This weekend, moviegoers were presented with the re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 3-D. The pod-race is sure to be stunning, as are the many lightsaber and battle sequences, with the addition of 3-D technology into the viewing experience. The re-release of Episode I, however, is not just another movie being paraded out in 3-D to the public for an extra buck. It underscores the entire business model for the franchise. The “Star Wars” movies always have and always will be built on the notion of impressing audiences with superior special effects and technology.
In the original three films, ” Episode IV – A New Hope ,” “Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Episode VI – Return of the Jedi,” the attraction was not the big-name stars (remember, Harrison Ford was still a relative unknown at the time) or the intricate and compelling plot. Rather, the movies made their names with the revolutionary special effects they employed.
By all modern accounts (in terms of acting, dialogue, or SFX technologies which have long since been eclipsed) Episode IV and its sequels are not even good movies. As renowned critic Roger Ebert points out in a review of a re-release of Episode IV, “It’s as goofy as a children’s tale, as shallow as an old Saturday afternoon serial, as corny as Kansas in August.” Despite all this, however, Ebert notes the movie is, undeniably, “a masterpiece.”
Why is it that moviegoers are so enthralled by the newest technologies? Why is it that we sometimes overlook mediocre or even bad fundamentals in film in favor of something flashy and new? Why is it that “Avatar” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” were such huge blockbuster hits, despite some major flaws? Aristotle has a thing or two to say about that, but the point is that it doesn’t matter.
The entire medium of film is built on technology; film cannot happen without a camera and an editing studio and sound and lighting technology. So it comes as no surprise that revolutions in this arena always sell well. Good films can always be matched with the newest technologies. When movies using these technologies are produced, we should embrace them.
Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!