at 4:17
I’m confident in thinking this decision wasn’t up to Williams, but more likely George Lucas, as Williams has provided numerous complete and original scores throughout the past several decades.
So Phantom Menace has the upper hand here as it’s the only prequel to feature an original soundtrack from start to finish.
In no way are these topics the limit regarding Star Wars prequel discussion, but I think my point is clear. Is Phantom Menace worthy of Best Picture? No, but when it comes down to it, Phantom Menace is the lesser of three evils concerning the prequels.
Jar Jar may have been bad (to some that’s putting it lightly), but I think he can be tolerated given everything else we have to deal with in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. This is, of course, all my opinion, and every Star Wars fan is entitled to view the films however they choose.
Happy (belated) Star Wars Day.
Celebrating a legacy
“The goal of this group (was) to do an animated feature from the day I started.” – John Lasseter
Feb. 3, 1986 was a date that would not only impact The Walt Disney Company in less than a decade, but it would forever change the art of animation. But why? What is it that makes this date so significant? Because, friends, Feb. 3, 1986 was the day Pixar Animation Studios started down the path to animation innovation.
Now, for one to commemorate this anniversary the right way, one must tell the story of how Pixar came to be. As I’m sure many are unaware, Pixar’s story begins long before the days of Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Believe it or not, the individual truly responsible for Pixar existing at all is George Lucas.
George Lucas in 1983
Lucas’ ambitions and vision of “a galaxy far, far away” led to the formation of Lucasfilm Limited, LLC, Lucas’ production company, and its visual effects division, Industrial Light & Magic.
Pixar’s inception was Lucas’ recruiting Ed Catmull in 1979 to head Lucasfilm’s Computer Division, and the founding of The Graphics Group within the division. TGG’s primary purpose was to explore and develop computer graphics for film.
John Lasseter came to work for TGG in 1983 where he assisted with the short film The Adventures of André & Wally B.
While only two minutes long and incomplete, The Adventures of André & Wally B. demonstrated the potential for computer animation when TGG presented it at SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Technologies), an annual computer graphics conference, on July 25, 1984. According to Pixar’s website, the short film’s highlights were the use of complex visible characters, hand-painted textures and motion blur, ground-breaking technology at the time.
Lasseter’s work on the short film and other TGG projects landed him a full-time position as an interface designer that year. However, everything changed for TGG in 1986.
The Pixar Image Computer
Despite TGG’s success in harnessing computer graphics, and putting them to use in sequences such as the stained-glass knight in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), Lucasfilm was suffering financially. Lucas’ 1983 divorce and declining Star Wars license revenues after Return of the Jedi’s (1983) release were contributing factors to this financial crisis. As a result, TGG split from Lucasfilm, where it became a lone corporation called Pixar, named after the Pixar Image Computer used by TGG in its time with Lucasfilm. Catmull stayed with Pixar, becoming the company’s president.
Months after his May 1985 departure from Apple, Inc., Steve Jobs saw this split as an investment opportunity. He proceeded to purchase Pixar’s technology rights from Lucasfilm for $5 million. All purchase and stock pricing agreements between the two companies officially closed Feb. 3, 1986.
Steve Jobs in 1987
Now, we’re aware of Pixar’s legacy in film and animation today, but following Jobs’ investment, Pixar was primarily a computer hardware company. The primary product was its namesake, the Pixar computer, and one of the buyers of Pixar computers just happened to be Walt Disney Studios. At the time, Disney used the computer as a part of their CAPS project (Computer Animation Production System) to digitally paint the cells of 2-D animated films. The studio’s first film to utilize this process was The Rescuers Down Under (1990).
While marketing and selling Pixar computers, Lasseter and the other Pixar animators were continuing to advance computer animation techniques. From 1986 to 1989 Pixar created four computer-animated short films, two of which made history for Pixar. They were Luxo Jr.(1986), Red’s Dream (1987), Tin Toy (1988) and Knick Knack (1989).
Luxo Jr. became the first computer animated film to receive the nomination for Best Animated Short Film at the 59th Academy Awards (March 30, 1987). Tin Toy became the first computer animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 61st Academy Awards (March 29, 1989).
