Saving 'Star Wars'

I saw the premier June 9th. I went having no idea of what to expect except that it must have something to do with Star Wars. I must say I was impressed. Its loaded with Star Wars quotes, references and jokes that fans will appreciate, but the story is truly about the crazy things people will do for their loved ones. It also tries to examine what Star Wars means to people.

The movies takes place during the Star Wars Celebration II that took place in Indianapolis in 2002 when the main character (Woody) attends to find and talk to George Lucas. After several failed attempts he accidentally knocks Lucas out and ends up "kidnapping" him. Of course things get crazier from there.

All-in-all I thought it was a great movie. Some of the dialog seemed dry and the various Matrix references, while funny, seemed out of place. The cinematography was good and the characters of Woody and Hank had great chemistry. I expect it will be shown at Celebration III, but I hope Gary Wood can do more with it.

Starwars mockumentaries are as abundant as they are poorly made, unfortunately. Saving Star Wars is no exception. Sandwiched between lack luster cinematography is a meandering plot, amateur acting and just plain goofy dialog (even for a Starwars knockoff). This film is a text book case of a producer with money throwing it at a group of amateurs to make a film. The byproduct is not funny, cannot be taken seriously (even when it wants to) and is not entertaining even to the most rabid Starwars fan (like myself). The film fails technically as well, with poor editing and poor camera work resulting in many out of focus shots, seamed panning and lots of camera bounce. It looks like most of the work was done with a Canon XL-1 or possibly mended together with GL-1 shots as well. Scenes inside the convention center were cast in the dreaded "green" from fluorescent lights, further evidence of poor camera work and lack of gel use. No true "tone" of the film was ever established or maintained.

The occasional bright spots were performances by Jim Peterson as Hank, who becomes more annoying than funny over time, George Starkey as George Lucas, who bears a striking resemblance to Lucas, a confident Lee Ann Millen as Lisa (Princess Lea/Padme) who combined slightly odd/cuteness with toughness (every Starwars fan dream girl) and Scott Sendelweck as Dennis Bayder, who is actually quite capable of better performances. Apollo Bacala is hilarious and effortless as Melvin Lucas and provides the only true belly laughs of the entire film.

Being able to point to the many locales I know of personally and smile and say "hey, they're at so and so..." doesn't make up for the fact that this film falls flat on its face and furthers the notion that the Indy film scene is as pathetic as it is amateur.

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!

"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.

i saw this movie at the reshowing on Friday before fantasy in Chesapeake, VA. it needs editing, but Gary wood said he's still editing, so hopefully it will get tightened up. it's a relatively disjointed story of a man (woody) who's son (Taylor) is mortally ill and the son only wants star wars to go on, so his father will always have something to remember him (Taylor) by. the majority of the movie takes place at the star wars celebration, where woody and his childhood friend, hank (my favorite character) want to meet George Lucas to give Lucas a letter from Taylor. the ensuing situations make up the bulk of the movie.there are such weird characters as Dennis badder (a Vader wannabe)agent smith (one of Lucas' guard) Salvatore (a minion of Lucas') Lisa (a great tribute to padme and Leia) i went into it expecting to be more depressed than tickled, but i was wrong. when the movie is funny, it's VERY funny.there are many tips of the hat to such diverse movies as the godfather, airplane, and even star trek (watch for it) it was great to see Dave prowse looking healthy and he has a good ear for comedy and a wonderful deadpan delivery. i recommend this movie to movie buffs, star wars buffs in particular. even most people in fandom should enjoy it.