The Cast.
Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamil brings to life the farm boy who goes from gazing at stars to blowing up Stars (Death Stars, that is). The character doesn't require Oscar-calibar acting, so we can live with Hamil. The main plot revolves around Luke, but the main acting doesn't, and he looks cool in Return of the Jedi in that black outfit and he can handle a lightsaber. The character requires a transformation from innocent farmboy to steely veteren of countless space dogfights and Jedi training, and Hamil brought that out fairly well.
Han Solo - No question about it, Harrison Ford stole the series. The wise-cracking, cockey-as-hades space jockey with a noble streak and an undying loyalty is the down-but-never-quite-out hero that everybody can't help rooting for. Ford is what made these movies worth watching multiple times; the SFX and story and action were what made it worth watching the first and second time. He has such great chemistry with Leia and Luke, and even C-3PO and R2-D2. "Who's scruffy-lookin'?!?"
Princess Leia Organa (Skywalker) - Carrie Fisher was the right person to play Leia. Strong-willed and subborn while being sensetive and caring, tough and determined while being beautiful, Leia is truely a complex character, and Fisher managed to capture all those elements. Lucas must have been much more choosey when casting for the original trilogy then when he chose players for the debacle called The Phantom Menace.
Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi - I choose him because he is the main character other than Anakin Skywalker (and in the original trilogy we mostly see him beneath Vader's armor) that overlaps the first three made and the current trilogy being released. Alec Guiness played the venerable Jedi in the original film, and he, along with Peter "Tarkin" Cushing, were touted as being the main actors to go see. This makes sense as they were the two with lengthy and legendary careers under their belts, like Guiness' Bridge on the River Kwai, and Cushing's portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Guiness was superb in his acting, at once a wise old hermit, a teacher, and a master confronting his former pupil. Tough shoes to fill, and Lucas touched Ewan McGregor to play the young Obi-wan, apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn. Contrary to popular sentiment, I rather liked McGregor as the Jedi Padawan learner, who avenges his Master's death, and takes it upon himself to instruct the remarkable young boy who is to bring balance to the force. The key thing to remember is that the two characters are different. In A New Hope, Kenobi is a seasoned veteren of countless encounters with evil; he has failed his masters and has had students fail him. He has seen the Jedi fall as the pupil he himself trained whittles away at the ranks until he is all that is left to guard the one person who can undo the damage done. However, in The Phantom Menace, Kenobi is young and hot-tempered, eager to join the ranks of the Jedi and prove himself to his superiors. Bold and headstrong, he has little patience for things not directly important. I shall be interested in the development of the character of Obi-wan Kenobi. |