Despite Tin Toy’s achievement at the Oscars, Luxo Jr. made the bigger impact; more so than any other short film in the company’s history for that matter. If it weren’t obvious enough, the short film’s title character became the infamous hopping lamp we all see in the Pixar logo sequence. The featured desk lamp has become synonymous with Pixar, and vice versa. I like to think of Luxo Jr. as the Steamboat Willie (1928) of Pixar. In that sense, we can all guess what Pixar’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) equivalent is…but I’ll get to that in a minute.
By 1990, sales were down for Pixar and Jobs had invested so much money at this point he practically owned the company. Pixar sold its hardware division to Vicom Systems in April 1990, and took on a larger role as a production company by using its computer animation for commercials.
1991 became the year that would change everything when Disney contracted Pixar to produce three computer-animated feature films. The first of these was, of course, Toy Story (1995).
Technologically speaking, producing an 81-minute computer-animated film was a huge step for Pixar. Not only because they hadn’t ever done it, but also because nobody had done it at this point. The story-writing process came as a bit of a struggle too.
Lasseter and his creative team began tweaking the film’s story to the recommendations of Disney executives, but the film’s first executive screening proved unsatisfactory. In fact, it was a huge letdown. Disney then attempted to shut down production and relocate Pixar to Walt Disney Studios to have more control over the film. Lasseter, as a last resort, pleaded for one more shot to do the film Pixar’s way. The executives granted Lasseter’s request, after which he and his creative team initiated an entire rewrite from scratch. In just two weeks, Pixar delivered the concept for the Toy Story we have today.
Toy Story hit theaters Nov. 22, 1995, was met with critical acclaim and made $191.7 million in its initial U.S. run from 1995-1996. To date, it is the sixth-highest rated film of all time on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% rating based on 77 reviews. Its sequel, Toy Story 2 (1999), is Rotten Tomatoes’ highest rated film with a 100% rating based on 162 reviews.
The Big Four: (left to right) Joe Ranft, Pete Docter, John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton in the early 1990s.
I would never take credit away from the collection of animators, writers, producers and actors that brought Toy Story to life. but I feel the need to emphasize the significance of these four individuals. Without them, the concept of Toy Story we know and love today probably wouldn’t be. Their passion and imaginations pushed Pixar’s creative team to make the company what it is.
Sadly, Ranft died in a car accident on California State Route 1, Aug. 16, 2005. In addition to his story-boarding and concept work with Pixar, Ranft voiced characters in the first seven Pixar films. His funniest, and probably most memorable role is Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug’s Life.
“”Yes, we worry about what the critics say. Yes, we worry about what the opening box office is going to be. Yes, we worry about what the final box office is going to be. But really, the whole point why we do what we do is to entertain our audiences. The greatest joy I get as a filmmaker is to slip into an audience for one of our movies anonymously, and watch people watch our film. Because people are 100 percent honest when they’re watching a movie. And to see the joy on people’s faces, to see people really get into our films…to me is the greatest reward I could possibly get.” – John Lasseter on Toy Story’s impact
Theatrical release poster
Toy Story was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1996, unfortunately not Best Picture, and the award for Best Animated Feature wasn’t created until 2001. The film did receive nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”) and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Although Toy Story didn’t win any of the three, John Lasseter was presented with a Special Achievement award.
Toy Story’s success added Pixar to a long line of historical achievements in the film industry. Because of Toy Story, the world saw that the sky was the limit with animation, and with that, the future held a place for many extraordinary animated titles, many of which were products of Pixar.
A major shift in ownership took places in 2006 when The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar for $7.4 billion. This transaction was the result of years of disputes between Jobs, Pixar’s majority shareholder, and then Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Since the production of Toy Story 2 in the late 1990s, disagreements regarding Pixar’s three-film contract arose, as Toy Story 2 was originally planned for straight-to-video release. When Pixar moved the film up to a theatrical release, Disney still refused to include it as a contract commitment.
With further disputes over story and sequel rights, as well as division of labor and profits, Jobs announced Pixar would seek distributors outside of Disney. Obviously, this never happened.
