The
special effects in the Star Wars movies have improved a great deal from
the originals to the new releases. One big difference is in
the
sets. The sets for the originals were either on location or
hand
made; where as the sets in the new releases were mostly done by
computer. The visual effects, such as the light sabres were
very
basic and dull but in the newer movies the visual effects had improved
a lot so things looked very bright and extravagant. The props
used also improved. In the originals they would use scale models of
star ships to do the space flight scenes. For the newer films
they did all of it on a computer.
The
original films released were episodes four, five and six. The
newer series of films were episodes one, two and three. The
reason episodes four, five and six were released first is because they
were George Lucas’ first story and screen plays. He didn’t
begin
working on the screenplays for the prequel trilogy until 1987, eleven
years after the original release of Star Wars in 1976. George
Lucas created the original stories with the intent of furthering the
story. Rather than doing sequels, he went back and gave the
original stories a history in episodes one, two and three.
The roles of the following characters have remained steady thought out
all the films but they themselves have undergone significant
changes. The first character I am going to discuss is Anakin
Skywalker; when we first encounter him in the original Star Wars film
episode four he is known as Darth Vader, the right hand man to the evil
emperor Palpatine – at this time Darth Vader is the Dark Lord of the
Sith. But when we encounter him in episode one he is a
selfless
nine-year-old slave boy who is an engineering prodigy. Anakin
goes from being a sympathetic innocent to a destructive
antagonist. The second character I am going to discuss is
Master
Yoda. When we are first introduced to him in episode five he
seems like an eccentric hermit who fill his role in episodes five and
six as a teacher. Though in fact in episodes one, two and
three
we see he is the ultimate Jedi Master and respected Leader of the Jedi
Counsel.
Star Wars is an epic science fantasy saga created by
George Lucas.
All six films of the Star Wars series
were shot in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The original trilogy was shot
with anamorphic lenses. Episodes IV and V were shot in Panavision,
while Episode VI was shot in Joe Dunton Camera (JDC) scope. Episode I
was shot with Hawk anamorphic lenses on Arriflex cameras, and Episodes
II and III were shot with Sony's CineAlta high-definition digital
cameras. Lucas hired Ben Burtt to oversee the sound effects on A New
Hope.
Burtt's
accomplishment was such that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences presented him with a Special Achievement Award because it had
no award at the time for the work he had done. Lucasfilm developed the
THX sound reproduction standard for Return of the Jedi. The scores for
the six Star Wars films were composed by John Williams. Lucas' design
for Star Wars involved a grand musical sound, with leitmotifs for
different characters and important concepts. Williams' Star Wars title
theme has become one of the most famous and well-known musical
compositions in modern music history.
The
science fantasy interstellar epic Star Wars uses science and technology
in its settings and storylines, although they are not considered "hard"
science fiction. The series has showcased many technological concepts,
both in the movies and in the "Expanded Universe" of novels and comics.
The
Star Wars movies are a vehicle for entertainment and their primary aim
is to deliver drama, not scientific knowledge. Many of the on-screen
technologies created or borrowed for the Star Wars universe were used
mainly as plot devices or as aesthetic elements, and not as elements of
the story in their own right.
The
iconic status that Star Wars has gained in popular culture allows it to
be used as an accessible introduction to real scientific concepts. Many
of the features or technologies used in the Star Wars universe are
impossible, according to current theory. However, the process of
understanding why they are considered impossible can educate people
while simultaneously entertaining them. For example, planets in Star
Wars are mostly monolithic, containing a single climate or condition on
all of their surface, whether it be the equator or the poles. A simple
'visit' on a planet is almost always representative to the conditions
pertaining to the rest of the planet.
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Specific Phenomena
Tatooine’s
twin suns:
Tatooine's
twin suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II
Star
Wars Episode IV: A New Hope contains a scene where Luke Skywalker
stands and watches the double sunset of Tatooine’s twin suns.
Of
the 242 Exoplanets currently known, about 20 or so actually orbit
binary star systems. Specifically, they orbit what are known as "wide"
binary star systems where the two stars are fairly far apart (a few
AU). Tatooine presumably is of the other type - a "close" binary,
whereby the stars are very close, and the planets orbit their common
