The Hound Salutes: George Lucas Movie Review
George Lucas was one of a new breed of filmmaker, part of the first generation to come from formal film training.
He graduated from the prestigious University of Southern California's School of Film. After serving as director of photography on the Rolling Stones’ documentary Gimme Shelter, Lucas, with the help of friend Francis Ford Coppola, turned his 20-minute student film into his first feature, THX 1138 in 1971. The film failed at the box office, and Lucas set out to write something with greater mass appeal. He succeeded first with American Graffiti (1974). This coming-of-age story set in the early ‘60s began a wave of nostalgia that permeated the decade, and inspired television's Happy Days (which borrowed Graffiti star Ron Howard).
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …” With these famous words, Lucas surpassed all expectations with the release of Star Wars in 1977. A futuristic fairy tale of epic proportions, it told the story of a young hero, Luke Skywalker, out to save a princess and destroy the evil Galactic Empire. Star Wars became landmark in film history for its grand special effects, engaging story, and shear pop culture influence, as well as the most successful film of its time. The marketing frenzy of toys, T-shirts, lunch boxes, posters – virtually anything that could be stamped with a picture or logo – that followed Star Wars continues to this day, as does a loyal following of fans spanning two generations. Lucas followed up with two equally successful sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), though he chose not to direct either.
Lucas, along with friend Steven Spielberg, created the character of Indiana Jones, guiding the archaeologist/adventurer through three screen adventures and the failed television show, Young Indiana Jones. This film trilogy, like Star Wars, sought to restore the sense of adventure and excitement not seen in film since the days of the serial cliffhanger. It succeeded with the charisma of star Harrison Ford and large-scale action sequences that left viewers breathless.
Despite some disappointments (Howard the Duck, Willow, and Radioland Murders), Lucas remains a dominant force in Hollywood through licensing of his Star Wars properties and his other ventures. Presently, Lucas is working on the Star Wars prequels, and a restored version of the original to be released for the 20th Anniversary in 1997.
George Lucas has become an industry unto himself. He has founded Lucasfilm Ltd., his film production company, Sky-walker Sound, LucasArts Entertainment, devoted to developing computer and video game software, and Industrial Light & Magic, one of Hollywood's premiere special effects houses.