Negotiations resumed following Eisner’s September 2005 resignation as Disney’s CEO; replaced by Robert Iger, Disney’s current CEO. It was after Eisner’s resignation when negotiations for Disney’s acquisition of Pixar began, completing May 5, 2006. Many of Pixar’s earliest animators and creative team members are now executives running the company, including Lasseter as Pixar’s CCO. Catmull still retains his position as president.
The buyout officially ended Pixar’s 20-year reign as an independent production company, making Cars (2006) its last independent feature. To me, as a viewer, this means the seven true Pixar films will forever be Toy Story, A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004) and Cars.
Of course, even as Disney is credited (by word-of-mouth) with destroying Pixar’s legacy by having control over the company, Pixar still released critically and commercially successful films since the buyout. The list of films since Disney’s acquisition includes Ratatouille (2007), WALL·E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012) and Monsters University (2013).
Most of Pixar’s films since Disney’s purchase contain heavier themes, particularly Up, which explores love and loss in a way audiences probably didn’t expect upon their first viewing. With the exception of Cars 2, I would say all of Pixar’s films have matured since the company’s joining Disney. Although, the transition toward a mature tone really began with Toy Story 2, and of course, I’m referring to Jessie’s recounting of enduring abandonment at the hands of her owner Emily.
In the future, Pixar plans to release Inside Out (2015), a journey into the human mind; The Good Dinosaur (2015), a film probably similar to Disney’s Dinosaur (2000); and Finding Dory (2016), the highly-anticipated sequel to Finding Nemo.
Pixar’s studio in Emeryville, Calif.
As Pixar approaches its 30-year anniversary in 2016, one can only reflect upon the mark the company has left, and continues to leave, on the film industry.
From astonishing short films and an ambitious feature-length project to becoming the world’s pioneer in computer animation, Pixar continues to dazzle filmgoers and animation enthusiasts. And if the company’s impeccable ability to tell a story means anything, it’s that no matter what happens, the legacy of Pixar will be with us forever.
Re, Mi, Do, Do, Sol: Reflecting on Close Encounters
“I thought it was really interesting we didn’t have to journey to the stars to make our discoveries, but, in fact, beings from other stars had journeyed to our planet.” – Steven Spielberg
(Caution: Major spoilers ahead)
Today marks the 36th anniversary of the release of Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, his third feature-film and first after Jaws (1975).
1977 was a memorable year for science-fiction cinema, with Star Wars releasing in May and Close Encounters in November. While George Lucas’ space-fantasy took us to a galaxy far far away, Spielberg stayed home, playing on the phenomenon of UFOs and visitors from other worlds.
Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary
Close Encounters tells the story of Indiana electrical lineman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), who witnesses a UFO fly over his truck while on a job; something he “can’t explain.” Neary soon becomes obsessed with visions of an abstract shape that “means something,” and partnering with Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon), whose 3-year-old son Barry (Cary Guffey) is abducted by the mysterious visitors, Neary follows his visions to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, hoping to find answers.
Theatrical release poster
This isn’t your War of the Worlds extraterrestrial film. Rather than invasion and destruction, Close Encounters touches on family, friendship, engaging curiosity and taking chances. Dreyfuss’ portrayal of Neary’s detachment and dissatisfaction with his family life is emotional to say the least. It’s this dissatisfaction that leads him to leave his family behind and pursue his curiosity surrounding the extraterrestrials.
The film’s title comes from Dr. Josef Allen Hynek’s close encounter classification system:
First kind – sighting
Second kind – physical evidence
Third kind – physical contact
“A close encounter of the third kind is really when you meet them,” Spielberg says in The Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Spielberg was a firm believer in the UFO phenomenon growing up; the seed for what became Close Encounters and Spielberg’s interest in telling stories of worlds beyond our own.
Paired with special effects rivaling Star Wars, John Williams, who scored both films, provides audiences with an awe-inspiring atmosphere. The notorious five-note melody stays in the viewer’s mind not only as a musical theme to the film, but a universal phrase for friendship.
Thirty-six years later, Close Encounters continues to capture viewers’ imaginations, and like E.T., the film reminds us that in a world full of hate, it’s still possible for friendship to prevail between the most unlikely individuals.
Barry (Cary Guffey) staring into the lights of a visitor craft
As long as I can remember, science-fiction has been my favorite genre of film. I can only attribute this to the flawless ability of such stories to captivate and inspire. So, to further honor Spielberg’s 1977 classic, and celebrate science-fiction, I conclude this post by sharing my 10 favorite science-fiction films.