center of mass. Many planets are now presumed to orbit binary star
systems, though gravitational effects from the dual star system tend to
make them very difficult to find with current doppler and transit
methods of planetary searches.
Asteroid
field in Episode V
In
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, after the Battle of Hoth,
the Millennium Falcon is pursued by imperial ships through a dense
asteroid field. The chunks of rock in the field are moving at rapid
speeds, constantly colliding, and densely packed. Ordinarily, an
asteroid field or belt is unlikely to be so densely packed with large
objects, because collisions reduce large objects to rubble that then
eventually aggregates into planetoids by mutual attraction. Such a
densely packed field could exist if it is either “young and transient”
or “dominated by an external force”; there are a few clues that either
might be happening in this scene of the movie. In
contrast to Star Wars, the ship featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey,
(Discovery One)'s course took it directly through the asteroid belt in
novel, without real fear of collision on the part of the mission
organizers.
Sound
Star
Wars has various action sounds in space that the characters react to
and are apparently aware of. But sound, as a pressure wave, must
propagate through some form of matter. Since space is vacuous, it
cannot actually carry sound waves. Two explanations have been posited.
First, it is possible that the various ships’ deflector shields, when
hit with radiation from explosions or blasters, cause the ships
themselves to vibrate, producing sound. Second, the audio may be
synthetically generated by ships’ sensor systems. Producing such sound
would be beneficial because humans naturally react to their
environment. It would also be an efficient use of a pilot’s limited
senses during combat.[3] Similar systems have been proposed for real
world vehicles to audibly alert a driver or pilot to something not in
their field of vision, for example if there were a car in the driver's
'blind spot' the car could transmit an engine noise over the car's
entertainment system from the appropriate direction.
One
line points to some or all of the sound portrayals being synthesized
for the benefit of the pilots. In the radio dramatization of A New
Hope, Han Solo tells Luke Skywalker:
"Your
sensors'll give you an audio simulation for a rough idea of where those
fighters are when they're not on your screen. It'll sound like they're
right there in the turret with you."
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30.
“This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi, and
will soon see the end of the rebellion.”
29. “What a piece of junk!”
28. “Don’t call me a mindless
philosopher, you overweight glob of grease.”
27. “I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to
rescue you.”
26. “Watch your mouth kid, or you’ll find
yourself floating home.”
25. “Evacuate in our moment of triumph? I
think you overestimate their chances.”
24.
“If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador? —
Commander, tear this ship apart until you’ve found those plans. And
bring me the passengers, I want them alive!”
23. “Look, good against remotes is one
thing, good against the living, that’s something else.”
22. “Aren’t you a little short for a
stormtrooper?”
21. “What are we going to do? We’ll be
sent to the spice mines of Kessel and smashed into who knows what.”
20. “That’s no moon, it’s a space
station.”
19. “This is some rescue. You came in
here and you didn’t have a plan for getting out?”
“He’s the brains, sweetheart!”
18. “You just watch yourself.
We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence on 12 systems.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“You’ll be dead!”
17. “Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never
find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
16. “Into the garbage chute, flyboy!”
15. “This is Red 5, I’m going in.”
14. “Boring conversation anyway. Luke,
we’re gonna have company!”
13. “The Force is strong with this one.”
12. “I suggest a new strategy, R2. Let
the wookiee win.”
11. “I’m a member of the Imperial Senate
on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan.”
“You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor. Take her away!”
10. “You’re all clear, kid! Now let’s
blow this thing and go home!”
9. “These blast points — too accurate for
sandpeople. Only imperial stormtroopers are so precise.”
8. “I’ve got a very bad feeling about
this.”
7.
“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? … It’s the ship that made
the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.”
6. ”When I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master.”
“Only a master of evil, Darth.”
5. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
4. “Use the Force, Luke.”
3.
“You don’t need to see his identification … These aren’t the droids
you’re looking for … He can go about his business … Move along.”
2. “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my
only hope.”
1. “May the Force be with you.”
Honorable Mention: The final word of the
movie “Argh!” from Chewbacca! |

