Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Screen/novel writing 101: A story is only as strong as its antagonist.
Again, archetypal storytelling structure. Things are darkest at the end of the second act, when the protagonists are in the belly of the whale and have no clear way out.
The plot of A New Hope was classic, almost paint-by-numbers hero's journey. Which isn't surprising, as Lucas studied Joseph Campbell's teachings as he was creating it.
Empire Strikes Back was written by Leigh Brackett, a highly experienced SF genre author and screenwriter.
The subsequent movies have been written by a George Lucas drunk on hubris, or a committee of corporate overseers and hired hands with clashing visions. The scripts they've created have been at once both over-complicated and cliche-ridden schlock.
It really is remarkable how the enthusiasm for two films has propelled the franchise for decades.
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I think ROTJ has a worse reputation that it actually is of a film. Yes, the Ewoks, in retrospect, are silly.
In terms of a pure adventure movie, it belongs up there with movies like the original Indiana Jones movies. The sense of pacing and adventure is incredible.
There was nothing ground breaking about the plot, and it essentially just knocked down the dominos that had been set up in the first two movies, but the overall execution was great. So many great scenes: Jabba's palace, throne room, Sarlacc pit, removing Darth Vader's helmet, etc...
It was a sequel that basically followed the classic formula of one upping the prior movies, but the execution was amazing.
Part of the genius of the original trilogy was the pacing among the movies. They manage to wrap up, what could have been a meandering mess, into a total story.