10. The Matrix (1999)
I remember my mom getting this on VHS through a mail-order rewards deal. I didn’t watch it for several years because she always said it looked dumb. A friend of mine in middle school persuaded me to watch it, after which I was blown away. I thought it was one of the most awesome movies I had ever seen, but I still didn’t quite understand it until some time later.
As an adult, I find The Matrix to be one of the more unique sci-fi films out there because of its use of machines and computer programming. Agent Smith’s comparing human beings to a virus rather than mammals because of our behavior is a particular concept that’s stuck with me in recent years.
The idea of your entire world and life being a computer simulation is scary and hard to comprehend. The question of whether your world is real (a subject that will come up again on this list) is one a person can get lost in, and this film is built around that question.
Awesome fight sequences and special effects, along with many memorable moments like “the Red Pill or the Blue Pill” and the infamous Keanu Reeves bullet dodge, make The Matrix a worthy addition to one’s sci-fi collection. Not to mention the film has one of my favorite endings in cinema: “Where we go from there…is a choice I leave to you,” followed by Rage Against the Machine…Epic.
And this ending is precisely why The Matrix is perfect as a stand-alone film.
9. Predator (1987)
Only when exposed to another being or civilization far more advanced than our own do we realize how inferior we are in the grand scheme. This is why Predator appears on this list.
It seems we humans never think of anything being out of our league in the universe. The Predator, one of the most amazing characters created in science-fiction, is a reminder of our true place.
I’m not saying that the intention of Predator was to point all this out. After all Arnold DID win (human superiority). It’s just nice when some movies show that we’re not as superior as we think. Something to remember.
A wake-up call combined with a fantastic piece of science-fiction/action-entertainment is why I love Predator. That and the fact that the Predator having a 7/8 meter heartbeat is just beyond awesome.
8. Blade Runner: The Final Cut (OR 1982, FC 2007)
This is the film my uncle deems the greatest science-fiction film of all time, along with the majority of sci-fi moviegoers. While it’s not my favorite, Blade Runner is certainly one of the, if not THE most influential films in science-fiction cinema, and I can objectively recognize its status in the genre.
If it weren’t for my uncle, I wouldn’t have seen this film for the first time three years ago. I can amusingly say I watched this against my will because he was going to make sure my brother and I experienced Blade Runner before leaving his house. I’ll admit we weren’t sure what to make of it after our first viewing. However, after multiple viewings, including that of the theatrical and international cuts, I’ve grown attached to Ridley Scott’s android thriller.
Him having made both Alien and Blade Runner, I like to say Ridley Scott is the man responsible for science-fiction thrillers in cinema. I find Blade Runner to be the stronger film though, as it has a cinematic approach similar to Alien, but with a more personal touch. And come on, it’s Harrison Ford, man.
No doubt about it, Blade Runner is a hell of a film. The only question is: Is Deckard a replicant?
7. Independence Day (1996)
Next to Jaws, this is the film you watch every Fourth of July in the United States. People can say whatever they want about this film’s plot, specifically regarding the ending, and they can suck it too. ID4 is the standard I hold for every alien invasion film made since 1996.
You have city-sized ships, ultimate destruction, dogfights, Jeff Goldblum being a nerd’s nerd, Will Smith beating the crap out of an alien captive, Area-51 and an eerie autopsy…what’s not to like?
I didn’t hear people complaining about the film’s ending until I got to college, and I must admit I was struck dumb by such talk.
At 6 years old, this was my first alien film. I loved and was obsessed with the movie, even getting one of the alien figures for Christmas that year. Of course, there were still moments that scared me, notably the clip below. I saw this in the theater at least twice, and after the first viewing, I remember not wanting to look when the alien awakes during the autopsy.
6. Inception (2010)
Are we awake or are we dreaming? Is our world real?
These are three of many questions presented by Christoper Nolan’s mind-navigating sci-fi thriller. The thought of people being able to invade your mind via dreams and steal your secrets is certainly one of the film’s scarier notions, but apparently such actions are simple as opposed to planting an idea in one’s mind.
