Chapter VIII
Star Wars: Episode VIII — Shadows of the Sith
Plot *
In a galaxy still oppressed by the malevolent Emperor and the pervasive grip of the dark side, Luke Skywalker, the legendary Jedi, has dedicated himself to rebuilding the Jedi Order. Assisted by Jedi Master Yoda, he has formed a small group of aspiring Jedi and their families, embarking on a mission to restore hope and fight against the Emperor's tyranny. Yoda unveils a pivotal quest: the search for an ancient Jedi artifact known as the Journal of the Whills, believed to contain vital knowledge capable of toppling the Emperor's reign.
The star-map required to locate the Journal is divided into two fragments. After years of training under Yoda and Luke, Luke's long-lost sister Nellith emerges as a capable and eager companion for the adventure. Queen Leia Organa selflessly volunteers to join the mission, entrusting her young son Ben Solo's care to the wise and diminutive Yoda. This opportunity allows the group to split up, with Luke, Nellith, and R2-D2 venturing to Seoreth, an archipelago planet, while Leia, the valiant Wookiee warrior Chewbacca, and the ever-resourceful C-3PO rendezvous with Lando Calrissian on Chit, a desert world. Lando, eager to assist his friends once again, sets aside his own troubles to aid in the quest.
Luke and Leia kiss in a long embrace, each assuring the other that they will see each again soon. For readers of the Star Wars DC comic, this kiss did not come as a surprise, their relationship having blossomed within the pages therein, but many viewers were shocked at Leia seemingly moving on from Han very quickly, perhaps not accounting for the three in-universe years between films.
En route to Seoreth, Nellith is plagued by haunting nightmares, where she envisions Luke killing Darth Vader, only to reveal herself as the mastermind behind the mask. Though Luke senses her distress, Nellith keeps her troubling dreams concealed, her internal struggles intensifying. As they approach the planet, Luke begins discussing methods to scan the ocean floor, where Yoda believes their half of the star-map may reside.
Meanwhile, Leia, Chewie, and C-3PO land on Chit and find Lando has already integrated himself into the local crime scene. It didn’t take long for Lando to locate the star-map, in fact it was on display, having become a religious artifact to a certain sect of the local population. Lando explains that stealing the star-map won't be an easy task, as it is heavily guarded and protected. The religious sect that reveres it has dedicated their lives to its protection, believing it holds the key to their salvation. Lando, known for his charm and smooth-talking, hatches a plan to infiltrate the sect's inner circle, posing as a wealthy benefactor interested in acquiring the star-map for his private collection.
Leia, Chewie, and C-3PO assist Lando in his elaborate ruse, playing their respective roles to perfection. Chewbacca's imposing presence creates a formidable image of a bodyguard, while C-3PO, fluent in multiple languages, acts as a translator and mediator. Leia, with her innate leadership skills, navigates the delicate politics of the sect, establishing connections and gaining their trust. Together, they maneuver through the intricate layers of the sect's hierarchy, gradually getting closer to their ultimate objective. Along the way, they encounter challenges and unexpected twists, testing their improvisational skills and resilience. Leia, drawing from her experience as a rebel leader, adapts to each situation, making strategic decisions to ensure the success of their heist.
As they approach the inner sanctum where the star-map is held, tensions rise. The sect's leaders, suspicious of Lando's true intentions, become increasingly wary. Leia, sensing the growing danger, orchestrates a diversion, allowing Lando to slip away unnoticed and make his way to the star-map's location. With the sect's attention diverted, Lando retrieves the star-map, concealed within an intricately crafted reliquary. However, just as he secures the artifact, an alarm is triggered, signaling the sect's discovery of their theft. Lando races against time, pursued by the sect's zealous guards, as he reunites with Leia, Chewie, and C-3PO at their waiting ship. Their escape is fraught with danger as they engage in a thrilling pursuit through the streets and alleys of Chit. Chewie’s piloting skills are put to the test as he navigates the ship through tight spaces and evades enemy fire.
Arriving on Seoreth, Luke and Nellith embark on a perilous underwater expedition. Equipped with special breathing apparatus and aided by the astromech droid R2-D2, they dive deep into the treacherous depths of the planet's vast ocean. There, they encounter massive sea monsters, their ferocious presence challenging their every move. In an epic battle, Luke and Nellith combine their lightsaber skills and the power of the Force to fend off the creatures and retrieve their half of the star-map. Overcoming the underwater trials, Luke and Nellith resurface, triumphant with their hard-won prize.
The group reconvenes on the uncharted jungle planet that houses the Journal of the Whills, united by the completed star-map. However, tensions simmer beneath the surface as Nellith's internal struggle with the dark side escalates. As they journey deeper into the lush and mysterious jungle, the group's trust in Nellith is put to the test. Her growing connection to the dark side becomes more apparent, as whispers of the Emperor's influence fill her thoughts. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation and unease as they approach the sacred temple rumored to house the Journal.
But just as the group is on the cusp of their discovery, Nellith's allegiance takes a dark turn. Consumed by the promises of power and fueled by her nightmares, she succumbs fully to the dark side, betraying her companions and seizing the Journal of the Whills for herself. Luke, devastated by his sister's fall, stands against her, torn between his love for her and his duty as a Jedi. In a climactic confrontation, Luke and Nellith engage in a lightsaber duel amidst the ancient ruins. The clash between brother and sister becomes a battle for the fate of the galaxy, as Nellith's newfound powers test Luke's resolve. Their battle is fraught with emotion and the weight of their shared history, as Luke fights to redeem his sister and bring her back to the light. Nellith is somehow able to get the best of Luke, channeling the innate power of the dark side. The credits roll as she escapes in the ship she and Luke arrived on.