Episode I:
THE PHANTOM MENACE
Turmoil has engulfed the
Galactic Republic. The taxation
of trade routes to outlaying star
systems is in dispute.
Hoping to resolve the matter
with a blockade of deadly
battleships, the greedy Trade
Federation has stopped all
shipping to the small planet
of Naboo.
While the congress of the
Republic endlessly debates
this alarming chain of events,
the Supreme Chancellor has
secretly dispatched two Jedi
Knights, the guardians of
peace and justice in the
galaxy, to settle the conflict.....
May 19, 1999
Box office revenue & ranking
US- $431,088,301
Foreign- $493,229,257
World Wide- $924,317,558
Box Office- #5 - #7
|

Episode II:
ATTACK OF CLONES
There is unrest in the Galactic
Senate. Several thousand solar
systems have declared their
intentions to leave the Republic.
This separatist movement,
under the leadership of the
mysterious Count Dooku, has
made it difficult for the limited
number of Jedi Knights to
maintain peace and order in
the galaxy.
Senator Amidala, the former
Queen of Naboo, is returning
to the Galactic Senate to vote
on the critical issue of creating
an ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
to assist the overwhelmed
Jedi...
May 16, 2002
Box office revenue & ranking
US- $310,676,740
Foreign- $338,721,588
World Wide- $649,398,328
Box Office- #22 - #32
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Episode III:
REVENGE OF THE SITH
War! The Republic is crumbling
under the attacks by the ruthless
Sith Lord, Count Dooku.
There are heroes on both sides.
Evil is everywhere.
In a stunning move, the
fiendish droid leader, General
Grievous, has swept into the
Republic capital and kidnapped
Chancellor Palpatine, leader of
the Galactic Senate.
As the Separatist Droid Army
attempts to flee the besieged
capital with their valuable
hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a
desperate mission to rescue the
captive Chancellor....
May 19, 2005
Box office revenue & ranking
US- $380,270,577
Foreign- $468,728,238
World Wide-$848,998,815
Box Office-#8 - #16
|

Episode IV:
A NEW HOPE
It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory againts
the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel
spies managed to the Empire's
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power to
destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Empire's
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save
her people and restore
freedom to the galaxy...
May 25, 1977
Box office revenue
& ranking
US- $460,998,007
Foreign- $314,400,000
World Wide-
$775,398,007
|

Episode V:
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the Death
Star has been destroyed,
Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across
the galaxy.
Evading the dreaded Imperial
Starfleet, a group of freedom
fighters led by Luke Skywalker
has established a new secret
base on the remote ice world
of Hoth.
The evil lord Darth Vader,
obsessed with finding young
Skywalker, has dispatched
thousands of remote probes into
the far reaches of space...
May 21, 1980
Box office revenue & ranking
US- $290,475,067
Foreign- $247,900,000
World Wide- $538,375,067
Box Office- #33 - #52
|

Episode VI:
RETURN OF THE JEDI
Luke Skywalker has returned to
his home planet of Tatooine in
an attempt to rescue his
friend Han Solo from the
clutches of the vile gangster
Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the
GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly
armored space station even
more powerful than the first
dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate
weapon will spell certain doom
for the small band of rebels
struggling to restore freedom
to the galaxy...
May 25, 1983
Box office revenue & ranking
US- $309,306,177
Foreign- $165,800,000
World Wide- $475,106,177
Box Office- #27 - #68
|
Original
trilogy
Star Wars:
US- $1,069,779,251
Foreign- $871,606,177
World Wide- $1,788,879,321
Box
Office: #3 - #19
|
Prequel trilogy
Star Wars:
United States
-$1,122,035,083
Foreign -
$1,300,679,983
Worldwide
- $2,422,714,701
|
Complete Star Wars
film series:
United States -
$2,191,814,334
Foreign -
$2,286,514,160
Worldwide
- $4,211,594,022
|
Media :
- Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope (1977 film) - original title, Star Wars
- Star Wars:
From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker,
1976 novelization of the 1977 film
- Star Wars (manga),
adaptations of the first four films
- Star Wars (radio),
adaptation produced in 1981, 1983, and 1996
- Star Wars live-action TV series, planned for
2010.
|
Original Games:
- Star Wars (1983 video game)
- Star Wars (Namco video game),
released in 1987 in Japan
- Star Wars role-playing game (WEG) (1987–89)
- Star Wars (1988 video game)
- Star Wars (1992 pinball)
- Star Wars Arcade, 1996 arcade game
- Star Wars Roleplaying Game
(Wizards of the Coast) (since 2000)
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Other things
nicknamed
"Star Wars":
- Strategic Defense Initiative,
a United States missile defense program.
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