When this film came out I only heard about how confusing it was, and that one had to see it several times to understand the ending. I finally saw it at my sister’s apartment the following Christmas and the first thing I thought was, “What the hell are people talking about?” I had no trouble following Inception, and thought the contrast between dream levels was pretty straightforward. Then the ending came with the spinning top and abrupt cut to black, and I thought, “Oh.”
Everyone has their own interpretation, mine being that Cobb was awake and finally reunited with his children. For one, what kind of shitty ending would that be if he didn’t? The film’s only been leading up to that moment for 2 ½ hours. Plus, come on…the top is clearly about to fall.
What people probably fail to take away from Inception is it doesn’t matter whether Cobb was awake. The point is he finally decided to let go, which is a more powerful message than the status of reality.
This film has, without a doubt, the greatest special/visual effects used in modern cinema. As a filmgoer, I respect and admire Nolan’s reliance on practical effects. In a cinematic world where CGI is everywhere, practical effects only become more important in terms of enhancing realism. If I had a top-10 list of special/visual effects shots, the scene in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt fights a projection in the gravity-shifting hallway would definitely be among the top 5 slots.
5. Back to the Future (1985)
Best time travel movie ever.
Whenever someone hears the words “time machine,” how much do you want to bet they picture a DeLorean?
When I saw this film at the age of 4, I remember my mom got me to watch it by telling me “the guy from Teen Wolf” was in it. This simply became another one of those movies that stuck with me. Aside from the humor and awesome concept of time travel, the biggest impact Back to the Future had on me was introducing me to rock and roll.
The attention to detail and cultural differences between 1985 and 1955 portrayed in the film are another factor that make Back to the Future stand out among time travel movies. Some of the best include Doc’s laughing at the idea of Ronald Reagan being president, and Lorraine’s father’s reaction to Marty saying “John F. Kennedy Drive.” – “Who the hell is John F. Kennedy?”
And I, for one, am fond of the sequels, but still recognize the original as the staple of the time travel genre. Who can forget that moment when Einstein becomes the world’s first time traveller?
4. The Iron Giant (1999)
This film is an example of how animation can emotionally trump live-action. The bond between a little boy and an extraterrestrial machine The Iron Giant presents is so convincing, you almost forget your watching a cartoon.
Many will say this is the best non-Disney animated film out there, and while I agree, I would even put it up in the top 10 animated films of all time.
One of the things I love most about this movie is the depiction of 1950s American culture, like the fear of Communism and atomic holocaust with the duck-and-cover video shown in Hogarth’s school. The whole film just has that 1950s sci-fi B-movie feel to it, even with it being animated.
Of course, my favorite part is the Giant’s reaction to what appears to be Hogarth’s death. The anger and sadness mixed with regaining his memory result in a hostile response toward U.S. military forces. One of his weapons, which I can only describe as a “disapparator,” (stemming from Harry Potter lingo) is one of the most badass things I have ever seen in science-fiction.
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
I first saw T2 in the summer of 2000 while on vacation in Destin, Florida. The thing that stuck in my mind after watching it wasn’t the T-1000, which some might expect, but Sarah’s dream of Los Angeles being nuked. That scene scared the hell out of me as a child, and to date, remains one of the scariest scenes I have ever seen in a movie.
This film introduced me to what a nuclear weapon was and what it could do (I didn’t see The Iron Giant until later, and in that film, nukes aren’t depicted in the same manner as T2 ). After seeing that sequence as a 10-year-old, and learning that nukes were very real, it terrified me that something like that could actually happen, however unlikely.
T2 was one of those instances where I saw the sequel before the original, which made for a more interesting experience because I didn’t know who John Connor’s father was, and I couldn’t understand why Sarah was so afraid and distrusting of Arnold, despite the fact he was the hero.
There are many memorable moments from T2, like Arnold using a shotgun while riding a motorcycle and the protagonists blowing up Cyberdyne Systems. But of course, the most awesome part of this film is unmistakably the T-1000.
Next to Vader, the T-1000 is the best movie villain, hands down. From a technical standpoint, seeing Robert Patrick morph into other people and form weapons with his hands was an awe-striking sight for moviegoers, showing just where CGI was taking the film industry. From a story standpoint, how in the hell do you defeat a liquid-metal killer? There’s a surefire solution, of course, for those who have seen the film, and if you haven’t, I don’t know where the hell you’ve been for the past 22 years.
