Saving 'Star Wars'

I must preface this review with the fact that I am a life long "Star Wars" fan, costumer, and collector and have seen many so called "fan films". Many of them are a thinly veiled story to propel a light-saber battle. This film was very different. "Saving Star Wars" gives the viewer a REAL story with REAL characters that grab you. You care about them, applaud them, and get a tear in your eye at some points. I laughed hysterically at a great many parts of the film and am still thinking about it days later...which is more than I can say for some of the other "big" films I have seen.

This film is well written, well acted and just plain good. I think it gives a real look at fans who are passionate about "Star Wars" and the impact films have on people's lives....

I LOVED it, I pre-ordered it, and I can't wait to see it again and again!

I took a friend to see this movie with me and as I worked a little behind the scenes I kept nudging her with my elbow saying, "That was filmed at Riley!" or wherever the scene was shot at. I must say it's different watching a movie where you have been behind the scenes.

Lets see, take 4 cups "A Knights Tale", 6 cups "Weekend at Bernie's", 2 cups "Clerks", and 3 cups "Scary Movie" and put all ingredients in a bowl. Blend with mixer until mixture is creamy. (about 40 different strokes, if mixing by hand) Place in a 16:9 silver baking dish and give to writer / director Gary Wood to bake. What you have is an excellent movie that will keep you laughing out loud from start to finish.

A story about a father (Woody) who loves his son that has been stricken with a terminal illness. They both have precious memories of seeing the StarWars movies with each other. His son makes a last request for his father to continue to go see the movies without him and remember him when he does. Woody is dragged to Indianapolis by his best friend (Hank) to a StarWars convention with a goal to talk to George Lucas (played by George Starkey) and get him to never stop making StarWars movies. Along the way Hank winds up, somehow, in the most hilarious scenarios you can imagine and learns what it will truly take to fulfill his son's wish.

Doesn't sound like a comedy you say. Well, that's where the brilliance of Gary Wood comes into play and you'll just have to go see the movie to see how he does it! When the credits hit I couldn't believe that nearly an hour and forty-five minutes had gone by. To me that says it all - See you at the movies !!!

The Star Wars geek inside of me did laugh a few times. However if you're not a fan of the films. If you don't sit there and collect the stupid action figure variants, Don't quote the film incessantly to your friends, you may not really enjoy this film. At it's core it's a film about a father and what he do for his dying son. But let's be honest most of it is just an excuse for grown men to hit each other with plastic lightsabers. And we're not talking about twenty something guys. We're talking about fat balding 40 year olds. It doesn't have the same crossover appeal of 'FREE ENTERPRISE'. And it's not as funny either. This film could've benefited from a shorter running time and tighter editing job. To paraphrase the film in regards to the edits that should've been made on Phantom Menace. You should've gone in and out get to the point quicker and cutback on some of the exposition, let us get back to decent pace and limit the kid's screen time. Let's do talk about the things I did like. The director really did try to make this a film as professional looking as possible. Some of the shots were amazingly good for an independent feature. Aside from the terrible acting job the son did, (Yeah I know he's a kid, but you could have admitted to yourself he sucked and have him do the lines again, only at least this time a bit more audible) the rest of the principle cast did a great job. The Star Wars in Jokes were great. And The Actor who plays Hank has some decent comedic timing. The Matrix gag may have worn thin but I swear I saw a Chasing Amy Reference? Or am I crazy? It's obvious some of the convention scenes were done in a small comic shop, but the long shots were done at a much larger convention, nice work keeping that all together. Good job By David Prowse and The actor who played George Lucas, My crazy girlfriend actually thought it was him. I also want you to know Now I can't get Rock Me Amidala out of my head. Good production values all around, and I would have rated it much higher except, this is a Film only a Star Wars fan Can Love.

"Saving Star Wars" is a movie for anyone who's lost faith in magic but who desperately wants to believe again. I am not a "Star Wars" fan. But I know the heartbreak of disillusionment. I'll never forget the day in 1987 when I realized that Laser Tag belts did not send the wearer back in time, as the cartoon of the same name suggested. Naturally I got a huge kick out of seeing Woody Garrison (Joe Urban) turn a plastic light saber into a weapon of righteousness.

Best friends Woody and Hank (Jim Peterson) have been serious students of the Lucas universe since they saw "Star Wars" together in 1977. Hank still sleeps in jedi jammies and takes calls on a life-sized Yoda phone, but difficult circumstances have turned Woody into an agnostic. It's hard for him to get excited about The Force when his young son Taylor (Scott Heffern II) is dying. Ironically, Taylor's greatest desire is to convince George Lucas to continue making "Star Wars" movies forever, so his father can enjoy the magic and adventure after the boy is gone. Taylor puts his request in writing and asks Woody to deliver the letter to the notoriously reclusive director.

The premise is an invitation for melodrama, but the characters express their complicated emotions indirectly, through dialog that is, at times, goofy. An early scene in Taylor's hospital room consists largely of "Airplane!" quotes. Writer/director Gary Wood has a good ear for the way guys use movie references and corny jokes in everyday conversations, and the actors deliver the lines with the perfect mixture of earnestness and self-conscious cheesiness.

After much internal debate, Woody accompanies Hank to the Star Wars Celebration II in Indianapolis, where George Lucas may or may not make an appearance. He runs afoul of a hostile press coordinator and a "matrix" of security guards, before finding Lucas (George Starkey) unconscious at his feet.

As the story progresses, it morphs into an epic parody of the best scenes from the "Star Wars" movies. A low-rent "pod race" is fall down funny, while a roof-top showdown creates real suspense by faithfully adhering to the rules of action sequence editing. The likable Dave Prowse, as himself, busts a few Darth Vader moves. And, of course, no "Star Wars" parody would be complete without a woman in a gold bikini.

Footage shot on location at the 2002 Star Wars Celebration is well-planned and blends seamlessly with footage shot elsewhere. A few scenes might have benefited from better lighting, but technical shortcomings such as these are easy to overlook when the performances are so engaging.

Joe Urban and Jim Peterson are irresistible as, well, a couple of dorks. Whether or not Peterson likes "Star Wars" in real life, he approaches the role of Hank with remarkable affection and respect for the character's passion. Gary Wood makes an important distinction between Hank's true admiration, and the immature obsession of "Darth Bader" (Scott C. Sendelweck), a character who steals the script for Episode III. Joe Urban is sympathetic as the world-weary skeptic who tentatively taps into The Force to escape increasingly outrageous situations.

Gary Wood's low-budget, feel-good comedy suggests that there's dorkiness in all of us, and that we'll never be truly happy until we accept it. "Saving Star Wars" convinced the dork in me.

Good Lord! This movie needed a cinematographer. Nearly a third of the shots are out of focus! I like the concept, and for a low-budget Indie, it wasn't bad. Had some real laugh-out-loud moments, too. The Matrix allusions wore thin, but the Star Wars and convention gags were dead on.

George Starkey's Lucas was as dead on as I'd expect from a Hollywood film.

Ultimately, Jim Peterson's Hank steals the movie with his "comic relief" character that hits the nail on the head.

Director Wood's choice to play the lightsabers straight (as plastic toys and not roto-scoped light sabers) was a stroke of genius.

Unfortunately the film suffered technically. The sound and photography left much to be desired.

Worth the rent.