In achieving the intended goal, any methods are commendable. George Lucas originally conceived of Star Wars as a long-running, multi-level project full of nuances and details. The universe he invented contained an unimaginable set of planets, time periods and heroes, selflessly fighting for the opposing sides of Light and Darkness. prescribing the script of his cosmic Saga, Lucas broke the narrative into several parts, each of which was the basis for a full-fledged cinematic episode. However, to implement all the ideas one influx of the director failed, because the 70-ies of the last century were far from the most prolific for ambitious science fiction, who were going to change stagnant Hollywood for the better. And yet Lucas did not back down from his plans, doing almost impossible things for Star Wars to move from paper to film without losing his unique identity. The premiere of the film, held in 1977, not only amazed society, but also gave rise to a very impressive cult based on the adventures of the idealist Luke Skywalker, who was destined to revive the bright Jedi Order, the last defenders of law and justice of the Galaxy Far, Far away. However, until the very last moment, Lucas did not know whether his venture would succeed, and therefore the debut Episode of the great Saga, later designated as “A New Hope”, was built in such a way that the viewer delved into the essence of the narrative and, if possible, did not ask unnecessary questions, perceiving the story as it is. In turn, grateful, stunned, enthusiastic viewers appreciated Lucas’ efforts with the highest rating, thereby giving the young filmmaker a unique opportunity to distance himself from the Dream Factory and shoot high-budget films without constant studio control.
Inspired by the success of Lucas, who waited out the information storm in sunny Hawaii in the company of Steven Spielberg, without hesitation rushed into battle, thinking through every detail of the most anticipated sequel of all time, dubbed “The Empire Strikes Back”. But before the audience saw the fifth episode in theaters, an optional addition to the original Star Wars appeared on small screens, which was released exactly for the Christmas holidays of 1978. Built in the format of a TV extravaganza tape, consisting of a lot of entertainment and musical numbers, did not receive much recognition from the audience, discouraging even George Lucas himself, who acted on the project as a producer. The “holiday special” immediately after the premiere turned into an object of censure due to the catastrophic level of humor, plot content and primitive stupidity, overshadowing even the most successful scenario finds. The only thing to thank the tape for is the image of the mercenary Boba Fett, who appeared in all his dangerous beauty in the animated insert that divides the Holiday Special into two parts. Noticing the positive reaction of the audience, Lucas returned the verbose warrior to Star Wars, giving him screen time in the sequel and final part of the Trilogy, Return of the Jedi. Somewhat surprisingly, but staying in the light of the camera from the force of a few minutes, the character of the third plan got no less impressive army of fans, Date Vader did not live. The stylishly presented, respectful, cold-blooded mercenary disappeared from the Star Wars universe pretty quickly, falling into the pit of the bloodthirsty monster Sarlacca, only Saga fans were not ready to say goodbye to him. Through the efforts of the writer K. Jeter saw the light of the printed Trilogy “Bounty Hunter”, telling about the adventures of Fett after rescue from Tatooine, and later Lucas himself returned Fett to the lineup, making him one of the key characters of “Attack of the clones”, the second episode of the Trilogy of prequels.
The expanded biography of Boba Fett strengthened his position among the community of fans. Game figures, computer games, comics and books with his participation invariably attracted attention. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Fett gradually became one of the most sought-after heroes among directors making independent films based on Star Wars. Over the years following the first release of the mercenary on the screens, more than a dozen paintings were shot with his participation. Not all of them are freely available or deserve close attention, but there are also those crafts that are not worth watching. One of them is Oliver Thompson’s Star Wars: Smuggler’s Run, which premiered a year after George Lucas joined forces with Walt Disney and announced the filming of the Seventh Episode of the Saga. Through the efforts of Lucasfilm, the promising and dramatic era of the Clone Wars was revealed with proper attention to detail, so that Thompson and a group of equally enthusiastic fans returned to the past of Star Wars, in order to along with Kathleen Kennedy and J. J. K. Abrams ensures that George Lucas’ legacy will have a future worthy of his high status.
As for the plot of Star Wars: Smuggler's Run, it takes place a few months after Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star, causing significant damage to the Galactic Empire. Received an annoying slap in the face from the rebels, Darth Vader, the Emperor's right-hand man, announces a reward for Skywalker's head, turning to the Bounty Hunters Guild for help. Painful mercenaries are not going to give each other the opportunity to earn good money and go on a hunt, looking for traces of the hero of the Rebellion in the most remote corners of the Empire. He did not stand aside from the call of Vader and Bob Fett, who earned a reputation as one of the most successful hunters of the Galaxy. The hero knows where to start the investigation and returns to Tatooine, Luke’s home planet, from where his great journey began. until then, until then, Fett did not meet unnecessary problems on the way, but the greed of colleagues / rivals in the Guild forces him to zealously defend interests and once again prove to everyone, in connection with which he is considered a person who is not recommended to be kept in the enemy.
Oliver Thompson’s film is primarily based on the creations of the Expanded Universe, which bribes the large community of fans of the Saga. The director deliberately placed the heroes of the second or third plan in the center of attention, allowing them to say a word in the history of Star Wars without interfering with the events of the Basic Canon, albeit liquidated by Disney after the merger with Lucasfilm. Saturating the narratives with charming references to Jeter's books and computer games with the Bounty Hunters as iconic characters, Thompson built the story in the style of a tense crime action movie exploring the dark sides of a sunny Tatooine. “Star Wars: Smuggler’s Run” attracts the viewer with calculated uncompromisingness, neat weaving of the plot into the main canvas of the story of George Lucas and high technical performance of the picture. So viewing the tape, if not mandatory, then we definitely recommend.
7 out of 10