The T-1000 has many kick-ass moments, but my favorite, which, sadly, isn’t featured in the clip below due to availability, is the first brawl between it and Arnold in the steel mill.
Arnold throws the T-1000 against a metal surface, face-first, but this proves useless because the T-1000 morphs its body from front to back, standing face-to-face with Arnold once again. Arnold then decides to punch the T-1000 in the face; another failure. The T-1000 begins to morph once more with Arnold’s fist trapped in the shifting alloy. It morphs its head into its hands, giving the T-1000 a firm hold on Arnold. So…Arnold is basically screwed.
T-1000 = Sheer badassery
2. Jurassic Park (1993)
I know what some may be thinking. “Jurassic Park is action-adventure.” Yes, but at its core, Jurassic Park is a science-fiction story. Scientists resurrecting extinct animals via genetic-engineering is the basis for Michael Crichton’s novel, which transfers over into Spielberg’s film adaptation, making Jurassic Park an unquestionable addition to the science-fiction genre.
Like with Back to the Future, I saw this movie when I was 4. I was blown away then, and am still blown away today. Some kids were probably scared of this movie when they saw it. My sister said the Dilophosaurus scene scares her to this day, and she’s in her late 20s. From what I remember, this film didn’t scare me at all. I think I was so mesmerized by Jurassic Park that it was impossible for me to be scared.
Sadly, I didn’t get to see this in theaters in 1993, so VHS was my first experience, which only made this spring’s 20th anniversary 3D re-release all the more important to me.
I saw the re-relesae twice, once in IMAX, and I was amazed at how well Jurassic Park has held up on the big screen. Industrial Light & Magic’s effects are simply top-notch. They executed the blending of animatronics and CGI to the best of their ability for the purpose of showing moviegoers living animals, and succeeded.
Like Jaws and the Star Wars trilogy, there isn’t one damn thing I find wrong with this movie. Everything from the acting to the effects and music is perfect. Funny coincidence that all five scores just happen to be composed by John Williams. And for anyone who questions the sudden appearance of the sheer drop in the Tyrannosaurus escape, please check out this image.
Jurassic Park, of course, set the standard for use of digital effects in the film industry. This changed movie making in the way Star Wars did in 1977. It took the potential for enhancing the illusion of film a step forward, and where many films have attempted to either replicate or top Jurassic Park, many always fall short.
In an interview with Phil Tippet and Dennis Muren, two of the special effects artists who worked on Jurassic Park, the two were asked if special effects have gotten better, or to the point where they’re completely unrealistic. After a brief silence, Muren says special effects have gotten “bigger.” Tippet then adds, “Not better. It’s kind of like symphonies at the end of the 19th century. All they could do was get louder and longer. And where’s the symphony now?”
Food for thought.
1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Referred by some as Star Wars Episode V, the sequel to George Lucas’ 1977 classic probably had moviegoers thinking, “Oh, there’s no way this can top the first one.” Oh how wrong they were.
Empire is arguably the best film in the Star Wars franchise because of the overall intensity and drama, Vader’s relentlessness, the introduction of Boba Fett and Yoda, the Battle of Hoth, the romance between Han and Leia, and the twist at the film’s climax. Like the original Star Wars, Empire includes many humorous elements, but at the same time, takes the maturity level a step above its predecessor.
As always, John Williams provides the audience with an emotionally-engaging soundtrack. For some who may not know, Empire is the first Star Wars film to use “The Imperial March,” the notorious music commonly known as the Darth Vader theme; just one more element that heightens Empire’s quality.
While it is true that the Star Wars franchise is more space-fantasy than science fiction, the galactic setting makes it impossible for me not to include Empire on this list. When you’re in the mood for a science-fiction/space film, Empire has everything you want. And why Empire and not the original Star Wars? Empire is simply my favorite Star Wars film.
I think we have a lot to expect from the new films Disney and Lucasfilm plan to release, but no matter their attempts, I don’t see another Star Wars film achieving the quality of The Empire Strikes Back.
Frame by Frame 