Behind the scenes
Considered a major departure from previous Star Wars films for its much smaller focus,
Shadows of the Sith remains a sharp dividing point among fans and critics both, with some considering it to be the very best in the Star Wars Saga and others considering it to be the worst by far. The mixed reception shocked Lucas, who considered
Shadows of the Sith the best writing of his career, and indeed it would be the last sole writing credit of his career after he willing heaped much of the blame onto himself.
The film once again pushed Lucasfilm to the absolute limits of what was then technically possible, specifically the underwater scenes with Luke and Nellith against the sea monsters. Lucas had Pixar compile some test footage of cgi creatures, but was unhappy with the result despite assurances the final product would look better, and ultimately decided to move forward with practical effects, perhaps leaning a little too heavy on Spielberg’s experience with Jaws. The final result, achieved with stop-motion animation and puppets that were notoriously awful to work with, did look amazing and won the film the Oscar for Best Special Effects, but the process pushed cast and crew to their absolute limits, causing Lucas to swear in an interview he would never work in the water again, met by Mark Hamill nodding in agreement.
Lucas had expected Spielberg to return to the director’s chair, but he had already committed to
Always and despite initially thinking otherwise, the filming schedules would overlap. The hunt for a director did not last long, with Lucas turning to another longtime friend: Ron Howard. The pair had originally planned to work together on last year’s
Willow, but went their separate ways when it became obvious their visions for the film did not mesh. Lucas was happy to finally work together again, but this would be first time doing so behind the camera, and Lucas knew he would have to be a constant presence on set, causing him to push back production of
Radioland Murders, a project he had been working on since the ‘70s.
The blood, sweat, and tears that went into the film shined through, as fans showed up in droves to theaters despite the sharply divided reception. It is difficult to beat the highest-grossing film ever released, even when that film immediately precedes
Shadows of the Sith in the Star Wars Saga, but the final box-office return would put the film among the lowest of the entire series, coming in at around $300 million. Worried that Lucas would take the worst lessons from this, Spielberg took out a full-page ad in several national publications in which he publicly declared
Shadows of the Sith was better than
Heirs of Alderaan.
****
The year saw a flurry of releases from Lucasfilm Games, including two adaptations of
Indiana Jones and the Garden of Life, despite it having released two years prior; these were
Indiana Jones and the Garden of Life: The Action Game and
Indiana Jones and the Garden of Life: The Adventure Game. Reportedly, Lucas personally requested the developers at Lucasfilm Games pursue a game based on the character, but left the details up to them. Despite wanting to write a new story for the character, Lucas wasn’t happy with any of their ideas, so ultimately they went for the (arguably untimely) adaptations.
Lucasfilm Games also released
Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain, a World War II combat flight simulator, the second World War II game from them after last years
Battlehawks 1942. It was quickly followed up with the expansion pack,
Their Finest Missions: Volume One. Both the main game and the expansion pack received rave reviews upon release. Interestingly,
Pipe Dream, a puzzle video game, was only published in North America by Lucasfilm Games, having been developed by British developer The Assembly Line as
Pipe Mania.
Under the stewardship of Steve Jobs, Atari had largely bounced back from the catastrophic video game crash of ‘83 that had threatened to destroy the company. A lot of this success was built off the back of the Atari Amiga, with updates to and new versions of the computer in the years since the initial release selling well but failing to make the same kind of splash in the market. Forays into the workstation computer market saw decent returns, but not the kind of success that finds your product on the front page of
TIME.
Finally, 1989 would be the year Atari would release another market defining product: the Atari Lynx. Despite Nintendo beating Atari to the handheld game console market by two months with the Game Boy, the Lynx was simply the better product and became the envy of every kid after the incredible marketing campaign overseen by Jobs. Funnily enough, the Lynx was designed by two former designers of the original Atari Amiga, R. J. Mical and Dave Needle. Featuring the first backlit color liquid-crystal display on a handheld console, as well as switchable right- and left-handed (upside down) configuration, and the ability to network with other units via the ComLynx cable, the Lynx was more advanced than the Game Boy, leading one reviewer to state that the Lynx “throws the Game Boy in the prehistoric age.”
The year would also witness the further expansion of of Amblin-Lucasfilm-Orion with the acquisition of six amusement parks from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which included Sea World parks in Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, and Aurora, Ohio, along with Cyprus Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida, and Boardwalk and Baseball near Haines City, Florida. With no interest in water parks, the Sea World properties were promptly sold off to Busch Entertainment, who had reportedly been interested in the whole lot. While many questioned what they viewed as an odd move, the feeling turned to excitement when Lucas and Spielberg announced plans to close and rebuild the remaining parks according to their unique vision.
In a court far, far away, Lucas won the legal battle holding up his grand plans for Skywalker Ranch, the ground finally broke for the expansion not even an hour later…
Lucasfilm releases
- The Abbys (dir. James Cameron)
Amblin Entertainment releases
- Dad (dir. Gary David Goldberg)
- Back to the Future Part II (dir. Robert Zemeckis)
- Always (dir. Steven Spielberg)
Orion Pictures releases
- Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (dir. Stephen Herek)
- Farewell to the King (dir. John Milius)
- Speed Zone (dir. Jim Drake)
- Lost Angels (dir. Hugh Hudson)
- Great Balls of Fire! (dir. Jim McBride)
- UHF (dir. Jay Levey)
- Rude Awakening (dir. David Greenwalt & Aaron Russo)
- The Package (dir. Andrew Davis)
- Heart of Dixie (dir. Martin Davidson)
- Erik the Viking (dir. Terry Jones)
- Crimes and Misdemeanors (dir. Woody Allen)
- Valmont (dir. Miloš Forman)
- Prancer (dir. John Hancock)
- She-Devil (dir. Susan Seidelman)
* ChatGPT assisted
